Sony - MDR-M1

My personal fav closed back right now is the Sony mdr m1. Fits all your criteria except maybe feeling premium. They are well built and super comfy but don't feel super preem. Awesome bass and sound sig for rock and metal because the highs are very non fatiguing you will have a lot of fun and they play loud. The audeze lcd s20 fits your bill in every way except it's got cables to each ear. For gaming focus and still good for music and wireless the audeze Maxwell works. The beyer dt700 pro and the 1770 are solid options. Try both see what you prefer.

I dont know much about wired headphones, I have an XM5 but it wasnt for me. The ANC is nice, but the sound felt a bit muffled and not as detailed as my open backs. Plus, when it gets hot, closed backs might become ovens for your ears. Often the first headphone to be recommended is the Sennheiser HD6 series, for good reason. The venerable headphone line has remained the standard for a neutral/correct sounding headphone since the release of the 600 back in 1998. If youre looking for more bass, consider the HD6XX. The 6XX is a repainted HD650 as sold by Drop.com for a lower price, around $179 on sale. This is a version of the HD600 tuned for extra bass and less treble, creating a more rich sound. If the 600 is plain tea, the 6XX is more akin to milk tea. This is a vocal focused headphone that does better with male or sustained vocals, making it pretty great for pop or alt rock. On the flipside, because of the less emphasised treble, some songs may sound veiled, as if listening to some instruments through a curtain. For example, the female vocals on ABBA's Dancing Queen sound masked on the 6XX, but sustained male vocals such as on d4vd's Feel It sound godly, like a flood of sound crashing against the inside of your head. That being said, I have tried 600 and 6XX, and I personally prefer the 6XX. The difference to me is quite subtle though. Additonally, the HD6 series headphones have pretty high impedance (resistance) so you may need an amp for these. Not an expensive one though, I use a $30 Fiio KA11 and my desktop volume is set to 18/100. Right now, I'm lusting over the Sony MDR-M1 closed back headphones. They have a more exciting V-shape response that amplifies the impact of EDM tracks rather than vocals. I only tried one for about 30 minutes, but it hits the right spot for me for genres like techno. Basically the complete opposite of the HD6 series headphones. Additonally, the MDR-M1 is easy to power, so you can run it out of anything. A more neutral closed back is the Fiio FT1, but I found that it wasn't much different from the pair of HD560s I was daily driving at the time so I didn't end up getting a pair. I prefer the more wide and clear sound of open backs. I've also heard good things about the AKG K371 and K361, both of which should be more neutral sounding closed back headphones. Going back to open backs, I think the HD560s is the better all rounder than the HD6 series headphones. You sacrifice a bit of sound quality as compared to the HD6 headphones. The 560 driver doesnt sound as resolving, like comparing 720p to 1080p, and the 560 generally sounds more boring. However, you get a wider soundstage and better imaging: basically the instruments feel more 3d and its easier to tell where each instrument is playing from. Additionally, the tuning of the HD560s isn't far off that of the HD600, and when I compare my 6XX to my 560, I feel that my 6XX isn't significantly better, maybe 15% better at most for music. Because of the better 3d sound effect, the 560s is the better headphone for gaming, orchestra, or game OST music. I'll end it by saying that for most music, the 600 series is be better, but the 560s is more versatile, cheaper and easier to power. (I have tried the "improved" HD560s, the HD550, and I felt that it sounded so completely wrong that I couldn't listen to it for more than 1 minute. It sounded very muffled, as if I was underwater.) There are *many* headphones in this price bracket, and I think you should try as many as you can. I only listed the ones I own or left an impression on me.

I have the Sony MDR M1, they cost $249 retail. the sound quality is pretty great, with better quality ear pads.

The A306 can do wireless with your XM5. If you connect it wired, the signature will be slightly different because you are not using the DAC from the headphone anymore. If this is your objective, try the XM5 wired and see if you like it first. I feel the A306 pairs well with Sony's own MDR-M1 (closed) and MDR-MV1 (open back). Gives these headphones a little warmth making it a relaxed listen. These have decent build quality and should fit within your budget range as well.

the MDR M1 is very good, great full range sound quality with better quality pads. for mine I have the Brainwavz perforated vegan leather pads that are made for the Meze 99 Classic. they fit perfectly and really improve the sound quality of them.

Just buy a Sony MDR-M1, miles better sound quality and less regrets

Yes, I like both the focals more than the FT1. The glasses thing isn't too crazy, especially for the radiance (because it's a bassy boi). If you're just getting into the hobby and wanna justify the FT1, I'd say do it. It's a great introduction to the hobby and to what good closed-back headphones are. I'd easily take it over the HD620S, Ath-m50x, any Beyerdynamic, and probably the Sony MDR-7506. That said, the Azurys and Radiance easily win out in detail retrieval and dynamism. For the Azurys, get a capra strap if you have a smaller head since the bass response can change depending on clamp force. Recognizing my preferences here, I typically prefer neutral or neutral-bright leaning sets, especially since I'm studying to be a theatrical sound designer. My favorite closed backs that I've tried of late include the DCA E3, Azurys, and Sony MDR-M1. While I like the FT1, it's not nearly as resolving or natural, and it's also not built as well as the others (and definitely needs some help in comfort). I'd definitely recommend trying before buying (or buying from a place with a good return policy) if you can, and I hope this helps! Happy listening :>

The best semi affordable to me would be the MV1 for open and M1 for closed.

https://www.sony.co.uk/headphones/products/mdr-m1 Probably the most comfortable lightweight headphones I have every used.

my Sony MDR M1 with better quality aftermarket earpads, they fit "just right".

Couple things here but first just to preface I also own an FT1 and I'm probably gonna try selling it pretty soon. I enjoyed it, but not enough to keep it. I also own other headphones (both open and closed) including HD600, focal Azurys, and HE1000 Unveiled. First off, to echo another comment, it takes a bit of time to get used to a new sound signature. I'd recommend giving the FT1 an honest try for about a week or so before you truly write them off. That said, they are on the bassier side so I'm not surprised if you find them muddy. Second, to dive a little more into the tuning, I found them to lack a bit of clarity in the top end. Also, the extra bass is decently fun but the FT1 doesn't have the impact/dynamics to back it up. I have tried the FT1 across a decent variety of sources. Imo it doesn't make much of a difference (and tbh sources don't make too much difference to me anyways). If you want to get a new DAC for future proofing purposes though I'd recommend the moondrop dawn pro (I think they recently released a second one but I haven't tried it yet. Might grab it if shenzhenaudio has a sale lol) or if you want Bluetooth convenience Fiio BTR15. Third, acoustic impedance and HRTF. Closed back headphones can vary pretty greatly from head to head, and having a good seal will also impact whether the headphone "works" or not. If you wear glasses, try taking them off and see if it makes a difference. You can also try shifting them on your head or making the headband adjustment smaller to get a bit more clamp force. I'm not saying these WILL make a difference, but they CAN so they're worth trying out imo. I think the other reason for the FT1 hype is that there isn't much that sounds as good as it does in that price range. That said, the Sony MDR-7506 is quite popular and good, and I personally liked the audio technica ATH-M40x over the more popular M50x (cleaner, less muddy in the low end imo). You can also easily get better sound if you go in-ear or open-back imo, but I digress. If you want to or are able to splurge a little, I'd honestly recommend the new Sony MDR-M1. It's a more neutral 7506 that's more comfortable and with better technicalities. I'd recommend buying from somewhere with a good return policy if you can or demo it somewhere before you buy, but I don't think you'd regret it if you did go for it. Sorry for long post, and I hope this helps! Feel free to ask any questions you have. Happy listening! :>

my modded Senny HD6xx, the full range sound quality is "just right" in my opinion. they aren't high end of course, but they sound very good. as good as my Sony MDR M1.

I haven't tried too much, but for the record, I love my Sony MDR-M1 headphones, and I've replaced my 990 pro 250 ohm with them! Very clean, crisp and deep sounding, plus they're very responsive to EQ!! Only one thing that some might not like: they're Vocal centred more than anything else, due the fact that they're Studio headphones.

they have a well balanced sound, nothing added or taken away. the treble is clear but not harsh at all, the midrange is just right, the bass is clear not too much or too little. I do suggest different pads, my pads are the Brainwavz perforated vegan leather in deep red. they are made for the Meze 99 Classic, they fit the Sony M1 and 7506 perfectly. they look great and really improve the sound quality of them, the pads are very good quality with a very decent price.

Sony MDR-M1 is very lightweight and comfortable. I use them for music, game and youtube content.

They were redesigned last year.

Thankfully, i have no problem whatsoever with the cable, especially with that excellent sound quality and exceptional weight of the headphones (200g only). Despite i have tried most of premium bluetooth headphones (300€-1000€) nothing of them come even close to the sound quality i get from the Sony MDR-M1!. P.S i have added a magsafe ring to the fiio ka17, so it hold on the my iphone on its own.

I believe the sound is better than my XM5's. It feels more like the sound I get from my MDR-M1. I don't use the EQ. I believe the XM5's have excellent ANC, XM6's is a continuation of that lineage.