A headphone reviewer's reference gear

Why is the market for Wired Closed Back so small. Like you get the same old recommendations or some new headphone release that's really like it or hate it like the Joker. There is no here's the HD600 of the closed back world that is a default recommend. The AKG is close to that but it's cheap, poor build and isn't made to last or replace parts on.

We need these companies to stop pushing just Open Back and Wireless Noise Cancelling. It's so annoying.

So I was wondering, you guys talk a lot about EQ in the reviews but for the average guy its impossible to EQ if you're listening to bit perfect mode, or maybe I am missing something... is there anyway to do it ?

I really enjoy my Elex, for e it works on any genre. looking to try something else now, any iem that compare to the Elex or are in that tier? I have the 7hz timeless, like it, but would like something more holographic.

how about a focal bethis for gaming? competitive?

Got to be the NDH 30 for me and I'm surprised, confused even, why it hasn't been reviewed in this channel.

I was pretty set on buying the Bathys until I saw the rtings review. They scored well everywhere except treble response accuracy, where they got somewhere in the 5s out of 10. Is it really that bad?

I know they are completely different products, but fidelity wise, do you prefer the Maxwell or the Bathys?

I use the K701 as my reference point for other headphones. What I am looking for is soundstage and clarity. While the bass isn't exactly prevalent in them. It is there and I can hear it well into the sub bass tones. I recognize there are better headphones out there. But I have 1000s of hours of listening on the K701 and it helps me to hear what is different when I put on other headphones good or bad.

My absolute reference is the Abyss PHI TC, I use my Audeze LCD-XC for neutral evaluation and in the future I want to master my guitar tracks with it (as soon as I can master the instrument better) and the Airpods Pro are used largely because of the convenience factor.

I once have 12 headphones and i was frustrated over so many different types of sound signature.
Now i only want to keep my life simple and only keep 3.
1) Open Back : Focal Utopia 2022 - For House use
2) Close Back : Focal Stellia - For Office use
3) IEM : Vision Ears Erlkonig - For Travel use

WHY DON'T YOU ASK SOMEBODY TO MAKE HP FOR YOUR PREFERENCE?? WHY CHECK MANY??

Always valuable info. here though already spent my money. Over and over.
Qualities of recordings make or break what I hear.
I wanted another IEM (with already a Westone and a 1More) so iI got a so-so reviewed Fiio FD5.

Are you guys planning to review the new-ish Sony MDR-MV1 monitor headphones?

Hifiman Ananda Stealth ➡Focal Elear➡Sennheiser HD 600/650➡Focal Elegia➡Fostex TR-X00 Mahogany➡Blessing 2➡7hz Timeless

K371 is a phenomenal value in closed backs

emberesing . where is skullcandy cruszer anc 2???

Dude, I have to ask, what is the video camera you filmed the vid with? It's great quality.

BTW, the hd600 is a broken dog & should be deleted from the annals of history - it sucks.

For me it is: Sennheiser HD600 & HD58x for wired; Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless & CX Pus SE true wireless; IKKO OH10 as IEM using portable DAC and for for a quick news check on my notebook I have Sennheiser CX 5.00. Oh, and for gaming it is Sennheiser Game One. Yup, I really like Sennheiser sound signature. :)

That microphone is really in focus. Andrew? Not so much.

denon ah-d9200: closed for intimate listening, noise isolation
he1000 v2 stealth: open back planar for best listening enjoyment
iem: truthear hexa; also koss ksc75 sometimes for portable, gaming
equipment: schiit bifrost 2, monoprice thx 887, xduoo mt-602 with riverstone ge tubes, for tube sound

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 and Nuratrue

I never have any issues with the weight of my LCD-X which is heavier than the MM-500. In my opinion, the LCD-X has a much better tune than the MM-500 or the LCD-5. We have literal polar opposite opinions on what headphones we like, which is okay! I'll wear them all day and don't notice the weight - try hitting the gym! My head is huge too, but the clamp doesn't bother me.

I notice a lack of bass response with almost all the headphones you recommend. If you have ever been to a live concert of almost any genre... the elevated bass is easily the biggest discrepancy between live music and a recording. Since most musicians, at least the professional ones, bring in their own sound. Why do we not try to recreate the "mix" as they intended e.g. more bass? I suppose it all comes down to personal preference, but you can't EQ a live set. Just my 2 cents as a avid concert attendee.

So you only own one headphone yet you are using a $3600 amp? This makes about as much sense as selling swiss cheese by volume.

"Ease of use, form factor, versatility"... summarises what most people are searching for during these fluctuating times. Pretty surprised to know that the one headphone you own is wireless 😅. It seems the future of audio is going in that direction (aptX Lossless is already here), though hopefully they will enable users to replace batteries on expensive wireless headphones. Otherwise, they'll still be disposable luxury items. Thanks for sharing your insightful opinions.

Sennheiser HD6xx and Shure SE215. The two great sets of headphones money can buy lol... I think they are peak value prop and set the bar for me!!!

ear pods the best headphones

jut always wonder which mic setup are you using :)

Til, i own more heaphones than resolve.

the fact that the Bathys is the only headphone Resolve owns is the biggest selling point for me. I will be purchasing these when i go to CanJam SoCal

i use my apple earpods as reference, the bad the good is all there.

I have a problem with this. You only own one set of headphones on your list and they are not audiofile headphones. Most of the headphones on your list are bright in the treble and light in bass. You EQ everything when most audiophiles try not to do this as it results in a non bit perfect signal. I have issues with all of this.

Arya organic will be another option too ?For me items are better for this job but the problem is how we perceive bass in comparison with the over ear ones.Bass straight frequency graph from my experience isn t equivalent to the bass you perceive from a linear bass over ear headphone.This needs time and experiments to find out the real matching but once you achieve it I think you can probably find iems that sound close to susvara LCD 5 with mutch less money and greater portability usability..I think in the near future we will get there at some point

My studio choice is the AKG712 (open backed) with Sonarworks which noticably gives tighter lower end and a better balanced frequency range - the result is 'clean/accurate and precise'. My daily use is the Rode NTH100 (closed back) - superb value here in the Anitipodes, and the 'cooling' ear pads are great in this climate - they are very unhyped, quite 'plain' sounding which is a good way to check that my writing/performance contains a decent amount of intrinsic dynamic range and vibe.

Anytime about reviewing the Shure Srh1540?

As for etymotics, have you tried the pink foam tips available on their website as after-market? They're the smaller size, so should fit the in-ear canal better and allow to listen for longer. Only issue is, you do need to clean them often, and even if you do, for daily use they last like 2-3 months at best at which point the foam hardens too much to bear and starts to hurt on insertion / taking out, at least in my case.
And yes, talking / eating with them is a huge no-go, or it will hurt as well.

When you talk about headphones, you need to talk about what amp and sources. My reference headphones are HD600 paired with OTL tube amp woo audio WA3, Topping E30 DAC. That’s it. Enjoy the music.

Gamers Nexus has entered the chat.

Saved up for Focal Elear. Bought on eBay. Left channel stopped working after a few months. Got in touch with manufacturer. They said they could replace drivers for £400. Very disappointed as I thought expensive headphones would be better made.

Verité is reference.

Surrprised Audeze Maxwell was not mentioned,.

I try to go for sightly different sounds, but not at the expense of enjoyment. My "benchmark" for a fun, dynamic, open back headphone is the Focal Elear with fenestrated Dekoni pads.

When I want stay in that fun, dynamic space but need to go with a closed back option instead, I swap to the Sony MDR-Z1R.

My go-to for an open back planar is the Edition XS. I love that thing and I find the bang for buck quite hard to beat.

For noisy places that really require ANC or when I'm on-the-go, I use the Sony WH1000X5.

I've held on to the Harmonicdyne Zeus (w/ Beyerdynamic EDT 990V pads) because it's just such a silky smooth delight to listen to.

I'm curious about the Arya Organic and the HE1000 Stealth as my next step up in the planar department, but I haven't had a chance to sample them yet.

Stellia

I own too much stuff. Stellia, elex, liric, hd650, beyer t1 mk2, ier z1r, u12t, lcd i4. However, since I bought the audeze maxwell I’ve been using that for everything from work meetings, gaming to music listening. It’s a bargain for its price. I might try and sell some of my other things

I like these videos, but I’m going through Resolve weekend livestream withdrawals.

Why the full size openbacks measure like shit compare to the iems? I dont talk about FR shape in general but more about ,,so many,, peaks or uneven surface, no smooth line of the FR...

How many DB's do you boost the bass on the HD600?

Good morning guys,

I‘ve listened to many headphones in a pricerange up to 1,5k (€ obviously…i life in europe) and owned a few personally. Kind a like the same on amps and dacs…

In the end mostly i recommend Hifimans 4XX or Sennheiser 6XX from drop, to ppl how ask to begin with and a topping DX3 or JDS Labs amp/dac. To me it’s a great starting point under 500.

Personally i‘m ended up with a Aune X1s GT as amp/dac and a pair of Austrian Audio Hi-X60 closed back phones…this pair fits my listening style the most. Listening to r&b, soul, funk, melodic jazz, hiphop and electronic music…sometimes to a little bit of rock/punk…
The warm, natural and also neutral sound of this pair fits perfectly into this kind of music in my opinion.

I just want more hjahahaha

My reference point is hd650 and sony xm4. I don’t have a bright tuning preference. I prefer the timbre and warm sound of hd650 and for xm4 it is what sound you can get from commercial bluetooth. But i do like airpods and find myself using it more on the go than xm4s. But my fave headphone is Focal clear right now

lol "I prefer not apple" got a like from me

I used to use different headphones for different things, Drop PC38X for gaming, AKG K701 for music, and Denon AH-MM400 when I needed a more portable closed back. Then, a year ago I bought a pair of Hifiman Edition XS and EQed them with Resolve's settings, and since then I haven't used any of my other headphones. I like the XS better for everything I do, and I find them more comfortable, although the build quality leaves a bit to be desired. One day those new Hifiman Arya Organic's may replace them though, as they seem like a nice step up. Any review of those in the works?