Headphone lovers, what do you love, what do you have, Head-Fi fans 2019-21 edition.*

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by RJL2424, Aug 19, 2019.

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  1. RJL2424

    RJL2424 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    NOTE: This thread is a continuation of the old 2018 thread: Headphone lovers, what do you love, what do you have, Head-Fi fans 2018 edition.

    My headphone priorities have since been changed:

    What was I doing wasting my money on better-quality wired headphones when the audio circuitry inside my smartphone (and that of most other smartphones that still have one) is run off of the exact same chip as the Bluetooth audio? In such an instance, wired headphones will have the same maximum sound quality potential as Bluetooth wireless in such a device!

    As such, I have shifted my priority to a better-sounding wireless Bluetooth headphone or earphone than the cheap ones that I have been using so far. And my budget is more or less the same as my earlier posts in the previous thread - around $200-ish.

    I will be using them primarily for working out and commuting, but also sound good enough for at-home use.

    Any suggestions?

    And yes, in addition to my question above, please feel free to express your favorites from the two older threads as well.
     
  2. alan967tiger

    alan967tiger Forum Resident

    Just replaced the Senn. HDVD800 with a used Questyle CMA800r to drive my HD800; my initial impressions are very positive. A bigger soundstage, great texture in the bass and even more resolution:
    [​IMG]
     
  3. John Buchanan

    John Buchanan I'm just a headphone kind of fellow. Stax Sigma

    Neumann NDH-20 Headphones coming.... going for something a little less bright than the Beyerdynamics. We'll see.
    Hopefully not the Alfred E. revision ;)
     
  4. jbmcb

    jbmcb Forum Resident

    Location:
    Troy, MI, USA
    Massdrop 6XX driven by a Sonic Frontiers Line 1, that has a built-in Headroom amp, in the main stereo
    Sennheiser HD-580, HD-414s knocking around the computer and secondary hi-fi
    Sennheiser Momentum HD1 and a Fiio E10K at work (I can plug the Momentums into the headset jack and use them for conferencing as well, which is nice)
    Etymotic ER-4 + iPhone for portable listening
     
    cjc likes this.
  5. qurasjovan

    qurasjovan Forum Resident

    SDR modded HD800 with Bryston BHA-1 and Rega DAC, enjoying it immensely :D
     
  6. schugh

    schugh Forum Resident

    I don't remember if I mentioned the Focal Stellia. I'm mentioning it now.
    They are fantastic.
    I never really liked the Utopia for some reason when I demoed them a couple of times. But the Stellia are really good.
     
  7. wellers73

    wellers73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    I’m absolutely in love with my Audeze iSine 20s! I’ve had them for a year or so, but started using them constantly this summer, especially with the Audeze Bluetooth Cipher cable. They’re just incredibly fun to listen with.
     
  8. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    I recently picked up some Grado RS2Es and liking them so far. They don't hurt my skull unlike other headsets I've had.
     
    CDFanatic and alan967tiger like this.
  9. Slippers-on

    Slippers-on Forum Resident

    Location:
    St.Louis Mo.
    I love my Denon AH-D5200 headphones. Driven by a very powerful iFI-audio Stack.
     
  10. Exitmusic

    Exitmusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Leicester U.K
  11. cjc

    cjc Senior Member

    Audeze LCD-2f cans powered by Cary Audio Headamp.
     
  12. Dougr33

    Dougr33 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Twin Cities, MN
    At home, I don't get to enjoy often enough (as I love my speakers too much!) my Sennheiser HD660s driven by PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell Dac.
    But.. a new job's breaks has me greatly re-appreciating my Etymotic ER4SR iems and Dragonfly Red playing flacs from my phone. The noise isolation adds a lot to enjoying the quality of the reproduction.
     
    Bill Why Man likes this.
  13. Omara31

    Omara31 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Perth, Australia
    Got a pair of Campfire Casacades recently as I needed a closed back pair. Paired with a Luxman P-200 amp. Sounds great. Distinctive sound, great bass and mids. Engaging.
     
  14. Xarkkon

    Xarkkon Would you like a Custom Title?

    Location:
    Asia
    sennheiser hd600 powered by bottlehead crack. using a hifiberry dac as source/dac. loving it! but.. but... but.... i heard a pair of zmf aeolus recently and man i want those too...
     
    Bill Why Man likes this.
  15. Claude Benshaul

    Claude Benshaul Forum Resident

    I'm really enjoying the setup in the living room with the Monolith Liquid Platinum with the Sennheiser HD6XX. I don't know how to explain it exactly but it's like slipping in the comfort zone and decompressing. It's not the best or have the widest and deepest sound stage but there is something with this combination that is very soothing for me.
     
  16. ti-triodes

    ti-triodes Senior Member

    Location:
    Paz Chin-in
    Just picked up one of these hoping to get a bit of Eddy Current magic. It was originally touted to be able to compete with $1500 amps. Nice amp, but not even close.



    [​IMG]
     
  17. Eric S.

    Eric S. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Olympic Peninsula
    The headphone setup in my home office where I do most of my listening is now a 2nd generation Fiio X5 via spdif out -> SMSL M100 DAC -> Monoprice Liquid Spark amp -> HD6XX headphones. The office is off of our family room so if my wife has the TV on there I'll switch to my HD569 closed headphones.

    The x5 has two 256gb micro SD cards which is plenty of storage so it's pretty rare that I'll think of an album spur of the moment that's not on it, and it only takes a minute or two to drop something else onto one of the cards if I need to grab it from my digital library on my PC, also in the office. As an added benefit of having the Fiio DAP as the source is when I travel I have a significant portion of my music library "ready to go" with me, in all of its lossless glory. I've got Brainwavz B400 IEMs for ultimate portability, and depending on where and how long I am going (and how much listening time I may have there) I can toss the HD569s in a case and bring them too.
     
  18. britt2001b

    britt2001b Senior Member

    Location:
    United States
  19. John Buchanan

    John Buchanan I'm just a headphone kind of fellow. Stax Sigma

    The Neumann NDH-20 arrived and it's a keeper. The headphones are sealed (a bonus in our small townhouse), it's a very efficient headphone and sounds great - there's no upper midrange peak that gives exaggerated detail and brightness. Also beautiful construction. Definitely a keeper.
    NEUMANN
     
    rocnred likes this.
  20. Markym

    Markym Forum Resident

    Location:
    London, UK
    Hi Alan...I'm running the HDVA600-HD800 balanced fed by a Benchmark DAC2HGC. How much of a step forward in sound is the Questyle? Am pretty tempted by this and the more expensive Golden version but it really needs to be a worthwhile step-up. I'd want a used unit like yours but taking the plunge without hearing it/being able to return is a bit of an issue. Cheers.
     
    alan967tiger likes this.
  21. TimB

    TimB Pop, Rock and Blues for me!

    Location:
    Colorado
    Still is my Koss ESP-950, with a tie for second being the Sen HD6XX and the STax SR-X III mk3
     
  22. peteham

    peteham Senior Member

    Location:
    Simcoe County
    Much love for my Beyerdynamic DT 1770s and my Beyerdynamic Aventho Wireless.
     
  23. MrEWhite

    MrEWhite Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    I like my Audio Technica ATH-R70x quite a bit, combined with my Schiit Asgard 2 and my Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital, it's probably the best I've heard music up to this point.
     
  24. Jim N.

    Jim N. Just another day in what was once Paradise...

    Location:
    So Cal

    I picked up the SDR HD800 cans earlier and they are marvelous!
     
    qurasjovan likes this.
  25. alan967tiger

    alan967tiger Forum Resident

    Hello Mark - imo its a worthwhile purchase. More of everything and not too bright or tiring. See my PM:)
     
    Markym likes this.
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