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Reordered HD 505 and also Fiio EH13.
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Recent experiences with Headphones / Computer Audio
- Thread starter KickAssCop
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Comixbooks
Fully [H]
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I have the Mass Drop 58X Jubilees they are similar I just replaced the Stock Pads on them the Stock Pads are like wearing a Cat. Picked up some Transtek Pad with cooler gel for summertime.
They sound alot more isolating than the stock pads I just tossed the stock pads in the trash.
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I went to a shop to try out headphones. Tried quite a few things and surprisingly really liked the Maxwell 2 so ended up with it.
Wow, I am really enjoying these headphones. Shot some fools as well and it was dope.
Wow, I am really enjoying these headphones. Shot some fools as well and it was dope.
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For anyone who is willing to spend too much money on headphones, there are two I can give very strong recommendations to, though for a bit different reasons:
For gaming, all day listening, and just the best comfort you can get (particularly if you have a big head, which I do) the Sennheiser HD800S are still unmatched. They just float on your head and are something that I find I can wear for as long as I want without any kind of fatigue, either mechanical or auditory. If you have a large budget but want one and only one headphone to rule them all, this would have to be my recommendation. However, as it typical for open back dynamic phones particularly from Sennheiser, they want for equalization, particularly in the bass. I'd recommend using Oratory1990s EQ curve to improve their balance if you want to get them. They remain my go-to headphones every day.
However for the best sound, bar none, It has to go to the Dan Clark E3s (or Stealths). These need no EQ, they have fantastic low distortion sound from the lowest bass on up. They just sound... right. They have such fantastic sound quality in all respects. I love to listen to music on them, any genre sounds great. So why don't I recommend them as the One True Headphone(tm)? Comfort. They aren't bad, but they just can't compare to the HD800S. They are quite a bit heavier, as planar magnetics tend to be, and the clamp your head pretty tight. After an hour I can feel my glasses digging in to my head and after two everything is quite uncomfortable. Probably not as bad if you have a smaller head, and if you don't wear glasses. Either way, it means that they are the kind of thing that I use for some things, but I can't wear them all the time.
Both are, of course, stupidly expensive. But if you are willing to spend $2k+, you owe it to yourself to check them out.
For gaming, all day listening, and just the best comfort you can get (particularly if you have a big head, which I do) the Sennheiser HD800S are still unmatched. They just float on your head and are something that I find I can wear for as long as I want without any kind of fatigue, either mechanical or auditory. If you have a large budget but want one and only one headphone to rule them all, this would have to be my recommendation. However, as it typical for open back dynamic phones particularly from Sennheiser, they want for equalization, particularly in the bass. I'd recommend using Oratory1990s EQ curve to improve their balance if you want to get them. They remain my go-to headphones every day.
However for the best sound, bar none, It has to go to the Dan Clark E3s (or Stealths). These need no EQ, they have fantastic low distortion sound from the lowest bass on up. They just sound... right. They have such fantastic sound quality in all respects. I love to listen to music on them, any genre sounds great. So why don't I recommend them as the One True Headphone(tm)? Comfort. They aren't bad, but they just can't compare to the HD800S. They are quite a bit heavier, as planar magnetics tend to be, and the clamp your head pretty tight. After an hour I can feel my glasses digging in to my head and after two everything is quite uncomfortable. Probably not as bad if you have a smaller head, and if you don't wear glasses. Either way, it means that they are the kind of thing that I use for some things, but I can't wear them all the time.
Both are, of course, stupidly expensive. But if you are willing to spend $2k+, you owe it to yourself to check them out.
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I did check out the 800S and found it extremely bad for myself. One, it didn’t fit my head and kept moving around. Two, it had no bass. The typical problem with Sennheiser dynamics of not having enough punch to the bass. This is why I prefer the magnetic planars. I am sure EQ can do wonders but generally, I have been disappointed in a lot of “popular” recommendations.
DCA is on my list of things to try out. I need to find demo units where I can do this. Having said that there is one headphone I tried which blew me away. It was the Hifiman HE1000 Unveiled. It was unlike the other two HE1000 I tried and not sibilant. I really enjoyed my audition of it.
Having said that I am not spending 2 grand on a headphone anytime soon. I love variety so I prefer having the stuff I own. Locking myself on an expensive headphone will most likely lead to a lot of regret lol.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I don't know that they have anywhere that has demo units, so unless you find someone with one, you are out of luck. However they do offer 15 day no questions returns precisely so you can try their phones out. Obviously that's more of a hassle then just finding them and listening to them locally but if you want to try them, which I recommend, that's how to do.
They do have cheaper ones, but I don't have personal experience to say how they are. The Noire X is their next step down for closed (or XO for open), which is about $1100 and their Aeon RT is there "economical" closed back at $500. They are a premium maker though, there's nothing that I would remotely consider actually budget friendly and the big news is always about their high end phones. Hell, the E3s are one of their "budget" designs as they came from the Stealth which is over $4000.
I will say that other than the comfort, which maybe wouldn't be such an issue for you since you found the HD800S don't stay on your head, I'd have no issue with these being my only headphones. They sound amazing, and since their response is so linear and so low distortion, you can EQ the shit out of them and change the tonal characteristics to whatever you like.
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This one? https://drhead.ae/product/dan_clark_audio_e3__2m_xlr_vivo_cable/
Will go to their store and see if they have a demo unit. Expensive af though.
That's the one I ended up getting and yes, expensive as fuck is accurate. That's how Dan Clark stuff is. Hence why I qualified my post about only for crazies who spend too much
As I said the Stealth is actually the unit above it, which is was developed from, which is over $4k. However the E3 has almost as good a distortion specs (still well below audibility), and I like the frequency response better, so I opted to save two grand and got it.
DCA is a superpremium headphone maker and not for everyone but I do so like their sound. For me the E3 does not want or need any EQ, it sounds the closest to a properly calibrated speaker setup of anything I've ever heard.
Comixbooks
Fully [H]
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Mass Drop hardly has any Headphones in stock anymore but they have about 40 different keyboards.
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Today’s auditions.
Bose QuietComfort Gen 2. Fantastic headphone with basic EQ that just works. Really enjoyed my time with it. Bass is proper. Reminded me of my car. ANC was fantastic.
Sony MDR-MV1. Finally found this at a store. Seems capable but is sibilant. Reminded me of Hifiman Ananda Nano. Women vocals have a strong peak.
Sony MRDR 7506. Finally also found this. I thought it was ok. Very non intrusive but maybe still a bit sibilant (less than MDR MV1). Bass is a bit missing and the pads suck ass.
I think both of these could be EQ-ed to taste but for me the headphone needs to be proper from get go rather than relying on EQ.
Overall. Good that I didn’t order these as those Sony’s would’ve been Amazon returns.
Bose QuietComfort Gen 2. Fantastic headphone with basic EQ that just works. Really enjoyed my time with it. Bass is proper. Reminded me of my car. ANC was fantastic.
Sony MDR-MV1. Finally found this at a store. Seems capable but is sibilant. Reminded me of Hifiman Ananda Nano. Women vocals have a strong peak.
Sony MRDR 7506. Finally also found this. I thought it was ok. Very non intrusive but maybe still a bit sibilant (less than MDR MV1). Bass is a bit missing and the pads suck ass.
I think both of these could be EQ-ed to taste but for me the headphone needs to be proper from get go rather than relying on EQ.
Overall. Good that I didn’t order these as those Sony’s would’ve been Amazon returns.
They have less bass than planars?
Yes. In general planar magnetic phones have more bass than dynamic ones, also these are open back, which tend to have less bass than closed back, also they are Sennheiser's and they are often known for less low bass than some others.
Their bass actually isn't bad, but it is weaker than many might want by default in the low bass area. From 100Hz on up they are fine, and perhaps even a little too much in the 100-300Hz range, but under 100Hz they roll off quite a bit. The EQ preset I like for them (from Oratory 1990) calls for a 4.5dB shelf boost at 100Hz and an additional 3dB boost at 40Hz.
Even with those EQ boosts it still doesn't get the same impact at really low frequencies as something with lots of bass like good planar magnetic phones. Also you get more distortion since as you boost the signal distortion goes up, though that isn't a huge deal in low bass but still.
The only planar I have is the Audeze LCD-XC. It doesn't have enough bass for me. But hear me out. When I say bass I mean where the bass guitar is. That isn't sub-100, it is around 150 Hz. I really need to hear what the bass guitar is doing.
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Most planars I own have linear bass so bass guitars do well. Also they take EQ really well. I usually need to make sure that out of box sound works for me. Then I go ahead and buy something. If out of box sound doesn't work for me then most likely I end up sending it back.
This is what I have right now. I am not hung up on a single sound. I just need to make sure that 2-4K and 8-10K plus comfort work for me. Otherwise it is bye bye headphone.
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So ironically the HD800S would have more bass in that range. One because it does have about a 2-3dB rise in that range. However another is actually distortion. Dynamic phones tend to have more harmonic distortion in the low bass region and what harmonic distortion does is generate harmonics at higher frequencies, making things overall more audible. It makes sound louder, and more rich. Planars don't tend to have that, they have very low distortion, so they can sound too quiet.
In the DCA Stealth's, they actually have a bass boost in that range for that reason.
Really though, the solution is just EQ. Since they are low distortion, you can EQ them easily so the answer is just put a boost in the ranges you want.
But ya, the HD800S would actually have more midbass, both because of a rise in volume and distortion and less low bass than most planars.
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I ordered Arya Unveiled. Super excited about it.
Comixbooks
Fully [H]
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You ever try Schiit Amps?
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Nah, can't find them locally.
Also for DAC/AMPs I am set. So not going down that rabbit hole until further notice lol.
I try to do without EQ. I want to be able to switch between different devices easily.
Makes sense. My solution to that is... stupidly expensive. I just have a sound card for each, and they are RME cards so they do EQs in hardware.
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With software eq you can save presets, but yeah probably much more expensive if you have a separate eq device.
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Well, you could create a device which adjusts your hardware eq with an arduino and some voltage controlled resistors in place of the pots, I guess. Dunno if it would work well though.
I've had two, the Magni 2 which was awful and had a built in highpass and now have a Midgard which is great. I did only get the Midgard because of its high rating over at audio science review though since the other one I had was total garbage. I will note I haven't used the "special" XLR output on it I just use the 1/4" jack only.
I have a Topping A90D too and both are fine if you don't need the features of the Topping no reason to get it imo, get something cheaper.
You could just route through a Raspberry Pi with jamin (a mastering plugin with both graphical and parametric EQ).
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I finally found an upgrade for the HD598, and it's a huge improvement over the HD6xx. I didn't like the HD6xx's boring sound, even though many people loved them and always praised their beautiful vocals. For me, listening to music isn't just about the vocals, it's about the overall experience.Well these headphones are quite underwhelming for me. Not my sound sig and extremely busy when tracks get loud. Vocals being warm and forward is also massively exaggerated as a claim. That only happens when I press the can pretty hard against my ears.
The clamp force has subsided a bit but overall, yeah I think I could’ve spent 210$ on something else and would’ve been happier. It is clear that the tech etc. is super dated. There is little to no separation, sound stage is completely collapsed and busy tracks feel like lacking a lot of quality sound. Resolution is also pretty bad compared to say a FT1 Pro or FT1 (actually this is a more valid comparison because of how closed the 6XX feel).
I would give this purchase a 3/10. It might be good in its time but in modern day, is a waste of money. Even 50-100$ IEMs can beat it in pure sound quality.
Yeah I don’t have any popular opinions here. Got suckered into trying another of those audiophile traps. This one I can’t even return since drop.com doesn’t do free international returns.
Good luck to anyone trying this or paying for this in 2026.
The HD 490 Pro is a perfect upgrade for me after previously trying the Meze 105 Aer (a safer choice, but I didn't like the upper bass, which sounded a bit buzzy, like the sound inside a box).
The HD 490 Pro is more balanced, but overall the sound is flatter than the Meze, especially with the Fosi ZH3, but the use of filters helps.
Paired with the Topping Dx3 pro+, it's a completely different story. They're perfect in terms of dynamics and more fun to listen to than the ZH3, feeling like a completely different headphone.
Now I have an excuse to look for a replacement DAC/amp because the Topping belongs to my wife
The clamping force is better than the Meze for my smaller head, although they still press a bit in front of my ears, the Meze under my ears, and hopefully will become more comfortable over time.
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490 Pro is decent but Edition XV in same money is much better. Of course different people like different things. I am more of a drama, stage, layering, separation kind of guy so for me Edition XV works really well.
I already sold my HD 6XX.
I already sold my HD 6XX.
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I thought I would also like the Edition XV and thought about returning the Hd490 pro but I decided against it because of the comfort factor where the Meze 105 and HD490 are known for their comfort but they are still not that comfortable for me to compare to the HD598. And also after trying it paired with the Dx3 pro plus the sound is perfect for me. As a beginner I also found that listening to music at full volume on my computer and adjusting the volume with the Dac/amp with the HD490 really makes a huge difference in sound quality and make this headphone way more fun and dynamic compared to other headphones I have tried.
This is a photo for both of them, in case there are people like me who hate people who comment without really trying it themselves and just repeat what they read on the internet and make the audio lover community not fun.
Also this is a reason what made me join this threat because he tried it himself even though of course everyone has different tastes.
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I personally found Edition XV more comfortable than both of them.
And yes, you should max windows volume and adjust volume through DAC/AMP for best results.
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Once you go egg shape, it is hard to go back. I am having comfort problems with Audeze Maxwell 2 right now. Too heavy, my ears touch the edge of ear pads etc.Ah, I wish I never read this comment of yours
. Stealth and Edition XV fit me like a glove. That is why I have Arya Unveiled also coming in
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So, it's better not to go in that direction for nowOnce you go egg shape, it is hard to go back. I am having comfort problems with Audeze Maxwell 2 right now. Too heavy, my ears touch the edge of ear pads etc.
Stealth and Edition XV fit me like a glove. That is why I have Arya Unveiled also coming in
at least for now because I'm still enjoying the HD490 and finding the "wow factor" the more I use it compared to the Meze which I only found the "wow factor" in the beginning of using it.Maybe later after I find a more suitable Dac/Amp but then I'll go down the rabbit hole
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If you are happy - honestly stop there. There is no point chasing the dragon. I was supposed to buy a 200$ headphone. I am down over 3 grand right now.So, it's better not to go in that direction for now
Maybe later after I find a more suitable Dac/Amp but then I'll go down the rabbit hole
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Yes, thank you for your comparisons and comments on various headphones.
Of course I already knew what sound character I wanted before reading it so I didn't make many mistakes in buying them, only one that I will resell easily since i got it for half the price and still under 16 months warranty.
These headphones are perfect for me, not perfect headphones but very close to what I was looking for and will be perfect for me once I find a suitable DAC/amp. Thanks to you
Words of wisdom indeed. Don't let FOMO control your purchasing decisions because most likely, the upgrade isn't worth it in the end.
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Maxwell 2 vs. HyperX Cloud 3 S thoughts.
Comfort: HyperX Cloud 3S takes the win. There is no comparison. Just moving from Maxwell 2 to Cloud 3S feels like a huge relief. The weight really gets to you once you understand how heavy the thing is on your head.
Sound Q: I really can't decide which is better.
To my ears with the EQ I use, Cloud 3S feels more natural and vocals are more forward. The bass response is great. And once I took out the 8K peak, the songs really come to life. On default tuning gaming is great. Footsteps are audible just right, sound stage is great. You can shoot fools with ease.
Maxwell 2 on the other hand has the planar slam. With new firmware the tuning is a bit spicy for me. I did tune down 4K and 8K to reduce the zing on explosions and female vocals. Plus added some 1K and 2K to make vocals forward. With the 16K air on Maxwell 2, both sound very similar to me almost only keeping the driver technology in between them with Cloud 3S feeling more natural/lush whereas, Maxwell 2 feeling higher resolution and having planar slam.
Value: Don't think we need to discuss this. HyperX Cloud 3S is possibly the best value product around 100-120$. I haven't come across anything that comes close.
Final score:
HyperX Cloud 3S - 4.5/5
Maxwell 2 - 4.25/5
For now I am keeping both.
Comfort: HyperX Cloud 3S takes the win. There is no comparison. Just moving from Maxwell 2 to Cloud 3S feels like a huge relief. The weight really gets to you once you understand how heavy the thing is on your head.
Sound Q: I really can't decide which is better.
To my ears with the EQ I use, Cloud 3S feels more natural and vocals are more forward. The bass response is great. And once I took out the 8K peak, the songs really come to life. On default tuning gaming is great. Footsteps are audible just right, sound stage is great. You can shoot fools with ease.
Maxwell 2 on the other hand has the planar slam. With new firmware the tuning is a bit spicy for me. I did tune down 4K and 8K to reduce the zing on explosions and female vocals. Plus added some 1K and 2K to make vocals forward. With the 16K air on Maxwell 2, both sound very similar to me almost only keeping the driver technology in between them with Cloud 3S feeling more natural/lush whereas, Maxwell 2 feeling higher resolution and having planar slam.
Value: Don't think we need to discuss this. HyperX Cloud 3S is possibly the best value product around 100-120$. I haven't come across anything that comes close.
Final score:
HyperX Cloud 3S - 4.5/5
Maxwell 2 - 4.25/5
For now I am keeping both.
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Arya Unveiled gaming review. So this is Arya Stealth but with the following changes:
- Bass response on default is better.
- Vocals are forward (this sometimes helps in footstep identification).
- Stage is a bit more intimate but as holographic as Arya Stealth - what this does is strikes a good balance in sound identification and location.
Potential cons:
- Bass comes in the way when there is a lot going on sometimes drowning out the footsteps (this is a rare occassion).
- Sometimes the upper treble is tame compared to Arya Stealth limiting stage for large arena shooters (like BF6, Warzone, Apex).
Overall, I still am a bit early in deciding if there is a material difference in gaming and Arya Stealth is still GOAT for me. Having said that if you only buy this can, its not like you are missing out much. Maybe 5-7% which is easily fixable through EQ.
- Bass response on default is better.
- Vocals are forward (this sometimes helps in footstep identification).
- Stage is a bit more intimate but as holographic as Arya Stealth - what this does is strikes a good balance in sound identification and location.
Potential cons:
- Bass comes in the way when there is a lot going on sometimes drowning out the footsteps (this is a rare occassion).
- Sometimes the upper treble is tame compared to Arya Stealth limiting stage for large arena shooters (like BF6, Warzone, Apex).
Overall, I still am a bit early in deciding if there is a material difference in gaming and Arya Stealth is still GOAT for me. Having said that if you only buy this can, its not like you are missing out much. Maybe 5-7% which is easily fixable through EQ.