[trix3072]

So I've searched a lot and narrowed into ADX5000, TH909, HD800s, Empyrean, and Arya.. I'm planning to plug it into my EL AMP 2(with G6 DAC). So I'm not worried about the power. I want a sound signature between Balanced and V-Shaped. Can I get some recommendations? Thanks.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

That doesn't feel like it's narrowed down very much. Some of those headphones are quite different. What kind of music?

 

[trix3072]

That doesn't feel like it's narrowed down very much. Some of those headphones are quite different. What kind of music?

OMG I didn't mention that...
I usually listen to Hip-Hop, EDM, Pop, Rock, and a bit of TSFH songs..

 

[gimmeheadroom]

If you want V shape then HD 800/S is out. Any specific reason you want open? TH900 might be pretty amazing for most of what you like and it has a slight V shape. I have Sapphires so it may be less of a V than on the Red TH900s.

 

[trix3072]

If you want V shape then HD 800/S is out. Any specific reason you want open? TH900 might be pretty amazing for most of what you like and it has a slight V shape. I have Sapphires so it may be less of a V than on the Red TH900s.

I thought the open back headphones would give me better soundstage and overall..and can you tell me what kind of sound signature the Hd800s has? I thought it was V-shapey... Also, which one gives the best positional/directional audio?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

You're right, open headphones generally have better soundstage. I have the original not the S version, it's mostly linear but with a spike in the 6-10 KHz range. I don't game but I have read that gamers think they're great for gaming because you can pick up the positions and directions. But, since you like Hip hop, EDM, etc. I don't recommend the 800 because although the quality of the bass is great it is not as impactful as other headphones. The TH900 is not really closed so the soundstage is better than you might expect.

I don't know about the other cans but you could look for the mega threads for the Empy and Arya and ask the guys for their opinions on those.

 

[Stereo Skunk]

I thought the open back headphones would give me better soundstage and overall..and can you tell me what kind of sound signature the Hd800s has? I thought it was V-shapey... Also, which one gives the best positional/directional audio?

Forgive me but you seem new to this and you seem to have ignored what I've tried to explain to you before.

"Soundstage" likely depends on both reverberation in the recording and any 'tricks' the headphone engineering uses to simulate the FR and directionality. A headphone can begin to imitate (poorly) something that sounds distant, even if the recording was completely close-miked and mixed forward, begging the question of whether forcing it distant is desirable.

The majority of headphone 'directionality' is left right. I have really not ever experienced convincing frontal localization and the closest I ever got was the SR1a, which then did not L/R direction. I don't know if you think these high-end headphones will magically somehow make things sound convincingly and realistically like they're coming from a specific direction and distance. They haven't in my experience. The ear and brain are hard to fool.

Few Hip-Hop, EDM, Pop, and Rock have acoustics in their recordings. As I've said previously, this desire to have "soundstage" seems to conflict with your genre choices because the majority of this music is compressed, and/or close miked, and/or not miked at all with incredibly stuffed and in-your-face mixing. To me, that does not sound like it will or needs soundstage. (nor will it need "detail retrieval", if I'm being frank) Do you know what soundstage is? I'm not even sure I do and I've been in this hobby for years.

When something is distant it typically doesn't have that much bass, and especially doesn't have a lot of upper bass and lower mids. When the brain hears these it sounds very close to you. Unfortunately headphone engineers are limited in the way they can engineer the headphone to reach a particular frequency response. You may have to choose. Do you want bass or an artificial sense of distance?

Based on your genres, I would relax the requirement for sound stage, and perhaps focus on a headphone that "gets the bass right". I think the Hifiman and Fostex offerings you listed seem in the right direction. Do not discount Bose, Sony and Beats offerings. They are geared toward the mainstream, and the mainstream, by definition, listens to Pop and Hip-hop.

But, if your interest is in exploring what 'everyone is talking about' in terms of soundstage. I would get both the HD800 and the Fostex TH-900, like what @gimmieheadroom suggested, and you will have both an open and closed pair of headphones, that covers a wider variety of use cases and probably music. You may find both don't meet your needs, and you will begin to see why we're all addicted and money-losing junkies trying to try every new headphone that comes along.

 

[AlonTZ]

I thought the open back headphones would give me better soundstage and overall..and can you tell me what kind of sound signature the Hd800s has? I thought it was V-shapey... Also, which one gives the best positional/directional audio?

More than what a Headphone can do - it is also the CABLE and the AMP.
Try Palladium cable and HQ amp like FLUX / HeadAmp / Benchmark / Sparkos you will feel/hear the difference in the stage.
I prefer the same - sounds that will NOT be in my head so recently i got here the CENTRANCE M8 V2 , i could not believe how good it sounded with the HD800s and the TH900!
So you should try this little gem too.
Fostex have more options to tune the sounds - whether with the Pads and with the Foam filters.