I love some warm sounding headphones, for contrast I currently own a pair of Blue Lolas, and previously had Sennheiser HD518s and loved them.
My current choices seem to be:
AKG K712
Hifiman HE-400i/s
Monoprice Monolith 1060
Monoprice Monolith 560
Sennheiser HD600 / 650
I would just go and buy the K712 because I love the orange accents, and for gaming the soundstage seems useful, but the planar tho…
So I just want to find out, is the whole planar thing as good as it seems? because I’ve heard that its good, but is it really THAT GOOD that I’d want to choose a planar over every other headphone in the price range?
I know the hifiman hasnt got that much bass, but it’s apparently easily fixable with EQ.
If you can get the massdrop made 4xx it’s a better deal. I haven’t heard the AKGs but they are also on massdrop for cheapish…or even the newer 58x all are under $200 new, but you have to wait… which goes against my insta fix need. Patience and time are things I don’t have enough time to explain why I don’t have time to explain , or used Fostex X00 from r/Avexchange usually you can find those in the $250-350 range.
I goty HD58X on eBay. Also, the HE400i Special Edition is sometimes available cheaper than the HE4XX on eBay (new).
The HE400i which I had didn’t have particularly impressive bass and I think my current HD58X is actually better in that department. Now my LCD2C has wonderfully extended, articulate and textured bass, but it’s not particularly punchy. My old DT 1990 had almost as well extended bass and more punch, so planar does not automatically equal “better” bass.
If you like warm then there is honestly no better option imo than the ORIGINAL Meze 99 Classics. They are amazingly detailed and open for what they are. They have a fun sound but they aren’t v shaped. I have had them for years and they sound fantastic straight from your phone. Also the bass is sooooo good. It thumps and still stays very accurate (to my ears) even In the sub bass which is rare for a dynamic driver. Also for gaming I believe they would be better than those that you mentioned just because I think(from reviews I’ve read) they have bigger/ more accurate soundstage. All of those are great options but I would be careful with the mono price stuff because they have very bad QC and I hear a different thing from practically everyone who owns them.
Pros:
Fun sound
Energetic
Amazing bass
Non fatiguing
Soundstage for a closed is great
Doesn’t need a great amp
Looks
Cons:
Not detail monsters
Comfort with bigger ears
Closed back could be pro or con
If you check them out look into the reviews befor 2016 because they changed the pads hence ruining the masterpiece lol. Tyll from inner fidelity has lots of good to say about them as well
I would go with the Sennheiser’s you can’t go wrong with these. They’re classics. It’s always best to try and audition if possible though. The 650’s have a great inoffensive sound. Not as revealing as some but just enough to make music sing as it were.
I haven’t been that impressed by the planars I’ve tried, at least not in this price range. Maybe it’s personal preference, but I find dynamics to be more engaging and natural.
The new Audeze Mobius has some pretty fantastic bass impact. They probably represent the best value under $399 in headphones right now for a multi-purpose headphone. Would recommend giving them a look. I do know people are pretty fond of the K712 for gaming though. The K712 definitely wins out soundstage-wise but the soundstage on the Mobius is pretty wide for a closed headphone.
It pretty much depends on what you are planning to use them for though.
Yes, they are that good period. At least for me, I’ve been listening to Audeze LCD X for a week now and coming from dynamic driver headphones all I have to say is that it really is a wall of sound. If the HD800 sound like your in the crowd at a concert these make you feel like your on stage with the band, you can actually feel the music not just hear it. I’m so happy that I made the switch to planar’s.
, or used Fostex X00 from r/Avexchange usually you can find those in the $250-350 range.
