Most neutral open-back headphones at any price point

[xykreinov]

Requirements with reasons:

1. Open-back ~ Mostly, I'm interested in open-back due to its inherently lessened bass response and ability to let ambient sound in. I'd like to know what's going on around the house without taking my cans off each time I faintly hear some weird noise that could or couldn't be important. As for the bass response, my ears are especially sensitive to bass. I have to EQ my closed headphones to have flat bass, else my ears get fatigued over long sessions.
2. Neutral frequency response ~ For their most common planned use cases, I won't have access to EQ. For the specific media software I use and games I play, the latency is just too great. I use software DSP, which has a lot more latency than hardware DSP. But, I read that the MiniDSP HD has 3ms latency. While that's a far cry from the 90ms of my software DSP, it's still a bit too much for what I do. Currently, when doing these low-latency tasks, I use headphones without EQ and a volume lower than I normally have with EQ. I can only go for relatively short, hour-long sessions without fatigue, sometimes stretched to two hours if I'm willing to lower the volume enough. (If any of you could recommend hardware mods for lowering bass of closed headphones, I'd greatly appreciate it; a compromise until I have open-back cans would be nice. The only articles on the net I can find when I search for "headphone bass reduction mod" are along the lines of "SUPA DUPA BOOTY BASS SHAKIN BOOST MOD", which is of course, not helpful.)
3. Any price ~ While I have an idea of my budget, I'm curious about neutrally measuring open-backs in general. It's getting tiresome sifting through oratory's measurements. I'd like to see if I can get input elsewhere. I'm most looking towards cans under $300, but I'm not totally opposed to something higher end with a more enticing frequency response. It just seems, from what I've found, that there aren't all that many options above $300 that are especially more neutral than things you can get for cheap, like the HD 6XX, HE4XX, and DT880 600ohm.
4. Any efficiency ~ I have a JDS Labs EL Amp II, so I think I can blow my ears up with whatever is recommended

As of now, I'm most looking towards the Sennheiser HD 650/6XX. While the range from 150-300Hz is a bit elevated compared to the Harman target, its treble response is really smooth, and errors mostly make it less bright, rather than more. I'd rather have a treble response that's slightly too dull over slightly too bright, given the choice. That's why the HD 650 looks more suited for me than the HD 600. The HD 600 is quite a bit closer to the Harman target overall than the HD 650, but the HD 650 is less overly bright than the HD 600. The HD 650 also has less distortion as a bonus, and less channel imbalance.

 

[solderdude]

HD560S with my passive filter. No EQ needed, easy to drive, fairly comfortable, below budget, very neutral, excellent imaging, bass extended enough. Stock this headphone is a bit 'hot' in the 4-5kHz area (rather wide so less objectionable) which can be fixed with the filter.

Channel imbalance can be present on all headphones. Sennheiser claimed the HD650 drivers are always closely matched.

At any pricepoint: HE6 (old one), Sonoma model one (limited in how loud it can go) are few worth investigating.

Note: My 'neutral' may not be someone else's neutral.
As a reference to my 'neutral': HD600 is neutral to me, HD650 a tad too 'warm', K371

 

[bobbooo]

Requirements with reasons:

1. Open-back ~ Mostly, I'm interested in open-back due to its inherently lessened bass response and ability to let ambient sound in. I'd like to know what's going on around the house without taking my cans off each time I faintly hear some weird noise that could or couldn't be important. As for the bass response, my ears are especially sensitive to bass. I have to EQ my closed headphones to have flat bass, else my ears get fatigued over long sessions.
2. Neutral frequency response ~ For their most common planned use cases, I won't have access to EQ. For the specific media software I use and games I play, the latency is just too great. I use software DSP, which has a lot more latency than hardware DSP. But, I read that the MiniDSP HD has 3ms latency. While that's a far cry from the 90ms of my software DSP, it's still a bit too much for what I do. Currently, when doing these low-latency tasks, I use headphones without EQ and a volume lower than I normally have with EQ. I can only go for relatively short, hour-long sessions without fatigue, sometimes stretched to two hours if I'm willing to lower the volume enough. (If any of you could recommend hardware mods for lowering bass of closed headphones, I'd greatly appreciate it; a compromise until I have open-back cans would be nice. The only articles on the net I can find when I search for "headphone bass reduction mod" are along the lines of "SUPA DUPA BOOTY BASS SHAKIN BOOST MOD", which is of course, not helpful.)
3. Any price ~ While I have an idea of my budget, I'm curious about neutrally measuring open-backs in general. It's getting tiresome sifting through oratory's measurements. I'd like to see if I can get input elsewhere. I'm most looking towards cans under $300, but I'm not totally opposed to something higher end with a more enticing frequency response. It just seems, from what I've found, that there aren't all that many options above $300 that are especially more neutral than things you can get for cheap, like the HD 6XX, HE4XX, and DT880 600ohm.
4. Any efficiency ~ I have a JDS Labs EL Amp II, so I think I can blow my ears up with whatever is recommended

As of now, I'm most looking towards the Sennheiser HD 650/6XX. While the range from 150-300Hz is a bit elevated compared to the Harman target, its treble response is really smooth, and errors mostly make it less bright, rather than more. I'd rather have a treble response that's slightly too dull over slightly too bright, given the choice. That's why the HD 650 looks more suited for me than the HD 600. The HD 600 is quite a bit closer to the Harman target overall than the HD 650, but the HD 650 is less overly bright than the HD 600. The HD 650 also has less distortion as a bonus, and less channel imbalance.

At any price? Probably the $60,000 Sennheiser HE1 You don't have to sift through all Oratory's measurements by the way, you can just look at this ranking table by Harman preference rating based on his measurements. I like how it shows a breakdown of the rating parameters, with the slope value particularly useful in seeing how neutral (closer to 0) the overall tonal balance is (>0 brighter, <0 darker).

 

[xykreinov]

At any price? Probably the $60,000 Sennheiser HE1 You don't have to sift through all Oratory's measurements by the way, you can just look at this ranking table by Harman preference rating based on his measurements. I like how it shows a breakdown of the rating parameters, with the slope value particularly useful in seeing how neutral (closer to 0) the overall tonal balance is (>0 brighter, <0 darker).

AutoEQ is handy software- I didn't know there was a ranking section. Swanky.
Now I'm leaning most towards an HE4XX. It's easier to compare frequency responses with these graphs vs. the ones in oratory's PDFs.
Its treble response conforms to Harman better than most

The lack of too much brightness in error is what's most enticing. Most of the other open-back options that conform around as good or better than the HE4XX have one or two peaks at least 2db above the treble-portion of the Harman target between 2-6kHz. Such peaks have been shown to be fatiguing for me, in experience with headphones that possess them, such as the Neumann NDH20 and Status Audio CB-1. The HE4XX also has good bass extension for an open-back. The HE4XX's bass response also rolls of less than the HD 600 & 650.

 

[Fregly]

HD560S with my passive filter. No EQ needed, easy to drive, fairly comfortable, below budget, very neutral, excellent imaging, bass extended enough. Stock this headphone is a bit 'hot' in the 4-5kHz area (rather wide so less objectionable) which can be fixed with the filter.

Channel imbalance can be present on all headphones. Sennheiser claimed the HD650 drivers are always closely matched.

At any pricepoint: HE6 (old one), Sonoma model one (limited in how loud it can go) are few worth investigating.

Note: My 'neutral' may not be someone else's neutral.
As a reference to my 'neutral': HD600 is neutral to me, HD650 a tad too 'warm', K371

Solderdude, could you post the 560 measurements with filter and without overlayed?

 

[solderdude]

The 'problem' is the driver is angled which changes the FR in that area.
I can show the 'filter action' though. This will result in audible accurate results.

5dB/div for dB scale.

 

[Fregly]

For me "neutral" is more or less the Ety sound. The 650 is distractingly colored for classical or acoustic music to my ears.

 

[solderdude]

My neutral , no idea how Ety's sound as I hate IEM's.

 

[Jimbob54]

As you have probably gathered, and to my limited understanding, the term "neutral" is problematic.

I've read enough to gather that a totally flat headphone frequency response is not "neutral" as human ears are more sensitive to some freq than other. Neither are any of the "preference" curves (eg Harman) "neutral" either- although they may work to that effect for many users' perceptions.

Also, as @solderdude has said, your neutral might not be my neutral , whilst we all probably understand what you are aiming for.

For what its worth, the HP I EQ the least to get to my version of a "balanced" sound are the Focal Clear. Shame you are looking only at open back because the Drop/Dan Clark Audio Ether CX are the other cans I EQ the least. I am lead believe the Hifiman Ananda might sit in that camp too though I have yet to try.

 

[xykreinov]

As you have probably gathered, and to my limited understanding, the term "neutral" is problematic.

I've read enough to gather that a totally flat headphone frequency response is not "neutral" as human ears are more sensitive to some freq than other. Neither are any of the "preference" curves (eg Harman) "neutral" either- although they may work to that effect for many users' perceptions.

Also, as @solderdude has said, your neutral might not be my neutral , whilst we all probably understand what you are aiming for.

For what its worth, the HP I EQ the least to get to my version of a "balanced" sound are the Focal Clear. Shame you are looking only at open back because the Drop/Dan Clark Audio Ether CX are the other cans I EQ the least. I am lead believe the Hifiman Ananda might sit in that camp too though I have yet to try.

Yeah, I meant neutral in the sonic sense, not the graphical sense. A headphone's response measured flat on an analyzer will not at all sound flat to anyone with normally functioning ears (as you know).
Though I get that everyone technically has their own semi-unique curve, my neutral is pretty much the Harman target without the bass boost. While I can appreciate the tactile feel of elevated bass (more akin to a subwoofer) I get fatigued very quickly by it.

The Ether CX has very attractive measurements- might be an endgame closed-back for me down the road. Subdued bass for a closed-back, and errors in treble response being due to recessions, not elevations- I prefer a little dull over a little bright.

 

[Jimbob54]

Yeah, I meant neutral in the sonic sense, not the graphical sense. A headphone's response measured flat on an analyzer will not at all sound flat to anyone with normally functioning ears (as you know).
Though I get that everyone technically has their own semi-unique curve, my neutral is pretty much the Harman target without the bass boost. While I can appreciate the tactile feel of elevated bass (more akin to a subwoofer) I get fatigued very quickly by it.

The Ether CX has very attractive measurements- might be an endgame closed-back for me down the road. Subdued bass for a closed-back, and errors in treble response being due to recessions, not elevations- I prefer a little dull over a little bright.

Your tastes sound similar to mine.

 

[xykreinov]

Your tastes sound similar to mine.

Neato

 

[bobbooo]

AutoEQ is handy software- I didn't know there was a ranking section. Swanky.
Now I'm leaning most towards an HE4XX. It's easier to compare frequency responses with these graphs vs. the ones in oratory's PDFs.
Its treble response conforms to Harman better than most
View attachment 90467
The lack of too much brightness in error is what's most enticing. Most of the other open-back options that conform around as good or better than the HE4XX have one or two peaks at least 2db above the treble-portion of the Harman target between 2-6kHz. Such peaks have been shown to be fatiguing for me, in experience with headphones that possess them, such as the Neumann NDH20 and Status Audio CB-1. The HE4XX also has good bass extension for an open-back. The HE4XX's bass response also rolls of less than the HD 600 & 650.

I have the HE4XX, they're excellent, neutral-sounding headphones. They also have a nice expansive soundstage which I would think would be enjoyable for you when gaming.

 

[xykreinov]

I have the HE4XX, they're excellent, neutral-sounding headphones. They also have a nice expansive soundstage which I would think would be enjoyable for you when gaming.

Okay, I'm pretty darn sold on them at this point.