Hey guys, I've been reading recommendations and reviews on this site for over a year now, but never really had the urge to ask any questions. Anyway, I broke my ATH m50's after a year of use (I bought them lightly used). I need recommendations to replace them.
I need:
High enough quality (and relatively flat, though minor) that I can make rough mixdowns of my music (the final mixdowns will be done on studio monitors)
under 180 dollars (absolute max is around 200)
very durable
ideally, removable cord or normal length (3-4 ft, not 10). I hated my coiled cable for the ath.
closed back, good isolation
comfortable OR have similar pads to the m50
Ideally, do not need an amp, and if they do, a very cheap one (fiio e6) would suffice.
I have a pair of gel pads from my old m50s that I love, and could put them on another pair.
I went the B&H in Manhattan and tried all their headphones, and ended up buying a pair of denon d1100, as I loved their sound. However, they seem to have serious durability problems and so I plan on returning them.
To give you a sense of the sound I like, the headphones I liked most in terms of sound were:
ATH m50, though they felt a bit muddy once I compared them to some other pairs, and aren't very comfortable
Ultrasone HFI 780, though I they felt less clear and much less comfortable to me than the d1100. If the gel pads I own would fit I think I would be happy.
Denon D1100, honestly some of my favorite pairs in the store
I didn't like:
Hd 25 ii. I felt like they had no depth. I guess I like a wider signature
AKG d770: felt very muddy.
I listen to hip hop, rock, and pop, primarily. I like well defined bass, that's slightly louder, but not enough to hide everything else.
So:
Should I stick with the Denon's, buy a hard case, and get a cheap pair for to and from class?
Can I put pads that fit the m50 (stiffly) on the hfi 780/
Are there any other pair of headphones that I haven't tried that have a similar sound signature to those I like?
Should I just get the m50s, deal with the muddiness, and put on my pads so they are comfortable?
Thanks in advance guys.
