Best headphones in the $500-$800ish range?

[kemmler3D]

I found them on sale yesterday for $399 new. But I still passed by because there is an opinion about their metallic sound, the sudden death of the drivers and the lack of earpads in the whole world. It feels like both Drop and Focal have given up on this model and are selling off the last remaining stock from their warehouses.

Show me a piece of equipment some subjectivist hasn't called "metallic" and I'll show you a piece of equipment nobody's listened to.

For $399 they are a good deal IMO. I've dropped mine on the floor a few times and they're still kicking. Earpads for the Clear or Elear could probably be used if need be.

 

[johny_2000]

Earpads for the Clear or Elear could probably be used if need be.

Yes, that's what others have suggested. So I checked them out and their cost (about half the Elex) was a deal breaker.

 

[nickylucker]

Aune Ar5000 (no need for strong dac amp, budget, greate neutral sound with some warmth at low mids and some bass)
Audeze Maxwell (i think it's the best sounding closed planar headphones under 2000$. Unfortunately their convenience and build quality is realy bad: planar dies because closed constrution and their hadband is bad and does not distribute weight well on the head)
Hifiman Arya Stealth (king of convenience, with eq it sounds greate)

 

[Phidel]

I have had the 560s, the Sundara and the Nano, after many hours of playing and EQing I preffer the Nano by far, it sounds impressive with an amazing sound stage and bass and sub bass extension.

 

[jacobacci]

I am very happy with my Altiat CAL1H. It is built like a tank and doesn't need EQ (Harman fit).

Altiat CAL.1H

Open-Back Headphone From Kaldas

www.head-fi.org

Altiat CAL.1H — Official Discussion & Impressions Thread

Altiat, pronounced (all-t-a), is the 2nd company founded by Aumkar Chandan. Kaldas Research is his first company, and it's also Altiat's parent company, that is, Altiat is Kaldas Research's sister company. Both companies will exist "independent" of each other, hence why I wrote "is" instead of...

www.head-fi.org

https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/urk3nq

Altiat CAL.1H (Automotive Grade Finish)

Free Shipping Worldwide via DHL Express International.The CAL.1H King Emerald is here along with the Nardo Grey and Banana Yellow finish. The King Emerald and others, feature for the first time ever a Multi-Stage Automotive-Grade paint finish on our Unibody 6000-Series machined Aluminium...

altiat.com

The man behind the CAL1H is Aumkar Chandan from Mumbay. He is also Mr. Kaldas Research

About Us

Kaldas Research is a privately owned Research and Development Company based in Mumbai, India. Our core business is contract R&D and Manufacturing.The RR1 Conquest is our debut as a consumer-product Manufacturer. All products to bear the Kaldas badge will be strictly a result of our in-house...

www.kaldasresearch.com

His latest child is the INOX

Kaldas INOX (Flagship Closed E-Stat) – Official Thread w/ Technical Analysis

Hello Head-Case, It has been a long time since I've been active here but, I'm glad to be back for something special for us E-Stat enthusiasts! We are very happy to finally announce our new Headphone – INOX. For the very first time in Headphone history, a Consumer/Production Closed-Back Electrosta...

www.head-case.org

 

[solderdude]

$ 400 (above)
v.s.
$ 150 (below)

 

[ZolaIII]

@Iridist for HD 560S do this;
go to Auto-EQ (Web app), select HD 560S crinacle from all (for the HATS and cuppler), select diffuse field 5128 (HATS) as target no smoothing (turn it off), tap/click the headphone icon to include error as it is now and adjust treble and slope as in screenshots afterwards. Select a EQ software target (Wavelet for example) listen to real time preview. Select EQ software you intend to use (convolver FIR minimum phase for best results is recommended and in as high sample rate hardware supports [for lower latency]) and download the result and enable/include it or do it by hand and that's about it.

Now you have more bass extension than you would ever had on HD 6xx series and better treble than on any of them and that's about it what you can do with HD 560S and very good for open back (as good as deacent home speakers) for more bass extension and going towards Harman over ear you will need a good closed back (like Denon AH-D5200 for example and Apple A2155 dongle in that case) if that's what you want.
Of course headphones won't ever sound like good tuned speakers (lack of room and refractions) so if that's possibility give it some thinking.

 

[Get a hearing test]

The best advice is to go to an audio shop that has headphones demo corner and just buy whichever sounds best to your ears and taste within price range.

 

[Chillazar]

Soundwise I think the Hifiman HE6 and all of its versions with EQ take the crown in that price region but they have the hidden cost of needing a strong amplifier and possibly modifications for better comfort. I love the speaker-like qualities of my HE6SEV2and despite owning the DCA Stealth and other expensive and well measuring headphones I regularly come back to them. They are extremely inconvenient though.

 

[Centuari]

Open box arya stealth for $259 feels pretty hard to beat right?