[Monsterzero]

  FYI, the Kennerton Vali are on Massdrop.
 
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/kennerton-vali-exclusive-massdrop-edition
 
Apparently they sound great with Metal music.

If Grado and Audeze had a baby,it would look like these.

 

[YtseJamer]

  If Grado and Audeze had a baby,it would look like these.

 
I'm very tempted to buy them but I will probably receive my Atticus in 2 weeks.  

 

[Monsterzero]

   
I'm very tempted to buy them but I will probably receive my Atticus in 2 weeks.  

Wait..I thought you decided on Eikon? I cant keep up with your gear!
Its going to be awhile before i get mine,so I will live vicariously thru you and your Atticus. 

 

[YtseJamer]

  Wait..I thought you decided on Eikon? I cant keep up with your gear!
Its going to be awhile before i get mine,so I will live vicariously thru you and your Atticus. 

 
Long story short, I had the opportunity to try the Eikon and even if they sound great with classical music, it's not the type of sound signature that I was looking for.  Also, I have tinnitus in my left ear and I'm pretty sure that I would have had problems with the Eikon.
 
Zach was kind enough to let me modify my order and now I'm back with the Atticus.  

 

[Dobrescu George]

   
It's not the treble that is the main issue, it is the lack of mids.  Deep recession just kills the midrange on the Nighthawks.  Bass is really fantastic though if your a basshead.

 
I'm not sure about that. I thought that the treble was dead as well....
 

I have to try the Nighthawks. I need to know if the muted treble is accurate, or just a weird tuning.

 

 
They have a muted - like tuning. Imagine not hearing anything above the upped ranges. Kinda like very very old and cheap radios. 
 
 

That's one way of saying it. Another would be, "It is extremely low distortion, but it sounds like crap, so you're going to have to force yourself to like it." 

 

 
Ahahaha. You made my day, mate! 

 
I didn't like them in any way. Didn't take EQ well so there is a ton of distortion in the drivers. 99 Classics from Meze can take 20 dB of EQ with Zero distortion. THAT is what I consider amazing. 
 

Thanks so much for taking the time! Means a lot

Been listening to a lot of djent recently but any good progressive stuff w solid percussion. I play drums (used to a lot more when younger) and love double bass & offbeat, varied time signatures; anything clever. Some tech/electro/metalcore can be good if it's not whiny

Fav bands.. oh man..gonna miss some I'm sure but btbam tesseract born of Osiris intervals rest among ruins anup sastry periphery abr aa monuments atb erra animals as leaders contortionist aild bullet (early stuff) ffaf opeth in flames.. many more I'm missing but hopefully that gives some idea

Closed/open either fine actually have used mostly iem's but largely bc I'm frequently on the go / listening and exercising.

Have some work now that allows me to be in one place so would like to get the best experience I can - deception concealing fate pt 2 live was probably one of my all time favs

Thanks again to you and anyone else who takes the time to share 

 

 
Mate. I love Tesseract, Born of Osiris, Periphery, animals as leaders and contortionist! You should probably try some painted in exile and some Veil of Maya. Maybe KillWhitneyDead if you feel angry 

 

  FYI, the Kennerton Vali are on Massdrop.
 
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/kennerton-vali-exclusive-massdrop-edition
 
Apparently they sound great with Metal music.
 

 
I saw them as well, but never even heard about their brand. Are they any good? 

 

[Dobrescu George]

   
Long story short, I had the opportunity to try the Eikon and even if they sound great with classical music, it's not the type of sound signature that I was looking for.  Also, I have tinnitus in my left ear and I'm pretty sure that I would have had problems with the Eikon.
 
Zach was kind enough to let me modify my order and now I'm back with the Atticus.  

 
Woah 

I hope that it works out fine for you with Atticus! 

 

[YtseJamer]

   
Woah 

I hope that it works out fine for you with Atticus! 

 
Yes I'm 99% sure that I will like the Atticus 

 

[YtseJamer]

Originally Posted by Dobrescu George /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I saw them as well, but never even heard about their brand. Are they any good? 

 
I have never heard the Kennerton Vali but someone told me many times that they are one of the best rock/metal headphones.

 

[Hansotek]

Thanks so much for taking the time! Means a lot

Been listening to a lot of djent recently but any good progressive stuff w solid percussion. I play drums (used to a lot more when younger) and love double bass & offbeat, varied time signatures; anything clever. Some tech/electro/metalcore can be good if it's not whiny

Fav bands.. oh man..gonna miss some I'm sure but btbam tesseract born of Osiris intervals rest among ruins anup sastry periphery abr aa monuments atb erra animals as leaders contortionist aild bullet (early stuff) ffaf opeth in flames.. many more I'm missing but hopefully that gives some idea

Closed/open either fine actually have used mostly iem's but largely bc I'm frequently on the go / listening and exercising.

Have some work now that allows me to be in one place so would like to get the best experience I can - deception concealing fate pt 2 live was probably one of my all time favs

Thanks again to you and anyone else who takes the time to share

You have some great options in that $500-$750 range, and I'm familiar with all the bands you listed there, so I can totally help! Here are some systems you should look into, along with prices and pros/cons:

SETUP 1:

Stax SR-Lambda (standard bias, original version)
+ SRD-7 speaker tap adapter (it will be $325 or so for headphone and adapter together)
+ Topping TP22 Tripath Speaker amp ($95)
+ AudioQuest DragonFly Red ($199)
+ AudioQuest Golden Gate 3.5mm to RCA cable ($65)
---
Total cost: $685 + shipping

PROS: lightning quick attack and decay keeps your head nodding to the music. Unbelievably fast sounding. Punchier and more impactful than 98% of electrostatic setups due to thicker diaphragm and extra dynamics from speaker tap adapter. Super resolving (which is why I recommend the upgraded interconnect) - clarity and resolution is unrivaled for the price... right at the doorstep of the HD800. Super lightweight with very little clamping pressure - you barely feel them. Excellent sparkle and mids make the guitars sound super exciting and energetic. Microdynamic texture is among the best of the best at any price.

CONS - Not much in the way of deep bass extension. Midbass punch on kickdrum is fantastic, but low, rumbly bass is mostly absent. The headphones will also be fairly old, so they may not look the best and the headband can feel a little brittle (though it can be replaced).

---

SETUP 2:

MrSpeakers ÆON ($699 preorder)
Amp ???? Worry about the amp later. A $199 DragonFly Red should do it justice or grab a Chord Mojo down the road and be set for headphones for the next two decades.
---
Total cost: $699 plus a later investment in the system.

PROS: You'll have the headphone problem solved. ÆON will be fine out of a phone or stopgap solution (like a used Fiio E17 or E12) to keep you relatively on budget out the gate. You can reinvest in the system later and continue to reap benefits as it scales. This headphone is unquestionably the best total package ever at this price: fantastic neutral tuning, easily EQable, excellent punch/attack/decay, easy to amp, extremely comfortable. It is dangerously close to the $1,899 Ether flow for barely more than 1/3 of the price. Safest, most future-proof pick.

CONS: stretches your budget a bit to build up the system, but IMO it is absolutely worth it.

--

System 3:

Emu Teak ($500ish)
AudioQuest DragonFly Red ($200)
--
Total cost: $700

PROS: Dat bass!!! This is probably the best of the Fostex TH900 variants, offering better overall tone and decay than the popular TH-X00 (which can get a little sloppy with your music). I believe shuto77 is using this setup currently, so he can probably give you more insight into it. My experience with it is somewhat limited.

CONS: Not as resolving as the two systems listed above, but it's no pushover either.

--

System 4

Audeze iSine20 $549

PROS: perfect tuning, speed, impact, dynamics. Great resolution and soundstage for an in-ear. Cypher cable actually has a decent sounding amp and DAC built into it.

CONS: it's an in-ear. Love it or hate it fit. It's also an in-ear that doesn't really isolate. Hard to argue with the sound though.

--

There are a few options that are old favorites of this thread like the HE400i and HE560, but you wouldn't have much budget left to amp an HE560 satisfactorily and it would be hard to recommend the HE400i as an alternative with any of the above options on the table.

IMO, the MrSpeakers ÆON is probably the safest investment of the options on the table above, looking at the big picture of long term satisfaction, versatility, scalability, durability, etc. It's a headphone that really curbs the upgradeitis, because it does so many things and it does them so well. Just my two cents.

Cheers!

 

[Dobrescu George]

X5ii + ie800 for an IEM
 
X5ii + Meze Classics 99 is also a very good option for metal. 
 
I like the idea of having FiiO X5ii + HD600, but am not that happy about owning an open-back headphone. 
 
 
 
 
BTW, just in case this thread needed some fun just for us Metal Heads. Don't know if it is real, but I agree with the fact that some death metal band titles are impossible to read... Never understood the passion for this, there are tons of brutal bands with very readable names - Amon Amarth anyone? 
 

 

[sludgeogre]

  BTW, just in case this thread needed some fun just for us Metal Heads. Don't know if it is real, but I agree with the fact that some death metal band titles are impossible to read... Never understood the passion for this, there are tons of brutal bands with very readable names - Amon Amarth anyone? 

Hah, I can actually read it, pretty funny. "Record low attendance" would probably be zero people, as I've been to a lot of local shows where there's like 4 guys. I saw Artificial Brain once with like 20 dudes, and they said it was the best show they had of the tour. Sadface.

 

[Dobrescu George]

  Hah, I can actually read it, pretty funny. "Record low attendance" would probably be zero people, as I've been to a lot of local shows where there's like 4 guys. I saw Artificial Brain once with like 20 dudes, and they said it was the best show they had of the tour. Sadface.

 
Man..... I feel sorry for them bands with too few fans.... 
 
I know that I heard Infected Rain in the same place I heard The Silver Shine. And I loved both shows to bits! 
 
We did get a ton of cool concerts in Campulung, and even though the bar was small and we were not many, the few of us made a lot of atmosphere, we head banged and we made the bands feel right at home in our cozy city! 

 

[SomeGuyDude]

  BTW, just in case this thread needed some fun just for us Metal Heads. Don't know if it is real, but I agree with the fact that some death metal band titles are impossible to read... Never understood the passion for this, there are tons of brutal bands with very readable names - Amon Amarth anyone? 
 

 
TBH I enjoy the fun of the crazy names and the indecipherable logos. It's basically letting you know that not only is the music not easily accessible, but neither is the name itself. 

 

[Dobrescu George]

   
TBH I enjoy the fun of the crazy names and the indecipherable logos. It's basically letting you know that not only is the music not easily accessible, but neither is the name itself. 

 
 
Sometimes that makes it hard to search for the band if seeing their logo tho... I like knowing the name of something if I don't see it somewhere else... 

 

[shuto77]

You have some great options in that $500-$750 range, and I'm familiar with all the bands you listed there, so I can totally help! Here are some systems you should look into, along with prices and pros/cons:

SETUP 1:

Stax SR-Lambda (standard bias, original version)
+ SRD-7 speaker tap adapter (it will be $325 or so for headphone and adapter together)
+ Topping TP22 Tripath Speaker amp ($95)
+ AudioQuest DragonFly Red ($199)
+ AudioQuest Golden Gate 3.5mm to RCA cable ($65)
---
Total cost: $685 + shipping

PROS: lightning quick attack and decay keeps your head nodding to the music. Unbelievably fast sounding. Punchier and more impactful than 98% of electrostatic setups due to thicker diaphragm and extra dynamics from speaker tap adapter. Super resolving (which is why I recommend the upgraded interconnect) - clarity and resolution is unrivaled for the price... right at the doorstep of the HD800. Super lightweight with very little clamping pressure - you barely feel them. Excellent sparkle and mids make the guitars sound super exciting and energetic. Microdynamic texture is among the best of the best at any price.

CONS - Not much in the way of deep bass extension. Midbass punch on kickdrum is fantastic, but low, rumbly bass is mostly absent. The headphones will also be fairly old, so they may not look the best and the headband can feel a little brittle (though it can be replaced).

---

SETUP 2:

MrSpeakers ÆON ($699 preorder)
???? Worry about the amp later. A $199 DragonFly Red should do it justice or grab a Chord Mojo down the road and be set for headphones for the next two decades.
---
Total cost: $699 plus a later investment in the system.

PROS: You'll have the headphone problem solved. ÆON will be fine out the hate from a phone or stopgap solution (like a used Fiio E17 or E12) to keep you relatively on budget out the gate. You can reinvest in the system later and continue to reap benefits as it scales. This headphone is unquestionably the best total package ever at this price: fantastic neutral tuning, easily EQable, excellent punch/attack/decay, easy to amp, extremely comfortable. It is dangerously close to the $1,899 Ether flow for barely more than 1/3 of the price. Safest, most future-proof pick.

CONS: stretches your budget a bit to build up the system, but IMO it is absolutely worth it.

--

System 3:

Emu Teak ($500ish)
AudioQuest DragonFly Red ($200)
--
Total cost: $700

PROS: Dat bass!!! This is probably the best of the Fostex TH900 variants, offering better overall tone and decay than the popular TH-X00 (which can get a little sloppy with your music). I believe @shuto77 is using this setup currently, so he can probably give you more insight into it. My experience with it is somewhat limited.

CONS: Not as resolving as the two systems listed above, but it's no pushover either.

--

System 4

Audeze iSine20 $549

PROS: perfect tuning, speed, impact, dynamics. Great resolution and soundstage for an in-ear. Cypher cable actually has a decent sounding amp and DAC built into it.

CONS: it's an in-ear. Love it or hate it fit. It's also an in-ear that doesn't really isolate. Hard to argue with the sound though.

--

There are a few options that are old favorites of this thread like the HE400i and HE560, but you wouldn't have much budget left to amp an HE560 satisfactorily and it would be hard to recommend the HE400i as an alternative with any of the above options on the table.

IMO, the MrSpeakers ÆON is probably the safest investment of the options on the table above, looking at the big picture of long term satisfaction, versatility, scalability, durability, etc. It's a headphone that really curbs the upgradeitis, because it does so many things and it does them so well. Just my two cents.

Cheers!

 
 
Most recently, at home: Tidal HIFI/PS4 --> Schiit Mimby --> Jotunheim
 
At work: Tidal HIFI/Master --> Meridian Explorer2 --> HIFIMAN RE600s (Until I get my new iBasso IT03 on Friday). 
 
I just sold my Jotunheim, and I'm trying to replace it w/ a Liquid Carbon. 
 
For a sub-$100 DAC, I can give the Encore mDSD a high recommendation. It definitely gives the DragonFly Red a run for its money. Some people who've heard both say it's definitely better than the DragonFly Black, so I can't say for sure. 
 
The Encore mDSD is so good, in fact, that I may keep it my work DAC, and keep the Explorer2 as my home DAC, and sell the Mimby. The Mimby is definitely superior to either, but the Explorer2 is pretty darn close on Tidal's HIFI/Master setting.
 
For a budget setup, I can definitely recommend the iBasso IT03 (most comfortable iems I've ever worn), and the Encore mDSD DAC. This DAC can be used with MAC/Windows/Android and iOS. It also has a line-out if you want to upgrade to a full-sized amp down the line.