[Banana Wackeys]

Forgive me if this has been asked many times before, but i'm new here and still haven't gotten used to the whole system yet. (prepare for a wall of text - there is a TL;DR below if you must)
 
Anyways, i have IEM's, but i find the silicon inserts going deep into my ear canal both uncomfortable and scary, because i fear that the good grip it has on the inside of my ear canals will cause it to pull off inside my ear ~shudder~ So, i'm looking for an over-ear headphone model, since they're so darn comfortable. The problem is, i'm having trouble deciding. Right now, i'm stuck between the Sennheiser HD-280 PRO and the Audio-Technica ATH-M50. The price on the M50 dropped to $106 on Amazon, so that takes the price factor out. My main gripes are that M50 doesn't have a detachable cable, and the 280 does, and the M50 doesn't have as much isolation as the 280, but at the same time, the M50 has a better balance in sound quality, which i read on this website http://www.headphoneinfo.com/content/Sennheiser-HD-280-Professional-Over-ear-Headphones-Review/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50-Comparison.html
And i also hear that the 280 has an uncomfortable clamping force, and some Amazon reviewers say that it's uncomfortable for folks with semi-large heads. And the M50 has better build quality, so it is told.
 
 
TL;DR
 
So, which is better, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50, or the Sennheiser HD-280 PRO? And, do you have any other suggestions?
My criteria:
-Good isolation
-Less than $150
-Durable
-Detachable cable (if possible)
-Not-too-long cable
-comfortable
-Over-ear
I listen to pretty much everything (minus Country and modern Rap/Hip-Hop and Pop, which tends to have a bit more bass than that of previous decades), if that matters.
 
Thanks!

 

[Banana Wackeys]

Bump

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

Forgive me if this has been asked many times before, but i'm new here and still haven't gotten used to the whole system yet. (prepare for a wall of text - there is a TL;DR below if you must)
 
Anyways, i have IEM's, but i find the silicon inserts going deep into my ear canal both uncomfortable and scary, because i fear that the good grip it has on the inside of my ear canals will cause it to pull off inside my ear ~shudder~ So, i'm looking for an over-ear headphone model, since they're so darn comfortable. The problem is, i'm having trouble deciding. Right now, i'm stuck between the Sennheiser HD-280 PRO and the Audio-Technica ATH-M50. The price on the M50 dropped to $106 on Amazon, so that takes the price factor out. My main gripes are that M50 doesn't have a detachable cable, and the 280 does, and the M50 doesn't have as much isolation as the 280, but at the same time, the M50 has a better balance in sound quality, which i read on this website http://www.headphoneinfo.com/content/Sennheiser-HD-280-Professional-Over-ear-Headphones-Review/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50-Comparison.html
And i also hear that the 280 has an uncomfortable clamping force, and some Amazon reviewers say that it's uncomfortable for folks with semi-large heads. And the M50 has better build quality, so it is told.
 
 
TL;DR
 
So, which is better, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50, or the Sennheiser HD-280 PRO? And, do you have any other suggestions?
My criteria:
-Good isolation
-Less than $150
-Durable
-Detachable cable (if possible)
-Not-too-long cable
-comfortable
-Over-ear
I listen to pretty much everything (minus Country and modern Rap/Hip-Hop and Pop, which tends to have a bit more bass than that of previous decades), if that matters.
 
Thanks!

Have you looked into the SRH840? Replaceable cable, very, very durable, isolation is really good as well. Good all-rounder, much better than the HD280 IMO.The clamp on the Senns is an issue. 

 

[Banana Wackeys]

Quote:

Have you looked into the SRH840? Replaceable cable, very, very durable, isolation is really good as well. Good all-rounder, much better than the HD280 IMO.The clamp on the Senns is an issue. 

Yeah, i have. A bit out of my price range :/ Although if the isolation is noticeably better than that of the M50, i could splurge a little.

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

Yeah, i have. A bit out of my price range :/ Although if the isolation is noticeably better than that of the M50, i could splurge a little.

The SRH440 is a bit lower priced, but not too much of a decrease in SQ. The isolation is slightly better than the M50, but I think it makes all the difference.

 

[Banana Wackeys]

Quote:

The SRH440 is a bit lower priced, but not too much of a decrease in SQ. The isolation is slightly better than the M50, but I think it makes all the difference.

Is there really much of a difference between the 440 and 840 models?

 

[TwinQY]

Quote:

Is there really much of a difference between the 440 and 840 models?

Not too much. Just slightly less extension and detail. 

 

[Banana Wackeys]

Quote:

Not too much. Just slightly less extension and detail. 

Well, i'm not an audiophile so i guess that won't be much of an issue
After careful consideration, i've decided to go with the M50's, but thank you for aiding me in my journey of deciding what to get.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Just to give some counterpoint - I've been an IEM user for 15+ years and I've never had a tip get stuck in my ear canal. I've had the tip come off while it was in my ear a couple of times - but the tip was easy to extract. I suspect you might need to try some different size & type of tips. Perhaps a slightly larger tip would provide a good seal without requiring it to be so deeply seated. You didn't say which IEMs you have, but if they take a common size of tip, then I would recommend you try Comply and/or Shure black olive tips. I find IEMs more comfortable to wear for extended periods than full-sized, closed cans. There is no issue with clamping force, top of the head pressure or sweaty ear cups - and I think the isolation is much superior. Just my 2 cents...

 

[rlynch]

I have the M50s and I think they fit just about everything on your list except the detachable cable and long cable. If you are worried about the long cable, you should get the coiled version since it's a bit shorter. They are extremely comfortable, very isolating, great sound especially after burn in.