If you want to be able to hear your surroundings, then you want an open-air design. Open-air headphones have holes around the speakers so sounds from outside can each your ears.
RS1 from Grado Labs (warm and wonderful sound)
I don't know whether to laugh or cry!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-0678610-7200142?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=grado+gs1000&x=0&y=0
$700!
If you're crazy enough to spend that much on headphones you might as well got whole hog and spend the $300 more to get the top of the line GS1000's with even more dynamic range, and a more stylish appearance.
I have a pair of Sony Studio Monitor headphones. They weren't cheap at $100, and they're not open-air, but I don't have much of a problem hearing people when they're in the same room (But I don't blast my sound at full volume) and they're really comfortable, and look slick enough. Also the sound you get out of them is supposedly accurate, and I can hear all the quiet sounds you might normally miss with a cheaper pair.
Of course, I have never listened to a $1000 pair of headphones, so I don't know what I might be missing. Maybe those have really good bass reproduction. I'm sure my headphones could do better in that area, most suck at that. But no set of headphones is going to give you the same body rattling feeling that a subwoofer will, so what's the point?
Oh, and I have my doubts about whether you could hear the difference with those expensive headphone amps too. Or at least, whether the cost would be worth it. That stuff gives me Monster-cable vibes.
RS1 from Grado Labs (warm and wonderful sound)
I don't know whether to laugh or cry!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-0678610-7200142?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=grado+gs1000&x=0&y=0
$700!
If you're crazy enough to spend that much on headphones you might as well got whole hog and spend the $300 more to get the top of the line GS1000's with even more dynamic range, and a more stylish appearance.
I have a pair of Sony Studio Monitor headphones. They weren't cheap at $100, and they're not open-air, but I don't have much of a problem hearing people when they're in the same room (But I don't blast my sound at full volume) and they're really comfortable, and look slick enough. Also the sound you get out of them is supposedly accurate, and I can hear all the quiet sounds you might normally miss with a cheaper pair.
Of course, I have never listened to a $1000 pair of headphones, so I don't know what I might be missing. Maybe those have really good bass reproduction. I'm sure my headphones could do better in that area, most suck at that. But no set of headphones is going to give you the same body rattling feeling that a subwoofer will, so what's the point?
Oh, and I have my doubts about whether you could hear the difference with those expensive headphone amps too. Or at least, whether the cost would be worth it. That stuff gives me Monster-cable vibes.