[Hannah25]

I love this post, maybe someday, when I get a real job I will come back here and decide what end game headphone I will buy...joker123
jetsadabet

 

[elton7033]

I love this post, maybe someday, when I get a real job I will come back here and decide what end game headphone I will buy...

Just a friendly reminder before you get into summit fi, this hobby is only for one person, is hardly that you can share it with your friend and family nor they care about it, and its most likely that you will spend alot of time and money on it... where alot of normal people might think we are nuts, gigs or whatwever but if you really have the passion and interest in good quility audio, you will enjoy it.... lol (and it will become a reason for you to make a lot of money)

 

[RCBinTN]

I love this post, maybe someday, when I get a real job I will come back here and decide what end game headphone I will buy...

Great idea!
One of the first things I did, upon joining Head-Fi, was to read David's post from start to finish ... I learned so much.
His HP reviews are some of the best in the game, IMO.

David's insight, along with other folks' experience and headphone meets, led me to the Sennheiser HD800 as my end-game HP.

The challenge was to find a rig to drive them (less-expensive than David's gear, especially his DAC!), that took a couple of years.
In the end, my journey was rewarded by exceptional SQ from a mid-level rig ... one that enables sharing the experience:


Happy hunting, watch out for rabbit holes, and enjoy your music

 

[FritzS]

Great idea!
One of the first things I did, upon joining Head-Fi, was to read David's post from start to finish ... I learned so much.
His HP reviews are some of the best in the game, IMO.

David's insight, along with other folks' experience and headphone meets, led me to the Sennheiser HD800 as my end-game HP.

The challenge was to find a rig to drive them (less-expensive than David's gear, especially his DAC!), that took a couple of years.
In the end, my journey was rewarded by exceptional SQ from a mid-level rig ... one that enables sharing the experience:


Happy hunting, watch out for rabbit holes, and enjoy your music

Which headphone amp is that?

Music like this?
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/poprock/de...vening-At-The-Vienna-Opera-House/hnum/3254931

 

[RCBinTN]

Which headphone amp is that?

Music like this?
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/poprock/de...vening-At-The-Vienna-Opera-House/hnum/3254931

For sure - that's a great album. I own 34 Joe Bonamassa albums
The DAC is from Schiit Audio ... Gungnir MB. The amp is from Bryston ... BHA-1. They pair well together.

 

[teknorob23]

CB prize fight, world title holder versus the enigma.

 

[purk]

I sure miss David. I hope he is still well and enjoy headphones as much as he once did. He will be getting freebies left and right if he decides to come back and do reviews. Manufacturers would give him free headphones or sell them at a deep discount in exchange for his reviews.. Come back man...we need you!

 

[SHAMuuu]

 

[RCBinTN]

CB prize fight, world title holder versus the enigma.

Aye, that is some beautiful gear right there! Which HP came out the winner?
Looks like the Focal Stellia beat the Utopia for your line-up ... was it the SQ, or do you need closed HPs?

He will be getting freebies left and right if he decides to come back and do reviews.

I think David bought most of the original gear himself, trying to keep his reviews as objective as possible

 

[teknorob23]

Aye, that is some beautiful gear right there! Which HP came out the winner?
Looks like the Focal Stellia beat the Utopia for your line-up ... was it the SQ, or do you need closed HPs?

Sadly i'm limited to closed backs these days, otherwise their would have been quite a few contenders a little in front of these two, namely the Meze Empyrean which are the best HPs i've been lucky enough to hear, with the likes of my now Ex-LCD4z not far behind. My dalliance with the Utopia's was a while back too and while i still marvel at them as the true masters of speed and ultimate resolution, i found the ultimately a bit too much for longer sessions.

Anyway to answer your initial question, the Stellia winner hands down in ever area except perhaps bass quantity, where the Sonorous VIII have a more physical punch. The VIII's also have a richness of tone that gives the sound a real luxury if not 100% accurate sound. Its not that the Final's aren't really good, because they are, they have a wide stage, great separation and TOTL levels of detail. Plus they have the musicality in spadefuls, which combined with a richness of tone would make them a great late night headphone when you just want to float away immersed in the music. If i hadnt heard the Stellia's they'd probably be keepers. Although i'm not a fan of their looks, being a bit bling and perhaps dated looking and they also feel quite heavy on the head even though i think they're weights are similar. Not sure why they have received so little review/press attention in the 4 or so years they've been around.

It seems like Final have missed a bit of trick or they sold well and owner's have been keeping them a secret , because in searching for my favourite closed back i have listened to pretty much every closed back on the market and for my money they're better than pretty much everything else i've heard, which includes, Denon 7200/ 9200, ZMF Eikon, LCDxc, LCD2c, Ether Flow C, Senn HD820, Focal Elegia and probably a few more ive forgotten now.

As it is though, 4 years later Focal have re-defined the CB market, building on the already pretty accomplished, tonally lovely spacious and dynamic Elegias with the Stellia. Nope i'm not a fan of the ginger easily marked leather, and the microphonic cables, but everything else about them has my jaw on the floor.

They are similarities with the Utopia, but tonally to me they just seem a bit more balanced and no they cant match the resolution and detail, but they come pretty close plus theyre stage isnt quite as wide either. It’s widen enough to allow the seperation to be spot on. The bass goes a little deeper, is weighty and textured with zero bleed, the mid range is an absolute show stealer and if you like alt rock guitar music from Joy Division to My Bloody Valentine, teenage fanclub up to the National and say Thurston Moore's solo albums then youre in for a massive treat, crunchy textured and you hear things that i've only heard on 10K+ speakers. From the mids theres a liquid cohesion with the bass but more so even with the top which is airy, while not as much as the Utopia, but which is just more tonally right and i'll say it again cohesive. About half my listening is to Electronic and this is where the stellia's pace combined with detail and tone come in to play. They have given my 90s techno collections a new lease of life and sound although the part the Feliks Audio euforia amp plays in this should not be under estimated either.

On the partnering front each time I move them up a level they’re more than a match for whatever I add to the chain. That said things don’t fall apart when you take them down to iPhones and daps either. They’re really easy to drive.

Anyway my train is just about to pull in so I’ll have to leave it there, which is probably a relief for anyone who’s resisted sleep so far!

I think I might have given away that I’m a fan of what focal have acheive and I reckon the stellia will be the benchmark by which all
Cb’s will be measured for sometime. Oh and the sonourous v8’s are well worth a listen too but there’s only one winner!

 

[RCBinTN]

Sadly i'm limited to closed backs these days, otherwise their would have been quite a few contenders a little in front of these two, namely the Meze Empyrean which are the best HPs i've been lucky enough to hear, with the likes of my now Ex-LCD4z not far behind. My dalliance with the Utopia's was a while back too and while i still marvel at them as the true masters of speed and ultimate resolution, i found the ultimately a bit too much for longer sessions.

Anyway to answer your initial question, the Stellia winner hands down in ever area except perhaps bass quantity, where the Sonorous VIII have a more physical punch. The VIII's also have a richness of tone that gives the sound a real luxury if not 100% accurate sound. Its not that the Final's aren't really good, because they are, they have a wide stage, great separation and TOTL levels of detail. Plus they have the musicality in spadefuls, which combined with a richness of tone would make them a great late night headphone when you just want to float away immersed in the music. If i hadnt heard the Stellia's they'd probably be keepers. Although i'm not a fan of their looks, being a bit bling and perhaps dated looking and they also feel quite heavy on the head even though i think they're weights are similar. Not sure why they have received so little review/press attention in the 4 or so years they've been around.

It seems like Final have missed a bit of trick or they sold well and owner's have been keeping them a secret , because in searching for my favourite closed back i have listened to pretty much every closed back on the market and for my money they're better than pretty much everything else i've heard, which includes, Denon 7200/ 9200, ZMF Eikon, LCDxc, LCD2c, Ether Flow C, Senn HD820, Focal Elegia and probably a few more ive forgotten now.

As it is though, 4 years later Focal have re-defined the CB market, building on the already pretty accomplished, tonally lovely spacious and dynamic Elegias with the Stellia. Nope i'm not a fan of the ginger easily marked leather, and the microphonic cables, but everything else about them has my jaw on the floor.

They are similarities with the Utopia, but tonally to me they just seem a bit more balanced and no they cant match the resolution and detail, but they come pretty close plus theyre stage isnt quite as wide either. It’s widen enough to allow the seperation to be spot on. The bass goes a little deeper, is weighty and textured with zero bleed, the mid range is an absolute show stealer and if you like alt rock guitar music from Joy Division to My Bloody Valentine, teenage fanclub up to the National and say Thurston Moore's solo albums then youre in for a massive treat, crunchy textured and you hear things that i've only heard on 10K+ speakers. From the mids theres a liquid cohesion with the bass but more so even with the top which is airy, while not as much as the Utopia, but which is just more tonally right and i'll say it again cohesive. About half my listening is to Electronic and this is where the stellia's pace combined with detail and tone come in to play. They have given my 90s techno collections a new lease of life and sound although the part the Feliks Audio euforia amp plays in this should not be under estimated either.

On the partnering front each time I move them up a level they’re more than a match for whatever I add to the chain. That said things don’t fall apart when you take them down to iPhones and daps either. They’re really easy to drive.

Anyway my train is just about to pull in so I’ll have to leave it there, which is probably a relief for anyone who’s resisted sleep so far!

I think I might have given away that I’m a fan of what focal have acheive and I reckon the stellia will be the benchmark by which all
Cb’s will be measured for sometime. Oh and the sonourous v8’s are well worth a listen too but there’s only one winner!

Wow, what a story - can we call it the "new" battle of the flagships! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.
It would be uber-cool if David was around to offer his update, there've been so many great HPs launched since his original work was done.

It must be tough being constrained by closed-HPs, but a fun and interesting (and expensive) journey in itself.

The only higher-end closed can I owned was the LCD-XC, which I saw you owned as well, just too "boomy" IME for long sessions.
I've also heard the HD820 and was not impressed, although it wasn't heard with my home rig.

I am fascinated with the technology that Focal is using in their headphones - carrying over from their speaker tech - seems to be cutting edge.

I don't remember - do you have any ZMF headphones? They have several designs that are ~85% closed / 15% open.
I am keeping two open HPs - the HD800 and Audez'e LCD-4. One each dynamic & planar flavour ... they are a nice complement.

Kind Regards,
RCBinTN

 

[SonyFan121]

TH500RP is the best open-back headphone i've heard. The tonality, soundstage - everything about it. It's also super comfortable, the earpads are so soft I can't even feel them on my ears, a total contrast to the TH-X00 Purpleheart I had. The only other headphone i've owned that was more comfortable than TH500RP was the $1,900 (USD) Astell&Kern T5P. The build quality of TH500RP is imo much better than the TH-X00 Purpleheart. It is solid whereas the TH-X00 Purpleheart made all sorts of clicking/plasticy noises when I touched/moved them around. The cable of TH500RP is also a bit thicker than the TH-X00 Purpleheart and seems of slightly higher quality. I haven't heard LCD2, LCD3, Hifiman's or any of the higher priced Planar Magnetic headphones, but I can't imagine liking any of them. TH500RP is it for me. Would be interesting to hear the OP's thoughts on it, which is the reason for this post. Maybe he will see it and could demo a TH500RP, tell us what he thinks.

 

[teknorob23]

Wow, what a story - can we call it the "new" battle of the flagships! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.
It would be uber-cool if David was around to offer his update, there've been so many great HPs launched since his original work was done.

It must be tough being constrained by closed-HPs, but a fun and interesting (and expensive) journey in itself.

The only higher-end closed can I owned was the LCD-XC, which I saw you owned as well, just too "boomy" IME for long sessions.
I've also heard the HD820 and was not impressed, although it wasn't heard with my home rig.

I am fascinated with the technology that Focal is using in their headphones - carrying over from their speaker tech - seems to be cutting edge.

I don't remember - do you have any ZMF headphones? They have several designs that are ~85% closed / 15% open.
I am keeping two open HPs - the HD800 and Audez'e LCD-4. One each dynamic & planar flavour ... they are a nice complement.

Kind Regards,
RCBinTN

Sorry it go all a bit war and peace.

I have a sensitivity to 4-6k mark in my left ear, as a result of past life dj’ing techno followed by a career in production. It’s only a problem with iems open backs and my hearing is otherwise fine. CB’s are my only option because i can keep the volume low enough while still getting to hear then full presentation. But up until hearing the elegia and now the stellia i hadn’t found a tuning I was happy with, that I would call hifi.

The hd820s are a real enigma to me, they sound almost as if they’re a work in progress, incomplete due to a disjointed mid-treble range. They’re one of the few headphones that have ever made me angry too expensive and just not right. I wouldn’t give you £500 for them, whereas the hd800 are stunning.

I demoed the zmf eikons but they did nothing for me, sounding pretty similar but a bit better (more even) than the lcd xc.

I love the Lcd4’s but plumped for the 4z because at the time I was just using the hugo2 and I felt the 4s needed a bit more umph. They were my last OBs, but i found that even my home listening environment was too noisy for me to be able to use them effectively.

Have you heard the Empyreans? They knocked my socks off and very nearly pulled me back, fortunately this is one of the few times common sense prevailed but wow!! the hype isn’t they are awesome. Kind of perfect compromise between the lcd4 and utopia.... Be warned though, I haven’t met anyone who’s heard them without buying them or wanting to very much! rob

 

[RCBinTN]

Sorry it go all a bit war and peace.

I have a sensitivity to 4-6k mark in my left ear, as a result of past life dj’ing techno followed by a career in production. It’s only a problem with iems open backs and my hearing is otherwise fine. CB’s are my only option because i can keep the volume low enough while still getting to hear then full presentation. But up until hearing the elegia and now the stellia i hadn’t found a tuning I was happy with, that I would call hifi.

The hd820s are a real enigma to me, they sound almost as if they’re a work in progress, incomplete due to a disjointed mid-treble range. They’re one of the few headphones that have ever made me angry too expensive and just not right. I wouldn’t give you £500 for them, whereas the hd800 are stunning.

I demoed the zmf eikons but they did nothing for me, sounding pretty similar but a bit better (more even) than the lcd xc.

I love the Lcd4’s but plumped for the 4z because at the time I was just using the hugo2 and I felt the 4s needed a bit more umph. They were my last OBs, but i found that even my home listening environment was too noisy for me to be able to use them effectively.

Have you heard the Empyreans? They knocked my socks off and very nearly pulled me back, fortunately this is one of the few times common sense prevailed but wow!! the hype isn’t they are awesome. Kind of perfect compromise between the lcd4 and utopia.... Be warned though, I haven’t met anyone who’s heard them without buying them or wanting to very much! rob

Hello Rob,
I have not heard the Meze Empyreans, but after investigation, they are a truly amazing design. Meze claims a FR of 4Hz to 110,000Hz due to the ribbon driver. That is an uber claim.

I'd had the LCD-X, actually twice, for years until I heard the LCD-4 on my rig at a HP meet. The 4's blew away the LCD-X ... my end-game planars.
I think the higher (200ohm) impedance works well, but they need a hefty amp to drive them properly. The BHA-1 fits the bill.
I am a fan of the Audez'e "house sound" that IMO is very engaging. Just not the LCD-XC.
I am lucky in having a quiet environment so OB are enabled.

Fully agree with your comments about the HD820, they are not for me.
I also greatly prefer the original HD800 to the HD800S, which to me sound like the HD800 with a sock stuffed inside.
I keep two pair so Annette and I can listen together. She suffers from tinnitus and the brighter mid/treble of the HD800 work well for her.
If they ever crap out, I will have to look for another bright HP, so then the Utopia or Empyrean may be in play.

You seem to be in a lucky place to be able to audition these high-end HPs. That is very valuable.

Cheers,
RCB

 

[freesole]

I'm considering getting one TOTL headphone and have somewhat narrowed it down to the two headphones, 1) Meze Empyrean and 2) Focal Stellia. I know it's apples and oranges but for those that have heard both, which is more subjectively enjoyable to you? If you had the choice to pick up either, which would you reach for first?