Top 10 Favorite Headphones

Submitted by radrod69 t3_10n1jva in headphones

Hey all,

last time I counted, I've listened to around 40 headphones commonly discussed in this sub and thought it'd be a fun exercise to rank my top 10 favorites so far and add a short note as to why they land where they do on my list. These are of course based on my perception so everything to follow is entirely subjective.

  1. Susvara - Best jack of all traits I've heard so far. Although there are better headphones for certain qualities, these still excel at just about everything. Quite refined listening. If I have enough money to buy this in the first place I have enough money to not care too much about HiFiMan's QC.
  2. LCD-5 - What a lively set of headphones. I thought after owning the Arya SE for a year I wouldn't be blown away by a set of cans again, listening to metal instrumentals on these is my favorite sound experience ever.
  3. HD 660S - All the "musicality" (Read: warmth/vocal clarity) of the 6x0 line up with an interesting "around your head"/wider soundstage, and better imaging, and the matte black is absolutely stunning. If I could only have a single pair under 3k this would be it.
  4. Arya SE - Another jack of all traits. Damn you HiFiMan, why can't you make a more reliable product? Insane instrument separation, soundstage, imaging and perceived detail retrieval. Unbeatable for instrumentals. Vocals do not sound quite right on these after listening to Sennys though, which makes up most of my listening hence it being under the 660S.
  5. Clear MG - Dynamic kings. These do nothing wrong really, but not much else really stands out with these.
  6. DT 1990 Pro - Insane imaging, soundstage not too wide nor too small, and a very natural timbre to my ears. Very punchy and aggressive in all the right ways. I do EQ the peak every now and then but only by 1 Db.
  7. HD 6XX - Made me return my Arya at a loss because of what I said above. These cans are all meat and potatoes.
  8. Sundara - May just be just looking at these through rose colored glasses since they were my first, but I remember them as a very capable set. Great representation of the entire frequency range. Detailed, good separation and "speed". HiFiMan's are good jacks of all traits. My only complaints are the 1.8k dip which made vocals sound recessed and lacks punch.
  9. LCD-X - A little too bassy for my tastes but otherwise a very capable headphone. Adds a lot of body to sounds
  10. LCD-2 Closed - Just cause of how stunning these look to me. First time I heard them they left a great impression on me and I probably would have ranked them higher than the X. I rather have a bit too much bass than not enough Mids.

I hope this post doesn't get lost in the nether. What are your top 10 or so cans?

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Qazax1337 t1_j67wf4q wrote

FYI it's jack of all trades not jack of all traits.

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jsk-ksj t1_j67zbd2 wrote

Thank god someone pointed this out. Must be the record for mis-use of a single term in one post.

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radrod69 OP t1_j66dj3p wrote

Oops, the new Utopia should really take a spot up there. I haven't had a lot of time with those, so they escaped my mind for a moment.

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The_D0lph1n t1_j66w5b8 wrote

Let's see, I've owned quite a few headphones, and I've demoed more, so I'll give this one a shot. Some demos were done months ago, and often for only a few minutes, so this is just from memory.

  1. Hifiman Shangri-La Jr. Superlative in comfort, sound, and style. My favorite tuning thus far: airy, bright, yet smooth. Vocals, particularly female vocals, take on this thinner, breathy, "delicate/angelic" sound, which I often like. Bass has some sense of punch and responds well to EQ. Absolutely no regrets buying this one.
  2. Hifiman HE-1000v2. Very similar overall to the SGL Jr, I just really like the Hifiman sound. A bit more bass, the treble is a bit rougher, and the soundstage is different. Comfort is great too, though the earcup extends maybe a bit too far down.
  3. Meze Elite. Only demoed them for a bit, but the sound was full and rich, with lots of energy in the bass and midrange. It was comfortable to listen to sound-wise. Unfortunately, my ears stick out too much and were squished against the metal driver mesh, which was a bit uncomfortable.
  4. LCD-X 2021. Smooth and bassy sound, probably the darkest headphone that I could enjoy listening to. All around good option, and it's more comfortable than its weight would imply.
  5. Stax SR-L700mk2. Very unusual tuning, but it works well for some genres. With a bit of a bass boost, it becomes much more tolerable for a wider variety of music. It's sort of a lowercase-mu-shaped sound, and just needs a bit more bass to shine. Also, it's soundstage is quite unusual and asymmetrical, which works well for live stage-based recordings. I haven't heard anything with that sort of soundstage elsewhere.
  6. Hifiman Arya Stealth. It's got that usual Hifiman open-back tuning, but it lacks some refinement in the upper mids and treble that the HE-1000v2/SGL Jr have. There's just some harshness there. Excellent headphone otherwise.
  7. Focal Utopia (older). The only Focal that I've tried that wasn't immediately uncomfortable. It has a very energetic sound, lots of bass punch and slam, but possibly the weirdest imaging I've heard. Like in one song, there's a little rustle that normally renders diagonally behind my left ear. On the Utopia, it was like inside my left eye socket. Very odd, but a great headphone nonetheless.
  8. Audeze CRBN. This is an outlier amongst electrostatics. Small soundstage, big and punchy bass, plenty of note weight similar to an Audeze planar. Somewhat strident in the midrange, particularly with female vocals, and this trait is shared with the MM-500, so I think it's a "new Audeze" feature. Kind of bulky too. Treble seemed a bit grainy at times compared to the other 2 estats on this list. An estat for people who don't like estats.
  9. Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Noire. Well-tuned portable closed-back planar. Decently comfortable, though for some reason it doesn't work that well for my head shape through a combination of unusual pad shape, higher clamp pressure, and a thin, stiff, and narrow headband strap. Generally a good Harman-esque tuning, though quite bright in the upper treble even for me. Bass is elevated, but occasionally lacking in punch, depending on how the track is mastered.
  10. Hifiman HE-R7DX. Sort of a surprising entry, even to myself, showing that good stuff exists at all price brackets. Light and mostly comfortable (big ears strike again!), with minimal clamp force. Good and punchy bass to me despite not sealing well on my head. Emphasized midrange combines with an elevated, though peaky, treble to create an energetic sound. The main problems are that the sound can change quite a bit based on fit, the treble peaks may disagree with someone else (they don't bother me very much), and it's very difficult to EQ. Certain notches in the FR are practically impossible to erase via EQ boosts. This is a love-or-hate headphone, and I got lucky.
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radrod69 OP t1_j67y8tw wrote

Nice, I would love to try the SLJr. at some point, and you actually own one!

I'd also have to agree on the LCD-Xs comfort, weight feels very evenly distributed on my head.

Good to know that about the CRBN - it's the only e-stat readily accessible to me so I don't wanna get the wrong idea about them.

DCA headphones dont really grasp my attention, but I'd love to come across them someday due to their popularity.

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LTHardcase t1_j69jbfd wrote

How would you compare the bass of the Arya SE and the 1000 V2, if as far as visceral impact is concerned?

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The_D0lph1n t1_j69ok3y wrote

Neither were particularly long demos, and the Arya demo was in August last year, so my memory of the particulars are fuzzy. I think the Arya is either comparable or slightly stronger in bass impact than the HEK.

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tenderbeefonpho t1_j671dnx wrote

Of those I own or have owned (based on their overall performance/ease of use and my own preference):

  1. Stax SR-009: the god of details, love the airiness and precision, although can get a bit fatiguing for longer listening
  2. LCD-2F: smooth and damn pleasant to listen to every time I put them on, slightly forward in the mids but it never feels grating
  3. Koss ESP950: pretty much do nothing wrong, although sometimes feel lacking in extensions in both ends
  4. Audio Technica ATH-W5000: what I reach for for acoustic, jazz, jpop, etc; they are not hard to drive but more picky with amp synergy than most
  5. AKG-K400: these surprise me every time I take them for a spin against more expensive cans, very natural sound, super nice soundstage. Slapped a pair of K601 pads on them and I can listen for hours with no fatigue
  6. Beyer T1 gen 1: these are great out of an OTL tube amp, balanced sound with a slight coloration in the upper mids
  7. Ultrasone Signature Pro: fit can be a bit finicky sometimes and affect the soundstage, surprisingly I like them quite a lot for classical and ambient
  8. Senn HD650: nice tonality, clamping force is a little high but very comfy otherwise
  9. Senn HD800: great once eq’d but I am lukewarm about the tonality
  10. Grado RS2: maybe the best grado I’ve tried, feel more balanced than the RS1 to me, very energetic and fun
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GamePro201X t1_j67c38w wrote

I'm not very good at describing sound, so my list will just be the names of headphones. It also won't be in any particular order.

Anyways:

  • HEDD Audio HEDDphone
  • Audeze LCD-3
  • Raal Requisite SR1a (but only if paired with VM1a amplifier)
  • Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro
  • Kennerton Audio GH40
  • Warwick Acoustics Bravura
  • Meze Audio Liric
  • Grado Labs SR325e
  • Modhouse Audio Argon MK3
  • Rosson Audio Design RAD-0
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radrod69 OP t1_j67zx4a wrote

I haven't listened to even one of these, very interesting list! And surprised to see the dt 990 for how much flak it's gotten recently.

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GamePro201X t1_j69vjsp wrote

Yeah well as I always say; listen with your ears first before completely judging something! Every person hears differently so you really never know if you’ll like/dislike something 100%. Even graphs are not 100% reliable because the head/ear shape of the measurement rig is different from your own head/ear shape

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radrod69 OP t1_j69z9k3 wrote

Not to mention unit variation. I wholeheartedly agree, and I'd probably like the 990 myself too. The 1990 peak rarely is an issue and my 770 has never been sibilant to my ears (it was actually my favorite stock signature for a long while)

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Significant-Detail65 t1_j67iy8r wrote

  1. Senn HE-1: Tried it for 10 minutes. Cannot describe the sound, hope it breaks my wallet (and possibly my neck) one day. The only electrostatic headphone that I really enjoy.
  2. Hifiman SUSvara: Just like u/radrod69 said, jack of all trades, master of none.
  3. Beyer DT1990: Wasn't looking forward to them after seeing FR graph, now using daily for detail and imaging
  4. Senn HD560s and similar looking ones: Really comfortable for me. Using for everything that isn't critical listening. 560s sounds dull, 598/558 has too much mid bass and lower mids. Eq isn't an option because it's being used on a lot of devices.
  5. Focal Clear OG: Utopia would probably go here if I didn't literally forget how it sounds...
  6. Audio Technica R70X: I prefer this over senn's he6 line. I don't prefer the flappy wings though.
  7. Hifiman HE1000v2: A mad scientist tweaked Arya into a detailed monster. Also comes with the drawbacks of a detailed monster.
  8. Hifiman Arya SE: I don't know why I like HE1000v2 more.
  9. Meze elite: Sounds so soothing. Would be so much better if it had better resolution or a smaller price tag...
  10. Abyss AB1266: I'd like a baby between this and the elites, and that baby grown up is the HE-1.

Extra: Phillips SHP9500: The maniacal a**hole that started this mess...

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radrod69 OP t1_j6847fu wrote

To be fair, the elites have some of the best build quality out there, and are extremely comfortable (so are the regular empys). I don't mind paying extra for those things, considering how expensive other stuff in that range is anyway.

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Significant-Detail65 t1_j6anb3f wrote

True, and the sound signature is so unique for a flagship. If it had decent resolution, it'd probably be fighting with the Utopias.

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StarWarder t1_j68zn0c wrote

I like a lot of headphones but here are five of note:

  1. Susvara - If I could characterize this headphone tonally, it would be as a symbol- the Yin Yang. Befitting considering it’s heritage. This headphone is perfectly balanced. And as such, I believe HiFiman created the most timbre accurate headphone I’ve heard. The Susvara is the only headphone I’ve listened to that crosses the uncanny valley completely from reproduction to believability and because of this, it’s performance is more than the sum of it’s parts. If I had one gripe, it would be that the imaging isn’t as precise as a Focal. Though this does lends a certain etherealness to it that is arguably just as interesting as perfect imaging.

  2. Focal Utopia (OG, I haven’t heard the new one yet) - The best imaging headphone I’ve heard. Approached perfection in many ways but never crossed the valley because of Focal’s house sound. This is Focal’s best headphone and strikes the best balance in their lineup.

  3. Abyss AB-1266 - Perhaps the most fun you can have without taking your clothes off. It’s like hiring a world class prostitute. None of this is natural, but it’s fucking great.

  4. Focal Clear Mg - I agree with OP. This headphone is dynamic incarnate. It’s more dynamic than the Utopia. At some point it felt like kick drums would punch a hole straight through my eardrum, in a good way. Considered this might have been my endgame for awhile but ultimately the mids are fucked- particularly male vocals. I did find out the weird tonality does lend itself to reproducing the timbre of water perfectly for some reason. Still the best rendition of Yosi’s Fluid that I’ve heard so far. Combined with Focal’s best-in-the-world imaging, it does it better than the Susvara.

  5. KSC75 - Minus the sub bass, tonally amazing. Also the soundstage is just shocking- goes way past the headphones somehow. I feel like this headphone grounds us in a world of ever escalating prices. I never get tired of listening to these and still do often.

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BGBobRob t1_j6ah074 wrote

No love for ZMF?

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radrod69 OP t1_j6aia9m wrote

I was interested in trying them, but I had a bad experience with their customer service over an accessory. Figured if support for an accesory was that bad, I didn't want to find out how'd they treat their thousand+ dollar headphones. So, I no longer care to give them any of my business.

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bbuky01 t1_j66jt6x wrote

I just wonder why no electrostatic headphones on the list? Is it you haven’t heard any?
I will agree on your first 2 excellent headphones but the 660S’s I just don’t care for much. Really like the the Clears as well and only heard the 1990’s once and didn’t dislike them as I remember. Have the 6XX’s and Sundara’s and would also put them close together as they do what they do very well and at a good price. The LCD-2 closed backs I didn’t care for much but think the LCD-X is pretty good and would place them around the Arya’s as the first time I heard them I really liked them but after hearing them again still liked them but there was something that just seamed a bit off but could have been me and listening to too many headphone’s that day.
I will say I do agree with many of your impressions on many of these and I own 30+ headphones and have heard many many more. Just my subjective opinion. And to your oops the new Utopia in my opinion better than the original also a excellent headphone.

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radrod69 OP t1_j680me7 wrote

You're right in your assumption, I haven't heard any estats. The only one I have accessible to me is the Audeze CRBN which is apparently not very representative of that driver technology. And yes I'd love to hear older versions of the Utopia because this one sounded amazing to me.

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ondert t1_j67td9n wrote

Have you ever had the regular focal clears not the mg model? If so, do you recommend it for a guy listens to hard rock & classical? I'm looking for something over my Grado RS2

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radrod69 OP t1_j67wsrh wrote

Sorry, haven't pulled the trigger on an OG pair yet.

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Significant-Detail65 t1_j6avbdq wrote

I'd go for a lcd x or 2c if you want good bass. Dynamic drivers just cannot go as low as a planar can.

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Gamergtx_260 t1_j69fhju wrote

The only headphones that I loved were the LCD 3 pre fazors. I had my Ragnarok + yggy and they sounded the best. They were the most musical headphones I have ever experienced. I had only a handful of high end headphones (Hd 800, Beyer T1, lcd x, xc, 3s) but it was only for like 30 mins before the right side stopped working. Sent in for repair and got back with fazors attached making them sound like mainstream headphones.

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Philcollins_sucks t1_j67inut wrote

Hd 600/650>>>>>>>>>>>>>>660s

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LTHardcase t1_j69jswm wrote

Why do you put the two so far above the 660S?

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Philcollins_sucks t1_j6bo0an wrote

Of course it's all subjective but the muted atrocious treble of 660s is mainly the reason. Hd 600 and 650 scale sensationally off of tube amps especially SET amps leaving 660s far far behind. Also 660s is grossly overpriced

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