TLDR: Recommendations for an excellent endgame closed for metal listening. Bit of a treblehead. Love the HD800 in the open world for this reason. Something from Focal?
G’day. I’m looking for options on an end game closed back. I’ve been leaning heavily into the Focal Stellia because of the build and complete package. I read the soundstage is pretty good too for closed, but I can’t get a real idea of the sound. If I’m going to drop over $5000NZD/$3700USD on a set of cans I’d like em to be pretty up there with my preferred sound, which would probably be on the livelier side of things.
I love my metal and retro synth sounds. A couple of my go to tracks for testing anything audio are Dark Tranquility and the track “Terminus (Where Death Is Most Alive)” as well as Jeff Waynes War of the Worlds “The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine”
Obviously not all cans sound good with all genres, but I’d like a focus on the treble without losing everything else, so some punchy bass (if a little recessed) and clear open vocals would be good. In the open back world the Sennheiser HD800 is my king of opens (and I was happy with them unmodded too, even with the 6K peak).
Currently have the HD800, Aeon 2 Closed, Fostex T50RP, Meze Classic 99, Viso NAD HP50, Symphones Magnum v5, and I’d normally drive them from a Topping A90 with the Geshelli J2.
Would something from Focal be a good set of closed for Metal, and alright for just listening in general?
Hmm, I didn’t even consider that one… It is probably worth considering actually. I guess I was also after a different flavour from Sennheiser too since I have the HD800.
About 2k cheaper than a Stellia too!
I’d also throw in the audio technica awkt, so far the best closed I’ve tried specifically for treble and vocals (although favors female or higher pitched vocals), smaller stage but lots of depth and very accurate as well. Bass is punchy and tight but on the lighter side of things. Very dynamically alive, and very resolving as well although somewhat unforgiving to the source. You would really want to up your source gear for one (and honestly you could move higher source gear wise and get rewarded for it too with your current headphones too). The stellia is nice, but personally I kinda find it’s tuning to sound a bit congested and not as technically able as the awkt in most respects, but it is more forgiving and more involved stage wise, more macrodynamic but less microdynamic, more bodied but gets a bit more muddy at times, a bit less resolution.
Cheers! I’d not even heard of this one, so will definitely give it a look as it sounds right up my alley. I appreciate the comparison between the AWKT and the Stellia too.
Looks like the Audio Technica could be more difficult to get down under, but if I can find them they also come in much lower than the Stellia.
Since nobody has mentioned it: the DCA Stealth is currently the world’s best headphone from an objective perspective (basically no distortion, hits Harman target perfectly). Although, if you’re a fan of treble, they may not be bright enough.
Would be worth a listen. I see AV World in NZ list the Stealth on their site, so wonder if they have any to demo.
A mate of mine recommended the ZMF Verite Closed as well, also at AV world along with the HD820. Looks like a little trip to the headphone shop is in order…
I would disagree with this. Often closed backs sound different from their opened back counter parts. When I auditioned both the HD820 and HD800S side by side, they don’t sound similar and go as far as to say the HD820’s tonality is really weird in a bad way. Maybe it’s okay if you’re a treble head, but I don’t see it. HD800s, although it’s not my tuning preference, I can recommend it for people looking for that style of signature.
I second the recommendation of the ZMF Verite Closed although I would highly recommend getting a tube amp with them. I have an Auteur and I tried it with a few solid state amps. It sounds good, but it came alive with tubes.
DCA Stealth also sounds good, but I only had a brief audition of it. It’s the most open back sounding closed back that I’ve heard. Not sure if that’ll be what you’re looking for.
Good to know. I did read up on the HD820, and it does seem like something in the mids is a bit off, so I’m not sure. If I can I’ll try them along with the DCA Stealth. I don’t think the Stealth will fit what I want, but I’d been keen to hear them!
Glad to hear the ZMF would go well with a tube amp too! Like I say, most of time I use a solid state, but I’ve got a Woo WA6 downstairs I go to occasionally, so sounding good there will be a really bonus!