TSNotD
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 26, 2015
- Posts
- 3
- Likes
- 10
Hey all, my V Moda M80s are finally starting to die out after a few years, so it's time for an upgrade.
Source: I'm driving these from my phone or computer without an external amp or DAC. Pretty much all of my files are 320kbps mp3s compressed from FLACs
Budget: Hopefully below $200, but thanks to stuff I've found on ebay and some credit card rewards, I may be able to get some things for a bit cheaper.
Musical Tastes: I mostly listen to ska/ska-punk, classical, and a little bit of electronic. I'm certainly no basshead.
Examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpK-cOTvlrk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiG--6CDdR4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiV00MCgq5M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1_xO3TrBDI
I don't think I have enough experience to say that I prefer a 'bright' sound or a 'warm' sound, so instead I'll say what I like about my M80s and what I want to change.
M80s:
What I like:
-Portability (small, light, has a removable cable)
-Nice mids
What I want to change:
-I'm not a big fan of the on ear design. I wear glasses, and I usually have to take them off to listen to the M80s comfortably. Still, I can only wear them for maybe an hour
-I'm not sure what to say about the bass on these. Sometimes I want more (usually with sub bass), but other times it seems like a bit too much (usually with the mid bass).
-The highs could have a bit more sparkle
-Instrument separation is meh at best
-I want a larger soundstage
Here's what I'm looking at so far:
ATH-A900X: I really like the sound on these, even if the mids aren't quite as present as I'd like. They're also incredibly comfortable. I don't like how huge and stationary they are, and the lack of a removable cable is a huge drawback.
ATH-MSR7: These are a bit over my price range, but they seem to have a lot of the qualities that I'm looking for, except for maybe having too fatiguing highs.
V Moda XS: The logical upgrade to my M80s. I'm assuming that they'll still have all that I like and dislike about the M80s. Thanks to credit card rewards I can probably get them for $30-40 cheaper than the usual price.
V Moda M100: May be a bit too bassy for my tastes, but they also keep the aesthetics of the M80s that I like and would also be more comfortable.
NAD Viso HP50: I've seen these recommended on threads in similar situations before. They're pretty far out of my price range, even if I can get a discount on them, but they're supposed to sound great. They are a bit ugly IMO and the cans seem to be fingerprint magnets. I'm not sure how durable they are.
Any advice or further recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Source: I'm driving these from my phone or computer without an external amp or DAC. Pretty much all of my files are 320kbps mp3s compressed from FLACs
Budget: Hopefully below $200, but thanks to stuff I've found on ebay and some credit card rewards, I may be able to get some things for a bit cheaper.
Musical Tastes: I mostly listen to ska/ska-punk, classical, and a little bit of electronic. I'm certainly no basshead.
Examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpK-cOTvlrk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiG--6CDdR4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiV00MCgq5M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1_xO3TrBDI
I don't think I have enough experience to say that I prefer a 'bright' sound or a 'warm' sound, so instead I'll say what I like about my M80s and what I want to change.
M80s:
What I like:
-Portability (small, light, has a removable cable)
-Nice mids
What I want to change:
-I'm not a big fan of the on ear design. I wear glasses, and I usually have to take them off to listen to the M80s comfortably. Still, I can only wear them for maybe an hour
-I'm not sure what to say about the bass on these. Sometimes I want more (usually with sub bass), but other times it seems like a bit too much (usually with the mid bass).
-The highs could have a bit more sparkle
-Instrument separation is meh at best
-I want a larger soundstage
Here's what I'm looking at so far:
ATH-A900X: I really like the sound on these, even if the mids aren't quite as present as I'd like. They're also incredibly comfortable. I don't like how huge and stationary they are, and the lack of a removable cable is a huge drawback.
ATH-MSR7: These are a bit over my price range, but they seem to have a lot of the qualities that I'm looking for, except for maybe having too fatiguing highs.
V Moda XS: The logical upgrade to my M80s. I'm assuming that they'll still have all that I like and dislike about the M80s. Thanks to credit card rewards I can probably get them for $30-40 cheaper than the usual price.
V Moda M100: May be a bit too bassy for my tastes, but they also keep the aesthetics of the M80s that I like and would also be more comfortable.
NAD Viso HP50: I've seen these recommended on threads in similar situations before. They're pretty far out of my price range, even if I can get a discount on them, but they're supposed to sound great. They are a bit ugly IMO and the cans seem to be fingerprint magnets. I'm not sure how durable they are.
Any advice or further recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
