DavidMahler
Headphoneus Supremus
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Battle Of The Flagships (58 Headphones Compared)
- Thread starter DavidMahler
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- sennheiser-orpheus-he-90 sennheiser-hd-800-headphones sennheiser-hd-600 denon-ah-d7000-headphones grado-hp-1000 sennheiser-hd-700-headphone ultrasone-edition-8 shure-se530-sound-isolating-earphones grado-rs-2i westone-4-true-fit-earphones audeze-lcd2-planar-magnetic-headphones akg-k501 akg-k-702-headphones grado-hp-2 akg-k1000 ultrasone-edition-10 westone-um3x audio-technica-w5000 stax-sr-sr-omega westone-es-5 mrspeakers-mad-dog-t50rp-mod beyerdynamic-dt880s stax-sr-007-mk2 alessandro-ms-pro hifiman-he-400 stax-sr-009-electrostatic-headphones sennheiser-ie-8-in-ear-headphones grado-rs1 grado-ps1000-headphones stax-sr-007-omega-ii-open-back-electrostatic-earspeaker
tacky187
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MHOE said:
Pot calling the kettle black much?
Originally Posted by MHOE
Maybe I should start to post emoticons and pictures all the time as well...?
Maybe then it would be bearable. My eyes are bleeding after reading the last several pages, yet all I can take from it is that Siri has somehow infiltrated Head Fi...
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Sorry David and everyone else for my own thread hijack; I couldn't take any more. Time to drink some 2006 Cabernet while Jeff Buckley speaks to me from beyond the grave.
DavidMahler
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Quote:
Coincidentally, it is Jeff's birthday on the day we write this. He woulda been 46 years old today.
Sorry David and everyone else for my own thread hijack; I couldn't take any more. Time to drink some 2006 Cabernet while Jeff Buckley speaks to me from beyond the grave.
Coincidentally, it is Jeff's birthday on the day we write this. He woulda been 46 years old today.
Focker
Headphoneus Supremus
So nice to see some J.Buckley love...what an amazing talent. His version of Hallelujah is my favorite song of all time. That and Lilac Wine are two of my reference tracks that I use to evaluate gear.
Wish the guy would have stuck around a bit longer....
Wish the guy would have stuck around a bit longer....
DavidMahler
Headphoneus Supremus
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Quote:
yeah, he was something special, among the most emotive vocalists I've ever heard in any genre. I read once that he met his fiance (a violinist) at a performance of Mahler's 2nd Symphony. Always thought that was cool.
yeah, he was something special, among the most emotive vocalists I've ever heard in any genre. I read once that he met his fiance (a violinist) at a performance of Mahler's 2nd Symphony. Always thought that was cool.
Kendoji
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This thread is incredible. Well, the last few pages not so much, but ok.
I'm finding myself irresistibly drawn to getting either the LCD-2 or the HE-500, largely thanks to this thread. It'll be a fairly sizeable investment as I'll need a new amp as well, but heck since my girlfriend and I broke up a few weeks ago at least I don't have to justify it to anyone. We had a running joke where she'd ask me 'Ok how much did that cost?' And I'd reply, 'Well before I answer that question...' and then go into a long and detailed explanation about how whatever I'd bought was actually terrific value and a sensible purchasing decision.
I'm even finding myself tempted by the LCD-3... I'll take my time making the decision.
Does anyone else find that they spend more time reading about headphones than actually listening to them? If I could just cut out the purchasing and listening altogether and stick with reading, I could probably retire in a few years!
I'm finding myself irresistibly drawn to getting either the LCD-2 or the HE-500, largely thanks to this thread. It'll be a fairly sizeable investment as I'll need a new amp as well, but heck since my girlfriend and I broke up a few weeks ago at least I don't have to justify it to anyone. We had a running joke where she'd ask me 'Ok how much did that cost?' And I'd reply, 'Well before I answer that question...' and then go into a long and detailed explanation about how whatever I'd bought was actually terrific value and a sensible purchasing decision.
I'm even finding myself tempted by the LCD-3... I'll take my time making the decision.
Does anyone else find that they spend more time reading about headphones than actually listening to them? If I could just cut out the purchasing and listening altogether and stick with reading, I could probably retire in a few years!
Quote:
Agreed! Of course reading such valuable reviews like these make a huge part of our research. Of course you research first then evaluate and then you purchase
I would very much like to avoid the buyers remorse (which I kind of have since I bought the Pro 900) So I want to make sure it won happen next tie, reading thoroughly everything related to my future pair of cans. I can also very much recommend the HE-5LE, the subject of the last few pages
That is if you want to use a speaker amp... IMO I dont see any points why not - they are usually a lot cheaper than headphone amps and for their value (mostly) perform exceptionally well
Just my two cent though. Enjoy your freedom
This thread is incredible. Well, the last few pages not so much, but ok.
I'm finding myself irresistibly drawn to getting either the LCD-2 or the HE-500, largely thanks to this thread. It'll be a fairly sizeable investment as I'll need a new amp as well, but heck since my girlfriend and I broke up a few weeks ago at least I don't have to justify it to anyone. We had a running joke where she'd ask me 'Ok how much did that cost?' And I'd reply, 'Well before I answer that question...' and then go into a long and detailed explanation about how whatever I'd bought was actually terrific value and a sensible purchasing decision.
I'm even finding myself tempted by the LCD-3... I'll take my time making the decision.
Does anyone else find that they spend more time reading about headphones than actually listening to them? If I could just cut out the purchasing and listening altogether and stick with reading, I could probably retire in a few years!
Agreed! Of course reading such valuable reviews like these make a huge part of our research. Of course you research first then evaluate and then you purchase
I would very much like to avoid the buyers remorse (which I kind of have since I bought the Pro 900) So I want to make sure it won happen next tie, reading thoroughly everything related to my future pair of cans. I can also very much recommend the HE-5LE, the subject of the last few pages
That is if you want to use a speaker amp... IMO I dont see any points why not - they are usually a lot cheaper than headphone amps and for their value (mostly) perform exceptionally well Just my two cent though. Enjoy your freedom
tacky187
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Quote:
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+1
As I got into this hobby and finally landed some nice gear, I found myself going through so many albums to re-hear them with the setup, as I am sure most of us do. I decided to give Grace a spin not expecting much, considering I have listened to it literally hundreds of times over the years. I was absolutely blown away. Last Goodbye (the song playing in my car when I learned of his death), Hallelujah, Lilac Wine, Lover You Should Have Come Over - I truly felt like I was *there* getting a personal concert; I was moved and found myself teary eyed by the end of the album.
I just hope that among all of these discussions and debates, we don't lose track that this all about what connects us better to the music we love; and makes us appreciate what an amazing gift music really is.
Quote:
+1
As I got into this hobby and finally landed some nice gear, I found myself going through so many albums to re-hear them with the setup, as I am sure most of us do. I decided to give Grace a spin not expecting much, considering I have listened to it literally hundreds of times over the years. I was absolutely blown away. Last Goodbye (the song playing in my car when I learned of his death), Hallelujah, Lilac Wine, Lover You Should Have Come Over - I truly felt like I was *there* getting a personal concert; I was moved and found myself teary eyed by the end of the album.
I just hope that among all of these discussions and debates, we don't lose track that this all about what connects us better to the music we love; and makes us appreciate what an amazing gift music really is.
donunus
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DavidMahler,
You were saying on your stax 507 review that you also heard the 407 and the 404LE... Can you give a short rundown on the differences between these three? Thanks
You were saying on your stax 507 review that you also heard the 407 and the 404LE... Can you give a short rundown on the differences between these three? Thanks
Mp0wer
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Man what a review, i would love to try out the hi-fi man 500
DavidMahler
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Quote:
I haven't heard either the 407 or 404LE in over 2 years and even when I did, it was for a very short time (at meets) so I don't feel that I'm qualified in detailing differences. I can tell you however that based on my first impressions of each (the 404LE, 407, 507), I recall being most impressed with the 404LE. Of course, in the long term this could mean nothing since the HD800 left a lukewarm impression on me the first time I heard it, and now it is one of my favorites. But that's really all I can say about the differences.
I haven't heard either the 407 or 404LE in over 2 years and even when I did, it was for a very short time (at meets) so I don't feel that I'm qualified in detailing differences. I can tell you however that based on my first impressions of each (the 404LE, 407, 507), I recall being most impressed with the 404LE. Of course, in the long term this could mean nothing since the HD800 left a lukewarm impression on me the first time I heard it, and now it is one of my favorites. But that's really all I can say about the differences.
donunus
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Alright thanks David
DavidMahler
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Quote:
All three headphones are fantastic though. I love the SR507. I in fact use them no less than the SR 007 Mk2
All three headphones are fantastic though. I love the SR507. I in fact use them no less than the SR 007 Mk2
Terja
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Battle of the Flagships Value Chart
Thanks again David for setting out to do this comparative review and sharing your thoughts. I took the liberty of converting your ranking of the first twenty-five headphones into a value chart based on the cost of the headphone (averaged out for any ranges). The following is a graphical representation of what I came up with:
For the sake of posterity here is how I arrived at the figures:
Value points = Ranking Points / Cost Points
Ranking points: Highest ranking = 25 points; Lowest ranking = 1 point
Cost points: $1000 = 1 point.
Examples:
Using this format the Sennheiser HE90 had cost points of 9 and ranking points of 25. The resulting value points was 2.8 (25 / 9).
Hifiman's HE-500 had cost points of 0.7 and ranking points of 10 resulting in value points of 14.3 and so forth and so forth for the other headphones.
Comments:
Based on the chart the highest value points using David's figures went to the HE Audio Jade ranked # 7. I think this reflects a bit of an anomaly because of the allocated cost (gulp ... which due to David's very review will definitely go up). The HE Audio Jade had cost points of 1.2 ($1200) and ranking points of 19 which gave value points of 15.8.
The next closest value points was 14.3 for the Hifiman HE-500 ranked # 16 by David. This jives with David's allocation of an A+ rating to the HE-500.
The stand out headphones were as follows:
Sennheiser HD800 / Ranking # 6 / Value Points 13.3
HE Audio Jade / Ranking # 7 / Value Points 15.8
Hifiman HE-6 / Ranking # 9 / Value Points 13.1
Audez'e LCD-2 / Ranking # 12 / Value Points 14
Stax SR-Sigma / Ranking # 15 / Value Points 13.8
Hifiman HE-500 / Ranking # 16 / Value Points 14.3
Sennheiser HD650 / Ranking # 20 / Value Points 12
Sennheiser HD600 / Ranking # 21 / Value Points 12.5
Among the stand-outs it is worth noting that the only out-of-production headphones from the preceding list are the HE Audio Jade and the Stax SR-Sigma. This means that are several great headphones currently available to pick from to access world-class sound at still somewhat reasonable cost.
As easy to tell from the graph, David's highest ranked phones scored poorly in terms of value. They are all out-of production and cost a great deal. Based on the review listing, the highest ranked (sound-wise) currently available headphone is the Sennheiser HD800 (of course some may beg to differ with that ranking); but the highest ranked currently available in terms of value points (which of course incorporates sound) is the HE-500.
For someone in the market for headphones the targets are easy to highlight. Any one among the stand-outs listed above would do the trick. Question is: what kind of sound signature are you after and how much do you want to squash your wallet? Oh yeah ... sorry about that wallet.
(edited: correction on HD650 and HD600 ranking)
Thanks again David for setting out to do this comparative review and sharing your thoughts. I took the liberty of converting your ranking of the first twenty-five headphones into a value chart based on the cost of the headphone (averaged out for any ranges). The following is a graphical representation of what I came up with:
For the sake of posterity here is how I arrived at the figures:
Value points = Ranking Points / Cost Points
Ranking points: Highest ranking = 25 points; Lowest ranking = 1 point
Cost points: $1000 = 1 point.
Examples:
Using this format the Sennheiser HE90 had cost points of 9 and ranking points of 25. The resulting value points was 2.8 (25 / 9).
Hifiman's HE-500 had cost points of 0.7 and ranking points of 10 resulting in value points of 14.3 and so forth and so forth for the other headphones.
Comments:
Based on the chart the highest value points using David's figures went to the HE Audio Jade ranked # 7. I think this reflects a bit of an anomaly because of the allocated cost (gulp ... which due to David's very review will definitely go up). The HE Audio Jade had cost points of 1.2 ($1200) and ranking points of 19 which gave value points of 15.8.
The next closest value points was 14.3 for the Hifiman HE-500 ranked # 16 by David. This jives with David's allocation of an A+ rating to the HE-500.
The stand out headphones were as follows:
Sennheiser HD800 / Ranking # 6 / Value Points 13.3
HE Audio Jade / Ranking # 7 / Value Points 15.8
Hifiman HE-6 / Ranking # 9 / Value Points 13.1
Audez'e LCD-2 / Ranking # 12 / Value Points 14
Stax SR-Sigma / Ranking # 15 / Value Points 13.8
Hifiman HE-500 / Ranking # 16 / Value Points 14.3
Sennheiser HD650 / Ranking # 20 / Value Points 12
Sennheiser HD600 / Ranking # 21 / Value Points 12.5
Among the stand-outs it is worth noting that the only out-of-production headphones from the preceding list are the HE Audio Jade and the Stax SR-Sigma. This means that are several great headphones currently available to pick from to access world-class sound at still somewhat reasonable cost.
As easy to tell from the graph, David's highest ranked phones scored poorly in terms of value. They are all out-of production and cost a great deal. Based on the review listing, the highest ranked (sound-wise) currently available headphone is the Sennheiser HD800 (of course some may beg to differ with that ranking); but the highest ranked currently available in terms of value points (which of course incorporates sound) is the HE-500.
For someone in the market for headphones the targets are easy to highlight. Any one among the stand-outs listed above would do the trick. Question is: what kind of sound signature are you after and how much do you want to squash your wallet? Oh yeah ... sorry about that wallet.
(edited: correction on HD650 and HD600 ranking)
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