Maximum audiophile portable phones, can it be...?

The closest to that budget is are the following:

1.)  V-Moda M80 White

Well built, awesome case, good sounding with emphasis in the bass region which may be too much for some.  They do not have a large soundstage, but for $200 they sound pretty darn good.

2.)  Sennheiser HD-25-1-ii

Well built, tested for years as one of the best portable and studio cans out there, great sounding, not as involving as other more expensive portable headphones  They run anywhere from $200 up to $280

3.)  beyerdynamic DT1359

Well built, awesome and involving sound signature, both ear pieces fold flat, small and easy to carry around.  The ear pieces are a tad small making them tricky in finding the correct sound and fit.  Once the driver is located in the correct spot around your ear the sound is lush and full.  These typically run from $289 to $320 and are amazing headphones.

Finding a great and amazing hi-fi portable within your budget is going to darn near impossible.

Sounds like mid-fi requirements in a portable package. Would you consider IEM's?

Anyways, NA Blur is pretty spot on. I'll add some extra comments

Quote:

Originally Posted by NA Blur 

The closest to that budget is are the following:

 

1.)  V-Moda M80 White (either color )

Well built, awesome case, good sounding with emphasis in the bass region which may be too much for some.  They do not have a large soundstage, but for $200 they sound pretty darn good. The main concern with these is that their treble is pretty recessed, and will not have then energy or sparkle of the other two cans.

 

2.)  Sennheiser HD-25-1-ii

Well built, tested for years as one of the best portable and studio cans out there, great sounding, not as involving as other more expensive portable headphones  They run anywhere from $200 up to $280. These are very great for isolating, and feature a V-shaped frequency curve. They are fun phones, with punchy bass and plenty of details. There is a midbass hump, but not too much sub-bass. Their main criticism is the heavy clamping force may be uncomfortable for some.

 

3.)  Beyerdynamic DT1350

Well built, awesome and involving sound signature, both ear pieces fold flat, small and easy to carry around.  The ear pieces are a tad small making them tricky in finding the correct sound and fit.  Once the driver is located in the correct spot around your ear the sound is lush and full.  These typically run from $289 to $320 and are amazing headphones. Some mention an unnatural spot in the midrange, but they are typically regarded as one of the best. The bass extends low, but can be a bit thin for some. Clamping and isolation are similar to the HD25.

 

Finding a great and amazing hi-fi portable within your budget is going to darn near impossible.

 

+1. Unless you're OK with IEM's the market for great portables will be at around $200. You can try the searching the classified section, but shipping will still be expensive. Best of luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by NA Blur 

The closest to that budget is are the following:

 

1.)  V-Moda M80 White

Well built, awesome case, good sounding with emphasis in the bass region which may be too much for some.  They do not have a large soundstage, but for $200 they sound pretty darn good.

 

2.)  Sennheiser HD-25-1-ii

Well built, tested for years as one of the best portable and studio cans out there, great sounding, not as involving as other more expensive portable headphones  They run anywhere from $200 up to $280

 

3.)  beyerdynamic DT1359

Well built, awesome and involving sound signature, both ear pieces fold flat, small and easy to carry around.  The ear pieces are a tad small making them tricky in finding the correct sound and fit.  Once the driver is located in the correct spot around your ear the sound is lush and full.  These typically run from $289 to $320 and are amazing headphones.

 

Finding a great and amazing hi-fi portable within your budget is going to darn near impossible.

Yes, yes and.. Haven't heard the last one :p

I recommended the White version of the V-Moda because the build I inspected was actually better on the white pair than the red.  The red pair still had the somewhat blocky headband and the metal inserts can be felt in the temples while the white pair was very smooth feeling and the entire tempe was rounded and full.

I think an IEM is going to be the way to get the most audio from your budget.  Something like the Brainwavz M2 with a pair of Comply T-400 foam tips is a great place to start.  They are very sturdy, measure well, sound great, have decent and well extended bass, do not distort, have up-front mids which works well for vocals/rock/metal, and the treble is no so rolled off that you will be asking yourself why did I buy these.  They are my favorite budget IEM.

Another step forward at your price point would be the Etymotic HF3.  They run $180 or less, seal, well, measure quite well, and sound pretty darn nice.  They can have some fit issues so applying to usual Comply tip swap should be on your list when you pick these up.  It looks like the Comply T-100 tips for the HF3.  Here is a link:

http://www.headphone.com/headphones/etymotic-hf3.php

That is where I would start unless you want to save and go for something even better like a dual driver IEM.  Be sure to check out joker's IEM review list here:

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/multi-iem-review-186-iems-compared-xears-nature-n3i-xe200pro-added-8-01

Which I find extremely accurate and honest.

Best of luck to you.

I haven't checked in awhile but Purrin tested the FR of 3 different DT1350s and the differences were *extreme*, like completely different headphones..  Piss-poor quality control alone has kept me from looking at these cans.  Has that been rectified?  Otherwise I'm surprised to see people recommending these.