What should I buy: V-Moda M-100 or AKG K550?
Mar 3, 2013 at 4:44 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 19

stfchampagne

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Hi!
I want your advices, I need a pair of headphones to replace my broken Sennheiser HD 202. A need a good all-around headphone for home usage. I'll use them my NAD amplifier. I usually listen to indie rock and electronic. I will also listen to movies and play games.
 
I'm interested in the V-Moda M-100 or the AKG K550. I could have the AKG for 190$ or the V-Moda M-100 for 300$. Does the V-Moda really worth 110$ more?
 
Thanks!
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 5:26 PM Post #4 of 19
Quote:
It depends on what you're looking for. The m100's have boosted bass, whereas the K550's are more neutral.

Well, I want something that I will enjoy with my music, while listening movies and playing games. I'm affraid about the k550 for the fit and seal, since I raed that it could be hard to fit.  For the M-100, I'm not sure that since they are more bass heavy they are really good all rounder...
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 8:45 PM Post #6 of 19
Quote:
In terms of sound they are not worth the extra 100, The V Moda are nice looking headphones with nice cables and nice packaging but their sound is not 300 sound. They have good bass but when i comes to vocals and instrument separation they are not good. I would say they are in the same league as headphones such as the beats pro, ATH M50 and pro700 in terms of SQ. If you like music that has bass and you don't mind losing out on detail then they are good for some music types. The k550 are better by a mile when it comes to everything apart from bass and looks. they have good detail and better soundstage they are a good headphone. If your budget is 300 for closed phones then the better headphones are under that price unless you want to save up for something like the mad dog.

Well that is interesting! My first choice was the K550, but then I thought that I would get a better fit and better sounding headphone with the V-Moda M-100. I may be saving more than 100$ and get the AKG after all... Did you have problem with the fit or seal???
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 9:43 PM Post #9 of 19
If you are not trying to be too portable and do not mind less bass, AKG K550 is a great choice! My friend really loves his AKG K550. He says the treble is incredible-detailed and there is great sound stage. However, he is unsatisfied with the amount of bass it produces even as a treble-head. However, he prefers his treble and he does like to mix/produce his own music, so I think that choice suits him very well. It is quite big pair of headphones and I won't really want it around my neck walking around.
 
The strength of the V-Moda M100 is that it is a very nicely done bass-centric headphones. Many bass-centric headphones suffer from being overly muddy or bleeding into the mids/trebles. However, the M100 keeps the mids & trebles well-defined while having a nice rumble from the bass that is tight and accurate. I personally really loved the sound signature. It is a u-shaped sound signature that is really fun to listen to. For electronic music and movies, it is definitely amazing to listen to. However, people desiring a more flat and super accurate sound signature may end up being grumpy. The M100's build quality is very high-end and has great durability. Very portable as it folds into a tiny ball.
 
The choice is yours and you can't go wrong with either. However, depending on your head size/ear size, you may experience issues with the fit & comfort with the one you end up picking. I would say if you do experience those issues, find another pair :) There are actually a lot more less than $300 closed headphones that you can consider.
 
$190 for a new AKG K550 is a steal though. The cheapest I saw those for is $230ish.
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 9:50 PM Post #10 of 19
The Sony MDR 1R if you like a bass orientated sound.
The Beyer DT770 - same, but not as refined as the Sony.
Soundmagic HP100 - very clear; excellent value.
 
I've not yet heard the Sennheiser Momentum, but
it's received some very good reviews.  If I were buying
in this price range I'd be sure to listen to them.
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 9:55 PM Post #11 of 19
Just to add to the mix, you should take a look at the Sennheiser Momentum and Amperior, Beyerdynamic DT770 and DT1350, Ultrasone Pro 900, and Mr Speakers Mad Dogs. We're not you, so we can't know what exactly you'll like best. But part of this hobby is trying stuff you may end up not liking and reselling. Read some reviews for all the headphones listed and make an educated guess as to what might work for you. Try it, and if you don't like it move on to the next one (be sure to give it time to burn in and for you to get accustomed to the sound before you dismiss a headphone).
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 10:05 PM Post #12 of 19
Quote:
Just to add to the mix, you should take a look at the Sennheiser Momentum and Amperior, Beyerdynamic DT770 and DT1350, Ultrasone Pro 900, and Mr Speakers Mad Dogs. We're not you, so we can't know what exactly you'll like best. But part of this hobby is trying stuff you may end up not liking and reselling. Read some reviews for all the headphones listed and make an educated guess as to what might work for you. Try it, and if you don't like it move on to the next one (be sure to give it time to burn in and for you to get accustomed to the sound before you dismiss a headphone).

 
Quote:
The Sony MDR 1R if you like a bass orientated sound.
The Beyer DT770 - same, but not as refined as the Sony.
Soundmagic HP100 - very clear; excellent value.
 
I've not yet heard the Sennheiser Momentum, but
it's received some very good reviews.  If I were buying
in this price range I'd be sure to listen to them.

 
Quote:
If you are not trying to be too portable and do not mind less bass, AKG K550 is a great choice! My friend really loves his AKG K550. He says the treble is incredible-detailed and there is great sound stage. However, he is unsatisfied with the amount of bass it produces even as a treble-head. However, he prefers his treble and he does like to mix/produce his own music, so I think that choice suits him very well. It is quite big pair of headphones and I won't really want it around my neck walking around.
 
The strength of the V-Moda M100 is that it is a very nicely done bass-centric headphones. Many bass-centric headphones suffer from being overly muddy or bleeding into the mids/trebles. However, the M100 keeps the mids & trebles well-defined while having a nice rumble from the bass that is tight and accurate. I personally really loved the sound signature. It is a u-shaped sound signature that is really fun to listen to. For electronic music and movies, it is definitely amazing to listen to. However, people desiring a more flat and super accurate sound signature may end up being grumpy. The M100's build quality is very high-end and has great durability. Very portable as it folds into a tiny ball.
 
The choice is yours and you can't go wrong with either. However, depending on your head size/ear size, you may experience issues with the fit & comfort with the one you end up picking. I would say if you do experience those issues, find another pair :) There are actually a lot more less than $300 closed headphones that you can consider.
 
$190 for a new AKG K550 is a steal though. The cheapest I saw those for is $230ish.

 
Thanks a lot for your help. I've had the Sennheiser Momentum for a few weeks and I liked them. But I found them a little bit expansive (around 350$). May be interested in the Sony MDR-1R, but don't find a lot of dealer here in Canada except Sony Store...
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 10:17 PM Post #13 of 19
The A900X is also something good to consider too. Had bot K550 and A900X and preferred the A900X. Then again the K550 at that price is a good price for what you get.

If you don't mind refurb I thought this is a good price for the A900X

http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=ATHA900XRB
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 10:25 PM Post #14 of 19
I demoed the K550 at Best Buy and did not care for the sound. While detailed, they felt very cold and analytical, and were lacking bass. That said, they were very comfy. If you have a Best Buy with a Magnolia home theater section near you, bring your portable player in and demo them.
 
Best Buy also has the above-mentioned A900X and Sennheisier Momentum. The A900X sounded great, but the wing system caused the cups to slide down on top of my ears -- you'd definitely need to try these on first before buying.
 
The Momentum sounded great as well, and I actually ended up buying, but later returning them. They were comfortable for the first 30 minutes or so, but the small cup size had me constantly readjusting them to relieve pressure points around my ears. So, I've decided to go with Sony MDR-1R, which should arrive this week.
 
Mar 3, 2013 at 10:48 PM Post #15 of 19
Quote:
 
 
 
Thanks a lot for your help. I've had the Sennheiser Momentum for a few weeks and I liked them. But I found them a little bit expansive (around 350$). May be interested in the Sony MDR-1R, but don't find a lot of dealer here in Canada except Sony Store...


Yep, Sony's keeping distribution very tight on them here in the States too.
 

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