Inflation adjusted? Like maybe $350 now?
However, hobby stuff is relatively stable these days.
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I see a good sale on the Hifiman Sundara closed back on Amazon, $150. Looking at Drop, the Hifiman He5xx is just over $200. I have an HE560v2 and like it a lot. Clearly the closed back is a different animal than a mid line open, but what are shoot out thoughts?
My guess is that the 5xx wins hands down.
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I have never heard the 5XX so I really couldnāt say.
The Sundara CB with some EQ is a great deal at that price in my opinion but it is always going to be a closed back.
My personal pick would still be the HE400se.
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Really? Why? 
Amazon has whacky pricing on HE400SE - from $109 to $249, claiming to be new. I have had my HE560v2 for a long time now, and really like it. The price history on the HE560 is that it was very near where the Arya is now (inflation adjusted) then got price cut significantly in year 2 and 3. I regard the Arya as its replacement in the linup.
Iām looking around for a gift set for a mid-teen that seems to be heading down that slippery audiophile slope. He listens to a wide range of music and does some mixing. Been through entry level mixing phones, and has had exposure to Senn HD-600 and 800s briefly. Uses less expensive Beyers and wants a DT 1770 Pro eventually for mixing. The Drop version of the 1770 is 32 ohm, not the 250 ohm real version and is still in the mid 300s.
He also does gaming, but I figure that is itās own thing. Last year I recommended a Maxwell to a well-heeled client who bought it and loves it. But weāre not looking wireless in this case. Iād been pretty much considering the Senn HD-6xx or the Hifiman HE5xx as the best choices in my price range, when I saw that Sundara Closed Back advertised. And you know how little I generally like closed backs - I could hardly write a review on the Audeze LCD-3 that was sent around by Headphones.com a few years ago. The only music I liked on it was Tubular Bells.
Serious question, I am curious why, even though I go on to explain my own reasoning.
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I am told Hifiman had the HE400se on their site for 49ā¬ the other day. I donāt know if it is still available.
As you know, I am a fan of Hifiman and I find that the 400se gives me an overall package that is very enjoyable for a price that is not something that I worry about it being left within reach of small fingers or needing to worry about putting it back in its case when I leave it unattended for 10 minutes.
I did swap the grilles and pads though, as mine came with the towel type pads that I am not fond of.
In regards to the DT1770 Pro, I really canāt get on with them. I always get the sensation that the bass is disconnected from the rest of the frequencies. Like having a subwoofer and main speakers but forgetting to set the crossover between them.
The Sundara CB do take EQ pretty well and are good at details, so with some help they can be a decent set of closed back headphones at a very reasonable price, what they are missing is the openness of the HE400se.
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Thatās a price at which I might get some as stocking stuffers. In the present case, I want to go up a step. Was on the Hifiman site yesterday reviewing their models. I wonder if some are restricted to certain geographic regions. I see an HE500se that I donāt recall in the U.S. Have been told that the Drop HE5XX is a Drop version of the HE560.
As I have the HE560 and a Drop Senn HD6xx I can have the budding audiophile check out both using my iFi xDSD.
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These are $179 right now, HD 58x is $139 as well. Both are solid contenders in the (currently) under $200.
Donāt wait on these, Black Friday pricing right now.
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Hi, I have the he400se, itās amazing, the soundstage, the instrument separation, but it has a āāproblemāā of being too analytical, so after a few hours it gets quite fatigant, As it is very rough and metallic, I would like to know if in the range of 150-200 dollars would be more Interesting sound for me, akg k712 pro or sennheiser hd560s, there is also the fidelio x2hr, I donāt have access to the hd58x or hd6xx for reasons that would have to import and would exceed that budget. I have a fiio k5 pro ess as a dac amp combo. And my target music genres are classic rock, electronic, power metal, pop, indie pop.
Interesting word, and I figured it out from the root, but I see that itās a standard term in both Catalan and French. Iām curious if you are either.
I suggested that you change your DAC/amp in my reply to your similar question in another thread. Those items may matter more than different headphones under $200. Indeed, even the HD600 or HD6XX or Clear or HD800 or Utopia sound bad to me on the wrong amp. You might also use handcrafting to create your own ear cup filters with layers of thin tissue paper or facial tissue (Kleenex). Paper filters block the sharp edges. These cost almost nothing too.
Every headphone model in the <$200 price class risks being a sidegrade from what you have ā trade one set of flaws for another set of flaws. Many inexpensive products are very good but tend to have piercing and rough treble (e.g., Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohm).
I was told to test ifi zen dac, I donāt remember if it was you, but I donāt know if it would be a good idea, Iām afraid it wonāt make much difference, and youāre probably right, maybe any option besides he400se under 200usd It would be a loss on technicalities, but I would be willing if it made my music sessions less tiring and more fun.
Iām Brazilian >ā .ā <
I could say ātiringā but I donāt know if it would be ideal
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Yes, I mentioned the ZenDAC. The ZenDAC takes off the sharp treble edges, and roughly approximates the tone and fatigue levels (but not the nuances) of the much more expensive Schiit Bifrost 2/64.
I spent several years in my early headphone days trying to improve performance and reduce harshness. I suffered and tried a lot of different amps and DACs with my HD 600. I sidegraded and wasted a lot of money on similar products.
My actual solution: upgrade to higher price and higher quality products. Thereās a substantial jump when you move to $400 to $600 amps, and a substantial jump when you move to $800 to $1,000 DACs. Thereās also a clear jump when you move to $2,000+ amps, whereby many headphone negatives may simply go away (at least with higher priced headphones).
Still, I own the $175 Beyerdynamic DT 880 600 ohm. I put Kleenex filters in the ear cups and run it from a Bottlehead Crack. It literally, honestly, performs as well or better than many elite headphones in the middle frequency range. It doesnāt go as deep and the treble remains messed up, but the mid range is extremely refined and smooth. Given the treble issues I donāt think youād find it to be relaxing with anything other than mild genres such as acoustic tracks and vocals. But, if you stay in the $200 price class, pick your flaws and then try to work around them.
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Brasil! I was there in my younger days. Not long enough ago to meet Santos Dumont, but I remember great coffee on the island of Santos. And Sao Paulo - great architecture.
Tiring works, fatiguing would be the cognate, a favorite word of @generic the pink frog.
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Thatās because āfatigueā is the medically and scientifically correct term for what happens to your hearing when you listen to bad or damaging music sources for too long:
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I heard that Beyerdynamic headphones are known for being quite sibilant and with a peak in the highs, for games I think this is worth it, for music not so much. It is true that the hifiman edition xs would be an upgrade of he400se? And it seems to have a more organic and musical signature compared to others from same brand.
I read āPink Floydā for a second lol
I DO NOT recommend the Beyer for general use. It is a good example of the challenges you face in this price range.
I also donāt recommend Hifiman for general use either. I find their low and mid range headphones have too much sizzle in the top end, sounding boosted, gritty, and overly bright to me. It can be an initially āexcitingā sound, but it is not musical or natural sounding in the end. Others obviously disagree, but thatās my 2 cents.
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Hey, I thought exactly this! he400se leans towards the cold/technical side, although itās not overly so. The battle between headphones for home studios and headphones for multimedia/gaming use continues xD
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