Well, I finally bit the bullet. Just ordered Matte Black M-100s with an extra pair of Gunmetal shields, got the 2 free sets of Bass Freq headphones as well. Finally accepted that the M-100s simply provide a better overall package than pretty much anything else out there. Nothing offers as many features: dual cable entry, folding cups, removable cables, inline control cable, portable case, and all the extras you can get like customized shields and boom mic. Throw in design and build quality, and it's a good deal, whether or not SQ is amazing. Simply knowing that, regardless of SQ, I could have done much worse for the price comforts me. Also, gotta say this 2 free Bass Freq deals did me in: I've destroyed all my earbuds lol.
Hoping the gunmetal shields will be a good secondary look. I figured gunmetal looks the best on black when it's just a basic shield without any design on it. Blue was tempting but I was worried it would look out of place without a custom design on it. Also, hoping the SQ delivers. I've given up on the quest for truly balanced circumaural portables, but hoping the M-100s will prove to be the next best thing: really fun J-shaped portables. I haven't sold my previous headphones yet (haven't even looked into it yet as I wasn't planning on making a buy right now), so I should be able to compare the M-100s to my M-80s and KRK KNS 8400s. And: obligatory baller pic with all 3 headphones on top of each other for my avatar?