[musiclife]

   
No worries, just follow these guides:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/413900/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial
http://www.head-fi.org/t/587703/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial-part-2
http://www.head-fi.org/t/615417/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-advanced-tutorial-in-progress
 
I feel the same way, but I will probably end up going straight for the SR-009 and perhaps get the SR-207 as a backup. (Still want the Abyss and HE-6 eventually.)

Just when I think I know a lot about headphones... I see these tutorials! Thanks

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Im not getting more than 3 hps (excluding IEMs for sport, but of those only need 1), this hobby gets stupidly expensive, real fast.

 
Don't read the wish lists on my profile! 

 
(Absolute madness. I plan on doing a super review like this thread someday, except with all gear, not just headphones.)
 

  Just when I think I know a lot about headphones... I see these tutorials! Thanks

 
You're welcome.

 

[catspaw]

   
Don't read the wish lists on my profile! 

 
(Absolute madness. I plan on doing a super review like this thread someday, except with all gear, not just headphones.)
 
 
You're welcome.

Dont worry, Im not gonna read your profile.
besides, I only need 3 HPs anyway:
1 for gaming, neutral, realistic, great soundstage (stax/HD800).
1 Dark, bassy and with a little bit of sparkle for feeling the music (HE-400, maybe someday ill get something better, but only If i sell the HE-400 first).
1 for .... now that I think about it I only need 2 , but ill leave a 3rd option open, for something special.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Dont worry, Im not gonna read your profile.
besides, I only need 3 HPs anyway:
1 for gaming, neutral, realistic, great soundstage (stax/HD800).
1 Dark, bassy and with a little bit of sparkle for feeling the music (HE-400, maybe someday ill get something better, but only If i sell the HE-400 first).
1 for .... now that I think about it I only need 2 , but ill leave a 3rd option open, for something special.

 
Aha. I was using reverse psychology to try to get you to read my profile, but it backfired.

 
I usually only do console gaming, but wow...STAX + MMORPG = so much win. The soundstage on my SR-30 is actually rather intimate for an open headphone, but I usually prefer it this way. Soundstage is one of the least important things to me, since all headphones sound tiny compared to speakers and live performances. More important to me is the separation of instruments, which soundstage can help with, but it can be done without a larger soundstage. The SR-30 has excellent separation, though imaging (placement) could be better. Naturally the other STAX would have a larger soundstage.
 
The HD 800 did not sound neutral to me at all. I turned the treble knob all the way up on the speaker amp for my STAX, and it still wasn't as painfully bright as the HD 800 I heard was. For music without as much high frequency content, the HD 800 sounded pretty good, though. I could barely hear (much less feel) the bass, however, and "far too much bass" is a common complaint I have for many headphones, so it's not due to hearing loss or anything. Some people say the HD 800 is capable of very nice, strong bass, so I suppose it depends on the rig. Sheer output power in an amp doesn't seem to guarantee anything. But I guess if you own it, taming the treble and boosting the bass (or whatever you desire) would be easy enough. I know many of the more dedicated HD 800 owners modify it to tweak the sound. If it's only used for gaming, I would imagine the frequency response wouldn't be as important.

 

[davidsh]

I've got anax 2.0 modded HD800. Changes the sound quite a bit

 

[Solan]

HE1000?

 

[Music Alchemist]

  HE1000?

 
Nice. Personally, though, I think $3,000 is far too much to ask for this headphone -- and that's coming from someone willing to pay whatever cost necessary to get the most accurate, realistic sound possible. Maybe it will be like some headphones, with the retail price dropping gradually. It is something I might want to add to the collection someday, due to how pretty it sounds...but it just did not sound very realistic to me. In the past I have described it as wrapping everything in caramel. I'm sure many people would love that, anyway. Everything else about the headphone is superb.

 

[catspaw]

   
Aha. I was using reverse psychology to try to get you to read my profile, but it backfired.

 
I usually only do console gaming, but wow...STAX + MMORPG = so much win. The soundstage on my SR-30 is actually rather intimate for an open headphone, but I usually prefer it this way. Soundstage is one of the least important things to me, since all headphones sound tiny compared to speakers and live performances. More important to me is the separation of instruments, which soundstage can help with, but it can be done without a larger soundstage. The SR-30 has excellent separation, though imaging (placement) could be better. Naturally the other STAX would have a larger soundstage.
 
The HD 800 did not sound neutral to me at all. I turned the treble knob all the way up on the speaker amp for my STAX, and it still wasn't as painfully bright as the HD 800 I heard was. For music without as much high frequency content, the HD 800 sounded pretty good, though. I could barely hear (much less feel) the bass, however, and "far too much bass" is a common complaint I have for many headphones, so it's not due to hearing loss or anything. Some people say the HD 800 is capable of very nice, strong bass, so I suppose it depends on the rig. Sheer output power in an amp doesn't seem to guarantee anything. But I guess if you own it, taming the treble and boosting the bass (or whatever you desire) would be easy enough. I know many of the more dedicated HD 800 owners modify it to tweak the sound. If it's only used for gaming, I would imagine the frequency response wouldn't be as important.

Hehe, I didnt read it because I mostly know what I want already, jsut that I am gonna give myself a few months to make sure I actually want it, and not that Im passing throu a phase of boredom that Im trying to fill by buying stuff or something similar.
 
If I still want the Stax in september, its safe to say i really want them .

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Hehe, I didnt read it because I mostly know what I want already, jsut that I am gonna give myself a few months to make sure I actually want it, and not that Im passing throu a phase of boredom that Im trying to fill by buying stuff or something similar.
 
If I still want the Stax in september, its safe to say i really want them .

 
Gotta hand it to ya, you've got patience! I know within about ten seconds whether I want another headphone.

 

[catspaw]

   
Gotta hand it to ya, you've got patience! I know within about ten seconds whether I want another headphone.

That exactly my point, I want to make sure its not just a thing of the moment.

 

[Gibsonmac]

Suddenly "Big Sound 2015" seems very insignificant lol. Would be great to get OP's impressions of the newer gear

 

[erikfreedom]

the only thing I would like to see reviewed here is a fully modded pair of he-6 powered by a very good class A speaker amp.  even after all those years he-6 and hd 800 are still incredible headphones.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

The one I'm most interested in hearing about is probably the k812.

 

[Rhamnetin]

  The one I'm most interested in hearing about is probably the k812.

 
That's up there for me as well, simply because it's one of few flagships I haven't heard.  I haven't heard the K1000 either though.

 

[lolhahaha]

  STAX has been discussed every once in awhile in this thread. Just wanted to mention that I recently got an entry-level STAX system that (to my ears) sounds much more realistic than everything else I have heard, regardless of price. (Pretty crazy that I got it in a trade for some of my CDs!) Very excited to upgrade to better STAX. Just not sure whether I should go for the SR-207 first or straight for the SR-009.

Same thing I felt the day I got my He Audio Jade and still 5 years later it sounds as good as it ever did. I'm kind of surprised that it's #7 on this list of headphones considering it wasn't produced in large quantity like the newer Hifiman hp's but I still haven't heard anything better.