Headphones you own; why you love them

[manueljenkin]

Shure srh1540 (my favourite and most resolving pair I own), hd800 (extremely good bass for acoustic instruments), hd700 (very laid back and effortless with a strong center image. note: can be extremely amp picky and can sound harsh with the wrong pairing).

Hope to someday try the Sony qualia 010 and shure srh1840

 

[santoshmanivannan]

I have the following and I love each of them for different reasons:
1) Hifiman Arya - Very transparent, open, and detailed. Takes the qualities of the chain it's paired with, slightly analytical so goes perfectly with my vintage amp.
2) 1more tridents (Heavily modded) - Very fun headphones, has a tweeter that shines when correctly powered. I choose these most often because they're closed and work better to isolate external noise whereas the Arya's disappear on your head and have zero isolation.
3) Audeze iSine10 IEMs - with EQ, very detailed and sound amazing. Have the same problem as the Aryas because they're very very open

HPs I don't like:
1) AKG K712 pro - not my taste, soundstage a little too big, decent detail and OK tuning. Regret getting these for sure.
2) Koss headphones (Porta, KSC75, KHP 30i) - All decent for the price but nothing to leave expensive headphones for.
3) HD650 - not a fan of the imaging, and soundstage on these. Also sounded very veil to me

These are highly subjective and your mileage may vary so always try / audition headphones before buying.

 

[fLUX]

I presently own the following headphones

i) Hifiman Ananda - Were my long time favorites , had auditioned Ananda and Arya and found Ananda to go well with my gear and also liked its slightly forward presentation.
ii) Sennheiser HD600 - Having owned a pair of HD6XX in past running out of a SS , I did not like them a lot. Recently picked up couple of a good headphone amps and a HD600 , boy do they sing with tubes. The Ananda have taken a backseat now in terms of listening time.
iii) Vmoda M80 - Purchased in 2014, still working fine. I preferred the comfort and form factor of these to the m50, soundwise are bit tiny sounding but are very easy to drive. Sound much better than m50 to my ears.
iv) Koss Portapro - Got these in 2011, can fit in any pouch and is a powerhouse packed in such a tiny package. Sound phenomenal for the price I paid.

On the IEM side I owned the following but due to lockdown sold all of these
i) Campfire Andromeda - Were very engaging and fun to listen to. Were not the most natural with an always present orchestra type soundstage but sounded detailed and really engaging.
ii) Ikko OH10 - most vfm iem I have ever listened to and did everything just as I wanted. The treble response is slightly smoothened, but I like that in an IEM.
iii) Obravo Cupid - Were really different in presentation but loved how they sounded for a variety of bollywood music. These have faced lot of flak across due to being inaccurate, but personally I found it to suite bollywood music perfectly.


Waiting for new addition to arrive post parting with all portable gear

 

[lithiumnk]

Hello FM

I own Raal Requisite SR1A monitors with Schiit Jot R & interface box to connect with speaker amps.

These are full range raal ribbon drivers.
They are different from other coventional headphones. They do not enclose the ears.

The sound is impressive. With good recordings, they are the best HP I've ever heard. They are analytical but with proper source/recording they sound very smooth, dynamic & fast (not thin).
For me they are resolution king.
Biggest 3D soundstage of all hps

They are very comfortable & a boon in Delhi summers. Conventional hps are difficult to wear for long.

 

[lithiumnk]

I recently got spekaer interface box for raal sr1a.
Right now I've discrete dynamics power amp.
Looking for integrated amps with output of atleast 100watts in 6 ohms (as advised in the manual)

 

[fLUX]

Hello FM

I own Raal Requisite SR1A monitors with Schiit Jot R & interface box to connect with speaker amps.

These are full range raal ribbon drivers.
They are different from other coventional headphones. They do not enclose the ears.

The sound is impressive. With good recordings, they are the best HP I've ever heard. They are analytical but with proper source/recording they sound very smooth, dynamic & fast (not thin).
For me they are resolution king.
Biggest 3D soundstage of all hps

They are very comfortable & a boon in Delhi summers. Conventional hps are difficult to wear for long.

Quiet interesting, what is the weight of the same ? Also any reason you feel conventional hp are difficult to wear , open backs are quiet comfortable and depending on the signature provide for a fatigue free long listening sessions

 

[lithiumnk]

Quiet interesting, what is the weight of the same ? Also any reason you feel conventional hp are difficult to wear , open backs are quiet comfortable and depending on the signature provide for a fatigue free long listening sessions

Amp interface box has male XLR out to connect to SR1A.

 

[lithiumnk]

Quiet interesting, what is the weight of the same ? Also any reason you feel conventional hp are difficult to wear , open backs are quiet comfortable and depending on the signature provide for a fatigue free long listening sessions

I've audiotechnica adx5000 as well. They are also comfortable & light weight. Raals are more comfortable especially for long listening sessions.
There is no contact of the drivers/ribbons to the ear pinna.

 

[Analogous]

Adding to my previous post as I felt I have not waxed eloquent on why I love my favourite HPs. (Ref: Title of this thread) Recap: In my journey, I have owned a few full size and a few IEMs. My search stopped when I got my Custom IEMs - JH13 Pro a few years ago. I know in ears are not everyon’s cup of tea, but they work great for me.

Yes, the soundstage with IEMs may not extend out beyond the head like open backed HPs, but the fit, the sound isolation and the convenience of these customs along with their fantastic SQ was the endgame for me. I would not say this anywhere else “on bass heavy tracks I can feel it”….yes, with these IEMs. The integration between frequencies is seamless and i can direct my attention to the highs, miss and lows and be amazed at the detail and quality of reproduction even after countless hours of listening. After 7 years of use I still love them.

Because of the excellent custom fit the sound isolation is fantastic and I don’t have to push the volume up to get them singing. Their portabilty and discreet size makes them my companions during walks around the lakes or on travels.

I should write a will that they should be disposed along with my dead body, they are customised to my ear shape after all and won’t fit anyone else’s ears.

 

[greenhorn]

My top Favorite Cans
1. Sony MDR XB950 (have both wired and wireless)
2. 1More triple driver H1707
3. Creative Aurvana live 2

I love them all because of one reason - Bass!

 

[chander]

Have owned quite a few and I can't remember most of them. However to tell you my favourites -

1 - Westone - UM Pro 3X - this one has lasted a long long time. Many have come and gone including more expensive ones and the ones with much better reviews but these I can't get rid of - till death do us part.
2 - ER 4S - the originals - had to let them go because of the discomfort, but the short time I had with them, I still remember them specially for the dynamics - too good.
3 - ER4XR - a slightly warmer 4S with a touch more bass and lot more fun. You can see why I love them. They are also much more comfortable, I guess because your ears and nose grow.
5 - Grado Something - Can't remember the model, but the cans were wood, beautiful to look at and hold in your hands. My first hi-end headphone that had a beautiful sound too but were extremely uncomfortable and hence eventually after a lot of trial and error led me to -
6 - Focal Stellia - My favourite headphones of all I ever used - extremely clean sounding, I sadly lost them last year (made me explore the insurance options for portable hifi gear) and now I am toying with the idea of Focal Clear MG, but restraining myself.

 

[Amitdubey]

Have owned several headphones over the years. But as I've taken a parallel journey in the two channel world, I've rationalised my headphones repertoire to:
Hd 25 ii: My go to closed portable headphones for rock, metal and office calls
Hd 600: An impulse buy from back in the day when these were Sennheiser's flagship
Focal Clear: Very nicely done by Focal. Very nice
Arya: My end game in plannar magnetics

Love these for different reasons, but mainly for the uniqueness they bring to the table.

The one hp, I will take to my grave are the hd600s. They stuck to me through thick and thin. 60 seconds of listening to my mids centric collection over the last 20 years, put a smile on my face instantaneously and made me forget about the stress from work, ups and downs in life, personal loss, battle within to let go of things that you know you cannot control but so badly want to, the good, bad and ugly times.

This hp was always there with me like a companion, rendering its comfort of soft velour against my ears gently whispering to me that it ain't perfect, just like me. It rolls of the highs but will never be sibilant and reaches down to the lower frequency range only as much required. It reminded me that it's not perfect but does and will always do mids the best. Reminded me that it comes with a cable that's long and supple enough to never come in my way. Reminded me that I could continue fall asleep wearing them like I did many a nights. Reminded me that, when energised with good current, it will scale up endlessly. Reminded me that it can be what I wanted it to be..but will always always be companion for life.
Thus I owe it to 600s for having held music over gear always and have never let music not be a part of my daily life

 

[Vulcan]

I have owned Grado SR-80, Grado SR-325, Ultrasone HFI-780, Audio-Technica ATH-AD700, Sony MDR-V6, Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro, Audeze LCD-2 & Sennheiser HD800 in the past. Now i just have the Sennheiser HD600. Don't think i'll ever need another headphone. The HD600 are a well-balanced jack of all trades. This suits me because i have a broad taste in music

 

[Enkay78]

Well it’s been a while I updated my own thread

It has been a journey yes. And have learn much from FMs.

Currently I am still enjoying the following:

1. IEM
Not much upgrades on this front. So still continuing with :
CCA 16 - still sound best and transparent. And most comfortable fit
CCA C10 - little less transparent.
Tin 3 - disappointment. Cannot get a proper fit. And I just don’t know how to like it. Surprisingly wifey use them most

2. Noise cancelling and wireless
Still with Sony WH1000mx3
When I want to isolate myself, it’s still a best option.

3. Wired cans
Hifiman Sundara - I had used this most of my listening sessions. The stock ear pads are worn out. Changed to brainwavz ones….with a surprising benefit of boost in sub bass response.

AKG K371BT - a new addition ….the price was too enticing. And the Harman curve is not bad…atleast for me. I find them transparent albeit with a narrower soundstage (compared to my Sundara…..or it could be my interpretation of the difference of closed and open.)

4 Amps
Topping NXD4 DSD - for my portable usage with USB audio pro

Sabaj PHA3 tube amp - for my occasional listening. (Maybe it could be that it’s a cheap amp or something like that ….I just don’t understand what is the tubey sound all about. Or it could be the fact that this amp is a hybrid?)

Sabaj D5 - this was my default amp with my Sundara…..but now used as preamp for my active monitor Kali LP8

Topping D90se + Topoing A90 amp - these are my current default system. Mostly listen using my Sundara. But I am beginning to develop a liking for the AKG 371. Paired this with Apple Music from iPad Pro (usb camera kit), I am currently ask for no more…..till the next itch

Most of listening is now happening with headphones.

And yes the Dolby atmos Apple Music is nowadays piquing my interest so much.


My preference :
Sundara >> AKG 371bt (wired mode) >> wh1000mx3>>CCA C16

Have tried parametric EQs, autoeq/wavelet/equaliser apo with peace/oratory eq. Always came back to non-eq and stock.
Foobar2000 with darOne and Hifoo skin remains my favourite.

 

[Passive_audio_enthusiast]

I recently bought a moondrop aria expecting it to be a hype, but ended up pleasantly surprised. It’s very even and detailed. I had budget iems before like the blon bl 03, tin audio t2, urbanfun hifi but this one is really a step up in performance. And they are well made with subtle aesthetics compared to other flashy chifi iems.

 

[HIEND-Raja]

I have Bose QC3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling, Audeze LCD-1 headphone I love them.

 

[fLUX]

I recently bought a moondrop aria expecting it to be a hype, but ended up pleasantly surprised. It’s very even and detailed. I had budget iems before like the blon bl 03, tin audio t2, urbanfun hifi but this one is really a step up in performance. And they are well made with subtle aesthetics compared to other flashy chifi iems.

Moondrop make quiet decent iems , had the Kanas Pro and really loved how they sounded. They are certainly quiet a few notches above few similar priced IEMs like 1More Triple Ear, the IEM industry thanks to chi-fi is now very value oriented and you get absolutely top sounding IEMs at about 15-20k.

 

[sunand777]

I have a 10 year old Audio-Technica ATH-PRO700MK2 (still using it) and a Sony WH-1000XM3 , I am very much satisfied with both of them for sound quality.

 

[yogitashwer]

I have Bose SoundSport, I love them cause The Bose SoundSport Wireless are good wireless sports earbuds. They're comfortable and should be stable and breathable enough to take with you to the gym. Their sound profile is well-balanced, and their semi-open design gives them a better soundstage than most in-ears.

 

[ayush]

I have the HyperX Cloud. Bought it for like 4000/- back in 2012/13. Still going strong and my favorite audio device. Couple of my friends tried it out and they came back asking for the model to purchase the same. Gooooood stuff.