A Tale on how I discovered my favorite Headphones
![ANA[DIA]LOG](http://yt3.ggpht.com/50CpmGNilS8aoMlarZVhI_GxRDoZdbj4ZgwCMZXg-Rq2PrEvCytlE6RVyLUrNY-rwE_sAlZ1Zw=s48-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 1 лис 2024
- I listened to some of the most renown headphones and read all the existing literature...which are the best headphones (IMO) under 1500$?
A tale on how I understood what was the best solution for me.
___________________________
Music: bensound.com
Wow I wasn’t expecting that, thanks for sharing your journey 👏👏👏
Thank you Ryan!
10:20 great honesty, very recognizable 👍
I've always wanted to hear a set of Hifiman.. Got a pair of HD800S instead, but I'd really love to hear a planar magnetic driver 😓
Those hifiman don't lack Bass, according to measurements the whole brand line-up have a serious rise in SPL above 8khz. Though the mids do line up nicely with the Bass which is very extended on hifimans.
But yeah, "Planar bass" is something being talked a lot about on head-fi forums, apparently it hits different!
Measurements available at both Rtings and Innerfidelity.
Wasn't expecting that reveal. I have the same model HiFiMan (mk1) and they are certainly my best pair. But I usually listen to my Drop Sennheiser HD6XX instead. These aren't quite as good sound quality (maybe 90%), but for me they are much more comfortable and are only $200 new.
Nice choice with the Clear- have the Elegia as closed counterpart
The Ananda(coming after 560)is my next as for the open part
My Beyerdynamic DT1990s get less use after the Elegia purchase.
The 560s are really in need for a good AMP but are top for the price
The best word would be a “veil” when it seems like there’s something missing or filtered. I have a pair of Magnepan’s which improved significantly after I removed the fabric grill / sock. Unlike conventional cone drivers, the entire surface is a speaker membrane which is affected more so by the grill / sock.
In my headphones, I remove any mesh and go as far as file and round any plastic grids in front of the driver. The headphones become more fragile but I’m careful with my equipment hence it’s worth the effort.
Good idea! Thanks!
I first procured Shure SRH1540. I have gone through Audioquest Nighthawk, HD650, AKG K812s, AKG K872, Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7B, and Shure SRH1840. All have been sold, except for my SRH1540 headphones. I use them with Lotoo Paw Gold Touch and Sony NW-WM1Z with LQI Cables balanced 4.4mm cables. I had the best headphones for me, from the get go. I even drove HD650 with a Bottlehead Crack tube amp. I had the $4,000 Meze Empyrean headphones on loan. Guess what? I still preferred my Shure SRH1540 headphones. I am done looking.
Picked up some HIFIMan headphones recently (HE-4XX) and I've been super satisfied with them. Haven't tried the 560s, but I really think HIFIMan makes a mean headphone.
A much lower price range, but I wish Sennheiser still made the HD 212 Pros. I have 2 which I've really hammered over the years with recording and speaker breaking frequencies. Using one of them right now that's held together with sticky tape and blu-tack. They've always been the sound for me, I'll use them till they're dead
Yah this is very true and happens , you just can't accept that you already have the best sounding gear for yourself and keep expecting more expensive newer gear to be better
I know and I still reach for those headphones now!
@@anadialog yah that's good you have found the best headphones for you and since you know that now you will be pointed in the right direction of getting even better pair if there is one that is
I see a lot of comments asking which headphones are best or whether a particular model is the best. At the end of the day, our ears decide what's the best. It's not wise to ask ANA[DIA]LOG. It's plain unfair to make him talk about a hundred other products. Remember, he's not a reviewer in a tech channel. He's a passionate audiophile, who's sharing his journey with us and found comfort in certain gadgets and have a lot of knowledge of the field due to his passion, which he's more than happy to share with us. I see that he's guiding us on how to think and what to look out for, in this case - headphones.
So let's use this knowledge he had shared and either go for what he recommended or make our own recommendations.
Even if this video and all the 109 comments are a year old, I can't help myself not putting this thought of mine on paper.
Interesting perspective!
Agreed I have a HE560 Mk1 and they are really good. My only issue with them is that the bass imaging on them isnt as good as the headphone I had before the R70X. Eventually I may sell them but I agree that the detail is very good at 1/3 of the price at 300. I listen to alot of edm so the headphones providing synesthesia and being able to see the music is very important to me.
They dont seem to need as much power as fans of the HE560 would make you believe, something beginner-fi like the fiio k5 pro runs them well.
Focal! I love the headphones !
Burn-in time?
Welcome back. You were missed, brother.
I wonder how they now compare with my new favourite headphones. The Avantone Planar Pros?
I’m a headphone guy, I own a Vincent hybrid tube amp and a SimAudio Moon 230HAD with built in Dac headphone amp, it’s a preamp as well. I use Sennheiser 600, Beyer Dynamic dt880, Pioneer Sea1000, Audioquest Nighthawks, Audio Technica M50s, Meze 99 classics, Grado 325, Fostex TH900, VModa-m-100, Sennheiser Wh-170 wireless and the Meze 12 in ear monitors, and the Hifiman HE-400i. When it comes to headphones and amps no one sound will be covered by all genres of music and yes I would like to know the two headphone amps that you have. Great to hear from you and we all understand work always gets in the way. The in ear monitors are used with the Queststyle and Onkyo Digital Audio Players.
Audio Technica AIR open back phones are my favorite. Yeah I use my Yamaha natural sound amp to drive my headphones. Binaural is a real system when done properly for sure.
How did I find my favorite headphones? When I find something I really like I stop looking and shopping.
In 1992 I needed two sets of headphones for my portable CD player I was taking on a cruise. I just happened to have a copy of Consumer Reports that reviewed headphones. They said when you get to Sony MDR-V6 stop looking. My neighbor had a pair so I tried them. I loved them instantly. So I bought 2 pairs at $69 each. They've been great. Later I found out professionals use them because of their clarity, accuracy, wide range, and durability. A few years ago I found out they were so popular they'd been pirated with inferior copies and i saw a UA-cam video on how to tell the real ones from the frauds. Now I see the prices for new ones are sky high. They have more recent variants but they sound slightly different. Their one flaw is that the ear cushions wear out. Replacements are cheap and easy to install. Audiophiles have to admit that they are great "for the price." They can't bring themselves to admit that they are as good if not better than far more expensive headphones. It violates the audiophile code that more expensive is better. They're also very comfortable. Sorry audiophiles. I stopped buying into your ideas nearly 50 years ago.
Focal Utopia rocked my world, I do like my Sundara from Hifiman.
Maybe they will get better further ahead...that is what I am hoping...
Good lesson for us all, grtz from the netherlands
I'm listening to a planar headphone, the Verum 1. Best sounding headphone I own.
But an open headphone cannot be used outdoors. For that I prefer the V-Moda M100, very compact when folded. I bought bigger ear cushons for the V-Moda at the time, am very happy with it since.
I also own a Sennheiser HD630VB, but the V-Moda is way better, at half the price. The price of the Verum 1 is in between the V-Moda and the HD630VB. All of these headphones I can use with iPhone. Check out the Verum 1. It has a very good price and a high (hand)build qualty. Also the cord is good. The V-Moda and Sennheiser cord suffer a bit from microphony, but not the long cord of the Verum 1.
I will! Thanks for sharing that!
I use the Phillips Fidelio X2 and hifiman sundara will be my next buy. $400 is my budget.
I recently got the Meze 99 Classics and I think they are great, they look the part, they sound great listening to a lot of music genres (from pop and heavy metal to classical and jazz), they are not that expensive (I got mine for 200€) and you can drive them with basically anything.
I had these HP's and found them very detailed on the top end a little borderline fatiguing of course depending on the source or DAC. At the time I didn't own a OTL like I do now Felix Euforia OTL AMP what have push them to the top. But I felt they were missing MIDRANGE and made the music very flat and boring. Not to mention you will need a big amp to get every bit out of them. But they are a good buy for the price but I promise you will have to EQ them.
Very cool story. Headphones are the one thing I really haven’t invested in yet, because I just feel like there’s way too many options, and I feel like I’m too busy getting my entire system up to par first.
Love the new slipmat, btw!
Good eye!
What amp are you using for your headphones you didn't say! maybe you should look into getting a feliks audio valve amplifier, focal use that amplifier for their headphones the cheapest model the Echo is about $500. I've heard the focals can be a bit on the bright fatiguing side and need a long burn in period.
But why waste your money by studio headphones the best ones are if you want that isolation and the natural sound is the Beyerdynamic DT150 €150, the other model that is open back DT990 Pro dynamic headphone £125 both are 250 ohms, a good studio headphone amplifier would be the presonus hp4 150 milliwatts amplification can be Daisy chained 4 outputs room cancelling and separate volume £112 comes with wide dynamic range expander mono stereo switch
Probably over a certain amount of money the limit in technology is the human ear, so only the sound signature gets important!
my story about my favorite headphones is complicate ..first. don't know nothing about audio, and marketing beats works fine ..I bought beats pro and then beats studio ..but I have a lot issue ..2 months later one cup no works, this point ..I learn a lesson about ignorance, then ..I was reading all about headphone quality ..then I bought bose wireless excellent 2 years , but I wanted more , then I bought qcp 35 II a big jump for me because price is too much for me , However, I felt it was the right thing to do. Continue reading about audio, quality and equipment and I got hooked on these new experiences. and decided to buy a DAP (digital audio player) Fiio M6 (excellent) because all my music is streaming amazon music hd 24/192 sample .. almost all my library were songs that I downloaded from napster and are in mp3 and of very low quality ..so streaming is the best option .. well here I start to try big brands like sennheiser, AKG, focal, audio-technica. Fiio, and it has been a great experience, because I have seen hundreds of videos, I have read hundreds of reviews and I am very disappointed ... because they say wonders of products that they have not tried and if they have tried they do not tell the whole truth ... for example the sennheiser HD 58XX, HD650 and HD 660s for everything that cost $ and are very similar to my bose QCP 35 II which confused a little because I believed everything I read and the videos I saw ... then the AKG 712 pro. .very similar to the previous ones ... then the elear focal that for what they cost me $ (a common mistake, to think that because it is expensive is better) and my surprise was sonana very similar to the bose qcp 35 II and I tried them all in Dap fiio M6, also in a Marantz AV7705 and Marantz SR 7012 and it was the same result ... and almost with all the supposed stars of the hall of fame of headphones ... then I wondered how it was that having tried more than 10 great headphones with enough reviews .. they were so similar or it seemed to me .. reading and eating When someone suggested I try a magnetic planar ... I bought a monolith m1060 ... and I am very satisfied, the micro details, the music scene ... the instruments, the voices ... I am satisfied ... now I have fiio M6 + fiioA5 (amp) . my question is how hifiman he-560 v2 can improve? I have tried to buy them on amazon and on ebay and they do not appear at the same price ... it costs more than 899, I had bought one and the seller never sent it and canceled the sale $ and on the official website hifiman this model does not appear ... a little weird .. I would like to try this experience ..
Thanks for sharing your amazing experience. Sorry to hear about your negative experience on ebay. Keep looking, I hot mine for 400€. They are great magnetic planars, nevertheless I understood that you already have a pair. If you like them, maybe you don't need to get the Hifiman...
did you ever consider Stax.I have had a pair of lambda pro,s for 30 years,and still sounding great.
Several times, bit never took the chance...sometime in the future!
Lambda Pros.. you got one of the best sounding headphones that exist!
Try some Koss ksc75s. 25 bucks. I'm not joking, somehow they manage to sound really good, and they are on the ear clip on headphones. They beat most 300 dollar headphones. It's quite funny actually.
Nice, thanks!
First time I've seen your channel. Good choice of headphones...I found the focals rather underwhelming.
I still have the hifiman he 500, now they have bass. More recent hifiman models have addressed the weight of the earlier models, but I still find them comfortable.
I do own other headphones, but for bass they are still very hard to beat.
Welcome! Interesting that we found similar aspects among these headphones....
Never apologize for being away man, we appreciate your knowledge and the time you give us. You wouldn't have any of this if you didn't work, and we wouldn't have you if you didn't work overtime! Thanks for all you do.
Speaking of, how would you compare the Focal to the HD600 with an amp? HD600 are still my headphone to beat, but takes a decent amp to make them shine.
And I might pick up a pair of the HIFIMan too, I don't mind less bass I like a flat line. Are people at my work going to be annoyed by me listening to 80s music?
I guess what I'm asking, Focal or HIFIman with a good amp?
Tyll Hertsens really loved the HD600, so I recommand you to read what he wrote about the Focal Clear.
www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame-over-ear-open
My favorite headphones are SONY MDR V6. The way I discovered them: I bought a book about David Lynch from the series Masters of Cinema and on the cover he was wearing those headphones. I did a little research about them and I liked what I read and David Lynch is my favorite filmmaker, so I knew I had to have them. My brother got them for me for my birthday from UK as they were not available in my country. They have great sentimental value for me and I love them, but I'm not using them too much because I want to have them in great condition.
I love to hear these stories and fully understand when a piece of equipment becomes special for some reason at a certain point...very cool!
..i didn't see that coming i was thinking that the focal were and end game but then..back to china ( i just bought a pair of iem from china the fearless s8f , very pleased)... Everything would be much easier if we organize an headfi meet up here in italy to try some cool gear
Iem are coming back big time! A meeting would be' cool!
I have on headset that I like it’s the AKG 701…😊
This is the first time I've seen the Clear described as not really hi res
I enjoyed the story of your headphones. My main headphones are the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. I use them on my computer and Bluetooth for my living room. I work grave shift so while I'm up everyone else is sleeping so they work perfectly for me. I also enjoy the sound quality of my Bose, but I am looking at a set of the Sennheiser HD 300 Pro Studio headphones for recording and editing my albums. I did listen to a pair of these at my local Guitar World and they sound great! While I'm sure your headphones are great, but at the price and the need for a strong amp I'll have to pass.
Cool! Thanks for sharing your headphone experience...I love to hear how people listen to music...
Beyerdynamic DT990 Edition 600ohms with Beyerdynamic A20 amp. Sony MDR 7506 for portable
Also give a try on msr7! But better than other fro teh price point and sound quality, jubilee hd 58x!!! Trust me jubilee OMG!
Hello again! What kind of headphone amplifier do you use with your HiFiMan 560? Thx!
Check my Room tour...I use the one integrated in my amplifier, fabulous, or the one of my DAC, extremely powerful: ua-cam.com/video/BnGE5RkbBBw/v-deo.html
I have the HiFi Man Sundara headphones.
What's your opinion of Grado hp? I had a lower budget (price range around 150€) and Grado SR 80 sounded the best to me.
I listen to them very long ago, when they there the top of the tops...and I wasn't that impressed...I haven't listened to more recent models although reviews are not stellare anymore...
What do you think about the Sennheiser HD 600?
I never tried them but they are clearly very well regarded for their quality/price ratio
You need to sound proof your room. Which can be done pretty damn cheap. Music to the max. Baby sleeping like a baby. #RockOn
I know that...are you willing to speak to my wife?
Hi, is it bad to use built in headphones out in loudspeakers amp? Is there any difference between loudspeakers’ out and headphones out?
P.S. Thx for your videos!
No, its fine if the amp is high quality. Otherwise better invest eventi a small amount of Monet for a dedicated amp. Yes! The tuo outputs are very differenti. Never use one for another!
ANA[DIA]LOG about amp’s outs: I’m talking about quality of sound that goes from each one. Is that quality the same in both outs? Or there can be some differences? (Sony TA-F550 ES amp)
Thanks for answers =)
@@mykolamisyura8107 Generally a speaker amp will always be optimized for speaker output, but it's possible that if it's a really good amp also the headphone output could be good. Anyway the two outputs are so different that it's even possible that there may be two different amplifiers inside one case!
My headphones are 10khz - 30khz , they sound excellent! I'm always looking for better! Us audiophiles, huh
What are they?
My favorite closed backs are the mdr-cd900st's. They have insane mids and clarity. My favorite open backs are grado sr80e's. The grados are what i would recommend.
Is this version 560 #1 MK2? As long as it has the 2.5 mm connectors is that the one to get?
Yes, the one with normal jacks! Not screws...
Personallly, I stay on my AKGs K1000, driven by the speaker outputs of an all-tube Luxman MQ-360 2 × 40 watts.
Pure detailed silk!
Sounds great!
try the hedd head phones by hedd
They look amazing!
hmmm interesting. isn't the case that you just got used to them? just purely out of curiosity, have you tried the denon ah-d7000?
That could be'....let's see...nope! I haven't. I see that people praise its lower register....
@@anadialog also, the focal clear? many say it's the best. but is it? i'm about to replace my d2000, but i'm rather cautious
Que opinas de las nuevas ediciones de los discos de los beatles????
Which ones? Stereo or mono?
Very interesting video, as always! What's your opinion on vintage headphones? I've recently bought some 1979 Sony DR-S5 and they sound great. Can't wait to get my hands on a good headphone amp. Looking forward to your video on them!
Edit: they sound great compared to the other ones I've tried, which aren't a lot*
Thanks! I must admit that I do not know much of vintage headphones. The ones I used when I was young were quite bad...interesting subject...maybe someone can add some info...
@@anadialog It's a very interesting subject in my opinion, but there's too much snake oil. I've heard hundreds of people say that the Koss Pro 4aaa are the best ever, other hundreds say that the Pioneer Monitor 10 are the best ever, and lots that say that the Sony R-10 are the best ever (this last one reaches *crazy* prices online).
It'd be interesting if you could review the Pioneer Monitor 10, which are studio headphones from 1975, and probably the most desired and famous of all vintage headphones. Ironically though, they don't sell for a high price.
But, of course, that's just a simple suggestion. Keep the good work coming, ciao!
That was interesting, even though my headphones were something like 50 USD. and next video about headphone amps?
mr. Finglish (Bäd English Recs)
Always try expensive headphones before you buy. I tried at the store and at hifi shows. I was not impressed with some of those expensive brands.
Now my Rupert Neve headphone amp is transportable, I can try headphones with MY system.
Good idea for the portability!
What amp do you use? Thanks
For headphones? I am currently using the amp of my PrimaLuna Premium Integrated HP and my RME Adi 2 Pro FS, which has a high power output that can drive anything.
@@anadialog Oh wow, thats some nice gear! Thanks for that. Cheers
Thank YOU!
I can't recognize the accent where are u from?
Firenze!!!
Using headphones DJ mix ? use any , only used for beat timing .
I only use headphones for checking analog recordings for distortion ...., OH dear LOL
BOSE cable are good for this as they are super fine , yes the pads bust open and the cable has been re-wired , never seen a cable & plug this bad .
Glad you are not encouraging Bluetooth , they are useless and its like holding a phone to your head with " EMF " as well as " EMP " signal
you pay for that Bluetooth mark anyway
Bluetooth is convenient and trendy and will always win for those that don't know or care about a faithful reproduction...it is unstoppable, sadly...
@@anadialog The cheep headsets some dont disappoint .
Your speakers & headphone burn in from your video opens them UP just nice .
Sony head set from Argos UK for £20 , good strong cable but let down by doll sound .
The burn in as woke em up a bit .
Sound sage yes . Good .
Audiophile ? Nope what for £20 ? LOL
@@anadialog If they cannot feel the music or a desire to then why bother press PLAY
Sundaras are better for $350 new
Bytheway, are you interested to make Reviews of some audio-gear? My idea is: If I send you some Devices, that I think they are low-cost but amazing, you try out the gear , and after a review, you send it back with an included Ticket Return Ticket. Don`t you think this could possibly enrich your knowledge and the ana[dia]log here? i have also a little dac, that is qiet good for its price, and I am curious for a second Opinion ;-). Or do you think it would be waste of your time?
I think, with 15k Subscribers you have a proper Audience and maybe they are also curious about stuff you can review... And to do reviews can normally increase your amount of subscribers ;-) . What do you think about this idea of an old audiophile Sack ? lol
That could be very interesting Bernhars but I am afraid that we are very distant one from another...where are you based?
@@anadialog I live in Austria, not so far away... and, sadly, i have not longer Contact con mia Nonna a San Benedetto del Tronto (de la Marche) She died in 2008 at the Age of 82.. And with her Son who lives there in San Benedetto, i had no Contact for decades... That`s life ......
My Sister went to Innsbruck, but came Back to Laakirchen in upper Austria the little Town my mother went to after she married my Father.. They are all dead now... Time goes on...And now i am the first in LIne lol...
@@bernhardmichaelfux308 Austria!? Sure, much more easy...contact me on my email in the info of the channel or on Facebook and lets see!
So you have Marchigian roots....cool!
@@anadialog Roots in the case of Marche is cool lol. Marche, the Garden of Italy lol. But, to get back to topic, Austria is not so far away from you, and shipping costs are not too expensive! And I have no Problem with a few euro shipping Costs when i can support our Passion with this.
Bytheway, i will send you a mail because on Facebook i am blocked for rasist hate-speech (for 5 year old Posts and similiar shit - only because i don`t like rapists and Child abusers...)
Couldnt agreee more about the LCD's! Yuck!😝😝😝🤭🤭🤔🤔🤔🤓🤓😇🤗
For me it was shocking....so disappoint ed...
Your wife is screwing with you there is nothing wrong with the lcdx, could be your amp.
I simply do not like them...I tried both of my amps, which, trust me on this, can handle anything and in the best of ways...but the sound of them is really dampened....
1000 dollars for headphones?