The Closed-Back Headphone Thread (Plus Comparisons & Reviews)

[griff500]

If you can score the Elegia at its discounted price (less than $450), it's a great deal. Otherwise, at its MSRP, the LCD-2 Closed Back is the (much) better choice.

At their current price points, is the LCD-2 better to the extent that it's worth the additional cost?

 

[griff500]

The Focal Elegia seem like very good value at the current price. Thoughts on alternative closed-back headphones between £500 and £1,300?

 

[descloud]

The Focal Elegia seem like very good value at the current price. Thoughts on alternative closed-back headphones between £500 and £1,300?

If you're into bass, maybe something like the EMU Teak cans or Campfire Audio Cascade.

For more neutral sounding cans, I believe the DCA Aeon Flow 2 Closed could be a potential for you. You could also look into ZMF cans, but there's not a lot models in that space.

 

[veloaudio]

Speaking of the Focal Elegia, has anyone experimented with upgraded cables with the Elegia?

 

[Malevolent]

At their current price points, is the LCD-2 better to the extent that it's worth the additional cost?

The LCD-2 Closed Back has an MSRP of $900. The Elegia costs the same, with its initial price tag. Nevertheless, as the latter has been discontinued, retailers are liquidating their stock. Thus, you should be able to snag them at a price close to half of its original cost.

With that said, at stock MSRP, I'd wholeheartedly recommend the Audeze. It is a better headphone in most aspects. However, if you can score the Elegia at a heavily-discounted rate, it is worthy of your consideration. The Elegia is relatively clear, with decent technicalities, and a solid midrange. My biggest gripe with the Focal is its lack of a solid bass presence; this is easily resolved with an EQ, however. The Elegia is also better on the comfort front - most Audeze headphones score very poorly in this factor.

The Focal Elegia seem like very good value at the current price. Thoughts on alternative closed-back headphones between £500 and £1,300?

What are your sonic preferences? For example, do you prefer a balanced sound or a colored one? Your available budget takes you into the realm of the high-end, so it's important to tailor any recommendations to fit your tastes.

 

[griff500]

The LCD-2 Closed Back has an MSRP of $900. The Elegia costs the same, with its initial price tag. Nevertheless, as the latter has been discontinued, retailers are liquidating their stock. Thus, you should be able to snag them at a price close to half of its original cost.

With that said, at stock MSRP, I'd wholeheartedly recommend the Audeze. It is a better headphone in most aspects. However, if you can score the Elegia at a heavily-discounted rate, it is worthy of your consideration. The Elegia is relatively clear, with decent technicalities, and a solid midrange. My biggest gripe with the Focal is its lack of a solid bass presence; this is easily resolved with an EQ, however. The Elegia is also better on the comfort front - most Audeze headphones score very poorly in this factor.


What are your sonic preferences? For example, do you prefer a balanced sound or a colored one? Your available budget takes you into the realm of the high-end, so it's important to tailor any recommendations to fit your tastes.

The Elegia is attractive at it's current clearout price. The LDC-2 seems to be at a similar price level to the DCA Aeon 2 closed back headphones, so it's comparisons between those types of headphones at those sort of prices against a £500 Elegia. I do not mind spending more there is a significant benefit (I am aware of diminishing returns - I've bought the TT2/M-Scaler combo).

I listen to a wide variety of music but it will tend to be rock or electronic. Examples include Gary Numan's new stuff, Radiohead, Chris Cornell (acoustic and Soundgarden), Metallica, George Michael, Neil Young, Floyd, Depeche Mode, etc, etc.

I use ATC SCM40A speakers and like that type of presentation, if that helps.

Closed back at this time so I can listen when the TV is being used by my girlfriend. I'll probably look at open back headphones in the future.

 

[griff500]

If you're into bass, maybe something like the EMU Teak cans or Campfire Audio Cascade.

For more neutral sounding cans, I believe the DCA Aeon Flow 2 Closed could be a potential for you. You could also look into ZMF cans, but there's not a lot models in that space.

The Aeon Flow 2 are ones that seem to come up quite often in this sort of price bracket. I haven't really looked into ZMF.

 

[TSelanne]

An update to my original post here. Tldr: I selected the MKII's (w/Dekoni Fostex X00 sheepskin elite pads!) as my favorite out of all of these HP's listed below.


After considerable time and effort (and return shipping fees haha), I've selected the Fostex MKII w/Dekoni pads as my closed-back for home use. In the end, it came down to a head-to-head battle between these and Denon d9200's. The MKII's won out.... but just barely. The d9200's are a great HP too. However I had to choose one. I should mention, there's no way I would've chosen the MKII's with the stock pads... they are terrible.

I feel it's worth noting, I'm very surprised that after going through all of these HP's - a lengthy process which first entailed reading multiple online reviews, then buying, personally testing and listening to each one, then returning those I didn't like - I never did find exactly what I was looking for. I had three main criteria (as I'm sure we all do with closed-backs): isolation, comfort, and, of course, sound. Not one of these hit all three. Not one! That was surprising to me. So after all this work, I'm still left feeling a little disappointed. That said, my ears do enjoy the MKII's sound the best out of all of these, so I feel good about that.

If I could build a HP, I'd combine the MKII with the Dan Clark (Mr.Speakers) Ether C Flow 1.1. The comfort and isolation on the Ethers was wonderful. I ranked them #1 in those two categories vs all of the HP's I tried (they were tied #1 with Focal Stellia for isolation). However, since sound trumps all, I went with the Fostex.

In fact, I tried switching the Ether pads over to both the d9200's and the MKII's. I also bought about 10 different pads to try for both of these HP's as well. That was an effort all in itself! In the end, stock pads on the d9200 are the best for that HP, and Dekoni Fostex X00 sheepskin elite are best on the MKII's. The stock pads on the MKII's should be ashamed of themselves.

Here is the complete list, sorted by price, of all the ones I tried. While I did take notes on each one, writing my own reviews and posting here would take forever. Since I'm a newb reviewer, and there's tons of other reviews on all these out on the interwebz, I'm going to skip that part.

(on a side note, have you ever noticed the sometimes really hard-to-understand language used in HP reviews? For the most part, reviews can be incredibly helpful. However, from time-to-time, I'd read a review with language that just made me say, What does that mean!? Case in point, I came across this phrase a few weeks back and had a good chuckle, "polite transients along with soft and not too distinct microdynamics". Maybe you guys know what that means, but I sure as hell don't! )


Sony MDR7506
Audio-Technica M50x
Sennheiser HD 569
Audio-Technica MSR7
Audio-Technica MSR7b
Audio-Technica M70X
Audio-Technica SR9
Focal Elegia
Ultrasone Signature DXP
Audio-Technica ATH-WP900
Beyerdynamic T5p 2nd Gen
Denon AH-d7200
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2
AUDEZE LCD-XC
Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti
Denon AH-d9200
Mr.Speakers Ether C Flow 1.1
Fostex TH-900mk2 Premium --- WINNER
Sony MDR-Z1R
Audio-Technica ATH-AWKT Kokutan
Focal Stellia

So, FWIW to anyone reading this, that's where I landed. Hopefully this might help someone else. This is really a great place, I've learned a lot from reading all these posts and reviews. Thanks to all of you who unknowingly contributed to my deep-dive into the world of closed-backs.

Next up on task-list is trying balanced cables. Then maybe dac/amps.

 

[bythebookiii]

An update to my original post here. Tldr: I selected the MKII's (w/Dekoni Fostex X00 sheepskin elite pads!) as my favorite out of all of these HP's listed below.


After considerable time and effort (and return shipping fees haha), I've selected the Fostex MKII w/Dekoni pads as my closed-back for home use. In the end, it came down to a head-to-head battle between these and Denon d9200's. The MKII's won out.... but just barely. The d9200's are a great HP too. However I had to choose one. I should mention, there's no way I would've chosen the MKII's with the stock pads... they are terrible.

I feel it's worth noting, I'm very surprised that after going through all of these HP's - a lengthy process which first entailed reading multiple online reviews, then buying, personally testing and listening to each one, then returning those I didn't like - I never did find exactly what I was looking for. I had three main criteria (as I'm sure we all do with closed-backs): isolation, comfort, and, of course, sound. Not one of these hit all three. Not one! That was surprising to me. So after all this work, I'm still left feeling a little disappointed. That said, my ears do enjoy the MKII's sound the best out of all of these, so I feel good about that.

If I could build a HP, I'd combine the MKII with the Dan Clark (Mr.Speakers) Ether C Flow 1.1. The comfort and isolation on the Ethers was wonderful. I ranked them #1 in those two categories vs all of the HP's I tried (they were tied #1 with Focal Stellia for isolation). However, since sound trumps all, I went with the Fostex.

In fact, I tried switching the Ether pads over to both the d9200's and the MKII's. I also bought about 10 different pads to try for both of these HP's as well. That was an effort all in itself! In the end, stock pads on the d9200 are the best for that HP, and Dekoni Fostex X00 sheepskin elite are best on the MKII's. The stock pads on the MKII's should be ashamed of themselves.

Here is the complete list, sorted by price, of all the ones I tried. While I did take notes on each one, writing my own reviews and posting here would take forever. Since I'm a newb reviewer, and there's tons of other reviews on all these out on the interwebz, I'm going to skip that part.

(on a side note, have you ever noticed the sometimes really hard-to-understand language used in HP reviews? For the most part, reviews can be incredibly helpful. However, from time-to-time, I'd read a review with language that just made me say, What does that mean!? Case in point, I came across this phrase a few weeks back and had a good chuckle, "polite transients along with soft and not too distinct microdynamics". Maybe you guys know what that means, but I sure as hell don't! )


Sony MDR7506
Audio-Technica M50x
Sennheiser HD 569
Audio-Technica MSR7
Audio-Technica MSR7b
Audio-Technica M70X
Audio-Technica SR9
Focal Elegia
Ultrasone Signature DXP
Audio-Technica ATH-WP900
Beyerdynamic T5p 2nd Gen
Denon AH-d7200
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2
AUDEZE LCD-XC
Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti
Denon AH-d9200
Mr.Speakers Ether C Flow 1.1
Fostex TH-900mk2 Premium --- WINNER
Sony MDR-Z1R
Audio-Technica ATH-AWKT Kokutan
Focal Stellia

So, FWIW to anyone reading this, that's where I landed. Hopefully this might help someone else. This is really a great place, I've learned a lot from reading all these posts and reviews. Thanks to all of you who unknowingly contributed to my deep-dive into the world of closed-backs.

Next up on task-list is trying balanced cables. Then maybe dac/amps.

Impressive journey. Any thoughts on why the Z1R was out of the table?

 

[Terriero]

Impressive journey. Any thoughts on why the Z1R was out of the table?

Yes, maybe @TSelanne could put just a sentence about why he discarded each headphone... Would be a lot appreciated.

 

[Nostoi]

Couple of updates to my Veritie Closed experience after some pad/cable rolling. I tried a bunch of pads from ZMF, some brief impressions:

1. Auteur: excellent soundstage with a very natural frequency response. Tremendously open sounding. My only quibble was a little too much bloat in the mid-bass.
2. Veritie: flattens the curve, if I may use a topical phrase, but renders the VC almost too flat for my liking. The sub-bass slam feels a little dampened.
3. Veirite BE-2: *really nice.* Nice crispy top end, sub-bass accent is retained, mid-bass/low-mid forwardness is more linear than Auteur, which to my ears, makes the overall frequency immensely pleasing. If there is a difference in terms of the openness between these and the Auteur pads, then it's minimal. Absolutely, my preferred choice.
4. Universe: I have them but didn't try, as they're even warmer than Auteur.

I also received a Plussound SX8 cable in silver-plated copper (alongside an SX8 interconnect) but in their new rhodium plated 4.4mm termination. Really nice quality with excellent premium presentation. Feels like it introduces a little more airiness into the VC, sharpens the resolution, and improves detail retrieval. Tonally, feels spot on. I'm impressed with how they now run in balanced mode from my Lotoo Paw 6000 and BX2 Plus. Really nice synergy! Lot of punch and detail in the sub-bass.

All in all, these changes made the Veritie Closed as perfect a pair of closed-back pair of headphones as it gets.

 

[Malevolent]

I

The Elegia is attractive at it's current clearout price. The LDC-2 seems to be at a similar price level to the DCA Aeon 2 closed back headphones, so it's comparisons between those types of headphones at those sort of prices against a £500 Elegia. I do not mind spending more there is a significant benefit (I am aware of diminishing returns - I've bought the TT2/M-Scaler combo).

I listen to a wide variety of music but it will tend to be rock or electronic. Examples include Gary Numan's new stuff, Radiohead, Chris Cornell (acoustic and Soundgarden), Metallica, George Michael, Neil Young, Floyd, Depeche Mode, etc, etc.

I use ATC SCM40A speakers and like that type of presentation, if that helps.

Closed back at this time so I can listen when the TV is being used by my girlfriend. I'll probably look at open back headphones in the future.

The AEON 2 Closed is a strong contemporary to the LCD-2 Closed Back. These headphones have a few similarities, but also, thanks to markedly-different tuning decisions, also sound quite distinct from each other.

The LCD-2 Closed Back has a leaner sound throughout, with a lighter presence in its lows through its mids. Bass is sculpted, with a snappier presentation, coupled with tight, fast beats. The Dan Clark headphone, on the other hand, has a warmer, fuller tonality. In contrast with its Audeze rival, the AEON 2 Closed has a more intimate sound; there is a touch more mid-bass, resulting in greater impact. If the LCD-2 Closed Back is light and swift on its feet, the AEON 2 Closed struggles to keep up, but makes its presence felt that little bit more with each step forward.

To be honest, if budget isn't a major concern for you, I'd rank the options in the following manner -

1) Audeze LCD-2 Closed Back
2) Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Closed (just a smidgen behind)
3) Focal Elegia

The only reason to consider the Focal is its price. Otherwise, go for either of the top 2 headphones. They offer a more compelling and engaging sound.

 

[Malevolent]

An update to my original post here. Tldr: I selected the MKII's (w/Dekoni Fostex X00 sheepskin elite pads!) as my favorite out of all of these HP's listed below.


After considerable time and effort (and return shipping fees haha), I've selected the Fostex MKII w/Dekoni pads as my closed-back for home use. In the end, it came down to a head-to-head battle between these and Denon d9200's. The MKII's won out.... but just barely. The d9200's are a great HP too. However I had to choose one. I should mention, there's no way I would've chosen the MKII's with the stock pads... they are terrible.

I feel it's worth noting, I'm very surprised that after going through all of these HP's - a lengthy process which first entailed reading multiple online reviews, then buying, personally testing and listening to each one, then returning those I didn't like - I never did find exactly what I was looking for. I had three main criteria (as I'm sure we all do with closed-backs): isolation, comfort, and, of course, sound. Not one of these hit all three. Not one! That was surprising to me. So after all this work, I'm still left feeling a little disappointed. That said, my ears do enjoy the MKII's sound the best out of all of these, so I feel good about that.

If I could build a HP, I'd combine the MKII with the Dan Clark (Mr.Speakers) Ether C Flow 1.1. The comfort and isolation on the Ethers was wonderful. I ranked them #1 in those two categories vs all of the HP's I tried (they were tied #1 with Focal Stellia for isolation). However, since sound trumps all, I went with the Fostex.

In fact, I tried switching the Ether pads over to both the d9200's and the MKII's. I also bought about 10 different pads to try for both of these HP's as well. That was an effort all in itself! In the end, stock pads on the d9200 are the best for that HP, and Dekoni Fostex X00 sheepskin elite are best on the MKII's. The stock pads on the MKII's should be ashamed of themselves.

While I can't say that I'm in complete agreement with your final choice (I prefer the AH-D9200 myself), I can't say that I'm at all surprised that you'd arrive at this conclusion. Audio is a highly-subjective hobby, with myriad factors coming into play.

Personally, I didn't dislike the stock pads on the TH900 Mk2; however, after switching to a pair of Yaxi, I found the comfort on the latter a touch greater than the original option. Moreover, I have a moderately better seal with the Yaxi, so bass is a little less boomy, and lot tighter with them around.

Here is the complete list, sorted by price, of all the ones I tried. While I did take notes on each one, writing my own reviews and posting here would take forever. Since I'm a newb reviewer, and there's tons of other reviews on all these out on the interwebz, I'm going to skip that part.

(on a side note, have you ever noticed the sometimes really hard-to-understand language used in HP reviews? For the most part, reviews can be incredibly helpful. However, from time-to-time, I'd read a review with language that just made me say, What does that mean!? Case in point, I came across this phrase a few weeks back and had a good chuckle, "polite transients along with soft and not too distinct microdynamics". Maybe you guys know what that means, but I sure as hell don't! )

Shucks, I hope that I'm not one of them. I try to keep my reviews and opinions as accessible as I can. Even though I understand the lingo, but I think that it's in everyone's best interest if we keep things simple and uncluttered.

Sony MDR7506
Audio-Technica M50x
Sennheiser HD 569
Audio-Technica MSR7
Audio-Technica MSR7b
Audio-Technica M70X
Audio-Technica SR9
Focal Elegia
Ultrasone Signature DXP
Audio-Technica ATH-WP900
Beyerdynamic T5p 2nd Gen
Denon AH-d7200
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2
AUDEZE LCD-XC
Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti
Denon AH-d9200
Mr.Speakers Ether C Flow 1.1
Fostex TH-900mk2 Premium --- WINNER
Sony MDR-Z1R
Audio-Technica ATH-AWKT Kokutan
Focal Stellia

So, FWIW to anyone reading this, that's where I landed. Hopefully this might help someone else. This is really a great place, I've learned a lot from reading all these posts and reviews. Thanks to all of you who unknowingly contributed to my deep-dive into the world of closed-backs.

Next up on task-list is trying balanced cables. Then maybe dac/amps.

Like @Terriero and @bythebookiii mentioned, it would be nice if you could include a short line or 2 with some of these headphones, explaining what you like or do not like about them. It would be interesting to read your thoughts on these cans.

 

[Malevolent]

Couple of updates to my Veritie Closed experience after some pad/cable rolling. I tried a bunch of pads from ZMF, some brief impressions:

1. Auteur: excellent soundstage with a very natural frequency response. Tremendously open sounding. My only quibble was a little too much bloat in the mid-bass.
2. Veritie: flattens the curve, if I may use a topical phrase, but renders the VC almost too flat for my liking. The sub-bass slam feels a little dampened.
3. Veirite BE-2: *really nice.* Nice crispy top end, sub-bass accent is retained, mid-bass/low-mid forwardness is more linear than Auteur, which to my ears, makes the overall frequency immensely pleasing. If there is a difference in terms of the openness between these and the Auteur pads, then it's minimal. Absolutely, my preferred choice.
4. Universe: I have them but didn't try, as they're even warmer than Auteur.

I also received a Plussound SX8 cable in silver-plated copper (alongside an SX8 interconnect) but in their new rhodium plated 4.4mm termination. Really nice quality with excellent premium presentation. Feels like it introduces a little more airiness into the VC, sharpens the resolution, and improves detail retrieval. Tonally, feels spot on. I'm impressed with how they now run in balanced mode from my Lotoo Paw 6000 and BX2 Plus. Really nice synergy! Lot of punch and detail in the sub-bass.

All in all, these changes made the Veritie Closed as perfect a pair of closed-back pair of headphones as it gets.

The Vérité BE-2 sounds like the perfect tool to take the Vérité Closed to the summit. How much did they cost?

 

[Nostoi]

The Vérité BE-2 sounds like the perfect tool to take the Vérité Closed to the summit. How much did they cost?

I really recommend the BE-2 pads. I thought that I'd be opting for the Vérité pads, but there's some kind of magic in the BE-2, which sounds excellent. Bass is super satisfying and the treble also seems more airy. They're about $70 each. I also bought the co-pilot pad, which I will try at some point. I find the VC perfectly comfortable, but I'm curious to try it.

BTW: took two days from Chicago to Vienna via Fed-Ex - impressive!