And you’re going to need this the best cheap amp the XDUOO MT602
That’s great news, as I think that’s 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 don’t get me wrong, throw a set of KPH30i on the order too if they’re affordable.
Harmonicdyne Zeus would be something to maybe check out some reviews on. There’s a lot of confirmed enthusiasm with those, though I can’t speak directly. That seems like a more “fun” 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 they’re not always everyone’s flavor.
Sennheiser HD560s is another neutralish all-arounder.
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I get why you guys are recommending the Koss and what not. But the OP is looking for audiophile. It’s in the topic title.
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Are you insinuating that koss isn’t audiophile?
Here’s the thing. If it’s good it’s 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. I’m not here to just shill them as the best thing ever and shill Chinese tube amps from zeos
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I’m insinuating that Porta Pros and their brethren aren’t exactly the last word in performance. Are they worth $20? Fuck yeah. But that’s not the point of this post. To each their own. OP can go to some other forums and gather more info to decide what’s best for him/her.
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Koss Trio for like $70. You get 3 hp’s with different sound sig that can help someone who is new to the hobby see what they like and want out of a headphone.
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I think OP gets it, and I mentioned previously that a $550 US budget deserves higher-level devices than the beloved Koss triumvirate.
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That PortaPro on the Formula is surprisingly nice, right? I didn’t actually care for the PP much until I tried it on a couple higher tier amps lately
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Personally I think grabbing a koss along with a few other different headphones (I wouldn’t suggest grabbing multiple koss though) is still worthwhile, it’s cheap enough to where you can throw it in an order, and they punch above their price, so I think at least one koss is worth a try, along with other headphones of a higher caliber
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I’ve been walking this path for the last year - covid-19 lockdown turned me back onto my love of audio. I’ve really learned a lot about music, and what to look for when listening to music, with just my HD6XX and Sundara (and kph30i). I’ve got a good sense of what I like and what sounds good with my music. And when the funds refresh I know where I want to spend $$$. Get a few and have fun.
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It is pretty great considering how cheap the Porta Pro is. The k75 sounds great too. They FOR SURE scale well. The kph30i has always been kinda meh. I really only keep it around for the mic.
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Not responding directly to anybody as there’s too many posts to catch up on!
Been doing a bit more research and I’ve narrowed down what options I am considering. Basically, it comes down to Sennheiser vs. Sundara. As prices are a bit out of whack down here in comparison to the US, the conventional thinking on the internet around value isn’t all that relevant to my circumstance. What would be the best option for me? All prices include shipping and taxes.
Sennheiser HD560S - $175 USD
Sennheiser HD6XX - $280 USD (imported)
Sennheiser HD660S - $385 USD
HIFIMAN Sundara - $430 USD
If I end up going with the HD6XX I’d throw in at least one Koss model onto the order too 
And this is the amp/dac combo I’m thinking of. Thoughts?
Amp - Schiit Asgard 3
DAC - Schiit Modius - $505 USD for both ($199 USD ea + shipping)
Again, cheers for the help!
You amp/dac combo is mine, so you know my vote.
Considering that’s the DAC/AMP you’re going to do and the budget - I’d go to the Sundara.
I think it is ultimately a better all-arounder for desk-only circumstances. Faster, better detail, potential for better LF performance. Very positively responsive to equalization, the little bit that it can actually use. It might not have the intimate perfect female vocal timbre trick at the level of the Sennheiser 600-series. But it comes with less limitations than the Senns, wherein some users will find the narrow soundstage a touch claustrophobic. Debate about the “veil”, the “three blob imaging”. There’s truth in all those things. That said, if you go with the Sennheisers, it is still a good choice. Picking nits here. Of these, the 6xx makes sense from a value perspective, and that you can add some Koss on there.
Great all-arounder choices which should do well for many things as you learn what you like.
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Haha no way! I mustn’t be too far off base then 
what was your reasoning behind getting them? From what I’ve read, the Asgard is a more ‘musical’ amp as opposed to the Magnius. And the Modius seems to be the best DAC for the money. Am I far off?
Yeah I’m pretty high on these too. If I were to pick up a pair of Sennheiser’s also, with the prices as I’ve laid out, do you have an opinion on which you would choose? They all seem like good picks but dunno I’m finding it hard to decide with the prices all about $100 apart from each other.
I think a sundara would be a nice choice from those. Really good on solid state amps. And a generally very nice headphone. I have very little problems with it and there’s alot I like about it!
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Sorry, didn’t read this properly.
What do you mean by this?
Think it’s because it’s fairly cheaper. 6xx that is. Also some people still believe it to be very good for the price, but others believe you don’t get it’s true abilities until you buy a fairly decent tube amp. While the sundara makes sense with solid state but is also more expensive than the senheisers
Altho since u r importing the senheisers probably aren’t as good value in comparison anyways
Sundara or HD6XX. Asgard 3 and Modius are good…except I would get the Modi MB instead of the Modius.