[BrokeSkoolBoi]

you are looking for an open $500 headphone, then buy the "Drop" Koss ESP/95X.
Its the best sounding Sennheiser Electro-Static headphone that they never actually made, so Koss did it instead.
its really good.
If you are looking for "i just want 4 headphones and im happy", then get the Koss, get the Audeze LCD-X, get the Hifiman Edition X, and the Amiron wireless.
These all sound different, and they all sound very good.

I'm not sure why you quoted my post, however I'm glad to read your impressions on the koss which I've been avoiding in favor of another planar for some reason.

I'm curious why you don't immediately suggest the Era-1 even after admitting that you very much enjoyed it a few months ago.

Now I must put in a vote for the Cavalli tube hybrid sold on Massdrop (at a measly $250) alongside an individual LPS powering it is quite nice. Once you use it with your own power supply tube rolling is more pronounced and you can enjoy a smoother/euphoric tube like an Amperex if you aren't looking for clarity. The only downside is that this Amp is not balanced despite having an XLR output.

 

[Friendly]

In this price range there are a lot of nice headphone gears available.
The Verum 1, the Alara's., many more.
If you are looking for a closed then i'd send you to the recent BeyerDynamic Amiron Wireless. It sounds great, and not so similar to the original Amiron. The seal could be better as its not as snug as i'd like along the bottom of the cup, so, you have to find the perfect adjustment or they will seem "bass lite".
And setting now all these aside. If you are looking for an open $500 headphone, then buy the "Drop" Koss ESP/95X.
Its the best sounding Sennheiser Electro-Static headphone that they never actually made, so Koss did it instead.
its really good.
If you are looking for "i just want 4 headphones and im happy", then get the Koss, get the Audeze LCD-X, get the Hifiman Edition X, and the Amiron wireless.
These all sound different, and they all sound very good.

hey FB, I should have mentioned that I have the HE-35x (meh), the HE-4xx and the Stax SRS-2100...and definitely prefer open back over closed back. for wireless I have the Senn HD4.40BT's...they're okay. I do appreciate the long battery life and their excellent noise isolation though.

if I want better wireless, I would get the Mobius or the just released Ananda-BT's. In fact, the Ananda-BT are exactly what I was looking for when I started following on /rheadphone a few months back. I'm just going to wait for reviews (one preview I read says they sound exactly like the wired Ananda's, but are just a tad heavier) before I jump on that...or perhaps wait and see if Dr. Fang decides to release a revision shortly afterwards...he's bad for that, LoL!

 

[Beagle]

Nice review, thanks! But it think we should also put their prices beside their names also, given a Final is $3800 headpone, costing it four times as much as the Quad. So, sounding better is a must, for that price

It also proves how overpriced some headphones are.

 

[Friendly]

It also proves how overpriced some headphones are.

how so? he said that the Final is a much better headphone, as it should be due to it's price. that doesn't invalidate that the Era-1 is also a good headphone, but one more fitting for it's price, in some cases, punching above it's weight.

 

[FullBright1]

I'm not sure why you quoted my post, however I'm glad to read your impressions on the koss which I've been avoiding in favor of another planar for some reason.

I'm curious why you don't immediately suggest the Era-1 even after admitting that you very much enjoyed it a few months ago.

Now I must put in a vote for the Cavalli tube hybrid sold on Massdrop (at a measly $250) alongside an individual LPS powering it is quite nice. Once you use it with your own power supply tube rolling is more pronounced and you can enjoy a smoother/euphoric tube like an Amperex if you aren't looking for clarity. The only downside is that this Amp is not balanced despite having an XLR output.

Well, i mentioned that there are a lot of good choices in the $500 range Headphone category.
I listed 2, but there are many, including the ERA-1.
If you don't own an E-Stat, then get the Koss instead of "another planer", as you'll be glad you did, i think, and you'll save money, im sure.
Its one more sonic color in a world of headphone sound options, and its a very good set of headphones.
Its very light and very comfy.
its not the type of gear that has one outstanding audio point of view such as something like a Hiffiman, which are all about Treble, similar to Beyer's.
This one is an "all arounder", in that it just sounds good......very pleasing, slight mid emphasis , but not aggressive or annoying.
Its not bass lite or treble etched.
I would define it as a sweet and very present sound with slight mid emphasis .

 

[FullBright1]

hey FB, I should have mentioned that I have the HE-35x (meh), the HE-4xx and the Stax SRS-2100...and definitely prefer open back over closed back. for wireless I have the Senn HD4.40BT's...they're okay. I do appreciate the long battery life and their excellent noise isolation though.

if I want better wireless, I would get the Mobius or the just released Ananda-BT's. In fact, the Ananda-BT are exactly what I was looking for when I started following on /rheadphone a few months back. I'm just going to wait for reviews (one preview I read says they sound exactly like the wired Ananda's, but are just a tad heavier) before I jump on that...or perhaps wait and see if Dr. Fang decides to release a revision shortly afterwards...he's bad for that, LoL!

Sounds good....
If the wireless Ananda isn't your cup of tea then try the Beyer.
I dont like Beyer headphones, in general, but i like this one, because its a balanced high end sound that does not drill your eardrums with the usual dreaded Beyer high end.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Today i got a curios thing mentioned.
Checked the resistance of the stock cable.
Right channel measures 1.1 ohm while the left channel is 1.9 ohm.

It comes to mind couz my new FAW cable sounds different/better then the stock one.
This one measures on both channels 0.5 ohm at a length of 1m.

 

[bagwell359]

its not the type of gear that has one outstanding audio point of view such as something like a Hiffiman, which are all about Treble, similar to Beyer's.

I read this yesterday and noted it was provably untrue, today it just strikes me as lazy.

You yourself said that the HEX v2 is not a treble first can. I know your standards are too strict to consider modified headphones but a modified HFM HE-500 is not overly much with the treble either, and a HE-6 is in the same bracket. Among the brightest HFM cans are: Ananda, HE-560 - and none of them is as treble happy as the average Beyer - like the DT 770 or DT 990.

 

[FullBright1]

I read this yesterday and noted it was provably untrue, today it just strikes me as lazy.

You yourself said that the HEX v2 is not a treble first can. I know your standards are too strict to consider modified headphones but a modified HFM HE-500 is not overly much with the treble either, and a HE-6 is in the same bracket. Among the brightest HFM cans are: Ananda, HE-560 - and none of them is as treble happy as the average Beyer - like the DT 770 or DT 990.

You said that what i stated is "provably untrue", yet you didnt prove that its untrue. You just stated your opinion., so, i conclude you are either too lazy to prove your opinion, or the reality is, you just like to talk, hoping to create an argument.
I find this boring.
so, thank you for all that. *yawn'.
Also, there is such a thing as "in general", and in general, Fang' along with Beyerdyamic, tend to create headphones that are bright.
Once you become more experience with headphones, you'll discover what i just said is a fact.
Beyers are legendary for sizzling top end, and Fang's gear is always leaning toward the treble end of the spectrum.
Now, there are always exceptions to the general rule., in case you dont realize this, bagwell., and in the case of Beyer you have their recent wireless headphone that is probably the best sounding closed headphone they have ever created.
And then you have the Hifiman V2 gear you mentioned that is unlike, soundwise, any of the Hifiman gear you mentioned.
So, its quite possible to occasionally discover a diamond within a can of worms, when dealing with Hifiman or Beyer.
Sure.....as i said.
And thank you for reminding me why i dont post any comments or headphone reviews on Head-fi, any longer.
Its people like you, that i enjoy avoiding, and if i post or Thread, people like you will show up and waste my time.
I'll pass.
Thx.

 

[bagwell359]

You said that what i stated is "provably untrue", yet you didnt prove that its untrue. You just stated your opinion., so, i conclude you are either too lazy to prove your opinion, or the reality is, you just like to talk, hoping to create an argument.
I find this boring.
so, thank you for all that. *yawn'.
Also, there is such a thing as "in general", and in general, Fang' along with Beyerdyamic, tend to create headphones that are bright.
Once you become more experience with headphones, you'll discover what i just said is a fact.
Beyers are legendary for sizzling top end, and Fang's gear is always leaning toward the treble end of the spectrum.
Now, there are always exceptions to the general rule., in case you dont realize this, bagwell., and in the case of Beyer you have their recent wireless headphone that is probably the best sounding closed headphone they have ever created.
And then you have the Hifiman V2 gear you mentioned that is unlike, soundwise, any of the Hifiman gear you mentioned.
So, its quite possible to occasionally discover a diamond within a can of worms, when dealing with Hifiman or Beyer.
Sure.....as i said.
And thank you for reminding me why i dont post any comments or headphone reviews on Head-fi, any longer.
Its people like you, that i enjoy avoiding, and if i post or Thread, people like you will show up and waste my time.
I'll pass.
Thx.

In the Ananda thread you spoke of the HEX v2 highly. If you can't stand by your words and thoughts it isn't my issue.

It's evident to anyone with reading skills that you are a poster that rather enjoys the "sound" of your own words - the length and retentive cast of your writing is much like Beyer treble.

Using the posters here - there are far more complaints of Beyers being bright per post than HFM's being bright per post - and no I'm not going to write a Perl script to prove it. Ah it seems you understand that all on your own.

It's with no small amount of abprobation that I greet your passing, allow me to hold the door open for you on your way out.

 

[BrokeSkoolBoi]

lmao

 

[Trunks159]

You said that what i stated is "provably untrue", yet you didnt prove that its untrue. You just stated your opinion., so, i conclude you are either too lazy to prove your opinion, or the reality is, you just like to talk, hoping to create an argument.
I find this boring.
so, thank you for all that. *yawn'.
Also, there is such a thing as "in general", and in general, Fang' along with Beyerdyamic, tend to create headphones that are bright.
Once you become more experience with headphones, you'll discover what i just said is a fact.
Beyers are legendary for sizzling top end, and Fang's gear is always leaning toward the treble end of the spectrum.
Now, there are always exceptions to the general rule., in case you dont realize this, bagwell., and in the case of Beyer you have their recent wireless headphone that is probably the best sounding closed headphone they have ever created.
And then you have the Hifiman V2 gear you mentioned that is unlike, soundwise, any of the Hifiman gear you mentioned.
So, its quite possible to occasionally discover a diamond within a can of worms, when dealing with Hifiman or Beyer.
Sure.....as i said.
And thank you for reminding me why i dont post any comments or headphone reviews on Head-fi, any longer.
Its people like you, that i enjoy avoiding, and if i post or Thread, people like you will show up and waste my time.
I'll pass.
Thx.

 

[iFi audio]

It also proves how overpriced some headphones are.

...as many things in life

 

[Chris Kaoss]

New update on the beloved Era-1.
Since yesterday, I got the Audio-GD R28 R2R latter dac/amp.
It has amazed me from the second hour of our relationship. ^^
It needs over 1 hour do get warmed.
But the summery is so fantastic.
There're a lot more details and much more control overall.
Even with the FAW cable there's no need to eq the headphones couz it brings little boost in the lower and upper FR.

Era-1 is a crazy piece of gear.
Next step is going balanced on the R28.

 

[bagwell359]

The Alara is pretty much as sweet for $399.

Stock the Alara is good. A few mods (remove inner screen, add small amounts of dynamat, and a bit more sticky felt) and it goes from 20-25% open to 60-65% open with a whole new and better sound. Much taller soundstage, mid bass down a bit, so low mids less chesty and low bass doesn't have fat mid bass over it. Mids creamier and sweeter. Treble now has more subtlety. Back of the hall/studio cues stick out a lot more too. I haven't heard the ERA-1, but given the load of both is an unusually low 20 ohms, and the db/watt is also the same. Co-incidence?