I have recently stumbled into the world of over-ear audiophile headphones and am unsure of how to approach buying my first pair.
Without having any experience in which sound signature I prefer, whether I like an intimate or wide soundstage, closed back or open, planar vs dynamic, etc, are there particular attributes out there that are recommended for someone starting out? Should I buy a variety of headphones at once with different qualities to better understand what I like? Is there a price point that I would be wise to limit myself to? Or should I save a bit more and buy an expensive allrounder?
And then when it comes to ampās and DACās, should I buy in relation to the needs of the headphone/s I will be buying, or with an eye to the future, spending more now to drive more expensive headphones down the line? I havenāt done much research into ampās/DACās so Iām sorry if this is a stupid question.
Whatever headphones I choose, they will be used at home with a wide variety of music - different genres and from different eras. I have no way of testing before I buy as I live in rural New Zealand and I donāt know anyone in the hobby. My limit would be about $800 NZD (about $550 USD) on headphones, whether that be on one pair or many, but if thereās something more expensive youād recommend donāt let that stop you from doing so.
Thanks in advance if you need any more info let me know!
I think starting with some different but cheap headphones could be smart! At least to experience different sound signatures. And then based off that you could eventually get some higher end ones based off what you end up liking more. For example, the Koss ksc75 and the Koss kp30i (or whatever their name is). I own the ksc75 and they are surprisingly great. And Iāve heard great stuff about the other ones. Both are fairly cheap and sound great. When it comes to amp and dac, most 100 amps/dacs are known to be fairly great to where you could probably choose. The liquid spark, Liquid Spark dac. The modi/magni etc
I originally started with a beyerdynamic but I think because they were my first headphones I got turned off by them the higher I went. So I donāt necessarily think thatās the best idea either lol. Also do you want or need closed backs? Or are open backs fine?.
Hey thanks for the quick reply! And yeah, been lurking these forums non stop for the best part of two weeks ha everybody seems to be really informative and nice.
Cool Iāll check those headphones out. Open or closed backs are no issue, just whatever is recommended. Iām in this for the long haul ha I have no idea why I havenāt done so before.
Noiceeeeeeeeeee.
And yeah honestly, for the most part you probably canāt go wrong even with buying a more expensive headphone because tbh. I think most people will end up liking their first headphone because at least in one way or another it will perform better than whatever they have used.
Also buying the amp in particular is very important even with the Koss. Because they scale like crazy. I used the ksc75 with my xduoo xd-05 plus and I was like āitās almost worth buying this amp just for the Kossā lol. Seriously unassuming headphones
If I end up going down this road, what would be some good choices for specific sound signatures and characteristics? For instance:
Flat
V Shaped
Balanced
Warm and smooth
Good soundstage
Good imaging
Iām assuming those Koss models you pointed out would cover some of these? And are there different sound signatures that I should be considering?
I had been looking at the Sundaraās as they seem to be quite neutral and I figured if I were to buy only one pair then getting a āreferenceā sound would be a good start. Would you agree?
Cheers for the help I tried to do as much research before asking for help so I wasnāt asking redundant questions ha but couldnāt find answers to these particular questions.
The Sennheiser 6__ platform is always a good starting-point to me.
Theyāre open back with an agreeable sound signature, proven platform, good durability and support.
Theyāre open back and not uber-difficult to drive.
I know little about availability in NZ market, but I think the US web darlings (58x/6xx) may not be the easiest things to get. But see what an HD600 or HD650 costs there.
Sundara is a very agreeable planar open-back that does just about everything very well at this price.
DAC and AMP! Iād suggest getting separates and something ārobust-enoughā.
I know youāll need something widely available, and versatile.
I wouldnāt mind: Topping E30 > xDuoo MT-602
You have a budget where I disagree with importing $20 Koss headphones to start, as much as I like and advocate for them. I disagree with getting a power-limited DAC/AMP that will require you to add-on later. Some bit of future-proofing is in order for someone who is in this for the long haul.
The Senn600 sound is a strong reference point for a lot of enthusiasts and should let you know what it is that you like, or donāt like.
First audiophile headphones = Sennheiser HD600 or HD650 or HD6XX (if you can get Drop in NZ). The HD6 series (except the HD660) is widely regarded as one of the best of all time.
Itās also a common reference you can use for future headphones if you want to go in a different direction.
Looks like Drop will send over either of those headphones for $15 USD shipping which aināt bad! We have the HD650 here but they cost over half the price of the HD6xxās ($550 USD).
Are there other headphones you would recommend picking up to complement the Sennheiserās?
Hereās the only problem. Reason I recommend those Koss is because they are AR a super cheap price so itās possible doing that with the Koss. The ksc75 is neutral bright, the 30i is super to my knowledge. And both at cheap prices. But going after multiple sound signatures at cheap prices with headphones would honestly be hard. Another route you can actually try is with IEMs for that.
They are pretty good. I owned the sundaras and they are pretty dang legit! Honestly if you wanna just jump up there the sundara is good for its price. As long as you get a nice powerful amp with it!
KPH30iās and a set of KSC75ās will make you bust a nutt thatās a promise this will be your reaction listening to KPH30iās for the first time and theyre 30 bucks:
And the scaling is insane with better and better amps
Thatās great news, as I think thatās an answer. I agreed with the Sundara, and some of the other budget Hifiman planar are also worth mention. 5xx, 400i I think is the flavor of the moment.
And donāt get me wrong, throw a set of KPH30i on the order too if theyāre affordable.
Harmonicdyne Zeus would be something to maybe check out some reviews on. Thereās a lot of confirmed enthusiasm with those, though I canāt speak directly. That seems like a more āfunā broadly appealing sound, maybe the soundstage champ in their pricerange.
I hesitate with Beyer because of giant attached cable, power needs and potential treble assertiveness. I like them very much, but theyāre not always everyoneās flavor.
Sennheiser HD560s is another neutralish all-arounder.
Hereās the thing. If itās good itās good. The ksc75 is something I would rate as very high performing with very good sound signature and also I personally choose over many headphones. Is it partially just because of personal preference? Yeah sure, but they are legit good. Iām not here to just shill them as the best thing ever and shill Chinese tube amps from zeos
Iām insinuating that Porta Pros and their brethren arenāt exactly the last word in performance. Are they worth $20? Fuck yeah. But thatās not the point of this post. To each their own. OP can go to some other forums and gather more info to decide whatās best for him/her.
Koss Trio for like $70. You get 3 hpās with different sound sig that can help someone who is new to the hobby see what they like and want out of a headphone.
if you need any more info let me know!
I tried to do as much research before asking for help so I wasnāt asking redundant questions ha but couldnāt find answers to these particular questions.
