Yeah, sorry . More accurately the treble, high mids are a bit peaky and somewhat sibilant. This may lead to the impression of more detail when honestly its pretty close.

The X1 have a great , if somewhat overwhelming low end while retaining good detail retrieval. I'd give the HE400i 4 out of 5 for fun factor. You can use EQ to boot the bass and it's pretty similar without the bass bleeding all over the place. The soundstage on the X1 is a bit wider IMO Vs the...

I find the HE400i to be a great compromise open can. I have the AKG 701, Fidelio X1 , Denon D2000 and SennHD700.   My Fidelio X1 and D2000 are my fun cans and the HD700 are my more analytical cans that throw down an awesome image and sense of placement. The HE400i are a bit more narrow...

400i fir the best all around the be headphone. Have not heard the x2 but would imagine it's a close call. Both have been said to slightly best the HD600

Own the X1 and the 400i. They are fairly similar but the 400i has a more controlled but well extended bottom and a bit more natural sound all around. The X1 may image a little better but I've only had the he400i for a few hours. The 400i is definitely faster and more accurate for metal...

I have a pair of HD700s, Grado 325i (modded), Fidelio X1s and Denon D2000. My two favorites are the X1s and the HD700s. The HD700s are slightly more resolving, have tighter more impactful bass although less in quantity but can get peaky up top. They each do their own thing differently and I...

1)Sennheiser HD700 2)Denon AH-D2000 3)Fidelio X1 4) Modded Grado SR325i   Really depends on the music I'm listening to and my mood. Sometimes I want the warm and bassy X1 or the hard hitting and more V shaped D2000. Through my main listening setup the HD700 makes me the happiest. Looking...

Sounds like you settled already but here's my 2 cents. I own the D2000s and love them. I got the Fidelio X1s and consider them to be in the same ballpark tonally. Both very fun sounding with great impact. The X1 is a bit more rolled off up top but still gives a good amount of detail with a more...

As a stand alone amp, not an amp/dac, I like the Asgard 2. An Objective 2 should do the trick as well at well under $300. I've never listened to an O2 but from everything available it should do tge trick for you

Agree with this. The Fiio setup is good for the money. The Objective 2 and ODAC would be superior and a ton of people make them ( well... Not a ton) . I never went O2 because I didn't like the ins/outs of the ones I saw. That being said, they are somewhat customizable. Having started with the...

I never considered myself a bass head but I really do enjoy the visceral thump of a somewhat bass boosted headphone. I really enjoy my Fidelio X1 for that reason. Warm, decently detailed and open and they can kick. I can appreciate a neutral and lean sounding set of cans but I like a somewhat...

I've been underwhelmed by some great headphones due to the music I listen to as opposed to my gear. Some headphones excel at certain things and leave me wanting in others. For example, I bought a pair of sennheiser hd700. Somewhat underwhelming for a lot of the rock and metal I listen to...

The E17 should be enough in itself and be a pretty versatile unit. I run my E17 from and optical out from my macbook and appreciate tge improved sound quality. You can also use it to amp a portable player for mobile use with harder to drive headphones. The E09K is a pretty good amp for the...

When I'm out and about it's generally my iphone 5 running can opener and my Shure 535Ltd or IE80s. I have a fiio E17 but don't really find it necessary with the IEMs. I'll run optical out from my laptop to the E17 which helps a little. I think you're right... Shut up and enjoy the music. I'm...

If you haven't already try the CanOpener App from the App store. Made a pretty substantial difference with my 535LTDs. If it's not your cup-o-tea you're only out like, $5. It's pretty cool and as mentioned above, you should be getting plenty of volume, you're just looking for tweakability, yeah?

So I've been at this game for a little while and have soaked up a ton of great information here. I'm setting up a listening station and at this point it's finally complete. I'm running my Ipad through a HRT IStreamer ( DAC) to my new Schitt Asgard. I'm running Philips Fidelio X1s, Denon D2000...

There's a good thread on here about the HD700 and details where those frequency spikes are. That'd be a good starting point. As for why no EQ on most headphone amps. Generally if you have a treble/mid/bass EQ scheme the designer has to pick a center frequency and sweep which may not work for...

I also own a pair of HD700s. They are indeed great but can make bad audio sound pretty awful. Get a versatile amp that'll cover your needs in terms of inputs/outputs , built in DAC ect. and don't be afraid of EQ. The HD700 has a couple of spikes that can be EQed out a bit or softened with a...

LCD-3. That's the big bullet to bite. Piece together a system as you can afterwards. Don't worry so much about blowing dough in fancy cables. Upgrade if the stock ones take a dump.

It's been a journey for me. I grew up playing trombone in our high school band and jazz band then moving on to bass guitar and watching a lot of live music. Playing an instrument helps recognize realistic timbre in an acoustic instrument and familiarize yourself with details such as fret noise...

The Shure 535s and IE80s are kinda apples and oranges. I have both and enjoy them both for different reasons. I will qualify that I have the Shure 535LTDs ( Red ) which, as I understand, have a different filter that allows for a more extended treble response and I certainly don't find them...

Is the PS500 worth more that the SR325? ...Meh... It may offer a sound signature that is more pleasing to you but for the additional $300 I'd honestly steer for something that I consider to be a better product like the HiFiMan HE500. Worth it is sooooooo subjective. To many the SR225 are the...

Reading your requirements, the Shure 535LTD nails most of your criteria except for bass impact. The bass is there when the recording puts it out but it's definitely not emphasized. Again, that's what I like and we have similar tastes. It's very possible that you wouldn't love them although I...

My 2 cents for what its worth. I own the IE80s, Shure 535LTDs ( red... not asian) , Triple Fi 10, Yamaha EPH 100, Shure 3xx ( Older version I think) and Monster Turbine Coppers. My go-to IEMs are the Shure 535LTDs as they're generally offer a pleasing sound and a great seal with the Shure Olive...

Sennheiser HD25 or Amperiors I hear are close. The Grado sound is kind of it's own monster, very unique. Reasonable detailed but IMO a bit brash and unrefined. It's basically a driver pointed right at your earballs. I haven't heard a closed can that nails it.   I'm a bit surprised you felt the...