[OMGLadyGaga]

Meh, I disagree I think the 650 sounds muffled and slowww if not paired with decent source/amp. The X1 sounds just fine out of my phone, if that's not forgiving then I don't know what is. I listen to hip hop and 80s rock and 90s alternative rock so ymmv

 

[Hokieboy01]

I think the term forgiving is meant for the source material (audio track) not the hardware source. That was phrased poorly on my part. Sorry about that. 

 

[Hokieboy01]

bump

 

[wtfwtflol]

The M50 to me is like the starting point of any headphone collection. For many it is their "first real HP". After 3 years owning mine, it went from being considered "best ever" to just "average". So I believe the X1 could be a huge upgrade from it.
 
My rule is, anything below $250 should do ok with 320kbps... 
 

  Is the bass not overkill on the m100 and the x1? 
 

The M100 stands in the edge of potencially being a decent basshead can (BUT only after being Amp'd and EQ'd). The X1 for me has a more subtle bass and in no way it should be considered overkill. 

 

[Hokieboy01]

Have you compared the HD650 to the X1? I got put off of the X1 by little things like the non replaceable pads and some youtube reviewers I talked to in comments. Mostly the opinion was that they are both great but price aside the 650 wins. I'm trying to avoid wasting money on a stepping stone. I want to jump the river I guess.
Keep in mind I will be able to provide the power for higher impedance headphones.

 

[wtfwtflol]

I've never heard the 650, and I'm not really a fan of non-versatile headphones (that don't sound well without amp). The pads on my X1 are great, even better than the M100 with XL pads. I had them for couple months already and it does seem to last.
 
There is only one possible issue with the X1 and it is the high impedance factory 3.5mm cable, but you can buy a high quality replacement for about $10.
 
I read lots and lots of reviews before purchasing my X1. From what I can remember,
 
HD650: Warm, thick mids, strong vocals, sightly muffled by some reviewers.
X1: Warm as well, more clarity, better sub bass, more versatile for all genres.
 
Overall I think the X1 would be a better choice for the money, if you were to pick one of them.

 

[cel4145]

Is the bass not overkill on the m100 and the x1? I've seen a lot of reviews saying that it is to a degree. I'm not a bass-head psycho or anything so that might be a problem.

Maybe I should rephrase this. Coming from the M50 where I found the bass was good but it wouldn't be the end of the world to tone it down a little

If the mids were a touch more forward/more present in ratio to the bass in the M50s, would you like that better? If so, that seems to me like you might even like a little more neutral phone and should steer away from the bassier headphones like the X1 and M100. One can be an SQ bass lover (good quality bass and deep extension) and not want heavy bass emphasis that overwhelms other frequencies

If you would like to stay with a bass signature closer to the M50s, I would suggest HE-400. They are quite an amazing upgrade. Incredibly rich bass detail and resolution of other frequencies. Much better soundstage. For headphones that are probably somewhat similar to the M50 bass amount with a bit less of that treble that you commented about, B&W P7 would be worth looking into. Apple stores carry them and often have them on display if you want to give them a listen.

 

[trentrosa]

The hd650 is very different from the m50, although good with your genres. I think you should go for the he400 though, a safer bet.

 

[Za Warudo]

With the music you listen to the midrange is the most important when considering headphones. Therefore I would pick the HD650 over the X1 or HE400. The latter two headphone are flawed to some degree, especially the HE400 with its peaky treble and recessed upper mids. You could also consider the HD600 which is more neutral than the HD650 and cheaper.

 

[Hokieboy01]

With the music you listen to the midrange is the most important when considering headphones. Therefore I would pick the HD650 over the X1 or HE400. The latter two headphone are flawed to some degree, especially the HE400 with its peaky treble and recessed upper mids. You could also consider the HD600 which is more neutral than the HD650 and cheaper.

Sorry I didn't notice this reply. That is the reason I wasn't actively considering the HE400. That and the weight. I don't think I would like the weight for hours. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Hokieboy01]

If the mids were a touch more forward/more present in ratio to the bass in the M50s, would you like that better? If so, that seems to me like you might even like a little more neutral phone and should steer away from the bassier headphones like the X1 and M100. One can be an SQ bass lover (good quality bass and deep extension) and not want heavy bass emphasis that overwhelms other frequencies

If you would like to stay with a bass signature closer to the M50s, I would suggest HE-400. They are quite an amazing upgrade. Incredibly rich bass detail and resolution of other frequencies. Much better soundstage. For headphones that are probably somewhat similar to the M50 bass amount with a bit less of that treble that you commented about, B&W P7 would be worth looking into. Apple stores carry them and often have them on display if you want to give them a listen.

I did give the P7 a try at an apple store but it was on a summer camp trip and people wanted to leave so I only had a few minutes. I also couldn't use my own tracks either. They had one song I knew at least. Liked it but it's so pretty I'd be worried about messing it up all the time. 

 

[cel4145]

I did give the P7 a try at an apple store but it was on a summer camp trip and people wanted to leave so I only had a few minutes. I also couldn't use my own tracks either. They had one song I knew at least. Liked it but it's so pretty I'd be worried about messing it up all the time. 

Yeah. I only briefly listened to it myself, too.

I just saw a post on another forum where someone extensively demoed the Soundmagic HP150 and B&W P7, and felt that about 95% of the time, the HP150 was just as good, which makes it an excellent price/performance value considering it's only $200 and the P7 is twice as much.

 

[appsmarsterx]

   
My rule is, anything below $250 should do ok with 320kbps... 
 
 

 
this can be a very misleading statement because quality of an audio file will vary, depends on how well a particular album/song recorded,mastered, encoding quality comes second. you can't make a terrible quality recording sounds great by just listening it in an uncompressed format.  there are plenty of upscaled low quality flacs out there too..  to me 320kbps files are just fine as long as it is encoded from an good quality source. truth is you can't just magically hear any difference between 320kbps mp3 vs flac just because you have a $250+ headphone. 

 

[trentrosa]

this can be a very misleading statement because quality of an audio file will vary, depends on how well a particular album/song recorded,mastered, encoding quality comes second. you can't make a terrible quality recording sounds great by just listening it in an uncompressed format.  there are plenty of upscaled low quality flacs out there too..  to me 320kbps files are just fine as long as it is encoded from an good quality source. truth is you can't just magically hear any difference between 320kbps mp3 vs flac just because you have a $250+ headphone. 

I agree. My good 320kbps is hard to tell apart from much of my lossless flac/wav.

 

[Hokieboy01]

Gotta love the random side controversies that pop up on these forums
Some are very entertaining reading.