[shofilm]

What stands out to you in comparison to the V2 and Arya ?

The v2 does everything better in my humble opinion but the soundstage.

That's why the Arya is more of a "wow" headphone to me. I'm a sucker for soundstage lol

 

[daphantom99]

My Sony MDR-R10... still rocking it.

 

[MayaTlab]

There's always been an HD6something in my family since childhood and I quickly monopolised it. And every single pair of headphones I tried after that seemed to me more like a side-step with drawbacks and benefits rather and a complete improvement over them. To the point where when I moved out of the house and got my pairs of HD800 and Stax headphones I bought a pair of HD650 as well... which I still preferred to the former in many ways, unEQed. Then I realised what I could get out of decently set up near field monitors + room treatment DSP and abandoned my interest for critical listening with headphones.
Eqing headphones then presented itself as a natural continuum from using DSP with monitors (particularly when I started to learn that, just like with speakers, where what you're actually listening isn't the speakers but the interaction between the speakers and the room, what you're listening with headphones isn't just the headphones but the interaction of the headphones with your own anatomy) and this is where the real "Wow" moment for me happened with headphones - at least when I got to the parametric EQ phase. I've slowly made my way into more sophisticated ways to EQ headphones, the latter of which is my current attempts at fine-tuning the response by ear even above 5000hz or so (even with fairly high-ish Q filters) to match the response I get from my speakers (which probably aren't perfectly setup but possibly not that poorly either, and it tells me quite a bit about my own HRTF profile). The problem for a long while was that this meant that I needed to remain tethered to my computer, but the Qudelix 5K changed that completely.
Since my pair of modified HD650 to this day remains the one I find the easiest to fine tune with EQ with only ten parametric bands, particularly at higher frequencies (as this depends on one's anatomy your own perception will necessarily differ in that matter), and the one which seems to not vary that much with positioning over my head, it's still the one which SQ I prefer over most other headphones I've tried, regardless of price.
So the "Wow" moment for me is when I started getting really serious about EQing headphones ("baby" EQ isn't worth it), not a particular pair of headphones.

 

[silent-circuit]

Nectar Hive eStat. I like it better than Susvara, 009 and SR1a.

Interesting! I have looked in to these and reception seemed mixed; you liked them that much? What stood out to you?

 

[bluesaint]

Interesting! I have looked in to these and reception seemed mixed; you liked them that much? What stood out to you?

those that complained probably don't have the right equipment to drive them. BHSE or KGSSHV are hot garbage and antiquated technology IMO. *runs from stax mafia*
they were about 10db less sensitive than 009's, but bass slam and impact like it was abyss 1266 TC for a estat. also the imaging, and overall balanced timbre made this more of what I'd expect from the ultimate Planar than eStat. So that's what "WoW'ed me" keeping in line with the thread.

 

[paradoxper]

those that complained probably don't have the right equipment to drive them. BHSE or KGSSHV are hot garbage and antiquated technology IMO. *runs from stax mafia*
they were about 10db less sensitive than 009's, but bass slam and impact like it was abyss 1266 TC for a estat. also the imaging, and overall balanced timbre made this more of what I'd expect from the ultimate Planar than eStat. So that's what "WoW'ed me" keeping in line with the thread.

Distrusting hyperbole.

 

[amoeba1126]

My first "Wow" headphones were the Sony MDR-V6 as they were my introduction to what potentially good sound actually sounded like. I was not wow'd the same way again until I listened to the Audeze LCD-2 (pre-Fazor), because it let me know what kind of quality bass range headphones were capable of.

 

[bluesaint]

Distrusting hyperbole.

oh look, a Gilmore cult member

 

[paradoxper]

oh look, a Gilmore cult member

Blood sacrifices aside, you can't sanely claim Hive hits anything like the TC. No stat does. Not even close.

 

[bluesaint]

Blood sacrifices aside, you can't sanely claim Hive hits anything like the TC. No stat does. Not even close.

guess its quite easy to misconstrue when you read what you want to read. I'm simply indicating that TC as its the hardest hitting planar, and Hive for me is the hardest hitting eStat. It isn't comparing Hive to TC.

 

[paradoxper]

guess its quite easy to misconstrue when you read what you want to read. I'm simply indicating that TC as its the hardest hitting planar, and Hive for me is the hardest hitting eStat. It isn't comparing Hive to TC.

Haha. Fair-ish. The intimation of TC is still a far cry. I'd agree Hive has a little more body, punch, extension but not to the extent your language implies.

 

[mannnu81]

NTT Audio Lab MK2 speakers. They were based out Temecula CA about 45 minute drive from here.
A salesman invited me to his house to sample the system about $200k in equipment. System and speakers disappeared - it was just.... MUSIC
I never heard anything like that before or since.

 

[AudioMoksha]

Fostex TH-X00 PurpleHearts are the wow factor for me so far. I haven't heard a lot of top level headphones. Have a HD6xx, Ananda is stuck in transit. Planning on getting a ZMF Auteur soon.

 

[Nintendam]

Grado SR60.

hey me too!

definitely the ones that got me into the rabbit hole. I gave my (semi) modded pair to my buddy to try and get him into the hobby. Though it was fine cause of all the more expensive ones i purchased... worst decision ever haha, don't think he even uses them (this was 10 years ago).

 

[MisterMudd]

Porta Pro

+1. Had my first pair in ‘88 but gifted to my brother in ‘92 before moving to CA. Bought another in 2012 that I still have today. They always bring a smile. Both pair made me say “Wow”.