[MatW]

I'm currently considering a closed headphone in the 1000€ range, i would buy them 2nd hand. Current contenders are the Celestee for around 650-700€ or the Sony Z1R, which i could get with some waiting and hunting for around 1000€. As for the tonality i prefer, well i can pretty much enjoy everything from very colored to "neutral" to harman target curve. The signature of the Z1R sounds a bit more tempting however, i became somewhat of a basshead the last 10 years I don't have a problem with pronounced upper mids so the Celestee should be fine as well. What worries me about the Celestee is the small soundstage. What about the general technicalities of these 2 contenders? Is the Sony clearly ahead of the Focal? I do enjoy excellent instrument and vocal seperation and holographic imaging and value those over tonality. Any other headphones i didn't consider yet? A preowned Denon D9200 will be over my budget.

Focal radiance is another option. It has more bass than the Celestee, and can be found under 1k used. The D9200 can also be found for 1k, I think, not more expensive than a used Z1R. And I never fail to mention the LCD XC...

Edit: listening to the Radiance now. I like it a lot. The one drawback that most Focal headphones have in common I believe, is that they creak. My Utopia has it too. Not a major deal, but it's audible when listening to a quiet song and moving your head. So it might be an issue for classical, etc.

 

[oqvist]

jvc dx 1000 for soundstage if you can find one. Also have good bass

 

[bizkid]

jvc dx 1000 for soundstage if you can find one. Also have good bass

That's funny because i have already owned the JVC DX1000 many many years ago. But sadly i cant remember much about, it was a short affair. My favourite closed headphone to date i have owned was the Audio Technica L3000. I'm also interested in the new Ultrasone headphones but first reviews weren't that promising.

 

[adrianm]

I'm currently considering a closed headphone in the 1000€ range, i would buy them 2nd hand. Current contenders are the Celestee for around 650-700€ or the Sony Z1R, which i could get with some waiting and hunting for around 1000€. As for the tonality i prefer, well i can pretty much enjoy everything from very colored to "neutral" to harman target curve. The signature of the Z1R sounds a bit more tempting however, i became somewhat of a basshead the last 10 years I don't have a problem with pronounced upper mids so the Celestee should be fine as well. What worries me about the Celestee is the small soundstage. What about the general technicalities of these 2 contenders? Is the Sony clearly ahead of the Focal? I do enjoy excellent instrument and vocal seperation and holographic imaging and value those over tonality. Any other headphones i didn't consider yet? A preowned Denon D9200 will be over my budget.

IMO the Z1R beats the Stellia hands down for technicalities, which i would assume bests the Celestee. Bass is amazing and in my current setup soundstage is wider and deeper than Stellia and Utopia. I haven't yed found a closed back replacement for it, but am considering a Liric as an alternative with a different sound signature if technicalities do prove to be at least on the same level.

 

[P007]

I'm currently considering a closed headphone in the 1000€ range, i would buy them 2nd hand. Current contenders are the Celestee for around 650-700€ or the Sony Z1R, which i could get with some waiting and hunting for around 1000€. As for the tonality i prefer, well i can pretty much enjoy everything from very colored to "neutral" to harman target curve. The signature of the Z1R sounds a bit more tempting however, i became somewhat of a basshead the last 10 years I don't have a problem with pronounced upper mids so the Celestee should be fine as well. What worries me about the Celestee is the small soundstage. What about the general technicalities of these 2 contenders? Is the Sony clearly ahead of the Focal? I do enjoy excellent instrument and vocal seperation and holographic imaging and value those over tonality. Any other headphones i didn't consider yet? A preowned Denon D9200 will be over my budget.

The DCA Noire, and T5 also work....and come in under budget when used. Probably also depends what blends of build quality, portability, genre suitability, and qualities like soundstage you are after.

 

[Terriero]

IMO the Z1R beats the Stellia hands down for technicalities, which i would assume bests the Celestee. Bass is amazing and in my current setup soundstage is wider and deeper than Stellia and Utopia. I haven't yed found a closed back replacement for it, but am considering a Liric as an alternative with a different sound signature if technicalities do prove to be at least on the same level.

It's curious how everyone have their own opinions regarding to audio. A forum member in the Z1R thread, sold them after trying with the Dave, because he didn't enjoy at all the experience. He preferred the sound from the Sony AMP he had before Dave.

I found the Sony AMP I was talking about. And also, I find the guy I was referring in the Z1R thread, @VladYR Anyway, this isn't the original post where he explained that.

 

[Beagle]

Is the LIRIC sensitive to head size and pad positioning for a proper seal? Meaning, is the bass affected by head size and pad positioning, or does it stay pretty consistent?

My main beef with the HD820 was that if you moved your head or jaw, or didn't have proper positioning, the bass would be changing from full to thin.

 

[adrianm]

It's curious how everyone have their own opinions regarding to audio. A forum member in the Z1R thread, sold them after trying with the Dave, because he didn't enjoy at all the experience. He preferred the sound from the Sony AMP he had before Dave.

I found the Sony AMP I was talking about. And also, I find the guy I was referring in the Z1R thread, @VladYR Anyway, this isn't the original post where he explained that.

Short story: i started with Z1R (at launch) and Chord Mojo. When the pandemic hit, i figured i could get a more expensive dac/amp , the TA-ZH1ES.
That amount of money (1.5k) seemed ridiculous to me at the time. Super happy with it for a month, there was a mode that create a wide soundstage, and the amp was pretty good. However i quickly started to miss the Mojo's dac section. I wanted to see how the TA compares to Dave (which i've heard so much about). Threw it in my backpack and went to my dealer.
I auditioned the TT2 with and without M-scaler and was pretty impressed, but not for that much more money. But when i first heard Dave the price became just a number, i took my TA home and shipped it straight back to Amazon, saved for 3 sleepless months and bought Dave. Best decision ever
What's crazy is just how much better it can get after you optimize the system. Adding the M-scaler widens the soundstage and improves the image and timbre considerably so long as you keep RF noise down.
I'm actively looking for a replacement for Z1R , but i haven't found one yet. Have high hopes for the LCD-5 as being complementary or the Liric as a different flavour .
I feel like they scale incredibly well, having listen to them for 5 years now from Mojo to Hugo2 to TT2 and Dave +M-scaler. Stellias imaging and soundstage don't get even close, they sound a lot more congested. I've had 3 attempts to buy them after i kept hearing they were the best thing ever.

 

[Quadfather]

I am using Shure SRH1540 headphones with a Sony NW-WM1Z and NW-WM1A, from the balanced output using Lqi Cables. I am extremely satisfied with this combination. Sennheiser HD650 headphones work great from Lotoo Paw Gold 2017, with proper PMEQ settings. I am 100% portable. Zero veil with LPG as the source.

 

[AudioDuck]

It's curious how everyone have their own opinions regarding to audio. A forum member in the Z1R thread, sold them after trying with the Dave, because he didn't enjoy at all the experience. He preferred the sound from the Sony AMP he had before Dave.

I found the Sony AMP I was talking about. And also, I find the guy I was referring in the Z1R thread, @VladYR Anyway, this isn't the original post where he explained that.

I came very close to buying the Z1R, and ended up getting the Stellias instead. Both purchases would have been without auditioning due to the pandemic and limited dealers in my area (at least without a bit of driving).

What kept me from buying the Z1Rs (at several hundred USD less than the Stellias) was their polarizing sound and apparent genre dependency (i.e. good with some, not with others). The comfort and build quality were a draw, though.

The other contender in the price range (even new) was the Denon D-9200.
Ultimately I chose the Focals because I really like their house sound. A way to sample this would be to hear any of the recent Focals (Elear, Celestee, Clear) and if you like them but would want more, the Stellias should make you very happy. That could be a way to dip your toe in the water without spending the whole amount, though mostly if you are comfortable with the buying and selling pre-owned). If you could use a great bargain in open-backs, the Elears are stupid good for $400-500 used.

(P.S. I didn’t list the Elegias due to their reported weak bass, and the Radiance (which I’ve owned) for their stronger bass- more than typical Focals)

 

[Silver Wolf]

Do we have a semi-open thread ? These are closer to closed but not quite, the HD6XX SWs (SilverWolf semi-open)

 

[Alien HP]

Do we have a semi-open thread ? These are closer to closed but not quite, the HD6XX SWs (SilverWolf semi-open)

Nice headphone stand. Is there a headphone stand thread?

 

[Malevolent]

I had a second round of auditions with the Stealth and the LIRIC today. I had a great time comparing the 2 last Friday, I knew I had to go for a second bite.

This time around, I used a Chord Hugo TT 2, and my own Hugo 2, to drive the 2 headphones. Don't mind the DAVE in the photo, though; it was stacked in this manner as an earlier customer was having a go comparing the Qutest, the Hugo TT 2, and Chord's flagship. An aside: I think that particular customer was this close to getting the DAVE.

In any case, my impressions from the first set were well-and-truly confirmed today - the LIRIC retains its musical and engaging streak across both the Hugo 2 and the Hugo TT 2. It's still a fun, yet relatively detailed, headphone that you'd be happy to listen to your tunes - and enjoy them - with. It's not a tool for the critical listener, though; it's no surgeon's scalpel where absolute resolving ability is concerned. With that in mind, if you enjoy tight, slightly-elevated bass, with good impact and rumble, and a spicy, crispy treble that has good prominence and attack, but remains 1 or 2 rungs below the harsh and strident planes, the LIRIC would certainly tick your respective boxes.

On the other side of the coin, the Stealth still failed, in most parts, to conjure a magical and immersive listening experience. In my earlier post, I detailed how lackluster it appeared; this time around, with the help of the Hugo TT 2, the Stealth unveiled a sense of greater body and fullness in its tone. This afforded a meatier sound that added a touch of authority and warmth. Sadly, these improved aspects weren't enough to elevate the Stealth to a level that was exciting or musical. Rather, it remained somewhat dull, especially for EDM.

Don't get me wrong, though - the Stealth has its fans, and I can see its appeal, however niche it may seem from my perspective. Still, if you are a dance music fan, you would be hard pressed to derive high levels of emotion and passion from the Dan Clark Audio flagship. Rather, it presents the music like an artist would the many colors used to craft an art masterpiece - you spot the individual hues and strokes in vivid detail; however, the sum of its parts are less appealing than the micro-level examination of its composite units.

Consequently, after 2 auditions, I was sold on the LIRIC. I've purchased my own unit, and it should, hopefully, arrive within the next 2 weeks.

 

[Nostoi]

I had a second round of auditions with the Stealth and the LIRIC today. I had a great time comparing the 2 last Friday, I knew I had to go for a second bite.

This time around, I used a Chord Hugo TT 2, and my own Hugo 2, to drive the 2 headphones. Don't mind the DAVE in the photo, though; it was stacked in this manner as an earlier customer was having a go comparing the Qutest, the Hugo TT 2, and Chord's flagship. An aside: I think that particular customer was this close to getting the DAVE.

In any case, my impressions from the first set were well-and-truly confirmed today - the LIRIC retains its musical and engaging streak across both the Hugo 2 and the Hugo TT 2. It's still a fun, yet relatively detailed, headphone that you'd be happy to listen to your tunes - and enjoy them - with. It's not a tool for the critical listener, though; it's no surgeon's scalpel where absolute resolving ability is concerned. With that in mind, if you enjoy tight, slightly-elevated bass, with good impact and rumble, and a spicy, crispy treble that has good prominence and attack, but remains 1 or 2 rungs below the harsh and strident planes, the LIRIC would certainly tick your respective boxes.

On the other side of the coin, the Stealth still failed, in most parts, to conjure a magical and immersive listening experience. In my earlier post, I detailed how lackluster it appeared; this time around, with the help of the Hugo TT 2, the Stealth unveiled a sense of greater body and fullness in its tone. This afforded a meatier sound that added a touch of authority and warmth. Sadly, these improved aspects weren't enough to elevate the Stealth to a level that was exciting or musical. Rather, it remained somewhat dull, especially for EDM.

Don't get me wrong, though - the Stealth has its fans, and I can see its appeal, however niche it may seem from my perspective. Still, if you are a dance music fan, you would be hard pressed to derive high levels of emotion and passion from the Dan Clark Audio flagship. Rather, it presents the music like an artist would the many colors used to craft an art masterpiece - you spot the individual hues and strokes in vivid detail; however, the sum of its parts are less appealing than the micro-level examination of its composite units.

Consequently, after 2 auditions, I was sold on the LIRIC. I've purchased my own unit, and it should, hopefully, arrive within the next 2 weeks.

Nice, congrats! A good addition to your collection, I think.

I think the Liric is proving to be a good all-rounder headphone. Of course, it lends itself to music with a lot of attack - EDM, metal, fusion, etc. But having had it for a few days now, I find it also handles soundtracks, ambient, and even classical very well.

 

[arielext]

Nice, congrats! A good addition to your collection, I think.

I think the Liric is proving to be a good all-rounder headphone. Of course, it lends itself to music with a lot of attack - EDM, metal, fusion, etc. But having had it for a few days now, I find it also handles soundtracks, ambient, and even classical very well.

How would you compare that Liric to the dt 700 pro X?

I just got the dt 700 and I think its an impressive headphone for the money. How would you say it stacks up to one of the greats?