Right off the bat, I would throw the AIVA's out of the consideration. Now, I have not heard them, but I do have the P-II, and they just are not as enjoyable as the SR2's. The P-II is kind of a warmer, relaxed headphone that can't go as deep as the SR2. SR2 offers the full frequency spectrum, from sub-bass rumble, to the high-frequency sparkle.@paulybatz, @voja, @jamato8, @Mhog55, @cleg, @Dobrescu George. You guys speak so very highly about SR2's. I've read the whole thread and reviews. Current daily is Monolith M560's JDS Adam stack, which I enjoy thoroughly, not sure if I need to upgrade, but you know Headphone Rabbit Hole. Have been looking at Ananda's, Aiva, M1070, all planar. In the collection are Beyer Custom 1+, Senn 598se, Takstar 82 Pro, Sony MDRv6, M&D MW60 ancient AKG140. Would you recommend the SR2 over the Ananda's, Aiva, M1070 and controversial Verum 1 mkII, as a perhaps last upgrade, (as that is what the next purchase is purposed, but we know how that goes, lol).
Never listened to the Verum 1 MKII (or MKI), nor the Ananda, nor the M1070. However, just speculating, I would keep the Ananda and the SR2 in consideration. I should receive a second set of cables tomorrow, this will allow me to do a direct comparison of the pads on the SR2. I'm not sure how many people know, but I do own two SR2's, which will allow me to do a much more objective A/B test of different pads. Even without the cables, I can tell you that the pads significantly change the sound signature on the SR2. It feels like you get two different headphones. I am not even exaggerating.
To get the most out of planars, you truly do need a powerful source, otherwise you are getting a crappy performance out of them.
As I said in my review, I strongly recommend the SR2. With the recent discovery of how much the pads change the sound, I would say the SR2 definitely deserves to be in consideration as one of the best headphones under 1k. It just offers so much for its price.
That's my two cents.