[mc21]

I've done a bit of research and read up on a lot of older threads but still haven't quite found the answer so I'm turning to you guys/gals for some help. I'm looking to spend around $300-$400 for a used pair of headphones. Thanks in advance!
 
I've previously owned the Edition 8 and I loved everything about them minus the price. I was babying it too much to truly enjoy it as a portable headphone. In short, the following are what I am looking for.
1. Portable and no amp needed.
2. Size: I want something similar to this size, which is what I can't seem to find. So I am willing to ignore this as long as it's not excessively large.
3. Closed back.
4. Brighter/warmer sound signature.
5. Tight clamp but not too tight. (I currently have the T70 and they slide a bit when I tilt my head up/down.)
6. Isolation/no leak: I just need decent isolation and for it to not leak. I don't listen on high volume so any close back should fit this category. However, I feel like my T70 do not give enough isolation. When I have it on low volume, I can still hear what's going on around me. It almost feels like it's a semi open back headphone. I believe it's due to the weak clamp.
7. Must be over/around the ear. No on ear headphones please.
8. Detachable cable is a plus but not necessary.
9. I prefer not to have a 10 feet long cable but I can manage it if everything else about the headphone is what I want.
10. Decent soundstage
 
Previous/Other headphones for reference.
Denon D5000: I've previously owned the D5000 and that mid bass was just way too much for my liking. I looked up multiple threads on the new D600 and it still doesn't sound like it will be my cup of tea. The mid bass is still there and a very weak clamp.
 
AKG K550: I've previously owned the K550 and I quite liked that. Only problem was that it wasn't the most comfortable and I didn't want to use it for more than 2 hours max. I've had the K272 and Q701 before also and I quite like the AKG sound.
 
Sennheiser Momentum: I've read a bit on it and I think the sound might be too dark for my liking. I've previously owned the HD650 and I did not like the sound, although I did not give it a chance to burn in. Another con to momentum (at least in my eyes) is that it is not very pleasing to the eyes.
 
Ultrasone Edition 8 & Sig pro: These seem like what I want, but I want to keep it closer to $300 mark. I want to be able to enjoy my headphones without babying it all the time. Also, the Edition 8 was too flashy for my liking to use in public.
 
Beyerdynamic T70: I currently have these and like them overall but with a few irking attributes. Clamp isn't tight enough and it doesn't stay on my head as securely as I want it to. The cable it so long that it's a hassle at times. It is bulking and takes up quite a bit of space in my bag.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

If your ears are small enough, you can add the MDR-1R and the Focal Spirit One to your list. The Spirit One's treble is deliberately rolled off to allow for minimal fatigue for long-term comfort, but depending on how your body reacts to heat, a closed-back headphone with non-porous earpads might make you remove it far sooner even with more normal treble. The MDR-1R is slightly more comfortable around my head, and instead of a too-obviously rolled-off treble, you get a more noticeable bump in the upper bass and lower mids. It's not flabby bass, nor is it going to pound on your head (unless of course your music has that kind of bass), but keep expectations that this isn't an open-back HD600 or a $1200 Ed.8 and it's a great headphone to have. Looks good too.

I was seriously considering the MDR-1R over the K550, given it sounded better straight out of my Galaxy S phone, but then I realized two things. First, my cousin hasn't asked for his D-Zero back, so I effectively have a portable Android DAC-Amp set-up; I have IEMs (MEE M6) for listening on the go so there really isn't any need for walking around listening to headphones which might end up with me regretting what my sweat would have done to the finish, or the leather(-ish) materials on it. Second, well, there's the Fiio X3 coming out this year, and I might just like its sound enough to spend on it even if it means I'll trade MediaMonkey on a touchscreen for hardware buttons. So basically, yeah, by the end of the year I might have the K550 and the X3.

 

[KCxSmacker]

I must say for a portable headphone in not so loud areas, I love the hell out of my MDR-1Rs. They work great for a lot of music. m100s/momentums are nice, but they are more on ears for me and others that have medium to larger ears. 

 

[Lorspeaker]

Sounds like u r asking for the sony z1000...its the 300bucks version of ed8....;p

 

[roma101]

Yamaha PRO 500 if you could stretch your budget a little more.

 

[mc21]

Quote:

If your ears are small enough, you can add the MDR-1R and the Focal Spirit One to your list. The Spirit One's treble is deliberately rolled off to allow for minimal fatigue for long-term comfort, but depending on how your body reacts to heat, a closed-back headphone with non-porous earpads might make you remove it far sooner even with more normal treble. The MDR-1R is slightly more comfortable around my head, and instead of a too-obviously rolled-off treble, you get a more noticeable bump in the upper bass and lower mids. It's not flabby bass, nor is it going to pound on your head (unless of course your music has that kind of bass), but keep expectations that this isn't an open-back HD600 or a $1200 Ed.8 and it's a great headphone to have. Looks good too.

I was seriously considering the MDR-1R over the K550, given it sounded better straight out of my Galaxy S phone, but then I realized two things. First, my cousin hasn't asked for his D-Zero back, so I effectively have a portable Android DAC-Amp set-up; I have IEMs (MEE M6) for listening on the go so there really isn't any need for walking around listening to headphones which might end up with me regretting what my sweat would have done to the finish, or the leather(-ish) materials on it. Second, well, there's the Fiio X3 coming out this year, and I might just like its sound enough to spend on it even if it means I'll trade MediaMonkey on a touchscreen for hardware buttons. So basically, yeah, by the end of the year I might have the K550 and the X3.

I read a bit about the 1R and I am interested in it. My only experience with Sony was a pair I used in some video editing class and the bass was just too much to my liking. There were a much cheaper ones, which after looking at amazon I think it was the MDR-XB500. I use my Jaybird Bud X for IEM since it's wireless and if I can't use full sized headphones then I usually need lots of mobility.
Quote:

I must say for a portable headphone in not so loud areas, I love the hell out of my MDR-1Rs. They work great for a lot of music. m100s/momentums are nice, but they are more on ears for me and others that have medium to larger ears. 

I'll take a closer look at the 1R and see if it fits the bill. Thanks for the suggestion. I've always been under the impression v-moda was bass heavy but I've only heard 1 pair which I don't even remember which one it was. I am willing to at least give the momentums a chance but I didn't like the HD650 sound and also don't like the look of the momentums.
 
Quote:

Sounds like u r asking for the sony z1000...its the 300bucks version of ed8....;p

It looks like the going rates around 400-500 from what I can see. Will look into it a bit more since I haven't read anything on this pair of headphones.
 
Quote:

Yamaha PRO 500 if you could stretch your budget a little more.

Haven't heard of this either, will look into it!
 
 
 
 
Thanks everyone for the suggestions! Keep them coming

 

[Lorspeaker]

http://www.head-fi.org/t/660071/sony-mdr-z1000-flagship-portable-over-ear
 
i had them both together...once upon a time.

 

[mc21]

Quote:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/660071/sony-mdr-z1000-flagship-portable-over-ear
 
i had them both together...once upon a time.

 
Thanks, I did a quick search in the B/S forum and found a MDR-7520 which is stated to be the professional version of the MDR-Z1000. Any opinions on that?
 
Did some research and the MDR-7520 seems like it could be a good option. I do prefer teh 2 cables from the z1000 though. =\

 

[Theogenes]

A dissenting opinion: if you like the T70 but have clamping and cord issues, it might be worth addressing those instead of spending significantly more to get different headphones that might not be to your liking. I have the T5p, and while I love them immensely, I had the same issues with clamping (and, not at all coincidentally, isolation and bass response) as you mentioned. I found that switching pads helped out a quite a bit with each of these issues (although again, this was on the T5p, so I'm not certain it would be as beneficial on your T70). I preferred the sound of the clear Beyer gel pads quite a bit, and they were significantly thicker than the stock pads, so I wasn't readjusting them and trying to keep them from sliding around all the time. Also, I've read a few people have issues with the bass response on the T70 (although you haven't mentioned any issues) that were solved by either pressing in slightly on the cups or (presumably) using thicker pads. Might be worth thinking about. 
 
Also, as far as the cable goes, it might be worth looking into getting them modified for your needs. I'm going to have my T5p modded to accept mini-XLR connectors in the earcups themselves so I can use different cables (length, flexibility, etc) in different scenarios. Hardwired mods cost a bit less, but offer less flexibility. Brian at BTG Audio does good work with these, and is very reasonable with his pricing (BTG Audio site). My ideal portable cable would be one of Steve's Q-Audio cables (link) because they are the lightest and most flexible cables I've ever seen by a wide margin. The point is that you can use a short cable while on the go, a long cable while at home, or anything else you need if you modified the T70 to accept a detachable connector of some kind. 
 
Anyhow, hope this helps, and I look forward to seeing which way you go on this!! Good luck!!

 

[mc21]

Quote:

A dissenting opinion: if you like the T70 but have clamping and cord issues, it might be worth addressing those instead of spending significantly more to get different headphones that might not be to your liking. I have the T5p, and while I love them immensely, I had the same issues with clamping (and, not at all coincidentally, isolation and bass response) as you mentioned. I found that switching pads helped out a quite a bit with each of these issues (although again, this was on the T5p, so I'm not certain it would be as beneficial on your T70). I preferred the sound of the clear Beyer gel pads quite a bit, and they were significantly thicker than the stock pads, so I wasn't readjusting them and trying to keep them from sliding around all the time. Also, I've read a few people have issues with the bass response on the T70 (although you haven't mentioned any issues) that were solved by either pressing in slightly on the cups or (presumably) using thicker pads. Might be worth thinking about. 
 
Also, as far as the cable goes, it might be worth looking into getting them modified for your needs. I'm going to have my T5p modded to accept mini-XLR connectors in the earcups themselves so I can use different cables (length, flexibility, etc) in different scenarios. Hardwired mods cost a bit less, but offer less flexibility. Brian at BTG Audio does good work with these, and is very reasonable with his pricing (BTG Audio site). My ideal portable cable would be one of Steve's Q-Audio cables (link) because they are the lightest and most flexible cables I've ever seen by a wide margin. The point is that you can use a short cable while on the go, a long cable while at home, or anything else you need if you modified the T70 to accept a detachable connector of some kind. 
 
Anyhow, hope this helps, and I look forward to seeing which way you go on this!! Good luck!!

 
Thanks for throwing out another option and a very logical one at that. Although I like the sound of the T70, I like the sound of the AKG K550 more. However, due to the comfort issue with the K550, I rather not go back to that . Another issue is the size, since I am moving around a bit. The T70 is big and the cups don't swivel. This makes it quite hard to carry in my messenger bag. I have a pretty massive messenger bag too (STM Velo 2). Everything is a compromise but I don't feel that the T70 is the best compromise for me. The Sony MDR-7520 is looking promising with the detachable cable and small profile. However, the most important factor (the sound) is unknown to me. I'm reading up on it a bit more but no amount of reading can equate to actually hearing it so I might just give it a go and sell one.

 

[mc21]

There's a pair in the B/S and I'm contemplating on pulling the trigger. Would love to hear any more last minute suggestions if possible! Thanks everyone!

 

[Maxx134]

Thanks for throwing out another option and a very logical one at that. Although I like the sound of the T70, I like the sound of the AKG K550 more. However, due to the comfort issue with the K550, I rather not go back to that . Another issue is the size, since I am moving around a bit. The T70 is big and the cups don't swivel. This makes it quite hard to carry in my messenger bag. I have a pretty massive messenger bag too (STM Velo 2). Everything is a compromise but I don't feel that the T70 is the best compromise for me. The Sony MDR-7520 is looking promising with the detachable cable and small profile. However, the most important factor (the sound) is unknown to me. I'm reading up on it a bit more but no amount of reading can equate to actually hearing it so I might just give it a go and sell one.

I have both the sony7520 & the ed8 ..
I been thru a lot others.
Everyone's ears and tastes will be different.
The Sony are an excellent choice.
Very clear dog once burned in at least 50hr to rid of some sibilance and tighten bass.
It has a flatter sound with different shiny trebles to me, compared to the ed8

The problem is that the ed8 to me , have a sweet realistic timbre and the soundstage makes everything more palpable and distinguishable,
While other cans cannot do complex passages as distinct and as well.
In short I know of nothing portable that can come close to this quality... BUT..

For sonic signature, the Mikros90 seem to my ears to have a somewhat similar signature at only $80 due to being discontinue ..
But wait,
The fit is tiny as hell and sucks on big ears without upgrading pads mentioned in thread..

I still waiting on my focal spirit pros to see how it compares.