[Dobrescu George]

Thanks. I read reviews describing the mmcx


Thanks. I read in some reviews that the mmcx connector becomes loose after some usage. What's your experience on this?

That is not exactly the case, only happens if you mistakenly pull it the wrong way. I did that at once, but it is my fault and it should be accounted as such

 

[Hansotek]

But the quantity of bass is not the most important thing... for me i like a little warm headphone with really good image and cymbals and separation!

Well, sounds like you’re on the right track with the Ether Flow then, as it has better imaging, depth and treble resolution.

By all means, ask more in-depth questions if you want. All you asked the other day was if EFO is good for metal. By the sound of your wishlist though, it seems you’ve already done extensive research of your own and come to a conclusion based on a fully informed knowledge of your personal listening preferences.

I can’t read your mind. If you want something specific out of a headphone speak up. Lots of helpful people in this thread.

 

[jmac1516]

ZMF Auteur is my favorite by a mile for over-ear cans. It has that easy, euphonic presentation of the Atticus, but with more proficient attack and decay properties. Excellent detail and neutrality with class A++ bass punch.

MrSpeakers ÆON Flow Open and ZMF Atticus are the next couple of newer ones I like. Both are on the warm/smooth side and easy to crank up. For in ears, I’m loving the Campfire Vega for the same reason.

Vega punches hard as hell and is tuned with a little more excitement in mind. It’s probably my most listened-to headphone because I use it at the gym, so it gets a couple hours of listening time every day.

Those are probably my picks.

I listen to a lot of Progressive Metal and enjoy the Atticus quite a bit for this genre! I’ll probably pick up an Auteur in the future so glad to hear your perspective on it.

 

[Bastianpp]

Well, sounds like you’re on the right track with the Ether Flow then, as it has better imaging, depth and treble resolution.

By all means, ask more in-depth questions if you want. All you asked the other day was if EFO is good for metal. By the sound of your wishlist though, it seems you’ve already done extensive research of your own and come to a conclusion based on a fully informed knowledge of your personal listening preferences.

I can’t read your mind. If you want something specific out of a headphone speak up. Lots of helpful people in this thread.

Correct !
I read a lot on internet and i saw videos in youtube, i think my headphone is EFO..., currently i have t5p 2nd gen and i want a good open headphone '' think '' EFO, in next 2-3 i will have it.
how is the bass on ether vs abyss ?
And the distortion guitars, sound good? i mean, sound strong or weak?

 

[Hansotek]

I listen to a lot of Progressive Metal and enjoy the Atticus quite a bit for this genre! I’ll probably pick up an Auteur in the future so glad to hear your perspective on it.

Progressive metal is my favorite as well. Yeah, Auteur has been my go-to metal headphone since it showed up at my door. If you have any questions about it or whatever, I’m happy to help out.

 

[Hansotek]

Correct !
I read a lot on internet and i saw videos in youtube, i think my headphone is EFO..., currently i have t5p 2nd gen and i want a good open headphone '' think '' EFO, in next 2-3 i will have it.
how is the bass on ether vs abyss ?
And the distortion guitars, sound good? i mean, sound strong or weak?

Well, realize that the bass on the Abyss is better than everything else by about a mile, so it’s not super fair to compare them in a vacuum. EFO does have really tight punchy midbass though and pretty decent extension. It won’t rumble as hard as something that’s closed or semi-open in the subbass, but for metal, the bass emphasis is centered right where it should be. As I stated before, it is ultra responsive to the equipment around it so different cables, amps, etc. will make the bass be faster or slam harder or rumble more, etc.

The mids are nice and flat so guitars sound great on there. It’s a hard headphone to complain about because it’s just so fundamentally sound.

 

[ctaxxxx]

@Hansotek

Which part of the mids will give distorted guitars the most satisfying sound?

Do you have an opinion on the Focal Clear as well?

I already have a MDR-Z1R for reference. Was looking for something opposite. Analytical, with tight and fast bass.

 

[IEMstrong]

Big ups for an awesome thread

 

[Hansotek]

@Hansotek

Which part of the mids will give distorted guitars the most satisfying sound?

Do you have an opinion on the Focal Clear as well?

I already have a MDR-Z1R for reference. Was looking for something opposite. Analytical, with tight and fast bass.

Depends on what you mean by "satisfying". A six string guitar in standard tuning reaches down to about 80Hz on the low frequencies (7 and 8-string guitars can reach down to about 40-60Hz) and up to about 1,200-1,300Hz on the high end of their fundamental note range.

Colorations between say 200Hz and 1kHz are pretty detectable for most people, so starting with a frequency response that is mostly flat under 1kHz is ideal. Once you get down to 200Hz or so, dead flat or elevated midbass for extra body is a matter of subjective preference. Typically an elevated midbass and lower midrange is going to give guitars a bit more body and fullness, which many people like.

Just above the guitar's fundamental frequency range (around 2kHz-4kHz), you will find a lot of harmonic overtones. These are going to give the guitar its front edge and bite. Too much recession in this area can dull notes out a bit making the headphone sound more relaxed. A little extra energy here, or some selective bumps in the FR can make guitars sound more aggressive. However, it should be noted that this is an especially sensitive area of your hearing and starts to get into a range that can be problematic with cup resonance. If you look at a lot of frequency response graphs, you will typically see headphones roll off a bit before this (maybe around 1,500Hz or so) and then add a tiny little bump between 3-4kHz to give their overtones a little sparkle. You can see it right here on the HE-6 FR:


I hope that kind of answered your question.

I like the Focal Clear a lot, BTW, it's really a fun, well-balanced headphone. Great tuning. Nice bass punch, good mids, not hot up top.... it doesn't give you much not to like.

The opposite of the Z1R... Hmmm.... Have you considered electrostatics? I feel like a STAX SR-Lambda is probably the opposite of a Z1R. I have an original SR-Lambda and an SRM-1 MKII and it's just shocking how well it holds up. The resolution is insane and the whole setup probably cost me $500-$600 max. One thing I like about the original Lambda (and lower-end models like the 207) is the diaphragm is a little bit thicker, so they have a little more tactility to them, even if they are just a little behind the top end models in terms of overall resolution. They are still insanely fast, with microdynamics that only the very best dynamics and planars can dream of touching. Pair them with an extremely resolving source and good power they will reward you.

 

[ctaxxxx]

Depends on what you mean by "satisfying". A six string guitar in standard tuning reaches down to about 80Hz on the low frequencies (7 and 8-string guitars can reach down to about 40-60Hz) and up to about 1,200-1,300Hz on the high end of their fundamental note range.

Colorations between say 200Hz and 1kHz are pretty detectable for most people, so starting with a frequency response that is mostly flat under 1kHz is ideal. Once you get down to 200Hz or so, dead flat or elevated midbass for extra body is a matter of subjective preference. Typically an elevated midbass and lower midrange is going to give guitars a bit more body and fullness, which many people like.

Just above the guitar's fundamental frequency range (around 2kHz-4kHz), you will find a lot of harmonic overtones. These are going to give the guitar its front edge and bite. Too much recession in this area can dull notes out a bit making the headphone sound more relaxed. A little extra energy here, or some selective bumps in the FR can make guitars sound more aggressive. However, it should be noted that this is an especially sensitive area of your hearing and starts to get into a range that can be problematic with cup resonance. If you look at a lot of frequency response graphs, you will typically see headphones roll off a bit before this (maybe around 1,500Hz or so) and then add a tiny little bump between 3-4kHz to give their overtones a little sparkle. You can see it right here on the HE-6 FR:


I hope that kind of answered your question.

I like the Focal Clear a lot, BTW, it's really a fun, well-balanced headphone. Great tuning. Nice bass punch, good mids, not hot up top.... it doesn't give you much not to like.

The opposite of the Z1R... Hmmm.... Have you considered electrostatics? I feel like a STAX SR-Lambda is probably the opposite of a Z1R. I have an original SR-Lambda and an SRM-1 MKII and it's just shocking how well it holds up. The resolution is insane and the whole setup probably cost me $500-$600 max. One thing I like about the original Lambda (and lower-end models like the 207) is the diaphragm is a little bit thicker, so they have a little more tactility to them, even if they are just a little behind the top end models in terms of overall resolution. They are still insanely fast, with microdynamics that only the very best dynamics and planars can dream of touching. Pair them with an extremely resolving source and good power they will reward you.

Yes! Thank you! Very in-depth response. I'll reference it for potential future purchases.

I may be looking for headphones that have more bite. I miss the sound of the HE-560, even if it was a little bright. Really gave guitars that edge.

I'll consider Electrostatics as a potential end game in the future (I'm still somewhat young). Looking mainly to pair with my DX200 dap, as I've grown accustomed to such a short and portable chain.

 

[Blazer39]

https://www.amazon.com/OPUS-Portabl...e=UTF8&qid=1514116634&sr=8-3&keywords=Opus+#1

just found out the opus#1 is now 230$ only!
have anyone tried it with metal? im afraid bad recordings would sound worse on these..

 

[Mmurin]

What about ue900s? How do they perform with metal?

 

[Hansotek]

What about ue900s? How do they perform with metal?

I’ve always found UE IEMs to have a sort of plasticky timbre. Personally, I’m not a huge fan. That $175 deal on MassDrop ain’t bad though. I wish I’d heard them more recently so I could give you a better answer, I know that was a little vague.

 

[koover]

On tuning alone, probably the ÆON Flow Open, as it is the warmest, most full-bodied headphone of the four.

I'm so glad to read this post. I just picked up the AOF (should have by weeks end) and all I listen too is progressive metal, instrumental progressive metal and Djent.

 

[Hansotek]

I'm so glad to read this post. I just picked up the AOF (should have by weeks end) and all I listen too is progressive metal, instrumental progressive metal and Djent.

Congrats, it’s a great headphone!