Rank Your Headphones

[Nanoha]

I'm currently studying a bit regarding statistical algorithms for one of my classes and thought this might a good chance to test things out. I know there is a rank-your-headphones thread on Head-Fi, but that one has a lot of rubbish mixed in with the gems. I'll take a look into that thread after testing out a smaller data set (Head-Case). Hopefully I can finish the data analysis in a week or two after the data is gathered. Hopefully this turns out to be fun as well. (We can get an idea of what kind of sounds you guys like! )

Try to rank all the headphones you've owned. (Post what amp you used the headphones out of, for perhaps a deeper analysis later.)

Tiering is fine. If you've posted something like this in the "best headphones" thread or some other thread, try to regroup it here as well. I'll post my own rank later this afternoon after class.

Thanks guys!

*Rank based on how much you enjoy those headphones and how you regard their overall performance as opposed to comfort, usage, value, etc.

[JBLoudG20]

W3000 > W10VTG > er6i > UE s.f3

[Nanoha]

W3000 > W10VTG > er6i > UE s.f3

All you've owned, bro. (Or at least try to. )

*Correction on the ranking method:

If you feel there is a significant disparity between "what you prefer" and "how you regard their performance", please post both rankings. (That is, you really like the sound signature of one headphone but know it actually is mediocre in terms of its performance.)

[JBLoudG20]

Ah ok.

W3000 > W10VTG > triple.fi > K701 > K340 > ES7 > w100 > K240s > er6i > HD600 > ATH-SJ5 > K81DJ > UE s.f 3 > KSC75 > e2c

[spritzer]

I just pasted this over and I might use a tier system later.

All driven by the Blue Hawaii in correct order:

SR-007 > SR-Ω > HE60 > HE90 > SR-4070 > SR-Sigma > SR-SC1 > SR-Lambda (open back) >SR-Lambda Signature > SR-Lambda (stock) > SR-404 > SR-Nova Signature > SR-Lambda Spirit > SR-Lambda Pro > SR-Sigma Pro > Beyer ET1000 > SR-5 NB > SR-Gamma > SR-X Mk3 > SR-X Mk2 > SR-3 > SR-5 > SR-3 New....

There are some more such as the Koss ESP 6/9/10, Suprex PEP-74, Micro Seiki MS2 and the OEM Stax phones but they all have some issues or are far from being stock.

[Nanoha]

Ah ok.

W3000 > W10VTG > triple.fi > K701 > K340 > ES7 > w100 > K240s > er6i > HD600 > ATH-SJ5 > K81DJ > UE s.f 3 > KSC75 > e2c

Awesome! Thanks again!

[PFKMan23]

Let's see...

Performance:

AKG K1000 > Sennheiser HD580 > AKG 701 > Sennheiser HD650 > Grado RS-1 > Grado HF-1 > JVC HA D990 > Sony CD3000 > Sennheiser PX100

What I prefer...

Sennheiser HD580 > AKG K1000 > AKG K701 > JVC HA D990 > Grado HF-1 > Grado RS-1 > Sony CD3000 > Sennheiser PX1000

I think that's about right anyways

[philodox]

Using the jpak graded system:

K 340 >>>>> Donuts / QP85 >>> K81DJ >>>>>>>>>> All y'all headphones is bunk!

[jinp6301]

Grado SR225 > Senn hd580 > Ety er4s > Stax SR-001mk2 > Shure e500 > AL im716 > ety er6i > Koss ksc 75 > Yuin PK-2 > Yuin PK-3 >Shure e2g > JVC Marshmellows

[philodox]

Oops, it's everything you've owned. That's harder.

AKG K 340 >>>> MB-Quart QP85 > swt61 Chocolate Donut Mk2 > AKG K271 Studio > Grado HF-1 > AKG K240 Studio >> Shure E4 > AKG K81DJ >> Sennheiser HD570 >>>> AKG K26P >>>>>>>> All Audio Technica Headphonez

[postjack]

This should be fun!

These are personal preference with a bit of performance mixed in. I wouldn't want to try to separate the two.

RS-1 > HP-2 > HD650 > GS1000 > W5000 > HD600 > HD580 > K340 > MS2i > W11JPN > SR225 > SR325i > K701 > DT990 '05 > SR60 > DT770/80 Pro

All amps based on single ended drive out of Veda Audio Dynahi SA, with the exception of the K701 and SR60 (Headfive), SR225, DT770/80, and DT990 '05 (HA-2 MKII SE), and HD600 and HD580 (PPX3 Slam). At various times, some of the cans designated as being Dynahi driven were also driven by a Melos SHA-Gold or PPX3 Slam, but I found the Dynahi to have the best performance as well as being my personal preference.

I have not yet included the Ultrasone Edition 9 anywhere on the list, since I haven't owned it for a long enough time to grant it a position in the hierarchy (if I was forced to, right now they would fall somewhere behind or around the HD600. They are enjoyable headphones, despite their flaws). Also IEMs were not included in the list, mainly because I haven't had enough listening time with the ER4P and my recollection of the iM716 is faint (to be fair my recollection of the K701 and DT990 '05 is faint as well, but comfort issues with the K701 automatically drop it to the bottom of the list anyway).

[grawk]

PS3000 -> HHF1 -> PS1 -> HP1 -> W10VTG -> W11JPN -> Balanced Oracled HD580 -> RS1 -> SR225 -> Darth Beyer V1OC -> K501 -> K701 -> KSC75 -> DT770 -> MDR-V6 -> SR325i

UM2 -> ER4P -> AL iM716 -> SuperFi 3

[JBLoudG20]

Oops, it's everything you've owned. That's harder.

AKG K 340 >>>> MB-Quart QP85 > swt61 Chocolate Donut Mk2 > AKG K271 Studio > Grado HF-1 > AKG K240 Studio >> Shure E4 > AKG K81DJ >> Sennheiser HD570 >>>> AKG K26P >>>>>>>> All Audio Technica Headphonez

So do you also keep noticing that the 340 gets placed about themiddle of the pack in everyone else's rankings except yours?

I'd offer to let you hear my w3k, but you are too biased to give it a good listen

[postjack]

So do you also keep noticing that the 340 gets placed about themiddle of the pack in everyone else's rankings except yours?

I'd offer to let you hear my w3k, but you are too biased to give it a good listen

awww, come on JBizzL, let philodox have his K340.

[Nanoha]

Oops, it's everything you've owned. That's harder.

AKG K 340 >>>> MB-Quart QP85 > swt61 Chocolate Donut Mk2 > AKG K271 Studio > Grado HF-1 > AKG K240 Studio >> Shure E4 > AKG K81DJ >> Sennheiser HD570 >>>> AKG K26P >>>>>>>> All Audio Technica Headphonez

By the way, what Audio-Technica headphones have you owned?

[saint.panda]

Tier 0

HE90

Tier 1

PS-1 = balanced HD 650 (Equinox) > AKG K1000

Tier 2

HD 600 > Beyer DT880 > Grado RS-1 > Stax SR-404 > Sony CD 3000

Tier 3

AKG K271 > Grado SR-225 > HD 595 > Audio Technica A900 > Beyer DT 831 (with 120 Ohm) = AKG K181 > Beyer DT 770-80 = Beyer DT 250-250 = Ultrasone Proline 750

Tier 4

Senn HD 25-1 > Beyer DT 660 > Ultrasone HFI 700 = Ultrasone HFI 650 > Beyer DT 250-80 = Senn HD 280 > Shure E4 > Etys ER-4S

Tier 5

AKG K81 > Koss KSC-35 > Senn PX 100 > Audio Technica EW9 > Senn PX200 > Shure E3 > Shure E2

Tier crap

Sony V300, Sony 605LP, Philips HS900, Koss the Plug, etc.

[grawk]

So do you also keep noticing that the 340 gets placed about themiddle of the pack in everyone else's rankings except yours?

I'd offer to let you hear my w3k, but you are too biased to give it a good listen

No one else has wanted them to sound good enough to go to those extremes for them. Like DRArthurWells and CD3000/Whatever Chinese Amp that was...

[philodox]

So do you also keep noticing that the 340 gets placed about the middle of the pack in everyone else's rankings except yours?

Well, I think you'd notice a lot of their top end headphones in the middle of the pack on my ranking, but I don't buy headphones that I don't like. Or at least I try not to.

Lets review the lists where they are middle of the pack:

Yours - You put the K701 and a fucking earbud above them, so who has hearing issues? I've never heard the W10VTGs or W3000s, so you might be right.

Post - I can completely understand putting the RS-1 and HP-2 over the K340. The GS1000 is sort of a mystery, but I guess he has had a better experience with them than I. Obviously Post likes the Sennheiser house sound... I don't.

Um, so I guess that is 'everyone else'.

I'd offer to let you hear my w3k, but you are too biased to give it a good listen

If I liked them, I'd tell you. I'm not so biased that my ears have stopped working.

By the way, what Audio-Technica headphones have you owned?

None, it was a joke.

[laxx]

=[ I'm of the minority.

K701 -> RS-2 -> PK1 -> HD580 -> SR 225 -> HD595 -> SR001 MK2 -> PK2 -> SR80 -> SR325i -> E500

[grawk]

=[ I'm of the minority.

We don't hold race against people here.

[philodox]

No one else has wanted them to sound good enough to go to those extremes for them.

Or rather, I heard their potential and did everything I could to unlock it.

Please don't compare me to Art. I don't go around flat out telling people that A is better than B. I understand that people have different preferences and opinions.

We don't hold race against people here.

Well, except for the token jokes.

[xand1x]

We don't hold race against people here.

Since when?

[grawk]

Since when?

You're VALUED for your diversity, token

[spritzer]

I just had to do again with tiers

Tier 1

SR-007 > SR-Ω

Tier 2

HE60 > HE90 > SR-4070

Tier 3

SR-Sigma > SR-SC1 > SR-Lambda (open back) >SR-Lambda Signature

Tier 4

SR-Lambda (stock) > SR-404 > SR-Nova Signature > SR-Lambda Spirit > SR-Lambda Pro > SR-Sigma Pro > Fostex T-50 Mk1 > SR-003

Tier 5

Beyer ET1000 > SR-5 NB > SR-Gamma > SR-X Mk3 > HD600 w/Cardas cable

Tier 6

SR-X Mk2 > SR-3 > SR-5 > SR-3 New > ESP10 > ESP9 > ESP6 > Micro Seiki MS2

Tier 7

Stax OEM stats' (Magnavox, Marantz, Realistic)

I left out quite a few as I couldn't have compared them directly or I've simply forgot enough for a correct placement.

[JBLoudG20]

Yours - You put the K701 and a fucking earbud above them, so who has hearing issues? I've never heard the W10VTGs or W3000s, so you might be right.

I put them above because they ARE better than the 340 IMO. It was incredibly mediocre when I had it, and I even built an amp for it. The triple.fi had bass that didn't absolutely suck. The 340 excels at the midrange, and I have found I enjoy the AT midrange much more. The 340 as only good for electronica, and I found the 701 to surpass it in everyhting else. I think its just safe to say we have different opinions on sound.