List of Amir's Highly-Recommended Headphones, for Canadians

[sweetchaos]

This thread is intended for Canadian shoppers, looking to purchase headphones.

Inspiration for this thread:
- Since I tend to visit the same websites everyday to check for a deal, I figure I'd share this info to save others time

Limitations of this thread:
- I'm only posting links for headphones that you can buy directly. If a reseller lists they carry "Hifiman" headphones, but with no link to purchase, then I won't include the link.
- Headphone that Amir measured with GRAS 45CA-10 since Dec 3, 2020.

Items I'm not including:
- None so far

Notes on purchasing from international sellers:
- Check international links. Find the total cost after shipping/taxes, then do the currency conversion. Keep in mind not all sellers charge for import duties. So if you purchase an item and it had no duties included, then you *might* need to pay for it once you receive the package.
- Sweetwater says they don't ship to Canada, but you can ship to a US postal box (PO box) close to border, and drive to pick it up. Duties will be charged.
- See this link to calculate how much duties you'll pay, if driving across the border.
- Other sellers (like drop, bhphotovideo, adorama) do ship directly to a Canadian address, but if you live near the border, calculate the difference if you were to ship to a US postal box (PO box) yourself, to see if there's any additional savings in shipping cost.

List of US/International sellers who ship to Canada directly (sorted A-Z):
- adorama
- aliexpress
- amazon.com
- bhphotovideo
- crutchfield
- drop

Legend:
- WP => 'Wrong Picture' shown on the website, which doesn't match the indented headphones.

Do you want to see a full list of Canadian headphone resellers/dealers?
Go to my master thread.

_________________________________________________

Highly-Recommended Headphones (sorted CDN $-$$):
- Headphones that received "Golfing/Soccer Panther Award"

As you can see, this headphone got the 'relaxed panther' (meaning recommended) award, but with EQ, it got the 'golfing panther' (meaning highly-recommended) award.

Hifiman HE400SE
US$149 (CDN$187)
-Canada: amazon.ca, newegg.ca, walmart.ca

DROP + SENNHEISER PC38X
US$169 (CDN$210)
-USA: drop.com
-Canada: amazon.ca

AKG K371
US$155 =>CDN$215 [or when sale for CDN$170] for K371
-Bonus: Amir recommends these headphones, even with no EQ.
-2 versions available: K371(wired version) and K371-BT (wired and bluetooth). Other differences.
-Canada (K371): amazon.ca, acclaim-music, stevesmusic,
-USA (but can ship to Canada)(K371): amazon.com, adorama, bhphotovideo
-USA (must ship to US PO box first, then drive to pickup)(K371): sweetwater
Alternatively, K371-BT (the bluetooth version) is CDN$280 [or when sale for CDN$210]
-Canada (K371-BT): amazon.ca, economik, darkhorse, acclaim-music, avshop, long-mcquade, musicredone, stevesmusic, sight-sound
-USA (but can ship to Canada)(K371-BT): amazon.com, adorama, bhphotovideo
-USA (must ship to US PO box first, then drive to pickup)(K371-BT): sweewater
Warning about purchasing on amazon.ca:

Bose QuietComfort 35 II
US$300 (CDN$400)
-Bonus: Amir recommends these headphones, even with no EQ.
-Canada (black): amazon.ca, walmart, bose.ca, staples, tsc, thesource, andreselectronicexperts, crutchfield.ca, newegg, newegg2, bestbuy, advance.mb.ca, mainsonadam, stereoplus, fulllineelectronics, easthamiltonradio.on.ca, dell
-Canada (silver): amazon.ca, walmart, bose.ca, staples, tsc, thesource, andreselectronicexperts, crutchfield.ca, bestbuy, advance.mb.ca, maisonadam, fulllineelectronics, easthamiltonradio.on.ca, dell
-Canada (rose gold): staples, tsc, thesource, fulllineelectronics
-USA (but can ship to Canada)(black): amazon.com, adorama, bhphotovideo, drop
-USA (but can ship to Canada)(silver): amazon.com, adorama, silver
-USA (must ship to US PO box first, then drive to pickup)(black): sweetwater
-USA (must ship to US PO box first, then drive to pickup)(silver):

Hifiman Sundara
CDN$490
-Canada: headphonebar, headphones, walmart, deskhero, shop.simcoeav.ca, headfoneshop, audioexcellence, electronicsforless, planetofsoundonline, amazon.ca(since 2018), amazon.ca(since2020), quebecacoustic, magasinaudiolight, maisonadam, laytonaudio, laliberteelectronique

E-MU Teak
US$450 (CDN$560)
-USA: emu.com
-Canada: N/a

Dan Clark Audio AEON RT (closed-back)
US$500 + US$30 shipping to Canada + duties? =>CDN$670
-Bonus: Amir recommends these headphones, even with no EQ.
-2 versions available: open-back and closed-back. Differences1, Differences2.
-USA (but can ship to Canada): danclarkaudio.com
Alternatively, AEON Closed X (from drop)
-USA (but can ship to Canada) (AEON Closed X): drop (US$479 + US$15 shipping to Canada + duties?). Differences.

Drop Ether CX
US$900 (CDN$1,100)
-USA: drop.com
-Canada: N/a

Audeze LCD-X (2021 edition):
US$1,200 (CDN$1,500)
-USA: audeze.com

Hifiman HE-6
US$1,300 (CDN$1,619) but discontinued now.
-Canada: walmart.ca

Hifiman Arya
US$1,300 (CDN$2,100)
-Canada: quebecacoustic, amazon.ca, vinylsound, laytonaudio, planetofsound, newegg.ca, deskhero, electronicsforless, headphonebar,

Hifiman HE6se
US$1,800 (CDN$2,500)
-Canada: electronicsforless, amazon.ca, deskhero, headphones.ca

Audeze LCD-24
US$3,500 (CDN$4,312)
-USA: audeze.com
-Canada: N/a

Focal Utopia
US$4,000 (CDN$4,990)
-Canada: amazon.ca, gramophone.mybigcommerce.com, atlasavu (demo), headphones, hifiheadphones, spinnerssoundcentre, creativeaudio, store.advance.mb.ca, bestbuy.ca, bestbuy.ca2, audiobasics, baybloorradio, fastforwardavu, headphoneshop, trutone, kennedy-hifi, enmansavu, laytonaudio, laliberteelectronique, fillion, magasinaudiolight, musicredone
-USA (ships to Canada): amazon.com, adorama.com, bhphotovideo
-USA (must ship to US PO box first, then drive to pickup): sweetwater
Alternatively, Focal Utopia 2020 (newer version):
"Pretty sure all they did was add a XLR cable and a carrying case in the 2020 version." (source)
-Canada: headphonebar.com, audioshop.on.ca, baybloorradio, vinylsound, noteworthyaudio, quebecacoustic, audiophileexperts
-USA (but ship to Canada): adorama.com, bhphotovideo

Dan Clark Audio Stealth:
US$4,000 (CDN$5,100)
-USA: danclarkaudio.com
-Canada: N/a

Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC
US$5,000 (CDN$6,161)
-USA: abyss-headphones.com
-Canada: N/a

________________________________________________

Changelog:
2021-01-12. First 5 headphones added (Superlux HD668B, Hifiman HE400i 2016, NAD Viso HP50, Sennheiser HD650, Sennheiser HD800S)
2021-01-14: Dan Clark Audio AEON RT.
2021-01-14: Separated US sellers from International sellers
2021-01-16: Added small photos of each
2021-01-18: Sony MDR-ZX110
2021-01-22: AKG K371
2021-01-26: Sony WH-1000XM4
2021-01-26: Added 'Recommendation, even with no EQ'
2021-01-28: Added 'Master list of Canadian Headphone Resellers/Dealers'
2021-02-12: Added Bowers & Wilkins P5
2021-02-20: Added Bose QuietComfort 35 II
2021-03-01: Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT
2021-03-22: Hifiman HE-6
2021-04-03: Focal Utopia
2021-04-16: Hifiman Sundara
2021-04-22: Sennheiser HD 820
2021-04-24: Panasonic RP-TCM125-A
2021-07-02: Removed "recommended" headphones...there's too many and only kept "highly-recommended" headphones.
2021-07-14: E-MU Teak
2021-08-02: Audeze LCD-X Review (2021 Edition Headphone)
2021-08-22: Dan Clark Audio Stealth
2021-11-07: Hifiman Arya
2021-12-05: Hifiman HE400SE

 

[Harmonie]

I like your posts and regret that I can't benefit.

Where is your other based in EU ?

 

[sweetchaos]

Improvements:

Separated:
- International sellers, that are outside of USA, that ship to Canada
- USA sellers, but can ship to Canada directly
- USA sellers, but require to ship to US PO box first, then drive to pickup

 

[Jaimo]

Thanks SweetChaos - very useful. Especially for gift selection...

 

[sweetchaos]

Improvements:

Added:
-Bonus: Amir recommends these headphones, even with no EQ.

There are 3 so far:
-AKG 371
-Dan Clark Aeon RT
-Sennheiser HD650

 

[sweetchaos]

Improvements:

Added:
- Link to my master spreadsheet that lists all Canadian headphone resellers/dealers (160 total so far)

 

[Garlucky]

Thanks very useful

 

[sfdoddsy]

He also recommends the HD560S without (and with) EQ.

 

[Xaviedie]

HD800S with EQ = best headphone

 

[mispela]

HD800S with EQ = best headphone

Any EQ preset you can recommend for the HD 800s?