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!
Iām going to skip the IEM list because itās 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 Iād argue theyāre an insane value at the $100 I see them at on sale. Iāve put more hours on these than any other pair of headphones I own.
If I didnāt already own the HD 598 SE Iād 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 donāt offer enough of a difference for me to want to own more than one pair.
Audioquest Nightowl Carbon
Theyāre dark - very dark - but incredibly comfortable and send a clear message at work in a way that IEMs canāt.
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, Iām told by folks on Discord, is the best one Iāve used.
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 Iāll still use my A50 when I need true wireless or when Iām 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¦doesnāt 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 itās 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 theyāre 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 )
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 donāt 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, canāt say Iām 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 - theyāre on-ear, not over-ear - but quite comfortable.
Nice collection!
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 āflagshipā - the HD800S and the Campfire Audio Solaris.
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Meze 99 Classics: An awful lot of fun for about $300. Enjoyable listen and has an āXā factor that keeps me reaching for them. If you start to listen critically, youāll notice that detail doesnāt hold up to many others, but youāre having so much fun you donāt mind.
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AudioQuest Nightowl Carbon: Bought one before it went the way of the dodo. Intriguing and extremely comfortable like others have pointed out. I donāt tend to use it for jazz, classical, or classic rock, but 90s pop and EDM/electronic are enjoyable. Objectively itās not to my ātasteā, but I still reach for it fairly often.
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HD650: Nothing more I can add to the general consensus. Mine are outfitted with a C3 Audio balanced cable.
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Hifiman Sundara: Still getting to know these. My first planar, so I donāt have a lot to compare them to. Great all-around value.
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HD800S: I use these primarily for classical - just an astounding sense of space and detail. Customized with a Moon Audio Black Dragon balanced cable.
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Focal Elegia: I use these the most. Fantastic build, fit, and overall sound. Iām 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.
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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.
Iām considering replacing my Elegia with the Stellia, itās 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.
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?
Iām running two different Grado, HD600, DT990, and Sundaras. Mostly because I need to try out different types because Iām 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¦
Welcome to the forum, Jim. Looking forward to listening to your Tuba Amp.
Hello and welcome @haglabs.
Hereās 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.
I only use them for classical right now, but thatās really only because (1) theyāre so darn good with well-recorded orchestral music that I donāt 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 Iām not listening to classical.
I do think Iām 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. Iāll 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.
Awesome!
My current headphones include
AB-1266 Phi TC which I told myself Iād 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 didnāt want Focal Utopias because people saying bass wasnāt 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. Iād sell the other headphones but they are special in their own ways.
You have a really amazing collection of headphones!
Thank you
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
:>)
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.
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 arenāt 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, donāt 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
Great collection!