Best Headphones You've used

[SSL]

Because ECU remapping and Stage 3. 

 

Ur not a riel audyafeel

[Stefky]

Why is it surprising, I've never encouraged pointless spending

If you love music, it's not pointless spending more to get better quality, and I'm sorry but it gets MUCH better than Superlux and CX300s...

[EmoRarity]

Ur not a riel audyafeel

Never claimed to be, that would be disingenuous.

[EmoRarity]

If you love music, it's not pointless spending more to get better quality, and I'm sorry but it gets MUCH better than Superlux and CX300s...

But yeah, but if you are happy, then there is no real point to spend more. Its mostly pointless and more or less wasteful. Its not like my $500 is really better then my $80 monitors, its just different, and I spent more for something different. 

[SSL]

Never claimed to be, that would be disingenuous.

 

I consider myself a car guy long before I call myself an audio guy I just like to spend money on things and tell people that spending money on things is stupid. Because disingenuousness is the best.

 

Checkmate.

[Stefky]

But yeah, but if you are happy, then there is no real point to spend more. Its mostly pointless and more or less wasteful. Its not like my $500 is really better then my $80 monitors, its just different, and I spent more for something different.

I'd absolutely agree that if you're happy there is no need to get anything else.

But if you aren't finding your $500 headphones (HE500 was it?) better than your cheaper cans, maybe you aren't with the right headphones for you?

Maybe sell them and see if there's something that is worth the money for you.

I'd always reccommended anyone who loves music to try Stax. There is really nothing like good electrostatics. Not even the super expensive ones either. Subjectively I prefer the cheaper Lambdas in a lot of ways, and the need for an expensive amp is way over-egged.

I prefer a set of 303s with a budget amp I got for a steal at £200 a few years back to 95% of the four figure cans I've heard. Sold them a year ago and have regretted it since amd am looking for another opportunity to buy a new rig at the right price.

[Lays]

I'd absolutely agree that if you're happy there is no need to get anything else.

But if you aren't finding your $500 headphones (HE500 was it?) better than your cheaper cans, maybe you aren't with the right headphones for you?

Maybe sell them and see if there's something that is worth the money for you.

I'd always reccommended anyone who loves music to try Stax. There is really nothing like good electrostatics. Not even the super expensive ones either. Subjectively I prefer the cheaper Lambdas in a lot of ways, and the need for an expensive amp is way over-egged.

I prefer a set of 303s with a budget amp I got for a steal at £200 a few years back to 95% of the four figure cans I've heard. Sold them a year ago and have regretted it since amd am looking for another opportunity to buy a new rig at the right price.

 

 

He has shure srh1540 I believe, (I'm the one with the HE-500 but am returning them for LCD-2 rev.3)

 

Also hi @EmoRarity :^)

[Stefky]

He has shure srh1540 I believe, (I'm the one with the HE-500 but am returning them for LCD-2 rev.3)

Also hi @EmoRarity :^)

Right, sorry got you mixed up. Still haven't heard the 1540.

HE500 and the LCD family work for me. Love those big orthos (the sound) but couldn't personally live with them (the weight).

Definitely more of a stats man.

[EmoRarity]

Checkmate.

He do!

 

I'd absolutely agree that if you're happy there is no need to get anything else.

But if you aren't finding your $500 headphones (HE500 was it?) better than your cheaper cans, maybe you aren't with the right headphones for you?

Maybe sell them and see if there's something that is worth the money for you.

I'd always reccommended anyone who loves music to try Stax. There is really nothing like good electrostatics. Not even the super expensive ones either. Subjectively I prefer the cheaper Lambdas in a lot of ways, and the need for an expensive amp is way over-egged.

I prefer a set of 303s with a budget amp I got for a steal at £200 a few years back to 95% of the four figure cans I've heard. Sold them a year ago and have regretted it since amd am looking for another opportunity to buy a new rig at the right price.

Its nothing with me, I love all the headphones in my collection, its just that headphones don't work off a spend more, get more, linear progression of quality. You spend more for silly things or for a different headphone, its not a truly better headphone wither it be HE500's, HD650's, or 7506's or SE-A1000.

[EmoRarity]

He has shure srh1540 I believe, (I'm the one with the HE-500 but am returning them for LCD-2 rev.3)

 

Also hi @EmoRarity :^)

"Ello chips. 

[Darkstar101]

This:

http://www.soundblaster.com/products/Sound-Blaster-Tactic3d-Sigma.aspx

[Lays]

Right, sorry got you mixed up. Still haven't heard the 1540.

HE500 and the LCD family work for me. Love those big orthos (the sound) but couldn't personally live with them (the weight).

Definitely more of a stats man.

 

 

I love the crap out of the HE-500, but the 10 minutes I spent with the LCD-2 and LCD-3 in the store won me over. (Albeit the treble on the 500 is just a little to much, I think I prefer a warm/dark sound with rolled off treble)

 

I love that satisfying thump and punchiness they have in the bass and mids (from both the he-500 and lcd lineup)

I'm not sure if thats how all ortho's are, or what; but it's awesome .

 

For some reason the weight doesn't bug me, it may be because I'm a decently big guy, but I'm not sure.  I thought the weight would bug me at first, and it did for the first few minutes, but after that I got used to it and could wear them all day.

[ruitti99]

Friend's DT 770 pro 

[ruitti99]

HD202 II's , sadly

 I have a pair; they sound okay 

http://imgur.com/gM9FHEw

[coen113]

 I have a pair; they are okay 

but they are not good by any strech of the imagination

[EmoRarity]

 I have a pair; they are okay 

They're cheap, not the be all end all, but a great place to start and will give you a good enough idea of what most everything else sounds like. 

[Stefky]

I love the crap out of the HE-500, but the 10 minutes I spent with the LCD-2 and LCD-3 in the store won me over. (Albeit the treble on the 500 is just a little to much, I think I prefer a warm/dark sound with rolled off treble)

 

I love that satisfying thump and punchiness they have in the low bass and mids (from both the he-500 and lcd lineup)

I'm not sure if thats how all ortho's are, or what; but it's awesome .

 

For some reason the weight doesn't bug me, it may be because I'm a decently big guy, but I'm not sure.  I thought the weight would bug me at first, and it did for the first few minutes, but after that I got used to it and could wear them all day.

 

It's not clear cut, no, once you get over a few hundred quid it does come down to a matter of taste to an extent - as I just said above I personally, subjectively prefer the cheaper Lambda Staxes to their flagships, although I can objectively appreciate the flagships are technically superior in many ways. 

 

But there is a definite improvement in quality past a certain point. It's one thing saying that people may prefer a £300 headphone to a £1000 one, but to say it "doesn't get much better" than the CX300 isn't something I can agree with.

 

Of course matters of taste come into it to, as well as certain incompetent manufacturers.

 

Ultrasone think "high end" means expensive materials, and turn out headphones that range from utterly ordinary to utter turds for huge sums of money. Companies like Grado and Audio-Technica seem competent enough at the low end, but seem incapable of making high end headphones, despite still putting things out there with high end price tags. Other companies like beyerdynamic seem to do quite well with pro headphones but haven't put out a hifi headphone that didn't have huge glaring problems since the ET1000.

 

When it comes to matters of taste, though, I think it's easier to be objective.

 

For instance - I don't like the HD800. Can't live with the treble. But I can respect that they have achieved some exceptional success with the headphones, having I think the lowest distortion I have ever come across on dynamic headphones, the best sound stage bar none, and incredible speed and response through the mid range. I don't like them, no, but I do think they are worth the money they are asking for the R&D and engineering, for those that do like the frequency response.

 

The SR009 was one of the most amazingly clear and transparent sounding music experiences I have ever had when I auditioned them. Could I live with them? No. A little too much emphasis in the high frequencies for me.

 

But they are excellent headphones that achieve things you just cannot get in cheaper models. Whether I subjectively like their frequency response or not does not change that fact.

[Stefky]

I love the crap out of the HE-500, but the 10 minutes I spent with the LCD-2 and LCD-3 in the store won me over. (Albeit the treble on the 500 is just a little to much, I think I prefer a warm/dark sound with rolled off treble)

 

I love that satisfying thump and punchiness they have in the bass and mids (from both the he-500 and lcd lineup)

I'm not sure if thats how all ortho's are, or what; but it's awesome .

 

For some reason the weight doesn't bug me, it may be because I'm a decently big guy, but I'm not sure.  I thought the weight would bug me at first, and it did for the first few minutes, but after that I got used to it and could wear them all day.

 

Probably depends on your build to an extent. I'm tall, but lanky - long distance runners build. Someone with more of a weight lifters or boxers build is probably better suited to deal with weight on the head.

[Lays]

q

 

 

I never got a long enough time with the HD800, I did play around with it in the store while I was trying the LCD-3/ LCD-2, but the store was very loud and I couldn't get a good listen.

 

They were by far the most clear headphones I've heard in my life, but the bass response was a little lacking for my taste.  I wish the store was quiet so I could of spent more time with em to get a better impression.

 

IMO they felt cheap and plasticy, a bit like a gaming headset in a way. I prefer the heavier sturdy feeling of the LCD series when I messed with em at the store.

[h3ll0]

Sennheiser HD558

[NannerBeans]

I don't think my ears can tell the difference of a headphone better than my modded Fostex. 

[ruitti99]

but they are not good by any strech of the imagination

 I Agree

[Stefky]

I never got a long enough time with the HD800, I did play around with it in the store while I was trying the LCD-3/ LCD-2, but the store was very loud and I couldn't get a good listen.

 

They were by far the most clear headphones I've heard in my life, but the bass response was a little lacking for my taste.  I wish the store was quiet so I could of spent more time with em to get a better impression.

 

IMO they felt cheap and plasticy, a bit like a gaming headset in a way. I prefer the heavier sturdy feeling of the LCD series when I messed with em at the store.

 

In their defence - I attended a presentation by Axel Grell, their designer, and he did address comments about using plastic. Sennheiser had placed no restrictions on his team in terms of materials used - the brief was to make the best dynamic headphones they possibly could. They chose a specially developed ultra rigid plastic as it damped sound to the highest ability in their tests. It's not just normal plastic.

 

The level of detail in every part of the headphone is bewildering. There is even damping material in the headband.

 

Aesthetically speaking though, you can't beat the old school class of wood and leather that the LCDs go with. High end headphones that really look hight end.

[joppetie]

Sennheiser HD 598's.

I really like the comfort and sound quality.

[BoredErica]

In their defence - I attended a presentation by Axel Grell, their designer, and he did address comments about using plastic. Sennheiser had placed no restrictions on his in terms of materials used - the brief was to make the best dynamic headphones they possibly could. They chose a specially developed ultra rigid plastic as it damped sound to the highest ability in their tests. It's not just normal plastic.

 

The level of detail in every part of the headphone is bewildering. There is even damping material in the headband.

 

Aesthetically speaking though, you can't beat the old school class of wood and leather that the LCDs go with. High end headphones that really look hight end.

The only pair of headphones I can think of right now that I think looks better than HD800s IMO are the LCD 2/3s. I like the holes in the wood are made and the slanted earcups which I think looks good. Just by being wood alone is not enough to excite me (there are other wood headphones, all of which I don't really like the look of.) I seem to have a less-popular opinion on headphone aesthetics though. I thought the 600/650s look bad.

 

STAX are nice but boy, some of them look like utter crap.