Luke Lemke
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Your favorites please? I'm sure the M50X is in the top of your list...
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What headphone(s) do you own ?
- Thread starter solderdude
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Helicopter
Major Contributor
M50X is good. It was my best and most expensive for a couple years and got me into the hobby.
Favorites are Utopia, Celestee, HD800s, QC35ii (travel and bedtime), KSC25 (road cycling).
LCD-X has its place, but may get sold for DCA Aeons or something. KSC35BT (wireless road cycling), HD6XX (OTL tube amp) and Sony/Behringer (leave unattended on office desk) also have niche uses.
Luke Lemke
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The M50x also got me into the hobby; funny that it's trashed by a lot of people, but I like it. I've never heard the Utopia. Do you think it's a significant improvement over the original Focal Clear or the Clear MG?
Robbo99999
Master Contributor
Damn, you got a lot on your to-do list!
I really don't know anything about IEM's, but you got some nice headphones with some different properties/technologies, the HD6XX (good open dynamic) / Aeon RT (good closed planar) / K371 (good closed dynamic). The Aeon RT would be good after EQ whereas you could probably get away without EQ on the HD6XX & K371. In fact, I'd go as far to say that I'd expect your most impressive headphone to be the Aeon RT if you had an Oratory EQ applied, does that stack up with your impressions amongst your other headphones?
Helicopter
Major Contributor
I have not heard MG. It is signifigantly better but quite similar to Clear original. Probably not $2900 improvement though. If I didn't have any open Focals, I would probably check out Clear MG.
Luke Lemke
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I'm tempted to get the Utopia by the looks alone, LOL. The Clear MG have more bass and less treble than the original clears. In your case, I think you should probably sell your original clears and get the MG. It would add a different "flavour" to your focal collection IMO. Anyway, the Utopia is up high on my wishlist...
Robbo99999
Master Contributor
Wow, that's gotta be some 1970's or very early 80's shiz right there??
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18490861...customid=77494c14-d77e-11eb-adaa-623361343730
Yes, my headphones have DIN 45500 instead of the jack
Attachments
That depends.
I like the AKG K371 for more fun listening. More like party-mode or movies.
The HD6XX is my favorite for relaxed listening and chilling out.
The DCA I use for more critical listening.
But all 3 can be used in all 3 situations. I just swap them quite often.
For IEMs there just one that sticks out. The Blessing 2 Dusk is just a special IEM.
I use the KZ DQ6 for outside (garden, walks). Just because it's still a very enjoyable IEM but is easily replaceable. (cheap and easily available) I don't like to use my treasured Moondrop for that.
Thanks. Yes, I did choose these to get a good sense of different headphone technologies.Damn, you got a lot on your to-do list!
You are spot on with the EQ except fot the fact that I like Amirs EQ proposals better, in general.
So I use that for my Aeons.
Robbo99999
Master Contributor
Fair enough, I found the opposite re Oratory / Amir for my NAD HP50.Thanks. Yes, I did choose these to get a good sense of different headphone technologies.
You are spot on with the EQ except fot the fact that I like Amirs EQ proposals better, in general.
Cool, well you got some nice headphones there. I recommend the Aeon RT quite a lot in the headphone recommendation thread, so I'm pleased that you find it your most impressive headphone, along with Amir's glowing review of that headphone....the more people that say glowing things about the Aeon RT then the more justified I feel for recommending it!
Robbo99999
Master Contributor
It's pretty interesting as it's a vintage headphone. Is it indeed 70's rather than early 80's? Have you got other headphones that you can compare it against, how does it stack up against your other headphones?
EDIT: I'll go out on a limb and guess 1981 for that headphone???
They are from 1979, the leather pavilions are still intact, I only replaced the sponge inside the bonnet.
I find them a bit heavy on the head but they sound pretty good too bad they tend to warm the ears in summer so I hardly ever use them.
Svperstar
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They aren't the most popular but my Sennheiser HD590s are the most comfortable pair of headphones I have ever worn. I fell asleep with them on one night and ended up breaking them 
Eventually I threw them away when they developed a rattle in both drivers.
I found a replacement pair on Ebay, in the original box that was part of a charity to help kids in the UK. Paid a lot more then market value but hey they are 20 years old. Didn't take them long to get to the US either.
The fabric recently started to fall apart so I ordered a replacement pair of pads. Turns out someone else just did this in 2021:
Eventually I threw them away when they developed a rattle in both drivers.
I found a replacement pair on Ebay, in the original box that was part of a charity to help kids in the UK. Paid a lot more then market value but hey they are 20 years old. Didn't take them long to get to the US either.
The fabric recently started to fall apart so I ordered a replacement pair of pads. Turns out someone else just did this in 2021:
Robbo99999
Master Contributor
Ha, cool, I was only 2 yrs out! Have you got any other headphones?
Well, I have to elaborate on that. It's impressive in some ways, but not the best headphone I own. If I could keep only one I would take the HD6XX over the Aeon I think. (if I would only consider tonality I would take the Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk over anything else I own
)The Aeon has a pleasing sound and is very detailed, but is lacking in the "fun" category. It has has poor dynamics if you listen at medium loudness levels. There's no slam to the bass ...at all. When you listen at high SPL levels it comes alive more. Mids are neutral to bright. But certainly not overly bright, to my ears. It's not annoying in any way. Lots of details but maybe lacking just that little bit of warmth the HD6XX does have.
But in general it sounds really clean with lots of details. If you are looking for details, want to hear every little nuance in the recording, this is a very nice headphone to do that. It has a nice balanced sound with maybe a little bit of extra brightness. If gives you a much more open feeling to the sound than the HD6XX, which is surprising considering this is a closed HP. It has a stunning build quality and is quite comfortable to wear.
The HD6XX is more lush. More intimate. It has more punch/slam/dynamics in the lower end (but a little less extension) compared to the Aeon RT. Again, very contra-intitive if you look at the designs and measurements of these headphones. It lacks some detail in the treble that the Aeon clearly does reveal. But not much. It's just a little more in the background. Mids on the HD6XX are it's main strong point. Soooo, soothing to the ear. Everything about them sounds right. Build quality is very decent and comfort is super, for my head and ears.
The K371 is a bit a combination of both but less refined. It had the bass extension and the slam. But maybe a bit too much of it for some (not me). Vocals are clear but maybe a bit to much elevated. (just a little too much pina-gain?) It has a very enjoyable fun sound. Very good for not too critical lsitening but just to enjoy the music, maybe during other activities. But You could use it for critical listening too. It just is that little less refined compared to the Aeon and HD6XX to my ears. Build is nice. I have nothing to complain about with my K371, but others opinion differ on that. Comfort is OK. It's light and fits nice on the head and around the ears. The pads are OK but a little sweaty.
I like all 3 more than the other headphones I own. (I forgot about the Sony MDR-ZX770BN, which is a reasonably good BT headphone) Each one for it's own character.
Robbo99999
Master Contributor
That sounds like you are describing them without EQ to the Harman Curve? It's obvious there are gonna be massive differences between the headphones otherwise, and I certainly wouldn't recommend the Aeon RT to be purchased without EQ.Well, I have to elaborate on that. It's impressive in some ways, but not the best headphone I own. If I could keep only one I would take the HD6XX over the Aeon I think. (if I would only consider tonality I would take the Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk over anything else I own
The Aeon has a pleasing sound and is very detailed, but is lacking in the "fun" category. It has has poor dynamics if you listen at medium loudness levels. There's no slam to the bass ...at all. When you listen at high SPL levels it comes alive more. Mids are neutral to bright. But certainly not overly bright, to my ears. It's not annoying in any way. Lots of details but maybe lacking just that little bit of warmth the HD6XX does have.
But in general it sounds really clean with lots of details. If you are looking for details, want to hear every little nuance in the recording, this is a very nice headphone to do that. It has a nice balanced sound with maybe a little bit of extra brightness. If gives you a much more open feeling to the sound than the HD6XX, which is surprising considering this is a closed HP. It has a stunning build quality and is quite comfortable to wear.
The HD6XX is more lush. More intimate. It has more punch/slam/dynamics in the lower end (but a little less extension) compared to the Aeon RT. Again, very contra-intitive if you look at the designs and measurements of these headphones. It lacks some detail in the treble that the Aeon clearly does reveal. But not much. It's just a little more in the background. Mids on the HD6XX are it's main strong point. Soooo, soothing to the ear. Everything about them sounds right. Build quality is very decent and comfort is super, for my head and ears.
The K371 is a bit a combination of both but less refined. It had the bass extension and the slam. But maybe a bit too much of it for some (not me). Vocals are clear but maybe a bit to much elevated. (just a little too much pina-gain?) It has a very enjoyable fun sound. Very good for not too critical lsitening but just to enjoy the music, maybe during other activities. But You could use it for critical listening too. It just is that little less refined compared to the Aeon and HD6XX to my ears. Build is nice. I have nothing to complain about with my K371, but others opinion differ on that. Comfort is OK. It's light and fits nice on the head and around the ears. The pads are OK but a little sweaty.
I like all 3 more than the other headphones I own. (I forgot about the Sony MDR-ZX770BN, which is a reasonably good BT headphone) Each one for it's own character.
Yep, without EQ. But with EQing them all the situation stays the same.
Could be I usually listen at quite low levels. Because today I'm testing them at quite a bit louder levels then I normally do and these Aeons come a live quite a bit.
Don't know if I'm going to make it a habit. Could be that these isolate well and the sound from the headphones just seems louder then I usually listen.
Robbo99999
Master Contributor
Yeah, there can still definitely be differences between headphones when EQ'd to the same curve from measurements.Yep, without EQ. But with EQing them all the situation stays the same.
Could be I usually listen at quite low levels. Because today I'm testing them at quite a bit louder levels then I normally do and these Aeons come a live quite a bit.
Don't know if I'm going to make it a habit. Could be that these isolate well and the sound from the headphones just seems louder then I usually listen.
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