[pichu]

I got my computer and furnisher how i want it. I have $2,000 to comfortably drop on a complete setup. I got all my snake oil cables ( RCA's, SPDIF, etc ) ready to go. I need a pair of headphones and preferably a DAC/AMP combo. Any suggestions?

I don't necessarily care about a flat sound, I want something I can come home and listen to for hours and just feel like the music is alive as possible and overall just fun to listen to. Ive owned dozens of headphones in the past, but never had a headphone/damp/dac combination that was worth more than $650.

Thank you and im open to all suggestions!

 

[pichu]

Bump

 

[ahmadfaizadnan]

Klipsch HP3 + Holo Audio Cyan...

Well, I only heard the HP3 but really intrigued to have both of them for my second setup.

 

[Thenewguy007]

HD800 can be had for under $900 used & you can use the rest to buy a nice tube amp.
Or a HE1000 v1 at around $1,200-1,300 used & buy a modest solid state amp.

 

[PopZeus]

I'd look at Focal's offerings. I love my pair of Elear -- they're endgame for me, but some analytical listeners might prefer the Clear or the recently announced Massdrop x Focal Elex (which I would get over the Clear, if I was looking).

Apparently I'm a Massdrop mark because I also LOVE my grace m9xx as a really simple but refined DAC/amp combo. They also have the Cavalli-inspired SDAC/CTH combo, as well as a revision of the Liquid Carbon (LCX) coming. That's the amp that I ended up ordering.

 

[notsimar]

You could go the IEM route and get yourself CA Andromeda and a AK 70 mk2. Gives you a dac you can plug in and IEM’s that sound great, and a DAP when you want to get away.

 

[pichu]

I'd look at Focal's offerings. I love my pair of Elear -- they're endgame for me, but some analytical listeners might prefer the Clear or the recently announced Massdrop x Focal Elex (which I would get over the Clear, if I was looking).

Apparently I'm a Massdrop mark because I also LOVE my grace m9xx as a really simple but refined DAC/amp combo. They also have the Cavalli-inspired SDAC/CTH combo, as well as a revision of the Liquid Carbon (LCX) coming. That's the amp that I ended up ordering.

i see that Massdrop is having the Elex out in a couple days. I really want to look into it. That would leave me about $800 for a DAC/AMO combo.

 

[Music Alchemist]

If it helps, here's my (subjective) ranking of a few of the headphones I have owned in your price range.

1. virtually any STAX
2. Koss ESP950
3. HIFIMAN HE500
4. Audeze LCD-X
5. Focal Elear
6. Audeze LCD-2F
7. Sennheiser HD 800
8. Fostex TH900

My favorite DAC/amp unit that I could recommend in addition to one of those is the Chord Mojo.

 

[SilverEars]

Really? Virtually any stax at the top? You should really specify, which models sounded better than a lot of what was tried because not all STAX are at the top. I'm really enjoying my HE1000V1, and it's got to be the most polite sounding, and fun headphone I've heard so far. It sounds very clean, sounds are well separated, no muddiness, congestion or incoherency, perfectly clear, and this is just out of my Mojo for now until I figure out what DAC is the one that makes the most sense to feed to the Rupert Neve RNHP to drive it. And the bass... it rumbles even at low levels, bass is crazy!! I think the mids can sound more weightier with a better amp, and will see how much chances a better amp/source combo brings. But, it's the best headphone I've heard so far, I am happy to work with, it's not difficult. Sound quality has most of weight from the headphone, and sound isn't to the point I want to EQ away. Non-Fatiguing that I can listen for hours, and I actually fall asleep listening to it because sound is so smooth. LOL.

I will also add that I'm a big fan of Planars due to it's speed, and HE1000 with the thin diaphragm react very quick. It's a way to getting really close to TOTL electrostat without getting one(although I'll eventually be there). Biggest plus is I like to listen to all genre of music, and it hasn't disappointed me with particular tracks, sound good, especially high quality music. Very spacey sounding and many tracks have good depth.

The headphones that really weren't at match for me were: HD800, Ether Flow Open, Aeon Closed, LCD2

HE6 takes a hefty amp to drive. HD650 I prefer more than HD600, but the speed isn't up to the level I like. On the low-end stuff, there really isn't anything that I like(now a days, my ears are pretty spoiled at this point unfortunately). Audio Technical MX40's mids were too congested and incoherent, and this is an issue you can face for closed back. Sony, MDR-V6 or the newer one were too shrill sounding.

Anyway, with the HE1000, I ran into the right headphone.

 

[SilverEars]

What's particularly interesting about the HE1000 is that it's not fitiguing, but the treble is not cut like you'd expect of HE650 or LCD2. It's up to the level of not sounding dark, but not so offensive, or too forward. The sibilance is in the recording and will show, but not to a degree like some other headphones out there, and due to this, and not so punchy forwardness, it's polite, but not lacking in articulation. It's very clear and spacey sounding. I like it.

And if you like electronic genre, it sounds so interesting due to the variety of sound that are mixed in with the BASS, the BASS!! Also from the depth that HE1000 provides. It's interesting sounding.

 

[PopZeus]

i see that Massdrop is having the Elex out in a couple days. I really want to look into it. That would leave me about $800 for a DAC/AMO combo.

Yeah, as long as you're not a basshead, I'm sure you'll love the Elex. That leaves you more than enough for a decent combo or stack. Fwiw, I'd look for something as TOTL as you can get since the Elex should scale very well, with a balanced out. For me, Focal's very dynamic driver meant that I could keep my grace as a combo since it's dead neutral and transparent, but not aggressive or analytical. That makes for a very non-fatiguing (but insightful) listen over long sessions.

 

[Music Alchemist]

Really? Virtually any stax at the top? You should really specify, which models sounded better than a lot of what was tried because not all STAX are at the top. I'm really enjoying my HE1000V1, and it's got to be the most polite sounding, and fun headphone I've heard so far. It sounds very clean, sounds are well separated, no muddiness, congestion or incoherency, perfectly clear, and this is just out of my Mojo for now until I figure out what DAC is the one that makes the most sense to feed to the Rupert Neve RNHP to drive it. And the bass... it rumbles even at low levels, bass is crazy!! I think the mids can sound more weightier with a better amp, and will see how much chances a better amp/source combo brings. But, it's the best headphone I've heard so far, I am happy to work with, it's not difficult. Sound quality has most of weight from the headphone, and sound isn't to the point I want to EQ away. Non-Fatiguing that I can listen for hours, and I actually fall asleep listening to it because sound is so smooth. LOL.

I owned the SR-L300, SR-207, and SR-Lambda as far as STAX Lambdas go. (Also had the SR-30, which is a vintage on-ear electret that is not part of this conversation.)

I've driven the HE1000 on the Simaudio MOON Neo 430HAD ($4,300 DAC/amp), as well as more briefly on the Sennheiser HDVD 800, and think any full-size STAX is higher fidelity in just about every way, and oftentimes at a much lower price. (Heck, that combo cost over $7K whereas I only paid $300-650 for each STAX system, all of which blew it away.) The aspects you described are precisely why the HE1000 is inferior in my eyes; overly lush and smooth, like wrapping music in caramel. High fidelity is not polite unless the music is.

Speaking of the Mojo, I heard next to no difference between it and the much more expensive 430HAD when driving the HD 800.

 

[SilverEars]

I really can't agree with what you say. There is a point to the STAX start sounding great(at 007 or 009, and before that, it's not that particularly special if comparing to other good headphone setups), it's really far fetched to say some of the mid ranged STAX performs up to the level of HE1000. Mojo is a good performing per the price-point, but there are better. Mojo has it's deficiencies.

 

[Music Alchemist]

I really can't agree with what you say. There is a point to the STAX start sounding great, it's really far fetched to say some of the mid ranged STAX performs up to the level of HE1000.

The HE1000 did not impress me one bit. Countless STAX owners agree with me that electrostats sound better (more transparent and neutral, faster, cleaner, etc.) than inferior driver technology even when the latter is absurdly overpriced. It's not far-fetched at all. But it's ultimately subjective, so I'm not saying your impressions are wrong about what you like; it's just a matter of preference.

 

[GearMe]

I got my computer and furnisher how i want it. I have $2,000 to comfortably drop on a complete setup. I got all my snake oil cables ( RCA's, SPDIF, etc ) ready to go. I need a pair of headphones and preferably a DAC/AMP combo. Any suggestions?

I don't necessarily care about a flat sound, I want something I can come home and listen to for hours and just feel like the music is alive as possible and overall just fun to listen to. Ive owned dozens of headphones in the past, but never had a headphone/damp/dac combination that was worth more than $650.

Thank you and im open to all suggestions!

Wow...nice!
What type of music do you listen to? When you say 'alive' and 'fun' sound what does that mean? U shaped, basshead, treblehead, neutral/accurate, etc? Out of the dozens of headphones you've owned, which ones did you really like?