[Tano]

Damn quite the expensive one at that

Apparently It was basically a modded Beyer T1. Such a shame.

 

[ThanatosVI]

Apparently It was basically a modded Beyer T1. Such a shame.

Thx for the info

 

[qboogie]

The rank below is really based on my preference:

i) Rosson RAD-0 - they may be uncomfortable for first few listening session but it does improve over longer time.
ii) Zmf VC - used to be my favourite, perhaps I listen mostly to vocal and for mid, I prefer RAD-0 over VC.
iii) LCD-X (2019 model) - I have to EQ the mid to listen to it, after EQ it is a fantastic cans.
iv) HD650 - just simply classic.

For someone who really like mids, seeing most of the feedback that both 1266TC and Suavara don't really stand out in mid (especially 1266TC), make me wonder which is the next cans I have to get.

LCD-5 has mid-forward for a change, compared to all other Audeze tunings aside from CRBN. DCA Stealth has the best mids I've ever heard -- accurate timbre and positioned perfectly in the mix with well-done separation making vocals and even backup vocals sound exceptionally clear and resolved Even better than the Empyrean with the leather pads, which was also dreamy/lush for mids and vocals.

Anyway, my list goes like this:

1. AB-1266 TC (with Superconductor cable)
2. ZMF Verite (with lambskin BE2 pads)
3. DCA Stealth
4. ZMF Verite closed (auteur hybrid pads)
5. Thieaudio Monarch
6. TIE Moondrop Blessing 2: Dusk vs Meze99 Classics (with Yaxi STpads2) -- the 99 Classics take the win if the listening environment is quiet since the Yaxi pads aren't good with ambient noise.
7. HE-400i
8. Sony MDR-V6 (with Meze pads. Creates much better seal and thus bass than stock pads, which are flake central)

Yes I think the Stealth is a better headphone for me than the VC.

 

[Voxata]

1) CA Solaris OG
2) AKG K712
3) HD660S
4) AKG K702
5) DT770
6) Tin Audio T3

 

[Hifi59]

McIntosh created headphones?

They’re made by Beyer Dynamics. I’ve listened to them on several occasions. I tried to like them but just couldn’t.

 

[Randy Myers]

McIntosh created headphones?

Yup, a few years ago...

https://www.musicdirect.com/headphones/mcintosh-mhp1000-headphones

 

[Randy Myers]

McIntosh MHP1000, borderline scam product.

Certainly not a scam product. They were very good, came with two very nice cables and an excellent headphone stand. I simply am not a fan of closed back headphones.

 

[GREQ]

Certainly not a scam product. They were very good, came with two very nice cables and an excellent headphone stand. I simply am not a fan of closed back headphones.

Rankings aside, they're objectively worse than any mid-range Beyerdynamic costing less than 1/10th of the price.
It's a total scam hifi fashion product aimed at audiophools with more money than sense/hearing who chase brand names.

They simply took Beyerdynamic parts, dressed them up a bit, tuned it to have more piercing treble than anything Beyer ever made, and charged 2,300 euros for it.
Double the price of the T1, and much worse than the DT770.
Complete madness.

No wonder you're no fan of closed-back headphones... that's among the worst I've ever heard, regardless of price.

 

[Sonic Defender]

@GREQ May I ask why it is that you get to decide what constitutes a good closed back headphone? It is entirely possible that your taste isn't the standard by which all others should be judged. I have heard the McIntosh and it wasn't that bad at all. Certainly not my cup of tea, I also do not know how it is that you know the extent to which McIntosh was involved in the design process. The way you are suggesting, they simply paid to have their name stamped on it and nothing more. Perhaps that is true, but may I ask how it is that you have this insider knowledge that the rest of us do not?

 

[Tano]

Certainly not a scam product. They were very good, came with two very nice cables and an excellent headphone stand. I simply am not a fan of closed back headphones.

Well, a rebranded Beyerdynamic for near 3 times the price certainly looks like a scam to me.

 

[Steven31]

Well, a rebranded Beyerdynamic for near 3 times the price certainly looks like a scam to me.

Except when Astell and Kern do it. A&K T5P is certainly not a scam and doesn't sound like one either.

 

[Tano]

Except when Astell and Kern do it. A&K T5P is certainly not a scam and doesn't sound like one either.

Well, the A&K T5P werent 3 times more expensive, so we can consider that an interesting collab between 2 audio brands. That's far from the Mcintosh case.

 

[PointyFox]

I think that Clear and Ayra are equal. The main difference is that Clear have been bass punch and slam and Ayra has better sound stage and resolution. They are very complementary headphones.

I prefer the Clear. Resolution seems the same to me. The Arya is lacking dynamics/slam compared to the Clear. With some brain burn-in the soundstage gets better on the Clear and with a good tube amp it gets even bigger.

 

[Shane D]

Time for an update. Two years and two months ago my headphone line-up was:

1) Grado GH2's.
2) Beyerdynamic T5p.2's
3) Meze 99 Classic's.
4) Shure 1540.
5) Sennheiser HD58X.
6) HiFiman HE4XX's.

Fast forward to November of 2021 and the headphone collection has evolved to:

1) Still, Grado GH2's.
2) Focal Elex's
3) HiFiman HE6se V2's
4) CFA Cascades
5) LSA HP-2's

The above are the best of my collection, by a large margin.

6) Senn HD660's
7) T60 Argons
8) Beyer T5's (for sale)
9) Audio Technica WP900's (for sale).

 

[SpeakerBox]

It's now approaching 2 months since I bought the TH500RP and they remain my favourite. I started listening to the TH500RP on the 23 September and have had the time to listen to them for a few hours almost every day since, and over the last week TH500RP has really began to open up and improve even more. In fact, the changes with this headphone are the biggest/most dramatic i've ever heard, in a headphone. It's obviously due to burn in. Are the TH500RP perfect? no! but no headphone is perfect, but with each listening session, it just keeps getting better and better, in every area of sound quality possible. I always notice something new. The soundstage is really opened up, at the beginning (when I first bought the headphone) the sound was closer to my ears, but in time it has pushed out further, and the way the soundstage is presented, reminds me of the soundstage (or soundfield) of speakers. Yep, definitely my end game headphone.

Might have to give those a look.