So I am looking at my first entry into the nice headphone world in the mid range bracket, really my budget is $100-$200. I will definitely need a closed headphone, and ideally one that is portable and durable. Also, I will probably be using these commuting a lot, but also in libraries a lot (finishing senior year of high school, then college next year).
As such, it seems like the battle is between the TMA-1s and the HD 25s : bassier vs neutral. I know this is a topic that comes up a lot, but I'm looking for answers that aren't just "one is darker and has recessed highs," I know that, I'm looking for what that actually means in the context of what I listen to/do. You'll see what I mean below. Thanks so much in advance!
I have to say, I love the look of the TMA-1s (I'm a bit of a sucker for design, plus anything that has to do with 2001...). Everything I read about them seems to be amazing. I would love to get these guys, the only thing I am worried about - the recessed highs. How much of an impact does this make/do you think this is that serious? I listen to a lot of psychy/flowery stuff, and these headphones are frequently described as dark and I would figure that those genres don't benefit immensely from this. Take Animal Collective and Tame Impala, two of my favorite bands, as the perfect example of full, bright, lush, detailed sound: how would they fair with the TMA-1s? Seems like recessed highs would be problematic, but since I'm still new to this world, I wonder - is that correct/would I even notice? Can someone give me what they mean by "minimal electronic" since that can mean I lot of different things?
I also listen to lots of sorta dronier psych (think Bardo Pond, Spacemen 3, my absolute favorite Sun Araw, etc), and lots and lots of early 90s shoegazey stuff (think Galaxie 500, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Yo La Tengo, My Bloody Valentine, Stereolab etc). Also love lots of kraut stuff new and old (Harmonia, Can, Cluster, Neu, Beak> etc) and analog synthy/ambient stuff (Manuel Gottsching, right now I am LOVING Forma's first album/the Laurie Spiegel reissue the Expanding Universe - use that as a perfect example of what I mean by ambient/synthy).
So yeah, I'm wondering how the TMA-1s will handle these sorts of sounds - will it be problematic, or is it not that noticeable ? How about for someone commuting/new to nice-headphoneland?
On the other hand, I'm a bassist, and definitely love it when I can really hear a bass line crystal clear.
One more thing to take into account: I have (mild) high frequency hearing loss... too many concerts... don't really know how significant that is, figured I'd mention it.
When I've used "studio"-ish headphones before I have really enjoyed the sort of full/very clear sound of them, but I'm not sure if that's just because they are nicer than any headphones I am used to using. So yeah, I'm wondering if HD25's would be right for me or TMA-1s. Hard to know what my preference is without much experience. Also, the TMA-1s being slightly lighter on the wallet is nice... I am just afraid about what it may (but hopefully not at all!) do to the music!
One last thing: I wear glasses - will that affect the comfort of the already tight HD25s/are HD25s bad for commuting?
If my worries about the TMA-1 are true, would just using some treble boosting arrangement EQ work out?
Sorry for such a long post, I just figured the more information the better picture I could paint of my situation and the easier it would be for yall to help me out. Oh, and if you have any other headphones you would recommend for me, I'm all ears (
). I've been saving money for a long time for this, so it's just a big deal for me. Your help is much appreciated. tyvmia