[sleepykm]

Hi guys. I'm using my dad's vintage Sony DR-S5 cans from the '80s right now. They're very neural, but slightly subdued, slightly muddy and a bit uncomfortable as the pads are rather shallow. Moreover the cable has degraded a bit and needs to be jiggled to make it work properly, so I guess it's time to move on.

Budget: ~$300

Type: Closed over ear, preferably portable

Source: HTC One M8, Nexus 7. No amp.

Music: Rock/Metal/Synthpop.... Bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iron Maiden, Coldplay, Green Day, Maroon 5, Train, System of a Down, The Lumineers etc. Some occasional punk like My Chemical Romance. I also listen to some Classic Rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Beatles, the Stones, etc. Some occasional classical music as well. Recordings are mostly good 192bit MP3, FLAC or Spotify streams.

I'm looking for a good headphone in the midrange price category....
I've heard the V-Moda M100 and the Sennheiser Momentum in action, and I felt that while the Momentum was clearer in the mids and crisper with highs, sound output was a bit low when powered by my Nexus 7. At the same time, the M100 was a bit bassy with slightly recessed mids and okay highs. However it was much louder than the Momentums when powered by the N7 2013. Also, I love how the M-100s fold up to a small mass and how rugged they are.
But the Momentum seemed to be crisper with sound, with the delineations of instruments being better... Don't know if that's true or just my biased opinion, as I didn't have much time with the Momentum.

I also tried out the so-called bass head headphone, the V-Moda LP2. My ears will never forgive me for this experience. Had ear pain for hours after trying those bass maniac cans.


Now I've only tried the Momentum for a few minutes, and spent a few days with a friend's M100s. So the low power issue that I noticed might be because I tried the Momentum at a busy Dubai airport shop, whereas I got to use my friend's M100 in the quiet of my home.

There are also other headphones like the UE6000, Sennheiser HD7 DJ, Focal Spirit One and others that I haven't tried on.

Can someone with a bit of experience please help me out?

 

[heatofamatch]

This is just my personal opinion and preference...but If I were you, I would sample the M100 again, and see if I can get a more satisfying sound by using EQ. I find myself EQ-ing most of my headphones anyway, so this practice is fine by me. That way I can get the nice M100 hardware and still have what I want.
 
As for the Momentum, I find the color options hideous. Between these two it does sound crisper and more airy, and yet I can't get myself to like the Momentum for sound. It's simply not the Sennheiser house sound I've come to know and love. It's bland and I feel there's no spark. If I'm bent on getting a Sennheiser I'd have a look at their other products.

 

[tinyman392]

Hi guys. I'm using my dad's vintage Sony DR-S5 cans from the '80s right now. They're very neural, but slightly subdued, slightly muddy and a bit uncomfortable as the pads are rather shallow. Moreover the cable has degraded a bit and needs to be jiggled to make it work properly, so I guess it's time to move on.

Budget: ~$300

Type: Closed over ear, preferably portable

Source: HTC One M8, Nexus 7. No amp.

Music: Rock/Metal/Synthpop.... Bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iron Maiden, Coldplay, Green Day, Maroon 5, Train, System of a Down, The Lumineers etc. Some occasional punk like My Chemical Romance. I also listen to some Classic Rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Beatles, the Stones, etc. Some occasional classical music as well. Recordings are mostly good 192bit MP3, FLAC or Spotify streams.

I'm looking for a good headphone in the midrange price category....
I've heard the V-Moda M100 and the Sennheiser Momentum in action, and I felt that while the Momentum was clearer in the mids and crisper with highs, sound output was a bit low when powered by my Nexus 7. At the same time, the M100 was a bit bassy with slightly recessed mids and okay highs. However it was much louder than the Momentums when powered by the N7 2013. Also, I love how the M-100s fold up to a small mass and how rugged they are.
But the Momentum seemed to be crisper with sound, with the delineations of instruments being better... Don't know if that's true or just my biased opinion, as I didn't have much time with the Momentum.

I also tried out the so-called bass head headphone, the V-Moda LP2. My ears will never forgive me for this experience. Had ear pain for hours after trying those bass maniac cans.


Now I've only tried the Momentum for a few minutes, and spent a few days with a friend's M100s. So the low power issue that I noticed might be because I tried the Momentum at a busy Dubai airport shop, whereas I got to use my friend's M100 in the quiet of my home.

There are also other headphones like the UE6000, Sennheiser HD7 DJ, Focal Spirit One and others that I haven't tried on.

Can someone with a bit of experience please help me out?

 
The Focal has a bit of a low-bass focus to it (between the mid-bass and sub-bass) and treble that may be a little hot...  In a way, it's thinner (this is all from memory). 
 
I think one headphone you're leaving out is the NAD HP50...  It's an easier phone to listen to, quite warm in nature with subdued treble that is softer and a lush, warm midrange.  Bass has good depth and is well controlled with good linearity. 
 
I haven't heard the UE6000, though the 9000 is a bit dark in presentation...  Subdued highs, similar to the HP50, but lesser in quantity with an overly lush and warm signature.  The UE 6000 and 9000 measure similarly, but aren't the same (from what I've read). 

 

[sleepykm]

As each day passes I get more confused.
Now considering the Sony 7520 and MDR1RNC, the NAD Viso HP50 and the Bowers and Wilkins P7 as well.

All of these seem to be more neutral and higher fidelty than the V-Moda M-100.

Thanks for your help, Head-Fi.
Regards,
Dazed and Confused.

 

[sleepykm]

Maybe I should just bite the bullet and get a Philips Fidelio X1 or a low impedance Beyerdynamic.

 

[sleepykm]

This is just my personal opinion and preference...but If I were you, I would sample the M100 again, and see if I can get a more satisfying sound by using EQ. I find myself EQ-ing most of my headphones anyway, so this practice is fine by me. That way I can get the nice M100 hardware and still have what I want.

As for the Momentum, I find the color options hideous. Between these two it does sound crisper and more airy, and yet I can't get myself to like the Momentum for sound. It's simply not the Sennheiser house sound I've come to know and love. It's bland and I feel there's no spark. If I'm bent on getting a Sennheiser I'd have a look at their other products.

The Momentum feels... breakable, IYKWIM.
The whole construction is a bit too rigid....

But then looking at what the folks over at the M-100 thread have experienced, the headband on the M-100 is either going to crack if it's the pleather band, or start wearing out if it's the suede band.

Plus, the M-100s really need XL pads, which are out of stock right now, and there's no way I can get those sent to me in India once they're back in stock.

 

[heatofamatch]

Take this from a seasoned shopaholic: there's only one thing that truly suits you at any given time. The other options look "likely" or "convenient", but they're merely decoys from your mind.
 
Look for the products you connect with in a most enduring way (i.e. "it feels just right", "I feel really comfortable walking around with it even if somebody said the sound is not as good").

 

[SomeGuyDude]

From your description, the M100. You have a Nexus 7, if it's rooted you gotta install Viper4Android and it will make a significant boost. A lot of Android devices put low-power drivers on their audio hardware for the sake of power saving, remedy that shizz.

 

[sleepykm]

From your description, the M100. You have a Nexus 7, if it's rooted you gotta install Viper4Android and it will make a significant boost. A lot of Android devices put low-power drivers on their audio hardware for the sake of power saving, remedy that shizz.

Yeah I have Viper installed. And I've found that the N7 2013 gives out much better audio than most Android devices I've used. Certainly better than anything from Samsung.
Only the HTC One M8 has been able to beat it in my experience. That beast plays in a league of its own.

So I've ordered the Sennheiser HD8-DJ... They're supposed to be bassy but with better mids and highs than the M-100.
People have reported paint flaking issues and cracking on their M-100s. I'd rather avoid that.
Plus they're Sennheiser so they'll be supported for a long time and every component is replaceable, which is more than can be said of any of the other brands in this price range except Audio Technica and Beyerdynamic.

If I feel that the HD8-DJ is underpowered by my N7, even with Viper and Neutron, I'll go for a micro amp like the Fiio E6 or the NuForce MMP... or maybe build a tiny amp of my own, who knows.