Headphone lovers, what do you love, what do you have, Head-Fi fans 2018 edition.

[MODERATOR COMMENT: This thread is a continuation of the old 2016 thread: Headphone lovers, what do you love, what do you have, Head-Fi fans 2016 edition. .]

Ended up buying the Meze 99 Classics.

I really like the look of them now that I have a pair in person -- great build quality, replaceable parts, etc. -- but I'm not sure these are ideal "on the go" cans you wear at the laundromat or on the bus/subway. Nice choice for the office or home listening though.

Also hits all the marks when it comes to sound quality, comfort, impedance, isolation/leakage, at least for me. So far, they seem to punch well above their $309 price point.

 

My AKG 701 headphones died. I bought my first pair of Grado cans, the GH2. LOVE these headphones.

 

I sprung for the Massdrop Sennheiser HD6XX (HD650 equivalent)) and a Little Dot Mk II tube headphone amp adding upgraded tubes (RCA & Novosibirsk). The SEPP/OTL design of the Little Dot seems to compliment the high impedance Senns very well. Enjoying some seriously good sound especially considering this kit cost less than $450 all-in.

 

I have a HD6XX too but I don't use it a lot. It's for the living room and I mostly listen to the speakers there. Still,, the Massdrop deal was so good it would have been criminal to skip it.

 

I'm looking for closed back noise isolating headphones (for airplanes etc). How are these 280s in that environment? I'd also been looking at the Sennheiser 598 closed phones.

 

Exactly the same situation for me as my cans usually reside in the living room with my main system.. Occasionally I move the amp and phones into a spare bedroom, attach my media player with FLAC files, lay on the bed, dim the lights and just chill for a while. Highly recommended.

 

I have large ears so between the 280 and 380 I went with the 380 for the office. They do isolate well and sound better (IMHO) than the 280.

They are not the most stylish earphones around and the construction is very much 100% plastic with some hard edges.

 

I have the new Audeze LCD-2C. They are amazing with Rock and Metal music!

 

I use them at rock concerts to block out the sound of the concert. About 30 decibels of isolation.

 

I just stepped up with the Massdrop Senn HD6xx and the Schiit Jotunheim with DAC module. Prior to this, I had the latest Bose QCs jacked into my MacBook. This is my first day with all the new stuff (kept the Senns mothballed for months until I set up the Jotunheim) and, I dig the sound, but I'll have to listen for a while, and critically, before I notice any night and day difference from the Bose QCs. I'll safely assume that my knee-jerk thought that the new setup offers more accurate sound is, um, accurate. But I do think Bose gets unfairly slagged at times.

 

Focal Elear. A really excellent can in my system.

 

Do you have a balanced headphone cable for the HD6xx to use with the balanced jack on the Jotunheim?

 

Audeze LCD-2C

 

I have a Sennheiser HD650 which was my first and still is my only good headphone. And I just bought it. Now I'm looking for something for loud environments like flights, I wanna keep the HD650 at home to listen at night when my son is sleeping. I'm considering HD280 Pro.

 

I Massdropped that also, it'll be here in March, 3 meters of balanced goodness so I can air guitar like the true idiot I am. So, I'll have a lot of experience with single-ended listening by the time the balanced cable arrives.

Right now, I'm never going to need to move the volume knob past 12:00 using the Senns single-ended on high gain. (Should I have it on high gain with the HD6xx? I think so.)

 

Same here, I'm considering 280 for flights. Would like to know better about its sound quality.

 

I haven't listened to the Jot yet. I don't know which gain setting sounds better or if they both sound pretty much the same. Sometimes one gain setting will have a slightly smoother sound or slighter wider or deeper soundstage. You find out by listening to both gain settings and deciding which one sounds better. I usually assume low gain will sound better until I determine otherwise, assuming the headphones are efficient enough to use low gain.

 

I just switched to low. I always make it a point to listen with iTunes "Sound Check" off, but, for some reason, it was on (yikes), and this was affecting where I had the volume knob on the Jotunheim. Single-ended listening on low gain with the HD6xx isn't usually going to require me to put the volume past 12:00 on the Jot.

These Senns are more comfortable than the Bose QC. I didn't find the Bose uncomfortable, but I can tell I'll be able to wear the Senns longer.

Art Blakey's Indestructible is sounding really, really good at the moment.

 

Just got the Focal Clear and the Audeze LCD2C. Liking the Focal's so much that I will sell sooner or later my Grado GS2000e. The Clear works wonders but be careful of what amp you are using....

 

I think it's mainly for the stereo components as I've seen some positive comments on the BOSE QCs here. I'm on my second pair of QC15s which I enjoy very much.

 

Yeah, they've provided me wth hours and hours of enjoyment, and I'm on my second pair. I bought the amp and the Senns because I've never experience the whole "desktop audiophile" thing, and I thought it might be cool to try different 'phones. I also got caught up in the idea of an outboard DAC, based on a few things I've read.

Plus I liquidated my big system components months ago, including my beloved Paradigm speakers and sub I bought in '98, those having been in storage for years. But someday I'll go back to that world. In the meantime, my computer/desktop has been my focal point for listening.

I mean, there's nothing like engaging in flame wars here while I'm jacked into excellent sound.

 

Just bought Diane some AKG K701's (at AUS $188, how could I not). Great sound.

 

Continue to listen to the HD6xx and Jot for a while. Then go back to the Bose and you'll notice that things you were hearing with the HD6xx will be missing. For example, if you listen to REM the HD6xx will let you hear the gravel in Michael Stipe's vocals, and you can even hear his throat. Then switch to the Bose and that gravel will be turned to mush and the sense that you can hear his throat and chest will be gone.

 

My favorite is the Empire Ears Zeus Adel XR customs.

I am also digging the Audeze LCDi4 and LCD2C.

On the amp front I am enjoying the RNHP from Neve.

 

So what IS this stuff? Discontinued design being perpetuated? I looked at their site, prices hidden, says release date is like March 2018 (or is that for a new "drop"?). very interesting. I heard the HD800 at the LA Audio Show, and it (in combination with a Vincent(?) headphone amp and DSD player) produced the most open, transparent sound I have ever heard in my life. I wonder if the 6XX would be close.