[Ihasanafro]

Hello peoples

I would like to know what headphones I should get as an upgrade from the CAL!

What I'm looking in the headphones:
I am a basshead so headphones with a large amount of bass would be good
I travel a lot and so a good amount of isolation is a must + low amounts of leakage
Comfort, the CAL! are perfect is the comfort area so headphones with the same comfort levels would be excellent

My price range is around the £100 mark, I can go over that though (not by much however)

They will be powered by my computer whilst I am at home and when I am out via a Samsung Galaxy S II

So far I have found the Audio-Technica ATH M50 and the Shure SH840. Both at £120 shipped in the UK. I'm leaning towards the M50s due to them being more bass heavy which suits me more but I hear that they aren't as comfortable and lack in isolation

What do you guys suggest?

Thanks Joe

 

[CantScareMe]

I've heard the CAL and the shure 840. I'd say yea, the 840 is a natural upgrade to the CAL. The bass is improved the midrange blossoms into taking a nice full presence with the highs always remaining inoffensive. The soundstage isn't that big but this isn't much of a problem as this closeness actually sounds pretty decent given the shape of the rest of its sound.
 
I've never heard the m50's (though I remember ordering it a few months ago- didn't ship me it so got my money back), so I can't comment on how they sound in relation to the above two. What I can say though is that these are meant to be of similar physical build and function to the shures- both isolate, don't leak much and are not the kings of comfort. Oh yea, comfort- the shures I found to be too uncomfortable for extended listening (hence why I don't have them), otherwise (for short term listening say) they are commendable.
 
PS: the shure 940's are a step in the wrong direction in my opinion.       

 

[Ihasanafro]

Would you say that the Shures are worth the extra £60? is the upgrade that noticable?
Also is the isolation compared to the CAL a lot better?

I need to read up on some more, comfort is a huge thing for me when picking an upgrade.

 

[CantScareMe]

Yep, the upgrade is that noticeable, though you may want to look into a external amp/dac for your PC
 
The cal's don't isolate, or if they do it's a small small amount. Shure 840's isolate much more- take it from me! Yea, comfort isn't going to be as good as the CAL for the general person, though it may be so if one finds the creative to be on ear rather than over ear. I take it your based in the uk. There was a stand in selfridges london (technology section lower ground floor) by 'shashonic' that had a demo version available. It was there around 3 months ago but last week I didn't see anything there. It's worth phoning and checking perhaps?

 

[Ihasanafro]

I might look into one for my phone as that is what I will be using to power it most of the time.

I know the CALs dont isolate, i made a post about how they are terrible outside. I was hoping the Shures/ATH wont be terrible outside.
I find the CALs to be over ear so that means what exactly? I didn't quite understand what you said

I'll do just that, do you know of anywhere else who has headphones around London (west London where I am). The local music shop has the basic Panasonic and Sony headphones ):

 

[CantScareMe]

Some have big ears and find the creatives to be on ear.
 
I don't actually know of any places. There are places where you can demo amps and dacs, but headphones: john lewis, selfridges and harrods (oxford street and brompton road) are the only places that have headfi-esque headphones on demo.

 

[Ihasanafro]

I might pick up the shures off amazon and if i dont like the comfort send them back, just need to be careful with how i handle them. I am known for breaking everything I get my hands on ):

Thanks for your information by the way very useful

 

[Marximus]

You might look into the Philips Citiscape Uptowns.  I think they're a great upgrade to the CAL!.  I found the CAL! to be too bassy and muddy personally, and the Uptowns are still bassy, but cleaner.

 

[Ihasanafro]

Beforr the CAL! i used to extreemly bass heavy Beyer DTX 101ie so to me the CAL! isnt bass heavy in my ears
 
I'll pass up on the philips, but thank you for the recomendation

 

[CantScareMe]

Quote:

I might pick up the shures off amazon and if i dont like the comfort send them back, just need to be careful with how i handle them. I am known for breaking everything I get my hands on ):

Thanks for your information by the way very useful

No problem. That's a good idea actually- they have an awesome return policy which is nice to use. I don't think you can bust them even if you tried!!
 
I think anything less bass heavy than the shures, you would find bass light. The m50's might be good, I don't really know (apparently the white 'm50s' version is better than the older versions, or there are different versions floating around- that I know at least). Of course, the bass of the shures is less prominent than featured on the CAL. A good thing that is as the Creative is just too blobby, wooly and undefined at the bass region which leaks into the rest of the sound. Not many find the shures bass light let me tell you. I mean I've heard and owned phones that are notoriously bass heavy, the biggest bass in the business and the shure 840 does it right. 

 

[Ihasanafro]

Looks like I wont be getting my hands on any new phones ): 
I was hoping my friend was just going to buy my CAL! straight off me for retail price so he doesn't have to pay PnP (I've had them for a week or 2, they're as good as new + burned in) but he now wants IEMs ):

I might go into London anyway, look around in some shops and see what I like best still though. Thank you for the help you have given me CantScareMe

 

[CantScareMe]

No problem my friend. The CAL's are very decent so you should be happy with them. I'd mention two headphones that sound similar to the cal but are cheaper. The panasonic htf600 sounds similar, if not a bit better and it's around £25 on amazon or something. It's a semi-closed headphone though and has air vents that allow for leakage both ways, though it's not as bad as an open headphone.
In the IEM earphones world, there's the £7 philips she3590 (it's like £9 in john lewis). This sounds genuinely unbelievable for the price and it offers a very detailed, bassy, dynamic, wide sound comparative to headphones over 10 times the price. Of course, they isolate really good and are actually surprisingly comfortable. Very comfortable in fact.