[catscratch]

Good lord.  The 007 is the only correct answer here.  Seriously.

/thread

This.

But pay attention to the rest of your signal path, too. The 007 is not some magic bullet that makes everything sound better. It's a transparent transducer that's a shade warmer than neutral. If you want very euphonic and musical, that's what your source will have to sound like, and your amp has better be up to spec as well. Do it right, and you'll have a system that has both warmth and detail, impact and dynamics, and will be a great all-rounder too.

HE90/HEV90 system is terrific, or was the last time I heard it, but at today's current asking prices, I think it's a bit nuts. But hey, if you can afford it and can find one, go for it.

 

[Loevhagen]

Having read all the replies in this thread, I am quite puzzled. Having all the Audezes and the Essential HiFiMANs - and listening to the SR-007 @ SRM-007tII - I must say that the latter is quite boring.

The stax rig is effortless, sure thing. But, is effortless what OP really wants? Not quite sure. Feel some answers in this thread are on automatic...

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Having read all the replies in this thread, I am quite puzzled. Having all the Audezes and the Essential HiFiMANs - and listening to the SR-007 @ SRM-007tII - I must say that the latter is quite boring.
The stax rig is effortless, sure thing. But, is effortless what OP really wants? Not quite sure. Feel some answers in this thread are on automatic...

 
 
The answer is easy: you're wrong.

 

[catscratch]

e SR-007 @ SRM-007tII

There's your answer right there. It's not for nothing that we keep rabbiting on about how the 007 is hard to drive. Yes, it can sound boring when it's underdriven. It can also sound amazing when it's in a proper system.

But hey, there's always the possibility that Stax were bought out from bankrupting themselves over the shill money they've been paying us. After all, there's got to be a reason why so many experienced members keep singing its praises to high heaven.

 

[brat]

Can't imagine someone can enjoy orchestral music with electrostats. Should be a person who has never been to concerts...
Two key things are missing there: dynamics and impact.
The man is asking for headphone that is "emotionally involving, endlessly musical, smooth, and just makes you want to listen to the music rather than analyze technical merits of your rig". And electrostats are everything but emotionally involving...
OK, I'm just trying to prevent him from taking a wrong decision, not to spit on your  favourite cans. I own omegas also

 

[customcoco]

Jvc HP-dx1000 anyone?

 

[brat]

Quote:

Jvc HP-dx1000 anyone?

Not for classics or any type of acoustic music. They're cans with strong personality and I wouldn't recommend buying without listening.

 

[obobskivich]

The answer is easy: you're wrong.

Or he just disagrees. That's always an option too.

I think OP has gotten a lot of good suggestions, but ultimately I agree with brat - I wouldn't recommend buying without listening, especially when dealing with cans that are highly musical.

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

Can't imagine someone can enjoy orchestral music with electrostats. Should be a person who has never been to concerts...
Two key things are missing there: dynamics and impact.
The man is asking for headphone that is "emotionally involving, endlessly musical, smooth, and just makes you want to listen to the music rather than analyze technical merits of your rig". And electrostats are everything but emotionally involving...
OK, I'm just trying to prevent him from taking a wrong decision, not to spit on your  favourite cans. I own omegas also

 
I listen to Shpongle with 'stats, which would seem a more unlikely choice.  Eiji Oue's Bolero! Orchestral Fireworks is just fantastic with the 009s too.  I don't feel dynamics and impact are missing at all. However, much more of it at this level has to do with the rest of the gear involved. For example, I use my Stax rig to compare DACs and the like and, suffice to say, there's a reason I and other people with the 009s have a very expensive digital front end.

 

[brat]

Well, I don't have any of the tube beasts to drive my omegas. I listen to them with KGSS and Weiss DAC202U as a source. Maybe I should pour $10K more in electrostatic rig to reach the performance of my $1K LCD-2s in terms of dynamics and musical involvement
This thread is more about music than about technical accuracy

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

The Grado PS1000 are amazingly engaging headphones(if connect with right AMPs/DAC).

 
+2... 
 
The PS1000's and PS500's are about as good as it gets with a good amp and source, which matches them well.  They're great even with an average amp and DAC... but... with a well matched set up... you'll be hard pressed to find anything any better (materially).  They "have it all" - highs, lows, mids, soundstage, imaging, detail, resolution, clarity, dynamics, PRAT, etc., etc.... especially... "pure music" and "emotion!"   If you listen to anything "acoustic," or "live," there is nothing better.  
 
And... the sound of the PS500's are about 85%+ of the PS1000's... or even closer... at a fraction of their price... or... of any of the other so-called "high-end" phones - especially with the G Cushions (stadium bowls).   
 
Oh... you can find something that has a very wee bit better... bass, or detail, or soundstage, etc.... but... you'll find nothing that does it all very well, which sounds so real with the tone, tenor, PRAT... and emotion... of "pure music."  It's the difference between "technically pure and accurate" sound quality... and... the sound of "real, live music," which Grados excell at reproducing.  If you want "technically accurate" sound... look elsewhere... but... if you want the sound of "real, live music" with all it's tenor, timbre and texture, distortions, ambience and artifacts, then get the PS1000's, or PS500's.   
 
But... if not those... then the leading ATH's, or Denons (with the Markl Mods) - which are also... SUPERB!
 
Again... the criteria here are "emotion" and "pure music!"  
 
And... of course... you don't need very special amps and DACS... or... have to spend a "kings ransom" to achieve all of that!

 

[Kasper]

They may not be as High End as the rest of these suggestions. But if you liked the hd650 and want the same on a higher level I would say hifiman HE-500. With a smooth sounding amp ( I use Rudistor rpx-33evo 8 with good result) it will do exactly what i read you want: Make everything sound musically involving, reward you with good recordings and never let bad ones down.
 
I has the same tonal balance as the hd-650 but with better detail, better feeling of beeing there at the recording and at the same time strangely it sounds even less harsh in the treble to my ears!!!
 
Not warm like the audeze supposedly is, but with my amp never uninvolving and NEVER harsh!!
 
The first transducer I have heard that makes the voices of people I know personally, sound like real life!!!
 
IMO and via my ears!!!
 
 
 
If I had your kind of money to spend i would try out ath-w3000 anv too though. Some day ATH is destined to make a truly fantastic phone - maybe this one is it!! Havent heard it yet though!!

 

[Gary in MD]

Count Chocula:
 
I'm not going to recommend anything to you, except that, for the kind of money you are talking about spending, you should try a wide range of headphones before committing.  I just did a personal comparison of 6 top pieces and posted reviews here: 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/617382/comparing-the-best-of-the-best
 
But you shouldn't listen to me, you should listen to headphones.  I thought the LCD-2s were musical, the LCD-3s even better, but you didn't like the -2s, so our definitions are clearly different, as are the definitions and tastes of everybody else who is trying to help you here.  Again, I hate to sound like a shill for The Cable Company, but if you are thinking of spending that kind of money, and want to match the headphones to your other equipment and your music collection, then you would benefit from borrowing several potential contenders from their library.  It only costs you shipping, which is a much smaller loss than buying and then selling something you end up not liking.  Of course you end up buying from them because you put a 5% deposit down, but everybody charges the same for these high end phones anyway, so that doesn't cost you anything unless you found another vendor who would discount (which would likely get their dealer authorization pulled immediately, if anybody found out about it).  Again, I don't work for these people, I just think that this is a great program for those of us who are uncertain of what we want and need to hear for ourselves before committing relatively large sums of money.
 
Good luck in your hunt!

 

[EarHead1]

Gary in MD, You make more sense than any other on this thread. While we all clearly have our opinion, let your ears be your guide is clearly the best path to ear happiness there is. EarHead1.

 

[Loevhagen]

Ha, ha. So OP´s "...emotionally involving, endlessly musical, smooth, and just makes you want to listen to the music rather than analyze technical merits of your rig.  Something that can make anything, even bad recordings, sound musically endearing.  Accuracy and all that is not something I focus on too much.." excludes the LCD-2 - and the SR-007 is the only right answer.
 
Interesting.
 
God knows why you bought the LCD-2, then - and said ""These are pretty good headphones" at the other place. 

Quote:

The answer is easy: you're wrong.