Green Golden Retriver
100+ Head-Fier
Are the clear lighter and more comfy too? I have back pain and neck pain problems.
Rank the Headphones that You Own.
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They're about the same. The microfiber pads on the Clear are a little more comfortable than the leather ones on the Utopia.
Green Golden Retriver
100+ Head-Fier
Clear should be similiar to Elear in terms of comfort too right? I own the Elear but not the clear or utopia ...... yet
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I assume so provided it has similar clamping force. The Elegia has the highest clamping force I think and it was uncomfortable to me.
Green Golden Retriver
100+ Head-Fier
I believe it depend on the pad too. I switched my pad on the Elear to the Dekoni elite fenestrated sheespskin pad ordered from mass drop and ohhh it’s soft but very high clamp force.
Rob the Comic
New Head-Fier
Rank my Headphones?
1) Focal utopia
2) Audeze LCD-3
3) Sennheiser HD800 with SD Mod
4) Sennheiser HD650
5) Sennheiser HD600
6) Sennheiser HD575
67 Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 IEM's
1) Focal utopia
2) Audeze LCD-3
3) Sennheiser HD800 with SD Mod
4) Sennheiser HD650
5) Sennheiser HD600
6) Sennheiser HD575
67 Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 IEM's
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(Added SR-007MK2 and SR-009, increased Koss Porta Pro rank).
Tier 1 - Almost like the headphones aren't there
Stax SR-009 (Has increased imaging and separation over the SR-007. Dynamics seem slightly better. Unmodded has "Stax fart" similar to modded SR-007A and I assume the original MK1.)
Tier 2 - Near perfect
Stax SR-007MK2 with Blu-Tack mod (like the SR-007A but with less "Stax fart" for some reason.)
Stax SR-007A with Blu-Tack mod ("Stax fart" a little annoying.)
Stax SR-L700MK2 (VERY similar to Focal Clear. Has slightly more mid-bass impact, midrange is not quite as thick. Instruments seem slightly more separated. Soundstage slightly wider. Very similar to SR-007. Soundstage is a little wider on the SR-007 and it has more lower bass until you do the Blu-Tack mod which evens it out.)
Tier 3 - Excellent
Focal Clear Professional (Not the widest soundstage but excellent tonality, dynamics, and extension. Treble could use a little boost.)
Sennheiser HD800S (Super transparent with more bass than Stax SR Lambda Pro. Lightweight but ear pads are large but don't conform well. Great soundstage.)
ZMF Eikon (Similar to the MDR-Z1R but with more even frequency response but less bass extension.)
Tier 4 - Excellent with minor imperfections, beginning of summit-fi
Focal Utopia (Slightly wider soundstage than the Clear. Sounds very similar. A little too thick sounding for me resulting in a "wall of sound" and less instrument separation.)
Sony MDR-Z1R (Closed headphones with great transparency and better bass than HD800S. Amazing for a closed back. Similar to ZMF Eikon but with slight peaks in freq. response that sound a little unnatural at times and better bass extension.)
Sennheiser HD820 (Comes close to the HD800S but isn't as tonally even and soundstage is slightly smaller. Has better comfort, isolation, and bass volume though.)
Sony IER-M9 (A little uncomfortable. Sounds nearly perfect if you can get the fit right. Has more lower-midbass than Z1R which increases impact.)
Sony IER-Z1R (A little uncomfortable. Sounds nearly perfect if you can get the fit right. Could use a little more bass impact.)
Tier 5 - Great with slight annoyances
Campfire Andromeda (Rivals HD800S / MDR-Z1R in transparency and very even sounding. Good everything, except bass is a bit light. Sound stage is a little smaller than with over ear headphones.)
Audeze LCD-4 (Best bass, good but not great transparency, very heavy, prone to driver failures with pressure changes. Mine had a driver failure.)
Tier 6 - Very good but not quite impressive
SendyAudio Aiva (Great build quality, looks good, good frequency response except bass extension is lacking.)
Audeze Mobius (Some of the best bass I've heard but soundstage is small.)
Audeze LCD-2 closed back (Heavy, bass extension and impact are lacking, isolation is poor for a closed back.)
Stax SR Lambda Pro (Super transparent.)
AKG K7XX (Great value. Elastic may go bad over time.)
Sennheiser HD600 (Slightly more realistic frequency response than HD650.)
Sennheiser HD650
Tier 7 - Good, beginning of hi-fi
qdc Neptune (Good value, sounds like the Andromeda, but a little more muffled and more bass and bass extension).
Beyerdynamic DT880 (Annoying treble peak, ~8.5 kHz.)
AKG K702 (Painful headband.)
Beyerdynamic DT990
Grado SR-80e with L cushions (L cusions improve sound quite a bit, kind of uncomfortable, tons of midbass, good transparency.)
Tier 8 - Pretty good
Denon D2000
Shure SE846 (Terrible value. Sounds similar to the IE80.)
Sennheiser IE80 (Good value, but sound a little muffled compared to higher end stuff.)
Etymotic ER4XR (Good as earplugs. Sound not very impressive.)
Sennheiser HD598 (A little muffled sounding.)
Bose Triport (Good 3D sound positioning. Lightweight. A bit muffled overall.)
Koss Porta Pro (Very light weight. Sound is good for price. Open back design.)
Tier 9 - Slightly better than average
Westone W30 (All mid-range. Not very good for listening to music.)
Grado SR-60i (Poor fit, comfort and bass. Decent transparency. Would probably sound better with L cushions.)
KZ ZS6 (Treble is peaky.)
VJJB-V1S (Sound is very good for price.)
ViSang R02 (Sound is very good for price.)
Tier 10 - Average, but not bad
Panasonic RPHJE120S
Panasonic RP HT355
Tier 1 - Almost like the headphones aren't there
Stax SR-009 (Has increased imaging and separation over the SR-007. Dynamics seem slightly better. Unmodded has "Stax fart" similar to modded SR-007A and I assume the original MK1.)
Tier 2 - Near perfect
Stax SR-007MK2 with Blu-Tack mod (like the SR-007A but with less "Stax fart" for some reason.)
Stax SR-007A with Blu-Tack mod ("Stax fart" a little annoying.)
Stax SR-L700MK2 (VERY similar to Focal Clear. Has slightly more mid-bass impact, midrange is not quite as thick. Instruments seem slightly more separated. Soundstage slightly wider. Very similar to SR-007. Soundstage is a little wider on the SR-007 and it has more lower bass until you do the Blu-Tack mod which evens it out.)
Tier 3 - Excellent
Focal Clear Professional (Not the widest soundstage but excellent tonality, dynamics, and extension. Treble could use a little boost.)
Sennheiser HD800S (Super transparent with more bass than Stax SR Lambda Pro. Lightweight but ear pads are large but don't conform well. Great soundstage.)
ZMF Eikon (Similar to the MDR-Z1R but with more even frequency response but less bass extension.)
Tier 4 - Excellent with minor imperfections, beginning of summit-fi
Focal Utopia (Slightly wider soundstage than the Clear. Sounds very similar. A little too thick sounding for me resulting in a "wall of sound" and less instrument separation.)
Sony MDR-Z1R (Closed headphones with great transparency and better bass than HD800S. Amazing for a closed back. Similar to ZMF Eikon but with slight peaks in freq. response that sound a little unnatural at times and better bass extension.)
Sennheiser HD820 (Comes close to the HD800S but isn't as tonally even and soundstage is slightly smaller. Has better comfort, isolation, and bass volume though.)
Sony IER-M9 (A little uncomfortable. Sounds nearly perfect if you can get the fit right. Has more lower-midbass than Z1R which increases impact.)
Sony IER-Z1R (A little uncomfortable. Sounds nearly perfect if you can get the fit right. Could use a little more bass impact.)
Tier 5 - Great with slight annoyances
Campfire Andromeda (Rivals HD800S / MDR-Z1R in transparency and very even sounding. Good everything, except bass is a bit light. Sound stage is a little smaller than with over ear headphones.)
Audeze LCD-4 (Best bass, good but not great transparency, very heavy, prone to driver failures with pressure changes. Mine had a driver failure.)
Tier 6 - Very good but not quite impressive
SendyAudio Aiva (Great build quality, looks good, good frequency response except bass extension is lacking.)
Audeze Mobius (Some of the best bass I've heard but soundstage is small.)
Audeze LCD-2 closed back (Heavy, bass extension and impact are lacking, isolation is poor for a closed back.)
Stax SR Lambda Pro (Super transparent.)
AKG K7XX (Great value. Elastic may go bad over time.)
Sennheiser HD600 (Slightly more realistic frequency response than HD650.)
Sennheiser HD650
Tier 7 - Good, beginning of hi-fi
qdc Neptune (Good value, sounds like the Andromeda, but a little more muffled and more bass and bass extension).
Beyerdynamic DT880 (Annoying treble peak, ~8.5 kHz.)
AKG K702 (Painful headband.)
Beyerdynamic DT990
Grado SR-80e with L cushions (L cusions improve sound quite a bit, kind of uncomfortable, tons of midbass, good transparency.)
Tier 8 - Pretty good
Denon D2000
Shure SE846 (Terrible value. Sounds similar to the IE80.)
Sennheiser IE80 (Good value, but sound a little muffled compared to higher end stuff.)
Etymotic ER4XR (Good as earplugs. Sound not very impressive.)
Sennheiser HD598 (A little muffled sounding.)
Bose Triport (Good 3D sound positioning. Lightweight. A bit muffled overall.)
Koss Porta Pro (Very light weight. Sound is good for price. Open back design.)
Tier 9 - Slightly better than average
Westone W30 (All mid-range. Not very good for listening to music.)
Grado SR-60i (Poor fit, comfort and bass. Decent transparency. Would probably sound better with L cushions.)
KZ ZS6 (Treble is peaky.)
VJJB-V1S (Sound is very good for price.)
ViSang R02 (Sound is very good for price.)
Tier 10 - Average, but not bad
Panasonic RPHJE120S
Panasonic RP HT355
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Kammerat Rebekka
1000+ Head-Fier
Four coconuts, openbacks only, Punk Flute revisited, my personal preferences of the week
Piper At The Gates Of Dawn: HE500/R70X
A Saucerful Of Secrets: Sundara
More: HD580
Ummagumma: R70X/Sundara
Atom Heart Mother: HD580
Meddle: HE500/HD580
Obscured By Clouds: HE500/HD580
Dark Side Of The Moon: HD580/R70X
Wish You Were Here: Sundara/R70X
Animals: HE500/Sundara
The Wall: HD580
The Final Cut: errr..R70X?...it’s been a while
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason: Sundara/HE500
The Division Bell: HD580/HE500
This will most likely change depending on my mood which basically is the point of my post.
I mostly use frequency response as a way of navigating which headphones to purchase and I also find it to be one the best tools to talk about (most) sound specifics...but when I find headphones that please me I don’t think about such things. I just listen to music.
...but generally speaking, what I am attracted to when I reach for my planars is their ultra clean presentation, the effortless bass performance and that smooth and slightly laidback presentation...but perhaps most of all: the very open sound.
The dynamics are for the more natural expression.
Piper At The Gates Of Dawn: HE500/R70X
A Saucerful Of Secrets: Sundara
More: HD580
Ummagumma: R70X/Sundara
Atom Heart Mother: HD580
Meddle: HE500/HD580
Obscured By Clouds: HE500/HD580
Dark Side Of The Moon: HD580/R70X
Wish You Were Here: Sundara/R70X
Animals: HE500/Sundara
The Wall: HD580
The Final Cut: errr..R70X?...it’s been a while
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason: Sundara/HE500
The Division Bell: HD580/HE500
This will most likely change depending on my mood which basically is the point of my post.
I mostly use frequency response as a way of navigating which headphones to purchase and I also find it to be one the best tools to talk about (most) sound specifics...but when I find headphones that please me I don’t think about such things. I just listen to music.
...but generally speaking, what I am attracted to when I reach for my planars is their ultra clean presentation, the effortless bass performance and that smooth and slightly laidback presentation...but perhaps most of all: the very open sound.
The dynamics are for the more natural expression.
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1. Massdrop HD6XX
2. HiFi Man HE400i
3. Grado 325i (at least 15 years old version, gold finish)
2. HiFi Man HE400i
3. Grado 325i (at least 15 years old version, gold finish)
The Great
1. Focal Stellia (The only truly great HP I have owned. Loved them from the first listen. There is a wide gap between these and second place)
The Good
2. ZMF Aeolus
3. Stax L-700 Mk1 (These are a bit underwhelming but it may be due to my amp. Haven't ever heard Stax with a KG amp)
4. Beyerdynamic T5p Gen 1 (Very genre specific. These are good enough to be second on this list for piano jazz, but not as good for other genres)
5. Focal Elex
The Meh
6. Sennheiser HD-800S (never could tell what all the fuss was about)
7. Beyerdynamic T5p gen 2 (not nearly as good for piano jazz as gen 1 but a better all-around performer)
8. Focal Elegia
The Not Quite Good Enough to be Meh
9. Monoprice Monolith M-1060
10. Sennheiser HD-600
11. Mr. Speakers Aeon Flow Closed (can you say shouty?)
The Bad
12. Audeze LCD-X (No...just no)
13. Audeze El-8 (Sent them back the next day)
14. Vokyl Erupt (Really, you made me wait a year and a half for these?)
15. Neumann NDH-20 (Read many reviews claiming how neutral and accurate these were. If so, my music must really suck cause it sounded terrible on these).
1. Focal Stellia (The only truly great HP I have owned. Loved them from the first listen. There is a wide gap between these and second place)
The Good
2. ZMF Aeolus
3. Stax L-700 Mk1 (These are a bit underwhelming but it may be due to my amp. Haven't ever heard Stax with a KG amp)
4. Beyerdynamic T5p Gen 1 (Very genre specific. These are good enough to be second on this list for piano jazz, but not as good for other genres)
5. Focal Elex
The Meh
6. Sennheiser HD-800S (never could tell what all the fuss was about)
7. Beyerdynamic T5p gen 2 (not nearly as good for piano jazz as gen 1 but a better all-around performer)
8. Focal Elegia
The Not Quite Good Enough to be Meh
9. Monoprice Monolith M-1060
10. Sennheiser HD-600
11. Mr. Speakers Aeon Flow Closed (can you say shouty?)
The Bad
12. Audeze LCD-X (No...just no)
13. Audeze El-8 (Sent them back the next day)
14. Vokyl Erupt (Really, you made me wait a year and a half for these?)
15. Neumann NDH-20 (Read many reviews claiming how neutral and accurate these were. If so, my music must really suck cause it sounded terrible on these).
from these I would deduct you like close-back, closer-to-you sounding HPS.
Come back in 5 years your assessment could change. (overtime as you travel in this audio listening journey)
1. Bang and Olufsen H6 2nd gen.
2. Bose SoundTrue mk1.
3. Apple AirPods Pro.
4. Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2.
5. Bowers & Wilkins PX.
6. Bose SoundTrue Ultra
7. Sony MDR-100A hear.on
8. Sony MDR-NC60
9. Master & Dynamic MH40
10. Monster DNA on ear
11. Beats Solo2 on ear.
2. Bose SoundTrue mk1.
3. Apple AirPods Pro.
4. Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2.
5. Bowers & Wilkins PX.
6. Bose SoundTrue Ultra
7. Sony MDR-100A hear.on
8. Sony MDR-NC60
9. Master & Dynamic MH40
10. Monster DNA on ear
11. Beats Solo2 on ear.
There. Fixed it for you
You might be surprised how high the HD650 can fly with the right amplifier
1A and 1B for me!Users who are viewing this thread
