[gearofwar]

Hello, I wonder if anyone here could help me choosing an ortho plannar headphone. I have in mind those from Audeze and Hifiman (HE-400i, 500..) but my budget is limited at 600 and below if possible or maybe i could get to 700$ if it's really worth it. I do have JH13FP, and HD650 both are driven with HDP R10 (main player ) and Valhalla. I don't mind it being open but would be nice to carry them around not like the weight of LCD2....Thanks in advance

 

[superjawes]

In the $700 and really worth it category: Oppo PM-2. I've had these for almost a week via the PM-1/2 loaner program. Detail is excellent, and they sound great with and without an amp (iPhone 5S and Magni 2 Uber). The bass was a little weak for my tastes, so I did bump that up via an eqaulizer.

Of course, if you want something more affordable, I also really like my HE-400. It's a little heavy and has an uneven response, and will NOT play well with a Valhalla 1, FYI. I would definitely like to try the HE-400i, which is supposed to solve most of the major issues of its predecessor, but I can't recommend it from experience.

 

[gearofwar]

In the $700 and really worth it category: Oppo PM-2. I've had these for almost a week via the PM-1/2 loaner program. Detail is excellent, and they sound great with and without an amp (iPhone 5S and Magni 2 Uber). The bass was a little weak for my tastes, so I did bump that up via an eqaulizer.

Of course, if you want something more affordable, I also really like my HE-400. It's a little heavy and has an uneven response, and will NOT play well with a Valhalla 1, FYI. I would definitely like to try the HE-400i, which is supposed to solve most of the major issues of its predecessor, but I can't recommend it from experience.

Do you know about anything the new Audeze EL-8? I would be wondering if they are worth getting over HE-400i 

 

[superjawes]

The EL-8 looks like it should be similar to the PM-2 in terms of value, efficiency, and portability, but it is brank spanking new, and I haven't seen any comparisons yet (there might be some in the EL-8 thread). It's definitely on my radar to try if I get the chance. I haven't actually had a chance to sit down with the EL-8 or 400i.