[Oddiofyl]

Just picked up a pair of HP 3 in Ebony .... awesome combo with my RNHP amp..... listening to some 24/96k BluRay discs and 24/96 and 192k tracks via Qobuz last night and before I knew it , it was 2:30 am. Layers of sound and crystal clear , amazingly coherent, you can hear every word .... every little nuance and weird little sound or noise I never heard.

My RS 2e Grados are great, don’t get me wrong I have enjoyed them , but they are now my travel ‘phones and are currently at my girl friends place. I was tired of bring them back and forth from my house to hers and was looking to move up the food chain , I totally stumbled upon these and just said screw it . She , unlike my ex fully appreciates music and the necessary hardware to deliver great playback. Now I need to find a decent amp with dual jacks for her place.

 

[227qed]

Can anyone confirm that these respond well to sub bass eq, with something like a Loki?

I’m on a TH-X00 right now, looking to upgrade bass quality and quantity along with everything else.

Might be a stretch, but can anyone compare the EQ ability in the subbass region to the ZMF Auteur? I’ve basically narrowed my upgrade search down to these two.

Looking for a good sized stage and copious amounts of subbass for gaming and cinema...but I also need such an investment to sound great with a wide range of music, from classical, to acoustic/vocals, to electronic.

I’ve ruled out TH-900 and TH-909due to build quality, price, etc.

 

[Oddiofyl]

Sorry don't use an EQ and honestly the bass , to me , doesn't need to be augmented... it's pretty good. These phones are a collaboration between Klipsch and Fostex, I can speak to the quality of the Fostex but after living with the Klipsch for a month I can say they are built well and I love the sound. I just purchased a Quicksilver Headphone Amp, can't wait to try it with these and my RS2e.

 

[Slim1970]

Listening to the HP-3 now and I really forgot how good this headphones are. A very enjoyable listen!

 

[Oddiofyl]

I just picked up the Quicksilver Headphone Amp.... this amp is awesome!!! It's an EL84 SET, transformer coupled and can drive ANY phones with ease. The HP3 sound incredible through this amp and my Grado RS2e have never sounded better. The build quality is unreal at it's price, it's built just like their amps (which I also own) and weighs 16lbs. Worth every penny in my opinion.

 

[descloud]

Listening to the HP-3 now and I really forgot how good this headphones are. A very enjoyable listen!

Sorry if I'm reviving an old thread, but since you also have the HE-500 in hand, how would you compare the HP-3 and them? I'm thinking of getting one too but I've read over comments here that they seem to be exhibiting the same signature... so might not be ideal to get it as a complement to the HE-500's sound.

 

[Slim1970]

Sorry if I'm reviving an old thread, but since you also have the HE-500 in hand, how would you compare the HP-3 and them? I'm thinking of getting one too but I've read over comments here that they seem to be exhibiting the same signature... so might not be ideal to get it as a complement to the HE-500's sound.

This thread is not old and the Klipsch HP-3 needs more attention. It’s a great headphone. Between the two, the HP-3 is the better headphone. It sounds good right out of the box. The HE-500 needs some modding to reach its full potential unlike the HP-3. The sound signature is close, but there are differences in their sound presentation. That to me makes its ideal to have both.

The HP-3 sounds better with wide variety of sources because it is easier to drive. The HP-3 is one of the best all around headphones I have in my collection. It’s better built, looks more modern and sounds phenomenal. With that said, the HP-3 is step up sound quality. Although the HE-500 still holds it own even today.

 

[Oddiofyl]

Ever since getting the HP 3 my Grado RS2e have been at my girlfriend's.... perfect escape route for when she is watching Lifetime or Batchelor , or something equally horrible.... I also bring them with me when I travel for work.

I have a pair of Heresy III and a pair of Quicksilver Mid Mono amps.... that combo sounds like they were made for each other. Same with the HP 3 / Quicksilver Headphone amp combo, it is awesome , I find myself listening to headphones more than ever now.

 

[Slim1970]

Ever since getting the HP 3 my Grado RS2e have been at my girlfriend's.... perfect escape route for when she is watching Lifetime or Batchelor , or something equally horrible.... I also bring them with me when I travel for work.

I have a pair of Heresy III and a pair of Quicksilver Mid Mono amps.... that combo sounds like they were made for each other. Same with the HP 3 / Quicksilver Headphone amp combo, it is awesome , I find myself listening to headphones more than ever now.

Glad you’re enjoying them. I love mine.

 

[Oddiofyl]

Yes, they are definitely special.... too bad they aren't talked about more often.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I still love my HP-3, but due to the financial pressures that the pandemic has wrought I may be forced to sell them. I'm waiting until the absolute end and hoping that a miracle can help me escape selling them. I had intended to keep them as a permanent part of my small collection. Wish me luck.

 

[Oddiofyl]

Sorry to hear that..... hang in there. Good luck. Im furloughed, so music is the only thing keeping me sane . Hope everyone in the head fi stays safe and comes out of this ok.

 

[Sonic Defender]

Sorry to hear that..... hang in there. Good luck. Im furloughed, so music is the only thing keeping me sane . Hope everyone in the head fi stays safe and comes out of this ok.

Thanks mate, I'm sure that I'm not alone. Cheers.

 

[DaYooper]

Yes, they are definitely special.... too bad they aren't talked about more often.

Isn't it hard to talk about them when one is listening to them? These really are fabulous phones especially with balanced cables and really good amps. I usually just have them plugged into one of a few daps that really pair well DX220/Amp8EX-FE, Cowon PlenueL, Cayin N6mkii with T01 motherboard, DX200TI-EX/Amp8-EX. I have had them plugged into the Senn HDVA600 and the GSX-Mini for a superb sound too. Also the Klipsch amp but that one has to be on High gain and cranked a bit. I've used them with the Poly/Mojo but find the single ended use not all that exceptional.

 

[crispezki]

Isn't it hard to talk about them when one is listening to them? These really are fabulous phones especially with balanced cables and really good amps. I usually just have them plugged into one of a few daps that really pair well DX220/Amp8EX-FE, Cowon PlenueL, Cayin N6mkii with T01 motherboard, DX200TI-EX/Amp8-EX. I have had them plugged into the Senn HDVA600 and the GSX-Mini for a superb sound too. Also the Klipsch amp but that one has to be on High gain and cranked a bit. I've used them with the Poly/Mojo but find the single ended use not all that exceptional.

I have the Klipsch amp and have tried to use hp-3 with balanced xlr. I get so much more volume out of xlr even with low gain and unbearable high volumes high gain. With xlr i can turn the knob only to a max 11 o'clock. Also to me seems that heritage amp seems to make listening fatiguing. I much prefer to use my hp-3 with my portable xdsd with burrbrown dac. Is there anytjing reasonable to exlplain this? How can you use high gain with balanced?