[Hoagie]

I agree that if you are a basshead, go with the Q40s.  no comparison.

 

[Macboy98]

@thujone lol sry.. "On direct comparison, the ATH-M50 sound about 90% as clean as the $3,000 Stax Omega. For some kinds of popular music, these ATH-M50 sound better than the Stax because of the ATH-M50's deep-bass boost. The ATH-M50 are brighter than the Stax Omega," Took frm a review

 

[Macboy98]

guys im getting the ath m50... i think i am going to wait until v-moda releases a new over ear model... thank you everyone for your opinions

 

[Thujone]

I'm sure you'll enjoy them!

 

[Trunks159]

I don't really like the m50. They just sounded ok to me, though you may not notice (limited exp).

 

[tannerbnd]

make sure to let them burn in(ath m50s)....I just listened to mine for the first time in a few months and fell in love again....they are awesome

 

[g33klunch]

I own the ATH-M50s and they do sound amazing for the price. I'd say they are the best headphones under $200.
 
I doubt they sound "like" the LCD2. I have the HE-500 and the M50s don't sound like them at all. The HIFIMAN HE-500 is in a different class of headphones like the LCD2. But  the M50s are amazing headphones - those are the headphones that got me into this hobby. Great sound, crystal clear - punchy bass. 
 
I own the M80s the little bro of the M100s - they sound fun. Clear highs, good mids and amped up bass. The bass is not muddy like the Beats - they actually can hit different tones. Well V-Moda says they are made for modern tech music and I do agree. The M50s are good all around. 
 
Well it boils down to use, if you are going to use them outside - get the M100s if you are listening at your desk only, get the M50s. You won't be disappointed by either one. The M50s do not have a detachable cable like the M100s unless you buy a modified M50 from Sound Professionals like I did. 
 
Hope this helps.

 

[jogee]

I created an account to give my opinion here, a friend of mine just bought the ath m50's and we switched headphones for two days.
There are definitly pro's and con's for both of them.
 
The audio technica's cable is longer and not detachable and it's got a pretty big cable on it, I primarily use it on my laptop, so it bothered me that such a long cable is hanging there. If you are planning on walking around with your headphones or mobility, the v-moda is clearly the winner. It also comes in a nice and tight case while you have a bag to put the the m50's in and it wasn't that easy. The casing of the m100 also provides easy storage for cables.
 
As for the fit, the ath is the winner for me, I have big ears, so the ath fits way better than the v-moda's, it also weighs less, so if you want to use it for a very long time it might be an important reason to buy the ath's. It doesn't really matter for me, I don't get warm ears or the weight doesn't affect me that much, so it's a minor point for me.
 
Then about the sound quality, the bass in the v-moda is more prominent, but I really like the bass in the v-moda, it's so clear, not at all over the top for me, it's just incredible to hear a bass that good in a headphone. The ath is nowhere near the v-moda as sound quality goes, the sound is so much richer on every level for me, the sound in the v-moda was just astounding to me, best headphone I ever had on my head.
 
I ordered the ath on Amazon and canceled my order once I saw the review of innerfidelity and bought the v-moda instead and now I'm sure that was the right choice, the v-moda is absolutely great.

 

[Trunks159]

The vmoda m100 is the best bass head headphone, but I must ask you to try out the ath ws99. It has between the amount of bass the m100 and m50 have. Its more balanced and costs less but the m100 is very fun.

 

[Thujone]

The vmoda m100 is the best bass head headphone, but I must ask you to try out the ath ws99. It has between the amount of bass the m100 and m50 have. Its more balanced and costs less but the m100 is very fun.

 
I think the M-Audio Q40's outperform the M-100's (IMO obviously). The Q40's just suck in terms of ergonomics.

 

[Parallel7]

I had the same issue like you a couple of years back.  In the end I went with the V-Moda m100.  Here were my reasons:
 
portability: the V-Moda folds up and fits in a small clam shell case; the wires are detachable (at the time of purchase two years ago, the m50 had an undetachable chord and it was long as hell)
design: 
           aesthetic: ties with the m50 here
           misc: detachable chord, customizable
build quality: it beats the m50 here.  I just check out my buddy's new m50, and I don't regret purchasing the m100
sound quality: it's pretty good: good amount of bass and crisp sound.  You don't need an amp to drive it when using with your portable device.
 (I am comparing this with the Beyerdynamic dt 880 pro.  The dt 880 is still my favorite according to sound quality, but the m-100 is my go to headphones)
versatile: you can listen to any genre of music and it will sound good with the m-100
 
Would I buy it again over the m50, yes; and I think you should to if you're leaning toward it.  It is actually cheaper now then when I bought it.  
 
I hope this help.