[levap]

Update, added Kennerton ROGNIR, Thridi, MrSpeakers ETHER C Flow 1.1, Snorry NM-1, Sennheiser HD 820

 

[MatW]

Update, added Kennerton ROGNIR, Thridi, MrSpeakers ETHER C Flow 1.1, Snorry NM-1, Sennheiser HD 820

If I read this chart correctly, the Abyss rules for metal. Can't say I disagree...

 

[edu1975]

Hello everyone, consult, I have a few months ago the LZ A7 model and I wanted to ask if someone has already configured it as for listening to metal and heavy metal, to be able to have a comparison parameter, I await your answers.

 

[Strifeff7]

Hello everyone, consult, I have a few months ago the LZ A7 model and I wanted to ask if someone has already configured it as for listening to metal and heavy metal, to be able to have a comparison parameter, I await your answers.

Hello friend,
the best setting for me is Red filter + Pop switch,

try to ask here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/iem-for-metal-music-and-hard-rock-ultimate-solution.885104/

and here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-discovery-thread.586909/

 

[edu1975]

Hello friend,
the best setting for me is Red filter + Pop switch,

try to ask here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/iem-for-metal-music-and-hard-rock-ultimate-solution.885104/

and here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-discovery-thread.586909/

Thank you very much, I always see you comment on metal, I appreciate your dedication and help.

 

[Stompy]

So, I promised to give my impressions of the Borealis for metal and it's taken almost a month for me to write these initial impressions because I realize I'm new to the hobby (half a year now?) and don't want to fool myself and give bad advice during the honeymoon period due to bias. Basically: by far the best headphones I've heard for metal so far, but with a few caviats. For reference the 2nd best I've tried so far is an LCD-X (2021). Keep in mind that when I give my impressions my main subgenres are prog metal and death metal, and their subgenres (a lot of tech death).

I find that the combination of a generally agreeable tonality (perfect for me with small EQ tweaks), insane speed, insane slam and very good image seperation makes these very enjoyable for metal, particularly very fast and techy stuff such as archspire, inferi, first fragment, first fragment, cattle decap, etc. I've never heard anything close to these, at all. Metal with good production sounds almost* perfect on the Bori with my current setup (Soncoz SGD-1 > Singxer SA-1, I think the Bori could use a more warm setup imo) but less well produced metal... well that's a different story. The Bori are very unforgiving and revealing, if something sounds like crap you're gonna notice it, and it's not only going to be noticeable, it will be shoved in your face. I have reached the conclusion that my best course of action here is to sell my HD650 and most likely HD580 and instead buy an X00, as it should perfectly compliment the Bori.

I know this is very basic, but I've been exhausted for the last few weeks and can't really find the energy to do a longer writeup. The best way I can describe the Borealis is this: It didn't initially wow me, but as I actually listened to them for a few days i realized just how well it did just about everything, and poorly it did well... not much in this price range. My only gripe is with the front image of the soundstage which feels pushed up close to your face but hey, if I can own a headphone for 1 month and use it 10 hours a day and only come up with 1 nit pick I'll take it, especially since it's been basically perfect for my kind of metal (well produced, proggy, fast, technical) for less than $1k. I hope to have an X00 within the next few months, I'm pretty sure I will be fully satisfied with the combination of the Bori and X00.

Edit: So you guys can get an idea of my experience, these are the headphones I've owned:

PXC 550 & Bose QC25 (used for years before I go into hifi)
HD580
HD650
Aurorus Borealis

Ones I've home demoed:

Hifiman Arya
Zmf Auteur & Aeolus
LCD-X 2021


Ones I've demoed in store:

Focal clear MG
Focal Elear
Meze Empyrean
HD800
LCD2C
LCD-1
Denon 5200

I'm sure there are some I'm forgetting but that's most of them. I've spent likely almost 1000 hours on the web and 10,000 messages in Discord researching and traveled to stores like 10 times, so I've made myself really busy over this last 6 months, but I'm still new ish, so I don't want someone to take my impressions thinking I have a ton of experience TOTL cans, cause i don't.

 

[firesign]

I have always been more of IEMs than of headphones because these tend to bother me both in the ears/face (because of the pressure) and in the head (because of the headband).
But lately my inner ears are complaining about so much use of IEMs, and I think it is time to spend some more time with headphones.

I currently have an old Denon AH-D7000 that I quite like, but they are not 100% to my liking. In IEMs I have found my perfect match, which is the UM Mest (the original). It strikes me as the perfect IEM for rock, progressive, and metal, which are the only music styles I listen to. In the D7000 I mainly miss a little more punch in the bass, the rest does match my taste.

I know that headphones and IEMs cannot be compared, but... does anyone know of an headphone with a profile and characteristics similar to the Mest?

 

[Death_Block]

Also the new ie900 have been doted over, and extremely comfortable. If they are more comfortable than their predecessors, perfect.

 

[MatW]

I have always been more of IEMs than of headphones because these tend to bother me both in the ears/face (because of the pressure) and in the head (because of the headband).
But lately my inner ears are complaining about so much use of IEMs, and I think it is time to spend some more time with headphones.

I currently have an old Denon AH-D7000 that I quite like, but they are not 100% to my liking. In IEMs I have found my perfect match, which is the UM Mest (the original). It strikes me as the perfect IEM for rock, progressive, and metal, which are the only music styles I listen to. In the D7000 I mainly miss a little more punch in the bass, the rest does match my taste.

I know that headphones and IEMs cannot be compared, but... does anyone know of an headphone with a profile and characteristics similar to the Mest?

Try less deep insertion with IEMs, using Azla tips for example. For headphones, what's your budget?

 

[lakej]

I sidegraded to Sundara when I borked my PS500. They do sound quite good for metal but the PS500 I could wear for a whole day and still crave more, these aren't quite there. I would buy an EQ but I have never owned one so got do to research.

Listen to a lot of music similar to this when I'm in the metal mood.

 

[firesign]

Try less deep insertion with IEMs, using Azla tips for example. For headphones, what's your budget?

I use Azla Sedna Short with all my IEMs (Mest, Isa, Clair). I am thinking of trying the Azla Light...
My inner ears are complaining because of the hours of use. It happens because I use them for several hours at work in the morning, and a couple of hours in the evening at home.

Regarding the budget for the headphones, about 1000 $ / €.
I have been spoken highly of about the Hifiman HE6se v2, but I don't want to have to buy a stationary amp... I wish I could use it with my iBasso DX300. And I don't know if his profile will be in the style of Mest, which is what I'm looking for.

 

[Stompy]

I sidegraded to Sundara when I borked my PS500. They do sound quite good for metal but the PS500 I could wear for a whole day and still crave more, these aren't quite there. I would buy an EQ but I have never owned one so got do to research.

Listen to a lot of music similar to this when I'm in the metal mood.

Get Equalizer APO and it's PEACE plugin. That's basically all you need in the EQ department.

 

[MatW]

I use Azla Sedna Short with all my IEMs (Mest, Isa, Clair). I am thinking of trying the Azla Light...
My inner ears are complaining because of the hours of use. It happens because I use them for several hours at work in the morning, and a couple of hours in the evening at home.

Regarding the budget for the headphones, about 1000 $ / €.
I have been spoken highly of about the Hifiman HE6se v2, but I don't want to have to buy a stationary amp... I wish I could use it with my iBasso DX300. And I don't know if his profile will be in the style of Mest, which is what I'm looking for.

Headphones around that price point (used market) with punch in the bass that come to mind are the MDR-Z1R (but maybe too much bass) and the Focal Radiance. I also like the XC but it's heavy and requires EQ. All of these are fairly easy to drive.

I don't know the Denon you're mentioning, but I will have a D9200 by tomorrow. Not sure about the punch in the bass, but I'll find out soon..

 

[lakej]

Get Equalizer APO and it's PEACE plugin. That's basically all you need in the EQ department.

I've never used EQ outside of the foobar one before. Is it as good to do it in Windows as it is with a DAC?

 

[Stompy]

I've never used EQ outside of the foobar one before. Is it as good to do it in Windows as it is with a DAC?

I don't really know what the real world differences (sound wise) are of digital vs analogue EQ but if it's good enough for basically every reviewer then yeah, I'd say it's good enough. Analogue may actually be better in some ways, I'm not experienced with them, but it really shouldn't be a problem.