Hifiman R7 JM Stealth Edition + top Hifiman comfort headband
Background- Bought these on a whimsy after seeing his headphones being sold on AVE and right before Canjam too so I was already in hype-mode. I don't regret it!
I mostly listen to pop and indie with example artists as: Eden/The Eden Project, Mother Mother, The Karma Killers, The Gromble, and more. I tend to stick to the same genres, but I do test hp's occasionally with other genre's for fun (Classical, R&B, and House)
Previous headphones I still have are: HD 6XX, Dan Clark Audio Aeon Closed X.
Headphones I previously had and sold/given away include: Hifiman Sundara, Koss Porta Pros, Senn HD 598.
Headphones I've demoed for over a few days include: Focal Elegia, Hifiman Ananda, HE-4XX.
Before grabbing the R7, I used the 6xx with bottlehead crack and the DCA ACX paired with a Fulla E. Currently pairing the R7 with the Fulla.
Disclaimer 1: Listened for about 12 hours spread across a few days before writing this review
Disclaimer 2: I have not tried the regular R7 and as such I will not be attempting to compare the stock form and I will be treating these headphones as their own beast. That being said, I kept in mind that this is a stock $150 hp. However I paid $329 USD and I will be treating them as such. Oh yeah, not sponsored- wish I was though.
Headband + Comfort- I will start out with my head is smol. I usually go to the smallest setting and maybe click once up or so on most headphones. These guys are no different, lowest setting + 1 click. I do find it very comfortable, but not as comfortable as the ACX, which I will attribute to weight. The weight is well distributed on the headband itself, with little to no hotspots on my head. The clamp pressure, however, I think is lacking and I could do with a little more to keep the back and forth movement minimized. I cannot really fault JM for any of these issues, the headband itself was installed just fine with no issues.
Sub-bass- Extends much deeper than I expected, I usually don't pick up sub-bass during relaxed listening session but this guy had it!
Mid-bass- Thumpy and punchy and quite fun to listen to. I'm not exactly a bass-head though, so take my opinion here with a grain of salt. I enjoyed it, but I can also be kind of sensitive to bass
Mids- This is kind of hard to describe for me, I don't really know technical terms all that well for describing technicalities and the likes, but I did find the mids to be pleasant but definitely overshadowed by the lows and highs. The mids really took a backseat but there were definitely there and I definitely enjoy them in the more bass light songs I listen to.
Treble/Air- I am a touch sensitive to treble as well, but I do prefer more treble than most I think. These have really solid, really present treble, almost toeing the line of too much for me but I think it's tastefully done and just right. I definitely enjoy the articulation present in the instrument parts of my music.
Soundstage- This is what I was looking for in my next pair! I absolutely adore the soundstage in these cans- much bigger than my two current headphones and allows for a really good contrast in conjunction with its enjoyable and more fun sound signature. The soundstage isn't massive like some other headphones, but that is the nature of closed back. To me, it felt like it extended past my ears by about a foot or so which is much more than I can say about the 6XX.
Hype- I do want to address the hype issue- while anxiously waiting for this hp to arrive I wanted to justify the purchase and learn more, as one does.
I looked at the testimonials and reviews and heard lots of good things, but I think the hp is overhyped. I think my expectations were a little too tempered after reading all the review and all the positive wonderful great things, but I know I can't really stop myself from reading them. I would much rather be super wow'd by these cans than go into it thinking it's a $1k can in a $150 shell and be nervous about it's performance. I wish I didn't read the reviews, or at least only read the stock reviews.
Sound Stuff tl;dr: Very agreeable, The strong points of this headphone is the soundstage and bass for me.
Conclusion/Ending notes: By no means am I an audio expert, but I do love my headphones dearly. This pair has earned itself a spot in my rotation, right alongside the 6XX paired with the Bottlehead crack. Treating this headphone as its standalone I would say it definitely punches above its $329 price point, but I dont think I'd say that it's near the $1k area- just because I don't think it'd be healthy to go into these guys with that expectation. I am happy with the hp at the price I paid, but that value diminishes very quickly past it.
Huge Huge props to John for creating a very value headphone. I definitely recommend the headphones and I love them the more I use them, but I just wouldn't buy into any of the hype- I think it would have ruined it for me if I came into this headphone with the expectation that they would perform near the $800 mark. He did say this particular can was his best work out of the R7s so far and I believe it! I really apppreciate the time, effort, and love put into this headphone- I can definitely tell. John is also very attentive and I don't feel unsafe buying from him- which is a wonderful strong point because I buy used a lot and sometimes I feel like I could get screwed when I interact with some listings.
tl;dr Amazing headphones, performs and sounds beautiful. Don't listen to the hype and enjoy the cans
Background- Bought these on a whimsy after seeing his headphones being sold on AVE and right before Canjam too so I was already in hype-mode. I don't regret it!
I mostly listen to pop and indie with example artists as: Eden/The Eden Project, Mother Mother, The Karma Killers, The Gromble, and more. I tend to stick to the same genres, but I do test hp's occasionally with other genre's for fun (Classical, R&B, and House)
Previous headphones I still have are: HD 6XX, Dan Clark Audio Aeon Closed X.
Headphones I previously had and sold/given away include: Hifiman Sundara, Koss Porta Pros, Senn HD 598.
Headphones I've demoed for over a few days include: Focal Elegia, Hifiman Ananda, HE-4XX.
Before grabbing the R7, I used the 6xx with bottlehead crack and the DCA ACX paired with a Fulla E. Currently pairing the R7 with the Fulla.
Disclaimer 1: Listened for about 12 hours spread across a few days before writing this review
Disclaimer 2: I have not tried the regular R7 and as such I will not be attempting to compare the stock form and I will be treating these headphones as their own beast. That being said, I kept in mind that this is a stock $150 hp. However I paid $329 USD and I will be treating them as such. Oh yeah, not sponsored- wish I was though.
Headband + Comfort- I will start out with my head is smol. I usually go to the smallest setting and maybe click once up or so on most headphones. These guys are no different, lowest setting + 1 click. I do find it very comfortable, but not as comfortable as the ACX, which I will attribute to weight. The weight is well distributed on the headband itself, with little to no hotspots on my head. The clamp pressure, however, I think is lacking and I could do with a little more to keep the back and forth movement minimized. I cannot really fault JM for any of these issues, the headband itself was installed just fine with no issues.
Sub-bass- Extends much deeper than I expected, I usually don't pick up sub-bass during relaxed listening session but this guy had it!
Mid-bass- Thumpy and punchy and quite fun to listen to. I'm not exactly a bass-head though, so take my opinion here with a grain of salt. I enjoyed it, but I can also be kind of sensitive to bass
Mids- This is kind of hard to describe for me, I don't really know technical terms all that well for describing technicalities and the likes, but I did find the mids to be pleasant but definitely overshadowed by the lows and highs. The mids really took a backseat but there were definitely there and I definitely enjoy them in the more bass light songs I listen to.
Treble/Air- I am a touch sensitive to treble as well, but I do prefer more treble than most I think. These have really solid, really present treble, almost toeing the line of too much for me but I think it's tastefully done and just right. I definitely enjoy the articulation present in the instrument parts of my music.
Soundstage- This is what I was looking for in my next pair! I absolutely adore the soundstage in these cans- much bigger than my two current headphones and allows for a really good contrast in conjunction with its enjoyable and more fun sound signature. The soundstage isn't massive like some other headphones, but that is the nature of closed back. To me, it felt like it extended past my ears by about a foot or so which is much more than I can say about the 6XX.
Hype- I do want to address the hype issue- while anxiously waiting for this hp to arrive I wanted to justify the purchase and learn more, as one does.
I looked at the testimonials and reviews and heard lots of good things, but I think the hp is overhyped. I think my expectations were a little too tempered after reading all the review and all the positive wonderful great things, but I know I can't really stop myself from reading them. I would much rather be super wow'd by these cans than go into it thinking it's a $1k can in a $150 shell and be nervous about it's performance. I wish I didn't read the reviews, or at least only read the stock reviews.
Sound Stuff tl;dr: Very agreeable, The strong points of this headphone is the soundstage and bass for me.
Conclusion/Ending notes: By no means am I an audio expert, but I do love my headphones dearly. This pair has earned itself a spot in my rotation, right alongside the 6XX paired with the Bottlehead crack. Treating this headphone as its standalone I would say it definitely punches above its $329 price point, but I dont think I'd say that it's near the $1k area- just because I don't think it'd be healthy to go into these guys with that expectation. I am happy with the hp at the price I paid, but that value diminishes very quickly past it.
Huge Huge props to John for creating a very value headphone. I definitely recommend the headphones and I love them the more I use them, but I just wouldn't buy into any of the hype- I think it would have ruined it for me if I came into this headphone with the expectation that they would perform near the $800 mark. He did say this particular can was his best work out of the R7s so far and I believe it! I really apppreciate the time, effort, and love put into this headphone- I can definitely tell. John is also very attentive and I don't feel unsafe buying from him- which is a wonderful strong point because I buy used a lot and sometimes I feel like I could get screwed when I interact with some listings.
tl;dr Amazing headphones, performs and sounds beautiful. Don't listen to the hype and enjoy the cans
