Trying to choose headphones (Meze, Hifiman, Sennheiser, ...)

[striped_whiskers]

Hey there,

I am new here and was hoping you could help me to choose open back headphones.

Budget: <500-ish EUR.
Use cases: music listening (e.g. Linkin Park), gaming (CS 2), movies.
Gear: s26u with apple and some Chinese dongles, Topping e2x2 OTG (audio interface).
Headphones I already have: Sennheiser HD620S, Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, Apple AirPods Pro 2, CrinEar DayBreak.

What I've tried:
1. Sennheiser 490 Pro. - 340 EUR
Mostly liked the comfort, however it looks like I have big ears, and my left ear was touching something even with velour ear pads, which bothered me.
Usable without an EQ, but benefit from it.
Mostly liked the sound, although they sounded a bit too similar to HD620S, so apart from being open-back, they didn't feel like a big upgrade.

2. Hifiman Arya Stealth V3. - 500 EUR
The sound had a WOW effect because of the sound stage and separation. Vocals sounded a bit flat, maybe I've got used to vocals-forward Sennheisers.
Unusable without an EQ tho.
The comfort was okay-ish, but I'd prefer something lighter. Also, they can't really be used without a proper amp (or so I was told).

3. Meze 105 AER - 300 EUR
Testing them now. The comfort seems to be the best out of all 3.
The sound is pleasant, however, if I am not just imagining it, there is a clear lack of details compared to the previous 2.
Usable without an EQ, but benefit from it a lot.
I can see myself using them as easy-to-enjoy daily headphones, especially taking into account the price and comfort.

However, I can't help myself but wonder if there is anything else I've missed that could be better.

I am also waiting for Meze 105 Silva to be delivered, they would cost me 500 EUR and I am already having a hard time trying to justify 200 Euros jump from the AER.

Would appreciate any of your suggestions, thank you!

 

[IAtaman]

Hello and welcome!

What I understand from your post is that your priorities are comfort, sound quality and maybe a bit of a "wow" factor compared to HD620S.

I'd maybe suggest Hifiman Edition XV if you get a chance to try it. They are comfortable for most people (not all), sound good despite the upper mid dip, and have the egg shape similar to Arya if that is part of the wow factor.

Given your use cases though, I'd most certainly consider Sennheiser HDB 630 if I were you. They are comfy for most people. They work wired and wireless - you can use them with your computer or with your phone on the go. They have a low latency mode with its included dongle for gaming. They got ANC so can double (triple?) as travel headset. They sound good and come with an app that you can use to EQ and fine tune the sound to your liking.

 

[striped_whiskers]

Hi IAtaman,

thanks for a warm welcome!

Thanks a lot for your suggestions. I've just ordered the Edition XV today, looking forward to hearing it.

As for HDB 630, I heard they sound great, but given their price, I'd prefer to avoid anything that has a battery and Bluetooth. Also, they are closed-backs, and I already have HD620S.