Right now my setup is a Rio Karma and KSC50s. I want a closed headphone so that I can listent o something other than rock turned up to 26/30 while I mow. I know of the PX200s, but are there any better (for around $50)?

That's a noisy environment to listen to music in. You might want to consider some noise-cancelling headphones. Maybe you could pick up some Sennheiser PXC-250s somewhere for $50.

The Sony MDR-V6(NOT MDR-V600) can be found refurbished for about 50-60 dollars. It is identical to the MDR-7506 in all parts except the exterior metal covers with different labels and a different plug(nickel plated vs. gold plated). Very durable construction.

Factory Refurbished:

http://www.simplycheap.com/sonymdrv6.html

-Chris

Looking for cheap, you can get some of those shooting range earmuffs then run some ear bud headphones underneath them, or if you're really crazy, wear earplugs and put headphones over them and crank them. If you have the cash, you could also get some musician's in-ear monitoring headphones such as the Shure E2, which is just about the cheapest you'll find at $99.

Closed cup headphones don't muffle much. They will get rid of normal room noise and maybe the vacuum cleaner in the next room, but not a lawnmower, and I definitely wouldn't trust them as my only source of hearing protection when I'm playing drums. Even with relatively good muffling headphones you may have to turn your music up dangerously high to hear it well enough.

The Sennheiser HD212 PRO headphones are a full-sized closed model that costs around $50 US new and sounds quite good. The homepage for this model can be found here.
For around $100 I prefer the 280 PRO:

They are not particularly light weight headphones, however (220g).

I was going to suggest the Etymotic series (ER-6 would be more suited for the lowend), but there is one thing I noticed while mowing. Whenever I move, or step, there is this thud that I can hear. Probably the way I walk (while mowing atleast), and while its slight, the seal that is created by the phones just maginifys it to where its noticable, and even then with whatever they are rated for, I still had to turn them up more then I would have cared for. I do like the idea of using earbuds and then adding the shooting range ear covers over top of them. That sounds like the best idea so far.

-- Page

I'm a drummer and this is what I do when I record. I have a pair of 31dB isolation muffs and I put those over a pair of Sony earbuds. This also worked wonders when I worked landscaping.

Another vote for this technique. Buy some cheap passive industrial hearing protection earmuffs (any decent size hardware/builder's supply should stock them) and some cheap earbuds (with the lawnmower doing it's business, cheap won't matter). The whole lot would put me back around R80 here, so you should be in under $12.

Headphones designed for aviation are good in this sort of environment however they are usually very expensive.

Beyerdynamic DT300 ear defending headphones are one such design

http://www.beyerdynamic.co.uk/datasheets/dt300.pdf

I hear you about aviation headsets, my dad's a private pilot, his business partner he owns a plane with bought some Bose Noise cancelling headsets for the plane. $1000. Each. Before that we used some passive NR gel-cup phones that were $300 each. But they muffle well, which is nice when you've got a couple hundred horsepower a couple feet in front of you and you're trying to listen to ATC.

I'm a drummer myself, I have some semi-muffling headphones (MDR-7506) that I use. Works good for relatively quiet live situations like church. In the studio playing loud rock, I have to use earplugs in addition to the headphones. It means turning up the click track to where there's some mic bleed, but the playing drowns it out. I'm thinking of getting in-ears, but they're so expensive, and it doesn't help that I'm an audiophile.

It's a toss up between the Etymotics and Shure E5s off Ebay or maybe Shure E3s. I wish I could listen to them first!

I tell you, as far as being a drummer and using phones to record, I have been the happiest with shooting muffs and a pair of sony earbuds. Works perfect, I can keep the monitor level below ear-splitting, and there's no mic bleed.