[PointyFox]

Best closed backs I have heard are the ZMF Eikon and Sony MDR-Z1R.

 

[Anaz]

Best closed backs I have heard are the ZMF Eikon and Sony MDR-Z1R.

I’ve been eyeing the Z1R ... in your opinion how does it compare to the Cascade?

 

[PointyFox]

I’ve been eyeing the Z1R ... in your opinion how does it compare to the Cascade?

Much better everything, especially clarity. It's so clear it sounds like an open back.
The Z1R compared to the Eikon has more treble sparkle and midbass which makes for a more fun sound, but it's not as liner or quite as realistic as the Eikon. Comfort and build quality is about the same.

I kind of regret selling my Z1R. Sold it in mint condition on Ebay for $1070, and the guy who got it wanted me to refund him $80 for a piece of the packing material being missing.

 

[Anaz]

Much better everything, especially clarity. It's so clear it sounds like an open back.
The Z1R compared to the Eikon has more treble sparkle and midbass which makes for a more fun sound, but it's not as liner or quite as realistic as the Eikon. Comfort and build quality is about the same.

I kind of regret selling mine. Sold it in mint condition on Ebay for $1070, and the guy who got it wanted me to refund him $80 for a piece of the packing material being missing.

Thank you for the comparison! Also for comparing the comfort and sound to the Eikon - I’ll start looking seriously at the Z1R and Eikon. ...and about your experience on eBay - some people are just horrible to deal with.

btw, I received cloth pads for the Cascade yesterday and really liked what they did to the sound:
1. bass is reduced (it’s still elevated but without the kick to the back of your skull LOL)
2. mids are bought forward and have body which is something the filters didn’t do
3. the sound stage is a little wider and a lot deeper with very accurate positioning

Unfortunately, for some reason the Cascade feels more uncomfortable with the cloth pads and I felt a hotspot on the top of my head within 30 mins :-/ (now you know why I bolded “comfort” up above LOL)

 

[PointyFox]

Thank you for the comparison! Also for comparing the comfort and sound to the Eikon - I’ll start looking seriously at the Z1R and Eikon. ...and about your experience on eBay - some people are just horrible to deal with.

btw, I received cloth pads for the Cascade yesterday and really liked what they did to the sound:
1. bass is reduced (it’s still elevated but without the kick to the back of your skull LOL)
2. mids are bought forward and have body which is something the filters didn’t do
3. the sound stage is a little wider and a lot deeper with very accurate positioning

Unfortunately, for some reason the Cascade feels more uncomfortable with the cloth pads and I felt a hotspot on the top of my head within 30 mins :-/ (now you know why I bolded “comfort” up above LOL)

I couldn't wear the LCD4 for longer than 30 minutes without getting a hotspot on top of my head. It's the primary reason I sold it. I can wear the Z1R or Eikon for hours. The Eikon is heavier than the Z1R, but the pads are more comfortable and I think the earcups don't get quite as hot since they're vented a little more.

 

[Anaz]

I couldn't wear the LCD4 for longer than 30 minutes without getting a hotspot on top of my head. It's the primary reason I sold it. I can wear the Z1R or Eikon for hours. The Eikon is heavier than the Z1R, but the pads are more comfortable and I think the earcups don't get quite as hot since they're vented a little more.

That's good to know about the LCD series and thanks again for putting the Eikon on my radar! I'll do some research over the weekend and will try make a decision.

 

[Danimal007]

After weeks with 3 closed backs (all with 100+ hours on them) - Focal Elegia, Mr. Speakers Ether C Flow 1.1 and Mr. Speakers Aeon Flow Closed - I have to give my recco to the the Elegia - especially since you can find them for 150-200 off in the classifieds. At and under 1K I just don't think anything has the dynamics, bass extension and clarity. I love the comfort of both of the Mr. Spearers closed backs and would want to wear either for hours, but for sound I am going to recco the Focal Elegia as best close back under 1K. Hope to here the Stellia soon to see if its 3X better. I listened to all 3 on 3 Amp/Dacs - New Burson Playmate with the V6 opp amps (2 classic/2 vivid), Grace M900 and SMSL T1 Tube. With all three the Focal was my winner. The biggest thing I noticed was that the Either C Flow and Aeon Flow C are very similar - I don't know that I I could see enough difference for almost double the money to get the Ether over the Aeon (as long as you find the teardrop shape comfortable).

 

[Sunstealer]

Not much good stuff in close backs. Aeon flow closed was one of the worst things I've heard. It had no dynamics or detail. I had to return it after about a week because I could not get it to sound good with any genre. I have not tried the Elegia but I have heard mostly bad things about it.

th-x00 is pretty good but I hardly consider it closed. I sold mine recently because it did not pair with my music genres well, but I respected its great bass. TH900 is good as well.

The only closed back I own currently is the shure srh1540. I think it is underrated. Maybe not great for its price (which is still $500 after many years), but it has very good staging and imaging for a closed back.

I had a pair of NAD HP50s before upgrading to the SRH1540. I particularly liked the fact that they could be balanced. It was a pain tracking down a cable, though. Had to get a custom one made due to the deep insertion sockets of the MMCX connectors.

A balanced cable definitely opens up the soundstage and brings the mids a little more forward, making that U-shaped response curve a little shallower.

 

[axle_69]

After weeks with 3 closed backs (all with 100+ hours on them) - Focal Elegia, Mr. Speakers Ether C Flow 1.1 and Mr. Speakers Aeon Flow Closed - I have to give my recco to the the Elegia - especially since you can find them for 150-200 off in the classifieds. At and under 1K I just don't think anything has the dynamics, bass extension and clarity. I love the comfort of both of the Mr. Spearers closed backs and would want to wear either for hours, but for sound I am going to recco the Focal Elegia as best close back under 1K. Hope to here the Stellia soon to see if its 3X better. I listened to all 3 on 3 Amp/Dacs - New Burson Playmate with the V6 opp amps (2 classic/2 vivid), Grace M900 and SMSL T1 Tube. With all three the Focal was my winner. The biggest thing I noticed was that the Either C Flow and Aeon Flow C are very similar - I don't know that I I could see enough difference for almost double the money to get the Ether over the Aeon (as long as you find the teardrop shape comfortable).

Have you tried the Pioneer SE Monitor 5 with the original synthetic leather or Dekoni Sheepskin (for Fostex TH900) earpads? You may change your opinion about the best closed back under 1 K.

 

[Danimal007]

I hope to try a pair of the SE5s out as a I have heard great things about them. My current time and (budget) just went a north of $1K pair of closed backs with the ZMF Eikons - which I am loving. If you can find a used pair under $1K then they top everything else that I have had the opportunity of hearing - I like the ZMF 'warmer' sound so that could be all personal preference.

 

[kman1211]

This is tough for me as I haven't heard a lot of the newer closed-backs such as the Elegia, Aeon C, Z7M2, etc. or the ones I've heard are above the $1000 mark(such as the Z1R). Including discontinued/vintage/modded options things change as some of my favorite headphones ever fall under these categories. Of what I've owned of currently produced unmodded closed-backs I would say the DT 1770 and the DT 150.

 

[donpablo]

Kennerton Magister Pro - which I own since few weeks - plugged in such configuration: Aune S6 -> XLR cables -> Little Dot mk3 SE -> XLR cable -> Kennerton Magister Pro
They have something magical inside, dunno what, I prefer them to open back Hifiman HE-560.

 

[Dawgfish]

Granted I'm fairly new in taking the headphone hobby more seriously (longtime 2 channel speaker system guy-lots of tubes, solid state, turntables, various types of speakers (cross-overless hi efficiency, classic dynamic speakers with upgrades and rebuilt crossovers, planars, electrostatics, etc)) and haven't tried anything real fancy yet, but I'm really enjoying the Monolith M565cs and feel like they represent a great value. They kick the living crap out of my other two pure closed backs (HD598Cs and the brighter than the sun AKG K553 Pros). They have a very balanced sound with punchy bass, excellent mids (vocals are superb), and smooth but detailed highs. The soundstage is very large for a closed can (larger than my HD650s and similar to HE4XXs with grill mods and leather angled pads) and imaging is excellent. I did a slight mod to them by placing a Herbie's Thin Grungebuster to the inside of the wood cups and I feel like it improved the imaging, detail, and micro dynamics by a very noticeable amount. Those of you with M1060Cs should try this as I think it will have similar results on those.

Of the cans I have, I'm enjoying the Argon Mk2s the most, but technically it would be considered a semi-open can. Of the pure closed backs the 565Cs are definitely my favorite and I actually prefer these over my HD650s, modded HE4XXs and Fidelio X2s.

I'm going to try some 1060Cs and Aeon Flow Closed next.

 

[MIR05LAV]

Hi!
my short list of closed backs in 1000$ price range that I really liked:
Ultrasone signature DXP = E-mu teak's < FAD Pandora Hope VI.
Really love th Pandoras. Will soon be able to try little older d-7000 with Lawton level 2 mod

 

[TWerk]

One of my favorite closed back is my JVC DX-1000. It has such a pleasing sound and a nice big soundstage, despite being a closed back. Very relaxing and enjoyable.

I've also always enjoyed Ultrasone for closed back.... they work well with my ears and I enjoy their tuning. The S Logic gives them really good imaging.

Their performance 880 w/ velour pads sounds nice and vivid to me.

I generally shy away from other closed backs now since I am happy with those two. In my experience open backs (generally speaking) have better sound.

There are some really nice closed cans out there though, it can just take a little more work to find them, and it can get real expensive real quick.