[aimlink]

To all those who have over the years or shorter period, have been changing/adding to their inventory of cans,

To those who have travelled the exciting road from mid-fi to uber-hi-fi,

Is there any can that has managed to remain within your inventory despite all the change around it? If so, what has maintained the long relationship? It would seem that sound is sound, and that there is some truth to a lot of the newer cans being just a part of the cycle of more of the same, in a newer set of clothing, ie., looks and packaging. In such a consumerist landscape, companies are forced to come out with new toys to maintain their competitive edge.

So which can has stood the test of time for you and why?

For me, I'm ashamed to say that so far, it's none. My current ones are fairly recent. I don't have any of the cans I started out with.

 

[K_19]

My SE530's for sure. Ever since I purchased it, there has been countless new IEM's that were said to best it in one way or another... but it has always remained with me and I wouldn't trade it away for anything else.

 

[catscratch]

A few headphones have withstood the test of time.

The SR-001 was the first good headphone I had, and it's still here today (and the SR-003 by extension). It was what got me into 'stats in the first place, and I actually grew up on 'stats so to speak, only dabbling with dynamics here and there. Probably explains a thing or two about my sonic preferences. It's really like a mini-Omega 2 sonically, very similar in a lot of regards.

The HD600 is still here, one of the few dynamics I genuinely like. It really puts so much of what has come out recently to shame - the HD600 has been doing it right for years, and it really makes you wonder what the hell a lot of manufacturers lately are thinking. It's just voiced in the right way - lifelike, natural, transparent, with great tone.

The Omega 2 (Mk1) is also here to stay, and will be my reference headphone until something better comes along. It's really an electrostatic HD600 - also natural, transparent, and unbelievably detailed, with great tone, and on top of it all it has the blazing speed that you only get with an electrostat (and spectacular bass, too). Its transparency means that if I ever want to change something sonically, all I have to do is change the associated components, and the O2 completely changes its character. It really sounds more like the upstream components than any other headphone I've come across.

The only real improvement I've seen lately has been in IEMs. They're going to be pushing most dynamics towards obsolescence soon, in fact high-end customs like the JH13 may be doing it already. The UM3x is already better than many closed headphones in the price range.

But good 'stats, and proven classics like the HD600, are here to stay.

Oh, and it's very nice to see a lot of orthos coming out lately. That's one technology that absolutely needs to be revived, and fortunately so far that's been happening.

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch /img/forum/go_quote.gif The only real improvement I've seen lately has been in IEMs. They're going to be pushing most dynamics towards obsolescence soon, in fact high-end customs like the JH13 may be doing it already. The UM3x is already better than many closed headphones in the price range. But good 'stats, and proven classics like the HD600, are here to stay. Oh, and it's very nice to see a lot of orthos coming out lately. That's one technology that absolutely needs to be revived, and fortunately so far that's been happening.

I may well get myself an HD600 one of these days.

As to the IEM's, I personally don't like anything in my ear canal and will put up with it only while travelling since I like to be discrete and IEM's do provide the best isolation. I'm so uninterested in the JH13Pro's because of this. I'm sure I'm not alone and will never be alone in that regard.

Otitis externa anyone?

 

[Kernmac]

I am the same as you aimlink. I have had a lot of headphones, and several I have thought were keepers, however as I moved on to other fons, the previous keeper became redundant. However I do beleive that my current ED8s will make the full journey, I really can't see myself selling them. (Time will tell). I am struggling selling my DT880s at the moment, don't really need them, but am a bit reluctant to move them on. I really should keep them, but it seems dumb to keep something that one will only use very occassionally. My current amp set-up is more geared to low impedance headphones, so that is one reason why DT880s don't get the headtime at the moment. I have certainly sold some headphones that I have really liked however, and I can honestly say that I haven't regretted anything in this hobby so far. Maybe paying full Aussie price for the DT880 when I could have got them a lot cheaper OS or on the forum here. But they are great headphones so, meh.


EDIT: Actually I have kept my PX100s. Great little headphone, I can take them anywhere and if they happen to come to grief, so what. However if they died, I would probably replace them with a HD228 or HD238, so I guess they really don't fit the "long and lasting love" category.

 

[rhythmdevils]

K240 Sextett has stayed with me for a while. No matter how much better a certain headphone is at any one thing, the sextetts just sound right, instruments sound like instruments, instead of a messed up reproduction of an instrument. For this reason, whenever I go back to them after listening to a new headphone for a while, I realize I like them better, despite their "technical" shortcomings.

However, I recently bought the HD600 for the second time (it was my second hi-fi headhone) and it, or the HD650 I haven't decided which yet, may be replacing it as the go to phone. It seems to have most of the tonal beauty of the sextetts, except it has better bass and treble. We'll see though, next time I put on the sextetts...

Also, the KSC75 aint going anywhere for me. I think they have better tone then almost all of the expensive hi-fi phones praised on here like the Denons, K701, the woody AudioTechnicas, John Grados, etc. Of course they're lacking technically, but they don't bother me or sound wrong like most phones out there, and they only cost 15 bucks.

 

[myk7000]

The RS1 for the longest time. Until the HD800s came in the picture. I HONESTLY think that these will be here for a long time. The reason I say that is because I haven't felt the need to try other headphones since. I've sold all my others pretty much.

All I want to do now is build a system around these headphones.

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils /img/forum/go_quote.gif K240 Sextett has stayed with me for a while. No matter how much better a certain headphone is at any one thing, the sextetts just sound right, instruments sound like instruments, instead of a messed up reproduction of an instrument. For this reason, whenever I go back to them after listening to a new headphone for a while, I realize I like them better, despite their "technical" shortcomings. However, I recently bought the HD600 for the second time (it was my second hi-fi headhone) and it, or the HD650 I haven't decided which yet, may be replacing it as the go to phone. It seems to have most of the tonal beauty of the sextetts, except it has better bass and treble. We'll see though, next time I put on the sextetts... Also, the KSC75 aint going anywhere for me. I think they have better tone then almost all of the expensive hi-fi phones praised on here like the Denons, K701, the woody AudioTechnicas, John Grados, etc. Of course they're lacking technically, but they don't bother me or sound wrong like most phones out there, and they only cost 15 bucks.

Had a look at your profile. It does help to have experience with many cans, especially the high end ones. It makes you more appreciative of the special ones that are very affordable.

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by myk7000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The RS1 for the longest time. Until the HD800s came in the picture. I HONESTLY think that these will be here for a long time. The reason I say that is because I haven't felt the need to try other headphones since. I've sold all my others pretty much. All I want to do now is build a system around these headphones.

Keep the RS1's a little longer.

You may experience what I am experiencing now with one can... a longing for a difference, even though the current quality is great.

On a philosophic note, we do seem to like change, even if it's just a matter of intermittently switching between the same things you love. After-all, we do appreciate night and day, dry and wet, the seasons of the year and their special offerings. I'm beginning to appreciate sound in the same way, i.e, not only the different genre's, but the way each headphone presents the music. There is no one right way for me that works every time, perennially. It's not really a search for the ultimate, but a desire for a difference. Know what I mean?

Hence the reason for my starting the thread. Others may have already discovered this or something similar, and have some keepers in their lineup.

 

[ford2]

The grass is always greener on the other side,it is not human nature to be content.

 

[tvrboy]

I get bored easily. Even if I have the best headphoen I can afford at the moment, I always sell it to get something different. Just want to try new things. But I'd have to say the HD-201 has a special place in my heart. I've bought 3.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aimlink /img/forum/go_quote.gif Had a look at your profile. It does help to have experience with many cans, especially the high end ones. It makes you more appreciative of the special ones that are very affordable.

Yeah, there's a lot of very expensive phones that I wouldn't keep if they were given to me

But there's also a few expensive phones I would love to have, and would be totally content with if I could justify spending that much. Namely, the HP1000, or possibly one of the new orthodynamics- too early to tell yet. So no, I'm not totally satisfied with my current cans, but they are all very good for the money, and while I'd like more wow factor, that so often comes at the expense of good tone, which is more important to me. So these seem to be good compromises. They don't bother me, like I mentioned before. So I can just listen to music without thinking about gear.

 

[aimlink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, there's a lot of very expensive phones that I wouldn't keep if they were given to me But there's also a few expensive phones I would love to have, and would be totally content with if I could justify spending that much. Namely, the HP1000, or possibly one of the new orthodynamics- too early to tell yet. So no, I'm not totally satisfied with my current cans, but they are all very good for the money, and while I'd like more wow factor, that so often comes at the expense of good tone, which is more important to me. So these seem to be good compromises. They don't bother me, like I mentioned before. So I can just listen to music without thinking about gear.

 

[Covenant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch /img/forum/go_quote.gif The HD600 is still here, one of the few dynamics I genuinely like. It really puts so much of what has come out recently to shame - the HD600 has been doing it right for years, and it really makes you wonder what the hell a lot of manufacturers lately are thinking. It's just voiced in the right way - lifelike, natural, transparent, with great tone.

This. Couldn't have phrased it better. The HD600 is one headphone that i'm never parting with, even if it gets left unused for months at a time while I'm listening to whatever my latest acquisiton is, I always return to it eventually.

 

[kool bubba ice]

None really. Had my 650 for a lil over 2 yrs, but sold it after I got rid of my balanced amp.. Had my first DT48a in October of 08.. I won't give up my old DT48A/S. I have the original 50's DT48S.. The first stereo headphone that was released to the public in the 50's, so I'm keeping that regardless, along with my 50's DT48A.. If I got the HD800/Q10/K1000 I'd probably sell 1-2 of my DT48.. (I have 7 total) But I'd like to collect all the varying models & ohms of the DT48.. Would like the 1937 model above all though..