Very good point. I was just using the same volume levels to gauge isolation and leakage. But back to my original question, are leakage and comfort directly related? Do I just have to listen to music at lower volumes so that less sound leaks out if I want a comfortable set? Or do I have to just...

  I was actually looking into those. Someone on the q40 thread mentioned buying the alpha pads to replace the stock ones. Do you think that the ear pads have enough of an effect on the comfort to negate high clamping force?

Thanks for the reply billybob. You are right about expecting too much haha. I guess I should have used better choice of wording when asking for suggestions. I understand that there is no perfect head set, and I am more looking for something that fits what I'm looking for the best (but not...

Hello!   My question: are there headphones that don't sacrifice comfort for good isolation and low leakage? I have an issue with headphones that have good isolation/low leakage in that the clamping force is usually too strong and the part where the cups press on my jaw gets very uncomfortable...

Just wanted to post my experience with the xpt100s in case you're still debating. I just got mine in the mail yesterday and plugged them into my ipod. Sound was pretty awesome out of the box. I don't think many people mentioned needing to burn in the drivers on this set. It is definitely not...

Well, I did notice that one of the earpads is folded in on itself due to the way it was packaged. I know that there was less leakage when I tried the ATH m50s, but the clamp strength was so strong that I couldn't wear them for more than 5 minutes. I guess that's the trade off if you want more...

I have a pair of iem's but I don't like wearing them for extended periods of time. Is clamping force pretty much the biggest factor in sound leakage then?

I made the plunge and bought my first pair of hifi headphones. After a couple weeks of research, I decided on the nvx xpt100. The price was right and I liked a lot of the reviews here. I received them today in the mail but I think I need to return them. The wife was complaining about sound...

I was thinking about picking up a pair of NVX XPT100s. Or the koss pro dj100s with a dac/amp. 

Well said. I just wanted to further reinforce the idea that the krks are more for recording/editing/producing music vs casual listening I think. When I listened to the 6400s at guitar center, I was able to hear a lot of detail and clarity, but it wasn't very "fun" to listen to. In other words, I...

I tried 3 of them at a guitar center and here is my experience with them (But I need to add that I have a fairly small head and small(er) ears so comfort will probably differ):   Shure 440s: were pretty comfortable for me. Sound felt the most balanced of the 3 with just enough bass to be...

Great price considering guitar center is selling them for $99. They were pretty accurate and the bass wasn't bad. Not too punchy, but definitely more on the accurate side. The highs were crisp, and the treble was pretty neutral. They would be really good for pop and classical music, but I...

When I sampled them at guitar center they seem to fit what you're looking for sound wise: Sennheiser hd428 ($99) Krk kns 6400 ($85) <- don't know if you would consider these to have rolling bass though.

In a similar situation as you, except I'm looking for headset that I can take with me on trips. I'm leaning toward picking up a pair of nvx xpt100s. However if you need a set that is accurate with good soundstage for gaming, I would recommend considering the Krk kns 6400 or 8400. The only reason...

I just started here so take my opinions with a grain of salt. I listened to the 3 you mentioned (among many others) when I went on a trip to a local guitar center and am in a similar situation as you. The m50s are $120 on amazon for the straight cord if you live in the US. I'm personally...

So after doing so more research and with the help of some members here, I think I have narrowed down my first set of headphones to one of the above. When I went to try the M50s at Guitar Center, I really liked how they sounded, but I couldn't believe how quickly I had to take them off because of...

How long would you say you need to stretch them before they are adjusted permanently? Sorry for all the questions, and thanks for answering them all!

What would you say is the best method to stretch it?

Oh that's good to know. I never owned a pair of over the ears so I wasn't sure if the clamping strength ever weakened with use or stretching. I'm just worried that I won't be able to return them if they end up still being too tight after stretching them for a week or more since comfort is a big...

Does buying those pads alleviate pressure from the clamping though? And do those pads fit the m50?

Just wanted to add that I tried the 428s at guitar center trying to find a pair for myself. The highs were pretty fatiguing to me after only 10 minutes of use.

I guess I'll try and find a guitar center with the 770s then. Thanks! Any other suggestions since they are a little over what I'd like to spend? I am intrigued by the creative aurana lives, but they don't carry it at guitar center.

No they didn't, they said they just sold out of the 770s. How are the cloth/velour pads though? I have never tried anything other than leather/fake leather pads but I fear that cloth material would make my ears hotter faster.

So I visited a guitar center to try out several head phones to find the right set for me. I narrowed my final selections from the various headphones I tried to the following 3 so you all have a better idea of what I'm looking for (hopefully) AT M50: liked the sound of these the best. I like...