Audio upgrade; Sennheiser VS Audio Technica VS Astro Gaming

[Arya]

Right now I have a set of Astro A40 headphones. They're great, but they're a couple of years old now and I'm starting to think about replacing them. All that matters to me is audio quality; would Sennheiser or Audio Technica be able to offer me something that's good enough to justify the price as an upgrade, and if so, what would you recommend?

I'm looking for Studio headphones with outstanding audio quality. I don't need surround sound or wireless or even a microphone, I just want a set of earphones that can beat my Astros, are comfortable, and will last a very long time.

> Bonus points for leather or fake leather earcups - they're super easy to clean
> Bonus points for metal or heavy-duty frame, durability is a key criteria
> Bonus points of no Mixers, Amps or Cables.

I'm also thinking about a Sound Card. My new Motherboard has onboard Audio, but it's really not that great - worse than I would expect or demand. Would a discrete PCI-E soundcard make much of a difference? Are they worth having for a better audiophile experience?

[^6Knowledge]

''I'm looking for Studio headphones with outstanding audio quality'' Astros dont have high quality audio unless you have way too much disposable income. Sennheiser and at are both good. Personally i have used sennheisers before and they have a really good audio.