I have been on a similar search looking for that next headphone, trying to stay in the Mid-Fi range ( < $700 ) I rolled through a few of them, I like intimate vocals, blues, rock, Alternative/indie and step into some classical one in whiles.
- AGK 712 earlier headphone;
- Hifiman
- HE 4xx Drop,
- HE-560,
- Ananda $699 at Amazon and Headphones.com; <- just made a list with a price drop.
- Sennheiser HE-6xx;
- Focal Elex <-
- Dan Clark Aeon X (an alternative is Aeon 2 note is above my mid-fi range @ $899)
Right now, I have XD05 Plus DAC/AMP with 1W @ 32 Ohms paired with it AK4493 DAC. For a portable solution, it plenty of power to support any of these headphones.
In this space of mid-level headphones, I say look at the headphones above; I would say Focal Elex or Hiifiman Ananda would fit your needs. They are both very good headphones that are easy to drive but open up with more powerful amps. There are both great with female Vocals, Piano, Bass, and Guitar.
Focal reaches higher and still has excellent bass Extention with a wider, more full stage. Electric Guitars like on AC/DC "Ride On", just seem to have little more detail and are tonally correct to that Marshell sound, (I play the guitar with Marshall JMP 100 and JTM45 amps) One beautiful thing the Ananda and Elex use the same headphone cables so you can interchange them.
Ananda is a little darker, the treble is not as rich and bright as Focal, but the Ananda has a very good reveal of bright instruments like triangles, both have great midrange, great bass. They are very complementary.
If you want something warmer but even more intimate but with excellent instrument separation good staging, and deep bass. I have been enjoying the Aeon X, but be prepared to get an upgraded amp; if it were a new purchase, I l would look at AEON 2. This super comfortable headphone that is easy to listen to for longer sessions. Now I would get Ananda or Elex before Aeon. But has something different when playing Vocals with a darker background.
Tracks I have have been using to test female vocal are which get you a few more instruments as well ; )
- Diana Krall " Fly Me to the Moon"
- Christina Aguilera "Beautiful"
- Lana Del Ray "Blue Jeans"
- Elia Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong "Summertime"
- Jefferson Airplane "Lather" and "White Rabbit"
- Telepopmusik "Breathe"
- Berlin Philharmonic, Mirella Freni, Herbert von Karajan, Luciano Pavarotti, Elizabeth Harwood, Rolando Panerai, Gianni Maffeo & Nicolai Ghiaurov. "La bohème, Act I: "Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì". ( Note I prefer the Aeon for this piece)
Two tracks I like for testing Male Vocal is John Lee Hooker's "Jesse James" and Sonny Boy Williamson "Bring It Home."