Your Recommendations - high quality travel cans

[alanee]

Looking for your expert recommendations for a pair of very nice sounding, comfortable to wear, closed back headphones.
I travel with very old, beat up sennheiser hd497’s and have a pair of HD650’s (which are a touch polite for me) for home use.
I listen to rock, indie, acoustic and jazz.

I prefer a warmer sound, detailed yes, but with no harsh/bright highs and must have solid bass - I am fine with a ‘coloured’ sound, neutrality is not important to me.

Don’t need noise cancellation, but don’t mind it if it doesn’t compromise the sound quality.
Not looking for wireless or bluetooth or the like.
Looks also not important / valued.
Must by drivable from i-phone without additional amp for travel.

I normally buy used kit to get more bang for buck, budget around $150-$350

Any thoughts?

 

[Slashn77]

Even a used set is out of your price range but if you want a very high quality closed back that is very portable with amazing bass but never bleeds into mids I would have to recommend the Campfire Audio Cascades.

They are comfortable and built to last and fold completely up and also have a great cable perfect length of about 4 feet and no microphonics I would look for them used in the classifieds.

Over than those and something well within your price range with solid bass are v moda M100s or v moda cross fades. Can be wired or Bluetooth and are also portable with good bass but the sound quality doesn’t touch the more expensive Cascades

 

[alanee]

thanks slashn77,
yes, the campfires are out of reach (sadly)

I checked out the moda’s online and they get very mixed press here in the uk, some are very negative on comfort and clarity.
would need to demo to form my own view.

 

[Slashn77]

thanks slashn77,
yes, the campfires are out of reach (sadly)

I checked out the moda’s online and they get very mixed press here in the uk, some are very negative on comfort and clarity.
would need to demo to form my own view.

Unfortunately audiophile grade closed back headphones are already harder to find than open backs but when you add portability, being driven off an iPhone and $150-350 there really isn’t anything that isn’t mass consumer beats bose etc.

I actually had the Bose QC 35 and the comfort and style was amazing but the sound was very under whelming.
Also a lot of NC headphones give you a cabin pressure feeling in your head which is very irritating.

I don’t know if you’re stuck on headphones but if you want audiophile grade portable with good isolation I would look into IEMs.
There are some great options under $400 that will sound amazing off an iPhone

Good luck

 

[Mhog55]

Have you looked into the 1 more triple driver over ear (silver edition with graphene drivers)? Check out the thread in this sub section when you have a chance. I think it could be a good fit for ya.

 

[Cruelhand Luke]

The Philips Fidelio L2 fits the bill...it's technically semi open, but it's a very closed semi open, not a lot of sound leakage. They are made to be a portable, super easy to drive, low ohm/high efficiency. I don't know how much isolation you require, but I would look into them.
edit
Meze 99...Neo or Classic, they might also work for you.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Looking for your expert recommendations for a pair of very nice sounding, comfortable to wear, closed back headphones.
I travel with very old, beat up sennheiser hd497’s and have a pair of HD650’s (which are a touch polite for me) for home use.
I listen to rock, indie, acoustic and jazz.

I prefer a warmer sound, detailed yes, but with no harsh/bright highs and must have solid bass - I am fine with a ‘coloured’ sound, neutrality is not important to me.

Don’t need noise cancellation, but don’t mind it if it doesn’t compromise the sound quality.
Not looking for wireless or bluetooth or the like.
Looks also not important / valued.
Must by drivable from i-phone without additional amp for travel.

I normally buy used kit to get more bang for buck, budget around $150-$350

Any thoughts?

Focal Spirit Pro

 

[pocketmoon]

Interested such cans too.

Will Shure SRH1540 work? Not so portable though

 

[alanee]

thanks for all feedback
unfortunately anything other than 100% closed back is ruled out due to leakage, the phillips did seem nice otherwise.
also leaning heavily toward the larger over ear cups for comfort / isolation and it seems like noise cancelling also = compromised SQ so they are out.

based on your feedback and net searching now thinking my best 2x options are

• Shure SRH1540 (used)
• Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 (new)

Are the Shures that much better to justify 2x the price?
The reviews suggest they are but unfortunately I can’t demo a pair.

 

[alanee]

Thanks everyone, took the plunge on pair of used Shure SRH1540 and well within budget too!
Can’t wait until Friday to take delivery.

 

[alanee]

Shures now in place....very, very pleased

 

[monini13]

shures are nice! i like them for vocals