[Erwan]

So I posted this in the Headphone Full-Size thread and realized I should've posted here. Even though I got some responses there, I wanted to try posting here too to see if anything changes.

I haven't been on this forum in a while and (unfortunately) forgot about it when I bought my last pair of headphones but I'm glad I remembered about it a 2 weeks ago.
I'm relatively new and don't consider myself an audiophile but I'll try my best to describe what type of sound I like.

My headphone history goes like this:
- Frst pair: Soul by Ludacris on-ears. Didn't want to buy Beats so I bought into this mainstream pair, nothing much to say.
- Second pair: V-Moda XS. Loved these, though a little too small for my head. Reason why I got my next pair was because these didn't have enough bass or imagining for my liking. They're also pretty beat up now after 2 years.
- Third (current) pair: Sennheiser Urbanite On-Ear. Coming straight the XS, these sounded just a little bit muffled. But I got used to them and LOVED the imaging and bass at first. Now after 1.5 years, I'm looking for more.
Now, apart from these, I had tried a bunch of headphones in stores. My favourite, as far as I can remember, are the B&W P7s (too expensive), the B&O H6 2nd Gen (also expensive) and the Sony MDR-1A (kind of in my price range at the moment). Important to note that I'm trying to transition to over-ear headphones and move away from on-ear ones.

I mainly listen to Hip Hop, RnB, Pop, but also classical music, jazz, latin jazz and some Indie music. I'll be using this as portable headphones, so at home, on my commutes to class and/or anywhere else like the train and bus so I would love to have some isolation.

So now I come to ask you guys, what headphones ($200<) would you recommend for me? I like a warm/v-shape sound that is also relaxing, has good imaging and (possibly) a nice soundstage for closed-backs. I'm a broke college student so I can't push much past my $200 budget (willing to go up to $250), and my main sources are my Galaxy S8 and my laptop. I am also looking into buying a portable amp in the future. I'm also willing to purchase used/refurbished headphones.

EDIT - I will be working soon, so I believe I may raise the price to $300 and ask for help in buying both a pair of headphones AND IEMs.

 

[Mhog55]

Have you looked into the 1 more triple driver over ear?

 

[Erwan]

Have you looked into the 1 more triple driver over ear?

I have and they really intrigue me, however I'm scared they may not have enough bass for me and the highs may be too harsh (from what I've read online). This is just speculation and if I could try them on somewhere I definitely would.

 

[serman005]

SoundMAGIC HP 151.Maybe read about them and see what you think. It is possible they could work for you.

 

[Mhog55]

I have and they really intrigue me, however I'm scared they may not have enough bass for me and the highs may be too harsh (from what I've read online). This is just speculation and if I could try them on somewhere I definitely would.

That was kinda my thoughts upon listening as well, but it was really dependent on the recording I was listening to. The highs should tame a bit after some use. The bass is definitely there if the track calls for it. At any rate, I chose the H6 over it, though I still want to get the 1 more eventually. I wouldn't refer to the H6 as V shape sounding though. I actually find it rather balanced. The bass did seem a little fuller on the H6 compared to the 1 more, but also a slight touch looser. It seemed tighter on the 1 more. Personally, I find the treble on the H6 about perfect. It's right behind that line where it gets to sharp for me. At times, the 1 more crossed that line, but again, it should mellow over time. Where I found the H6 excelled over the 1 more was in the mids. That was the deciding factor for me, but of course that's just my opinion. If you want a truly V shape warm sound, a lot of people like the Sennheiser HD1 / Momentum 2. Wasn't for me, but that's definitely the sound impression I left with.

 

[Erwan]

That was kinda my thoughts upon listening as well, but it was really dependent on the recording I was listening to. The highs should tame a bit after some use. The bass is definitely there if the track calls for it. At any rate, I chose the H6 over it, though I still want to get the 1 more eventually. I wouldn't refer to the H6 as V shape sounding though. I actually find it rather balanced. The bass did seem a little fuller on the H6 compared to the 1 more, but also a slight touch looser. It seemed tighter on the 1 more. Personally, I find the treble on the H6 about perfect. It's right behind that line where it gets to sharp for me. At times, the 1 more crossed that line, but again, it should mellow over time. Where I found the H6 excelled over the 1 more was in the mids. That was the deciding factor for me, but of course that's just my opinion. If you want a truly V shape warm sound, a lot of people like the Sennheiser HD1 / Momentum 2. Wasn't for me, but that's definitely the sound impression I left with.

What's selling me on the H6 over the 1More's from your post is the fact that the midrange is better. I think I care more about the bass and midrange, than I do about the highs. But the 1More's definitely sound like some headphones I would love to listen to.

 

[Mhog55]

What's selling me on the H6 over the 1More's from your post is the fact that the midrange is better. I think I care more about the bass and midrange, than I do about the highs. But the 1More's definitely sound like some headphones I would love to listen to.

The mids are the meat of most music. When tracks get busy, the H6 seems to dial in and keep things from getting congested. The 1 more was the same way, but for whatever reason, the mids seemed to take a slight back seat. It was just different. Background vocals really stood out, but lead vocals seemed to stand back for whatever reason. The mids were still there, just not like with the H6