Headphone Upgrade Path: Electrostatic vs Dynamic vs Planar

[Soniclife]

That is very possible. Outside of the car stereo it's hp or nothing for me sadly. I just don't think I'm very fussy though.

It's either brain in, or individual HRTFs are so diverse it's almost pointless discussing this.

 

[Unclevanya]

I'm not personally in the ~60% that likes the Harman target response.

I'm in that ~20% group that prefers less bass than the Harman target curve.

Possibly due to my dominant music genre choices (jazz, classical), or the fact that I play bass.

Given this answer, I'm going to say electrostatics, find the best Stax can offer like the earlier posts suggested. The bass will naturally be a bit lighter and they have sweet upper and midrange that I think is fantastic. But I've not heard the 800s yet.

 

[watchnerd]

You've lost me there. Unless you meayn stream from amp to bt headphone? I was thinking the wired version actually

Yes, the BT variant.

Other than satisfying curiosity, I don't have a burning need to add it to the stable of midrange headphones.

It might be different than what I have, but would it be better?

 

[watchnerd]

Do you ever listen to wide bandwidth speakers, or real instruments? Ok, that's not meant to sound quite as sarcastic as it's written , but I honestly wonder if long term heavy phone use rewires the brain somehow.

I think it does.

I have friends who primarily use headphones and they find speakers not so much to their liking....just as background music, not for serious listening.

 

[watchnerd]

Given this answer, I'm going to say electrostatics, find the best Stax can offer like the earlier posts suggested. The bass will naturally be a bit lighter and they have sweet upper and midrange that I think is fantastic. But I've not heard the 800s yet.

Well, electrostatics are winning the polls right now, although I'm surprised given the thread doesn't seem to be dominated by electrostatic talk.

 

[RayDunzl]

Do you want the bass to be as close to real speakers as possible?

Had this thought earlier:

We (ok, not me) have Butt Shakers for the sofa.

Are there any 'phones with built in Head Shakers?

Is this a new product category?

Can I Get Rich Quick?

 

[Svperstar]

What's the difference?

What lead you to choose the Arya?

I'm not an expert on the HE6se but I know it takes less to drive the Arya. I got the Arya cuz its the driver from a $3000 headphone for $1600. I can't imagine myself going higher up the "ladder" to the more expensive headphones after the Arya.

 

[bobbooo]

Had this thought earlier:

We (ok, not me) have Butt Shakers for the sofa.

Are there any 'phones with built in Head Shakers?

Is this a new product category?

Can I Get Rich Quick?

Well there's this.

 

[watchnerd]

Well there's this.

I'm sure it works at some level, but who the heck is going to set Dork to 10 and actually wear one of those?

 

[Robin L]

Had this thought earlier:

We (ok, not me) have Butt Shakers for the sofa.

Are there any 'phones with built in Head Shakers?

Is this a new product category?

Can I Get Rich Quick?

Skullcandy, unless I'm mistaken, their Crusher headphones have additional bass drivers to produce more intense physical sensation of bass.

 

[maverickronin]

Had this thought earlier:

We (ok, not me) have Butt Shakers for the sofa.

Are there any 'phones with built in Head Shakers?

Is this a new product category?

Can I Get Rich Quick?

Not much that's turned to be very serious.

various "force feedback" vests...

Well there's this.

and headphones with extra tactile transducers...

Skullcandy, unless I'm mistaken, their Crusher headphones have additional bass drivers to produce more intense physical sensation of bass.

which never really made any pretensions to high fidelity.

I think they belong to the class of products aimed at the same people who have the proverbial "one-note" car subwoofers. They're just impressed - "Holy shit! There's actually bass!" - presumably because they grew up without exposure to proper hi-fi. (I kinda went though that phase too.)

I've never really heard them in conjunction with a system that was already good own it's own but I presume that tactile transducers would sound out of place if added to one. My gut is that they'd be very difficult to integrate properly and that the fidelity wouldn't even match a budget subwoofer.

I don't know that, because I've never seen any measurements of a tactile transducer, but how would you even measure one given that it has no acoustical output? I'd assume you'd have to trade mics for accelerometers and then create some kind of standard for what substrate to attach it to.

Where's the module for that Klippel?

 

[watchnerd]

which never really made any pretensions to high fidelity.

I think they belong to the class of products aimed at the same people who have the proverbial "one-note" car subwoofers. They're just impressed - "Holy shit! There's actually bass!" - presumably because they grew up without exposure to proper hi-fi. (I kinda went though that phase too.)

Probably works best with dubstep.

wubwubwub

 

[Tachyon88]

When I read reviews of people who did not like the HD800/s I thought I would be in that category. I thought I would not like bright and did not know if I would be treble sensitive. I do prefer a warmer presentation, but I ended up really enjoying them. I just had to satisfy my curiosity.

Now I want to sell my lcd2c and curious about the empyrean or dianna v2...after that I will have my curiosity satiated.

I think trying the hd800/s is something you will do eventually anyways, might as well ! ;p

Electorstats have never really tickled my interest. I also do not want another eco system of hardware.

 

[watchnerd]

Sometimes, one of the harder things to do in the audio hobby is to spend only what's required, even though your budget allows for much, much more.

I used to own Stax electrostatics (worked at a Stax dealer part time in college). Today I own planar dynamics (Fostex) and an older version of Apple's premium wired ear buds, before they went multi-driver.

Fostex eqs beautifully to Harman target response, Apple surprisingly well if not as amazingly well as Fostex T50RP II. Thus corrected, they sound pretty similar, with Fostex packing a bigger punch, somewhat better sense of clarity. Hopefully, latest version of T50RP offers deeper ear pads, as stock parts of my Mk IIs were too shallow and didn't seal well.

My Stax headphones were circa 1980s and I think they would not measure especially well, partly because on-ear design doesn't form a good seal, and quickly becomes uncomfortable to boot. Did get to sample the Lambda (not "Pro") of the era which was more comfortable, but if there was some special electrostatic magic to be had, I wasn't sensing it.

I also owned a set of multi-driver IEMs, and these actually measured rather poorly, with apparent phase cancellation at the crossover point. Really couldn't come up with a correction that worked well with them.

My next headphones may well be Sony WH1000s or Apple Airpods Pro, because I don't own wireless, noise-canceling headphones, and Airpods Pro now offer virtual surround audio when used with iOS or TV OS devices.

Which Fostex do you have?

I've always admired the looks of the hard wood cups, but never worn any so no idea on comfort.

 

[Unclevanya]

1q

Well, electrostatics are winning the polls right now, although I'm surprised given the thread doesn't seem to be dominated by electrostatic talk.

My exposure to higher end headphones is more limited than some of the people who have written in the thread. My logic is based solely on my own experience relative to your stated preferences. But I agree it is curious to see the electrostatics winning with so little direct discussion. I'd suggest that few people have the resources to buy and cross compare several ultra high end cans, but some additional number like me have had exposure to one or two they really loved, and can offer insight only in those terms.

 

[Helicopter]

There are blue plastic Fostex Dekoni on Drop now.

I would get Focal Clear because they are by far my favorite headphone

... or Hifiman Ananda since they are John Yang's favorite. I don't really like my planars (LCD-X) but most people like planars. I want to try Ananda.

$50 off coupon on hifiman website right now for $599+.

 

[Jimbob54]

Which Fostex do you have?

I've always admired the looks of the hard wood cups, but never worn any so no idea on comfort.

The Denon D7000 are nice but old model out of production- much bass (Fostex built- think the TH600 base). New Denon's arent Fostex built. The TH900 look beautiful but very mixed reviews.

 

[watchnerd]

There are blue plastic Fostex Dekoni on Drop now.

Wow, those are cheap...$199.

Actually, a lot of headphones on Mass seem deeply discounted right now.

$85 for E-Mu walnut headphones?

... or Hifiman Ananda since they are John Yang's favorite.

Who is John Yang?

Does he have a similar HRTF to me?

If not, his favorite may not mean much to me.

 

[Tom C]

I have a phone that lets the user individualize EQ. That audio band is divided into four. A single tone from each band is pulsed repeatedly, and the user adjusts a volume slider until the tone is barely heard. Do that for each band, for each ear, and the system is calibrated for that user for that headset . The results are stored. It’s possible to have multiple stored for different headsets.
Is anyone aware of something similar available for PC?

 

[watchnerd]

I also do not want another eco system of hardware.

That's the issue I keep having with electro stats.

I use headphones both at my DAW / in my office, via the RME, and in my living room, via the Devialet.

Unless I buy two sets of electrostat amps, I won't be able to cart electrostat cans back and forth between systems.