[deadmongoose]

I'm looking to buy some new headphones for around £100 and I'm currently torn between a few:
 
I want a comfortable, robust/durable pair of headphones that are portable but have big enough cups to fit around my ears (rather than sit on top of them).
 
Currently I'm interested in several Audio Technicas due to good reviews on sound and build quality, namely these are the "es55, es7 and m50" headphones. However I haven't been able to try any of these on or even look at them in a store, so I am just asking for any guidance on the comfort of them (I am happy from online reviews that the sound quality will be satisfactory as I'm not a dedicated audiophile).
 
I have tried on a pair of Bose AE2s and loved them, the only problem is the look of them and build quality; they feel like they wouldn't last very long as I put my headphones through their paces.
 
Essentially I am asking if "es55" have big enough cups to surround the ears completely, or do they just sit on your ears (I hate this). If the es55s are too small, would you recommend either the m50 or es7s, or if anyone has a pair that would be equally suitable?
 
hope I'm not being ambiguous... xD cheers!
 
Elliott

 

[faideelah]

The ES7s are not circumaural(over the ear) and they are pretty uncomfortable and painful until you stretch it out/bend the elbow part. However, they are amazing to listen to (in my opinion) and they look amazing too. The M50 is recommended a lot here because it is a pretty good all-around set of headphones. They also go over your ears which is what you like.

 

[deadmongoose]

Yeah, I think I'm leaning towards the m50s a bit now, I've read a lot of good things about them.
My only concerns are the incredibly long cable, as I generally listen to headphones when I'm out and about. Also do you know whether they are a good option for use with an iPod as that's what I listen to most of my music on?

 

[Rocketeer]

I've owned m50s for few months now and I'm in love with them. Yes, the cord is fairly long, though I opted for the m50, vs. the m50s. The difference there is that the m50 has a coiled cord and is shorter than the m50s (straight cord edition). Same pair of 'phones, different cords. The cord can get obnoxious sometimes, even though it's shorter and coiled, though it really hasn't been to much an issue. I just stuff the excess into my pockets. 
The m50 is fairly well equipped to play on iPods. Yes, they do sound better through an amplifier, but then, what doesn't? They put the music through more than loud enough for everyday listening. I rarely crank my itouch to its max output. The over the ear design is also a plus for cold days, keeps your ears warm 

 

[deadmongoose]

thanks for the reply, I'm pretty certain I'm gonna get these phones now, heard nothing but good things about them (and when your coming from some old skullcandys I think anything will be a plus).
 
I reckon I'll go for the coiled too, I can't be doing with long wires really

 

[Inks]

They're good, but not very portable imo. 

 

[deadmongoose]

true, from the looks of them they are quite big.
Although they are for home use aswell and I prefer to have a circumaurals as I find on-ear uncomfortable. Hopefully the size will be a worthwhile trade-off for all the other positive points.
 
I've now bought a pair of ATH-M50 and they're on their way from NY, can't wait!