With a published ranking list, you’re likely going to get asked “why is X not on the list?” (like the LCD-4z hint hint ) quite often. Hopefully that doesn’t burn you out. Appreciate the time taken to come up with this list (and updating it), thanks Resolve.
Torq doesn’t have a thread of his ranking list and it’s scattered around some of his posts. Thought it might be worth mentioning here for those interested:
Primary Cans:
These are listed in order of how much listening time they get, on average, in any given month:
RAAL-requisite SR1a: Single best all-around headphone I’ve heard, bar none - closer to listening on a good near-field speaker setup than any other headphone I’ve heard (which includes all of the current flagships I’m aware of). It’s the fastest, most detailed and resolving, linear, dynamic and transparent headphone I’ve come across. If not for the need of a proper speaker amplifier (or …
10 Favorite Open-Back Headphones
A bit more considered than one of my earlier lists. And not solely based on what gets the most listening time - but definitely based on what I use, enjoy, own and/or would buy/re-buy if doing it all again.
RAAL-requisite SR1a
ZMF Vérité (Open)
LB-Acoustics MySphere
Focal Utopia
Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC
Audeze LCD-4
Rosson Audio RAD-0
HEDD Audio HEDDphone
ZMF Aeolus
Sennhesier HD650
Assume similar caveats here as for this post on DACs.
5 Favorite Closed-Back Headphones
Why 5 and not 10?
I can’t currently name 10 closed-back headphones I would be willing to spend my money on, at least not again, for the purposes of just listening to and enjoying music with.
ZMF Vérité Closed
Focal Stellia
Sennheiser HD820
ZMF Eikon
Focal Elegia
The Next Three ... Dan Clark Audio AEON Flow Closed 2
Sony MDR-Z1R
Fostex TH-900 MK2
The Sony here is just so warm, and the bass is really not well controlled, bloomy and gets into the lower-mids, th…
… and the last update:
Oh, and I guess this would lead to a new “Headphone Top 10” (with no real need for separate open/closed categories anymore) …
RAAL-requisite SR1a
STAX SR-009S
ZMF Vérité LTD
Focal Utopia
Audeze LCD-4
STAX SR-007 MK2
ZMF Vérité Closed LTD
Rosson RAD-0
Sennheiser HD800S
Focal Stellia
Positions 1 & 2 could swap based on musical genre.
I am excluding HE90/HEV90 (offers you can’t refuse suck, should have kept those) and HE 1 on the basis they are complete systems, not just headphones.
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