I got a chance to try them at home last year and they are worth the price of admission IMO if you like HD 6X0 series
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THE WATERCOOLER HEADPHONE EDITION – Headphones, Amps, DACs, and desktop/home audio related – a freewheeling discussion of gear, impressions, music, and musings.
- Thread starter goldwerger
- Start date
Pharmaboy
Headphoneus Supremus
I also abandoned closed backs for similar reasons (primarily, migraine; secondarily, tinnitus). That meant selling my Eikon, a sad day. That was a mind-blowing headphone. Not without its little flaws, but great sound.Stopped listening to closed-backs when I realized that like IEMs, they aggravate my tinnitus. I do make an exception when I’m in an airplane, and I’ll break out the Beyer t5p v2 (not that they’re my favorite closed-back, but they’re the one I have - a holdover from days as a micro-headphone-dealer).
It was quitting the IEMs that always had me looking at the original Watercooler thread thinking, “Those guys have all the fun.” So thanks for starting up this thread!
Anyway, I couldn't bring myself to sell the Ori. Now I'm very glad I didn't. Love that headphone to pieces--more to the point, I realized CB planars don't aggravate my ears/head as much as CB dynamics. Probably something to do with planars' lower distortion, black background, and different type of note propagation (just guessing).
I'm listening on & off to the loaner Caldera Closed, which like the Caldera Open is very impressive. I'm being careful with it. So far, so good.
Heard the Atrium Closed a couple times at CanJam. Now, there's a lovely sound.
Pharmaboy
Headphoneus Supremus
$$ is a factor, no doubt.Looks nice, would love to try it out someday. But the price is too high imo, especially because of shipping and customs on top. I paid 300 Euros for my HD 600, brand new, with two year-warranty.
For now I'll wait for the OAE1 (and hope customs won't make me pay again for it)
I reviewed Jupiter Lee's reimagining of the HD650 several years ago, comparing it to a stock HD650, which I hadn't heard until then. I liked the stock model a lot, but the JAR650 was on an entirely different level. The man really knows what he's doing.
AudioDuck
Headphoneus Supremus
I have to say the one-two punch of the Verité Closed and Atrium Closed is a wonderful combo. My plan to buy the Caldera Closed to complete a ZMF “Holy Trinity” is pure hedonism and over the top, but I’m doing it anyway…Would love to learn what are others’ favorite closed back headphones are..
I’ve been fortunate enough to own the Audeze LCD-XC, Focal Radiance, and Focal Stellia, and the ZMFs are simply a better fit with my taste in sound.
As a bonus, the dynamic-driver ZMFs are (of course) ridiculously good with tubes, and OTL-based tube amps in particular.
I would love to try the Sony Z1R and DCA Expanse of the other top-flight closed-backs out there, but I am skeptical they’d make me any happier than the ZMFs.
(And I love my Eikon too- @Pharmaboy is right, that’s a great headphone as well)
a bonus, the dynamic-driver ZMFs are (of course) ridiculously good with tubes, and OTL-based tube amps in particular.
The ZMF AC with the Decware/ZMF Reference OTL is one of my favorite combos, open or closed - it’s just sublime