My go-to headphones for the past 6 years have been an Audeze LCD-2 driven by a Cavalli Liquid Fire amp and Schiit Gungnir multibit DAC. Divine. The sound is whole and wholesome. It is my home headphone sound. The sound just sounds right to me as a headphone. It is what I want headphones to sound like. Six to ten years ago that was a $5K+ headphone setup. If you banished me to an island with only a Cavalli Liquid Platinum hybrid amp, Audeze LCD-2 Classic headphones and a Schiit Bifrost 2 multibit DAC, and all of my ripped music I'd be OK with that. The Liquid Platinum ($400), LCD-2 Classic ($800), and Bifrost 2 ($700) system would be about $1900 at what those components are selling for new now and I consider to be about 90% of the $5K+ system. Banish me to an island with that $1900 system instead of my $5K+ system and I'd be happy with what I had (assuming I had electricity to play it). I can afford more expensive headphones than the LCD-2 Classic, but with the Cavalli amps I don't feel the need to splurge on a more expensive headphone. The Cavalli Liquid Fire and Liquid Platinum and Liquid Glass get the lowly LCD-2 Classic or older LCD-2 rev 2 to sound better than the LCD-3 does with other lesser amps. There are $1K+ (and $3K+) headphones that are better than the LCD-2 Classic, but the value position of most of the $1K+ headphones is questionable. Most of the $1K+ headphones are a demonstration that the owner has more money than they need. The headphones in that price category aren't giant killers. Each only does certain things better. None do most things better. With that said, I am looking for a new and better headphone that is going to be in the $1.5K to $4K category. It's because I can, not because I can justify the additional expense.
Nice! But even a nice headphone like that still needs an amp to make them go. And a worthy amp is not cheap.
I can't compare, never had the LCD-2. Maybe @Ham Sandwich , the greatest expert of headphones here at SHTV, know? I like my Audeze LCD-X a lot!
Grado SR80e open headphones. I really enjoy their sound for all styles of music and they are comfortable to wear. I use them mainly with my Peachtree Audio Decco 65 integrated amp which has a high quality headphone amp inside. Occasionally I use them straight out of my iPad. Being of the open air type sound does bleed out so if you have someone else in the room with you that may annoy them.
My "big boy" setup is RME ADI-2 DAC FS > Linear Tube Audio microZOTL MZ2 > Audeze LCD-3. Mostly these days, I end up listening to Audioquest Dragonfly Red > Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (250 ohm), however, just because it's more convenient to plug and play. I use the Westone W40 for portable use, usually out of an iPhone dongle. The big setup sounds nothing like my home stereo, but it's nice to have options. Both sound fantastic, but each is very, very different. Home setup is much more detail-oriented, while the headphones are oriented toward the warmer end of the spectrum.
For critical listening, my go-to headphones are the Denon AH-D5000, which I assume are an earlier version of yours. Excellent indeed! For casual listening while working in my office on my desktop PC, I currently use the psb M4U 2, driven by a HT Omega Clara Halo PCI card. Jeff
Then have a look at ESS Labs USA, the 452H are (factory price) very affordable I went to THE headphone store here and tried out others, but they were very competitive in the 1000 Dollar class And the sales guy was stunned
Semi-serious/casual listening Open: Sennheiser HD-600 Closed: Sony MDR-CD3000 Serious listening Sonoma Model One electrostatic system
Full-size general purpose: Takstar pro80 Full-size home listening: Fostex T50RP mk2 snorry+ (basically only have original magnets that were enhanced and housed into custom made headphones) IEM: Westone UM pro 50 (2017)
Open: HD 800 S, using HDV 820 and RME ADI-2 DAC. Closed: Bey DT 770 PRO 80Ω a lot (direct to the ADI-2 DAC) - more comfy and for some music better than the HD800S. I'm probably going to sell my DT 1770, I prefer the 770.
Sennheisser HD650 for critical listening. Sony wh-1000xm3 for when i don't want to be tethered and just need something playing in my head
I have Sennheiser HD 600's, Grado Hemp Phones and Quad Era 1's. My goto is the HD 600's primarily due to the comfort factor. The Grado's sound really good but uncomfortable. I just recently found out that the Quad's are not compatible with my amp and could cause damage so they are currently listed here in the for sale forum. They sound the best but not worth risking damage to a $2500 amp.
For home listening: Open: Sennheiser HD800s or Beyerdynamic DT1990 (occasionally Hifman HE-400i, Ultrasone Edition 11 or Beyerdynamic Amiron) Closed: Beyerdynamic DT1770 or Fostex TH-00 (occasionally Denon D2000 or Ultrasone 840) For walking around: Bluetooth Wireless: Sony WH1000xm2 or Beyerdynamic Aventho (occasionally Status BT One)
Yep. Here's a link to the model I bought, but I didn't buy them there. I got them on sale for maybe $45. elsewhere, and they were worth every penny! Amazon.com: Floyd Rose FR-52BK 3D Headphones in Black: Electronics
Sennheiser Hd650s for daytime and Audeze LCD-2 for night. I also have a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 2 wireless headphones for when I’m feeling lazy or watching videos online. Can’t imagine needing anything further.
