The final 3 before I make the purchase

SR60 leaks sound badly

if u are using with iphone, monster beat is good, because one of the version have the mic with it. It is not as bad as people say it is.

I have never listen to bose

the Grado will be the best sounding of the three, but it leaks, and is the most uncomfortable. 

Given the choices you provide, and the criteria you have, the Bose may be your best bet. 

How did you decide on these three? I can think of at least 5 others that would be better on all counts, around the same price point. 

Heya,

Audio Technica ESW9 or Vmoda M80's.

Very best,

I would also skip all of these suggestions in favour of something else, perhaps the Shure SRH440 or M50's.   Both are very durable, have fair/good sound for the cost and are comfortable enough to last a movie. 

The grado's I like but fail in terms of isolation, I cannot say I have listened to either of your other "options" because to me they would never make the "options list"

Quote:

Originally Posted by FacePalmMonkey 

 

What I expect:

 

1. Really decent sound quality. Clear sound. The way it was recorded. No enhanced bass stuff or muddy sound.

2. Comfort.

3. It would be good if they don't leak.

4. Durable. I plan to make this a long term purchase. I want to hang on to them for a long time.

 

Once again I really really appreciate your help guys and gals (if any). Looking forward to your input :)

1.  Rules out the Beats (those are Solos, right?).  Of the Beats, the only ones that aren't super bass-bloated are the Studios.  The Solos are the worst of the lot.

2.  May rule out the Grados.  Comfort is hit-or-miss with them.

3.  Definitely rules out the Grados.  They're open, so they leak a lot.

4.  Another vote against the Beats.  The headband breaks easily.

Out of the three you picked, the Bose AE2 are probably the closest to what you want.  You may want to consider some other options though - Bose is not really the best value for the price. 

The ATH-M50 is recommended fairly often in this price bracket.  It might be a tad bass-heavy for your taste, but not nearly as much as the Beats.  They're bomb-proof, provide decent isolation, and are fairly comfortable. 

The SRH-840 is another good one.  It's probably a little closer to neutral than the M50s with similar comfort, isolation, and durability.

The Koss Pro DJ100 is not nearly as bass-heavy as its DJ designation would suggest, is cheap ($40 plus shipping from Electronics Expo with the MROCTOBER coupon code), and fits all your other requirements too.

I'm sure others will chime in with their favorites as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FacePalmMonkey 

What I expect:

 

1. Really decent sound quality. Clear sound. The way it was recorded. No enhanced bass stuff or muddy sound. 

2. Comfort.

3. It would be good if they don't leak.

4. Durable. I plan to make this a long term purchase. I want to hang on to them for a long time.

 

Once again I really really appreciate your help guys and gals (if any). Looking forward to your input :)

1. All of them are too colored for that. The Grados are too bright, the Solos are just ick. Oddly, the Bose are the least colored of the bunch, but they're still colored and relatively unimpressive, but still good enough. But I assume you want a neutral to slightly bright headphone. It's impossible to hear it the way it was recorded unless you use a pair of the speakers used to mix the track.

2. That takes the Grado out...and maybe the Solos if you don't like the suction feeling. The Boses are the most comfortable headphones I've tried though.

3. Also takes out the Grados. This is the antithesis of the Grado principle.

4. Probably takes out the Beats and Bose. 

I take it your budget is around $150, which can get you the TMA1 (but errs on the warmer side), the HD25, the K171, and a ton of other things. Do some more research please!  It'd also help if you stated your music preferences.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FacePalmMonkey 

Wow. Are Bose really bad or something?

Not really; you can just do better for the price.

Do a search.  There's tons of info on Bose and Beats.  Tons.  You can't expect everyone to want to repeat it 5 times a day when there's a new beats bose thread created.  No offense.  It's for your own good.  Once you do a search and learn a few things, you can start a thread with a question that people aren't sick of answering and you'll get some useful responses. 

What's your price range and what music do you listen to?

On the subject of Bose and Beats, the Beats definitely don't fit your specifications, but the Bose wouldn't be bad.  If you can, go to Best Buy or Target and use the demo pair.  It won't necessarily give you the best perspective on the sound since they're usually pretty abused, but you should at least get a feel for the comfort and durability.

If you've changed your mind, any of the suggestions in the replies above should work well:

Audio-Technica ESW9

Audio-Technica ATH-M50

Vmoda Crossfade M80

Shure SRH-440

Shure SRH-840

AiAiAi TMA-1

Sennheiser HD25-1-ii

AKG K171

Koss Pro DJ100

Sony MDR-V6's. They meet your criteria perfectly.

They are very neutral for their price. Probably the most neutral in their price range, actually.

They are quite comfortable. I could wear them for many hours at a time.

They don't leak at all, and they keep outside noise, well, out.

Legendary durability. I've known people to own the same pair for 20 years.

You just have to be careful where you buy them. There are a lot of fakes out there, so make sure you buy from an authorized Sony dealer. Personally, I would avoid Amazon altogether, and buy from somewhere like B&H Photo Video.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FacePalmMonkey 

Wow. Are Bose really bad or something?

No, far from it. I actually like the AE2's because they're almost weightless and fit very nicely on my head and sound quite chill. If they had a thicker headband for better durability, I'd consider a second-hand pair for travelling. However, as a first pair, Bose isn't really the way to go because they don't have the greatest price to performance ratio. If one already has a pair or two that fulfill analytical needs, the AE2's are a nice headphone to have around for just chilling out in bed or something since they provide the rare combination of inoffensive sound with utmost comfort.

The Beats on the other hand aren't comfy nor sound quite as chill.

And again, look at previous recommendations, or else we'll resort to some major facepalming.

Oh, and look at Joker's portable headphone review thread for other possible headphones.