The back of those T1 drivers are sexy

Grados aren't uncomfortable? That's news to me lol. I think they're torture devices.

HD25's are pretty much the best portables out there in my opinion. As far as home listening goes, I've never heard anything better than the Shure SRH940. You should be able to get them for about $249 which is slightly over budget but if you wait for a sale you could get them as low as $200...

You cant go wrong with the Pro 900's. I really think you will love them and I predict there will be another M50 for sale soon. Lol

They don't need an amp. I can almost guarantee you will love them. I've never met anybody that didn't at least like the SRH840, if not love it.

M50's sound like complete utter crap to me and I really don't care what a reviewer says... I trust my own ears. With that said, I'm yet another person giving you my opinion. The best thing to do is buy both from a place that will let you return the one you don't like the best because regardless...

Disclaimer: I am biased towards Shure, but for good reason. The Shures sound great with those genres, one republic would be pop/rock I'd say. I haven't found one genre where any of the SRH line doesn't sound great with. As far as the M50's go, to my ears, as Jeremy Clarkson would say, I'd...

Lol I love top gear! No, to me they're comfortable to me actually and I can wear them for hours on end with no issues. Some have complained about the weight of them but I just don't get that, unless ones neck is made of jelly filled wet noodles, then of course they will be heavy.

They sound fine unamped. I've never felt the need to amp any of my Shure SRH headphones, and I have them all.

For electronica, the 840 is great, especially unamped. Ultrasone HFI580's are also a great option, but at the price, the Shures can't be beat.

This is absolutely untrue. Unless, of course, the $200 closed cans are really crappy. Closed headphones, especially modern ones, are capable of going toe to toe, if not beating out comparable open headphones.

This x10000000 :D

I don't find them picky at all. In fact, I find these to be the least picky and easiest to drive of any of the higher end dynamics.

I completely agree. The K601's are lovely headphones with a very very smooth treble and clear, dry midrange.

Oh no, I fear we just lost Klipsch. Woofers in the ear cups? Really people? Why is everybody so obsessed with booming bass?

I missed the 448 part, however with a budget of $200 and judging the OP is using them for portable use (so it seems), I think it would be a shame to pass up on one of the best portable headphones I've ever personally heard (HD25's).

While the SR225's are undoubtedly great headphones and some of my favorite in the grado line, I personally think grado's forward sound signature would make older music, especially 50's and 60's sound harsh. I noticed oftentimes the treble is quite "hot" on older recordings, especially Etta James...

Forget the M50, HFI580 or any other full sized headphone. You will look like a dork in public. Sennheiser HD25-1 II is what I recommend. They sound fantastic, seal well and look nice and compact on ones head.

The M50 doesn't impress me at all either, and I've heard countless headphones. The HD600 recommendation is a solid one. I would also add the Shure SRH840 and SRH940 to the mix as well. In my opinion the 940's don't need to be amped to sound good but the good thing about them is that they will...

Go into any real studio and mention the beats. I'd pay to watch that.

I suppose you have a point... However, asking once is fine but I saw about four posts on this thread so far asking the exact same question within a period of a day or two and it's getting redundant.

The wonderful thing about head-fi is that there are great search options and videos posted by Jude. There are plenty of reviews and impressions already written about both headphones for you to make an educated comparison between the two rather than clutter this thread with the same question over...

I agree completely. If these were my only headphones, I wouldn't feel like I'm missing a thing.

For accuracy, the Shure SRH line of headphones are hard to beat, particularly the 440 and 940. How much did you want to spend? All of them, to me, sound great unamped and should you decide to amp them later, they will grow with you.

840's make you look horrifically dorky, I think 440's look better on the head and are much more compact. With 840 pads on them, I actually prefer their sound to the 840's. They make great portables.