[Thieliste]

Hi everyone, i plan on to purchase a pair of very high end headphones this coming winter in the 3 to 4K price range.
Here are some of the ones i'm looking at : Final Audio Sonorous X, Hifiman HE-1000 V2 and Focal Utopia.
I would like to have feedbacks from owners or people who have auditioned some of these and what you liked or did not like about them.
Any other susggestions in this price range are welcomed.
Thanks,

Brice

 

[Monsterzero]

If youre into tossing big dollars at a headphone,might as well go headfirst and grab a STAX 007/009 and the Headamp BHSE.

A finer sounding set-up I have yet to hear,and that includes gear that costs upwards of 55k.

 

[Thieliste]

monsterzero thanks for your input, the big problem with SR009 is the budget you have to add into an amp to make it sing.
With the Sonorous X and Focal Utopia a Chord Hugo 2 could do the job for much less money.
One other thing that i didn't mention is that i already own a high end sound system therefore i'm not willing to spend 10k in a headphone rig.

 

[Monsterzero]

I havent heard the Final Audio HP you mentioned,but between the other two the Utopia was far and away much more enjoyable to my ears....and I like HiFiMan HPs too.

 

[buke9]

Have not heard the Final Audio so don't know. There is not a whole lot to dislike of the other two either. It is just a different presentation. I don't own either but have heard them both several times on different gear . I did not make notes on the experience of listening to any that I've heard but might in the future so to give a better response to these types of inquiries.
For better response to your question you should say what you are going to be driving them with and what sound signature your looking for. Just saying I want TOTL headphones doesn't mean a lot if your not driving them properly. Just my two cents.

 

[Thieliste]

Most likely a Hugo 2 would be used to drive them.

 

[Thieliste]

If you guys know about other portable amps that are at the level of the Hugo 2 let me know.

 

[buke9]

Have not heard the Hugo 2 as a dac/amp only as a dac with a prototype Cavalli amp that I can't wait to come out for sale. I have a Mojo that I'm listening to now with my AKG K872's on the back patio and it is quite nice with a little Neil Young and just about anything else. I really like the Chord dacs but the amp sections I'm not to sure of as I like my tube amps but that is me also like my Yggdrasil much better as a dac.

 

[Thieliste]

I also have a Chord Mojo right now as my portable rig.
what would you recommend as some of the best tube portable amps ?
Any experience with the Alo Audio Continental Dual Mono ?

 

[tommy1st]

That's a lot of money. Have you ever think about stax system? STAX-SR 009 will be around $3000 new. or for $1300 you can get L900 which is much cheaper but around 80-90% of the SR009.
[https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/comparing-world-class-headphones] Here is a link you may interested.