recommended ones
published: Mar-12-2013, last update: Feb-04-2024
There are basically two ways to look at headphones when buying them.
You can take/use them as they are OR you can buy one(s) with the most potential and improve/modify them so they will sound even better.
There isn’t a SINGLE ‘perfect’ headphone on this planet. Not even the most expensive ones.
However, there are plenty of excellent sounding headphones that may suit your taste perfectly while other headphones on the list may not sound as good to your ears.
The list of headphones below (divided in price-classifications) are in alphabetical order.
They range from light to dark sounding headphones (also random order !) and guarantee ALL listed headphone DO sound different but at least have good sonic qualities about them.
There are plenty headphones around that may be even better sounding to YOUR ears that are NOT listed here. This, most likely, has to do with taste.
When you can’t find the headphone you really wanted to buy amongst the recommended ones below, then I suggest you audition them anyway and if you like the sound simply buy them.
They may very well be excellent sounding but could have a treble peak, bass peak, or lack of bass or midrange I find to be ‘off’ and thus it did not end up in the lists below. The listed headphones are all ‘HiFi’ sounding in MY opinion.
If you are looking for maximum bass, very dark or bright sounding headphones or are looking for wireless or in-ear headphones you will not find these listed below, only wired on- and over-ears. They can be optimal for portable and/or home usage or both.
The listed headphones, even the best headphones around, are still not ‘perfect’.
All the listed headphones sound good/pleasant by themselves, some may be on the ‘darker’ side, some are ‘brighter’, some are fairly neutral.
The headphones listed aren’t suited for bassheads though but all sound good and ‘believable’ with little ‘annoyances’.
Only on direct comparison (side by side) differences in sonic signature will be evident. The difficult part here is a difference in efficiency (loudness).
To accurately compare headphones you need 2 amps and loudness matched headphones !
Some may have a better fit and others may not. This depends on the shape and size of the head and ears (pinnae). What sits perfectly fine on your head may be awful to someone else or may not fit at all.
TRY to audition the headphone you are after.
It is best not to buy on someone else’s recommendation only.
Some of the better headphones can get CLOSER to perfection though, with some proper EQ or filtering.
Something to be aware off….
Some people trying out / owning headphones may find their evaluation of their headphone(s) differs considerably from those of other users.
Before blaming it on the headphone(s) or other owners/reviewers find out if you aren’t plagued by fit/seal issues.
In and On-ear headphones have the biggest chance of having a bad seal as well as over-ears with large diameter ear pads or stiff ear pads.
The shape of your head, amount / type of hair and ear-shape may be causing a bad seal in combination with some headphones.
If this is the case TEST if you are getting a good SEAL with your headphone(s), especially when there is less bass than ‘expected’ or the sound is nasal or otherwise ‘colored’ in a way that isn’t usually associated with these headphones.
To test if you have a good seal simply press the ear cups more firmly onto your ears/head. When the sound changes dramatically (most obvious in the bass) then experiment with other pads and or clamping force to address that issue, or find another headphone that doesn’t have sealing issues.
When you are unsure a headphone may suit your taste (this is VERY personal to say the least !) try to audition them.
If this is not possible you can try to find one second-hand or if one is on sale somewhere.
IF you did not like the sound, or perhaps equally important, the comfort, then send it back to the seller (if possible).
Inform upfront with the seller IF this is possible, not all on-line shops offer this service or exclude headphones.
which headphones are ‘hard to drive’?
There are only a handful of headphones that are ‘hard to drive’.
There are a lot of headphones that are said to be hard to drive but in reality aren’t.
It’s just that some headphones require a higher maximum output voltage swing (gain related) than others.
Usually these are high impedance headphones (> 150 Ohm)
These headphones have a low dB/V sensitivity rating but because of their high impedance may well have a high efficiency dB/mW rating.
They thus require a higher voltage (and gain) to play loud and still sound good.
When an amp does not have enough gain or a too low max. output voltage for a particular headphone it will not go as loud as the owner wants or starts to sound less nice at too low levels.|
This is the point where folks claim they are hard to drive.
They are not, they are just not using a suitable amp.
Then there are low impedance headphones which usually have a high dB/V sensitivity and thus require very little voltage to be driven quite loud.
Still here too there are some (usually inefficient planars) that have a low dB/mW efficiency and require the used amp to provide more current than what a device, like a phone or dongle, can provide.
When an amp is limited in their max output current capabilities for a particular headphone it will not go as loud as the owner wants or starts to sound less nice at too low levels.
This is the point where folks claim they are hard to drive.
They are not, they are just not using a suitable amp.
So whenever it appears or is said a headphone is hard to drive they are just using an amp that is not suited to drive those headphones.
Basically when you have a high impedance headphone your amp has to have a high power output rating at 300 Ohm.
With ‘high’ I mean > 100mW (0.1W)
When you have a low impedance headphone you need to look for an amplifier that has a high power output rating at 32 Ohm.
High can be >200mW (for some 20mW is already too high, these have a high dB/mW rating) to 2W or 3W (low dB/mW rating but high power rating)
This means that when you buy an amp that has a high power rating in 32 Ohm (and low gain option) and a high power rating (and higher gain option) you can drive any headphone you like.
This is where this table comes in handy when you want a certain (over- or on-ear) headphone and/or an amplifier and you want to find out if you can drive it properly.
Recommended headphones
For those that do not want to open up nor modify headphones and simply buy and use stock headphones there are quite a few good ‘hi-fi’ sounding headphones around.
Below a selection of the better hi-fi headphones in 3 price classes in alphabetical order so NOT in order of preference or sound quality.
ONLY on-ear and over-ear headphones are listed. No earbuds or IEM’s.
You can buy seriously better headphones at lower prices when buying second-hand. In some cases all that needs to be done is replace the pads.
DO check for proper operation and wiggle the headphone wires/plug when testing.
In general the sound quality goes up with the price range but some of the cheaper ones may sound much better than the more expensive ones.
All headphones have different sonic signatures which may or may not be your personal preference.
Never buy a headphone based on recommendations of others. Always try to audition headphones. The headphones listed below are the more realistic sounding ones and may range from ‘dark sounding’ (bass more prominent and or treble rolled off, a bit speaker like) to ‘clear’ or ‘bright’ sounding (some may think bass-light or bright).
Those looking for a ‘flat as possible’ headphone the (open) Sennheiser HD 560S is a good cheap option.
Also the HD 490 PRO is an option as well as the (open) OLLO S5X.
For closed headphones the OLLO Audio S4R (1.2) is a good choice (read review for downsides).
A truly ‘flat’ headphone is not liked by everyone and may even sound boring to some.
Those looking for ‘Harman‘ type of tonal balance should consider the DCA Stealth or the E3 (closed) or DCA Expanse (open) but these are k€ headphones. These will have elevated lows which most people prefer.
Cheap price point €15 – €50 (in alphabetical order):
The model numbers below that are bolded are linked to my measurements.
Beyerdynamic DT235 (lacks treble finesse) (closed, on-ear)
DAP HD280Pro (open, over-ear)
Devine 4000 Pro (only with SRH940 pads !) (closed, over-ear)
Koss KSC35 / KSC75 (both open-ear-clip)/ KPH30i / PortaPro (both open, on-ear)
Presonus HD7 (somewhat bright) (open, over-ear)
Samson SR850 (slightly boring) (open, over-ear)
Sennheiser PX100 / PX100-II (lacks subbass) (open, on-ear)
Superlux HD681-EVO with Chinese pads (open, on-ear), HD662-EVO (closed, over-ear)
NOTE: When buying Koss PortaPro headphones beware there are fakes out there that do not remotely sound anything like the original and are very bassy and lack highs.
Medium price point €50 – €200 (in alphabetical order):
AKG K181(closed, on-ear)/ K551 / K553 (closed, over-ear) K361, K371 (closed, over-ear)
audio-technica ATH-M40X (NOT the M40fs version !), Audio Technica ATH-M50X or ATH-M50 >2012 (beware there are fakes) (all closed, over-ear) , ATH-TAD500 (open, over-ear)
Beyerdynamic DT240 Pro (closed on-ear), Custom One Pro (but only on setting 2 and 3 when using EDT770V(B) pads, (closed, over-ear) DT990 (a bit treble happy) (open, over-ear),
TYGR300R (open, over-ear), DT150 with EDT 100T pads (closed, over-ear), DT880 BSE (with grey pads fitted) (open, over-ear).
Brainwavz HM5 (closed, over-ear)
Creative Aurvana Live!, Aurvana Live! SE (a bit on the ‘warm’ side) (closed, over-ear)
Denon DN-HP700 (closed, over-ear), AH-MM200 (closed, on-ear)
Fischer Audio FA-003 = NVX XPT100 = Jaycar AA2065 = Studiospares M1000 = Lindy HF-100 (open, over-ear)
Fostex T50RPmkIII, T40RPmkIII (lacks ‘air’ in the treble and subbass) (closed, over-ear)
Goldring DR150 (only 2nd hand) (open, over-ear)
Grado SR60i/SR60e/SR60x (open, on-ear) (bass-light and bright)
JBL 710TUNE-BT (closed, over-ear)
Philips SHP9500 (neutral, slightly lacks presence), SHL9505-uptown with SRH-940 pads (open, over-ear)
Roland RH300 (but only with Brainwavz HYBRID pads fitted) (closed, over-ear)
Sennheiser HD555 / 558 / HD559/ HD560S / HD58X / 595 / 598 / 599 / 238 / 239 / 439 / 569/ 580* (* only 2nd hand) (all open, over-ear, except HD569 = closed, over-ear)
Status Audio CB-1 (full/neutral sound) (closed, over-ear)
Shure SRH-840A (closed, over-ear)
Sony MDR-1RA (with ports closed) / MDR-100AAP (on the warm/bassy side) (closed, over-ear)
Skullcandy Aviator (warm/bassy) (closed, over-ear)
Takstar PRO 82 (closed, over-ear)
V-Moda M80 (closed, on-ear)
Yuin G1A/G2 (open, earclip)
Zoro II HD (closed, over-ear)
Higher price point €200 – €500 (in alphabetical order):
AKG K550 / K551 / K267 (all closed, on-ear) / K712 / K7XX (both open, over-ear)
Audeze Sine (closed, on-ear, planar)
audio-technica AT-R70X (open, over-ear)/ ATH-MSR7b (fakes exist of the non-b version)(closed, on-ear) / ATH-M70 (closed, on-ear)
Austrian Audio HI-X60 (closed, over-ear)
Avantone Pro Planar, The Planar 2 (both open, over-ear, planar)
Beyerdynamic DT880 / DT990-edition (both open, over-ear)/ DT1350 (MUST try before buy) (closed, on-ear) / DT1770 (closed, over-ear)/ Amiron Home / DT1990 (most of the before mentioned have a peak in the upper treble) (both open, over-ear) / DT700ProX (closed, over-ear)/ DT900ProX (open, over-ear)/ T51P / T51i (closed, on-ear)
Bose QC35-II (NC, BT, closed, over-ear)
PSB M4U-1 (closed, over-ear)/ M4U-2 (NC, closed, over-ear)
Denon D2000 (only 2nd hand), D5200 (closed, over-ear)
EMU Teak (closed, over-ear)
FiiO FT3 (open, over-ear)
Fostex TH-X00 (Massdrop only) (closed, over-ear)
HIFIMAN HE400i / HE400SE / HE4XX (massdrop) / Sundara / HE560 v4 (all open, over-ear, planar)
Klipsch Image One (closed, on-ear)
Meze 99 Classics/Noir (warm and bassy) (both closed, over-ear)
OLLO Audio S4R (1.2) (closed, over-ear), S4X Reference (1.2)(open, over-ear), S5X(open, over-ear)
Philips Fidelio L2 / X2HR (you need to be lucky with these) (both open, over-ear)
Sennheiser HD600 / HD650 (> 2013) / HD630VB / HD660S2 / HD560S = HD400Pro / HD490PRO (all open, over-ear)/ PCX550-II (NC, BT, closed, over-ear)
Sony MDR-100ABN / MDR-1000X / WH1000X M(model 3) and up) (NC, BT, closed, over-ear)
Shure SRH840 (closed, over-ear)/ SRH1440 (open, over-ear)/ SRH1540 (closed, over-ear)
Thinksound ON-1 (closed, on-ear)
Yamaha HPH-MT220 (closed, over-ear)
Verum 1 (open, over-ear, planar)
Expensive stuff €500 to €2000 (in alphabetical order):
AKG K812 (open, over-ear)
Audeze LCD2.2(Fazor > 2015) / LCD3 (Fazor > 2015)/ LCD-X / LCD24 (brand is known to have failing drivers and cracking wood cups in older models) (all open, over-ear, planar)
Audio Zenith PMx2 (closed, over-ear, planar)
Beyerdynamic T5(P) (closed, over-ear)/ Amiron Wireless (BT, closed, over-ear)
Denon D5000 / D7000 (only 2nd hand)/ D5200 (all closed, over-ear)
Focal Clear / Elex / Elegia (all open, over-ear)
Fostex TH900 / TH909 (both closed, over-ear)
HIFIMAN HE500 / HE560 / HE5 / HE6 / HE6SE / Edition X / Ananda / Arya / Edition XS (all open, over-ear, planar)
Kennerton Magister (closed, over-ear)
Koss ESP-950 / ESP-95X (both open, over-ear, electrostatic)
Meze 109 Pro (open, over-ear)
Mr. Speakers (now Dan Clark Audio) ÆON closed / ÆON RT (both closed, over-ear, planar)/ Ether C Flow / ETHER (both open, over-ear, planar)
Nan-6 (open, over-ear, planar)
Neumann NDH-30 (open, over-ear)
Sennheiser HD660S2 / HD800(S) (both open, over-ear)
Stax SRS-5100 (open, over-ear, electrostatic)
ZMF Auteur (all open, over-ear)
Obscenely expensive > € 2000 (in alphabetical order):
Abyss AB-1266 (open, over-ear, planar)
Audeze LCD4 / LCDMX4 / LCD4z / LCD-X (2020) / LCD5 (all open, over-ear, planar)
Dan Clark Audio Stealth, E3 (closed, over-ear, planar) / Expanse (open, over-ear, planar)
Focal Utopia (open, over-ear) / Stellia (closed, over-ear)
Final D8000 (open, over-ear)
Grado HP1000 / HP2 (only 2nd hand) (both open, over-ear)
Hedd Heddphone (open, over-ear, ribbon)
HIFIMAN HE1000 / Susvara (both open, over-ear, planar)/ HE-R10 (closed, over-ear, planar) / Shangri-La / Jade-II (both open, over-ear, electrostatic)
Kennerton Odin (open, over-ear, planar)
Meze Empyrean (bassy and subdued clarity) (open, over-ear, planar), Liric (closed, over-ear, planar)
Raal SR-1 (lacks subbass extension) (open, over-ear, ribbon)
Sennheiser HD820 (closed, over-ear)/ Orpheus / HE60 / HE90 (only 2nd hand) / HE1060 (Orpheus-2) = HE1(all open, over-ear, electrostatic)
Sony MDR-R10 (bass-heavy) (closed, over-ear)
Sonoma Acoustics model One (open, over-ear, electrostatic)
Stax SR007 / Omega 2 / SR009 + amp / SR-L700 + SRM-353X (all open, over-ear, electrostatic)
ZMF Caldera (open, over-ear, planar)
DIY-Audio-Heaven 
Beyerdynamic T90 for example?
The T90 has a +8dB treble peak which is a bit too much for my taste without EQ or modifications.
It certainly has some very decent sonic properties (and comfortable) but still isn’t one I thoroughly recommend for the money.
For the same reason the T1 isn’t on the list.
The T5(P) is on the list even though it is twice as expensive, but it doesn’t have the peak but may sound a little too dark to some.
It is easier to listen to ‘warm’ headphones for longer periods at a time than too overly bright ones.
I personally like ‘brighter’ headphones initially but after a while it starts to bug me.
Agreed though that many may find the T90 (and T1) an excellent headphone.
The same is true for the K701/K702, a lot of Grado’s, Audio Technica’s and some K550’s for instance.
They just aren’t on my recommended list.
Fair enough 🙂 I’m just about to buy the T90’s after extensive reading of people’s adulation. As a man in his mid 40’s with a history on loud constuction sites, my hearing above 14khz leaves everything to be desired, so a wee treble boost is no bad thing.
Some people with hearing damage may not just have a ‘roll-off’ in the treble and automatically benefit from boosted treble, they may actually be more sensitive to boosted treble in a ‘negative way’ where it may sound uncomfortable after some time and ‘listening’ fatigue could set in sooner than expected after being ‘wowed’ initially.
Of course, it may well be beneficial to have some boost in that area.
I would try to buy from a shop with a return policy or try to audition it and listen for quite some time on familiar music, not to the demo stuff they use in shops.
The T90 is kind-off bathtub shaped thus having ample bass and hyper/overly done detail.
Not unlike the DT990…
The HD800 also shows hyper detail (treble boost in the same area but less in amplitude) and is less ‘offensive’ to some.
There are lots of T90 fans so it certainly isn’t a bad headphone by a long shot.
I would just not recommend it to everyone.
Thanks again, I appreciate your comments. I’m going open backed for the benefits to be found there and I am happy to use a little DSP if I need to. I use the mini dsp “nano digi” before a havana DAC and then a home made headphone adapter for my F5. I also have the Asus stx to use.
This is my very first foray into serious cans so a bit of experimenting is to come. I have the Botlehead Crack on my shopping list also, but time and funds play a role 😦
Give me a week or two listening and I’ll report back if you like.
Yes, please do !
Just in case the brightness is an issue I created a passive filter for it a while ago:
Click to access T90_passive_filter.pdf
I see you’ve included the HD800s. I would have expected you to list the HD800 with filter module vs. the HD800s, as the HD800 will likely be much cheaper used.
The list is all about using ‘stock’ headphones without any EQ. The HD800S is better in that regard than the HD800 when you like the ‘tonal’ balance of the stock HD800.
When filtered (EQ, Sonarworks, Kameleon) the tonal balance changes quite a bit altering the sound of the headphone as well as other aspects.
Any plans to evaluate the “Verum 1” planar? Reviews so far are raving about how it’s comparable to the HD650 in most FR qualities while also offering that Audeze-type bass that none of the Sennheiser dynamics can manage (and at quite a non-Audeze price too).
No plans to buy one. Maybe someone in Europe wants one measured and sends it in.
Hello, Solderdude,
Will you add to this list of recommended headphones the recently reviewed Philips Fidelio X2HR?
Thank you for this wonderful website.
Regards.
That will depend on whether or not the 3rd one that is on its way doesn’t have imbalance issues.
I understand. Thank you.
Hi Solderdude, I would like to ask if Cooler Master MH752 which is based on the Takstar Pro 82 would be a good choice for around 75 USD.
I’m still hesitant on the purchase because I’m think I’m quite sensitive to highs. Previously I bought the Tin T2 and it felt like the sound was stabbing my ear, I do have tinnitus.
What is your opinion?
The Cooler Master MH752 seems to be slightly different from the Pro82. I haven’t measured heard it myself so have no idea.
I hate sticking things in my ear so don’t review IEM’s.
Some headphones have substantial peaks that can trigger or worsen Tinnitus.
Thanks for your swift reply, I think I might skip this price range and save up more for a higher end headphone like the HD6XX which I think is known to be a warmer sounding headphone.
Thanks for your reply. Really informative site.
Hi, I was reading through the Hifiman range and was thinking about the edition X. The V1. They seem inexpensive to what they are and the sound signature seems very close to the Higher 1000/ susvarna. However all hifiman headphones seem to have a 8khz peak. My tinnitus is around 8khz. Does the peak will make it worse or vanish it? There seems to be a lot of options without the 8khz peak.
I haven’t measured Edition Xv1 so don’t know about those. Looking at plots from Innerfidelity I would say the v2 has a higher peak than the V1.
The second question about Tinnitus is difficult to answer. This is because Tinnitus can be caused by a lot of different causes/reasons. So it could be that a peak sets it off or may actually be beneficial or could have no influence.
Why the comment “you need to be lucky” regarding Philips X2HR headphones
Because some of them have substantial and audible L-R imbalance in the lows. In the X2HR review I expand on this a little more.
Obscenely expensive😂
I am searching for mixing headphones and read through this. Thanks. Good stuff.
Is it worth to pick a LCD 3 (Fazor) over a LCD 2 (Fazor) if listening purley with EQ (oratory)?
If so, what are the differnces if both eq’ed to Harman Target with Oratory Preset?
Thank you very much!
I honestly cannot say as I never EQ’ed them to have a similar response. Furthermore when differences above 8kHz are not properly EQ’ed (Oratory’s test fixture is not accurate there) there can still be audible differences in ‘air’, ‘detail’, ‘coarseness’ and smoothness of treble.
As can be seen on this plot there are substantial differences between LCD3 and 4 in the treble which are not EQ’ed in Oratory but do affect treble quality.
(LCD4 = orange)
Thank you for the Info, but can it be said that for the mentioned attributes: LCD 4 > LCD 3 > LCD 2 when using oratory eq or is it rather a matter of preference?
I cannot decide between an LCD 2 (Fazor from 2016) or an LCD 3 (Fazor from 2018, 500€ more expensive). So far I have owned a Empyrean, HD800, Clear. I really like the Clear and 800 with the Oratory preset.
IME the LCD3 sounds ‘better’ than LCD2 (without any EQ). The Empyrian is too ‘warm’.
HD800 (with EQ) is excellent. Clear doesn’t need much EQ but some of them can’t play loud bass (Audeze can).
I absolutely agree about the Empyrean. Also way to warm for my taste, hence why I sold it (With EQ it was better, but not perfect). I also encountered base clipping/crackling on my Clear with Oratory EQ. I am looking to replace it with an EQ’ed LCD 2/LCD 3, as I need a headphone with lots of “impact” to complement the HD 800. I think I will go for the LCD 3 or an LCD 4 if one comes up for sale used.
Thank you very much for your advice!
Is a review for Yuin G1A/G2 coming?
Unlikely, unless someone sends them in for a review.
Are Superlux HD662-EVO better than HD672?
I found the HD672 at a bargain price and i get some mixed reviews about them.
Also how they compare to a Koss KS75? (I know, they’re better but cost a little more)
The HD672 has silicone pads that not everyone finds pleasant, the are sweaty.
The sound quality is decent but kind of sharp but sounds very dynamic.
The HD662-EVO has more bass and can be modified easily. Treble is not as sharp. The cable ‘dongle’ has a tendency to break after a while.
They differ in comfort and build quality and sound signature.
The KSC75 has an excellent upper bass to and mids and good treble but is very positioning dependent.
So the HD672 are generally worse than the HD662-EVO even after mods and pad replacements? ( some reviews of the 672 give a good impression but they do not directly compare them to the EVO)
Can you give me a personal opinion on what are the best of the three?
I do like neautral headphones as they do not distort the audio but i do not need them for professional work: i just want to have a good sounding pair without spending too much;
I do not have an amplified but i may add it if needed.
Now i have a pair of Audio-technica ATH-SR30BT and they’re great; i also have a pair of Superlux HD660 but they’re too hot for me and they’re a little hard to drive.
I found the HD672 at HALF the price of the HD662-EVO but if the evo are better i may just buy them; the KSC75 are in the same price range of the evo.
Thanks
I can’t say which you will like most. When HD660 are too sharp the 672 is not for you.
The HD662-EVO will be a better bet.
KSC75 is a nice headphone. Be prepared to replace the foamies regularly and hope your pinna shape allows a good seal.
Currently testing HD330. Also way too sharp but there are ways to improve on that making them way more pleasant.
Hi Frans, what do you think about Neumann NDH 30?
Haven’t heard nor measured it. Appears to be a retuned HD560S driver in a open HD630VB housing and is made by Sennheiser.
I expect it to be a less bright HD560S but might be way of in my assumption.
Too expensive for me to order one just to measure it.
Yo, Solderdude, what do you think about the liveleness macrodynamics, the presence and imaging, at it’s best, until 500 $? I’m thinking about Sundara and 660s (there’s other? idk if Beyer can compete). But everyone tells that ”660s is fairly boring, dead highs, very weak bass, low detail compared to it’s oponents”, and others tell ”extremely natural, detailed and very dynamic headphone with excelent imaging”, and i just cannot decide about it. And Sundara is that, i remember when Metal571 said that planars tends to lacks macrodynamics in some post, and still have a great bass extension and microdetail. If that is true, i don’t want too much micro, but macro, the punchness of the sound. Yeah, i know sundara is colder int the midbass and have a very high speed in general (which made the bass sound very fast and not congested). I’m more like a poor guy, and i need to get the choice right, you know? THX man.
The only way to know is to actually listen to a HD660S and Sundara. The Sundara also isn’t a bass monster. Both are quite neutral but the Sundara is a bit more lively sounding and a bit more extended in the sub lows. HD660S is a bit more ‘polite’ in the upper treble region.
Both have good qualities. Some will prefer HD660S, others Sundara. I would say neither are particularly ‘punchy’.
Yeah, i do understand, but you think it’s a valuable upgrade against AKG k612 pro? I think my AKG sound a bit distant, and the soundstage is so vast that affects the imaging, so, for music analysis, it became a bit too all over the place and a bit thin, even with good timbre and extension. At least in Sundara i can EQ them to make it more warm, right (i read today that Sundara accepts more EQ)?
The K612 is a it ‘forward’ sounding, meaning there is an emphasis on upper mids. It also doesn’t have the best treble and is rolled-off in the bass as well.
The Sundara is less rolled off in the lows and can be EQ’ed well. The Sundara, like the K612 has a bit elevated treble where the HD660S has slightly subdued treble.
At higher listening levels the Sundara may be better when you EQ in a few dB of sub lows.
thanks man, i will with Sundar then. Seems like an upgrade. I find the brightness very pleasing though. But i do EQ to take out some upper mids and highs (just a bit) and put some lows on it and became a pretty nice HP
Hey Solderdude, it’s true that Sundara’s need so much power? I’m open if you want to recommend a very basic amp. Thanks. There’s a lot of people telling myself to buy some 200 dollar amp, and i can’t afford this. I just have a dongle with 70 mw output 32 ohm
This will give 97dB SPL peak power so just ‘normal’ listening levels. For a ‘get out of jail free’ card (so no distortion no matter how loud you listen) you should need an amp that can provide 1W in 32 ohm.
Thanks man, i will with Sundara. u’re a legend.
Hi Solderdude! Love your posts! Thank you for being so helpful to us audio noobs.
I’m interested in either the HD 58X, HD 560S, and HD 599. I’ve read your posts and many more and I’m incredibly confused. My use case will be for FPS gaming, streaming movies, online meetings, and music (Rap, Pop, R&B, Lo-fi, video game/movie/tv soundtracks/scores) and it will be run through my Audient Evo 4 audio interface.
Here’s my original post that details the conundrum I’m experiencing: https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/r1g19v/noob_perplexed_by_options_and_needs_help_choosing/
I’m starting to lean towards the HD 599 because they have a better soundstage and almost the same level of imaging as the 58x, while still being warm, a bit bassy, and less sensitive to badly mastered music unlike the 560S. As well they typically go on sale for 130 CAD, which is significantly cheaper than the other two options.
What’s your opinion based on my use case and me being an audio noob taking my first step into higher quality audio?
Thanks again!
As I am not a gamer and do not have the same use case and look at things from a Hi-Fi p.o.v. my top list would be HD560S > HD58X > HD599. (If those were my only options)
A gamer’s choice could likely be HD560S > HD599 > HD58X but someone that likes warmth in their music HD599 > HD58X > HD560S.
Thank you for the response Solderdude! I’m wondering, is it possible to EQ the 560S to make them sound more warm/have more bass without making them sound artificial/distorted in any way?
Yes, you can even make it sound close to a HD599 and you can also EQ the HD599 to be closer to HD560S tonality.
I think I may go for the 560S then for the sake of having more higher clarity headphones and for longevity. I’ll just EQ them to my liking once I figure out how to do that. Thanks for the help Solderdude!
First of all, I’m incredibly happy to see some good old Dutch common sense injected into hi-fi discussions, so thank you, thank you thank you!
Secondly, a small note or suggestion for improvement: not being familiar with lots of the headphones reviewed here, using the list above to narrow down options for further research is not as straightforward as it could have been, when one wants specifically an open or closed back headphone. Perhaps colour coding, or a suffix like [c] following the name?
And lastly, and somewhat related to the suggestion above – best closed headphone, in your opinion? From reviews both here and elsewhere, and my appreciation of HD600, I’m thinking it would be HD820; these days I see they can be found new for 1800-2000 EUR (in Europe).
Anything else in the same ballpark (or cheaper!) to consider?
Many thanks!
updated the list. There is no best open or closed headphone. There are plenty of very good open and closed headphones in all price classes. Whatever person A thinks is best may not be that to someone else and vice versa.
Thank you very much, this is *very* helpful in selecting further options to investigate.
Did you mark HD820 as open by mistake?
And to rephrase my question – based on your personal impressions, could you point out a couple more closed headphones that are really at the top? Thanks!
corrected….
All closed headphones need some EQ to sound best.
Audeze Sine with different pads
Beyerdynamic DT1770
DT700ProX
PSB M4U-1 / M4U-2 (NC)
EMU Teak
SRH1540
LCD-XC (new version)
Dan Clark Audio) ÆON closed / ÆON RT
Dan Clark Audio Stealth
Stellia (closed, over-ear)
Final D8000 (open, over-ear)
Meze Empyrean Liric
Sennheiser HD820
Hello,
Thank you a lots for the impressive works ! I’m steel reading your articles 🙂
And thx for this refined list 🙂 I’m searching a closed headphones too.
DT 700, AKG 371, DT 1770, denon D5200, focal celestee, DCA aeon closed X and aeon closed 2 noire are on my short list. Did you have the opportinuty to listen the D5200 or the last version of DCA aeon or the focal celestee ?
Thank you again 🙂
Sorry, forget to ask : and between DT 700 x pro and DT 1770 pro which one get your preferences ?
Thx again
Heard D5200. Ended up not buying them. Preferred it to the 7200/9200.
Not much attenuation of outside noises.
A bit too warm/bassy with some sizzle up top. Did not hear the celestee nor the newer DCA.
Between DT700ProX and DT1770 I prefer the DT1770 (with mods and filter) or EQ.
When EQ/mods is not an option the DT700ProX would be the choice.
When looking into closed headphones one should also look into the Austrian Audio Hi-X60 (the only good sounding model they have)
Thank you for you reply and take time to write it 🙂
Ok for D5200, so not my road, I’d like bass but striking one (really dont like meze99 style)
Noted between the beyer. I will mostly (exclusively ?) on PC so I can do some EQ (don’t have headset measurements hardware).
I will check the Austrian Audio Hi-X60 thx.
I read the thread on audio science review about the DCA closed X. intrigued by this one ! (If I cross one on UE …)
Thank you 🙂
I wonder, how come the Neumann NDH30 show up as recommended, but there does not seem to be a review.
Based on measurements from others. There are a few more headphones I have not measured but are on the recommended list because I heard them (but not measured).
Do you have any thoughts on the DT900 Pro X vs the Sennheiser HD600 as both are similarly priced in my region? Received the DT900’s recently and am massively impressed by the bass extension but feel to be missing a bit in the mid range. Snares especially seem to fall quite flat in my mind but I’m not sure if I’m just imagining that or am used to poor/aging headphones (DT770 80Ohm & M40X previous experience).
Has there been measure of Hifiman Ananda Stealth?
not by me.
Hello friend, thank you so much for this site, i wish i would of found it before i purchased the the dt770 pro 32, I am music producer and spent almost my whole life training my ears to know flat sound intmately, to help me point out flaws in a mix, and tune sound systems to flat . Well, i purchased the dt770’s because they are so revered by so many top engineers, but i am mind blown by all the issues i could here all the peaks and valleys with there horrible response which your your measurements absolutely confirm. If you dont mind pointing me in the direction of some as close to as possible ruler flat closed back headphones for arround 150 or under mark. , i would really appreciate, honestly i love the spaciousness of soundstage of the dt770s,as well as the build quality and could could technically dsp them flat, BUT I use them on to many devices of which dsp wouldnt work for ,I saw your mod list but it doesnt really fix the massive 4-6 k 10 db dip. . its mind blowing that so many top engineers could considering some of the best you can get for the money. .
A closed headphone under 150 would probably be an IEM.
Around 250 there is the DT150 with EDT100T pads.
around 400 there is the OLLO S4R (1.2) and Austrian Audio Hi-X60.
2nd hand perhaps the Audeze Sine.
What do you think about Goldring DR150 vs SuperLux 681EVO?
I have not measured the DR150
What do you think about audeze Maxwell
haven’t heard nor measured it… alas.
List of recommended sennheiser headphones are the best in their series? You don’t have, for example, 280 pro.
They are just a list of headphones I either heard/measured and or have specific info about.
I owned the HD280PRO and it is a nice studio headphone. Impressive and a bit dis-attached bass but not the most comfortable one.
This was before my measurement days. Whenever I find one cheap 2nd hand I will review it (or if someone sends one to me for review).
For now it is a nice headphone for studio usage but not on the recommended list, just like some other headphones aren’t on the list.