The Closed-Back Headphone Thread (Plus Comparisons & Reviews)
Jun 22, 2021 at 5:00 AM Post #1,996 of 6,296
Do please note that in order to get the best sound out of the horn is having a tight clamp force on both cups. Not everyone (hi!) enjoys that. I sold mine only due to the comfort. Same reason I sold the æon 2 noire: clamp force. With the horn you can control that force better than the noires but it's still something you have to experience yourself if you can "handle" it. Sound wise I loved both headphones!

About the DT 177X GO being so much cheaper while delivering almost the same quality, if not the same: That's the hobby. If you are lucky you find a cheap headphone that matches your preferences and be happy with it, or you can spend 1000s and 1000s of dollars/euros/dodge. From personal experience I know I tend to like the beyerdynamic sound (with some tweaks) which was made painfully clear when I put on a pair of MMX-300.2's after spending a few months praising the Focal Stellia: I paid €100 for my MMX300.2's and I enjoyed their fit and feel more than the Stellia. The sound quality was better on the Stellia but nowhere near 30* better. Without knowing better I would never spend over €600 for the Stellia. YMMV.
 
Jun 23, 2021 at 9:46 AM Post #1,997 of 6,296
Do please note that in order to get the best sound out of the horn is having a tight clamp force on both cups. Not everyone (hi!) enjoys that. I sold mine only due to the comfort. Same reason I sold the æon 2 noire: clamp force. With the horn you can control that force better than the noires but it's still something you have to experience yourself if you can "handle" it. Sound wise I loved both headphones!

About the DT 177X GO being so much cheaper while delivering almost the same quality, if not the same: That's the hobby. If you are lucky you find a cheap headphone that matches your preferences and be happy with it, or you can spend 1000s and 1000s of dollars/euros/dodge. From personal experience I know I tend to like the beyerdynamic sound (with some tweaks) which was made painfully clear when I put on a pair of MMX-300.2's after spending a few months praising the Focal Stellia: I paid €100 for my MMX300.2's and I enjoyed their fit and feel more than the Stellia. The sound quality was better on the Stellia but nowhere near 30* better. Without knowing better I would never spend over €600 for the Stellia. YMMV.
Well, I tried these as well but didn't like due to more V-shaped profile with slightly elevated midbass and not too forward mids. What I liked the most about GH50 JME is how naturally they paint the soundstage from intimate club to a live recording. Probably should also try D9200 as these are much praised for their timbre coherency, transparent sound and overall balance though they are twice more expensive than GH in my country.

Meanwhile I'm enjoying cheap portable MSR7b actually more than I expected: maybe my hearing has changed during last few years but I don't find them shouty or fatiguing at all and like these much more that Cascades for vocal and acoustic tracks.
 
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Jun 23, 2021 at 11:41 AM Post #1,999 of 6,296
The soundstage of the D9200 is poor comparing to the Kennerton
Timbre and transparency mean more for me than soundstage though better sense of depth is also welcome, especially after trying DX300 and realizing how good it could be compared to my source.
 
Jun 24, 2021 at 7:52 AM Post #2,000 of 6,296
To be honest, there aren't many full-size headphones discussed here are truly 'portable'. You can get slim cases at best for most.

I've got the Aeon 2N, and while they fold up wonderfully small you still look like your working for air traffic control when they are on. They do much better than most people say even straight from a phone, so I wouldn't discount them if you are on the go and have a smaller dac/amp that bumps up the current, but is less than a desktop amp.
Yes, it's not just the size, but the driveability of that specific headphone. IMO, most full-sized headphones are best enjoyed at home. However, I've seem people on the forum who actually enjoy bringing their cans out and about. Different strokes for different folks. :wink:

Of the full-sized headphones in my collection, about the only 3 that I'd bring for a trip outside are the ATH-WP900, the AEON 2 Closed, and the Cascade. All 3 are relatively "small"; the AEON is in fact, a marvel at shrinking into a fist-sized ball. :)
 
Jun 24, 2021 at 7:57 AM Post #2,001 of 6,296
The soundstage of the D9200 is poor comparing to the Kennerton
The AH-D9200 is no slouch at reproducing a wide soundstage; it's just beaten by some of the best headphones in the closed-back sphere. Suffice it to say, staging isn't one of this headphone's strongest suits. Against the Gjallarhorn GH50, though, I think the AH-D9200 performs better in this aspect. Of course, if you were referring to the JM Edition, I might have to defer to your opinion, since I haven't had the fortune of trying them on. :)
 
Jun 24, 2021 at 8:03 AM Post #2,002 of 6,296
A few days ago, when I saw Malevolent's post, I was thinking in the people that shared my AH-D9200s purchase and which were writting here some months ago, like you. And, precisely, today, I saw you in the forum index (you wrote something in IEM subforum). I miss a lot of people, but specially Malevolent and Eric65. I suppose that this forum, like others, have their life cicles and, obviously, last year was more active due to the current pandemic and the restrictions applied in most countries...

Thank you for sharing your updates. I'm waiting for detailed impressions about the new Rögnir or some proffesional review of them.
I've been mulling on a purchase of the Rögnir for some time now; I have almost convinced my wife that it's something that I want (and need). :wink:

However, we have been thinking of adding a supreme open-back choice to the collection for some time now. The headphone that's always finding its way to the top of that short - but expensive - list is the Focal Utopia. It's one of the truly great headphones in today's market, IMO.

This will be my first (ever) open headphone, so I've been in deep thought about it. Neither headphone (Rögnir or Utopia) is cheap, so it's going to be a good battle! It doesn't help that I am unable to audition the Kennerton flagship at this juncture.

Oh, well. Glad to hear from you too, my friend!
 
Jun 24, 2021 at 8:07 AM Post #2,003 of 6,296
I've been mulling on a purchase of the Rögnir for some time now; I have almost convinced my wife that it's something that I want (and need). :wink:

However, we have been thinking of adding a supreme open-back choice to the collection for some time now. The headphone that's always finding its way to the top of that short - but expensive - list is the Focal Utopia. It's one of the truly great headphones in today's market, IMO.

This will be my first (ever) open headphone, so I've been in deep thought about it. Neither headphone (Rögnir or Utopia) is cheap, so it's going to be a good battle! It doesn't help that I am unable to audition the Kennerton flagship at this juncture.

Oh, well. Glad to hear from you too, my friend!
If I may chip in, I'm sure many people - not least myself - would be *very* interested in your assessment of the Rögnir and hope you'll be able to review/demo in some capacity soon!
(Maybe you can persuade Headfonia to arrange a review.... :gs1000smile:)
 
Jun 24, 2021 at 1:21 PM Post #2,004 of 6,296
The AH-D9200 is no slouch at reproducing a wide soundstage; it's just beaten by some of the best headphones in the closed-back sphere. Suffice it to say, staging isn't one of this headphone's strongest suits. Against the Gjallarhorn GH50, though, I think the AH-D9200 performs better in this aspect. Of course, if you were referring to the JM Edition, I might have to defer to your opinion, since I haven't had the fortune of trying them on. :)
It's specifically JME having very impressive soundstage, stock GH is totally different in this area. Actually I liked JME much much more than stock one.

I found this comparison being quite close to my own experience: https://majorhifi.com/kennerton-gjallarhorn-gh50-vs-gh50-jm-comparison-review/
 
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Jun 25, 2021 at 5:21 AM Post #2,005 of 6,296
BTW, did anyone have a chance to compare side-by-side D9200, GH50 JM Edition and Celestee?

I was so much impressed by Kennerton that started saving for these but am really interested how these stand up against abovementioned Denon and Focal: unfortunately, there aren't any places locally which have demo units of these for direct comparison.
 
Jun 25, 2021 at 11:22 PM Post #2,006 of 6,296
Hello. Very new to the head-fi forum. I was hoping for some advice to round out my collection. I currently have HD6XX’s, Arya’s, Drop/DCA Aeon Closed X’s, and ZMF VC’s. I’m thinking of adding one last closed back pair and then calling it quits on acquisitions (famous last words). Except for the commuter train where I mainly use the Aeons paired with an iFi micro signature, I’m mostly listening in an office to the ZMF’s with a Tor Audio Balanced (awesome tube amp btw) or the Arya’s with a Lyr 3. I listen to jazz, blues, trip hop, rap, metal and 90’s alternative in that ranked order. Budget is $1500 or less. Should I be considering a Gjallarhorn or is there too much overlap with, for example, the ZMFs? I am susceptible to the charms of build aesthetics and prefer to keep weight under 500g (e.g. the ZMFs are the monketpod + magnesium version which I believe is the lightest VC build) and I prefer slightly warm HPs (but the tubes tend to smooth out any troubling treble anyway). Thank you in advance for your thoughts.
 
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Jun 26, 2021 at 3:31 AM Post #2,007 of 6,296
Depends what kind of sound signature you're missing in your collection. Does it need to be closed? More interesting options in open back maybe, relative to what you've got. For closed I'm quite fond of the LCD XC and the Sony Z1R. Or maybe look into IEMs? But that's another rabbit hole entirely. :)
 
Jun 26, 2021 at 3:58 AM Post #2,009 of 6,296
Looking for a pair of entry closed-backs that offer amazing bass. Want a pair for some hip-hop music and other music with a heavier low end. Have little knowledge on closed backs.
Meze 99 classics come to mind.
 

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