Awesomeness1307
New Head-Fier
I want to purchase a closed back over ear headphone, highest priorities being sound quality and comfort. I have some big ass ears lol, just measured, 3 inches tall. I know my requirements (stated below) might be strange/restricting, so, I humbly ask you to recommend the best you can.
Location - India
Budget - 500 USD / 40,000 INR
Source - My smartphone (mostly) and my MacBook Pro. At the most, I would be willing to get a portable AMP/DAC that would run off my phone if it was really worth it.
Preferred music genres - I'll use the headphones for everything from gaming to movies to anime to music. I mostly listen to anime and movie soundtracks, and the occasional EDM tracks. Although anime and movie soundtracks are so varied by genre, it's too vague of a description perhaps. Favourite genre of music is something like what you would find in Attack on Titan. Just search 'Attack on Titan WMID' on YouTube and listen to the first track that comes up. It's a weird mix of electronic, dubstep, vocals, and orchestra.
Past gear experience - A cheap 30 dollar Sony MDR something consumer on-ear headphone. Then, my first decent purchase was a Superlux HD668B. Then a KZ-ZS10 with memory foam, which sounded too bassy, bloated and muddy to me. I have been researching about sound signatures, but since the HD668B is the only decent headphone I've tried, I'm not sure what I want. But I will say, that I really enjoyed the signature of the HD668B, which was mostly treble focussed. I don't know if I'll like bassy headphones, since the only bassy ones I've tried are all consumer level Sony/Beats pairs from friends and a KZ-ZS10, which sounded pretty bloated, and I'm also not sure what a good 'mid-forward' headphone would sound like. I think the Bose QC 35 II would fall in that category, which I tried from a friend, but I found my Superlux to be more enjoyable. I loved the soundstage too (perhaps I'll invest in an open-back someday), but, I have a requirement for closed backs now. The problems with my Superlux HD668B were the harsh piercing treble, which I fixed with some padding and some EQ, and the shallow earpads. I'm looking for an upgrade now.
Comfort - This is a bit of a huge priority for me. My ears are larger compared to the average, and I didn't like it when they touched the inside of the Superlux. The most comfortable headphones I tried were my friends' Bose QC 35 II, which completely sealed my ears without resting on them, and my ears didn't touch their insides either, and, I pretty much need something with that comfort.
What aspect of your current listening experience would I like to improve? - Umm, mostly everything I suppose? I like the comfort of the Superlux HD668B, but I would like thicker earpads. I tried very cheap velour earpads for my Superlux, and they felt very nice to the skin, although the drivers still touched my ears. I'd say comfort is one of my biggest priorities, I absolutely can't tolerate on-ears, no matter how soft the pads. As for the sound, as I said before, really liked the signature of the Superlux, I wouldn't mind if it was the similar, but like, way better, but honestly, I'm willing to hear about various options.
Miscellaneous - I live in India, so... while I have been looking at options in MassDrop such as the 177X Go and Drop THX Pandas, I still consider them risky options since I'm importing them, and also I have no idea how warranty would work with them. Other options I found appealing are... MMX 300 Gen 2 (though they're twice the price of a DTX 770 for essentially the same headphone, I don't mind the non-detachable mic if other qualities make up for it), Audeze Penrose (the pads look a little uncomfortable, but they look like the Audeze Mobius without the fancy head tracking, will have to wait for reviews about sound), and AKG K371 (worried about my ears touching the inside of the drivers, so, might do a pad swap, at the cost of some sound change)... I'm really lost on what to do in this situation, would really appreciate your insight. And also, since I will be using them for the occasional, I'll also get a V-Moda BoomPro/Mod-mic for my pair. I also checked out the various Fostex mods, but they all seem to be semi-open, and not closed.
If I got the Mobius/Penrose, I'm pretty sure I'll end up with this mod
And if I got the AKG 371, I'm pretty sure I'd get the Yaxi STPad2 and a Mod-Mic:
So, if anyone is recommending options, I'd prefer them to give me ones that are preferably available either through local retailers Amazon India, Bajaao or HeadphoneZone, or if it's an international platform, they should at least have international shipping, decent warranty and a repair process (after warranty).
P.S. I got recommended by some to go for IEMs (specifically the Moondrop Blessing 2) in this price range, and I honestly, can't really tolerate them. I also have a KZ ZS10 with memory foam, and I'm honestly a bit OCD about cleaning and have to clean the tips every time they're in my ear, and it also makes me want to clean my ears every single day (which isn't really medically recommended), and I don't want to deal with the hassle of having to change eartips every few months.
Location - India
Budget - 500 USD / 40,000 INR
Source - My smartphone (mostly) and my MacBook Pro. At the most, I would be willing to get a portable AMP/DAC that would run off my phone if it was really worth it.
Preferred music genres - I'll use the headphones for everything from gaming to movies to anime to music. I mostly listen to anime and movie soundtracks, and the occasional EDM tracks. Although anime and movie soundtracks are so varied by genre, it's too vague of a description perhaps. Favourite genre of music is something like what you would find in Attack on Titan. Just search 'Attack on Titan WMID' on YouTube and listen to the first track that comes up. It's a weird mix of electronic, dubstep, vocals, and orchestra.
Past gear experience - A cheap 30 dollar Sony MDR something consumer on-ear headphone. Then, my first decent purchase was a Superlux HD668B. Then a KZ-ZS10 with memory foam, which sounded too bassy, bloated and muddy to me. I have been researching about sound signatures, but since the HD668B is the only decent headphone I've tried, I'm not sure what I want. But I will say, that I really enjoyed the signature of the HD668B, which was mostly treble focussed. I don't know if I'll like bassy headphones, since the only bassy ones I've tried are all consumer level Sony/Beats pairs from friends and a KZ-ZS10, which sounded pretty bloated, and I'm also not sure what a good 'mid-forward' headphone would sound like. I think the Bose QC 35 II would fall in that category, which I tried from a friend, but I found my Superlux to be more enjoyable. I loved the soundstage too (perhaps I'll invest in an open-back someday), but, I have a requirement for closed backs now. The problems with my Superlux HD668B were the harsh piercing treble, which I fixed with some padding and some EQ, and the shallow earpads. I'm looking for an upgrade now.
Comfort - This is a bit of a huge priority for me. My ears are larger compared to the average, and I didn't like it when they touched the inside of the Superlux. The most comfortable headphones I tried were my friends' Bose QC 35 II, which completely sealed my ears without resting on them, and my ears didn't touch their insides either, and, I pretty much need something with that comfort.
What aspect of your current listening experience would I like to improve? - Umm, mostly everything I suppose? I like the comfort of the Superlux HD668B, but I would like thicker earpads. I tried very cheap velour earpads for my Superlux, and they felt very nice to the skin, although the drivers still touched my ears. I'd say comfort is one of my biggest priorities, I absolutely can't tolerate on-ears, no matter how soft the pads. As for the sound, as I said before, really liked the signature of the Superlux, I wouldn't mind if it was the similar, but like, way better, but honestly, I'm willing to hear about various options.
Miscellaneous - I live in India, so... while I have been looking at options in MassDrop such as the 177X Go and Drop THX Pandas, I still consider them risky options since I'm importing them, and also I have no idea how warranty would work with them. Other options I found appealing are... MMX 300 Gen 2 (though they're twice the price of a DTX 770 for essentially the same headphone, I don't mind the non-detachable mic if other qualities make up for it), Audeze Penrose (the pads look a little uncomfortable, but they look like the Audeze Mobius without the fancy head tracking, will have to wait for reviews about sound), and AKG K371 (worried about my ears touching the inside of the drivers, so, might do a pad swap, at the cost of some sound change)... I'm really lost on what to do in this situation, would really appreciate your insight. And also, since I will be using them for the occasional, I'll also get a V-Moda BoomPro/Mod-mic for my pair. I also checked out the various Fostex mods, but they all seem to be semi-open, and not closed.
If I got the Mobius/Penrose, I'm pretty sure I'll end up with this mod
And if I got the AKG 371, I'm pretty sure I'd get the Yaxi STPad2 and a Mod-Mic:
So, if anyone is recommending options, I'd prefer them to give me ones that are preferably available either through local retailers Amazon India, Bajaao or HeadphoneZone, or if it's an international platform, they should at least have international shipping, decent warranty and a repair process (after warranty).
P.S. I got recommended by some to go for IEMs (specifically the Moondrop Blessing 2) in this price range, and I honestly, can't really tolerate them. I also have a KZ ZS10 with memory foam, and I'm honestly a bit OCD about cleaning and have to clean the tips every time they're in my ear, and it also makes me want to clean my ears every single day (which isn't really medically recommended), and I don't want to deal with the hassle of having to change eartips every few months.
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