DT 1990 Pro or Focal Elex

You could prob find a used clear for a good price imo

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So rn my 2 choices for an open back ‘endgame’ are the Elex or the Edition XX, altho The Elex sounds pretty similar to the 58X based on graphs, and the Edition XX has subdued mids… hmm

I wish I could get more opinions on these 2
Oh and I gave up on the DT1990 cuz of the recessed mids

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The elex doesn’t really sound similar to the 58x imo, it’s really a slight w shaped sound (in real life not on a graph). Also it presents detail differently and also has much better imaging and soundstage. Also more open and airy sound as well

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I don’t want used tho

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It is W shaped on the graph well unless you consider harman flat then its not (cuz of the bass) but it has more bass a peak at 1.5k and a peak at 10k, so it is W shaped in traditional terms

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Yeah it depends on how you look at it. I would really just suggest getting some hands on experience if possible to really understand how a graph might translate in person

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I wonder if the bass extension is better than the 58X :thinking:

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Yeah it is, it digs a bit deeper. But then again it does have that clipping at really high volumes (but it’s not really something to worry about). The 58x has a more rounded bass response where the elex is more even in that regard

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What about the soundstage and imaging compared to the 58X cuz rn I don’t see much reason to get the Elex over a 58X for the price

Zeos said they are wide but I dont trust Zeos that much

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Maybe @FBizzle can help too. He’s got both. The elex are obviously better, how much is up to you

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Well, the elex is more of a sphere around your head (almost like a cardioid pattern) for it’s imaging so very accurate and also not really lacking (except directly behind you isn’t the best but not many headphones can pull that off well), and while not really wide for soundstage, they have very good depth, and can be both intimate and more distant depending on the song, so accurate not exaggerated. The 58x has the more traditional 3 blob senn imaging, where it is clear in the front of you and to the sides, but a bit hazy inbetween. The elex also has better verticality. The elex is more competent at recreating a space imo.

The 58x is an excellent value imo, it’s hard to beat at it’s price. It would be my pick to get experience and enjoy music as you are learning. The elex is on a different performance tier.

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Mhm I see, thank you!

What about the Hifiman Edition XX tho :thinking:

Based on graphs I see they have a 2k dip, but they have good bass extension and since they are planar should have low distorsion in the bass and in general, oh and everyone says they have a good wide soundstage

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The edition xx is a bit different in it’s presentation. It’s got a larger than normal presentation, almost like a wall of sound, and also some fr ranges are pushed backwards or forwards because of the tuning. It has more that 3 blob for imaging.

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They have audible dynamic range compression at high volumes, as do most of the hfm larger drivers. They have pretty dang nice bass extension and the drivers help for the great impact. It’s a bit rolled in the high end leading to a tad darker and warmer sound. The mids are somewhat recessed but it’s not that big of an issue imo

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Ye I saw that alot of planars have issues with midrange flat-ness.

Hmm, alright I’ll decide on one of these at some point, thanks for the info!

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It’s not really an issue, it’s just that they preform more linearly in the bass and midrange (which can be a good thing at times). Just one of the reasons some prefer planar

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No I mean that alot of planars do this thing where they have a broad peak at 500-1k and then a dip at 2k whereas Sennheisers have a flat mid range

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If you are comparing to Harman yeah maybe, the 58x doesn’t have as flat mid-range as some of my planars imo

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how about the dt1990 pro, is it better in soundstage and imaging ?

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It depends, for music or for gaming? Also what do you exactly mean by better just to check

Also I was recently talking about the 1990 v elex here (more info in the thread besides this post)

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