[mattlach]

Hey Everyone,

I've been pretty happy with my combo of my Sennheiser HD650's (Massdrop HD6xx version) and my Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro's for some time now. The HD650's get used when it's nice and quiet in my surroundings, and the DT770's come on when I need something closed backed to keep things more isolated.

I prefer the sound of the HD650's, but I can't really describe why.

It struck me - however - that I don't really know what I am missing out on compared to more premium headphones, and as far as more premium headphones go, people seem to like Planar Magnetics, so I figured I'd ask some questions about them. Something like an Audeze LCD-5 is certainly out of my budget, but the LCD-X is a bit more reasonable...

1.) So, as compared to say, the LCD-X, what am I missing out on by staying in the ~$200 class of dynamic headphones compared to the six times more pricy LCD-X?

2.) People often claim that you need a really beefy headphone amp if you go with planar magnetics, yet at the same time, I see from the specs that the impedance is only ~20Ohm compared to the 300ohm of my HD650's and 250ohm of my DT770 Pro's. This doesn/t make any sense to me. At 20ohm sert of headphones should be able to be driven by just about anything. Can anyone explain this discrepancy to me?

...not that I'm worried. My jotunheim can pump some 7W into a 20ohm set of headphones, but it just doesn't make any sense to me.

Appreciate any thoughts.

 

[msing539]

The LCD-X is faster with more immediacy and detail vs. the 6XX. With EQ, the low end will impact better, faster, harder, stronger. Soundstage is also wider on the LCD-X. The 6XX, however, is more natural and realistic sounding. Something should be said about comfort, because planar magnets add weight, and the LCD-X isn't a light headphone in comparison.

You don't have to jump to that level to experience planars, though. The Hifiman XS has excellent technicalities for its price point, though lacks in bass. It is subjectively more comfortable than the LCD-X, though some complain about the headband and others don't get a good fit with the teardrops.

 

[bagwell359]

Hey Everyone,

I've been pretty happy with my combo of my Sennheiser HD650's (Massdrop HD6xx version) and my Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro's for some time now. The HD650's get used when it's nice and quiet in my surroundings, and the DT770's come on when I need something closed backed to keep things more isolated.

I prefer the sound of the HD650's, but I can't really describe why.

It struck me - however - that I don't really know what I am missing out on compared to more premium headphones, and as far as more premium headphones go, people seem to like Planar Magnetics, so I figured I'd ask some questions about them. Something like an Audeze LCD-5 is certainly out of my budget, but the LCD-X is a bit more reasonable...

1.) So, as compared to say, the LCD-X, what am I missing out on by staying in the ~$200 class of dynamic headphones compared to the six times more pricy LCD-X?

2.) People often claim that you need a really beefy headphone amp if you go with planar magnetics, yet at the same time, I see from the specs that the impedance is only ~20Ohm compared to the 300ohm of my HD650's and 250ohm of my DT770 Pro's. This doesn/t make any sense to me. At 20ohm sert of headphones should be able to be driven by just about anything. Can anyone explain this discrepancy to me?

...not that I'm worried. My jotunheim can pump some 7W into a 20ohm set of headphones, but it just doesn't make any sense to me.

Appreciate any thoughts.

I'd say you should dip your toes in with the HFM cans: XS or Sundara; also the HE-6 SE v2 and Ananda at a higher price.

Some higher impedance cans pose difficulties for amps - and stated wpc stats are not in themselves an accurate guide as to what does the job. You have a pretty big amount of wpc @ 8 ohms. Planars are current eaters, you'll be fine on that front - but thru the XLR output. It's puts out much less on the SE.

If you are sensitive to correct timbre you may need an EQ on these lower priced planars. The 650 does a well better job. But if so you need a parametric. The units Schiit (and all fixed frequency EQ) makes won't do the job.

 

[Death_Block]

Fear of missing out will kill you financially. Try and find something that makes you smile. If I had only one choice of dynamic or planar? I'd probably cut my ears off. I'd rather not face that decision lol. Get both to compliment and suit moods. I like to have options. It helps me anyway

 

[bagwell359]

A collection including the 650, DT770, and XS would cover pretty much all types of music outside of extreme low bass stuff.

 

[elee703]

Generally, bc of the technology behind planar headphones, they are theoretically able to extend on both ends more than a dynamic headphone without distortion. And since the film in between (or on one side of the magnet depending if the planar as 2 sets of magnets or 1) is MUCH thinner than the driver in a dynamic, you should have the ability to retrieve much more detail as well. Sort of.....the actual technology is a little more complicated. What you give up (in general) is timbre and slam (not to say there aren't planars that have both but just in general)

I don't know, just jumping into a pair of LCD Xs which are 3x the price of the 650 seems a little rash. As a poster noted above, dip your toes with a pair of sundaras or XS (both of which went on sale recently) to just see if you like the planar sound. Lots of times you can read words like "stage, air, extension, etc" and think it's something you NEED bc reviewers speak of these traits glowingly but you'll never know unless you just hear for yourself.

 

[elee703]

2.) People often claim that you need a really beefy headphone amp if you go with planar magnetics, yet at the same time, I see from the specs that the impedance is only ~20Ohm compared to the 300ohm of my HD650's and 250ohm of my DT770 Pro's. This doesn/t make any sense to me. At 20ohm sert of headphones should be able to be driven by just about anything. Can anyone explain this discrepancy to me?

...not that I'm worried. My jotunheim can pump some 7W into a 20ohm set of headphones, but it just doesn't make any sense to me.

Appreciate any thoughts.

and to answer this question, what people mean is that planars need a lot of current. This is why OTL tube amps don't ever really work with planars bc while planars have very low ohm loads, OTL amps use very little current.

Lots of times when reviewers or people talk about "powering" headphones, they're usually only speaking on watts and ohms but electricity is a 4 variable thing (resistance, current, voltage, power)

 

[mattlach]

and to answer this question, what people mean is that planars need a lot of current. This is why OTL tube amps don't ever really work with planars bc while planars have very low ohm loads, OTL amps use very little current.

Lots of times when reviewers or people talk about "powering" headphones, they're usually only speaking on watts and ohms but electricity is a 4 variable thing (resistance, current, voltage, power)

True, but they are not independent variables.

Current (amp) = I
Potential (Volt) =V
Resistance (Ohm) = R
Power (Watt) = P

Ohms law states that current, I = V / R

Additionally,
P = V * I.

So, if your current (I) goes up, so does your power, unless you are also simultaneously reducing your potential (voltage)

This is why a lot of these conversations make very little sense to me.

I'm not an electrical engineer, but I did take a few crossover classes in electrical engineering in college while pursuing my industrial engineering degree. Sometimes when reading audiophile discussions of amplifiers it's like I've entered an alternate universe, where the basic laws don't apply.

I can only assume that some of the terms are being used in different ways than their textbook definitions.

 

[bagwell359]

Generally, bc of the technology behind planar headphones, they are theoretically able to extend on both ends more than a dynamic headphone without distortion. And since the film in between (or on one side of the magnet depending if the planar as 2 sets of magnets or 1) is MUCH thinner than the driver in a dynamic, you should have the ability to retrieve much more detail as well. Sort of.....the actual technology is a little more complicated. What you give up (in general) is timbre and slam (not to say there aren't planars that have both but just in general)

I don't know, just jumping into a pair of LCD Xs which are 3x the price of the 650 seems a little rash. As a poster noted above, dip your toes with a pair of sundaras or XS (both of which went on sale recently) to just see if you like the planar sound. Lots of times you can read words like "stage, air, extension, etc" and think it's something you NEED bc reviewers speak of these traits glowingly but you'll never know unless you just hear for yourself.

Disagree with the assessment of planars having less slam than dynamics in general. Many of the bass cannons on the dynamic side are are closed backs with a big hump under 200 Hz. Invariably the one thing they they lack is rise time vs lagging parts of the given signal which is the primary component of slam. Most if those closed back dynamics have a high Q. That can be heard when drums and electric bass playing at the same time start to bleed into each other.

I agree the LCD X is a big step and one with legit timbre concerns.

 

[mattlach]

Fear of missing out will kill you financially. Try and find something that makes you smile. If I had only one choice of dynamic or planar? I'd probably cut my ears off. I'd rather not face that decision lol. Get both to compliment and suit moods. I like to have options. It helps me anyway

I think it's less about FOMO and more about curiosity about what else is out there.

Honestly, my approach surrounds finding good all-rounders. I don't want to be switching headphones for different types of music. As it is, I have two sets of headphones because I like the airiness of open backed units, but my listening environment isn't always quiet, so I like having an option to fall back on if i need some isolation.

Beyond that I don't really want to constantly switch between headphoines for different styles of music or listening. I really want to find the one good all-rounder I can use for everything. Or maybe two of them. One open set, one closed set

 

[msing539]

I don't really want to constantly switch between headphoines for different styles of music or listening.

Oh you've come to the wrong place for advice then.

 

[garlicky]

Hey Everyone,

I've been pretty happy with my combo of my Sennheiser HD650's (Massdrop HD6xx version) and my Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro's for some time now. The HD650's get used when it's nice and quiet in my surroundings, and the DT770's come on when I need something closed backed to keep things more isolated.

I prefer the sound of the HD650's, but I can't really describe why.

It struck me - however - that I don't really know what I am missing out on compared to more premium headphones, and as far as more premium headphones go, people seem to like Planar Magnetics, so I figured I'd ask some questions about them. Something like an Audeze LCD-5 is certainly out of my budget, but the LCD-X is a bit more reasonable...

1.) So, as compared to say, the LCD-X, what am I missing out on by staying in the ~$200 class of dynamic headphones compared to the six times more pricy LCD-X?

2.) People often claim that you need a really beefy headphone amp if you go with planar magnetics, yet at the same time, I see from the specs that the impedance is only ~20Ohm compared to the 300ohm of my HD650's and 250ohm of my DT770 Pro's. This doesn/t make any sense to me. At 20ohm sert of headphones should be able to be driven by just about anything. Can anyone explain this discrepancy to me?

...not that I'm worried. My jotunheim can pump some 7W into a 20ohm set of headphones, but it just doesn't make any sense to me.

Appreciate any thoughts.

For me frequency response i.e tonal balance is just as important as any other parameter.
I have an hd6xx and an audeze lcd2c planar magnetic headphone and their tonal balances are very different.
The hd6xx has a more elevated upper bass and a more accurate midrange. Although the lcd2c has more extended, flatter, low distortion bass down to 20 hz., it's too low in overall level for my taste. I like elevated bass.
The lcd2c has a slight elevation between approx. 500 hz. And 1.25 kHz. There's more energy here in the midrange than any frequencies above or below that. They're not particularly hard to drive.
The point is just because a headphone is a planar magnetic doesn't mean it's better. Of course that depends on one's sound preferences.
If someone wants a different flavor from the hd6xx then a planar magnetic would be a nice flavor change.
A lot of people like the hifiman sundara, although I've never heard one.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

LCD-X 2021 stock tunning is totally fine without any EQ. If you have budget I'd start with those or Hifiman Arya, but they are so different, LCD-X will be closer to HD650, while Arya is closer to HD800.

 

[KPzypher]

Sometimes when reading audiophile discussions of amplifiers it's like I've entered an alternate universe, where the basic laws don't apply.

I presume you haven't visited the cable discussions lately?

 

[theveterans]

I presume you haven't visited the cable discussions lately?

It's actually easier to hear headphone/IEM cable differences than two similar DACs (e.g. Topping E30 against Topping D30 Pro) in my experience lol