Looking for: Open Planars up to 1500€ for enjoyment

[kite]

Hello everyone,
so after my Oppo PM-3, my first Planar, is basically desintegrating at this point, i am looking to upgrade.

I have looked at reviews for:
- Audeze LCD-2 Classic
- Audeze LCD-2
- Audeze LCD-X
- Meze Empyrean (b.c. i can get them for around 1700-1800€ used)
- Hifiman Arya
- Dan Clark Aeon 2

I like to listen to: Synth stuff in general, so Darkwave, a lot of Nine Inch Nails, EDM, Industrial, some Classic, some Pop, Soundtracks (more Videogame Soundtracks)
I want something to enjoy listening to music, not really analyze it (although extra detail is appreciated).
Something to kick back and relax and unwind after a stressful day.
Unfortunately i have a bit of a tinnitus, so i am a bit sensitive to harsh, sibilant highs.

I do appreciate a good bass, i care a lot about a good setup/FR for my subwoofers too, which hit hard and have a lot of impact and easily reach below 20hz, but it's less about the sheer amount of it and i like them like that A wider Soundstage would be much appreciated since the Oppo PM-3 feel a bit small (they are closed ofc. but still). They also sound a bit too thin for my taste, but i add a little bit of low end.

I stated a budget of up to1500 but i am open to suggestions. I'd get the Empyrean if it's a good choice. Currently i am located in germany, which makes some cans hard to get and even harder to hear, so unfortunately i cannot go anywhere to listen to any of the ones i listed above, not even mentioning other alternatives..
Can you help me with my decision? What other planars would fit the bill? What are your opinions about the planars in regard to my requirements? Which ones do you like best and why? I know it's all subjective, sure, especially with all the revisions i find it hard to find decent comparisons online, so your expertise is very much appreciated. I am willing to buy used and i am not against moderate EQing, as long as it is sensible.

I do like the look of the Empyrean, not gonna lie and design is important to me. Weight seems to be good too and the pads are easily replacable.
I am a bit concerned about the weight of the Audeze and the fact that some do sound quite dark, like the LCD-2C apparently. But i also never had an Audeze on my head before, so hard to tell if they would be too heavy or not.
The Hifimans and the Dan Clarks.. i don't really like, design-wise i mean, i have to be honest. Of course this is only an opinion.

Please let me know if i should add any other information to make it more clear what i am looking for.
Amp recommendation are also appreciated, this is on a separate budget though.

Thank you very much

 

[TWerk]

Save your money and go with OG HE-500. Still the top headphone for me and I know others who share the love.

They are better than those Audeze options, have more impact than any of the newer Hifimans, and are not too difficult to power. They sound gorgeous paired with my deckard amp.

Hard to find them though anymore, that's the one downside.

 

[kite]

To be honest, i have heard that the HE500 are (supposedly, i have not heard it myself mind you) not as good for electronic music and can be a bit spikey with the highs in certain situations. With that being said, i once tried to find one but within half a year that was a no-go.. so that makes it kinda hard to really go for these, not to mention the upgrades everyone is hard-recommending :/ Please correct me if i am wrong, obvs. you have and love them.

I just looked at the Hifiman shop page though and they currently have the HE6se V2 for 600$ (open box). I haven't looked at these yet, but i will, although they are much harder to drive it seems. Also an Ananda for 40% off, but i am not sure if i can deal with the looks haha, as stupid as it may sound, i know!

I am not sure why i am so fixated on these Empyreans.. or Audeze for that matter, but i really need to be convinced otherwise I think the Audeze are interesting because of what is being said of the bass and i was looking at those back when i bought the Oppo PM-3, but couldn't afford them then. The Mezes are supposed to be extremely comfortable, which is great and for the price i can get these used i thought it might be a great deal. Their sound seem to fit my requirements too, but obvs. without listening myself it's hard to say but that is true for every headphone i have listed.

​

 

[TWerk]

Yeah, that's just not the case - the HE-500 are incredible for EDM and this is coming from a person who mostly listens to EDM.

They need a solid desktop amplifier - but not a crazy one like the HE6 - I have an Audeze Deckard.

I have been listening to headphones for like a decade now and could not give a higher recommendation to the 500's as the go to.

Some people like the HE6SE but you need to figure out how to drive those and they want LOTS of power. I don't doubt they can be amazing given what I hear out of my 500's, but the amplification is just way more demanding and I didn't want to bother with it.

The newer Hifiman do not have the dynamics and impact of the old ones. I had an XS and while I liked it, I much prefer the 500.

Of course YMMV, audio is a very personal thing as is sound signature and we can only reflect on our preferences and what our ears hear... etc. The reason so many headphones exist on the market is because different people have different tastes and bank accounts with different numbers etc. You just have to go through the work of finding the ones that personally do it for you. That work can be fun though - as it is really rewarding when you start to find ones you love.

A key word he mentioned here was "enjoyment". That will vary from person to person (see above) and is subjective but yeah, for me that's HE-500.

 

[YungOmbat]

honestly lcd x and empyrean are likely ur best bets

 

[dunring]

I've got the Hifiman he6se and like them much more than the Arya v2 which has forward upper mids. For that price they shouldn't need to be equalized. The he6se is fun, but the headband is the only issue and they need EQ with a -4db premo reduction so you need big power to get them loud for a favorite song. The Topping L70 is the ticket with at least a D10b balanced DAC. I have the d30pro/a30pro and also the A90/d10b and wish it had the extra grunt the L70 has. They are so much fun with EQ when the bass comes out to play though. Add the ski style headband and honeycomb open side covers and it's end game for most. Kingpin for gaming too.

 

[kite]

@TWerk i honestly will keep my eye out for them, but given that i haven't been able to find one for month, i am not sure i can add these to the list of what i want to get more-or-less *right now*. I have heard lots about them though and i really would like to try them for myself for sure.

@YungOmbat have you heard both? Is the bass response of the X why you recommend it? And maybe the versatility of the Empys the reason for that recommendation?

@dunring i am looking into these at the moment. Thank you for the amp recommendation Downside would be that i probably couldn't drive them with my current setup and would have to buy the full setup at once haha

I have listened to some more songs on my PM-3 and got reminded that i find them a bit too fatiguing for longer listening sessions. It's not that they sound bad and i think the bass is good, but they can throw everything else at you quite violently.

Honestly i am mostly hesitating because i want to get a good value too I found some sound demos of the LCD-2C and Empys on youtube.. and before you stop reading, yes i know this is nowhere near a representation of the real thing, but it can give you an impression of what might happen, at least vaguely FR wise. Both don't seem as bright as the PM-3 with the LCD-2C being much more recessed in the heights, maybe too much, but certainly not unenjoyable. Hm.. i just don't want to be blinded by a good offer for the Empys but next to the sound quality, comfort is a big topic!

When i said "enjoyable" i meant that i don't need these for super critical listening and they shouldn't be fatiguing and more.. "mellow" (i think is the right term here?), if that helps clarify it.

 

[TWerk]

I've got the Hifiman he6se and like them much more than the Arya v2 which has forward upper mids. For that price they shouldn't need to be equalized. The he6se is fun, but the headband is the only issue and they need EQ with a -4db premo reduction so you need big power to get them loud for a favorite song. The Topping L70 is the ticket with at least a D10b balanced DAC. I have the d30pro/a30pro and also the A90/d10b and wish it had the extra grunt the L70 has. They are so much fun with EQ when the bass comes out to play though. Add the ski style headband and honeycomb open side covers and it's end game for most. Kingpin for gaming too.

Exactly - Hifiman hit gold back a decade ago with their old school planar drivers. Not only are they competitive with today's headphones, many prefer them.

 

[kite]

Would that be true for the HE6se V2 as well? Isn't the HE6se more neutral/bright in general? How would you describe it. It's also nuts that the price dropped to around 700€

 

[Tano]

For those genres and if you can stretch your budget a bit more, Id recommend you getting a Final Audio D8000. It's usually under 2k in the 2nd market and has great bass and top notch technical capabilities. Hifiman headphones are great but I don't think they are the best for the music that you hear.

 

[YungOmbat]

@TWerk i honestly will keep my eye out for them, but given that i haven't been able to find one for month, i am not sure i can add these to the list of what i want to get more-or-less *right now*. I have heard lots about them though and i really would like to try them for myself for sure.

@YungOmbat have you heard both? Is the bass response of the X why you recommend it? And maybe the versatility of the Empys the reason for that recommendation?

@dunring i am looking into these at the moment. Thank you for the amp recommendation Downside would be that i probably couldn't drive them with my current setup and would have to buy the full setup at once haha

I have listened to some more songs on my PM-3 and got reminded that i find them a bit too fatiguing for longer listening sessions. It's not that they sound bad and i think the bass is good, but they can throw everything else at you quite violently.

Honestly i am mostly hesitating because i want to get a good value too I found some sound demos of the LCD-2C and Empys on youtube.. and before you stop reading, yes i know this is nowhere near a representation of the real thing, but it can give you an impression of what might happen, at least vaguely FR wise. Both don't seem as bright as the PM-3 with the LCD-2C being much more recessed in the heights, maybe too much, but certainly not unenjoyable. Hm.. i just don't want to be blinded by a good offer for the Empys but next to the sound quality, comfort is a big topic!

When i said "enjoyable" i meant that i don't need these for super critical listening and they shouldn't be fatiguing and more.. "mellow" (i think is the right term here?), if that helps clarify it.

Yes

 

[kite]

Honestly, is 17-1800 for an Empy a good value over an, say, LCD X or 2..

 

[Deolum]

Honestly, is 17-1800 for an Empy a good value over an, say, LCD X or 2..

If you value the looks, feels, build quality and premium aspect yes, if you go purely for sound quality no.

 

[kite]

I can't imagine the differences tbh., is there any way to describe that?

Currently i am listening to Empy's. They are quite dark, much more so than i imagined but on the other hand, i don't have the issue with my left ear that i have with my other headphones where it gets painfull to listen to music or louder music for a while. And they are damn comfortable, wow..

 

[Flognuts]

Save your money and go with OG HE-500. Still the top headphone for me and I know others who share the love.

They are better than those Audeze options, have more impact than any of the newer Hifimans, and are not too difficult to power. They sound gorgeous paired with my deckard amp.

Hard to find them though anymore, that's the one downside.

Where to even find these un modded these days?

I owned a pair like 10 years ago and sold them, my one regret and I would buy another pair of them over all the headphones listed as well.