[sml1226]

I've been listening to everything though my speaker setup. Headphones took a backseat. And as a result, I have no idea what my options are these days.

My V6 and my HD25 are both good at what I use them for, but that is not any kind of serious listening. They're more portable, or casual, background noise type listening.

I want something to provide some semblance of my speaker setup in an, "I can still listen to that at 3AM" package. I doubt my neighbors would be happy hearing much of any of my music blasting in the middle of the night.

Now, my audio chain in that speaker setup is one I don't expect anyone to have actually heard, but here it is anyway.

Schiit Modi 2 Uber / Rega RP1 w/ Bias 2 to Emotiva XPS-1
Trends PA-10.1D
Dynaco Mk III
Mordaunt-Short MS30i

Nothing incredible, but it's about perfect for my needs. I can't see another change any time soon there. I don't have anything for headphones that does anything like what that setup does for me.

Those speakers are a sealed box, 8" woofer, 1" silk dome tweeter. Sealed box kills off some extension, but I've always liked the way the bottom end rolls off in a sealed box. Being an 8" it does still reach pretty deep though, and it does it pretty well. Not as well as a good dedicated sub or full floorstanding speakers, but impressively well for what they are. And for the tweeter, it never feels dark or boring, but it's certainly no metal dome. I like that slightly tame, but not quite relaxed sound.

So I guess, from what little I'm legitimately aware of, I need a quick and clean bottom end and a tame top end, but not one toned down enough to be "dark." From what I gathered prior to disappearing from here, planar drivers were what I needed to be looking at next, but that has been years now. Outside of Audeze not being "Audez'e" any longer, I have no idea what's happened in the world of orthos. And I may not need orthos. I'm sure there are a ton of new dynamic cans out there worth looking at since I was last here.

I'm sort of expecting to stay on the cheaper end of things, but how cheap, I have no idea yet. Just curious regarding options at this point, as I'm totally lost in the headphone world again.

 

[LoryWiv]

I am listening to ZMF Ori planars as I type this...impactful but controlled low-end w/o bleed into mids, and high-end is not strident or sibilant, perhaps "tame" would be an apt description but certainly not boring. It is a Fostex T50p mod done right, and the craftsmanship / wood cups are beautiful. Worth checking into but of course YMMV.

 

[headpfizer]

HD 650 are usually a good starting point for most people.

 

[sml1226]

Sounds about right up top then. Relaxed, yet engaging enough not to bore is about exactly where I'm hoping to be. I don't know that I want to jump on a mod as my next option though. Given that you can take a T50RP and make it a $300 or $1200 can, both at price points people find fair, I can't see myself being happy not having tried a couple of variations prior to settling on something. Maybe that's just me.

Regarding the Senns, I never felt it would be what I was after 6 years ago. The descriptions never left me wanting them. Couple that with people agreeing with what I assumed based on the HD595 I tried, namely that they clamp too much, and they never really appealed to me.

 

[BillsonChang007]

AKG K702/65 or K712 or K7xx massdrop then a decent aftermarket cable.

 

[OldDude04]

You might have come back to headphones at a great time. Starting on Monday on Massdrop they are dropping the Fostex T-XO Planar Magnetic for $150. It's a slightly modded Fostex T50RP MKII.

 

[Whitigir]

He-1 for your next can for another while

 

[sml1226]

AKG K702/65 or K712 or K7xx massdrop then a decent aftermarket cable.

I was interested in the Q701 back before I left. Is the stock cable really bad enough to need a new one? I know the K701 saw a ton of recables, but so did everything near that price range back then.

You might have come back to headphones at a great time. Starting on Monday on Massdrop they are dropping the Fostex T-XO Planar Magnetic for $150. It's a slightly modded Fostex T50RP MKII.

I saw that. 1900 of them for like 5000 people last I saw it didn't seem to be good odds of getting them though. I'll definitely keep an eye on it, but I'm not expecting to get one.

He-1 for your next can for another while

Yeah! And I'll go get a pair of mono BAT REX II Power amps to replace my Dynacos while I'm at it. And I might as well get those speakers I heard with that amp. I've got $150k lying around...

 

[BillsonChang007]

IMO, a copper cable brings about the bass to just right making it a really good bargain for the price. DIY it yourself and the cable cost + tools probably usd50 or less? And you still have remaining parts for a RCA cable and what not

For me, the AKG lacks the kick on the low end to make the music lively on stock. Also the stock cable is too long for me

 

[sml1226]

Most cables are either too long or silly short. That part doesn't surprise me one bit. I'll have to look into the K7XX again. Not sure it's what I'm after, but it was always interesting enough before that I'm curious if it's actually what I'm after.

 

[sml1226]

Well, I pulled the trigger on the T-X0, but given the estimated ship date... I'm probably going to get tired of waiting and snag something else as well.

Maybe I'll just start trying out amps instead!