I have not had the M2, but I had the original MDR 1A and I think the are fairly similar. It was a very comfy headphone. They are light and the headband and ear pads are very well padded. They are not built nearly as solid as the DT770 but they have a nice clean look and they are sturdy enough. Speaking about the sound from memory they have a nice warmer sound signature. Not as detailed as the Beyers but also the treble is much more tame. They had a good amount of bass. Probably not quite as impactful as the Beyers but it’s pretty prominent. I don’t remember their imaging or soundstage to be stand out characteristics so I think they were probably average. It’s been a while since I’ve heard them and I’ve owned several headphones since I’ve had these, so hopefully my memory is serving me well.
Do you need a closed back for isolation? If not the AQ Nighthawks are the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn and you could find them used cheaper than the DT177x. You could also try to find a pair of Nightowls if you really need a closed back. Not the same sound as the Nighthawks from what I’ve been told, but still probably a solid choice.
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