jksoon
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2011
- Posts
- 80
- Likes
- 80
My headphone stash:
AKG Stash: AKG K500, K400 (early), K400 (later), K240 Sextett, K240 Monitors (Austria) x2
I started getting in to AKG last year when I purchase a pair of AKG K240 600 Ohm Monitors (Austria). Went home, listened to some 70's, 80's music and they just sounded right. Perhaps these we used in the studios back then? Then I got hooked buying different versions / variants in the AKG K240 Line. I really enjoy the Sextett's sound the most.
I read reviews on the K400 and K500, but you really need to try them for yourself as everybody has certain preferences. I purchased 2 variants of the K400, then the two of the K500 and to my ears, I prefer the sound of the early K400.
Planars: Audeze LCD-2 Black Aluminum Fazor, Vegan pads, band. HifiMan HE-400i, Stax Gamma
The Stax Gamma I purchased in the early 90's and still use them now and then. With some high end tube gear, I still prefer them over the Audeze and Hifiman. I ran these with vintage Audio Research, Luxman and Conrad Johnson tube gear.
I purchased the Audeze to see what the fuzz was all about. I enjoy them and use them on occasion, but their weight can get to me. I might have to get the carbon head band upgrade or see if Audeze will sell me the LCD-2c band as I would like more long term comfort. These can be a bit laid back which brings me to the Hifiman HE-400i.
I purchased the HE-400i for the occasions that I wanted a bit less weight than the LCD-2 as well as a bit more energy in the upper mids and highs. They fit the bill, but they are not as dynamic or resolving as the LCD-2. These are usually my go to headphones.
Some Grado Love: SR-325e, SR-125, SR-60is
My first pair of Grado headphones was in 1996? A pair of SR-80. I used them at work 8 hours a day for years and would let co-workers borrow them as they had no idea how good headphones could sound.
The SR-125 took me a while to appreciate as they seem to have less of the "in your face" sound, but I ended up liking them quite a bit.
The SR-60is I had purchased for use with portable audio. Decent sound, but I prefer the SR-80is.
I purchased the SR-325e shortly after it was announced as I really wanted to see what the new drivers had to offer. I can't stand them with the L pads ( yeah, I let a fried borrow my SR-60is which have the L pads, which is why they show in the photo). The comfy pads are ok, but the TTVJ deluxe pads to my ears make them sound better. I might consider selling these to upgrade to the RS-2e as I do find the aluminum a bit heavy on long listening sessions.
Oakley Thump Pros (x2) for bike riding, Shure SE-846 and Westone 4 iems, Sennheiser HD-25, ATH-M50x (take to work), Philips Fidelio X2 (movies/gaming).
Oakley Thump Pro sunglasses with built in MP3 player and earbuds. I was mounting biking 120 miles per week when I bought these and I used these to have some tunes without wires getting caught in branches or dangling around. Predates wireless units. They actually sound decent.
Shure SE-846. I had to buy these. 4 drivers per side with years of research and development from a company with quite a bit of experience. I was looking at the SE-535 at the time and when I was going to pull the trigger, the SE-846 came out, so I bought those instead. Quite happy with them and very revealing, though I find something some sort of overlap between the sub-bass and bass drivers that distracts me on certain tracks. I was into high end car audio for years and the mid-bass region was always the hardest to get right, so I guess I'm sensitive to this.
Westone 4 - I simply wanted to have a pair of Westone iems. Early 4 driver version. I like the mids, but they can be a bit rolled off on the highs. I use these when I want to listen to rock as it tames bright sounding tracks.
Sennheiser HD-25 - The HD-25 took me by surprise. They don't look like much and the drivers are small, they go over the ear with a bit too much clamping pressure, but the mids on these are outstanding. They have plenty of detail without being overly bright and the bass is decent and fast. I don't think I'll ever part with these. They are also easy to drive.
Audio Technical ATH-M50x. These are my work friendly headphones in office environments. They are comfy, easy to drive with an MP3 player / phone. My least audiophile set, but they serve their purpose.
Philips Fidelio X-2, I use these mostly for watching movies and occasional gaming. Velour pads for comfort, decent soundstage and good bass. A bit of a V-shaped sound signature, but decent overall.
Status Audio CB-1 was on sale on eBay for $44 with free shipping. I wanted to see what a value set of headphones could do these days. I actually like them more than the ATH-M50x. At their retail price of $79 they are a good value, and for what I paid, I could not pass on them.
B&O A8 - I like the way they look and how they adjust but they hardly have any bass. So yes, I got them for their looks. I also have various B&O gear at home... since they do look nice.
AKG Stash: AKG K500, K400 (early), K400 (later), K240 Sextett, K240 Monitors (Austria) x2
I started getting in to AKG last year when I purchase a pair of AKG K240 600 Ohm Monitors (Austria). Went home, listened to some 70's, 80's music and they just sounded right. Perhaps these we used in the studios back then? Then I got hooked buying different versions / variants in the AKG K240 Line. I really enjoy the Sextett's sound the most.
I read reviews on the K400 and K500, but you really need to try them for yourself as everybody has certain preferences. I purchased 2 variants of the K400, then the two of the K500 and to my ears, I prefer the sound of the early K400.
Planars: Audeze LCD-2 Black Aluminum Fazor, Vegan pads, band. HifiMan HE-400i, Stax Gamma
The Stax Gamma I purchased in the early 90's and still use them now and then. With some high end tube gear, I still prefer them over the Audeze and Hifiman. I ran these with vintage Audio Research, Luxman and Conrad Johnson tube gear.
I purchased the Audeze to see what the fuzz was all about. I enjoy them and use them on occasion, but their weight can get to me. I might have to get the carbon head band upgrade or see if Audeze will sell me the LCD-2c band as I would like more long term comfort. These can be a bit laid back which brings me to the Hifiman HE-400i.
I purchased the HE-400i for the occasions that I wanted a bit less weight than the LCD-2 as well as a bit more energy in the upper mids and highs. They fit the bill, but they are not as dynamic or resolving as the LCD-2. These are usually my go to headphones.
Some Grado Love: SR-325e, SR-125, SR-60is
My first pair of Grado headphones was in 1996? A pair of SR-80. I used them at work 8 hours a day for years and would let co-workers borrow them as they had no idea how good headphones could sound.
The SR-125 took me a while to appreciate as they seem to have less of the "in your face" sound, but I ended up liking them quite a bit.
The SR-60is I had purchased for use with portable audio. Decent sound, but I prefer the SR-80is.
I purchased the SR-325e shortly after it was announced as I really wanted to see what the new drivers had to offer. I can't stand them with the L pads ( yeah, I let a fried borrow my SR-60is which have the L pads, which is why they show in the photo). The comfy pads are ok, but the TTVJ deluxe pads to my ears make them sound better. I might consider selling these to upgrade to the RS-2e as I do find the aluminum a bit heavy on long listening sessions.
Oakley Thump Pros (x2) for bike riding, Shure SE-846 and Westone 4 iems, Sennheiser HD-25, ATH-M50x (take to work), Philips Fidelio X2 (movies/gaming).
Oakley Thump Pro sunglasses with built in MP3 player and earbuds. I was mounting biking 120 miles per week when I bought these and I used these to have some tunes without wires getting caught in branches or dangling around. Predates wireless units. They actually sound decent.
Shure SE-846. I had to buy these. 4 drivers per side with years of research and development from a company with quite a bit of experience. I was looking at the SE-535 at the time and when I was going to pull the trigger, the SE-846 came out, so I bought those instead. Quite happy with them and very revealing, though I find something some sort of overlap between the sub-bass and bass drivers that distracts me on certain tracks. I was into high end car audio for years and the mid-bass region was always the hardest to get right, so I guess I'm sensitive to this.
Westone 4 - I simply wanted to have a pair of Westone iems. Early 4 driver version. I like the mids, but they can be a bit rolled off on the highs. I use these when I want to listen to rock as it tames bright sounding tracks.
Sennheiser HD-25 - The HD-25 took me by surprise. They don't look like much and the drivers are small, they go over the ear with a bit too much clamping pressure, but the mids on these are outstanding. They have plenty of detail without being overly bright and the bass is decent and fast. I don't think I'll ever part with these. They are also easy to drive.
Audio Technical ATH-M50x. These are my work friendly headphones in office environments. They are comfy, easy to drive with an MP3 player / phone. My least audiophile set, but they serve their purpose.
Philips Fidelio X-2, I use these mostly for watching movies and occasional gaming. Velour pads for comfort, decent soundstage and good bass. A bit of a V-shaped sound signature, but decent overall.
Status Audio CB-1 was on sale on eBay for $44 with free shipping. I wanted to see what a value set of headphones could do these days. I actually like them more than the ATH-M50x. At their retail price of $79 they are a good value, and for what I paid, I could not pass on them.
B&O A8 - I like the way they look and how they adjust but they hardly have any bass. So yes, I got them for their looks. I also have various B&O gear at home... since they do look nice.
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