First "big" headphones for under $2,000?

[norman88]

I've been using the m50x for a few years now, but it's bass bloated and somewhat uncomfortable due to the clamping pressure. I'm now looking to buy my first open backed headphones (high end), but am unsure of what to get. Ideally, I'd go with something that's "best of all worlds", but that may not exist, and if they do would be well north of what my budget is. In short, I don't listen to music for very long at any one time since I am easily fatigued, and almost exclusively prefer melodic dubstep, chillstep, or anything with an "exciting" beat in that vein.
 
So far, I've been considering getting the Elear with Jotunheim amp/dac, or the hd800s' with a WA7p. Would either work well for the kind of music I like (I know the headphones are contrasting)? Should I be considering something cheaper, like the hd650's?
 
Examples of songs I like:
 
Compass (Vanic Remix)
Seven Lions - Falling Away
Oriental Chillstep
Nero - The Thrill
Rockabye (Shaked Remix)
Hydrogen - Beating Heart

 

[zorilon]

Both of these headphones (Elear and HD800) are fatiguing because they have dinamic drivers. I had the hd800s and it was not very comfortable to listen, and not very natural sounding even whit tubs. Have you consider a planar magnetic headphone?  In your price range you could buy a pair of used HE 1000 V1 and the Jotunheim. I heard that HE 1000 V1 pairs well whit Jotunheim, I have mine paired with the Ragnarok and is perfect.

 

[Monsterzero]

Neither would be great for the genres you like,do yourself (and your wallet) a favor and get yourself a Audeze LCD-2...the sound is non fatiguing the bass response is amazing.

I personally prefer the non fazor version,but theyre discontinued,so to get one you'd need to buy used.I just sold my pair for 600.00. You will need a decent amp to push it(Jotunheim will work great)

Newer versions are brighter sounding and have slightly less noticeable bass response so YMMV.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Both of these headphones (Elear and HD800) are fatiguing because they have dinamic drivers. I had the hd800s and it was not very comfortable to listen, and not very natural sounding even whit tubs. Have you consider a planar magnetic headphone?  In your price range you could buy a pair of used HE 1000 V1 and the Jotunheim. I heard that HE 1000 V1 pairs well whit Jotunheim, I have mine paired with the Ragnarok and is perfect.

 
The driver type has nothing to do with it. There are headphones in each driver tech category that can be fatiguing. The Elear was not fatiguing at all for me, but I agree with you on the HD 800. The HE1000 is certainly smoother. None of those three are what I'd personally choose for more aggressive, energetic music. (And I did own the first two.)
 
To the OP: If you're going to spend that much, you should probably go to meets and shops to audition all the headphones you can. Otherwise you could end up like me, constantly getting new headphones and moving on to more. hehe. After hearing enough headphones, you may find that you prefer a much cheaper one for certain types of music.

 

[norman88]

I live in Iowa, and the best headphones I can find in stores are the hd650s (I doubt there are any meets) which is the main reason I made this thread. For some reason, I always thought planar magnetic headphones were bass bloated monsters that were too heavy. Are there suggestions other than the HE-1000s? If not, I will possibly consider upping my budget and getting the v2.

 

[Music Alchemist]

I live in Iowa, and the best headphones I can find in stores are the hd650s (I doubt there are any meets) which is the main reason I made this thread. For some reason, I always thought planar magnetic headphones were bass bloated monsters that were too heavy. Are there suggestions other than the HE-1000s? If not, I will possibly consider upping my budget and getting the v2.

 
Actually, planar magnetic headphones almost always have the most linear measured bass. Most of them are indeed heavier on your head. I think the (discontinued) HE6 is better overall than the HE1000, but it's hard to drive, so you'd need a powerful amp.

 

[norman88]

Like an idiot, I ended up buying the HEKv2 used for $2,100 and a black finish Jot for $435, which is a lot more than I wanted to spend. At some point I may buy the Zotl2, but am going to sit a while on what I have so far.

 

[zorilon]

Congratulations on your new acquisition! Give them some time to burn in together and enjoy the experience. I am amazed every time I listen my HE1000 even whit the Dragonfly Red, it is very gentle whit my ears. But be careful with the addictive thoughts of upgrading, it can be a burden on your wallet without any significant improvement.  

 

[norman88]

FYI, I got these and the Elear and the Elear's sound signature is more to my liking. The HEK, even the v2, is very laid back and lacked the impact I was looking for. Hopefully this helps someone.

 

[zorilon]

FYI, I got these and the Elear and the Elear's sound signature is more to my liking. The HEK, even the v2, is very laid back and lacked the impact I was looking for. Hopefully this helps someone.

I am happy that you find something you like, and hope that you recover the money you put in HEK V2.

 

[Markj]

Had a chance to test few headphones this weekend. Z1R was grainy and not musical, total letdown, from memory Z7 was less boring. UTOPIA little harsh on top. ELEAR was smoother, better bass and more PRAT. LCD 4 is the winner for me in open headphones. LCD XC has excellent isolation, ergonomics, dynamics, transparency, tonality and musicality for the price. Amps used Sony new desktop, MacIntosh MHA-150.

 

[norman88]

I was thinking of getting the Z1R, but one of the things that drew me to the Elear was that I could buy it retail and not have to worry about the second hand market. I'm glad I supported something that didn't encourage the rampant price inflation.

 

[ubs28]

I live in Iowa, and the best headphones I can find in stores are the hd650s (I doubt there are any meets) which is the main reason I made this thread. For some reason, I always thought planar magnetic headphones were bass bloated monsters that were too heavy. Are there suggestions other than the HE-1000s? If not, I will possibly consider upping my budget and getting the v2.

Try the HEX V2 before checking out the HE-1000. Hifiman dropped the price recently of the HEX so it could be interesting.