What headphones would you like Amir to measure next?

[RHO]

Audeze LCD-GX

 

[thewas]

Audeze LCD-2 closed back which are recommended in below Dan Clark Stealth review as a low(er) budget alternative:

 

[amirm]

Audeze just sent me LCD-XC. I need to test that before asking for other models.

 

[phoenixsong]

Hifiman Sundara – In-Ear Fidelity (crinacle.com)
If the new Sundara has even better distortion measurements it could be a real winner for a "budget" open back

 

[FTB]

As you wish, but it looks like you're getting things out of perspective, especially if you're talking about listening to LP's / phono.....there are bigger problems associated with that than any imagined possible negative effects of EQ, but that's a different topic, so we shouldn't digress too far.....afterall this is a "what headphones would you like Amir to measure next" thread. Sorry for the diversion.

Yes, sorry for the diversion too, it was to talk a bit about audio philosophy. LP's aren't my main source (the computer is, as a lot of people now I guess) but I like LP's because there wasn't loudness war then. So much recordings nowadays lack dynamics.
If the thing can sound good without EQ it's still one less thing in the system.
Dan Clark proove us we can make near-perfect headphones

I doubt he/she is listening to LP "on the go" as they stated. This thread is about headphones after all

He's a he but I guess this first name isn't common here on english-speaking forums.

So yes, about headphones and HD6xx, HD58x... the best should be to stay on measurements provided by Drop themselves.

 

[musicarcade]

Aeon Flow 2 open

View attachment 140926

I would love to see a review of these- "Only reviews I can find are on the closed model and are subjective.

 

[FTB]

Hey,

Just wanted to share a bit of experience here.
Before sending back the Senn HD6XX to Drop I made a second comparison with the HD58X, this time using the headphone ouput of a Steinberg UR22 USB audio interface, not the FX-Audio DACX6. According to Julian Krause measurements ( link ) the headphone output of the UR22 is a bit odd especially at low impedances, but it did the job here with enough power regards to the 300 Ohms of HD6XX.

The less bass of the HD6xx was not so disapointing this time, according to Drop's graph it's "only" 2 to 3 dB @ 30 Hz less than the 58x, but the thing that wasn't good is the 5K peak of the HD6xx :

It's a narrow peak but 3 dB above 1 Khz, and it's pretty fatiguing at high-volume listening.
The HD58x is certainly more veiled, less acurate and less "hi-fi" in mids and highs but for sure I can listen to it at pretty high volumes when I want to have fun.
Yet I'm a musician who makes my own piano recordings and I want linear gear to monitor them, but the HD6xx is still too harsh and I stay with the HD58x as an open-back.

The more I try headphones the more I realize I can't cope with any kind of peak above Harman curve.

The Philips Fidelio X2HR follow quite well the target but the very narrow peak at 5 KHz of more than 5 dB is also very fatiguing with metallic sound.

So much well done the job of Sean Olive is, giving us something to target at. In my experience it's clear that's working.

I have the same experience with IEM target, my actual ones are the Moondrop Starfield and/or Aria, they follow very well the target but a bit recessed after 3 KHz according to Crinacle graph and it's very pleasant to listen to.

In similar price range the Etymotic ER2xr is a bit too high in 1 KHz - 3 KHz area and the mids are very "tough" to listen to.
Any IEMs with peaks above Harman curve is also unpleasant to my ears.

The old Diffuse Field or Free Field targets for headphones/IEMs are so much off topic to me, these following it destroy my ears !

Sorry if it's off topic, c'est la passion !

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

Focal Elegia with Dekoni fenestrated pads

 

[baitanaz]

kef m500

 

[FTB]

kef m500

I could be interested in that too as I used one for several years.
I can send mine for measurements but earpads are a bit damaged and replacemend pads are all out of stock now.

Did you see the measurements of InnerFidelity ?

I can confirm the channel imbalance. I did mono tests switching left/right channels, the left channel always had different bass level.
As the left earcup is the one receipting the cable jack I tried to improve seal of the earcup with good bluetack application, it didn't change a thing. I don't know why this unbalance but it's clearly audible.
The dip around 8 KHz is also audible, lack of harmonics.

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

Focal Stellia

 

[Raz]

Mackie MC-250 would be interesting, being a budget headphone (≈$100) and fairly "neutral" sounding according to Sonarworks measurements.

 

[edahl]

Susvara!

 

[deafenears]

Focal Stellia

View attachment 152361

The Focal Stellia and Kennerton Rognir to see how they measure up to @amirm's newly acquired DCA Stealth - battle of the closed-backs.

 

[Jimbob54]

Its been said before but the Meze Empyrean is one of the "big fish" that needs further examining.

Some more ZMF (part of me wants to see if they can do a good one, part of me wants to see if they are all overhyped over decorated duds)

I want to see the DCA Aeon RT open measured but more because I have them than that I am expecting anything surprising given other DCA reviews here.

LCD 2 , LCD 3

I dont think I can handle another Abyss debacle but its kind of car crash TV which we all secretly love.

Audio Technica W5000 and AD2000X (will get mauled)

EDIT- oh and yes the Stellia and Susvara as pointed out around this post.

EDIT 2- oh and the LCD XC (the woody one, I know @amirm has the new carbon one we will see at some point)

 

[deafenears]

Susvara!

Would love to see this too, especially given how the HE6 and HE6SE review/measurements went here, would like to see the TOTL. Maybe someone in the same city and close to Amirm can lend their set to be reviewed and measured?

 

[amirm]

Focal Elegia with Dekoni fenestrated pads

Elegia is here but don't think with those pads.

 

[edahl]

Would love to see this too, especially given how the HE6 and HE6SE review/measurements went here, would like to see the TOTL. Maybe someone in the same city and close to Amirm can lend their set to be reviewed and measured?

Given that I'm taking steps to acquiring a set that'd be sick

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

After this little "meeting" I had to exchange the Elegia for the Stellia ...

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

Elegia is here but don't think with those pads.

The fenestrated pads were ultimately a mistake.
In contrast to the Dekoni Stellia Pads.
These take the Elegia to a higher level.

https://dekoniaudio.com/product/limited-edition-ear-pads-for-focal-stellia-headphones/

Incidentally, I found them terrible on the Stellia.
It's a shame that you are in the USA, otherwise I would have liked to send you the Stellia.