[meringo]

I couldn't make those M2 drivers produce any slam, even with a high bass boost. You can't EQ the fundamentals, i.e. change the dynamics of a laid back signature. That's why they went back and I bought the MDR-1A instead.

Is it even possible to get slam on a neutral signature though? I think that's a holy grail demand... something will have to be coloured, it's just a matter of how much, till it spoils something else.

The MDR-1As are at the top of my list, but I can only find them for $300. I refuse to pay that much fora closed back mid-fi headphone.... Hopefully I can catch a sale when they are 200-250.

 

[subguy812]

If you purchase the MDR-1A make sure it is purchased from somewhere with a good return policy.

 

[meringo]

If you purchase the MDR-1A make sure it is purchased from somewhere with a good return policy.

 
Woops.... I bought the Blue Lola on impulse, only a few hours after posting. I can't wait. I've been told by two reliable sources that these sound better than my ol NADs, which are my favorite closed back. I was excited for the Sony, but the price wasn't right and I'm in the market now.
 
Too many good options on the market... guh this hobby is tough.

 

[Maelob]

Well i cant believe i am saying this but between the Momemtum 2 wired around ears and vmoda wireless decided to keep the Vmoda- Found the momentums really good nice detailed sound fairly neutral with some extra bass. treble had good extension- compared to the Oppos PM3s that i had i felt momentums has the excitement that i was looking for. However, i am now starting to discover my tastes and looks like i am a closet bass head or somebody who prefers a warm signature. Enter the Vmodas Wireless on wired mode- They were not as detailed as the Momentums but not too far behind- as far as bass regarding extenstion they were provably not too far from each other however the Vmodas has a colored signature where i guess they have a mid bass hump. but surprisingly to me i prefer that warmer darker signature. I also found that a lower levels i still could hear the bass- And to be honest the purpose of my portable is to listen to music while watching the kids at their sports activities so no real super critical listening. although as an owner of Mr. Speakers Alpha Prime - they are also detailed but warmer sounding. So i guess for me i found Vmoda signature more adecuate for portable use in a noisy envirent. But while they are bassy you still get some good treble extension but i find the relax sounding which is what i like.
As far as comfort the Vmodas are not that great. if you are planning to listen for a long time they probably wont work. For me i just listen no more than an hour so they work for me. The momentums were defiently more comfortable and the earcups were bigger, but for some reason i kept going back to the Vmodas- I guess we all have our tastes in sound. I am not an expert reviewer but just wanted to give my impresions. Hope that helps.

 

[dweaver]

If you haven't tried the XL pads they make a big difference in comfort for VModa. I picked up a pair of M100 the other day and just bought the XL pads and am loving the added comfort plus the isolate more.

 

[GrouchoMarx1933]

Which closed cans would you all say sounds closest to the Fidelio X2? I'm simply in love with the X2's sound signature and sound quality, and I think I'd like my closed cans to sound similar. Bonus points if they can do balanced output (I know the PM-3 can, but I haven't heard much about balanced for other closed cans, unless we're talking flagship phones that are out of my price range). I'm looking to top out around $300-400.

 

[Sonic Defender]

The MDR-1As are at the top of my list, but I can only find them for $300. I refuse to pay that much fora closed back mid-fi headphone.... Hopefully I can catch a sale when they are 200-250.

I've seen them sell used here for $150. Hell I sold mine for $170 Canadian so you should have no issues at all. Anyway, sounds like you have made your decision already, but just wanted to indicate that the 1A goes really cheaply used.

 

[MrTradeMarkMe]

Hey everyone, I was linked to this thread in search of an over portable headphone. My budget is $400 (i'll go higher if it's worth it). With that said I've had my eyes locked on the momentums 2 and OPPO PM-3, which I can see are highly regarded. Now, my issue is are the OPPO worth the extra cash in comparison to the momentum 2s, or should I just stick to the momentums. As well, I welcome new recommendations if any of you have any.
 
Thanks!

 

[Maelob]

In my opinion they are both pretty even- value wise the Momentums 2 at 250 are a great value.

 

[meringo]

Hey everyone, I was linked to this thread in search of an over portable headphone. My budget is $400 (i'll go higher if it's worth it). With that said I've had my eyes locked on the momentums 2 and OPPO PM-3, which I can see are highly regarded. Now, my issue is are the OPPO worth the extra cash in comparison to the momentum 2s, or should I just stick to the momentums. As well, I welcome new recommendations if any of you have any.

Thanks!

You're leaving out an important model! The NAD HP50. Not as cool looking as the others, but excellent sound wise. The Momentum didn't do it for me, as I returned them after doing an A/B with the NADs. The PM3 are great, but costly.

If looks are a concern, the Momentum aren't bad for the current $250 price... But I'd still recommend NAD over them. Night and day better at just about everything.

If cost is no problem, pm3. I also just bought the Blue Lola. They aren't for everyone (look, weight) but are best out of everything mentioned in terms of sound quality.

 

[GrouchoMarx1933]

You're leaving out an important model! The NAD HP50. Not as cool looking as the others, but excellent sound wise. The Momentum didn't do it for me, as I returned them after doing an A/B with the NADs. The PM3 are great, but costly.

If looks are a concern, the Momentum aren't bad for the current $250 price... But I'd still recommend NAD over them. Night and day better at just about everything.

If cost is no problem, pm3. I also just bought the Blue Lola. They aren't for everyone (look, weight) but are best out of everything mentioned in terms of sound quality.

You think the Lola sounds better than the PM-3?

 

[meringo]

Not better, but different. The PM3 are just so freakin flat. I feel Lola is a bit more musical.

Depends what you're after.

 

[GrouchoMarx1933]

I do want something nice and musical, but I also want something that offers balanced playback because both my Pono and Geek Out do balanced out.

 

[meringo]

I do want something nice and musical, but I also want something that offers balanced playback because both my Pono and Geek Out do balanced out.

Tough call. I wish the PM3 weren't limited to direct sale. I'd say buy both and return the one you don't like as much, but Oppo doesn't sell on a service like Amazon for easy returns.

Although I do admit that balanced systems are nice, I don't personally think it's a must... Especially for mobile usage. External noise kind of takes those gains away, in my opinion. I'd go after something with a bit more bass slam for mobile.

At any rate, can't go wrong with anything mentioned, besides the senns. I just firmly believe the senns are overrated. I had them for like a month, trying hard to buy into the hype... Just couldn't after doing direct comparisons to competition. I know a lot of people point to Innerfiedelity's write up on them, but do remember they preferred the NADs and PM3.

 

[Maelob]

Tough call. I wish the PM3 weren't limited to direct sale. I'd say buy both and return the one you don't like as much, but Oppo doesn't sell on a service like Amazon for easy returns.

Although I do admit that balanced systems are nice, I don't personally think it's a must... Especially for mobile usage. External noise kind of takes those gains away, in my opinion. I'd go after something with a bit more bass slam for mobile.

At any rate, can't go wrong with anything mentioned, besides the senns. I just firmly believe the senns are overrated. I had them for like a month, trying hard to buy into the hype... Just couldn't after doing direct comparisons to competition. I know a lot of people point to Innerfiedelity's write up on them, but do remember they preferred the NADs and PM3.

+1 ordering both, Oppo have a 30 day return policy.  Not too complicated.