So I tried the Sen. Amperiors and V-Moda M-80's Today...

It would be interesting that you compare the hd25 1 II with

amperior .

Lot of people  think the price difference is too big compared to the "improvement".

The biggest difference between an HD25 and M-80 (I haven't heard the Amperior but my gut instinct tells me there isn't a drastic improvement) is the treble. The M-80s have a more subdued neutral treble while the HDs have a slight edginess to their treble. Two other differences: M-80 has a wider soundstage than the HDs, which is why I find the M-80s to be a sweet complement to the HDs. I also find the bass detail to be better on the M-80 while the sub bass on the HDs is a little lacking. The HDs sound more aggressive overall with punchy bass while to my ears, the M-80s are lounge-y although they can definitely pick up the pace depending on the genre. I also find the decay a little more natural on the M-80.

 

Here's another big thing to consider: with the M-80s, you have to physically break them in. As you use them more, the earpads mold to your ears which creates a better seal. This has a pretty significant effect on the sound IMO.

 

Anyway, these are just my experiences owning these headphones for quite a bit. As time goes on the highs on the M-80s do come alive to my ears and I don't find them lacking. Sometimes it's actually a nice, non-fatiguing relief with still plenty of detail. The mids are also a little more open and free while on the HDs the vocals can sound slightly recessed through the congestion.

 

That said, I love both headphones for different reasons and in terms of of clarity and layering, I feel they are on par with each other. Just my $0.02.

Edited by roma101 - 9/29/12 at 10:20am

These are exactly my thoughts. I was able to test both these headphones out for a couple days each. I instantly fell in love with the amperiors. They were extremely comfortable and the sound was very clear. I'm not exactly a headphone enthusiast by any means but I can still tell the major differences between headphones. I have no clue what the technical terms are except bass. Anyways, the amperiors were obviously clearer to my ears. The bass can get very low and deep, while the M80s seems to lack bass, despite the fact that V Moda is advertising the M80s for their bass. But then again, its just my opinion as a headphone noob. This is going to be a review from a headphone noob so don't expect detailed opinions on the sound.

 

I instantly got the seal I wanted with the amperiors. The M80s, I had to play around with the headband a little bit, since it is very flexible and strong, it will mold to your desired shape with a simple bend and hold. After I adjusted it, the seal definitely improved but I didn't get a seal like the amperiors. The amperiors seal is superior and helps with the isolation. The M80s are a little lacking in isolation but if you can get a good seal, it will increase the isolation but it is fairly hard to get a perfect seal. The clamping force is also not very strong which makes it somewhat more comfortable but at the same time, you will be sacrificing a good isolation. The amperiors headband was two parts so that it could split, giving you a much more secure fit. Nice to have but I personally wouldn't use it a lot. The left earcup also swivels which is, again, a nice feature if you want to listen with one earcup without awkwardly positioning the headphone with a slight tilt. The swiveling earcup is more of a DJ function which may not be much of use if you're just a regular person commuting from place to place. The amperiors velour pads are some of the most comfortable you will probably come across in a pair of headphones. The M80s' earpads are not bad, but not good. The earpads are fairly small compared to the amperiors, or any portable cans for that matter, which is good for portability but it does sacrifice a little comfort. They are decently soft but I'm not digging the material they use. It seems after a few minutes, the leather will stick to my ears, and I will have to pull them off and put them back on so it would be nice if they sold or provided more comfortable earpads.

 

The main reason I bought the M80s was because I found it very aesthetically appealing. They are some of the nicest headphones I have seen. If you see them in person, you'll know what I'm talking about. The build quality is excellent on the M80s. The headband is very flexible and you would be able to bend them flat. By all means, they don't look cheap. They are made from aluminum for the most part and they defintitely don't feel cheap in your hands. The shields on the cups are also replaceable and even customizable which is a huge plus since a lot of people are going for headphones that look good. It would be nice to see more of these instead of beats solo hd in black. But moving on, the headband is a nice leather on top and has a mesh lining with very minimal padding. It doesn't really bother me when I'm wearing them on my head. Compared to the amperiors, the M80s are a lot more heavier, being they're made up of mostly metal, while the amperiors are made primarily of plastic. The amperiors build quality is nothing to be wowed by but it does the job. I wouldn't be afraid to drop them from about maybe 3 feet. I don't plan on dropping them...on purpose for that matter. I would feel much more comfortable dropping the M80s with their amazing build quality but again, I'm not testing it.

 

Now lets talk about the wires. With the amperiors, you are provided with 2 wires. One wire is iDevice friendly with a volume up/down and a pause/play/skip/rewind. It terminates with 3.5 mm straight plug. The plug will likely accomdate to your iPhone case, as it is specially made for them. It is as skinny as the apple earbuds so it would be easy to judge if it would go in. The 2nd cable is a bit longer and has no 3 button control, but instead terminates in a right angle plug. The M80s come with 2 cables as well, one iDevice friendly and one Anroid friendly. They both terminate in 45 degree angle plugs. They are both covered in kevlar which is a very durable cloth. One side of the cable goes to the left earcup and the other into your device. The amperiors, however, has a little wire attatched the right earcup which is not detatchable which annoyed me. It was about 10 inches long so if I were to wear it with no wire, I would just have that wire flopping everywhere which is very annoying. 

 

Overall, I liked the amperiors better because of the isolation, the comfort, and general sound quality. The M80s are not bad headphones at all. They are actually very good when compared alone. But in the end, the amperiors, without a doubt, beat the M80s.

I have owned the M80 in the past and they do get more comfortable with time. But still, no matter how much i broke them in, my surroundings were always too loud and drowning out the music. i listen at pretty low volumes but the M80 isolation really isn't something to look for. Although being a "portable" headphone, you're better off using it in a quiet area. The isolation is decent at best.

...and after that I moved more towards IEM when I realized that I needed more isolation.