FiiO FT1 & Sennheiser HD 650 VS Focal Azurys

[Another_Moon]

I'm torn between the FiiO FT1 and Sennheiser HD 650 paired together, or the Focal Azurys alone. With the FT1 and HD 650, I plan to use the FiiO K7 as a balanced source. With the Focal, I'd probably consider something lower-power, especially since they don't have a balanced connection option. I think they could be powered by a MoonDrop Down Pro, but I haven't looked into that yet.
I think the HD 650 and FT1 would complement each other perfectly, and I don't know if the Azurys alone could outperform both. The Azurys look better and are more convenient, and they could be comfortably used portable, but as always, sound is my top priority. Also, slightly out of budget, I'm considering the Hadenys, but I'm afraid they won't cover my needs in terms of low frequencies. I'm also considering the Bathys - I think the comfort of their leather earpads will be an issue with extended use on a PC.
I'm thinking of trying them out in a showroom before making a final purchase, but I'd be interested in the opinions of those who have owned these headphones, or at least listened to them. What would you choose?
My preferred music is mostly non-symphonic, classical, and jazz, but more popular music of all genres: rock, rap, vocals, pop, electronic, and instrumental.

 

[Misguided]

My two go to headphones currently are the Fiio FT1 and HD560 and I find that combination pretty good. I used the FT1s for music (with Oratory's eq settings) and movies (without any eq) my HD560s are for gaming with a mod mic but I have also used them for music (with eq) and they are very enjoyable. The best thing about this combination is that you don't need an amp to drive either headphone, both work fine plugged straight into my laptop.

I mostly listen to Jazz, Electronic Music and Indie, I find the FT1's very enjoyable. I do think my Sundara's are a bit better (they are currently broken so not using them) but the FT1s are closed which is better when I am around others and the HD 560s are more convenient for gaming.

I don't think you can go wrong with the FT1s but there are better headphones out there, if I had a bit more to spend on a closed back I would probably go for something from Dan Clark.

 

[Another_Moon]

For reference, if you check the prices that I have access to in my region, FT1 - $150, HD 650/6XX - $220, Azurys - $420, Hadenys - $540, Bathys - $620

 

[Another_Moon]

My two go to headphones currently are the Fiio FT1 and HD560 and I find that combination pretty good. I used the FT1s for music (with Oratory's eq settings) and movies (without any eq) my HD560s are for gaming with a mod mic but I have also used them for music (with eq) and they are very enjoyable. The best thing about this combination is that you don't need an amp to drive either headphone, both work fine plugged straight into my laptop.

I mostly listen to Jazz, Electronic Music and Indie, I find the FT1's very enjoyable. I do think my Sundara's are a bit better (they are currently broken so not using them) but the FT1s are closed which is better when I am around others and the HD 560s are more convenient for gaming.

I don't think you can go wrong with the FT1s but there are better headphones out there, if I had a bit more to spend on a closed back I would probably go for something from Dan Clark.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll like the FT1s too, but I'd like to know what kind of improvement I can get with the Focals. Some authoritative review said they were better, but didn't go into detail. I didn't like the Sundaras' fit/comfort at all, and the peak at 8-9k killed any advantages. I'm not even considering isodynamic headphones at this price. I really don't like rectangular magnets from a technological standpoint, and the "stealth" version from HiFiMAN looks ridiculous, because the curves on the other side don't allow the membrane to breathe, but act as a kind of horn. FiiO did a better job in this regard, wrapping the magnets with curves on the membrane, but they still don't measure up to true stealth magnets like the Snorry's. And the single-sided layout, like in the Sundaras, produces a too weak magnetic field. Well, that's all just off topic, I got carried away. My HD 560S aren't exactly a hit with me in terms of sound. While they don't have any obvious peak issues, they're still somewhat rough and unpleasant, and the equalizer doesn't quite help, even though I'd like to get rid of it entirely. As for the fit, they're certainly quite comfortable, though they don't feel premium.

 

[Another_Moon]

Speaking of technology, does anyone have any photos of the Azurys/Hadenys/Bathys internals? I'd be interested in seeing the rear driver and the earcup damping. We've all seen the internals of the HD 650 and FT1, but I couldn't find anything here other than a photo of the front driver.

 

[Rayman30]

I owned the Azurys for a week, I did not like them at all, bass that bleeds into the low mids, a wonky ear gain, lower treble was wonk. Having owned Clears and Elegias in the past, these were a disappointment. I own a pair of FiiO FT1 (Amir has them currently) and while im not a huge fan of them, they have some shoutiness in the upper midrange and are a little to bassy for my taste, I do think they're better than the Azurys. My main closed backs is the Noire X, but also owned a LCD2 Closed in the past that I really liked.

 

[Another_Moon]

I think the Azurys would be a great set with the FiiO BTR17 in blue, it would be stylish, comfortable and should sound good, but I'll have to hear it for my ears.