[Silverion77]

Hey everyone. It's been a long time since I've looked to grab a new pair of headphones, but now the time has arrived.
I have been using a pair of M50x as a portable/at work headphone, but decided I really wanted an upgrade. They just left something to be desired...
These will be used mostly at work and as an alternative to my home setup (currently DT880s, might pick up some HD6__s, open stuff for gaming...etc
 
Budget - $250-500. I'm pretty flexible here. Really comes down to 'is it worth it'.

Source - iphone/computer to start, but I'm heavily considering getting a portable dac/amp

Requirements for Isolation - These will used mostly at work around other people so some level of isolation is needed. The M50x's I had before appropriate even though they can leak a bit from experience.

Preferred type of headphone - Over ear preferred from a comfort standpoint, but willing to go on-ear if that box is checked. Main concern is high clamping force + glasses over a long period of time.

Past headphones - Grado HF-2 - they certainly do what they're meant to. Wish they had more bass extension. Beyer DT880 600 ohm (need to be repaired) - haven't listened in awhile since I haven't had time to repair and they were my first real headphones so my past experience is skewed here. Fast, clarity, lacking a bit of bass and midrange, but well defined. Never found the treble to be bothersome. ATH-M50x (sold) - found them to be a bit muddy in the midrange/bass, solid thump and rumble, but no well defined clarity and attack, got boring to listen to after awhile compared to the DT880s, but a solid solution on the go and for work.

Preferred Music - Most common rock/metal/pop/edm. Classical and jazz always find their way in as well. Basically no country/rap...

Preferred tonal balance - Really unsure here. Almost impossible to demo headphones around here (one shop that had anything only has Audeze). Magnolia had a pair of Momentum 2s, M100s, MDR-1A. Did not like the M-100s at all. I like my bass, but not that much bass...it just sounded muddled (possibly a source issue). I found the 1A to be a bit boring and drawn back during my listening, much preferred the momentum's signature at the time. I don't dislike the U shape of my dt880s, but less recessed mids would be nice. That all said, I figure something neutral/warm would fit the bill. Warm coloring might tick the 'fun' box a bit more.

 

What I've read about and considering:

Oppo PM-3: Solid clarity and warm sound signature, heard it can be a bit lacking in the treble? Otherwise a great all around contender.

Audeze Sine: On-ear is a drawback, but I've heard these are pretty comfortable. Some reviews seem to be a bit all over the place on sound signature and how the cipher cable factors in.

 ̶F̶o̶s̶t̶e̶x̶ ̶x̶0̶0̶:̶ ̶D̶e̶f̶i̶n̶i̶t̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶c̶h̶e̶c̶k̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶u̶n̶ ̶f̶a̶c̶t̶o̶r̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶I̶'̶v̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶d̶.̶ ̶P̶r̶o̶n̶o̶u̶n̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶b̶a̶s̶s̶/̶t̶r̶e̶b̶l̶e̶.̶ ̶C̶a̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶d̶r̶i̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶w̶e̶l̶l̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶p̶o̶r̶t̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶g̶e̶a̶r̶?̶  Missed the poor isolation numbers on this.

(Trinity)

HP50/M4U1/Momentum 2: On the lower end budget wise. Slightly varying signatures, but keep to a pretty warm sound. I'm unsure how much the HP50s need to be driven. Heard many complaints with the M4Us about the headband breaking.

Meze 99: Potential upgrade to those^

Shure 1540: I can't get a solid read on this. Some love it, some hate it. It's neutral and boring, its not (slight V?)... It seems like a great option

Let me know if I missed something here. Haha

 

Any recommendations and guidance would be immensely appreciated.

 

[serman005]

You have a very exhaustive list there. The only thing I can think of that is missing is the B&W P7. It has a bass emphasis, however, and so might not work for you. It's worth reading about, anyway. Very nice headphone.

 

[Silverion77]

Some followup:
 
Oppo PM-3: Mildly concerned about the treble response, but I imagine its difficult to get everything.
Sine: Reviews still seem mixed on this, but isolation seems poor compared to the rest of the list.
1540: Probably not the sound signature I'm looking for and the commonly reported distortion at higher volumes is a drawback...being around others usually means upping the volume a bit.
 
I'm thinking I just go with the PM-3 at this point since it probably checks most of the boxes.

 

[Whittie]

The Audeze EL-8C can be had for $520 from RozorDog. 
 
I was looking at the same three and just bought the PM-3, they'll be here this week with any luck. I'm not sure they're the ultimate at this price, but it did get universally good reviews so I figured why not. Oppo also direct sell instead of going through distributors, so there should be less markup from product cost to retail price, which may be why they compare well with more expensive rivals.
 
For a few bucks more, you could jump on a preorder for the Mr Headphones Aeon, but you'll probably need a decent amp
 
The final straw for me:
- Had to be over ear (Sine out)
- Single cable to ear piece (Shure and Audeze out)

 

[Robert Joe]

I've always been a home audio, speaker person and not much into headphones. But since our office has now been converted into an open floor plan it is too noisy to get any work done. So I've been forced into looking at closed headphones. My preference is for musicality and I find most audiophile speakers too bright and analytical. My speaker search came to an end when I purchased a pair of Spendor SP100. These are considered very laid back by audiophile standards. But I love them because I can listen to music on them for hours.
 
So the quest begins for something similar in headphones. My first purchase last week was an Astell&Kern AK70 driving Shure 1540. I let them burn in for 100 hours. They are definitely in the musical category and I do not find them bright or analytical at high volume levels. They are much better than my AKG271 in every aspect. The reason I wanted something different from the AKG271 is because they sucked compared to my open back Senheisser HD590. I cannot use the HD590 at work because they leak to much sound. After comparing the 1540 to the HD590, I was shocked. I did not expect the 1540 to be better. But they were in every aspect. They even sound more open! I really need to now listen to a high quality pair of open headphones to pique my curiosity.
 
Comfort was another important factor since I would be wearing them at work about 4 hrs per day. The 1540 pass this test. They are really comfortable. The clamping force is NOT tight, but they stay on my head just fine. I also wear glasses for work. They are about 90% as comfortable as the 15 year old worn-in HD590.
 
I just finished a comparison test between the 1540 and my Spendor SP100. It is not really a fair comparison since headphones can never sound as good as a great speaker setup. I just wanted to compare the tonal and musical qualities. As I said, the Spendor are really laid back speakers by audiophile standards. Well, the 1540 are even more so with softer bass and not as extended highs. The laid back Spendors have more clarity and pace.
 
For now, I am enjoying the 1540 at work. The AK70 sounds much better than my Samsung S7. My home Emotiva XMC-1 headphone out sounds better than the AK70 (tested only with DSD64 sound tracks). I will be getting a desktop DSD DAC/AMP for work. The AK70 will be my travel and car player. I plan on attending CamJam LA in April and bring my AK70 and 1540 for comparisons. For experience and fun, I going to listen to every headphone I can. As far as candidates to use in the office, I currently have these on the list:
 
Audioquest Nighthawk (Semi Open, but maybe they do not leak much sound??)
Audioquest NightOwl
MrSpeakers Aeon
Sony MDR-Z1R
Meze99
ZMF