Good advice everybody. It’s interesting hearing @pennstac’s recommendation of an e-stat, @generic’s recommendation of the HD800S, and @reflect’s recommendation of the Ether 2. I realize how biased I’ve been against all of those based on my sense that they all would lack “slam” (I guess “macro-dynamics” is the sophisticated term?). Maybe I’ve been misled in that regard. And I have to say @reflect’s description of listening to Ether 2s (“like studying reflections in a perfectly still, dark lake”) is incredibly poetic.
And the funny thing is that, after pooh-poohing @ThtGamerDad’s suggestion of an IEM, I spent most of the rest of the evening listening to my SA6s with the Lokius bass cranked up, and it sounded amazing. But only on the EDM, not so much the jazz. I know some people don’t care about slam at all, but for me there’s few things more enjoyable than the sense that the music has actually reached out and grabbed me with its hands. As much as I want a lighter headphone, I think I’m also hoping for a headphone that does even more of that, and so I feel the lure of the dynamic driver.
So maybe my real question should have been, “What’s the best dark-ish all-rounder with great slam, bass, decent detail, that doesn’t weigh much more than 500 grams?” Or honestly, “Can you help me use my minor neck injury to justify my ZMF envy.” I appreciate being steered away from the Aeolus with my setup, but I’d be curious if anybody compared an Auteur or a Verite to the LCD-X.
As a young man, I thought dudes bought sports cars as part of their their mid-life crises because they wanted to feel young again. Now that I’m in my 40’s, I realize it’s mostly the realization that, “Hey, I’m gonna die someday! Might as well buy the things I want before that happens.”
Yes, and beyond that it’s the budget. I wanted all sorts of things in my teens and 20s. There was no way to buy them on a tiny student loan and entry-level employee budget. Then life happens and we must prioritize spouses, houses, and family.
There’s a classic pattern in hobbies and collecting: new stuff sells for a lot of money, depreciates for about 35 years, and then becomes a fashionable collectable as the young people reach age 50 to 65 and buy whatever is still around. See what happened to pre-world war cars a couple generations ago and then muscle cars more recently. Nostalgia, plus being able to finally scratch the itch.
Some stuff is destined to fade away – there will never be many (or any) Chevrolet Cavalier or minivan collectors, but many air-cooled Porsche collectors.
But with that in mind, I guess my question is — since I’m trying to replace my LCD-X, which is great with both acoustic and electronic music — is the Verite Closed likely the best replacement? Maybe this is a question best asked in the ZMF thread.
Chiming in on something just to consider, no headphone is perfect and beyond that each headphone seems to need its matching partner to do the tango.
Seems like some boxes will remain unchecked.
It’s going to be a bit of a mission getting everything you want. You may get the next headphone you love but it won’t make all the traits on that headphone shine.
Always nice to demo and demo the demo with multiple types of varying equipment. Not always an easy task and still doesn’t solve the problem with so much out there.
I feel this is the real rabbit hole in audio, you may already have what you desire just by swapping something in the chain or all of it. Easier said than done.
But I’m certain these lads and ladies will give you good direction
If I are dealing with sensitivity to the neck and coming off Audeze planars, ZMF would be prime consideration, after having Audeze LCD-4z, sennheiser’s, and ZMF’s in the house on both tube and solid-state amps.
Any of the Sennheiser’s are perfect from a weight perspective, but OMG will the 800 or 820 be a disappointment after enjoying the punch of the LCD-X. Their HD650 is still top of the Sennheiser heap.
The Audeze is much closer in weight to the ZMF, but pricey. Still “feels” a little heavy, but much lighter than LCD-X.
I’m surprised how well ZMF’s with drivers perform against planars.My friends with HIGH end planars have said they wish they listened to ZMF with a conventional driver first. Verite Open in particular.
So far literally everyone loves the Aeolus with the copper wire. I mean everyone. Listening with and without EQ, no EQ is preferred. This is a dozen audiophile friend coming over for extended listening for a local CanJam.
Last point the ZMF’s just carry the weigh in a balanced manner which is very comfortable. With that said, the Aeolus is more comfortable than the Verite if I had a neck issue. Verite cups are larger and feel just that much heavier, especially the Verite Closed. The Aeolus with less thick pads and smaller cups would carry easier on a sensitive neck, or neck recovering from injury.
Just my personal experiences and thought shared by others after listening at our home.
The ZMF’s might be lighter in weight and also better than the LCD-X 2021 in some regards, but they might also be worse. It’s always best to audition before purchasing if possible!
Absolutely on point what you said regarding ZMF headphones overall; from a pure sonic perspective the Verite Open simply can’t be beat imo. I have it and Aeolus, plus Atrium. Of the 3, I would say Verite is the best overall, but they are different and all 3 are excellent. It partly depends on my mood and what I want to listen to as well
Your mention of weight/bulk is also very accurate. But even my Verite in African Blackwood (massively heavy, dense wood) is incredibly comfortable long term. However I don’t have neck issues so YMMV…
I am in the market for some new headphones. I am currently getting the Dunu Titan S IEMs. I am looking at the following headphones and would was wondering if any if them would be complimentary or a huge departure from the sound signature of the Dunus.
DT 770 pro
Fidelio X2HR
Sennheiser hd 560s
Hifi man 400Se
Hifiman HE400i
If you have any other suggestions in this price range or slightly higher say $200 to$250*
That would be greatly appreciated as well
Do you have an amp? If not I wouldn’t get the Hifimans, if you do have an amp I’d consider the HD 6XX, depending on the power. With no amp I’d get the HD560S though some devices will run it better than others (a bad sound card might not make them sound their best, while on something like one of the new MacBook’s headphone jacks I’ve experienced sounding great.
Hi Hillman_Hayes! Welcome to your headphone forum!
Of your five listed headphones, I own these three:
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Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro (80 ohm) Niche headphone that fills the need for a bassy, closed headphone. I wouldn’t suggest these unless you NEED a closed headphone.
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Philips X2HR Often recommended because of cheap price. However, I never grab these as there really is nothing noteworthy going on with these other than the cheap price.
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Sennheiser HD-560S There are two specific cases that make HD-560S a good choice. If one wants good sound without a dedicated amplifier, or if one is headphone listening without equalization, these will do the job without breaking the bank. I actually use HD-560S quite often under these purposes. So, this is probably one I would recommend for you to purchase.
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ericrosenfield suggested Sennheiser Massdrop HD-6XX which I also own. Many like this headphone and HD-6XX is highly recommended by many, including those that power them with cheap amplifiers. My ears however do not like this headphone unless it is powered by a powerful amplifier that costs $400 and up, which would push past your budget. So, my opinion is contrary to popular opinion and these headphones might work for you.
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ericrosenfield also suggested HiFiMan HE-560. HiFiMan HE-560 V4 and HiFiMan Sundara are often recommended and are both just slightly above your budget. I own both of these and can vouch for their good sound for the $$$.
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Ultimately, I think you won’t go wrong with the Sennheiser HD-560S as it is within your proposed budget.
For me, I listen to planar dynamic headphones when I am in the mood for precise, enunciated presentation over a more relaxed natural presentation that I may achieve with some dynamic driver headphones. My first introductions to planar dynamic driver headphones blew me away as I felt that I was achieving elevated sound qualities such as clarity (which was important to me at the time at my low budget), without having to spend much money. The novel experience did not wear off since my first planar experience which was with the Fostex T50RP MK3. I continue to love the presentation of planars. Of my planar headphone collection, the most dramatic first time experiences since the Fostex, have been with the Monoprice M1570 and the HiFiMan HE6se V2. I don’t recommend that you go the HiFiMan HE6se V2 route as it requires an expensive amplifier above your budget in order to sound enjoyable.
