DavidMahler
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2007
- Posts
- 4,124
- Likes
- 353
The 10 best Headphones I’ve ever tried....all just my opinion. Price was not factored in when deciding the order.
1.Sennheiser – HD650 – I feel the 650s sound great with everything from Classical to jazz to rock. They’re warm but revealing. Yes they are laid back, but they are realistic sounding. The bass is weighted but doesn’t cover any other part of the spectrum. The mids are the most beautiful of any headphone I’ve ever heard. The highs are clear (some prefer sharper highs) and non shrill. The comfort to me is the unparalleled
2.Ultimate Ears – UE10 Pro – These are really tied with the 650s as the best I’ve ever heard. The bass is the most perfect of any headphone or IEM I have encountered. It’s tight, punchy, present but restrained when it needs to be and it extends beautifully. The mids are fantastic, and the highs are so clear and crisp without being sibilant. I think these are the most neutral of all headphones, and for that they deserve to be called the greatest. They also image extremely well! The HD650s I put first because I think they are a little more comfortable, BUT the UE10s are very very comfortable being that they’re custom molded.
3.AKG – K701
The widest soundstage of any headphone I’ve heard, though I hear the K1000 is even wider. These headphones present a more realistic sound environment than any headphone I’ve heard. Someone who has been a speaker lover all their lover would probably love these. I’m convinced a tad more bass would have made these headphones a little better. That’s just me. I’m no bass head, but I feel myself wishing for slightly more bass. These headphones have my favorite upper register because is very clear without much sibilance. The mids are very fine! And the comfort is fantastic.
4.Denon – D5000
Fantastic sound for a closed can. I would say it’s the best in that market. I’ve heard the horrible ATH W5000 (well I thought they were horrible) and I have to insist that you should save yourself a few hundred and invest in the Denons if you’re considering a closed can with wood cups. The sound is remarkably similar to the HD650s, however the bass extends a little bit, the treble is boosted, and the soundstage is a little narrower. The midrange is not quite as “pure” as the HD650s. They are very comfortable as well…..leather padding. Be prepared, the letters which say Denon and the make of the headphone will peel off soon after you buy them.
5.Sennheiser – HD600
Some say there is a miniscule difference between the 600s and the 650s. I have to disagree. They have a similar sound signature, but the HD650s are more refined and organic, with a slightly boosted bass and warmer timbre. I find the 650s to be better with most things, except metal….the 600s I prefer for metal in comparison.
6.Beyerdynamic – DT880 (2005)
A lot of people consider these the best bang for the buck and they sure are fantastic headphones. My main beef with them (before I talk about what I love about them) is they are a bit too bright and I actually believe that using them too much can hurt your hearing. They handle acoustic instruments very well. They also have a very open sounding sound stage. It’s nowhere nearly as large as the K701s, but it’s larger than the Sennheisers mentioned above. What they do lack with regards to sound stage is a feeling of distance, or a feeling of a three dimensional environment. Instruments are spread out beautifully, but seem to be on a linear line that is fairly narrow. For this, I’m not too keen on large orchestral works with it. I also feel any music that is too cymbal heavy will fatigue you over time with these. BUT they sound great with a lot of rock and pop and jazz…sometimes, they out perform the AKGs and the Sennheisers though I don’t find them a consistent winner.
7.Ultrasone HFI 700
For me these are the best Ultrasone has made that is not a special edition (I’ve never heard the Edition 9s or 7s…wish I have)…..They block out sound wonderfully! They perform well with acoustic music! They’re a bit strong in the bass and treble. The sound stage is wonderful for a closed can. I do wish they were a little more comfortable. The padding is soft but hardens overtime. I wish they came with the Proline 750 pads. Too bad I find the Prolines to sound like metal cans.
8.Etymotics ER4P
I thought these were great IEMs. I got them for 180 bucks and was not expecting them to out perform the E500s (which I thought were a little above average) but they definitely appealed to me more than the Shures. They have the best clarity of all universal IEMs I’ve heard and block out quite a bit of sound….almost as much as my UE10s and 2-XS. If they had a tad more bass they would probably be regarded by everyone as the best IEM for under 300 bucks. Even without that bass boost, I still think they hold the majority.
9.Beyerdynamic DT770 250 ohms (2003)
I own the 80 ohm 2003 and 250 ohm 2005 and I totally prefer this one. It is very clear, Has excellent bass. Lacking a bit of midrange that I hear is fixed when you have them turned into Darth Beyers…never heard the Darths myself. Very comfortable, Beyer is always a comfortable brand
10.Ultimate Ears Triple fi 10 Pro
I would have placed this much higher on the list but I had fit issues with them and returned them. I even tried using the Shure olive foamies. They out perform all other universal IEMs, even the etymotics which I placed above this (because I know how often these don’t fit people). But if you’re lucky and they fit you, they are damn good! Great bass, great mids and make the Shure E500s embarrassed in the treble department
Sorry, no Grados, I don’t like what I’ve heard.
Here is a list in no particular order of all the headphones I have heard or owned at one point in time which did not make this list.
AKG K271
Audio Technica ATH W5000
Beyerdynamic DT 770 80 ohms(2003)
Beyerdynamic DT 770 250 ohms (2005)
Bose QC3
Bose QC2
Bose Triport
Denon D950s
Etymotics Er6i
Grado SR60
Grado RS1
Grado RS2
Sennheiser HD25
Sennheiser HD595
Sennheiser HD280
Sennheiser PXC 450
Sensaphonics 2-XS
Shure E530s/E500
Shure E5c
Shure E4c
Sony V900
Sony MDR 7509
Sony MDR 7506
Ultimate Ears Super Fi 5
Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10
Ultrasone HFi 550
Ultrasone Proline 650
Ultrasone Proline 750
Westone UM2
1.Sennheiser – HD650 – I feel the 650s sound great with everything from Classical to jazz to rock. They’re warm but revealing. Yes they are laid back, but they are realistic sounding. The bass is weighted but doesn’t cover any other part of the spectrum. The mids are the most beautiful of any headphone I’ve ever heard. The highs are clear (some prefer sharper highs) and non shrill. The comfort to me is the unparalleled
2.Ultimate Ears – UE10 Pro – These are really tied with the 650s as the best I’ve ever heard. The bass is the most perfect of any headphone or IEM I have encountered. It’s tight, punchy, present but restrained when it needs to be and it extends beautifully. The mids are fantastic, and the highs are so clear and crisp without being sibilant. I think these are the most neutral of all headphones, and for that they deserve to be called the greatest. They also image extremely well! The HD650s I put first because I think they are a little more comfortable, BUT the UE10s are very very comfortable being that they’re custom molded.
3.AKG – K701
The widest soundstage of any headphone I’ve heard, though I hear the K1000 is even wider. These headphones present a more realistic sound environment than any headphone I’ve heard. Someone who has been a speaker lover all their lover would probably love these. I’m convinced a tad more bass would have made these headphones a little better. That’s just me. I’m no bass head, but I feel myself wishing for slightly more bass. These headphones have my favorite upper register because is very clear without much sibilance. The mids are very fine! And the comfort is fantastic.
4.Denon – D5000
Fantastic sound for a closed can. I would say it’s the best in that market. I’ve heard the horrible ATH W5000 (well I thought they were horrible) and I have to insist that you should save yourself a few hundred and invest in the Denons if you’re considering a closed can with wood cups. The sound is remarkably similar to the HD650s, however the bass extends a little bit, the treble is boosted, and the soundstage is a little narrower. The midrange is not quite as “pure” as the HD650s. They are very comfortable as well…..leather padding. Be prepared, the letters which say Denon and the make of the headphone will peel off soon after you buy them.
5.Sennheiser – HD600
Some say there is a miniscule difference between the 600s and the 650s. I have to disagree. They have a similar sound signature, but the HD650s are more refined and organic, with a slightly boosted bass and warmer timbre. I find the 650s to be better with most things, except metal….the 600s I prefer for metal in comparison.
6.Beyerdynamic – DT880 (2005)
A lot of people consider these the best bang for the buck and they sure are fantastic headphones. My main beef with them (before I talk about what I love about them) is they are a bit too bright and I actually believe that using them too much can hurt your hearing. They handle acoustic instruments very well. They also have a very open sounding sound stage. It’s nowhere nearly as large as the K701s, but it’s larger than the Sennheisers mentioned above. What they do lack with regards to sound stage is a feeling of distance, or a feeling of a three dimensional environment. Instruments are spread out beautifully, but seem to be on a linear line that is fairly narrow. For this, I’m not too keen on large orchestral works with it. I also feel any music that is too cymbal heavy will fatigue you over time with these. BUT they sound great with a lot of rock and pop and jazz…sometimes, they out perform the AKGs and the Sennheisers though I don’t find them a consistent winner.
7.Ultrasone HFI 700
For me these are the best Ultrasone has made that is not a special edition (I’ve never heard the Edition 9s or 7s…wish I have)…..They block out sound wonderfully! They perform well with acoustic music! They’re a bit strong in the bass and treble. The sound stage is wonderful for a closed can. I do wish they were a little more comfortable. The padding is soft but hardens overtime. I wish they came with the Proline 750 pads. Too bad I find the Prolines to sound like metal cans.
8.Etymotics ER4P
I thought these were great IEMs. I got them for 180 bucks and was not expecting them to out perform the E500s (which I thought were a little above average) but they definitely appealed to me more than the Shures. They have the best clarity of all universal IEMs I’ve heard and block out quite a bit of sound….almost as much as my UE10s and 2-XS. If they had a tad more bass they would probably be regarded by everyone as the best IEM for under 300 bucks. Even without that bass boost, I still think they hold the majority.
9.Beyerdynamic DT770 250 ohms (2003)
I own the 80 ohm 2003 and 250 ohm 2005 and I totally prefer this one. It is very clear, Has excellent bass. Lacking a bit of midrange that I hear is fixed when you have them turned into Darth Beyers…never heard the Darths myself. Very comfortable, Beyer is always a comfortable brand
10.Ultimate Ears Triple fi 10 Pro
I would have placed this much higher on the list but I had fit issues with them and returned them. I even tried using the Shure olive foamies. They out perform all other universal IEMs, even the etymotics which I placed above this (because I know how often these don’t fit people). But if you’re lucky and they fit you, they are damn good! Great bass, great mids and make the Shure E500s embarrassed in the treble department
Sorry, no Grados, I don’t like what I’ve heard.
Here is a list in no particular order of all the headphones I have heard or owned at one point in time which did not make this list.
AKG K271
Audio Technica ATH W5000
Beyerdynamic DT 770 80 ohms(2003)
Beyerdynamic DT 770 250 ohms (2005)
Bose QC3
Bose QC2
Bose Triport
Denon D950s
Etymotics Er6i
Grado SR60
Grado RS1
Grado RS2
Sennheiser HD25
Sennheiser HD595
Sennheiser HD280
Sennheiser PXC 450
Sensaphonics 2-XS
Shure E530s/E500
Shure E5c
Shure E4c
Sony V900
Sony MDR 7509
Sony MDR 7506
Ultimate Ears Super Fi 5
Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10
Ultrasone HFi 550
Ultrasone Proline 650
Ultrasone Proline 750
Westone UM2
