so as the title suggests, I’m on the search for the most detailed and cleanest sounding headphones around the $400 - $500 USD mark.
I’m currently rocking a pair of beyer Amiron Homes with a AAA 789 AMP + Enog 2 DAC. I don’t know if it’s just me, but the Amiron Homes, on a few tracks (all lossless), sound almost a bit muffled, as if there’s a subtle veil over the vocals (especially female voices). I tested them balanced with my friend’s Jotunheim to the same result.
So now I’m on the search for the cleanest and most detailed pair of cans available on the market around my given price point which would pair well with my setup. What would you guys recommend me to buy?
Thanks for the reply. Already had the 660s in mind. I listened to the 1990 Pro’s and they had the same kind of veil sound to me for female vocals. Perhaps it’s my ears being extra when it comes to beyer’s Tesla drivers (or I just had a lot of bad luck with the drivers in the headphones I tried).
The ATH-AD2000X could be a good option. They are bright, but extremely detailed. Also, if you don’t like a veiled sound, know that Sennheisers are known for that.
@Sherm137 Thanks for the suggestion, but they run for roughly 1000$ USD where I am from, unfortunately way out of my league
@formerviking I’ve only tried the balanced pads, as they were the only ones available at the event. Even if they were to be a tad more detailed, it’d still not justify “upgrading” from Amiron Homes to 1990 Pros. They are almost identical minus the warmth in the low frequencies.
Ignore everything but two things: the black line – which is the Amiron’s raw frequency response from bass to treble – and the blue line which is one version of what a flat frequency response should be. (Everything else cluttering things up is related to EQ.)
Notice how the black line dips down in the middle of the graph (from left to right) just where the blue line is rising. The human voice lives in this middle area. So the Amiron is unnaturally quiet/recessed in just the area in which female vocals are sounding. This is a common problem and almost unavoidable when dealing with headphones that have a significant built-in bass boost.
It’s indeed much better in the female vocal portion of the mids. But the deeper, basso and baritone male vocal portion of the mids is still a bit bloated. However, like all the HD 6** series it’s primary weakness is roll-off in the sub-bass and to some extent in the treble. Many find these easy omissions to live with.
Given your sensitivity to this area, you might want to do a reality check on the actual measurements of any headphone you consider buying if you can’t hear it in person.
Amen to that! Only Amiron Home graph I’m aware of. And at least the measurements are not compensated using some obscure compensation curve. Plus the Harman curve acts as a useful comparator in the mids.
As has been mentioned, the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro and Sennheiser HD 660 S are good choices here. The DT 1990 Pro goes for $600 MSRP, but you should be able to find it for $500-ish.
