Closed headphones below 500

[AdrenalinH]

Hi,

I need help with choosing the headphones as old ones died.
So far my list is:
1. FiiO FT1 - 150$ - new one, I really like the looks
2. SRH840A - 150$ - seems like solid choice
3. Aeon RT - 500$ - A bump in price, but I have heard that it beats units over 1k$

What can is your opinion on these 3? Does it makes sense to go with Aeon instead Shure or FiiO?

Please don't suggest AKG and Sennheiser, I don't like them.

 

[solderdude]

Audition them if possible.
If not possible see if you can buy them with a right to return.
Buy all 3 and select the one you prefer, not what someone else prefers. They may have a different idea of what aspects they find important.

Don't buy every opinion others may have, you may not share their opinions. Nothing as personal as a headphone.

I modified my SRH840A and sounds fine after a modification.
Own FT3 which is in an entirely different league than FT1.

I like most Sennheisers but not AKG so there's that. Different people, different opinions.

 

[staticV3]

Consider the Austrian Hi-X60.

I believe it's closest to Harman out of the box.

 

[Pictus]

I do not know, but the FT1 looks like a good candidate.

 

[solderdude]

Ah... I thought of the JT1.

Just tried to order one myself from Germany (NL has no stock)....
reservations would be the high clamping force and measurements show it to be a bit too 'thick' sounding but will find out somewhere next week.

 

[Misguided]

I'm interested in the FT1 as well, agree with what Solderdude said about it looking like it may be a bit too thick sounding. I'm keen to see some more reviews on it and how it responds to EQ as well.

 

[Human Bass]

Thieaudio Ghost is a safe bet. Just a bit clampy but that can be solved.

 

[solderdude]

Thieaudio Ghost is an open headphone, OP is looking for closed.

THIEAUDIO Ghost

back to measurementshome published: August-03-2024 NO SMOOTHING is applied to the shown plots. Most measurement sites have some smoothing applied which ‘irons flat’ sharp peaks and ‘wiggles’. I do …

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

Ghost is not as good as I hoped, high amounts of distortion even at lower SPL.

FT1 is on its way... should have it reviewed by the end of next week or so.

 

[kekus]

It's not on your list but I recommend the Edifier stax S3, if you don't care about ANC. Wirecutter featured them as well. I am now a planar magnetic driver believer

 

[Human Bass]

Thieaudio Ghost is an open headphone, OP is looking for closed.

THIEAUDIO Ghost

back to measurementshome published: August-03-2024 NO SMOOTHING is applied to the shown plots. Most measurement sites have some smoothing applied which ‘irons flat’ sharp peaks and ‘wiggles’. I do …

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

Ghost is not as good as I hoped, high amounts of distortion even at lower SPL.

FT1 is on its way... should have it reviewed by the end of next week or so.

Lol I swear I have it and didnt notice it was open. Sounds quite fine to me and I got it for 80 dollars, so pretty good for the price.

 

[Limopard]

Beyerdynamic DT700 X seems worth trying, I didn't because I got a DT 1770 for little money. With a bit of EQ it sounds fine.
The 700 should be a bit more neutral, easier to drive but the construction is a bit less premium.

 

[AdrenalinH]

Thank you all, maybe I was a bit inpatient and ordered FT1 for now. I decided to treat it as working horse, meaning it should be good enough with EQ. It should arrive in 2 weeks.

Nevertheless at one point I want to replace my denon D7100, but then I need to adjust the budget to 1k.

 

[heraldo_jones]

2. SRH840A - 150$ - seems like solid choice

I have those. With EQ sound good, without EQ bloated bass and very harsh highs. Also if you have a very large head maybe they don't fit well.
Graphic example

 

[Mr Swing King]

Nevertheless at one point I want to replace my denon D7100, but then I need to adjust the budget to 1k.

Take it from one who has been through the ringer; there really is no correlation between price and performance. Chances are you can find several far cheaper closedback headphones that trump your old D7100.
My old K371 sounded much better than any of the ZMF closedbacks I tried. Similarly, my new HD620S is to me a better headphone than the recent Meze Liric ll I auditioned.
Then again there is no accounting for tastebuds, but if you’re venturing into this hobby with the general idea that you get what you pay for in terms of sound quality, you’re going to end up relying on magic instead of actual merit. ASR focuses on the latter.

Edith: realising you don’t like Sennheiser and AKG, I’ll echo the Austrian Audio HI-X60
Beyerdynamic DT700 Pro X is also a valid contender.

 

[solderdude]

Review of the FiiO FT1 is up:

FT1

back to FiiOback to measurementshome Published: Sept-03-2024 NO SMOOTHING is applied to the shown plots. Most measurement sites have some smoothing applied which ‘irons flat’ sharp peaks and ‘wiggl…

diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com

 

[maximit]

Have not tried the other two but I love my Aeons, they have very clean distortion free bass and resolve lots of detail. I also have the HD650 and the Aeons are a nice step up in many ways. Keep in mind they are very insensitive so they need a strong amp to drive to loud volumes especially if you EQ in more bass. You can also grab the Drop Aeon X, which is basically the same headphone for a lot less on drop.com or if you hunt around on eBay you can buy it even cheaper. I got my open box Aeon X for $250, they were new just open seal on the box.

 

[utahj]

Take it from one who has been through the ringer; there really is no correlation between price and performance. Chances are you can find several far cheaper closedback headphones that trump your old D7100.
My old K371 sounded much better than any of the ZMF closedbacks I tried. Similarly, my new HD620S is to me a better headphone than the recent Meze Liric ll I auditioned.
Then again there is no accounting for tastebuds, but if you’re venturing into this hobby with the general idea that you get what you pay for in terms of sound quality, you’re going to end up relying on magic instead of actual merit. ASR focuses on the latter.

Edith: realising you don’t like Sennheiser and AKG, I’ll echo the Austrian Audio HI-X60
Beyerdynamic DT700 Pro X is also a valid contender.

Don't mean to start a side track, but I'm curious how you'd compare the K371 to the 620S as I'm looking to upgrade my K371 with another closed back and was considering the 620S (I'm also considering the Fiio FT1 and the SRH840A -- apologies to the OP! I know you're not interested in the AKGs or the Sennheisers...)

 

[solderdude]

FT1 and SRH840A are much bassier than K371 and need modifications or EQ.
The K371 can be used 'as is' when looking for 'Harman type tonal balance'.

Both the (modified) SRH840A and EQ'ed (filtered) FT1 are pretty easy on the ears and sound good/pleasant they just cannot hold a candle to the sound quality of the HD620S.

The HD620S is much more refined sounding and very likely has better longevity and support. There is a substantial price difference as well.

(returned the K371, still own FT1, (modified) SRH840A and HD620S)

 

[Mr Swing King]

Don't mean to start a side track, but I'm curious how you'd compare the K371 to the 620S as I'm looking to upgrade my K371 with another closed back and was considering the 620S (I'm also considering the Fiio FT1 and the SRH840A -- apologies to the OP! I know you're not interested in the AKGs or the Sennheisers...)

I don’t own the K371 anymore. While I love the sound of it, I just find the build quality below par…and well auditory memory is very fleeting.
I did however compare the E3 with my HD620S not that long ago, and the DCA is what I would call an upgraded K371 aka Harman Target down to a t.
The HD620S is more in the vein of most Sennheisers I find in that there is more warmth in the low mids alongside a more meaty bass delivery.
I’ve often called it a ‘closedback HD650’ which is somewhat of an exaggeration, but I still feel it does the same thing in a closedback design: warm, realistic sound that pairs well with just about any genre I care to throw at it.
I find the mids and treble some of the very best I’ve heard over a closedback and I normally don’t even care for closed headphones.
Against the E3 I would go back and forth as to which one I prefered soundwise, but the all-around comfort and usability made the Sennheiser a much better choice for me.
Here is a frequency response of the E3 vs HD620S. I know you wanted a K371 comparison, but take this as an a/b against it’s better sounding big brother which is tuned very similarly. Like I mentioned earlier auditory memory is whack. One thing I can attest to though is that both comfort and build quality is significantly better over the Sennie vs the AKG

 

[utahj]

FT1 and SRH840A are much bassier than K371 and need modifications or EQ.
The K371 can be used 'as is' when looking for 'Harman type tonal balance'.

Both the (modified) SRH840A and EQ'ed (filtered) FT1 are pretty easy on the ears and sound good/pleasant they just cannot hold a candle to the sound quality of the HD620S.

The HD620S is much more refined sounding and very likely has better longevity and support. There is a substantial price difference as well.

(returned the K371, still own FT1, (modified) SRH840A and HD620S)

View attachment 390339

Thanks! This is helpful. Bass is key -- it's part of what I love about the K371 -- but too much of a good thing is not always good. Per your site's measurements, the FT3 looks a bit tamer in the bass than the FT1.