[dantesan]

I've had a lot of trouble finding headphones meeting all these requirements:

1) Folding band
2) Swiveling earcups
3) Over ear but close to on-ear sized
4) Stable with good clamping force
5) Bluetooth with AptX
6) Aux 3.5 input. (2.5 if I must)
7) Slightly bass forward (slightly flabby bass is fine.)
8) Uncluttered mids (good separation)
9) Slightly rolled off highs
10) Stable BT connection
11) Under $150-200
12) 16-40 ohm (80 max)
13) Light weight preferred
14) Good Isolation and low leakage
15) Closed but with fairly wide and deep soundstage and decent imaging.

(On-ear would be ok if they do all the rest and still isolate.)

Does this even exist? Am I crazy for even asking? I've been looking for 3 months.

If I could just get MOST of these things I'd be mostly happy.

I kinda feel like I just described the holy grail.

 

[cossix]

That sounds holy grail-ish to me haha but as for your request for 3.5mm headphone-side cable, it makes no difference if it's 3.5 or 2.5 they'll both likely have 3.5mm on the source end so it really doesn't matter. Good luck!

 

[dantesan]

That sounds holy grail-ish to me haha but as for your request for 3.5mm headphone-side cable, it makes no difference if it's 3.5 or 2.5 they'll both likely have 3.5mm on the source end so it really doesn't matter. Good luck!

It matters to me.

2.5 is technically acceptable but not desirable. Partially because its sometimes a bit difficult to find a 2.5 to 3.5 on short notice and also because of the stupid trend of making proprietary sheathed cables where a standard 2.5 may not fit without major surgery.

 

[cossix]

It matters to me.

2.5 is technically acceptable but not desirable. Partially because its sometimes a bit difficult to find a 2.5 to 3.5 on short notice and also because of the stupid trend of making proprietary sheathed cables where a standard 2.5 may not fit without major surgery.

The headphone would come with its own cable, you don't need to find one

 

[dantesan]

The headphone would come with its own cable, you don't need to find one

If I am on vacation... and it breaks especially somewhere remote or rural... I'd be better off bringing plastic molds for the proprietary sheathing, shrinktube and a soldering gun to make a replacement than trying to buy something local. That is why I want a normal 3.5 jack. I couldn't even use a 2.5 adapter because of the stupid proprietary lock hole and sheathing. Please try to understand that I may have a different situational use case. The convenience of 3.5mm to 3.5mm is they can be found nearly anywhere quickly and easily. Even in a truck stop in the back end of nowhere. Perhaps you have never been to such places but I have.

The soldering part I can do fairly easily but would prefer not to bring a soldering iron with me on vacation. The second part is far harder. (Making a duplicate of the proprietary lock hole sheathe/connector.)

I could also just buy extras... but I'm looking for a fairly permanent "10-year" solution for headphones. Who knows when they will stop making the cables with the proprietary lock. If I am going to pay $200-$300 on a set of headphones I don't want to put up with that kind of BS. Period. I likely don't want to pay extra for proprietary cables when I can easily make replacements. (That are made out of better materials also.)

Call it a matter of principle if you like. I'm an ex recording engineer and I am used to being able to make my cables out of "Whatever the hell I feel like" making them out of. (Including how many conductors and what metal, dielectric and braiding/insulation material I choose.)

If they happen to sell extras of the connectors by themselves I could just buy extras of those to solder but I don't know of any headphone company that does that. Grado maybe?