[doyouknowSBmean]

A friend who majors in Music and plays the cello went to my house and listen to my MDR R10.
Then he cant stop cerying.




and for comparing

True story?

 

[blackdragon87]

out of my current collection

lcd 2c 9/10
hd 600 9/10
lcd 2 fazor 8/10

 

[sebna]

1. Not found anything worthy of this place yet
2. Neither of this
3. T1.2 Black
4. Denon D7100
5. Denon D1001
6. Denon D7200
.
.
.
10. Pandora Hope VI
.
1001. HD6XX

 

[bagwell359]

Top to bottom (owned in 2018-2019)

Hifiman HE-6 (six screw, no mods); Not owner, but on loan. Slightly smaller image size than my modded HE-500 (mild surprise). Needs more control (felt, code sex, fuzzor, EQ) for the treble. It can get a little bit wild. Mids have it all. Definition. Detail. Gestalt. Music is not molested. Bass potent (when it came out it must have been the bass can - no longer, but still nice impact). They do get a little one note at times, but not frequently. Treble has lots of def and color, but can also be subtle. They need fuzzor mods at least IMO. 2nd best can after the Voce I have heard. (9.5/10).

Hifiman HEX V2; Arctic Cables Cardas xlr cable; line them up so the highs get in to your ears. Big image, don't like to play too loud. Sound like Maggies w/o ribbons, IE frame the music well, not ultra definition can. Great late night or early morning can (relaxing). Good deal at $650-725 used. (9.3/10)

Hifiman HE-500; fazor mod, Ether Angled pads, 1/2" mesh screen, black dragon xlr cables, dynamat, felt; fine mids, uneven but expressive treble, big juicy sound; bass can be a little thick, enough juice helps thin it out and increases dynamics. Good down to 45 Hz. It is heavy. At $360-425 used, it's a (9.1/10).

Senn HD-600 - wired balanced w/ custom cans xlr cables, felt, dynamat; flat and clean, colorations don't fatigue, but ultimate detail not there in upper mids, and bottom 1 3/4 octave MIA. But what bass there is is very fast. Doesn't quite move enough air, or set ones heartbeat racing. Very ascetic sound overall. A classic. (9.0/10)

Hifiman HE5-LE: removal of tape/felt, change screen to 1/2" mesh, add dynamat, felt. Small image size, potent bass when asked to produce it. Likes chamber music, when too many instruments playing in same freq range, the image and sound starts to collapse, and distortion goes up. Impossible to tame treble due to ringing and varying music. All that being said, it can and does rise to the level of sublime in about 25% of what I listen too. Need at least 2 watts to run. (8.1/10).

Mass Drop HE-4xx; from 60 Hz. up uneven bass, but charming/fun can, not last word in detail, but somehow the music comes through well - however never rises to levels of HE-5LE. However in AB testing it can be exposed. Pleasant in the mids. Highs can be too much much of the time. Make nice mobile cans. (7.8/10)

Fostex TH500RP - soft relaxed sound, changes of damping, pads, and adding white tack to the back of the can, bring the bass up to being nearly decent, without that mod bass is quite weak. I have never once heard anything unpleasant from these, but, never heard magic either. Female voices a top attraction. Highs a bit grainy and lacking detail but not harsh at all. (6.8/10). With advent of HEX V2, give away to relative/friend.

Grado SR-80e - for under $100, a deal, Ragnarok makes them kick. Still, can't make you think it's really music, and the treble is grainy and annoying. Low bass not there as one could expect. (6.1/10). Gave to son.

Mass Drop Fostex FH-X00, fatiguing IMO. :15 min at a time enough for me. Balanced makes them swagger. Does tamp down a bit of woolyness in the bass. The treble will probably never have enough detail to please me, these could be tamed in the bass with EQ or pad changes. Very lively sound which is a good thing. Imaging is poor. (5.7/10). Sold.

Audeze LCD-2 Fazor '14: Built like a tank, and that's what they weigh. Pad removal a big pain. If you like bass above all, a defensible choice. Lacking upper mids and upper 1/2 octave in a big way - add to pumped up bass gives a smudgy dark picture into the sound. (5.9/10). Returned to seller.

 

[SonyFan121]

I have quite a few headphones at the moment and don't use them all so i'll only rank the one's that I use;

1. Fostex TH500RP (with TH-X00 drivers). Put simply; Endgame. The Imaging, soundstage, airy-ness, tonal balance, detail - the best i've ever heard. Intense, emotional, visceral.This headphone could easily rival any $1,000 to $2,000 dynamic and planar headphone. It is summit-fi.
2. Sony MDR7510. This headphone remains the most accurate closed-back headphone i've heard. I'm looking forward to comparing it to the MDR Z7 MK2 when I get the MDR Z7 MK2 next month.
3. AKG K702.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Just to show how incredibly subjective our hobby is, the OG Abyss and Utopia have been displaced by the ZMF Vérité and Auteur. All 4 are exceptional headphones, I just find the musicality of the ZMF offerings irresistible, plus, they are works of art.

 

[arielext]

Focal Stellia
Fostex TH900 sapphire blue
Toneking T88K
Emu-teak
Beyerdynamic DT880 chrome
Beyerdynamic DT880 1990
AKG K240 sextett mp
AKG K501

 

[iPaintCode]

HD800s
Focal Clear Pro
LCD-2C Classic
Aeon Flow Closed
LCD-3
Oppo PM-1
Grado PS500
Oppo PM-3 (travel headphone)

I want to add one of the newer ZMF offerings but can't find a place that has all on display to demo with a decent driving distance. Heard the Campfire Cascade and have put that in the top of the queue as next headphone to get.

 

[pichu]

1. ZMF Autuer
2. Focal Elex
3. Sennhesier HD800S
4. Sendy Aiva
5. Pioneer SEA1000
6. Audeze Mobius
7. HyperX Alpha

 

[Mystel]

woah rip my wallet after 2 months, this site is poisonous i swear

Current:
1) LCD4 200ohm : Ever since my cable upgrade, these are my babies. Warm, lush and dat creamy midrange. Not to mention non fatiguing to my ears, but fatiguing to my neck. But the sound makes up for the pain. For my sonic preferences, i love these the most.
2) Abyss AB-1266 : Replaced my TH900s as a 'fun' can. Most impressive headphone ive ever heard. Sadly too picky with tracks and fatiguing too(for me). Nevertheless if i ever wanna have a quick listening session these are my go to
3) HE1000 V1 : Replaced my beloved LCD3F with these due to reliability issues. Somewhat like the 3Fs but without the forward and liquid midrange. Really comfortable, and sounds soothing. Currently my bedtime headphone.
4) HD800 S : For orchestral tracks and live performances that my planars just cant execute. I guess its just personal preferences. However, these havent been getting lots of headtime lately due to my current choice of tracks.
5) Audeze Sine : Still an amazing portable
6) Momentums on ear v1 : Whelp i hardly use these now, was my first real headphone so ima keep them.

And there i was 2.5 years ago thinking my wallet had suffered lmao. Cute

Heres my current list
This is not a comparison of all the TOTLs i own, its just a ranking based on my preferences. I know its weird but i listen to a lot of poorly recorded tracks. I chased resolution for so long and in the end, realised that im the kind that prefers to listen to music , not my gear. Kinda ironic that i end up spending so much. I still can appreciate what good gear sounds like on great tracks, which is why im still here i guess. But im just a music lover by heart.

1) SR007A SZ2 Port Modded with Auteur Perforated Lambskin Pads - Now these are my absolute fav headphone. Delving into ZMF stuff recently gave me the idea of swapping pads, and thus i have been busy with this process, and so far settled on those pads for my favourite. Incredible tonality, extremely forgiving, genre master for me. Driven by Carbon/BHSE

2) SR007A SZ2 Port Modded with Auteur Lambskin Pads - I bought this initially just to compare pads, with my other 007 and now i have 2 007s of the same type. This one using the non perforated version of the pads. Warmer and darker alternative to the perforated, but otherwise still remains the best for me. Driven by Carbon/BHSE

3) Susvara - Recently bought a Simaudio Moon 700i to pair with this thing. It finally gets some head time , and is the most 'wow' headphone i own, beating the Abyss Phi in this regard, mainly because of its unmatched spacial resolution. This is one headphone that really has no weakness. Tonality wise, i still prefer the 007. But this deserves a 2nd/3rd place anyway due to its incredible technicalities . Driven by 700i as mentioned

-Huge Gap-

4) ZMF Auteurs/Aeolus - These 2 have an amazing tonality that complements each other. Just only 2 weeks ago, these 2 replaced by HD6XX as my main headphones. But now my 007s have just been stealing the show as it kinda does what these 2 do, but better. Driven by EC Studio

5) Abyss Phi with CC pads - Currently waiting for the TC. These were my favs for a very, very long time. Its tonality was exactly what i wanted in a headphone. Only gripe i had was that with each update, it lost its fun tonality which i like, and becomes a little less forgiving on tracks. Thus, it started to drift away as the genres it excelled on didnt really align with my fav music genres in recent times ( i listen to every genre, but my preferred genres are periodic and changes a lot ). Not that it is lacking in any genre, its just that some other headphones perform better in some, and it just so happens that those genres are the ones i listen to frequently at that point in time. Driven by EC Studio or 700i

6)HD6XX KISS modded - Before the ZMFs(and the 007 pad swaps), this was my go to headphone. But anyway this paired with the EC Studio was my alternative to the Abyss Phi for a period of time, for when i just wanna listen to whatever track im in the mood for. This was when i realised i preferred headphones with more forgiving tonalities

6.5) SR007A SZ2 Port Modded with Stock Pads - Just for reference, this is where id put the 007 with just the port mod. Organic, lush and laid back. Also a genre master, but i like exciting tonalities and the ZMF pads does just that, maybe also because i cant really get a nice seal with the stock

7) SR009 - This is amazing for classical and vocals. But i dont really listen to those 2 genres that much recently and thats why theyre here. Paired with a BHSE. I used to like them with a Carbon more but times have changed.

 

[PointyFox]

And there i was 2.5 years ago thinking my wallet had suffered lmao. Cute

Heres my current list
This is not a comparison of all the TOTLs i own, its just a ranking based on my preferences. I know its weird but i listen to a lot of poorly recorded tracks. I chased resolution for so long and in the end, realised that im the kind that prefers to listen to music , not my gear. Kinda ironic that i end up spending so much. I still can appreciate what good gear sounds like on great tracks, which is why im still here i guess. But im just a music lover by heart.

1) SR007A SZ2 Port Modded with Auteur Perforated Lambskin Pads - Now these are my absolute fav headphone. Delving into ZMF stuff recently gave me the idea of swapping pads, and thus i have been busy with this process, and so far settled on those pads for my favourite. Incredible tonality, extremely forgiving, genre master for me. Driven by Carbon/BHSE

2) SR007A SZ2 Port Modded with Auteur Lambskin Pads - I bought this initially just to compare pads, with my other 007 and now i have 2 007s of the same type. This one using the non perforated version of the pads. Warmer and darker alternative to the perforated, but otherwise still remains the best for me. Driven by Carbon/BHSE

3) Susvara - Recently bought a Simaudio Moon 700i to pair with this thing. It finally gets some head time , and is the most 'wow' headphone i own, beating the Abyss Phi in this regard, mainly because of its unmatched spacial resolution. This is one headphone that really has no weakness. Tonality wise, i still prefer the 007. But this deserves a 2nd/3rd place anyway due to its incredible technicalities . Driven by 700i as mentioned

-Huge Gap-

4) ZMF Auteurs/Aeolus - These 2 have an amazing tonality that complements each other. Just only 2 weeks ago, these 2 replaced by HD6XX as my main headphones. But now my 007s have just been stealing the show as it kinda does what these 2 do, but better. Driven by EC Studio

5) Abyss Phi with CC pads - Currently waiting for the TC. These were my favs for a very, very long time. Its tonality was exactly what i wanted in a headphone. Only gripe i had was that with each update, it lost its fun tonality which i like, and becomes a little less forgiving on tracks. Thus, it started to drift away as the genres it excelled on didnt really align with my fav music genres in recent times ( i listen to every genre, but my preferred genres are periodic and changes a lot ). Not that it is lacking in any genre, its just that some other headphones perform better in some, and it just so happens that those genres are the ones i listen to frequently at that point in time. Driven by EC Studio or 700i

6)HD6XX KISS modded - Before the ZMFs(and the 007 pad swaps), this was my go to headphone. But anyway this paired with the EC Studio was my alternative to the Abyss Phi for a period of time, for when i just wanna listen to whatever track im in the mood for. This was when i realised i preferred headphones with more forgiving tonalities

6.5) SR007A SZ2 Port Modded with Stock Pads - Just for reference, this is where id put the 007 with just the port mod. Organic, lush and laid back. Also a genre master, but i like exciting tonalities and the ZMF pads does just that, maybe also because i cant really get a nice seal with the stock

7) SR009 - This is amazing for classical and vocals. But i dont really listen to those 2 genres that much recently and thats why theyre here. Paired with a BHSE. I used to like them with a Carbon more but times have changed.

The port mod should cause the "Stax fart" if you get a good seal. Were you able to get it on the stock pads or non - fenestrated Auteur pads?

 

[Mystel]

The port mod should cause the "Stax fart" if you get a good seal. Were you able to get it on the stock pads or non - fenestrated Auteur pads?

Yep i had the fart, thanks for making sure i checked
Still though , i went through more than 15 different pads now. Changing the pads are such a pain, but its worth it for me.
Have another 007 (mk1) coming in, tbh i can just live with just 007s, they are just that good

 

[FritzS]

I don't own, but heard in the HeadFi Vienna meetings an private --> keep an eye at Stax 009(S) and MySphere 3.
And Paltauf Universal AMP V2 too.

 

[zestytesty]

This what I’m using , not super high end but sounds great to my ear and my sources.

Hifiman HE-400i
Fostex T50RP

Dark voice 336 se with stock tubes
NAD D1050 DAC

I haven’t bought or sold anything in around four years and have no desire to do so .
Thank you for all the help and insight I’ve learned on this forum

 

[drparton21]

1-2) Monoprice M1060 / Sennheiser HD6XX (can't decide between these two right now)
3) Sennheiser HD58X
4) Sennheiser 598SR
5) Sennheiser HD1


My next set is likely to be something like the LCD-2F or the Focal Elex, but I'm still trying to decide which direction I want to go in on that.