[Kowaqt]

Greetings!
 
I've always been very interested in listening to music, lots of completely different genres and I've decided it's finally time for me to buy a proper pair of headphones, as such I've been lurking these forums quite a lot, but I'm still puzzled about which ones to buy. By "all-around" headphones, I mean a pair that I can use for just about everything: travelling, watching movies, playing video games, sitting at the beach.. you name it. I'm VERY clueless when it comes to amplifiers etc. As such my source of music is probably going to be: an iPod, my laptop/stationary pc etc. unless some of you can convince me that it's really worth buying some extra equipment for the headphones I end up buying.
 
I read a lot of good reviews of the V-Moda Crossfade M-100 and actually ended up buying them, since they seemed to fit all my criterias, but the earcups were simply too small for my ears and not enjoyable to wear (at all). I guess I mostly listen to rock and I honestly weren't too impressed with the V-Moda headphones, at least for that genre. I'm sometimes going to use the headphones for very long periods of times (12+ hours), so comfort is really important to me. 
 
I don't exactly have a budget, although I've been looking at the following headphones so far (and I'm very open to other recommendations):
 
- Sennheiser HD 598. Great reviews, and to me it seems like great value for money. Also I really like their looks.
 
- Sennheiser HD 650. A more expensive pair of high end headphones. They don't strike me as a pair that you "travel with", but rather some that you primarily use at home. I've read that they require a lot of amping etc. to reach their full potential. So while they are obviously supposed to sound better than the 598's, will the difference be very noticeable when unamped? Also, while sound quality and comfort obviously is what I'm mostly concerned about, I really think the looks of the 650's are ugly when looking at the price tag and comparing them with the 598's.
 
- Sennheiser Momentum. To me, they seem like Sennheisers equivalent to V-Moda Crossfade M-100, so my question is: how is the sound quality compared to them and do they have the same small earcups which isn't enjoyable (in the long run)? - at least to me.
 
I currently use Sennheiser HD 515, and while I find the sound quality to be "ok" when considering their price tag of 75$, they just aren't very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time and I'm simply looking for something _much_ better, sound quality wise.
 
 
As you can see, I'm obviously 'new' to headphones, as such I'm very open to other recommendations. As mentioned, I don't really have a budget, but I'm most likely not going to spend much more than 500$ which the HD 650 is at currently. 
 
Thanks a lot in advance for any response
 
Cheers.

 

[D K A]

I think senheiser momentum will good for you, i own both m100 and momentum
for me the momentum just blew me out because it sweetness,smoothness just need a little more punchy for my taste
and the m100 for me just full of bass, too much for my taste

 

[Klesk]

Since a headphone for everything would require portability and isolation, most open back phones are ruled out. I recommend the Sennheiser HD 25-1 mkII or the Amperior. Both are closed back, supra-aural headphones that sound great.

 

[Kowaqt]

Thanks a lot for your replies, I'll definitely check these out. And yeah, the m100's bass was a tad too much for me as well, I guess

 

[totalnoob43]

I am in the same situation as you, and I have spotted the HD 25-1 II(after doing extensive research, and looking at MANY cans), for around 250 bucks. I like the fact they can be easily repaired and rewired if needed, and that their split design can provide more comfort (even though I can't test them, there isn't a Sennheiser store nearby). I expect to buy a headphone and keep it for a long time, so durability is crucial for me (I prefer the ones with detachable cable for this reason).
However, I can get a pair of MM 450 X for the same price, but I don't care much about bluetooth, and don't want to lose sound quality for Noise Cancellation I don't need.
 
I listen to pretty much everything, from Metal to Dubstep, and I don't use any amp. I'm a student, so I'm using them everyday outdoors, while travelling, at home, in noisy places now and then but I don't feel I need an active noise cancellation pair.
 
How do the two perform, when compared? Are the MM450s as durable as the HD25s?
 
Of course if there are alternatives to these please tell me  
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[ekko]

hd25 durability, portability, great isolation, even greater sound... they might get slightly uncomfortable, but while i am doing some production i can wear them for 1,5-2h without problem, and I can DJ with them like forever...

 

[totalnoob43]

Thanks, anybody else agrees/disagrees?

 

[zhensing]

V moda M100!

 

[totalnoob43]

How are the modas compared to the sennheisers? Have you tried both? thanks for replying

 

[BillsonChang007]

Hello!

I hope you are willing to try something other than what you have listed. I find the PSB M4U1 a very neutral headphone with the right amount of bass, tight, smooth, creamy and fairly detailed mids. It too offer great imaging and clarity. The only downside is the slightly narrowish soundstage compared to K550. Other than that, I would highly recommend these. If not, out of your list, I like the Momentums...

Billson

 

[totalnoob43]

Quote:

Hello!

I hope you are willing to try something other than what you have listed. I find the PSB M4U1 a very neutral headphone with the right amount of bass, tight, smooth, creamy and fairly detailed mids. It too offer great imaging and clarity. The only downside is the slightly narrowish soundstage compared to K550. Other than that, I would highly recommend these. If not, out of your list, I like the Momentums...

Billson

Could you give a piece of advice to my case as well? Thanks! 

 

[BillsonChang007]

Quote:

Could you give a piece of advice to my case as well? Thanks! 

Just read through your post again and realized, that you have a comfort issue with some of the headphone with smaller earcups. If that is the case, Momentum is definitely not for you! While it offers great sound quality for movie, gaming and any other genre [exclusive of classics], the earcups can be too small for some people with larger ear. It is in fact, very portable and more durable than the PSB M4U1 that I mentioned above. 
 
If your top propriety is comfort and sound quality, will be using it in the public, open headphones like HD598, HD 650 and HD515 are all out unfortunately although the HD598 is perfect for movie and gaming. If you ask me, the perfect headphone for you would be PSB M4U1 or Sony MDR-1R. Personally, I prefer the PSB M4U1 as it offers the deep bass down to 20Hz [the lowest FR for most human ears] which is suitable for gaming/movies. If you listen to everything under the sun it is too a perfect headphone. If you mainly listen to rocks music, Sony MDR-1R will be more suitable. The bass here is more in quantity but loss in quality and it does offer the deep bass as I heard from PSB M4U1. However, Sony MDR-1R's mids are warmer and more colored in comparison which should do you good with rocks. Do note that, Sony MDR-1R can be a bit slow sounding. 
 
In terms of comfort, either one of them are comfortable! http://www.head-fi.org/t/647465/mystery-unclosed-modern-closed-headphones-compared-sennheiser-hd598-update-psb-m4u2-added-7-5-13
 
Hope this help!
Billson

 

[totalnoob43]

Quote:

Just read through your post again and realized, that you have a comfort issue with some of the headphone with smaller earcups. If that is the case, Momentum is definitely not for you! While it offers great sound quality for movie, gaming and any other genre [exclusive of classics], the earcups can be too small for some people with larger ear. It is in fact, very portable and more durable than the PSB M4U1 that I mentioned above. 
 
If your top propriety is comfort and sound quality, will be using it in the public, open headphones like HD598, HD 650 and HD515 are all out unfortunately although the HD598 is perfect for movie and gaming. If you ask me, the perfect headphone for you would be PSB M4U1 or Sony MDR-1R. Personally, I prefer the PSB M4U1 as it offers the deep bass down to 20Hz [the lowest FR for most human ears] which is suitable for gaming/movies. If you listen to everything under the sun it is too a perfect headphone. If you mainly listen to rocks music, Sony MDR-1R will be more suitable. The bass here is more in quantity but loss in quality and it does offer the deep bass as I heard from PSB M4U1. However, Sony MDR-1R's mids are warmer and more colored in comparison which should do you good with rocks. Do note that, Sony MDR-1R can be a bit slow sounding. 
 
In terms of comfort, either one of them are comfortable! http://www.head-fi.org/t/647465/mystery-unclosed-modern-closed-headphones-compared-sennheiser-hd598-update-psb-m4u2-added-7-5-13
 
Hope this help!
Billson

 
You misunderstood, I am another person, I quote my post so that you can read it
 
Quote:

I am in the same situation as you, and I have spotted the HD 25-1 II(after doing extensive research, and looking at MANY cans), for around 250 bucks. I like the fact they can be easily repaired and rewired if needed, and that their split design can provide more comfort (even though I can't test them, there isn't a Sennheiser store nearby). I expect to buy a headphone and keep it for a long time, so durability is crucial for me (I prefer the ones with detachable cable for this reason).
However, I can get a pair of MM 450 X for the same price, but I don't care much about bluetooth, and don't want to lose sound quality for Noise Cancellation I don't need.
 
I listen to pretty much everything, from Metal to Dubstep, and I don't use any amp. I'm a student, so I'm using them everyday outdoors, while travelling, at home, in noisy places now and then but I don't feel I need an active noise cancellation pair.
 
How do the two perform, when compared? Are the MM450s as durable as the HD25s?
 
Of course if there are alternatives to these please tell me  
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[BillsonChang007]

Quote:

 
You misunderstood, I am another person, I quote my post so that you can read it
 

owh...haha just realized that...sorry XD
 
It looks like you are looking for portability, sound quality and durability here. If on-ear is no big deal for you, the Sennheiser Momentum is a perfect piece of headphone for you. Although I prefer 1R over Momentum [in case you have checked out the link I posted], but Momentum tends to do better with house musics. The cables are detachable and these cables are special to me. The headphone jack where you plug it into your source [smartphone/DAP etc] angel is adjustable. From 180 degrees to 90 degrees, you can even stop at 45 degrees. This is very useful especially if you put your source in your pocket. 
 
In terms of durability, these are top notch in comparison with most portable headphones. It is made of real leather and stainless steel. Also, there is no need for amp to shine which helps in decreasing total weight in your music package for portable. 
 
Hope this help!
Billson

 

[totalnoob43]

Quote:

owh...haha just realized that...sorry XD
 
It looks like you are looking for portability, sound quality and durability here. If on-ear is no big deal for you, the Sennheiser Momentum is a perfect piece of headphone for you. Although I prefer 1R over Momentum [in case you have checked out the link I posted], but Momentum tends to do better with house musics. The cables are detachable and these cables are special to me. The headphone jack where you plug it into your source [smartphone/DAP etc] angel is adjustable. From 180 degrees to 90 degrees, you can even stop at 45 degrees. This is very useful especially if you put your source in your pocket. 
 
In terms of durability, these are top notch in comparison with most portable headphones. It is made of real leather and stainless steel. Also, there is no need for amp to shine which helps in decreasing total weight in your music package for portable. 
 
Hope this help!
Billson

I see. Thank you very much! I had already checked out the Momentums and the 1Rs, and I'd say I'm thorn between these two. The momentums are a bit pricey for me, as they cost 100 euros more than the 1Rs. From the link that you gave me, I think the Momentums are the best for this price tag, and the most durable. Are these comparable to the 1Rs or you suggest that I wait a little more and grab the Sennheiser ones?
 
Consider that I'm not an audiophile, and I'm not looking for perfect neutralility, nor a basshead, or one who likes 'enhanced' sound. 
 
Thanks in advance, and sorry for my English, I'm not a native speaker