[Gauss1777]

 
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I'm using now ATH-M50s for my work and white ipod earbuds when moving. Both through an iBasso D12.  I'm looking to replace or maybe just another pair of phones that can get the best of both. I used to have Senns HD555 which I found nice and not tiring as M50s, M50s have a metallic and sharp treble which hurts after a while and boomy bass that also hurts.
 
My little experience:
- I found the CD Aenima by Tool sharp and hurting but this same album on Vinyl encoded at 24bits/96KHz is pure bliss on the iBassoD12+M50s on all the spectrum.
- The ipod earbuds went from poor sounding to the great with the iBasso, bass, dynamics and cleaner sound was added. Now to listen electronica and everything else is really nice. I found CDs by DJ Lange more enjoyable on the ipod earbuds than on the M50s. Also Everything But The Girl.
- Some tunes by Peter Gabriel sounded amazing on the HD555 when uping the volume, I still didn't had the iBasso then and just used an iPod Classic 7G. With a tad of volume the HD555 were too dull.
- I had for about 1 or 2 weeks a Sony XB500, horrible phone! I did like a little the big boom given to electronica but was all it had, they make me tired quickly in less than an hour by it's clamp force and also the big boom. There were not even clarity on mids nor highs. Anyway I prefer fast and precise bass better.
- One thing I really liked about the HD555 were its soundstage and air, it was modded without the foams.
 
To be honest I don't find the M50s that great, they are clean and natural sounding but tires me in all aspects: comfort, excessive bass and sharp treble, however there are some tunes that are better compared to an HD555 that was dull. I have relaxed the fit and they have become less tiring to my head, also I have to EQ them to reduce bass which makes the other frequencys to sound cleaner and not be overshadowed by the boom boom. Maybe they just need a lot of burning, but to be honest I doubt they are my kind of phone.
 
By reading another recent thread about "HD600 vs AKG-K701 for female vocals" I think the HD600 could be great for what I'm looking for. However it would be a headphone for my work and I'm not thinking in getting by now something better than the iBasso D12. From what I remember by reading a D12 thread, an HD650 could be driven well enough by it. One drawback is I would have to listen them at low volume to not disturbe other people at work. Anyway, I think closed phones would give my a tiring experience almost everytime from what I have written.
 
Anything around HD600 price please, HD650 at most. I have not chances to audition phones, no meetings, high prices on my country and no demos on stores but Bose (which I think are worse than the M50s lol).
 
Thanks! 

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[wilyodysseus]

Given the sensitivities you describe, some might find this an odd suggestion, but you should take a look at Grados. An SR225i or SR325i might give you more excitement at low volume levels than the HD600. That's why I listen to an RS2i all day at work.
 
See this Headroom blog post from Tyll, who by his own admission is not a big Grado fan.
 
Then again, Grados are not as heavily discounted as Senheisser phones. If you could afford an RS2i, I would recommend it unreservedly, but the less expensive Grados may not be as dramatic an upgrade as the HD600. In most cases, the HD600 will be clearly better than the SR2/325i, but for low volume listening with certain genres the Grados will be more fun.

 

[Gauss1777]

Thanks wilyodysseus. I started reading on Grados. Seems that maybe is the sound I'm looking for. What's the difference between the RS2 and the RS2i by the way?
 
Reading about the RS2i seems that it might be a big step even going to something like the RS1i, I don't know if there's also an RS1 without the "i". Of course to take that route I rather try them first and save a little more, maybe by January or February I could afford something like that.
 
Maybe with just the SR325i I would be happy enough. How comfy is this one? I want something a lot more comfier than the M50s yet a little more comfy than the HD555.

 

[wilyodysseus]

The non-i models were the older ones. All the new models are "i". The "i" and non-i models sound very similar, though the SR325i is rumored to be less aggressive the old SR325 (which a lot of people found shrill).
 
All Grados have more or less the same level of comfort. Some people complain that they're very uncomfortable, but I suspect that those people simply haven't bent the headband to their head shape and preferred level of clampiness. I consider Grados, once adjusted, to be the most comfortable headphones.
 
Grados are sort of a gamble to buy blind, particularly when trying to decide between different models. Quite a few people like the 225 more than the 325. Some like the RS2 more than the RS1. Many say that the RS1 is the best in the Grado line, better than the GS1000 or the PS1000.
 
I've only listened to the SR60, SR80, SR225i, and the RS2i. I like them in ascending order. At low volumes, the SR225i might be more fun than RS2i, though the later is in a higher class than the former.
 
However, I don't want to lead you down the wrong path. At $400 or less street price, the HD650 will be clearly better in most respects. Sub-$300 the Grados are great. You won't find them dull or boomy. The Grados will also be easier to drive than the Senns.

 

[yifu]

I find the Grados quite piercing to my ears at least. As an owner of the M50s, i find them a bit too sharp and have a bit too recessed mids as well. Why not try a pair of Fostexs? The T50s are probably one of the cheapest electrostats around and have lovely sound for around 200+? Electrostats rarely have piercing treble...

 

[violinvirtuoso]

You might also want to check out the Audio Technica AD-900s. They are super comfy and the opposite sound signature of the M50s.