Please try to write more understandable sentences, took me a while to get what you are trying to say.
Have you ever heard HD-681 with mkII filter + custom pads and read about them? Something tells me no. People prefer them to much more expensive cans. I`m on the same opinion as Enuma-elis, cans in the price range up to ~250$ won`t give so much improvement that it makes me to buy them. I am very pleased with HD-681 and see(hear) no reason why I would want anything more - I am already getting eargasm with them + T1 and hear no shortcomings, just as I like it - well balanced but littlebit extension on both ends, spacious, clear details and multi-layered soundstage. I`m not trying to say that these cans beat everything - surely not! But for me it`s enough and higher league cans are out of question for me because of price. Also, very important thingy is personal taste of cans sounding. I have also HD-662F with custom hf filter (very flat and accurate response) and they are great but mostly for studio and analytical listening. For home listening HD-681 is much more "fun" sounding with T1 and I don`t get bored with its sound. And there is also question about what genre are you listening and what kind of soundstage you prefer for it. Also people hear differently. Like you can see from earlier posts - one guy hears almost no difference with E17 and other hears huge difference. One guy says 6922EH tube isn`t wide & spacious enough, other says it`s too much.
So, to sum it up - there are many aspects to consider and nobody can tell for sure that more expensive cans will be better. Pairing up cans with amp/dac`s isn`t easy. Only thing that matters in the end is - if you like what you hear and feel no shortcomings.
At 4am in the morning and working all night you would have to forgive my lack of cohesion. I tell you what Next time I do a batch order from thomann.de I will get one mmkay? But if you honestly think a $50 can will beat the K242HD, Denon D2000 which are just examples of under the limit you set, then your in for a rude awakening, stating that is laughable. Although thats not to say there aren't $250+ headphones that sound horrid. aka Beats.
Your telling me to try cheaper headphones, i have owned many and they surprised me, but they are still cheaper headphones, even with tweaks, and they still pale in comparison to real competitors. A great example of a cheaper headphone that can seriously perform is the AKG K242HD or K240mkII, the downside is they need a good component chain, but they bettered my Denon D2000 for sound quality, although the 2 are hardly comparable, different amping requirements, different FR, different Sound signature.
And I agree completely, I made a Denon amp list because of how angry I got at the dumb pairing and complaints of performance, and trust me I did A LOT of research, check the link in my sig if you don't believe me. And then of course you get the elusive "Synergy".
Nobody said you had to, Cold and Clinical is a construct you made up and is totally independent of the phones. If you prefer a different sound and character fine, but dont fault an immensely detailed and accurate phone for not being your preference, either set up the system with the components to move it closer to a preference or use a EQ to make it as neutral as possible. The K/Q 70X have a very easy to work with FR curve. Its easy to get them to neutral or sweeten them however you want. This is a concept the home stereo guys understand from the start and one the headphone guys cant seem to grasp. The only fault I have with them is the depth of soundstage, the air around instruments and a sense of a defined space. Guess what- Tubes
Plainly put - your wrong. You CANNOT EQ anything past the FR, and the sound signature comprises of so many more things, some of which the K70x does very well like soundstage, imaging and clarity, but that doesn't mean its pleasurable, sure there is the odd nutter who likes it, and congrats to him. But this is talking about the general consensus, and they lack some very important parts, musicality, euphoria, intimacy, especially with an unmusical amp. I'm not faulting them, but for most people their clinical and cold nature is a fault, its the simple truth, and thats where Tube amps come in, injecting the euphoria and musicality and intimacy.
As in most cases, it's a question of belief
. A believe that sub $250 cans would not be much improvement for me, you that they would be. Get yourself hi-2050, let them 100 hours burn in, and then tell me... Just kidding, but the fact is that I am not planning to get new headphones now, but will try some tube rolling.
Btw read a thread about Takstar, maybe that enthusiasm will convince to get some...just for curiosity's sake.
I got the Denon D2000 at just over $220, and my AKG K242HD at $120, and My Asus Xonar Essence ST at $160, Xears TD-III and Xears XE200-pro at EUR30, Trust I know about underdogs and bang for buck at X price range, and they do punch above their weight, but still, thats like a middleweight being able to get a few good shots in at a heavyweight, but at the end, the heavyweight will still win, unless its an incompetent tool aka Ultrasone Edition 8. Thats why I say. Personally I think you could still benefit from an upgrade.
