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

I need advice!
5698

Hello! I’m seeking your advice for my next headphone upgrade.

Currently, I’m using AKG 712’s. They’ve been great for 7 years, but I’m wondering if there’s a better set out there for me.

  • Budget: Up to $2000.
  • Sound: I favor bass-heavy music but don’t want to compromise on clarity or balance. Not too keen on overly bright treble. I enjoy my 712’s with Harman EQ and some bass boost (+8-9db). As for “soundstage”, I’m still unsure how important it is.
  • Use: Musical enjoyment. I don’t use them professionally, so perfect accuracy is not as important as long as music is fun to listen to. My music taste is quite eclectic, so I’d need something versatile, but general pointers are lots of electronic, also jazz, funk, dub, rock, and a bit of hip-hop. Not much classical or metal.
  • Setup: High-end laptop. Open to getting a portable (I travel a lot) DAC/amp if needed. I usually listen to Spotify at 320kbps.
  • Type: Prefer over-ear open-back for their comfort and ambient sound. As I listen to music pretty much all day long, I need them to be light and comfortable. 712s are good in that regard.
  • Environment: I listen at home in a quiet room. Moderate sound leakage is okay.

Looking forward to your suggestions. Thanks!

5 Likes
5699

Hello @MellowRoll, welcome!

Up to $2K can certainly cover a lot of ground, especially if you are open to used… Also, no matter how hi-end your laptop you will certainly benefit from a separate dac/amp combo. Then too, portability becomes a matter of definition, as in how small do you consider “portable”.

A couple of headphones that could fit the bill come to mind right away, the Focal Clear OG and Meze 109 Pro. I’m well acquainted with the Clear, and it is a great all rounder that’s easy to drive, is very punchy and dynamic, and generally sounds excellent. The Meze 109 Pro has gotten lots of love from reviewers and owners, and is also very efficient. I would check out reviews and our forum here on each.

For dac/amp combo, you can go super portable (think USB stick size), or still portable but larger and more powerful and capable.

For super portable check out Questyle M15 or maybe M12, or ifi Go Blu, which also has “hi res” bluetooth.

If you want a portable that’s better yet check out the other ifi offerings, like Hip Dac V2 or Audio xCan. I also hear great things about the Diablo, but it’s $1K all by itself.

I see headphones.com is out of a lot of these though. I hate to mention it but you might also check bloomaudio.com or the folks at moon audio, I’ve had positive experiences with each.

Good luck!

3 Likes
5700

For some people it’s not important and for some it’s the most important.

The 712’s have good soundstage so If possible you might want to try other headphones first to see if soundstage matters to you.

1 Like
5701

Thank you @robson for the detailed response! I’ve read that some people describe Focal Clear sound as “metallic”, would you agree with that?

5702

Which headphones would you recommend comparing for big/small sounstage?

5703

The Clear can be a bit picky about what’s driving it, though it’s nothing like as bad as the Utopia in that regard. The RNHP was the big amp recommendation for the clear in reasonably priced amps (though it’s a lot more expensive than it used to be)

I personally wouldn’t consider it sounding metallic. I heard it kind of late in my headphone journey, because while I loved the Elex (my gateway drug into spending on headphones), I skipped straight past the Clear.

I can see the argument for the Utopia on the wrong source chain sounding Metallic, though it’s not the word I’d use.

The other big knock on Focals is comfort, I and a lot of others find them very comfortable, but they just don’t seem to work for a substantial number of people who find them very uncomfortable.

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5704

Thanks for your feedback.

RNHP is certainly bigger than what I’d find comfortable, as I change locations often. I’d need something that can be powered by USB. Is there anything in a more compact form that can drive those well in your opinion?

Or perhaps you have another headphone recommendation for my requirements?

5705

Meze 109 Pro look interesting, would love to hear what you guys think about them. And what would be appropriate to drive them?

5706

Your requirements read like a tailor-made description for a ZMF Aeolus. But it needs an amp to reach its sonic pinnacle.

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5707

Do you think that’s achievable with a portable enough solution?

How would they compare to Meze 109 Pro, if you’ve had a chance to hear them?

Edit: read a bit about Aeolus, I’ll try them out for sure as soon as I get a chance!

5708

The Clear is very easy to drive. You’ll have okay performance even from a tablet or PC. But an amp and DAC will be superior.

3 Likes
5709

The widely available Sennheiser HD 600 would be the classic “three blob” presentation (blob left, blob right, blob in the middle) and the Sennheiser HD 800S is the poster child for huge soundstage.

The K712 has a good soundstage if I recall, so you could listen to the HD 600 and see if the experience is different for you.

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5710

I haven’t heard the Meze 109 Pro. Sorry.

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5711

@MellowRoll To answer your question about what to drive an Aeolus, I would recommend an iFi Gryphon, because the Aeolus will appreciate the additional power. I have both the Gryphon and Aeolus. The Gryphon also has the advantage of having Bluetooth in addition to wired connectivity, in case you ever want to listen to music on the go, or don’t want to be tethered to your laptop.

You mentioned that you only want open headphones, but if you change your mind, a Focal Radiance might fit the bill. It’s normally $990 but there’s an open box one for sale right now at a lower price. The Radiance is much easier to drive than an Aeolus. I don’t have a Radiance, but I do have a Focal Celestee and Stellia. so I’m trying to triangulate from the reviews I’ve read, and people seem to like it for bass-heavy music.

Edit: I’ll add that I’m a fan of both Focal and ZMF headphones. I own several of their headphones, and obviously like how they sound, and I also find them comfortable for long listening sessions.

4 Likes
5712

Thanks @robson, and sorry for the slow response (life, etc.). Arachne and Halby are both new to me - will look into both, even if I suspect you are right that if I want a cable like the DCA VIVO, I probably just need to pony up for the real thing.

5713

Hi all, looking for some advice or maybe alternatives to what I have already considered.

Some background:

I bought the Jabra Evolve2 75s around 3 months ago, and honestly, it is an awesome headset. ANC is good, mic is great, audio is great and switching between the phone and laptop works flawlessly. I was very impressed with the software and setup as well.

Before the Jabra Evolve2 75s I owned Corsair hs70 pro, which I bought for gaming before Covid. Covid hit, WFH took over my life, and basically it just ended up being my office headset. They finally died, which forced me to use my Sony WH-1000XM3s for a short while. The mic is rubbish, and the 1 day a week in the office, nobody can hear me on any of my meetings. ANC, music, and comfort is obviously excellent, paired with great battery life.

I bought the Jabra Evolve2 75s as a replacement for my office and WFH MS Teams meetings, and generally, it is great. Mic is excellent, sound is excellent, ANC is good, I enjoy the software, in general, it is difficult to complain. But, after around 3 hours (I have lots of meetings), I start having extreme ear fatigue mostly on my right ear (nothing I ever experienced with my Corsair or Sony headsets). The pain eventually gets unbearable and is distracting in my meetings. I’m now just assuming the on-ear headset is not for me. I’m looking at selling my Jabra Evolve2 75s, and adding extra for a different, over ear headset. I was looking at the Jabra Evolve2 85s but got a little scared when Headset Advisor on YouTube complained of ear fatigue. Are there alternatives I haven’t considered, or maybe someone that can confirm how the 85s sit and if they experience any ear fatigue with long usage?

  • Budget: I really don’t want to spend much more than the $350 mark, and wasn’t considering upgrading to Sony XM5s, mostly due to price, so hoping to stay in that range. The money I spending already feels crazy, so dropping even more, after my loss, makes me want to cry.

  • Sound : Not that big of an issue for me. I enjoy my XM3s and the 75s sounded great as well. I like to listen to, when I have a chance, some trance or rock music, but I don’t mind switching to my XM3s when doing that. I will be using these headsets for work 95% of the time. The little time I have between meetings I might just let whatever trance I might be listening to at that point, continue playing from my phone

  • Use WFH in a setting, that sometimes can get loud, and 1 day a week in the office (open plan) that gets extremely loud (ANC is a MUST, together with a great mic that can be muted/unmuted, which in turn mute MS Teams, something the Corsair and 75s could do). I must be mobile and able to move around my home/office and still mute/unmute. I live in a townhouse and would prefer to be able to move between floors when getting something to drink or taking a delivery, while still in my meeting (the Jabra Evolve2 75s had great range for this). Light PC gaming option would be cool, but not important or required.

  • Setup : Locked down Windows modern work laptop. MS Teams is our primary and only communication software. The Jabra Evolve2 75s’ dongle got picked up, installed, and worked properly. Would prefer avoiding anything that requires third party software to be installed as getting admin rights have become impossible.

  • Type : Over-ear for sure. Looking for Bluetooth/dongle/wireless to limit cables and increase mobility. Ear comfort for longer hours is important.

  • Environment : WFH that can get noisy with kids or neighbours. Office 1 day a week that gets noisy. Mic performance and ANC in these environments is important.

So, basically, any alternatives? Am I just too worried about the Evolve2 85s and should I just take the plunge?

Thanks and appreciate the time reading this and answering.

2 Likes
5714

There are lots of alternatives, depending on whether the priority is sound in meetings over Zoom, or music, and how much of the day you actually listen to music. My perspective is different, because I find I have trouble concentrating or doing my best work if I’m listening to music on headphones. I can just zone out and listen. So my preferred setup is to use an actual microphone for zoom and use speakers. I’ve used SHURE and BLUE microphones. I just turn down the speakers when I need to do a call or meeting. I also get to not wear something funny looking over my head in a meeting.

For calls and meetings before this setup, I used a Plantronics headset designed for call centers. The good ones run $300-500 bucks and run over DECT6. About as clear as a wired phone, can also do Bluetooth to cell, and if you get the two ear set, play crap quality music…

An offbeat choice is a neckband, like SONY and Monster have. Fair music quality, fine for home, very comfortable, good mic and sound quality. Great break from a headphone. You’re in nearfield, probably not the best choice for in office, and everybody will want to try them. The SONY is about $300, Monster about $89.

Finally, you say over ear, but KOSS Porta-Pros with YAXI pads are great. I prefer wired, but they have good wireless. Comfort is better than you can imagine, this is my go-to for business calls from home or travel situations. Sound quality isn’t FOCAL, but isn’t to be sneezed at either. All of life is a compromise. There are a few others in the forum that use a KOSS solution.

2 Likes
5715

Note: ROON ARC, Big Brother and the Holding Company (Daily Mix) on the office speakers (EgglestonWorks Nico Evo, SMS Micro 3000 sub, played through Sansui AU-919 restored and Schiit Lokius) can be distracting. For actual work, the Ambient Dub mix works better.

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5716

Thanks @pennstac, some good recommendations, will for sure have a look.

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5717

Not precisely purchase advicem but…

Is there any iPhone (preferred) or iOS or Windows app that can be used to do a rough FR check? I just updated the audio in my piece of Sh*t car because my Infiniti got rear-ended, and won’t be good for longer trips for a couple of months. The 2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara did not have bluetooth or or or. So I installed a Kenwood double-DIN head unit, and I had a sub hanging around doing nothing. Put that in also. Now the Kenwood has pretty detailed crossover adjustments. I did a quick by ear set of mods, but would like to measure a bit and tweak.

I figure I could also use it to tweak the crossover point and slope in my office for the office system. I’m not spending $225+ for a calibrated mic for curiousity.

I found the app from Audio Control, and it sort of looks like it might work