[milesjunkie]

Please help me come up with 3-4 open backed headphones I can audition, max budget $1200.

Use is purely at home, either with a modded Sony ZX300 or through a Marantz HD-DAC1 dac/amp.

I like musical and dislike hot treble. I listen to instrumental jazz, classical, pop, electronica.

Decent quality control is important to me.

Many thanks.

 

[Arniesb]

IF you can save up tiny bit more for Hifiman Arya that would be no brainer. ITs 1600 and for that price it is with HD800S combined best at technicalities. Anything less and its clear downgrade. Hifiman Arya have more musical approach while HD800S have more detailed approach. Both are clearly best in 2k range.

 

[Theabs]

You can find a Focal Clear around that price, highly recommended.

 

[BananaOoyoo]

You could also grab a B-stock ZMF auteur within your budget. (The oak is $1150)

 

[ChaChaRealSmooth]

If you want that more romantic sound I recommend the MrSpeakers Aeon Flow Open.

 

[milesjunkie]

Thanks to all. Am I being silly to worry about quality control from smaller manufacturers like these? Do I lose much by playing it safer with say a Beyerdynamic T1?

 

[Arniesb]

T1 is bright headphones. I had it with warm Beyerdynamic A20 amp and warm Irdac and still highs were bright. Its not smart to pick pick headphones with bad balance and try to tame it with colored amps.

 

[ChaChaRealSmooth]

Thanks to all. Am I being silly to worry about quality control from smaller manufacturers like these? Do I lose much by playing it safer with say a Beyerdynamic T1?

Honestly I think you're being cautious, which is very good.

From my experience, only some companies seem to have had major QC issues (Audeze before 2016, Hifiman), but most also seem to offer top-notch customer service. If you buy from a dealer, I would also check the policy of your dealer to ensure peace of mind.

Best of luck in your search!

 

[milesjunkie]

T1 is bright headphones. I had it with warm Beyerdynamic A20 amp and warm Irdac and still highs were bright. Its not smart to pick pick headphones with bad balance and try to tame it with colored amps.

Thank you. I hadn’t realised that.

 

[milesjunkie]

Honestly I think you're being cautious, which is very good.

From my experience, only some companies seem to have had major QC issues (Audeze before 2016, Hifiman), but most also seem to offer top-notch customer service. If you buy from a dealer, I would also check the policy of your dealer to ensure peace of mind.

Best of luck in your search!

Thank you. Are you including Hifiman current models in that comment? It’s not necessarily a deal breaker but as you say it means buying new from a dealer.

 

[ChaChaRealSmooth]

Thank you. Are you including Hifiman current models in that comment? It’s not necessarily a deal breaker but as you say it means buying new from a dealer.

I'm not sure about the later models, but I will say that I haven't heard anything about QC from Hifiman since the launch of the HEK and HEX (the V1s). It's my sincere hope that things are all good now.

 

[milesjunkie]

Thank you for the recommendations. Aside from Hifiman, it seems I can audition the MrSpeakers here (Australia) and more importantly they don’t carry the usual 30% Australia price markup.

Care to share any colour on the difference in presentation between Aeon open and closed?

Thanks again.

 

[ChaChaRealSmooth]

Care to share any colour on the difference in presentation between Aeon open and closed?

Going over my listening notes, I thought the closed to be more neutral and the open to being slightler warmer and smooth. Both were good, but to my ears the open catered more to my preferences

 

[Monsterzero]

I would recommend either the ZMF auteur as previously suggested or the new ZMF Aeolus. Both are hand made with gorgeous wooden cups. ZMF offers the best customer service in the industry,bar none,including a lifetime warranty!

Auteur is spacious sounding,with good air and separation,mostly neutrally tuned,with classic ZMF mids,gentle highs,and good but not overwhelming bass.

Aeolus is intimate sounding,again with stunning mids,warm,detailed but rolled off highs and thunderous slam.

Pick your poison.

Heres my review of the Aeolus. I believe theyre still taking pre-orders,but dont quote me on that.

 

[milesjunkie]

I would recommend either the ZMF auteur as previously suggested or the new ZMF Aeolus. Both are hand made with gorgeous wooden cups. ZMF offers the best customer service in the industry,bar none,including a lifetime warranty!

Auteur is spacious sounding,with good air and separation,mostly neutrally tuned,with classic ZMF mids,gentle highs,and good but not overwhelming bass.

Aeolus is intimate sounding,again with stunning mids,warm,detailed but rolled off highs and thunderous slam.

Pick your poison.

Heres my review of the Aeolus. I believe theyre still taking pre-orders,but dont quote me on that.

Thanks again. While some of these forums are quite awful in terms of tone, I am also continually surprised by the generosity of others like you all here who share knowledge and just want fellow head fiers to experience the same listening pleasure.

Could it be that disposable products like consumer electronics bring out the worst in people and headphones being a longer term journey, bring out more patience?