Headphones for metal music - ultimate solution

[gonintendo]

I'm immediately liking the sound signature, very similar to me EQed LCD-2 which is what I've been looking for in a closed back. The bass is probably the biggest difference, with that midbass hump. Don't mind it so far but I might EQ it down a bit. Treble has a few dips but not too bad, and only one bad peak at around 10-11k to my ears, which was improved with EQ. It's a little bite-ier than the LCD-2s in the treble but nothing too offensive, better than any other closed back I've tried. I don't seem to be particularly sensitive to it but I will be playing around with EQ. Overall they seem to be in the class of headphones that sound good without EQ to me which is a rare thing as I am sensitive to some frequencies.

 

[gonintendo]

I bought these for metal but now I'm just listening to cello music because of the timbre lmao

 

[YtseJamer]

Atticus is here! I'm very excited

Welcome to the club

 

[gonintendo]

I bought these for metal but now I'm just listening to cello music because of the timbre lmao

I also returned the HE6SE I bought from Adorama, tried them on a bunch of different amps with a few different pads, and while some amps made them sound good for electronic music and some vocals, I could never get instruments to sound right on them no matter how much EQ I applied. Not trying to yuck anyone's yum who likes them they just weren't for me.

 

[firesign]

I also returned the HE6SE I bought from Adorama, tried them on a bunch of different amps with a few different pads, and while some amps made them sound good for electronic music and some vocals, I could never get instruments to sound right on them no matter how much EQ I applied. Not trying to yuck anyone's yum who likes them they just weren't for me.

This confirms once again how different each of us listen to, and how different our tastes are despite enjoying the same type of music.

 

[gonintendo]

This confirms once again how different each of us listen to, and how different our tastes are despite enjoying the same type of music.

Totally, you can easily tell how different our ears are by looking at someone’s EQ for a headphone you own, I often experience totally different treble peaks than others

 

[YtseJamer]

I also returned the HE6SE I bought from Adorama, tried them on a bunch of different amps with a few different pads, and while some amps made them sound good for electronic music and some vocals, I could never get instruments to sound right on them no matter how much EQ I applied. Not trying to yuck anyone's yum who likes them they just weren't for me.

I had the same experience with the HE-6SE V2. I prefer the more natural timbre of my ZMF headphones.

 

[gonintendo]

I had the same experience with the HE-6SE V2. I prefer the more natural timbre of my ZMF headphones.

I'm noticing timbre a lot more now that I have the ZMFs, when I use my LCD-2s they do sound a little more "plasticky." Not to the degree the HE6SE did but noticeably different to the ZMFs, and I do still find them very enjoyable. I didn't notice this when I switching from my HD650 to the LCD-2 which is interesting since that's supposed to be relatively natural timbre-wise.

 

[firesign]

Totally, you can easily tell how different our ears are by looking at someone’s EQ for a headphone you own, I often experience totally different treble peaks than others

Not only that ... In my case, I find the sound of the HE6se V2 much more natural than that of the LCD-2, for example.

 

[gonintendo]

Not only that ... In my case, I find the sound of the HE6se V2 much more natural than that of the LCD-2, for example.

LCD-2 definitely has a weird FR without eq, needs a boost to the mids but it takes it well and sounds good after. Also the 2021 pads make a big difference.

 

[Sovkiller]

I'm very happy with any of three Fostex from Massdrop...I got all three, added a little felt padding inside, and rotate them depending on the album, and no need for more....after a lot of years looking for the closest, if not better to the almighty Sony R-10, and very comfy...a lot of aftermarket mods, pads, cables, cups, etc....if you want to go for them fine, looking for different personal tastes, in case you can hear them, personally, don't make to much sense to spend more in mods, that the cost of the headphones itself, as I'm pretty sure the law of diminishing returns will quickly get me, and honestly I love the sound...not sure how better it could be, and that is a territory I would like to explore listening to others that have been modified, before going medieval on mine...

 

[Garney]

So what’s the general consensus as to which ZMF headphone is best suited for metal? I’ve never owned a closed back set, or a high end dynamic driver set either. Open back planars thus far have done the trick but ZMF November is coming up and I may jump on a pair. Aeolus has been top of mind but wondering if Atticus or Eikon may have more low end grunt for kick drums. Any recommendations? FWIW, my daily drivers are older LCD-2’s with some mild EQ boost in the mid range.

 

[Semper HiFi]

So what’s the general consensus as to which ZMF headphone is best suited for metal? I’ve never owned a closed back set, or a high end dynamic driver set either. Open back planars thus far have done the trick but ZMF November is coming up and I may jump on a pair. Aeolus has been top of mind but wondering if Atticus or Eikon may have more low end grunt for kick drums. Any recommendations? FWIW, my daily drivers are older LCD-2’s with some mild EQ boost in the mid range.

I believe that most here will recommend the Atticus over the Eikon, and that's what I went with. The Eikon is supposed to be more neutral sounding while also having more-sub bass whereas the Atticus would be more mid-bass focused and in general have more midrange emphasis. I've never heard the Eikon before but that's what I remember reading. I would assume that the Aeolus would take the attributes of the Atticus but apply them to an open-back headphone experience.

I love the Atticus but compared the Kennerton Magni I find it's impact, especially on the kick drums to be a little lacking. I think it's because it's such a smooth sounding headphone. This might be attributed to the Magni being a faster headphone (better attack). That is not to say that the presence of the kick drum is lacking on the Atticus, just that it's delivery is different. However the smoothness of the Atticus I believe is also one of it's alluring characteristics and it makes for a very enjoyable and non-fatiguing listening experience (also more forgiving of poorer recordings). I would describe the Atticus as more of a laid-back and not super aggressive sound signature, which is perhaps why so many recommend pairing with a tube amp. Take this with a grain of salt as I'm pretty new to high end headphones/audio.

 

[majesthion]

Hi guys. I was reading this forum a lot lately. But sadly I'm living in 3rd world country and most of the headphones are too expensive for me. I'm looking for something less than $100. It has to be comfy because I will wear them for more than 7 hours every day. Open or closed doesn't matter. I have larger than average ears and head. For durability, it has to have a detachable cable. My previous headphone was Superlux HD681 Evo. It was good for the money but recessed mids and weak punchy bass weren't good for metal. Also terrible build quality. I'm listening to all subgenres of metal but mostly bands like Gojira, Septicflesh, Orbit Culture, Trivium, Amon Amarth, Be'lakor. I know its hard to find good thins for less than $100 but my expectations are not that high for now. Any recommendations?

 

[Nostoi]

Hi guys. I was reading this forum a lot lately. But sadly I'm living in 3rd world country and most of the headphones are too expensive for me. I'm looking for something less than $100. It has to be comfy because I will wear them for more than 7 hours every day. Open or closed doesn't matter. I have larger than average ears and head. For durability, it has to have a detachable cable. My previous headphone was Superlux HD681 Evo. It was good for the money but recessed mids and weak punchy bass weren't good for metal. Also terrible build quality. I'm listening to all subgenres of metal but mostly bands like Gojira, Septicflesh, Orbit Culture, Trivium, Amon Amarth, Be'lakor. I know its hard to find good thins for less than $100 but my expectations are not that high for now. Any recommendations?

Koss Porta Pro.