New here....still wandering around. Came across this thread.
I listen a lot with headphones as i listen mostly when all is quiet in the house (as in sleeping peeps). Just is when i have time among other things. Also not having the size for a dedicated listeneing room there had to be compromises that make a good set of phones a better overall options these days.
Of note, prefer a flatter response curve and something more reference sided. I do not EQ unless the recording itself is wanky and that happens rarely.
So, recently did a lot of research as what i could afford three years back got me a nice set of Senheiser HD 600’s that i have liked. Look, these are great phones for the money, comfortable enough and overall the sound is solid, though a bit soft on the lower end.
So in upgrading, looked at a lot (on line as no really place to listen to too many). I narrowed things down and then looked to see where i could (if i could) listen to them.
Had it down to
HiFIMan - HE100 SE & V4
Senheiser - HD800S
Focal - Clear MG
Audeze - LCDx & MM-500
Having Sens and reading reviews i was not thrilled that too many times the low end on the 800’s seems to be like what i had which i wanted to upgrade. I am sure they are great. Just not what i wanted to by blind....or maybe that should be deaf.
HiFiMan’s - loved what i saw about sound but.....too many times build quality came up...so decided to keep looking
Heard good things about Meze Pro...but not flat enough.
Looked at the Focals, but was never really in the running based on revues and other users
Got to Audeze.....like what i saw.
So...found a place i could try them (both models)...and went. Only comparable they had at the time were Focal Clear and Stellia
Tried them all and was blown away by the MM500’s - fantastic overall sound top to bottom, acoustic to electric, clear, precise, yet warm. Sound stage is perfect, think Goldilox - the story not the song. Depth was solid and while they have a bit of wieght to them (especially as compared to the HD600’s, they are super comfortable.
Now, the LCDx are close, but there is definitely a discernible difference.
The Focal Clear - a disappointment, not comfortable and in comparison, muddy.
The Focal Stellis - which is a step up from all - did not come close to eh MM-500 in sound or comfort.
Have had them two weeks and are breaking in nicely.
At this price point...not going to get better unless you are looking for a closed set and thumping bass. If you are looking for an amazing sound where the recording sounds just as it was intended....theses are your phones.
I’m just dipping my toes into desktop/headphone audio with Focal Clear and Audeze LCD i4 matched with a tube dac/amp and AK DAP which I can use as a desktop SS dac/amp
@freediver Congrats, and I think I know what you’re talking about. I was looking to upgrade from my HE400S and the Sundara sounded pretty much identical, but when I heard the Arya Stealths I had the same OMG reaction. It was total next-level performance, and I’d bet your Ananda Nanos are doing a lot of the same things. Enjoy!!!
Just recently got the Modhouse Tungsten DS with the Enleum XPA-23RMH amp, and that is a superb pairing. They sound much better through that amp than my Susvaras do, and like the Susvaras, they sound excellent on my DNA Stratus tube headphone amp. They don't have quite the detail of the Susvaras, but overall, I enjoy the experience with them more....
I recently upgraded from the HiFiMan Sundara 2020's to the HFM Ananda Nano's...
OMG,where my iBasso SR-1's are like the finest 300B SET amplifier driving Sonus Faber speakers,the Nano's are complete polar opposites..
We're talking big Krell Class A amps driving huge Magnapans here..I can go from the baddest Classic Rock/Electric Blues/Reggae with the Nano's,to the sweetest, honey dripping Classical/Jazz/Pipe & slippers music with the simple change from 1 set to the other...Audiophile life can be pretty awesome,even if you can't afford mega $ gear!
Would love to try out the JM Audio headphones. I hear so many good things about them, never seen them in person though. Seem like a killer deal. I'm loving the Raal headphones and am tempted by the new Immanis or Magna models but the pricing is a bit much.
@freediver, mine are beryllium drivers with John’s warm yet detailed tuning. I’ve not heard his bio wool drivers so I cannot offer a comparison. I can say the beryllium drivers sound fairly neutral from top to bottom. Not too warm, not too detailed.
@bjorn154,@ yakbob & @pastorbob,I am curious,which type of drivers are you so enamoured with,the Beryllium or Bio Wool?
I find it interesting he offers a Bio Wool driver as I just posted a fanboy type reply of my iBasso SR-1’s which use a Bio Cellulous driver & I wonder how his Bio Wool compares...
I recently changed the cable on my iBasso SR-1's to a 6nines Silver Plated OCC cable & I am absolutely head over heals Gaga in lust/love with these headphones..
I've spent a lot of time & $ over the last year driving hundreds of miles to Austin,San Antonio & Houston auditioning TOTL's from Audeze,HiFiMan,Focal & Sennheiser..I've still yet to hear ANYTHING that has the naturally organic tone of the iBasso..Honestly they sound like iBasso invited a pair of Harbeth M40.1's, a Cary Audio 300SEI amplifier & an un named,Class A,KT88 Ultra Linear amplifier to a motel & threw a drunken orgy,culminating in the birth of a step child with the voice of all the angels in heaven..
They don't need a special tube amp to thrive either..As a matter of fact,they are NOT really suited to a tube amp that is voiced to be warm & tubey,they would sound like an older Conrad Johnson tube amp then,syrupy & sloppy...
They ABSOLUTELY LOVE Class A Solid State.. Driven by the headphone out from my SimAudio 240i or a Topping DX7Pro DAC/Amp,they simply drip & oooze tonal color & saturation..
They don't have quite the massive standing & imaging of the Sennheiser HD800S,or the super deep slamming bass of say an Audeze LCD-3/5,or the razor sharp,super extended treble of an AKG studio headphone,what they do have is a balanced tone that makes them a superb all arounder,favoring no specific style of music & giving hour after hour of fatigue free,blissful listening...
I know I know,everyone hears differently & I'm coming off as if my sub conscience desires have over ridden my analytical brain but I am NOT easily impressed or swayed by any piece of gear,be they audio,video,amature astronomy,automobiles,whatever...It's SOOOO very rare to find a piece of audio gear that,with a bare minimum of tweaking(changing the cable),can compete with the absolute best of the best...I would pay good $ to get a few golden ears who own TOTL cans from ANY manufacturer together for a blind listening session with these headphones..I have ZERO doubt,more than one of them would walk away shaking their heads after finding out what they were actually listening to...
I see quite a few mentions of the Hifiman Susvara and HE1000se but no mention of the HiFiMan HE6se. Just based on price I would have thought that fell squarely between the two. I have the HiFiMan Ananda's but as my stereo system has gotten much better I almost never listen to headphones anymore.
JM Audio XTC 2.5s here. I feel John could charge double and they’d still be worth it given his tuning services. Really one of the best high-end bargains I’ve found.
I recently got a pair of the JM Editions XTC-2 open backs. They are superb hheadphones. The ordering process is unique in my experience. You can actually hJM tune the headphone to your sound preference. Build quality is also superb.
I have had many headphones including a few TOTL.
The JM XTC2 is the finest set of headphones I have heard. I attribute that to the great communication with John regarding preffered sound.
The absolute best sounding headphones I have tried or owned, including quite a few of the better models, is theJM Audio XTC 2. The price is insanely low for what they represent in both build quality & sound quality. Alongside this JM Audio offers splendid customer service. Take a look at some on line reviews.
I am very much into headphones and yet I don't post here. For headphones there are better websites. Tip-there is no best. Lots of great ones. Ever try to move around a range of loudspeakers from your source and amplification? Not fun. Ever switch from a variety of cans? Easy, fun, and rewarding. Headphones are to high- end audio as polygamy is to, well...
What headphone own natural timbre and own a deep bass clean and with no leak in the mids and more importantly an "out of the head" speaker like impression with great hall recordings or church one for example ?
I enjoy that only with my Akg K340 , none of the others headphones i had listend too ...
I dislike almost all headphones...
I apologize to repeat myself wanting to be clear...
If someone know which headphone did the same please give me his name ...
Let me first say I am not a huge fan of headphones because I dislike the in your head soundstage. However, I love the RAAL SR1a because it does not sound like headphones. The only traditional headphone that I liked was the RAAL CA-1a.
it is the precise reason why the RAAL is the only headphone i am interested to ... I will compare it to my K340 optimized...
Out of the head impression is mandatory for me if i want to appreciate headphone...
It is the reason why i am also interested by the BACCH filters ...
I must add that my K340 produce deep bass listening organ for example that i felt with my body and are speaker like or at least completely different from headphone bass inside the head only...
Contrary to you i read someone post BEFORE infering FALSE claim about it...
i dont slammed you body...😁 I just make the remark that you dont have listen to my modified headphone the K340 , claiming as you did you listened to all if not most TOP one even those as you said i " could never able to afford" which is as formulated such a bit insulting...
Secondly i said that AS YOURSELF , i disliked headphones and prefer speakers...If you had read my post before claiming i slammed you you would have understand that some headphones as the RAAL or my K340 differ vastly from other headphones......
The one pratronizing other here is you...I dont claim anything save to correct your claim about listening all headphones set up... This is false because it is impossible...
As you i prefer speakers...
But my K340 modified and optimized with his dual acoustic chamber with 5 passively tuned resonators resemble nothing you had listened too dude😊 ...
And i correct you mistaking claim that headphone dont have their own room shell acoustic because it is one of the main attribute which make the K340 unique...
Read before patronizing me about what i could or could not afford and before claiming you know it all ... You dont...
This is my "mumblings" here as you said ... Other will read my answer and make their opinion...
I give argument not patronizing veiled insult and pretentious universal claim valid for everyone...
And dont insult me about what i could or not afford, and about my " mumblings", and about the fact that you never dare to read my post but you answer them in your american active patronizing discourteous way,..
Sorry my post came out harsh. I honestly don’t read the Mahgister’s long rumblings, but I understand he slammed me big time his usual polite passive aggressive canadian way. Oh well
Sorry my post came out harsh. I honestly don’t read the Mahgister’s long rumblings, but I understand he slammed me big time his usual polite passive aggressive canadian way. Oh well…
I am not an expert on headphones but I have owned many in my two forays in them in the past twenty years, so I have a good understanding how they work FOR ME. And me only.
Bottom line: last year I built the best headphones system money can buy. Second attempt to headphones since several years ago when my kids were born and were little and I had no choice. I found myself almost always going downstairs to listening to my speakers, rather than staying upstairs listening to my headphones, over many months. As simple as that. My listening time is limited as I work for a living. So here is that
@soixNew ones coming out soon. It is being discussed on Head-fi. The new one is a mix of the CA-1a and SR1a. There are 3 ribbons instead of 1. I will also be selling my CA-1a but that will be after the new one is released. I need a phone until then.
@thynameI see you commenting as an expert on phones, and also stating you have Meze Elite. As someone who at one time owned the top end Meze, I find your comments about your expertise interesting.
For the rest of you. Some interesting things are happening in the world of RAAL. To prepare I bought back the RAAL VM-1a amp (getting it again on Saturday) that I sold last year. I also sold my RAAL SR1a earphones yesterday.
This Saturday, I am going to do a comparison of the RAAL VM-1a with the RAAL CA-1a headphone and the following gear:
It will be interesting to see if the low-cost solutions can reach near the VM-1a level. When I did a similar test with my old VM-1a the low-cost gear came close. My new low-cost gear is even better.
The AKG K340 and even if you did, they must be optimized and it takes me 6 months to do it rightfully with 6 modifications...
Anyway, the ratio price ( 100 bucks used) sound quality beat anything and perhaps your own system...But only seeing an image i am pretty sure your system beat headphones...But not all , give me the BACCH filters and i will stay with them ....
by the way the reason why the AKG K340 beat all headphones i had listened to is precisely the acoustic patent of the designer the two hybrid cells , dynamical and electroacoustic are distributed along the same axis in a dual acoustic chamber with 5 passive tuned resonators...And my own modifications are acoustics too ...Remember that the shell of an headphone is a room...😊 Even if most headphone designer ignore this because of cost and profit even high end one ...
Kennerton representative when i ask him why they do not design an hybrid as the K340 answer to me: it is too hard to do with too much cost in research... Thats say something ...
You go too fast to your conclusion...
And even if you are right i am not too far behind you for a ridiculous price...
Eq. is an acoustic controls i used it with my headphone optimization , I dont use it as a toy for each songs...
By the way i always disliked all headphones... Till i was in the obligation selling my house to use one before setting my small speakers right ...Now i love headphones at least mine ...And remember it is recording dependant, but the K340 is able to reproduce the acoustic atmosphere of the recording ...The sound of many albums is out of my head speaker like so much i keep my eyes open to "see" the musicians... I only need the BACCH filters as upgrade to refine that...
Anyway at 100 bucks i am envious of no one... Even of the headphone you claimed i could never afford...😊
With your budget you could not do what i did even with a pair Of K340... They are not ready out of the box... We must learn how to use them... An astute headphone critic of stereophile do a negative review bec ause he did not understand what they are and how to optimize them... It is the most complex headphone designed...
only factor that rules audio is acoustics not gear choice
Pretty much irrelevant with headphones. Room excluded. So other than little mods on the caps (Believe me I have tried them all), not much left. And EQ? 🤯🤯🤯😂😂
And if you have a TOP speakers/room anyway have you heard all headphones ?
Yes. Pretty much. By ownership over decades and headphones meetups. Including those (you will never be able to afford). And also pretty much every single highly rated headphones amps. Because? Life… and convenience. Headphones are way more convenient and cheaper than speakers. So …. To answer your question. YES
The only factor that rules audio is acoustics not gear choice
Pretty much irrelevant with headphones. Room excluded. So other than little mods on the caps (Believe me I have tried them all), not much left. And EQ? 🤯🤯🤯😂😂
I have several Sennheiser Grado Audio Technica and Sony (used to have Stax as well) and EQed they all sound nice but each a little different
I needed to replace a pair of ancient Klipsch earbuds that were showing their age. Picked up a pair of Truthear Crinacle Zeros Red buds recently and gotta say these things are top notch even without EQ. Crystal clear and balanced top to bottom and very affordable. Perfect for just taking in the details of whatever happens to be there in each recording even simply straight off a smart phone.
it is true ONLY if you compared with headphones where the sound STAY in the head...Most headphones ( But not mine )
And most speakers/room are not acoustically optimal, even if yours is by the way... 😁
And if you have a TOP speakers/room anyway have you heard all headphones ?
If i add the BACCH filters i will rival your speakers/room if i did not rival already it with a 100 bucks headphone ( AKG K340 ) ...Not bad ...
By the way the bass is so good i felt it with my feet (bones conduction ) .
Perhaps you go too far here about ALL headphones...
In truth it is up to budget and creativity...
All speakers/room are not equals nor all headphones...
The only factor that rules audio is acoustics not gear choice claimed as the only meaningful choice for all...
We dont need a pope ... 😊
No offense… best headphones are …. speakers. Listening to headphones is pleasurable and enjoyable, to the extent of jerking off. Compared to actually having sex (speakers). So sorry
Good day, I have some Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX. I have some Hifiman Sundara. I prefer the Sundara. I had seen a number of comparisons that said they were the same. They are not, not even close.
Let me first say I am not a huge fan of headphones because I dislike the in your head soundstage. However, I love the RAAL SR1a because it does not sound like headphones. The only traditional headphone that I liked was the RAAL CA-1a. It is saved by the RAAL ribbon. Otherwise, the sound is pretty much in your head. I am selling the CA-1a to raise some cash not because I do not listen to it.
The SR1a is unlike traditional headphones. That is why they are called earphones. It is like having a 2-channel speaker hanging next to your ear. You end up looking like Princess Leia with the SR1a on your head.
A lot of folks who use the SR1a use it for Classical music because the sound stage is projected out of the headspace, and you can visualize the source of the instruments in a similar way as 2-channel.
I know people who have contacted me saying they sold their Magico speakers and went all in with the SR1a. I can see that. No 2-channel speaker I had owned in the past could beat my SR1a at 2-CHANNEL. That is until I got the Yamaha NS5000 speakers with a CODA #16 amp. That beats the best setup of the SR1a I have had. It is not easy to beat the SR1a even with 2-channel gear. With headphones, for my ears, it is not even a contest.
Best place to learn about the RAAL. Alex and Danny from RAAL and Requiste Audio help out with questions.
In my experience, in my system....it will give you what is on the recording. If it's a closely miked recording, it will be upfront and personal...yet still in front and away from the circumference of your physical head. With recordings that show the depth, and breadth of the performance, you get it all.....and with exquisite detail.
Also, I want to add something here....I know some dismiss the bass on these as unsatisfactory. Unless it's ones goal to overemphasize the low end above what's on the recording, and rattle ones fillings, this headphone does bass RIGHT. You can easily....and even eerily, hear the pitch changes on instruments such as an upright bass, a cello....and details of drum kits you'd only hear from properly setup system, in a well-treated dedicated room.
I just read a review about the Raal: timbre, bass, highs, imaging and soundstage everything as usual...
The reviewer mention anything save the only thing that matter to me...
For classical recording because i listen them most, Is the soundfield or soundstage of the Raal stay in the head ? Or have you the impression to be projected in the recording acoustic as if you were there... Or have you the impression that the recorded atmosphetre fill your room and do you keep the eyes open to see the instruments?
All headphones soundfield soundstage stay in the head, i want one with a soundstage "out of my head" ? I want to have the impression to listen to speakers with deep bass ?
This gets me to about 90% of the VM-1a. This weekend someone is going to bring a VM-1a to my place to do a head-to-head with the following (for the SR1a):
CODA #16 | Holo Serene preamp | Benchmark DAC3B
Peachtree GAN1 (modded) testing with the RAAL CA-1a phones and not SR1a. Complicated explanation as to why.
The VM-1a should win but that CODA setup code steal the win. I have a feeling I will buy the VM-1a the guy brings over. My Schitt YGGI+ LIM DAC has 3 outputs so it will be easy to add the VM-1a to my office setup (which uses 2 outputs already).
BTW - I am going to be selling my RAAL CA-1a soon.
RAAL SR-1a driven by their VM-1a amp, with a Lumin X1 as the source. This gets me the closest to a 2-channel speaker setup as I've heard, and in some respects, rivals it as well.
I try to like the He 400 but never succeed even after modifying them ... 😊 For sure they are not the best Hifiman but not the worst either ... Artificial timbre inside the head ...
Didnwn them, but best i heard was Hifiman connected to 2 unit Woo Audio amp
Sansui alpha 607i = 300 bucks ( one of the best amplifier ever designed by Sansui)
AKG K340 the only really hybrid headphone ever made ( the electrostatic cell is not a super tweeter as in the Dharma case) = 100 bucks ...
The K340 optimized( it takes me 6 month to figure out his working) can give an out of the head speaker like experience with natural timbre perception and deep bass ...
At 600 bucks i beat everyone ... It is my main audiophile system ... Even if i like the small speakers system i own ( low cost) which modified beat all headphones i ever listened to save the K340 ..
I apologize to yyzsantabarbara for my irresistible urge to bragg about my own low cost high end system ...😊
I am sure he will laugh and forgive me , thanks to him ...
I am certainly curious to listen to the Raal ... I will be afraid to buy one without listening before so astounding are my K340 the best headphone in the world in 1978 even better than Stax because of deep bass and out of the head experience with more natural timbre thanks to the passive internal resonators of Dr, Gorike and his complex dual acoustic chamber accomodating the two cells dynamic and electrostatic one behind the other ......
Benchmark DAC3B ($1700) (dual duty with my 2-channel)
This above setup is so good that I threw out all the shipping boxes. I live close by to RAAL and Schitt if service is needed. I cannot easily sell this gear now. I also use the more expensive RAAL SR1a phones with the above setup.
@freediverSounds like you found a great match, and I’m obviously with you on the Hifiman sound. Congrats and enjoy! Oh yeah, and most importantly, thank you so much for your service!!!
I was a soldier all my life & now retired so I've never had deep pockets for audio gear & being a firm believer in trickle down tech I have always looked to the manufacture's for the best value in their product lines.After extensive demos of the TOTL from Audeze,HiFiMan,Focal,Sennheiser,Grado & AKG I discovered I like the HiFiMan house sound,settling on the Sundara for exotic driver tech & the absolutely amazing iBasso SR-1 limited editions(500 pair)for dynamics...
Where the Sundara is virtually dead neutral & fast as lightning,the iBasso is relaxed,lush,dripping with harmonic richness & tonal color that is not unlike the finest 300B amplifiers...
I have had many HP. IMHO the two best I have ever enjoyed was Susvara and AB 1266. what amp drive them however is very important to have their full experience.
My favorite open back headphone is currently the Amex Elite. For closed back I go back and forth between the Focal Stellia and the ZMF Verite Closed. I listen to headphones mostly in bed so I used my closed more than my open backed.
By "hard to drive" i refer to not only amplification qualities, but also to the source...
The right pad is mandatory....I tried 5 types of pads before the right one... Right thickness and one with the hole vented for me...
Right amplification , not only powerful but with a very low noise floor ... I must have changed my beloved sansui Au 7700 to use a very more refined Sansui Alpha with a more clean less tube-like sound...
Right source : i must change my beloved tube-like NOS french dac tda 1543 , for a cleaner less noisy more cold Hidizs ap 80 pro dac ( not connecded to the grid and with battery too ) ..
i throw off the internal plastic grid....
I put two kind of vibrations control materials inside and outside...
I used equalization to go nearer the Harman curve and increase the Db level around 1,200 hertz...And at the two extreme point of the scale...
After all that i can say that all my 9 others headphone sound as unnatural , with an "inside the head sound" impression , and like "plastic" artificial sound so much i NEVER used them again... And will never do...There is even 2 Stax models ...
After the optimization the K 340 is unbeatable on all acoustic factors...I discovered tuning my room at the times 4 factors of the soundfield , not two, i did not count "timbre" as a factor of the soundfield ,it is the fifth factor timbre is the fundamental tree and the soil at the same time , the other 4 factors are like the ground...We test a fertile ground by observing the tree growth and varying the ground composition ...
1) Imaging differentiation of each sound sources...
2) Soundstaging VARYING dimensions according to each recording encompassing all sound sources ...
3) Holographic volume of each sound sources...
4) Listener envelopment born from the right ratio between sound sources and the imaginary listener position in the soundfield "outside the head" most of the time to varying degree accordingly to each recording trade-off ...
These 4 aspects of the soundfield were there in my speakers/room acoustic control relation , and they were there with the K340... No other headphone gave me that... Perhaps top omega Stax i listened long time ago but never own...The "timbre" experience of the K340 is so natural , that the only adjective i can use is realistic...Not one of any other adjective used by reviewers about voices... Realistic , not gorgeous, not beautiful, not the " most extraordinary mids voices ever" etc Only natural... 😊 For example my Stax sr5 -gold seems to gave the most beautiful timbre of voice possible , but not so natural and evident as the K340... Realism is the most important quality for a timbre the most difficult and only necessary one ...
I cannot fault the AKG K340 on any acoustic count... If something beat it it must be costly and because it is an hybrid with 5 tuned passive internal resonators , his soundfield is so unique , nothing will crush it to pieces... But "right of the box" i could have faulted it as some reviewers did , unable to understand how to optimize it... There is NO MISMATCH between the drivers for example, this impression may come because of all the necessary modifications that must be implemented i listed above.... This is a very hard headphone to figure out... I even read his patent and ittakes me 6 months of experiments to optimize it to this point... I will never upgrade it... Why ?
It is the stronger link of my system and his back bone... I consider my system now top high-fi because of the K340... I could not say this with my acoustic room /Mission Cyrus 781, because of the limitations of the frequency response of the Mission Cyrus speakers so good they were, they were not top high fi product... AQcoustic control of the room so important it is does not change a component quality but just put it at his highest potential working level ...
I agree with Mahgister, the AKG 340 simply does it for me. I keep reading that it is so hard to drive, but mine’s plugged into my McIntosh C15 preamp and works great. Not sure what all the fuss is about on that issue. Mine is the "gray" model meaning it is the "neutral" version; it has plenty of bass also.
I agree with Mahgister, the AKG 340 simply does it for me. I keep reading that it is so hard to drive, but mine's plugged into my McIntosh C15 preamp and works great. Not sure what all the fuss is about on that issue. Mine is the "gray" model meaning it is the "neutral" version; it has plenty of bass also.
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