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@joelpearce
How long is it normally until they start hurting, and do you think there is a better (more comfortable and equally fun) alternative to the TMA's in terms of portable headphones (more portable than the M50's at least)?
I have three pairs of portable headphones right now--the Phiaton MS400, the Ultrasone HFI-780, and the TMA-1
The TMA-1 is the most forgiving of the three, and also has the most bass quantity. It's the most forgiving because of the lowered treble response. I find they start to get a bit uncomfortable after an hour or two, then I can squeeze a bit more time out of them if I adjust them, but 2-3 hours is definitely the max.
That said, I prefer the MS400 for comfort and overall sound signature, though I worry more about their durability (the cable at least, which is quite thin). They have a nice level of bass, a fun, peppy sound, and very little clamping force.
The 780s are my favourite of the three. I found them a bit harsh before doing a bit of modding to them, but after that they now sound truly spectacular. They sound good for all genres, have the punchiest bass I've heard, and have remarkable clarity. That said, they are far less forgiving than the others on bad tracks and low quality sources, and unmodded it's hard to know how someone will feel about them. They are pretty bright. They are also a bit more bulky, though, so they strain the whole portable label.
If you don't need isolation, I would still also recommend the Sennheiser PX-100 as a great entry level portable headphone. They are stunningly comfortable, have seriously nice bass, and fold up really tiny.