• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

What's the next logical upgrade following the HD6XX?

TheSacredSoul

Member
Joined
May 23, 2020
Messages
55
Likes
36
Currently looking at the Focal Elex and Audeze LCD2C or possibly the 1990Pro. I like the Elex most of the bunch.

- Elex : Plagued with QC issues like diver failures. I am importing it into Singapore so really don't want to deal with warranty issues. No idea if it's been fixed in the latest batch.

- LCD2C - Comfort and weight. Most people say they are heavy and uncomfortable for long listening.

- 1990Pro - Haven't done the most research on this yet. Open to suggestions.

I'd like something with better bass response and a wider and fuller soundstage than the HD6XX. Open to any suggestions. Looking budget under $1K. Cheers :)
 

Voo

Active Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2019
Messages
108
Likes
67
elex are heavy and drivers will pop if you crank up the bass too high...but if have any sense, once you hear driver pop, will turn it down and know thats the limit.
 

Objectivist01

Senior Member
Joined
May 24, 2020
Messages
317
Likes
117
elex are heavy and drivers will pop if you crank up the bass too high...but if have any sense, once you hear driver pop, will turn it down and know thats the limit.
What do you mean by driver pop? The coil would come out of the magnet gap and won’t go back in? That sounds dangerous! I saw them (elear) on discount at a local store and to me it sounded nice .. but Serious question here !
 

Voo

Active Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2019
Messages
108
Likes
67
pop as an audio adjective. maybe clank, bottom out,
yes they do sound good, have owned the elear since they came out.
 

Voo

Active Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2019
Messages
108
Likes
67
I dont mean distort. a sound like if you keep playing sound at that level the driver gonna fly into your ear. maybe like a gunshot pop.
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
I think he means the drivers hit the magnet (the pop).
There have been reports of drivers failing by the thin wires breaking near the flexible ring due to large excursions.

I like the brand, like the sound (except Elear), like the looks, build and comfort.
Don't like the weight, price and reliability of drivers. rumours say that warranty is a problem when bought second hand.
 

Voo

Active Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2019
Messages
108
Likes
67
I think he means the drivers hit the magnet (the pop).
There have been reports of drivers failing by the thin wires breaking near the flexible ring due to large excursions.

that makes sense.
 

Bob-23

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2019
Messages
425
Likes
379
Location
Berlin, Germany
a wider and fuller soundstage than the HD6XX
Owning (and liking) the HD600: soundstagewise the good old K702 is to me a huge improvement, and, as it has become that ridiculously 'cheap', it's nearly a must-have for each headphone collection. But it's NOT a bass monster, at all, and it must , definitely, be eq'd: highs down, bass up, but then it works perfectly for me - overall I like that soundstage! And: The phones are brutally honest, while the HD600 doesn't overlook weaknesses of recordings, it's at the same time very forgiving - the K702, on the other hand, is unforgiving, you need good recordings. It's also comfortable to me, big ear cups, lightweight.
 
OP
T

TheSacredSoul

Member
Joined
May 23, 2020
Messages
55
Likes
36
After doing some more readings, seems the DT1990 is the way to go. Apparently better in every way than the HD6XX except for vocals.
 

Voo

Active Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2019
Messages
108
Likes
67
fostex makes a great speaker. I own and like the t60rp. i owned some close back beyerdynamics...felt like I was a fighter pilot. I know I used to just buy whatever...now I know my headphones have to comfortable first. good luck.
 

Jimbob54

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 25, 2019
Messages
11,064
Likes
14,694
Can't speak for the Elex. The lcd is a very different beast to the senns (well, to my 600s anyway) and fun. Great to have both for different extremes of head fi. Heavy but not uncomfortable to wear. Maybe not all day though.

The beyers are great but not sure they offer much more than the senns, upgrade maybe, not one I think anyone needs to make.
 

Fluffy

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Sep 14, 2019
Messages
856
Likes
1,423
I have the Focal Clear and Audeze LCD2C. Used to have HD58X and Amiron Home (similar tech to 1990 pro). so this is my purely subjective perspective (note that I listen mostly to metal and progressive rock):

I haven't heard the Elex, but the rumors are that they are very similar to the Clear. I consider the Clear the best goddamn headphone I know, besides Utopia. I don't see a problem weight-wise, and the overall comfort and ergonomics is outstanding. The sound of course is delicious and very dynamic – meaning the peaks of the waveform (like at percussion hits) are very peaky. That's part of the reason for the "bottoming out" of the driver at high levels of bass – it's limited by the available excursion it has, and have a very hard ceiling on how much excursion it can take. At the limit it does sound like a kind of pop. It happened to me many time when I first bought them, and didn't seem to damage the drives yet. Obviously, I am now very careful with how loud they get with bass heavy content (that means electronic music with huge kicks that goes down to 30-40 hz). So yeah, these aren't bass canons. Bass is slamming and very realistic to my ears, as long as it's not overwhelming the driver. The soundstage/imaging though is amazing, and I think only second to the HD800. Their FR sounds a bit bright for me, so I EQ them to be darker.

The Audeze LCD2C is very different – they can handle ALL the bass. they never clip or even distort no matter how much power you pump through them. bass is insanely deep and clean, though not extenuated in the FR. On the other hand, they have a very dark and mid-centric sound that feels boxy sometimes. I can only listen to my pair through a costume EQ that applies a bit of V shape to the sound to make them more exciting and lively. Soundstage and imaging is less amazing here, to my ears. Comfort wise, they are heavy, though less than all the other audeze headphones. I did some modding and added more cushioning to the strap to make it wearable for long periods of time.

Personally I didn't like the HD58X or any of the other headphones in the HD600 series. I felt the soundstage to narrow and overall sound not exciting enough. The amiron home has some merit, but overall is not a good execution by beyerdynamic. Maybe the 1990 pro is better. I'm not super familiar with the rest of their stuff.

I think you should also consider stuff from Hifiman. They have their own issues with QC, but they can make good stuff.

edit:
Oh, and I also wanted to say that the Clear or much more open the the Audeze. That affects the imaging at the audeze, but also creates more resonances, especially at the bass and mid bass area. The bass is clean distortion-wise, but sometimes can get a bit muddy as resonances build up. on the Clear bass can sound a bit thin at times because it dissipates instantly, but that also means that bass peaks are more pronounced. So there is a give and take here, basically. That's why I have both of them!
 
Last edited:

Berwhale

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
3,933
Likes
4,922
Location
UK
I'd like something with better bass response and a wider and fuller soundstage than the HD6XX

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tests/sound-quality/bass-accuracy
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tests/sound-quality/passive-soundstage

Superlux HD 681 appear in the top 15 on both lists and I only paid £25 for a pair for my son to use on his Xbox One :)

*edit* Better views...

Soundstage Priority:
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/table/32155

Bass Accuracy Priority:
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/table/32154
 
Last edited:

Fluffy

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Sep 14, 2019
Messages
856
Likes
1,423
I'm still amazed that anyone takes the massive bass boost on Harmon's target curve seriously...
That’s the problem with RTINGS. They compensate everything to some specific target curve and then rate everything by it. its misleading because it makes it appear like there is only one target curve that is good and everything that doesn't conform by it will sound bad. And that’s very far from the truth, as headphone sound is very individualistic. They are obsessed with excessive rating of things that cannot be rated on a simple scale (like less to more soundstage etc). I think their reviews should be taken with a pile of grains of salt.
 

Objectivist01

Senior Member
Joined
May 24, 2020
Messages
317
Likes
117
That’s the problem with RTINGS. They compensate everything to some specific target curve and then rate everything by it. its misleading because it makes it appear like there is only one target curve that is good and everything that doesn't conform by it will sound bad. And that’s very far from the truth, as headphone sound is very individualistic. They are obsessed with excessive rating of things that cannot be rated on a simple scale (like less to more soundstage etc). I think their reviews should be taken with a pile of grains of salt.
Dude you are messing with the building blocks of this Forum too then! We strive for accuracy here. To us, stuff which deviates from it are poorly engineered. So there must be one anchor on target sound we should be focussing on for measurments and reviews. Nothing wrong against it.
 

Jimbob54

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 25, 2019
Messages
11,064
Likes
14,694
Dude you are messing with the building blocks of this Forum too then! We strive for accuracy here. To us, stuff which deviates from it are poorly engineered. So there must be one anchor on target sound we should be focussing on for measurments and reviews. Nothing wrong against it.

Thats really , really not what a target curve is . Or is for.
 

faisal2003456

Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2020
Messages
5
Likes
2
Location
New York
The original HD800 can be found for within your budget. You probably won't get any substantial increase in bass though. I was a long time HD600 user and really enjoyed the HD800 every time I got to audition it.
 
Top Bottom