Shure 1840’s, open back. However, you would not believe how open sounding the AKG K550's sound. They are closed back.
Need suggestions for another pair of headphones (Have Sennheiser HD600)
Hej
Can anyone, who are familiar with the Sennheiser HD600, suggest a headphones slightly more open and with a wider soundstage then HD600?
I have tried Grado SR-325e, AKG K701 and K702. These three are far from my taste. Too much high midrange for me.
I also have Beyerdynamics T1, which I think is OK, but I tend mostly to choose my old HD600.
I though HD660s would be what I’m looking for, but they seems to have inferior treble compared to the HD600. At least that’s what I’ve read. I’ve never heard the HD660s myself.
Any suggestions in the same price range as the Sennheiser HD660s?
Has to be open back!
The Elex is really nice and I consider it a good value. They were about $100 less when I bought mine I think, but they are still a good deal. It's pretty neutral and has a lot of detail. Nothing like the Utopia, which I personally didn't care for, but I can understand how many would like them. Perhaps you have a friend or family member in the states that could order them for you and ship them to you? |
Post removed |
@big_greg
Anyone heard (and compared with HD600) Ollo Audio S4X?
|
Thanks for the suggestions, unfortunately they are too expensive, not available in Sweden or I will not be able to use my Feliks Elise tube headphone amp. Planars are too hard to drive with most tube amps. And I just wanted some minor changes compared to my HD600. Oh, well...nothing in this ”hobby” will ever be simple. The same thing whith my Tannoy Eaton speakers. I just need some small changes to make them perfect for my me. Dream on. That speaker doesn't excist. Thanks for the suggestions. |
The sound of headphones are strongly dependent on the streamer, DAC, and particularly the amp. I was not blown away my the HD800’s until I got the Woo WA5… I think it has more power than the Felix and I am guessing maybe more natural sounding… well I have Takatsuki 300B… but this completely took control of the HD800’s and made them magical. My Sennheiser 800’s do not sound at all analytic… with my electronics.
Everyone has different tastes, so no solution fits all. But I had to fiddle (experiment and invest heavily) in my electronics to get my headphones to sound right. I probably have 5 - 8x the money invested in electronics and suddenly all of my headphones sound great. [my Beydynamic T2 always sounded very natural… although not open]. My Focal and Sennheiser actually sound a lot alike now… with the difference being the openness… (because the Focals are only semi open).
By the way, I went as far as importing an amp from Germany in my quest to get my headphones to sound right. I have gone through a lot of equipment to get here… but for me, it was mostly about the electronics. |
The HD600s are a perennial fan favourite. Never discontinued. Given their longevity, perhaps there is no such thing as an upgrade? I certainly haven't heard of anything in the same price range. The best you might do is to get something different, but it's telling that folks tend to hang onto their HD600s, isn't it?
|
I have a Musical Fidelity M1 HPA and a Feliks Audio Elise (tube). Maybe there will be yet another headphone amp next year.
I live in Sweden, so...;) |
Post removed |
What are you powering them with? As far as open, well in all ways my preference is the Sennheiser HD800. With lots of natural sounding power they are spectacular. You can see my system under my ID. Other headphones I have are Focal Utopia, Beyerdynamic T2, LCD2, Ultrasonde Edition 8… and a few others. |