[Coq de Combat]

They are on par with eachother. I'd take the M50 out of those two. I'd skip the Shure and Beyer though. I haven't heard the AKG though, and to be honest, I'm quite tempted myself to try them out..

 

[MusicTurtle]

Judging by the places you mentioned you would use them I'd go with the Sennheiser HD25's. There are better portable headphones out there aside from the HD25. From my experience I enjoy the Beyerdynamic T50P which I own and the DT1350 which I've demoed quite a few times. I find both of them to be a step up from the Sennheiser HD25. However would I take them on the bus with me. Absolutely not due to the cabling being rather thin. I would take them on a plane ride as it's a more stationary situation than the constant jostling of a city bus.
 
Is the HD25 the apex of sound quality no. However the total package of portability, durability, and user replaceable parts make it an attractive package for when you're out and about. I feel no remorse in chucking my HD 25's into my bag or wearing them or while walking about. One thing of note before you commit to buying these is that comfort can be hit and miss. Depending on your ears they can be uncomfortable and if they're rather new the clamp can feel pretty hard. I would go with the HD25's it's a safe purchase and you'll get alot of mileage out of them. 

 

[shake]

+1 for the sennheisers.  I had the M50s for a few months and didn't like the sound that much.  I thought they were too bright.  The HD25 would have better isolation, lower end, and be more durable and they're smaller as well.
It's what the people at ESPN use as well.

 

[extrabigmehdi]

If you want to get absolutely the hd25, I  suggest you get the basic edition , and save money on the accessories. It seems that the basic edition is restricted to europe ....

 

[pentel21]

hey thanks guys!
 
I already have IEM (Brainwavz M1) but I prefer something on-ear, full size. 
 
The basic edition is the one which is all black huh ? 
like this one ? 

 

[prayer86]

I own the HD25 and the AKG K550. Why AKG marketed the K550 as a portable headphone, I have no clue. It really is a bit too big to be able to put anywhere and clamping force isn't enough to keep the headphones from sliding off your head if you like bopping/need to be in motion. These two headphones are like polar opposites. The Senns are somewhat neutral but have a little emphasis on the mid-bass. I've found that they sound BETTER (in my opinion anyways) in louder environments, but that may be because the outside noise is attenuating the lower frequencies. The HD25 also has a pretty narrow soundstage, and while the detail retrieval is adequate, it's not $200 worthy.
 
The K550, on the other hand, has an incredibly wide soundstage for a closed headphone. There's much more breathing room between instruments and detail retrieval is excellent. However, coming from the HD25 the K550 will sound very treble emphasized, and they tend to reveal poorly recorded tracks. The presentation isn't as aggressive as the HD25.
 
So if you like a little bit of thump and don't care about a huge soundstage, stick with the HD25, especially if you can find it cheap. If you want detail retrieval, slight treble emphasis, don't plan to move your head around much, have a place to put it, and are willing to shell out another $100, go for the AKG K550. The AKG's are the better headphone by far in my opinion, but they may not suit your needs.
 

 

[pentel21]

Thanks prayer!
I think I'll stick with the HD 25 
 
How much did you buy them? 

 

[extrabigmehdi]

The basic edition is exactly like the regular hd25 1,
the difference is that you don't have accessories ( useless bag, and  more interesting extra soft ear pads).
 
If you don't like the default design, there's the adidas version. Also there are  "cheap" coloring kits on the web .
There's also the quite expensive amperiors that are coming soon.

 

[pentel21]

Ok mehdi , I'll keep that in mind  

 

[extrabigmehdi]

Quote:

 The HD25 also has a pretty narrow soundstage, and while the detail retrieval is adequate, it's not $200 worthy.

 
Exactly , it hurts a bit when you spend 200$ on these. And I  got the more expensive adidas version.

 

[prayer86]

Quote:

Thanks prayer!
I think I'll stick with the HD 25 
 
How much did you buy them? 

 
I bought the Adidas version for $150 CDN. One of my local stores was blowing them out, as from what I've seen from other retailers the Adidas version goes for around $300 here, which is not worth it at that price. As suggested by extrabigmehdi, go for the basic edition if you can find it.

 

[prayer86]

Quote:

 
Exactly , it hurts a bit when you spend 200$ on these. And I  got the more expensive adidas version.

I only bought it because I needed something portable that would isolate well, and the reviews online were mostly glowing about the sound. Needless to say, I was a bit underwhelmed. They serve their purpose well though, so I'm not really regretting it.

 

[pentel21]

$150 CDN for adidas version!
I took a quick look at local store here in Montreal and the normal HD 25-1 II are about 240$ lol. 
Well, I'll wait to see if some guys would sell them used/referebished. 

 

[pentel21]

Quote:

I only bought it because I needed something portable that would isolate well, and the reviews online were mostly glowing about the sound. Needless to say, I was a bit underwhelmed. They serve their purpose well though, so I'm not really regretting it.

 
This is the compromise 
 
Even if the SQ isn't as good as K550 or DT770, at least it's portable and isolate well and that's why I'm thinking to purchase them in few days,
when I'll get my pay lol.
 
So far I haven't find cans under 200$  like HD25 (portable, isolation, good sq).

 

[prayer86]

Quote:

$150 CDN for adidas version!
I took a quick look at local store here in Montreal and the normal HD 25-1 II are about 240$ lol. 
Well, I'll wait to see if some guys would sell them used/referebished. 

Yeah, I got lucky. The place I got them from was actually a liquidation store that was blowing out stock from an electronic retailer from Quebec that went under. It's too bad you don't live in Vancouver, or else I'd give you the store address (though I don't know if they have any left).
 
Good luck finding your headphones! =)