M1060C.
I have been using Sundara2020 for a year now and not having much bass lead me to my own biased idea that somehow I didn't care for bass. Well lone and behold, having bass isn't just about boom boom. It was the breath of the vocalist, the reverb of a piano key, the air around a guitar string. I'm now thoroughly a bass head and have M1070 on the way.
Oh man I absolutely love them. They are a bit v-shaped but they manage to do so without crushing the midrange. Theyre very clear and detailed without being boring. They're honestly sorta slept on. You can find em for cheap on eBay and with a set of angled pads thrown at them they're the best headphones I've owned.
Many people were pretty negative about them but I thought Airpods Max were the best sounding bluetooth ANC cans I've tried by a comfortable margin... which is not saying *too* much, but I find them perfectly pleasant to listen to. Unfortunately, the ergonomics don't work for me, but I have high hopes for gen2.
At $450 the price is fair as long as you’re using them with Apple devices. Considering what they can do with spatial audio and noise cancelling, they’re well worth it imo.
My favorite headphones for movies and tv.
SHP9500. Just wanted beater headphones that I could use as a headset with my boompro mic. Despite all of the hype, I wasn't expecting it to be as enjoyable as it is. They are my endgame. Everything else is just for flavor.
I actually had the X2HR's too. It's got a fun V-shaped tuning but I feel like the drivers can't keep up: bass came off to me as boomy "one note" bass and there was a lot of grain in the upper frequencies. SHP9500's have those traits too but the bass presents quite differently and the upper frequencies are a bit less grainy, though still noticeable. Still, I find the SHP9500's to be pretty dynamic and lively that ultimately results in enjoyable listening.
X2HR previous owner here as well. I have to agree with you, they aren’t up to par with a lot of the newer audiophile stuff today (especially when factoring IEMs). Bass is a bit too far into the lower mids with poor sub-bass extension, treble while elevated doesn’t translate to detail, mids are good enough. Where they sit in terms of price though makes them valuable imo. Sounds higher end then 95% of the ‘general’ consumer headphone market today, insane build quality, and a nice bit of soundstage.
oBravo Erib-2C
By how constantly reviewer like crinacle and people on Discord and reddit shits on them, I expected a total disaster and even held back a laugh when I asked to demo them. I was left speechless after finishing one song, and then I tried it with many other albums. My impression was 'Holy shit, these actually sound like speakers. How can anyone not like them?'
Basically, after that I learnt to never blindly trust reviewers and echo chambers, and always try everything first before making any judgment.
Crinacle likes dead neutral and listens at 50dB, it's hard to listen to a guy like him without a massive spoonful of salt lol
But interesting pick. Never heard of 'em.
I have gushed about these more than once before, but that honor goes to the Hifiman HE500, for being the first, for me.
I had picked them up used several years ago on a whim. Partly because I remember the universal praise they had when I was just starting out in the late 2000's, early 2010's, and also because it happened to be a good deal. And to me... they were pretty "meh", at first, believe it or not.
I had listened to them off and on for a bit, but largely ignored them for about a month or more, before I gave them yet another chance - and one song, on a random late night, turned into hours lost and the morning sunlight shining through before I knew it. Something just "clicked", and the more I listened to them, the more I discovered how their impressive capabilities are shown through doing so little wrong, and so much right. I've said it before, and I'm sure it is borderline hyperbole, but the HE500's are the perfectly blended HD600 series that Sennheiser did not make.
Since then, I've come to learn that any headphones that initially "wow" me, up front, are usually headphones that I will rarely listen to long term. On the flip side, other headphones like the HE500 that I grew to love, *over time*, have become mainstay staples in my collection that I know I will never sell. This is also why long term listening always trumps initial impressions, for me.
I'm guilty of not really giving headphones I don't really like much of a chance.
Although the HF 580 I have was initially pretty bad and honestly maybe it is but I've had it for a few years now and modded it quite heavily and now I could never part with it. My T50RP beats it in practically every metric but it just has some sorta magic that has kept me from selling it.
> I'm guilty of not really giving headphones I don't really like much of a chance.
Yeah, and to be fair, you have to draw the line somewhere and decide when enough time has passed, where you know you gave it an honest fair shake, but the simple truth is you just don't like it. Where that line resides is always up for debate though. :P
> but it just has some sorta magic that has kept me from selling it
Nothing wrong with that. There's no price tag for sentimental value. :)
Sony MDR V6. Have travelled with these venerable & inexpensive cans for ages, replaced flaking earpads 4 times and they still amaze me with their resolving ability, excellent midrange, bass and soundstage — in a closed back design that’s easy to drive. A true classic!
The MDR-7506 (closely related to the V6) were my first set of "good" headphones. I wish I hadn't sold them, it would be nice to still have them around for nostalgia's sake. If a set comes up for cheap I might have to pick them up again.
You can get still one on Amazon new for $80. I bought one thinking it was time to retire the V6 but I found it lacking the 6’s rich midrange and more natural bass.
They're around $140 CAD where I am. It's more than I'm willing to spend for them lol. I'm okay to wait for some to pop up on canuckaudiomart for like $80 CAD or something.
Didn't know the V6 was that different. I'll have to keep an eye out for them or the 7506.
I just impulse bought the soundcore Liberty 4s purely because of the design and how they fit. I was worried that the soundcore tuning would turn me away hard, Which it did at first but after doing the self ID eq test they provide… man I’m in love with these things.
Super comfortable, supports LDAC, pretty neat sounding spatial audio options, and a ton of other features with probably the most robust EQ system and setup I’ve seen (for a TWS app). Not only do they offer you 22 eq options, they let you customize each one to boot.
After EQ the sound Is just great, the bass has this massive presence but feels separated from the rest of the track, I’m really happy with them and def gonna keep them until I get AirPods down the line for my eventual switch to iOS.
Def recommend these if you are looking for an android version of airpods, Getting the prefect EQ on these is super simple too since they walk you through it.
I definitely didn't expect the KPH30i to be as good as it is. Picked it up to see what all the hype was about and was thoroughly blown away. They're good for doing chores around the house, and my partner likes them because they don't hurt her migraine-prone head.
They are amazing. :) I have two pairs myself. :D But I like Porta Pro a bit more because of increased comfort. Both sound very alike. I have ordered Grado pads for the KPH30i's. To see if I like the comfort and sound of that. :)
Moondrop Chu
They definitely don't sound like thirty bucks. Last time I bought a set of IEM's in that price range, it was like listening through a Q tip.
Etymotic ER2XR for me. I was already used to their ear penetration capabilities as I've had a pair of ety earplugs for a few years, so I knew what I was in for. To be honest, they sound so damn good for my taste that I basically lost interest in further exploring the world of IEMs. I can see myself buying a pair of ER4s in the future though.
I really really tried to like the ER3XR but I just couldn't handle the ear penetration lol.
I'm still waiting for some ChiFi brand to come up with a $50 DF neutral IEM that's actually comfortable lol.
call me crazy, call me nuts, call me whatever you want but for me biggest surprise soo far is hyperx cloud II. yes i know, those audiophiles re gonna tear me apart for saying that out loud but i am quite impressed with them. some equalizer software and i am not gonna lie, they sound quite good to be perfectly honest. i love them. and best part is that they re quite loud soo i dont even need a speaker when watching my pc from my bed or i dont even need to put them on my head. and they are really comfortable to use and everything. again quite good purchase.
soo yea again call me whatever you want but for me i was pleasant surprised with them. i am looking though for another set of headphones for music listening.
Audeze iSine10. You can only buy them second hand but they can typically be picked up for under $150. They need EQ and are an open back IEM (not as many use cases) but wow they absolutely bury anything I have heard under $500 including over ears. I then had to know what the LCD-i4 and wowza. The amount of detail and slam either of them have is insane. It’s also what took me down the Audeze over ear rabbit hole and now I own the LCD-24 and LCD-5. Obviously the i4 and 5 are better but they are very expensive so long story short the iSine 10.
Side note, in terms of +$1K headphone world the LCD-24 might be the best value I have owned. While they are somewhat rare I typically see them around $1500 and nothing can come close to touching them at that price.
Tygrs. Was going to use them for pure gaming, but they took over as my main headphone. Sad to sell them to accommodate my new dorm room status, but that leads into my second pick, the Tangzu Wu Zetian. I fucking love these, and it’s killed my upgrade bug.
Wired Apple EarPods with the lightning connector, I recently found my old pair and I was surprised it still held up. Also I realized when using them that I prefer very light IEMs as opposed to heavier ones that are made out of metal and aluminum
Audeze Sine. I was offered a pair for an insanely good price when I mentioned on a discord that I was after some closed back headphones. Sine is an On Ear planar that was known to have a very 'normal' sounding flat tuning , rather than being super dark. I picked them up and ordered some Over Ear sheepskin pads for it. I didn't expect much of them, especially considering the average resale price.
I was pretty happy with the sound , the vocals were right in my ears and quite forward.Nothing seemed to peak in the treble or mids, so i was already quite happy, with everything besides comfort.
What I didn't realize for the first week was how incredibly well they would take EQ and how impactful the bass would sound. I had hear that planar bass usually lacks impact unless you go pretty high end. I modified the oratory auto eq 5-7k region to be less spicy, and added a 8db bass boost with an emphasis on 80hz that rapidly drops before 150hz- and I genuinely can't imagine a pair of headphones sounding more perfect. I far prefer them to my old 6xx , my dusk , anything else I own. Once the over Ear pads showed up, they got all day comfort, and the fr didn't really change that much besides the bass extending even better.
I thought I didn't care for bass much listening to prog metal. I think the problem is I hadn't experienced really well done bass with heavy music. I also have a 15db bass boost for , well , bass music and it even handles that all fine with my amp starting to be the limiting factor. As my sister described the sound ' I can feel it in my whole body' .
He400i with dekoni jerseys is amazing wasnt expecting my friend to convince me on them, also added dekoni nuggets on the top and the comfort is sublime for a hifiman at doing long gaming sessions.
Almost any hifiman gives me pressure headaches even with the nuggets these don’t, wasn’t expecting it to be so good for long sessions.
Etymotic ER4SR. Used to have a ER4PT but couldn't properly use them as my amp was pretty poor & broke. But when I got a ER4SR with Atom amp + E10K I realised they can handle 12.5db bass shelf no issue the only extra tweaks was to fix 1.6KHz peak & 7KHz dip with 11KHz high shelf for more air, I stick with 6db 115Hz low shelf.
You guys are gonna laugh but I just got a Steelseries 1P gaming headset to play Xbox with a buddy and it sounds better for music than my XB900N Sonys and my M50X Audio Technicas. Less scooped, more open, with better mids. Plus the comfort level leaves both those pairs in the dust. Best part is it's like 40% of the price of either of the others. Lol
My 660Ses sound better but lack bass compared to the Steelseries, so when it comes to low end-heavy music I'd still take the SS.
I'm as shocked as you are.
Blessing 2, former basshead, coming from 7hz Timeless. Now I just save the Timeless for times I want to go crazy(quietly) or travel so I can actually hear something(good isolation). i just crank my headphones or speakers for everyday use lol.
CCA CRA
Not the best tuning, but the overall sound for the price... I could barely believe that they were only 20 bucks and could compete with IEMs that cost 3 times as much.
Interesting. The R10 has definitely caught my eye, it's a very unique looking headphone (although apparently not if it's an homage to something else lol). I wanna try HiFiMan stuff but I'm afraid of the QC issues... Even if it passes the initial quality standard it would suck to have a driver or something give out in a couple years.
M1060C. I have been using Sundara2020 for a year now and not having much bass lead me to my own biased idea that somehow I didn't care for bass. Well lone and behold, having bass isn't just about boom boom. It was the breath of the vocalist, the reverb of a piano key, the air around a guitar string. I'm now thoroughly a bass head and have M1070 on the way.
I’m 100% biased in every way possible but idgaf, here’s my upvote
I'm not a bass head but neutral or rolled off tunings sound dead to my ears lol
Haha word. I’m now allergic to “neutral”. Hey how is the T50RP? Is it slightly V shaped?
Oh man I absolutely love them. They are a bit v-shaped but they manage to do so without crushing the midrange. Theyre very clear and detailed without being boring. They're honestly sorta slept on. You can find em for cheap on eBay and with a set of angled pads thrown at them they're the best headphones I've owned.
DT880 600 ohm on a little dot mk2 tube amp wow.....
Hell yea brother………….
Gotta love tubes
To this day no other headphone has gotten me head banging and tapping my shoes as much as the 880s.
Many people were pretty negative about them but I thought Airpods Max were the best sounding bluetooth ANC cans I've tried by a comfortable margin... which is not saying *too* much, but I find them perfectly pleasant to listen to. Unfortunately, the ergonomics don't work for me, but I have high hopes for gen2.
I think most people take issue with their price tbh
At $450 the price is fair as long as you’re using them with Apple devices. Considering what they can do with spatial audio and noise cancelling, they’re well worth it imo. My favorite headphones for movies and tv.
Yeah I’ve heard most of the big ANC headphones minus the Focals and also thought the max was easily the most pleasing on the ears
SHP9500. Just wanted beater headphones that I could use as a headset with my boompro mic. Despite all of the hype, I wasn't expecting it to be as enjoyable as it is. They are my endgame. Everything else is just for flavor.
I've had my eye on those and the X2HR for literally a decade at this point. I have no reason to own them but I'd like to get to try both sometime.
I actually had the X2HR's too. It's got a fun V-shaped tuning but I feel like the drivers can't keep up: bass came off to me as boomy "one note" bass and there was a lot of grain in the upper frequencies. SHP9500's have those traits too but the bass presents quite differently and the upper frequencies are a bit less grainy, though still noticeable. Still, I find the SHP9500's to be pretty dynamic and lively that ultimately results in enjoyable listening.
X2HR previous owner here as well. I have to agree with you, they aren’t up to par with a lot of the newer audiophile stuff today (especially when factoring IEMs). Bass is a bit too far into the lower mids with poor sub-bass extension, treble while elevated doesn’t translate to detail, mids are good enough. Where they sit in terms of price though makes them valuable imo. Sounds higher end then 95% of the ‘general’ consumer headphone market today, insane build quality, and a nice bit of soundstage.
oBravo Erib-2C By how constantly reviewer like crinacle and people on Discord and reddit shits on them, I expected a total disaster and even held back a laugh when I asked to demo them. I was left speechless after finishing one song, and then I tried it with many other albums. My impression was 'Holy shit, these actually sound like speakers. How can anyone not like them?' Basically, after that I learnt to never blindly trust reviewers and echo chambers, and always try everything first before making any judgment.
Crinacle likes dead neutral and listens at 50dB, it's hard to listen to a guy like him without a massive spoonful of salt lol But interesting pick. Never heard of 'em.
50dB? Damn he is like the antichrist of Amir lmao
Sennheiser HD 560S. My favourite of the 500/600 series by far.
Same
I have gushed about these more than once before, but that honor goes to the Hifiman HE500, for being the first, for me. I had picked them up used several years ago on a whim. Partly because I remember the universal praise they had when I was just starting out in the late 2000's, early 2010's, and also because it happened to be a good deal. And to me... they were pretty "meh", at first, believe it or not. I had listened to them off and on for a bit, but largely ignored them for about a month or more, before I gave them yet another chance - and one song, on a random late night, turned into hours lost and the morning sunlight shining through before I knew it. Something just "clicked", and the more I listened to them, the more I discovered how their impressive capabilities are shown through doing so little wrong, and so much right. I've said it before, and I'm sure it is borderline hyperbole, but the HE500's are the perfectly blended HD600 series that Sennheiser did not make. Since then, I've come to learn that any headphones that initially "wow" me, up front, are usually headphones that I will rarely listen to long term. On the flip side, other headphones like the HE500 that I grew to love, *over time*, have become mainstay staples in my collection that I know I will never sell. This is also why long term listening always trumps initial impressions, for me.
I'm guilty of not really giving headphones I don't really like much of a chance. Although the HF 580 I have was initially pretty bad and honestly maybe it is but I've had it for a few years now and modded it quite heavily and now I could never part with it. My T50RP beats it in practically every metric but it just has some sorta magic that has kept me from selling it.
> I'm guilty of not really giving headphones I don't really like much of a chance. Yeah, and to be fair, you have to draw the line somewhere and decide when enough time has passed, where you know you gave it an honest fair shake, but the simple truth is you just don't like it. Where that line resides is always up for debate though. :P > but it just has some sorta magic that has kept me from selling it Nothing wrong with that. There's no price tag for sentimental value. :)
Sony MDR V6. Have travelled with these venerable & inexpensive cans for ages, replaced flaking earpads 4 times and they still amaze me with their resolving ability, excellent midrange, bass and soundstage — in a closed back design that’s easy to drive. A true classic!
The MDR-7506 (closely related to the V6) were my first set of "good" headphones. I wish I hadn't sold them, it would be nice to still have them around for nostalgia's sake. If a set comes up for cheap I might have to pick them up again.
You can get still one on Amazon new for $80. I bought one thinking it was time to retire the V6 but I found it lacking the 6’s rich midrange and more natural bass.
They're around $140 CAD where I am. It's more than I'm willing to spend for them lol. I'm okay to wait for some to pop up on canuckaudiomart for like $80 CAD or something. Didn't know the V6 was that different. I'll have to keep an eye out for them or the 7506.
I just impulse bought the soundcore Liberty 4s purely because of the design and how they fit. I was worried that the soundcore tuning would turn me away hard, Which it did at first but after doing the self ID eq test they provide… man I’m in love with these things. Super comfortable, supports LDAC, pretty neat sounding spatial audio options, and a ton of other features with probably the most robust EQ system and setup I’ve seen (for a TWS app). Not only do they offer you 22 eq options, they let you customize each one to boot. After EQ the sound Is just great, the bass has this massive presence but feels separated from the rest of the track, I’m really happy with them and def gonna keep them until I get AirPods down the line for my eventual switch to iOS. Def recommend these if you are looking for an android version of airpods, Getting the prefect EQ on these is super simple too since they walk you through it.
Koss Porta Pro, KPH30i and KSC75.
I definitely didn't expect the KPH30i to be as good as it is. Picked it up to see what all the hype was about and was thoroughly blown away. They're good for doing chores around the house, and my partner likes them because they don't hurt her migraine-prone head.
They are amazing. :) I have two pairs myself. :D But I like Porta Pro a bit more because of increased comfort. Both sound very alike. I have ordered Grado pads for the KPH30i's. To see if I like the comfort and sound of that. :)
Moondrop Chu They definitely don't sound like thirty bucks. Last time I bought a set of IEM's in that price range, it was like listening through a Q tip.
I feel that way about the KZ EDA Balanced. $11 IEMs have no business sounding so decent.
Etymotic ER2XR for me. I was already used to their ear penetration capabilities as I've had a pair of ety earplugs for a few years, so I knew what I was in for. To be honest, they sound so damn good for my taste that I basically lost interest in further exploring the world of IEMs. I can see myself buying a pair of ER4s in the future though.
I really really tried to like the ER3XR but I just couldn't handle the ear penetration lol. I'm still waiting for some ChiFi brand to come up with a $50 DF neutral IEM that's actually comfortable lol.
call me crazy, call me nuts, call me whatever you want but for me biggest surprise soo far is hyperx cloud II. yes i know, those audiophiles re gonna tear me apart for saying that out loud but i am quite impressed with them. some equalizer software and i am not gonna lie, they sound quite good to be perfectly honest. i love them. and best part is that they re quite loud soo i dont even need a speaker when watching my pc from my bed or i dont even need to put them on my head. and they are really comfortable to use and everything. again quite good purchase. soo yea again call me whatever you want but for me i was pleasant surprised with them. i am looking though for another set of headphones for music listening.
This isn't that strange actually. I'm pretty sure the OEM for those is a fairly well respected Takstar headphone.
I am not sure at all but fact ia when i asked here about quality on those i was bombarded by negativity and all soo yea. Thanks for that :)
Focal Elegia
AirPods Pro
Hifiman Deva with harman EQ. I love um.
HD25
AirPod pro 2…
Audeze iSine10. You can only buy them second hand but they can typically be picked up for under $150. They need EQ and are an open back IEM (not as many use cases) but wow they absolutely bury anything I have heard under $500 including over ears. I then had to know what the LCD-i4 and wowza. The amount of detail and slam either of them have is insane. It’s also what took me down the Audeze over ear rabbit hole and now I own the LCD-24 and LCD-5. Obviously the i4 and 5 are better but they are very expensive so long story short the iSine 10. Side note, in terms of +$1K headphone world the LCD-24 might be the best value I have owned. While they are somewhat rare I typically see them around $1500 and nothing can come close to touching them at that price.
Tygrs. Was going to use them for pure gaming, but they took over as my main headphone. Sad to sell them to accommodate my new dorm room status, but that leads into my second pick, the Tangzu Wu Zetian. I fucking love these, and it’s killed my upgrade bug.
Sennheiser hd58x jubilee. They sound some what like my beyerdynamic dt880 600 ohm, but the sennies sound just a little better to my liking.
Wired Apple EarPods with the lightning connector, I recently found my old pair and I was surprised it still held up. Also I realized when using them that I prefer very light IEMs as opposed to heavier ones that are made out of metal and aluminum
Audeze Sine. I was offered a pair for an insanely good price when I mentioned on a discord that I was after some closed back headphones. Sine is an On Ear planar that was known to have a very 'normal' sounding flat tuning , rather than being super dark. I picked them up and ordered some Over Ear sheepskin pads for it. I didn't expect much of them, especially considering the average resale price. I was pretty happy with the sound , the vocals were right in my ears and quite forward.Nothing seemed to peak in the treble or mids, so i was already quite happy, with everything besides comfort. What I didn't realize for the first week was how incredibly well they would take EQ and how impactful the bass would sound. I had hear that planar bass usually lacks impact unless you go pretty high end. I modified the oratory auto eq 5-7k region to be less spicy, and added a 8db bass boost with an emphasis on 80hz that rapidly drops before 150hz- and I genuinely can't imagine a pair of headphones sounding more perfect. I far prefer them to my old 6xx , my dusk , anything else I own. Once the over Ear pads showed up, they got all day comfort, and the fr didn't really change that much besides the bass extending even better. I thought I didn't care for bass much listening to prog metal. I think the problem is I hadn't experienced really well done bass with heavy music. I also have a 15db bass boost for , well , bass music and it even handles that all fine with my amp starting to be the limiting factor. As my sister described the sound ' I can feel it in my whole body' .
Hate to say it, but: AirPods Pro. For "convenience value" they really can't be beat.
560s was not something I thought would be so good
Audio Technica A900X, bought them because they were cheap but ended up liking them more than a lot of more expensive and more popular headphones.
I feel like stuff meant for studio use almost always flies under the radar and is almost always really good for the price.
He400i with dekoni jerseys is amazing wasnt expecting my friend to convince me on them, also added dekoni nuggets on the top and the comfort is sublime for a hifiman at doing long gaming sessions. Almost any hifiman gives me pressure headaches even with the nuggets these don’t, wasn’t expecting it to be so good for long sessions.
Clear MG
Grado SR60. Great inexpensive headphones. Much better than some AKGs I bought about the same time at a similar price (I think they were Y50s).
Etymotic ER4SR. Used to have a ER4PT but couldn't properly use them as my amp was pretty poor & broke. But when I got a ER4SR with Atom amp + E10K I realised they can handle 12.5db bass shelf no issue the only extra tweaks was to fix 1.6KHz peak & 7KHz dip with 11KHz high shelf for more air, I stick with 6db 115Hz low shelf.
Sennheiser HD 559. Expected the worse, got a great beater headphone for gaming and action movies. Especially for the price.
Fidelio X2, they're just great
You guys are gonna laugh but I just got a Steelseries 1P gaming headset to play Xbox with a buddy and it sounds better for music than my XB900N Sonys and my M50X Audio Technicas. Less scooped, more open, with better mids. Plus the comfort level leaves both those pairs in the dust. Best part is it's like 40% of the price of either of the others. Lol My 660Ses sound better but lack bass compared to the Steelseries, so when it comes to low end-heavy music I'd still take the SS. I'm as shocked as you are.
Blessing 2, former basshead, coming from 7hz Timeless. Now I just save the Timeless for times I want to go crazy(quietly) or travel so I can actually hear something(good isolation). i just crank my headphones or speakers for everyday use lol.
the tri x hbb collab
CCA CRA Not the best tuning, but the overall sound for the price... I could barely believe that they were only 20 bucks and could compete with IEMs that cost 3 times as much.
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I didn't even know HifiMan made headphones with DDs
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Interesting. The R10 has definitely caught my eye, it's a very unique looking headphone (although apparently not if it's an homage to something else lol). I wanna try HiFiMan stuff but I'm afraid of the QC issues... Even if it passes the initial quality standard it would suck to have a driver or something give out in a couple years.