[theaudiologist1]

Chord tt2 with m scaler with r70x is the best sound you can get from a headphone set up.

why would you spend more on a DAC than a headphone? Your hesdphones/speakers always come first. A focal Utopia + a Chord Mojo is going to destroy an R70x + Hugo TT2 combo.

 

[theaudiologist1]

Are the R70x's good for classical? As good as HD600 or 650 or 660? I own the R70x, but I would like to know your opinions. also is the sensitivity of the R70x 98 or 99dB/mW?

 

[Hooster]

Are the R70x's good for classical? As good as HD600 or 650 or 660? I own the R70x, but I would like to know your opinions. also is the sensitivity of the R70x 98 or 99dB/mW?

If you ask me the HD6XX is not particularly good for anything, apart from sounding boring. Yes, the R70x is good for classical.

 

[Hooster]

why would you spend more on a DAC than a headphone? Your hesdphones/speakers always come first. A focal Utopia + a Chord Mojo is going to destroy an R70x + Hugo TT2 combo.

Because the better the headphones are the more you are going to know about it if you DAC is poor. I would take the R70x with the TT2 over any headphones with a Mojo. A Mojo is ok, but it has it's limits. I don't need a Focal Utopia to keep reminding me how outdated the Mojo is.

 

[rkt31]

why would you spend more on a DAC than a headphone? Your hesdphones/speakers always come first. A focal Utopia + a Chord Mojo is going to destroy an R70x + Hugo TT2 combo.

Ok then try and revert back. Expensive is not always better. Also imo source is first.

 

[frozenOx]

Just ordered some open box r70x, and skimmed through the first 60-ish posts. Seems like a lot of the initial posters hyping no longer have these listed in their signature on here. Wondering if these are still regarded so well over other options.

I just sold my Grado Hemp to get these. Hemp cable was horrible, and I listen to a lot of metal as well. The Grado 2K bump could sound really harsh with some distorted guitars depending on the mix. Found myself listening to PortaPros on KSC75 clips more than the $400 cans. So away they went.

Was debating the 6XX, HD600, or these, or nothing and enjoy enjoying PortaPros. Saw these open box for a good price and had rewards dollars to spend too, got them for around 200 USD. Not a fan of Sennheiser clamp. Had the 58X for about 6 months and they never broke in, even bending the metal headband. 6XX weren't much better. But i loved 6XX for bands like Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, etc. Figured I'd go HD600 or R70X and just found too good a deal on the R70X.

I've seen pretty mixed reviews about these. Crinnacle rates them extremely high. metal571 not so much. Some say they're grainy, too bassy, not bassy enough. Impressions are all over the place. I have good amp/sources (MOTU M4, JDS Atom, Cranborne EC2, LG G7) and these will be my on the head all day cans. I'll definitely post some impressions Friday if anyone is still wondering how these hold up against ultra hype Grado Hemp, etc.

 

[trufunk]

Just ordered some open box r70x, and skimmed through the first 60-ish posts. Seems like a lot of the initial posters hyping no longer have these listed in their signature on here. Wondering if these are still regarded so well over other options.

I just sold my Grado Hemp to get these. Hemp cable was horrible, and I listen to a lot of metal as well. The Grado 2K bump could sound really harsh with some distorted guitars depending on the mix. Found myself listening to PortaPros on KSC75 clips more than the $400 cans. So away they went.

Was debating the 6XX, HD600, or these, or nothing and enjoy enjoying PortaPros. Saw these open box for a good price and had rewards dollars to spend too, got them for around 200 USD. Not a fan of Sennheiser clamp. Had the 58X for about 6 months and they never broke in, even bending the metal headband. 6XX weren't much better. But i loved 6XX for bands like Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, etc. Figured I'd go HD600 or R70X and just found too good a deal on the R70X.

I've seen pretty mixed reviews about these. Crinnacle rates them extremely high. metal571 not so much. Some say they're grainy, too bassy, not bassy enough. Impressions are all over the place. I have good amp/sources (MOTU M4, JDS Atom, Cranborne EC2, LG G7) and these will be my on the head all day cans. I'll definitely post some impressions Friday if anyone is still wondering how these hold up against ultra hype Grado Hemp, etc.

Use mine every day while working, recently purchased the Senheiser 6XX after already having the 58X, and it’s alright I enjoy the R70X more.

 

[Tofub00b]

Are the R70x's good for classical? As good as HD600 or 650 or 660? I own the R70x, but I would like to know your opinions. also is the sensitivity of the R70x 98 or 99dB/mW?

Have HD600s, quite a pointless thing to have both R70x and HD600. But balanced cables, earpads and replacement parts are much easier to find on the HD600. Easier to maintain in the long run.

 

[frozenOx]

k, got open back R70X in today. $259 from ProAudioStar - my CC rewards came to about 220 all in. I thought these were made in Taiwan, but mine just say Japan on them. Definitely were an open box, everything is in mint condition but there is a long blonde hair stuck on one of the paddles : |

Main setup is a MOTU M4 out from a laptop into a Cranborne EC2 1RU mic preamp. It has two headphone amps in it that can run simultaneously. Not the most amazing specs but it's definitely no slouch. Never had the gain above 10. DT770 250s usually at 9

Frequency Response	-1dB, <1Hz to >70kHz
THD	<0.0006% (-104.4dB) @ +20dBu, 1kHz, A-weighted, 300 Ohm load
THD+N	<0.00085% (-101.4dB) @ +20dBu, 1kHz, A-weighted, 300 Ohm load
Output Impedance	0.33 Ohms
Output Wattage	250mW x 2 @ 600 Ohms, 1kHz
	650mW x 2 @ 220 Ohms, 1kHz
	1.21W x 2 @ 100 Ohms, 1kHz
	500mW x 2 @ 32 Ohms, 1kHz
Dynamic Range	114.5dB A-weighted, AES17 method, 20Hz - 20kHz, 300 Ohm load
Noise Floor	-93.5dBu A-weighted, 20Hz - 20kHz, 300 Ohm load

Others

• Marantz NR1609
• Pixel 4a (5G)
• MOTU M4
• JDS Atom

Amping:
These are much, much easier to power than many have let on. I hear very little difference in amps. Even off the lowly anemic Pixel 4a I can get to a decent volume and there's still bass there. They're harder to drive than the 60ohm porta pros, and a bit easier than the DT770 250ohms which IMO are pickier than these. I can tell very little difference on the MOTU vs the Cranborne. Motu volume is about 11:30 - 12 to match the Cranborne. I didn't bother to test on the Atom at all since I could hear zero difference in these two.

Vs Grado Hemp:
The hemp is the "darker" of the Grado range, a large part of which is the flat pads they have on them which increases bass due to proximity effect. I really loved these, but they had a few caveats that had me end up selling:

• Horrible, thick, heavy, attached cable
• Clamp. With Grados, you flatten out the headband then shape it back to fit. This gets rid of any ear pinching you might get with the rougher pads until they break in. But coupled with the heavy cable this means they don't really stay on your head very well
• Still have the upper mid Grado spike, but much tamer than anything else they offer

Both have that dynamic, vibration thing going on. The Hemp more so. Nirvana MTV Unplugged sounds like you're there, listening to it from an adjacent room with the door open. Jazz is insanely good on them. If you listen to only jazz, I'd say fork out for the new Hemp with the braided cable. It's amazing. For metal, as in death, doom, black they could be hit or miss, mostly hit. However, due to fit + cable I found myself with my PortaPros on the KSC75 clips and Yaxi pads more and more as time went on. They're easier to wear all day and sit in this liminal space of being fun while also not being distracting.

Fit + Build
I immediately like the fit of the R70x. I think the previous owner had a small head b/c the metal headband was bent a little. Quick bend back and they clamp just fine. After awhile they can start to slide though. I had an old zip up headband sleeve (neoprene) for my DT770 not in use that zipped right over the wings though and that's working fine. Cable is detachable and normal size so it's already a huge win over the Hemp. I like the utilitarian style of the R70X, but I think both are just fine. Could be a bit sturdier for the price.
winner = R70x for comfort and cable

Sound Signature
Sound in a nutshell. R70X is warm neutral, with midbass hump. This really worried me. I HATE midbass. Fortunately, the bass is controlled enough to where it doesn't bloom or boom all over the mids. But it does give them a darker signature. BUT, just like the Hemp's upper mid bump, you adjust to it quickly. 30 minutes of brain burn in and I barely notice it now. There are definitely tracks where it does not flatter the mix though, just like the Hemp could. I don't think the treble is really rolled off too much. If I eq the bass down some with a shelf they're definitely there.

Honestly, a tie here. hemp's aren't neutral, but I find the midbass bump of the R70X is not exactly neutral either. But they both work for what they are

Grain?
I kept reading about "grain" on the R70x but I'm just not hearing it. The grainiest things I've owned recently were the 58X. The bass on those was unresolving and the opposite of smooth to my ears. Even doing a hugely unfair comparison of a Myrkur's Folkesange with female vocals on my Infinity 162 speakers and Presonus S6 monitors, I'm just not hearing any graininess. But I have noticed that some people on here like cans and especially IEMs that have zero dynamics to them, are just completely smooth and compressed sounding. Like someone took your track and compressed every single peak out of it because the driver is so stiff it doesn't even represent the recording anymore. Or they're flat out hearing the graininess of analog tape recordings that were copied over and over during the recording stage and they never noticed it much before. If someone could enlighten me with a sample track of graininess, please do.

Acoustic/Live/Strings
Hemp definitely has more of the dynamic, punch, vibration going on where you can feel the sound pressure off the driver in a good way. These have more than say the 6x0 from what I've heard. But the Hemp definitely wins here hands down. Although in imaging/separation the R70X wins just because of the over ear, more homogeneous sound stage. But the Grado magic definitely wins over that for jazz/acoustic/live because it sounds so good. Classical, edge to R70X just for the more even response. And I like some more pronounced bass for classical as I love low brass, french horns, timpani, etc. I wanna feel it, screw your flutes and sibilant violins. I was a low brass player if you can't tell

Metal
I listen to a lot of death, doom, black, extreme music. Practically live on Bandcamp for metal and jazz. Metal, I'd edge it out to the Hemps again here. R70X midbass is just more of a problem than the Hemp's upper mid bumps. Midbass will ruin a metal mix more than anything. R70X is still very good though, way better than anything other than the Sennheiser 660.

Classic Rock
I actually prefer the R70x here. Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin just have a more balanced sound and vocals are cleaner.

Synth/Electronic:
R70X again, but I gotta say the Hemp is no slouch. I can hear subbass down to 45Hz on the Hemp before it really starts to drop off. R70X it's more like 40 before the cliff, but the bass is much fuller and transitions well into the low mids. Hemp low mids are just drowned out by the upper mids with this music. It's still good and fun, just not better than the R70X

Steely Dan:
This is a tough one. Gotta say the R70X for Gaucho, Hemp for Aja. Just because I find Aja a bit darker than Gaucho. Both are great. Instrument separation is just better on the R70X though, which is crucial on these albums.

Sound shootout:
Jazz: Hemp
Metal: Hemp, just barely
Classical: R70X barely
Piano: R70X just barely
Classic Rock: R70X
Synth/Electronic: R70X
Steely Dan: tie

Overall, I'm pleased with these. Comfort, imaging, and subbass are excellent and an improvement over the Hemp. They work well across everything I listen to. Maybe they lack a bit of that magic you might get from some more expensive cans, but for 200 USD for something I can wear all day, I'll take it. Will miss my Hemps though

 

[frozenOx]

Pad rolled some tonight. Brainwavz HM5 Velour, Brainwavz XL Hybrid (the one with the perforated interior cup).

HM5 Velour
honestly didn't really change the sound signature very much, unfortunately. I was hoping the extra thickness would decrease the bass a little, but nope. They probably compress down to a similar thickness and are similar material. The HM5 were the most difficult to get on.

XL Hybrid
Just no. Didn't really care for the change in tuning with these. Sucked out some low mids but that was about it. Not too difficult to get on though.

I may order some Brainwavz XL MicroSuede or the Shure Alcantaras. I can always use them on the DT770s too.

Also got in the Neomusica cable from Amazon. I had this for the HE4XX from the same brand, but this stupid locking connector plus the braid makes these easy to kink up.

Tomorrow will be receiver test. Both my Marantz and vintage Technics solid state amps have higher output impedance, so looking forward to using them. Hopefully hear something good, but so far I do not concur on these being very picky about amps. Even off my laptop they sound very good.

 

[theaudiologist1]

Have HD600s, quite a pointless thing to have both R70x and HD600. But balanced cables, earpads and replacement parts are much easier to find on the HD600. Easier to maintain in the long run.

Funny because R70x cables are normal 3,5mm to two 2,5mm cables.
What does balance do? Does it improve the sound or is it just audiofool placebo? My DAC has a mini-XLR balanced out so I have to get a 3.5mm to mini-XLR adabter if I get balanced cables.

 

[theaudiologist1]

Despite 470ohm impedance these are decently loud even with mobile phone. I get sufficient loud sound at around 70 to 80% volume setting in mobile phone.

This. I have a portable DAC/AMP where the amp is only outputs 28mW at 300Ohms but gets the R70x to VERY LOUD levels on high gain. The highs mids and lows all sound great and it's amazing with classical (although DSD files sound quiet but that's the nature of DSD). For 470-900Ohms these are surprisingly easy to drive, probably due to the 99dB/mW sensitivity.

The R70X truly is the best headphone under 500USD. There is none other that even gets close when it comes to imaging, soundstage, dynamics and (planar rivalling) sub-bass. Another huge plus is the scalability these have. The sound with a good SET is just mind bogglingly good. If you have a amp that can push high voltages; the R70x can really be a remarkable audio experience.

I would also like to write about some of my experiences with the Focal Clear and R70X here:

I've had the Clear as part of a swap for about 2 weeks now and I'm supposed to be returning these soon. I did like the sound of the Clear but I kid you not: I listened to the R70X more than the Clear for whatever time I had them. I would sit down to listen and would switch to the R70X in about 30min. The only difference between the two (and not very big) is the overall detail level; the Clear being more forward and "in your face".

The R70X has a very well extended treble but the Clear is just more sparkly and alive up-top. This is also one of Clears' drawback. Poorly recorded material and digital sources can be slightly fatiguing to listen to on the Clear. The R70X on the other hand is relatively relaxed and is more "comfortable" (both sonically and physically).

The Clear also plays better on mobile sources (DAPS and such) while the R70X needs some push to get going. Both scale well with good amplification but I'd prefer the R70X on tubes. The high Z provides ample room for good amps (esp SETs) to damp the driver well and deliver a more controlled performance. This is not to say the Clear is bad, but it just doesn't "come alive" as the R70X does. This is not bad for the Clear either as it sounds better on cheaper amps and those that may not have the grunt to handle the high impedance.

Other than the above, the R70X is just a better headphone especially considering it costs about a fourth of the Focal Clear. Better sub bass, soundstage, imaging, musicality and overall dynamics. It just doesn't do anything wrong. Sure it doesn't have the Mercedes like build quality and aesthetics of the Clear nor does it resolve as well but when it comes to the overall package: I'd still take the R70X any day. The Clear is good but fatiguing. Why should I pay more to listen less?

so you're saying the R70x is better in some regards than the Clears? That's good to know since the Clears were my upgrade path. S I should just skip to the Utopias.

But how is the R70x better if it's only $350 vs $1500 of the Clears?

 

[Hooster]

This. I have a portable DAC/AMP where the amp is only outputs 28mW at 300Ohms but gets the R70x to VERY LOUD levels on high gain. The highs mids and lows all sound great and it's amazing with classical (although DSD files sound quiet but that's the nature of DSD). For 470-900Ohms these are surprisingly easy to drive, probably due to the 99dB/mW sensitivity.

so you're saying the R70x is better in some regards than the Clears? That's good to know since the Clears were my upgrade path. S I should just skip to the Utopias.

But how is the R70x better if it's only $350 vs $1500 of the Clears?

It is better because it is less fatiguing to listen to. It is also better because you can spend the $1150 on something else.

 

[theaudiologist1]

It is better because it is less fatiguing to listen to. It is also better because you can spend the $1150 on something else.

less fatiguing, but not better sound right? Pretty sure the Clears will be more accurate.

 

[rkt31]

less fatiguing, but not better sound right? Pretty sure the Clears will be more accurate.

R70x has one if the flattest and peakless frequency response but clear doesn't.