Looking for TOTL (Top of the Line) Headphone Suggestions

[KaminKevCrew]

Well, I guess the title says it all... Anyway, I'll be working this summer, and it looks like I'll be getting about 2K extra, that I can spend on whatever I want. I would really like to get a pair of top of the line, or end-game headphones. Anyway, I'm pretty well versed in the whole headphone game, but I'm wondering if anyone can provide input on what they would get (but please, only if you've had the opportunity to listen to the pair in question). Basically, there are three categories that I am considering, those being: Open back, Closed back, and Custom in-ear. 

 

N.B. Not everything has to be top of the line, but I think I've about exhausted anything interesting that I would want to listen to in the $500 and less range, so unless you have something especially interesting, yeah... Oh, and for the record, I'm counting Semi-open as closed back.

 

Here's what I've been thinking about:

Closed Back:

• Fostex Th-900
• Fostex Th-600
• Audeze LCD-XC
• Audeze EL-8C
• AudioQuest Nighthawk

Open Back:

• Audeze LCD-2
• Audeze LCD-X
• Audeze LCD-3
• Audeze EL-8
• Hifiman HE-6
• Hifiman HE-560
• Hifiman HE-500
• Koss/Stax Electrostats
• Others

Now, I'm not really looking at the Sennheiser HD800 because I really like bass, and the HD800 just doesn't quite do it for me. The headphones listed are really all I can think of right now. I'm not particularly interested in dynamic drive headphones, since I want to try new things

 

I didn't list CIEMS on Purpose! This is because I already know of what I feel are about 90% of the Ciem manufacturers, and I know what I would be likely to get if I were to go that route (1964EARS Adele A12) Oh, same goes for Universal IEMs, I know what I would want, so I don't need any ideas there.

 

So yeah, if anyone has any other relevant, and interesting suggestions, I'm all ears! (Pun not intended?) I'd really like to make a list, so that I can get a spreadsheet going with all of the relevant info. Let me know what you guys have heard of! (Oh, and I would consider modded headphones, so if there is something really obscure, I still want to hear about it!)

 

I'm not interested in things like the Abyss AB-1266, as they are overpriced, and just not that interesting to me, plus they are way outside of the $2000 mark. 

[ShearMe]

But you already have HD 650... 650 is love, 650 is life!

 

Audeze's sound good , but I didn't like they way they sat on my head. The squishy pads mixed with the overall heavy weight makes them feel floppy. Plus, the open backed models feel like a closed headphone which defeats the purpose imo.

[xtroria]

My friend whom I told you got a ridiculous amount of discount from audeze told me she likes Mr. speakers Ether a bit more compared to LCD-X as it sounds smoother.

 

I think LCD-3 has a bit of a rough transition from mid to upper mid / lower treble. LCD-2 is way too dark for me but YMMV.

 

I seriously love alpha prime and HE-6, but i think we have different sound sig preference as I like a pretty forward treble, which is why i moved from HD600 to K7xx

[KaminKevCrew]

But you already have HD 650... 650 is love, 650 is life!

 

Audeze's sound good , but I didn't like they way they sat on my head. The squishy pads mixed with the overall heavy weight makes them feel floppy. Plus, the open backed models feel like a closed headphone which defeats the purpose imo.

hehehe, I never said I was going to get rid of the 650s! I have a rather large head, and decently strong neck, so the weight, size, etc. really won't bother me. 

My friend whom I told you got a ridiculous amount of discount from audeze told me she likes Mr. speakers Ether a bit more compared to LCD-X as it sounds smoother.

 

I think LCD-3 has a bit of a rough transition from mid to upper mid / lower treble. LCD-2 is way too dark for me but YMMV.

 

I seriously love alpha prime and HE-6, but i think we have different sound sig preference as I like a pretty forward treble, which is why i moved from HD600 to K7xx

Yeah, I like things to have more bass, although I do enjoy treble too, I just need something that can slam, as I like to listen to bass heavy music from time to time, and no slam really ruins it for me. Thanks for reminding me about the Ether! I totally forgot about those!!! (Definitely going on the list) I liked the alpha (prime?) that we heard, but there wasn't a wide enough musical variety on the system for me to get a good sense of them, which is why I'm hesitant about them (oh, and that they are going out of production, although I don't know why that would make much difference to me, other than that I may not be able to get my hands on a new pair, which I would really like to do since I'll have the budget for it.)

[SSL]

Hope you've got an amp that will drive these to their full potential.

[pas008]

not matter what you get you will want something else later

[xtroria]

Hope you've got an amp that will drive these to their full potential.

Come on now, he's a regular here

[SSL]

Come on now, he's a regular here

 

And thus he'll get the joke.

[KaminKevCrew]

Come on now, he's a regular here

And thus he'll get the joke.

As such, I liked said joke :-)

On that note though, I would probably get some amp or another, because I don't like having a sound card all that much. I may just end up using my receiver.

[KaminKevCrew]

not matter what you get you will want something else later

I disagree. Once I find something I really like, I'm happy to keep it for a long time. Regardless, if I had a pair of super high end headphones, I could trade them at least temporarily with just about anything else out there, so it really wouldn't matter if I wanted something else. I'm sure I'd be able to acquire it one way or another!

[Aaranu]

What amp do you have? Ive heard/owned most of whats on the list. Have you demo'd Audeze before, only thing is comfort with them

[KaminKevCrew]

What amp do you have? Ive heard/owned most of whats on the list. Have you demo'd Audeze before, only thing is comfort with them

I've demoed all of the audeze stuff except for the el-8c. I don't currently have anything dedicated, but I'd probably get something decent and external (in the 400-500 range, or so) partly for looks, partly for build quality, but it would probably be mostly because I want something that can sample dsd formats.

[xtroria]

I've demoed all of the audeze stuff except for the el-8c. I don't currently have anything dedicated, but I'd probably get something decent and external (in the 400-500 range, or so) partly for looks, partly for build quality, but it would probably be mostly because I want something that can sample dsd formats.

 

Modi 2 Uber with Asgard 2 perhaps, works well as a hand warmer too 

 

Also, hi @Aaranu , still playing redeployside 2?

[KaminKevCrew]

Modi 2 Uber with Asgard 2 perhaps, works well as a hand warmer too

Also, hi @Aaranu , still playing redeployside 2?

I've been thinking about a schiit stack. I think if I went with audeze cans, I would probably just get their amp/dac unit since it looks pretty cool.

[NannerBeans]

I had one of the very first EL8s when they came out because I preordered from HeadRoom and apparently it might have been defective because I wasn't all too impressed by it. Had to EQ it because the bass was severely lacking. 

[KaminKevCrew]

I had one of the very first EL8s when they came out because I preordered from HeadRoom and apparently it might have been defective because I wasn't all too impressed by it. Had to EQ it because the bass was severely lacking.

the el8 certainly seems to have been having some serious growing pains. I've heard many reports about them having widely varying sound signatures, and various issues. I think it's probably partly because they are the first headphone by audeze that's largely manufactured rather than hand made. I really would like a pair, but I'd definitely wait until all of that was sorted out.

[NannerBeans]

Oh and another note, the Fostex TH600 and TH900 might as well be open because they have pretty much no isolation. It's why I sold my TH600. My endgame is the Oppo PM3 which I'm sticking to from now on. Nothing else really interests me. I've tried pretty much everything there is to try as far as closed headphones are concerned. The only one I haven't tried is the LCD-XC but I don't really think it's worth what it costs. 

[KaminKevCrew]

Oh and another note, the Fostex TH600 and TH900 might as well be open because they have pretty much no isolation. It's why I sold my TH600.

good to know! Thanks! I haven't tried either, so I wasn't aware.

[pas008]

I had one of the very first EL8s when they came out because I preordered from HeadRoom and apparently it might have been defective because I wasn't all too impressed by it. Had to EQ it because the bass was severely lacking. 

what was powering them

[KaminKevCrew]

what was powering them

it shouldn't matter, as they are supposed to be mobile friendly headphones, and I've heard quite a few reports that they sound just fine off of I phones, etc.

[NannerBeans]

what was powering them

o2/odac but not like it really matters. 

[pas008]

o2/odac but not like it really matters. 

why doesnt it matter plz explain

[NannerBeans]

why doesnt it matter plz explain

Because amps don't alter the frequency response. The EL8 was also designed to be driven on mobile devices so it's not that hard to drive. 

[pas008]

Because amps don't alter the frequency response. The EL8 was also designed to be driven on mobile devices so it's not that hard to drive. 

yes but does mobile devices give them the complete juice they can handle? you dont think that affects the response?

 

how much power can they handle 4w?

[NannerBeans]

yes but does mobile devices isnt giving them the complete juice they can handle you dont think that affects the response?

I can't understand what you're saying but no, it will not make a difference. It will sound the same from a phone and an o2/odac. It might be louder on the o2 but it will sound pretty much the same.