[Kirby1356]

I wanted to get some headphones to use when my IEMs(Denon C551) start to get uncomfortable. I have done a good amount of research on headphones in this price range and have narrowed it down to these three. I have a flexible price range. I listen mainly to most sub-genres of electronic music(trance, happy hard core, techno, dance, ect.), classical/orchestra, instrumental(mostly a combination of Violin, Piano, Trumpet, and Drums, sometimes electric guitar), rock, and synth metal? As for priorities, I think comfort and sound are equally matched(I wear glasses), but I am willing to make modifications if necessary(i.e. ES7). I will be using these phones with my Cowon D2 and CMoyBB and will be used in both quiet and some what noisy environments. Sound leakage is a problem, but I have not heard many complaints about these phones. I hear the D1001 are the most comfortable, the ES7 sound better then the D1001, but are uncomfortable without bending the headband mod. As for the M50....alright, I did not look into those very much. FORGIVE ME!

I can get the headphones for the following prices...

Denon D1001 - $90
Audio-Technica ES7 - $90
Audio-Technica M50 - $110+

Again, I have a flexible price range so if there is anything better for me in this price range I can look into them.

Thanks for sticking around and your time!

 

[Kirby1356]

bump to first page

 

[AfricanProphet]

The ATH-M50s and the Denon D1001s are pretty regularly compared in the ~$100 range. You'll get people telling you a bunch of different things and a lot of it comes down to preference. From what I've heard, the M50 will be superior in isolation and in bass (if you want that). When it comes to SQ, different people say different things. Try searching the forums... Here and Here should get you started.

Also, I would guess that the ES7s would leak a lot seeing as how they are on ear...but I wouldn't know for sure.

 

[LeonWho]

The ES7s don't leak at all.

They even isolate a bit.

 

[nyjets28]

i have used both the es7 and the denons and i would definitely get the denon especially if you wear glasses. i don't even consider the es7 really closed headphones, unless you have tiny ears. i have pretty small ears and they really just sit on my ears more than anything else.

 

[Infernologic]

Good to see another person who came to the same conclusion that I did a few months ago.

For me it was between the Denons and the M50, but I ultimately chose the m50s due to unanimous praise wherever I looked. I can safely say that these are surely worth the money, especially if you can find them sub 100 on ebay like I did.

Their sound quality has been compared to $300 cans and even higher, so there's no doubt that the audio quality is stellar. Oh, and as for comfort, for closed cans the m50 are superb. The pleather pads are incredibly soft when the phones are adjusted properly to your head, and they fit all the way around the ear. They have a solid feel to them, but they aren't overbearingly heavy. Do keep in mind that they're on the larger side for headphones, so they're not quite as portable, especially given the 9ft cable.

That being said, you really couldn't go wrong with any of those.

 

[wavoman]

Yea, the ES7's are supra-aural, sitting on the ear not surrounding it like the circumaural D1001s. But as other posters say, amazing, the ES7's don't leak sound, and they look way kewl with the shiny caps ... perfect gym and airplane phone. Mine are split entry re-cabled with a short silver dragon cable and gold mini by Drew at moon-audio, just perfect for travel since the cups swivel flat. I really do love these, and they get more use than all my high-end HPs.

But OMG the sound of the D1001s for a budget phone ... smoooooth as silk. These are my upstairs TV phones, since they "contain" OK (my wife is watching the same show, but leakage from these phones would annoy her with improper directionality, i.e., not from the TV), but they don't isolate at all, which is good so I can hear my wife when she talks (typically the five sweet words "give me the damn remote"). These were recabled my Mark (markl) at Lawton Audio with a D2000 cable that became available when he recabled the D2000s for my wife.

So I have and love 2 out of the 3 mentioned by the OP -- and y'all say the M50 is even better? Wow, have to try it.

 

[maddin]

I bought the M50 for traveling. They isolate well - but you feel you are wearing a headphone quite well due to the clamping force. I would not say they sound like 300 dollar HPs. I find the bass a bit on the strong side and the mids laid back. But this is just to my ears. For traveling they are fine but at home I prefer to use my SR325i.

 

[Edoardo]

The AudioTechnica ATH M-50 are just perfect for portable use: they're foldable, the coil cable is little more than 3 feet long, and a pretty "leather" bag is included in the box. it takes 10 seconds to fold them and put it into their bag.

I've also found them very comfortable, despite what I had thought because of the weight declared

 

[Kirby1356]

Thanks for all the VERY HELPFUL responses guys. So, now its between the D1001 and the M50. So the M50 sound "better," then the D1001? Is the difference night and day? IF the M50s do sound "better," then the D1001, then what if I did this mod them? Would the M50s still be "better?" Isolation is not very important to me because I have my C551s for that. Comfort is still a concern though, being that I wear glasses(as said before), would the M50s be comfortable enough to be worn with glasses? Also, I do not like the coil cord, are the M50s easily re-cabled?

Thanks again for the help guys.

 

[jewman]

You can get the m50s in a straight-cabled version, called the "m50s"

Guitar Center sells the straight-cabled version, and you can find it on ebay as well.

As for the m50's sound, I've found it to be a good all-around performer. I've found it more than acceptable for metal (Nightwish) and very accurate at reproducing the instruments mentioned in your original post.

 

[Edoardo]

Then you can buy them straight-clabled. for me it was just a matter of portability.

Glasses. who knows... it depends, I've only got a pair of Ray-Ban, but they are very very thin... so I just don't feel them anyway...

BTW M-50 pads are really soft

 

[mzd]

i guess it would depend on the glasses, but i have no problem wearing them with my glasses on. and my glasses have plastic frames so they are on the thicker side.

 

[leokennis]

No problem wearing them with glasses; the pads are more than soft enough

 

[Kirby1356]

Here are the glasses I'm wearing. As said by mzd I should be okay. The pads are soft but do they clamp your head really tightly?

If I do go with the M50 I'll just get the straight cable one and cut it down to size.

I'm still looking for a more definitive answer on the sound. So restating what I said before...

So the M50 sound "better," then the D1001? Is the difference night and day? IF the M50s do sound "better," then the D1001, then what if I did this mod them? Would the M50s still be "better?"

Sorry if I am annoying some of you, it's just that I only get about $30 a month and I need to know if I can buy without regret. Thanks.