[danquoc]

Hey. I'm looking for a good pair of headphones and I've narrowed it down to the following. I listen to all types of music. It's very important that sound does not leak because I'm commuting a lot from school so I'm on the bus/subway most of the time. I'm also in libraries a lot. My brother owns a pair of M50's and I LOVE how they sound, but I hate their ear pads. Which of the following has the best sound and has good comfort? Please, if you can, be as unbiased as possible because I want a pair that fits the above and will last for a long time. If you can suggest any, throw them my way.
 
ATH-M50
Philips Citiscape Uptown's
Vmoda Crossfade LP2 (or LP, which is better?)
Vmoda M80
SR80i
SRH840

 

[NimbleTurtle]

Quote:

Hey. I'm looking for a good pair of headphones and I've narrowed it down to the following. I listen to all types of music. It's very important that sound does not leak because I'm commuting a lot from school so I'm on the bus/subway most of the time. I'm also in libraries a lot. My brother owns a pair of M50's and I LOVE how they sound, but I hate their ear pads. Which of the following has the best sound and has good comfort? Please, if you can, be as unbiased as possible because I want a pair that fits the above and will last for a long time. If you can suggest any, throw them my way.
 
ATH-M50
Philips Citiscape Uptown's
Vmoda Crossfade LP2 (or LP, which is better?)
Vmoda M80
SR80i
SRH840

None of those headphones I would label as comfortable headphones. Out of all of them, I think the crossfades offer the most noise isolation but I'm not sure. And sorry I don't know the difference between LP2/LP though if I had to guess, the LP2 is superior (ha). You might also want to consider the HD-25ii and the DT1350, both of which offer superior noise isolation. I think noise isolation will be important to you considering you'll be using these on the bus/ subway. 

 

[tomatoshoe]

If you love the ATH-M50 sound why not just get them and suck it up? Or you could get DT250 pads for them..They kinda decrease the sound quality and make the bass overly exaggerated and boomy though.

 

[rrwatch]

The M50's comfort really improved for me when I stretched em out on a kids size soccer ball for a couple of days. Some people use books to do the same thing. Why not try it on your brothers and see if it will help make some HP's you love comfortable enough to buy. They have been dropping in price too lately $100 to $115 new.

 

[uzi]

I've had the SRH840 (sold to a coworker) and just got the ATH-M50 (it was cheap enough, I figured why not).  I also own the Denon AH-D2000, which I like more than either in terms of comfort and sound, but it doesn't isolate as well, nor is it that portable.  (Fits my use case better than either, as they stay on my desk at work.)
 
I think I might recommend the SRH840 based on your criteria from your list.  The comparison between it and the ATH-M50:
* Sound -- tough call as they're pretty different.  The SRH-840 tries to be more neutral and the ATH-M50 more colored in the sound.  Depends on what you're after
* Portability -- They're very similar in terms of the size and shape, but the ATH-M50 is slightly smaller and thus more compact and more portable
* Comfort -- both make my ears really warm after a while (which I'm not fond of), but the SRH-840 is more comfortable between the two.  It's slightly bigger, so there's a big more room for the ears.
* Isolation -- They both isolate decently, but the SRH-840 is a clear and definite winner here.  At a reasonable volume, I can put the ear pieces together and there's not a peep.  Separate them and you hear the music.  At the same volume, I'd still hear it a little form the ATH-M50 doing the same thing.
 
Definitely not a Grado... I have the SR60 and the SR225i.  I love 'em, but they're as open as open can be, so it won't meet your needs on the bus/subway or in a library.
 
Then again, to be honest, I think you're barking up the wrong tree with your list.  If I were you, I'd be looking at earphones like the Shure SE215.  They offer way better portability and isolation than any on your list.  I also find them to be very comfortable as well.  I keep a pair in my pocket wherever I go.

 

[danquoc]

Quote:

I've had the SRH840 (sold to a coworker) and just got the ATH-M50 (it was cheap enough, I figured why not).  I also own the Denon AH-D2000, which I like more than either in terms of comfort and sound, but it doesn't isolate as well, nor is it that portable.  (Fits my use case better than either, as they stay on my desk at work.)
 
I think I might recommend the SRH840 based on your criteria from your list.  The comparison between it and the ATH-M50:
* Sound -- tough call as they're pretty different.  The SRH-840 tries to be more neutral and the ATH-M50 more colored in the sound.  Depends on what you're after
* Portability -- They're very similar in terms of the size and shape, but the ATH-M50 is slightly smaller and thus more compact and more portable
* Comfort -- both make my ears really warm after a while (which I'm not fond of), but the SRH-840 is more comfortable between the two.  It's slightly bigger, so there's a big more room for the ears.
* Isolation -- They both isolate decently, but the SRH-840 is a clear and definite winner here.  At a reasonable volume, I can put the ear pieces together and there's not a peep.  Separate them and you hear the music.  At the same volume, I'd still hear it a little form the ATH-M50 doing the same thing.
 
Definitely not a Grado... I have the SR60 and the SR225i.  I love 'em, but they're as open as open can be, so it won't meet your needs on the bus/subway or in a library.
 
Then again, to be honest, I think you're barking up the wrong tree with your list.  If I were you, I'd be looking at earphones like the Shure SE215.  They offer way better portability and isolation than any on your list.  I also find them to be very comfortable as well.  I keep a pair in my pocket wherever I go.

I think I've narowed it down to the M50's and the SRH840, however, I am liking the Philips CitiScape Uptown's. The design looks nice and on (excuse my ignorance if I am wrong) headphonemecca they replaced the M50's, claiming it's better al around. Have you ever used them? As for the SE215, I've never been a fan of inears, mainly because I have never found a pair that don't fall out whenever I walk. I've heard the SRH840 are heavy on the head, can you comment on that? What's the weight difference between that and the M50?

 

[Lorspeaker]

uptown is one of the most comfortable headfones that rested on my head...
isolation is good or v good...depending on which macdonald's joint u visit.
its an allrounder musically...vocals are captivating. also v lightweight on the head.
i would pick it over the shure840..heavy n hot. 

 

[uzi]

Quote:

I think I've narowed it down to the M50's and the SRH840, however, I am liking the Philips CitiScape Uptown's. The design looks nice and on (excuse my ignorance if I am wrong) headphonemecca they replaced the M50's, claiming it's better al around. Have you ever used them? As for the SE215, I've never been a fan of inears, mainly because I have never found a pair that don't fall out whenever I walk. I've heard the SRH840 are heavy on the head, can you comment on that? What's the weight difference between that and the M50?

Sure, they're a big heavier than the M50, but not an extreme amount.  I'm not familiar with the Uptowns, so I can't comment there.
 
In-ears have done well for me.  I've had the Shure E4c for years.  They still go with me wherever I go, but I'm mostly using my UERMs at this point.  Of course, if you want in-ear and you want to be sure of a good fit, customs are a good option... but an expensive one.
 
But yeah, with the SE215, you'd have multiple different rubber sizes and in the worst case, you can use the foamies, which are like normal squishy earplugs.  I figure I can't convince you of trying it, but for the use case you describe, that's the route I go.

 

[valerianaoff]

+1 for uptowns...
 
Cheerz!