Q701
HD650
800
800S
LCD2
LCDX
LCD3F
HP-3
1266 Phi TC
Clear
Next up is closed back… eying a Verite closed or Kennerton G.
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Hex has a tall and wide stage. It has a unique presentation that makes thinks sound grand. The arya takes this one step further in most aspects and imo increases the depth the most. On the other hand, the hex has more slam/impact and rumble; on very bassy tracks where you want that bass to SLAM, the hex delivers more than the arya. IMO its a tradeoff between impact and slam and an unbelievable stage. Just talking about the length, width or height over simplifies what the arya does. It has an unbelievable ability to separate instruments and make them distinct. I can pick up the differences in depth without specifically listening for it. It is so distinct and separated, that before getting used to it, the overall presentation almost sounded incoherent.
I got into audio because of forums like this one. Long time lurker, rarely post anywhere but I wanted to show the progression of my headphone journey guided by audiophile forums and the hunt for a favorite pair.
I started my headphone progression back when the cowon d2 was released. Before that I would use the cheap $10 earbuds for sale at the music stores like skullcandy or anything I could find with heavy bloated bass. This started my hunt for bass cannons. I would carry around a cd player and eventually a Sony minidisk player during that time.
I constantly lurked through all the audiophile forums and decided to step up from the $10 earbuds to the higher end range and settled on the Koss ksc75. Did the kramer mod on my first pair and loved them. Eventually had to get many multiple pairs because of the cat I got years later would always choose the koss wires to chew in half.
From there I needed more.
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Koss ksc75 kramer mod was my first obsession
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Ath-m50 hype hit and I jumped onto a pair of those. So uncomfortable but oh that sound was nice to my young ears. I still have the original pair.
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Sony xb500 were next because I needed heavy bass and I found a pair on sale. Loved them but my cat would eventually chew the cable. Still have them in a box.
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Yuin OK3 my favorite earbuds.
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Aiaiai tma-1 came next. Still use these when I just need a pair to throw around with a btr5 attached to the headband.
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DT770 600ohm and DT880 600 ohm were my next purchases and the big step up to quality audio gear for me. I think this was 10 or 11 years ago. Had to get me a nice vintage solid state amp that added some nice warmth and a little bit of a tubey character to drive them good enough. Fell in love with the sound didn’t think I needed anything else after that. I felt like I hit a point of diminishing returns when it came to the kind of sound I was hunting for. Used the old guide to read all the differences between the different variations and settled on all 600 ohm versions. These were end game for me but I couldn’t resist buying a few more headphones.
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Fostex t50rp were next. I was still hunting for bass cannons and wanted to mod them with dynamat inside the cups. I was so happy to have the 770, 880, and the modded t50rp in my collection. I want the t60rp argons to replace this pair that I lost.
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Beyerdynamic dt1350 for when I’m out and about. The clamp is strong.
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Grado sr80 because my friend had a pair. Didn’t think I’d like how they sound but I love them. Hate the cables on them and will need to try and mod it.
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Blon-03
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Dt990 600 ohm purchased recently to complete my collection. Really like these as well. Glad I started with the 770 and 880 first.
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Drop x Panda still on the way.
I want to say thanks to all the audiophiles out there that share their knowledge and experience with everyone who are out searching for a pair of quality headphones that suit their needs. I would have spent a lot more than I have if not for all the guidance and advice from forums like this one and from the audiophiles that inhabit them.
T60 argons are next on my list. Also the dt1990 if I can find a good used pair at the right price.
It’s been a fun progression.
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My current headphones as of the moment and they are currently four. They used to be only just three until I was able to get my first headphones the M40X working again. It is not much but it is good sounds for me overall.
1st: Audio-Technica ATH-M40X
2nd: Cooler Master MH751 (Takstar Pro 82 Gaming Rebrand)
3rd: Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro 250 Ohms ver.
4th: Philips SHP9500
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It’ll be 4 years this December, i had never owned a good headphone, amp or dac before. I stumbled across Zeos and his videos piqued my interest.
Started off trying the low budget stuff to see what it was all about.
SHP 9500, ATH-M40x, CAL-1, monoprice retro and M-560.
That was pretty cool and i also started to learn about amp and dac pairings for headphones.
Next moved up to some mid-priced stuff:
Fisher M12, He4xx, HD58xx, HD6XX, HD600, Koss 95x,sivga006, nighthawk carbons, Elgia, Magni
For the most part i feel i should have stopped here, i was perfectly contented and had plenty to keep me happy and occupied for years…
I went up one level to pricey Mid-Fi and will probably remain here for the foreseeable Future, i’m very pleased.
ATH-AWAS, Focal Clear Pro, Grado GS1000i (Red Eye), Hifiman HE6se, HD800s, ZMF Auteur (Padauk)
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What do you mean by GS1000i red eye?
It’s an i model but has the red dot 
on the drivers, before the model E got it. That’s the way it was explained to me and pretty much looks it from what the packaging and series models show.
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Still in the stumbling around in the dark stage. But I figure anyone who fucking[0][1] swears must be okay.
Work (when I was at the desk in the corridor): Some shit branded “Motorhead” → Meze 99 noirs.
Home: Grado SR60s (until they broke) → Monoprice M1060s, although it’s mostly speakers.
On the go: This used to be my main listening method; I’ve been into DAPs since before they invented that acronym (well almost) - started off with ones that came with spinning rust (an iRiver iHP-100). I’d have to do a major piece of research to uncover a timeline of the various earbuds and IEMs I’ve tried - mostly cheap rubbish with an occasional diversion into what seemed expensive at the time (cheap Shures). Wound up with Tin P-1s although now the Meze 99’s are at home they occasionally serve.
0: Ooops! Is fucking swearing okay? Oh shit, fuck, bollocks. Swearing again.
1: Not that I really think that.
3 Likes
Interesting to see everyone’s decent into headphone insanity here 
I’ve enjoyed my own continuing progression, next set will most likely be Dan Clark Aeon 2 Closed or Focal Clear if I can justify the cost.
Using Topping E30 / L30 & Schiit Modi3 / Heresy setups currently
2006 - First decent headphones - Sennheiser HD25 - got them after hearing them from a recording session. Used them as rough mixing headphones for aIong time. Still use these as my out and about headphones!
2013 - Grado SR325e - Sounded different and “better” at the time than the HD25’s can’t stand them now.
2016 - Beyerdynamic DT-770 80ohm - First set of headphones I preferred to the HD25’s. Used them until recently for mixing and still use them alot for listening.
2018 - AKG K712Pro - nice listening headphone, great soundstage.
2020 - Beyerdynamic DT-1990 - My main mixing and music listening headphones now.
2020 - Neumann NDH-20 - Amazing resolution and detail, but man that 1-2kHz dip makes them totally unusable for mixing. First set of headphones i ever returned.
My first and last set of studio monitors for mixing are Adam A7’s from back in 2010.
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Went from a crappy logitech gaming headset(the 20$ one) to my first pair of headphones in the hd598 closed backs. (one year later)Sennheiser made sweet love to my ears and I was tempted by drop into checking out the venerable hd6xx… from there it was fast and furious.
~Next 2 years~
AKG 7XX- Killed my ears with a treble peak
Monoprice Retros- good for the money
M1060s- Liked, but treble was grating for me
Fostex T20RP- not even mods from hell made me like them in the end. 
Fostex T90RP 80ohm- meh/harvest material for the T20
1more Triple Driver over ear- LOVE!!! uncomfortable, but still regret selling
DT770 80ohm-meh/unimpressive BASS was not very good
Fostex TR-X00 Purpleheart- Loved the look and loved the bass, killer treble peak for my ears
M&O Beryllium- pretty good overall, treble was a touch harsh, but bass and fun/mobility factor was strong on these.
KSC75-Pretty awesome, couldn’t get them to be 100% comfortable, but wow the sound.
Hifiman HE560mk3- Loved these after mods, needed a speaker amp to sound their best, very good without the back grills
LCD2 Classics- Love! Get the chills and loved the sound for everything except gaming.
DT1990- LOVE, was my endgame, preferred the balanced pads over the analytical, but both were amazing. The Gaming standard for me.
Today: Koss 95X is my 90% of the time headphone, I love them as they were a slight step up in sound from the 1990 except for bass impact. Comfort is improved with their light weight and large ear cavity. Vesper pads make the bass better and comfort is improved even more. If I want something very different I can use my Nighthawk Carbons. They are a warm guilty pleasure. I love them as a change of pace and for their presentation. I can’t recc both enough. 
Also if ya’ll want I can do one for IEMs as well, not as exciting overall due to cheaper purchases, but still been a fun ride.
4 Likes
Thanks for the detailed description! Just for the slam and impact does it warrant such a big price leap? Especially that it removes some detail compared to the arya. Just to clarify the hex v2 is the he1000 v2 right?
No hex v2 is edition x v2, cheaper than an Arya
Hek v2 is he1000v2
^ right.
The HEX v2 is an outlier from other long cup HFM cans. Needs middle of can to shoot right into ear canal - done for me with nuggets. They like silver cables, They need digital parametric EQ. Evn so its calm and short of dynamics.
Arya’s much livlier more detailed can, but is bright at 5-6k.
HEK v2 is a very cultured can, fine detail, but lacks grunt in the bass.
HEK se is a better can then the v2, It’s on its way to being a Susvara, but it’ll never get there.
Mainly used cheap Philips $15 earbuds for some time.
Got free Samsung tuned by AKG earbuds with my phone. Thought that was good.
Then I bought an ATH-M40x after going through some recommendations people made for a starter headphone. It sounded good, but was as uncomfortable as everyone says the 'phones are.
Then I got my beloved ATH-AD900x in college. Have not thought about upgrading or anything for the next three years.
Then I got a FiiO K5 Pro. I started getting into Muse Dash after not being able to play DDR for a long while due to this pandemic. I wanted to be able to hear the music better, and that’s how I fell into the audio rabbit hole. Tried the Zen DAC first and loved it - I realized I wanted coaxial input, so I exchanged it for the FiiO. Love the greater dynamic range and fuller bass through the unit compared to my phone and laptop.
I’ve heard about the Porta Pros for a while, and finally bought them on Amazon Prime day to see why such cheap headphones get all this fuss. Also ordered Yaxis and the KPH30i with it. Fuck. Why do I like the 60 ohm drivers so much? I can tell the Koss is objectively worse than either of my Audio Technicas, but the Porta Pros are much too enjoyable for me. I liked the KPH30i as well but returned it because I felt it was too similar to the Porta Pros to justify me keeping it.
Got interested in two other Koss 60 ohms I haven’t tried - the KSC75 and KTXPRO1. The KSC75 is good… but it feels like a slightly worse ADX00x in terms of sound signature to me. Definitely impressive for the price, but I do already have mid-treble cans. No justification to keep the KSC75.
The KTXPRO1 on the other hand… I was very impressed with the balanced and spacious sound. I was equally impressed with how terribly uncomfortable it was to wear. I had mixed feelings about it for a while, but I was sold after playing several full orchestra pieces through the headphones. They don’t feel as all-purpose as a Porta Pro would be for casual listening due to the lack of comfort, but the KTXPRO1 has the tonality and soundstage I was looking for to play classical music.
Currently looking into buying a Drop x Koss ESP/95x once I save up. I don’t think I will go any high than those in the foreseeable future. If I do purchase more headphones afterwards, I looking to get more-neutral closed-back studio monitors to replace my M40x.
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Been on quite an adventure myself, still on the hunt for that good sound.
- HD 58x - started here when I first broke off from the gaming headset logic, good sound in comparison but lacked in the bass, and I now know about the sennheiser veil.
- HE 4xx - these were next as I wanted to check out planars, which I do like, had more bass but still wanted more.
- M1060C - these were more in line of what I was looking for, but in chasing better sound and comfort went full mod, open back mod, changed out the headband to hifiman band, still not happy with these, a bit too heavy and big, and while the band is more confortable the clampforce is now worse with the hifiman band. I constantly flip back and forth on which band I like best.
- DT 177x Go - I wanted to experience closed back in that chase for good bass as all the prior headphones were or turned open back, part of me wondered if closed back is what I had to have to get that bass I want. I like these, some don’t. But still on the chase for that better bass sound.
Leads me to my current hunt. Looking for open backs with good bass punch, I listen to a lot of trap/edm/dubstep/house. I want that rumble I get at concerts but in my head. Been looking at the Sundara, HE5xx, E-MU Teak, or DT 1990, but open to other suggestions in my hunt for that good sound and comfort.
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Welcome!
Of the headphones listed, I think you’d be happiest with the Teaks for what you’re looking for. Open backs tend not to have a lot of rumbling bass, though I’m sure we could come up with a few. I haven’t heard them, but the Sivga Phoenix is supposed to be pretty bassy, as is the Philips X2HR. For true basshead cans, though, you’re probably better looking toward some of the Foster Biodynamic variants like the Teaks, Denon 610/5200, or Fostex TR/TH X00. From there you can mod to get more and/or cleaner bass. You could also find an Audioquest Nighthawk (semi-open), or stepping up a little in price, Campfire Cascades.
Another option might be to go with IEMs to get that bass you crave. Fiio FH3, iBasso OH10, etc. are a couple that seem recommended for bass.
1 Like
9 Likes
so you must like ZMF or something?
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cheap sonys- Law of diminishing returns helped these actually be pretty good for me, they are super cheap on ears but i could use them comfortably
TurtleBeach X12: Cheap plastic, has a lot of bass which i liked at first, then the pads or the burn in set in and they sounded so meh and cheap, they broke a decent amount of times and i bought the same product like 5 times… mostly owned because it also had a microphone for youtube videos
sony MDR 7506: pretty nice, very flat and kinda casual, definitely comfortable and got everything pretty well done, broke after 2 or 3 years of constant use.
M50X: heard of them from MKBHD and definitely loved using them for a long time, one thing i like is that the pads were pretty cold, i have a weird hunch that the temperature of the earpads changes how they sound. it was nice, V shaped, and very nice and fun.
58X: First openbacks, was scared they were going to get too much noise out and everyone would hear my MCR and 100 gecs and pop rock, turns out open backs aren’t THAT leaky and they were decent. very comfortable once i fixed the PAINFUL AS ALL FUCK clamping force (i like very little force), and the sound was… kinda disappointing. there was a bit too much bass and not enough mid and high focus, to the point where when i compared the same song with the 58X vs my M50s the M50s felt colder (again the temperature theory is true in my brain) and more accurately bright, i definitely like them but i knew i could get something much better for me
IEMS:
cheap skullcandy IEMs: pretty tolerable, i think that all under 50 dollar headphones have almost the exact same sound, pretty bright but with a bass peak, i definitely dont mind it but i only used them because they were like 20 bucks,
panasonic TCM125: pretty damn comfortable, cable was absolutely horrible (got chewed every minute), super cheap but had the same pretty V shaped sound, i legit couldn’t tell them apart from the skullcandys since they sounded almost the same (i might have been wearing them wrong as well)
Creative Wireless IEMs: they sounded alright i guess, weren’t the most comfortable, had to use the warrantee 3 times because the buttons kept coming off, no real issues with the sound, i often wondered before i tried real hifi headphones if there is even that much a difference as music doesn’t often sound the same.
Final Audio E3000: Pretty damn good, the bass felt so much more refined and powerful and though the highs and mids were kinds veiled were not flawed at all, with an EQ that bumped at 1K and 2K it was almost perfect (removable cable would be nice)
Future Buys:
Open: Grado SR80/225e (Fell in love with them when i tried them at a hifishop, they made marvin gaye sound so beautiful)
Closed: Beyerdynamic DT 770 (work perfect for me, i love a V shape, i like pro headphones since i plan on making music, comfort is key)
IEMS: Shuoer Tape Pro (Electrostat interests me, graphs show it has the kind of EQ sound i truly love)
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[quote=“sa11297, post:178, topic:2012, full:true”]
Th909
Verite
Utopia
HD800s
Nighthawks (OG)
Future plans:
diana v2, lcd24, 1266 phi tc(!?!)
10 Likes