Mllump
New Head-Fier
I thought this might be fun, helpful, and informative. What are the FIVE headphones / IEMs that you felt were worth every dime you spent. Given that many of us try things used, that's fine. List the price you paid(ish) and a brief description of why it was worth it. Just to get us started (these aren't ranked except for $$$ spent):
1) Sundara: For the $239 I paid, it bested most everything up to about $500. At least referring to the more updated version.
2) Shure SRH1540: I have to mention this one because it was my first nice headphone years ago. I actually got them for $250 when they first came out. The bass is a little messy, but for closed back, I would still recommend this under $500. Yeah, Elegia is nice enough (I've owned it 3 times), but I always have to EQ and that dang Focal metallic sound just gets in my head and I can't un-hear it.
3) Meze 109 Pro: To be had for about $650-750 depending, I just haven't enjoyed anything as much under $1500. Sure, there are some niggles in the treble and separation isn't the greatest, but to get enough technicalities with great soundstage and impeccable comfort, it is just an incredibly pleasing headphone. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this bit while saving up for something that's more of a leap.
4) LCD-X (2021): I got these for $895 open box. If you want better technicalities than the 109, the timbre is great on these. Still, the comfort isn't as great, so if saving, I'd probably skip this if I had the 109's and wait on another.
5) 64Audio U12t: I paid $1500 for these open box from headphones.com and have never once felt like I spent too much. They are the best sounding things I've ever shoved in my ears. They best most every headphone I've listened to. To me, they're better than Stellia, Liric, and anything else high end closed back. They are comfortable, can pair with more inexpensive dongles (great with both Questyle m15 and Gryphon). For me, and for several I know, if you're looking for a wonderful 1-2 punch, and need both open and closed back, I'd consider this IEM for the closed option (super flexible for mobility). I've lived with this as my only kit for a long time and never regretted it, though I still add an open back on occasion.
Alright, so I'm probably too wordy, but maybe this will help some brothers out at beginning and mid-level stages. But hey, don't hesitate to throw the much higher priced options out there. I'm just trying to stay a bit more accessible to the masses. I mean, how many of us never thought we'd spend "that much" on a piece of gear only to realize you have to take some big $$$ leaps to get significant improvement in sound.
1) Sundara: For the $239 I paid, it bested most everything up to about $500. At least referring to the more updated version.
2) Shure SRH1540: I have to mention this one because it was my first nice headphone years ago. I actually got them for $250 when they first came out. The bass is a little messy, but for closed back, I would still recommend this under $500. Yeah, Elegia is nice enough (I've owned it 3 times), but I always have to EQ and that dang Focal metallic sound just gets in my head and I can't un-hear it.
3) Meze 109 Pro: To be had for about $650-750 depending, I just haven't enjoyed anything as much under $1500. Sure, there are some niggles in the treble and separation isn't the greatest, but to get enough technicalities with great soundstage and impeccable comfort, it is just an incredibly pleasing headphone. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this bit while saving up for something that's more of a leap.
4) LCD-X (2021): I got these for $895 open box. If you want better technicalities than the 109, the timbre is great on these. Still, the comfort isn't as great, so if saving, I'd probably skip this if I had the 109's and wait on another.
5) 64Audio U12t: I paid $1500 for these open box from headphones.com and have never once felt like I spent too much. They are the best sounding things I've ever shoved in my ears. They best most every headphone I've listened to. To me, they're better than Stellia, Liric, and anything else high end closed back. They are comfortable, can pair with more inexpensive dongles (great with both Questyle m15 and Gryphon). For me, and for several I know, if you're looking for a wonderful 1-2 punch, and need both open and closed back, I'd consider this IEM for the closed option (super flexible for mobility). I've lived with this as my only kit for a long time and never regretted it, though I still add an open back on occasion.
Alright, so I'm probably too wordy, but maybe this will help some brothers out at beginning and mid-level stages. But hey, don't hesitate to throw the much higher priced options out there. I'm just trying to stay a bit more accessible to the masses. I mean, how many of us never thought we'd spend "that much" on a piece of gear only to realize you have to take some big $$$ leaps to get significant improvement in sound.
