[GearMe]

 
I just called the store by me that has them and they said the price is $338.  Different from that price and different from the 359 they have online.  I'm not interested for that price.  If they were $150 I would have tried them.

 
Yeah -- I just happened to see them at my store.  Several Head-Fiers have gotten them for $150; some confirming over phone, others had to visit the store.  BestBuy can be goofy...unrelated but equally weird, two of my local stores price match the Cowboom.com site and another won't even when I show them it's a BestBuy company.
 
They're an excellent value at $150; would not spend $350 though.  I could get HD600s for that!

 

[ruthieandjohn]

@MetalElvis, SnoopyEars, or any others interested...
 
I have the NAD VISO hp50, and if you are in the U.S., I'd be glad to mail them to you for you to try for a bit.  Did I read that you had the Philips FidelioX1?  I'd love to try it for a bit if you could envision a brief exchange (OK if you want to hang on to them to directly compare to the hp50s, then send).
 
Of course, I am assuming that you are of Honourable Character and High Moral Fibre and will send them back (or if you are NOT, please send me photos of your committing salacious acts!

)

 

[randy98mtu]

Well after a few hours of listening to the HP50's after owning the P7's, I can see why the HP50 gets so much praise.  All around they sound great.  To my (fairly amateur) ears, they are more neutral if that is what you are after.  The P7, if I had to guess, is a bit more of a V or U.  Forgive my lack of vocabulary on the topic.  But the P7 feels brighter to me with more detail and slightly deeper bass.  I still don't feel they have bloated bass as many say.  I do like my bass though.  So far I enjoy listening the P7's more.  I'm going to give the HP50's a week or so before I make my decision to keep them or return them.  If I were deciding today they would be on their way back.
 
I'm listening to a mix of 256kbps and up files, up to Apple Lossless and AIFF.  Listening through my MacBook pro through a Dragonfly.  I don't have anything better in processing at this time.

 

[weissshay]

Randy how is the dragonfly sound with the P7 ?

 

[randy98mtu]

Randy how is the dragonfly sound with the P7 ?

I don't have anything better to compare it to, but I think it sounds great.  Definitely an improvement over onboard sound in the MacBook Pro.

 

[weissshay]

I heard yesterday the P7 with the Fiio e11 to Sony xperia Z311 tab and was amazed!
after that tried the samsung tab 3 and the ipad air with all the respect Sony was way better (to my ears)

 

[havok2022]

   
Yeah -- I just happened to see them at my store.  Several Head-Fiers have gotten them for $150; some confirming over phone, others had to visit the store.  BestBuy can be goofy...unrelated but equally weird, two of my local stores price match the Cowboom.com site and another won't even when I show them it's a BestBuy company.
 
They're an excellent value at $150; would not spend $350 though.  I could get HD600s for that!

I think the price at $150 must have been a goof. I saw them for that a few days back but went back the other day and they were like $318 or $338 or something. I could swear that Crutchfield had them at $299 the other day as well but now they have no headphones from Denon on their site. I've taken a fairly hardline anti-Denon stance but the $150 price nearly made me go against that stance to try them out. All that said, I'm glad I didn't. I vowed to no longer purchase Denon for a reason and I should stick to my guns.  
 
Came here comparing the same two headphones. Almost seems like my experiences thus far are the opposite of what you guys have seen. (Sorry in advance for the book write-up! ) 
 
What I'm looking for:
"Portable" headphone that can run fine off iPhone stock amp and has in-line volume controls and mic. I put portable in quotes because I mainly care about them working off mobile well and less about how small they can get/fold up. It's nicer if something can fold smaller, but not required as I usually have room when I travel for them. Also my work phone has been busted nearly 2 months and my IT dept really sucks. I've been doing all my conference calls (and there are a LOT of them) off my cell phone and headset.
 
Sennheiser Momentum - Loved the sound these produced. Yes, they were a tad bass heavy by design. That said, one of the better closed headphones that I've heard. Especially right out of the iPhone 5 jack. I returned these because unfortunately the "over the ear" model didn't even come close to fitting over my ear. After several hours of wear these REALLY hurt my head. I have some HD595s at home on my PC that are supremely comfortable. I can wear them all day long with no issues of heat or pressure on the ears. Sadly they have no in-line mic or controls and sounds like garbage off the phone's amp.
 
B&W P7s - Literally just picked these up yesterday. They do fit over my ears unlike the Momentum and seem comfortable initially. Their clamping force seems a bit much right now, but it seems others have reported that they start this way and loosen up a bit. Could be that I'm starting to come down with a head cold as well though and just have a headache. This part is up in the air. As far as initial impressions on SQ, I'm really not too impressed. These seem WAY bass heavy. Even more so than the Momentum by a great deal. Vocals and other treble seem to be an afterthought as well. As an example, if I'm listening to "Long Cool Woman" by The Hollies, the way that song is recorded and I believe intended to be heard is with a very forward treble and vocals, to a level where its almost painful and right in your face. You can very much hear that it was recorded on the older warmer gear where bass wasn't nearly as prevalent as it is today and you can hear a bit of break-up at the top end of the vocals. At least, that is what I've experienced on other systems I've listened to it on the past. However, on the P7 the vocals seems to almost be at the back of the stage and were swallowed a bit by a lot of the other instruments. Also, by no means a great SQ test, but I was having a bit of a hard time understanding people on my conference calls. They seemed a bit mumbled and voices didn't sound very clear. Especially females. Something just seems wonky on the EQ here. I'm going to run some pink noise through them a bit and see if that helps (and yes, I realize this may just be placebo with no REAL impact but for the price I'm willing to give is a whirl).
 
NAD HP50s - My buddy works at BB and can get them shipped to me at a slight discount. Nothing major, really just a few bucks off and the rest of the discount makes up for tax if I had ordered on Amazon or something. I'm going to order them on Thursday and try them against the P7s. I've heard some concerns on build quality, but we'll see.
 
Other considerations:
 
PSB M4U1 - A local hi-fi shop carries these as well as the M4U2. BB only carries the latter locally and has to order in the M4U1s. I listened to both in the hi-fi shop. Comfort seemed decent, but the ear cups were a tad shallow as some have reported with both these and the HP50s (makes sense as they're both Paul Barton). The M4U1 sounded better than the more expensive big brother imo. Especially with the active noise cancelling or amp turned on. Sure, they were a bit louder but you could hear the circuitry in the middle at work in both modes. I didn't care for it. Also, the in-line remote ONLY will do play/pause and not volume. It's small, but I think for the price I should get everything I want/need. I'm betting the NAD cable would actually work in the PSB but who knows.
 
KEF M500 - I've said on other threads that I'm a self admitted KEF fanboy. Have been for years because of their home audio speakers. Interested to try their first intro into headphones, and they've been running them $50 off on-sale for the last two holidays (mother's day and memorial day). I passed because they're on-ear and several users complained about clamping force/comfort during extended listening. Their site has a 15% restocking fee, so I don't want to do the try and buy type audition knowing that. I may contact the local rep and see if they have some that I could audition for a week or two. 
 
B&O H6s - Have tried them on in the Apple store. Initially are comfortable like others have said, and look great. Don't seem to make AS good of a seal. I personally am unsure about spending $400 on a B&O product. They're known to vastly markup their gear which is supplied from other known manufacturers.
 
AKG K545 - Literally know nothing about them outside of they fit similar to the B&Os. Given the cup design on both I would not be at all surprised if AKG actually made the B&O cups. Just a theory.
 
Open to other suggestions. 

 

[PaulCypert]

Since this thread was helpful in my search I thought I'd join up and share my experiences looking.
 
Man, I wanted desperately to buy the BW p7's. Out of the main four recommended in this price range (Senn Momentum, BW P7, PSB M4U, and NAD HP50's) these are the obvious style winners. I'm not a huge style guy, but come on...the leather, the steel..they're just dead sexy cans.
 
The PSB's look like someone failed out of Beats design school.
 
The NAD's look like rabbit ears on a TV or something you'd see on top of a 50's robot when on your head. 
 
The Senns are OK looking but way to small for my giant noggin.
 
And I love bass. Well I'm not a techno junkie, but I do get in for some of what I call "downstep" that has some nice bass lines and smokey sounds. So I assumed the P7's were the way go.
 
You know what they say about assuming things... 
 
Good lord was I glad I tested them in stores first. Bass heavy as some review apparently means "farty" to me. The bass was certainly heaviest of the group, but it was just too much and covered way too many other areas of the sound. Maybe they were bad examples, but I can only go off what I heard. I'm not an accuracy freak, but if I just wanted to feel some bass there are many others that would fit that need better. 
 
Also though they have larger ear cups I felt a lot more ear pressure from these. I do BJJ and get my ears hit a lot and they're often sensitive. The way they rested on the head would not have worked long term.
 
So after trying everything I surprised myself with my choice. The NAD's.
One: I hate the name. I just don't like having NAD at the side of my head
 
Two: I DESPISE the looks. I'm shaved headed and saying they look goofy on me is an understatement. The stick out at the top is pronounced and the big plastic chunks at the side photograph well but look ugly in real life. 
 
Three: They feel the least robust of all the ones I tried
 
BUT
Easily the best sound. And that was even before wearing them in. They got a LOT better to what I bought over just a few hours. 
 
Soundstage is HUGE, for headphones, and I do feel more like I'm listening in a room. 
 
I played songs I've listened to for 10-20 years and heard new things in the tracks...that to me was worth the price. 
 
They're light on the head and I often forget I'm wearing them. 
 
THEY FOLD FLAT (unlike the others)
 
Conclusion
If you're waffling on the decision and putting these aside because of the looks like I did, please give them a go. Easily the best sounding in the group. I went in ACTIVELY trying to convince myself to buy the BW P7's. I had the money all set aside and everything. Just wanted to test to confirm my internet research. I was even mentally arguing with reviewers who criticised them....thinking things like he's an old man, he doesn't understand modern music

They do understand music and they're being nice. One reviewer called it a "fun" sound as a roundabout way of saying not for serious use. They are solid cans, but really for 100 less and better sound, it's a no brainer. 

But really both PSB and NAD seriously need to hire a better designer. Both products are seriously behind the BW in industrial design and are obviously way more serious. The only market share they're losing must be down to their design. If they launched a new one tomorrow with better design I'd turn around and buy it just to get this thing off my head. I HATE the looks....but that tells you how good they sound!

 

[kokolino23]

I was keen on P7 but now I've got something else to look for. Like the life wasn't complicated enough...

 

[Jimkrell]

I purchased the NAD and used for about a month. Overall, I really liked the sound: good bass, articulate yet not overblown at all, and plenty of air and sparkle up top. Depending on the source material, they were at times a bit too bright for my ears, but also extremely detailed. Tough to have one without the other, I guess!

I ended up returning them due to fit. The pads were a bit small for me, so my ears touched the inside surface, which made for discomfort even in shorter listening sessions. A deeper pad probably would have fixed that. This was disappointing, since the sound was very appealing, and I could live with the slightly bright tilt. Any more would have been too much for me.

If NAD would design a bit more substantial headphone with similar sound, it would be even more of a winner in my book. The "RoomFeel" really seemed to achieve a great balance of detail, soundstage, and even warmth, without sounding unbalanced at all. If these fit your ears, it would be hard to go wrong....

 

[cyclingbobe]

The P7s are not particularly comfortable , partly because the padding the ear pieces is rather unyielding. The NAD Visos are definitely more comfortable; indeed they can easily be forgotten whereas the P7s are much more intrusive : you always know you have them on.I have tried over a period to like the sound of the P7 but its frequency balance just isn't musical to my ears and there is a treble edge lurking and apparent on any recording with a hint of brightness. The NADs on the other hand sound right on most material and have an unfailingly musical balance to my ears. 
The only negative aspect of the NADs is their extraordinary head band shape which makes them much more conspicuous than they should be. Whilst the adjustment into this works well its does seem like a design afterthought. Basically the NADs sound far better than they look whereas the P7s look superb but their sound and comfort don't live up to this. Compared with the P7s the NADs look rather amateurish but its the sound that counts and they are clearly superior. 

 

[Asurada]

HP50 has good sound but too uncomfort... I am very frustrated

 

[money4me247]

  HP50 has good sound but too uncomfort... I am very frustrated

awww! don't be frustrated. there are literally tons of amazing headphones out there nowadays in the $150-$300 range with baller sound. not to be off-topic, but the sony mdr-1r has amazing comfort. I really like the akg k545 too. just do a little digging and I am sure you will find something that suits you magnolia home theater-equipped best buys often has a bunch of nice audiophile headphones you can try if you like. good luck!!

 

[wahsmoh]

Hate to bump this old thread but if any of you ever decide to break your budget. Spend double and forget about buyers remorse. Alpha Dogs are the real deal in closed headphones. I've grown from incessantly trying headphones at head-fi meets, to trying to lead others along a path that will bring them to music nirvana without breaking their bank. I can't say anything more without looking like a fanboy. Just demo them

 

[coffeeprince]

 
hahah. I personally think that a short demo will only show you the obvious difference compared to whatever sound signature you are currently used to. Sometimes it sounds like there is more shrillness/bloasted bass but when you try a different set of headphones, the issue is still there as the problem is with the recording. A lot of times you hear people complaining of too little bass after a brief demo, and it turns out they are used to some bass-boosted pair of headphones like the beats. That's why I think extensive listening (1-2 weeks) with some direct comparison tests is the best way to judge a pair of headphones. Though I understand that  we don't a have time to do extensive testing with every pair of headphones.
 
I think a better analogy is more like meeting a new chick while dating someone else. She might seem a bit cold when you first talk to her, but after you get used to her she warms up heh lol.

 
Good insight. When I go out and try a new set of cans in the local store, I keep in my mind to listen for longer periods with different genres of music. Around 20-30 mins for each set. I think its also worth noting and keeping in perspective if the cans i'm auditioning were already burned in. I own B&2 P7 and i think they have a strong bass but compact nonetheless. In my opinion, the mids tend to roll off pretty quick as well. The fit is snug and although heavy, the leather cushion provides a really comfortable fit. I have heard really fantastic reviews of the NAD HP50, but i haven't tried it yet as I cant find a set here in the Philippines, so I can't really give out an opinion. Here's hoping it'd be available here soon.