Help narrowing my search for $200-$300 phones - NAD VISO HP50?

[Cheffy]

Background
 
I'm looking for some advice on what to buy next. I'm a long time lurker and don't consider myself an audiophile, but I am particular about my sound. I currently own the Brainwavz HM5 and ATH-M50s, in part from advice from this website in the past. I've never been very impressed with the HM5s - they're ok for the money, but the masses seem to be far too enamored with these. Relatively neutral, but I find the bass a little bloated, the mids sound muffled/hollow, and the highs a little too sibilant (though they've definitely improved over time). Overall clarity is so-so, and build quality is cheap and poor - I had to 3D print new gimbals after the others ones cracked. The headband dug into the top of my head and I had to add some foam to help. Clamping force is still excessive even after 2 years of regular use but tolerable.
 
I much prefer the sound from the ATH-M50s, which I find has much greater clarity and separation of instruments. Overall I find it to be a far higher quality sound, comfort, and quality. However the mids - while clear - are lacking, and the highs are a little too intense. I tend to EQ the mids up, the treble down, and add a touch more bass, but find myself wanting a little more overall fullness to the sound.  Both have mediocre sound stage.
 
What I'm looking for
 
Environment of Use and Music
 
I mostly use headphones at my desk while working or for leisure with the intent of isolating myself from some modest outside noise but generally a quieter environment. I also wear them while flying but I'm not specifically looking for noise cancelling headphones as the cost it much higher and they tend to mess with the overall sound quality. The phones will be worn sometimes for hours at a time. I don't want sound leakage and I want good isolation, so I'm looking for closed headphone suggestions only.
 
I like a wide variety of music genres ranging from indie rock, folk, classic rock, jazz, classical, and EDM. I want cans that can "do it all", even if they don't excel at any particular thing. I don't like hip-hop or reggae (usually) so phones not ideal for these are fine.
 
Comfort and Looks
 
I'm getting older and crankier, and enjoy creature comforts more. My phones need to be comfortable, well padded on the head and ears with larger ear pads that encircle my medium sized ears over my medium sized head. Preferably deep enough that my ears don't touch the drivers. I had to replace my M50 pads because I found the opening and depth a little too small, the foam not comfy enough, and the pleather became stiff within months of use. I use SH840 pads instead that are perfect in terms of opening size - depth is acceptable although a little shallower than I prefer. HM5 pads are really comfortable but I didn't like how they made my M50s sound (thinner, more hollow sound). I did try the senheisser momentum 2.0 around hear phones and while they were comfortable in store, they didn't actually encircle my ears. I was unable to listen to them unfortunately.
 
Looks are the least important attribute for me. Sound and comfort first, looks a distant second. I'm mostly wearing them at home, and I'm getting too old to care if people think I look goofy in public. That said, a nice classic look like the B&W P7 or Sen Momentums is a bonus.
 
Sound Signature
 
I'm not settled on what I'd like in a new pair of phones, mostly because I simply haven't heard a lot of different high end phones. I think that I want something described as lightly coloured: generally neutral response, a tiny bit warm but with crisp and tightly controlled sound overall. I'd prefer some nice bass extension and punch without being boomy or muddy, maybe a touch of brightness in the high mids without being sibilant or harsh at higher volumes. I'd like some better soundstage. I'd prefer the phones to be a little more "fun" over analytical, but I'd like to be able to slip into an analytical mind frame.
 
Amplification
 
I don't intend to use an amp. It will mostly be driven by my laptop, maybe my android phone sometimes. However, I'd like something that could benefit from an amp, but doesn't require one to sound fantastic. So I am also open to suggestions for a budget minded amp that gives a little more boost to the low end without it turning the phones into a boomy bass machine but keeps the overall sound neutral to warm with a hint of brightness.
 
 
Budget
 
 
Between $200-300 Canadian dollars (~$150-$225 USD). I might be willing to go a little over if the phones totally blow me away with comfort AND sound.
 
My list of candidates
 
 
After extensive reading and watching of reviews, I think my best options are the NAD VISO HP50s, and the PSB M4U 1. Both retail for $249 CAD on Amazon.ca. Most reviews compare these two similarly, some putting one or the other on top in terms of sound and comfort. Some describe punchier bass on either, some go so far as to say the HP50 has a lot of roll off below 100 hz but others really contradict this. Personally I'm leaning to the HP50 as it sounds like it has slightly larger ear holes, better isolation, and is lighter and seems more commonly recommended over the M4U 1 in direct comparisons. However some people have convincingly argued that the M4U 1 is overall a better options so I'm not sure.
 
The sound signature on the HP50 seems to match what I think I want. My only concerns are that some people have called them a little "bland", and comfort seems a little hit and miss. The M4U 1 looks a little "chunky" and quality control seems a little poor - lots of reports of the covers falling off the sides, speakers failing, etc.
 
I've read favourable things about the M4U 2 in active mode, and the option of NC is a bonus. But I'm not sure I want a built in amplifier. I think I'd rather have something passive and make a more informed amp decision on my own later on. Plus the cost is at the top of my range ($300 CAD).
 
I've also strongly considered the Senheisser momentum 2.0, but they're a bit outside of my budget, and reviews describe the sound as really nice but maybe too relaxed to be good for any analytical listening.
 
Oppo PM3, BW P7, Blue Lola, and BO H6 seem great but getting much too expensive ($350-400 CAD).
 
What I'm NOT looking for
 
I don't want extremely analytical or coloured headphones. I like good detailed bass with punch but I'm definitely not a basshead and the V-Moda M100 sounds far too coloured for my liking. On the other hand, I don't want something so bright it hurts at higher volumes so I think the ATH MSR7 is out. I don't want a dark signature - I like some balance and crispness to my sound, but a little warmth is good.
 
Retailers
 
I live in a small city with few retailers carrying decent phones, so testing them in person is out of the question. Also, here in Canada shipping is more expensive than in the USA so I'd rather not order a bunch and return the losers.  That said, I might be willing to give that a try between two sets of cans if that's what it takes to make a decision.
 
Thanks and sorry for the wall of text, just wanted to put all my cards on the table to make it easier for people to comment.

 

[Cheffy]

Whelp, I must have frightened everyone off with my long description. I'm getting itchy to pull the trigger here, so I think I will be ordering the NADs within the next day or two unless someone can give me a compelling reason otherwise.

 

[HipHopScribe]

Not much to add, seems like you've done plenty of research, just wanted to say that I agree with your choice of the HP50's 

 

[serman005]

  Whelp, I must have frightened everyone off with my long description. I'm getting itchy to pull the trigger here, so I think I will be ordering the NADs within the next day or two unless someone can give me a compelling reason otherwise.

You did a rather thorough analysis of the options. Let us know what you think once you've listened to them for a bit.

 

[PL4Y3R 0N3]

Whelp, I must have frightened everyone off with my long description. I'm getting itchy to pull the trigger here, so I think I will be ordering the NADs within the next day or two unless someone can give me a compelling reason otherwise.

Take it as a sign. You seem to have made up your mind, but you did what I did with the 99 classics and made sure no one could unmake it. That's important too, as you never want to buy something you aren't absolutely sure is the right choice.
Hopefully you will enjoy your new headphones!

 

[dr cornelius]

It’s definitely tricky to make ‘phone choices without begin able to try first.  
 
From your sound preferences (in your price range), I think the HP 50s will work for you.  My favorite aspect of these headphones is their general smoothness - nothing peaky or added coloration.  My only nit pick - I wish the upper frequencies had an extra dB or two...  
 
I bought these ‘phones for their neutrality  and isolation for creating/checking mixes at work.  I can listen to these all day long due to their non-fatiguing sound, great isolation and  comfort.  The comfort is something you won’t be able to assess until you put them on, I”ve heard that their shape and size doesn’t work for larger ears...  Isolation is great - I use them on the bus/train and can imagine them working well on planes too.  Although my intention was to use these as a mixing tool, they are still good for a casual listen - although some listeners may want something more ‘fun”.
 
I can’t think of another closed headphoe that I’ve heard in this price range, to recommend - good luck with your search!

 

[Cheffy]

Thanks all for the input and affirmation. After much deliberation I've pulled the trigger on the NAD HP50s, should arrive from amazon soon. Will give them a whirl and hopefully will meet my needs.
 
Separately, I've noticed a really good price on the Phillips SHP9500S (~$80 CAD w/taxes from newegg.ca). Since I've never had an open backed headphone before, and this is so well rated and at a good price, I'm contemplating picking them up too just as something different for home use where open doesn't matter as much.

 

[PL4Y3R 0N3]

Thanks all for the input and affirmation. After much deliberation I've pulled the trigger on the NAD HP50s, should arrive from amazon soon. Will give them a whirl and hopefully will meet my needs.

Separately, I've noticed a really good price on the Phillips SHP9500S (~$80 CAD w/taxes from newegg.ca). Since I've never had an open backed headphone before, and this is so well rated and at a good price, I'm contemplating picking them up too just as something different for home use where open doesn't matter as much.

Take a shot at it! If you can manage it, and you really want to, then that seems like a reasonable price.
My first open back experience was when I spent a few days with the sennheiser hd598. Definitely a different experience. The one thing I couldn't get over was a lack of sub-bass. But the soundstage was a different experience from closed cans for sure.
If you find you don't like it after a few days, you can always send them back.
But I want to collect headphones, so that could just be my bias talking.

 

[Cheffy]

  It’s definitely tricky to make ‘phone choices without begin able to try first.  
 
From your sound preferences (in your price range), I think the HP 50s will work for you.  My favorite aspect of these headphones is their general smoothness - nothing peaky or added coloration.  My only nit pick - I wish the upper frequencies had an extra dB or two...  
 
I bought these ‘phones for their neutrality  and isolation for creating/checking mixes at work.  I can listen to these all day long due to their non-fatiguing sound, great isolation and  comfort.  The comfort is something you won’t be able to assess until you put them on, I”ve heard that their shape and size doesn’t work for larger ears...  Isolation is great - I use them on the bus/train and can imagine them working well on planes too.  Although my intention was to use these as a mixing tool, they are still good for a casual listen - although some listeners may want something more ‘fun”.
 
I can’t think of another closed headphoe that I’ve heard in this price range, to recommend - good luck with your search!

 
Have you tried playing with the EQ on them to bring up the treble a little? Did it respond well? My sense is that I may end up adding a touch of V to this phone depending on the response. Remains to be seen, should have them by the weekend!

 

[dr cornelius]

   
Have you tried playing with the EQ on them to bring up the treble a little? Did it respond well? My sense is that I may end up adding a touch of V to this phone depending on the response. Remains to be seen, should have them by the weekend!

I’ve tried adding some EQ - just very little, so as not to otherwise lose that nice, overall even-keel balance...  I

 

[Cheffy]

The HP50s arrived this morning and I brought them into work with me today. All I can say is "WOW". These phones really are that good and I listened to them for over 7 hours. There really is a lot of bass but it's not over-bearing and the overall balance is fantastic. Highs might be a tad rolled off but sound is still crisp. Rich, full and balanced sound, a hint of warmth, incredible sound separation, and fantastic clarity. Sound stage is very good in some songs. My music never sounded so good, and I heard all kinds of things that I'd previously never noticed before.
 
Comfort is good, not great - cups just fit my ears so they get a bit sensitive after a few hours. The headband puts too much pressure on the top of my head. It's not bad, but over time it might get worse and require some extra added padding. We'll see. Even still, they are fantastic.
 
I know there are a lot of reviews, but I'll do a proper write-up and post it in a few days once I've fully evaluated these.
 
Thanks all.