What headphones do you have in your collection and why?

Hi and welcome @BIGPOPPA. You have a very nice list of headphones there.

My VC would like to have a word or two with you!

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Iā€™m going to skip the IEM list because itā€™s too damn long.

Current

Sennheiser HD 598 SE

What they lack in bass they regain in comfort and spaciousness. My first open-back headphones and Iā€™d argue theyā€™re an insane value at the $100 I see them at on sale. Iā€™ve put more hours on these than any other pair of headphones I own.

If I didnā€™t already own the HD 598 SE Iā€™d probably get the HD 58X or HD 6XX instead - I prefer the look (and side cable) of the HD 598 SE and the 58X and 6XX just donā€™t offer enough of a difference for me to want to own more than one pair.

Audioquest Nightowl Carbon

Theyā€™re dark - very dark - but incredibly comfortable and send a clear message at work in a way that IEMs canā€™t. :slight_smile:

Audeze Mobius

h/t @TylersEclectic for this. I was expecting a lot of compromises but $249 on black friday for a set of wireless/wired planars with a detachable microphone (and a mute switch) and a travel case? Do get the cooling gel pads if you intend to game for a long time.

The sound is great and the positional audio and tracking you might think is a gimmick but makes games much more immersive - the subtle fade when you turn your head makes a larger impact than I thought it would and the games will full positional support really shine. The microphone, Iā€™m told by folks on Discord, is the best one Iā€™ve used. :slight_smile:

One nit is that it uses standard Bluetooth profiles - this is nice in that you get AAC on your iPhone (and I believe LDAC on Android) with no work but you drop down to SBC if you need the microphone. As a result Iā€™ll still use my A50 when I need true wireless or when Iā€™m working with a console. A nice touch is that A-to-C, C-to-C, and 3.5mm are included in the box.

Bose NC 700

Despite having the WH-1000XM3 I jumped on these for multi-device pairing whichā€¦doesnā€™t work that well. I prefer the design and build vs the WH-1000XM3; sound quality is, well, Bose house sound. Noise cancellation is the star of the show here and itā€™s great - as is battery life.

The microphone gets a special callout here - I take tons of calls with these on the move / outside / as a passenger and theyā€™re MUCH better than the WH-1000XM3.

Note that they only support AAC and SBC so the WH-1000XM3 is the clear winner on Android.

Retired

Massdrop T?-X00 EH (frankenstein Ebony-purpleHeart :slight_smile:)

My little brother gifted me the TH-X00 PH and the cable shorted out a month or two later. After destroying one of the driver boards trying to do the removable mod I found a broken headband TH-X00 EB modded with 2.5mm jacksā€¦so for $130 I got my TH-X00 PH back with a removable cable and a set of ebony cups. Due to their weight and fragility they donā€™t get much use.

Sennheiser PC350 SE

Retired now - and the cable is both fixed and easy to damage - but my go-to gaming headset for years. The newer variants seem equally laudable; having a mechanical mute switch and volume control is a huge advantage when using them with a console.

Astro A50

I love being able to change the chat and game volume independently but, even after swapping in their better pads, canā€™t say Iā€™m a fan.

Picked up three pairs roughly 1/3 MSRP due to a price errorā€¦never got around to selling the other two.

KEF M500

Impulse purchase of $50 because I love my KEF Q150 speakers. The design is unique - theyā€™re on-ear, not over-ear - but quite comfortable.

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Nice collection! :+1:

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I am new to the hobby, so many of my headphones are entry level models that I got to get used to the different offerings out there. Only two items would be considered ā€˜flagshipā€™ - the HD800S and the Campfire Audio Solaris.

  • Meze 99 Classics: An awful lot of fun for about $300. Enjoyable listen and has an ā€˜Xā€™ factor that keeps me reaching for them. If you start to listen critically, youā€™ll notice that detail doesnā€™t hold up to many others, but youā€™re having so much fun you donā€™t mind.

  • AudioQuest Nightowl Carbon: Bought one before it went the way of the dodo. Intriguing and extremely comfortable like others have pointed out. I donā€™t tend to use it for jazz, classical, or classic rock, but 90s pop and EDM/electronic are enjoyable. Objectively itā€™s not to my ā€˜tasteā€™, but I still reach for it fairly often.

  • HD650: Nothing more I can add to the general consensus. Mine are outfitted with a C3 Audio balanced cable.

  • Hifiman Sundara: Still getting to know these. My first planar, so I donā€™t have a lot to compare them to. Great all-around value.

  • HD800S: I use these primarily for classical - just an astounding sense of space and detail. Customized with a Moon Audio Black Dragon balanced cable.

  • Focal Elegia: I use these the most. Fantastic build, fit, and overall sound. Iā€™m still developing a listening vocabulary, so this may not be the right word, but I sense a bit of brittleness on some recordings. Outfitted with an Oidio Sound balanced cable.

  • CA Solaris: Just wow. Such a coherent, balanced sound - detail and staging are amazing. I previously had the CA Comet, which I enjoyed, but the Solaris is just in a league of its own.

Iā€™m considering replacing my Elegia with the Stellia, itā€™s just a lot of bones to throw down right now. I am also intrigued by everything I hear about the ZMF Verite, so I may explore that route in the new year. Either way, it is a great time to be interested in headphones.

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Wow! For being new to the hobby you got a pretty dope collection. How do you feel about those HD800s ? They are the one set of cans I am itching to hear! Some people love them some people can leave them vs say an Arya or Eutopia, what are your thoughts? Are they just a classical music set for you or do you find you can enjoy other genres as well with them?

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Iā€™m running two different Grado, HD600, DT990, and Sundaras. Mostly because I need to try out different types because Iā€™m a manufacturer.

Personally, I like the Sundara for organics (vocals, jazz, classical). When I want to crank (especially rock) I switch to HD600 or Grado.

Would love to try Focal Clear and LCD-3 nextā€¦

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Welcome to the forum, Jim. Looking forward to listening to your Tuba Amp.

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Hello and welcome @haglabs.

Hereā€™s my current set up. Passing thru a RME Adi-2 DAC, Phonitor E (solid state times) and Woo Audio Wa2 (tube days).

HD650 - first pair of real cans. Still fun to use.

HE400i - gave them to my kid.

HD800 - these sound amazing with the Wa2.

LCD2C - heavy but they re a good listen

Massdrop x hifiman XX - I like them

He6se - these things need power

Ether Cx - for the late night gaming

Andromeda Reg and SE gold - these are honestly amazing. Both have such an insane sound.

Orion - first pair of Campfire iems

FH5 - these are a great listen and value

Iems play with either the ifi xcan or my Fiio M11 pro.

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I only use them for classical right now, but thatā€™s really only because (1) theyā€™re so darn good with well-recorded orchestral music that I donā€™t really reach for anything else and (2) I am still in experimenting mode with the rest, so I tend to jump around the others when Iā€™m not listening to classical.

I do think Iā€™m going to try some more acoustic Jazz with the HD800S, but I am not sure how the acoustic albums I like most (50s and 60s Blue Note and Milesā€™ early Columbia era) will sound. Iā€™ll report back. I did listen at one point to some Brad Mehldau and recent vintage Chick Corea, and found the experience pleasing if not mind-blowing.

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Awesome!

My current headphones include

AB-1266 Phi TC which I told myself Iā€™d never buy one but I did I knew these would be really good for edm.
Diana V2 which was my stepping stone into Abyss
LCD 4 Was never going to buy these but they became my 2nd favorite I got them for how good they are with edm.
Empyrean got them because they are so well reviewed.
HE6se wanted a fun headphone with the ability to throw them on my big home theater amp
Verite open after resolve review I ordered a set I didnā€™t want Focal Utopias because people saying bass wasnā€™t their strong point.
Verite closed after Monster Zeros review.
Sendy Avias Z reviews got me onto these.
Thie Audio Phantoms wanted a headphone to mod.

So right now I only use the 1266 and LCD 4. Iā€™d sell the other headphones but they are special in their own ways.

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@BondDaBoom

You have a really amazing collection of headphones!

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Thank you

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Hello Jim!

Welcome to the siteā€¦I really enjoyed your TUBA amp and cant thank you enough for the loan and the chance to review it.

Alex

:>)

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Thanks for the welcome. I have the Focal Clear headphones. Love the sound stage, clearaty; nice highs and lows. I use them with the Astell & Kern SP2000 player.

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Nice setup!

Open circumaural for home use:

Focal Elex- My go-to pair, for extension, impact, and detail retrieval, for mostly critical listening as they can be distracting for reading or other music-as-background use;

HiFiMan Sundara- I like to always have a pair of planars, but not as my only pair, a little shy on extension vs the Elex, but good allarounders with good impact in the bass (notwithstanding a lack of sub-bass extension) and excellent timbre in the mids and treble;

Sennheiser HD6XX- Serve the same purposes as the Sundaras, but with my old/damaged ears they need a boost to the treble freqs to really satisfy. I keep these mostly because they arenā€™t worth much and I have faith that they will always work, or at least the parts are available to fix them (unlike the two above). Still enjoy them every time I listen to them tho.

Mostly portable use:

Koss PortaPro- Decent sound, disposable at the price, donā€™t pull my hair out (bald);

Nad Viso hp50-great sound per $ (paid abt $60 used), seriously underrated cans, comfy if one has small ears as I do;

Sennheiser Momentum on-ear v2-purchased as a gift for my mom, but they were uncomfortable on her big olā€™ ears so she gave 'em back. Sound ok, but pretty sure they will last forever;

Iems- (mostly used under a motorcycle helmet):

Custom reshelled Westone Um3x;

HiFiMan Re600S v2.

The obvious trends:

Comfortable, relatively neutral fr, high value (poor). Cheers.

Edit: Forgot, Status Audio Bt1, my first bluetooth cans. Decent sq, good comfort for on-ears, mostly used for tv/movies via bt from my Amazon Fire stick, and some portable use. The lack of wires is surprisingly freeing :grinning:

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Great collection!

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