[JDSuperhero]

A little over a year ago I discovered Head-fi. You folks helped me decide on my first pair of quality headphones (V-Moda M80s) and I love them. They and my little rockboxed Sansa Clip+ have served me well over the last year. So, honestly, thank you for that. I've been a lurker around here ever since.
 
Here's the thing, my Sansa Clip+ has started to give me problems with the audio input jack (which is fine, it was $30, I knew I'd have to replace it) and so I'm saving some cash for a FiiO X1 and I thought maybe along with the X1 I'd pick up a new pair over-ear phones to complement my on-ears.
 
I love the sound of my V-Modas, but variety is the spice of life.
 
I was thinking maybe the CAL!2 phones might be a good supplement, but I had also been advised check out the DT 770s and I'm feeling a bit lost. I won't be buying right away, I have some time, but its time to shop around.
 
Things I like: the mids and bass punch on my m80s (but again, I do want variety in sound).
Things I want: the wider sound stage over-ears are said to offer.
Things I don't want: I think I prefer warm over bright. 
 
My music preferences are wide - everything from Brandi Carlile to Infected Mushroom to Talking Heads to Against Me! I'm likely to listen to Ani DiFranco back-to-back with Cake and follow it up with The Glitch Mob. EDM, pop, folk, indie, punk - all are on my frequently played list, so I realize that's a difficulty.
 
I'm not necessarily looking to upgrade or I'd be saving more money (which, as a university student, I can't really afford to do), I just want something new.
 
EDIT: also want to add I saw the Sennheiser Urbanite XLs are super affordable these days. What's up with that major price cut? Are they any good?

 

[JDSuperhero]

Also I know the ATH M50x's are highly reviewed - I was considering them but wondered if they might be too "flat" or "neutral" for my tastes.

 

[fuego]

I'll be comparing the Sennheiser Urbanite XL with the Vmoda Crossfade M100's & the Audio Technica ATH M50x. I own all 3.
 
HEADPHONE BUILD:
1) Vmoda's get an easy #1 here. They're built like tanks. Made to take contortion, falls, & even can take being run over by a car (I read a story... honestly!)
2) The Urbanites get 2nd. The band is rugged. The hinges are made of metal. Really well made!
3) The ATH M50x is made mostly of plastic. Not brittle, but compared to the Vmoda & Urbanite... not quite as sturdy

CABLE BUILD :
1) Vmoda's cable is amazing. It's made of kevlar. Ya know the stuff that takes bullets (haha!). Most cables take 10,000 bends & then they break. The Vmoda cable can take a million bends. Oh yeah... it's a detachable cable (Texas Longhorn Orange). And I love the 45 degree angle jack when you plug into the device.
2) The ATH M50x has a locking cable, but it's not 1/8in at the headphone. So, you can only use Audio Technica cables (but you have 3). The cable is thick & seems like it'd last a long time. The jack that goes into your device is a straight plug (my least favorite).
3) The Urbanites has a thick flat cable. It's the shortest of all the cables. But I love the 90 degree jack... especially for laptops. Make sure you have the cable fully locked in... or you'll only get sound from one side.

PHONE REMOTE:
1) Vmoda's cable is ingenious. The mic is closer to the mouth, while the control is further down where your hand can grasp hold of it. The controls are very easy to work with.
2) Urbanite's remote is the best designed in my opinion. The controls are well-made & easy to use.
3) The ATH M50x do not have any controls on their cables.

ACCESSORIES:
1) Vmoda's come with by far the nicest carrying case. It looks like Batman armor... haha! It also comes with an extra cable that doesn't have the remote, but allows for someone else to plug in and listen. 1/4 in adapter included
2) The ATH M50x comes with a shorter cable, a longer 3 meter cable, & a coiled cable. It comes with a pouch. 1/4 in adapter included
3) The Urbanite comes with a bag.

PORTABILITY:
1) Vmodas are more compact & fold in.
2) The Audio Technicas fold in the same way Vmodas do, but they're a bigger can.
3) The Urbanites fold horizontally, but they're poofy & wide.

COMFORT:
1) The Urbanites are sooooooo comfortable! I was really surprised how cushy the ear pads were. They're made of some sort of velour. The headband which has very thin padding didn't bother me at all. Comfort is very important to me. I love wearing these!
2) The ATH M50x is supposed to have much more comfortable ear pads then the original ATH M50's. But the cup size is still relatively small. The ear pads sit on the back of my ears. But since they're cushy, they don't bother me that much.
3) The Vmoda's clamp tighter than any of the above. The ear pads are small like the Audio Technica's... but with the clamping force... it's a lil more bothersome... I'm thinking of buying the XL pads.

THE SOUND:
1) The Audio Technica's have the best sound in my opinion. It's a very clear sound signature. It's a very mild "V". You hear the lows & highs slightly raised... but the mids are still present... and the lows don't bleed over the mids
2) The Vmodas have more lows... especially the mid-lows. So, it's more of a natural "V". But it still doesn't compromise the mids or the highs.
3) The Urbanites have the most lows. They're made for Urban music. With this can, the mids are more recessed & the highs are considerably more rolled off...

PASSIVE NOISE CANCELLING:
1) Vmodas tighter clamp makes for a better seal... you hear very little around you.
2) The Audio Technica's sit on your ear with a lighter clamp... you can hear more going on outside.
3) The Urbanites have velour pads. Velour lets more sound in.

COST:
1) The ATH M50x is $159
2) The Urbanite XL is around $200
3) The Vmoda's are around $300

The Urbanite XL is an uber comfortable can geared for urban music (hip hop & edm)... which makes for a fantastical fun set of headphones with the right type of music. I really like the design, I absolutely love the feel, the build is great, & honestly I dig on this flat 90 degree tipped cable.

On Yelp I give 5 stars for the best. For right now, these are the Four Stars... cause I gave the 5 stars to the ATH M50x.

 

[serman005]

Do you want closed cans, or are you open to open ones? That might offer you the best variety in your (growing) collection of cans.

 

[JDSuperhero]

I'm pretty married to closed phones for now, as 3/4 of my listening is done in the campus library while gaming or working.
 
The urbanite XLs are on amazon for like $99 right now, is there a reason for that?

 

[serman005]

  I'm pretty married to closed phones for now, as 3/4 of my listening is done in the campus library while gaming or working.
 
The urbanite XLs are on amazon for like $99 right now, is there a reason for that?

That's curious. They may be managing inventory with the price reduction. I am unaware of any recent bad news surrounding the Urbanite, so I doubt it is that. They do compete directly against Beats, which makes competition fierce. Whether that has a part--who knows? Sounds like an opportune time to buy them if you know they are the one. Good luck.

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

I wouldnt bother yourself with the ATH M50s or X ver. They have zero soundstage, muddy bass, and treble that tries to kill you; not to mention the comfort is stupendously awful, especially with glasses wearers. I cannot understand why they are so popular to begin with! I mean, they are made for audio mastering and studio monitoring, but they arent even good at those in my experience, and for pleasure use, they are painful like masochistically painful to listen to for pure pleasure. Sorry no.... I've even seen people game with them which was a real laugh. Honestly, if you want something that is warm, portable, collapsible, sexy, fantastic build quality, and $200, the Momentum 2 headphones are perfect. If you buy M50s, it is absolutely worth it to spend the extra 30 dollar on Brainwavs HM5 hybrid pads so the sound and comfort become bearable. Urbanites i dont know much about, but they look and feel like beats headphones so i am not confident about those being the top pick
 
That all being said, money no object: Oppo PM-3s

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

****, that all being said, i saw Mad Dogs by Mr Speakers for $200. DROP EVERYTHING AND BUY THOSE RIGHT NOW

 

[JDSuperhero]

See, I won't be able to buy until May, so I realize prices can fluctuate between now and then. This is going to be my "congrats you passed the semester and applied to graduate school so stop stressing" gift to myself. 
 
I guess I am definitely taking the M50s off my list. I am not about neutral or analytical cans. I know that sort of excludes me from the "audiophile" club, but I'm definitely looking for something more fun and interesting (and also *relatively* portable. I have the V-Moda's for walking to class, but I would like to pack these ones in my bookbag and use them for music and gaming at the library).

 

[JDSuperhero]

Thinking I might add the original Momentums to the consideration list. I have small ears (its actually a physical feature I've been teased about, weirdly enough), so I'm not super worried about the ear-cups not fitting and they've consistently been going for <$200 since the 2.0 edition came out...

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

Momentum ones are very good. Bought a pair for my girlfriend. They are not as comfortable or spund as good, but comfort is very close. They dont fold like M2s but they come with a carrying case to pack around. I'm sure used you can find the M2s for your budget, but M1s are very good for the price they are at now.

 

[JDSuperhero]

I've put some thought into it and based on the responses I've had so far I think my game-plan is that, all prices remaining the same, depending on how much I can set aside by May, I will buy either the Urbanites or the Momentums (since right now the Momentums are $100 more than the Urbanites, the Urbanites are the likely choice unless I get a bonus/raise/more hours/etc). Now, should the Urbanites go back up in price I'll probably go with the Momentums, because, prices being equal, I think the Momentums would suit my wide variety of music better. 
 
That being said, I'm still open to suggestions, because I don't want to lock myself into these two if there's something cool out there I'm missing. So I'll continue checking this thread over the next few days.
 
Thanks again, everyone, for being so helpful. This site has been an amazing resource and a friendly introduction to a hobby that is probably going to end up devouring my cash and spitting out the remnants of my wallet =)

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

You got the wallet busting bit correct that's for sure.