The HD650’s will sweep the floor of the above shopping list and in your price range. They are also not made in China.
4 Likes
Or buy the HD 6XX, which is essentially a rebadged HD 650 for less money.
5 Likes
The 6xx over the 650 would be my choice between the two as well.
4 Likes
Personally I much prefer the HE400se over the HD6XX 90% of the time.
The HE400se needs amplification to sound it’s best, the HD6XX needs specific amplification and the stars to align for it to sound it’s best (hence the 10% of the time that I prefer the HD6XX.
As always, IMO, YMMV etc.
2 Likes
Both are pretty much the best open-back budget cans (under $250) on the market. But, like with everything in this hobby, they are horses for courses.
The midrange of the HD 6XX can’t be touched, by the HE400se or damn near any other can I’ve heard. Just sublime. But the HE-400se has more bass extension and more treble sparkle. Sometimes that sparkle can get a bit bright and grainy, especially in complex passages.
Both are TERRIFIC headphones, especially for the dough. The HE-400se is an astonishing value at $110 for an open-back planar.
4 Likes
Had to laugh! We’re all over the place with our votes (opinions).
I would choose the HE400se 0% of the time 
1 Like
Haha. Well, the important thing is that the OP is getting really good recommendations - that’s what matters.
1 Like
As you know it all depends on the amp and the persons ears whose listening . 
1 Like
After a year of enjoying my LCD-X 2021 with some EQ by Sonar-works I’m thinking of taking the plunge into Summit fi and getting myself an LCD-5. I tried one a few months back and almost immediately was hearing things in my music I hadn’t noticed before. The tactility of the driver was also quite impressive. I’m hoping to purchase used and to make the LCD-5 my daily driver headphone, eventually upgrading to a tube amp by amps and sound. Am I making the right move?
1 Like
Yes. Absolutely. It won’t be bad. Lol
1 Like
Please help a newbie out. I have had my Oppo HA-1 for years (2014) and have recently reengaged into the Hifi hobby. I have the original Oppo PM-1 Planar’s which I love. Brand New Focal Clear’s for my dynamic cans and UM Mest Mk2 (iem), Shure se846 (iem). My source is a HifiRose 150b dec/ streamer/ preamp, etc (www.hifirose.com). Local music and Tidal streaming.
What HP amp do you recommend. Price range is wide $499 - $2000. I am willing to spend more to get more but can I get more only spending $699. Who would know better than this group.
My other gear is the Fiio M17 and the Hiby 2020 r6 dap’s. Output Frontier studio monitors for good measure to boot.
Thanks in advance.
4 Likes
Good morning,
So the prerequisite seem to be
- Low impedance dynamic
- Low impedance planar
- Very low impedance multi-BA IEM
- Very low impedance multi-BA hybrid IEM
And then hopefully have great synergy with all of them.
You might be looking for the do it all amp that does not exist 
If it does I’d like to know that’ll be my next buy.
I usually prefer my Focal Clears on tubes (ZDT Jr, Tuba) or tubehybrids (CTH, LP). I’ve posted some of my impressions in the Focal Clear thread. Clears are good on solid state as well but at the end I always go for the tubes.
I’d go the multi-amp route. Get one solid state with documented low noise/superlow gain option for your difficult IEMs and one amp with tubes for Clears. Don’t have much experience with the Oppos but I guess planars so perhaps one of the amps need have some power as well. As a note my tubehybrids (CTH, LP, Alo Pan Am) usually also do well with my Audezes and Hifimans. But tubes or tubehybrid likely won’t cut it for your IEMs, to much noise and gain.
1 Like
I really need help which forced me to find a dedicated forum for headphones like this forum. I just can’t find the answer regardless that I spend 4 hours a day everyday for many days looking. I finally feel defeated.
I am looking for a headphone that is open-back, over both ears and the connection has to be usb A or C or it can be wireless and must have a microphone. It is for a laptop running Windows 10.
My price range is under 500 if possible. I will be using it exclusively for work 10 hours a day talking to clients. I will be in a quiet room. I will need the headphone to be clear to hear human speech and equally clear for the client to hear me.
It just feels that no one has ever made a headphone with these criterias. One of the criterias is always missing. I am tired of calling companies, going through entire selections on the internet and finding nothing.
I don’t know if this is the right forum for my question. If this is not the right place, can anybody guide me?
4 Likes
I feel like you could just get the Sennheiser PC38X and stick a dongle on it for the USB connection. Apple USB-C dongle would work for $8 or if you want to be fancy you could get a Schiit Fulla or something like that.
For Wireless something like the Grado GW100 would do the trick I think.
Also you could take any open back headphone, put a dongle on it, and add a AntLion ModMic to it to give it a microphone.
3 Likes
https://www.amazon.com/Koss-Multimedia-Stereo-Headphone-Plug/dp/B00CK9BL4S
Unfortunately, manufacturers assume that open back headphones don’t really make sense in office use, which is why these solutions are hard to come by.
Alternatively, you could either consider a pure Bluetooth solution, or this variant from beyer dynamics, which is also a really good audiophile solution.
1 Like
Hi Peeps
i’m a music producer and I travel very often. i dont want to bring large headphones with me each and every time and im looking for the best IEM with the most neutral frequency response under $400. Having looked online i see that the moondrop blessing 2 series is well recommended because of its rather neutral sound image but im wondering if you guys agree with that statement or maybe have other suggestions.
I’m looking forward to your replies.
I would look toward something made for serious call center use. Plantronics would be my first choice. I’ve had several of their sets over the years, typically DECT 6 if wireless. Problem is battery life, for 10 hours, I would go with a wired model. They are very clear, and their mic is excellent. They do have models that will work with your laptop and VOIP. Many models come with both ears, but they tend to be on-ear rather than over ear. Quite comfortable.
1 Like
The clear, unequivocal choice in the Etymotic ER4SR. Neutral, accurate, and isolating beyond what most over-ear ANC headset are capable of.
Part of the reason for that isolation is the deep insertion into the ear canal that Ety’s require.
Fair warning: That unconventional fit – different than nearly every other IEM – isn’t for everyone, including me.
2 Likes
It’s funny. I have a set-up that I love very much, that I’ve gotten quite happy with over the past few years. And yet, one of the funny things is that even if I’m fairly experienced and know what I like, I still like to ask questions and not act like I know it all. Happy that this thread exists. I’m not asking for any advice now, but just wanted to catch up to all 5k posts and offer to help / answer any questions that I know. If my set-up elicits any questions, please do let me know…
So here’s what I have:
- Office desktop: RopieeeXL → Schiit Gungnir MB → Mjolnir 2 / Folkvangr → Focal Clear OG / Sennheiser HD800s / Audeze LCD-3 / Sennheiser HD6xx / HiFiMan 5xx / Sennheiser 598s (these last for sentimental giggles), all with Hart Audio Cables red modular plugs; I also run the Gumby into a Nobsound TPA3116 amp into Paradigm Atom v.5’s for nearfield listening
- Main rig: Roon → Pi2AES → Schiit Yggdrasil LIM / Rega Planar 6 → Creek 5350SE → KLH Model 5’s (still evaluating the Schiit Freya+ / Dual Aegir monoblocks, but I think that I probably underestimated how demanding these speakers are and need to sell them or move them to a more sensitive speaker set-up)
- On the go: Roon ARC on iPhone 12 → Fiio Q3 → Moondrop Kato, 7Hz Timeless
And I should say that, despite the fact that Focal Clears & HD800s are my daily drivers, I also wonder what lies around the corner of ZMF model X, Y or Z. I wonder if some other headphone would be able to get past the congestion I hear in the Stones’ Country Tonk guitar at a couple points. I wonder about whether I should invest in a passive transformer to take the balanced outputs of my Gumby and create “ungimped” SE outputs into my Folkvangr despite all that Jason Stoddard says. The nervosa never ends. But I love listening, and with Roon/Qobuz/Tidal/my collection of ~10k albums I ripped over the years, I listen all day from when family leaves in the morning to when they get home.
Hope everyone else has as much fun as I do!
1 Like