$300 closed over ear recommendations

[headingtofall]

hi, I'm looking for new over ear headphones. I don't have an amp/DAC, so if the headphones you'd recommend need them, I'd love to hear a recommendation for that as well, but the combined price should be near $300.

They need to be closed. I know I'm probably missing out with that, but I want minimal sound leakage.

I listen to many genres, here a list of my main ones: downtempo, chillstep, tropical house, other melodic edm genres (I don't really understand electronic genre conventions but hopefully that gives an idea), indie folk, indie rock, alternative. I will also game and watch movies with them.

I've been using my Audio Technica ath-m50 for years now, so that's the sound I'm used to and I'm fairly happy with. however, they broke recently and won't stay on my head comfortably any more, so it's time for an upgrade.

it sounds like the NAD viso hp50 or the PSB m4u1 is probably about what I'm looking for, so anyone with opinions on those would be good, but I'm open to all suggestions. I don't wanna jump into a new pair too quickly.

 

[HipHopScribe]

I've owned the NADs and the PSBs, I'd recommend either one in this price range. They're very similar. I'd say the NADs have a bit more bass emphasis, though nothing too outrageous. The PSBs are a bit better in terms of comfort, the NADs are kinda quirky in the way they fit, so they don't seem to work well for some people. 

 

[headingtofall]

I've owned the NADs and the PSBs, I'd recommend either one in this price range. They're very similar. I'd say the NADs have a bit more bass emphasis, though nothing too outrageous. The PSBs are a bit better in terms of comfort, the NADs are kinda quirky in the way they fit, so they don't seem to work well for some people. 

OK, that's good to know, thanks. I don't think extra bass is an issue, especially if the m50 is considered bass heavy, but comfort is pretty important.

did you have them for very long? how you think durability is for them?

 

[HipHopScribe]

OK, that's good to know, thanks. I don't think extra bass is an issue, especially if the m50 is considered bass heavy, but comfort is pretty important.

did you have them for very long? how you think durability is for them?

 
I tend to rotate headphones fairly often, so I only had them for a few months (I'm thinking of getting another pair though). I bought mine used, and I believe they were about a year old when I bought them. No issues at all. They are kind of plasticky, and I've heard that some people had trouble with cracking early on but it was supposedly sorted out in later batches. My pair had no cracks. I felt a little more confident in the NADs just because the headband design seemed more robust, though the cups are still plastic on those too. 

 

[PinkyPowers]

For that price range, I can't recommend enough the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Over-Ear.

From what I've read about the M50, the Momentum is quite a bit smoother, and more refined-sounding.

 

[headingtofall]

For that price range, I can't recommend enough the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Over-Ear.

From what I've read about the M50, the Momentum is quite a bit smoother, and more refined-sounding.

thanks for the suggestion. those are a fair bit cheaper on Amazon, and visually they look really nice.

the first comparisons I'm seeing seem to favor the HP50 more, but that's at different price points, I'll have to look into that more. definitely another one to consider.

 

[PinkyPowers]

The Momentum comes in two versions, On-Ear and Over-Ear. The On-Ear is smaller and cheaper. The Over-Ear is the better choice, for sound quality and comfort.

 

[headingtofall]

Yep, just looking at over ear. The white apple version is $209 at amazon

The Meze 99 Classics also look interesting to me. A bit more bass than the other one's I've been looking at so far, which is probably a good thing for me. Haven't found direct comparisons yet though, and I'd probably miss out a bit on the soundstage.

 

[eargasam]

The focal listen is an excellent headphone for its price. Sound just as good as some of my 600 dollar headphones can not recommend them enough...

 

[Tic-Tac]

Why you can not recommend them?

 

[Monsterzero]

  Why you can not recommend them?

language barrier I assume....

By that statement he recommends them highly
 

 

[PinkyPowers]

lol. I can understand the confusion.

Cannot recommend them
Cannot recommend them enough

It wouldn't take much to miss the meaning if English is not your first language.

 

[Tic-Tac]

Of course that English is not my primary language. He could wrote "I recommend them highly" or "Therefore, these headphones have my highest recommendation"

 

[PinkyPowers]

See the devastation a simple turn of phrase can make? Our words are like Napalm.

 

[eargasam]

Sorry let me be more clear the focal listen is the best headphone that I have ever heard for 300.00 other than the hd600 , that should clear things up for you guys sorry about that.