Sennheiser HD25-1 ii vs. V-MODA M-80 / V-80

I, too would be interested to hear some more thoughts on this. As I don't have the opportunity to try these headphones out it would be of great help if there would be anyone willing to shed some more light on these two and how they compare! :)

You can find my official review on the M-80 HERE. In it I directly compare the M-80 against the HD25-i-ii as well as a few other cans. Some other things you should know, the Sennheiser has a more aggressive sound and the highs has far more sparkle then the M-80. It also has a fuller lusher sound compared to the M-80 and is the far better all arounder for genre mixing. That said although it may be the jack of all trades as far as different genres goes it's also the master of none. Soundstage on the HD25 is good but the M-80 is slightly wider to my ears. The mids on the HD25 are slightly recessed due to the highs and lows being slightly spiked but in my opinion it's not to bad and works quite well for the general sound signature. Out of the two I find the HD25 does metal music and hard rock better then the M-80 but the M-80 does electronica rap hip hop and pop by far better then the HD25.

The M-80 is V-MODA's vision of what a bass centric audiophile can should sound like. It's sound spectrum is very smooth and liquid sounding and the highs are quite polite and non fatiguing compared to many other cans and sibilance control it quite good. The two strengths of the M-80 are it's mids and its lows. The mids are very smooth and tie the low and bottom end of it's sound signature together very well. As stated before the M-80 is a bass centric can while the HD25 isn't. The HD25 has whats called a mid bass hump which means on certain songs when the bass demands that visceral like hit (slam) the bass will boom out at you. On the M-80 the bass extends lower sounds warmer and has far better detail then the HD25. Although it doesn't boom out like the HD25 the M-80 bass can also slam very well and it does it without leeching into the mids and highs. In a nutshell the M-80 keeps it's bass controlled well enough to play nice with its other frequencies while still giving a nice warm bassy sound with good detail retrieval across all frequencies. Be warned if you're seeking a bass cannon the M-80 isn't a bass cannon it's only a bass centric can, there's a difference between bass cannons and bass centric.

Truthfully, speaking as someone who owns both I don't think you could go wrong with either headphone. They're both very good products and in my opinion considering the genres you listed both would do your music justice. I can't comment on the Ultrasone's because I've never heard them nor did any research into any Ultrasone cans.

Regards and good luck, I hope whatever you decide it winds up being the headphone you love to hear

God Bless

DF

I dont think you will go wrong. Some may not like the M80 a lot due to the thick and rich sound. They might prefer something more neutral. But this is for your benefit.

Check this threat and i believe you will decide if you want them or not.

The HD25 isn't really a bass cannon it just has a lot of punch in the bass. The M80 on the other hand is a bit softer in the bass.

If I was to give a very short comparison I would say the HD25 is aggressive and the M80 is is more mellow. Both are very good headphones.

Neither of these have leakage issues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dweaver 

The HD25 isn't really a bass cannon it just has a lot of punch in the bass. The M80 on the other hand is a bit softer in the bass.

 

If I was to give a very short comparison I would say the HD25 is aggressive and the M80 is is more mellow. Both are very good headphones.

 

Neither of these have leakage issues.

X2

Quote:

Originally Posted by dweaver 

The HD25 isn't really a bass cannon it just has a lot of punch in the bass. The M80 on the other hand is a bit softer in the bass.

 

If I was to give a very short comparison I would say the HD25 is aggressive and the M80 is is more mellow. Both are very good headphones.

 

Neither of these have leakage issues.

x3?

Just to note, before, the HD25s never gave me a headache, but they do now after a few minutes and I'm not sure why.. might be a bit too aggressive for me now. Or too tight (of a clamp). Haven't tested extensively on it though so it could've just been those few days. I used to think I was a basshead though, but HD25's really changed that (and now I like more natural bass, if not a bit amp'd). The V-Moda's are a lot more comfortable in my opinion (but I'm comparing to the LP's btw, since my cousins got those for Christmas), but slightly inferior sound quality wise to me.

Currently torn between these two and I'm not really at the crossroads of sound performance, but rather the more physical aspects at this point.

How do the HD-25's fair in strong winds? Things can get pretty blustery here in Chicago and nothing bothers me more than a set of headphones that amplify the sound of wind. I read in one of the reviews of the M-80's that they do not perform well in strong winds.

Also, is the isolation on the M-80's as bad as people say? I don't need to be in an isolation chamber when commuting and trekking around the city, but I also don't want to have to hear old ladies 2 seats in front of my clucking on the train. I listen to music fairly loud so I feel like this may not be an issue.

These 2 points still have me leaning towards the HD-25's, but the M-80's are so much more sexy! Form might win over function in that respect.

I'm feeling like the M-80's might be nice as I'm looking for something a little more playful sounding than my AKG K702's for my daily commute and use at the office.

Just bought the HD-25's from B&H for $169. That's a steal! Easily sealed the deal over the M-80's.

I'm looking to get the HD's now...Do any of our sponsors offer a % off for head-fi members?