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Dislike Shure 440, Need Closed Headphone Advice (<$150 ATH-M50, HD 25-1 II, or used DT770?) - Page 2

post #16 of 20
Thread Starter 
For those who asked, I didn't break-in the SHR440. Even if breaking them in improved on the issues I was having, the comfort of the 0.5" circumaural earpads alone was bad enough for me to return them.
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The Sennheiser HD 25-1 II do look interesting.

@K_19
I assume your warning is because the HD 25-1 II have a high clamping force? I've never worn headphones with supraaural earpads, but looking at the some images of the HD 25-1 II, my gut feeling says they would be a huge improvement over the 0.5" circumaural earpads of the SHR440, especially if my ears would never touch the foam lining that covers the driver. Is there something else I'm overlooking which make the HD 25-1 II supraaural earpads poor for comfort?

I realize I am going to have to make a trade off somewhere with a max budget of $150.
Out of curiosity, if my budget was instead $300, is there something with minimal trade offs for my needs?
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@lejaz

As long as the bass can be heard (i.e. not completely drowned out by the the mids and highs) that is good enough for me. I am not really a bass head, so I would be willing to sacrifice bass if need be. If you find the bass on the RP21 is stronger then the ATH-M50 (which I've heard already has bass which is too strong for some people), the ATH-M50 would probably be a better fit.

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So it sounds like it a choice between the ATH-M50, HD 25-1 II, or DT770 (used) at the $100-150ish range.

With the 280 PRO or RX700 if I want to save some money at the <$100 range.

Does that sound about right?

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If it will yield me better sound quality, at this point I am leaning towards the $100-150 range so lets for now focus on that.

I bought my HD590, new for $100 shipped 4 years ago.

Do I really have to spend so much more then $150 to find a close headphone that at least comes close to the sound quality of my HD590 unamped?

How would the ATH-M50, HD 25-1 II, and DT770 compare to my current pair of HD590?

Which would be the best choice for movies?

Which would be the best choice for rock/metal?

Which would be the best choice for jpop/jrock?

Which would be the best choice for classical/jazz?

Which has the most detailed mids and highs?

How would you describe the soundstage distribution of the bass, mids, and highs on each?

On my HD590, I would describe the bass as being 5th seat, with the mids and highs being 9th and 10th seat respectively.

In some ways I would like something that would complement my HD590 with the mids and highs being more forward, but something that comes close to what I'm used to would also be ok.

Big thanks to everybody who has helped so far.
post #17 of 20
Was not a fan of the 440's either. Picked up new M50's on ebay from a AT dealer for $90. Solid mids, great bass and the right amount of highs. Very comfortable too. Get them.
post #18 of 20
Well I would have suggested the HD 25 I II but they are a little out of your specified budget unless you get them second hand.
Great phones...
post #19 of 20
Thread Starter 
I was about to bite the bullet on the HD 25-1 II and go ahead and either buy some refubs for $140 or new on ebay for $160, but then when doing some final research I discovered that it only has a 1.5m cable. I did some measurements and I need no less then a 2m cable...

Buying a longer replacement cable or the variation which includes the longer cable (HD 25 II or HD 25-C II) is going to push the price to $200-225 which really does put them out of my desired price range.

My original budget when I decided on the Shure SHR440 was only $100. After being forced to return those I expanded my budget to $150 in order to open up a couple more options, but I'm a college student so dropping $200+ on closed headphones isn't something I was planning on doing. The main reason for my sudden need for a closed headphone was the complains I was getting from my roommate about sound leakage from my pair of HD590. If I was going to spend $200+ I would likely be getting a open headphone instead as an upgrade from my HD590.

So unless anybody else has some last minute suggestions, I am going to see if I can get a good deal on the ATH-M50s off ebay. If I really can get them for around $90 (rather then $130-150) then that would seem to make them a really good value.
post #20 of 20
FWIR, I suggest considering the M-Audio Q40.
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