ES7 vs ATH-M50 vs K81DJS

[kaleookalani]

narrowed three in my price range to these. which are better in your opinions?

[jonathanjong]

No enough information. What kind of sound are you looking for? What music do you listen to? Is isolation important? Is portability important?

[tintin47]

I was all excited because I am looking at similar portable cans and thought that this was a comparative review Anyway, we need more info like music choice, amping etc. I know that guitar center carries the M50 so if you are in the States you can probably just go audition them. Don't know too much about the others. I am planning on demoing the es7s and esw9s in NYC next week at Audiocubes.

[1Time]

Originally Posted by kaleookalani

narrowed three in my price range to these. which are better in your opinions?

I enjoy my modded JBL 410 (JBL410) Reference which FWIR is similar to the K81DJ. I have not used the ES7 or M50.

So, FWIR and for my headphone uses and preferences (since you didn't state yours), I'd rate them out of a total of 100 points as follows:

1. ATM-M50 (95 points)
2. K81DJ (4 points)
3. ES7 (1 point)

[jonathanjong]

Well, none of them need amping, so I don't think that matters too much.

[kansei]

I have owned K81DJ for two years and I like them. The only complaint is that my head is big and they hurt my ears after a while. They're fairly portable, which is nice.

[kaleookalani]

i wanted some bass, isolation, portability is not necessary but nice

[MentalEclipse]

I've owned the K81DJ's and I thought they were pretty decent. They have a relatively dark sound (recedes mids/highs), but the bass is pretty impressive if you're planning on listening to a lot of bass oriented music. Though there are other headphones in that price range that I think have a more realistic sound (RP-21s, D1000), the K81DJ's have the strength of being more portable. They also isolate sound very well (probably better than the ES7's, though I can't say from experience).

That being said, I'm actually going to be buying a pair of ATH-M50s soon. Honestly, I think they're your best bet if you've narrowed down your picks to these three. They're a little higher priced than the others, but I think they may provide a more even and realistic sound than the others (from what I've read). I've also read that they isolate as well as the K81DJ's. Keep in mind though they I haven't heard either the ATH-M50s or the ES7s.

[1Time]

Originally Posted by kaleookalani

i wanted some bass, isolation, portability is not necessary but nice

FWIR...

The ES7 would have the least bass of these three. The K81DB and M50 would have a darker sounding tone or presentation. Not all closed headphones block external sounds well. My JBL 410 is fairly poor at blocking external sounds, but it also can be pretty good at not leaking sound out depending on how tight its grip is adjusted. FWIR, the M50 would be the best of these three at blocking external sounds, and the ES7 would be the worst. That said, even the best headphones for isolation don't really block a lot of external sounds, like a nearby conversation or TV. But good isolating headphones can block lower volume sounds like a refrigerator running or nearby computer noises. For better isolation, IEMs are the way to go.

[WittyzTH]

M50 has a brighter sounding than the ES7 and the bigger brother ESW9.

[1Time]

Originally Posted by WittyzTH

M50 has a brighter sounding than the ES7 and the bigger brother ESW9.

Good to know. Would you say the M50's sound is on the darker or brighter side of neutral in tone or character? And would you say the ES7 is more neutral sounding or on the darker side of neutral? I had read personal reviews of the M50 sounding on the dark side of neutral and a bit too dark for some. I actually prefer darker sounding headphones like the HD580 and JBL 410 Reference. Thanks!

[WittyzTH]

I have owned 5 audio-technicas (W100, F5005, W3000, ESW9, AT703, and M50) and ever tried several models from mid-end to high-end. I would say its sound leans on the clinical side, but still have somewhat of audio-technica house sound which is not harsh or fatigue.

I don't know how they describe its sound as a dark can. To me, most of Sennheiser headphones have the dark sound, so called veiled, and the M50 doesn't have that feeling. It has recessed mid bass and a tad laid-back mid range.

I'm sure HD580 and of course HD650 (which I owned for a year) have darker sounding than the M50.

[1Time]

Originally Posted by WittyzTH

I have owned 5 audio-technicas (W100, F5005, W3000, ESW9, AT703, and M50) and ever tried several models from mid-end to high-end. I would say its sound leans on the clinical side, but still have somewhat of audio-technica house sound which is not harsh or fatigue.

I don't know how they describe its sound as a dark can. To me, most of Sennheiser headphones have the dark sound, so called veiled, and the M50 doesn't have that feeling. It has recessed mid bass and a tad laid-back mid range.

I'm sure HD580 and of course HD650 (which I owned for a year) have darker sounding than the M50.

I have owned the A900 and found it to be the opposite of harsh or fatiguing, and not dark sounding like my Senns. So I'm guessing that would put the tone of the M50 at neutral and similar to the A900, with the ES7 on the darker side of neutral. Thanks again.

[WittyzTH]

warmth would be the better word.

[kaleookalani]

sounds like the M50 would be the best one for me then.