Hello Head-Fi people,
While shopping for a new pair of headphones, I fell into this rabbit hole, and here I am. I've been reading reviews obsessively for a few weeks, and I know I'm likely to be happy with any of the generally well-regarded options in my price range, especially because I'll have no initial basis for comparing them to anything that's actually comparable. That is, whatever I get will be a big step up from what I have, but since I'm stepping into an unknown world, I'd really appreciate some guidance.
Who I am:
I'm in my early fifties and without significant hearing loss, but with a moderate case of tinnitus.
My listening preferences are varied, so I want something that is a versatile all-around performer. A somewhat random sample of genres I enjoy includes: classical, specifically period performances (instruments, orchestration and technique) of early baroque through early classical era compositions; heavy metal (favorites include Gojira and Lorna Shore); alt-rock like Tool and Radiohead (not that they're all that alike); singer songwriters like Mary Gauthier, Jimmy LaFave, Robert Earl Keen Jr., Steve Earl, Lucinda Williams, ...; film scores from the likes of Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, Ramin Djawadi, and Bear McCreary; solo acoustic guitar like most of the CandyRat Records catalogue; Nordic folk revival like Wardruna, Heilung, and Eivør (I'm currently looking for Mongolian paralells, in case you have recomendations there); a wide variety of jazz from the 30s through today, some favorites include Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Brad Mehldau, Wynton Marsalis, Trombone Shorty, and Diana Krall; bluegrass and related country/folk from traditional like Bill Monroe to modern crossover artists like Alison Krauss and Nickel Creek; modern pop like Lana Del Rey and Billie Elish; ambient nature soundscapes; I could go on, and on, ... I'm all over the place.
How I'll be using my headphones:
The vast majority of my listening is at my desk, through a 2023 MacBook Pro that can support high-impedence headphones (I don't know how well). I don't have a separate amp. I'm beginning to think one might be in my future, so I'd be very interested to hear how that would likely change my listening experience in comparison with the MacBook Pro's internal amp. I don't have to worry about sound leakage, and background noise isn't too much of an issue, so open backs are definitely an option. Comfort matters, because I tend to wear headphones for many hours every day, but sound quality is a much higher priority.
Sound preferences:
On the spectrum between "neutral/reference" and "musical", I think I'd lean towards the middle. I have no idea whether I'd prefer the strengths of dynamic or planar drivers; I keep vascilating based on what I've just read and wanting the best of both worlds. There are so many delicious adjectives used in headphone reviews and I'm hard pressed to describe which would be most important to my listening experience, but immersive, detailed, nuanced, and realistic are all important, as is a good sound stage. I'm currently leaning towards open backs, though (wanting the best of both worlds again) if I could get that sound quality and some isolation, that'd be great.
Budget and where I'm shopping:
I'm planning to spend roughly $500-$1,000, and I'd love to stay in the lower end of that range. I'm definitely shopping used to make the most of my money, looking at eBay, classifieds here, and Reverb. If there are other places I should look, please let me know.
Options I've consider so far:
Please don't feel constrained to this list. This is just an assortment of headphones for which I've read appealing reviews and found them available in my price range.
Beyerdynamic: DT 700 Pro X, DT 1900 Pro, T1 gen 3.
Focal: Clear Mg; Audeze LCD-X (2021 or later).
Hifiman: Arya, Ananda.
Dan Clark: on my list to look into models.
Sony: MDR-Z1R
My out-of-price-range pipe dream is the Focal Utopia.
Lastly, while I'd love to try headphones out before buying, I live in a remote area and opportunities are very limited.
Thanks in advance for your help!
While shopping for a new pair of headphones, I fell into this rabbit hole, and here I am. I've been reading reviews obsessively for a few weeks, and I know I'm likely to be happy with any of the generally well-regarded options in my price range, especially because I'll have no initial basis for comparing them to anything that's actually comparable. That is, whatever I get will be a big step up from what I have, but since I'm stepping into an unknown world, I'd really appreciate some guidance.
Who I am:
I'm in my early fifties and without significant hearing loss, but with a moderate case of tinnitus.
My listening preferences are varied, so I want something that is a versatile all-around performer. A somewhat random sample of genres I enjoy includes: classical, specifically period performances (instruments, orchestration and technique) of early baroque through early classical era compositions; heavy metal (favorites include Gojira and Lorna Shore); alt-rock like Tool and Radiohead (not that they're all that alike); singer songwriters like Mary Gauthier, Jimmy LaFave, Robert Earl Keen Jr., Steve Earl, Lucinda Williams, ...; film scores from the likes of Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, Ramin Djawadi, and Bear McCreary; solo acoustic guitar like most of the CandyRat Records catalogue; Nordic folk revival like Wardruna, Heilung, and Eivør (I'm currently looking for Mongolian paralells, in case you have recomendations there); a wide variety of jazz from the 30s through today, some favorites include Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Brad Mehldau, Wynton Marsalis, Trombone Shorty, and Diana Krall; bluegrass and related country/folk from traditional like Bill Monroe to modern crossover artists like Alison Krauss and Nickel Creek; modern pop like Lana Del Rey and Billie Elish; ambient nature soundscapes; I could go on, and on, ... I'm all over the place.
How I'll be using my headphones:
The vast majority of my listening is at my desk, through a 2023 MacBook Pro that can support high-impedence headphones (I don't know how well). I don't have a separate amp. I'm beginning to think one might be in my future, so I'd be very interested to hear how that would likely change my listening experience in comparison with the MacBook Pro's internal amp. I don't have to worry about sound leakage, and background noise isn't too much of an issue, so open backs are definitely an option. Comfort matters, because I tend to wear headphones for many hours every day, but sound quality is a much higher priority.
Sound preferences:
On the spectrum between "neutral/reference" and "musical", I think I'd lean towards the middle. I have no idea whether I'd prefer the strengths of dynamic or planar drivers; I keep vascilating based on what I've just read and wanting the best of both worlds. There are so many delicious adjectives used in headphone reviews and I'm hard pressed to describe which would be most important to my listening experience, but immersive, detailed, nuanced, and realistic are all important, as is a good sound stage. I'm currently leaning towards open backs, though (wanting the best of both worlds again) if I could get that sound quality and some isolation, that'd be great.
Budget and where I'm shopping:
I'm planning to spend roughly $500-$1,000, and I'd love to stay in the lower end of that range. I'm definitely shopping used to make the most of my money, looking at eBay, classifieds here, and Reverb. If there are other places I should look, please let me know.
Options I've consider so far:
Please don't feel constrained to this list. This is just an assortment of headphones for which I've read appealing reviews and found them available in my price range.
Beyerdynamic: DT 700 Pro X, DT 1900 Pro, T1 gen 3.
Focal: Clear Mg; Audeze LCD-X (2021 or later).
Hifiman: Arya, Ananda.
Dan Clark: on my list to look into models.
Sony: MDR-Z1R
My out-of-price-range pipe dream is the Focal Utopia.
Lastly, while I'd love to try headphones out before buying, I live in a remote area and opportunities are very limited.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Last edited: