What price range?
Lets say $300 max.
I would say Asgard 3 then, if youāre US based. I havenāt heard it myself but I also imagine they do well with the new iFi Zen CAN amp too. IMO THX and other op-amp based amps are not the best sonic matches because those Fostex biodynas are pretty transparent and can be sharp in the treble. To my ears such amps are also treble sharp and the combo is piercing.
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I second the Asgard 3. Its adds a touch more impact to the bass and otherwise sounds sounds clean and lively.
Hello,
I had good results with the Fostex Hp A3 in the past, but I found it a bit thin in the bass range, but otherwise very musical.
It got better in combination with the Cambridge Audio Dac magic 100 and Beresford Capella, Schiit Vali 2 was not bad with the Electro Harmonix 6822 Gold Edition tube.
Since I got the Singxer Sda 2 Advance I am happy and happy all around.
Unfortunately it costs a bit more.
I had the Smsl Sp 200 when it was released and it was really bad.
Much too stiff in sound and totally unloving, it went straight back.
With the new chips from Akm 4493 and 4497, the Fostex driver really blossoms out. From a purely musical point of view, the heart opens up and it lacks nothing in most cases.
Circus logic it comes also well clear chip moderately.
Everything else Burr brown and Esabre did not please me so much.
The headphone amplifier should be warm and have enough power.
Then it already goes in the right direction.
I have heard a lot of good things about the Asgard 3, even the import is worth it.
But a small Lake people G103 should not be wrong.
Jan meier Audio little Corda Jazz if you can get it.
Jds labs Atom if you want to keep the precision of the thx but with a little more love.
Ok, thanks, Iāve been looking at the Asgard 3 for a while.
I bought the E-MU Teak in June this year. I didnāt ask them about the cable, and the headphones came with a removable cable. I donāt use it, as I prefer the cable recommended in the Z Reviews video on the Teak (HD700 cable). I donāt have any trouble with this cable rattling around, thankfully.
I really like the ZMF Eikon pads on my Teaks. I had read elsewhere that the Eikon pads keep the sound closest to stock, and in my limited opinion this is true plus the bass sounds more powerful.
Hereās the Z Reviews video with the amazon link in the description to the replacement cable for the Teaks - Iām not sure if Z gets money from you clicking on the link and buying the cable, but in case he does, why not help him out a bit!
To add to this, I can happily report that the Accessory House sheepskin upgrade pads improve the comfort greatly and stay close to stock sound as well, as long as you use attenuator rings. I had some 3D printed, havenāt tried the dekoni ones.
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Hey everyone, these are copies of ZMF pads. Please spend the extra $15 if you can, and support ZMF. Thanks.
$15? Try doubleā¦ whatever makes you feel better I suppose 
For those who donāt bother wringing their hands in anxiety over the state of the free market: these are great pads, highly recommended.
No, the pads are Ori pads clones and they are $49.99 on ZMF, these are $35.00. So I donāt know where you are getting double. You should support ZMF over these copies, if you can.
Youāre right - Ori dimensions, not Eikon dimensions. $25, not $35 more that I didnāt have to spend.
These pads are sadly not the same as ZMF pads. Iāve done a lot of comparisons between those and real Ori pads (both hybrid and plether) and the AHG pads have a different sound. They are more hollow in the lower mids and a bit more bloated in the bass.
Here is the full write up I did.
Edit: also worth mentioning that the AHG pads are not a nicely made either. Still good and plenty comfortable but not as high quality as real ZMF pads.
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Excellent - so the market is still working. Youāve found a few reasons to spend more on another similar product.
They are very close to the stock pad sound, so thatās 
from me.
You can order the Ahg Pads directly on their homepage if you live in Europe.
There they cost a little less and are delivered quickly.
But if you live in America there are surely better alternatives that might be better except for deconi.
Dekoni is by far the worst pad manufacturer in terms of sound tuning I find them terrible.
The only thing that is good is the Attununion rings.
What is also very good are the Yaxi pads, Alacantara version
They come from Japan and did quite well with the Ebony when I found the Ahgās.
I havenāt tested them on the rosewood yet because of time constraints.
And A_Coconut word can be trusted, he made most of the padās experience with the headphones, with much own work and by trying, testing.
In terms of comfort the Ahg and Yaxi Alacantara pads are very good.
Currently I like to switch between the two.
Tr x 00 Ebony and modified Denon on rosewood.
The Denon D7200 stays untouched most of the time.
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Saw some E-mu teaks for with no takers yet.
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I hope I donāt derail the topic with this, but I was wondering what you guys think regarding how the x00 compares to open-backs in the sub $500 category. As someone who has never even seen an open-back up close, I donāt have any idea if itās only considered a killer headphone in the context of closed-backs or generally in the price range, too. I happen to be in the market for an open-back, and the only reference I have in the range is the x00, is there anything worth looking into if I like its sound signature, and Iām looking for something that is not necessarily a downgrade?
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The X00s are definitely a good headphone in the price range, no conditions. What also helps the X00s stand out is that nothing else really does the same kind of sound signature with the same quality (particularly bass).
Imo it is still worth it to get other headphones if want to and can afford to. I would just recommend that you look for a complementary sound signature.
Some suggestions off the top of my head in order of increasing price:
Sundara ($350)
Grado Hemp ($420)
HD660s ($450)
Drop edition XX ($600)
Focal elex ($700)
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I can vouch for the sundaras being a really good compliment to the x00.
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I donāt think this has been mentioned before, but I just e-mailed Emu and it seems like they can sell additional stock pads for $20, although, they didnāt clarify if they are only available in addition to their headphones, nor if they have limited availability.
I might be wrong, but Iāve heard that Emu uses the same stock pads as the x00, and if thatās the case, then we would have a whole lot more options for playing around with the pads. For example, right now Iām thinking about taking apart the stock pads and switching out the foam with the AHG knock-off padās memory foam just for the extra comfort. Dekoni offer their attenuation rings for $20, as well, and contrary to what some might believe, they donāt have the exact same shape as the stock rings since the holes in those are a lot smaller. It might be worth comparing how that affects the sound, and honestly, itās quite strange that one offers just the rings while the other a whole set of pads for the same price.
I also asked them about the cups they offer in matte finish, and it seems like they cost the same, and the ones currently available are > Rosewood, Purpleheart, Zebra, Bamboo <
Now, Iām a little unsure which way to go since Iāve noticed that the Emu Ebony has much less bass compared to an X00 with Emu Ebony cups (which I use now) according to the measurements I found here:
TH-X00 with Emu Ebony cups: https://i.imgur.com/WUPfU7z.png
Emu Ebony: https://i.imgur.com/bMDx9LP.png
I might be better off ordering a Purpleheart in addition if thatās closer to the X00 Ebony. Does anyone have any experience with how Emuās Purpleheart cups sound (either on Emu or X00)?