[cossix]

I'm getting to that point in this hobby where, unfortunately, where Hi-Fi is my new default. Thanks to this, my Momentum 2 are starting to sound like Beats to me. It's all relative, if I had a pair of Beats here to try out then I'd be super thankful for the Senn's but that isn't the case. So I am looking to upgrade my Momentum 2 to something a bit more resolving and with a more controlled low end. My major issue with the Senn now is that it is starting to sound veiled to my ears and the bass seems sloppy. I blame this on the fact that over the course of this week, my desk has been home to HD598, HD650, HD700, HD800, IE800, K3003i, and LCD2. Either way, I'm getting a bit bored of the Momentum 2 and want something with a bit more clarity and sparkle, while retaining a tight low end. I will be using it on the train and around college campus, driving it with a FiiO A5 out of the X3 2nd gen, prefer WIRED, and don't want something stupid-looking (V-Moda design team, I'm looking at you). I'm not against planars but it must be compact enough to store in my backpack relatively easily. Budget $500ish. Suggestions??

 

[cossix]

Perhaps the Oppo PM3? This looks to be a step in the right direction if i can find a deal on it

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

Maybe take a look at the Fidelio L2.
Looks great. Sounds Great...and they have been dropping down into the $100 range of and on all year. Maybe save a bunch of scratch....the only mods I recommend is I like the Brainwavz Hybrid pads a little better than stock.