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Let's talk about headphones. Top 3?

I’ve owned a lot of headphones in the past. Looking to downsize/sell some in my collection. I’ve narrowed it down to a top-10 or so collection in my office. And these ten + headphones are the best I’ve ever heard/owned. After receiving some responses here, I’ll start listing some of the great ones. These headphones were ranked against over more than 100 others plus; and are extraordinary performers.

The best headphones (for me) start with being able to experience neutrality and a sense of realism. Next up is how well it can handle snares, transients, and complex tracks. Headphones that are truly accurate on systems that also play at the same level can sound microphonic/holographic in the midrange-treble, have tremendous detail, imaging, or even sound like speakers being played in a room. And, irrespective of when a headphone was produced, the level of technology and its design ambitions are very important considerations. 

Let us also not forget headphone measurements - Which can tell us about trouble areas like bass distortion, overblown/forward treble/midrange, etc. 

Please use descriptive language to help us your listening impressions with your favorite headphones. This helps because we can match your experience with others online; to see if it’s a universal opinion or a unique vantage point.

thesummit
ghdprentice's avatar
ghdprentice
9,449 posts
 

Sennheiser 800. 

But the headphones are only the last item in a chain of components that must be first rate in order to really evaluate the potential of the headphones. The differences in headphones is highly exacerbated by the electronics you have behind them. Often it is the difficulty in driving different sets them apart. I have top tier, Sennheiser, Focal, Ultrasone, Dennon, Byerdynamic,  and several more. It wasn’t until I had really achieved great electronics was I really able to assess the headphones. My ratio of investment in electronic to headphone is about 8 to 1. So, by far the most money is in the electronics. I was shocked at how the difference between the Focal Utopia and Senheisser 800s dissipated as my electronics got better and I was left with Sennheisser being more open and far more comfortable. Hense for the last few hundred hours of listening I only used the Sennheisers although I have a bunch of other top tier headphones. 

In the long run, to get the incredible sound headphone system I got.. it was the hundreds of hours (and thousands of dollars) that I put into my electronics that got me there... the headphone search was too soon and made much less of a difference. 

You can see my headphone system under my virtual systems. 

thesummit OP
177 posts
 

Nice! Yes, you've got some great systems. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully others will post more.

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,487 posts
 

 

I'm still very happy with my Stax SR Lambda Professional ESL phones, though I am looking for one of the Stax SRM tube Driver Units to replace the solid state SRM-1 MK.2 that came with the phones.

 

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
15,050 posts
 

I dislike headphones...

But the 12 i bought were low costs...(2 Stax,2 magneplanar, 8 dynamics) 

The only one i loved is the AKG K340...

The only hybrid...

Well optimized it is speaker like sound with a soundstage which is not always  the same and which is not inside the head and  ready made from the headphone singular cell  design, his soundstage vary  extraordinarily according to each recording, ...

There exist no other headphone in this league ..

Why could i claim that ? if i dont own top headphones save this K340 past flagship of AKG  ?

There exist no other hybrid with such a complex acoustical design.Then his soundfield impression is unique...i am afraid to buy anything else especially if it cost many thousand dollars..

A word of caution: this can is so  complex it takes a lot of months to figure it out... It does not sound perfect out of the box... Not only most headphone amp cannot drive it but  equalisation and tone controls must be used...

it is a pity AKG does not improved it but it was too costly and better for them to make other experiments and more easier to drive and understand products for the average consumers..

i dislike all headphone because i dont like unnatural timbre first and second i dislike "sound in the head" ...

I lost my first dedicated room , now i had only an acoustic corner with nearfield small speakers then at night i prefer my headphone now because they beat my speakers...Anyway they can replace and rival  most speakers at any price in a living room... I dont need more ..

I forgot to say the most important things:

This K340 is not something which will gives us details (it has all details necessary) as often reviewer like to boast about the last hype, the K340 gave us the rarest thing :  a realistic impression ...It is not a microscope but a real musical instrument with 2 dual acoustic chambers ...

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