That picture with the clear, blon b20, ananda, hd800 etc, are those your headphones?
1 Like
Nice! Which one is your fav out of interest?
For me, THAT ONE very special favorite headphone doesn’t exist.
But there are genre-specific headphones that I prefer to use.
Classical, live concert recordings and acoustic music = HD800s;
I usually enjoy pure acoustic recordings such as blues, jazz, folk and pure rock recordings on my GRADO collection, with more or less different acoustic sound configurations, depending on the model and ear pads (i really 
them);
Well-mastered pop and electronic music, I prefer to listen to the Focal Clear or Hifiman Ananda (paired with my ifi iDSD signature & activated xBass + 3D = hmmm);
For terrible studio recordings that I want to hear for whatever reason, I then use simple Bluetooth headphones to make this DSP-controlled, bearable;
The there are the more or less all-rounders who don’t do much wrong, but also nothing outstanding, I use these when I don’t feel like constantly changing the cans, the 6xx series from Sennheiser, the iBasso SR2 and some of my Beyer 's;
Then there is the DT880 600 Ohm, my analysis machine;
The Denon AH-D9200, I have a looooot of fun with it;
The BLON has something of its own, it sounds like the artists are performing at a tunnel entrance, this hollow reverberation phase has something of its own and I kind of like it;
I have been using my Dan Clark Aeon2 since I and my wife have been in the home office very often, connected to the Rebellamp, it sounds excellent.
The Koss‘es, simple, easy to use and outstanding for the price.
And my very personal surprise candidate, the Hifiman Sundara, connected to the Rebellamp, in high gain mode, the volume-control pulled up until it starts to hum, then turn back about an hour (about 1:30 p.m.), the volume is then controlled on the DAC, WOW , the Sundara performs, so set, well above its price range.
9 Likes
Hemps are sold out on Grado’s website. I wonder if they’ll restock or this marks the end of production for this limited edition model.
I’ve seen people on head-fi mention that it is listed under the “Reference Series” on the UK or EU version of the site. There have also been conflicting reports from Grado staff about wether or not it is sticking around.
I hope they keep it around, but it IS a “limited edition”, so it not like it will be a surprise if they end production.
I prefer mine on hybrid amp to solid amp! Try it out!
Looking for opinions on a portable DAC/Amp that pairs well with the Hemp. Not looking to break the bank, just something basic for taking the Hemps on vacation. <$200 is ideal. For example, is the iFi Hip DAC a good pairing? Others?
1 Like
Hi, Great write up!
I was wondering if I could get your opinion on the differences between the ananda and the focal clears as I was considering purchasing one of them. Ive read that the clears were more mid focused and a lot of people have compared them to a better 650 and that the anandas were a more neutral overall.
Are the ananda very close in characteristics to the sundara? I liked the sudaras but found the 560s to be so close in terms of its characteristics (minus some bass and that “airyness”). I personally ended up returning them as they cost me roughly double the price I paid for 560s.
Thanks for any help!
I actually do like my pair on hip dac! Worth the try. But don’t take my word for it since I’m pretty new to all these. Perhaps wait for a couple more response before biting the bullet
I just tested around a little for you.
If you can go a little higher in price, the xCan would be the first choice, if it has to be below 200, I would personally put the BTR5 at 1, then the Hip-Dac, followed by the Q3 and only at the end the EarStudio, because this one makes the hemp too „peaky“ tonally.
The others differs Not to much about playback quality.
With a Bluetooth dongle you are also even more flexible.
2 Likes
I might have a hiby r5 that I can sell to you for 200 if ur interested. Lol
1 Like
Thanks for taking the time to do a quick compare! This is helpful.
Comparing xCan with BTR5, can you elaborate more on the differences you hear? How significant of a step up is it on the Hemps? Especially given it’s more than 2x the price…
I am using my Hemps with FiiO BTR5. I love it.
1 Like
Please excuse the late reply!
The xCan has various tonal advantages over the BTR 5:
1.) It pushes the bass even lower and makes it more defined.
2.) It is tidier in the entire frequency range, which means that you have better imaging of the musical performance.
3.) And that is really serious, the stage representation is much wider and deeper.
In general, Grado headphones harmonize very well with ifi audio amps, my first choice for Grado is always the iDSD Signature, with which, depending on the model, I can repeatedly influence the bass and treble, thus also the spatial presentation, through xBass & 3D.
3 Likes
It appears that the Hemp is back in stock and now listed with a braided cable at the price point of $469.00. Anyone seen or heard about the new cable?
1 Like
It’s just the new style of cable they are using on the new “x” generation. Here is a post with a picture of the SR325x that shows the cable pretty well.
https://forum.hifiguides.com/t/buy-sell-and-looking-for-thread/6305/1775
2 Likes
Here is a more clearer (i Hope) picture of the Grado SR325x that I’m selling. The Cable isn’t rubber -fwiw
My Hemps arrived today, so far loving them!
What’s surprising so far is that I like the stock pads better than the large g cushions. My impression going in was that that the g cushions would be more comfortable and better sounding. Maybe more listening time is needed…
4 Likes
Same here! With G pads there is bigger sound stage, deeper bass, but trebles are too harsh and I can’t listen to them.
1 Like