What headphones sound the most like speakers?

[BingaMoon]

Probably a dumb question but I don't really know anything about headphones. I use Sennheiser 598's which I really love and sound great but they don't give even 10% of the experience of using my Revel's. Are there any headphones that give something close to the experience of speakers? Any price preferably under $2k.

 

[GaryH]

Probably the AKG N90Q with its '2.1 Studio' 'Stage Control' DSP mode activated, which attempts to emulate the sound of studio speakers through a crossfeed algorithm implementing interaural time and amplitude (ITD and IAD) difference signals between channels, which are present with speaker but absent from headphone listening. See Tyll of Innerfidelity's excellent explanation and review here.

 

[MayaTlab]

Not plug and play but maybe that can help : https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/Impulcifer

 

[staticV3]

I think the following "ear speaker" headphones should at least be mentioned:

AKG K1000:


Stax SR Sigma:


Raal SR1a:


Mysphere 3:


These headphones achieve their soundstage through driver<->ear distance and no ear pads.
The trade-off is hardly any bass extension and extremely variable frequency response.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Any headphones with the use of a Smyth Realiser.

 

[Valera]

You can chose from the picture posted above , I think that AKG 1000 is ok.

 

[Spkrdctr]

Any headphones with the use of a Smyth Realiser.

Kal, I am NOT up on headphones at all. I'm very headphone ignorant. What is a Smyth Realiser and what will it do? Also, what do you think about the headphones that supposedly offer surround sound for movies?
I have a set of Audeze Mobius at Amir's house for testing. They seem complicated and I have numerous questions about the 3D simulated mode vs the stereo modes. Got any info?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Kal, I am NOT up on headphones at all. I'm very headphone ignorant. What is a Smyth Realiser and what will it do?

You can Google for the latest product but my old review of the original model (https://www.stereophile.com/content/music-round-45) will give you the ideal.

Also, what do you think about the headphones that supposedly offer surround sound for movies?

I don't think anything of them since I am committed to listening with loudspeakers.

I have a set of Audeze Mobius at Amir's house for testing. They seem complicated and I have numerous questions about the 3D simulated mode vs the stereo modes. Got any info?

Nope.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

i have hear many in ears and headphones, and speakers... sounds like speakers and headphones sounds like headphones... if you like speakers better have one...
I have a planar magnetic headphones and a tower from kef, couldn't be more happy

 

[Kal Rubinson]

i have hear many in ears and headphones, and speakers... sounds like speakers and headphones sounds like headphones... if you like speakers better have one...

But the Smyth can make your headphones sound like your speakers (although not vice versa).

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

But the Smyth can make your headphones sound like your speakers (although not vice versa).

for me its not only about that, for me the biggest change is the Bass, i never heard any headphone sounding near to a floorstander or a bookshelf + 2 subs in bass

i wonder what happen if the manufactures back to models like these, i think if they remove the ''pads'' the next step gonna be improve the bass...

 

[GaryH]

Any headphones with the use of a Smyth Realiser.

At $4,000 that's twice the OP's budget.

 

[Jimbob54]

As others have said, saving the tech solutions (Smyth and those fancy AKG) I don't think you'll get what youre after.

But, I'd encourage you to look at a pair of sennheiser HD800 or 800S second hand if you can /would EQ. They have the ability because of both comfort /fit and sonic properties to be very unobtrusive and out of head. At the risk of cliche, they can disappear.

 

[Thalis]

How about trying PEQ with HeSuVi?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

for me its not only about that, for me the biggest change is the Bass, i never heard any headphone sounding near to a floorstander or a bookshelf + 2 subs in bass

Agreed.

At $4,000 that's twice the OP's budget.

I had not noticed. Sorry.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Any headphones with the use of a Smyth Realiser.

You stole my comment!

It can also make your headphones sound like a 24 channel Atmos system!

 

[Kal Rubinson]

You stole my comment!

Well, I didn't see you using it!

 

[Dialectic]

These headphones achieve their soundstage through driver<->ear distance and no ear pads.
The trade-off is hardly any bass extension and extremely variable frequency response.

So I get a "soundstage" homogenized across all recordings and poor bass extension/frequency response. Not sure this is a good tradeoff.

 

[GaryH]

for me its not only about that, for me the biggest change is the Bass, i never heard any headphone sounding near to a floorstander or a bookshelf + 2 subs in bass

Yep, this visceral, tactile bass is what headphones lack, but there are actually silent 'wearable subwoofers' available that you can use with headphones which can compensate for this:

https://www.woojer.com/pages/strap
https://subpac.com/

 

[ADU]

I am not much for these virtualization approaches. If this is what the OP wants though, then more power to ya, sir. Because it looks like there are quite a few different options to try.

I'd be curious to hear some opinions from some owners of good in-room systems and speakers though re which type and models of standard wired headphones they think do the best job of capturing the same feel, sound, response and so forth as their in-room setups. By "type" I mean closed, open, dynamic, planar, e-stat, etc..

Intuitively, I'm inclined to think that open dynamic headphones that use some kind of surround/free-edge driver approach might be the closest, and potentially deliver the best slam, punch, or what Resolve now refers to as "macro-contrasts". Alot of enthusiasts seem to like the planar magnetics though, especially some models by HiFiMan and a few other companies.