Rating Ants Headphone Collection =D

[Antpage2]

I got a lot of headphones. This got me thinking. Have I allowed great headphones to stand by while i listen to only a few?

When last i tried the majority of these headphones it was on the SP200 amp. But Mons many comments on it causes me to pause. Since i got the RNHP ive noticed a big upgrade in the quality ive been hearing. Also with Amazon music offering higher than CD quality i decided to pull all the headphones out and give them a try on it. I’m gonna give them a number rating according to the impression they made on me. Here they are in order:

2.8 Superlux Evo
3 Koss KPH30i
3 Koss KCS75
4 Hifiman 4XX
4 1More Triple Driver
5 Sennhieser HD58x
5.5 Fostex T50rp
6 Sennhieser HD600
6 M&O MOOH
6 Audioquest Nighthawk
6.5 Beyerdynamic DT880 600Ohm
6.5 Meze 99 Noir
7 Focal Elex
7 Fostex Ebony
7 Hifiman Arya
7.5 Sendy Aiva
8 ZMF Auteur
9 Harmonicdyne Helios
10 ?

Ok so i graded these while listening to my #1 playlist on Amazon Ultra HD starting at the top going from song to song. So there where some variations. But i have a good taste in music i hope and all the songs where CD quality or better. All the songs have a lot going on so i trust there where no dips:

https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/439321597df9498286b4fca9dac804fbsune?ref=dm_sh_38c2-ce7e-152c-27be-318dd

A number of things surprised me during this test. For one, headphones i didnt much like before really came to the fore. Sacred cows fell behind as i found them lackluster.

I thought before that the 58x and the HD600 where pretty much on par but found to my surprise the HD600 sounded much better to me.

The Elex, one of my favorite headphones, merely sounded proficient. The Aiva surprised me with how lively and good it sounded. It had refused to shine for me for quite a while.

The Koss headphones which i suspected where better than i thought turned out not to be compared to the other headphones. Almost on par are the Superlux. Which i thought was trash before.

I was surprised to find the Fostex T50rp sounded better to me than the much lauded 4XX.

The Meze 99 Noir and the DT880 sounded really good. much better than i remember. and the 1More headphones, which before i thought where on par with the Meze 99, sounded much weaker than i remember.

The Fostex Ebony sounded very lack luster. This headphone along with the Elex i thought where my best headphones before.

The Hifiman Arya was a little boring to me. and the Auteur, which i thought was weaker than the Arya, actually made a better show.

The MOOH, which i bought on impulse 50$, actually sounded really good with its beryllium drivers. Plugged in of course, i haven’t tried it on Bluetooth yet.

And the Helios, which has surprised the hell out of me since i heard it, took the award for the night. With its perfect treble, large speaker like presentation, and detail and wide separation. It sounded more lively and exciting than any other headphone here.

This makes me very excited for the future. I’m gonna sell most of these headphones. But im not gonna spend it on a Focal Utopia. instead im keeping it to buy the newer headphones that come out. I have my eye on the Beyerdynamic Tygr 300R since the description of it has me suspicious that it may share the same driver as the Helios.

I’m keeping the 10 open in positivity. With the hope that there is still a headphone out there that will wow me and take that spot.

I’ll try this test again tomorrow to see if my rankings have changed. I doubt it will. I will soon get a Bifrost 2 to replace my SMSL SU8 DAC. I’ll try this test again when i get that to see if my rankings have changed.

[ShaneD]

I will be VERY curious to see what kind of differences you note when you change DAC’s.

[Ohmboy]

10? =

[Falenkor]

@Antpage2

. I will soon get a Bifrost 2

should definitely update this once you get your dac. Bifrost is great and I would like to know your opinion based on your setups

[RiceGuru]

@Antpage2

I have my eye on the Beyerdynamic Tygr 300R since the description of it has me suspicious that it may share the same driver as the Helios.

sadly no the tygr has a higher impedance driver and given the build of it it’s most likely a 45 mm driver. unlike the helios’s 50 mm 16 ohm driver . its most likely a retuned 32 ohm dt 990 the biiggest tell of the tuning is the big ass tuning foam infront of the driver no other beyer has which is mos likely used to tame the treble.

[MrAyrit]

Of the headphones I have / have tried that are on your list, I for the most part agree with your assessment, although I would not rate the Meze that high on my list. Which has me now thinking: maybe I do need to try those Helios of yours…

[ShaneD]

Have you ever tried your 99’s on a tube amp? On a low impedance tube amp, I was very pleasantly surprised.

[MrAyrit]

I haven’t messed with tube amps yet. I’ve got an Asgard 3, and I tried them on the ES100 as well. I have since traded them away.

I am interested in trying tubes eventually. I think that may be my next purchase. I almost pulled the trigger on the Darkvoice when it was on sale on Drop a couple of weeks ago.

[ShaneD]

A DarkVoice probably won’t do you any favours with very efficient headphones (32 Ohm).
It is meant for the Senns at 300 Ohms. Maybe even 100 Ohms to 300 Ohms?

I always felt that the 99’s did not scale with amps, but it turns out I wasn’t trying the right amps.

[KurtBalmain]

Great list my man keep an eye on out for the sennhieser soon

[AllegroMaestoso]

@Antpage2

But i have a good taste in music i hope and all the songs where CD quality or better. All the songs have a lot going on so i trust there where no dips:

I looked over Ant’s Amazon HD favorites playlist and found a few in common.

Unless otherwise noted, this is music I have collected over the years (individual tracks and not full albums) and keep on my master playlist of all genres (1,193 tracks total). I listen to this playlist alphabetically by title for maximum variety/contrast. Most of these I purchased as mp3 before I developed a taste for lossless music, so I will note the non-mp3 tracks.

Don Henley - Dirty Laundry
Toto - Africa
Murray Head - One Night In Bangkok
Herbie Hancock - Rockit [inherited Future Shock on CD from my dad]
The Power Station - Get It On (Bang A Gong)
Soft Cell - Tainted Love [also Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go]
Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart
David Bowie - Let’s Dance
REO Speedwagon - Keep On Loving You
ELO - Don’t Bring Me Down
Smash Mouth - Walkin’ On The Sun
David Bowie - Fame
Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart [flac]
EMF - Unbelievable [inherited the CD single from my dad]
Roxette - The Look
The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic [ripped my wife’s CD to flac]
Hall & Oates - Maneater
Chumbawamba - Tubthumping [moved to my “archive” playlist - it wears out fast]
Toto - Rosanna

19 out of the 92 on Ant’s list = 21% of shared good taste . I must like the 80s or something.

[Antpage2]

I was really interested when DMS cited its speaker like presentation. Which i think the Helios has too. This test really brought out how unique they are. They really have a sound thats like nothing else. The Arya comes the closest

[Antpage2]

The Meze 99’s have made a big splash among audiophiles. they are very good headphones but have a tenancy to be a little bloated on the bass i hear. but it really doesnt bother me so i think its minor. Also pads are a big deal on it. The Noir comes with 2 sets. one made it sound terrible and the other made it sound great. I wonder if negative impressions are from people that tried the wrong pads. I dont think the Neo has 2 sets.

[Antpage2]

lol yeah, that looks like a frequency response i could get behind.

[RiceGuru]

yeah U and V shaped open backs are kinda on the rarer side of the market unfortunately

[Antpage2]

No not yet. I only have the Darkvoice right now. My Garage 1217 Ember volume nob is damaged right now.

[Antpage2]

Wow i wish i had a list of 1000 songs lol. I’m trying to build this list by going to the Billboard website and http://www.radiohitlist.com/ and my memory.

Yeah i started listening to the radio during the 80s I was a New Waver. I loved the British New Wave more than the American. But ive listened to the music so much over the years that i’m tired of it and looking for something new.

At the time i made the list here i was looking for Ultra HD tracks and most of them where more classic commercial tracks lol.

[RiceGuru]

@Antpage2

But ive listened to the music so much over the years that i’m tired of it and looking for something new.

Check out the modern indie scene if you want something new all basically off shoots of the same inspirations of many 70s,80s bands they just take a different route with newer more different sounds than your used to also more experimental. Only reason I don’t listen to a lot of older bands is because like many who don’t like modern genres like hip hop it’s all sounds the same to me these days

[AllegroMaestoso]

@Antpage2

But ive listened to the music so much over the years that i’m tired of it

I don’t think I could go back to FM radio if I tried, but the worst is people at work who play stuff out loud. It’s the same thing, week in and week out. The repetition is excruciating. There are too many songs that I used to love but now make me want to barf due to being overplayed. So grateful I now work at a place that discourages out-loud music!