[I g o r]

Another vote for the HE-500. A real 'hairs standing up on the back of my neck' headphone which got me properly started on this ridiculously expensive journey. Still chasing that feeling....

+1... the first time I listened to a good pair of full size, it was the HE-500. I remember the feeling like it was yesterday, it was the best musical experience I’ve ever had. After that I was bit by the bug and many headphones later, (from Audeze to Stax), the ONE that gave me that same feeling is the Dan Clark Aeon 2 open. I’m settled. For now.

 

[tabness]

.

 

[Malevolent]

Shure SE535: My first taste of the high-end (back in 2010). Also, my first IEM/headphone that cost me over $150. The sound was very impressive then.

Denon AH-D7000: Wow, that bass.

Fostex TH900: WOW, even better bass!

Audeze LCD-3: Oh, so this is what a top-end planar sounds like? Really, really good!

 

[easyXmode]

HD600s were my first WOW moment. I was in a Hifi shop with my dad when I was a kid and they had them on a demo stand. I didn't want to leave the store lol.

 

[DivineCurrent]

Focal Elex changed everything for me. Never knew you could get such dynamic and realistic sound from a headphone, and then I upgraded to the Clear and now the Clear MG which are my absolute favorites.
But before that years ago, it was definitely the HD650 that made me go wow.

 

[Racheski]

HD800S. And then again after applying EQ to them.

 

[joshnor713]

HD 820 and KSE1200 are both my wow headphones, for different reasons. The 820 for the experience, the KSE for the detail. I'm sticking with this combo for a while.

 

[MajorMajorMajor]

I would have to say my wow headphone has been the hd800 easily, it is still one of my favorite headphones and is the ones on my head currently.

 

[539465]

Shure SE535: My first taste of the high-end (back in 2010). Also, my first IEM/headphone that cost me over $150. The sound was very impressive then.

Denon AH-D7000: Wow, that bass.

Fostex TH900: WOW, even better bass!

Audeze LCD-3: Oh, so this is what a top-end planar sounds like? Really, really good!

have you heard $25 modern retro's with brainwavz XL pleather pads tho

 

[jdmeyers77]

Focal Utopia. Blew my mind.

 

[Malevolent]

have you heard $25 modern retro's with brainwavz XL pleather pads tho

Sorry, do you mean the Monoprice Modern Retro? Unfortunately, no.

 

[OklahomaM3]

Abyss Diana V2's were a step up in clarity over everything I had heard before. Also with all the complaining online about their comfort I was also "wow'd" by the fact that I found them extremely comfortable. Wow'd all around.

 

[Tachyon88]

Abyss Diana V2's were a step up in clarity over everything I had heard before. Also with all the complaining online about their comfort I was also "wow'd" by the fact that I found them extremely comfortable. Wow'd all around.

What else have you heard ? I think they're very comfortable.

 

[OklahomaM3]

What else have you heard ? I think they're very comfortable.

I literally went from HD600's (which I owned for probably 6-7 years, then bought a Lawton modded Emu Teak's to the Diana V2's.

Based on the best golf club fitting I have ever received I decided to take the approach of that fitter to the headphone purchasing "game". For example, if in his club fitting session you have a massive slice with your current club he will put you in the most draw biased club he can possibly build, if that is to far of an adjustment well now he knows the "goal posts" which he needs to play between. The other approach would be to make minor adjustment after minor adjustment until you get to the right place which he has told me after many years of experience is much less efficient (time/cost) to get the right "fit". I took this approach with headphones, went straight the "highest end" and I intend to sell the V2's at some point and try a few of the "lesser/cheaper" options to see if they can keep up or not. If they do I won't re-upgrade in the future, if they don't i can confidently go back to the V2's and not always wonder.

 

[bagwell359]

SR-007 BL 1997 - great wow sound, short on bass, whole setup seemed weak physically - cheaped out in '98 and got a Classic 303 used which was more feebly constructed. Died by 2001.

2015: Started up again with MD-600 and 400i. But set up sucked.

2016: Upgraded set-up, then hit the first mouth open can since the SR-007 - HE-500

2019: Heard the Voce on the HFM amp, much more life like then the techni-colored 007 and 009. Mighty expensive fix.

2020: Susvara, really great, but even at open box ~$3800 price its a sacrifice I would make. Now I need to liquidate about 6 items and then I can chase it, meanwhile HE-500 & HE-6se on Ragnarok 1 and HD-600 on BHC w/ mods. After I pull it off I'm done with reviews, ads, whatever - no more step-up itis,

whatever comes my way, it'll be open back only.