Rank the headphones that you've heard
Jul 25, 2021 at 2:29 AM Post #48 of 56
i would add
1. Hifiman Susvara with a proper setup. (my case, accuphase speaker amp with holo may DAC)
2. Audeze LCD 2 (eq'ed with leather pad)
3. Sennheiser hd600 with new pad and paired with the prefered high-end amp.
4. Phillips shp9500 with pad modded. why it is here, coz its price.

most importantly i have heard and had a lot of headphones, but my neutral and a slightly warm sound preference and for the price bracket, i think the aforementioned Hps are great but susvara is a total 12k USD setup which is not ideal
 
Jul 25, 2021 at 3:37 AM Post #49 of 56
1. Abyss AB-1266 TC out of Riviera AIC-10 hybrid amplifier
2. Sennheiser HE-1 with a better DAC (Chord Dave or dCS Bartok)
3. Hifiman Susvara out of Viva Egoista 845 tube amplifier
4. Spirit Torino Valkyria out of dCS Bartok solid state amplifier
 
Jul 25, 2021 at 4:41 AM Post #50 of 56
1. Audio Technica ATH-ADX5000
2. Final D8000
3. Focal Clear OG
4. Verite Open
5. HD600
 
Nov 18, 2021 at 2:26 PM Post #51 of 56
I have owned and heard more than 60 different headphones over a period of 13 years! so I will only list the one's that are the most memorable to me, included on this list are 3 that I currently own.

1. Astell & Kern T5P (first gen) - I would describe this headphone as the best all rounder I have ever heard. Good (or rather - exceptional) at everything and bad at nothing IMHO. Microscopic and truly astonishing levels of detail.
2. Denon AH-D5000 - My first proper expensive audiophile grade headphone. The most balanced Fostex Biocellulose I have heard. Quality of sub-bass was wonderful.
3. Beyerdynamic T70 250 ohm - The most audiophile sounding closed back headphone I have ever heard. A bit like a closed back AKG K702.
4. AKG K702 (Austria version) - The Austrian K702 I owned had slightly better definition in the bass than the first China-made K702 I had. And better build quality.
5. AKG K702 (China version) - One I currently own. The next best thing to the Austrian original.
6. Fostex TH500RP - One I currently own. This headphone takes second place for soundstage, imaging and depth capabilities, but doesn't have the sub-bass of the K702.
7. Bowers & Wilkins P9 Signature - The best portable closed back headphone I have heard (I don't consider the A&K T5P - a £1,500 headphone - as a portable headphone). Don't understand why this headphone doesn't appeal to many bassheads - it's a killer in the bass.
8. AKG K612 - The closest in signature to the K702, but without the K702's technicalities and resolution. K612 sounds more natural.
9. AKG Q701 - With the right equipment the Q701 could outperform the K712 including bass!
10. AKG K712 - Preferred the Q701 to the K712 although the K712 was better for portable use.
11. AudioQuest NightHawk - I liked these headphones allot, initially, but I could not get used to their heavily coloured sound signature. Great soundstage and imaging though (not as good as the Fostex TH500RP in this regard).
12. Beyerdynamic DT990 250 ohm - A great all rounder, IMO. DT990 sounded natural and didn't have the sharp treble response of the DT880 600 ohm I had.
13. Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohm. - A very technical headphone. I could not get used to the sharp treble. Just a bit too bright sounding for my liking.
14. Sennheiser HD206 - The only closed back I currently own. Not a fan of Sennheiser, I must say, but this headphone has a very good tuning. Well balanced and detailed. The one I use for mixing purposes. Sounds good with classical music too.
15. Denon AH-D2000 - Like a scaled down version of the AH-D5000. Slap a couple of wooden cups on the AH-D2000 and they sound like an even more balanced AH-D5000!
16. Fostex TH-X Purpleheart (first gen) - I did not find the TH-X PH similar to the AH-D5000 and 2000 at all. Bass was just overwhelming. Like this headphones sound signature was just 98% bass 1% mid's and what was left of the high frequencies was messy! not tuned right.
17. Sony MDR 7506 - A good all rounder. Not much else to say.
18. Beyerdynamic DT150 - Another good all rounder, but less detailed than MDR 7506, HD206.
19. Fostex T50RP - This headphone needs modding to get it to sound interesting. You might end up spending more on modding materials for it than it's actual retail price!
20. Sennheiser HD600 - I din't find the HD600 special. I understand it's legendary status and it might well have been the first true neutral headphone, but to me it sounded, well..just..bland. Like a glass of still water. Nothing interesting about it - IMO. HD600 had the narrowest soundstage of any headphone I have ever heard.
21. Sennheiser HD700 - If you want to hear the HD700 at it's best you need to spend over $1,000 on the right amp for it, otherwise -as was the case in my experience with the HD700 I had, it will sound just downright weird. Almost like a defective product - IMO. It takes a special amp to make it sound like something enjoyable.
 
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Nov 18, 2021 at 4:52 PM Post #52 of 56
Well since there are numerous threads already about your favorite headphones, I will rank headphones how I perceived them at the time. So they won't necessarily rank that high with the current state of my hearing and development of my taste.

1. Sony MDR-CD350. My first proper pair of headphones, after cheap Audio Sonic/Supertech/Yoko kinda pair of headphones. It was a revelation. Finally some true bass and treble and a hint of soundstage. They broke...
2. Audio Technica ATH-A500. Replacement of the Sony MDR-CD270. Another revelation. A huge soundstage! I don't own them anymore.
3. Sony MDR-CD270. Replacement of the CD350s, which broke and I didn't have a lot of cash. A downgrade, but I lived with them for almost 10 year and loved them to death. I don't own them anymore.
4. Audio Technica ATH-A900X. Smooth, warm tilted sound with a huge soundstage. Another revelation, and a welcome change from the bright-ish and peaky Denon D5000s. Still own and love them.
5. Denon AH-D5000. A disappointment at first, at the time, a somewhat hard and bright sound, compared to the ATH-A500s, but they became my main pair of headphones for years. My ears soon adjusted to the brightness and when it clicked they could sound so euphoric and liquid, I loved them to death. Still own them, but don't like them that much anymore. The older my ears get, the more sensitive they get to that type of hardness in that particular frequency range.
6. Sony MDR-Z7. Smooth, analogue sound with a nice punchy and bloomy bass. Was a nice complement, in a way some middle ground to the D5000s and A900Xs.
Still own them and love them.
 
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