[Hansotek]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. There's a black friday sale going on for these that bring them into my budget, let me know what you think of them for metal (classical/rap would be the next most common genres I listen to so highs and bass are still important to me as much as the mids that make up a lot of instrumental music) and gaming. A few are open back but i'm starting to be more receptive to the idea of them. I'll also add that I want the headphones to be somewhat forgiving to "bad" production since I reach pretty far into raw black metal and other stuff in general that is lo-fi or poorly mixed.

Beyerdynamic 1990/1770 pro

Final Audio Sonorous VI

Hifiman HE5se

Hifiman Sundara

Ultrasone Signature Studio

Audeze EL-8 (open and closed)

The Beyers are alright.

The Final Sonorous headphones are hot garbage. Avoid them.

HiFiman HE5SE is kinda bright. I wasn't impressed.

Hifiman Sundara is legit. Best one on this list.

Ultrasone Signature studio is not that great. Ultrasone kinda sucks in general, unless you're George.

The EL-8s are pretty meh.

Sundara is the best one on the list. Neutral-ish, but good impact. Great speed and clarity. Snappy, fast bass.

Campfire Cascade is also really good and roughly in your budget. It has good detail and soundstage and smack-you-in-the-mouth bass. Really fun headphone. Has some coloration, relative to the Sundara. Also a closed back, if that matters.

Also, you should trade your Magni in for a Monoprice Monolith Liquid Spark by Alex Cavalli. It's a much, much better sounding amp at $99.

 

[Monsterzero]

These are getting pretty hard to find now, but there are 3 B-Stock Blackwood ZMF Auteurs on sale for Black Friday for for $1,449 (or $1,499 w/ a case, so $400 off). My favorite headphone for metal - resolving, well-separated, detailed, super impactful and forgiving for less-than-stellar production. Prog/core/death/black/power/symphonic/folk.... you name it, it's pretty much top-tier. Blackwood is a little faster and more impactful than standard teak. Highly, highly recommended. I know a few folks have been looking for BWs, so thought I'd post a heads up!

The Auteur not only sounds great with metal,but everything else Ive thrown at it as well.
My set has been picked out,just waiting to make payment. Crazy good headphone.

 

[Monsterzero]

Ultrasone kinda sucks in general, unless you're George.

Campfire Cascade is also really good and roughly in your budget. It has good detail and soundstage and smack-you-in-the-mouth bass. Really fun headphone. Has some coloration, relative to the Sundara. Also a closed back, if that matters.

I didnt like the Cascade for most metal. I found the bass to be overbearing and much too warm for non-bright mastering. For newer metal that has slick digital sounding mastering its fun,but if you listen to older stuff it was too much warmth for me.

 

[Hansotek]

@Evangelion2014 - what amp did you hear Elegia on? That might have something to do with the harshness...

Went back to your original post. MrSpeakers AEON Closed is also great. Neutral and very good staging. Great all-rounder headphone. Also takes EQ very well because it has dead-flat impedance - very easy to bump the bass for rap or metal because of that. Great versatility in that way, but the natural signature is great as well.

Also saw they have the Ebony TH-X00 on Massdrop, which is the best version of that headphone. I'd probably grab some aftermarket pads from Dekoni or a pair of ZMF Universe pads if you went in that direction because they will have better long-term wearing comfort.

 

[Chorak290]

Just picked up AEON Flow Closed and I can confirm they are a great all around headphone! These may be my end game headphones!

 

[toolapcblack]

Hi all,
Thinking about getting some new headphones any recommendations for any of these that i can get easily in the UK:
Fostex th500rp, Shure SRH1540, Hifiman Sundara, Audioquest Nighthawks Carbon, Campfire Cascade, MrSpeakers Ether(not the flow),

I Listen to Tool, Oceansize, Mastodon, Tomahawk, APC, Meshuggah, Retox, Thrice, Marillion, Run the Jewels, Puscifer, Company Flow, Mars Volta, Dredg, Dead Prez, Neurosis, Zu, Mr Bungle

 

[ev666il]

I've learned of the existence of the Aeon Flow Closed from the last few posts and I'm basically sold on them.

Do you guys think the Schiit Magni 3 would be suitable to drive them?

I may get a Modi Multibit to put upstream further down the road, but that would be well into 2019. For a long while I'd be running the SB X-Fi Titanium HD -> Magni 3 -> Aeon Flow Closed.

 

[Monsterzero]

My .02 on the Aeon Flow Closed... Incredible tonality,so natural and smooth. The problem I had with the AFC and metal was a lack of texture and slam.
I loved them for acoustic and folk music,but found them too polite for most metal.

 

[Monsterzero]

Hi all,
Thinking about getting some new headphones any recommendations for any of these that i can get easily in the UK:
Fostex th500rp, Shure SRH1540, Hifiman Sundara, Audioquest Nighthawks Carbon, Campfire Cascade, MrSpeakers Ether(not the flow),

I Listen to Tool, Oceansize, Mastodon, Tomahawk, APC, Meshuggah, Retox, Thrice, Marillion, Run the Jewels, Puscifer, Company Flow, Mars Volta, Dredg, Dead Prez, Neurosis, Zu, Mr Bungle

See if you can audition ZMF headphones in the UK.
Atticus is killer for metal,as is the new open backed Aeolus. Higher up the food chain the Auteur is stellar too.

 

[Hansotek]

I've learned of the existence of the Aeon Flow Closed from the last few posts and I'm basically sold on them.

Do you guys think the Schiit Magni 3 would be suitable to drive them?

I may get a Modi Multibit to put upstream further down the road, but that would be well into 2019. For a long while I'd be running the SB X-Fi Titanium HD -> Magni 3 -> Aeon Flow Closed.

I’d swap out the Magni 3 for a Monoprice Monolith Liquid Spark by Alex Cavalli. Magni 3 simply doesn’t sound as good. I compared the two extensively in my review: http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazi...h_Liquid_Spark_Headphone_Amplifier_Review.htm

 

[Hansotek]

My .02 on the Aeon Flow Closed... Incredible tonality,so natural and smooth. The problem I had with the AFC and metal was a lack of texture and slam.
I loved them for acoustic and folk music,but found them too polite for most metal.

Add a little EQ. +2dB at 60Hz really makes it slam.

 

[Monsterzero]

Add a little EQ. +2dB at 60Hz really makes it slam.

Were you able to add texture via EQ as well? I felt the guitar chunk was lacking.
Perhaps im spoiled by my other headphones,but I need to feel/hear that Skippy Super Chunk.

 

[Chorak290]

Hi all,
Thinking about getting some new headphones any recommendations for any of these that i can get easily in the UK:
Fostex th500rp, Shure SRH1540, Hifiman Sundara, Audioquest Nighthawks Carbon, Campfire Cascade, MrSpeakers Ether(not the flow),

I Listen to Tool, Oceansize, Mastodon, Tomahawk, APC, Meshuggah, Retox, Thrice, Marillion, Run the Jewels, Puscifer, Company Flow, Mars Volta, Dredg, Dead Prez, Neurosis, Zu, Mr Bungle

I've only listened to nighthawks and ethers on you list and of those 2 the nighthawks were way too dark for me make bands like Mastodon, Meshuggah, and Neurosis way dark. The Ethers are much better but if you could get AEONs those are even better in my opinion.

 

[Chorak290]

Were you able to add texture via EQ as well? I felt the guitar chunk was lacking.
Perhaps im spoiled by my other headphones,but I need to feel/hear that Skippy Super Chunk.

I agree with you that they don't hit like say a Focal Clear but I do feel the hit on tracks where it is mastered that way. I've found that the AEON shows the track like it is. If there is heavy bass and a hard punch it does it and if the punch isn't there it's because thats not how the track was recorded. Also agree that a couple db boost to the bass makes it hit better.

 

[ev666il]

I’d swap out the Magni 3 for a Monoprice Monolith Liquid Spark by Alex Cavalli. Magni 3 simply doesn’t sound as good. I compared the two extensively in my review: http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazi...h_Liquid_Spark_Headphone_Amplifier_Review.htm

The way you described both amps actually has me drawn more toward the Magni 3. As my current setup includes a pair of HD650, which are generally considered warm headphones, I tend to shy away from anything that's described in that way for my upgrade. I would like my next step to be a lot closer to neutral and improve on speed and bass response/extension—I seem to understand from your review that the Magni 3 does ever-so-slightly better in those departments, even though the warmer timbre on the Monolith makes it overall more euphonic. Or am I misunderstanding it?