So I guess it's a toss-up between Meze 99 Classics and Sennheiser HD1. Who wins on SQ and comfort? Build appears to be similar.

Please elaborate. These are on-ear, which puts comfort in doubt for me. These also have been discontinued and replaced with just HD25s, which appear to be inferior.

Do you have first-hand (first-ear?) experience with these? How is the comfort/heat during long listening sessions? Are the Momentum cans worth the premium

If I were looking for comfort of Sennheiser HD 558 or Philips SHP9500 (this one is open-back) but more compact so that they could be used on the go, what would be my options for under $300? Could on-ear cans be comfortable? If over-ear is the only way to go, are there compact models that provide...

Could you please recommend a short (about a meter) replacement cable (preferably with a mic)? All I find so far seem to disintegrate after a short period of time.

Thanks to everyone for the input! I'm back to considering open headphones (so that my ears could breath) so it's a toss between the Senneheiser HD558 and the Philips SHP9500. Which one sounds better out of the box without any EQ fiddling (after equal burn-in)? I've also seen a few reviews...

Based on your suggestion, I'm now considering getting the HD598 Cs as they're closed-back (and I thought of using them on the go as well). Is this a good idea? Some reviewers are highlighting an issue with instrument separation.

What are the best full size headphones (closed or open back) under $100 that don't require a dedicated amp or DAC? Listening material is very diverse so closer to neutral is probably better. Must be very comfortable (pads, clamping force etc) for long listening sessions so that ears don't hurt...

Rock and jazz are the best for me. With other presets or EQ off the sound is very flat.

VE Monk, Xiaomi Hybrid Dual Drivers

For me the S5 lacks detail. I'm forced to use the built-in EQ. Anyone else in the same boat?

Are Soundmagic E10 still considered a good option for balanced IEMs that are also comfortable? I read that stock buds are pretty bad.

The only button that I don't particularly like on mine is the largest one. Very clicky. Is this normal?

What is the safe volume threshold on S5/M20? I feel that 14 is the maximum before you start causing damage to your ears. I use the original Monk.

Thank you for your insight! What about Xiaomi Hybrids vs 1MORE Piston Classic? By the way, is the latter basically the Xiaomi Piston 2.1?

Are these IEMs any good for my purposes (budget, SQ, comfort) as compared to Xiaomi Piston 3? Looks like a newer model. I can also get 1More Piston Classic. Which of the three should I go for if I can't test them out?

Has anyone tried Xiaomi Mi Capsule or any of the OnePlus IEMs (Icons, Bullets)? Next to no reviews on these anywhere. I'm after a budget pair with good SQ and very good comfort. Are Xiaomi Piston 3 a good choice for many different music genres? What about microphonics with these?

Bare plastic makes things worse. Thin pads feel roughly the same as doughnuts. Thick pads are the best but then I can just about stick the buds in my ears. Guess my ears are on the smaller side in that case?

After a month of listening to the Monk I still can't get used to them. They hurt my ears after just an hour. I use the doughnuts. Any suggestions on more comfortable use?

Nobody listens to ogg or mp3 here?

Please comment on battery life when playing ogg files and compare with mp3. My entire portable collection is in ogg. Do I want to waste time converting everything from lossless to mp3 now?

Does S5 support cue files to split large flacs?

Does S5 (M20) support cards above 32GB? The specs sheet only refers to this capacity. Will it read 64GB UHS-I, for instance?

Has anyone compared SQ of Benjie S5 to Sansa Clip+?

Does SQ differ between lossless and lossy files on codec-based DAPs such as this one? How big a difference is there in comparison with players using proper DACs?