monkey4054
100+ Head-Fier
As part of my never-ending search for the best headphones for metal music listening, I thought I would share a tier list of headphones to help anyone out there who might be looking for their next pair to headbang to!
My list is only what I have owned or heard. I still need to hear the LCD-5, HE-6 and many others!
Fellow Metal-heads, please share your own list below!
Tier 1 (the BEST, regardless of price):
Tier 2 (very good, but not quite Tier 1 level performance):
Tier 3 (solid performance, entry-level):
Tier 4 (NOT recommended, particularly bad for Metal listening IMO):
My list is only what I have owned or heard. I still need to hear the LCD-5, HE-6 and many others!
Fellow Metal-heads, please share your own list below!
Tier 1 (the BEST, regardless of price):
- Fostex TH-900 - V-shaped tuning makes for a very fun and exciting listen. Incredible slam, impact, and dynamic ability. Near TOTL resolution and detail. Punches above its price point IMO. One of my personal favourites. Negatives: leaner and colder sounding than Final D8000, recessed mids.
- Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC - Slightly U-shaped tuning. Crisp, clear, detailed, punchy. TOTL resolution, bass slam/impact, very visceral. Downsides are cost, demand on source components, strange fit, and not super comfortable.
- Final Audio D8000 - Smooth, non-fatiguing, with very good slam and impact, excellent bass quality and quantity. Rich and meaty mids, unlike the TH-900. Has all of the qualities that are found in good planar headphones. However, detail and resolution could be better a bit for the price-point
- Final Audio D8000 Pro - Significantly improved resolution, technical abilities, detail (TOTL level) and tuning compared to the original D8000. However, bass quantity/slam/impact is worse. Needs a bass boost badly.
- Audeze LCD-4 with EQ only - TOTL technical ability, resolution, detail, and excellent bass impact/slam. Need to EQ the mid-range and a touch more bass quantity would be perfect. Very heavy, but still quite comfortable.
- Focal Utopia - Incredible speed, detail, and resolution, with the very best dynamic ability I have heard. But can be fatiguing on long listens for me and needs a bass boost)
Tier 2 (very good, but not quite Tier 1 level performance):
- HE-6SE - Best neutral/balanced sounding headphones for metal I've heard outside the Tier 1 headphones. Excellent bass slam/impact, but could use more bass quantity for my tastes. Superb planar qualities (imaging, separation, effortless detail) (Unfortunately have not tried an OG HE6, it's on my wishlist!)
- Fostex TH-600 - Almost as good as the 900 with a bit more mid-bass and less sub-bass compared to 900. Incredible value on the used market
- Hifiman Arya - Superb detail, speed, planar qualities, but unfortunately lacking in slam, bass quantity and dynamics. Excellent, but you can do better for metal music...
- Focal Clear - Similar overall to the Utopia but a notch down in resolution and detail, still a very good and solid upgrade from the HD-600 apparently.
- Fostex TH-909 - an open-back 900, less treble and sub-bass than 900. But still has good slam and dynamics and is almost as enjoyable as the 900. Redundant though if you already own the 900.
- Sennheiser HD800S - Surprisingly good with Metal considering how people had described it prior to hearing it for myself. Similar to the Focal Clear, but more detailed, with a much wider soundstage, and a bit more balanced tuning. Can't really go wrong with this, but it needs more bass impact and dynamics for my preferences. Great value with the right amp!
Tier 3 (solid performance, entry-level):
- Fostex TH-X00 - Superb value used, similar tunings to the TH-600 but lesser resolution and detail.
- Hifiman Sundara - Very good value, similar sound profile to Arya, but a few notches below in technical ability, resolution, and detail.
- ZMF Atticus - Warm, rich, smooth, lush sound. Not my preferred tuning, a bit too warm. Excellent, although quite bloated bass with strong slam/impact and dynamic qualities. The biggest drawback is it is severely lacking in technical ability, detail, and speed compared to others on this list. Unfortunately, it is the only ZMF model I have tried so far.
- Fostex TH-610 - Very decent sound overall, but lacking the magic of the 600 and 900 due to less bass and treble quantity. Has a more balanced and less V-shaped tuning. Good used buy.
- AKG K371 - Solid sound quality and a Harman target tuning. Can't really go wrong with it for the price. I would boost the bass up personally.
Tier 4 (NOT recommended, particularly bad for Metal listening IMO):
- Most Grado headphones - phenomenal, delicious, mid-range performance, no doubt. But lacking in comfort, build, bass impact and extension. Also, too bright and fatiguing for long listens (the ones I've heard anyway). Very polarising. I'm sure some of you like it with metal, but I don't. More of a classic rock/blues headphone to me.
- Most Audeze headphones without EQ - Excellent bass and usual planar qualities, but off sounding mid-range can sound hollow/honky and sometimes muddy without EQ
- Focal Stellia - perfect for most genres except Metal. Sounded both fatiguing and somehow boring/unconvincing with Metal. Might be source picky as well.
- Hifiman Susvara - TOTL technical ability and perfectly balanced tuning. A fantastic all-rounder for many genres, but a little boring and lacking in bass quantity and dynamics for metal music IMO. Not worth the price at all.
Last edited:
