[GREQ]

A few new entries and new mods needed a significant reshuffle
 
Open back headphones: (mostly modified)
1 - NAD RP18 (Kapton)
2 - Hifiman HE500 
3 - Beyerdynamic DT880M +EF800 Monitor adapter (unmodified)
4 - Philips SHP8900
5 - Trio KH83
6 - Technics EAH-820
7 - Fostex T10
8 - Sennheiser PMX100 (unmodified)
9 - Grado SR80
10  Wega DSH-500 (unmodified)
11  Koss PortaPro (unmodified)
12 Technics EAH-320 (unmodified)
13  AKG K1  (unmodified)
 
Closed backs: (most of these I rate somewhere between the HE-500 and KH83)
1 - JVC HA-D990
2 - Sennheiser Momentum (M1) /  JVC MX10-B  / JVC HA-D810 (joint 2nd, too difficult to chose a clear winner)
3 - Beyerdynamic DT790 (headset - I use for gaming)
4 - Panasonic HD10
5 - Panasonic RP-HX650-K 
6 - Onkyo ES-HF300
7 - Skullcandy Aviator 2
 
IEMs:
1 - Philips SHE9900 (I would rank this somewhere around SHP8900 and JVC MX10-B)
(big gap)
2 - Atomic Floyd HidefJax
3 - Beyerdynamic DX 160 iE (incurable driver flex)
4 - Yamaha EPH-30BL
5 - Sony MH750
6 - Sennheiser CX300II
7 - I-TEC T5558 Lethal audio high performance earsubs
8 - I-TEC T5556 Lethal audio high performance earsubs

 

[BucketInABucket]

Might as well follow in GREG's footsteps!
 
Sound rating:

• NAD RP18
• Mr Speakers Alpha Prime
• The Bucket (Fostex T10 diaphragms between T20v2 magnets in DiY wooden cups)
• Flare Audio R2Pro
• Wharfedale ID1
• Beyerdynamic DT-880/2003
• Yamaha YH-100
• Pioneer Monitor-10
• Yamaha YHD-1 drivers in JVC HP-1000
• Fostex T20v1
• Yamaha HP-1
• Fostex T10
• Beyerdynamic DT-770/1981
• Yamaha YH-1
• AKG K7xx
• Sennheiser HD25 ALU
• Yamaha YHD-2

 
Usage rating:

• The Bucket
• Beyerdynamic DT-880/2003
• Pioneer Monitor-10
• Flare Audio R2Pro
• Yamaha YHD-1 drivers in JVC HP-1000

 
​​
Nothing else gets used, mostly due to comfort reasons in the case of the RP18 and no reason to for the others as I use speakers a lot more than any of the cans I have now.

 

[snorbans]

Stax SR3
Xtz divine

A small collection for sure one pair for portability one to remind me that portability is an over rated virtue

 

[GREQ]

Sound rating:

• NAD RP18

​​
Nothing else gets used, mostly due to comfort reasons in the case of the RP18 and no reason to for the others as I use speakers a lot more than any of the cans I have now.

Slap on some Denon 2000/5000/7000 replacement earpads onto those NADs. (even the half-decent cheap chinese knock-offs will do)
You won't regret it.

 

[BucketInABucket]

  Slap on some Denon 2000/5000/7000 replacement earpads onto those NADs. (even the half-decent cheap chinese knock-offs will do)
You won't regret it.

It's mainly cause the RP18s are a little too small for my head and not the pads, unfortunately!

 

[takato14]

 
Slap on some Denon 2000/5000/7000 replacement earpads onto those NADs. (even the half-decent cheap chinese knock-offs will do)
You won't regret it.

It's mainly cause the RP18s are a little too small for my head and not the pads, unfortunately!

That wasn't just me, then. I had to use the stock headband at max size with bigger pads.

 

[GREQ]

It's mainly cause the RP18s are a little too small for my head and not the pads, unfortunately!

That wasn't just me, then. I had to use the stock headband at max size with bigger pads.

Same here... the headband is tiny.
The larger the ear pads you put on will by extension make the headband larger too.

 

[BucketInABucket]

That wasn't just me, then. I had to use the stock headband at max size with bigger pads.

  Same here... the headband is tiny.
The larger the ear pads you put on will by extension make the headband larger too.

I couldn't wear them for longer than 5 minutes as a result. Tak's TH-600 headband idea is very captivating though...

 

[takato14]

Sound rating:

1. NAD RP18

​​
Nothing else gets used, mostly due to comfort reasons in the case of the RP18 and no reason to for the others as I use speakers a lot more than any of the cans I have now.

Slap on some Denon 2000/5000/7000 replacement earpads onto those NADs.

Yes, yes, and more yes. These pads sound insane on the RP18. If the stock headband wasn't ****, I'dve just slapped these pads on over the stock pads and been done with it.

 

[MKTRV6]

Well, this is somewhat amplifier dependent, so I'm just averaging my rankings at an overall level across the different amps used.  Some are better with one amp or another and wanted to account for that factor.
 
Here we go:
 
1. Beyerdynamic T1 (cube mod)
2. Beyerdynamic DT-880/600
3. Sennheiser HD-424 (just love this vintage can, so clear!)
4. Sennheiser HD-600
5. Audio-Technica ATH-M50xbl (my "go-to" portable can)
6. Sennheiser HD-420 (a bit too bass heavy for my taste)
7. AKG-240 Studio
 
 
I know Beyers are a love/hate thing for the Head-Fi crowd, but I'm one that loves that sound.  The T1 was a bit hot in the treble for sure before the cube mod.  I played around with materials and shapes until the sound was optimized to my ears.  The HD-424 is a surprise to many people that have a listen.  It looks old fashioned and funky, but through the Woo WA2 it's magic.  It's a 2,000 ohm pair of phones (no, that's not a misprint), so a smartphone or low power amp isn't going to bring these to life.  With the proper power though, they are still a joy to listen to after all these years! 

 

[takato14]

here we ******* go boys
 
1: HiFiMAN HE-6
2: NAD RP18 Mylar
3: Sansui SS-100
4: Pioneer Monitor 10-II
 
Just finished mods on the mylar NADs after weeks (if not months) of sitting in a box. They strike a pleasing middle ground between the Sansui (tonality) and HE-6 (accuracy) that is so far very addicting. Its also more comfortable than either as it's using pads and a headband from a Fostex TH600. I'm really excited to go into more detail on this headphone but alas, it is 5:30 in the morning and my phone is dead as a doornail. Time for bed.

 

[canali]

sub'd...i'm only getting into midfi gear so this sounds like a fun thread.

 

[Jackson9696]

1. Audioquest Nighthawk
2. Ultrasone edition 8
3. Grado gs1000i
4. Fad pandora hope vi
5. Sony xb1000
6. Grado rs1 buttoned
7. Grado rs1

 

[Hi-Fi EDU]

1) Audioquest Nighthawk (...another NH fan)
Tied @ 2) TH-X00 Mahogany (Gone)   =   NuForce HEM6 IEM
3) HE-400i v2 (Gone)
4) K7XX (Gone)
5) Sennheiser PX100 (OG!; Still standing but plug is bent 

)
6) MSR7 (Gone)
7) Takstar HI2050 (Gone)
8) SE215-CL IEM (Gone)

 

[petehb]

1 - Sennheiser PX100IIi
2 - Shure SRH145m+
3 - Sennheiser HD2.10
4 - Sony MDR-W08

Like lightweight portable for all uses