[HowardBateman]

Hey guys.
 
First of all, sorry for my weak english.
I'm kind of new to this Hifi thingy. I used to listen on some premium Bowers & Wilkins speakers that I've "borrowed" from my dad. Since i moved out and i couldn't take them with me, I need an affordable solution for still enjoying music. Big speakers aren't an option because I live in a flat and I dont want to annoy my new neighbours by now
 
So I'm searching for some over-ear headphones for around 150€ that offer a nice resolution because I love to listen very intense and analytical, if you want to call it so. 
Anyway, they should still offer a nice, deep, punchy bass that I can still turn down when I want to listen to some classical-ish.
 
I have a very wide range of taste, from Oldschool Rap like Wu-Tang, over Rock like Rise Against, Disturbed and Neaera to - as mentioned before - some melodic stuff like pianos.
 
The only requirements are a detachable cable, changeable ear pads if they wear out and that they're closed so I can use them in public, e.g. on bus and that they're kind of neutral. I would use an EQ to adjust the sound to my needs, as far as possible. I'm not that experienced with that and I dont know how neutral they have to be, but since I listen to such a wide range of music, I'm afraid to go for headphones with either intense highs, mids or lows. I do prefer nice, clear vocals in rock, though.  A muddy "You give love a bad name" e.g. would be a damn shame. I completely trust you guys there.
 
My 3 choices for now were:

SHURE SRH440 with 840 Pads
Audio Technica ATH M50x or M40x with an extra ~1m cable. Wether or not i need the extra 90 degrees in public use.
Marshall Monitor
 
The SHURE's are supposed to be the most neutral of the 3, as far as I read, and they should deliver a nice "analytical sound".
The Audio Technicas are some often recommended phones for every range of music, but tend to have muddy lows and mids, althouth the M40x tend to be more neutral - again - as far as I read.
I couldn't find much about the Marshall's, though. I chose them because they're well made and kind of "slim". Since I want to use them in public and as "daily drivers" that could be the choice for me.
 
I would love any suggestions for other phones and experiences with the 3 I gave you.
I want to order them in a few days to compare them with each other head to head.
 
 
Thanks for taking the time to read my issue and thanks in advance for helping out.
 
 
Peace!
 
 
 
EDIT: Another VERY important thing is the comfort. I listen to music ALOT. So itt could happen that I wear them for  ~6 or 7 hours per day.
EDIT2: I DO have an amp. So the D770 250 Ohm for example would be an option. Just to give more information. Helps you to help me, I guess

 

[Garraty]

Heard the SoundMAGIC HP100's are pretty good closed headphones for the price but they may be a bit out of your price range. You should still probably check some of the reviews on them here on Head-Fi.

 

[Audiofix]

Out of the three I would go with the Monitors. I owned a pair of my own a while back and they delivered very rich sound. And, to a lesser, more subjective degree, I think they have the best form factor.

 

[HowardBateman]

I already looked up the SoundMAGIC ones, but as you assumed, they're out of my price range. They're 230€ here in Germany and i simply don't want to spend that much for some Headphones that I will use daily. I'm just too afraid that they'll wear off too quickly. They also appear a little bulky. Would feel strange to wear them in public.
 
The Monitors are definitely the prettiest out of the 3, but I couldn't find anything that compares them to the other 2 Headphones.
The only thing that is holding me from buying the SHURE's is the build quality and the lack of bass. Everything else - so said - should fit my needs perfectly. It's supposed to give a nice rock experience, especially with string instruments. Since I love to listen to Hendrix and to guitar soli overall, that sounds absolutely perfect. But I also like to turn up the bass and just go "boom" instead of "wow", if you know what I mean... As I said, i do own an amp. Its a simple Denon amp, not a specific headphone amp, don't know if that makes a difference. So is there a chance I can still turn up the bass of the SHURE's to go for some good old HipHop, or do I have to get on with the lack of bass? If so, they're not an option. Any experiences with that, especially with the 840 pads and this little "foam mod" by removing the little plugs in this hole? Can't describe it better, but you guys can find the mod here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/456493/shure-srh440-foam-plug-mod
 
Anyone here with some experiences with the Marshall Monitors? I really love the visuals. If their sound fits my personal needs, they are ordered instantly.
 
 
Thanks.

 

[Notus]

Check the KRK KNS 8400 those should be around 120€ in germany. They are very analytical and in my opinion technically far better in all aspects to the Shure SRH440. The 8400 are slightly bass light so they sound brighter than the SRH440 but the bass is far better in texture, it has better extension and its very tight and controlled. Its possible you could EQ the bass or get some FiiO product with bass boost function.
Over all i don't think they are good mach for rap but for rock, metal, classic they work well.
Out of box they can be slightly fatiguing with the high's but burn in does help a lot.
If you think that the Shure SRH440 are bass light then neutral is not for you. The KRK KNS 8400 are even slightly more bass lighter. But cant say for sure since can't do side to side comparison currently.
 
I am not sure if its a good idea to try to EQ from neutral to bass head.

 

[HowardBateman]

Hey, thanks for the reply.
 
I never said that the SHURE's are too bass light for me, I just assumed that they COULD be. And I wouldn't call myself a "basshead". I don't like these booming basses. But I don't like basses that are kind of non existent either. For example the AKG K301 I owned until the headband broke were way too bass light in my opinion. I couldn't enjoy them at all, to be honest. But I also know that they werent and still arent the best phones to get, but it's still my only comparison.
 
So the basses shouldnt be overpowered. They should just be... "there".
 
The sound while listening to rock or pianos is way more important than the sound while listening to rap.
Rap just sounds ****ty, it's only the vocals and the lyrics for me. I don't need the "perfect rap experience".
 
I will look up the KRK's and if I do like what I see, I will also order them for the A&B comparison.
Thanks for the suggestions!
 
~

 

[Notus]

 The only thing that is holding me from buying the SHURE's is the build quality and the lack of bass. Everything else - so said - should fit my needs perfectly.

Sorry if i didn't understand quite what you meant by that comment. I thought you have listened to the Shure previously.
The bass is there, but its more along the line, you hear it but you don't feel it. I think the KRK can sound sometimes bass light, but it mostly shows what is in the recording.
Same goes for the Shure SRH440, both tend to show for the most part only what is in the recording without any "hype" in the sound.
There are other good headphones like the Akg K550 / K551 / K545 models, but you cant replace the cord or the ear pads.

 

[HowardBateman]

THAT was the answer I was searching for, thanks!
Phones like the SHURE's are not what I'm searching for. I definitely DO want to feel the bass. It just shouldn't be overwhelming like in the Beats. Neither should it affect the mids or highs. If that's what you call a basshead, alright, I'm a basshead then.
If "neutral" phones only deliver the bass like you described, strike neutral completely out of my requirements.
 
I'm not too confident there's a phone out there that excatly fits those needs, but if it is, I'm sure you guys can lead me to it.
The detachable cable is an absolutely MUST, because I dont think that the cabeling of <200$ phones will last ~5 years when I'm using them daily for several hours.
I thinkt he pads are always replacable, at least with voiding the warranty... And if those pads cant even last 2 years until the warranty is gone, I don't want these phones at all.
 
I really, really liked the K545, but the non detachable cable stroke them from my list.
 
Your words stroke the KRK's and the SHURE's now aswell, so there are only the Marshalls and the M50x's left. Any experiences with them in terms of sound? And now that I know that neutral isn't excatly what im searching for, at least bass-wise, do they still fit my "style" ? Since they're both still monitoring phones, are they also too "flat" or too bass light?
 
I also considered the Senn Custom One Pro's, but the 16 Ohms wouldn't allow me to drive them with my onboard sound properly. Since they're in the same price range as the M50x's, I just stroke them from my list aswell. But when you're telling me that the M50x's could also be too bass light, I might take this downside. What I liked about them is this Bass-switch-thingy. That would solve my "I sometimes want bass, sometimes I don't"-problem. Any experiences with these?
 
So for summing it up,
 
- I do like bass, but the highs and the mids should still be clear and crisp because I LOVE guitars and pianos.
- Changeable cable and pads are a MUST
- Portability is a plus, but not a must
- I do own an amp. To be more precise: A good old DENON DRA-325, if that makes any difference.
- I want to listen on my phone (Nexus 5, if important) and at home on my PC, also for gaming. If the Impedence doesn't allow it to drive them through my onboard sound, I would take it and drive them with the amp all the time, if that changes something.
 
 
Thanks again for taking the time and all the replies.
 
~

 

[Notus]

I did not say anything about the M50x. I have not personally heard them but what i can tell from reviews, they are far from bass light. Actually they have very pronounced bass and treble.
V Shaped sound signature and some say the treble can be too hot causing fatigue. Also the reviews say the bass does bleed into the recessed mids.
But somebody who is familiar with them could make a better explanation how they sound.
 
Neutral usually means that the bass is more heard than felt. Nothing jumps out at you. At least that's what i have understood from reading / listening.
 
I cant really recommend any bass head headphones since i don't generally like pronounced bass.
But i think something like this could help you in the right direction.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/573826/the-basshead-club
 
And check this one also.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/715697/the-audiophile-bass-lounge-basshead-club-part-ii
 
The price's they mention there are mostly for US but you can get some ideas there.

 

[HowardBateman]

You make the M50x sound even more promising. I don't care much about the mids, since I like the typical Singlecoil/Strat's guitar sound over the Humbucker/Gibson's, what make's the treble more important than the mids (I think).
 
I will give these both phones a shot because I frickin love the visuals of the Marshall's and I don't want to give them up yet.
 
Thanks for your help, I will check back when I made my decision after A&B comparison.

 

[Arion]

Hello,

Maybe take a look at the Ultrasone Pro 2900's. They are great all-rounders in my opinion and also are very revealing so it should suit you since you said you liked analytical headphones. They have a removable cable and ear pads and the bass on them are pretty damn good as well as long as your not expecting bass quantity like the beats by dre headphones. I do have a pair for sale right now but continue to look at other options but I do think these might suit your needs.

Edit: they are also pretty good for hearing footsteps for gaming if that's also what your looking for.

Thanks,

Arion

 

[Notus]

Actually what i can tell from the reviews the M50x is considered better than the old M50 and i was talking more about the old M50 model. The treble is not so bothersome on the M50x according to the reviews and the mid's are not so recessed.

 

[HowardBateman]

As far as I heard, the M50x doesn't differ from the M50's sound wise. The only difference is the comfort and the detachable cable. Might be that the "softer" pads change a bit in the sound.
 
The Ultrasone PRO 2900 aren't an option by any means - way too expensive and they are open. Thanks for the advice though, I gonna look into some other Ultrasone models.
 
 
Thanks again ~

 

[Filter500]

  I did not say anything about the M50x. I have not personally heard them but what i can tell from reviews, they are far from bass light. Actually they have very pronounced bass and treble.
V Shaped sound signature and some say the treble can be too hot causing fatigue. Also the reviews say the bass does bleed into the recessed mids.
But somebody who is familiar with them could make a better explanation how they sound.

 
I have them, and agree with that description. 

 

[cel4145]

The Marshall Monitors definitely don't measure with the type of sound you are looking for: http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/marshall-major-heaphone-zound-industries

I'm pretty certain that the AKG K545 do have a detachable cable: