Upgrade From Audio Technica M50?

[AfxTwn]

Hi, I'd like some advice about getting an upgrade from my ATH-M50's as they're starting to flake around the headband and pads and bits of leather coming off everywhere. I have a budget of around £200-300 but if there's something exceptional then I don't mind raising that.

I will be using the headphones for both music production/mixing and general music listening. I like all sorts of genres; electronic, dance, rock, inide, alternmative, folk etc etc so I'd like something that's a relative good all-rounder if such a thing exists.

I don't mind whether they're closed or open as I'll be using them on my own and don't need to worry about anyone else hearing any leakage or other outside sound getting in.

I have owned some AKG K550's before but I found their treble a little too harsh (unless I happened to have a bad pair) so I'd like to avoid that or any other over-emphasis in any particular area as this could cause bad mixes for when I'm making music.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[rich51080]

For £200 I would go for these beauties http://www.alessandro-products.com/main.php?p=headphones

I own the MS2i and they are amazing!!!!! Great for all genres but really excel with guitars and vocals.

If you buy them direct you do not pay postage and you get the currency return - at $299 they would set you back around £180 which is a steal.

Thats where my money would go.

 

[dalethorn]

Hi, I'd like some advice about getting an upgrade from my ATH-M50's as they're starting to flake around the headband and pads and bits of leather coming off everywhere. I have a budget of around £200-300 but if there's something exceptional then I don't mind raising that.

I will be using the headphones for both music production/mixing and general music listening. I like all sorts of genres; electronic, dance, rock, inide, alternmative, folk etc etc so I'd like something that's a relative good all-rounder if such a thing exists.

I don't mind whether they're closed or open as I'll be using them on my own and don't need to worry about anyone else hearing any leakage or other outside sound getting in.

I have owned some AKG K550's before but I found their treble a little too harsh (unless I happened to have a bad pair) so I'd like to avoid that or any other over-emphasis in any particular area as this could cause bad mixes for when I'm making music. Thanks for any suggestions.

I like the Musical Fidelity MF200, although it has a strong clamp, and may have too much highs for you. Next to that is the B&O H6, slightly over £300 but possibly not the right signature...

 

[AfxTwn]

I'm not really sure about the M-S 2's as I will also have to pay import tax which can end up being quite expensive, so I'd prefer to get something in the UK.

The B&O's look quite good but at the moment I'm thinking maybe the Philips Fidelio X2 might be good or some Shure SRH1540's.

 

[MajorFubar]

Have you considered the M70X? Same in-house sound so you don't have to re-learn what your mixes sound like on new phones, but just that bit better. Only people who record and produce will appreciate the significance of not having to re-learn all your mixes through different-sounding phones (or monitor speakers).

 

[rich51080]

I never paid any import tax on mine as Alessandro declared them as a gift.

The Ms2i would destroy the headphones you have mentioned. The Shures are veiled and the AKG K550 at 300 pound less are better sounding.

B&O are style over sound like Bose.

Regards

Rich

 

[AfxTwn]

Good idea about the M70x's, I hadn't thought about the next level up from the M50's and the M70's have got good reviews. I think I'll look into those.

I'm still not sure about those Alessandro/Grado headphones as reviews of them are quite thin on the ground and it seems like a big risk to order a pair from America as it will be a bit of mess about sending them back again if I don't like them. I think I'm too much of a wimp to buy a pair without seeing other reviews from the usual sources I go to.

 

[JoelSim]

The AIAIAI TMA-2 Young Guru sound like just the thing for you. Good for production, mixing and for the genres of music you mentioned. And you can change earpads or drivers as you wish.

 

[rich51080]

go to www.headfi.org and do a search for Alessandro ms2i.

They are highly rated.

 

[AfxTwn]

I just had a look through some of the threads about the Alessandro MS2i's over on HeadFi and you're right, people generally do like them. Again, my only issue is that music-press reviews are thin on the ground and I'm not sure if they will be too warm-sounding? Perhaps I should just get a pair and decide for myself.

As for the AIAIAI's, they do seem like good headphones and being modular you can pretty much make-up whatever combination you want. I'm not sure if they're perhaps catered a bit too much for the DJ/electronic musician and whether they won't sound quite as good with non-electronic music but I'm sure I could get a combination of parts that would suit my needs.

I just can't make a decision at the moment, too much choice out there! I'm really tempted by the M70X's as from what I've read, they sound like they'll be more neutral and provide a much more accurate base for when I'm mixing but as I do probably a 70/30 split between music listening and production (in favour of just listening), then perhaps I would regret getting something that's too accurate and flat? I suppose ideally I want two pairs, one for mixing and one for just listening but I know I'll end up just gravitating to one pair more than the others through laziness and it seems silly to just have a pair lying around doing nothing.

The only thing I have to compare headphones to at the moment are my M50's which sound great to me and I remember when I got some AKG K550's and really didn't like their more harsh/clinical treble and high sound, I immediately went back to the M50's. Will the M70x's be too similar to the K550's? I don't know, just can't make my mind up really what to get.

 

[MajorFubar]

Oh for some kind of outlet on the street where you could compare all these products and decide what's right for you based upon the experience of listening to them. We could call it something like "a HiFi shop". Nah. It'd never take off.

On serious note some HiFi shops (what remain of them) do stock a limited choice of headphones, and chances are if you are not too far from a pro-audio shop they might stock some as well. But obviously you're not going to find anywhere which (officially) stocks products that aren't (officially) imported into this country, such as the Alessandro MS2i.

 

[dalethorn]

I assume that the Alessandros would be very good, like a warmer Grado. But the AIAIAI is tuned way differently, and compared to my other DJ headphones, yes - a "DJ sound".