Up for your consideration is a Like New set of Meze 99 Classics in walnut and gold. Included is the original box and everything that came inside it, including the original hardshell case, the authenticity papers, and the variety of cables and adapters. I'm also throwing in a pair of...

Well, consider the world of hi-fi speakers. A major component of the resulting sound quality from speakers is the room they're in. The size and shape of the room, the speaker placement and direction inside the room, the acoustic treatment of any reflective surfaces in the room, etc etc. With...

Sennheiser has a pretty spotty history with closed-backs, so while they are one of my favorite brands, I'm definitely going to wait for some impressions to emerge after launch

Yeah, unfortunately removing leather earpads and replacing them with velour earpads will unavoidably alter the sound. You could maybe try hybrid pads which have velour only where it actually touches your body, and while such pads will still alter the sound, hybrids might alter it less so than...

Thank god someone cut down that tree and extracted him from inside it. He could have been in there for centuries.

Yeah, no prob. The OV21 is very efficient.

The Thinksound OV21 is currently on sale for $200 and it's a real U-shaped rock monster. Always impressed by the punchiness of the sub-bass and the sweetness of the highs. I own both this headphone and the E-Mu Teaks, and I'm always surprised by how close the OV21 gets to doing the Teaks' thing...

I bought some cheap 2.5mm TS connectors from AE to make my own cable once upon a time and they were real loose, so much so that they were unusable. Frequent audio cutouts unless I was physically holding the connectors in place in the sockets. So I think it's just a matter of finding a cable...

lol Not a problem, always happy to recommend literally my favorite headphone. Doing my own Googling, I am also seeing some of that style connector you attached an image of, which I believe are MMCX connectors, but I think those are a lot of photos of one person's modding adventures with their...

I replied for you in more detail over in the Teaks thread, https://www.head-fi.org/threads/e-mu-wooden-series-headphones.781884/post-18100402 In short, shopping for Sennheiser HD700 cables is the easiest way to get a balanced cable "off-the-shelf" for the Teaks.

There's always the possibility that they've made a silent revision since I got mine a couple years back, but mine is indeed 2x 2.5mm TRS connectors. But unfortunately, while the connectors are not proprietary, they are wired in a proprietary way. Fortunately, this can be circumvented by instead...

Yeah, the Walnut is their more portable headphone, which is its own different thing. And I believe they collaborated with Drop to do a run of that portable headphone in a purpleheart version. Similarly, there's a Drop version of the Teaks that use bamboo cups instead, and the general consensus...

I recommend starting with the teak cups, as you can order the purpleheart cups later if you're curious and then do the swap yourself. Easy mod, all you need is a screwdriver.

Not a chance. The Teaks are my favorite headphone in my entire collection. The SZ2000 is good for comically absurd amounts of sub-bass like no other headphone can produce, but that's all it's good for. They're below average in all other regards. But if you want a headphone that can properly...

Qobuz FLAC ;[p'''' <--- my cat typed that part iFi iDSD Signature Finale DAC/amp Shure 1540 headphone Man, this amp/headphone combo is killer. I don't know if the 3D+ feature that iFi has on some of its products is anything more than just a treble shelf, but whatever it is, it really...

KBEAR Rosefinch

I wonder how many of the mid-bass complaints are from people that didn't own them long enough for the pads to break in. Because I hear so many criticisms about characteristics that mine just doesn't have.

I mean, yes, that's true, but it doesn't mean they don't occasionally also improve the sound, even if only coincidentally. I haven't tried pad swapping my 99 yet at all, but I've definitely had plenty of headphones improved in terms of both comfort and tonality by Brainwavz pads. Definitely not...

I understand the Brainwavz hybrid oval pads are the other very popular pad swap option. In my experience those two seem to be the only pads people talk about with any regularity and it's about 50/50 split for preference

The FiiO K5 Pro has been my work DAC/amp for a few years now and it's never let me down. Good, clean power. The K7 is the current model and while I haven't heard it myself, reviews seem to be nothing but positive and I believe them based on my K5 experience. I also have a FiiO BTR5 for travel...

I've bought from the Classifieds here, from eBay, and from reddit (r/AVexchange). Good experiences all around, just make sure the seller you find is legit. I haven't bought from Reverb yet, but am open to trying once an opportunity presents itself. Also, I forgot the Campfire Cascade. Add that...

Oh jeez, with that kind of budget, you're spoiled for choice. You could probably get both the Sony XB1000 and JVC SZ2000 off the used market for that. New, there's the E-Mu Teak, Denon 5200, Fostex 610, etc. Just to name a few that would wipe the floor with the Crushers.

AKG 275

Also I think some deals are only available to first-time buyers. When I log in, half the deals I ever see on AE evaporate

Or you could just talk to people who like headphones you like and see what else they like. Finding other folk with similar tastes and hitting them up for recommendations has always been MUCH more effective for me than any graph or chart.