Iām surprised you encountered channel imbalance, typically focal has stuff tightens down (although adding massdrop in complicates things)
Im open to upgradea but Iāll never be stationary at a desk with my setup. Iām usually moving around my apartment at LEAST.
Main thing with the m6 is that I want something that isnāt blatantly horrible on it. ( Like the HD800) all of the Focals and the LCD2 closed back sounded amazing on the little dap.
Iām down to hear all of them. If anyone has an idea for my tastes at this point it would be you. This time Iām not afraid to spend potentially double. Again, I prefer to have one very good reliable set of cans.
Yeah thatās what I was thinkingā¦ Iām curious of the soundstage experience.
At the end of the day if I try to be as objective as possible I found that the clear/Elex spun presentation is one of the best in the business. Really not far behind HD800 in continuity around the listener.
The lcd 2 or lcd x would be nice too
Honestly imo I think you would really enjoy the abyss diana v2 (I prefer it to the meze empyrean) as itās actually made to be a portable flagship almost, just awesome and I love mine.
For any of these headphones I would highly recommend getting a dac/amp to strap on the back of your fiio
Hard for me to imagine upgrades from the clear. I really see why some reviewers have heralded it the new king.
I have only tried the LCD closed back but it was extremely impressive. Probably best closed back Iāve heard, although maybe that Stelia as wellā¦
I guess Iāll have to look into that abyss Diana V2 then. It sounds up my alley, but damn itās hard for me to pick something without proper testing.
I did just move to a new state so maybe thereās another headphone bar around here somewhere.
The reason I mention it is because itās a really high tier headphone that can be portable easily which may be appealing to you, also very high quality build (better than focal imo)
Just watched Zeosās thing on it.
He said a lot of things that excited me like āshockingly comfortable.ā
But he said one thing that reminded me of those Vokyl Erupts and now Iām nervous. Lol I just never trust his description of soundstage. He tends to interpret that in a way I donāt agree with. Josh V. has great soundstage descriptions howeverā¦
Anyways blah blah whatās your comparison of these suggestions when it comes to soundstage and imaging?
Focal makes a continuous bubble around the listener and I pretty much canāt get anything that doesnāt grant that effect now.
Ah yes the vokyl, a somewhat mediocre headphone imo lol
I would be very cautious with zās reviews of higher end products imo, just something I will say
The imaging is excellent imo, and it is different from the focal, itās more in front of you in a very natural way, instead of around your head like focal, I think it can portray space in a more realistic and 3d like way, very enjoyable imo, but it is a bit picky depending on your source.
Also regarding sound, I think itās accurate and balanced, but also slightly warmer tilted, very pleasing imo. Detail is superb and timbre is fairly organic, itās just an extremely refined sound overall.
Personally I would take the diana v2 over the clears except for studio work, as the clears are more neutral imo.
What headphones do you want a comparison to again?
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It was mainly the Focals because I consider the Elex/Clear close enough to lump together in comparison to completely different brands.
So yeah thatās pretty much the comparison I was looking for.
I like neutrality but itās not a must have. A headphone can be a little fun, but there are some limits. Like for example I think the blon 03 is too warm of an iem.
Another thing I thought to consider is HIFiman.
I actually have a theory that in 10 years or so they will be making the new āKingā headphone. I see them getting QC figured out and stumblingly on something game changing in their experimentation. I look at the Arya and Ananda and see something big in the making to perfect that.
Like how the Utopia led to the Clear!!! 
Oh I see. You mean to what other suggestions.
Any of the ones that have come up here that you know about really.
They are close if you listen on a less than ideal amp, the clear āclearlyā pulls ahead with an appropriate amp which people donāt consider tbh. The elex is a fair bit less amp picky
Thatās fine lol, I have the shangri la, I would be pretty pissed if they made a new one in only a couple years lol. Also I have a feeling you would really enjoy the arya imo
The diana v2 is still actually pretty neutral, just with a bit more flavor to the sound
Well, to make this easier on myself, what aspects are you looking for most in a headphone lol? That might narrow it down for what you want to consider
I mean, weāre pretty much right in that ballpark already from what I can tell. These suggestions seem to be on point.
But it would be:
At least as portable as the Elex
More form fitting than the Elex (speaking comfort here)
In a similar league of soundstage as Clear/Hd800 (in my humble opinion these are in the same tier)
Neutral sound with good dynamics. No V shape. No muddiness, no Beyerdynamic type treble detail.
Natural sound for classical. (With 58x and Elex instruments had a timber that I would expect to hear if it was real life)
And if itās drivable from the m6 that would be ideal.
Oh wow ā¦ That must be quite the experience
Sounds like the diana v2 to me lol. The vertie is also good imo, the main limiting factors are the portable and drivable, although I would highly suggest getting something like a mojo to strap on the back of the m6 in the future
Basically give me a clear with swivel cups lol
Iām very interested in this headphone now. Only thing that worries me is the $3k price tag. That gets closer to 4x the Elex price than 2x.
And Im Assuming with the verite you mean the open back?
The diana doesnāt swivel as well, but you can rotate the pads to adjust them
Do you mind used?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303444231510
Iāve also heard good things about the closed, but I only have heard (and own) the opens
If I remember right the 58x didnāt swivel but I didnāt find it uncomfortable. The Elex tends to press at the front side.
Used could work but Iām definitely someone who prefers the safety of returns.
Iām watching a Verite video now. Wow it sounds perfectā¦ Thatās the kind of headphone that would make me go out and buy a mojo or something.
Yeah the verite is pretty dang good, I think of it as a more fun utopia, as I actually think they compete at times. But do know that the vertie has a colored signature, not something I would say neutral. If you wanted more neutral the adx5000 might be up your alley but I think you would need a pretty beefy amp for them (tubes are nice with them, the vertie is also nice with tubes too)
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