Is $2000 The Hi-End Headphone Sweet Spot in Mid-2024?

[Vamp898]

Sure but with that perspective except hd600 there isn’t much left in the market. All have peaks dips and with eq improve a lot to the point eq becomes essential, except DCA stuff

Headphones are insanely hard to tune to begin with, which is the reason more and more Sound Studios replace them by IEM. But that's a different story.

The HD600 needs EQ, the HD490 Pro doesn't, even though it's significantly cheaper.

 

[AntiqueMusician]

I wonder if the Abyss JOAL falls into this conversation now?

 

[Vamp898]

Given the case that 2000$ is the Sweetspot, then yes.

But there are so many Headphones that are significantly cheaper than 2000$ and still excellent, i think it is still up to debate if that is the case.

 

[phonehom]

I've really been enjoying the Hifiman HE1000 Stealth headphones - not quite the price of the HE1000se - and I'm not sure I'd notice that big of a difference between the two.

 

[DillingerEP]

The HE1000 Stealth is very good for its price. Compared to the SE i find it more mid bassy, more aggressive sounding wirh a significantly smaller soundstage than the SE.

 

[WaveTheory]

I wonder if the Abyss JOAL falls into this conversation now?

I have the same question. The 2 brief demos I heard at CanJam were encouraging but provided nowhere near sufficient data to determine if JOAL joins the Hekse/Hedd2/Tungsten/E3 group. Hopefully Abyss can lend me one soon.

 

[RogueCrusher]

I have the same question. The 2 brief demos I heard at CanJam were encouraging but provided nowhere near sufficient data to determine if JOAL joins the Hekse/Hedd2/Tungsten/E3 group. Hopefully Abyss can lend me one soon.

That would be excellent. Not enough quality reviews out there yet. I’ll wait rather than jump onto the train just yet.