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DEF

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Hello.

Looking for Headphones which accurately can represent recordings from an Neumann KU-100.
And don't laugh please, I want my ears caressed :)
Also, what I found out is that I couldn't like the recently tested headphone DCA Ether 2.

It would not properly do the sub-bass similarly as the Utopia did, to make it enjoyable.
Also it was too laid back. Couldn't enjoy this old Soundtrack with it:
I know, low quality YouTube, but I really want that sub-bass to make it enjoyable

I also listen Music with it, but it should do both.
I have tried quite a few things.

Currently using the RME ADI-2 FS as DAC.
Focal Utopia - sounds great, comfort=too heavy=neck pain, apex pain
Dan Clark Ether 2 - sounds too laid back, comfort=best
Sennheiser HD-600 - strong dislike in the sound and build, comfort=bad
Beyerdynamic DT 770 and DT 990 - liking both of them comfort good, but they don't reveal enough detail / texture
Sennheiser-HD25-II - Good for trance-like music, comfort better than Sennheiser HD-600
Audeze LCD-XC - too heavy, too similar to an equalized DT 990 Pro
 

Helicopter

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HD800s is super comfortable. It doesn't sound as good as Utopia though.
 

ayane

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I recommend the DCA Aeon Noire. It's got a very different tuning than most DCA headphones, including a Harman-like boost in the bass. Comfort is the best I've ever come across, and the detail retrieval/presentation is fantastic. They play really well with high-quality recordings, but the flip side is that they are unforgivingly accurate and don't make bad recordings sound better.

They're really good with binaural content and can reach into the lowest bass octave when it's present, and they do so cleanly and without harmonic distortion. I think the lack of distortion in the low bass octave can make a headphone sound thin compared to headphones that distort a lot, but the tuning of the Noires helps to keep the bass presence up.
 

tifune

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I recommend the DCA Aeon Noire. It's got a very different tuning than most DCA headphones, including a Harman-like boost in the bass. Comfort is the best I've ever come across, and the detail retrieval/presentation is fantastic. They play really well with high-quality recordings, but the flip side is that they are unforgivingly accurate and don't make bad recordings sound better.

They're really good with binaural content and can reach into the lowest bass octave when it's present, and they do so cleanly and without harmonic distortion. I think the lack of distortion in the low bass octave can make a headphone sound thin compared to headphones that distort a lot, but the tuning of the Noires helps to keep the bass presence up.

Agreed here; I'd only add that OP is specifically calling out sub-bass and basically all DCA headphones will absolutely swallow whatever power you throw at them until your mandible rattles. So the RME alone may not be enough depending on volume and/or bass boost applied

My quick & dirty test to check for adequate power is Max Richter "cradle to the grave". With no EQ applied, my Stealth feels/sounds like subwoofers attached to my head but only on an amp that can do 3W/7V. Noire and Closed X behave similar, in that regard. The ETHERCX less so, but still great if your ears fit those square cutouts
 

Vict0r

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Hello.


Sennheiser-HD25-II - comfort better than Sennheiser HD-600

What. How. I own both and the HD25-II is like a vice wrapped in barbed wire compared to the soft, circumaural caress of the HD600. :D

On topic; you own a lot of headphones. I think you either need to EQ your Dan Clark Ether 2 to satisfaction, or strap a Subpac MX2 to your body while listening to music. Not even kidding. :D
 

ayane

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Agreed here; I'd only add that OP is specifically calling out sub-bass and basically all DCA headphones will absolutely swallow whatever power you throw at them until your mandible rattles. So the RME alone may not be enough depending on volume and/or bass boost applied
Check my sig =)

I second this though. I have the same RME (well, the Pro version with ADC too) and sometimes I need both headphone outputs to drive the headphones differentially to get enough SPL on movies and high dynamic range content. It's inconvenient to use an adapter and a cable that goes into two ports, so I just use the SP-200 which has oodles more power than I could ever imagine using.
 
OP
D

DEF

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Agreed here; I'd only add that OP is specifically calling out sub-bass and basically all DCA headphones will absolutely swallow whatever power you throw at them until your mandible rattles. So the RME alone may not be enough depending on volume and/or bass boost applied
Ether 2 wasn't providing for the track named. I did try eq'ing them but it wasn't good enough.
I haven't yet ordered the DCA AEON NOIRE 2 after the DCA Ether 2 felt so 'boring' and 'laid back' too.
What. How. I own both and the HD25-II is like a vice wrapped in barbed wire compared to the soft, circumaural caress of the HD600. :D

On topic; you own a lot of headphones. I think you either need to EQ your Dan Clark Ether 2 to satisfaction, or strap a Subpac MX2 to your body while listening to music. Not even kidding. :D
The HD25-II didn't give me Apex pain. But the Utopia did.
I agree that the HD25-II has more clamp. But it's not twisting my ear off so weirdly as the HD 650 does.
I have very large ears that are protruding a lot.

The Utopia had the sound profile I wished for the test track by default, but wasn't comfortable enough.

I don't own all those headphones. I bought them and tested them then sent them back. those were my results.
In fact, right now I am with 2xDT 990 Pro here.

I did EQ the Ether 2 and was surprised it didn't do what I thought it would.
The Utopia did respond as I wanted.
On the DCA Ether 2 however - the sound kept feeling far away and the Headphone was far less engaging. Too laid back.
For the mentioned test track (first 10 seconds) "Shamburger" from Age of Empires 1, the DT 990 Pro did in my eyes beat the Ether 2, even with EQ on. I know there was another testtrack mentioned. Which I dislike to use as test-track since that track is not aligning with the kind of music I listen to daily.

With the Ether 2 on, I simply won't keep listening.
Before I order another DCA headphone, I want to know what it is I'm missing.
 
OP
D

DEF

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On topic; you own a lot of headphones. I think you either need to EQ your Dan Clark Ether 2 to satisfaction, or strap a Subpac MX2 to your body while listening to music. Not even kidding. :D
I haven't found a supplier in Germany that would deliver. What are your experiences with the Subpac?

Agreed here; I'd only add that OP is specifically calling out sub-bass and basically all DCA headphones will absolutely swallow whatever power you throw at them until your mandible rattles. So the RME alone may not be enough depending on volume and/or bass boost applied

My quick & dirty test to check for adequate power is Max Richter "cradle to the grave". With no EQ applied, my Stealth feels/sounds like subwoofers attached to my head but only on an amp that can do 3W/7V. Noire and Closed X behave similar, in that regard. The ETHERCX less so, but still great if your ears fit those square cutouts

1. Definitely. I don't listen at high volumes. So it could be that with the Ether 2, I would require a higher volume level to get similar feelings.
But I definitely don't want that. Perhaps that's a special thing found in Dynamic Headphones.
2. Should I first acquire a new Amp?
 
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