[IIMaxII]

Hello fellow audiophiles! I am in the market for portable headphones/iems for being out, and about.

I mainly listen to Power Metal, which is nothing like regular metal, so don't go recommending grados. I am not a bass head at all, I like a wide soundstage, and excellent treble.

Jokes aside, I'm unsure of where I should look, I've searched the first 30 pages of a Google search, and nothing.

Some of the bands I listen to are....

Iced Earth
Blind Guardian
Hammerfall
Helloween
Sonata Artica

 

[IIMaxII]

Hmm. Not a single response. :\

 

[IIMaxII]

I'm considering

V-Moda Crossfade M-100
Sennheiser HD25-1 II

 

[tinyman392]

Just checked out Hammerfall, haven't gone through the other ones, some nice stuff   LOL.  I would personally recommend either a v-shape signature or a warm signature (to tone down the treble a bit) for what I heard. 
 
For over-ear models, I'd look at:

1. V-Moda M-100 (v-shaped)
2. AKG K545 (warm)
3. NAD VISO HP50 (warm)

 
For in-ear models, I'd look at:

1. Dunu DN-1000 (warmer)
2. ACS T-15 (warm over neutral)
3. Denon AH-C400 (v-shaped)
4. V-Moda Vibrato (v-shaped)

 

[Notus]

Personally i listen to a lot of metal, death, heavy, power and so on... I actually would recommend something more neutral, slightly warm signature works also. I personally have not heard that many headphones and i can only give recommendations based on reviews mostly.
I have KRK KNS 8400 as my portable headphones, very detailed and slightly bright sound signature, works great for most metal but something like older Blind Guardian can sound a bit anemic mostly because it is bass light to begin with. Something like Sonata Arctica sound very nice with the 8400. But i think most would find them to be a bit too bright, personally i have no issues with them at all.
 
I will list some headphones i think could work in terms of sound signature / sound quality. Nad Viso HP50, Shure SRH 840, KRK KNS 8400, Akg K550 / 551 and maybe the K545, SoundMagic HP100. Those are pretty much over ear models and some of them are fairly large for portable use. But they are all sealed and can work as portable. Cant really recommend any IEM's. 

 

[DaemonSire]

I'm considering

V-Moda Crossfade M-100
Sennheiser HD25-1 II

 
I have the HD25-1 II and they are good with metal

 

[IIMaxII]

Just checked out Hammerfall, haven't gone through the other ones, some nice stuff   LOL.  I would personally recommend either a v-shape signature or a warm signature (to tone down the treble a bit) for what I heard. 

For over-ear models, I'd look at:

• V-Moda M-100 (v-shaped)
• AKG K545 (warm)
• NAD VISO HP50 (warm)

For in-ear models, I'd look at:

• Dunu DN-1000 (warmer)
• ACS T-15 (warm over neutral)
• Denon AH-C400 (v-shaped)
• V-Moda Vibrato (v-shaped)

I have a question about the M-100's if you tried them.

I currently own the Sennheiser 380 Pro's and the pads make my ears hot, and sweaty. Would the M-100's do the same? A friend of mine in real life recommended the M-100's, and said that they are his favorite, but I was hesitant about it because they go over the ear, but I also heard the M-100s don't use pleather pads, so they don't make your ears hot. Thoughts?

 

[tinyman392]

I have a question about the M-100's if you tried them.

I currently own the Sennheiser 380 Pro's and the pads make my ears hot, and sweaty. Would the M-100's do the same? A friend of mine in real life recommended the M-100's, and said that they are his favorite, but I was hesitant about it because they go over the ear, but I also heard the M-100s don't use pleather pads, so they don't make your ears hot. Thoughts?

 
Depends on how hot it is out and how long you're wearing them for.  I tend to shy away from over-ears once it goes above 80-85...  Also, humidity plays a large roll as well in that  

 

[IIMaxII]

I had Etymotic HF5 and they were my favorite iems, until I lost them. They sounded great with my music. :'(

 

[tinyman392]

I had Etymotic HF5 and they were my favorite iems, until I lost them. They sounded great with my music. :'(

You might not like the M-100 then...  ER4?  It's right in your price range   If the Etymotic were too bright for your tastes, the ACS T15 may do well. 

 

[Notus]

I would say every sealed headphone gets hot at some point, velour / velvet pads are slightly better in terms of heat but they tend to soak the sweat. So if those are issues to you, stick with IEM's.

 

[IIMaxII]

 
You might not like the M-100 then...  ER4?  It's right in your price range   If the Etymotic were too bright for your tastes, the ACS T15 may do well. 

I don't want to pay for something at $300, that I know I'll lose. heh.
 
I'm pretty set on the M100's, I'll also be picking up their XL memory cushions for the better seal. I just want something portable that sounds great, and doesn't look goofy to wear outside on a walk.

 

[Bohdy]

I find the T-Peos H-300 very good for metal, excellent bass (drums!), an engaging dynamic sound, and exceptional clarity. However some albums would definitely need EQ applied to reduce the fatigue levels from the treble spike. So it's great, but not perfect. And you need to be willing to EQ to get the most out of them.
 
I'd also strongly suggest considering the Altone 200 (which is in pre-sale right now), which is meant to be similar to the H-300 with some improvements in sound and comfort, and much cheaper.

 

[Notus]

I think V shaped sound signature wont work for metal but thats just my opinion. Its hard to find good portable headphones that have good sound quality and look stylish.
While the M-100 look stylish i think they most likely will have too much bass for metal and recessed mid range. Metal is usually very mid centric music and vocals are a big part of the music... I hope you can listen to the headphones before buying them.