Rode - NTH-100

Everyone saying HD25 which is fair but if you're mixing in headphones with no speakers I'd want something over ear, not on ear. I really like my Rode NTH-100's, I'd say they have a kinda neutral presentation but leaning towards darker/warmer rather than cold/analytical. They resolve details nicely while not being fatiguing, have a decent sound stage for closed backs and a pleasant amount of low end. They have nice deep ear pads with cooling gel in them and a locking headband that keeps your preferred size. The website presents them as "Incredible Accuracy, Exceptional Clarity" but personally I'd say they're way too forgiving to truly be called a studio monitor.

Rode NTH-100's, £89 on amazon right now down from an average price of £111 (they don't usually sell at the £149 MSRP). Nicely resolving but with a darker sound that isn't fatiguing to my ears, not as warm as my Sennheiser HD599's but they're my favourite closed backs at the moment. I wouldn't buy them for portable usage since they don't fold and the cable is quite microphonic, but for at home they're killer, I'd probably pay upwards of £200 for them without feeling ripped off honestly.

They're just my general music/content/gaming headphones at my desk, driven by my faithful FiiO E10K, local flac files but also a lot of DJ mixes via soundcloud/youtube. I swap between them and my Rode NTH-100's, both EQ'd using AutoEQ which to my ears makes an fair improvement to both, for the 599's it makes them a little less warm and mid heavy and brings out some nice but still controlled low end. I guess the best way to describe why I use them over my 6XX's would be perhaps what put you off - they do sound a little closed in and uninspired, but I kinda like that? Sometimes the 6XX's made me feel like I was listening to the headphones rather than the music at times. I do need to go back to the 6XX's though, I was using Yaxi pads with them which made them a little muddy, and once they got old that problem only got worse.

If you won’t mind the fixed coily cable, you could get the Sony MDR-7506 and use the extra for more comfortable earpads. They sound flat (which you may or not prefer) and can get a bit “trebly” even, but I found that my tone sounded fine through them. They are also lightweight and I can wear them for hours (even with thicker replacement pads) I also had experience with the Rode NTH-100 which sounded fuller and had less aggressive highs than the 7506s. Plus, it has a detachable cable and get this, you can plug the cable on either side! I believe they originally retailed for about 180-190usd you can get them nowadays for 130-150usd. Only thing I didn’t get along with it is the weight — yes it is comfortable and its pads are thick enough to cup my ears properly which also provided good isolation. But I start to notice the weight and clamping force after around half an hour of using them. Your mileage may vary of course. Now I’m waiting to get the Beyerdynamic DT-700 Pro X on sale, hopefully third time’s the charm

Rode NTH 100. Flies under the radar. Clear, neutral sound, lifetime warranty and unbelievable value

Rode make a pair that are incredible for the price. NTH-100. Optional mic too

I have the A50X in white, they're solid but not my main. I use RODE NTH100s for the flat EQ and more specifically, the ear cup things... they fit over my ears, which are bigger due to stretching them in my teens. A50X also fits over my ears comfortably, but I don't really care for how bassy they sound, but GHUB has some great profiles available and you can pretty easily make your own EQ band. The RODEs I bought specifically for mixing music and videos, but eventually I just got tired of swapping between the two and barely touch my A50Xs. My A50Xs are almost a year old, the charger has caused burn marks in certain areas of the headset, concerning... The first time I plugged them into my PC, I had to adjust the balance... They're comfy enough but I can not wear them as long as my RODEs. I barely notice my RODEs. Overall, happy I got em, I didn't even know they were being hyped, I just thought they looked cool... They have enough features for me to keep around and I wouldn't sell em due to the charger burning the headset, I actually need to contact Logitech about that tbh, I've just been putting it off as I've got the headset boxed up right now haha.

I have a pair of Rode NTH-100s that I use with the IR-2. They are super comfortable and within your price range.

If we limit only to those that we've owned: * S | Kennerton Arkona - Semi-closed back. Imo the best sounding one on the market and was the reason i bought it. Compared to other closed planars, it doesn't sacrifice almost any of the details, yet sounds fun and engaging. * A | Fostex T40RP Mk3 - Closed backs that sound quite clear thanks to bright FR, but sounds a bit unbalanced thanks to that. Still, for the price, nothing beats this budget planar from what I've tried, especially any DDs headphones. * B | Meze 99 Classics - Closed backs. Sound is nice and warm, sacrificing some of the details for that. FR response is definitely tuned towards strings, making listening to guitar very pleasant, sometimes even better than HD660s2 in that regard. * C | Rode NTH-100 - Closed backs. Quite bassy and lacks details in the upper ranga. Tho, not as forward as other DDs, so could suit those who prefer planar sound.

I've had two pairs that were under constant use of being used outside: Meze 99 Classic, Rode NTH-100 and Fostex T40RP. The longest one was the Meze 99 Classic and they were in like new conditions after two years while being used every season and even in the gym. I don't know why people are so afraid of using headphones outside.

What is the purpose of the gear if one doesn't use it? With proper care headphones will easily handle outside use in reasonable conditions. Tho, yes, cable will get in the way when in the gym. I usually use them only during cardio. In the end it just comes down to: will you sacrifice your mobility for the quality.