[TMRaven]

Improvement will depend on your taste in music.  Some versions of the M50 are pretty bassy, and if you like that amount of bass, the Mad Dog will have way less of it.  The Mad Dog has way better frequency balance and clarity though.

 

[iPhile]

I just like bass to be present and when a song intends there to be lots of bass I would like to hear that bass well. I dont want accentuated bass where there shouldnt be... if that makes any sense

 

[Ginron]

i hear that the Mad Dog has good deep bass but it is not overpowering. 

 

[TMRaven]

It will have enough bass for you then.  And yes it's good deep bass without being overpowering.

 

[iPhile]

ive also been looking into the HE 400 and LCD2. Are those good planar magnetics?

 

[iPhile]

i can actually afford the HE 400 too if they are better value than Mad Dogs...

 

[iPhile]

I also see that you like Ghostland Observatory, judging by your prof pic

 

[TMRaven]

What prompted you to want a closed headphone in the first place?  Keep in mind that there are closed headphones, open headphones, and then there's open planar magnetics.
 
Because planar magnetics project sound equally in both directions from the diaphragm, they don't just leak sound, they might as well be speakers to anybody around you.  If noise leakage is even the slightest concern, then I wouldn't think about the open planars.
 
 
HE-400 and LCD2 have more quantitive bass than the Mad Dogs.  HE-400 are polarizing because some don't like their upper-mid recession and treble spike.  I personally don't mind the relaxed upper-mids and EQ down the upper treble.
 
Ghostland Observatory is ok.  I enjoy going to their concerts, minus the drunken, dancing, raving teenagers.

 

[Ginron]

i have the HE-400s and they are great, but their worst aspect is their mids.
 
the treble and the mids can be improved with the velour pads though.

 

[manbear]

I can't compare to the mad dogs, but I have the HE-400s. They don't add bass to recordings, but oh baby, they have beautiful, deep, textured, snappy bass when it's in the song. The mids are one of their relative weak points, but keep in mind that's relative to what they do well. If you experiment with pads (especially jergpads, but also the velours), the funny coloration in the mids mostly goes away. But their mids are still somewhat recessed compared to the bass and treble. But they are still quite good IMO. Very detailed and fast mids with a lot of body, just slightly less emphasized compared to headphones with more forward mids. 

If you want closed headphones though, the HE-400s are the polar opposite of closed. They block 0 noise, and they are just as loud on both sides of the earpads like TMRaven mentioned. 

 

[iPhile]

I think I'll stick with the Mad Dogs then! Sound leakage is a slight concern. I also really enjoy my mids. Thank you everyone for your recommendations! This was successful