[OCC7N]

How about ?

Sony MDR-1ZR​

 

[AudioDuck]

Hey all, following the list of good closed backs in the start of the thread, I'm wondering if you can recommend my next pair. As a bit of background, I currently have a set of Audeze LCD-i3's and Meze 99 Classics, with a Qudelix 5K and iFi xCan as DAC/AMPs and an iPhone as the main source. I got the LCD-i3's at half price during Audeze's winter B-Stock sale, and once properly EQ'ed (they have wonky stock tuning fixed by their bluetooth cable or, better yet, PEQ through the 5K) I was completely floored-- they're the first truly "Hi-Fi" headphones I'd ever listened to, and the first that made me think, "oh wow, how have I been missing this all my life?" They have a rich, truly immersive sound with tons of detail, smooth bass, and a really deep soundstage. They are consequently so much better in every way than the 99 Classics that I basically almost never listen to them anymore and will probably sell them on craigslist.

However, being open-backed planar IEMs, the i3's aren't great in loud environments, and really don't sound good at all on airplanes. This year I'm going to start having to travel more frequently for work, and I'd like to buy a nice set of closed back over-ear headphones, both for when I'm traveling and to have something with a pleasantly different sound signature than the i3's (which I think is fairly close to Audeze's house sound) to have a fun alternative. I listen to a wide range of music but predominantly EDM (with vocals), classical and jazz. My budget is around $500, maybe a bit higher if needed. I don't expect to get something that is really "better" along most axes than the i3 because that would probably cost quite a bit more, but I also don't want something that just doesn't measure up the way the 99 Classics are now (this isn't a knock on Meze, the list price of the i3 is 3x higher so it's unsurprising it's far superior).

Open back over-ears are ruled out because of sound leakage and lack of isolation; if I can't listen to them in bed next to my wife or in a crowded cafe I'm not going to get much use out of them. Other things that would really be a turn off for me are a very narrow soundstage, weak bass, headphones that can't be driven decently from a 5K or xCan, and headphones that I can't easily fit in a backpack with a laptop and notebook. Looking at the list on the first page, the Focal Elegia (probably with the Stellia pad swap people keep mentioning) and DCA Aeon's seem like probably the best choices; the AirPods Max might be worth considering as well though from what I've read they don't have the level of detail of proper audiophile headphones. The Hifiman Sundara Closed might be a good contender as well once it comes out. For those of you who have experience with all these headphones (and particularly with the LCD-i3 as a point of reference), what do you think would be the best choice?

One option to consider is also the Shure SRH-1540. It is easy to drive, has a fair amount of bass and is forgiving with poor sources, but scales nicely with better amplification and content.

It is also very comfortable and provides pretty good isolation. It also comes with an extra pair of excellent ear pads and a carry case. The latter is a bit bulky though, despite the headphones not being overly large.

Of course, it’s also within your budget… I recommend reading some reviews on it as well.

 

[Mhog55]

Hey all, following the list of good closed backs in the start of the thread, I'm wondering if you can recommend my next pair. As a bit of background, I currently have a set of Audeze LCD-i3's and Meze 99 Classics, with a Qudelix 5K and iFi xCan as DAC/AMPs and an iPhone as the main source. I got the LCD-i3's at half price during Audeze's winter B-Stock sale, and once properly EQ'ed (they have wonky stock tuning fixed by their bluetooth cable or, better yet, PEQ through the 5K) I was completely floored-- they're the first truly "Hi-Fi" headphones I'd ever listened to, and the first that made me think, "oh wow, how have I been missing this all my life?" They have a rich, truly immersive sound with tons of detail, smooth bass, and a really deep soundstage. They are consequently so much better in every way than the 99 Classics that I basically almost never listen to them anymore and will probably sell them on craigslist.

However, being open-backed planar IEMs, the i3's aren't great in loud environments, and really don't sound good at all on airplanes. This year I'm going to start having to travel more frequently for work, and I'd like to buy a nice set of closed back over-ear headphones, both for when I'm traveling and to have something with a pleasantly different sound signature than the i3's (which I think is fairly close to Audeze's house sound) to have a fun alternative. I listen to a wide range of music but predominantly EDM (with vocals), classical and jazz. My budget is around $500, maybe a bit higher if needed. I don't expect to get something that is really "better" along most axes than the i3 because that would probably cost quite a bit more, but I also don't want something that just doesn't measure up the way the 99 Classics are now (this isn't a knock on Meze, the list price of the i3 is 3x higher so it's unsurprising it's far superior).

Open back over-ears are ruled out because of sound leakage and lack of isolation; if I can't listen to them in bed next to my wife or in a crowded cafe I'm not going to get much use out of them. Other things that would really be a turn off for me are a very narrow soundstage, weak bass, headphones that can't be driven decently from a 5K or xCan, and headphones that I can't easily fit in a backpack with a laptop and notebook. Looking at the list on the first page, the Focal Elegia (probably with the Stellia pad swap people keep mentioning) and DCA Aeon's seem like probably the best choices; the AirPods Max might be worth considering as well though from what I've read they don't have the level of detail of proper audiophile headphones. The Hifiman Sundara Closed might be a good contender as well once it comes out. For those of you who have experience with all these headphones (and particularly with the LCD-i3 as a point of reference), what do you think would be the best choice?

I'm assuming the people who have provided recommendations didn't see your budget of 500 dollars. Check out the E-mu Teak

 

[KaiFi]

How does the regular Aeon 2 Closed compare to the Noire? I'm seeing a lot of posts here about the Noire, but not much about the regular Aeon 2 Closed. Is the Noire an “upgrade” or just different?

 

[trellus]

How does the regular Aeon 2 Closed compare to the Noire? I'm seeing a lot of posts here about the Noire, but not much about the regular Aeon 2 Closed. Is the Noire an “upgrade” or just different?

The pads are different, which does affect the tuning some, the Noire’s pads make it closer to the Harman target curve - but a different color and different pads are literally all that separate the normal Aeon 2 from the Noire variant, according to Dan Clark himself.

Dan says you can make an Aeon 2 the Noire with a different color by just changing to the Noire pads.

 

[plakat]

Hey all, following the list of good closed backs in the start of the thread, I'm wondering if you can recommend my next pair. As a bit of background, I currently have a set of Audeze LCD-i3's and Meze 99 Classics, with a Qudelix 5K and iFi xCan as DAC/AMPs and an iPhone as the main source. I got the LCD-i3's at half price during Audeze's winter B-Stock sale, and once properly EQ'ed (they have wonky stock tuning fixed by their bluetooth cable or, better yet, PEQ through the 5K) I was completely floored-- they're the first truly "Hi-Fi" headphones I'd ever listened to, and the first that made me think, "oh wow, how have I been missing this all my life?" They have a rich, truly immersive sound with tons of detail, smooth bass, and a really deep soundstage. They are consequently so much better in every way than the 99 Classics that I basically almost never listen to them anymore and will probably sell them on craigslist.

However, being open-backed planar IEMs, the i3's aren't great in loud environments, and really don't sound good at all on airplanes. This year I'm going to start having to travel more frequently for work, and I'd like to buy a nice set of closed back over-ear headphones, both for when I'm traveling and to have something with a pleasantly different sound signature than the i3's (which I think is fairly close to Audeze's house sound) to have a fun alternative. I listen to a wide range of music but predominantly EDM (with vocals), classical and jazz. My budget is around $500, maybe a bit higher if needed. I don't expect to get something that is really "better" along most axes than the i3 because that would probably cost quite a bit more, but I also don't want something that just doesn't measure up the way the 99 Classics are now (this isn't a knock on Meze, the list price of the i3 is 3x higher so it's unsurprising it's far superior).

Open back over-ears are ruled out because of sound leakage and lack of isolation; if I can't listen to them in bed next to my wife or in a crowded cafe I'm not going to get much use out of them. Other things that would really be a turn off for me are a very narrow soundstage, weak bass, headphones that can't be driven decently from a 5K or xCan, and headphones that I can't easily fit in a backpack with a laptop and notebook. Looking at the list on the first page, the Focal Elegia (probably with the Stellia pad swap people keep mentioning) and DCA Aeon's seem like probably the best choices; the AirPods Max might be worth considering as well though from what I've read they don't have the level of detail of proper audiophile headphones. The Hifiman Sundara Closed might be a good contender as well once it comes out. For those of you who have experience with all these headphones (and particularly with the LCD-i3 as a point of reference), what do you think would be the best choice?

If your main use case is traveling and you like EDM, I’d take a good look at the APM… the best resolution won’t help much on a loud plane anyway (while I think the APM is actually quite good in that regard), it’s sound signature fits EDM quite well (I list n to mostly electronics myself), it’s quite comfortable and folds flat for transport. Also almost within budget.

 

[Haxion]

I'm assuming the people who have provided recommendations didn't see your budget of 500 dollars. Check out the E-mu Teak

Do they fold up though? They looked compelling to me at first, sound-wise, but not all that portable.

 

[Haxion]

If your main use case is traveling and you like EDM, I’d take a good look at the APM… the best resolution won’t help much on a loud plane anyway (while I think the APM is actually quite good in that regard), it’s sound signature fits EDM quite well (I list n to mostly electronics myself), it’s quite comfortable and folds flat for transport. Also almost within budget.

Thanks- I figured I’d demo them at an Apple store one of these days.

I don’t want headphones just to use for traveling- I want something good enough to use regularly (as compared to my LCD-i3), e.g. because I find it better for some genres or just an in the mood for something different. Are the APM still good enough to regularly want to use even if you own proper hi-fi headphones that cost a lot more?

 

[plakat]

Thanks- I figured I’d demo them at an Apple store one of these days.

I don’t want headphones just to use for traveling- I want something good enough to use regularly (as compared to my LCD-i3), e.g. because I find it better for some genres or just an in the mood for something different. Are the APM still good enough to regularly want to use even if you own proper hi-fi headphones that cost a lot more?

For me definitely. Were it not for my all-time favorite M-100 I'd happily live with juts the APM -- it really does sound good, and its flexibility is phenomenal. This mostly applies if you're within Apples ecosystem though... I use them for music often, as well as movies when my family is asleep etc. So in contrast to something like the Sony 1000 series they are not only for mobile use.

 

[KaiFi]

Interesting about APM. I'm definitely considering them, maybe when they come out with a revision. I'm also interested in the Momentum 4 from Sennheiser as far as a mobile option that might be good enough to listen to elsewhere.

 

[helloh3adfi]

What is "APM"?

 

[plakat]

What is "APM"?

Apple AirPods Max

 

[Mhog55]

Do they fold up though? They looked compelling to me at first, sound-wise, but not all that portable.

No, sorry. I must have missed that part. I think the Aeon is the only big kid headphone that folds up. I haven't tried them as I only use daps these days, and I've been told that the Aeons are pretty hard to drive.

 

[Haxion]

No, sorry. I must have missed that part. I think the Aeon is the only big kid headphone that folds up. I haven't tried them as I only use daps these days, and I've been told that the Aeons are pretty hard to drive.

I guess they don’t strictly have to fold up- focals don’t but are fairly compact and come with a travel case. But looking at reviews the teaks also leak a fair bit of sound, which isn’t workable for me.

 

[Mhog55]

I guess they don’t strictly have to fold up- focals don’t but are fairly compact and come with a travel case. But looking at reviews the teaks also leak a fair bit of sound, which isn’t workable for me.

Almost all headphones are portable. It just depends on what you're willing to lug around. Focals are going to be larger and heavier than the Teaks. Save yourself some money, and try to find a pair of Beoplay H6 2nd generations. I think their is a like new set listed in the classifieds. These sound better than some 500 dollar sets I've heard to my ears. Extremely light weight, comfortable, easy to drive, but they don't fold. You can also find a slightly used Beyerdynamic T5 2nd or possibly T5 3rd for really fair prices.