I bike commute daily with portapro ktcs. I dont wear a helmet though :/ sportapros have a different band so you might be OK with a helmet and will sound the same. I do like the KTC controls though so I can pause quickly using the controls on the cable without fumbling in my pocket. IEMs are...

I have run the m50 through a fiio e7 and iPhone 4. The e7 was not really needed. It sounds fine through the phone itself. My e7 broke and I didnt feel compelled to replace it. I will echo the above and say that if I were in your shoes I would spend the money on a better source and not buy an amp.

I have owned both M50s and Grado SR-80s and guitar based music in general really sounds great through Grados.   They are very "alive" sounding in that mid-range where the guitar sits.   I listen to a lot of heavier stuff like Opeth, Ghost, etc.    I preferred my M50s more for electronic...

I use the M50 with a Fiio E7 and LOD from my iphone 4.  It does improve the sound.   The headphones can be driven fine without the amp, though, so it is not necessary to have the extra amplification, at least for my phone.   I do hear some additional fidelity with the amp, and it sounds more...

I'm wondering what Mullard tube you guys are using with the HA540.   I picked up this 12AX7 Mullard from Amazon, and it sounds terrible!   It is muffled, and I don't get the same output level from the left and right channels.   The gain is also drastically affected.  It is labeled as...

Quote: I own a Marantz 2252, which is as old as I am.   I picked it up for $250 locally on craigslist.  I spent a lot of time looking what was out there before I decided to go with a classic receiver, and in the end, the following factors won out:   1.  Superb two channel audio...

I have not heard either set you mention, but the best I've found for under $50 is KOSS Portapro.  Check out this thread:   http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/139773/koss-portapro-appreciation-thread   They have a lifetime warranty, and plenty of bass for the style of music you listen...

The only gotcha might be the comfort of the SR60s  If your friend picked up his SR60s from a member here, that person could have replaced the pads. "Comfy pads" is a very common mod.   If you liked what your friend had, just check his pads because you might want to add comfies to the order...

  I've owned my pair of MDR-7506s for over a decade and they are great headphones.   Ultra durable, comfortable, and they sound great ... with some reservation (read on).   For comparison, I also own a pair of SR80s and portapros and love them, but I can't commute with open headphones.  ...

Yes, noise canceling headphones typically have a AA battery to power the brains of the NC technology.  It's an active technology where this little mic detects incoming noise and then generates an inverse wave form to effectively cancel out the noise.   Closed headphones just cover the ear. 

Seconding the recommendation for Sony MDR-7506.  These are ultra durable headphones, and pretty standard for monitoring.  I've had mine for almost 10 years, taken them everywhere, and apart from needing to replace the pads they've withstood the test of time.   * nice coiled cord * sturdy...

I think you're right that the D2 is the best overall fit for what I need.     It will be my first amp, and from reading other threads it seems like my headphones don't really need anything massive.  I saw so many people drooling over the D4, but it's probably not worthwhile for me at this...

I've been doing a lot of research over the past couple of days to get a solution for a couple of problems that maximizes my dollar.  It would be awesome if someone could smack some sense into me before I blow a couple hundred bucks.   Here is what I already have.   Headphones: Sony...