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Posted

As a group of veteran audiophiles who have repeatedly espoused the sentiment that "end-game is the point of the game", I'm curious what that actually looks like. What air vibrators consistently end up strapped to your noggin? Or have you all abandoned headphones in favor of speakers and whiskey?

Posted

Headphones ordered roughly by decreasing frequency of use:

  • Audio Zenith PMx2 (reallyĀ convenient!)
  • Stax SR-007A (mid-2015 revision) (paired with a KGSSHV Carbon or KGST)
  • Campfire Audio Andromeda
  • JH13fp (of course)
  • Oppo PM-3 (for closed use, often when playing (digital) piano)
  • Sennheiser HD600 (mid-1999!)

Still consider the HD800 an excellent headphone albeit one that benefits more from EQ than any of the above.Ā Heard many current-TOTLs, consider most of them underwhelming or flawed compared to the above.Ā Curious about ZMF products, never had a chance to try one unfortunately.

Speakers, including inexpensive ones, surpass all of the above by a large margin, but I don't live alone so can't rock them too often.

  • Like 2
Posted

In decreasing order of use, more or less

Koss Esp-950Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā -Ā  effortless & forgiving, mid-range to die for, notĀ as resolving as Stax

Spiral ear SE5-way UĀ  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā -Ā  nearly perfect for portable use

Stax SR-007AĀ  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā Ā -Ā  can't listen to poorly recorded albums. but so resolving with the right material

Beyerdynamic DT-990 (600 ohm)Ā  Ā  -Ā  for a change of pace, were my primary phones for years. sparkling top end

Beyerdynamic DT-1350Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  -Ā  Ā HD25 killer that now gets abused, worn in the rain, around the garage

Etymotic ER4Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā  Ā -Ā  Ā superb isolation, uncomfortable for extended use but ideal onĀ airplanes

Ā 

Ā 

  • 1 month later...
Posted

While i had 727II with SR-009, SS Dynalo with HD800 was getting most of the playing time. After getting the the RME and itsĀ parametric EQ, the SR-009 almost got sold as i did not really see the point of owningĀ it. If i did not find the SRX+ and decided to build one for myself, they would probably be gone already.Ā Ā Bought 95x locally and for cheap, decided to use it for backup and testing. HD800 took a step back to the SR-009. After that i got an itch and decided to build the Carbon. Now i generally use the 95x. Carbon removed a good part ofĀ that gapĀ and they are a lesser pain in the ass somehow. I think i need the 007s..

  • Like 2
Posted

For me, and endgame headphone needs to achieveĀ two things: it needs to be balanced and natural enough to be enjoyable with a wide range of music (also very easy toĀ tweak the rest of the chain) andĀ it also needs to be magical (ipad jokes incoming). SomeĀ headphones do oneĀ thingĀ well, HD600 comes to mind for the first, HE90 for the second.
Luckily, for me, the SR-Lambda scores aĀ double hit.Ā 

After the first try in 2009, somehow along the way, I lost sight of how unremarkablyĀ amazingĀ it was, but all is well since 2012. Flirting with other headphones is jollyĀ good fun, in that sense, there is no endgame headphone. ButĀ in this case, it's only about keeping the relationship stable andĀ everlastingĀ šŸ˜

  • Like 2
Posted (edited)

These days I spend moreĀ time listening to earphones more than myĀ full size headphones.Ā  With less time forĀ listening at home,Ā I spend more time listening at work. Ā I can use aĀ full size cans at work but I prefer a more discrete deviceĀ 

1. Ā Sony IER-Z1R. Ā Seriously good sound for an IEM with really good isolation. Ā Wearing comfort is a top notch to me. Ā So a preferred choice while listen at work.

2. Ā Sony MDR-EX1000. Ā This is a really lovely sounding earphones. Ā Isolation is rather poor so I use it a little less than the IER-Z1R but the sound quality is top notch. Ā In many ways I do prefer them over the IER sound wise. Ā I likeĀ both the EX1000 and the Z1R more than my JH13Pro....so the the old 13Pro FP isnā€™t used much anymore.
Ā 

3. Ā Senn HD800 reterminated with a Furutech 4.4 mm. Ā Most top end DAPs are nowĀ very capable of driving the HD800 very well now.....so I listen to them more than ever around the house. Ā Whenever possible, I fire up my ECP Ravenswood/DSHA-4 or L3 to really hear what they can reallyĀ do.

Ā 

4. Ā Stax SR-009 is nowĀ forth onĀ the list. Ā I useĀ it mostly with the Headamp Aristaeus for simplicity. Ā I also listen to Wacharaā€™sĀ HE90 Clone as well.

Ā 

Edited by purk
  • Like 3
Posted (edited)

Not the RAAL but I did tryĀ the Empy thanks to Justin. Ā The sound is bassy and beautiful. Ā I found them warmer than neutral but very refined;Ā however, theyĀ still sound likeĀ most plannars to my earsĀ and not transparent and airy enough. Ā Ā Hate to say it but I thought the Susvara was super wonderful sounding. Ā It was transparent and very musical out of Justinā€™s GSX mini. Ā Since I donā€™t like how Hifiman conducts their business, the Susvara is off the table for me.Ā 
Ā 

Ā The SDR mod HD800 has really grown on me the last few years. Ā They are very robust, durable, and sound really good out of my modified Sony NW-WM1A walkman. Ā TheyĀ are within the striking distance to the Susvara and the 009 when driven byĀ Dougā€™s Ā L3. Ā This is same pair of the HD800 that bought from Justin for $900 back in 2010. Ā I reterminated all of my headphones including the R10 with 4.4 mm balanced plug so I can use them with my Sony Walkman.

Edited by purk
Posted

When I joined Head-Fi back around 2005, I had my trusty AKG K340, which I bought new in '83. Since then I've tried numerous models. Liked many, disliked many. But once I tried the AKG K1000 I knew I'd found my headphones. They're still my go to headphones, and I seriously doubt that'll change in the foreseeable future. Are there technically better headphones? Sure. But there are no other headphones with the presentation of the K1000. It's that quasi speaker like presentation that still pulls me in. I do miss the Pioneer M22 driving them, but my Exposure 2010S does a fine job of pushing these power hungry drivers.

When I need a little more privacy it's generally the Senn. 580, but the Senn. 650 for more punchy material.

  • Like 2
Posted

Honestly I just use the HD650 something like 95% of the time. It's like mom's chicken noodle soup, or a pair of old fuzzy slippers, headphone comfort food that won't knock your socks off but is just pleasant and relaxing and nice, without doing much of anything wrong. These days, with so much crap going on in my life and outside of it, that's pretty much all I'm looking for most of the time. And the FR is damn near perfect.

Other headphones are the Stax L700, which has some faults but is just so damn musical, the Utopia, which sounds great but is a bit fatiguing so I might ditch it, and the SR-007. The latter won't fit my head properly, I more or less have to hold the earcups in place so it gets next to no use, but damn it sounds great when everything works out. If only Stax updated the ergonomics...

On the move I use the Westone UM Pro 50, for similar reasons to the HD650, though I do EQ it a bit. But then again I EQ everything.

Might get some RAALs at some point, but have concerns over brightness/fatigue.

I'm not very bright, and neither should be my headphones!

  • Like 4
Posted

On the go it's airpods pro.Ā  They're wildly convenient, though hardly great-sounding.Ā  At home it's HD800s, vintage Grado RS-1s, or JH13s if I need privacy.Ā  Looks like the Raals are the new hotness, so I will probably grab those.

  • Like 2
Posted

OoOo.. I only considered music I have two additional items I use everyday.Ā 

Purity ones for on the go YouTube videos and podcasts. Sound quality for these is irrelevant. They cost $20 which is the main thing because I lose one or both every other month.Ā 

Sennheiser gsp 670 for gaming. Sound quality is good but not great. I really love these because can get up to get food and still talk in discord and they BT to the phone since I'm on call all the time.Ā 

Posted
3 hours ago, MexicanDragon said:

You gonna use them with the Bluetooth setup?

Was only joking. Again, not a fan of Hifiman as a company so I will not support their products. Ā I admit loving the Susvara though.

  • Haha 1

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