Best Headphones for PC and Portable Use?

I recently eyeballed the SENNHEISER HD580s and noticed a $150 price. What I want (actually) need to know is if a standard CD player can handle them. I don't want to hear a sudden quality dropoff by swapping headphones, so whatever I buy for my PCmust be able to be used on a headphone jack of a CD player.
If the only consequence of using them on a CD player is increased power drain, so be it; me CD player can pull over 60 hours of life so that wouldn't be an issue. But I have heard if the power requirements are too high, the headphones wont be able to go above a certain loudness and would be far too quiet to be able to listen to on a standard jack.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Arainach

While I own and love a pair of HD-580, they're strictly home cans (I amp mine with a Pimeta there). In addition to not being very portable at all, they require a LOT of power to drive - considerably more than a CMoy can provide. A PA2V2 or Go-Vibe could at least tolerably drive them but wouldn't begin to tap the full potential of the cans. A true portable amp that would fully drive the 580s would in fact set you back two to three hundred dollars.

It depends on how you're willing to go with your portable cans. If you're willing to go for a full-sized pair of circumaural cans, I reccomend the Sennheiser HD-280. Fantastic computer cans and they don't require amplification, so they can be driven fine right out of a portable CD or MP3 player.

If you want a true pair of "portable" cans, the Etymotic er6i and Shure e2c are both about $100 and have great sound quality, but canalphones take a bit of getting used to. There's also the Koss KSC-35, KSC-75, and PortaPros. They're all rather inexpensive (sub-$30), but the sound quality is nothing short of stunning for the price.

I own KSC75s and I want to step up majorly. But I do not want earbuds or in-ear headphones. Even the slighest bit of sound pressure that close to my ears caues what I like to call "listening fatigue", which is unbearable for me due to my hypersensistive ears (they don't hear any better, they just have very sensitive nerves). I'd like to have something like the Sennheiser HD-580s, but can be used on a portable CD player without amps or modification, but if it'd be too impractial, then I'll settle for the 280s.

EDIT: I am also wondering how much Impediance has to do with output volume. For example, the HD555s (which look very promising) have an impediance of 120ohms, conversely my KSC75s have a 60ohm imepdiance. How much farther would I have to crank the volume to get the 555s as loud as my KSC75s (if that'd be even possible)? I don't crank up the volume all the way, only to 1/4 in most cases, so I'd have room to crank up the voume if I needed to do so.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Right now I'm stuck between the SENNHEISER HD 555s and SENNHEISER HD 280 Pros. I want the one that gives the best music playback quality, I don't care about underpowering since 120ohm didn't stop most people (from what I've read on the web) from using them on a portable music player. As long as the final choice can pull better bass (and much better highs) than the KOSS KSC75s, I'll respect your judgement.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

What I'm wondering is if the HD280Pro's cons are true (according to Newegg reviews). Meaning it hurts to wear them if you have glasses on, the top breaks easily and the bass can be poor. I just want to make sure all this is BS before I make my final choice.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?