[432789]

If something like the Sennheiser HD6X0 line came made with some nice wood accents and some luxury material touches and sold for a few thousand dollars from the very start. I truly believe people today would be calling it Top of the line and constantly comparing it with the Susvaras and abyss‘s etc which did that trick.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Now I'm considering the ZMF Atticus and the Focal Radiance. I still listen to my 99 Classics all the time. I want this same headphone, only improved in every category.

Maybe the D7200 is able to bridge this cap.
Mids are detailed but really great for long time listening. Relaxed highs but present all the way.

This would be my preferred headphone in regard to your description.

 

[shampoosuicide]

Having been to TOTL-ish-Fi (Fostex TH900, Klipsch HP-3, ZMF Ori, Beyerdynamic T5p G2), I'm pleased to report that I am in a very happy relationship with my Beyerdynamic DT 150:

 

[Shane D]

Everybody's idea of special can definitely be different. I feel like they're special, especially considering the cost. I know the dedicated SR2 thread isn't very long, but there are some really good thoughts and impressions in there. Member Voja did a really nice review, and what he wrote is right in line with my thoughts.

Voja is the majority of every thread for the SR2, online.

In the last two and a half to three years, I have bought more than thirty sets of headphones. I love three, hated several and the rest fall under the pretty good/Okay banner. That includes the majority of 'phones that I have now.

I will keep an eye out for these used or on sale. My interest is always piqued when it comes to strong/forward/pronounced mids.

 

[KPzypher]

Same for me. When you only know midfi headphones you think high end headphones are so much better but they won't. When you're at the high end headphones you start with dacs, amps, power cables or whatever. It's like a horse with the carrot in front of its nose but the distance won't change.

Hifiman Ananda and HD600/650 are my favourite midfi headphones. I recently sold my Susvara. Still own the HE1000SE and the Empyrean but i don't think any of those high end headphones is even close to be worth it's price. The one that comes closest to that for me was the Utopia thus far but it has it's own drawbacks.

I absolutely agree. But like you mentioned, I guess you won't know that until you thoroughly experience those high end headphones. Otherwise, you'll keep chasing that dream thinking it'll be night and day.

I remember purchasing the Stellia/Arche, Verite/Pendant, HD820/HDV820 all at once thinking it was money well spent. But the truth is, there are still tradeoffs no matter how expensive they get. Most importantly, personal preference is the ultimate trump card. What's even more crazy is that just like every other HP, some days they sound incredible, other days they sound average at best. That just goes to show how unreliable our hearing is.

Nowadays, I focus on mid-fi stuff. There are tons of incredible HPs for under $500 IMO, and I'm having lots of fun in that area. Whichever HP that emotionally pulls me in is the one I value, and those aren't always the most expensive.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not hating people buying expensive gear. If you have the disposable income to fuel this hobby, why not? You're the lucky one and I'm sure you've earned it, so more power to you. If you believe improvements, even incremental ones are well worth the money, who am I to argue with that? I'm just saying, if you break the bank to buy a flagship thinking you'll reach that audio nirvana, I think you'll likely be disappointed.

There's so much bloat and bubble in the high-end HP market, it's nonsensical. Especially considering HPs are now reaching decent used car prices when there's no 'absolute' indicator or even a 'general consensus' on what 'ideal sound' should be. The best we have are various 'general' targets. Come to think of it, companies asking for all this money based on something that is 'subjective' to begin with is just mind-blowing sometimes. The price of admission for flagships and the rapid increase in cost is worst than the housing market before the crash. What's most unfortunate is that the idea, notion, and acceptance of "I'm sure companies are charging more because they must sound better" is undeservedly becoming more prevalent.

Sorry I'm just rambling now.

But to address the OP, IMO, you definitely don't have to break the bank to enjoy the music. And frankly, I don't think you're missing much but that is ultimately for you to decide.

 

[kman1211]

My choices for mid-fi headphones (can be had for $500 or less new). This is based on pure listening enjoyment, emotional connection, comfort/fatigue level, and what I would naturally gravitate towards listening to in this price range of what I've owned or have extensive listening of. Not including discontinued headphones in this list as they can get more and more difficult to get over time.

Open-back: Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro, AKG K712 Pro, or the Audio-Technica ATH-R70X

Closed-back: Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z, Beyerdynamic DT 1770/177X Go, or the Beyerdynamic DT 150.

 

[silent-circuit]

Maybe the D7200 is able to bridge this cap.
Mids are detailed but really great for long time listening. Relaxed highs but present all the way.

This would be my preferred headphone in regard to your description.

He tried and did not care for them, if I remember right, which surprised me. Still, we all hear differently.

 

[silent-circuit]

As for the game everyone's playing...

Closed back: Denon AH-D7200, or Focal Elegia if you want something less "relaxed". Don't know if these really count as "mid-fi" since they have to be bought used or discontinued to get under $500.

Open back: Audio Technica ATH-R70X for a reference sound, or Hyland Audio Jupiter One for something more "fun".

If you prefer planars, Sendy AIVA. If detail is the most important thing to you, Drop x Koss ESP 95X.

Or, to put it another way... There's a reason I still own all this stuff. Honestly though, I could probably pare down to just the Denons and Hylands and be fine.

 

[MayaTlab]

There's so much bloat and bubble in the high-end HP market, it's nonsensical. Especially considering HPs are now reaching decent used car prices when there's no 'absolute' indicator or even a 'general consensus' on what 'ideal sound' should be. The best we have are various 'general' targets.

That presumes that headphones can reach a target. it's shocking the amount of high end headphones which engineering is so shabby that it's difficult to understand if they ever really targetted a specific response .
https://crinacle.com/graphs/headphones/abyss-ab-1266-phi-cc/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../abyss-ab-1266-phi-tc-review-headphone.23411/

 

[DenverW]

Mid fi heaven? For me it is emu teak, he-500, alpha prime, and hd600.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

For the price of an Arya / Clear MG:
Something intense - Grado 325X
Something more relax and allrounder - Sundara
Something thick and butter smooth - LCD 2 Classic

Seems nice and complete.

I'd still just pick 1pc of Clear Mg though.

a little update for my own opinion, if I have to choose mid-fi headphones now are: Hifiman Ananda and Audeze LCD 2 Classic. Both synergize really well with Singxer sa-1.

 

[WildStyle-R11]

The problem with higher tier headphones, for me anyways... Is that they are too damn accurate and ruin music for me. Toooo easy to detect random artifacts or other garbagio in the recording. VS My Mid-ish-Fi X2's You can detect certain things if you try, but other than that, just sit back and enjoy what you are hearing. Sure they are not perfect, but they don't annoy me. The perfect all arounder for me.

Also paying a lot of money, for something that tends to be uncomfortable...

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Whatever headphone, no matter the price, makes you enjoying your music is the right one.
It's the journey to that point, which is so fascinating to me, and y'all i think.

 

[Malevolent]

The problem with higher tier headphones, for me anyways... Is that they are too damn accurate and ruin music for me. Toooo easy to detect random artifacts or other garbagio in the recording. VS My Mid-ish-Fi X2's You can detect certain things if you try, but other than that, just sit back and enjoy what you are hearing. Sure they are not perfect, but they don't annoy me. The perfect all arounder for me.

Also paying a lot of money, for something that tends to be uncomfortable...

I think this all boils down to your innate (and honest) requirements for this particular hobby. Throughout my decade-long journey, I've come across many types of audiophiles - some are more of a melophile; they are in this for the music. Hence, the music always comes first.

Then, there are many who obsessively chase after gear - they constantly buy the latest and the greatest; strangely, the more expensive the item, the better it will be.

These are just 2 distinct examples, but they are no by no means representative of the wide spectrum of audiophiles. Many of us fall somewhere along the polar extremes. For myself, I love my music, but I also enjoy listening to new gear (headphones mostly, then IEMs, then DACs and amplifiers).

I could make an educated guess that if someone was in this solely for the music, they could be perfectly happy with a mid-to-high-end headphone/IEM; say, something that hovers around the $1,000 mark. That's the tier that best encapsulates a blend of build quality and sound quality; this is also the last stop on the journey before diminishing returns slaps you really hard in the face.

Sadly, I'm also a gear-phile, so I partake in the interminable quest for something new and (possibly) better. But, I never lose focus of my music - that always comes first.

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

The problem with higher tier headphones, for me anyways... Is that they are too damn accurate and ruin music for me. Toooo easy to detect random artifacts or other garbagio in the recording. VS My Mid-ish-Fi X2's You can detect certain things if you try, but other than that, just sit back and enjoy what you are hearing. Sure they are not perfect, but they don't annoy me. The perfect all arounder for me.

Also paying a lot of money, for something that tends to be uncomfortable...

The only “high tier” headphones available with an accurate presentation is the Utopia…and well the Sennheiser Orpheus.
The reason why most of these insanely priced flagships tend to render music in an unpleasant manner is not because of neutrality..but because they boost certain frequencies..certain frequencies that on first listen rather ends up wowing you..because we usually tend to feed brand new gear/headphones with the finest produced music out there. It’s first when you start using it as real headphone and just put on music you love that these things dawn on you…like fx a boost in the presence region (estats) or the treble (HD800, K812, ADX5000).
Here are some TOTL offerings that are a loooong ways from being anywhere close to sounding accurate:
Verité, AB-1266 TC, LCD-4, Susvara, TA Solitaire, ADX5000, SR1a, HE-R10P, Ether 2, 007, 009, Voce..and well the list goes on and on and on.

Mid-Fi? Nahh. More like TOTL sound quality in a far more comfortable package