What headphone(s) do you own ?

[Bow_Wazoo]

Dan Clark Audio - Aeon Flow 2 Open

 

[jams3223]

this is a eq setting i made for equlizer apo for sennheiser hd 280 pro mkII based on measurements and it sounds very good omg it completelly changed the microphone it made it wider and sounding open back a little which is stange and this clarity i believe i can only achieve that due to the very low thd of the hd 280 mkii i am dropping a list of my recommendation after based on low thd and non skewed frequency response for eq.

sennheiser hd 280 pro mkii equlizer apo settings:

Preamp: -4.9 dB
Filter: ON PK Fc 20 Hz Gain 5.5 dB Q 1.2
Filter: ON PK Fc 50 Hz Gain -2 dB Q 0.5
Filter: ON PK Fc 130 Hz Gain 9 dB Q 2.5
Filter: ON PK Fc 1050 Hz Gain -2.3 dB Q 1.5
Filter: ON PK Fc 3300 Hz Gain 5.4 dB Q 2.7
Filter: ON PK Fc 3500 Hz Gain 2 dB Q 1
Filter: ON PK Fc 5100 Hz Gain 6 dB Q 3
Filter: ON PK Fc 7300 Hz Gain -3.5 dB Q 2.1
Filter: ON PK Fc 8500 Hz Gain 1.5 dB Q 2.3
Filter: ON PK Fc 15000 Hz Gain 4 dB Q 0.7

 

[jams3223]

Those are my recommendation for headphone which are perfect with eq and are very clean compared to alot of headphones

Low THD Headphones under 1% below 100Hz:
Audeze LCD-24 (Open-Back)
Neumann NDH 20 (Closed-Back)

Low THD Headphones under 2% below 100Hz:
Sennheiser HD 280 MKII (Closed-Back)

Low THD Headphones under 4% below 100Hz:
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x (Open-Back)
Shure SRH1540 (Open-Back)
Sennheiser HD 300 (Closed-Back)

 

[monkey4054]

Current headphones are:

Final Audio D8000
Fostex TH-900 MK2 & TH600
Focal Clear
Hifiman HE-6SE V2

Overall favourite is still the TH-900 for my personal preferences... no matter what I try, even at the very highest end, it always holds its own.

I have owned and tried many others too. Including most of the popular high-end flagships: LCD-4, Stellia, Susvara etc. Looking to add an Abyss AB-1266 TC in the not too distant future

 

[Craylock]

I have Senn HD380pro, 58X, 800S, Beyer DT440, 770, T70(p), Audeze LCD2, Grado RS1i, Quad Era 1, Pioneer Se 500, AKG K340, K500, N90Q, Audiotechnica M50Xbt, Audioquest Nighthawk Carbon, B&O U70, Stax SR5, SR L300, SR L700mk2, SR 007mk2, JVC STH 2E, 1More triple Driver, and Ultrasone 750 pro. Dekoni Blues are soon on their way from Drop

 

[rovingardener]

I've got Grado SR80i, quite a while ago and Sennheiser HD650 recently. I might buy more later.

 

[phrwn]

A very brief trial with Shure SRH1540's and I'm sticking with my E-Mu Teaks. I was hoping for similar sound but with a bit of isolation, which the 1540's did deliver. The Alcantara earpads were nice too. I knew the headband was uncomfortable for some people, but I didn't realize quite how much it would dig in (I do have a big head, so should've known). I wore them for about an hour and I swear I can feel parallel notches in my skull now. What a weird design.

These Teaks are going to be very hard to beat, for my ears/head/music preferences.

 

[RHO]

A very brief trial with Shure SRH1540's and I'm sticking with my E-Mu Teaks. I was hoping for similar sound but with a bit of isolation, which the 1540's did deliver. The Alcantara earpads were nice too. I knew the headband was uncomfortable for some people, but I didn't realize quite how much it would dig in (I do have a big head, so should've known). I wore them for about an hour and I swear I can feel parallel notches in my skull now. What a weird design.

These Teaks are going to be very hard to beat, for my ears/head/music preferences.

Good to know. I was considering the Shure SRH1540's too.

 

[Wegi76]

Hi there,

for me the whole headphone topic escalated quickly during the last few months...

So, from old to new in this case:

• ~15 years ago
  Sennheiser HD 555 (use it on my digital piano) - Plastic bomber, muffled sound but OK for the Piano.
• ~10 years ago
  Koss Porta Pros - Well what can you say. They are amazingly light, are comfy and sound great for their price
• ~ 6-7 years ago
  Denon AH-GC20 - My first ANCs. Never use them any more. Overly boomy bass. Should have sold them long ago.
• ~ 3 years ago
  Sony WH-1000XM2 - My second ANCs. I liked them a lot when I bought them. But they are too small for my ears and produce noise when no music plays. Randomly use them for TV. They loose so hard when comparing to anything on the bottom of this list.
• November 2020
  Sennheiser HD660S - Starting to fall into the rabbit hole. Whole different level. I`m lost... Beginning of the end
  
• Januar 2021
  Focal Clear - OK these will be my last set of headphone I will EVER buy... Love them. Very comfortable, very nice build. However...
• March 2021
  Hifiman Aryas - All the good intentions (see January purchase) are gone. My first planars. I love them even more, and they are my absolute favourite as of today. The sound is just amazing. I had no clue, that "stage" does make this much of a difference.

Besides my personally owned stuff I have various headphones / headsets from my company in use: Airpod Pros, XM4s, Bose QC35II...

In parallel to the HD660S I started to invest in DACs and a headphone amp too. But that's not for here, I guess.

Cheers from Germania,
Markus

Somehow forgot the IEMs...

Since I`m feeling like a complete idiot when going for a walk with Focal Clears on my head and no longer being happy with something like iPods since I`m completely spoiled by Arya / Clear sound level I tried my luck with IEMs.

The journey is much shorter but escalated even more quickly!

• 4 month ago
  Blessing 2 Dusk from China - I really like the sound signature. They do everything very good but do not really exite me like the Arya still does. And they hurt my ear canal because of the thick nozzle. Can`t use them for more than an hour comfortably :-( A shame...
• 3 month ago
  Sennheiser IE300 - Bought directly from Sennheiser with a big discount (199€). They wear great but it`s not my sound preference and the cable is crap with tons of microphonics. Almost never use them... waste of money
• Yesterday
  64 Audio U12T - Thought to myself... Skip the middle part, directly buy an endgame IEM and be happy for the rest of your life. So I bought a used pair in a forum, still for more money than I spent on onything else above. I must say they sound really good, have a nice bass, and high resolultion but somehow I expected more / something "magical". The casing hurts my left ear too, where it touches it. Leaves me with mixed feelings. It is the best IEM on the list for sure but obviously I`m more of an over-ear guy.

 

[Dr Soot]

Just curious ...
What headphone(s) do you currently own ?
Which one(s) is(are) used the most, or is your favorite ?

Currently own the Sennheiser HD6XX and a modded Fostex TH-X00 Ebony that has the armature and drivers from a Fostex TH610 to use the detachable cable. I like them both very much but the Sennheisers are much more comfortable since the Fostex are so heavy. I tend to lay back to listen to music and the Fostex will slide off my head some.

 

[vlydog]

Sennheiser HD 6XX
Audeze LCD-X

 

[ADU]

HPS:
Beyerdynamic DT-770 (250 ohm)
AudioTechnica M50x - Black version (38 ohm)

AMP:
Rolls-Bellari HA543 (with RCA & balanced XLR inputs)

DAC:
Insignia NS-HZ313

EQ:
Equalizer APO Configuration Editor (no Peace UI)

My sound source is the optical output of my Samsung TV. And most of the music I listen to is from YouTube videos, fed to my TV via HDMI from a laptop. It's probably not the ideal setup for most people. But it is quite affordable. And works pretty well.

The bit depth and sample rate that I use for the laptop's HDMI output to the TV is 24-bit/48 kHz btw. I chose this rate rather than the standard 16/41 for several reasons. First, it's the highest rate that my TV will accept via the laptop's HDMI connection. Second, it is the standard rate for video content. And third, it is the rate used by YouTube's Opus audio codec. It is also easily handled and converted to analog by my cheap Best Buy Insignia DAC (which only handles rates up to 96 kHz). In short, it keeps my audio as clean and pure as possible from the source to the amp.

If you're using audio content encoded at different or multiple sample rates or bit depths though, then this may not be as optimal an arrangement, because some rate conversions would likely be required. There are other software music player solutions though that can be used to keep the audio content at its native sample rate from the source to a DAC. Since I generally only listen to music on YouTube though, and am passing through an intermediate source device that's designed primarily for video (my Samsung TV), I think its better in my particular case to keep the content at the standard video rate of 24/48.

I chose the Bellari HA543 as my amp because it was one of the least expensive models I could find (made in the US) with both RCA and balanced XLR inputs. This allows me to use the amp with both standard consumer line level audio inputs, and also balanced pro audio line level inputs (such as from a mixer). Which is a handy feature to have, if you like to dabble at all in some music production. Or use a mixer for your EQ. It's not a super powerful amp. But it has enough power to drive both my lower impedance headphones, and the higher impedance 250-ohm DT-770's to more than adequate volumes, with no audible distortion.

I rarely use the M50x, btw. And mostly use just the DT-770 as my primary headphones, because its large velour pads are quite a bit more comfortable than the M50x's. Both HPs need some EQ though to tame a few peaks, and to smooth out some of the rough spots in their frequency response.

Prior to purchasing the above headphones, I used the AKG K553 Pro. (The version without the detachable cable.) Which I believe uses the same extended frequency titanium drivers as the K371. The AKG K553 is a much heftier, and potentially more durable (except for the pads) headphone than the K371 though. Designed for people with very large heads. So it's not the sort of headphone I'd recommend to just anyone. It has very large plush pads though, and almost no clamp. So it is a pretty comfortable headphone for longer term wear. Especially with a few modifications to the pads, on both the earcups and the headband. After about 5 years of heavy use though, the K553 just eventually wore out. And needed to be replaced with something new. So I thought I'd try something new, and got the DT-770 and M50x.

 

[don'ttrustauthority]

HD600 & HD650 are nice with good fidelity & detail (especially when EQ'd which is more necessary on the HD650), but soundstage presentation is a little poor to put it mildly when compared to a lot of headphones.

Actually the 650 does very nicely with tubes, they really open up.

Audioquest Night Owl
Dan Clark Audio Aeon RT
Grado sr60z
Grado sr420
Koss portable x2
ZMF Auteur

 

[PabloT]

Actually the 650 does very nicely with tubes, they really open up.

Could you please explain why? I don’t want to come off as too confrontational or contrarian. Just want to know if there is a clear reason apart from output resistance or if it could be more of a visual and psychological effect.

 

[don'ttrustauthority]

I suppose. Expectations are only expectations if you expect them. I didn't expect that result though. The amp has a high ohm output designed for beyer, Senn, ZMF and I don't know how much that or the design seemed to really make them sound like $2k headphones. The 650 scales well. Better than any other headphone I have ever heard, but I'm not Zeos or anyone.

 

[Brianc]

Actually the 650 does very nicely with tubes, they really open up.

Audio Technica Night Owl
Dan Clark Audio Aeon RT
Grado sr60z
Grado sr420
Koss portable x2
ZMF Auteur

Assuming you meant the Audioquest Nightowl...how does the DCA Aeon RT compare?

 

[don'ttrustauthority]

Assuming you meant the Audioquest Nightowl...how does the DCA Aeon RT compare?

I like them both equally for different reasons. The DCA Aeon RT has more neutral sound, with a gentle cupping at the frequency extremes but not quite a V shape imo. The Audioquest Nightowl has much darker sound that emphasizes the midbass and tilts downward from there with a treble peak or two, but otherwise, comparatively syrupy. This is with the included filter in the RT and the leather earcups in the Nightowl. If I recall correctly, the felt pads tamed both the bass bloominess and the treble peakiness.

The Nightowl plays louder with it's saner ... 32 ohm? vs 12 ohm for the RT ... driveability the Nightowl asks little. The RT demands plenty of electrons be available in the various ways they can be.

Both are comfy and stupid looking on the head ... I love the lightweight suspension design. The Nightowl isn't holding up well as the leather suspension band isn't well connected to it's anchors. Build goes to RT for sure.

Soundwise I think the RT is the superior headphone. Strictly from a neutral point of view, the RT tends to stay out of the way and allow the music to play. Music does feel more impactful. As a micro example, the piano notes during the introduction to the song Echoes hit your ear with the RT but arrive more softly, almost numbly with the Nightowl. I guess it's what some might think of as an 'warm' or 'analog' type sound vs a 'cold' or 'digital' sound from the RT.

Of course, the RT sounds more like the ZMF than the NightOwl so wtf.

 

[Brianc]

I like them both equally for different reasons. The DCA Aeon RT has more neutral sound, with a gentle cupping at the frequency extremes but not quite a V shape imo. The Audioquest Nightowl has much darker sound that emphasizes the midbass and tilts downward from there with a treble peak or two, but otherwise, comparatively syrupy. This is with the included filter in the RT and the leather earcups in the Nightowl. If I recall correctly, the felt pads tamed both the bass bloominess and the treble peakiness.

The Nightowl plays louder with it's saner ... 32 ohm? vs 12 ohm for the RT ... driveability the Nightowl asks little. The RT demands plenty of electrons be available in the various ways they can be.

Both are comfy and stupid looking on the head ... I love the lightweight suspension design. The Nightowl isn't holding up well as the leather suspension band isn't well connected to it's anchors. Build goes to RT for sure.

Soundwise I think the RT is the superior headphone. Strictly from a neutral point of view, the RT tends to stay out of the way and allow the music to play. Music does feel more impactful. As a micro example, the piano notes during the introduction to the song Echoes hit your ear with the RT but arrive more softly, almost numbly with the Nightowl. I guess it's what some might think of as an 'warm' or 'analog' type sound vs a 'cold' or 'digital' sound from the RT.

Of course, the RT sounds more like the ZMF than the NightOwl so wtf.

Interesting. The RT is on my future possible upgrade list. BTW, I like the Oratory EQ settings with the Nightowls, with a few tweaks. Really opens them up. I'm pretty sure the Nightowls make the biggest jump in the preference score (as judged by conformity to the Harman curve) of any of the measured headphones on the list, from 19 to 95.

 

[RedVikingHood]

HD 600s and HD25-1s

Oh and a pair of JBL Reflect Flow In-Ear things for walking and listening to audiobooks.

 

[Cyphrus]

Got a pair of DT 1990s last week. Absolutely love them. Previously owned Bose AE2s, Astro A40s & HD660s. Also tested X2HRs, 712 Pros, Sundaras & DT 880s.
I tried both A & B pads. A pads were a bit thicker and just generally sounded better.
Then I moved on to trying Oratory's EQ but I thought it completely killed the sound signature. I liked it with half values, but I've been running them stock for now. I did like that little bump in bass.
Then I bought some Brainwavz velour pads. Totally do not recommend these. Turned them into bass cannons but murdered the mids/highs IMO. I liked the comfort added by the memory foam though.

So I ask what pads do you enjoy with the 1990s? I think I'd like a bit of a bass boost and slight treble nerf but nothing drastic. I'm looking at the Dekoni Elite Hybrid, Elite Velour, Fenestrated Sheepskin and choice suede.