[arielext]

Don't be too alarmed(or well .. ): most headpones have a weak spot they break at one point.
my HEXv2 broke doesn't mean yours will do ... like ever.

Fostex is known to break at their hinge and I for one hope my TH900 will never give in.

 

[bagwell359]

Will you only buy new, or used too?

Find a place to listen to as many cans in your budget area as possible. Better if you can get them home.

If new, consider Audio46 for the auto discount, or wait until a sale happens - as long as you don't mind stiffing your local dealer.

If used, comb the listing in US and Canada, here, ebay, etc. Get them. If you are happy. Stop reading reviews, and going to audio salons. You'll get more mileage out of the purchase, and stop wondering about greener pastures - for some period of time.

 

[bagwell359]

The HEX v2 are amazing, but dark, very open walls of sound that will amaze you with their transparency.


unless ...

I think that's too simple. The cups are huge and I find there are two spots for me where the treble comes in well enough to make the soundstage go coherent, same plane, and very large. It's not dark then. It's only like a Maggie w/o the ribbon tweeter - IE less fine detail.

Today I A/B/C my mega modified HE-500, HE-6, and HEX V2. Chesky and Stereophile test records, Mapleshade, Krall, etc. The HEX had a more diffuse point of origin for the bass than the HE-6, and the HE-6 growled deeper, but the HEX was right there - and better in terms of being coherent, and matching with the low mids. I wonder what an EQ would do for the HEX V2? Parametric 7 band ought to do it. After the ugly collapse of my AMD M$ foobar2k set up last year I've been all CD, back to Linux DeadBeef next weekend and I'll try the EQ.

 

[Focux]

Will you only buy new, or used too?

Find a place to listen to as many cans in your budget area as possible. Better if you can get them home.

If new, consider Audio46 for the auto discount, or wait until a sale happens - as long as you don't mind stiffing your local dealer.

If used, comb the listing in US and Canada, here, ebay, etc. Get them. If you are happy. Stop reading reviews, and going to audio salons. You'll get more mileage out of the purchase, and stop wondering about greener pastures - for some period of time.

i only buy new

there is no place in Auckland NZ where there is a broad enough range of gear available for demo

if there would, i would be able to save alot of time by trying for myself and not reading forums lol =/

found a deal for HEX V2 that's abt USD 1K flat so was wondering if it was worth the extra USD200 from AFO

just don't want something that's extremely thin sounding compared to 650

so far i do like Aeon Flow sig quite alot =)

 

[SonyFan121]

You might like one of the Fostex TH-X00 heaphones. I had the TH-X00 Purpleheart, and also Denon AH-D5000, which where a perfect match for the Marantz PM5005 amp I had at the time..
Both headphones where the opposite of thin sounding..both had punchy bass, warm mid's and accurate, detailed high's. Enhanced further by the Marantz amp. A great pairing.

 

[Focux]

You might like one of the Fostex TH-X00 heaphones. I had the TH-X00 Purpleheart, and also Denon AH-D5000, which where a perfect match for the Marantz PM5005 amp I had at the time..
Both headphones where the opposite of thin sounding..both had punchy bass, warm mid's and accurate, detailed high's. Enhanced further by the Marantz amp. A great pairing.

The wood cups on the Fostex look really nice but they’re closed cans..

 

[arielext]

No they are semi closed. They leak and breathe almost like an open can.

 

[SonyFan121]

The wood cups on the Fostex look really nice but they’re closed cans..

Sorry I didn't realise you where looking for recommendations for an open headphones. As arielext says; the Fostex are semi closed. Like you, I was recently looking for an open-back planar headphone and decided to go for the Acoustic Research AR-H1, I would recommend the AR-H1 to you but i'm still waiting on it being shipped from the U.S. so I can't give impressions yet. From what i've read, AR-H1 definitely seems like a winner though. I have read great things about the AR-H1 everywhere, except for Tyll Hertsens video review of it, but he was clearly showing unfair bias towards Hifiman and Audeze. That's the reason why I stopped watching his review videos many years ago, he always seems to take sides and show unfair bias towards certain brands.

 

[chimney189]

Go with the HEXv2.. I don't think that you'll be disappointed. I feel like the HEK/X lineup is a more mature HD 6XX headphone.

 

[SilverEars]

No they are semi closed. They leak and breathe almost like an open can.

It breaths, but doesn't mean it sounds like an open can. I call it a cupped headphone, and it's tuned like a cupped headphone, and sounds like one. There is a difference between an open headphone and something like a TH-X00 which is much more like a closed headphone with it's cupped design.

MrSpeakers Flow opens really doesn't sound much open as well, and that's will be one of the distinguishing aspect from an Hifiman.

 

[TWerk]

AEON FLOW OPEN did not impress me. Yes, they sound good, but nothing special about them. Joshua Valour on youtube did a review that I agree with entirely, they just don't have anything special to them. They sound good, but so does so many other headphones. When you charge $600, I want something special.

And I agree w/ Silver above, another disappointing aspect is they do not sound open like an open back should.

I haven't heard the HEX V2, but I think they would be the better headphone for sure.

My HE-500 certainly is!

 

[nicholars]

TBH I would go for 2 midrange headphones instead, especially considering your list of requirements on the first post. Also you are looking at Planars but you might find you prefer Dynamics. They are both good but Planar IMO is not some magical technology that destroys dynamic drivers in every way, they are very good though.

 

[SonyFan121]

TBH I would go for 2 midrange headphones instead, especially considering your list of requirements on the first post. Also you are looking at Planars but you might find you prefer Dynamics. They are both good but Planar IMO is not some magical technology that destroys dynamic drivers in every way, they are very good though.

I think planar magnetic headphones and the more common dynamic-type driver headphones have advantages and disadvantages over each other. There really is no winner, in my opinion, they are just different from one an other. However, personally i've always preferred dynamic-type driver headphones because I find they sound more natural than planar magnetic headphones, I put it down to the shape and function of dynamic type drivers ie the way the sound is dispersed/projected in an circular motion, in comparison, planar magnetic drivers are a square/rectangular shape, which is an unnatural shape, and the sound is dispersed/projected uniformly, which does explain why planar magnetic headphones tend to sound very flat. I haven't owned a planar magnetic headphone in 5 years but recently decided to give planar magnetics another chance to impress me, and i'm hoping the Acoustic Research AR-H1 will do just that.

 

[penguinofsleep2]

Having tried both and owning AFC, I would say neither is way above the other or better than the other. The final decision should be made by the sound you want.

With that being said, knowing that both companies are probably sponsors here, the quality issues that have popped up (such as one above), even on some of the more $$ HFM products, are a bit concerning and is one of the main reasons I don't own any of the more $$ HFM headphones.

 

[nicholars]

I think planar magnetic headphones and the more common dynamic-type driver headphones have advantages and disadvantages over each other. There really is no winner, in my opinion, they are just different from one an other. However, personally i've always preferred dynamic-type driver headphones because I find they sound more natural than planar magnetic headphones, I put it down to the shape and function of dynamic type drivers ie the way the sound is dispersed/projected in an circular motion, in comparison, planar magnetic drivers are a square/rectangular shape, which is an unnatural shape, and the sound is dispersed/projected uniformly, which does explain why planar magnetic headphones tend to sound very flat. I haven't owned a planar magnetic headphone in 5 years but recently decided to give planar magnetics another chance to impress me, and i'm hoping the Acoustic Research AR-H1 will do just that.

From what I have heard / read, most planars will have the "wall of sound" effect, where everything is a similar volume, whereas Dynamics are more dynamic, but yes both are good depends on preference.