[beaver316]

So after using my Sennheiser IE80 iems for a while i've decided to sell them off because of discomfort issues. I haven't sold them yet but they will be in the For Sale section soon if anyone's interested.
 
Anyway this is a big disappointment to me because the IE80s offer everything i ever wanted in a headphone. Excellent bass, nice mids with great vocals and treble which is never harsh (even with my bright music). I am using a Fiio E17 which isn't high end, but deals with the IE80s spectacularly. I was prepared to stick with this setup until i have enough money to purchase an LCD2 and V200 but it's become obvious to me that i wont be able to wait till then. Maybe it's because my ear shape, but the Senns cause me headaches with prolonged usage so they must go.
 
Im looking to replace them with a full sized headphone with major importance in COMFORT. I can't stand the idea of fatigue when listening to music, seeing as the music is supposed to have the opposite effect. So im looking for comfortable headphones that cover the ear, not sit on top of the ear. In terms of sound, i wouldn't mind them sounding exactly like the IE80. In other words a fair amount of quality bass, smooth mids and never harsh treble. Detail resolution should be good but this isn't too important and they should have a good soundstage. It doesn't matter whether they're open or closed headphones. Hopefully there exists a headphone like this in the 300$ price range but im willing to go a little higher if need be. To summarize in bullet points:
 

1. Comfortable 
2. Open or Closed, doesn't matter
3. Good bass, not boomy
4. Smooth forward mids
5. Never harsh treble (i can't stress this enough)
6. Decent detail resolution
7. Nice soundstage, but not huge
8. Should be driveable by the Fiio E17 (since i don't plan on upgrading my amp just yet)

 
 
 
My music collection consists of almost every genre there is excluding classical and jazz, plenty of it modern music. Drum n Bass, dubstep, some hip hop, pop, dance, and recently im enjoying rock quite a bit. So they don't have the best mastering but i dont think the mid-fi setup that im striving for here will be too resolving so maybe that wont matter.
 
I've had my eyes on a few Beyerdynamics but suggestions are very welcome.

 

[steve2151]

What does your budget look like? I think the HD 650 would probably have the closest tonality (dark and lush). HD 580/600 is slightly brighter and the Beyer DT 880/990 are brighter and thinner sounding. The Senns were also more comfortable for me as they have longer cups while the Beyers always touched the bottoms of my ears. But then again, I have a long head; either would be great for average sized heads.
 
Another common recommendation is the HE-400, which is said to have a more exciting v-shaped response. 
 
While you can get decent volume on all of these headphones with your E17, you might want to look into selling it and putting the money towards an entry level desktop dac/amp with more power swing. I use an Audinst HUD-MX1 as an office rig and it does a respectable job for it's price and size.

 

[olegausany]

HD650 are very with pairing and E17 among others not good match for them. HE-400 are steal for their money and a lot of people enjoying them with E17 but if they beyond your budget you should consider Mr Speakers Mad Dogs with Dog Pads

 

[beaver316]

Quote:

What does your budget look like? I think the HD 650 would probably have the closest tonality (dark and lush). HD 580/600 is slightly brighter and the Beyer DT 880/990 are brighter and thinner sounding. The Senns were also more comfortable for me as they have longer cups while the Beyers always touched the bottoms of my ears. But then again, I have a long head; either would be great for average sized heads.
 
Another common recommendation is the HE-400, which is said to have a more exciting v-shaped response. 
 
While you can get decent volume on all of these headphones with your E17, you might want to look into selling it and putting the money towards an entry level desktop dac/amp with more power swing. I use an Audinst HUD-MX1 as an office rig and it does a respectable job for it's price and size.

 
I mentioned in my post about $300 but that could go up to 350. 
 
I read a lot about the HD650 but amping is the problem with those. I'll need to get another amp to get decent sound out of them. Also many say how they're 'slow' with electronic music which i have a lot of. I did read about the HE-400 as well but i know i wont be be getting the best out of them with the E17 again. I may consider selling my E17 if i can find a powerful desktop amp at around the same price.

 

[beaver316]

Quote:

HD650 are very with pairing and E17 among others not good match for them. HE-400 are steal for their money and a lot of people enjoying them with E17 but if they beyond your budget you should consider Mr Speakers Mad Dogs with Dog Pads

 
I just did some reading on those Mad Dogs headphones. They seem promising. I can't seem to find any comparisons with them though, only praise.

 

[iim7V7IM7]

Consider auditioning or reading more about:

AKG K550, K702 or Q701
Beyerdynamic DT880
Sennheiser HD600

All of these are made by well established and distributed companies and are in your price range. They have differing sonic signatures, advantages and disadvantages, depending on your preferences.

Good luck!