I went to the store today to test some headphones, mainly for long work calls and music, especially Radiohead, Thom Yorke, and some punchy metal.
I started with the Edition XS, and I was blown away by the instrument separation and clarity — especially for softer music like more recent Radiohead. The soundstage was wide and clean, though metal lacked punch. With an autoEQ preset (Harman 2018 target with a +6 dB bass shelf), the metal sounded better but overly V-shaped. The bass also distorted on electronic tracks suggesteing I’d need less bass boost, maybe around +3 dB. But overall I loved the sound, the build was mediocre, but the sound was great. However, after 15 minutes, the fit caused jaw pain, which was disappointing. The tip of the cup was pressing on my neck/jaw and it was kind of like a tooth pain.
Next, I tried Sundara. It was good, though narrower and less impressive compared to XS, but the fit was more comfortable. It handled the EQ preset much better, with little bass distortion.
The Focal Clear MG Pro fit great and delivered punchy metal, but it felt less detailed than the XS, with instruments packed together, more like my AirPods Pro 2 after EQ.
Then I tried Fostex T50RPs. Despite shallow cups, they sounded great — less defined than XS, but still awesome for all my music.
Lastly, I tried HD600s. Comfortable, but metal guitars were too forward, cymbals were quiet, and overall they sounded dull.
I revisited the XS, but even with headband pads, they still hurt my neck. I wish they were shorter by 1-2 cm.
Now I’m undecided. My options are:
Essentially that sound quality but with better fitting/deeper cups, and better overall build and fit?
I started with the Edition XS, and I was blown away by the instrument separation and clarity — especially for softer music like more recent Radiohead. The soundstage was wide and clean, though metal lacked punch. With an autoEQ preset (Harman 2018 target with a +6 dB bass shelf), the metal sounded better but overly V-shaped. The bass also distorted on electronic tracks suggesteing I’d need less bass boost, maybe around +3 dB. But overall I loved the sound, the build was mediocre, but the sound was great. However, after 15 minutes, the fit caused jaw pain, which was disappointing. The tip of the cup was pressing on my neck/jaw and it was kind of like a tooth pain.
Next, I tried Sundara. It was good, though narrower and less impressive compared to XS, but the fit was more comfortable. It handled the EQ preset much better, with little bass distortion.
The Focal Clear MG Pro fit great and delivered punchy metal, but it felt less detailed than the XS, with instruments packed together, more like my AirPods Pro 2 after EQ.
Then I tried Fostex T50RPs. Despite shallow cups, they sounded great — less defined than XS, but still awesome for all my music.
Lastly, I tried HD600s. Comfortable, but metal guitars were too forward, cymbals were quiet, and overall they sounded dull.
I revisited the XS, but even with headband pads, they still hurt my neck. I wish they were shorter by 1-2 cm.
Now I’m undecided. My options are:
- Modhouse T60RP Argon—love the T50RP sound, and plush pads could improve the bass, but I can’t try them locally.
- Get the XS and mod them with aftermarket pads or a suspension headband?
- Try more headphones with similar sound signatures — maybe LCD 2C or DCA Aeon X, though both are at the top of my budget.
Essentially that sound quality but with better fitting/deeper cups, and better overall build and fit?
