Headphones for metal music - ultimate solution
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joshUKUSA
Head-Fier
I've seen a number of people reccomend the LCD-2C for metal but I'm not sure I would, the laid back sound is great for some genres but metal benefits from a more in your face and exciting sound signature imo
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This combo has a lot of sense. I would probably go for alternate cans to play with.
monsieurfromag3
1000+ Head-Fier
Back with more impressions after some hours with these badass cuties. They definitely deserve a proper review down the line.
The gist: the Devil Head are super-satisfyingly tuned for metal, with a focus on making guitars sound their best. My only reservation regards cymbals, which are reserved, but EQ works wonders there.
Taiwan-based Chord & Major don't try to impress with specs - no 14-BA crossover on the cheap here. These guys and gals are all about the tuning. They'll take one competent dynamic driver and tweak the hell out of it to adapt it to a specific genre. This gives birth to unabashedly colored iems with a solid technical foundation, which in the process pick up characteristics that make them more versatile than first appears. The Rock model, for instance, with its forward W sig and bass heft, works great with electronic music, dark trap and other bass-centric music. It's not the most agile though, which is where the Electronic model swoops in, throwing in a BA driver on top of the DD, and outside electro that one excels with technical death metal for instance, and any music that benefits from its faster, more linear drive.
The Devil Head don't shoot for maximum extension or supernatural detail retrieval. They are all about killer riffs.
There isn't a lot of melody going on in the sub bass with metal instruments, and so the lowest range is present, but not very delineated - it's mostly there to be felt and add weight to the overall sound. Right above it the bass guitar gets ample room to support the guitar or branch off on its own, it is easy to follow with excellent tonality and impressive fullness. The robust bass response also lends authority and an air of menace to snare drums and toms, while the pedals on Black Tongue's drum-feast "The Cathedral" ring monstrous.
Up top the treble is not so much rolled off as it is recessed. The cymbals don't always come through enough, and this can be a problem out of the box for black metal and its endless walls of crash cymbal. The lower treble and upper mids however convey aggression, they can even get a bit shouty but that depends on the song, so chalk it up to mastering instead of the iems.
The mids are where the party's at. The expert focus on electric guitars makes them sing and express their power, fury, sadness to the fullest extent. The Devil Head bring out harmonics more adroitly than much more expensive gear. Timbre goes beyond just "right"; it's haunting.
Outside traditional metal, this focus on mids also makes these iems great for a lot of vocal-centric music, to which they lend outstanding presence while digging out echoes and nuance. I'm thinking Emma Ruth Rundle, Michelle Gurevich, Prag 83, Chelsea Wolfe, Foie Gras, Jaye Jayle... The doomy folk (folky doom?) Droneflower album by Marissa Nadler and Stephen Brodsky was basically recorded to be played back on the Devil Head. The massive guitars on Planning for Burial's "Whiskey and Wine" rarely sounded so good.
Technicalities globally are fine. The complexity of a well recorded song like Aenaon's "Oneirodynia", with its snapping bass, intricate drumwork, layers of guitar and synth melodies, and even the odd exotic saxophone, is rendered convincingly. The Devil Head is actually faster than the more expensive but much older Rock model. They are easy to drive with high sensitivity (108dB) and 32-ohm impedance. I can vouch for the pairing with the 5K.
The non-detachable, mic-equipped cable is rather thin, probably not a workhorse, so please headbang with care, but it is light on microphonics, resists bending, and the iems themselves, which are worn cable-down, weigh next to nothing. Seal is good with the supplied silicone tips, if I go the full review path I'll comment on alternative silicones, foams, Symbios.
One last comment on the cymbals. Two days ago I received the Qudelix 5K, an amazing BT receiver with a nice EQ built in the app. Increasing the bass is not only useless, it also creates distortion and muddies everything. A mere 2dB push in the 4K and 8K bands, on the other hand, makes the drums come alive. Hence why I said earlier that cymbals are recessed, not rolled off. The Devil Head are actually dishing out the shimmer and texture, all it takes is a little nudge.
And most importantly, Bolt Thrower's "Spearhead" sounds like taking a cavalry charge to the face.
The gist: the Devil Head are super-satisfyingly tuned for metal, with a focus on making guitars sound their best. My only reservation regards cymbals, which are reserved, but EQ works wonders there.
Taiwan-based Chord & Major don't try to impress with specs - no 14-BA crossover on the cheap here. These guys and gals are all about the tuning. They'll take one competent dynamic driver and tweak the hell out of it to adapt it to a specific genre. This gives birth to unabashedly colored iems with a solid technical foundation, which in the process pick up characteristics that make them more versatile than first appears. The Rock model, for instance, with its forward W sig and bass heft, works great with electronic music, dark trap and other bass-centric music. It's not the most agile though, which is where the Electronic model swoops in, throwing in a BA driver on top of the DD, and outside electro that one excels with technical death metal for instance, and any music that benefits from its faster, more linear drive.
The Devil Head don't shoot for maximum extension or supernatural detail retrieval. They are all about killer riffs.
There isn't a lot of melody going on in the sub bass with metal instruments, and so the lowest range is present, but not very delineated - it's mostly there to be felt and add weight to the overall sound. Right above it the bass guitar gets ample room to support the guitar or branch off on its own, it is easy to follow with excellent tonality and impressive fullness. The robust bass response also lends authority and an air of menace to snare drums and toms, while the pedals on Black Tongue's drum-feast "The Cathedral" ring monstrous.
Up top the treble is not so much rolled off as it is recessed. The cymbals don't always come through enough, and this can be a problem out of the box for black metal and its endless walls of crash cymbal. The lower treble and upper mids however convey aggression, they can even get a bit shouty but that depends on the song, so chalk it up to mastering instead of the iems.
The mids are where the party's at. The expert focus on electric guitars makes them sing and express their power, fury, sadness to the fullest extent. The Devil Head bring out harmonics more adroitly than much more expensive gear. Timbre goes beyond just "right"; it's haunting.
Outside traditional metal, this focus on mids also makes these iems great for a lot of vocal-centric music, to which they lend outstanding presence while digging out echoes and nuance. I'm thinking Emma Ruth Rundle, Michelle Gurevich, Prag 83, Chelsea Wolfe, Foie Gras, Jaye Jayle... The doomy folk (folky doom?) Droneflower album by Marissa Nadler and Stephen Brodsky was basically recorded to be played back on the Devil Head. The massive guitars on Planning for Burial's "Whiskey and Wine" rarely sounded so good.
Technicalities globally are fine. The complexity of a well recorded song like Aenaon's "Oneirodynia", with its snapping bass, intricate drumwork, layers of guitar and synth melodies, and even the odd exotic saxophone, is rendered convincingly. The Devil Head is actually faster than the more expensive but much older Rock model. They are easy to drive with high sensitivity (108dB) and 32-ohm impedance. I can vouch for the pairing with the 5K.
The non-detachable, mic-equipped cable is rather thin, probably not a workhorse, so please headbang with care, but it is light on microphonics, resists bending, and the iems themselves, which are worn cable-down, weigh next to nothing. Seal is good with the supplied silicone tips, if I go the full review path I'll comment on alternative silicones, foams, Symbios.
One last comment on the cymbals. Two days ago I received the Qudelix 5K, an amazing BT receiver with a nice EQ built in the app. Increasing the bass is not only useless, it also creates distortion and muddies everything. A mere 2dB push in the 4K and 8K bands, on the other hand, makes the drums come alive. Hence why I said earlier that cymbals are recessed, not rolled off. The Devil Head are actually dishing out the shimmer and texture, all it takes is a little nudge.
And most importantly, Bolt Thrower's "Spearhead" sounds like taking a cavalry charge to the face.
buffalobill
New Head-Fier
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which headphone would you recommend, that have a "in your face" type sound?
Ufasas
100+ Head-Fier
Hey all, AKG y50bt and MA900 those are great for metal, thought y50bt will be boomy, but they not, and ma900 shame not made anymore ! Waiting for 1more h1707 to arrive this week, worried for too much boominess
monkey4054
100+ Head-Fier
Focal, Grado, and Fostex headphones have an "in your face" type of sound. Final Audio as well to a degree.
Hyperfluxe
100+ Head-Fier
I need help selecting a pair of full headphones for home use with my XPS 17 laptop and a pair of IEMs for portable use with my LG V60. I actually already own the FiiO FH7 IEMs, and based on everything I've read they're the the best I'll get within a $1500 CAD budget (not too interested in the Unique Melody Mirage, given Hansotek's assesment):
I've read the last 50 or so pages of this thread along with the Metal-Fi thread, there's so many good choices including Focals, ZMFs, LCD-2s, Meze, etc. I'm hoping the subgenres and bands I listen to might help narrow it all down.
Here's my Last.FM Music Profile and Soundcloud Profile.
My favorite subgenres of Metal are:
Black Metal
Traditional (Mgla, Immortal, Behexen, Inquisition, Bathory), Atmospheric/Ambient (Forteresse, Mare Cognitum, Drudkh, Darkspace, Akhlys, Lustre), Symphonic (Emperor, Limbonic Art, Asagraum), Melodic (Dissection, Sargeist, Naglfarm), Folk/Viking/Celtic Black (Windir, Primordial, Manegarm, Falkenbach), Post-Black/Blackgaze (Fen, Agalloch, Alcest)
Death Metal
Traditional (Bolt Thrower, Death, Immolation, Decapitated, Pestilence), Technical/Progressive (Spawn of Possesion, Beyond Creation, Ulcerate, Inferi, Gorguts), Melodic (Kalmah, Mors Principum Est, Insomnium, Hypocrisy), Old School (Cruciamentum, Entombed, Demigod, Adramalech, Convulse)
Doom Metal
Death/Doom (Runemagick, Enshined, Hooded Menace), Funeral (Evoken, Thergothon, Shape of Despair)
Thrash Metal
Traditional (Havok, Vektor, Morbid Saint, Vio-Lence), Black/Thrash (Nifellheim, Aura Noir, Skeletonwitch, Absu), Death/Thrash (Revocation, Massacra, Nocturnus)
(Occasional Folk and Power Metal)
Traditional/Epic Folk (Ensiferum, Wintersun, Equilibrium), Progressive/Power (Angra, Symphony X, Kamelot)
I also listen to Drum and Bass (Neurofunk, Liquid Funk, Techstep, Drumstep, Halftime) and Real Dubstep, so I do need heavy bass. That's the main reason I haven't invested in a pair of high-end open back headphones yet.
I've read the last 50 or so pages of this thread along with the Metal-Fi thread, there's so many good choices including Focals, ZMFs, LCD-2s, Meze, etc. I'm hoping the subgenres and bands I listen to might help narrow it all down.
Here's my Last.FM Music Profile and Soundcloud Profile.
My favorite subgenres of Metal are:
Black Metal
Traditional (Mgla, Immortal, Behexen, Inquisition, Bathory), Atmospheric/Ambient (Forteresse, Mare Cognitum, Drudkh, Darkspace, Akhlys, Lustre), Symphonic (Emperor, Limbonic Art, Asagraum), Melodic (Dissection, Sargeist, Naglfarm), Folk/Viking/Celtic Black (Windir, Primordial, Manegarm, Falkenbach), Post-Black/Blackgaze (Fen, Agalloch, Alcest)
Death Metal
Traditional (Bolt Thrower, Death, Immolation, Decapitated, Pestilence), Technical/Progressive (Spawn of Possesion, Beyond Creation, Ulcerate, Inferi, Gorguts), Melodic (Kalmah, Mors Principum Est, Insomnium, Hypocrisy), Old School (Cruciamentum, Entombed, Demigod, Adramalech, Convulse)
Doom Metal
Death/Doom (Runemagick, Enshined, Hooded Menace), Funeral (Evoken, Thergothon, Shape of Despair)
Thrash Metal
Traditional (Havok, Vektor, Morbid Saint, Vio-Lence), Black/Thrash (Nifellheim, Aura Noir, Skeletonwitch, Absu), Death/Thrash (Revocation, Massacra, Nocturnus)
(Occasional Folk and Power Metal)
Traditional/Epic Folk (Ensiferum, Wintersun, Equilibrium), Progressive/Power (Angra, Symphony X, Kamelot)
I also listen to Drum and Bass (Neurofunk, Liquid Funk, Techstep, Drumstep, Halftime) and Real Dubstep, so I do need heavy bass. That's the main reason I haven't invested in a pair of high-end open back headphones yet.
Nice list of bands, I listen to many of those as well! 
Are you after open back or closed back headphones, and what is your budget?
Are you after open back or closed back headphones, and what is your budget?
monkey4054
100+ Head-Fier
With a $1500 budget and the fact that you listen to electronic music as well (and love the heavy bass), then I would be looking at a Fostex TH-900. I think that's the best option for that price with loads of bass, easy to drive from your laptop and phone too if you want. If the treble is too much though, then get a pair of Dekoni/Yaxi/TH-610 replacement ear pads and you're set. Can't help you with IEMs though sorry.
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Hyperfluxe
100+ Head-Fier
Nice list of bands, I listen to many of those as well!
Are you after open back or closed back headphones, and what is your budget?
I think the issue here is that one pair of headphones isn't optimal for multi-genre use. I'd easily take open back headphones for Metal, but I'd want closed backs for DnB. IEMs also have their place for portability, and TWS Bluetooth IEMs are required for gym use especially when deadlifting heavy. I don't mind spending up to $5k for everything I need, but it is an inconvenience to not have a singular universal pair of headphones for home use, and one pair of IEMs dedicated to outdoor use (hopefully TWS Bluetooth technology catches up with wired IEMs in terms of SQ in a decade or so, at least partially).
If you have free 2600$ (and head from steel) go buy Rosson RAD-0, they play metal just supreme!
Just a little inch worse than my Final D8000.
Just a little inch worse than my Final D8000.
I can absolutely second the recommendation for the Rosson RAD-0 for Metal.
Since I've got these, they've trumped any other open-backed headphones I've heard for the genre, including the Focal Elear, which works incredibly well with most Metal. RAD-0s are quite a bit stiffer in price, though.
monsieurfromag3
1000+ Head-Fier
Regarding TWS, have you seen Fiio’s UTWS1? One BT receiver per ear that lets you mount any detachable earpieces. Come in 2-pin and MMCX flavors. That goes a long way in bridging the gap with wired, and I can vouch for heavy workout compatibility.
They work better with long-nozzle iems, as the mini-cable is quite short. Since you already have Fiio iems they should work well, and the dac/amp chip inside is on the transparent side, surprisingly competent and plays well with your list of bands (weirdly close to my taste), as well as bass-heavy music.
edit: as to closed-back hp for extreme metal and liquid bass music, with outstanding rhythmic ability, Final’s Sonorous VI remain hard to beat. I haven’t heard the more expensive Fostex.
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