Welcome!
New or used “worth it”? There are a bunch of them for sale on Ebay and elsewhere.
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Possibly, it depends on what you are after. I’ve had the ZMF Vérité Open for 3 years now; I also have the Arya Stealth, Focal Clear MG, and SJY Horizon Closed Carbon as points of comparison. Is the overall sound quality “better”? No, but also it depends; it has a naturalness to it with a bit of reverb that gives it a holographic nature that no other normal headphone I’ve heard has; for certain types of music - especially paired with a tube amp (I use Quicksilver Headphone Amp), it’s absolutely magic. Not to mention the headphone itself is beautiful. It also has speed and resolution that works well with electronic music. It’s the most “romanic” sounding headphone of the ones I’ve listed above. Depending on mood, it hits the spot like no others. Also the ZMF warranty and support is amazing which goes a long way.
As far as value; most non-audiophile people I’ve had demo those headphones - everyone unanimously goes for the Arya Stealth. Personally I think the SJY Horizon Closed Carbon is the best combination of all the factors I value. The bass is incredible, truly, both in quality and quantity. The soundstage is fantastic, and may be the best staging closed back headphone available today. Comfort is great. And timbre is actually the overall most natural. The downside is it’s quite power hungry so amp selection matters more.
At the end of the day, after a certain price, you’re often paying for a flavor preference rather than outright performance/ sound quality per dollar.
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Hey everyone,
I’m on the hunt for a lightweight and portable DAP that can drive my Noble Audio Shogun and Audio64 U12T earphones while I’m on the move. I value sound quality, battery life, and mobility, and my ideal DAP should tick all these boxes without feeling bulky in my pocket. No particular budget constraints. Happy to pay for a solid product. Thanks.
Hi everyone,
I’m happy to say I’m new here. I’ve already read a lot about headphones, but I don’t have much hands-on experience yet. I own an old pair of Denon D2000s—my only decent headphones—but the pads are worn out and the hardware is starting to look a bit tired. With some EQ they still sound pretty good, though. Since it’s hard to find reliable measurements for these older headphones, my EQ settings are probably far from perfect.
That said, I’m wondering: with EQ applied, would there be a noticeable difference in sound compared to a Sennheiser HD550 or HD600? Do you think it’s worth investing in new pads for such an old pair of Denons, or would it make more sense to put that money toward an HD550 instead? For context, I mainly listen to jazz and acoustic music.
Thanks for your time and advice!
Best regards,
John
I don’t have an answer to your question specifically but I would say it’s unlikely you can find any headphone with no noticable difference from your existing set.
It might be helpful to have an adventurous spirit in looking for a new set, finding something that makes you happy even if it’s a bit different than your existing set.
Welcome - we’re glad you’re here!
Two things:
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You won’t be able to EQ one headphone to another exactly, or at least it’ll be extremely unlikely.
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The D2000 is a closed back headphone, while the two Sennheisers you referenced are open-back designs. They sound vastly different than the older Denon.
Are you looking for a different sound, or do you really love the Denon and the only reason you’re entertaining the idea of replacing them is due to the worn pads? What do you currently EQ on the D2000?
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My draw to the 600 trio is playing them on tube’s. If you want to make this as a hobby or get into something a little more hardware focused, I’d recommend a tube amp as well. Some people don’t like tubes while others love them, I’m of the latter. I have 4 tube amp’s and one hybrid tube amp, can’t get enough of them. I recently got a hifi tube amp and tried a few of my headphones on them, ones that tubes normally don’t play well with due to the lower impedance. I guess I just never tried them on tubes, but this amp likes even lower impedance headphones.
The 600 is very transparent to what is running them, so tubes get the most from them imo. They have a very small sound stage so it’s almost like your head is the microphone when there are vocals. But that comes at the cost of open-ness but tubes remedy this a little. It’s very different than a lot of headphones which is one reason basically everyone that reviews headphones swears by them. I don’t have any experience with the 550 nor have I watched reviews on them.
So to sum up my suggestion, if you want something different and potentially will be getting a tube amp down the road I would certainly go for it.
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Welcome @Mr.duBarrage
In my experience, EQ works fine within limits. EQ can’t force deep bass from a product that cannot generate deep bass, but it can boost what’s there but very quiet. EQ can also cut off high-range treble issues (a common problem with lower priced headphones), but then they may sound muffled.
To my ears, the materials used to make the driver (e.g., plastic, metal, paper etc.) become audible over time. I may not notice with a quick test, but eventually the build materials can be heard. This is especially obvious upon listening regularly for a few days and then switching to a different product. Exceptions include Focal’s products with metal drivers – I heard a tinny, brassy sound from the very start. Focal’s products do have many other positives, and this may or may not bother you.
Listen to @Nuance regarding closed versus open headphones. Many of us love the transparent and relaxing character of open headphones, and choose closed ones only when absolutely necessary. This means when in a noisy environment or when sound leakage will disturb others.
Some closed headphones have internal sound reflections that make them sound boomy or muddy. A second issue with virtually all closed headphones is that they increase air pressure on the ears with every beat. This leads to fatigue and discomfort over time (for me that’s 1 to 2 hours at max). There’s a middle option known as “vented” headphones, and they have small or hidden holes that let the air out.
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Thanks a lot for your quick replies and advice!
I actually think my Denon AH-D2000 sounds pretty good, but I don’t really have much experience with other, more “audiophile” headphones (only a little with regular speakers). At the moment I EQ them through Squiglink to roughly match the Kemar DF target with a -1dB/oct tilt (though I leave the sub-bass below 80Hz untouched). Even though the D2000 is closed-back, it doesn’t isolate very well from the outside world—which I actually enjoy.
What I’m looking for in a headphone is a very realistic, neutral, and non-fatiguing sound (the D2000 can be a bit sharp without EQ). I also like the open-back design, since I still want to be able to hear the doorbell, my phone, or my baby waking up. My source is a MacBook Air M4 with Apple Music, and I’d prefer not to add an external DAC or amp. That’s why I’m considering either the HD 560S or the HD 600. From what I’ve read online, my MacBook should be capable of driving the more demanding HD 600—though please correct me if I’m wrong! Another big plus is that Sennheiser offers so many replacement parts; I don’t like throwing things away unnecessarily.
I don’t think anyone here is going to convince me to just stick with the old Denons, right? 
With that in mind, the HD 600 or 550 are my recommendation. Bear in mind, you’ll lose bass tactility compared to the Denons. Both Sennheisers may have some treble quirkiness depending on your anatomy, but both lean more neutral than the Denons.
There’s a sale on both products right now, which is convenient.
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The HD 600 is a benchmark for neutral and natural sound. They were my first serious headphones, and they remain hard to beat in the price class. Fatigue – it depends on your setup. I blindly went through a series of problematic DACs and amps circa 2014 to 2018 before finding something I liked. Note that headphone amps and DACs offer a lot more value for the price today (to include the Apple dongle).
The Focal Clear does something similar to the HD 600, but notably better, at a higher price. Both will work pretty well with an iPhone or notebook PC, but a separate DAC and amp improves their performance. You may or may not care about the differences. Some people do, and they run the HD 600 on very expensive amplifiers.
Yes, you can swap out HD 600 parts. I’ve replaced my ear pads multiple times and headband pad once.
We will do quite the opposite. Just buy one more thing. Then you’ll be done forever. 
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That is reaaally the case here!
Haha 
You just know that’s what I wanna hear
Ow, did I write HD560S or the HD600? That’s strange 
I’m considering either the HD 550 or the HD 600. I’m a bit concerned about the scratchy, dry lower treble that several reviewers have mentioned with the HD 550. On the other hand, from what I’ve read, it doesn’t really seem like you need an external DAC/amp with the HD 550 when using a MacBook. The lighter clamp force is another plus — I’ve got a pretty big head, almost on Resolve’s level. Too bad I don’t have the chance to try both out before deciding which one to get.
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I only addressed the HD 600, and have no experience with the other two you mentioned.
I own the HD 58X, HD 600, HD 6XX, and HD 800 S. As a marketing rule and per my experience, Sennheiser’s series number (5, 6, 8) indicates its relative quality class. I myself wouldn’t buy the 58X again (too coarse), nor the 6XX (forced mid-bass and scratchy vocals). I still respect the landmark HD 600, and use the HD 800 S more often than anything else I own.
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First, Welcome. Listen to @generic and @Nuance who have been at this a long time. @NickZ too, but he didn’t give any specific advice. (Not leaving you out, @Klute but I just haven’t read a few years of your posts yet.)
Both @generic and I find closed backs to be irritating. Air pressure, internal reflections, whatever it is, neither of us have found ones we like.
Sennheiser has been devoting some work to it’s mid-tier offerings, but if you’re pushing to audiophile and playing with EQ, I haven’t heard any of the 500 series that would satisfy me for long. I’ve had an HD 580 since a year or two after they were released. The HD-600 range is often a bit better when adequately powerered, although the 600 itself rather than a 650/6xx is perhaps the most forgiving.
You say you are new, but have read a lot. Reading about sound is a lot like (and also a lot unlike) reading about sex. You may need to experiment a bit to see what you like. Remember that there is a used market, and many here have bought and sold a few warhorses to get a feeling for different sounds (get your minds out of the gutter, I was done with the sex analogy at least 80 characters ago).
What is your budget, and is this supposed to be you everyday driver for some time to come? We often consider some of the planars that show up on Drop, but HiFiman has spotty quality. I’ve been luck with my HE-560, however. Some here like the Dan Clark Aeon Open X, both planars. The Sennheiser HD 600 is worth getting - or a 6XX from drop if you are willing to add a bit of power. It’s certainly a standard and worth having as a reference. But it - particularly a 650- will not be it’s best straight out of the computer. You also might find something like a Focal Elex reasonably used.
Again, welcome to our rabbit hole.
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This is what I’m envisioning for my setup at the moment:
DAC → Analogue EQ → Pre-Amp → Class A Solid State and Tube Amp.
As for specifics, for now: PC, PlayStation, and CD Player → Denafrips Ares → DBX 231S → Singxer SA-1 → Aune S17 Pro Evo and Feliks Audio Echo Mk.II
As to why:
Ares & Singxer SA-1: I’m eyeing a sale on them at the moment.
DBX 231S: Gets recommended on some forums and reddit for being a good analogue EQ, also, I am not liking the experience of using Software EQ.
Aune S17 Pro Evo: True Class A under a kilobuck, kinda want to try it as I haven’t yet used a Class A.
Echo: I got a great deal for it a few months ago and already have it.
I can probably set this up next month, if no headphone catches my eye. For now, I only have the Echo, and a few <$200 DAC/Amp combos.
As for the advice I am seeking: Disregarding convenience, reliable repeatability, and allowing more fine-grained changes, are there any other major disadvantages for Analogue VS Software EQ?
Sub-Question: Any suggestions for substitutions in my currently planned chain? Except for Echo Mk.II as I already have it.
Pretty new to the hobby (just started around March this year). Looking forward to how much more I can enjoy my music in the future.
Just some thoughts.
I’d go with a Schiit Lokius instead. Similar price and far easier to operate – I don’t think there’s much use for separate L and R channel EQ for headphones. YMMV of course.
These are both Class A solid state amps. Looks like you’re intending to use the SA-1 as just a preamp, but for less money, you could get a Schiit Saga 2 and run the balanced outputs to the Aune and the SE outputs to the Feliks. You’re still stacking volume controls, so watch the settings if you go this route.
I see a role for both. Use software EQ to get the system’s balance where you want it (including different settings for different headphones or amp/headphone combinations), then use hardware EQ to adjust for bad recordings. But the primary differentiators are exactly the things you ruled out: software (PEQ) offers finer control, and hardware EQ is more convenient. Regarding repeatability, software EQ always allows you to store settings, but the Schiit Lokius Maximus does as well (3 presets if you’re up for dropping $1500 on an equalizer). 
You’ll get plenty of good help with that here. One word of caution: be careful not to get your system so complicated that you’re always messing with settings and not just enjoying the tunes. You really want 60+ knobs / sliders to mess with on an equalizer??
Best wishes in your pursuit of musical enjoyment.
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It depends on what you are trying to accomplish with eq.
If you are looking to ‘correct’ a headphone frequency curve it usually works better with parametric eq rather than graphic eq. This is because the frequencies you need to adjust almost never fall on the frequncies of the sliders on a graphic eq. Parametric eq lets you set the exact frequency and the ‘width’ of the adjustment.
If you are looking to adjust to taste for different music or moods the graphic eq can work but makes things more complicated than an eq with a smaller number of bands that correspond to areas that people usually adjust - like bass, mids and treble.
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Hey everyone,
i have basically no experience with audio gear i own a pair of jbl live 660nc. However recently ive been getting into alot more music listening so id like to upgrade.
The type of headphone I am looking for is wireless, i care mostly about sound quality however i also need some ANC in subways, buses, cars so it doesn’t have to be the greatest (priority is sound quality). My price range is: 200-300$. I like to listen to: basically all types of music majorly rock, pop, some hip-hop. I will be using them majorly at home and also for some travel
thanks
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Hello,
Some of the usual suspects are the Airpods Pro 2, though the APP3 is around the corner. I can attest that if you have an iPhone, the sheer convenience factor of the APP2 makes it appealing even with just good sound quality, and their ANC is pretty good.
If you hadn’t said ANC I would also mention the Audeze Maxwell. I haven’t personally heard it but it got very good reviews on this site, but it has no ANC.
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In case you didn’t know about some various techy things, wireless headphones/buds are not able to deliver the same sound quality as wired units, due to limits on what bluetooth can transmit.
Wireless is very good and most people accept that the tradeoff in sound quality is worth the convenience of having no wires. Plus, in noisey environments you probably would not be focused on small nuances in the music.
I only mention this since you’ll be spending a good bit of money and you can decide if you would rather go with a wired connection and the highest possible quality.
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