[RamyLoco]

Grado SR60i opened my world to clean sounds and from there I went up to the SR80i.  I've thoroughly enjoyed both and since purchasing a FiiO X3 and slowly upgrading my music to lossless and high bitrate lossy formats, I am interested in upgrading my trusty Grado SR80i. This is b/c I really want to hear what improving this variable does overall AND I have to believe that there are more comfortable options out there.  My budget is no more than $300 and I'd love to get away with $200-$250.  Problem is that as great as the internet is...my internet research has created more confusion and I cannot seem to narrow down my scope for headphone choices.
 
Genres- huge range in interests so I require something that can handle it all.
I'm open to buying used. 
open to on-ear although comfortability is a plus (i.e., Grados hurt after awhile!)
open to over the ear (although i'd prefer to have them be somewhat portable).
semi-open, closed, open
...these are all secondary factors as my primary desire is to get an all around good headphone to get the most out of the X3 and high fidelity recordings in a variety of settings (home, hiking, commute, etc.). I desire the goose bumps that great quality music can cause! 
 
At the moment I might be leaning towards the Sen. Momentums. Are these a significant jump above the Grados I already have?
 
My research is telling me that they're on par with Grado SR225e but more comfortable? For $200 is my best bet to just suck up the discomfort and go with the 225e's?  Unfortunately, there just aren't any hifi stores nearby to try out a solid range of headphones and I'm at the mercy of buying online and returning until I score. Hence why I come to a place where there are cats that are far more knowledgeable and perhaps have been where I am at the moment.
 
I'd really appreciate some insight on where I should set my sights regarding types of headphones to consider b/c frankly it doesn't seem as though price is the strongest predictor of quality. 
 
Thanks for the time to help out a newbie audiophile Head-Fi Forums!
 
Happy Turkey Day,
RamyLoco

 

[GREQ]

If you mean the bigger over-ear Momentums, they only really offer a better bass presentation and overall closer to neutral frequency response than the SR80i, which emphasizes mids, treble and rolls off in the bass department.
If your ears are 65mm tall or less, and fairly average in every other way, you should find the Momentums to be infinitely more comfortable than the SR80i. I'm talking all-day-long comfortable, provided you don't live in a tropical climate. Unless of course you can't think of anything more delightful than the warm caress of sweaty leather pressed against the sides of your face. I won't judge.
 
Others with dumbo size ears report that they have to stuff their over-sized head-flaps inside the ear-cups, or simply wear them as on-ear headphones which causes discomfort. 
If however you fall into the category of being 'average' or 'small', which in this hobby is an distinct advantage, you will also enjoy far superior isolation compared to the SR80, and the humans in your immediate vicinity will not be disturbed. 
 
Overall sound 'quality' between the two couldn't be more difficult to judge as they are sonic opposites, with the SR80 being more aggressive and trebley, and the Momentum more laid back and bassy.
I actually have a SR80 which I've almost entirely modded, and a Momentum, and I love them both. But it's difficult to know if you will come to the same conclusion. 
 
They both dig up about the same level of detail, and both have fantastic timbre and speed. 
If you've EVER found the SR80 to be a bit peaky/painful in the treble, you should enjoy the Momentum.
If you find the SR80 to be a nice balance of all frequencies you should probably pass on it and look more towards a Sony MDR-1R or a 2nd hand Bang & Olufsen H6.

 

[RamyLoco]

A big thanks for communicating with me GREQ.  After taking a little time to digest your comments I have some further thoughts towards making my next move.  
1) I'm curious as to what mods you went with for your SR80s. What limits of the hp led you to make these changes or what was it that you in particular wanted to correct or enhance?
 
After really thinking about when you write, "If you've EVER found the SR80 to be a bit peaky/painful in the treble", I think that at times I do lean towards a desire for a more full bodied sound. The best evidence of this is that I have the bass on the X3 turned up to 8 and treble set at -2.  
 
Having said that, I do enjoy the specificity and clarity of the SR80's. Kick drums for instance are sharp and clearly end when they should.  In fact, after you wrote back to me, I started playing a little more with the SR80 and I ended up at one point going back to the S-cushion as I had about a year ago swapped them out for the L-cushion.  Not only do I think that they add a little punch over the spaciousness of the L-cush, but most importantly, I had forgotten how much more comfortable they are!  Unbelievable difference and it's made me completely reconsider going with a pair of the new SR225e b/c I know that those ship out with the L-cushion. I wouldn't want to decrease the quality of their sound by reverting to the comfies.
 
Anyway, you mentioned in your reply that you have kept your 80's and I think I'm going to follow suit and instead add a hp as opposed to selling off my SR80's. Given my financial constraints, I'm thinking that perhaps a pairing with a hp that is as you write, "a sonic opposite", might be the way to go. I do want to get something that is regarded as better from an all around quality standpoint. I'm hoping as I stated before to invest $250-$300.  I believe that should give me a very good hp to contrast my SR80 which only ran me about $100.
 
I'm thinking that I could make a more "interesting" if you will, jump beyond the Momentum. I think that a closed hp may make for the most interesting juxtaposition.  Could you give me your honest impressions on the following models? The Beyerdynamic T 51 p, the NAD Viso HP50 and the V-MODA XS.  My research on the Head-Fi site and others suggests that these are very good sounding and very comfortable headphones. I would also be curious to know if you do not think that they are a significant jump above the over the ear Momentums or the SR80s. I guess what I'm saying is that if I can't get a noticable jump in quality by dropping $250 on a hp, perhaps I'm at the mercy of sticking with what I have and waiting until I can really afford a hp that blows me away.  
 
I'm sorry if i'm taking too much of your time, but you're the only one that has responded and again, I greatly appreciate your assistance. 
 
cheers!
RamyLoco

 

[GREQ]

No probs. I've noticed that there aren't as many headfiers helping new guys out any more, so I try to pop back every now and then.
 
Well you really dropped a little bomb on me. The Nad HP50 and V-Moda are two of the few headphones I've yet to hear in their category (closed-back, portable/fashion headphones).
The Beyer I have heard, and what I heard I liked. It's totally a much more full bodied sound, and it does little wrong.
Other larger headphones have better isolation and soundstage, so it's kind of a side-grade to the Grado rather than a full blown upgrade... although I would still consider it an upgrade overall... one that could change your mind into selling the Grado, as it also has the detailed, punchy treble.. but unlike the Grado, detailed and punchy low-bass too. 
 
You're definitely on the right track though. I like your thought process.