TL,DR: I personally tested a lot of closed-back HP’s and eventually chose the Fostex MKII’s with Dekoni ear pads.
I’m finally getting a chance to share my notes with y'all, from when I tried a bunch of different closed-back HP's about 2 months ago. I'll apologize in advance.... these reviews aren't going to be anything like Malevolent's reviews (and/or other ppl’s around here). I’m both too much of a newb, and a “basic” music listener. Meaning, I’m playing tracks directly from a CD, or 320kbps mp3’s, or from Spotify Premium. Both through my phone and computer, but mainly computer. So obviously, for those with dac/amp setup, my impressions may be completely different than yours….. but I suppose that’d be the case anyway. Such is the subjectivity of music!
When I set out on my adventure, I was cheap. I figured I could easily find a pair of good quality HP’s that cost less than $500. Well that and I knew I’d have a tough time explaining to my wife that we could drop all kinds of money on HPs. Yeah….. I was very newbish! I’ve learned a lot since then haha. So…. not knowing what I didn’t know, I ordered and tried these (sorted by price not order date):
Sony MDR7506 $89.99
Audio-Technica M50x $149.00
Sennheiser HD 569 $149.95
Audio-Technica MSR7 $199.99
Audio-Technica MSR7b $249.00
Audio-Technica M70X $295.00
Audio-Technica SR9 $299.95
Focal Elegia $399.00
After the experience of trying all of these, it was pretty clear I wasn’t going to find the sound I wanted in that price range. So I said to myself, “hell with my budget, and my marriage be damned! I’m going to try these expensive HP’s and see if there’s really a difference.” So, in secret, and to the delight of my credit card company, I started ordering the more expensive pairs.
Simultaneously, while I waited for the expensive HP’s to arrive, I kept comparing a few HP’s on the above list. I liked the MSR7B’s the best, so
I spent a decent amount of time modifying them, and got them sounding pretty darn nice for just over $300. (I must have tried every single ear pad I could find on Amazon for them, along with
@tolis626's mod). Thus, many of my initial comparisons of the higher-priced HP’s were against these modded msr7b’s. Once I got the harsh treble toned down on the msr7b’s, they hung in there like a champ with many of the high-end HP’s.
The first three higher-priced HP’s I ordered were the Denon d7200, d9200, and Focal Stelia. Out of those three, I instantly loved the d9200 and Stellia. From that point forward, every HP I tried after that was a comparison against those two (and to some extent, the MSR7b’s as I considered keeping those as a value-play).
Point is, the large majority of my review process was relative to these two HP’s, not necessarily a stand-alone review – if that makes sense. The minority of my review process was simply having three, four, or five pairs on my desk at once and swapping back ‘n forth between them all when listening to tracks that did a good job highlighting certain musical qualities. Some HP’s I tried were reviewed super quick; I had them on my ears for less than 10 minutes. Sometimes you just know immediately they’re not going to work. Others I spent a very very long time comparing….. more later on that.
I looked for three things: comfort, isolation, and, of course, sound. Price is always a consideration, but I didn’t let it drive the decision too much.
These notes are sorted by price (not order date), with my three favorites at the end:
Focal Elegia $399.00
Very comfortable – this and Stellia are two of the most comfortable HP’s on this list. The pads are nice and soft, although the clamp is a little strong. Isolation is great. I didn't really like the sound…. The mids are too pronounced, there’s not enough treble, and bass was weird… like it was hitting in the wrong places. Maybe not enough low bass and a lot of mid/high bass? Not sure, but the overall sound didn’t sit well with me.
Ultrasone Signature DXP $599.99
Quite uncomfortable, hard pads and not deep enough, too much clamp. Sound was pretty good… a little ‘thin’ sounding, and not as full or robust as the msr7b. Not sure on isolation but wouldn’t keep anyway due to lack of comfort.
Audio-Technica ATH-WP900 $650.00
Comfort pretty good, but ear cups are too shallow. There’s not much isolation. Sound is ok, but the balance seems off to me. The mids and treble are clear sounding and definitely there. The bass is a little heavy for me. Something about the overall sound isn’t working for me. I prefer the modded Msr7b’s over these.
Beyerdynamic T5p 2nd Gen $750.00
Ear cups are too small; it’s really a struggle to get them on, and once on, ears are squashed in. Clamp is pretty strong too. Didn’t bother checking isolation.
Sound is very heavy in the bass, with little mids, and not much for highs either. Very plodding, muddy, echoey, and lacking accuracy. Sound is accentuated in a certain frequency that dominates the rest of the sound (low mids? or high lows?). Sounds better w/EDM actually (I guess not surprising w all the bass), but pretty terrible for rock & metal. Even if I liked the sound, I couldn't keep these on my ears for any sustainable period of time. Edit: I did try two additional pads for these. While both were more comfortable, similar traits in the sound still persist; they’re a solid NO.
Denon AH-d7200 $799.99
Ear cups are nice, but just slightly shallow for my ears – very similar in this respect to the d9200’s. The headband is weird… it feels soft to the touch, but it’s not comfortable once on my head…. Feels stiff. Very poor isolation.
Sound is strongest in the mids. The highs are there but not as pronounced… same with the bass. Compared with the d9200, not as bright or smooth, and lack in fullness and capabilities in many areas. I’d seen a lot of love for these in the forums, so going in, I thought these might be the winner. It took a very short time to realize these don’t hold a candle to the d9200’s…. not even close. 9200 is by far the clear winner here.
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 $899.00
These are very comfortable. They are also very lightweight, and have interesting V-shaped ear cups, which are the deepest (along w LCD-XC) on this list. Also very little clamp, which is great. The headband is a little weird at first and takes some getting used to..... it's more noticeable than the d9200 and/or ath-ap2000ti. But now that I’ve had them on for a while I don’t notice it. These are arguably the most comfortable on this list. Isolation is either on par with, or 2nd to, the Stellia – so the best out of all of these.
The sound is very good, one of the best on this list. Highs are very pronounced, and in a good way, they are smoother than than the modded msr7b. Mids are nicely present as well, as are the lows. At first listen, I thought they might be as good as the d9200. They are close..... I swapped back and forth with these for many an hour….. but d9200 still wins out. These have just slightly less body and fullness in the overall sound compared to the d9200's. While they’re definitely smoother than the modded msr7b's, they’re not as smooth as the d9200's. I really like the overall sound signature, and if I didn't have the d9200's to compare against, these would likely be the top contender. One major problem however..... they are SUPER quiet. With my computer volume at 100, they are the same as the msr7b's and d9200's at 40. I don't get that as the impedance is only 13....? Edit: it's the low sensitivity. I’d have to use an amp. I’d strongly consider these with an amp setup.
AUDEZE LCD-XC $1,249.00
Wow are these heavy! Like a brick on my head. A super comfortable brick…. The pads are very deep and thick; the deepest cups so far on the list (along w AEON2) and the headband is soft, so besides the weight they're great. But these are waaay too heavy! I can't wear these for more than a few minutes and it becomes fatiguing. The clamp is above average force too, so not great.
Sound-wise, I like them, they are really good. Quite different than the Stellia..... less body / fullness that comes across "thinner". Bass is super accurate and punchy, I like it a lot. The mids and highs come across very clear and precise as well. Neither are harsh, both very smooth. It's a nice and bright-sounding HP, which I like a lot. However there's something missing about the overall sound.... it's more "thin", and seems to lack the body / depth / fullness that the d9200 and Stellia have..... like it's a bit recessed, as if it's coming from behind something or from farther away. Not exactly sure, but d9200 and Stellia still win out….. and the weight makes them a clear no.
Audio-Technica ATH-AP2000Ti $1,250.00
These are very comfortable. Very close to feeling like the d9200…. Lightweight, ear cups depth seems identical to d9200, not too much clamp, and headband is barely noticeable.
The sound is very good too. Highs are very pronounced, and in a good way, they are similar in smoothness to the d9200. The mids are definitely present as well, but not overly so, nice and balanced. The lows are lacking a bit. I mean they are there, but there is a 'fullness' that's missing when you compare against the d9200, Stellia, and even the modded msr7b's. Maybe that's the upper lows that's missing a bit? The overall sound is also just a little thin when compared to those three..... not quite as much 'body'. Overall a really nice HP, but for the money, I'd rather pay up for the d9200, or even go with the modded msr7b as a value play, as I’d probably take the modded msr7b’s over these considering they’re almost $1000 less.
Mr.Speakers Ether C Flow 1.1 $1,599.00
They are very comfortable… quite possibly the most comfortable of all that I’ve tried on this list. The pads fit me perfectly; my ears don’t touch the insides and there’s enough room behind my ears as well. The headband is like the Aeon2…. A little strange at first, but after a while you don’t even notice they’re on your head; they feel very light. Isolation is on par w/Stellia (or better?), so best out of all of these. Very pleased with the comfort and isolation, best pairing of these two main attributes so far.
After about 30hrs of burn-in…. First thing I notice is these have a different overall balance. While nothing is over-the-top or missing, it's more pronounced in the mids and highs compared to the others. Trebles are bright (and if too much, have attenuation pads to calm 'em down). I'd probably keep as-is though, it's not harsh or overbearing, it sounds great actually....it's probably a touch less than the MKII's which is great. When compared vs the Stellia, d9200, MKII's, the bass is quite a bit less present (even the least-bass of the three, the d9200, has more bass than this). It's not that it doesn't have bass, it's just much less forward compared to the others. It’s like the mids and highs are right in front of you, but the bass is coming from behind a blanket. That said, it’s very tight and punctual bass. The overall sound of these is really good. They are very precise - Rush sounds great with them. Depending on the music, I'm going back and forth as to whether I prefer these over the d9200 and/or MKII's..... the latter two have more noticeable personality / atmosphere / fullness to them.... the Stellia having the most of these of course.... the Ether C’s have the least of the four. The low sensitivity (hence having to crank the volume) is a no-go for me regardless..... but if I were to ever get an amp/dac, these might be the ones to get. The comfort and isolation is fantastic. Note: I tried these pads on the d9200 and MKII’s…. but unfortunately they changed the sound too much on both to be considered.
Sony MDR-Z1R $1,699.00
These are very comfortable. Probably second to the Ether C’s. The pads are spacious and big, my ears don’t press anywhere they shouldn’t, and the headband is comfortable. They’re a little heavier than the Ether C’s and Aeon2’s. I can’t remember the clamp, so it was probably pretty comfortable. I didn’t bother testing the isolation.
Wow, A LOT of bass. It's really nice bass..… very crisp and clear, very hard hitting and detailed. Problem is for me, is that the bass dominates the rest of the sound. It has nice highs, which aren't overbearing or harsh, and sound good. It's quite devoid of mids. For a bass-head, these would be great. Not so great for my ears. MKII’s and d9200’s have much more balanced frequency pairings. Even against the Stellia, which has very pronounced bass, these are even more bass-heavy.
Audio-Technica ATH-AWKT Kokutan $1,899.99
I can't believe how uncomfortable these are. For a 1900 dollar pair of HP's you'd think they'd put something together that's at least somewhat comfortable. I've had them on my head for all of 5 mins and I can barely stand it. The pads are shallow, and not very soft. The tops of the cups press pretty hard right into my temples. These would probably fit better on someone with a big head.... because my head is on the smaller side, I can't rotate the tops of the cups outward (if that makes sense).... so the pressure is against my head above my ears, with less pressure beneath my ears. I didn’t bother testing isolation.
OK, onto sound..... if I wasn't so distracted by the annoying lack of comfort, I'd think these sound pretty good. I've returned almost all other headphones at this point, so only comparing against the Stellia and d9200. The most noticeable is the treble (or high mids.... not quite sure which frequency but it's around there somewhere). It is quite forward.... probably the most pronounced out of all of these high-end HP's. It's even a little overbearing at times..... and I like a bright HP. When I turn up the volume, the highs are almost too much and I have to turn it back down. Snare drums even have a different sound vs other HP's.... I think that's the "timbre"(?).... it's definitely on the high end. The overall sound really comes through in the highs and upper mids. The lower end of the mids down to the bass is a little recessed. It's like the upper region of the sound is in your face, but the lower regions are at the back of the room (or under a blanket). The bass accuracy and tightness are there, however just muted. When I switch back to the d9200, I feel like the d9200 is full of bass (it's not, but the transition makes it seems that way of course). With EDM, these sound pretty good as the (usually) bass-heavy nature of EDM makes up for the AWKT's shortcomings there, and the more pronounced highs and mids come through nice and strong. In the end, and even though I like bright HP's, these are too much tilted towards those frequencies and definitely nowhere near comfortable enough for any amount of money – I wouldn’t keep these even if they cost $18.99.
And…… my two favorites the whole way along:
Denon AH-d9200 $1,599.00
Comfort is pretty good. I wish I could say they’re great, as the ear pads are soft and comfortable, however I wish the ear cups were a little deeper, as my ears touch the insides. After a couple hours, my ears were pretty tired; at one point after a multi-hour listening session, they were actually still hurting a few hours later. That said, the headband is soft and forgiving, I never noticed it was there after a while. They’re also nice and lightweight. Isolation is quite poor…. There’s not much at all…. Disappointing. Edit, I tried deeper ear cups – about 6 different kinds (view the ear pads tab). While most I tried were very comfortable, they changed the sound too much for the worse. The sound lost some (and in other cases a lot) of its accuracy and pronunciation, and in some cases became more muffled and boomy. Again, these were mostly just slight differences, but noticeable enough to keep stock pads on. UPDATE: I tried the Fostex Dekoni sheepskin elite pads; these were the best for comfort, and the change in sound was super slight…. On many tracks almost unnoticeable…..but they lowered the mid-frequencies just enough to not want to keep them.
With stock pads: sound on these is fantastic. Full bodied without being boomy, and complete across the spectrum without being overbearing. The highs are superb, and while they’re bright, they’re not at all harsh or sibilant; just perfect and so smooth. Mids are forward, but not too much so. I hear a lot of sounds in the mids on these HP’s that I don’t hear on others. Bass is very much there, very present, accurate, and tight, but again, without being over-bearing, boomy, or simply ‘too much’. Everything comes across as very balanced to my ears. The overall sound is perfectly full with body and great energy….nothing is thin, light, or uneven. The only time they can sound thin is when I compare them directly with the Stelia (which is the fullest-sounding HP on this list). When comparing against others that are pretty well pronounced across all frequencies, these are noticeably smoother. Not sure how else to describe it…..but none of the frequencies jump out at you, however they’re all represented well and, well, smooth!
Focal Stellia $2,999.00
Comfort on these is very good. The ear pads are very comfy, and decently roomy. The clamp is a bit excessive.... maybe could stretch out a bit if I purchased them? The headband is soft and comfy as well. Isolation is the best so far out of all the HPs I've tried. Edit: about the same as the two Dan Clark HP’s.
The sound on these is pretty amazing. They do sound quite different vs all the other pairs of HP’s I’ve tried, and for the most part, in a very good way. The overall sound really hits you head-on at first listen, with incredible presence and full-bodied, yet still incredibly detailed. The bass is accurate and very present; almost to the point of being bass-heavy. I noticed the bass right away, it stands out the most I think. However it’s different than other bass-heavy HP’s….. whereas others can sound off-balance, these are still complete and detailed. The mids are also very clear, accentuated, accurate and present, but not too much or overbearing. The highs are definitely there, clear and precise and very high quality, but they are less prominent than the bass…..like the highs are turned down just a notch whereas the lower frequencies are turned up a notch. This makes them less bright-sounding than the d9200’s….. and I prefer the d9200’s brightness. The sound is tilted more towards the bass and equally tilted away from the treble. If it were reverse, I'd probably figure out a way to keep these. Overall, these have a certain fullness to them…… lots of body…… more than any other pair on this list. This quality makes them absolutely amazing for EDM and classical. The sound is so incredibly detailed, descriptive, accentuated, etc... piano concertos were my favorite to listen to with this HP. If my primary listening genres were these two, I’d have find a way to come up with the extra $$.... they are the clear winner in these genres. No other HP on this list sounded better to my ears in these two musical genres. However, when listening to metal and some hard rock, this fullness and body come across a little echoey and even slightly boomy….. and thus takes a backseat to the balance and tightness of the d9200’s, as I listen to hard rock and metal more than anything.
Whew! So, after all that, I had pretty much made up my mind on choosing the d9200…..
but wait, there’s more!
Thanks to these Head-Fi threads, the Fostex TH900-MKII came up as another one to try. Well, what the hell, what’s one more after all these, I’ll try it. I was fully expecting it to solidify my choice in d9200. And with the stock pads, it very well would have.
Fostex TH-900mk2 Premium $1,599.00
These ear pads are ok to good at best….. not really that comfortable. The pads are too wide and not deep enough, my ears touch the insides. However I like the headband, it’s soft and barely noticeable. They are also lightweight which is nice. Since I have a ton of other ear pads floating around, I will try them. Edit: after trying a bunch of different pads, the Fostex TH-X00 Series Dekoni sheepskin elite pads fit very nice, and sound great. The pads are soft, and deep. If I’m being really picky, they’re just slightly too small….. enough to notice but (hopefully) not enough to make it an issue. Isolation on these really sucks; they’re barely closed-back in this respect… very disappointing. Hard to even call them closed-back….more like ‘semi-closed’ and/or ‘semi-open’.
Sound-wise: I liked the sound with the stock pads, but the Dekoni pads change these ever-so-slightly for the better. This was a nice surprise, as pretty much every non-stock ear pad I’ve tested changes the stock HP sound for the worse, not better. At this point, I can’t believe how close to the d9200’s these sound. Everything I wrote for the d9200 applies to these HP’s with these Dekoni pads, and more:
After only a few tracks w/the new pads, it’s clear that these sound fantastic. So many of the reviews I read said these HP’s are super bass-heavy, bass dominates the sound, very big V-shaped sound, too-bright treble…… so I was expecting them to have these qualities …. but instead I'm surprised at the wonderful balance between the bass, mids, and highs (of course I understand I’m using different pads, so these reviews aren’t apples-to-apples). Unlike a lot of other HP’s on this list, none of the frequencies seem to dominate….. to my ear they’re blended together very well that make for a really enjoyable listening experience…. very much like the d9200’s. The highs are slightly more pronounced and forward than the d9200's….. and similar to the d9200’s, not sibilant or harsh in any way. This brightness is very smooth, articulate, and clear. I am surprised by this, and I love it. Again, going back to some online reviews that claim otherwise, I’ve tried these with some pretty bright/trebly songs, and these hold the line well to not be harsh. Case in point, those same songs with the modded msr7b’s – and some other high-end HP’s – were a tough listen. The bass is strong, pronounced, and accurate, very similar in effect to the d9200’s…… yet slightly more pronounced and full than the d9200. The mids were also a nice surprise. After reading how “V-shaped” these are, I was expecting very little for the mids…..more similar in signature to the Sony MDR-Z1R. However the mids are definitely there. Not quite as forward as the d9200, but very very similar. In fact, there were many tracks where I had to really strain to hear the difference in mids between the two. Combined with the bass and treble, it’s certainly mixed and blended together very well. Nothing feels missing – quite the opposite in fact – the entire sound hits my ears in all the right places; everything is placed where it should be.
At this point, I’ve spent hours and hours listening to only these two. Primarily in the hard rock & metal, classic rock, EDM, and classical genres…… switching back & forth for entire albums, individual tracks, and often just certain riffs or bars that I really like. In the end, there was just a little something extra that the MKII’s have that won me over…. a true “athlete” quality if you will…. I’d describe it as having a tad bit more in overall personality vs the d9200’s. The slight additional comfort with the Dekoni pads was nice too. Throughout almost this entire endeavor I was pretty set on the d9200’s, so the fact that the MKII’s won me over was surprising and kinda fun…. like a late 3rd period comeback that gets decided in triple OT. Both of these are top-notch, but I could only purchase one (in order to save my marriage haha). For anyone trying out the MKII’s, try ‘em with
these Dekoni pads, and report back. Up next is finding a different cord.
Funny part is after all this, I still haven’t found THE PAIR….. you know, the pair that checks ALL the boxes for you. While my “sound box” got checked with these, they still fall a little short comfort-wise, and aren’t anywhere close on the isolation front. Still, I’m happy with them. That said, my return window is still the end of January…. so if any of y’all have other suggestions, I’m open to hearing them.
Hope you all can find THE PAIR for you!
and @albertmuc is also waiting for my impressions for a month or more...
