Eric Scheffel
New Head-Fier
Hi there,
I am currently using the following portable set up to listen to various genres of music. I use the Fiio X3-3 as a cheap digital source, the iBasso "Bushmaster" D14 as my DAC+AMP(that Sabre sound!) and an Oppo PM3 as my headphones. The combination works like a charm, especially for Jazz music with creamy female vocals (think Norah Jones).
However, because the PM3s have a bit of a reputation for a "sedate" upper frequency range, sometimes I am missing out in terms of more exciting treble and a wider sound stage. This is particularly apparent when listening to classical music, such as one of my favorite symphonies, Bruckner's 7th. I generally agree that the PM3s are great for long listening sessions as they never exhaust, but also never fully "excite" either.
I am therefore looking to spend anywhere between 300-1000 dollars on open-back "for-at-home" headphones, which will give me a completely different listening experience from the Oppo PM3 and work better in the upper range (less rolled off). I will probably continue to drive them with the D14 Bushmaster, so while impedance can be high, it should probably not be too high.
I have been casting my eye to candidates such as the Beyerdynamic 1990Pro, the Shure 1840, Hifiman HE-560 maybe one of the Grados and a couple of other. I know in the suggested price range I could have also added one of the Sennheisers, such as 600,650 or even 800s. But the Sennheisers appear to have a reputation for a more dark/warm tonality, and I am looking for something more analytical. Finally, I do not care for the 3D-wing headband of the more recent Audiotechnicas and I am not a big fan of the general build quality of the AKGs, hence my decision not to consider these(I do find the ATs interesting though...). I am sensing that the "old" Beyerdynamic 990s could be a real steal at the moment, given that they are almost half the price of the 1990s and appear to fit my description, although some may argue that they could be too bright.
What I care about is a pair of headphones which are:
1) Only for listening at home in arm chair when I am alone
2) Wide soundstage with clear and analytical separation
3) Open-back and may leak sound as hell, I don't care
4) A high-quality construction, i.e. headphones which will be a "keeper" for a long time
5) An analytical and high resolution listening experience mostly for classical music
6) The low end or bass is perfectly okay to be on the weak side
7) Generally a listening experience which will be "orthogonal" to my Oppo PM3
Thanks!
I am currently using the following portable set up to listen to various genres of music. I use the Fiio X3-3 as a cheap digital source, the iBasso "Bushmaster" D14 as my DAC+AMP(that Sabre sound!) and an Oppo PM3 as my headphones. The combination works like a charm, especially for Jazz music with creamy female vocals (think Norah Jones).
However, because the PM3s have a bit of a reputation for a "sedate" upper frequency range, sometimes I am missing out in terms of more exciting treble and a wider sound stage. This is particularly apparent when listening to classical music, such as one of my favorite symphonies, Bruckner's 7th. I generally agree that the PM3s are great for long listening sessions as they never exhaust, but also never fully "excite" either.
I am therefore looking to spend anywhere between 300-1000 dollars on open-back "for-at-home" headphones, which will give me a completely different listening experience from the Oppo PM3 and work better in the upper range (less rolled off). I will probably continue to drive them with the D14 Bushmaster, so while impedance can be high, it should probably not be too high.
I have been casting my eye to candidates such as the Beyerdynamic 1990Pro, the Shure 1840, Hifiman HE-560 maybe one of the Grados and a couple of other. I know in the suggested price range I could have also added one of the Sennheisers, such as 600,650 or even 800s. But the Sennheisers appear to have a reputation for a more dark/warm tonality, and I am looking for something more analytical. Finally, I do not care for the 3D-wing headband of the more recent Audiotechnicas and I am not a big fan of the general build quality of the AKGs, hence my decision not to consider these(I do find the ATs interesting though...). I am sensing that the "old" Beyerdynamic 990s could be a real steal at the moment, given that they are almost half the price of the 1990s and appear to fit my description, although some may argue that they could be too bright.
What I care about is a pair of headphones which are:
1) Only for listening at home in arm chair when I am alone
2) Wide soundstage with clear and analytical separation
3) Open-back and may leak sound as hell, I don't care
4) A high-quality construction, i.e. headphones which will be a "keeper" for a long time
5) An analytical and high resolution listening experience mostly for classical music
6) The low end or bass is perfectly okay to be on the weak side
7) Generally a listening experience which will be "orthogonal" to my Oppo PM3
Thanks!
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