I had trouble picking a rating for these.   At the price I paid ($36), these sounded good in many ways, with the exception of the highs, which I found to be harsh.   The killer for me, however, was not the highs themselves, but the ear-stabbing pain those highs induced very quickly (within a minute). This wasn't fatigue - this was pain. I'm not set up to measure anything, but I suspect they have a nasty spike somewhere in the treble range.   Fair warning - my taste doesn't lean to aggressive bright highs (lean more to HD600 or X1 signatures)...

Bought the active noise cancelling version of these as a daily deal on Amazon for <$20.   Active noise cancelling completely broken on both my original unit and the replacement - so on one hand the quality was horrific.   That said, I really enjoy their overall sound - slightly warm, bass present but not overwhelming, polite treble.   Shallow fit IEMs not designed for good isolation. Not that comfortable to start with, but growing on me over time.

The X1 does many things quite well and blends them together to produce a consistently pleasurable listening experience.   Bass is excellent for an open dynamic headphone, but not excessive, and blends well.   Overall tone is a bit warm, but not overpoweringly so (less so than an HD650). Detail is good (not excellent), but these are not analytical headphones.   Works well across many genres of music, but is weakest at rock - still pretty good but shines on EDM, Jazz, Bluegrass.   Large, plush velour earpads are quite comfortable, Sony MA-900s...

Positives - clean extended, balanced bass. Lacks the physicality of an LCD-2, but that's not unexpected.   These are large, heavy headphones, that I found surprisingly comfortable to wear  when used with the velour pads. As reference, I have a small head, am not particularly sensitive to pressure on the top of my head, but am quite sensitive to pressure around the ear. For me, these were way more comfortable than I expected based on experience.   Build quality of the headphones seemed good - stock cable cover (not the cable itself)  was...

I really think the E07K is a great place to start with this hobby - and maybe even carry on for a while.   The biggest plus is the amount of functionality packed into a very small package - combination amp/dac with a large number of user adjustments - eq adjustments (bass + treble), channel balance for those of us with slightly different ear sensitivity, 3 levels of gain adjustment. Supports up to 24/96 driverless via USB. Can use either as a dac/amp via USB or just a portable amp via line in. Long-lasting battery for use as a portable amp or...

Bass - fantastic, clean, physical - I listen to a wide variety of music and the LCD-2 shined across the spectrum, but particularly stood out in bass heavy EDM.   Mids - natural and to my ears quite engaging.   Treble - slightly rolled off at the high end, but still engaging - for me this is a positive - harsh treble actively pains my ears.   For me a very high degree of goodness here ... except .. COMFORT   I have a small male head with largish 70mm ears. For me, I couldn't wear the LCD-2s for more than an hour without constantly...

Surprised not to see a review on the Magni already.   Currently own the Magni, and it represents a very good value in my view - IF you like a brighter signature.   Powered a pair of LCD-2s well for me - tightened bass and brought mids forward when compared to underamping via E07K or other solutions I had at the time.   That said, I don't use it very much because I found the signature too bright for my tastes - but that's a taste issue. Posts seem to be a bit all over the map when paired with the LCD-2s - mostly good but with a smattering...

Without a doubt, the MA900s have the widest soundstage that I have ever personally experienced. To provide some context, I don't think my personal soundstage processing is particularly sensitive at all (actually I would characterize it as bad). In many instances, I can't discern the difference between headphones that many others notice significant differences between.   When I 1st put the MA900s on however, it was an eye opening experience for me - the soundstage was wiiiiiiide - immediately and easily discernable.   Comfort is very good -...