hey cactus,
lol since no one replied, i'll throw you a bone. disclaimer tho: im not rly an audiophile (m100 is my first $300+ headphones) & listening to things on youtube is obvi bad quality. honestly, imo if you are new like me, you probably can't really tell all the subtle nuances that some of the other ppl here are describing, so if you blind tested an assortment of highly recommended headphones from $200-300 range, you probably can't pick out which is which.
if you get the m100 + good source of those songs, you would get great sound for this price range. m100 has a bass emphasis, which makes the sound more "fun" lol. according to "pros," the m100 has a slight U shaped frequency curve. the mids aren't technically recessed, but since there is a bass & treble emphasis, some people might think that. From reading about them, other portable options in the $300ish price range are the sennheiser momentum (more audiophile meaning less colored & more technical, less bass), sony mdr-1r (colored SQ, more midbass apparently). if portability doesn't matter, there are even more options.
-->For the OAR song, my personal opinion is that the bass emphasis may be a bit more than it would sound live (although it's been a rly long time since I heard them live) [edit: I found this song in my collection 320kbps mp3 and I like the way it sounds A LOT better than the youtube version, can hear everything very clearly & it does not seem like the bass is overpowering]
I really like the song shattered by oar and it sounds really really good IMO w/ these headphones (i don't know audiophile terms well enough to describe it, but definitely legit lol). Love and memories sounds really nice on them as well. Definitely heard details in those two songs I don't remember being there, which is pretty cool
-->for the take a walk song, I don't really listen to indie music, so no comment, but probably a tad more bass than you are used to.
-->Disconnected by Pegboard News: I don't know this band, but IMO all electronic music is where the m-100 really really shines! A solid bassline that is clearly defined & not bloated is what the m-100 does best. Basically the m100 kills any song that you would enjoy a legit bassline pumping you up.
Basically, I think the defining characteristic of the m100 vs other headphones in the similar price range is a very strong but well-done bass while keeping everything else clear. The bass will never sound anemic & it will never sound muddy or bloated. I really like the sound quality/signature because I feel like it really makes you want to dance (lol), but people w/ golden ears/audiophiles who want exact replica probably wouldn't pick this pair of headphones. I really like the SQ & I think the bass emphasis makes most modern-day songs sound awesome!! the SQ is tailored towards mainstream consumers and all my friends really liked the sound quality. (but at the same time, rly serious audiophiles who desire completely flat frequency curves will not be satisfied). I do think that if I heard headphones w/ a true flat signature, I would think the bass is anemic.
I think a song that really plays to this headphone's strengths would be something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHjpOzsQ9YI
If I was in your shoes, I would go ahead & buy the m100 b/c vmoda has stellar customer service & a 60 day return policy. then listen to all your favorite songs with them. if it sounds good to you, keep them, but honestly it is really hard to know headphones until you listen to them personally.
Hope this is semi-helpful
& happy headphone hunting!
. I also wondered sound would fit me. Here are some of the songs a listen too. (most songs will be related to these 3). Please reply! Thanks.
