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Recommendation request thread

kami

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Apr 13, 2021
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Thank you KM.
Yes, I agree with you, I wish to minimize the things carried in my purse.
I love the first one on the list. It looks so pretty. Luckily I know some Chinese. I will buy one from China and ship to US.

You are welcome @coco

Given your interest in the Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk, here's an article about them from the person who collaborated in their tuning

Hope you like them. If you have the time, please share your impressions with a new thread on this forum

KM
 

Chrisr

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Apr 2, 2021
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Country: Austria (EU)

Budget: 200 Euro
Form factor: Open back

Use case: A lot of videoconferencing, some music listening and gaming.

Source information: PC/Focusrite Scarlett gen 3

Things that are important to you: I want headphones that deliver clear speech on low volume, are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, fit well one a smaller than average head and are open back with focus on minimum sound pressure on the ears.

Your preferred sound signature/other headphones you've tried and liked/disliked: As neutral as possible but definitely most important is that they are not shrill or sharp.

Anything else you feel might be relevant: I have tinnitus and have found that working from home and using headphones for 6+ hours a day has really aggravated it quite a bit even when listening on low volumes. Now I have the idea that using open back headphones could make it a bit more manageable. So really what I want is the most tinnitus friendly headphones I can find. (I try to use speakers as much as possible, but am forced to wear headphones quite a bit.)
 

Jubijub

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May 30, 2021
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Hello everyone,

Looking for a replacement to my HD800 (silver version)

Country: Switzerland

Budget: (in local currency and maybe USD) : 1700.-CHF / 1900$

Form factor: (e.g. over ear, on ear, IEM, open back etc.) : over ear, and I wear glasses so I expect something comfortable in that setting (HD800 are amazing in this area)

Use case: (e.g. casual listening while at work, critical listening etc.) :
everything I do with my computers :
  • video conferences
  • Youtube videos
  • Video games
  • listening to music (bit of everything, rock / pop primarily) from Spotify
Note : my room is quiet, I don't ever need to put the Magni more than 40% of its volume, and Windows is also 50% volume

Source information: (your amp/lack of amp if you feel it's relevant) :
Currently : Schiit Modi Multibit 2 + Magni 3 (eying on the RME Audio ADI-2 DAC FS )

Things that are important to you: (e.g. comfort, portability, durability etc.)
  1. Comfort wearing it for hours, with glasses on
  2. Velour / Microfiber ear cups is an absolute must, leather / faux leather makes me sweat too much and my ears cook in there
  3. Open back (use them at home, don't need sound isolation, and that allows me to hear when my wife talks to me :p )
  4. Changeable / washable cups

Your preferred sound signature/other headphones you've tried and liked/disliked:
Not my biggest criteria : HD800 sounds OK to me, I don't mind a bit more bass / mid (I have a Sony wf-1000xm3 which I quite like as well)

Anything else you feel might be relevant:
currently considering Focal Clear, possibly going again with HD800s, also considering HD6xx
 
Last edited:

kami

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Apr 13, 2021
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Hello everyone,

Looking for a replacement to my HD800 (silver version)

Country: Switzerland

Budget: (in local currency and maybe USD) : 1700.-CHF / 1900$

Form factor: (e.g. over ear, on ear, IEM, open back etc.) : over ear, and I wear glasses so I expect something comfortable in that setting (HD800 are amazing in this area)

Use case: (e.g. casual listening while at work, critical listening etc.) :
everything I do with my computers :
  • video conferences
  • Youtube videos
  • Video games
  • listening to music (bit of everything, rock / pop primarily) from Spotify
Note : my room is quiet, I don't ever need to put the Magni more than 40% of its volume, and Windows is also 50% volume

Source information: (your amp/lack of amp if you feel it's relevant) :
Currently : Schiit Modi Multibit 2 + Magni 3 (eying on the RME Audio ADI-2 DAC FS )

Things that are important to you: (e.g. comfort, portability, durability etc.)
  1. Comfort wearing it for hours, with glasses on
  2. Velour / Microfiber ear cups is an absolute must, leather / faux leather makes me sweat too much and my ears cook in there
  3. Open back (use them at home, don't need sound isolation, and that allows me to hear when my wife talks to me :p )
  4. Changeable / washable cups

Your preferred sound signature/other headphones you've tried and liked/disliked:
Not my biggest criteria : HD800 sounds OK to me, I don't mind a bit more bass / mid (I have a Sony wf-1000xm3 which I quite like as well)

Anything else you feel might be relevant:
currently considering Focal Clear, possibly going again with HD800s, also considering HD6xx

Hi @Jubijub

Are you willing to buy from an amazon store in any other country in Europe? (along with paying customs + shipping)

Do you know any brands that have local retailers/distributors from which you would be able to buy local?

If video-conferences are one of your use cases now, how are you handling the microphone input? If that's solved then I can focus on the headphones only.

Do you play video games in a gaming console or your PC? Please specify brand if it's console gaming.

KM
 

Jubijub

Member
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May 30, 2021
Messages
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6
Hi @Jubijub

Are you willing to buy from an amazon store in any other country in Europe? (along with paying customs + shipping)

Do you know any brands that have local retailers/distributors from which you would be able to buy local?

If video-conferences are one of your use cases now, how are you handling the microphone input? If that's solved then I can focus on the headphones only.

Do you play video games in a gaming console or your PC? Please specify brand if it's console gaming.

KM
@kami :
- I am willing to buy in Amazon EU (FR or DE likely) if it is financially interesting. By experience, importing to Switzerland cost quite a lot (Switzerland has various custom taxes, and transporters will charge you 30-40.- just to process the custom fees), so it's rarely viable, unless it's a product one cannot find in Switzerland.
- I live in Zurich, so I could try to see if there is any official reseller for Focal / Sennheiser / others ?
- I have a separate mic on an arm (Shure PG-42 XLR + Shure X2U), all covered
- video games : no consoles, PC only. The headphones are connected to a DAC (Modi Multibit for the time being), connected to my screen which acts as a USB KVM that works with :
* my work Macbook Pro
* my workstation (itself having a dual boot Windows / Linux)
 

Durnik

Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2021
Messages
19
Likes
13
Location
Barcelona
Hi,

I'm a new user. Have been coming back to this forum from time to time since like a year ago, and must say that it's been very helpful.
The thing is that I want to purchase a really good pair of headphones, so finally registered to look for good advice and, at the same time, to get a chance to thank you all for the big and good work done.

Before start, it's worth to say that I have very little experience with headphones. I've been using IEMs for a long time due to my job, but now the situation has changed and I'm working remotely from home.
I own a couple of Sony's (the WH-1000XM3 is the one I use more, but with strong EQ corrections), and that's all. So while I already have some knowledge and experience regarding IEMs, the headphones world is a whole new thing for me.

So let's start:

Country: Spain (Barcelona)

Budget: Aiming for ~1000 €, but could reach higher if the differences really worth it.

Form factor: Over ear. Closed-back.

Use case: Mainly at home when working and for pure music-enjoying sessions.

Source information: I don't own any dedicated desktop gear. I usually play music from A&K SR-25 DAP (so 3.5 SE & 2.5 balanced outputs) and from time to time from the smartphone, when streaming through bluetooth (Poweramp).

Things that are important to you: I've already owned pretty good IEMs, so sonically I'm looking for high level sound features. Comfort and low-power source requirements would be much appreciated too, but I could purchase a nice amp if it's not very expensive.

Your preferred sound signature/other headphones you've tried and liked/disliked: Lately I've been using IEMs with a very monitor-like signature (mostly NCM Bella v1, custom monitors from Vietnam), but I found myself EQing more and more these days, trying to achieve a more natural but "meaty" sound and a more visceral bass (the mids and highs are already quite good, only would add some body to the mids and a less 'audiophile' tunning to both frequency ranges in general, for a tad more of musicality and fun.
So the signature: I think it would be near the Harman target, but warmer without losing resolution or separation.
I prefer a good holographic sound to a bigger soundstage, but LOVE the huge sound that the sub-bass frequencies can deliver some times.

Anything else you feel might be relevant:
Just to be clear. While looking for such a musical profile, I'd like to keep a good holographic soundstage, resolution, separation and timbre. Would like a double-bass to sound as it is supposed to sound, as well as pianos, guitars, voices and all the rest. I prefer a drier bass with good timbre to another more of my likes but that sounds weird.

Many thanks for reading. I hope I've been enough clear, but would love to add more information if anyone thinks that something is missing.
 

Robbo99999

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Hi,

I'm a new user. Have been coming back to this forum from time to time since like a year ago, and must say that it's been very helpful.
The thing is that I want to purchase a really good pair of headphones, so finally registered to look for good advice and, at the same time, to get a chance to thank you all for the big and good work done.

Before start, it's worth to say that I have very little experience with headphones. I've been using IEMs for a long time due to my job, but now the situation has changed and I'm working remotely from home.
I own a couple of Sony's (the WH-1000XM3 is the one I use more, but with strong EQ corrections), and that's all. So while I already have some knowledge and experience regarding IEMs, the headphones world is a whole new thing for me.

So let's start:

Country: Spain (Barcelona)

Budget: Aiming for ~1000 €, but could reach higher if the differences really worth it.

Form factor: Over ear. Closed-back.

Use case: Mainly at home when working and for pure music-enjoying sessions.

Source information: I don't own any dedicated desktop gear. I usually play music from A&K SR-25 DAP (so 3.5 SE & 2.5 balanced outputs) and from time to time from the smartphone, when streaming through bluetooth (Poweramp).

Things that are important to you: I've already owned pretty good IEMs, so sonically I'm looking for high level sound features. Comfort and low-power source requirements would be much appreciated too, but I could purchase a nice amp if it's not very expensive.

Your preferred sound signature/other headphones you've tried and liked/disliked: Lately I've been using IEMs with a very monitor-like signature (mostly NCM Bella v1, custom monitors from Vietnam), but I found myself EQing more and more these days, trying to achieve a more natural but "meaty" sound and a more visceral bass (the mids and highs are already quite good, only would add some body to the mids and a less 'audiophile' tunning to both frequency ranges in general, for a tad more of musicality and fun.
So the signature: I think it would be near the Harman target, but warmer without losing resolution or separation.
I prefer a good holographic sound to a bigger soundstage, but LOVE the huge sound that the sub-bass frequencies can deliver some times.

Anything else you feel might be relevant:
Just to be clear. While looking for such a musical profile, I'd like to keep a good holographic soundstage, resolution, separation and timbre. Would like a double-bass to sound as it is supposed to sound, as well as pianos, guitars, voices and all the rest. I prefer a drier bass with good timbre to another more of my likes but that sounds weird.

Many thanks for reading. I hope I've been enough clear, but would love to add more information if anyone thinks that something is missing.
Hello, I don't think you need to spend 1000 Euro, so that's good news. You said Closed Back, for an expensive closed back I recommend the Dan Clarke Aeon RT, reviewed here by Amir and also measured by Oratory, links following:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-audio-aeon-rt-review-closed-headphone.19393/
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gbs8m0x6qcvnuhv/Dan Clark Audio Aeon Closed RT.pdf?dl=0

Do you like the Harman Target? Things are easy if you do because then you just buy a good headphone that Oratory has measured and you've got your Harman EQ right there. Your Sony WH-1000XM3 has been measured by Oratory already, so you could try his EQ and then you might not need to buy anymore headphones:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/27fvbywlep8d5ay/Sony WH1000XM3.pdf?dl=0
Or you may wish to try that EQ on your Sony 1000XM3 and if you like it then you know you just need to buy another good quality headphone that Oratory has measured, which the Dan Clark Aeon RT I recommended you has been measured by him (link earlier in post).

For the Dan Clark Aeon RT you'll need to buy a headphone amp, but given it's short of your 1000 Euro target then you'll have some money left over to buy your amp.
 

Durnik

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Jun 1, 2021
Messages
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Location
Barcelona
Hello, I don't think you need to spend 1000 Euro, so that's good news. You said Closed Back, for an expensive closed back I recommend the Dan Clarke Aeon RT, reviewed here by Amir and also measured by Oratory, links following:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-audio-aeon-rt-review-closed-headphone.19393/
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gbs8m0x6qcvnuhv/Dan Clark Audio Aeon Closed RT.pdf?dl=0

Do you like the Harman Target? Things are easy if you do because then you just buy a good headphone that Oratory has measured and you've got your Harman EQ right there. Your Sony WH-1000XM3 has been measured by Oratory already, so you could try his EQ and then you might not need to buy anymore headphones:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/27fvbywlep8d5ay/Sony WH1000XM3.pdf?dl=0
Or you may wish to try that EQ on your Sony 1000XM3 and if you like it then you know you just need to buy another good quality headphone that Oratory has measured, which the Dan Clark Aeon RT I recommended you has been measured by him (link earlier in post).

For the Dan Clark Aeon RT you'll need to buy a headphone amp, but given it's short of your 1000 Euro target then you'll have some money left over to buy your amp.

Many thanks for the recommendation! I've been taking a look at some reviews and it seems that RTs fit perfectly into what I'm looking for! I'll try anyway to find something more efficient at the same or better quality level, but the RTs are now for sure in my list, despite the amplification requirements.
 

Robbo99999

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Many thanks for the recommendation! I've been taking a look at some reviews and it seems that RTs fit perfectly into what I'm looking for! I'll try anyway to find something more efficient at the same or better quality level, but the RTs are now for sure in my list, despite the amplification requirements.
Did you try Oratory's EQ for your Sony Wh-1000XM3? You might not even need new headphones if that transforms it enough. Dan Clarke Aeon RT is a solid recommendation based on Amir's review, and EQ's available from Oratory for that one too. Plus lots of people seem to like the Aeon RT, there's at least one person I recommended it to, and they liked it....I mean you should EQ it for best effect, I think all headphones need EQ with only an exception or two (HD600 & K371).
 

kami

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Many thanks for the recommendation! I've been taking a look at some reviews and it seems that RTs fit perfectly into what I'm looking for! I'll try anyway to find something more efficient at the same or better quality level, but the RTs are now for sure in my list, despite the amplification requirements.

hi @Durnik

Considering you are in Europe and your budget, here's a pair of headphones that have not been measured here, but the manufacturer offers measurements and comparisons with other popular headphones: Ollo Audio HPS S4R

https://olloaudio.com/products/s4r-recording-headphones

Subjective opinions: Here's a youtube playlist where there's a description of how each frequency is represented, using a spotify playlist that the reviewer shares
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMQmH0ba7KQTemieG7DXxjIYAQ1h4aZXe

Measurements from the manufacturer: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...surement_Full_Report_2021_V4.pdf?v=1621515803

I guess buying those at Amazon Italy would be cheaper than importing the Aeon's from the USA

Let me know your thoughts

KM
 

kami

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@kami :
- I am willing to buy in Amazon EU (FR or DE likely) if it is financially interesting. By experience, importing to Switzerland cost quite a lot (Switzerland has various custom taxes, and transporters will charge you 30-40.- just to process the custom fees), so it's rarely viable, unless it's a product one cannot find in Switzerland.
- I live in Zurich, so I could try to see if there is any official reseller for Focal / Sennheiser / others ?
- I have a separate mic on an arm (Shure PG-42 XLR + Shure X2U), all covered
- video games : no consoles, PC only. The headphones are connected to a DAC (Modi Multibit for the time being), connected to my screen which acts as a USB KVM that works with :
* my work Macbook Pro
* my workstation (itself having a dual boot Windows / Linux)


Thanks for narrowing down the scope.

I went through some searches and found Horn.eu carries Focal headphones, but the Elex seems to be an exclusive model from Massdrop or at least not distributed in Switzerland. They have the Focal Clear model, but that's not recommended.

I need to keep searching, but I will only say for now:

- What motivates you to move away from the HD800?
- Are you willing to use equalization?

KM
 
Last edited:

Robbo99999

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hi @Durnik

Considering you are in Europe and your budget, here's a pair of headphones that have not been measured here, but the manufacturer offers measurements and comparisons with other popular headphones: Ollo Audio HPS S4R

https://olloaudio.com/products/s4r-recording-headphones

Subjective opinions: Here's a youtube playlist where there's a description of how each frequency is represented, using a spotify playlist that the reviewer shares
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMQmH0ba7KQTemieG7DXxjIYAQ1h4aZXe

Measurements from the manufacturer: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...surement_Full_Report_2021_V4.pdf?v=1621515803

I guess buying those at Amazon Italy would be cheaper than importing the Aeon's from the USA

Let me know your thoughts

KM
Hi Kami, with a quick look I couldn't find the measurements you're talking about, could you provide a link directly to the measurements? Do you know what equipment they used to make the measurements, was it a GRAS unit? Really only the GRAS units are valid when we talk Harman Target. I'd be wary to recommend a headphone that hasn't been measured on a GRAS unit.....and I'd feel more comfortable if the measurements came from a third party rather than the manufacturer themselves, but that's a different issue.
 

kami

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Hi Kami, with a quick look I couldn't find the measurements you're talking about, could you provide a link directly to the measurements? Do you know what equipment they used to make the measurements, was it a GRAS unit? Really only the GRAS units are valid when we talk Harman Target. I'd be wary to recommend a headphone that hasn't been measured on a GRAS unit.....and I'd feel more comfortable if the measurements came from a third party rather than the manufacturer themselves, but that's a different issue.

The message you replied and quoted has a PDF link:

Measurements from the manufacturer: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...surement_Full_Report_2021_V4.pdf?v=1621515803

for the impatient: page 15 and page 22 (open back and closed back)

They use GRAS 45CC with RA0039 coupler based on IEC 60318-1standard. It's all in the PDF.
The fact that they describe their testing allows anyone with a comparable GRAS rig to test and compare with their measurements.
They also include measurements for each unit in the box, so you can adjust with EQ as you please.

KM
 

Durnik

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Location
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Did you try Oratory's EQ for your Sony Wh-1000XM3? You might not even need new headphones if that transforms it enough. Dan Clarke Aeon RT is a solid recommendation based on Amir's review, and EQ's available from Oratory for that one too. Plus lots of people seem to like the Aeon RT, there's at least one person I recommended it to, and they liked it....I mean you should EQ it for best effect, I think all headphones need EQ with only an exception or two (HD600 & K371).

Did you try Oratory's EQ for your Sony Wh-1000XM3? You might not even need new headphones if that transforms it enough. Dan Clarke Aeon RT is a solid recommendation based on Amir's review, and EQ's available from Oratory for that one too. Plus lots of people seem to like the Aeon RT, there's at least one person I recommended it to, and they liked it....I mean you should EQ it for best effect, I think all headphones need EQ with only an exception or two (HD600 & K371).

Hi, for sure I'm going to try it. Many thanks for this advice too, I hope this weekend will have some spare time!

Regarding EQ I did it by ear, so it can surely be improved, but the truth is I'm quite pleased with the EQ results already obtained, not only with the SR25+cable but with my smartphone+poweramp through Bluetooth too (Hi-Res output+LDAC). This last surprised me for how good can sound the Sonys using BT when properly EQed, and I'm very happy with this solution when on the go. But on the other hand, still looking for gear with better capabilities for home and office use (if eventually I end up going to the office again).

hi @Durnik

Considering you are in Europe and your budget, here's a pair of headphones that have not been measured here, but the manufacturer offers measurements and comparisons with other popular headphones: Ollo Audio HPS S4R

https://olloaudio.com/products/s4r-recording-headphones

Subjective opinions: Here's a youtube playlist where there's a description of how each frequency is represented, using a spotify playlist that the reviewer shares
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMQmH0ba7KQTemieG7DXxjIYAQ1h4aZXe

Measurements from the manufacturer: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...surement_Full_Report_2021_V4.pdf?v=1621515803

I guess buying those at Amazon Italy would be cheaper than importing the Aeon's from the USA

Let me know your thoughts

KM

It looks good too, thank you for the suggestion Kami!
The thing is I'm planning to purchase the gear in a Physical Store in Barcelona if possible. Mainly looking for near and responsive customer support and avoiding sendings in case there's some problem (and it's a personal matter, but I try to buy as little as I can on Amazon, despite my Prime subscription). I try to only buy online if I've been able to check the gear before and I'm sure the sound is well consistent between the same model units and buy always directly from the store if possible (and if there's not a high difference in the price, of course!).

As a side note, I had a very bad experience when I purchased the NCM Bella monitors (1200 €+ with the customizations). NCM were very responsive and the gear was ok, but it was stuck in the Spanish customs for more than 4 months, plus it was finally returned to NCM, so I had to pay for an extra guaranteed delivery service and wait for some days more.
And due to my job (customer service related), it's really hard for me to find a moment during business hours to go to the post office out of the weekends or holidays.
 

Robbo99999

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The message you replied and quoted has a PDF link:

Measurements from the manufacturer: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...surement_Full_Report_2021_V4.pdf?v=1621515803

for the impatient: page 15 and page 22 (open back and closed back)

They use GRAS 45CC with RA0039 coupler based on IEC 60318-1standard. It's all in the PDF.
The fact that they describe their testing allows anyone with a comparable GRAS rig to test and compare with their measurements.
They also include measurements for each unit in the box, so you can adjust with EQ as you please.

KM
Thanks for the link Kami, I checked the measurements and there is something seriously wrong with their GRAS measurement rig, the K702 measurement they did on their rig for example is NOTHING like what it should be.
Here is how they measured the K702 (grey line):
Manufacturers measurements wrong.jpg

And here is what the K702 measurement should look like(from Oratory's measurement):
K702 Oratory frequency response.jpg


You can see the two measurements of the K702 are nothing alike, massive differences.....I think you should totally disregard the measurements that the manufacturer is providing for their headphones (as well as others). There's something wrong with their measurements, and I think you should disregard them. I wouldn't buy the headphones you linked now that I've seen how they're measuring them.
Hi, for sure I'm going to try it. Many thanks for this advice too, I hope this weekend will have some spare time!

Regarding EQ I did it by ear, so it can surely be improved, but the truth is I'm quite pleased with the EQ results already obtained, not only with the SR25+cable but with my smartphone+poweramp through Bluetooth too (Hi-Res output+LDAC). This last surprised me for how good can sound the Sonys using BT when properly EQed, and I'm very happy with this solution when on the go. But on the other hand, still looking for gear with better capabilities for home and office use (if eventually I end up going to the office again).



It looks good too, thank you for the suggestion Kami!
The thing is I'm planning to purchase the gear in a Physical Store in Barcelona if possible. Mainly looking for near and responsive customer support and avoiding sendings in case there's some problem (and it's a personal matter, but I try to buy as little as I can on Amazon, despite my Prime subscription). I try to only buy online if I've been able to check the gear before and I'm sure the sound is well consistent between the same model units and buy always directly from the store if possible (and if there's not a high difference in the price, of course!).

As a side note, I had a very bad experience when I purchased the NCM Bella monitors (1200 €+ with the customizations). NCM were very responsive and the gear was ok, but it was stuck in the Spanish customs for more than 4 months, plus it was finally returned to NCM, so I had to pay for an extra guaranteed delivery service and wait for some days more.
And due to my job (customer service related), it's really hard for me to find a moment during business hours to go to the post office out of the weekends or holidays.
Given you've been tweaking your headphone by ear, I'm thinking that you'll find Oratory's EQ of your Sony headphone a massive improvement, but only if you're one of the greater proportion that likes the Harman Curve. So, yes, definitely worth trying Oratory's EQ on your Sony headphone, and then you'll be in a better place of "knowledge" in terms of if you even need to buy another headphone and also which headphone to buy if you do replace your Sony.
 

kami

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Thanks for the link Kami, I checked the measurements and there is something seriously wrong with their GRAS measurement rig, the K702 measurement they did on their rig for example is NOTHING like what it should be.
Here is how they measured the K702 (grey line):
View attachment 133402
And here is what the K702 measurement should look like(from Oratory's measurement):
View attachment 133404

You can see the two measurements of the K702 are nothing alike, massive differences.....I think you should totally disregard the measurements that the manufacturer is providing for their headphones (as well as others). There's something wrong with their measurements, and I think you should disregard them. I wouldn't buy the headphones you linked now that I've seen how they're measuring them.

Given you've been tweaking your headphone by ear, I'm thinking that you'll find Oratory's EQ of your Sony headphone a massive improvement, but only if you're one of the greater proportion that likes the Harman Curve. So, yes, definitely worth trying Oratory's EQ on your Sony headphone, and then you'll be in a better place of "knowledge" in terms of if you even need to buy another headphone and also which headphone to buy if you do replace your Sony.

I'm glad you brought that up. oratory and crinacle measure using Gras 43AG and 43AC couplers, measurements by Ollo are done in a GRAS 45CC

oratory's FAQ mentions that the same headphone may have different measurements, depending on the rig, see graph below:

1622661281271.png

I don't see how the manufacturer measurements can be invalidated because of your comparison.

They are measurements and as such could be validated or not by measuring on our own, by someone with a comparable rig.
I don't have access to measurement equipment.

So I take them at face value. Why? Because it I think it would be really bad PR if a manufacturer publishes measurements that don't correspond with real data they captured. They don't need/want that, as a new actor in the market.

Guidance with references is provided to people who ask for recommendations.
In this particular case, the OP is not interested in the brand because he'd rather buy local ;)

These headphones (Ollo Audio S4R or S4X) are out of my current budget, so sending them to Amir is not an option for me.

I guess you will double check my assumptions, although I don't intend to convince you.
Narrowing scope, defining specs and finding a product is a past-time for me, it's fun.

People read our recommendations and then make an informed choice, we're not forcing them.

KM
 

kami

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Country: Austria (EU)

Budget: 200 Euro
Form factor: Open back

Use case: A lot of videoconferencing, some music listening and gaming.

Source information: PC/Focusrite Scarlett gen 3

Things that are important to you: I want headphones that deliver clear speech on low volume, are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, fit well one a smaller than average head and are open back with focus on minimum sound pressure on the ears.

Your preferred sound signature/other headphones you've tried and liked/disliked: As neutral as possible but definitely most important is that they are not shrill or sharp.

Anything else you feel might be relevant: I have tinnitus and have found that working from home and using headphones for 6+ hours a day has really aggravated it quite a bit even when listening on low volumes. Now I have the idea that using open back headphones could make it a bit more manageable. So really what I want is the most tinnitus friendly headphones I can find. (I try to use speakers as much as possible, but am forced to wear headphones quite a bit.)

This is a very specific case. I don't suffer tinnitus, and I don't have professional experience to make a solid suggestion. That's why I didn't jump to reply earlier. I will try to contribute with the little I know.

But I understand the minimum possible sound pressure level will help that condition.

If I were you I would try bone conducting headphones, they don't need to block your ear canal and they have advanced enough to provide a decent speech representation.

There's been some research but not enough to draw certain conclusions.

I have a friend in the UK who tried the "GlobalCrown Bone Conduction Headphones Wireless"

The Aftershokz brand seems popular in Amazon

Let us know your thoughts on this path

KM
 

Helicopter

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I really like my Focal headphones. I have Utopia, Clear original, HD800s, and HD6XX. If I they were all gone and I had a $2k budget, I would get the new Clear MG. Since you are not listening loud, the drivers shouldn't bottom out. Mine never have, even when I cranked the volume with dance music and tried to get them to do it.
 

Robbo99999

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I'm glad you brought that up. oratory and crinacle measure using Gras 43AG and 43AC couplers, measurements by Ollo are done in a GRAS 45CC

oratory's FAQ mentions that the same headphone may have different measurements, depending on the rig, see graph below:

View attachment 133440

I don't see how the manufacturer measurements can be invalidated because of your comparison.

They are measurements and as such could be validated or not by measuring on our own, by someone with a comparable rig.
I don't have access to measurement equipment.

So I take them at face value. Why? Because it I think it would be really bad PR if a manufacturer publishes measurements that don't correspond with real data they captured. They don't need/want that, as a new actor in the market.

Guidance with references is provided to people who ask for recommendations.
In this particular case, the OP is not interested in the brand because he'd rather buy local ;)

These headphones (Ollo Audio S4R or S4X) are out of my current budget, so sending them to Amir is not an option for me.

I guess you will double check my assumptions, although I don't intend to convince you.
Narrowing scope, defining specs and finding a product is a past-time for me, it's fun.

People read our recommendations and then make an informed choice, we're not forcing them.

KM
Yes, the results were so different I expected the equipment being not exactly the same as Oratory's & Amirs. The reality is though that the Harman Research was done on a rig very similar to the rigs used by Oratory & Amir & Crinacle (43AG.....part numbers are not exactly the same amoungst these 3 as some use single ear & some use a dummy head, but they use the same ear which is the crucial thing for measurement compatibility). Yes, so given the Harman Research was done a rig very similar to Oratory/Amir/Crinacle, then the Harman Target that we know is only valid for these rigs, and is not valid for the rig that your measurement showed......that headphone manufacturer you linked - so in my eyes it makes their measurements worthless because we can't interpret them as there are no known standards on those rigs. Therefore I would not buy that headphone as I don't know what I'm getting.
 

Jubijub

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Thanks for narrowing down the scope.

I went through some searches and found Horn.eu carries Focal headphones, but the Elex seems to be an exclusive model from Massdrop or at least not distributed in Switzerland. They have the Focal Clear model, but that's not recommended.

I need to keep searching, but I will only say for now:

- What motivates you to move away from the HD800?
- Are you willing to use equalization?

KM
Horn.eu seems to be the official importer in CH

To your questions :
- What motivates you to move away from the HD800?
Mine is 5yo. The cable is dying, I don't know what else might considering I've been using it like crazy during the past year (it's my default video conference sound device, so I use it I'd say solidly 6-7h per day for work, and 1-3h for leasure (i have no idea of the average lifespan of a headphone)
I could just wait until it dies and buy the same, but I want to explore my options, and the Focal Clear XXX seem like an attractive range (and the looks are much better than the plasticky HD800, although that is subjective)
- Are you willing to use equalization?
Yes I am (I think my current amp (Magni 3 standard) is faulty (it gets super bright when overheating and it does get super hot after a long day), so I am considering a RME Audio ADI-2 DAC FS

I really like my Focal headphones. I have Utopia, Clear original, HD800s, and HD6XX. If I they were all gone and I had a $2k budget, I would get the new Clear MG. Since you are not listening loud, the drivers shouldn't bottom out. Mine never have, even when I cranked the volume with dance music and tried to get them to do it.
Oh interesting : what would make you prefer the Clear MG to the HD800s ? Also, what is your amp / DAC+amp ?
 
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