Upgrade Recommendations Desired

Hmm, looking at those as well. Price seems comparable. There’s three here that I can see. Opinions? Comparison with the Sundaras?

Hmm, those look interesting. I’ll take a look :slight_smile:

Its just different looks, they all sound the same. The verum is going to slam harder than the sundara, and also have a more v shaped signature like the 4xx. It’s not going to be that wide but it does layer well. The sundara will be more refined overall and also have a brighter neutral signature. Personally I would prefer the sundara unless I was looking for something more focused on fun

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And sundara looks nicer lol

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The elex is awesome, can definitely recommend

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I find that interesting, since the best FR measurements are consistent in showing its tuning being virtually identical to the Clear. Where do you place the central elevation of the W? (And absolutely not casting doubt on your impressions, more the opposite.)

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Ok, so sorry to extend this even more (and thank you all for bearing with me). Difference between Elex and Sundara?

Short opinions on the Aiva, HarmonicDyne Helios, Aeon X, M1060s vs the Sundara?

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No, no – you’ve got it all wrong! The typical what-to-buy thread lasts at least a hundred messages around here. Even the most hardened headphone-addict can’t buy a new product every day. So he does so vicariously through threads like this.

(While you’re waiting don’t forget to plow into the product threads on this forum for any headphone you’re seriously considering…)

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Yeah the clear is the neutral one, the presentation of the elex is what gives it the w to the ear. The elex is actually also more dynamic than the clear at times too. Regarding where the center of the mids are elevated, I’ll have to give that some thought

The aiva is brighter and more aggressive, but I would seriously prefer the sundara to the aiva and other sendy clones

The Helios imo looks like a joke, but I haven’t heard it (but those who have that I personally have some trust in rate it like it is, and really show you get what you pay for lol

Personally I wouldn’t consider the m1060 or m1070 modern day, I think they are outperformed by something like a sundara, verum, etc

I’d be interested but not sure it matters if it’s a matter of presentation, not simply FR elevation at play here.

I’m wounded to the core on sympathetic behalf of the entire nation of Ukraine! In fact, I’m tempted to buy a Verum on looks alone. And look at the headphone stand on the main page. Beauty and sheer genius. A built-in ash tray! Brilliant!

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Yeah either way it sounds a fair bit different than the clear (assuming you have an appropriate amp for the clear though)

Yea, I’m tempted cause I like the looks and I feel like I should :stuck_out_tongue:. So the consensus is that verums are more warm, fuzzy, and fun than a sundara, but the sundara provides better detail? Is there a difference between the individual verums on the site or are they just different looking exteriors?

Amps for sundara vs verums? Power scaling? Would a Heresy sound good with either? Would an Asgard? Would the DAC make a big difference? I’m using the Schiit Hel rn as a preamp / DAC, and afaik the internals for the DAC are exactly the same as the Modi’s.

Is there a closed back alternative to any of these in the price range?

@M0N That make sense. The Aiva is also in the elex price range, so I assume you have a huge preference for the elex over the aivas?

Haha, ok fair enough. Thank you!

Yea, I’ve been running through those. Lots of details spread out over long threads :stuck_out_tongue:. The biggest thing I’m looking for is comparisons between certain headphones. I have an ok grasp of what the headphones themselves sound like based on the threads. Also, with the sundaras I’ve seen widely varying opinions on comparisons, so that makes it much harder to sift through on my own.

Imo the elex is an upgrade from the sundara is most every way imo, it’s pretty sweet. The sundara is more neutral bright where the elex is a slight w, but they are both relatively neutral. I think the elex is more detailed, dynamic, on the same level of speed, and also has slightly better timbre. I also think the elex is more impressive for recreating a space for sure. I do actually slightly prefer the comfort on the sundara though. And the wire for the elex is pretty shite but it is replaceable

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Honestly I would suggest a stand alone dac like the topping d10 and an asgard 3, should be pretty awesome. You could still use the hel as the dac if you wanted but idk

Hmmm, ok. Is there anything specific about the d10 that you like?

One thing I have yet to find anywhere (including in the specs on the Schiit website) is whether or not the Hel’s DAC is the same as the Modi’s? They both seem to be “AKM AK4490s with TI OPA1662-based filter stage” (and similar stats that I am currently trying to understand).

Just very solid for the price, another option would be the smsl m100, just clean and solid dacs

From my understanding it’s the same dac, and imo I am not a fan of the modi as a dac because it’s a bit unrefined and peaky sounding, also slightly compressed

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Asgard + sundara are a really terrific pairing… heresy was too clinical for my tastes

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Opinions on the HE-560s?

@M0N Would a Fostex x00 model or an E-mu Teak be a good suggestion here?