The all-time best headphone you've ever owned.
Feb 16, 2011 at 12:23 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 27
Nordwestlicht

Nordwestlicht

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My question is very simple:
 
What's the all-time best headphone that you've owned until now?
 
My best headphone is the HD800 from Sennheiser. It suites my preferences (classical music) very well and can be transformed in an astonishing beast using a good equalizer, so that it can deal with other genres than classical music as well.
And it's very very comfortable. :)
 
I want to know now what is your all-time favorite headphone. And please say WHY.
 
Thanks for your replies.
beerchug.gif

 
Feb 16, 2011 at 12:29 AM Post #2 of 27
Are we limiting this discussion to full-sized headphones, since this is that sub-forum?
If so then my best is the DT 880. Comfortable, neutral--therefore versatile with all genres I tried it with--and it has enough bass for my tastes. It's even very suitable for gaming! Plus the long cord helps when I'm gaming on a console and need to sit far from my TV.
 
Also happy that it's single-sided cable entry. I don't like cables coming out of both cans.
 
Love the simple carry-case it comes with too. Practical for bringing it out to demo amps and the like.
 
Feb 16, 2011 at 12:37 AM Post #4 of 27
The K1000 I owned half a decade ago. They had the best soundstage and imaging out of most headphones I've heard, though I think the LCD2 and the T1 have them beat in many other areas. For its time, it was unmatched among dynamics (with the exception of the R10), and still is competitive with today's flagships.
 
Among the ones I own now, the HD650 and AD2000 get the most use. If we're talking about ones I've heard without owning, the Omega 2 and the LCD2 come to mind.
 
Feb 16, 2011 at 12:52 AM Post #7 of 27
Side note: I'm really looking forward to hear a future Sennheiser HD850 or HD900.
 
At the moment Sennheiser Germany offers a free listening to the members of Hifi-Forum.de in Germany.
You can listen to a Sennheiser HD800 plus Lehmann Black Cube Linear at your home.
 
I hope they will do the same with their next high end headphone product...
 
Feb 16, 2011 at 12:57 AM Post #8 of 27
For me it's the Koss Pro DJ 100. It's nice knowing I only paid $80 and they sound much better than many others that cost up to 3 times as much. It has my near perfect sound signature and even after coming from my ATH-AD2000 and HD-598, I'm still impressed.
 
I've owned them for a long time and last night I just upgraded to the MDR-V6 pads and was really "Wowed" by them when listening to some Cantopop. Female vocals are just so crystal clear on them. So far I haven't seen a headphone that has female vocals that sound as good to my ears. Not even the ATH-AD2000 or K601! Maybe I just need to try the W1000. So yeah, that's why I like them most of all...how good they are with vocals. The mids are very forward, but not as much as the ATH-AD2000. Soundstage and Imaging are very impressive for a closed headphone. The soundstage is even far better than the Semi Open K240 Studio and Sextett to my ears!
 
Sorry to turn into fan-boy mode here, but honestly this is the only headphone that does that for me. They're the type that just makes music so much fun to listen to and almost make me want to give up on getting any more headphones. The only reason I try others is to try and top them and find something I like more. ATH-AD2000 is better overall as a headphone, but I don't like the vocals as much. I'm hoping the W1000 will sound similar. I can only hope.
 
Recently I even got the MDR-7506 and K240 Sextett and no such luck. Strangely the 7506 is supposed to be a studio monitor, but the DJ100's signature seems more balanced to me. I never expected that. Both of those headphones were a major disappointment. The HD-598 is a good alternative to my DJ100 for an open headphone though. It's a fun headphone to listen to, but I don't enjoy listening to it as much as my DJ100.
 
I do find this headphone is pretty much ignored by everyone, which is sad. It should be more popular, but Koss seems to want to make them hard to find by only limiting the sale of them to Best Buy and JR?!
 
Feb 16, 2011 at 1:20 AM Post #9 of 27
Very good post, tdockweiler.
 
I completely understand you. 
 
Everyone has different preferences.
 
My HD800 is very expansive and offers the best sound to me, but it's only about 25% above the K701 that also offers a very great sound to me while being a lot cheaper.
 
Price and popularity simply has not much to say about which sound someone likes.
 
Many expensive (>300 Euro) headphones are just made for classical music.
 
If I could get a headphone <100 Euro that sounds amazing in terms of classical music, I'd grab it. But there is nothing that can do it for this price.
 
In the end, I'm condemned to use the HD800 for classical music...
 
Being a student, this is very sad for me and my wallet.
 
Feb 16, 2011 at 1:47 AM Post #11 of 27
Its a close battle between my akg 701 Senn HD 580 and beyer Dt 990s
 
Feb 16, 2011 at 1:47 AM Post #12 of 27
@ tdockweiler
You are from Michigan and you never heard the Auditor 250?
You should really make a trip to Koss and take some listening time.
 
For me the up to date clear the very fast full bodied and precise Koss HV Series. Not as musical neutral and texture refined articulated as the Auditor, but with some natural emotion, musical neutrality and with deep multi stage layering transparency. Koss know, how to build Audio post production headphones.  
 
Feb 16, 2011 at 3:08 AM Post #15 of 27

I think Koss is in Milwaukee though. That's quite a drive. It seems like many of the more expensive Koss headphones are not very well know. Like the Koss MV1. It'd be interesting to listen to that.
Hopefully it sounds better than the Pro4aat.
 
I see they released a "UR-50" (closed UR-55). I hope someday they make an open headphone that's similar to the DJ100's sound signature. It seems Koss isn't a huge fan of open headphones. They have very few of them it seems. A tweaked open version of something like the DJ100 would make any amazing gaming headphone I think.
Quote:
neighbour said:
@ tdockweiler
You are from Michigan and you never heard the Auditor 250?
You should really make a trip to Koss and take some listening time.
 
For me the up to date clear the very fast full bodied and precise Koss HV Series. Not as musical neutral and texture refined articulated as the Auditor, but with some natural emotion, musical neutrality and with deep multi stage layering transparency. Koss know, how to build Audio post production headphones.  
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