Stekos
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2010
- Posts
- 66
- Likes
- 39
Hi everyone, I've been a "lurker" here for quite a long time. I finally got the headphone set up I've always wanted, and figured it was time to post my intro and short story, for those who might be interested.
I've been an "audiophile" for many, MANY years. I'm half interested in the tech, and half in the sound quality. Owned quite a few different home and portable audio setups over the years, but as long as I've had my own spending money, I've been spending part of it on audio equipment. I still have my original Sony WM-10 walkman, and really wish I would have kept my original Sony D50 portable CD player. Other pieces have come and gone, some of them long-term items I used till they died, and a few short term purchases that seemed neat at the time, but would have been money better spent elsewhere (minidisc?).
For headphones, I've almost always gone for the best I could afford, and yet were practical. I've owned a lot of different folding headsets, as my major needs were usually on-the-go listening. I remember going to "high end" audio stores in the 1980's and checking out the brands I wanted, but could never afford. I especially remember trying out a pair of Stax Lambda's around 1986-1987 that just blew away anything I had ever heard.
My first "good" headphones were a pair of Grado SR-60's that I bought sometime in the mid 90's. Still have them, they're on their 4th or 5th set of pads now. From there I've had Sennheiser, Koss, Sony, JVC, V-Moda, Bose, Hifiman, Polk, and more I can't remember.
I've never been able to use higher-end earbuds. I have "weird" ear canals, and have a hard time getting the right placement where I can get the full spectrum. Haven't tried custom ear molds, but don't want to put the time/money into it, only to find out they're no better.
Up until recently, my go-to headphones were my Sennheiser HD-650's. Bought them based on the literally hundreds of recommendations, and from day one, they suited me. I lean more toward accuracy over "musicality". To me, the more accurate, the better.
The last 9-12 months, I've been looking for, (for lack of a better term) my end-game headphones. I've been digging through tons of information. My budget was ~$3000. My source material would be hi-res audio files off a laptop or DAP. My priorities were accuracy and comfort. Primary need is home use, with the ability to take them with me, if I wanted to.
For a while I was leaning toward the Empyrean Meze. Everything I read seemed to say "buy me", but unfortunately, it was pretty much impossible to demo them for myself. I'd really hate to spend $3K and want to swap them out after a while. So I stuck to brands that were sold "fairly" locally, or I could hear at listening sessions/shows.
Finally pulled the trigger on the Stax SRM-L700 MKII headphones. I know them, I love them, and Stax has a good portable option with the D50 energizer now. (just waiting on a short-cable option). I've had them for a few weeks now, and do not regret the purchase at all. My other headphones and portable amps and other stuff that I've been collecting is going to go up for sale now. I'm set. Finally.
I've been an "audiophile" for many, MANY years. I'm half interested in the tech, and half in the sound quality. Owned quite a few different home and portable audio setups over the years, but as long as I've had my own spending money, I've been spending part of it on audio equipment. I still have my original Sony WM-10 walkman, and really wish I would have kept my original Sony D50 portable CD player. Other pieces have come and gone, some of them long-term items I used till they died, and a few short term purchases that seemed neat at the time, but would have been money better spent elsewhere (minidisc?).
For headphones, I've almost always gone for the best I could afford, and yet were practical. I've owned a lot of different folding headsets, as my major needs were usually on-the-go listening. I remember going to "high end" audio stores in the 1980's and checking out the brands I wanted, but could never afford. I especially remember trying out a pair of Stax Lambda's around 1986-1987 that just blew away anything I had ever heard.
My first "good" headphones were a pair of Grado SR-60's that I bought sometime in the mid 90's. Still have them, they're on their 4th or 5th set of pads now. From there I've had Sennheiser, Koss, Sony, JVC, V-Moda, Bose, Hifiman, Polk, and more I can't remember.
I've never been able to use higher-end earbuds. I have "weird" ear canals, and have a hard time getting the right placement where I can get the full spectrum. Haven't tried custom ear molds, but don't want to put the time/money into it, only to find out they're no better.
Up until recently, my go-to headphones were my Sennheiser HD-650's. Bought them based on the literally hundreds of recommendations, and from day one, they suited me. I lean more toward accuracy over "musicality". To me, the more accurate, the better.
The last 9-12 months, I've been looking for, (for lack of a better term) my end-game headphones. I've been digging through tons of information. My budget was ~$3000. My source material would be hi-res audio files off a laptop or DAP. My priorities were accuracy and comfort. Primary need is home use, with the ability to take them with me, if I wanted to.
For a while I was leaning toward the Empyrean Meze. Everything I read seemed to say "buy me", but unfortunately, it was pretty much impossible to demo them for myself. I'd really hate to spend $3K and want to swap them out after a while. So I stuck to brands that were sold "fairly" locally, or I could hear at listening sessions/shows.
Finally pulled the trigger on the Stax SRM-L700 MKII headphones. I know them, I love them, and Stax has a good portable option with the D50 energizer now. (just waiting on a short-cable option). I've had them for a few weeks now, and do not regret the purchase at all. My other headphones and portable amps and other stuff that I've been collecting is going to go up for sale now. I'm set. Finally.
