[tuckers]

So I have a lot of experience with headphones, from the Stax Lambdas I owned in the eighties to the Audeze LCD-2s I have now as my reference.  But my lifestyle has been changing the last couple of years and some of my musical tastes.
 
I have started working out like a maniac (I've lost close to 100 pounds in the last 4 years!), and I have been listening to a lot more high energy music.  What I used to listen to was jazz, classical, vocal, alt folk etc mostly with some rock and pop thrown in.  Now I also listen to lot's of Electro and more punky kind of music:  The Sounds, CSS, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Shiny Toy Guns, The Killers etc.  Most of this when I work out. 
 
The pure natural audiophile kind of headphones I like for relaxing don't cut it for this purpose.  I have a lot of experience with those kinds of headphones, but never liked the 'fun' kind.  Now I want to get some super fun phones that make you want to get up and run 4 miles, or boogy all night long.  ( I don't care if they are cans or in ear, but of course slightly prefer in ear, but I know they probably won't be as good as cans.)
 
I recently got Sennheiser IE8s.  And while they are great phones (especially with classical and nature music), they don't really boogy like I want.  The sound a bit too laid back, recessed and wide, the highs are soft, they aren't really punchy. No PRAT.  They have deep bass, but rarely have bass power.  But I am enjoying them with my workouts.
 
I recently heard the Monster Beats Pro with my iPhone, and they really worked for me. They were incredibly dynamic and loud right out of the iPhone, more than any other phone I have heard.  The bass was great but didn't seem overpowering, the highs were really clear, but not too bright or piercing, the soundstage was really wide and deep, I heard tons of detail, and overall I just wanted to get up and dance with almost every track.  This was my very definition of FUN.  
 
Now let me state that I HATE the company Monster for it's business practices, and have no love for overpriced overmarketed fashion brands. I have heard the Beats and Beats Studio and they sound like crap compared to the Beats Pro. I also have no love for the head-fi popular Turbines (narrow soundstage, bright etched nasty sound). Etc. It really surprised me that I liked the Beats Pro.
 
So what headphone will beat the socks off the Beat Pro for less money?
 
My wish list:

• Works excellently with iPhone 4 with no amp with plenty of volume.
• Is a dynamics monster. 
• Has great bass (probably more bass than neutral, but DEEP, tight, controlled and tuneful) with PRAT.
• Has great clarity and oodles of detail.
• Has great highs with air, cymbals should shimmer, but doesn't become piercing or harsh.
• Good clear midrange.
• An enveloping soundstage.
• Is FUN and makes you want to dance.
• Doesn't get nasty on lesser quality audio (I love listening to Pandora on my iPhone).

 
Phones I am considering ( I will keep this updated a the thread progresses).  Shure SRH750 or 840,  Ultrasone HFI-580,  AT-M50.
 
I hope you guys can steer me right.
 

 

[Scytus]

I would probably steer you in the direction of the HFI-580's. I havent heard them myself, but from the reading ive been doing, they sound exactly like the headphones you describe (i might be getting myself a pair soon). In relation to the beats, heres a thread of a user coming directly from a beats and to the 580's, with his impressions:

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/532406/just-got-my-hfi-580-s-with-the-money-from-my-returned-beat-solo-s-and

These are considered very "fun" cans. From what ive been reading:
-excellent bass
-fantastic mids/highs
-great soundstage for closed cans (very important for me, as i intend to use these to game)
-hardly any sound leakage
-great instrument seperation

Only bad thing ive read:
-comfort. This actually variea from user to user (some offer the remedy of using DT250 pads)
-slightly long cord?


Also in reference to the Shure's, ive read the 840's are more neutral than what youre looking for? And the 740's build quality is horrendous (cheap plastic that breaks easily); it also comes with a coiled cord(which i myself dislike), though the cable is built to be interchangable. 



Though remember, having not heard them myself, i would definitely encourage you to resesrch the cans, and see what you think of people remarks yourself, and feel more confident in your purchase.

EDIT: Also, these should sound great out of an iPhone, as they don't require an amp. They clamp pretty well too, so i doubt theyd slip off during a workout, but id imagine IEMs would be more pratical than headphones for this purpose, no?

 

[tuckers]

Thanks for the tip on the HFI-580s I will look into them.

 

[Farelistic]

Minus your extensive experience with higher end stuff (Stax and LCD-2's seem pretty epic), I vibe with you. I wanted some fun cans with knock (a fun eq mix and BASS). I'm not necessarily a basshead, but I listen to more hip hop, dubstep, and pop than I do rock, folk, or acoustic stuff. A majority of my searches on head-fi led me to the HFI-580's, ATH-M50's, and SRH750's. On impulse, I ordered the HFI-580's.. which are on my head right now =] . I don't know too much about soundstage, but they have INCREDIBLE sound. Details show up very well, (on Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's Somewhere over the Rainbow, you can hear him breathing before he starts singing =] ). Although this purchase was founded on their reputation basswise, the HFI-580's really shine with some of my acoustic minded stuff. I'm gonna borrow my friend's Monster's, but the bass on these is FABULOUS; If you have something with ridiculously LOW lows, these cans will massage your ears with vibration. Like Scytus said, good isolation. They clamp hard though. I'm hoping this goes away with time.
 
as per your list..
 
 

• Works excellently with iPhone 4 with no amp with plenty of volume - I have an iP4, and they work quite well with it. I have a little Fiio e5 to add a liiittle low end, but otherwise they work quite well. 
• Is a dynamics monster. YES.
• Has great bass (probably more bass than neutral, but DEEP, tight, controlled and tuneful) with PRAT. Not sure what PRAT is, but these things are Monster-killers =].
• Has great clarity and oodles of detail. ABSOLUTELY =]
• Has great highs with air, cymbals should shimmer, but doesn't become piercing or harsh. Check.
• Good clear midrange. Clarion yess
• An enveloping soundstage. I have no idea what soundstage is.
• Is FUN and makes you want to dance. YES. YES. YES.
• Doesn't get nasty on lesser quality audio (I love listening to Pandora on my iPhone). Haven't tried yet.

 

[tuckers]

@Farelistic:  Thanks, I do want to try them, they do seem like a good fit.  Soundstage is the reproduction of the depth and width of all the instruments in the mix.  Some headphones sound bigger than others, I like ones that sound BIG  Others like a smaller soundstage.     PRAT is an British Term meaning Pace Rhythm and Timing.  Basically some speakers/headphones just seem to get the rhythm better than others.  They are the ones that make you want to get out of your chair and dance.  The more embarrassing moves you are driven to dance in a room by yourself, the more PRAT a headphone has
 
I found a pair of used AT-M50's on Ebay for $85, so I am getting these to try out.  If I don't like em, then I can sell them here on Head-Fi.  I am going to look for a used pair of HIFI-580s too.

 

[Farelistic]

Thanks bro, I def wanna check out the M50 too!! I've heard good things, and the headroom.com frequency chart thing seems to indicate that they may have as much response on the low end - if not more - than the HFI-580's. Let me know how those work out. I've seen the M50's get nothing but love on these forums.

 

[Scytus]

Out of everything I've been reading, the majority says that the HFI-580 definitely has a lot more PRAT than the M50, they are actually praised to be one of the best when it comes to that; While the M50 boasts a more balanced sound (hence why it probably is the most recommended for newcomers).
 
 
Only thing I'm unsure of is the soundstage width in comparison between the two.

 

[yifu]

Either one of those three phones should deliver energy to you during your workouts! But since i own the M50, i will side with it as a bass boost on a fiio amp coupled with the M50 just delivers wild bass impact which is still very controlled. Im sure you would be impressed when you play some bass heavy songs like trance or stuff like that. They might not have the technical ability of your stax but they do very well for the money! 

 

[Farelistic]

Quote:

Either one of those three phones should deliver energy to you during your workouts! But since i own the M50, i will side with it as a bass boost on a fiio amp coupled with the M50 just delivers wild bass impact which is still very controlled. Im sure you would be impressed when you play some bass heavy songs like trance or stuff like that. They might not have the technical ability of your stax but they do very well for the money! 

I'm an HFI-580 fanboy, but I'll ally with anyone to fight the Beats hype. Check this- Lupe Fiasco with a pair of M50's =]
 

 

[desolateplanet]

Klipsch image ones, are by far the best choice. They bass much more than the M50s and have iphone controls and mic.

 

[vicktnguyen]

I would suggest you put the Phiaton MS400 to the list as well. It's definitely my favorite on the go headphones right now. bass is punchy, vocal is crisp and clean. It also works great straight out of my itouch.  I listen to trance music and the phiaton make me do that

 all the time on the subway

.