Meze Audio - 99 Classics (2nd Gen)

You could go for a Meze headphone and add their boom mic accessory (https://mezeaudio.com/products/boom-mic) Depending on your budget you could go for a 99 Neo https://mezeaudio.com/products/99-neo for $199 99 classic walnut for $309 https://mezeaudio.com/products/meze-99-classics-walnut-silver-wood-headphones Or the open back 105 AER for $399 https://mezeaudio.com/products/105-aer In my opinion they sound really good for the price, and they look really good, at least to me. All locally crafted in Romania so you're directly supporting the European economy. The one caveat being that they're not wireless. Edit : and I think they'd look dope in meetings, no flashy lights, and the walnut is really classy if you're going for that one. No gamer design here

Your criteria need to be... \- Dynamic drivers \- No battery \- Wired with a removable cable \- Sturdy construction \- No pleather \- Designed for repairability, with easy disassembly Maybe consider the Meze 99 Classics V2? Great headphone, affordable, should last forever if you take care of it. Only thing it's missing is that the headphone does use pleather, which does wear down over time. But I don't know of any in this price bracket that do use genuine leather and the pleather is replacable on the 99 classics. If wireless is a must consider the Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless. While they do not fit many of the criteria above, you can swap out the pads and headband as needed, and most importantly the battery is replacable, so you can make them last forever by swapping out the batteries if you ever experience any issues.

The newer Meze 99 classics v2 have fixed a lot of the issues with their tuning and are a straight upgrade on the fiio ft1s in your price point. Just make sure you get the v2.

I just went shopping for a pair of wired closed back cans and stumbled on the Meze 99 Classics V2 and was super impressed with the gorgeous sound and build quality, especially for ~$350 and played with and without a separate DAC/AMP. My first serious headphones were Grado SR60 more than 20 years ago and Sennheiser HD-25 a few years later. I have no doubt the Meze will still be functional and repairable for a couple of decades, which adds a lot of bang in the long run. https://www.headfonia.com/meze-99-classics-v2-review/

Given you already have a great reference open back, I would suggest giving the Meze 99 Classics v2 a listen. They are very engaging headphones without going over the top with their own signature, which can be physically tuned using the “acoustic absorbers” included in the box or the “paper towel mod” as described in the Headohones.com review. Of course you can also run them bone stock for less warmth. Beyond their sound and sense of openness for a closed back, I most appreciate their comfort and excellent passive attenuation. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xiqt9SHDPPk

I have the updated version of the Meze 99 Classics (the v2) and their build quality is actually better than the Fiio with all parts serviceable. They are more neutral than the first 99 Classics and I find the worth their $350 price. Not sure if you want to top $300 u/Kodoku94, but I would suggest a listen if that’s doable. The passive isolation on the Meze is quite a bit better than the Fiio, but it’s worth mentioning the metal headband of the Meze is very resonant when touched.

Focal will pretty much max out your budget since their models are $500+ new. I think Meze could be a good fit since something like the Meze 99 v2 is more similar to the AKG K340 than the others (at least the K340 I heard was somewhat V-shaped with nice bass and fast treble), while also being capable of using on-the-go. You could also try the Meze 105 Silva for open-back. Either way, their brand is pretty luxurious looking. For Sennheiser, there's of course the legendary HD600 series. The HD6XX is a steal for its price and I think could fill the spot for a more relaxing, midrange-focused set. It won't be the best for electronic, but I think for the other genres it does amazing because of how natural it makes instruments and vocals sound. Hifiman's Edition XS would definitely be something different, that spaciousness is really the strength of Hifiman's collection. But yeah, you're rolling the dice with the QC more than the other brands.

Without EQ, HDB 630, no question. With EQ... I'm actually going to say 99 V2, for the sole reason that it's likely to have better in-situ channel balance given the differences in mechanical design. But if we're talking anything goes EQ, we're splitting hairs a bit here.

Meze 99 = good bass Meze 99 Classics gen2 has a good eq stock too

Neither of those have good bass. The MDR is pretty bright and the M50x is balanced. If you want more bass than normal check out the Harmonicsoul x Z-reviews Eris, or the Meze 99 classic v2 if you want a bit more balance but still bassy

So, there is a lot to unpack here. 1. AirPods Pro are actually great sounding earbuds, so you’re starting from a good place. 2. You’re right to move away from the APMs and XM4/5, although you may enjoy the Apple sound. Bang for the buck, it’s good about tech, though, not sound. 3. You can do a LOT with just wired headphones, if you’re OK with that. Not all of them need amps. A great example is the Grado sr325x: great sound, easy to drive. There are plenty of others in the wired world worth considering. If you prefer bass, for example, the Meze 99 Classic or 99 Noir would be good. For something more neutral, the HifiMan Ananda. All of these work great with just a $9 Apple dongle. And even if you DO need an amp, something like an iFi Go Link Max would fulfill any needs you have with modern headphones, so a Sennheiser 6xx + one of those would get you where you want. 4. If you’re dead set on wireless, check out the Sennheiser Momentum 4, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (which often sells for under $400), and the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 or S2e. (The S3 comes in at over $400.) All of these have decidedly different sound, and it will depend on what you like. Given your experience with the AirPods, the Sennheiser is probably your best bet. 5. Finally, for $350, you can find an incredible IEM, which might get you exactly where you want: the best sound for the money. But “best” is very relative here, since physics starts to play into the overall picture. Best of luck!

Grado SR80e's or the AKG K240s. I have a pair of Meze Classics but they mostly live in the case.