[147500]

I recently purchased a Zune HD which I'm receiving tomorrow and I was doing some research into some entry level audiophile headphones. I came across the Audio Technica ATH M50s and the reviews are phenomenal across the board from what I have read. I'm currently using the Audio Technica ATH AD700 for music and gaming and I love them. My question is... Would you class the M50s as portable ready headphones? I'm not referring to the fact that they collapse but more along the lines of their size. I don't want to wear headphones outside that are definitely not portable looking. Feedback is appreciated. thanks
 
(Feel free to give suggestions on other headphone Zune HD friendly around the $100 price range)

 

[Slaughter]

They are bigger than what most people would consider portable, but I think they are fine. Look at the pics on the dummy head to determine if they are too big for you: http://www.headphone.com/headphones/audio-technica-ath-m50.php

 

[DevienT]

You won't want to rock those on the street for very long without becoming annoyed by thier size, even just around your neck, trust me on this one. At least if you want to wear them allot.
 I tried many different ones including the Beyer DT770, Sony MDR V700, for portable use, before finally getting the Pioneer SE-MJ31, which I found to be the perfect portable headphone and sounds amazing. I got them for $90usd and I think they can be found cheaper.

 

[mikop]

Here is the size comparison of a portable headphone (esw9) and M50
 

 
Guy wearing esw9
 

 
Pic of a guy wearing M50 about halfway down the page
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/474208/at-m50-vs-beats-by-dre-studio-which-is-better/45

 

[Trysaeder]

I think i'm not the only one who can wear the ESW9 circumaurally.

 

[Adub]

Quote:

You won't want to rock those on the street for very long without becoming annoyed by thier size, even just around your neck, trust me on this one. At least if you want to wear them allot.

Not really, i use mine as my main portable headphones and i've never been annoyed.

 

[soundeffect]

Wow,  The esw9 seem bigger than I expected.  They look bigger than the es7 and they cover the whole ear.  That person wearing the headphone is wrong, he cover his face, but expose the guy in the background. lol. Funny.

 
To the OP,  They are portable for you to carry around from one place to another, but I don't know about walking around with them though.  They aren't exactly portable in that sense, they can be slightly big and on the heavy side for walking around also unfolding/folding them can take some patient while standing.  Plus, I can see them getting your ears hot being actively walking.  If you using them to transport from one location to another and use it for indoor stationary then they can be portable.
 
Beside that they are nice, sturdy, and produce beautiful sound for around $100.

 

[Trysaeder]

Wow, the M50 is pretty hard to drive on paper.
K702: 105 dB/V, 62 ohms
M50: 99 dB/V, 38 ohms
 
I find that it sounds reaaaallly nice with my M³ bass boost. I'm not a basshead but I love those clubs where you can feel the bass.

 

[Adub]

In reality the M50 are quite easy to drive without having to resort to a portable amp.

 

[DevienT]

 
Quote:

Quote:

You won't want to rock those on the street for very long without becoming annoyed by thier size, even just around your neck, trust me on this one. At least if you want to wear them allot.

Not really, i use mine as my main portable headphones and i've never been annoyed.

To each his own, I found full size cans just to much to have around my neck all day. If you can deal with it, great. The pioneers are even smaller than those ESW9's shown in this thread, they nearly cover the ear, so I find them perfect and they are under $100 with a $300+ sound.
 

 

[Aizura]

Spend a little bit more (or buy used) and get the Sennheiser HD25-1 II instead. They sound better than the M50 and are even easier to drive.
They are very lightweight and compact, I have mine around my neck all the time and hardly notice them. They're also pretty much the most durable headphones out there, which is quite important if you're gonna take expensive equipment outside.

 

[mcnoiserdc]

Well they are not as big as it seems you find them. They are the right size for portable and close.
 
Quote:

Wow,  The esw9 seem bigger than I expected.  They look bigger than the es7 and they cover the whole ear.  That person wearing the headphone is wrong, he cover his face, but expose the guy in the background. lol. Funny.

 
To the OP,  They are portable for you to carry around from one place to another, but I don't know about walking around with them though.  They aren't exactly portable in that sense, they can be slightly big and on the heavy side for walking around also unfolding/folding them can take some patient while standing.  Plus, I can see them getting your ears hot being actively walking.  If you using them to transport from one location to another and use it for indoor stationary then they can be portable.
 
Beside that they are nice, sturdy, and produce beautiful sound for around $100.

 

[jononku]

I find them fine for portable use, which I use them for about 80% of the time.  I use them every day for 1) my bus ride to/from work (1 hour each way on a private bus line, not your standard noisy city bus), 2) to walk the dog at night, which is normally about 40 mins to an hour.  I also use them with a PA2V2 amp, which is itself very portable.
 

 

[Adub]

The TMA1 should also be considered as they are superior to the HD25 II in every way, though they are rather new they are easily one of the best portable cans you can get at the moment.
 
The HD25 II are an option but they are just trumped by the TMA1, and as well the M50 outshine the HD25 in the bass department while maintaining those sparkly highs they are also known for.

 

[soundeffect]

okay picture lies! the esw9's are small much smaller than what I had pictured in my mind. very portable in my opinion and perfect in size, big enough to be comfortable on the ears. the only thing is, I'm not sure about how rough I can be with them though. I guess that is where the hard case comes to play. The M50 are big compare to these.