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Headphoneus Supremus
You can try the music samplings of probably 6 genres threads here at head fi, I also use I tunes to search what others bought, or link to band members.
The Battle Of The Flagships 2022 by Ear Fidelity
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I just subscribed to Apple Music yesterday, wonder how it works there, will see in the upcoming weeks.
Jingle525
New Head-Fier
Stumbled upon this article while researching Meze elite. What a great article and comparison! Thanks for the effort!
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Thank you mate! Will post updates so stick around
TDHEAD
100+ Head-Fier
This category reflects how well these headphones handle different music genres and different qualities of mastering. This is an incredibly important aspect of every kind of audio gear. Sure, you can kind of rate this by just looking at the frequency graph, but in MY OPINION, it won’t give you a full picture.
See, different music genres, types of production, different brands all have different flavors that are often quite surprising. That’s why I always say that it is essential to test a product you’re potentially thinking about buying with your favorite music, not those sound demos available from different manufacturers. There’s no perfect loudspeaker or headphones for every single type of music, that is just impossible and will probably never be achieved (at least in a form of a single tuning), and yes, Harman target isn’t that as well. Try a perfectly neutral pair of headphones with German Power Metal like Helloween – I dare you.
This one is as simple as it gets – the CZ-1 does sound incorrect and simply weird with every single type of music and type of masterings there are. What’s incredible is that it doesn’t sound good even with ambient, which is a type of music that gains a lot from good reverberation in my opinion. Yes, “good” is the key here. Audio-Technica W5000 was a horrible headphone, but it did have a rather coherent reverb aspect to it. The CZ-1 doesn’t. I’m sorry.
Here’s the deal. The Diana Phi is an incredible headphone for some metal and electronic music. Which ones to be specific? Well, this question is impossible to answer, to be honest. The tonality of these headphones is so uneven, that paired with its highly aggressive and hyperdetailed sound gives you a rather slim chance of the music actually sounding “bearable”. If it does, then you’ll be absolutely amazed by this headphone, but if it doesn’t, then you actually might be better off with something like the HD6xx or Sundara.
This one is weird as well. There’s a catch to it – don’t go for vocals, and the 8xx might actually be a great headphone for you. If you like electronic music, or basically anything with no vocals and (preferably) no natural instruments, the vast soundstage with great physicality of the sound of the 8XX could be just perfect. However, due to its poor midrange, the 8xx can’t really sound natural nor pleasant with most music genres.
The Hifiman HE1000se is a slightly bright headphone and it could lead to some problems with poorly mastered albums or some music genres. As far as the music you’re listening to is at the highest level of production then you’ll get a high-contrast, dynamic, and insanely detailed type of sound that could be just next to unbeatable by any headphone in the world. But, most of the Indie scene (low-budget mastering) doesn’t sound too good on the 1000se. Because of that, it can’t score more than 7 points.
The Final D8000 Pro is a highly neutral headphone that is just a hair bright, not as much as the HE1000se, so it scores a point higher. Basically, the D8000 Pro is a jack of all trades but master of none. It does every music genre exceptionally well, but none worth calling the best in the world.
The HEDDphone however has that lovely tune to it that is not as neutral, but it does do many things beautifully, especially male vocals. It “adds” things to the music, but in a very, very good way.
The Hifiman Susvara scores 9, as it is almost perfect with most music genres. Almost, because it tends to sound a bit anemic with some heavier tracks. When listening to metal or electronic music you definitely want that bass impact and kick to the sound, and the Susvara just doesn’t do that. It always sounds exceptionally smooth and natural, but it doesn’t do “fun” as much as it could have.
Other than that, the Susvara is just a masterclass for rock, indie, jazz, classical…basically everything that is meant to sound natural and pleasing.
This is the most impressive aspect of the sound of the Elite – it just sounds wonderful no matter what you’ll throw at them. Every music genre, every level of production, the Elite does it all with an unparalleled level of refinement. This is the headphone to get if you’re looking for a “do it all” type of experience. Also, it does sound fantastic with both high-end and budget-friendly devices and it needs basically no power to be driven properly. Fantastic.
This is the last category of this comparison – the value.
As you remember from the “disclaimers” part in the beginning, all of the ratings have been given without considering the price of the headphones. Because of that, now it’s time to rate the value of each entry.
A quick guide to this category – 8 means that the headphone is well worth its asking price, no questions asked. Even if its price is extremely high, it is just class-leading (or simply the best), and it’s fairly priced because of its exceptional quality. Everything above 8 means that the headphone is actually worth more than its asking price (spoiler alert: there’s one), and everything below is…well, you get the idea.
If you’ve read this entire article then you already know that you should NOT buy the Crosszone CZ-1. Its value is just one of the worst in the market.
This is harsh, but I stand behind it. The Diana Phi basically requires you to buy the upgraded pads and something to help with no padding on the headband. The included cable is not great, and because Abyss used proprietary connectors, changing the cable gives you basically no choice other than their own offerings, which are extremely expensive.
Lastly, the sound quality is just not worth the $4000 asking price. It’s way too aggressive and the frequency response is very uneven. I really like the energy of this brand, their YouTube channel is great, I like how they are proud of the “USA heritage”. I hope the best for Abyss, but the Diana Phi is a letdown for me. Hopefully, I’ll get the Diana TC or 1266 some time to include in this battle.
The value of the 8XX is kinda hard to judge. First of all, it’s a fantastic gaming headphone with its huge soundstage and bassy presentation. Without EQ I would say this headphone is not worth the asking price, but after EQ I saw many people bringing a lot of life into them. Having in mind how comfortable the 8XX is together with a fairly “affordable” price in 2022 for a Made In Germany high-end headphone, I think 5 is fair, but please, EQ them.
The Hifiman HE1000se and the D8000 Pro by Final are ALMOST worth their price. Almost, only because there
‘s a headphone called Meze Elite, which scored higher in this comparison while being very similarly priced. Any discount on these two or buying them used instantly make them a great deal and you can buy them with no hesitation – you’ll be amazed.
The Susvara is the most important headphone in this entire comparison, but it is also the best one. Because of that, even though it comes at a monstrous $6000, I believe they are well worth it. After all, you’re buying the best of the best.
The Elite is a similar story, $4000 is far from being affordable. However, it gets you the best-built pair of headphones on planet earth, lovely tone and simply a headphone that is excellent with everything. I’m not in place to question the prices of audio gear. Actually, I worked in audio manufacturing in the past and I know that it has to be expensive. The price of the Elite is very, very fair considering what you’re getting and what it took to craft this magnificent piece of tech.
The HEDDphone scores 9, which means it is actually worth more than its asking price (HEDD Audio please, don’t use it to raise its price after seeing this!). It’s pretty self-explanatory, it is 3x cheaper than the Susvara, 2x cheaper than the Elite, D8000 Pro, Diana Phi, and almost 2x cheaper than the HE1000se. Wait for the summary and you’ll see how impressive that is when you’ll see its score.
Actually, it would have been 10. Would have, because it is simply too uncomfortable to get that score. If HEDD Audio came up with the same headphone, for the same price but just more comfortable and lighter, then it would have been 10 with no hesitation.
Here we are, time to see the results and crown the king. This has been a wild ride, the most time-consuming reviewing project I’ve ever did and the most exciting at the same time. Let’s just get right into it.
8. Crosszone CZ-1 / 13 points
The project was ambitious, but the delivery just disappoints a lot. The Crosszone CZ-1 is one of the worst values in the market and you literally can get better audio quality for 1/10th of its price (HD6xx). I strongly recommend not buying these headphones (I’m sorry my Japanese friends).
7. Drop + Sennheiser HD8XX / 46 points
6. Abyss Diana Phi / 51 points
I remember listening to the AB-1266 a few years ago and I was blown away. It was so lively sounding, fun, and extremely pleasing. Would be cool to get the 1266 TC or the Diana TC to include in this comparison in the future.
5. HEDDphone / 70 points
4. Hifiman HE1000se / 74 points
3. Final D8000 Pro / 80 points
2. Meze Elite / 85 points
1. Hifiman Susvara / 88 pointsWOW! Great Job………BTW Susvara is that good. AB1266 TC Next time?
Seeing that the Susvara has been released quite a long time ago, it’s really interesting if (or when) Hifiman will come up with its successor. If it’ll be significantly better than the Susvara, then this would be a really big day, introducing the next milestone for personal audio.
That’s all for now. Thank you for reading this comparison, I hope you enjoyed it and that it’ll help you with your decision. As stated in the beginning, this comparison will be getting updated with more high-end headphones in the future, so this is definitely not the end. It was incredibly fun to do this and even though my head feels like it’s going to explode, I’m happy with the result. See you!Aug 14, 2022 at 10:09 AM Post #66 of 95
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Feliks ENVY update coming in a while, waiting for ZMF and LCD5….1266 TC would be spectacular to have and to include!Dec 30, 2022 at 10:20 PM Post #67 of 95
I am not sure how I landed in this thread today but I am sure glad I did. Thank you for the Herculean effort you put in this evaluation and comparison. Having heard several of the evaluated headphones it put the ones I had not heard into perspective in a very helpful way. It also made me want to get out the Heddphones again, that I have not listened to in a while.
Probably the most important aspect of the sound for me personally. At the end of the day, the overall tone of the headphone determines how much I’m going to love the sound. We all have our idea of the “perfect” tone of the music, the way we think music is supposed to sound. This is also the most subjective aspect of the sound of the headphone, as my taste might not suit yours.
Because of that, I’ll try to go as objective as possible in this section, rewarding both a natural approach to the tone, as well as being highly colored in a pleasing way. If vocals and natural instruments sound way off, this means that the tone of the headphone is poor. If they sound unique and different from “neutral”, but still very pleasant and musical, the tone is good. If they sound just like they do in real life, the tone is perfect.
The tone of the Crosszone CZ-1 is just extremely unnatural and echoey. It has some similar aspects to that of the Audio-Technica W5000, but the latter (while also being full of reverberation) was definitely more pleasing and less boxy.
The easiest way to describe this tone is boxy, plasticky, and nasal. This is far from sounding even remotely close to “flat” or “neutral”, and the overall tone of the CZ-1 is miles behind something like the Sennheiser HD6XX, which is 10x more affordable.
The Drop version of the legendary HD800 sees a major downgrade in the tone of this headphone. Its midrange performance is quite unnatural and weirdly lean sounding, lacking body and definition. The tone is probably the weakest aspect of the 8XX, scoring less than the HD800/800s would have scored. There’s a constant problem with a timbre that makes everything sound rather dull and distant, unnatural. Overall, while the 8XX has some strengths, the tone of this headphone definitely isn’t one.
The Diana Phi is a hot and aggressive sounding headphone. My girlfriend actually wasn’t able to listen to it for more than 30 seconds, no matter what we’ve plugged them into. This is the type of experience to give you a lot at once, which might be highly desirable for some, definitely. Having in mind that we’re comparing the Diana Phi to other flagship-level headphones, rating it 5 or above (which would have meant that the tone is good) is impossible for me. This kind of high-contrast sound requires good tonality to sound good, and the Diana Phi definitely lacks good tonality.
The 1000se has a slightly bright and forward tone to it. While most of the music sounds really good, poor masterings are definitely something to be aware of. The upper midrange might come up as slightly aggressive or too bright sounding, depending on the rest of the system and the quality of the music. While not as extreme as the Diana Phi, it could be problematic for some. Probably the biggest downside to the sound quality of these fantastic headphones. Additionally, this is the biggest difference between the 1000se and the Susvara in terms of sound quality.
The D8000 Pro is the most neutral and “reference” tuned headphones in this comparison. It has a very professional tune to it that might be desirable for many. However, there’s one headphone in this comparison that had a similar goal, but the delivery is just much better. Because of that, 7 points sounds fair to me for a very neutral, flat tone. Safe, universal but not extraordinary. If you really like neutral tuning, then this could have been a 9 for you, but for me, it takes a bit more to score that high than just plain neutral tuning.
This might come as a big surprise that the Elite scores a point above the D8000 Pro. Yes, the new Meze flagship is not a neutral-sounding headphone. Hell, it’s not even close to being anywhere near “flat” or “reference” sounding. Why does it get 8 points then you’ll ask?
It’s pretty simple, the Elite is such an enjoyable and pleasant sounding pair of headphones that it definitely sounds more engaging than the D8000 Pro. Of course, this might not be important for you if you’re after the most neutral and uncolored sound possible, but considering the fact that most of the Summit-Fi headphones are somewhat “neutral” oriented, the magical and musical approach of the Elite is definitely worth noting. It is insanely hard to give headphones such a lush and rich tuning while maintaining realistic timbre and good detail. Meze succeeded, and they’re getting their fully earned 8 points.
Okay, this one is by far the hardest to rate. It is when you compare the HEDDphone to the Summit-Fi level headphones that you’re starting to hear that they are actually a bit veiled and lacking in crispiness, especially in the midrange area. Putting on the 1000se after listening to the HEDDphone instantly gives you a more open and fresh sound.
However, the overall tone of the HEDDphone is very pleasant and unique, it sounds like a hybrid of DD, Planar, and Electrostatic driver, different than all of the other contenders in this comparison. It gives me that sensation when I think to myself “Yeah, this is what it’s supposed to sound like” when listening to music. For me, this is the strongest aspect of this headphone. A similar approach to the Elite, but even more unique and flavorful.
For me, the Susvara has probably the best tone in the history of headphones, being comparable only to the legendary Sennheiser HE90, the original Orpheus.
I can describe the tone of the Susvara as incredibly natural with the best vocal reproduction ever. What’s the most important about it though, is that the Susvara never sounds forced or aggressive, it is rather an easy-going type of experience that is just incredibly accurate.
The D8000 Pro by Final sounds like it’s trying to achieve a similar type of tone, but it’s so much more forced and forward sounding, while the Susvara is just a walk in a park. It gives you the most natural tone on the market with absolutely no effort. Silky smooth, sensational.
Oh, the objective way to rate all these Summit-Fi headphones. If you’re spending thousands of dollars on a pair of headphones then you definitely want to hear all the little details there are in the mix.
For years this has been a major difference between a normal pair of headphones, and something truly high-end. We all heard the sentence “You’ll hear things you’ve never heard before in your favorite tracks”, and this basically says it all. I believe there’s nothing more to say.
Oh, the CZ-1 just get destroyed in every single category, it actually makes me a bit sad for the Japanese brand. However, the comparison has to be fair and square, and I’m not going to go easy on anything.
So, the detail retrieval of the CZ-1 is just bad. It’s by far less detailed than the $500 Hifiman Edition XS, and having in mind the $2500 price of the CZ-1 as well as the rest of the lineup, 1 point actually sounds more than fair for me. It is hard to distinguish any fine detail with all the reverberation and utterly bad frequency response.
The Sennheiser HD800 has been known for its great detail retrieval for more than 10 years now. However, the 8xx is slightly less detailed, mainly because of its somewhat recessed midrange presentation and objectively worse frequency response.
It is still a fairly detailed headphone, scoring 5 points while being the most affordable from the entire lineup surely means something. Nonetheless, the rest of the contenders are just better in this regard. Still, it is the midrange where a lot of fine details are not represented well enough.
The Elite is a highly musical and easy-going type of listening experience, and detail retrieval is definitely not its strongest aspect, but I don’t think it was meant to anyway. The Elite is still a highly detailed headphone (definitely a great upgrade to the Empyrean) but it sacrifices a bit of the detail retrieval for that beautiful tone and super pleasant listening experience. While listening to the Elite I never get a feeling that I’m “missing out” on essential details, just the tiniest bits of little sounds. I want to say it loud and clear – the Meze Elite is a highly detailed pair of headphones, just not AS detailed as the best there are.
We have three different headphones scoring 8 points in this category. It is because I feel they are all just equally detailed. The D8000 Pro has the most detailed treble response, the Diana Phi has the best detail in the midrange, while the HEDDphone has the best detail retrieval in the bass category.
All of these headphones get to the point where they sound incredibly detailed, falling a bit short only of the most detailed headphones on the planet. This is the type of detail retrieval that would make everyone happy. Trust me, you really don’t need anything MORE detailed than this anyway, unless you’re just craving for details more than everything else in audio.
What’s worth mentioning is that the HEDDphone scores the same as the D8000 Pro and the Diana Phi, being 2x less expensive than both, which is really impressive.
The HE1000se is definitely one of the most detailed headphones on planet earth. It has that incredibly detailed and open sound to it that just gives you so much information. This is the greatest example of that “You’ll hear things you’ve never heard before in your favorite tracks” sentence when you put the 1000se on your head and you immediately start to hear things you’ve never heard before.
Additionally, the 1000se does sound astonishingly detailed even from a high-end DAP. It does not need a very powerful amplifier to get everything out of it like the winner of this category which is…
The Hifiman Susvara is the most detailed headphone I’ve ever listened to. It’s not a huge leap over the 1000se, it can actually sound less detailed if you won’t power the Susvara correctly, but when you do…you’ll get such an immense level of details that it’s hard not to be amazed. I believe the detail retrieval of the Susvara is matched only by the Stax 009, which for some sounded a bit too detailed back when it was released. The Susvara sounds just as detailed while also being much more tonally accurate and rich sounding. This is a detail masterclass and another 10 points scored by the Susvara. Such an extraordinary headphone.
I decided to put everything regarding soundstage into one category. I’ll be rating the soundstage size, imaging, and separation together into a single rating for this article to be somewhat readable and not super long.
It is important to note that the size of the soundstage is not the most important aspect of the staging capabilities of the headphone. The accurate imaging and good separation are essential for you to get a natural sounding and highly involving soundstage, regardless of the size of the actual stage.
I’ll give the CZ-1 a point for trying. They really tried hard to make the CZ-1 sound like a pair of speakers in a room, but instead, the CZ-1 sounds…like you’re listening to music through a tube…in cardboard. This is nowhere close to being accurate, natural, or pleasant. Different sounds seem to come from random places around your head, and the amount of reverberation is just over the top.
The original HD800 is a living legend mainly to its huge soundstage unlike anything else on the market. Thirteen years (!) after its release it’s still one of the biggest (if not still THE biggest) soundstages you can get in headphones. The HD8xx also has a huge soundstage, but its imaging is not as precise as the rest of the lineup. While the original HD800 could have sounded a bit too diffused, the 8xx takes it to a higher level. Surely an impressive-sounding headphone when it comes to its stage size, somewhat limited by its mediocre imaging.
We’re getting into some really good staging headphones. The HEDDphone has an amazing depth of the stage and its imaging is unique and very accurate, but its width is not as impressive. The Diana Phi on the other hand has no weak points, but it’s just not class-leading in any way. Both of these headphones are good in terms of staging, but it’s definitely not their strongest point.
Both the Elite and the 1000se are brilliant when it comes to their soundstage. The imaging is very accurate, the size of the stage impressive and the amount of air and separation is among the best on the market. The 1000se is a bit more open and vast sounding, while the Elite has an ability to create large instruments resulting in a more intimate approach. While they create a different type of experience, they are both excellent in staging capabilities.
First joint winners in the comparison. Both the Susvara and the D8000 Pro offer an amazing soundstage in every aspect. Perfect imaging, great separation, and natural size both in depth and in width. I can’t rate them 10 however, as I still feel there’s more possible in the soundstage category in headphones. I really hope there will be a headphone in the future that will get 10 points, but for now, 9 points is the meta.
Can’t wait for any updates that might follow.Dec 31, 2022 at 7:02 AM Post #68 of 95
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Updates are to be made, Rosson RAD-0 joins the article soonMay 27, 2023 at 12:11 PM Post #69 of 95
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Rosson RAD-0
Spirit Torino Pulsar
Also possible:
Dan Clark Audio Stealth
Erzetich Charybdis
ZMF CalderaMay 29, 2023 at 3:09 PM Post #70 of 95
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May 31, 2023 at 10:33 PM Post #71 of 95 Jun 1, 2023 at 6:46 AM Post #72 of 95
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The Charybdis should work, now trying to get the Caldera and the Stealth, this could work out!
I see the Stealth as a potential #1 spot after trying it, not gonna lieJun 26, 2023 at 5:38 AM Post #73 of 95
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Jun 26, 2023 at 7:21 AM Post #74 of 95 Users who are viewing this thread
