[gunner1905]

Hi guys, I'm new to high end audio stuff but right now I'm looking to buy a new headphone and I know that you guys are the most experienced people I can ask.
Right now I'm using a Sennheiser HD 595 but I'm looking for a portable headphone that isolates well and if possible have around the same sound quality as the 595 (I know that's asking a lot). I also just bought (not here yet though) the PA2V2 portable amp just to see what my 595 can really do, so I probably can use headphones that needs a (small) amp.
The music I usually listen to are classical (a lot of Ludovico Einaudi), electronica (Pendulum, Moby, Anamanaguchi, etc), rock (some new like Rise Against, a lot of classic and progessive  like Genesis, Rolling Stones, etc), instrumental (Rodigo Y Gabriela, Explosions in The Sky, etc), and orchestral music (classic and new), almost no vocals basically.
I wanted to get something that is circumaural and portable but that doesn't seem to exist, so what I'm considering right now is:
- Beyerdynamic DT 1350 or T 50 p
- Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9A, ATH-ES7, ATH-ES10 (if I found one that's cheap), or maybe the ATH-M50S
- Sennheiser HD25-1 ii or maybe the PXC450
My budget is around $300, but cheaper would be better. Any suggestions is very helpful.
 
Thanks guys
Edit:
 
I was looking around in the IEM head gear section and it seems that there are a few IEMs that people here seems to go crazy for like the Sennheiser IE8, Westone UM3X, UE Triple.fi 10, Earsonics SM3. I wasn't considering an IEM, I didn't even know there were high end IEMs that cost that much, but do you guys know compared to portable headphones like the HD25 which has better SQ?

 
Edit again:
So I have shorten down the shortlist to:
IEMs: Shure SE535, Westone 4, Sennheiser IE8, UE TF10, Head direct RE0, EarSonics SM3
Headphones: Sennheiser HD25, Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9A, and the ATH-M50S
I need to choose one, anybody have any more suggestion on what I should choose?
 
edit again and again:
so the shortlist is cut again:
Westone UM3X and Earsonics SM3
maybe:
Westone 4, Shure 535 (these two if someone has a very great experience that can help me justify the $100)
black sheep (that's what you call it right?):
HD25 and IE8
So anybody have any more suggestions?
 
Edit again again and again:
it's probably down to the SM3 or 1964-T so please help me choose. Or if anybody has any other recommendation, all suggestions is appreciated.
 
Also thank you everybody for all the advice, you're all been very helpful

 

[Tablo]

Hd25 when they're on sale for $130 at Amazon.com.

 

[gunner1905]

Yeah that's one of my consideration, anybody has any other recommendation?
 
also bump

 

[Damnegy]

Hi there, 
 
I had the ESW9A and have the DT1350, and I can tell you I really enjoyed the ESW9A (because I bought them for vocals...).
 
- Do note that they do not isolate much
- They have very beautiful but very warm mids (decent details though), so they should be pretty enjoyable for classical music (don't know Ludovico Einaudi though) and orchestral. They have a little bit recessed highs if I recall well, and some bass (but their main frequencies are mids), can't really remember well, sorry...
- But are quite slow (so I don't think they'll do well with electronica, etc.). 
 
As of the DT1350, I find them really good at what they do :
- They isolate quite well, but as the cups swivel, you have to turn them quite long to find the right position.
- Neutral 
- Retrieve lots of details, good instrument separation (but I find them very fatiguing, they kinda hurt my ears, I think it's because I am not used to so much details and more highs than I like)
- I prefer them with my cMoy, they are more listenable, but both are quite recent, so not much burn in, etc. I can listen to more classical music than I did without an amp (they are less boring?), and they handle rock music pretty well too (and "metal" and pop from my little listening).
- They seem pretty fast, no obvious trouble in hard passages.
So these should suit you pretty well (analytical without an amp, or a "cold" one if you want, enjoyable with a warmish one)
 
Can't tell about the others, but take a look at Armaegis' reviews, you should have lots of answers : http://www.head-fi.org/t/574617/review-comparison-beyerdynamic-dt1350-t50p-sennheiser-hd25-1-ii-hd25-13-ii-pioneer-hdj-2000-v-moda-m80-aiaiai-tma-1-in-progress

 

[gunner1905]

Quote:

Hi there, 
 
I had the ESW9A and have the DT1350, and I can tell you I really enjoyed the ESW9A (because I bought them for vocals...).
 
- Do note that they do not isolate much
- They have very beautiful but very warm mids (decent details though), so they should be pretty enjoyable for classical music (don't know Ludovico Einaudi though) and orchestral. They have a little bit recessed highs if I recall well, and some bass (but their main frequencies are mids), can't really remember well, sorry...
- But are quite slow (so I don't think they'll do well with electronica, etc.). 
 
As of the DT1350, I find them really good at what they do :
- They isolate quite well, but as the cups swivel, you have to turn them quite long to find the right position.
- Neutral 
- Retrieve lots of details, good instrument separation (but I find them very fatiguing, they kinda hurt my ears, I think it's because I am not used to so much details and more highs than I like)
- I prefer them with my cMoy, they are more listenable, but both are quite recent, so not much burn in, etc. I can listen to more classical music than I did without an amp (they are less boring?), and they handle rock music pretty well too (and "metal" and pop from my little listening).
- They seem pretty fast, no obvious trouble in hard passages.
So these should suit you pretty well (analytical without an amp, or a "cold" one if you want, enjoyable with a warmish one)
 
Can't tell about the others, but take a look at Armaegis' reviews, you should have lots of answers : http://www.head-fi.org/t/574617/review-comparison-beyerdynamic-dt1350-t50p-sennheiser-hd25-1-ii-hd25-13-ii-pioneer-hdj-2000-v-moda-m80-aiaiai-tma-1-in-progress

Yeah I read the reviews and it seems the DT1350 is the best choice, but damn it's expensive so I just want to know the experiences of other headphones listed owners before pulling the trigger.
So any other owners have any suggestions?
 
thanks for all the suggestions

 

[gunner1905]

bump

 

[meemorize]

Well, seeing as you're still looking for some more people chiming in here I can tell you that I am quite happy with my ATH-M50 phone that I bought 6 months ago.
Using it daily and it works great/is robust and sounds great.
 
You can easily use it with or without amp with a noticeable but very slight difference (the highs and mids open up a little more) when amped (I use a uDac 2 at work, a Burson HA160D at home, and no amp with my iPhone) and the intensity of the closed back and deep bass are great.
 
I listen to Rodrigo y Gabriela and Explosions in the Sky too so as far as that is concerned I quite enjoy that type of music through these cans although, due to the closed back you obviously don't get that extremely detailed airyness that open headphones have.
Personally i think that especially Rodrigo y Gabriela's Orion could benefit from slightly more sparkly highs that the M50 does not have, the M50 is great, but its treble extension isn't the greatest I find.
On the other hand it's strong and clear bass is great for artists like Explosions in the Sky, in fact all their songs sound pretty great on this phone, the mid and bass details really come through.
 
Since the price is more than $100 less than the DT1350 is may be another option if money is an issue.
 
Please note though that I have not heard the 595 or 1350 myself so my opinion is not with the sound signature of those 2 phones in mind. My M50 purchase (coiled cord version, not M50S) was purchased out of a listening session with the B+W P5, HD800 (which was great but not closed, obviously, and not within budget then) and the 598s (again, open headphone so not an option either but nice to listen to), out of which except for the HD800 I liked the M50 the best (it also happened to be the cheapest).
 
One last thing to note is that the M50's isolate very well.
 
Hope this helps a little, feel free to ask questions if you've got any.

 

[gunner1905]

Quote:

Well, seeing as you're still looking for some more people chiming in here I can tell you that I am quite happy with my ATH-M50 phone that I bought 6 months ago.
Using it daily and it works great/is robust and sounds great.
 
You can easily use it with or without amp with a noticeable but very slight difference (the highs and mids open up a little more) when amped (I use a uDac 2 at work, a Burson HA160D at home, and no amp with my iPhone) and the intensity of the closed back and deep bass are great.
 
I listen to Rodrigo y Gabriela and Explosions in the Sky too so as far as that is concerned I quite enjoy that type of music through these cans although, due to the closed back you obviously don't get that extremely detailed airyness that open headphones have.
Personally i think that especially Rodrigo y Gabriela's Orion could benefit from slightly more sparkly highs that the M50 does not have, the M50 is great, but its treble extension isn't the greatest I find.
On the other hand it's strong and clear bass is great for artists like Explosions in the Sky, in fact all their songs sound pretty great on this phone, the mid and bass details really come through.
 
Since the price is more than $100 less than the DT1350 is may be another option if money is an issue.
 
Please note though that I have not heard the 595 or 1350 myself so my opinion is not with the sound signature of those 2 phones in mind. My M50 purchase (coiled cord version, not M50S) was purchased out of a listening session with the B+W P5, HD800 (which was great but not closed, obviously, and not within budget then) and the 598s (again, open headphone so not an option either but nice to listen to), out of which except for the HD800 I liked the M50 the best (it also happened to be the cheapest).
 
One last thing to note is that the M50's isolate very well.
 
Hope this helps a little, feel free to ask questions if you've got any.

I'm kinda thinking about the m50 but one question, would you say it's portable? Cause looking at it I would think it's more suited to a desk.
thanks for the though
 
also bump
 

 

[meemorize]

How do you define "portable", because portable in my book is IEM only territory.
Then again I do carry my M50 with me (in my bag) from work to home and back, so it is transportable. But I wouldn't really walk around with it outside to be honest.

 

[gunner1905]

Quote:

How do you define "portable", because portable in my book is IEM only territory.
Then again I do carry my M50 with me (in my bag) from work to home and back, so it is transportable. But I wouldn't really walk around with it outside to be honest.

well I would say portable is about the size of the ATH-ESW9A or a Bose QC15, but would you say the m50s is closer to those sizes or closer to something like a senn hd595?

 

[calipilot227]

If you need isolation, nothing beats the Sennheiser HD-25 (with the exception of an IEM).

 

[calipilot227]

Quote:

well I would say portable is about the size of the ATH-ESW9A or a Bose QC15, but would you say the m50s is closer to those sizes or closer to something like a senn hd595?

The ATH-M50 is about the size of the QC15
 

 

[gunner1905]

Quote:

If you need isolation, nothing beats the Sennheiser HD-25 (with the exception of an IEM).

Wow, how about the sound quality, which would you say is the best?
 

 
Quote:

The ATH-M50 is about the size of the QC15
 

Compared to a HD 595 how big would that be? It has been a while since I've seen the QC15

 

[calipilot227]

Quote:

Wow, how about the sound quality, which would you say is the best?
 
 
Compared to a HD 595 how big would that be? It has been a while since I've seen the QC15

Sound quality of the HD25 is great, but some find it to be too bright (not unlike the Grado SR60 before burn-in). The HD25 and M50 are smaller than the HD595, and they both isolate unlike the completely-open HD595.
 

 

[lazuline]

Meh, I wouldn't call the m50 a "real" portable... but if you can get past that fact you're left with a cheap closed can that can out perform almost all the real portables and mini-phones in it's price range, hence it's popularity. If you're going to be is a seated position (like in a library coffee house, or on a subway) these can work well for your genres (I'd call these decent all-rounders with great bass).
 
But if you want to go closed studio can route, I'd also try to audition the shure 840, and that new-fangled 940.
 
the HD25 is definitely a treble-head can that is good when you don't need to concentrate on something else. If you want to keep it in the family the HD280, HD380 or even px-200-II might suite your needs better. Granted these aren't all that engaging, but I find the non-fatiguing sound nice for long listening sessions. Also, these all have good separation/positioning for classical pieces, but the closed design is going to kill the soundstage vs your 595.