For jazz music 6xx are spot on. Love them, especially with recent recordings that are very often mid-treeble focused.
5 Likes
My own upgrade quest from the HD650’s was the ZMF Aeolus. Amazing headphones and US made.
The HD650’s felt like I was in the audience listening to a great show. The Aeolus felt like I plugged into an amp on stage and I’m wondering around with the musicians. Also a LOT more punch.
The Aeolus need at least 100 hours of break-in as the drivers are initially stiff and precisely made. The upgrade from there are the recently new Auteur Classic.
Beyond these the headsets become overly revealing and less musical. I have friends who relish high reveal and what I’d label as excessive transparency.
I think people spend too much money at some point when the biggest variable is the software. A lot of us are listening to recordings from a different era when none of this technology was possible.
I have killer big dollar amps/DAC/headphones. I realize the joy is in the soundscape the artists intended, and now spend much more time with the Aeolus and occasionally the HD650’s enjoying their intent.
Just a reminder to enjoy what you have.
9 Likes
Amen, 100% agree. It might even be a bit more time. The sound is very “polite” initially, nothing like it is later on. I found mine a bit disappointing when brand new, as I wasn’t hearing what others were describing at all in the bass. Now they bump, but they’re not Beats!
1 Like
I’m looking for a light pink gaming headset. I’ve been looking for a few weeks and can’t find a high-quality, broad frequency, surround sound, noise canceling, no microphone kind. As you can guess it’s for gaming and music but they either have cat ears, are studio/instrumental/have a microphone, or just don’t come pink.
I’m just saying I need help and this community looks like a great place to ask!
Sorry if this doesn’t follow post guidelines as I just found this place and I’m rushing for it as it’ll be a present
Welcome. This is indeed the right place for posting.
You have a very narrow set of requirements that go after several incompatible market niches at the same time. First, pink is aimed at mostly female buyers while high-quality, broad frequency products are targeted mostly at (older, color-cautious) male audiophiles. Surround sound and noise canceling products are aimed at travelers and the general mass-market, and these technologies contradict the purity and quality sought by many audiophiles. Finally, studio products tend to be black (Sennheiser, Audeze; Focal black & red) or sometimes silver (Focal).
I think your best strategy will be to ignore the factory color and buy a skin or paint them yourself. You might also replace some plastic pieces or add colored highlights with a 3D printer. If handy with soldering and electronics you might remove mic wiring too. Rosson Audio sells custom colored headphones in the $2,000+ price class, but that’ not what you describe either.
1 Like
Fleetwood Deville is in that price range. You should be able to audition them and the Harbeth at Northern Audio in Pittsburgh.
My opinion: At that level, system synergy is hugely important. You’ll need to think about amplification and source(s). I would be thinking Class A amps, but if you like Class D check out the GaN FET stuff (Peachtree, Orchard, ClassDAudio, probably some others).
Thanks for the idea. Not sure if I’ll get to the Burgh. I’ve heard the Harbeth, I’m less than 90 minutes to Overture in Wilmington DE. I’ve seen the DeVille online, but had no idea how they sound. They appear to be cat-proof, or at least cat-resistant.
I’ve liked my Wyred4Sound, it has been class D done right. I’m hardly wedded to that, but it was the right spot for my current setup plus a bit of upgrade. I’m sure you’re right about synergy. Sources in my main system are an older top of the line RÓTEL CD player, Sonos Port (for streaming, may get upgraded, and it goes into a TEAC DAC, not audio out) VPI Prime Scout with Ortofon Bronze.
I’m not sure where to go with amp/preamp (I use Musical Fidelity phono pre) in my setup. It’s easy to spend stupid money. I’ve liked some Conrad Johnson stuff in the past. Have thought of some of the new updated builds from the Dynaco of my youth - one of the boutique builders.
I see I see. Basically wanted to get a set for my gf to enjoy quality-sounding games and music but pink is very stereotyped. I decided to go razer and disassemble the mic off the headphone myself. I do appreciate the recommendations, I didn’t think to buy a skin for the headset as I didn’t think they’d have that but obviously they would if the mouse and keyboards have them as well. Thank you for the help!
It’ll likely be a DIY project. Get a flat square of skin material, then cut some templates with a craft knife…
1 Like
Since you’re disassembling the headset, have you considered repainting some of the plastic parts pink? You’ll probably need to put down a base coat first for proper coverage, but Tamiya’s PS line is solid (don’t skimp on surface prep). Just make sure you try it out on a test piece first to make sure there’s not weird reactions.
Delve Audio is in Caldwell, NJ, and again, Harbeth is there also. Just saying it might be nice to hear them in similar conditions, and close together in time. They also have some electronics that would be more suitable for speakers in that class without being stupid expensive (Lab12, McGary Audio).
Oh, and I just thought of another speaker: Volti Audio Rival, a large high-efficiency horn-loaded 3-way. Auditioning them would be more difficult – they’re a small operation in TN between Nashville and Knoxville.
1 Like
It’s not exactly an upgrade path, but there are 3 things I would like to do in 2023. All involve mostly boutique-type manufacturers. In no particular order,
-
Flux Lab Acoustics FA-10 Pro. I’m planning on this being my “drive (almost) any headphone” amp. Small Ukrainian company, therefore supply chain issues. They’re hoping to get some units in soon, and I’ll place the order as soon as they let me.
-
Electrostatic or Planar Magnetic headphones. I’m hoping there’s a way to pair the HiveX with a used amp for $1200 or less and get a decent amount of that estat magic. If that doesn’t work out, maybe a PM from Audeze or DCA.
-
Get in the queue for something from Decware, most likely a Taboo MK4 but maybe a CSP3. Don’t really have to decide now, since the waiting list is 2 years, and you can change your amp order up to the time they actually start building it.
Probably a bit optimistic to think I can afford all of those over the next 12 months, but you gotta shoot for something, right?
The 6XX are my only real headphones at present. Would definitely appreciate hearing what you experience with the ZMF pads. $70 pads on $200 'phones is a little weird, but so is driving them with an $800+ amp, so …
Happy 2023, everyone!
9 Likes
If I make a trek to audition more EgglestonWorks speakers, I will stop at Volti. I really like my EgglestonWorks Nico Evo.
- Number 1 priority is my dac . Was 99.999% decided on the May but a couple of members here and elsewhere (you know who you are!!!
) threw a bit of a wrench into the works with recommendations and considerations of Rockna. So I’m back to undecided. Budget will be my guide and deciding factor most likely. - Then source will be my next focus. I use Roon and want to get into HQplayer and off of pc (I think??…maybe??). This whole topic of Nucs, Nucleus’s, Rendus and the like is confusing and daunting to me… we’ll see where it goes after I get my dac situated.
- If there’s any room left in the budget next year I may try some interconnect/cable upgrades. Definitely lower on my list of priorities.
2 Likes
Well said. I bought mine slightly used from someone who didn’t ride-out the break-in period. Same with me, at first I was disappointed without a lot of EQ. After break-in a whole different story and haven’t used EQ since.
The Aeolus is nothing short of terrific and a terrific HD650 upgrade, at least it was for me.
5 Likes
Could you elaborate about your Harbeth preferences? Is it the bass extension that leads to the preference for the 40.3? I’ve tended to think of their smaller speakers as more the definition of the Harbeth brand, like I think of the 3-series as the definition of BMW over the larger models.
I have ulterior motives. 
Brands I can’t afford new (Audio Research, McIntosh, Klipsch Heritage) I get used. If some nice equipment gets displaced by nice-r equipment…
Seriously, I’m really just trying to present alternatives that I think would appeal to folks.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Harbeth preferences … I’ve listened the most to the HL5 Plus. Same for Barbara. It is not at all bad in the budget, but (there’s always a but) I want to fill a fairly large room. about 13 x 25, with an open area along one wall. It’s a living room that opens to an entryway in front of the house. The entryway also opens into the dining room, and there are stairs to the upstairs in the entry.
Although I heard the HL5 in a similarly sized room, and it sounded very good, filling the room was not effortless. I’m thinking I might have some trouble with Mahler’s 6th, Night on Bald Mountain, and most of the Led Zeppelin 2 album. Things that I want to play with real volume.
The 40.3 both goes deeper and moves more air. I don’t have a sub in this setup, and I am not sure what I would do for subs with a Harbeth.
I used to have a 1966 BMW 1800 TI, and although it was great fun when it worked the Bavaria was nicer.
I’m looking for a combined DAC/amp unit to replace a JDS Labs Atom+ stack. While I know the shortcomings of a combined unit, I like the idea of a combined unit to save space on my crowded desk. More simple setup, too.
My price range is around $500. My current over-ear headphones are the Audeze LCD-X 2021 and Sennheiser HD 6XX. Yes, I know the 6XX love tubes, but that’s an upgrade for another time. My preferred musical genres are classic rock, alternative rock, hard rock, alt-country, hard bop jazz and progressive house/deep house EDM.
I’ve narrowed my choices to the JDS Element III (perhaps the Boosted version) or the Burson Playmate 2. I’m taking a quick glance at the Topping DX5, too, but I’m probably shying away from Topping due to quality control and preferring to do business with an American company from which I’ve had GREAT customer service (JDS) or an Australian company (Burson).
Which of the three choices above do you think will be the best match for my LCD-X 2021 and HD 6XX?
Thanks in advance!
1 Like
Couple of thoughts for you, not on point as to which one. Have you considered a Schiit Jotunheim 2 with either the ESS card or - if you wait for upgrade, the true multibit card? While I don’t often come down on either side of the balanced/single-ended debate, I have found the 6xx likes balanced (it does like tubes even more).
Or more out of the box, you can find a used Schiit Lyr3 on Ebay for about $250-300 in base configuration. Prices are good because the 3+ was recently released, and if you want a combined DAC/AMP, you can get that Multibit card installed at Schiit also on the Lyr 3. Which is a tube hybrid. And I know it is a happy match with the 6xx, and I’m sure would be fine for you Audeze also. Probably a good step up from your current setup.
6 Likes
Hi all,
Never owned headphones worth more than about £30 before so am completely new to this. Looking for closed back, wired headphones around £500 budget (though could go a bit higher), to be used for home and occasional travel (so portability is pretty important). Listen to mostly rock/indy I guess but would prefer all-rounders. One other consideration is that I have weirdly pointy elf ears which make a lot of over ears get quickly uncomfortable so a set with large openings for ears would be good.
Thanks 
1 Like