[Sonichaos]

As this is my first ever post on Head-Fi, it serves as both a question and a personal introduction.
 
Hello World (of Head-Fi).

I'm going into university soon for computer science. I'll be playing varsity volleyball, which means that I'll be spending a lot of time in cars, buses, and other places around campus that are far from noise-free. This is why I want a pair of closed cans. My current open pair is due to be upgraded anyway, and I very much look forward to hearing what Paramore sounds like with more Hayley Williams and less lawnmower.

 

As far as my headphone experience goes, my first upgrade from the stock earbuds was the Bose IE2s. These are what made me realize how much I enjoyed good audio. After those stopped working (Note to self: never buy IEMs without detachable/replaceable cords) I purchased the Klipsch Image X10s and the AKG K240s. The Klipsch were the more surprising of the two: they had very good bass. I still don't know how such an incredibly small driver can create that type of bass. However, after listening to my K240s, the X10's vocals didn't do it for me. Today, I only own the K240s (Note to self: no more universal-fit IEMs), and although I love their midrange, everything else about the 240s is merely "good".
 
Requirements
1) Isolation -  I'm not looking for QC15s here. Sound quality is far and away the most important part of a headphone. However, I want to be able to drown out the ambient noise present on roads and on campus. Also, I want to be able to listen to music without fear of bothering the person next to me in a car or a bus.
2) Mids - To me, the far and away most important instrument in a band is the voice. The second most is the violin. I want singers to sound like singers: not like headphones trying to sing.
 
Music Preferences
"Comatose" by Skillet is always the first song I play when listening to headphones for the first time. As I said before, I like voices and violins. However, I really want a headphone that can do it all. It's a success if "Hedwig's Theme" is magical AND "Norwegian Pirate" is intense. To me, that means that the headphones are both powerful and realistic.
 
Other than Skillet, favorites include:
Breaking Benjamin (Favorite overall band)
Skillet
The Script
Jason Mraz
Two Steps From Hell (If you don't know them, listen to "El Dorado" from their album "Skyworld")
 
Current list
Audio Technica ATH-A900x
Audio Technica ATH-ESW9
PSB M4U 1
Sony MDR-1R
Shure SRH-940
 
Review
Could anyone tell me how well these (and/or any new suggestions) do with the aforementioned bands? To make a more uniform review, it would be helpful if you could specifically tell me how well they handle two particular songs:
 
"Comatose" - Skillet
"Just Give Me A Reason" - P!nk
 
PS. I've tried out the Sennheiser Momentums. My large ears were angry at me for it.
PPS. I'm willing to buy new, used (newish), or refurbished: whatever will get me the best 'phones under $400.
PPPS. These will most likely be connected to a Fiio e17

 

[GREQ]

PSB M4U 1 - very good sound with a the tiniest emphasis on the bass. Build quality has a bit to be desired.
 
I would add Sony MDR-1R to your list. Crazy good value for money and very good mids. 
 
This recent review of the most popular closed-back headphones pretty much nails it and I agree with almost all the opinions.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/672743/comparisons-psb-m4u2-senn-momentum-sony-mdr-1r-bose-qc15-beats-executive-dt1350-ue9000

 

[kimvictor]

SRH840/940. SRH840 sounds natural while SRH940 is flat. Both have wonderful slightly(very) forward mids. Look at the link on my signature for a review on them. In the link, there is a link to a page called Multi Headphone Review.

 

[Sonichaos]

"the mids and bass are only what I would call "good", and the overall tonality/coloration is a bit unnatural. In short, the SRH940 will render complex subtleties (fast electric guitar music for example) with unrivaled speed and fine detail, however it struggles to render classical music and some vocals naturally -- that is to say, violins, guitar, voice, etc. will sound detailed but distinctly artificial" - Amazon reviewer of the Shure940s. Can anyone speak to this?

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

"the mids and bass are only what I would call "good", and the overall tonality/coloration is a bit unnatural. In short, the SRH940 will render complex subtleties (fast electric guitar music for example) with unrivaled speed and fine detail, however it struggles to render classical music and some vocals naturally -- that is to say, violins, guitar, voice, etc. will sound detailed but distinctly artificial" - Amazon reviewer of the Shure940s. Can anyone speak to this?

I have to disagree. The mids are dry. Some people are used to warm and liquid sounding mids, but dry mids are by no means bad. It could sound awkward to someone who is used to warm mids, but mids of SRH940 shows awesome clarity as well as reality.
 
I did a short review on them here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/665919/100-300-headphones-review-ath-m50-vs-ath-ad700-vs-hd598-vs-srh940-vs-dt1350-vs-v6-vs-modded-v6-vs-bose-oe-updated-6-19-13
 
But do read other reviews on head-fi. 99% of the reviews I've read claims that SRH940 has very good mids. Besides, it does have unrivaled(nothing under $1000(actually, maybe HE-500) speed and detail. 

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

 
Requirements
1) Isolation -  I'm not looking for QC15s here. Sound quality is far and away the most important part of a headphone. However, I want to be able to drown out the ambient noise present on roads and on campus. Also, I want to be able to listen to music without fear of bothering the person next to me in a car or a bus.
2) Mids - To me, the far and away most important instrument in a band is the voice. The second most is the violin. I want singers to sound like singers: not like headphones trying to sing.
Current list
Audio Technica ATH-A900x
Audio Technica ATH-ESW9
PSB M4U 1
Review
Could anyone tell me how well these (and/or any new suggestions) do with the aforementioned bands? To make a more uniform review, it would be helpful if you could specifically tell me how well they handle two particular songs:
PS. I've tried out the Sennheiser Momentums. My large ears were angry at me for it.
PPS. I'm willing to buy new, used (newish), or refurbished: whatever will get me the best 'phones under $400.
PPPS. These will most likely be connected to a Fiio e17

I really do like the audio quality of my ATH-A900X headphones.

 

[Sonichaos]

So right now, my #1 choice would be the PSB M4U 1s. I've heard nothing but great things about them, and they seem to not only have great mids, but they cover all the bases. My question about them is, will they fit larger-than-average ears? For reference, I find the QC15s extremely comfortable.
 
A second (unrelated) question: If I decide to go a cheaper route, can anybody explain the differences between the ATH-ESW9 and the ATH-A900x?

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

So right now, my #1 choice would be the PSB M4U 1s. I've heard nothing but great things about them, and they seem to not only have great mids, but they cover all the bases. My question about them is, will they fit larger-than-average ears? For reference, I find the QC15s extremely comfortable.
 
A second (unrelated) question: If I decide to go a cheaper route, can anybody explain the differences between the ATH-ESW9 and the ATH-A900x?

I can't answer the first question, but I can answer the second question.
 
ESW9/A is much more colored than A900x. It has more bass and mids and a rolled off treble. A900x is more balanced.

 

[Trunks159]

Best closed backs under $400:
KEF M500
PSB M4U 1

 

[Sonichaos]

Is there a quality difference between the ATH-A900x and the ATH-ESW9? Or is the difference just in the "best used for" category?

 

[kimvictor]

Is there a quality difference between the ATH-A900x and the ATH-ESW9? Or is the difference just in the "best used for" category?

They perform fairly similarly. A900x is slightly better imo.

 

[Tom Yum Goong]

I hink you should look into the very popular and widely acclaimed Mad Dogs

https://www.mrspeakers.com/MrSpeakers-Mad-Dog-Fostex-T50RP-Headphones

 

[Makiah S]

Scratch everything you've heard till now. These are the best imo for under $400, and that's the Audio Technica w1000x.
 
For me it's everything you want. The bass is killer, the mids are seductive and the treble is really very nice as well! The mad dogs imo are too dark,
 
And the w1000x is like an upgraded a900x. Although I got mine for $350 used refurbished. They do go on sale on head fi here so that might be your best bet. But check out my blog for a nice review of them [including how a mod makes them even better]
 
I will say how ever, I am purchasing the ATH a900x for portable use as well, so I'll get back to you on how the two compare. Seeing as how the A900x can be had for around $100 refurbished it's a steal compared to the some what pricy w1000x

 

[Sonichaos]

I was looking at the W1000x, but Amazon and eBay (my reference sites) are selling it for $500 and $470 (new). That's a bit expensive. Where does the price land when it goes low? Also, I like the design of the PSBs more. They look more travel-friendly. Plus, I live in Canada where everything is naturally more expensive. There's a store <10 minutes from here that sells the PSBs for $300. It has the W1000x, but they're $600.
 
Also, personally I just really dislike the look of the mad dogs.
 
I think a list of preference as of now would be (taking into consideration that I might not want to spend $400 - that was only if there were a very exceptional headphone at that price)
1) PSB M4U 1 ($299 + tax, new)
2) ATH-A900x ($110 + tax + S/H, refurbished)
3) Shure SRH940 ($200 + tax + S/H, new)
4) W1000x (???)
5) Sony MDR-1R ($200 + tax + S/H, new)
 
Note: S/H where I live is usually $20-$30, which is a rather annoying boost to a $110 headphones.
 
EDIT: (because I don't like posting twice in a row) Does anybody know if there are any places I could audition headphones in south-western Ontario?

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

I was looking at the W1000x, but Amazon and eBay (my reference sites) are selling it for $500 and $470 (new). That's a bit expensive. Where does the price land when it goes low? Also, I like the design of the PSBs more. They look more travel-friendly. Plus, I live in Canada where everything is naturally more expensive. There's a store <10 minutes from here that sells the PSBs for $300. It has the W1000x, but they're $600.
 
Also, personally I just really dislike the look of the mad dogs.
 
I think a list of preference as of now would be (taking into consideration that I might not want to spend $400 - that was only if there were a very exceptional headphone at that price)
1) PSB M4U 1 ($299 + tax, new)
2) ATH-A900x ($110 + tax + S/H, refurbished)
3) Shure SRH940 ($200 + tax + S/H, new)
4) W1000x (???)
5) Sony MDR-1R ($200 + tax + S/H, new)
 
Note: S/H where I live is usually $20-$30, which is a rather annoying boost to a $110 headphones.

Like I said, very soon I'll be comparing the ATH-a900x to the w1000x. I hear both are simmilar. 
 
But you know looking at reviews of the PSB M4u it really does sound really wonderful! The Ath w1000x is NOT something you want to travel with... it's American Cherry Wood, like an antique dresser on your head [some one might ROB you] but for my self, I'm leaning towards the Ath a900x and a headphone case for portability, into which I'll add a custom cut Foam Insert for added protection
 
That being said, the PSB M4U1 fold and come with a Carrying case, which in my book makes the WAY more pratical than both ATH cans, as the cheaper ones are going to need another $20 for a headphone case [of which I'm going to drop 2$ in for some added padding] and the w1000x should not leave your house
 
So, if you can listen to the PSB M4U 1 and you like it, I'd totally go for it! Seems like a very good practical pair of headphones!