[flipper2gv]

Has someone tried the Campfire Solaris? And could compare with the Atlas?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Monsterzero]

Destruction and Overkill putting the new ZMF Verite speed to the test!

 

[Bastianpp]

Destruction and Overkill putting the new ZMF Verite speed to the test!

How is the verite? I am interesed!

 

[Monsterzero]

How is the verite? I am interesed!

Its really good! Ive only had it in my hands for a couple days,and in that time the drivers sound has changed a few times already. Its fast(not quite planar nor AD2000 fast) and has excellent slam and rumble.The slam isnt on par with the Atticus,but still very very meaty,and that results in a cleaner sound vs. Atticus. Mids are excellent,with good texture.

I am getting an Auteur soon to do a shootout,but im guessing I will end up buying both...Oh my aching wallet!

 

[swspiers]

My HD800S's are flipping killing me with the new Holy Grove album. Not my first choice for metal... but da'am I'm in heaven!!!

 

[ev666il]

Hello, everyone.

I'm currently running the following chain: Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD -> Schiit Magni 2 Uber -> Senn HD650

I'm thinking to upgrade my amp to the Magni 3 and possibly buy new cans that would be better suited to metal music.

The HD650 were the first pair of "serious" headphones I ever auditioned/owned; I bought them because I knew the brand and liked the looks, but I could not compare them to anything else within the same price range. They sound great to me but I lack a proper point of reference.

At first I thought I'd go for the HD660S, as I read in reviews that they're faster and lack the "veil" many people dislike about the 650. However, I reckon I might need more bass and an ever faster response to fully enjoy my preferred music, and the 660S wouldn't be much of an upgrade for the money.

My favorite metal genres are melodic death metal (e.g. Be'lakor, Countless Skies, Shylmagoghnar, Fractal Gates) and metalcore (e.g. As I Lay Dying, Parkway Drive, Threat Signal.) I occasionally also listen to heavy metal (Iron Maiden) or nu metal (Slipknot, KoRn), but melodeath and metalcore are the most important.

I thought I could stretch my budget and get the Audeze LCD2 Classic instead, though that'd be quite a pinch to my wallet. Would you recommend them over the HD660S for my preferred genres? Are there any other cans I should consider in about the same price range ($500-$800)?

 

[Dobrescu George]

Hello, everyone.

I'm currently running the following chain: Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD -> Schiit Magni 2 Uber -> Senn HD650

I'm thinking to upgrade my amp to the Magni 3 and possibly buy new cans that would be better suited to metal music.

The HD650 were the first pair of "serious" headphones I ever auditioned/owned; I bought them because I knew the brand and liked the looks, but I could not compare them to anything else within the same price range. They sound great to me but I lack a proper point of reference.

At first I thought I'd go for the HD660S, as I read in reviews that they're faster and lack the "veil" many people dislike about the 650. However, I reckon I might need more bass and an ever faster response to fully enjoy my preferred music, and the 660S wouldn't be much of an upgrade for the money.

My favorite metal genres are melodic death metal (e.g. Be'lakor, Countless Skies, Shylmagoghnar, Fractal Gates) and metalcore (e.g. As I Lay Dying, Parkway Drive, Threat Signal.) I occasionally also listen to heavy metal (Iron Maiden) or nu metal (Slipknot, KoRn), but melodeath and metalcore are the most important.

I thought I could stretch my budget and get the Audeze LCD2 Classic instead, though that'd be quite a pinch to my wallet. Would you recommend them over the HD660S for my preferred genres? Are there any other cans I should consider in about the same price range ($500-$800)?

LCD-2 seems more suited for you

I'd also check Ultrasone Signature DXP really, it does metal quite well, especially to my ears

 

[Johnny1982xyz]

Lcd2c are lovely headphones.. I suggest you also. To listen to the hifiman sundara

Actually for me best headphones at 500 1000 usd for metal are sundara and lcd2c

By audeze I got an old lcd2 Rev 2 which for me if correctly amplified is acryally the best lcd2 I've heard... But if not we'll amplified is the worst.. Lcd2c is much easier to. Match for the amp...

 

[davisman]

You guys should check out the Ether 2 for metal. Not my favorite genre, but I have been rediscovering my old Tool/APC albums with E2. It has the best bass I have heard in any headphone, including my th900s and my lcd 2v2's. It has excellent detail and speed without being overly bright. It also has the least amount of sibiliance I have heard from a headphone.

ETA: meant as a general recommendation, not for anyone specific.

 

[Evangelion2014]

So my pair of ath-m50xs (I liked the balanced sound profile of these though the soundstage was lacking) broke cause I was dumb enough to put them in a backpack with a bunch of heavy books so the part where the ear cups connect to the headband broke off. I just got my tax return in so I'm looking to buy a new pair. I'd prefer they would be closed back but I'm willing to hear arguments in favor of open as the only downside is having to move to another room away from the people I'm living with. My budget is under $700.
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-900KHz, -3dB

Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 3W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.3W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 430mW RMS per channel Maximum Power, 600 ohms:230mW RMS per channel

I listen to a wide variety of music so I don't really want any one part of the sound to be vastly out of balance. If I had to pick a single genre it would be death/black/viking/power metal but I listen to a wide range of genres besides those. The most common of those other genres would be Rap (old school and modern trap), Classical, Jazz, Post-Rock, Funk, Classic Rock, Disco, Classic Rock/Oldies Raggae and avant-garde (think milton babbit, karlheniz stockhausen and iannis xennakis). I don't listen to a huge amount of pop or electronic music but I eventually want to dive down that rabbit hole. Basically if it's a genre of music I'll listen to it eventually so while I do want it to sound great for metal tracks I want an all rounder that can handle any genre of music I throw at it. I also want them to perform admirably for gaming (I mostly play fps/strategy/rpg games on pc). Instrumental seperation, clarity and soundstage (as wide as i can get for closed cans) are the most important attributes for me other than the obvious one of sound quality. Being that these are exclusively for home use noise cancelling (them being closed is NC enough) and bluethooth functionality are non-issues and might even be discouraged if either would compromise the fidelity. Build quality is the next most important issue since I want these to last with the sum I'm looking to spend which is why I'm really puzzled at some brands having a non-replaceable cable.

I heard the Focal Elegia closed back at a music store and for the most part I really liked the sound. My test tracks were All of the Lights by Kanye West (the bass was thick and enveloping),Invictus by Virgin Steele Finite by Origin, Emerald Sword by Rhapsody Ara Batur by Sigur Ros (the vocals and piano in particular were fantastic) and a Bach solo Cello (the highs and imaging here were incredible) piece in addition to the Stevie Ray Vaughn Track "Crossfire" that was the standard piece on the display. My criticism comes in where Invictus and Emerald Sword were concerned: the guitar was a tad harsh and fatiguing at points though oddly I didn't have this problem with the Origin song perhaps because the death metal music was focused around a lower register and tuning than your average power metal song is. Two other pairs I tried were the audeze LCD 2 and b&w p9. The LCD seemed to focus around the vocals and mids and as such I didn't enjoy it as much finding it a little polite, less detailed and thin while the P9 had the same issue but with the focus around bass. The sample size of those impressions was reduced to the Stevie Ray Vaughn song however. The focal was described to me as "neutral". I generally want to listen to music the way the producer/composer intended if possible in terms of sound profile. On the other hand, if a certain sound signature would bring out seperation, soundstage and clarity I'm open to considering it.

A few models I've been considering (feel free to recommend some pairs outside of these if you think they would serve my needs):

Audio Technica ath-a2000z
Pros: I've heard they have great detail/imaging
Cons: What the hell audio technica your ath-m50x has a detachable cable but your $650 and $4000 models don't?

Audio Technica ATH-SR9:
Pros - Low price, aesthetics.
Cons - Mixed Reviews.

Shure srh1540:
Pros: Glowing Reviews, low price
Cons: Have been described as a tad "boring", looks a little cheap

Beyerdynamic d1770 pro:
Pros: Sound
Cons: Apparently listening to them is like having the speakers implanted in your teeth so virtually zero soundstage.

Massdrop Fostex TR-00 Ebony:
Pros: Looks awesome, sound quality
Cons: Small soundstage according to some (zeos, others).

Sennhesier 630VB
Pros: Sound quality should be awesome
Cons: Not the biggest fan of the aesthetics, seems a little gimmicky.

Sony MDR-z7 (I've found a few pairs new around $500)
Pros: Great Reviews
Cons: May be too bassy and inaccurate.

With those put out there more models to consider would be great.
I'll be pairing it with a shiit magni 3 amp so I'll list the power stats of that below for purposes of making sure I can drive the pair:

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-900KHz, -3dB

Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 3W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.3W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 430mW RMS per channel Maximum Power, 600 ohms:230mW RMS per channel

I listen to a wide variety of music so I don't really want any one part of the sound to be vastly out of balance. If I had to pick a single genre it would be death/black/viking/power metal but I listen to a wide range of genres besides those. The most common of those other genres would be Rap (old school and modern trap), Classical, Jazz, Post-Rock, Funk, Classic Rock, Disco, Classic Rock/Oldies Raggae and avant-garde (think milton babbit, karlheniz stockhausen and iannis xennakis). I don't listen to a huge amount of pop or electronic music but I eventually want to dive down that rabbit hole. Basically if it's a genre of music I'll listen to it eventually so while I do want it to sound great for metal tracks I want an all rounder that can handle any genre of music I throw at it. I also want them to perform admirably for gaming (I mostly play fps/strategy/rpg games on pc). Instrumental seperation, clarity and soundstage (as wide as i can get for closed cans) are the most important attributes for me other than the obvious one of sound quality. Being that these are exclusively for home use noise cancelling (them being closed is NC enough) and bluethooth functionality are non-issues and might even be discouraged if either would compromise the fidelity. Build quality is the next most important issue since I want these to last with the sum I'm looking to spend which is why I'm really puzzled at some brands having a non-replaceable cable.

I heard the Focal Elegia closed back at a music store and for the most part I really liked the sound. My test tracks were All of the Lights by Kanye West (the bass was thick and enveloping),Invictus by Virgin Steele Finite by Origin, Emerald Sword by Rhapsody Ara Batur by Sigur Ros (the vocals and piano in particular were fantastic) and a Bach solo Cello (the highs and imaging here were incredible) piece in addition to the Stevie Ray Vaughn Track "Crossfire" that was the standard piece on the display. My criticism comes in where Invictus and Emerald Sword were concerned: the guitar was a tad harsh and fatiguing at points though oddly I didn't have this problem with the Origin song perhaps because the death metal music was focused around a lower register and tuning than your average power metal song is. Two other pairs I tried were the audeze LCD 2 and b&w p9. The LCD seemed to focus around the vocals and mids and as such I didn't enjoy it as much finding it a little polite, less detailed and thin while the P9 had the same issue but with the focus around bass. The sample size of those impressions was reduced to the Stevie Ray Vaughn song however. The focal was described to me as "neutral". I generally want to listen to music the way the producer/composer intended if possible in terms of sound profile.

A few models I've been considering (feel free to recommend some pairs outside of these if you think they would serve my needs):

Audio Technica ath-a2000z
Pros: I've heard they have great detail/imaging
Cons: What the hell audio technica your ath-m50x has a detachable cable but your $650 and $4000 models don't?

Audio Technica ATH-SR9:
Pros - Low price, aesthetics.
Cons - Mixed Reviews.

Shure srh1540:
Pros: Glowing Reviews, low price
Cons: Have been described as a tad "boring", looks a little cheap

Beyerdynamic d1770 pro:
Pros: Sound
Cons: Apparently listening to them is like having the speakers implanted in your teeth so virtually zero soundstage.

Massdrop Fostex TR-00 Ebony:
Pros: Looks awesome, sound quality
Cons: Small soundstage according to some (zeos, others).

Sennhesier 630VB
Pros: Sound quality should be awesome
Cons: Not the biggest fan of the aesthetics, seems a little gimmicky.

Sony MDR-z7 (I've found a few pairs new around $500)
Pros: Great Reviews
Cons: May be too bassy and inaccurate.

With those put out there more models to consider would be great. Thanks in advance everyone.

 

[Monsterzero]

So my pair of ath-m50xs (I liked the balanced sound profile of these though the soundstage was lacking) broke cause I was dumb enough to put them in a backpack with a bunch of heavy books so the part where the ear cups connect to the headband broke off. I just got my tax return in so I'm looking to buy a new pair. I'd prefer they would be closed back but I'm willing to hear arguments in favor of open as the only downside is having to move to another room away from the people I'm living with. My budget is under $700.
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-900KHz, -3dB

Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 3W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.3W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 430mW RMS per channel Maximum Power, 600 ohms:230mW RMS per channel

I listen to a wide variety of music so I don't really want any one part of the sound to be vastly out of balance. If I had to pick a single genre it would be death/black/viking/power metal but I listen to a wide range of genres besides those. The most common of those other genres would be Rap (old school and modern trap), Classical, Jazz, Post-Rock, Funk, Classic Rock, Disco, Classic Rock/Oldies Raggae and avant-garde (think milton babbit, karlheniz stockhausen and iannis xennakis). I don't listen to a huge amount of pop or electronic music but I eventually want to dive down that rabbit hole. Basically if it's a genre of music I'll listen to it eventually so while I do want it to sound great for metal tracks I want an all rounder that can handle any genre of music I throw at it. I also want them to perform admirably for gaming (I mostly play fps/strategy/rpg games on pc). Instrumental seperation, clarity and soundstage (as wide as i can get for closed cans) are the most important attributes for me other than the obvious one of sound quality. Being that these are exclusively for home use noise cancelling (them being closed is NC enough) and bluethooth functionality are non-issues and might even be discouraged if either would compromise the fidelity. Build quality is the next most important issue since I want these to last with the sum I'm looking to spend which is why I'm really puzzled at some brands having a non-replaceable cable.

I heard the Focal Elegia closed back at a music store and for the most part I really liked the sound. My test tracks were All of the Lights by Kanye West (the bass was thick and enveloping),Invictus by Virgin Steele Finite by Origin, Emerald Sword by Rhapsody Ara Batur by Sigur Ros (the vocals and piano in particular were fantastic) and a Bach solo Cello (the highs and imaging here were incredible) piece in addition to the Stevie Ray Vaughn Track "Crossfire" that was the standard piece on the display. My criticism comes in where Invictus and Emerald Sword were concerned: the guitar was a tad harsh and fatiguing at points though oddly I didn't have this problem with the Origin song perhaps because the death metal music was focused around a lower register and tuning than your average power metal song is. Two other pairs I tried were the audeze LCD 2 and b&w p9. The LCD seemed to focus around the vocals and mids and as such I didn't enjoy it as much finding it a little polite, less detailed and thin while the P9 had the same issue but with the focus around bass. The sample size of those impressions was reduced to the Stevie Ray Vaughn song however. The focal was described to me as "neutral". I generally want to listen to music the way the producer/composer intended if possible in terms of sound profile. On the other hand, if a certain sound signature would bring out seperation, soundstage and clarity I'm open to considering it.

A few models I've been considering (feel free to recommend some pairs outside of these if you think they would serve my needs):

Audio Technica ath-a2000z
Pros: I've heard they have great detail/imaging
Cons: What the hell audio technica your ath-m50x has a detachable cable but your $650 and $4000 models don't?

Audio Technica ATH-SR9:
Pros - Low price, aesthetics.
Cons - Mixed Reviews.

Shure srh1540:
Pros: Glowing Reviews, low price
Cons: Have been described as a tad "boring", looks a little cheap

Beyerdynamic d1770 pro:
Pros: Sound
Cons: Apparently listening to them is like having the speakers implanted in your teeth so virtually zero soundstage.

Massdrop Fostex TR-00 Ebony:
Pros: Looks awesome, sound quality
Cons: Small soundstage according to some (zeos, others).

Sennhesier 630VB
Pros: Sound quality should be awesome
Cons: Not the biggest fan of the aesthetics, seems a little gimmicky.

Sony MDR-z7 (I've found a few pairs new around $500)
Pros: Great Reviews
Cons: May be too bassy and inaccurate.

With those put out there more models to consider would be great.
I'll be pairing it with a shiit magni 3 amp so I'll list the power stats of that below for purposes of making sure I can drive the pair:

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-900KHz, -3dB

Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 3W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.3W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 430mW RMS per channel Maximum Power, 600 ohms:230mW RMS per channel

I listen to a wide variety of music so I don't really want any one part of the sound to be vastly out of balance. If I had to pick a single genre it would be death/black/viking/power metal but I listen to a wide range of genres besides those. The most common of those other genres would be Rap (old school and modern trap), Classical, Jazz, Post-Rock, Funk, Classic Rock, Disco, Classic Rock/Oldies Raggae and avant-garde (think milton babbit, karlheniz stockhausen and iannis xennakis). I don't listen to a huge amount of pop or electronic music but I eventually want to dive down that rabbit hole. Basically if it's a genre of music I'll listen to it eventually so while I do want it to sound great for metal tracks I want an all rounder that can handle any genre of music I throw at it. I also want them to perform admirably for gaming (I mostly play fps/strategy/rpg games on pc). Instrumental seperation, clarity and soundstage (as wide as i can get for closed cans) are the most important attributes for me other than the obvious one of sound quality. Being that these are exclusively for home use noise cancelling (them being closed is NC enough) and bluethooth functionality are non-issues and might even be discouraged if either would compromise the fidelity. Build quality is the next most important issue since I want these to last with the sum I'm looking to spend which is why I'm really puzzled at some brands having a non-replaceable cable.

I heard the Focal Elegia closed back at a music store and for the most part I really liked the sound. My test tracks were All of the Lights by Kanye West (the bass was thick and enveloping),Invictus by Virgin Steele Finite by Origin, Emerald Sword by Rhapsody Ara Batur by Sigur Ros (the vocals and piano in particular were fantastic) and a Bach solo Cello (the highs and imaging here were incredible) piece in addition to the Stevie Ray Vaughn Track "Crossfire" that was the standard piece on the display. My criticism comes in where Invictus and Emerald Sword were concerned: the guitar was a tad harsh and fatiguing at points though oddly I didn't have this problem with the Origin song perhaps because the death metal music was focused around a lower register and tuning than your average power metal song is. Two other pairs I tried were the audeze LCD 2 and b&w p9. The LCD seemed to focus around the vocals and mids and as such I didn't enjoy it as much finding it a little polite, less detailed and thin while the P9 had the same issue but with the focus around bass. The sample size of those impressions was reduced to the Stevie Ray Vaughn song however. The focal was described to me as "neutral". I generally want to listen to music the way the producer/composer intended if possible in terms of sound profile.

A few models I've been considering (feel free to recommend some pairs outside of these if you think they would serve my needs):

Audio Technica ath-a2000z
Pros: I've heard they have great detail/imaging
Cons: What the hell audio technica your ath-m50x has a detachable cable but your $650 and $4000 models don't?

Audio Technica ATH-SR9:
Pros - Low price, aesthetics.
Cons - Mixed Reviews.

Shure srh1540:
Pros: Glowing Reviews, low price
Cons: Have been described as a tad "boring", looks a little cheap

Beyerdynamic d1770 pro:
Pros: Sound
Cons: Apparently listening to them is like having the speakers implanted in your teeth so virtually zero soundstage.

Massdrop Fostex TR-00 Ebony:
Pros: Looks awesome, sound quality
Cons: Small soundstage according to some (zeos, others).

Sennhesier 630VB
Pros: Sound quality should be awesome
Cons: Not the biggest fan of the aesthetics, seems a little gimmicky.

Sony MDR-z7 (I've found a few pairs new around $500)
Pros: Great Reviews
Cons: May be too bassy and inaccurate.

With those put out there more models to consider would be great. Thanks in advance everyone.

Look into a Sennheiser HD250. While it isnt the best headphone I own for metal,it certainly is still very good. It is one of only three headphones Ive ever heard that I would consider to be an all-arounder,with the other two being the HE-6 and the ZMF Auteur,both of which are far above your budget. You can usually find the HD250 for around 2-300.00usd.

Now for the bad news. It is discontinued,so buying used is a must. It also does not have a detachable cable. Finally while the Magni 3 will certainly drive it,it scales VERY high with tubes.

 

[monkey4054]

You guys should check out the Ether 2 for metal. Not my favorite genre, but I have been rediscovering my old Tool/APC albums with E2. It has the best bass I have heard in any headphone, including my th900s and my lcd 2v2's. It has excellent detail and speed without being overly bright. It also has the least amount of sibiliance I have heard from a headphone.

ETA: meant as a general recommendation, not for anyone specific.

Well you would hope so! The Ether 2s cost more than double the price of the 900 and LCD 2

 

[darmanastartes]

So my pair of ath-m50xs (I liked the balanced sound profile of these though the soundstage was lacking) broke cause I was dumb enough to put them in a backpack with a bunch of heavy books so the part where the ear cups connect to the headband broke off. I just got my tax return in so I'm looking to buy a new pair. I'd prefer they would be closed back but I'm willing to hear arguments in favor of open as the only downside is having to move to another room away from the people I'm living with. My budget is under $700.
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-900KHz, -3dB

Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 3W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.3W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 430mW RMS per channel Maximum Power, 600 ohms:230mW RMS per channel

I listen to a wide variety of music so I don't really want any one part of the sound to be vastly out of balance. If I had to pick a single genre it would be death/black/viking/power metal but I listen to a wide range of genres besides those. The most common of those other genres would be Rap (old school and modern trap), Classical, Jazz, Post-Rock, Funk, Classic Rock, Disco, Classic Rock/Oldies Raggae and avant-garde (think milton babbit, karlheniz stockhausen and iannis xennakis). I don't listen to a huge amount of pop or electronic music but I eventually want to dive down that rabbit hole. Basically if it's a genre of music I'll listen to it eventually so while I do want it to sound great for metal tracks I want an all rounder that can handle any genre of music I throw at it. I also want them to perform admirably for gaming (I mostly play fps/strategy/rpg games on pc). Instrumental seperation, clarity and soundstage (as wide as i can get for closed cans) are the most important attributes for me other than the obvious one of sound quality. Being that these are exclusively for home use noise cancelling (them being closed is NC enough) and bluethooth functionality are non-issues and might even be discouraged if either would compromise the fidelity. Build quality is the next most important issue since I want these to last with the sum I'm looking to spend which is why I'm really puzzled at some brands having a non-replaceable cable.

I heard the Focal Elegia closed back at a music store and for the most part I really liked the sound. My test tracks were All of the Lights by Kanye West (the bass was thick and enveloping),Invictus by Virgin Steele Finite by Origin, Emerald Sword by Rhapsody Ara Batur by Sigur Ros (the vocals and piano in particular were fantastic) and a Bach solo Cello (the highs and imaging here were incredible) piece in addition to the Stevie Ray Vaughn Track "Crossfire" that was the standard piece on the display. My criticism comes in where Invictus and Emerald Sword were concerned: the guitar was a tad harsh and fatiguing at points though oddly I didn't have this problem with the Origin song perhaps because the death metal music was focused around a lower register and tuning than your average power metal song is. Two other pairs I tried were the audeze LCD 2 and b&w p9. The LCD seemed to focus around the vocals and mids and as such I didn't enjoy it as much finding it a little polite, less detailed and thin while the P9 had the same issue but with the focus around bass. The sample size of those impressions was reduced to the Stevie Ray Vaughn song however. The focal was described to me as "neutral". I generally want to listen to music the way the producer/composer intended if possible in terms of sound profile. On the other hand, if a certain sound signature would bring out seperation, soundstage and clarity I'm open to considering it.

A few models I've been considering (feel free to recommend some pairs outside of these if you think they would serve my needs):

Audio Technica ath-a2000z
Pros: I've heard they have great detail/imaging
Cons: What the hell audio technica your ath-m50x has a detachable cable but your $650 and $4000 models don't?

Audio Technica ATH-SR9:
Pros - Low price, aesthetics.
Cons - Mixed Reviews.

Shure srh1540:
Pros: Glowing Reviews, low price
Cons: Have been described as a tad "boring", looks a little cheap

Beyerdynamic d1770 pro:
Pros: Sound
Cons: Apparently listening to them is like having the speakers implanted in your teeth so virtually zero soundstage.

Massdrop Fostex TR-00 Ebony:
Pros: Looks awesome, sound quality
Cons: Small soundstage according to some (zeos, others).

Sennhesier 630VB
Pros: Sound quality should be awesome
Cons: Not the biggest fan of the aesthetics, seems a little gimmicky.

Sony MDR-z7 (I've found a few pairs new around $500)
Pros: Great Reviews
Cons: May be too bassy and inaccurate.

With those put out there more models to consider would be great.
I'll be pairing it with a shiit magni 3 amp so I'll list the power stats of that below for purposes of making sure I can drive the pair:

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20Khz, -0.1db, 2Hz-900KHz, -3dB

Maximum Power, 16 ohms: 3W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 32 ohms: 2W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 50 ohms: 1.3W RMS per channel Maximum Power, 300 ohms: 430mW RMS per channel Maximum Power, 600 ohms:230mW RMS per channel

I listen to a wide variety of music so I don't really want any one part of the sound to be vastly out of balance. If I had to pick a single genre it would be death/black/viking/power metal but I listen to a wide range of genres besides those. The most common of those other genres would be Rap (old school and modern trap), Classical, Jazz, Post-Rock, Funk, Classic Rock, Disco, Classic Rock/Oldies Raggae and avant-garde (think milton babbit, karlheniz stockhausen and iannis xennakis). I don't listen to a huge amount of pop or electronic music but I eventually want to dive down that rabbit hole. Basically if it's a genre of music I'll listen to it eventually so while I do want it to sound great for metal tracks I want an all rounder that can handle any genre of music I throw at it. I also want them to perform admirably for gaming (I mostly play fps/strategy/rpg games on pc). Instrumental seperation, clarity and soundstage (as wide as i can get for closed cans) are the most important attributes for me other than the obvious one of sound quality. Being that these are exclusively for home use noise cancelling (them being closed is NC enough) and bluethooth functionality are non-issues and might even be discouraged if either would compromise the fidelity. Build quality is the next most important issue since I want these to last with the sum I'm looking to spend which is why I'm really puzzled at some brands having a non-replaceable cable.

I heard the Focal Elegia closed back at a music store and for the most part I really liked the sound. My test tracks were All of the Lights by Kanye West (the bass was thick and enveloping),Invictus by Virgin Steele Finite by Origin, Emerald Sword by Rhapsody Ara Batur by Sigur Ros (the vocals and piano in particular were fantastic) and a Bach solo Cello (the highs and imaging here were incredible) piece in addition to the Stevie Ray Vaughn Track "Crossfire" that was the standard piece on the display. My criticism comes in where Invictus and Emerald Sword were concerned: the guitar was a tad harsh and fatiguing at points though oddly I didn't have this problem with the Origin song perhaps because the death metal music was focused around a lower register and tuning than your average power metal song is. Two other pairs I tried were the audeze LCD 2 and b&w p9. The LCD seemed to focus around the vocals and mids and as such I didn't enjoy it as much finding it a little polite, less detailed and thin while the P9 had the same issue but with the focus around bass. The sample size of those impressions was reduced to the Stevie Ray Vaughn song however. The focal was described to me as "neutral". I generally want to listen to music the way the producer/composer intended if possible in terms of sound profile.

A few models I've been considering (feel free to recommend some pairs outside of these if you think they would serve my needs):

Audio Technica ath-a2000z
Pros: I've heard they have great detail/imaging
Cons: What the hell audio technica your ath-m50x has a detachable cable but your $650 and $4000 models don't?

Audio Technica ATH-SR9:
Pros - Low price, aesthetics.
Cons - Mixed Reviews.

Shure srh1540:
Pros: Glowing Reviews, low price
Cons: Have been described as a tad "boring", looks a little cheap

Beyerdynamic d1770 pro:
Pros: Sound
Cons: Apparently listening to them is like having the speakers implanted in your teeth so virtually zero soundstage.

Massdrop Fostex TR-00 Ebony:
Pros: Looks awesome, sound quality
Cons: Small soundstage according to some (zeos, others).

Sennhesier 630VB
Pros: Sound quality should be awesome
Cons: Not the biggest fan of the aesthetics, seems a little gimmicky.

Sony MDR-z7 (I've found a few pairs new around $500)
Pros: Great Reviews
Cons: May be too bassy and inaccurate.

With those put out there more models to consider would be great. Thanks in advance everyone.

I would suggest the E-MU Teak over the Fostex TR-00. Same biodynamic driver platform, more refined tuning. Great for metal.

 

[Hansotek]

These are getting pretty hard to find now, but there are 3 B-Stock Blackwood ZMF Auteurs on sale for Black Friday for for $1,449 (or $1,499 w/ a case, so $400 off). My favorite headphone for metal - resolving, well-separated, detailed, super impactful and forgiving for less-than-stellar production. Prog/core/death/black/power/symphonic/folk.... you name it, it's pretty much top-tier. Blackwood is a little faster and more impactful than standard teak. Highly, highly recommended. I know a few folks have been looking for BWs, so thought I'd post a heads up!

 

[Evangelion2014]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. There's a black friday sale going on for these that bring them into my budget, let me know what you think of them for metal (classical/rap would be the next most common genres I listen to so highs and bass are still important to me as much as the mids that make up a lot of instrumental music) and gaming. A few are open back but i'm starting to be more receptive to the idea of them. I'll also add that I want the headphones to be somewhat forgiving to "bad" production since I reach pretty far into raw black metal and other stuff in general that is lo-fi or poorly mixed.

Beyerdynamic 1990/1770 pro

Final Audio Sonorous VI

Hifiman HE5se

Hifiman Sundara

Ultrasone Signature Studio

Audeze EL-8 (open and closed)