General purchase advice: Ask your questions/for advice here!

Purchase Advice
4037

Hello,

Abstract: I am looking for glasses-compatible, closed-back headphones or IEMs that cost less than $1,500 (USD). I like a wide spectrum of music from American primitive guitar to EBM to orchestral arrangements of video game soundtracks. I will use them with a dedicated DAC and amp at work.

Background: I am looking to purchase either a pair of closed-back headphones or IEMs for office use that are glasses compatible and are a step up over the IEMs I currently own. While only a few of the staff have returned to campus (and therefore I can get away with wearing my current open-back headphones), I anticipate in the coming months that this will change. I’d prefer not to buy equipment without a return policy.

Price Limit: 1,500 USD

Musical Tastes: A wide range of things. In the past week, I’ve listened to the following albums: Military Fashion Show (And One), Sol-fa 2016 (Asian Kung-Fu Generation), On Vacation (Till Bronner & Bob James), Discovery (Daft Punk), The Yellow Princess (John Fahey), Rumors (Fleetwood Mac), Holst: The Planets (London Symphony Orchestra), and Distant Worlds (Nobuo Uematsu).

Current Equipment Owned:
Bose QC 35s (used for Zoom calls but its ANC gives me a headache after roughly an hour of use)
Campfire Satsuma (mobile use, housing fit my ears really well)
Hifiman Sundara (July 2020)
iFi Hip-Dac Gen 1 (mobile use)
Schiit Bifrost 2 & Asgard 3 (for home)
Schiit Modius & Magnius (for work)

Equipment Under Consideration (thoughts):

  • Audeze LCD-XC 2021 (Fully compatible with my glasses based upon my testing. Reviews suggest that they need EQ)
  • Campfire Andromeda Classic (IEMs so fully compatible with my glasses, a sound that I want to try)
  • Campfire Andromeda 2020 (IEMs so fully compatible with my glasses, a sound that I want to try that is generally well-reviewed and an improvement over the Classics)
  • Campfire Ara (IEMs so fully compatible with my glasses, some reviews suggest some improvements over the Classics, but also a different sound signature)
  • Focal Radiance (Reviews seem to suggest less clamp and compatibility with metal-frame glasses.)

Experiences/Bias: At home, I currently use my Bifrost 2 + Asgard 3 + Sundara and I enjoy that setup. While I like bass, I don’t actively seek it out and would rather prefer quality over quantity (Campfire Honeydew IEMs are a turn off). In terms of staging, it depends on the music, but generally I prefer something open as opposed to intimate. Being able to distinctly place instruments/vocalists is a plus. That said, I sort of believe that it would be difficult to find a single pair that has a profile that can do it all. If I had to choose, I’d rather purchase an item to compliment the Sundara than provided me with a closed-back or IEM equivalent (per Resolve’s article on owning multiple pairs).

2 Likes
4038

Interesting. I’ve been wondering what people who had the SR-700 or higher end STAX think of the Hive. I’ve been very happy with mine. Have not seen any head to head, or for that matter many reviews of the Hive from known reviewers.

4039

Nor have I. The Stax were excellent, and technically superior in terms detail and soundstage and are more airy. For whatever reason they never really grabbed me and I felt like I was constantly adjusting the headband. Ultimately I used the money to fund my Arya purchase, which itself displaced the HD800 in the more airy and wide soundstage contest in my collection, ironically by sounding the most full. I actually bought the Hive to see if it was the one I could keep, and I decided I’d miss the Hive more and need more time with it. And I don’t miss the SR-007 MK2, though it’s one to try since many feel it’s their favorite Stax.

5 Likes
4040

Anyone have a balanced cable they recommend for the Sundara? Not top shelf, but not crap.

1 Like
4041

I always recommend Hart for not crap. Other choices include Audiophile Ninja and Periapt, butI I have no experience with them.

7 Likes
4042

I was thinking more about roon and hqplayer. I think with the Holo dac’s, the hqplayer would be the biggest point of interest (the ability to over sample), more so than roon but I know very little about hqplayer and roon. I’ve been trying to cut down on devices as much as possible, so a server running roon and the laptop running hqplayer, so there is a hesitation or limitation. Then, which device, server or player would need the most cpu to do the over sample. I’ve been trying to avoid putting another pc back in the audio chain honestly. This is probably an ongoing conversation for roon and or hqplayer.

2 Likes
4043

I second that. The Hart modular system is well thought-out and quite reasonably priced for what you receive. The cables are fairly thin by aftermarket cable standards, so they are light, flexible and functional.

7 Likes
4044

Do you still have the Clear, HD 800S and VC? That was what you listed 19 days ago but I also know that you move at the speed of light, and everything might have changed since then. (Joking :wink: - or am I :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:)

If you already have a balanced cable for the Clear, I think that should also fit the Sundara.

If not, then I also recommend the Harts. If you go that route, you may as well get headphone adapters for all your headphones, plus an SE and a balanced connector, and you’re all set with a single Hart cable system, where you click together the components you need.

4 Likes
4045

Regarding Hart, @PaisleyUnderground means this:

image

Plus a mix of these, as all below connect to the adapters above:

6 Likes
4046

I actually have the Hart system set up with those headphones you mention. Just seeing if there’s anything that may/may not make more sense than just getting another!

I didn’t mention the Sundara previously even though it predates them because I would consider it a “main user” for me… well… with the other three mentioned.

1 Like
4047

OK, so if you already have a Hart adapter for your Clear, it should also fit into the Sundara, is that right?

Honestly, unless you want to go the “top shelf” route, I think you’re fine with what you have, as Hart uses good quality Mogami wire.

If you do want something top shelf, I recommend Double Helix. I really like their silver Molecule Elite cable, and after A-Bing against Hart and other cables, I believe the DHC cable extracts more detail. (And I asked a couple of friends to do a similar comparison, in case my mind was playing tricks on me). They sell adapters too, so you can mimic what Hart does, e.g. I had my Molecule Elite cable terminated in mini-XLR on the headphone end, XLR on the amp end, and I use adapters for my various headphones and amps. It’s a lot more money than Hart. Having said that, DHC is having a Black Friday sale right now.

5 Likes
4048

Yup! Just like having separate cables for all my cans so just get a duplicate.

1 Like
4049

Audiophile Ninja. Jeremy makes excellent cables at fair prices with superb support.

4050

I’ll recommend Val at Arctic Cables - great work, reasonable prices, good hands-on advice.

1 Like
4051

I have purchased the N3Pro, it has just arrived and I will go through the rounds this coming week… Thx!

1 Like
4052

My KEF Q950 towers do double duty in my home theater and 2-ch stereo setups. They sound fine - very good, even - but I’m wondering if I can do better with dedicated speakers for my 2-ch stereo listening.

I tried a pair of KEF LS50 Metas and found them inferior to the Q950s - less presence, let assertive.

I’m willing to spend about $4,000 for a pair of speakers.

My audio chain is Lumin U1 Mini to Chord Hugo TT2/M-Scaler, which feeds (a) ampsandsound Kenzie Ovation and (b) Parasound P6 preamp/Parasound A21+ amp/SVS SB-3000 sub. My room is about 14x16 with a low ceiling of about 7 feet.

Musically, I really do have a pretty wide range of interests, but my sweet spots are acoustic-based music, classic rock and classic R&B.

Justin at ampsandsound had suggested the Kenzie Ovation could drive a nice pair of Zu Audio speakers.

Now, whether I let the Kenzie or the Parasound drive the speakers, what about these Zu’s? They seem very polarizing online - a real love/hate split, with the audio measurers being the haters. The 60-day return policy is a real attraction, as I’d need to hear them for myself.

If not the Zu, what would you recommend? Very open to suggestions. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

1 Like
4053

Speakers can be so subjective - and very room dependent. I would worry about the speakers first and the amp second. Today, my recommendation from personal taste would be different that it would have been 3 months ago. I auditioned more until I heard what I liked.

At $4k, I would seriously think about Maggies with one or two bass panels if I had the space. 1.7s or possibly used 3.7s. In a smaller room, I am EXTEMELY pleased with the Egglestonworks Nico Evo speakers I bought. They retail at $4,999 but my retailer discounted them into your range. Mine were floor models, but fully up to date. Your room sounds like it would be OK for the Nico Evo, or Maggie 1.7 with a DWM panel.

There’s a long list of speakers in that price range that I found disappointing. I was looking at bookshelf designs. You should try and listen to some Harbeth Compact 7s.

I did not care for B&W, Focal, Joseph Wilson, and some other big names in the under $5K versions. Often sounded either thin, or over-emphasized in lower mid-bass with poor deep extension. High end/tweeters were quite variable. Note that the EW Nico Evos I did get are a 2 way only. Simpler to do one very high quality crossover than multiples on a budget.

I did hear a number of big name speakers in the $7-10K range that were a significant step up. A/B with their $3-4.5K bretheren pointed out where the compromises were.

Was not impressed with Dolby Atmos add-ons. These speakers were not using EQ. In the $4K range, you might find you do better with a sub and some $3K 2 way speakers that don’t try to be full range.

This was considerably depressing only when considering my budget. Otherwise I enjoyed listening to the current crop of speakers. Moving upscale, I enjoyed higher level Harbeth and Vandersteen. Was not really impressed with Wilson Audio or Magico (in the size room I would have) until my wallet was thinking about turning into a murder hornet to break my concentration and stop the insanity. Yes, if I wanted to drop $30-40K for speakers the Wilsons and Magicos were excellent. 5 years ago, the Wilsons could be had at about $20k…

You’re in Jersey, Worth a trip to Overture in Wilmington DE. They don’t have EgglestonWorks. Don’t know where your closest dealer is. My Harrisburg PA dealer doesn’t carry the full line.

2 Likes
4054

one quick addition and for one more budget option don’t forget the 6xx, everything said in reference to the 600 and 650 also contains to the 6xx. the 6xx normally cost about $200

Tchoupitoulas excellent information.

3 Likes
4055

Check out Salk Sound. Jim Salk and Dennis Murphy are masters at their craft; I’ve not heard a bad Salk speaker, ever. I chose a pair of Salk’s over the Kef and Revel speakers I was eyeballing.

Keep in mind, the listening room can affect the sound as much as the speakers.

4 Likes
4056

Periapt makes quality cables that sound good and are well built, but I don’t like the splitter, it’s too bulky and too close to where the cable splits, I’d want it further down. Also, the paracord sleeve has microphonics, so overall not my first choice now.

I bought a cable from AudiophileNinja for my Senns, but haven’t yet received it so I can’t comment.

I really like Halby Cables (also on Etsy like Audiophileninja), Victor makes beautiful custom cables that are top notch. They’re flexible, look great, and sound great. I got a balanced cable for my Focal Clear which also works with my Sundara, absolutely love it! I got the upgraded VIABLUE dual 3.5mm connectors for the headphone side, which are pricey but super high quality. I admit they were overkill though… :grinning:
Anyway, Halby cables are fantastic, and still not ridiculous $.

6 Likes