The ATH M50s are the first pair of proper over-head headphones that I've owned. I think they sound fantastic with just my iPod, desktop or laptop (via headphone

The ATH M50s are the first pair of proper over-head headphones that I've owned. I think they sound fantastic with just my iPod, desktop or laptop (via headphone output) and they come alive when connected to my amplifier. I own a pair of Shure SE115 which work very well to block outside noise. I do recommend at least trying to physically examine a pair of over-ear headphones before buying them. A music shop will probably have monitor headphones and they should be okay with you taking them out of the box. I was also considering Shure SRH840 but they were so heavy I just went with the ATH M50s. Great headphones are worth owning if you have high quality music and an effective delivery system.