Also the m50s are flat, so the m80s will just sound more...musical for lack of a better word

I dont have either of the headphones, but judging by the type of music you listen to and the reviews i have read ( i have spent days trying to decide between these) i would go with the v moda m80s

Thanks for the quick answers, if anybody has any other suggestions that work great with just listening without an amp feel free to post them

Im thinking about buying audio technica ATH-M50 headphones based on the high praise from several people who own them. I will most likely be using them with an iphone 5, and so my question is, will i need an amp with these headphones? These will be my first pair of high quality around the ear...