[BobM]

I'm looking to get her a Christmas present. She wants isolating cans, so closed back and sealed ears. Comfortable. Wired, not wireless. $100 or less.

Looked at Sennheiser HD280's and HD439's. What else do you recommend?

[roscoeiii]

You might want to take  a look here for ideas:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame

[*Scotty*]

I have heard JVC HARX 900s and they sounded pretty good, very nice build quality for the money and there are multiple threads about how to modify them for even better performance.
http://www.amazon.com/JVC-HARX900-High-Grade-Full-Size-Headphone/dp/B0013P3ZOE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418165662&sr=8-1&keywords=JVC+HARX+900
Scotty

[jarcher]

Without a doubt, Sennheiser Momentums : they sound amazing (have used them myself), very efficient for portable devices, comfortable and are very fashionable coming in an array of colors.  The less popular colors of pink, red, and green are available at $99 on Amazon, the other's are $29 more.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Momentum-On-Ear-Headphone/dp/B00D77U5US/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1418174908&sr=8-6&keywords=sennheiser+momentum

[timind]

NuForce HP800s might meet your needs. I have a pair and my 17-year-old grandson loves them. Plenty of bass, he says.

[Letitroll98]

I have heard JVC HARX 900s and they sounded pretty good, very nice build quality for the money and there are multiple threads about how to modify them for even better performance.
http://www.amazon.com/JVC-HARX900-High-Grade-Full-Size-Headphone/dp/B0013P3ZOE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418165662&sr=8-1&keywords=JVC+HARX+900
Scotty

+1  Although I would note that they are not 100% sealed, there's a small vented ring that acts as a port.  It will let a very low amount of sound out, way less than an open back model, but you can hear it faintly.  The Momentums may be the best bet for a truly sealed phone, I like the JVC a bit better, but the Senn's are very nice as well.

[jarcher]

At the risk of stating the obvious : we're talking about a teenage college girl - she's probably as interested in something with some style as much as sound quality - and most of these suggestions are not going to cut it (why I didn't recommend the Grado 60 (other than being open back), which despite being on everyone's list has too homely looks). 

Interesting that the "wall of fame" has the Sennheiser Urbanites taking the crown away from the Momentums - though these are retailing at $199 - so I doubt they are twice as good as the Momentums @ $99.  I actually think the Momentums are more fashionable looking as well.

Bob : the sad truth is your daughter probably wants Beat Solo 2's - probably in white or blue.  If you don't want her to get used to crappy sound, the Sennheiser Momentum is the next best but still reasonably fashion-conscious choice.......

[*Scotty*]

Bob, is she going to be using them with a mobile device on the go or will she listening to them while sitting down in front of a laptop?
If its a mobile application a large comfortable over the ear headphone doesn't travel very well.
Scotty

[dB Cooper]

Get the Momentum unless she has specifically asked for the beats. Maybe she's giving Audiophile Dad some respect by suggesting you make the pic? She'll be able to hand down those Senns to her kids when they go off to college.

That being said, Scotty makes a good point. A pair of IEMs would be good for isolation on the go, the downside being that they are easy to lose. Shure SE215 has a good 'rep' and is within your budget.

[BobM]

She's got buds for portable use. She wants these while sitting at her desktop computer and rendering graphics for hours (she is a digital media design major).

The sad part is I have a set of really nice headphones that I don't use at all (I prefer my Senn 600's), but they are not sealed and they are also $300 phones, which are too much for her and likely to get abused to death.

Those JVC 900's look very interesting and are on sale at Amazon for $62 (now that's a deal), but they are pretty utilitarian looking.

That Innerfidelity site is awesome. Some great recommendations there. The Momentums at $99 look to be a steal, considering they are normally $250. I think she could deal with the discounted red ones just fine, and thy do have a mic on them for when she is gaming with others. I gotta think this is the winner overall.

Thanks guys!

[santacore]

Not as nice looking, but I think the Sony MDR-V6's sound really good for the money.

[wushuliu]

+1  Although I would note that they are not 100% sealed, there's a small vented ring that acts as a port.  It will let a very low amount of sound out, way less than an open back model, but you can hear it faintly.  The Momentums may be the best bet for a truly sealed phone, I like the JVC a bit better, but the Senn's are very nice as well.

+2 I have the harx 700s. Got them for $40 at Amazon and I think they are outstanding.