Hello and thanks for taking a look at my help request.
I am looking to buy some new open-backed headphones around the $500 price bracket. However, it seems I'll have to make a purchase without trying the headphones because of the place where I live. The few stores with anything related to high-end headphones are closed right now and don't offer much anyways. It seems I'll need to make a decision based solely on recommendations for my particular needs.
I've been eyeing the HiFiMan Sundara for a while but I'm afraid to pick them up due to the quality control issues. If I buy something and it breaks too soon, I will probably have to deal with a lot of hassle before I can attempt a return due to complications with shipping the item back to the seller.
When it comes to sound, I listen to multiple genres, but what I've noticed is that what I like the most is an emphasis on instrument separation and imaging. I like busy music that has a lot of stuff going on at the same time. For example, I'm a big fan of Thank You Scientist, which is essentially like a mix of progressive rock and jazz, incorporating guitars, vocals, brass, strings, etc. all at once, and sometimes I have trouble telling each instrument apart.
So I would summarize my needs like this:
- A high amount of detail is great, but too much detail just for the sake of being revealing might expose bad mastering on a lot of my favorite music.
- Instrument separation and imaging are a must. Maybe this is correlated to a highly 3D soundstage but I might be wrong.
- Delineated and articulate bass and mids are also a priority. I think I would describe it as wanting the ability to separate every note from the last.
- Vocals and highs need to be present and articulate too, but not outstanding. I would like it if they weren't too emphasized. I often feel that, for my particular taste, highs and vocals can cause fatigue if they're too forward or "shouty".
- Not sure how to describe this, but I like the sound to have a sense of realism and liveliness. I am willing to trade more of that for a bit less technical prowess.
- Comfort and fatigue are a bit of an issue because I intend to use them to listen for most of the day, every day of the week.
- My current setup includes a Modi Multibit and an Asgard 3, so something that pairs well with that would be great.
- I don't care about gaming, outdoor use, aesthetics, noise isolation, or high power requirements. I will be using the headphones exclusively at home, exclusively for music, and exclusively with a rig built specifically for headphones. I think only sound quality, comfort, and a durable build are necessary.
- I wouldn't mind investing in additional cables or other tweaks if the stock ones are not very good.
Thanks again if you help me out with this and I apologize in advance if this is an overbearing request.
I am looking to buy some new open-backed headphones around the $500 price bracket. However, it seems I'll have to make a purchase without trying the headphones because of the place where I live. The few stores with anything related to high-end headphones are closed right now and don't offer much anyways. It seems I'll need to make a decision based solely on recommendations for my particular needs.
I've been eyeing the HiFiMan Sundara for a while but I'm afraid to pick them up due to the quality control issues. If I buy something and it breaks too soon, I will probably have to deal with a lot of hassle before I can attempt a return due to complications with shipping the item back to the seller.
When it comes to sound, I listen to multiple genres, but what I've noticed is that what I like the most is an emphasis on instrument separation and imaging. I like busy music that has a lot of stuff going on at the same time. For example, I'm a big fan of Thank You Scientist, which is essentially like a mix of progressive rock and jazz, incorporating guitars, vocals, brass, strings, etc. all at once, and sometimes I have trouble telling each instrument apart.
So I would summarize my needs like this:
- A high amount of detail is great, but too much detail just for the sake of being revealing might expose bad mastering on a lot of my favorite music.
- Instrument separation and imaging are a must. Maybe this is correlated to a highly 3D soundstage but I might be wrong.
- Delineated and articulate bass and mids are also a priority. I think I would describe it as wanting the ability to separate every note from the last.
- Vocals and highs need to be present and articulate too, but not outstanding. I would like it if they weren't too emphasized. I often feel that, for my particular taste, highs and vocals can cause fatigue if they're too forward or "shouty".
- Not sure how to describe this, but I like the sound to have a sense of realism and liveliness. I am willing to trade more of that for a bit less technical prowess.
- Comfort and fatigue are a bit of an issue because I intend to use them to listen for most of the day, every day of the week.
- My current setup includes a Modi Multibit and an Asgard 3, so something that pairs well with that would be great.
- I don't care about gaming, outdoor use, aesthetics, noise isolation, or high power requirements. I will be using the headphones exclusively at home, exclusively for music, and exclusively with a rig built specifically for headphones. I think only sound quality, comfort, and a durable build are necessary.
- I wouldn't mind investing in additional cables or other tweaks if the stock ones are not very good.
Thanks again if you help me out with this and I apologize in advance if this is an overbearing request.
