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What headphone(s) do you own ?

TomC707

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Current Headphones:

Monolith M570 - My first planar and just getting acquainted with them, but so far enjoy them greatly.
Sennheiser HD700 - Hit and miss with these. Some days they sound so good other days just blah.
BeyerDynamics DT880 600 Ohm - Consistent performer. I prefer the Beyer sound over the similar class Sennheiser phones.
BeyerDynamics DT880 250 Ohm - My first quality headphone purchase in 2005. Just replaced the headband pad and plan to rewire to balanced.
Magnum V4 Wenge Wood Cups (Grado SR60 Mod) - Grado sound with more low end.
AKG Q701 - Good sound stage, neutral
ATH M50X w/Sendy Aiva Pads & FIIO BTA10 - Put my Sendy Aiva pads on along with a FIIO BTA10 bluetooth amp..diggin them so much more.
Etymotic ER4P / S (with adapter) - Resolution masters

Previously Owned:
Sennheiser HD650 - Could not adjust to the sound signature.
Sennheiser HD600 - Same as above
Sony MDR-SA5000 - Interesting, but to me they were awkward and didn't sound all that good.
Denon AH-D2000 - Passed on to son -
Grado RS2i - My Magnums sound slightly better so sold 'em.
Grado SR60i - converted with Magnum V4 drivers
Camp Fire Audio Nova - very veiled almost muffled..no love for them
iBasso T01 - Pretty good just never used them
VModa M80 - Slightly veiled and uncomfortable
 

flipflop

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you must not be getting a good seal with MSR7 pad as shown by the drop in bass.
I think it's more likely the drop is caused by the increased thickness of the MSR7 pads.

hd650pads.PNG
 
OP
solderdude

solderdude

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Indeed and could also be caused by the pads themselves 'leaking' lower frequencies a bit better in order to tune the sound to the driver/enclosure/porting.

Examples are DT770 pads vs DT990 pads, they look the same, feel the same yet differ many many dB's in the lows.
Or the DT1990 A and B pads for instance.
analytical-vs-balanced-pads.png

Same for the SRH1540 and SRH1840 pads. Very, very different. The different 'leakage' is needed to get the desired frequency response where they want it.
below a Shure 1540 with 1840 pads fitted.
pads-1.png
 
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Crazy_Nate

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Currently owned:
Massdrop x AKG K7XXX Red Edition - I hate the headband on these. So much that honestly nothing else about it matters, because I can't stand wearing them for longer than maybe half an hour to an hour max. Looks fairly nice though, I guess? I really should just sell them...

I felt the same way about the K7XX headband when I first got them. Since then it's broken in a little and the headband doesn't dig in to the top of my head as much (I keep my hair fairly short). However, the earcups are now what bothers me. I think like to slip down slightly and push my ears against my glasses frame. I don't seem to have any issues with the HD6XX, which really seem to be my go-to at this point.

Here's what I've got currently:

HD6XX X2 (wife and I have our separate pairs for work)
K7XX
PC37x for gaming

Shure SE215
Shure SE425

I think my next pair of headphones will probably be either the Elear or HD600. I'd like to try something that's just a hair flatter response than the HD650 / HD6XX. Most of the music I listen to can have fairly harsh treble, so the fairly bright headphones or ones with sharp treble spikes just aren't considered (I like 6XX over HD800s any day of the week).
 

raistlin65

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I think my next pair of headphones will probably be either the Elear or HD600. I'd like to try something that's just a hair flatter response than the HD650 / HD6XX. Most of the music I listen to can have fairly harsh treble, so the fairly bright headphones or ones with sharp treble spikes just aren't considered (I like 6XX over HD800s any day of the week).

I have the Elear.

Mids on the HD6XX are a little more linear, a little better. I like the Elear better, though, for the better bass presence, better soundstage, and less demure treble response.

The Elex is probably what you want.
 

Sal1950

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I find it amazing how many users here have Senn HD6XX. I've had my 650's for a number of years now and have had no desire to look for something else. Over the years I've been active on a couple dedicated headphone sites and found the same love of 6XX everywhere. I'm not saying I think the 650's are the worlds best, but when I find a component that really satisfies me I don't keep looking for something better. But that's just me and kind of glad of it, that I've never been infected with the audiophile upgrade-itis OCD. Anyhow, seeing the markets love of the HD6XX they must have a certain something that people love.
 

Jmudrick

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Not a lot of headphone experience (since the 70s anyway) but I have the HE-4XX. Listen mostly with my LG V30.
 

Crazy_Nate

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I have the Elear.

Mids on the HD6XX are a little more linear, a little better. I like the Elear better, though, for the better bass presence, better soundstage, and less demure treble response.

The Elex is probably what you want.

Yeah, I think you nailed it. I meant to write the Elex this morning but looking at videos about the Clear had me confused.
 

tdockweiler

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Right now this is what I own. I've probably been through 100 different pairs since 2007 and the only one I really miss is the HD-598 for some reason. I can no longer afford to buy headphones every few months. That might be a good thing!

Sennheiser HD-650
AKG Q701 with bass mod (sticker removal)
Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro
AKG K400 LP and EP - almost never use these. Not enough bass.
Koss Pro DJ 200 clone (Tony Bennett Edition) with M50 pads.
AKG K72 - A lot better sounding than the awful K92.

My favorite is the DT-990 Pro followed by the AKG Q701.
I just prefer the DT-990 due to it's comfort and slightly more elevated low bass. Mine doesn't have excessive bass or treble at all to my ears.
Strangely enough I can't use the Premium versions due to the shallow depth of the pads!
I actually find the DT-990 Pro to sound pretty close to neutral (!!) with MY head. I have very little clamp though.

The DJ200 is still my favorite closed budget headphone. Second might be the KRK KNS-8400.
 

Celty

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I find it amazing how many users here have Senn HD6XX. I've had my 650's for a number of years now and have had no desire to look for something else. Over the years I've been active on a couple dedicated headphone sites and found the same love of 6XX everywhere. I'm not saying I think the 650's are the worlds best, but when I find a component that really satisfies me I don't keep looking for something better. But that's just me and kind of glad of it, that I've never been infected with the audiophile upgrade-itis OCD. Anyhow, seeing the markets love of the HD6XX they must have a certain something that people love.
I could not agree more that the HD6XX is one fine headphone. I think the price / performance ratio is not exceeded by anything else that I know of. It was with considerable trepidation that I ordered my ZMF Auteur, because the price difference was so large.

Having listened to the Auteurs for a while now, I can honestly say they open up a listening experience that to me is apparent and for me, worth the investment. Is such an upgrade worth it for others? That is totally up to the individual's tastes and priorities.
 

Kouioui

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Headphones...the eternal money and rabbit hole. If I had saved all I've spent on them (and speakers) since my first HD 414s in 1973 I could probably afford the JBL M2s I want! Here's my current quartet in order of usage:

Sennheiser HD 6XX - main squeeze
Etymotic ER3SE - on the go
AKG K371 - recording & stage
Sony WH-1000XM3 - tv/movies

All get Harman target parametric EQ.
 
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Blujackaal

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Got the Etymotic ER3SE currently. But I'm getting the Senn HD650 later on as since i can use a bedroom.
 

gfx_1

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A Beyer Dynamic DT 770 (the at home model with the long lead) because I wanted a closed model not to disturb the surroundings.
Previous a Sony but the ear cushions went bad, a wireless AKG but that one had a noisy amp and several walkman style ones in the public transport era.
Most of the time I listen to the speakers on the desktop at earlevel.
 

yronnen

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Dynamic DT 1770 Pro
Sony WH-1000XM3
TUNAI Drum TH001-S-BL
Powerbeats Pro
 

pozz

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JeanMiK

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Below the HP50 (as I measure and hear it) and through a passive, inline, filter.

stock-hp50-vs-filtered-hp50-7db-level-corrected.png


Indeed the tuning is not to everyones taste. I find it is lacking clarity.

filter circuit used:
filter-schematic.png


One can lower R1 and R2 in value and tune it between original and 'audibly flat'
 

JeanMiK

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I just received today my custom made AKG Q701 passive inline filter.
High medium and treble finally well tamed.
Cannot recommend it enough.
JM
 

bakker_be

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Some basic stuff, in chronological order:
  • Xiaomi Piston 3 IEM (bought on Gearbest, prompted by my dissatisfaction with standard issue earbuds, following a favourable notion by John Darko) - to me they sound exactly as described in the article: balanced & clean. They do tend towards being "lean" however
  • Xiaomi Bluetooth Sports IEM (also bought on Gearbest, because working out, gardening etc isn't all that easy with wires all around) - they support AptX, even though it's mentioned nowhere. Sound is comparable to the Piston 3, just a tad more bass though. Battery life is quite good as well, allowing me to work in the garden all afternoon without any trouble
  • AKG K72 (for living room use, after reading another favourable review) - these were my first over-ear headphones. Though closed, the soundstage is quite OK. Sound is balanced, but a tad "polite". Really easygoing cans for movie or tv watching,not so much for my usual musical diet, which consists of about 70% metal in all its diverse subgenres and 30% of just about anything that's not current chart material
  • KZ ATE IEM (bought from Gearbest yet again) - bought on a lark, just to see if Darko's review held any truth, and also if I would be able to tell the difference with the Piston 3. To me the difference is huge: soundstage is more open, even more so than the AKG and they have quite a lot of nicely articulated bass without bloating the lower mids. These are now my go-to IEM's for late night listening & binge watching, the Piston having been demoted to being used at the office
Prompted by my growing acceptance of headphone listening I began looking at buying a "good" pair of full size headphones. Several Massdrop specials caught my fancy, Focal Spirit Professional as well. I talked some about it with a friend of mine, who's about as crazy about sound as I am but with more disposable income, weighing the merits of each candidate, when he told me if I fancied a listen to his new toy :p We arranged a timeslot where we wouldn't be disturbed and over to my house he came with his Focal Elear and a Questyle DAC/amp. We connected it all up to my Squeezebox Touch, bypassing the Questyle's DAC, just using the headphone amp, and of we went on a trip through my collection. I was smitten ...
Price for this gem was somewhat out of my league however, so I began putting money aside towards it. Earlier this year, about 4 months after I'd first heard them, my buddy suddenly calls me: "I'm buying the new Focal Clear, fancy buying my Elear?". I got them at a 35% price reduction compared to list price, only 5 months old, so "barely broken in" ;) I can't imagine headphones more suited to my musical tastes. I'm well aware of the current Elear bashing that seems to be going on all around the same sites that were previously raving about them being the best thing since sliced bread, and to some extent the criticism levelled against it are true, especially when it comes to sparsely orchestrated violin music, but given that it's incredibly rare that I listen to such music it's a non-issue to me.
What they do have, especially now that I've paired them with the Topping D10 + A30, is an expansive sound stage, articulate and copious bass, realistic mids and highs and above all incredible speed and dynamics. They sound so "alive" I can just listen for hours on end, much to the chagrin of my wife, who's already mightily regretting allowing me the purchase, as I tend to get "lost" in my music when I put them on.
Here I am replying to my own post ...
The Elear still takes pride of place at home, now either coupled to Topping D10 + Atom or to Topping DX3 Pro, but I've somewhat expanded my "mobile" stuff :p Again, chronologically:
  • Curious about Balanced Armature drivers and reading some favorable reviews about them I bought a set of TRN BA5 from AliExpress. To put it mildly, I'm impressed at the sound quality, especially for the layout. They pair very nicely with my Cyrus SoundKey connected to my PC at work, and scale up well connected to the DX3 Pro at home. The soundstage is nice and wide, they're not too obviously V-shaped in their response, one of the main negative remarks found online being a lack of bass. I don't subscribe to that point of view: bass is all there, it's just "turned down" to a more realistic level compared to other frequencies, and very articulate. It doesn't "hit" hard, but hey, they're earbuds, if you want to feel the bass, get yourself some nice big speakers ;) They have one disadvantage though: they're wired and my phone doesn't have a jack anymore, so ...
  • AliExpress to the rescue and a KZ Aptx HD replacement module for the cable on the TRN BA5 was ordered and delivered. This gives me quite a lot of enjoyment when doing my lunch walks at work (I tend to walk ±5 km during my lunch break each day). Battery only lasts about 6 hours though ...
Earbuds are all well and good, but when using them at work, they tend to not be "visible" enough, so people come up and begin to talk without noticing. Added to that, I wear glasses, and the earbuds have ear-hooks, making quickly removing them somewhat of a hassle in those situations. Having moved to a more open space office, I began to have more trouble focusing as well, due to the augmented environment noise, so I began eyeing noise cancelling headsets. The "usual suspects" in that neck of the woods are the Sony WH-1000XM3 and the Bose QC35 II. I found both to be quite expensive, so was dithering over a decision/purchase until 2 weeks ago on iBOOD the Sony came up for only 230€, or just about 30% off retail price. I've been using them at the office ever since, and what can I say? "Believe the hype!" Noise cancelling is glorious, they sound nearly identical with it turned on or of too. Battery life is brilliant: noise cancelling activated I get about 3 working days worth out of them.
That said, they're far from being flawless:
  • Soundstage is narrower than the TRN BA5
  • Bass is less articulate and more "present" than either TRN BA5 or Elear, colouring the lower frequencies of male voices
  • Highs miss some spark, making the entire sound a bit "darker" and less alive than I generally like
  • After a couple of hours I get warm ears and a painful spot on the top of my head (where I don't benefit of a cushioning dose of hair ;))
 

maxxevv

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If you like going wireless on your IEN, you can give the TRN BT20S modules a go. Truely wireless in that regard but you do need to plug left and right modules for charging instead of just 1 point charge with the KZ wired module.

I have the older BT20, batteries last me about 8+ hours on a charge if using the KZ AS10.
 
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