It’s why I’m asking here and looking at other forums as well.
Fair enough lol
- Apple Earpods
- Raycon The Performer E55
- SOUL SL300WB
- Beats Studio
- Pioneer SE-MX7
- B&W P9
- Skullcandy Crusher
- Sennheiser GSP 670
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
- Beats Studio3
Buying all of these will end the world, does this count?
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If it will end, it counts lol.
I think a better way to word the question would be top 10 FAVORITE headphone lists. No one can tell you what you do and don’t like (no matter how much they may try) and it woukd help to get that “concensus” you where looking for.
As for my top favorites list , I’ll just copy it over from my Grado Hemp review.
- Fostex TR-X00 Purple Heart (with mods)
- Grado Hemp LTD Edition
- Tin HiFi P1 (front vent sealed)
- Sennheiser HD58X Jubilee
- Tin HiFi T2
- DT770 250ohm (with pad swap)
- Koss Porta Pros
.
.
.
not getting a number because fuck the Harman curve: T4 and Tape, but Tape over T4 because of detail retrieval.
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What??? What about the Apple Air Pods Pro?
You disgust me.
Call the Title:
Top 10 Favorite Headphones you bought before you went broke.
Way more relatable.
1: Hifiman Arya
2: LCD2C
3: HD800S
4: Focal Elex
5: ZMF Aeolus
6: Hifiman Ananda
7: M1060
8: M1570
9: Bowers Wilkins Wireless
10: AT DSR 9 BT
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Some headphones like the 800 and 820 have been around for awhile and the “new kid on the block” syndrome has worn off…they were touted as being great when they first came out by many…but the new shiny thing always seems to take oversomewhat…good or bad…humans are funny!
People go look for old NOS tubes made before they were born, pay megabucks for them…look for the magic of a vintage receiver, those old Pioneers etc for their “magic” headphone circuits…again people are funny.
The DMS guy states often that this one or that one is moving down just because its been around etc…not that its any worse that it was when it came out…humans are funny!!
There are several really “good” or rather “great” headphones…and a lot more “mediocre” ones for good reasons objectively and subjectively…humans are funny…really!!
Alex
The way I see it is that the 800s used to be something that someone that just gets in this hobby looks up to as the best that can be offered, and then make it their goal to get to it, eventually try it and are impressed by them, take them home, and then a few months find they are more impressed by something else or that it isn’t for them. At least that’s what I’ve seen often lol. Of course there are people that really like them, but I tend to see them trade hands pretty often as people try them and then move on
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Yup thats a good observation for sure…
Hey i didnt want to see logic. Where is that top 10 list?
I demand it!
It’ll ruin your reputation but it’s worth it.
Choices be like…
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There is no accounting for taste, sound signature preferences, and hearing acuity in this hobby. I was in someone’s home the other day auditioning a used amplifier I wanted to purchase, the very nice older gentleman had well in excess of $50k in vintage gear accumulated and set up. I auditioned the amp, it sounded absolutely terrible in his system, i haggled a tiny bit and got a few extra items thrown into the deal, paid up in cash and went home merrily on my way. In my system the amplifier sounds absolutely divine to me. The key words here being, “TO ME.” It functions as designed and has the exact sound signature advertised by the manufacturer/designer. The only difference was i am using it with speakers designed to play within its parameters…
Same with Headphones, just a few days ago i wanted to listen to some Russian rap, pulled out my modified Monoprice retros, BAM crisp highs and bass galore wiggling my ears for $35…Like i said, no accounting for taste and SQ preferences 
another man of taste i see lol
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The direction this thread is going in (away from my intended subject and towards user preferences) is actually interesting. Specifically because I come from the 2ch world and it seems to me there is a much wider range of preferences in the headphone world. I say this because the swings away from neutral sound signature are much wider in headphones than in speakers.
I wonder if that’s because of with speakers most people’s goals tend to be natural and accurate sound reproduction to life where headphones and iems people have just accepted that it’s not going to be as real to life as speakers so they go for whatever suits their preferences the most? idk lol, different experience. I guess also one of those things where the dedicated 2ch people are a different audience vs the dedicated headphone people, kinda touching back on demographic thing? Since clearly 2ch is for old retired people with their fancy houses and jazz/classical (I kid). But idk, there used to be more of a gap when it came to headphone people vs speaker people but now it’s not really looked upon as differently and tends to end up having most dabble in both sides
This was my experience with car audio. I used to build SQ systems for competition cars and at some point I came to the conclusion that there’s only so much you can do in as car no matter how crazy custom you get. So I just went for what I enjoyed.
I guess I made the assumption that since a headphone is a much friendlier environment than a car interior, it’s easier to approach 2ch “quality” and therefore the preferences would be similar.
When I think about it though, there are psychological difference between the two for myself as well. With 2 ch I’m like “ok, how close can I get to perfection?”. Whereas when I put on the HPs I just want to have fun.
Very true, a car is really not ideal for an actual accurate sound experience, my own car is tuned for just the most fun I can have, not the most accuracy. Although I have heard nicer higher end setups that have very good dsp and good quality components with proper treatment
Yeah it makes sense to think like that too, you have a very controlled environment to fine tune to your liking, but I guess that environment is also something that’s not natural to the real world so while you can really adjust the environment for good sound, you can’t really make it do something as lifelike as speakers since the natural environment of speakers in a room is just something you can’t really replicate in a headphone
That’s kinda how I approach it myself with some exceptions when I actually have to do studio work, but for a listening for fun aspect it’s pretty much just what I enjoy the most
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