[ADUHF]

I spent another evening at GC looking at the K371, K553, and all of there other HPs (I must be driving some of the guys that work there nuts with my obsessive analyzing of every last detail of their HPs and monitors ). And decided to pass on the K371.

The design of the K371 just doesn't look sturdy enough to endure the sort of beating I put onto my headphones on a regular basis. And they aren't as nice a fit on my big head as some other HPs. I am giving some serious thought though to getting another pair of the K553's, for use as a 2nd set of daily beaters with my 250-ohm DT-770's.

There are some things I don't like about the design of K553 as well. But I already know how to deal with most of the issues on them (after using a pair for 5 years). And they are quite comfortable for extended use, since they have almost no clamp, and large plush earpads. And they extend easily in both the bass and treble. And are not that far off a neutral tuning out of the box. So they require only some fairly minor EQ-ing here and there to get them tuned correctly.

The bass is also fairly solid for a low-end headphone, thanks to their sturdy construction (and a bit of rubber damping behind the drivers). The drivers always tend to have some imbalances though at different frequencies, which messes with the stereo imaging a bit. And they aren't quite as loud as the K371's, even though they're in the same impedance range.

I also made some templates so I could replace the earpads on my last set of K553's. And can make my own leather or cloth pads to replace the somewhat less durable stock pleather pads, since those tend to wear out pretty fast.

COMPARISON OF K371 & K553 RAW RESPONSE (with diffuse field curve in background):

WITH DIFFUSE FIELD COMPENSATION:

Both of these HPs have a somewhat noticeable dip at around 4 to 4.5k, which really shouldn't be there.

In case anyone's interested, I also posted some fairly extensive and in-depth thoughts on my last set of K553's in these two topics...

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/impressions-of-akg-k553.776393/
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/new...er-massdrop-deal.760386/page-41#post-16140521

 

[arielext]

I'm in the market for a good closed back. Prefer one with a good seal (no fostex, Denon, etc) suitable for larger heads (no DCA) and neutral to v shaped sound sig. Soundstage doesn't have to be killer but it can help
My shortlist:
- kennerton gjallarhorn/LSA hp-2
- focal Celestee
- beyerdynamic T5 (mixed feelings)

Am I missing any great contenders here? Audeze's are not my thing either

 

[GREQ]

@ADUHF - I actually picked up an older K551 about 2 months ago and I was a little surprised how well it stacked up against some of my favourite headphones.
Unfortunately due to the pandemic, I've been waiting over a month for a replacement set of pads to arrive in the post, so I've been using then with aftermarket Ori pads instead... which aren't horrible... but not perfect either.

The most noticeable thing is the lack of energy between 100-2000Hz... which makes it sound a bit more v-shaped and 'hollow' than stock... vocals and instruments don't sound as full-bodied as they should. (squeezing the pads against my head making them shallower like stock pads immediately remedies this).

Also that sub-bass boost on the graph doesn't translate to the listening experience... it sounds more neutral there than it looks.
The extension of both ends of the scale are exceptional for a headphone at this price point... I've seen measurements of headphones costing 5-10 times the price with treble that cliff-dives above 10kHz.

(Graph is measured with miniDSP EARS, so the usual dips around 4kHz are an artefact of this device and are not to be trusted.)

 

[AudioDuck]

I'm in the market for a good closed back. Prefer one with a good seal (no fostex, Denon, etc) suitable for larger heads (no DCA) and neutral to v shaped sound sig. Soundstage doesn't have to be killer but it can help
My shortlist:
- kennerton gjallarhorn/LSA hp-2
- focal Celestee
- beyerdynamic T5 (mixed feelings)

Am I missing any great contenders here? Audeze's are not my thing either

Given that you are looking at the Gjallarhorn/LSA HP-2, I will presume you wouldn’t mind the added bass the Focal Radiance would bring to the table… used they cost about the same as the Celestee.

Depending on your tuning preferences, they might be for you. Comfort level is very high, in my experience.

 

[arielext]

Given that you are looking at the Gjallarhorn/LSA HP-2, I will presume you wouldn’t mind the added bass the Focal Radiance would bring to the table… used they cost about the same as the Celestee.

Depending on your tuning preferences, they might be for you. Comfort level is very high, in my experience.

Price difference is quite steep between the Radiance and the hp-2. I'm leaning towards the hp-2 but yes, the radiance is a contender as well!

 

[llysender]

It's been some time since I've heard the AH-D5000; I have the AH-D2000, though. The difference between the 2 is the choice of cups; the bigger brother uses wood (obviously). The older Denon trio, including the legendary AH-D7000, is quite impressive from a tuning perspective. They're at once musical yet detailed enough to satisfy all but the most discerning of detail-heads.

It could just be the nostalgia speaking, but I really love the AH-D7000.

Oh yeah certainly, the D5000's V shape tuning is very tastefully done. I would agree that its very musical. I would say that the divisive point is that the imaging is thin and precise just the way I like them. Detail wise I would respectfully disagree. Its about equal to the R70X in terms of microdetail retrieval wise. I feel that its very respectable but anyone calling themselves a detailhead would find things like strings and vocal inflections and grain blury on the D5000.

That being said it seems that the D5000 is too reserved with the bass and wants a +6dB mid bass boost. Otherwise stock tuning wise its kind of lacking in that area. Interestingly though, even after boosting the midbass to satifying punch levels the bass is still very controlled unlike the EMU teak which is kind of bloated no matter how I eq. After getting the D5000 I feel that I should go down and demo the D5200 to see what did the current gen improve.

 

[arielext]

Price difference is quite steep between the Radiance and the hp-2. I'm leaning towards the hp-2 but yes, the radiance is a contender as well!

Hp-2 it is. Just ordered one.

 

[Terriero]

In case anyone is interested, I found an Hifiman HE-R10 (dynamic) in the classifieds. Shipps to anywhere.

 

[paradoxper]

Right off the bat you may add Rognir to the top closed.

 

[Sp12er3]

Been using the Z7 for a couple days now on first listen there's an immediate lack of detail compared to Z1R, shimmer are still there, it just feels more blunted up high, certainly doesn't reach up as high, bass has less punch doesn't reach as deep, the Bass is definitely the one characteristic of the Z1R that jumps at you in first listen to the end. Man surprisingly, I kinda missed Z1R's bass more than treble, and I here I thought I was a treble head!

But then I listened to it the morning after it and all feels normal again.
Yeah, honestly, if you're not a critical listener and just enjoy the music they definitely aren't that different, its just whether you want to get more or not. Z1R is a significant markup from the Z7, but if you can find a good deal on one, definitely snag them if you love your Z7.
I got mine at 900 usd in good condition.

 

[Terriero]

Right off the bat you may add Rognir to the top closed.

@Malevolent and myself... salivating...

 

[paradoxper]

@Malevolent and myself... salivating...

Ya'll seriously gonna love these. Either these or the R10P reign the closed. And I'm not too sure.

I got that SEG feelin'. Remarkably impressive.

 

[Terriero]

Ya'll seriously gonna love these. Either these or the R10P reign the closed. And I'm not too sure.

I got that SEG feelin'. Remarkably impressive.

We'll wait for your further impressions, take your time and, the most important thing, enjoy a lot

 

[paradoxper]

We'll wait for your further impressions, take your time and, the most important thing, enjoy a lot

I have to go slow. They're every bit as good as the TC.

 

[Terriero]

I have to go slow. They're every bit as good as the TC.

Interesting comparison due to the closed vs open thing... (and the money to save with the Rögnir )