thefifthgiant
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 7, 2017
- Posts
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I'm looking for a new pair of headphones for use at work and on the go. My current set is a pair of Ath-m50s (old model, not m50x) that I bought around 6 years ago. I was really happy with them for a long time, but I eventually stopped using them due to discomfort. They are a little to bulky and heavy for me, with a lot of clamping force, and the pleather pads got too hot after listening for several hours. Last week, I decided to try upgrading the pads with a set of brainwavz hybrid pleather/velour pads. Comfort was greatly improved, as my ears were no longer in contact with the larger pads, and the velour ring around the edge made them much cooler. Overall, it was much better despite the fact that the thicker pads increased the clamping force. I even noticed improvements in the sound, because the sound-stage seemed more open than before. The problem however, was that the bass completely vanished! I'm not a huge bass head, but I appreciate some punch, and there were several songs where I could't even hear the bass lines in the song anymore. I have heard that others have had the same problem with these pads, but I assumed that they were exaggerating, and were just bass heads. Anyway, long story short I am in the market for some new phones, for around $300 or less.
My wishlist includes:
- Closed-back design (I need to be able to use at work and on a plane)
- easy to drive (I have an ipod classic that I use on the go, and I would like to be able to use these without having to carry around a portable amp as well.)
- large earpads (I didn't like how the m50s pressed on my ears despite being "over-ear")
- Velour/fabric pads, if for breathe-ability, removable is preferred as well
- removable cable (or at least one that isn't 10 feet long like the m50s)
Sound wise, I am happy with the quality of the M50s, but for my price range I am hoping to be able to step it up the sound quality a bit. I have been looking at a few different options, but I am having trouble finding a the right combo or comfort and sound in a closed-back design. I was looking at the Beyerdynamic DT770 pros for the large/comfortable pads, but I am not sure about the sound quality and size compared to the M50s, and seem to have many different versions of varying sound quality and a long, non-replaceable cable. I also looked at the oppo pm3, but they are a bit out of my price range and they don't have removable pads. I have heard good things about the Sony MDR1A too, but it seems that the build quality may be a little cheap, and may be overpriced. Of course there is also Sennheiser, but all of the usual recommendations are open-back.
Sorry for the novel, just hoping that someone would have some insight. I have a feeling that my wishlist is too specific for my budget, but please prove me wrong! Cheers
My wishlist includes:
- Closed-back design (I need to be able to use at work and on a plane)
- easy to drive (I have an ipod classic that I use on the go, and I would like to be able to use these without having to carry around a portable amp as well.)
- large earpads (I didn't like how the m50s pressed on my ears despite being "over-ear")
- Velour/fabric pads, if for breathe-ability, removable is preferred as well
- removable cable (or at least one that isn't 10 feet long like the m50s)
Sound wise, I am happy with the quality of the M50s, but for my price range I am hoping to be able to step it up the sound quality a bit. I have been looking at a few different options, but I am having trouble finding a the right combo or comfort and sound in a closed-back design. I was looking at the Beyerdynamic DT770 pros for the large/comfortable pads, but I am not sure about the sound quality and size compared to the M50s, and seem to have many different versions of varying sound quality and a long, non-replaceable cable. I also looked at the oppo pm3, but they are a bit out of my price range and they don't have removable pads. I have heard good things about the Sony MDR1A too, but it seems that the build quality may be a little cheap, and may be overpriced. Of course there is also Sennheiser, but all of the usual recommendations are open-back.
Sorry for the novel, just hoping that someone would have some insight. I have a feeling that my wishlist is too specific for my budget, but please prove me wrong! Cheers