[MoneJone]

Well, I am new in here, and I am a beginner in the deep and wide world of high fidelity sound, so don't be too hard on me, please...

 
 
 I wanted to buy a portable headphone for my daily commute to Rome, where I am working. I am not an audiophile (or I guess I am not one of them yet, but I may easily become one in the near future, I am quite picky on audio quality)... by the way, I like good music and I care about the sound quality of what I listen to.
I like detail and instrument separation more than bass, so I'd rather prefer to avoid any bass heavy can. Sound stage is important too, but I know I can't expect much from  closed back cans... As for my gears, I own a pair of Klipsch image s4 as my favorite in ear and a pair of Audio Technica AD700, which I love... 
 
I have first pondered the Audio Technica m30x, the little (and cheaper) brother of the m50x, since I have read lots of positive reviews on this forum. But I have recently discovered the Harman Kardon Classic and the Aiaiai tma1 x, that are said to have great sound quality and to be fairly balanced... they are both on the same price, and they look far more portable than the m30x. I like the style of the Harman Kardon, but honestly style is not important... I give priority to sound quality, portability and noise isolation. 
Any suggestions?  Other cans I should consider?
My budget is around 100 euros (that is around 120 dollars).
 
Thank you for any advice... ^^

 

[MoneJone]

Also the akg k550 looks exactly what I am looking for... from the reviews I have read, it is an attempt of akg to get closer to the sound of an open can with a closed one. And it is fairly portable as well, even though it's at the upper limit of my budget. However, I would consider it if it is really worth every penny and it has an open and airy sound with a good soundstage, that is what I am looking for... 
 
How does it compare to the other cans I have mentioned earlier?

 

[viralcow]

The K550 is in no way portable.
 
Unfortunately I'm not familiar with pricing in Europe... How much do the Citiscape Uptown, and the UE6000 go for? What about the Audio-Technica ES700?

 

[thatBeatsguy]

The K550 is in no way portable.

Unfortunately I'm not familiar with pricing in Europe... How much do the Citiscape Uptown, and the UE6000 go for? What about the Audio-Technica ES700?

The K550 can be used as a portable...if you can handle its huge cup diameter. The K545 might be more your speed if you really want a portable can. I remember dweaver posting his thoughts on them, saying that they're bassier than the K550, but not by much.

 

[viralcow]

The K550 can be used as a portable...if you can handle its huge cup diameter.

 
Your definition of portable must include just about anything, then. The K550 has one of the largest earcups, not to mention the thick 3m cable, and the hefty weight.
 
Of course you can technically take it around with you, but most people wouldn't call that portable.
 
 

 

[thatBeatsguy]

Your definition of portable must include just about anything, then. The K550 has one of the largest earcups, not to mention the thick 3m cable, and the hefty weight.

Of course you can technically take it around with you, but most people wouldn't call that portable.

Well, I sure as hell wouldn't take an open can, though. I really don't see why you have to judge my opinion.
Okay, maybe I used the wrong therm for that. Why not transportable, O great viralcow? You happy now?

Again, the K545 would be a good portable.

 

[manbear]

Any headphone that can be plugged right into a phone, mp3 player, etc. is "portable." 

If you wanted to be technical, then literally every single headphone is portable.... 

 

[MoneJone]

First of all, thank you for all the replies, I really appreciate it. ^^
 
 
Quote:

  The K550 is in no way portable.
 
Unfortunately I'm not familiar with pricing in Europe... How much do the Citiscape Uptown, and the UE6000 go for? What about the Audio-Technica ES700?

 

The K550 can be used as a portable...if you can handle its huge cup diameter. The K545 might be more your speed if you really want a portable can. I remember dweaver posting his thoughts on them, saying that they're bassier than the K550, but not by much.

 
Well, portability is quite "personal".... I know they are big, but I have seen that they can be folded flat, rendering them easier to put into a bag or backpack, that's why I have called them portable. Usually, when I go to Rome I carry a laptop bag and a backpack, so theoretically I have plenty of room to store them. I have just picked them up since I was intrigued by the description of the sound quality, I like an airy and open sound, detailed and with bass that are not overhelming... I couldn't find other closed back cans that fit this description as much well as the akg k550, but maybe I am just missing some other model... anyway, apart from the earcups size, the 3 m long cable may be more of a hassle... XD
 
As far as prices are concerned... the akg k550 is 142 euros (180 dollars), while the akg k545 is 189 euros (245 dollars), which is quite out of my league now... the audio technica es700 is cheaper, 118 euros (150 dollars), the harman kardon CL is 99 euros (127 dollars), the audio technica m30x and the UE6000 are at the same price, 85 euros (109 dollars) and the citiscape uptown is the cheapest, at 52 euros (67 dollars), but they look the same size as the k550 to me and they are not foldable... anyway, I own a citiscape downtown and I really don't like the SQ, not enough detail and instrument separation, but I don't know if the uptown are similar or not.
 
Anyway, if the sound quality of the k550 is worth the money compared to the other headphones at the same price, I could bear the hassle to bring them with me... 

 

[Brooko]

Here - you might want to read this thread.  Peter (MacedonianHero) knows his stuff - and it's probably more what you're looking for (as in true portability):
http://www.head-fi.org/t/672743/comparisons-22-of-the-top-closed-portable-headphones-around
 
He's really helpful as well.

 

[money4me247]

  Also the akg k550 looks exactly what I am looking for... from the reviews I have read, it is an attempt of akg to get closer to the sound of an open can with a closed one. And it is fairly portable as well, even though it's at the upper limit of my budget. However, I would consider it if it is really worth every penny and it has an open and airy sound with a good soundstage, that is what I am looking for... 
 
How does it compare to the other cans I have mentioned earlier?

akg k550 is not portable. 3m long non-detachable cable. will need to go akg k545 for the portable version ($250ish USD).
 
Sound quality is great for the K550, one of my favorite closed headphones, but you realistically won't be able to really walk around with them on your head. You can transport them to a stationary location to listen like the library. The main concern with the K550 is fit & seal; people with smaller heads have trouble with the headphones fitting securely. If you have fit issues, the bass would be very light. Note these headphones do not have any consumer-oriented bass-boost, but they have great bass quality (great extension, texture, and details). Once you get used to the decrease in bass quantity compared to most other consumer headphones in this price range, you will begin to appreciate the k550's sonic attributes. If you can't get use to the lower bass amount, you will need to find something else.
 
If that is out of your price range, I would think that you can just go for the classic $100ish recommendation of the ATH-M50 or ATH-M50x.

 

[MoneJone]

well, I don't plan to listen to music while walking, just while I am on the train... having to endure a 80min-long trip to go and 80min-long trip to go back everyday is quite hard without music. A three meters long cable is bothering but still acceptable in this situation, I guess... I will be sitting most of the time. By the way, the k545 would be the better choice, more portable than the k550, same sound quality overall with a little more bass, however it is much more pricey... and I can't afford them right now. 
As for the sound, I really appreciate more the bass quality than quantity... as for now I really enjoy the sound coming from my ath ad700, open cans that are considered bass light, so I guess I will be fine... and I really want a good soundstage and detail. Difficult choice.
As for the ath m50 or m50x, the first one still has a 3 meters non detachable cable and the latter is too expensive (around 170 euro, more than 200 dollars)... but I can find the ath m40x in my price range... 
 
Anyway, how the ath m50 can compete to the akg k550? 

 

[TripBitShooter]

there is a deal for ATH-M50x on amazon at $180, and it comes with the FiiO E6 amp and a gadget bag. Also, the harman kardon XL is going at $78, a great deal. The K550 does have a piercing and somewhat artificial trebl, fyi

 

[viralcow]

The K550 does have a piercing and somewhat artificial trebl, fyi

 
Yes, but that's also why it sounds so airy & detailed.
 
I didn't like the plasticky treble too much, but I was still impressed.

 

[MoneJone]

I think I don't mind that kind of sound... ^^
 
I have also found a good deal on the ath m50WH on amazon, that is 110 euros (around 140 dollars) (usually the m50 is around 130-140 euros). So, I can narrow down the choices to those two model, the audio technica m50WH and the akg k550. I wonder how they compare according to sound clarity, openness, detail and soundstage... 
 
Right out of curiosity... what about the sennheiser momentum on-ear?

 

[TripBitShooter]

the sennheiser momentum on ear is really bassy, to the point of being a little flabby and slow, and can be overpowering at times. vocals can also get overpowered by the bass rather easily.