Happy to be a new member of the community. I am looking to increase my enjoyment of life and my CD’s and streamed music. My interests include 70’s music like soft rock and prog rock (no head-banging stuff). Think Alan Parsons, CCR, Moody Blues, 10CC, Dire Straits, Beatles, Eagles, CSNY and so on, Classical instrumentals, blues and jazz.
Here is what I am looking for … I think …
Good build quality and durability.
paying for poor quality really annoys me. I grew up in an era where goods were expected to last decades. At 71 years of age, decades might be tad optimistic lol.
Natural, mostly neutral sounding music that is not too bass-y nor to strong in the trebles. (Screaming babies are like knives in my head). Keep in mind, I no doubt have some hearing loss in the upper end.
Want good separation/imaging/ detail. A slightly wider sound stage would be nice.
Easy to drive. No amps if possible, but not adverse to the idea.
Comfortable for extended listening sessions. Can be either open or closed back.
Reasonably priced. I am retired and on a fixed income so don’t have buckets of money to splash around. That being said, I don’t mind paying for quality that will last.
These are what I am considering atm.
Hifiman Edition XS
Senn HD 560S
Hifiman Sundara OB
Fii0 FT-1 Pro
Adam H200
Senn HD6XX
Thanks for taking the time to read and advise as you can. If you have had any issues over the long-term for any of your recommendations, knowing those would be helpful and greatly appreciated.
It might be helpful to know what your source(s) will be.
Will you be listening from a phone, laptop, cd player? This may make some of your choicess workable and others not.
There are quality headphones that each have their own sound presentation/tonality. I’s not a matter of better or worse but rather which ones speak to you.
I am a fan of the HD-560S because it sounds like music to me, but many here would not have it on their list at all.
In the end though, there is no way to know what you will like best until you can actually listen to your candidates.
Hifiman does NOT have a good reputation for build quality and durability. I tried them and I moved on. I’d personally drop Hifiman from this list (per QC and durability) and add Focal.
The Sennheiser HD 600 and HD 650 (equal to 6XX) are solid reference standards released about 25 years ago. They are not state of the art, but remain quite decent and reliable. The 600 is generally neutral to bright, and less bassy than the 6XX. I own both and prefer the more natural 600, but I do like the 6XX on an OTL tube amp (only). Without a specialized amplifier, the bass of the 6XX comes across as forced and its upper mids (vocals) sound relatively thin and scratchy to me.
Soundstage…listen for yourself… The 600 family Sennheisers can come across as generating just “3 blobs,” especially with weaker amps. The much more expensive HD 800 S is akin to a high definition HD 600 with a massively wide soundstage.
Amps: They can make a huge difference or no difference. the 600 and 6XX are famous for scaling in quality with amps. They can sound pretty mediocre on basic notebook PC or tablet output.
Comfort: Try for yourself. No one can say. Some sets simply don’t work with some head shapes and sizes.
I have no experience with the 560S, FiiO’s headphones, and have never heard of Adam.
If you can afford $800, I’d suggest considering the original Focal Clear. It’s neutral and very easy to drive without an amp.
Listen to @NickZ, as there’s a lot of trial and error in finding something that works for you.
I own the FIIO FT-1s and love them, especially that they plum the depths of bass to ~ 30Hz flat. Although they are closed-back headphones, they don’t sound that way. I have toyed with the idea of getting the FT-1 Pros, which are $50 more, in hopes they also go as deep as the FT-1s. I have numerous other headphones and enjoy them all.
If I didn’t already have Hfiman 400xXXs, I might go for a pair of their Sundaras that are also reasonably priced..
Thanks for your reply @NickZ. I meant to put those in and completely forgot (old brain !). Here I thought I was being so comprehensive lol. I will be listening primarily with laptop, but may also use iphone on occasion. I am in farm country, so no dedicated AV stores anywhere near except Staples which I have little use for. BestBuy is 2 hours away at least, so … I may just need to pull the trigger on something through Amazon and hope for the best. Thanks again !
You and I are the same age, and listen to similar types of music, except I’m no fan of the Eagles, and also listen to a lot of world music. @generic and I have similar experiences with headphones, and you can rely on what he says.
I’m calling for @Panzer_Applehusky to chime in because he has experience with a lot of Sennheiser including some of the newer ones like the HD-490 Pro, which also might be a consideration. I own a 6XX and have had an HD-580 since they came out in the 1990s.
I agree with the pink frog (generic) about Hifiman build quality. Very spotty. I happen to have had good luck with the one pair I have, the HD-560. Note that Drop has a version of that now, Hifiman HE5XX, which at the $229 price, if you’re going that way, should be on your list. If they crap out, then it’s only $229…
The HD6XX really do need some sort of external amplification to sound their best. Again tubes. That’s going to add cost to your system. Consider your budget, and if you will be dissatisfied and jump from one headphone to another. Think about used also. They hold their value and you can always resell.
As @NickZ asks, please describe your souce and your choices of listening. On the go or on a couch?
LATER NOTE: Oh Canada! You need someone who crosses the border frequently. Can you access Drop? Schiit?
Hey @generic, thanks for chiming in. I hear ya on the 600 series. Would love the 600 or 650 but methinks they are a bit pricey for just getting into the game. It appears the 6xx is way cheaper in the US than up here. Amazon.ca has 6xx at $547. The 600 = $579 and 650 = $649.00. 560S = $279. Since the 560s seems to be regarded quite well, I was thinking to maybe get that and a dac/amp and be way ahead of the game compared to getting a 600 series.
Cheers mate ! The reviews on both are quite good. FT-1 is $229 here. The pro is $395 which I think is way high. I may be waiting til Black Friday or Christmas before buying heh heh !
Too far from border I’m afraid. Buying from USA is a no go atm with exchange and tariffs what they are, plus shipping probably too. Never used Drop and I recognize the Shiit name as a maker of some audio components.
I’d be partial to the Edition XS, but if your budget would stretch to it, consider the Arya Stealth. On sale now, I believe. I am in your same boat, and am quite pleased with the Aryas.
Is your use case going to be at home/desk top, or would you want at least some portability?
I’m not in a big rush and am willing to at least look at other options, though need to keep the dollar amount reasonable … or wait til next years tax return lol
The HD-490 Pro is definitely going to be my recommendation for this, with the HD-6xx a close second.
I had the HD-490 for a while but ended up selling it because I needed the money and I’m a bit too attached to my HD-6xx
That said, I really enjoyed the HD490 Pro and would probably choose it over the HD6xx if I wasn’t so sentimental about them.
To me it felt like the HD 490 was a more refined HD6xx. The build quality felt stellar if not utilitarian, the cable was mini xlr if I remember correctly, which I prefer to the HD6xx termination. It also has a little coiled bit at the top that gives you a little give if you get the cable stuck on something. Underrated feature imo.
And finally the HD490 is easier to drive than the 6xx. For the 6xx I at least want balanced out of my BTR5, but the HD490 was happy on just about anything I tried at the time.
Hope my rambling helps. Good luck on your journey!
Not sure about audiogon’s reach. It’s competition USAudio Mart is just US, but I think there is also a Canada Audio Mart. I’m glad @Panzer_Applehusky responded, the 490 Pro is new and sold by Sennheiser professional, not consumer.
