[southpaul20]

Hey everyone, I'm fairly new to headphones.  I've been using the Klipsch Image Ones for the past 2 years and I'm looking for an upgrade. I was hoping someone with a bit more knowledge could help me out with some suggestions.  I listen mostly to music where vocals are the focus, classical violin, and rock.
 
Here's a list of what I'm looking for:
 
- Vocals : I like having the vocals forward and more noticeable.
- Over ear : Even though the image ones are on ear my ears are small enough to fit inside of them
- Mids & Highs : I do enjoy bass but I like more emphasis on mids and highs
- Detachable 3.5mm cable : I plan on using these as my go to for everything including with a mic
- No amp needed : I'm a big fan of plug and play without much setup.
- Price up to 300$
 
I recently purchased the V-MODA M100s and I wasn't the biggest fan.  They seemed to put the vocals either on the same level as everything else or behind it.  I do however like the audio on the V-MODA XS, but unfortunately these are on ears.
 
Currently I'm considering Sony MDR-1R or -1A, but I'm still looking into these.
 
Any help is appreciated and thank you in advance!  Sorry if my headphone terms are lacking, I'm still learning.

 

[TwelveTrains]

Is open or closed a requirement? The Sennheiser HD598 sounds like it suits your sound signature preference. Silky mids and highs.

 

[southpaul20]

.

 

[southpaul20]

  Is open or closed a requirement? The Sennheiser HD598 sounds like it suits your sound signature preference. Silky mids and highs.

 
Thanks for the suggestion!  I would probably lean towards closed just because I will be using them at work quite a bit and I'd like some noise isolation.

 

[FlyingGimp]

The T70p to my ears hit your acoustic criteria. They don't have a detachable cord, not sure if a modmic might work for you. They do fall under $300 used on Amazon pretty regularly, trending near there on camelcamelcamel now.

 

[southpaul20]

The T70p to my ears hit your acoustic criteria. They don't have a detachable cord, not sure if a modmic might work for you. They do fall under $300 used on Amazon pretty regularly, trending near there on camelcamelcamel now.

I'll keep an eye on these to see if the price comes down.  I forget about modmics.  I really like the boompro that vmoda puts out.  Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Youth]

Soundmagic HP150

 

[southpaul20]

  Soundmagic HP150

Thanks for the help!  I'll look into these.  Would you say the HP200 are better? or are the 150s just more suited to what I'm looking for?

 

[Youth]

  Thanks for the help!  I'll look into these.  Would you say the HP200 are better? or are the 150s just more suited to what I'm looking for?

 
HP200 are open so I would not choose them for work.

 

[southpaul20]

   
HP200 are open so I would not choose them for work.

Ah ok.  Are you familiar with the Sony MDR-1R or 1A's?

 

[Youth]

  Ah ok.  Are you familiar with the Sony MDR-1R or 1A's?

 
No, can't help you with that

 

[Claritas]

MDR-1R is kind of uneven-sounding unless you do the usual cup mods (dynamat + some damping material). Even then, it's not in the same ballpark as the following two:

Since you have smaller ears, look into HP50. I thought the highs weren't subdued enough but it sounds as if you might actually like it.

If you're willing to use a small portable amp, ZMF v1 excels with strings and vocals. Best luck!

 

[southpaul20]

MDR-1R is kind of uneven-sounding unless you do the usual cup mods (dynamat + some damping material). Even then, it's not in the same ballpark as the following two:

Since you have smaller ears, look into HP50. I thought the highs weren't subdued enough but it sounds as if you might actually like it.

If you're willing to use a small portable amp, ZMF v1 excels with strings and vocals. Best luck!

Thanks for the help!  I'll definitely add the HP50s to my list.