What has been the headphone that has surprised you the most? As in it sounded much better than you expected, was shockingly awful, completely changed on a system change, etc.
Most Surprising Headphone Experience...
- Thread starter kman1211
- Start date
Hondadude85
100+ Head-Fier
Good idea for a thread! I'd have to say the HD598/SE shocked me in a good way. I read the reviews before buying a pair. They were mostly positive with a few negatives here and there. I can't praise it enough. It's so so so much better than I anticipated. One of my all time favorite headphones - especially for the price.
Surf Monkey
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2011
- Posts
- 2,014
- Likes
- 7,289
Agree. I own the first series 598 and they're excellent. Far beyond my expectations. I just couldn't see how they could live up to the hype AND the price, but they did.
HBen
500+ Head-Fier
... was definitely when I first time heard the HD580 long long time ago. They were so shockingly better than any other headphone I ever heard at that time.
Kazekeil
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2012
- Posts
- 346
- Likes
- 132
The isine 10 blew me away when I first heard it. Such a huge sound for an iem.
The Koss 950 was also really impressive. I thought it'd be a little side headphone for $350 but I'm actually now selling off my hd800 because the 950 is that good.
The Koss 950 was also really impressive. I thought it'd be a little side headphone for $350 but I'm actually now selling off my hd800 because the 950 is that good.
HiCZoK
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2013
- Posts
- 523
- Likes
- 35
Koss Porta Pro for sure.
good example:
"What is this little plastic toy? It can't sound any better than old radio"
... "What, where does the bass come from? what is this sorcery? why does this sound better than my 300$ headphone!"
bad example:
Brainwavz hm5 - "This looks like italian sofa level of comfort" - "oh god, it's crushing my head, I can't breath"... and "where did all the bass go?"
good example:
"What is this little plastic toy? It can't sound any better than old radio"
... "What, where does the bass come from? what is this sorcery? why does this sound better than my 300$ headphone!"
bad example:
Brainwavz hm5 - "This looks like italian sofa level of comfort" - "oh god, it's crushing my head, I can't breath"... and "where did all the bass go?"
Last edited:
ubs28
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2013
- Posts
- 3,991
- Likes
- 1,095
B&W P7 Wireless. I was pleasantly suprised how good Bluetooth technology has become. I think in the portable mid-fi headphone market they will take a big market share.
I don't see them competing in the high-end portable audio segment though where people are using high-end DAP's and DAC's which are much better than the chips inside Bluetooth headphones.
I don't see them competing in the high-end portable audio segment though where people are using high-end DAP's and DAC's which are much better than the chips inside Bluetooth headphones.
Hifiman He-560 for me, it was the first relly good headphone I ever tried. It opend up to world of how music can sound 
FastAndClean
Previously known as presata
the first time i tried HD800 with Diana Krall live recording, the soundstage was huge, it was strange at first, but i liked that huge size soundstage, it was fun
whirlwind
Headphoneus Supremus
With out a doubt, it was the ZMF Omni/Ori for me....what a wonderful can that totally blew me away and perfromed about my expectations.
I guess the most surprising pair of mine were AKG K3003s - superb sound for the IEM, but the comfort was so bad...
On the other hand, HD800s were not "Wow, look at this!" type of headphones, but these are my favorites so far.
On the other hand, HD800s were not "Wow, look at this!" type of headphones, but these are my favorites so far.
chimney189
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2016
- Posts
- 2,366
- Likes
- 697
The HD 800 was an eye-opening experience. I've never put on and listened to a headphone that sounded so out-of-your-head.
This is interesting considering that I am selling mine today, which gets to the point that I was surprised at how limited the headphone was for different genres of music.
However, build quality, comfort, and its performance with instrumental and/or orchestral music is unmatched.
This is interesting considering that I am selling mine today, which gets to the point that I was surprised at how limited the headphone was for different genres of music.
However, build quality, comfort, and its performance with instrumental and/or orchestral music is unmatched.
93EXCivic
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2016
- Posts
- 395
- Likes
- 101
I didn't believe that amps made a huge difference until I tried HD600s that I had been trying on a bunch of other setups with a Woo Audio WA6. That experience blew me away.
Way before working at Hifiheadphones, I used their demo room and fell in love with the HE-6 powered by the Icon Audio HP-8 MKII...
Alas now I'm working here and that same pair are still here, still begging for me to buy them, but I am poor and cannot afford them
Alas now I'm working here and that same pair are still here, still begging for me to buy them, but I am poor and cannot afford them
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2015
- Posts
- 328
- Likes
- 206
Surprising in a shockingly awful way: Grado PS1000E. These cost how much!? Sounded like two pieces of corrugated zinc being rubbed together. Felt like cheap bag of kitty litter. Haven't bothered with anything Grado since.
Surprising in a beyond-my-expectations way: Audioquest Nighthawk. Totally killed my urge/interest in anything else. My musical enjoyment is at an all-time high. My only full-size headphones. (For headphones I've demoed: a well-driven HE-6).
Surprising in a beyond-my-expectations way: Audioquest Nighthawk. Totally killed my urge/interest in anything else. My musical enjoyment is at an all-time high. My only full-size headphones. (For headphones I've demoed: a well-driven HE-6).
Users who are viewing this thread
