[grkn]

I've had a few headphones, mostly driven by my UDAC 2, but have also played around with various Chinese amps, from the top of my head:

AKG 700 - Great soundstage, but too lacking in bass.
Denon D2000 - Overall great, but a bit cumbersome and not the best value for money.
Sennheiser HD600 - Somewhat boring, might not have had the right amp for it at the time.
Grado SR60 - Ouch.
Audio Technica M50 - Good sound, but lacking in sound stage and a bit bulky, ears got clammy.
Superlux HD 668B - Good sound stage and bass, too much and too grainy treble for me, not that comfy.
Sennheiser HD202 - Was actually happy with these for a while, very light and comfortable with a nice amount of isolation, the udac 2 drove them well.
But then something happened, a friend of mine made a facebook post with the title "What's your favorite headphone", unleashing a can of worms.

I listen to contemporary techno, different forms of house music, r & b, rock, acoustic music, ambient, metal, funk, nu disco, old disco, country, lately even some classical - i.e. a lot of very different stuff, so I need a good all rounder!

I want a comfortable headphone that also gets me excited about the nuances in music, I value FUN over absolute neutrality, which is why I've narrowed my search down to the CAL and the X1, both seem perfectly suited for what I want. Both potentially new end game phones for me. I do have an AC unit in my room that makes a fair bit of noise, so some noise isolation would be great, ideally not sacrificing too much sound stage, the CAL seems like a good choice for this.

CAL is only $70, offers some noise isolation and is light weight, but has somewhat mediocre build quality and looks. From what I gather it has a similar fun sound signature to the X1, but concerned it won't make me as excited about listening to music.
X1 I can find for $180 used in v good condition, sounds like it sounds amazing, only concerned about comfort due to their heavier weight and the price is a factor.

Other contenders, AKG K550 - soundstage + noise isolation = win? But are they as fun and easy to drive? Hifiman HE-400? 

Anyways, vs the CAL is the X1 worth an extra $100 (to you)? And if, why.



 

 

[c64]

The cals are a budget closed headphone with a small soundstage the x1 annihilate them in every aspect.

 

[grkn]

But with the X1s I can still hear my AC.. I guess the AKG K550 might be a better contender, but maybe not as fun as the CALS is still 3 times the cost - anyone?

 

[c64]

Over here cals are £50 akg k550 are £99 I'd get the cals they are the best around £50 ish
 
How much are the logitech UE6000 where you are ? they are a good alternative next best i'd say dt770 80 OHM

 

[grkn]

So I did some more digging, the UE6000 can be had for 50 bucks refurbished. Otherwise the Brainwavz HM5 or equivalent can be had for $80 brand new! So in terms of value we are looking at

CAL VS UE6000 VS HM5 

If I had a silent room I'd def get the X1, but since I don't Im afraid Ill need to look for a closed or semi closed design.

 

[OMGLadyGaga]

Superlux Evo

 

[Mad Max]

I recommend HD380pro (not 280), Creative Aurvana Live! 2, and DT770pro-80 in place of the Creative Aurvana Live! and UE6000. Hopefully you can find one for less than an X1, they are all fine closed headphones. I recommend the Beyerdynamic above the others, then HD380.

HD380 has a balanced sound similar to K701, but has more and punchier bass. It is also more forgiving of mediocre recordings and equipment, the AKG is rather merciless at that. CAL!2 is an improved version of the CAL! with relatively balanced midrange and treble and very fun, clear, and abundant bass. The DT770 rules with the clearest sound of the bunch, bigger soundstage than the other closed headphones mentioned, and awesome comfort. It is a bit less of an all-rounder than the others with its strong bass and treble, but it will do a decent to great job with whatever music you make it tackle.

 

[dakanao]

The CAL's sound clearly better than the Philips X1 unamped.