How many pairs of headphones do you own?

[Brahmsian]

If you're simply listing what you have, you're missing the point of the thread IMO. The thread starter asked two questions:

So tell me, how many pairs of headphones do you own? Do you collect or do you keep one or two at a time and sell off the old when buying something new?

A few posts later, a contributor added another question that follows the same line:

To the people with multiple headphones: How does that work? Do you simply swap out headphones based on what your current musical muse is?

Legitimate question; I'm not sure how this is done.

The thread seems to have been founded by someone wondering whether and why you guys have and keep so many headphones.

I currently have four headphones. There's also a reason why I have exactly that many.

I have two main headphones that I use regularly, the HE560 and a modded M1060. The former is my dedicated classical music headphone. The latter I use for just about everything else (pop, hip-hop, dance, as well as movies).

Between these two headphones I find that all my bases are covered for home listening. Also: in case one breaks down, I still have the other. I will not add another headphone, but I might replace one or the other if I find that I like another headphone better for the purpose. In fact, I just sold my HE400i. It got replaced with the 560.

I have a Sennheiser 280pro for when I need a closed back.

Finally, I have a Sennheiser PX-100 II, which I use mainly for bedtime since the other headphones are way too bulky to crawl into bed with. Usually, I just use them to go through the curated playlists on Tidal before I fall asleep. They are good for pop, hip-hop, etc. (very smooth and chocolatey sound) but terrible for classical (totally muddy and congested).

So in my opinion the point of the thread is not just to list your headphones but to explain why you have as many as you do and how you use them.

 

[Slim1970]

If you're simply listing what you have, you're missing the point of the thread IMO. The thread starter asked two questions:


A few posts later, a contributor added another question that follows the same line:



The thread seems to have been founded by someone wondering whether and why you guys have and keep so many headphones.

I currently have four headphones. There's also a reason why I have exactly that many.

I have two main headphones that I use regularly, the HE560 and a modded M1060. The former is my dedicated classical music headphone. The latter I use for just about everything else (pop, hip-hop, dance, as well as movies).

Between these two headphones I find that all my bases are covered for home listening. Also: in case one breaks down, I still have the other. I will not add another headphone, but I might replace one or the other if I find that I like another headphone better for the purpose. In fact, I just sold my HE400i. It got replaced with the 560.

I have a Sennheiser 280pro for when I need a closed back.

Finally, I have a Sennheiser PX-100 II, which I use mainly for bedtime since the other headphones are way too bulky to crawl into bed with. Usually, I just use them to go through the curated playlists on Tidal before I fall asleep. They are good for pop, hip-hop, etc. (very smooth and chocolatey sound) but terrible for classical (totally muddy and congested).

So in my opinion the point of the thread is not just to list your headphones but to explain why you have as many as you do and how you use them.

That point did get overlooked by me. And I probably don’t need as many headphones as I have in my collection because there is a lot of overlap between them. Here’s what I use my upper tier headphones for:

For jazz I like the HE-1000’s but they are a good all a rounder as well. The HD800S I use for jazz and classical. My TH-900’s I use for pop, R&B, hip-hop, reggae, movies and similar genres. The Z1R’s are smooth and play well with all music. I use them when I want to lay back and chill. The LCD 3’s I pickup when I want to listen to music with a lot bass in it. The T5P’s and P9’s are my go to portable headphones. They are both easy to drive and sound amazing with any portable device. The D7200’s are excellent performers and probably could take the place of the my T5P’s and P9’s for portable duties if I wasn’t afraid of scratching the cups. I probably reach for these the most for everyday listening and want to just enjoy the music.

Here’s how I use the headphones I consider to be mid-fi for:
The DT-1990‘s I use for rock and metal. They are just so darn detailed and have excellent bass response. They are outstanding for heavy metal as they image so well. The HD-630VB’s are superb at being portable. They are easy to drive and have great treble clarity. Being able to dial in some extra bass with the variable bass dial is plus! The X2HR’s are the 2nd most reached for headphone in my collection. I like the way they sound with all musical genres. They have bass to die for, a good open soundstage and very none fatiguing treble. They are so comfortable and also are great for gaming. the HE-400i’s are a great reference headphone. They are very neutral and sound great with tubes. I like using them for pop and soft rock. The ON2, E-Mu Purplehearts, and DT-1350’s are all on-ears. The ON2’s are the best of the bunch as they have very good bass and are the most balanced sounding of the three. They work for everything except classical and jazz. They just aren’t resolving enough for those complex classical passages. But they are great for pop, rock, hip-hop, and R&B. They have just enough bass to satisfy me and they have good treble detail and mids for an on-ear headphone.

As you can see I could be very happy with the HE-1000’s, TH-900’s, T5P’s and the D7200’s and have all my musical basis covered. But since I enjoy something in all of them I can’t bring myself to narrow my list. I hope this fulfills your the intended purpose of the thread. I’ll post my wireless headphones and iem’s uses in another post. I fill this post is already to long. Thanks for reading!

 

[DavidA]

If you're simply listing what you have, you're missing the point of the thread IMO. The thread starter asked two questions:
A few posts later, a contributor added another question that follows the same line:
The thread seems to have been founded by someone wondering whether and why you guys have and keep so many headphones.
I currently have four headphones. There's also a reason why I have exactly that many.

I have two main headphones that I use regularly, the HE560 and a modded M1060. The former is my dedicated classical music headphone. The latter I use for just about everything else (pop, hip-hop, dance, as well as movies).

Between these two headphones I find that all my bases are covered for home listening. Also: in case one breaks down, I still have the other. I will not add another headphone, but I might replace one or the other if I find that I like another headphone better for the purpose. In fact, I just sold my HE400i. It got replaced with the 560.

I have a Sennheiser 280pro for when I need a closed back.

Finally, I have a Sennheiser PX-100 II, which I use mainly for bedtime since the other headphones are way too bulky to crawl into bed with. Usually, I just use them to go through the curated playlists on Tidal before I fall asleep. They are good for pop, hip-hop, etc. (very smooth and chocolatey sound) but terrible for classical (totally muddy and congested).

So in my opinion the point of the thread is not just to list your headphones but to explain why you have as many as you do and how you use them.

@Brahmsian, I have some explaining to do:

Ypsilon R1, Nhoord Red V2 and EL-8 open are the daily use ones since they don't need an amp to sound good and are decent all around headphones.

HD800: mostly for classical but will at times listen to jazz also, don't use them much since I usually end up analyzing the music in stead of just relaxing. Kept the HD800 and gave my SR009 away since I noticed I was reaching for the HD800 more often than the SR009. One thing with both of these is that your music needs to be well recorded/mastered, the definition of GIGO.

HD700 and RS2e: used mostly for watching movies but also for jazz and some pop

TH-600, HE400 and Ypsilon S1: for when I want some kick a-- bass for EDM and R&B

SRH-1840: mostly used with HT receivers since its easy to drive and very comfortable

HD650: when I need to have a starting point for comparisons but also for when I just want to kick back and veg

HE560: a great pick me up, high energy sound for pop, jazz, punk, new wave, EDM

HE400i, MDR-1A, DT990 premium, K7XX, K553, and Momentum over-ear: just keep these around since I'm too lazy to sell them

SRD-34: one of my oldest but still has the unique Stax sound even if not a true e-stat.

SR225e and SR60: love the Grado sound and with mods these are great for pop, rock and some jazz

MDR-7506, V-Moda XS and Momentum on-ear: for when I travel or when I need a portable

PX-100ii, SennGrado, HD-239, and Fidelio L1: just like listening to these once in a blue moon and to bring me back to earth.

A simple answer is I just like the different sound signatures and I like variety in my life, same with wine, woman and song

 

[Audioholic123]

how many pairs of headphones do you own?

At the moment I have A&K T5P (modded with Sennheiser HD700 drivers, so really a closed-back HD700), Beyerdynamic T70, Beyerdynamic DT880 and AKG Q701 (Q701 not listed in my signature because I almost never use them but I would never sell them or give them away as I consider them a classic. I keep them stored in their box to keep them in good condition).

Do you collect or do you keep one or two at a time and sell off the old when buying something new?

I don't consider myself as someone who collects headphones, I buy them to actually use them properly, just like the way non-audiophiles do. Maybe given what i've said about the Q701, then maybe that makes me a collector but that's just one headphone.

The modded T5P(closed-back HD700) is my favourite, it's surprisingly similar to the T70 but has a wider soundstage and better imaging. I mostly use it for watching movies with, or for analyzing music and/or testing hifi equipment. When I want to enjoy music and analyze it, i'll use the T70. I find that the T70 is also fantastic for gaming.

 

[HBen]

I own about 10 pairs of headphones which I use for "serious music listening at home" plus another 5 pairs which I use for specific purposes like traveling, gaming etc.

Like probably many of us I would not really consider myself a collector, it's more that every headphone purposes a certain sound signature and has specific strengths and weaknesses which in every case match better or worse with certain amps and DAC's.
Through this multitude of combinations I am able to adjust the sound signature of my headphone chain to fit better (or worse) to certain types of music or even to specific songs to my liking.
Since I listen to a variety of music, having this ability to adjust the sound is not only cool and fun, but also often fulfilling.
The chase for audio nirvana is a search for those special moments where the music deeply touches your emotion because for a moment our brain tells us the music is real and not only an artificial reproduction.

Do I need that many headphones? No. Do I enjoy exploring the combinations and does it positively affect my music listening experience? Very much.

 

[PeterZhu]

I have 4 full size, and 3 IEMs.

 

[BrokeSkoolBoi]

In order of most to least use.

ThinksoundON2
Senn 6xx
Phillips 9500
Sennheiser 558
Fostex- MK3
Sony 1000x (WHR or whatever)


Hardly/Never use/Selling
CB-1
Koss Porta pro (I liked KPH30i better, but my younger sibling has it)
Kef M500 (selling)
Vsonic Gr07 Bass Edition (selling)
Takstar PRO 82 (selling)

Newly Acquired/Waiting for
FLC8S: just got these, god damn these mids. Just wish they had more soundstage that's all.

GMP 8.35D of Massdrop: I can't wait for these.



How did I get here?

Somehow Zeos ended up on my recommended videos haha!
I only want to have 4-5 headphones, one of everything (Open-closed-on ear-IEM) and then probably one noise canceling.

Why am I keeping the ones I have rn?

Thinksound ON2: amazing isolation, decent soundstage, quite neutral in my opinion but great bass extension.

Senn 6xx: I don't really like these very much, I would probably like the 600's better, but I think I am going to wait and get a 58X second hand ;D.

EDIT: I wanted to expand upon my experience with 6xx a bit. There are some albums and artists that sound so amazing through my 6xx because I think the laid back quality suits the music very well. Sometimes I listen to the music and feel like I'm on a cloud. More often than not though I'm waiting for them to really engage my ears, and it never happens, even when I turn the dial on my AMP. This even happens when I'm high out of my mind in my bed, drives me nuts XD.

Phillips 9500: Great for skyping my long distance gf and falling asleep on calls. I love listening to music on them too, the most open Headphone I've ever used for sure.

Sennheiser 558: My 6xx stays with my rig, though it goes great through my macbook.. I only use the 558's for slight isolation while eating and watching videos.

Fostex T50rp Mk3: I like these the most right now. Not enough bass for my taste, but my god these blew me away when I got them. The sound literally tickles my ears everytime. It is quite neutral, but the planar drivers are so fast and so different from anything else I have. If only they were more comfortable to lay in bed with XD.

Sony 1000x: Noise-cancelling, self explanatory.


Only selling Kef m500 because the isolation and fit aren't good enough for nyc subway commute.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Apple EarPods (Donut Foamies)
Sennheiser MX500 Earbuds (Foamies)
Sony XBA-Z5 No. #017526 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced IEM
1More Triple Driver (Model E1001) IEM
Noble Kaiser 10 Encore IEM Universal
Cubu ("s") Earbud (Green) (Foamies)
Kube 2 Earbud (Black) (Basic Brand Foamies)
MrZ Toneking MusicMaker Ting Earbud (Donut Foamies)
Xiaomi Piston 3 Fresh Edition (Black)
JBL E15 IEM (Blue)
Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Headphones (2012 Edition)
Sennheiser MX460 Earbuds (Foamies)
Philips SHP 8000 Headphones

Mi In-Ear Headphones (Xiaomi Piston 3) IEMs (Two Consecutive Serial Number Pairs)
Used exclusively with Sony Hybrid IEM tips

Sony MDR-CD-870 Headphones
Sennheiser HD 202 MK2 Headphones
Edifier H840 Headphones
Sennheiser HD 439 Headphones (Three Hole Bass Modification)
AKG k701 Headphones (Early Austria Made)
AKG k701 Headphones (Late Austria Made)
AKG K512 MK 2 Headphones
SOMiC MH438 Headphones
Denon AH-D 7000 Headphones
JBL M330 Wood IEMs
JAYS a-JAYS Two IEMs (Black) (Complete Re-cable)
Urbanears Zinken Modified Headphones (Custom Pads and Cable)
Edifier H285 IEMs (Black)
MEELECTRONICS SX-31 IEMs (Black)
Basic IE200HD IEMs (stock cables)
Basic IE300HD IEMs (stock cables)
KZ-ATE Copper Driver IEM (Black) RQ:016NBM
QKZ-W1 PRO IEM (Black) Port Creation Modification
QKZ-W1 PRO IEM 2016 Edition (Blue)
QKZ-W1 PRO IEM 2016 Edition (Red)
Remax RM-565i IEM (Black)
Remax RM-S1 Pro IEM (Clear Grey)
Remax RM-S1 IEM (Grey)
Remax RM610D IEM (Black)
Remax RM305M Earbud (Grey) (Donut Foamies)
Sony XBA-100 IEM (Sony Hybrid Tip)
Edifier K180 Earbud (White) (Donut Foamies)

I have a few. Every once in a while I listen to an old one for reference. Though keeping them, it's good to try with new equipment such as amps and DACs.

 

[Seisei]

I currently have these:

Shure SRH 940: I loved these in the past, but since i have the K712, these phones are just too cruel too my ears.
AKG K712: I think these are probably the best midrange phones, great allrounder for almost anything.
Creative Aurvana Live: Very great performance for the price, fun sounding closed back portable can, maybe a little bassheavy.
Takstart pro 80: I really dont understand the hype because they are quiet congested, dull, and lowfi, but maybe just need some burn in, i dont know.

 

[bcaulf17]

Before reading a lot on Head Fi I felt it was only necessary to own one. My requirements had been to have a good closed back with decent portability so I could use it no matter the situation and always have the same sound (except the gym where I prefer to use earbuds, I have the Beyer Byron which was only $45). For full size I went from the M50x to the DT770 (briefly, didn't like) now to the H6 Gen 2. However...one headphone I've always wanted to hear was the HD650/6XX. Reading about it on here has made me want it even more. So I just ordered one and will be owning that soon as well, breaking my rule of only owning one headphone. I never had the chance to own an open headphone and it makes itself appear as a necessity in any audiophile collection. It's also many people's reference (slightly warmer than neutral) and I think it's it might be good to have a reference, the H6 is more fun tuned I think, so I can save that for work, on the move or at home when others are around.

Sorry for the long post but wanted to share my story lol

 

[Marmite]

4 pairs.

I don't count those supplied with phones/tablets as they're not fit for human consumption.

I didn't count the 2 pairs my wife has either.

 

[Rhamnetin]

I'm down to one and I'm keeping it that way!

 

[Marmite]

Before reading a lot on Head Fi I felt it was only necessary to own one. My requirements had been to have a good closed back with decent portability so I could use it no matter the situation and always have the same sound (except the gym where I prefer to use earbuds, I have the Beyer Byron which was only $45). For full size I went from the M50x to the DT770 (briefly, didn't like) now to the H6 Gen 2. However...one headphone I've always wanted to hear was the HD650/6XX. Reading about it on here has made me want it even more. So I just ordered one and will be owning that soon as well, breaking my rule of only owning one headphone. I never had the chance to own an open headphone and it makes itself appear as a necessity in any audiophile collection. It's also many people's reference (slightly warmer than neutral) and I think it's it might be good to have a reference, the H6 is more fun tuned I think, so I can save that for work, on the move or at home when others are around.

Sorry for the long post but wanted to share my story lol

I just bought a pair of 6xxs too, but haven't got my grubby mits on them yet. They're in the country but my 'courier' hasn't made it up to visit yet.

 

[bcaulf17]

I just bought a pair of 6xxs too, but haven't got my grubby mits on them yet. They're in the country but my 'courier' hasn't made it up to visit yet.

I ordered from the current drop (about 7 days ago) and it says the expected delivery date is October 3rd (if I recall). I need to order a Magni 3 amp too...

 

[LifeOnMercury]

I used to own 130+ headphones and 70+ IEMs/earbuds but none of them was super expensive.
Now I have 70+ headphones and 30+ earphones.