[Hansotek]

I have them, but I was considering something like a sidegrade just for metal because while they are fantastic with most of the other music I listen, they are not so good when it comes to rock and metal

What don’t you like about the he400i, HD600 and the Monolith 1060? Those headphones are all generally considered to be pretty good for your musical tastes, where are they falling short for you sonically?

There must be something that isn’t sitting right with you: impact, staging, details, tuning... if you can try and put your finger on that, it’s going to get us a lot closer to a solid recommendation for you.

 

[JediMa70]

What don’t you like about the he400i, HD600 and the Monolith 1060? Those headphones are all generally considered to be pretty good for your musical tastes, where are they falling short for you sonically?

There must be something that isn’t sitting right with you: impact, staging, details, tuning... if you can try and put your finger on that, it’s going to get us a lot closer to a solid recommendation for you.

Excellente question, I will do my best to be clear , HD600 are the best of the three, with both amp but somehow the highs sound veiled and the bass are a bit weak. Hifiman and Monolith have a good bass sound, good mids but "messy" highs , when I listen Master of puppets the guitars sound in a not nice way that almost hurt my ears

 

[Pharmaboy]

The closed back ones could be a very good option

I never heard of these " RBH HP-2" headphones until reading this thread...but just found a review of them that is extremely interesting:
https://headfonics.com/2017/05/the-hp-2-by-rbh-sound/

(to get fantastic bass for under $200 USD w/o also getting trashy mids & treble...nearly impossible)

 

[JediMa70]

I never heard of these " RBH HP-2" headphones until reading this thread...but just found a review of them that is extremely interesting:
https://headfonics.com/2017/05/the-hp-2-by-rbh-sound/

(to get fantastic bass for under $200 USD w/o also getting trashy mids & treble...nearly impossible)

Fair enough so what's the right budget? (not so sure if I want to know the answer...)

 

[Hansotek]

I never heard of these " RBH HP-2" headphones until reading this thread...but just found a review of them that is extremely interesting:
https://headfonics.com/2017/05/the-hp-2-by-rbh-sound/

(to get fantastic bass for under $200 USD w/o also getting trashy mids & treble...nearly impossible)

Those are actually pretty good. I kinda forgot about them, honestly. Definitely one of the top sub $200 choices out there.

 

[JediMa70]

I can't get them here in italy

 

[Pharmaboy]

I can't get them here in italy

Fair enough so what's the right budget? (not so sure if I want to know the answer...)

Well, since you don't want to know...just follow these steps:

1. Go to your bank
2. Ask them, "How much money total do I have in my accounts"
3. That amount = your budget!

(what? I'm the only one who budgets this way?)

 

[Mcgeggy]

Those are actually pretty good. I kinda forgot about them, honestly. Definitely one of the top sub $200 choices out there.

These piqued my interest too, but they don't seem to be available anywhere. I got excited for a sec because they are listed at $139 with free shipping on the RBH website, but then underneath there is the dreaded "Out of Stock"...

 

[shuto77]

These piqued my interest too, but they don't seem to be available anywhere. I got excited for a sec because they are listed at $139 with free shipping on the RBH website, but then underneath there is the dreaded "Out of Stock"...

Ideally, try to buy them new. They came with a two-year warranty, but build quality is shoddy for a headphone that originally retailed for $250. It feels like a $100 headphone, but sounds like a $200-250 one.

Good deals periodically pop up on eBay and Amazon Warehouse deals for these for about $100.

 

[swspiers]

, when I listen Master of puppets the guitars sound in a not nice way that almost hurt my ears

Nothing wrong with your headphones: that is how Master of Puppets sounds. If you get headphones that make MoP sound great, they are coloring the sound. Brilliant album: horrible, gut-wrenching, horrible production. "And Justice for All" is even worse: no bass at all. The guitars have sibilance!

In my opinion, of course...

 

[s2kPanda]

These piqued my interest too, but they don't seem to be available anywhere. I got excited for a sec because they are listed at $139 with free shipping on the RBH website, but then underneath there is the dreaded "Out of Stock"...

If you're looking for a pair, these are the exact same ones but with bluetooth as well as passive wired mode. They sound amazing and are really top of the line headphones under 200 and I will take these over any closed backs under 400. They make the Meze 99s sound like trash. https://www.amazon.com/Beryllium-he...qid=1514861484&sr=8-1&keywords=m&o+headphones

 

[Nyerk]

I’m currently looking to add another headphone to my collection, but have a hard time figuring out which best fits with what I’m looking for. I’m not very good at explaining sound, so apologize if I use wrong terms at times.

My setup is NAD M51 > iFi ican pro > HD650. I really like the HD650, it’s a very pleasant listening experience, though I tend use one step of bass boost on the ican pro. But a lot of the time I find myself wishing it was a bit more engaging, dynamic, some more punch. Considering the music, I tend to listen to, I’d also like some more speed, and Maybe better imaging/separation.

To expand on what I think I’m looking for in terms of imaging/separation, or something similar maybe; Some time ago, I got to try the HE-400i with my phone. It wasn’t capable of driving the headphones properly, but that’s beside the point. I tried an album I’m very familiar with, and found instruments to be separated in a way I had never heard them before. There was more “air” between each instrument. This was before I had my current setup, and first time trying a planar magnetic headphone. I figured this might have been because of how well planars and their speed could handle the very layered mix, but please correct me if I’m wrong. The HD650 does not share this “effect”.

As for music I spend most time listening on; Power, symphonic, melodic death, and similar metal genres. So, very layered and fast music.

So, for a while I was set on the AFO, as planar magnetic headphones were something that had caught my interest beforehand, and based on reviews and opinions it seems to have a somewhat similar sound signature to that of the HD650. But what makes me hesitate is that, again based on what I’ve read, it might not be as dynamic and punchy as I’d want.

The other candidate that I recently started reading up on is the Focal Clear. Sounds to be exactly what I’m looking for. But comments from some people saying it can sound tinny is a bit worrisome, is it fast enough(?), and the price is, well, quite a bit more than the AFO. But if it’s worth the price, then it’s doable.

Apologize for a long and messy post, but I hope maybe someone can get a grasp on what I’m hoping to find in my next pair of headphones.

 

[s2kPanda]

I’m currently looking to add another headphone to my collection, but have a hard time figuring out which best fits with what I’m looking for. I’m not very good at explaining sound, so apologize if I use wrong terms at times.

My setup is NAD M51 > iFi ican pro > HD650. I really like the HD650, it’s a very pleasant listening experience, though I tend use one step of bass boost on the ican pro. But a lot of the time I find myself wishing it was a bit more engaging, dynamic, some more punch. Considering the music, I tend to listen to, I’d also like some more speed, and Maybe better imaging/separation.

To expand on what I think I’m looking for in terms of imaging/separation, or something similar maybe; Some time ago, I got to try the HE-400i with my phone. It wasn’t capable of driving the headphones properly, but that’s beside the point. I tried an album I’m very familiar with, and found instruments to be separated in a way I had never heard them before. There was more “air” between each instrument. This was before I had my current setup, and first time trying a planar magnetic headphone. I figured this might have been because of how well planars and their speed could handle the very layered mix, but please correct me if I’m wrong. The HD650 does not share this “effect”.

As for music I spend most time listening on; Power, symphonic, melodic death, and similar metal genres. So, very layered and fast music.

So, for a while I was set on the AFO, as planar magnetic headphones were something that had caught my interest beforehand, and based on reviews and opinions it seems to have a somewhat similar sound signature to that of the HD650. But what makes me hesitate is that, again based on what I’ve read, it might not be as dynamic and punchy as I’d want.

The other candidate that I recently started reading up on is the Focal Clear. Sounds to be exactly what I’m looking for. But comments from some people saying it can sound tinny is a bit worrisome, is it fast enough(?), and the price is, well, quite a bit more than the AFO. But if it’s worth the price, then it’s doable.

Apologize for a long and messy post, but I hope maybe someone can get a grasp on what I’m hoping to find in my next pair of headphones.

I personally haven't heard the AFOs or Clears but I basically gathered the same conclusions as you. The AFOs seem to be more tuned like the HD650 and will have the same sound signature and will also be slightly more resolving but it will also have that planar sound and speed you might be looking for. Honestly I don't think its worth 4x the price if it sounds like a slightly better HD650 and has a slightly narrower soundstage. Honestly I'm rather disappointed by the comparison it draws to the HD650 because you would think an 800 dollar headphone would blow it out of the water. I definitely don't feel its a worthy upgrade from the HD650 unless you are really looking for that same sound signature.

The Clear may or may not be what you are looking for, it has very detailed separation and resolution, but according to some users it lacks the punch in the lower frequencies. That tinny sound you see people talking about is I believe related to the metal construction of the drivers. If you watched Zeos review of the Elear, he says its almost like a DSP effect with the headphones that adds a sort of unique sound and that it may or may not be for everyone. The drivers are built to emulate room speakers rather than headphones if I did my research right. Tyll seems to love these headphones and thinks its worth every penny. However some people claim its basically the Elear with different pads and added accessories that jack up the price.

My input, I would suggest giving the LCD2C a try, I recently got my pair and they have a warm lush presentation of the mids and highs similar to the HD650s but they also have the nice sub-bass and mid-bass extension people tend to be looking for in planars. The speed of these headphones is astounding and instrument separation and detail is all there. They have a nice punch to it as well in the very bass heavy tracks I listen to. I doubt they do what the clears do in detail and separation, but they definitely have a different sound to the HD650s that I would describe as very rich and mellow sounding whereas the HD650s just sound a bit thin and weak. Just my 2 cents. Others please chime in and enlighten me.

 

[Monsterzero]

My setup is NAD M51 > iFi ican pro > HD650. I really like the HD650, it’s a very pleasant listening experience, though I tend use one step of bass boost on the ican pro. But a lot of the time I find myself wishing it was a bit more engaging, dynamic, some more punch. Considering the music, I tend to listen to, I’d also like some more speed, and Maybe better imaging/separation.

I'd look into a used pair of HE-500s.They check all your boxes and can be had for under 400.00
I regret selling my pair.

 

[Mcgeggy]

If you're looking for a pair, these are the exact same ones but with bluetooth as well as passive wired mode. They sound amazing and are really top of the line headphones under 200 and I will take these over any closed backs under 400. They make the Meze 99s sound like trash. https://www.amazon.com/Beryllium-headphone-high-speed-propagation-well-balanced/dp/B071HXD5RV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514861484&sr=8-1&keywords=m&o+headphones

Are these the ultimate generic no-name headphones then, lol? There doesn't seem to be any brand or model #. I love the idea of something that is both wired and BT. Where can I find other reviews for this?