[hanouk]

Ok so I almost described what i'm looking for in the title.

I will use the headphone for my tablet, daps and computer, as an all-rounder for a 60% home use and 40% portable use.
So i'm looking at something which is over-ear and easy to carry around.

Now comes the sound. I already own some closed headphones around that price tag :
- Ultrasone HFi-780 (too bassy and V-shaped for me, lacks dynamics and resolution, I have an old version with a 10f ft long thick cable)
- AKG K551 (detailed and spacious sound but a bit too bright / mid-forward for my tastes, earcups are huge for a closed, comfort is not so good with thin headband padding and too soft pads)
- Soundmagic HP150 (good comfort, balanced sound which is slightly bright/v-shaped, but this headphone and the earcups articulations are very fragile, the pleather pads make me sweat faster than other headphones)

So far I've considered these options :

- Momentum 2.0
- NAD Viso HP50
- B&O H6 2nd gen
- Meze 99 Classics

Which one would be the better choice ? Comfort is almost more important than sound quality for me
Are there other choices I missed ?

Thanks

 

[cossix]

Ok so I almost described what i'm looking for in the title.

I will use the headphone for my tablet, daps and computer, as an all-rounder for a 60% home use and 40% portable use.
So i'm looking at something which is over-ear and easy to carry around.

Now comes the sound. I already own some closed headphones around that price tag :
- Ultrasone HFi-780 (too bassy and V-shaped for me, lacks dynamics and resolution, I have an old version with a 10f ft long thick cable)
- AKG K551 (detailed and spacious sound but a bit too bright / mid-forward for my tastes, earcups are huge for a closed, comfort is not so good with thin headband padding and too soft pads)
- Soundmagic HP150 (good comfort, balanced sound which is slightly bright/v-shaped, but this headphone and the earcups articulations are very fragile, the pleather pads make me sweat faster than other headphones)

So far I've considered these options :

- Momentum 2.0
- NAD Viso HP50
- B&O H6 2nd gen
- Meze 99 Classics

Which one would be the better choice ? Comfort is almost more important than sound quality for me
Are there other choices I missed ?

Thanks

I own the Momentum 2 and I love them for on-the-go listening. Bass is great and highs are detailed but not fatiguing. Mids are also smooth and clear. I haven't heard the other options but I have no complaints about my Momentum 2, other than my opinion that they aren't worth retail. Sennheiser overprices all of their headphones and the Momentums are not worth the retail price directly from them. If the HD650 goes for $315 on Amazon, then following that logic, I wouldn't want to pay more than 250 at most for the Momentum 2

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

I would go for meze but I never tried the others you mentioned so I might be a little bias. Although some say that it is more to on ear than over ear, my ears were nicely fit so it is not the case for me.

 

[PaganDL]

Hi Hanouk,

If it's warm sound you're after, go the Meze 99 Classics with ZMF cowhide or lambskin pads for added comfort as the stock pads for the Meze 99 Classics don't fit well if one has large or odd size ears, also provides better isolation & if you let the headphones adjust themselves on your head, the self adjustment is also more comfortable.

Most of all, I reccomend you demo them first with your own source.

In terms of good sound, source dependant, can't go wrong with Oppo PM3 either.

Hope this helps.

 

[Matez]

Hi Hanouk,

If it's warm sound you're after, go the Meze 99 Classics with ZMF cowhide or lambskin pads for added comfort as the stock pads for the Meze 99 Classics don't fit well if one has large or odd size ears, also provides better isolation & if you let the headphones adjust themselves on your head, the self adjustment is also more comfortable.

Most of all, I reccomend you demo them first with your own source.

In terms of good sound, source dependant, can't go wrong with Oppo PM3 either.

Hope this helps.

+1 on those Meze cans.

 

[Cheffy]

Hi Hanouk,

If it's warm sound you're after, go the Meze 99 Classics with ZMF cowhide or lambskin pads for added comfort as the stock pads for the Meze 99 Classics don't fit well if one has large or odd size ears, also provides better isolation & if you let the headphones adjust themselves on your head, the self adjustment is also more comfortable.

Most of all, I reccomend you demo them first with your own source.

In terms of good sound, source dependant, can't go wrong with Oppo PM3 either.

Hope this helps.

The PM3 at $400 is considerably out of that budget range though.

Hanouk

I've been using the HP50s for almost a year now. I absolutely love the sound, by far my favourite out of my limited headphone experience. Mostly neutral but with a richness and mild warmth. Highs are detailed but not sharp or sibilant. Mids are well represented, and bass is pretty tight and detailed with a little punch but no bloat or mud. It just sounds good and natural with almost everything I play - it's a nice pleasant sound that has a personality but doesn't try to push a sonic agenda on the music. The best sounding music on it is probably folk and hot jazz. Hard hitting rock does well too, but metal has some of it's sharp edges softened a touch. EDM and trance sound pretty good, while colder industrial music loses some of its despair. Classical probably fares the least well since it does best with open-back phones with a drier, more forward and airy mids and high end, although it still sounds good.

Comfort is... dependent. They're nice and lightweight and don't clamp too hard on my medium sized head. But I had to do some simple mods to make mine more wearable - I added some padding on the headband and cord under the ear pads to increase the depth. It was easy and cheap to do, and now I can wear them all day with minimal fatigue and I'd call them quite comfortable. If you have a big head, they might be too tight, if too small, you might find it difficult to get a good clamp, though this goes for many if not most headphones.

In general, the build quality is solid despite use of mostly plastic. In spite of this, I am hesitant to recommend them. My biggest reservation is that for many people they develop squeaks and clunks from the internal hinges in the ear cups over time that can be very distracting. If this happens to you - and it doesn't seem to for everyone - there is a relatively simple fix for this if it bothers you, but it requires disassembling the cups and lubricating/padding the hinges. Technically easy, but it risks damaging thin wires.

All in all an excellent value, the sound is considered up there with others over $100 more than their MRSP. Even better is that they've been on sale for the past while, going for around $200. I paid $300 and they were worth it to me, despite some hassles. However, unless budget is your primary concern and you're as thrifty as I am, you might want to consider something else. I've heard the Meze 99 are apparently truly excellent, and Tyll from innerfidelity bumped the NAD HP50s of his wall of fame in favour of the M99s. The Meze 99 Neo and classics sounds essentially identical, the primary difference is in the appearance. So if you don't need the luxurious wood finish, I think the Meze 99 Neo are probably your best bet. I think they're going to be my next closed back headphone purchase (though I'm strongly considering an open-back right now for a change).