Quote:
Originally Posted by
justinliu 
I'm trying to decide which one I should get. The TMA-1's look kind of strange (imo - I know my opinion isn't exactly the same as the majority's), but I've read that they're warmer than the HD25-1 II, which is what I've been looking for. I've also read, though, that the HD25's have more bass punch than the TMA's... which is always a plus for me.
Then there's the M-80's, which I found a deal on, but is now taken. Nevertheless, I haven't read much on the sound, and I've only seen the comparison between the portable headphones to see any information. I have seen people say, though, that the M-80's surpass bot the HD25's and the TMA-1's overall.
So, can anyone give me some insight as to which I should purchase? Of course, I listen to a great variety of music, including genres such as pop, dubstep, and rap. I'm not too picky.... as long as it's not metal or country. I have my laptop and my iPod, and I'm planning on purchasing an amp in the future (can't decide if I'm going to go portable or dedicated). Thanks!
I had the same problem as you about two weeks ago. I needed something durable, portable, at or around 200 dollars, and decent sounding.
My first choice was the tma-1. Just look at it, how could you not want it? There's almost no bad reviews for it, if you can get over the need to eq the mids/highs and the darker and warmer sound, then this is your set of cans.
The m80 was my second choice. It's gotten rave reviews, the vmoda company CEO is active on our boards, makes conscious efforts to help his consumers, and interacts with the community. They look amazing and are built like a truck. Plus, they're so small. Probably the epitome of portability in terms of size, durability and features.
My final choice was the hd 25. I don't like that it has a split headband or that the arm can wobble back and forth. Sure, it's a nice feature to have, but not for someone who walks constantly and needs things to stay still. Plus it doesn't have a detachable cable like the other two. Not to say that these are bad; quite the contrary. The hd 25 have a following on head-fi that'll swear by these things, they're just not what I was looking for.
After I discovered how small the m80's are (seriously, they're tiny) I decided to go for the lp2 by vmoda. They're full sized headphones, with all the features of the m80, but with better bass and the size to stay put and isolate well enough to be usable on a bus. They'll be delivered any minute now, and I'll be posting a review soon after. If I don't like them, I plan to return them and get the next choice on my list, the AiAiAi tma-1.
If you're looking for something everyone loves and is more or less guaranteed to at least satisfy you, go for the proven senn hd 25. If you don't mind the small size of the m80's, get them instead. If you're wanting that warm and dark underrated set, get the tma-1. But there are other options, such as the lp2 if you don't mind full sized, or even beyerdynamic 1350 which was essentially made to be a competitor with the hd 25. Jude (head-fi founder) actually prefers the 1350 to the hd 25, and said so in one of the head-fi tv episodes. There are even more options if you don't need the cans to be closed, but since you, like me, will be driving them from an ipod, I'm assuming they're for portable use which means you'll want closed.
edit: one last thing I forgot to mention, none of the headphones, not even the fullsized lp2 needs an amp. They are easily driven by a labtop or ipod, so you can save yourself some money unless you really just want an amp for the sake of having one.
edit2: as soon as I posted this, the postman knocked on my door. My lp2's are here! Time to have a listen.
Edited by Clockmaker - 11/25/11 at 10:08am
