What headphone(s) do you own ?

[ripvw]

Dan Clark Audio AEON RT Open with the standard cable and XLR connector - had them for a few months now, absolutely love them. Not sure if the bass is as good as the Sennheiser HD600's I used to own but everything else is superb and qualifies as the best headphones that I have ever owned. I use the Topping A90 headphone amp to drive them - middle sensitivity setting works best for me. Music source is Apple Music now that they use Apple Lossless.

Still own the Etymotic ER4SR's but can no longer wear them due to inner ear sensitivity to the foam tips from both Etymotic and Comply. Have tried the silicone tips but they don't fit correctly so I will have to come up with another solution for travel listening. I drove them with my Apple iPhone 12 Mini and the Hidzs S8. One negative about the Etymotics is that I had to replace the driver unit as it simply failed after a few years of use. First headphone that I've ever broken - nice that you can fix them for about 1/2 what a new set would sell for...

Have owned the above mentioned Sennheiser HD600's - loved the sound, not happy with comfort when wearing glasses. I ended up gifting them to my musician godson who loves them. Also owned AKG 701s (gave them away to a nephew) AKG 712s (gave them away to my niece). The AKGs were both supremely comfortable with glasses or without but did not have the same revealing nature of the Sennheisers and the DCA AEON RT simply blew them away and were just as comfortable.

I've always been much more serious about headphones then most people with my first headphones being Koss electrostatics later upgraded to Stax electrostatics. The Stax spoiled me and made it hard to listen to any other headphones for a long, long time...

 

[david.aj.silva]

Dan Clark Audio AEON RT Open with the standard cable and XLR connector - had them for a few months now, absolutely love them. Not sure if the bass is as good as the Sennheiser HD600's I used to own but everything else is superb and qualifies as the best headphones that I have ever owned. I use the Topping A90 headphone amp to drive them - middle sensitivity setting works best for me. Music source is Apple Music now that they use Apple Lossless.

Still own the Etymotic ER4SR's but can no longer wear them due to inner ear sensitivity to the foam tips from both Etymotic and Comply. Have tried the silicone tips but they don't fit correctly so I will have to come up with another solution for travel listening. I drove them with my Apple iPhone 12 Mini and the Hidzs S8. One negative about the Etymotics is that I had to replace the driver unit as it simply failed after a few years of use. First headphone that I've ever broken - nice that you can fix them for about 1/2 what a new set would sell for...

Have owned the above mentioned Sennheiser HD600's - loved the sound, not happy with comfort when wearing glasses. I ended up gifting them to my musician godson who loves them. Also owned AKG 701s (gave them away to a nephew) AKG 712s (gave them away to my niece). The AKGs were both supremely comfortable with glasses or without but did not have the same revealing nature of the Sennheisers and the DCA AEON RT simply blew them away and were just as comfortable.

I've always been much more serious about headphones then most people with my first headphones being Koss electrostatics later upgraded to Stax electrostatics. The Stax spoiled me and made it hard to listen to any other headphones for a long, long time...

@ripvw , I have the Aeon Closed X, and also love the comfort and performance. Transient speed is impressive to my ears. Cheers!

 

[square.]

I'd love to own the Aeon Closed x. Egg-shaped ear cups are a delight to wear on the head.

I own the audio technica msr7b and I am slightly unhappy with their isolation for a closed back. They are however excellent comfort headphones for all day use

I also own the audeze LCD-1, which I use exlusively when my pc is off because the noise of the fans ruin the sound quality since they are open back and I sit very close to my pc. (Funnily enough, david, who has the same dac as me, just above my post, is the reason why i use my iPad pro with my adi 2 fs dac for the audeze lcd-1 since its quiet unlike my pc!)

I EQ both of them.

For gaming I use ikko oh10 iems (honestly just for csgo actually) because it feels like I've got hacks due to the precise imaging.

Also EQ them.

 

[david.aj.silva]

I'd love to own the Aeon Closed x. Egg-shaped ear cups are a delight to wear on the head.

I own the audio technica msr7b and I am slightly unhappy with their isolation for a closed back. They are however excellent comfort headphones for all day use

I also own the audeze LCD-1, which I use exlusively when my pc is off because the noise of the fans ruin the sound quality since they are open back and I sit very close to my pc. (Funnily enough, david, who has the same dac as me, just above my post, is the reason why i use my iPad pro with my adi 2 fs dac for the audeze lcd-1 since its quiet unlike my pc!)

I EQ both of them.

For gaming I use ikko oh10 iems (honestly just for csgo actually) because it feels like I've got hacks due to the precise imaging.

Also EQ them.

From one RME owner to another, enjoy your rig! Did you get a usb c splitter to power your ipad as well as connect the dac?
Keep your eyes on Drop, the Aeon Closed X might come up again for $379…

 

[square.]

From one RME owner to another, enjoy your rig! Did you get a usb c splitter to power your ipad as well as connect the dac?
Keep your eyes on Drop, the Aeon Closed X might come up again for $379…

Sadly that adapter is only available for lightning connector iPads. I have a usb-c ipad and the only adapter for it is a usb-c to usb-a.

 

[Rayman30]

I own HD-650, Ananda and LCD-X as my main, but I am looking for something else... I am not sure why, but I think my next pair is it.

Question, given what I am using as my main sets, would Arya Stealth make any sense? the other pair I am looking at is Focal Clear MG Pro. Looking for something that can provide the next level in terms of Vocal performance, so I was leaning Focal.. primarily as an HD-650 upgrade.

 

[david.aj.silva]

Sadly that adapter is only available for lightning connector iPads. I have a usb-c ipad and the only adapter for it is a usb-c to usb-a.

I will try with one of the usb c mini hubs and let you know - next month I plan on getting a new ipad mini, I assume it will also have a usb c port…

 

[tobiaser]

I owned multiple. My most recent ones are Sennheiser HD650

 

[GMan]

I love headphones (if they are comfortable).

I own:
Meze Classic 99
Meze Empyrean
ZMF Vérité
Focal Elear
Grado SR225e

 

[VMAT4]

I posted here previously. But, my inventory has changed. Current inventory: AKG N700 (used as a wired headphone sometimes w/NC), JBL Club One, & Drop HE 4XX.

 

[192kbps]

Currently own:

Bowers & Wilkins P5 series 2
AirPods 2

Previously owned:

Sony MDR-CD380
Sennheiser HD 201
Sony MDR-EX71
AKG K81 DJ
Grado Alessandro Music Series One
Altec Lansing iM716
Westone UM3X
Klipsch Custom 3
Audio-Technica ATH-A1000X
Shure SE110
Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

I own an EX71SL, do you know what's the difference between them?

 

[sq225917]

Just swapped out a pair of Thieaudio Oracles for a pair of fiio fh9. Less bass, which I prefer, and they have proven easier to get sounding flat with PEQ. A decent upgrade, that's me done for iems.

 

[Rayman30]

I call it Gorpheus... or Ghetto Orpheaus for short.

 

[david.aj.silva]

I call it Gorpheus... or Ghetto Orpheaus for short.

View attachment 201172

Looks like a DTF setup - Direct to Tube Feedback I like it!

 

[Rayman30]

Looks like a DTF setup - Direct to Tube Feedback I like it!

I am not even sure what that means, I did say it was ghetto lol but I am feeding it from a JDS Labs Element II, it can switch between its own internal amp or external.

 

[david.aj.silva]

I am not even sure what that means, I did say it was ghetto lol but I am feeding it from a JDS Labs Element II, it can switch between its own internal amp or external.

In the picture the cans look like they are feeding sound to the tubes... Nice setup!

 

[square.]

I will try with one of the usb c mini hubs and let you know - next month I plan on getting a new ipad mini, I assume it will also have a usb c port…

Sure that would be great thanks

 

[Saikou]

In order of acquisition (I've tried many more thanks to an audio store near me by the name of Audio46, these are just the ones I decided on keeping/purchasing.)

HyperX Cloud Pro - Purchased for gaming back when I only had an Xbox One and wanted something with good isolation and imaging for shooters. And boy, do they image well. To this day after the countless headphones I've tried, the Cloud Pro has some of, if not the best imaging out of any headphone I've tested. It took 6-7 years of owning them for the cable to finally give in and now sound mostly comes out of the left ear. So now I'm on the lookout for something better which will likely be the DCA Aeon 2 Noire.

Philips SHP9500 - These were my introduction into Open-back headphones, and while I liked the sense of spaciousness that an Open-back design gives you, I was left slightly disappointed with this one. People made a huge deal about how much better soundstage is on Open vs Closed headphones, but to me that mainly comes down to the fact you can hear your surroundings better with an Open headphone. In terms of sound, I will admit I prefer a headphone with good sub-bass extension, and these do not offer that. The sub on these practically doesn't exist unless you EQ them, and even then they lack the impact since you have to boost them by around 7dB in order for it to be listenable. Pair that with a peak at 6kHz that makes everything sound shrill and like it's playing through a plastic straw, I rarely use them nowadays and only keep them as a reminder of where I came from. They're also extremely comfortable. With EQ I would recommend them, but without it, it's a no from me.

Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro - Now, I read all about how sibilant and detailed these were, and looking at FR graphs of them definitely made me weary about buying them. But everything about them aside from the 8kHz peak spoke to me. Good sub-bass extension, mids that aren't offensive and slight relaxed, and the highs, ignoring that huge peak at 8kHz, are just what I like. A little bit more energy in the treble is something that I am a fan of. So I went and tested them out in person and found that for some reason, that 8kHz peak wasn't anywhere near as grating or noticeable as a 6kHz peak on the SHP9500, for example. I attribute this to it being higher up in the frequency domain, so it's slightly less audible, but still there. I did not mind it too much, and in fact for music like Drum 'n Bass and ChillSynth, I actually quite liked it! With EQ, these sound virtually perfect to me. I also upgraded them to have the Dekoni Elite Velour earpads, which makes these the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn, and with the build quality and durability reputation that Beyerdynamic has, I ended up deciding to get these and keep them for as long as possible. To this day, I haven't listened to another headphone that would make me retire these.

Moondrop Aria - These were a very simple purchase. They were cheap, they sounded great, and they're solidly built for only $79. Thanks to these I learned that my ear boosts 3-5kHz a tad too much and made these sound a bit nasally for my tastes, so I EQ them to be more in line with the USound target, rather than keeping them stock or using the Harman target. After about 9 months of ownership, the paint on these has started to chip and they feel a bit weird when grabbing the parts that have chipped compared to the regular sides. But they're definitely some of the best IEMs I've heard. Definitely deserve all of the praise that they get. Not a single complaint about their sound other than 3-5kHz is a tad too much for my ear anatomy specifically.

SeeAudio x Crinacle: Yume:Midnight - I wanted something lighter than the Aria, and I really liked the Carbon-fiber aesthetic of these. Going by FR graphs I noticed they had a slight dip around that area at 3-5kHz, so I went ahead and bought them to try out and sure enough, these do not sound harsh nor nasally to my ears. In fact, I don't even EQ them! Even though EQ is a must for practically every single headphone/IEM that I try. But these line up with my tastes about 99% of the way there. Maybe a wide-q peak filter somewhere around 100-300Hz of like 1-2dB would give them a bit more warmth, but they sound perfect to me as is so I just leave them as is. Great sub-bass extension, even moreso than the Aria, and the treble on these is just supreme. It doesn't sound rolled-off and even feels like an Over-ear headphone to my ears. Very wide and airy. So if you're a bit of a sub-bass-head like me, you will likely enjoy these.

Other notable headphones I've owned or tried: Audeze LCD-2 Fazor, LCD-2C, LCD-X, LCD-XC. AKG K371, K701, K7XX. Beyerdynamic DT 770, 880, TYGR 300R, 177X GO. DCA Aeon Closed RT, Aeon 2 Noire. Sennheiser PC37X, HD6XX, HD560S, HD800/S... There's a few others I've tried but I can't remember.

Once i have the Aeon 2 Noire I will likely be done with this hobby and move on to something more irresponsible like speakers. Though I'm perfectly happy with JBL Studio 530s at the moment. Only thing keeping me from getting them is the Yume:Midnight.

But yeah, those are my 5 headphones/IEMs that I currently own and am happy with. At the end of the day, I would probably be perfectly happy with something like a Moondrop Aria and an HD560S.

 

[nonnyno]

I dare say someone going to shoot me for this but ...

My daily driver is a set of Beyer DT770 Pro 32 Ohm adjusted with oratory settings for worn earpads.
I also have recently dug out of a box (sitting their due to a move) my near mint Sennheiser HD800's also adjusted with oratorys settngs.

I use these with headphones with an SMSL M500 (first gen) with revision 2.01 software.

I was rather shocked to find that though I can hear more detail with the Senns. Some voices and words pronounced in songs didnt sound quite so clear to my ears. Not only that but I was very disappointed to find that they sound rather flat (I haven't got anything more scientific as a description than that - huge apologies) when compared with the Beyers (to my ears). This is hugely dissapointing because prior to the 8 months they've been in storage and pre the SMSL dac (had a Resonessence Concero HP before that when I bought them) I loved them. I have tried them with and without the PEQ settings. I prefer them with but still prefer the Beyers over them. I've cleary become a total heathen and feel guilty about it. Source material is all flac or hi res flac.

Does anyone have any suggestions for improvements to my setup which are likely to provide real improvements with say an upper limit of 5k on the headphones and take the topping d90se as a top end. I'd prefer to spend less. Given what I've just described. I wonder what I'll get for my Senns even the headband has been protected from my head by being wrapped in a thin cloth.

 

[usersky]

I posted here previously. But, my inventory has changed. Current inventory: AKG N700 (used as a wired headphone sometimes w/NC), JBL Club One, & Drop HE 4XX.

What's your experience with JBL Club One? If you can make a comparison with HE4xx that I own so I can relate/adjust to a common denominator