[lantian]

Have Sennheiser hd 540 reference gold 600ohm two pairs and hd 250 linear 600ohm.
Want just to hear them Sennheiser he 60.

 

[Coztomba]

Headphones I currently have in Sig. I have some of the Grado Hemp’s pre-ordered and due this month. It’s only a matter of time before I pull the trigger on a set of DT880 600’s just out of curiosity. This could happen any day now. I’m on a diet now and not drinking otherwise this is just the type or order that would happen after a few .

In terms of what I feel is inevitable in the next year or so... Hifiman Arya. AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-ADX5000 has my interests peaked a little, but might share too much in common with the Clear’s.

 

[descloud]

Headphones I currently have in Sig. I have some of the Grado Hemp’s pre-ordered and due this month. It’s only a matter of time before I pull the trigger on a set of DT880 600’s just out of curiosity. This could happen any day now. I’m on a diet now and not drinking otherwise this is just the type or order that would happen after a few .

In terms of what I feel is inevitable in the next year or so... Hifiman Arya. AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-ADX5000 has my interests peaked a little, but might share too much in common with the Clear’s.

Seeing your signature, I see that you have both the Clear and the Elear (w/Dekoni Elite Fen. Pads). Curious to know the differences you notice between the Clear and your current Elear setup? Do you think they have very close signature that it's worth for someone to downgrade to the Elear?

Hifiman Arya, from what I've gathered, seems to have the advantage of better head stage, imaging and separation than the Focal Clear. I think this works better for orchestras and Jazz pieces, probably similar to the ADX5000. Why not just go big for the Utopia instead?

 

[Coztomba]

Seeing your signature, I see that you have both the Clear and the Elear (w/Dekoni Elite Fen. Pads). Curious to know the differences you notice between the Clear and your current Elear setup? Do you think they have very close signature that it's worth for someone to downgrade to the Elear?

Not at all imo. The Elear never clicked for me. With stock pads I found them very fatiguing. Like rather than listening to music the sound was getting drilled into my brain. I changed to the Dekoni pads to try and “fix” them and for me they did (somewhat). They lost a little bottom end and let them breath a little more, but I could listen to them longer. But still it felt like I had to search out music that sounded good with them. When I upgraded to the Clears I tried the Clear pads on the Elear and they were better again still (than the Dekoni pads), but still not quite right compared to the Clear. The Clear sound a little fuller and balanced and just right for everything even compared to the Elear with Clear pads.

Having said that the Elear do bring a lot of what the Clear does. That dynamic, punchy layered Focal sound is still there. It’s just a little off and that always left me feeling unsatisfied. 100% satisfied with the Clear.

I really need to sell the Elear I just haven’t got around to it.

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

HE500
Sundara
Elear
HD600
HD58X
R70x
K612
K371
K245

I’ve been very tempted to buy a ZMF, and while I used to think an openback would be the bee’s knees, I’ve changed my mind and now am far more interested in a closedback headphone. I tried out the Aeolus a couple of times during the last month or so and can’t quite escape the feeling that a) it’s really not an open headphone and b) I much prefer the HD58X that rather mimics the warm embrace of the ZMF.
I felt similarly about the Auteur I tried a little while ago. The Atticus and Eikon though both sound absolutely wonderful...I’m just not entirely sure I want to fork out that amount of dough on something I’ll use maybe 3% of the time. Openback always sounds more natural to these ears.
A headphone I’d buy in a heartbeat if I saw it up for grabs? The LFF Code X. That things is just ridiculously good...about as good as it is rare..sadly.

Edith: Forgot about the Heddphone! I’ve been eyeing that thing for a good while now and thought about buying it. After having tried a little session though I definitely want to wait until they fix the lack of comfort. I absolutely adored the sound quality...but having over 700 grams stuck on my head in a vice-like grip is just not my bag. It is extremely uncomfortable imho. Kinda like buying a Lamborghini with a sandpaper-dildo where the seat used to be:
‘Don’t worry though! It drives like a dream! You’ll be a little sore in the morning but who cares when you’re driving a Lambo?!??!’

 

[timb5881]

Have
Stax SR 404
Koss ESP 950
Stax SR-X MKIII
Monoprice electrostatic
Monoprice M1060
Koss Port A Pro. And KSC 75
monoprice M300
HD 650

Assorted other non used ones

Want
Stax Sigma

 

[kith86]

Have

LCD-X
Sony Z7
HD800

Want

Utopia

 

[BananaOoyoo]

Have:
Sennheiser HD800s
Sony WH-1000XM3
Stax SR-L300 Limited
ZMF Atticus
ZMF Auteur

Want to try:
Rosson RAD-0

Want:
ZMF Verite Closed (Stabilized)

 

[soumyajit92]

HE500
Sundara
Elear
HD600
HD58X
R70x
K612
K371
K245

how do you like the 371 compared to the others in the list?

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

how do you like the 371 compared to the others in the list?

It’s my least favourite but only because it’s closedback. It’s the only closedback of mine actually. I vastly prefer open headphones - generally the more open the better
But between all of the closedbacks I’ve tried, this is still my favourite together with the SRH1540 and the D7200. The latter two are tuned differently and cost significantly more, but I’d say the AKG sounds the most realistic and true to the recording. I a/b’ed with an Elegia not too long ago and found two headphones with remarkably similar tunings, yet much to my own surprise I found the K371 to be the better sounding headphone.

 

[easo91]

I’m not wanting anything right now and am taking a pause for at least a year of upgrading/adding to my collection. At this point I’m thinking gains are gonna be pretty minimal, and it will mostly be if I want a drastically different tuning:

Sennheiser HD-650: Nothing has beaten this for my preferred sound signature. I even had Clears for 2 years, and after selling 650s, and then reacquiring them, I just found even with the improved transience and subbass, they just have a weird mid-range that doesn’t handle things like guitar distraction/effects well that makes most rock lose it’s edge. Maybe someday I’ll find a fabled HD-650 killer, but until then, these will probably me my daily’s. The mid-range presentation is so smooth and cohesive, and even if the sub-bass can be lack, for most music that isn’t EDM it’s more than enough extension to get most of it. I could listen to these for hours without having any fatigue.

Audeze El-8 Closed: Scratches the transient response itch I was using the Clears for with some great (if ever so slightly recessed) linear bass response across the whole spectrum. The mid-range of these is THICK and is almost an inverse of how the 650s present (EL-8s seem focused more on upper mid range, while the 650s focus on lower mids). Great treble response that feels really in control, and the detail retrieval on these things is insane.

Sennheiser Momentum 3: Insane bass cans. Truly the best and most skull rumbling bass I’ve heard on a mobile can. Somehow has an insane, emphasized bass that doesn’t bleed into the middrange. Mids are classic sennheiser house sound, and the treble is really laid back. (I’m learning I really don’t like a pushed treble) The sound stage for these is shockingly wide. If you’re coming from the Momentum 2, demo these as they are quite a drastic change from previous revisions.

Sennheiser Urbanites: first pair I owned when I started wondering what “real” headphones were. Friend sent me his when he was done with them. Incredibly tight clamping force, ear pads get hot, and there’s virtually no sound stage, but the FR is pleasant, bass extension is a typical consumer tuning and it doesn’t really offend in what it sets out to do. Definitely keep them around for a fashion statement more than for sound, but it’s something I’ll still reach for them on occasion. They’ll always have a special place for kicking me into this hobby.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

Have...

Grado HP1000
Grado PS2000e
Grado PS1000
Grado GS2000e
Grado GS1000i
Grado RS1e
Grado RS1i
Grado RS1
Grado RS2e
Grado RS2i
Grado RS2
Grado Bushmills X
Grado HF3
Grado HF2
Grado HF1
Grado GH2
Grado GH1
Grado SR325i
Grado SR125
Grado SR80e
Grado GR10e
Ultrasone Edition 10
Ultrasone Edition 8
Sennheiser HD800
Sennheiser Momentum II AR BT
Sennheiser PXC 310BT
Sennheiser HD598
Sennheiser CX300
Sennheiser IE800
HiFiMAN HE1000
HiFiMAN HE500
V-MODA Crossfade Wireless
Sony MDR-Z7
Sony WH-1000XM3
Sony XBA-Z5
Sony XBA-40N
Fostex TH-900
Beats Studio 3
Beats Solo 3
Beats Studio 2
urBeats IEM
Beats EP
AKG K3003i
FAD Heaven VIII
Shinola On Ear
Shinola Over Ear
Klipsch S4i
Shure SE535 LTD
Microsoft Surface
Apple AirPods
(Whew! That is 50!)

Want...

Focal Stellia
Grado Hemp
Grado GS3000e
Sennheiser HD660
AKG K701
AKG N90Q

 

[blackdragon87]

I’m not wanting anything right now and am taking a pause for at least a year of upgrading/adding to my collection. At this point I’m thinking gains are gonna be pretty minimal, and it will mostly be if I want a drastically different tuning:

Sennheiser HD-650: Nothing has beaten this for my preferred sound signature. I even had Clears for 2 years, and after selling 650s, and then reacquiring them, I just found even with the improved transience and subbass, they just have a weird mid-range that doesn’t handle things like guitar distraction/effects well that makes most rock lose it’s edge. Maybe someday I’ll find a fabled HD-650 killer, but until then, these will probably me my daily’s. The mid-range presentation is so smooth and cohesive, and even if the sub-bass can be lack, for most music that isn’t EDM it’s more than enough extension to get most of it. I could listen to these for hours without having any fatigue.

Audeze El-8 Closed: Scratches the transient response itch I was using the Clears for with some great (if ever so slightly recessed) linear bass response across the whole spectrum. The mid-range of these is THICK and is almost an inverse of how the 650s present (EL-8s seem focused more on upper mid range, while the 650s focus on lower mids). Great treble response that feels really in control, and the detail retrieval on these things is insane.

Sennheiser Momentum 3: Insane bass cans. Truly the best and most skull rumbling bass I’ve heard on a mobile can. Somehow has an insane, emphasized bass that doesn’t bleed into the middrange. Mids are classic sennheiser house sound, and the treble is really laid back. (I’m learning I really don’t like a pushed treble) The sound stage for these is shockingly wide. If you’re coming from the Momentum 2, demo these as they are quite a drastic change from previous revisions.

Sennheiser Urbanites: first pair I owned when I started wondering what “real” headphones were. Friend sent me his when he was done with them. Incredibly tight clamping force, ear pads get hot, and there’s virtually no sound stage, but the FR is pleasant, bass extension is a typical consumer tuning and it doesn’t really offend in what it sets out to do. Definitely keep them around for a fashion statement more than for sound, but it’s something I’ll still reach for them on occasion. They’ll always have a special place for kicking me into this hobby.

Totally agree with you on the 650

 

[KaiAudio]

Have:
he1000se
he1000v1
audeze lcd x
audeze lcd 2 prefazor
hd800

Want:
hifiman susvara
audeze lcd 4z

 

[478227]

Have:

Final Audio D8000 Pros
LCD X

Want:

ZMF Verite Closed