Thanks for all the suggestions and advice everyone, I thought I'd update with my final decision. I ended up deciding on a pair of Sennheiser HD 461's, which I'm very happy with! 

Bit of a bump here but I didn't want to start a new thread just because I bought some new cans.
Here the other day I was struck by how good my new earbuds sound (Sony MDR-EX650AP) compared with just about anything I've owned before. Hell I have never been that interested in hi-fi as long as the music sounded good. Anyways it got me thinking about some real cans - like in over the ear. I remember listening to my neighbours' records with proper headphones on when I was a kid and the sound was truly aweinspiring. Not sure why I forgot that experience...but all of this had me looking for a pair of cheap entry-level cans.
Long story short: I ended purchasing the Sony MDR 7506. Yup I have no imagination whatsoever!
I just look forward to hearing my old favourites in a whole new way.

They're still en route so I haven't actually tried them yet but as more time passes by I'm starting to second guess my choice. AKG 240 perchance??

Edited by Guldbamsen - April 22 2017 at 14:39

I had a set of AKG k240 back in the 90's for multitrack monitoring and loved them. I seem to remember paying somewhere in the $150-200 range. I say a $60 tag on them now. Might just pick up a pair since my old ones got soaked in a post-move storage room flood..

Yeah I read that but then again the Sonys aren't that portable either with their 3 m undetachable chord. Nah I'm merely looking for an entry level pair of cans that act as a sort of jack-of-all-trades. Whether it bleeds into the surrounding area doesn't worry me at all.
I was looking for something neutral to start out with. Hear the music as it was intended by the artist.
The reason I got interested in the AKGs (240, 240 mk ii, 270, 270 mkii) was because of an old audio guy I know who relegayed them as being far more of a 'musical' headphone...whatever that means.
I guess only my own ears can judge sufficiently. It's just fun to hear others chiming in on these discussions - hear how they hear what they hear.

I recently (re)bought an AKG240, due to some cable damage - caused by some excessive head banging
sound is very good, price okay ...

Rivertree wrote: I recently (re)bought an AKG240, due to some cable damage - caused by some excessive head banging sound is very good, price okay ...

That seems to be the prevailing consensus: wonderful sound for the money.
The only downside to them (and AKGs in general as I understand) is that a lot of folks into rock, funk, hip hop etc find them lacking in the bass department. (Maybe they're just used to beats by dre and can't handle a "normal" bass presence?)

Ahh yeah I haven't quite gotten to the stage where I consider investing in an eq. Maybe I should.
That's kinda why I chose the sony pair. Seems pretty basic and are ready to go without too much hassle.

Thanks for the info - much appreciated.
It's a brand new world for me. I've been reading about all this mumbojumbo for the past few weeks or so trying to get some footing in a world that appears to be as inherently subjective as musical tastes are...but there does seem to be some lessons one can pick up whilst perusing other folks' experiences with cans.

One irritating thing to point out: I have almost no way of trying out any of the headphones I'd like without having to spend 2 hours on a bus. Oh the joys of the danish countryside.

Also. I'm not gonna tell you what to buy because I know to do things right, cost is a necessary evil.
You are an extremely smart guy, Dave.
Have a great time doing some research. I know you'll find something great and understand that certain headphones need more attention than others. ;)

PM me If you ever want my help. :)

Edited by Tapfret - April 24 2017 at 12:20