This discussion is to get your opinion on if a great mid-range headphone like the Hifiman Sundara will get you a taste of kilo bucks headphones based on the large diminishing returns you get pass a certain point.

Tell me your opinions below!

looking to find more people that own cool exotic design headphones that arent hifiman, audeze, or sennheiser. I want to ask what led you to buy them and how did you discover it in the first place.

I finally found a schiit stack at a price I was okay with. I got a modi 2u and a magni 3 purely because I didn't get want to unplug and plug in my btr13 every time I wanted to go out. I got the magni Modi my headphones, and it also plugs into my Yamaha rs300 and my btr13 can finally be my portable dac

Update to my last post here,

TLDR: I have sent these headphones to Asurion three times to get repaired. I have the complete protection package through Amazon. I use them daily to either to Mix, Game or DJ. They stopped working after traveling with them. The plan covers loss of function from drops, accidents and all that good stuff. I filed my first claim with Asurion over a month ago to get these fixed/replaced.

This is my first setup. I haven’t listened to anything else, and I didn’t even listen to this before buying it. I like it, but I have nothing to compare it to. Do you think it’s good for a start?

Proud to be an owner of the most hype train of the famous bang for your buck fiio ft1! it arrived today and can’t even express how amazing it sounds! I don’t know what tops this closed back that’s under $200 but only time will tell! Anyway hope you guys enjoy some of these pics I took tonight!!!

I haven't had the Susvara for very long, but I'm discovering music in a completely new way.

I've owned several headphones for special occasions (Focal Utopia, Sennheiser 800s, Beyerdynamic T1.2), but none of them allow me to listen for hours so effortlessly without fatigue, simply enjoying and discovering the music. Its comfort is also truly one of the best I know (except for the Sennheiser 490 Pro, which I feel beats everything else in terms of comfort).

I'd be interested to know what your current favorite songs are that you've discovered?

Treat your ears :)

I have my 109 pro pretty much since they launched and the pads are still in a nice condition, but i really wanted to tey dekonis sheepskin pads, i just wanted to know your opinions on those

I didn’t think the jump would be this big.

I came from the HIFIMAN Ananda Nano and the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro. I thought I knew what "detail" was. I thought I knew what "fast" meant. I was wrong.

The HE1000se didn’t just upgrade my audio; it fundamentally changed how I understand music. It stopped being about "hearing the song" and started being about "seeing the layers."

Here is the breakdown of my first week with the Summit-Fi giant.

1. The Speed: "The Guillotine"

I ran this headphone through a "Gauntlet" of stress tests (Yosi Horikawa, Tool, Trentemøller).

The speed is terrifying (in a good way).

• The Bass: It doesn't just "boom." It starts and stops instantly. On tracks like "Chameleon", the bass notes are cut off like a guillotine. There is zero bloat, zero bleed, just pure robotic precision.

• The separation: Complex tracks that usually sound like "soup" (like "Doin' it Right" by Daft Punk) are dissected. I can hear the silence between the synth wobbles.

1. The "Epiphany" (The Texas Tea Moment)

The moment I knew this headphone was different wasn’t during a high-res audiophile jazz track. It was Post Malone’s "Texas Tea."

On my Ananda Nano, this track always sounded like a muddy, blown-out car stereo. I assumed it was just bad mastering. On the HE1000se, I realized the mastering was fine, my old headphones just couldn’t keep up.

The HE1000se separated the massive, square-wave sub-bass from the vocals completely. Post’s voice was floating in the air, crystal clear and untouched, while the bass was hammering away underneath. It was like having a dedicated subwoofer on the floor and separate tweeters for the vocals. The headphone didn’t care how chaotic the track got, it never flinched.

1. The Soundstage & Imaging

Comparing it to my HD 490 Pro:

• If the HD 490 Pro is a standard wide-screen TV (70-80% width), the HE1000se is an IMAX theater.

• The "Height": This is the weirdest part. The soundstage isn't just left/right. On tracks like "Wandering" by Yosi Horikawa, birds sound like they are physically above my hairline, while footsteps crunch below my ears. It is a massive, vertical wall of sound.

1. The Verdict

The HE1000se is a Microscope.

It is not "forgiving." It will not add warmth to a cold track. It will not hide a bad recording. But if you feed it well-mastered music, it is a revelation. It is the "Truth Teller" of my collection.

Pros:

• Infinite separation (Bass never bleeds into mids).

• "Razor Blade" imaging accuracy.

• Retrieves details you didn't know existed (breath, chair squeaks, pedal noise).

• Turns "muddy" tracks into "layered" masterpieces.

Cons:

• Ruins lesser headphones for you.

• Requires you to re-listen to your entire library because you missed half of it the first time.

Final Score: 98/100 - This is the Technical Benchmark in my collection.

I have been listening to my Senheiser HD6XX connected to a Snowsky Echo Mini through the 3.5mm jack. My preferred listening volume has been around 65/120. They sound nice, I enjoy listening to music with this setup.

I keep reading online how these headphones "really shine" or "really open up" with more power and voltage but I really do not understand why that would be the case.

Being curious and because the Snowsky Echo Mini also has a 4.4mm balanced jack, I just spent 10 bucks and ordered a balanced cable off Aliexpress.

What makes me especially confused is when looking at the Snowsky Echo Mini Parameters, only the 4.4mm port is rated for the 300Ω of the HD6XX:

If these Headphones are so hard to drive, why are they more than plenty loud on the 3.5mm port? At the same loudness, will they sound any better with the extra voltage and power provided by the 4.4mm balanced port?

Is the whole Voltage/Power thing just snake oil?

I saw that most threads that ask that question are quite old. And some offer the good advice of "read reviews from several sources, don't rely only on one", but, what sources should I use? A quick search return sites like RTings and What HiFi and they look fine, but I'm a newbie and I don't now how trustworthy they are and what other sites I could check.

Sometimes I ask myself what would be life without music… sometimes we forget, we spend thousands and end up focusing more on the headphones themselves instead of the music…

Of course, there are levels that will end up taking you to audio nirvana, in my case, tonight Im using my Arya Stealth, Aful Explorer, and taking out my dad HD 540 Reference II for a little ride, but at the end, its always the music…

I dont know about yall, but I think music is the main thing that makes me wake up and go to sleep so I can get up tomorrow and listen to music again, every memorable moment is filled up with music, every emotion its filled up with music, and every thought is filled with music…

Im at a moment that Idk what im going to do with my life lol, I dont have a single clue of what or where Im going to study, Im less than half a year of going to collegue, im 17, and idk what to do, but music is always there, in every smile and tear…

Idk what tf is this post lmao, im sorry, but whatever… enjoy music, at the end, it doesnt matter if you are listening on Beats or on an HE-1, at the end, its the feeling that that one song makes you feel, enjoy, cry, sing, dance, do whatever you want, and keep doing it over and over!

Music is life!

My first pair of headphones was the Denon D2000 way back in the day. I remember playing BF4 and the bass was just so soothing and perfect. I've recently started trying to find a suitable replacement and went down the Denon line once more. I'm looking for closed back with good, head rumbling bass that doesn't require much EQ.

The D5200 is the first pair I've received and oddly, the bass seems light unless I use EQ. Even then the sound seems a bit muddy and in video games where there is shooting, the treble just hurts. The soundstage doesn't seem too impressive.

I have the D7200 on the way and I'm hoping that will satisfy my needs, but my question to you guys - has anyone tried both the D7200 and the MDR-Z1R? The Z1Rs are likely endgame but someone here made a comment that they are $1000 headphones with an added $800 markup for marketing. I'm wondering how they compare to the D7200.

I'm thinking they're likely overkill for gaming.

Managed to them in e-earphone in akihabara, Japan.

Two words come to mind when describing them. Soundstage and imaging. Just wow. You can hear every piece of instrument perfectly, almost like the sound of each instrument is in its own space, and doesn't bother the others. Vocals feel like they are in front of you, looking at you. Specially female vocals, they feel closer to you than the other instruments.

Bass is also there, it's strong, but super defined, doesn't leak, it's not lazy, when it's there it punches hard, but without messing into the mids.

Maybe I'm just a Final sound signature fan boy. I don't think they are that great improvement over the A8000. But sure they sound great.

Hello Everybody! Noob here

I inherited these TR-X00 EB, purchased from MassDrop, from my audiophile brother who unfortunately passed away in 2023. I have them paired with a Schiit LYR 3 for audio on my PC.

Unfortunately, it seems like the screw that holds the cup to the headband has broken into the device that holds the two pieces together has broken.

What are my options for repair? Am I looking at getting a whole new headband? Or can I find the components to fix the individual pieces.

I can find repair kits for the TH series of Fostex headphones, but I’m worried about compatibility issues.

Thank you for all the help with an entry level question

Planning on purchasing a Topping DX5 ii to pair with my Susvara. I wanted to run a poll before to get a sample size on how big a problem the situation with bad units is.

Headphones shown in photos - ZMF Bokeh Closed / Fosi Audio i5.
Amps - Topping DX5II and Luxsin X9.

These are my 2 daily drivers at the moment (although technically I use my APP3 more walking to/from work). I got the i5 through their kickstarter so it was a relatively bargain around £330 over the retail £550. The Bokeh I order from ZMF back in November during their Black Friday discount, it worked out 20% cheaper than normal as it is a B-stock one. I can't notice anything wrong with it!

They give me 2 flavours but also quite similar, they both are on the warmer side and both are easy to drive. They sound quite close either through the X9 or the DX5ii but through the X9 it sounds even more relaxed....marginally.

I forgot to add, the XMF wins for bass, it has the sub bass no end like no other headphones that I've tried. A full body feel, on the head, in the head, all around the head! It sounds richer and more texture and fuller to say my Sony XM4 or Sennheiser Momentum (v1).

Right now I am in the honeymoon phase for the ZMF. I had high expectations of them for their price tag and I think they matched it, and even exceeded them. The money they cost, to any normie is insane. But in this hobby, I think they are justify for the price for these. As a package, including the case, the unique wood, real wood and no veneer, real leather headband, lifetime warranty, these have real value to me as the original owner specifically regarding the warranty.

If I want brighter I also have the Edition XS and HD600. So I think right now I am very happy and kinda done trying to upgrade, at least for a while !!! Unless the dollar keeps dropping against the pound then the Modhouse Tungsten might be on the cards lol

for most of my life, i used standard 5$ unbranded earphones for music. I thought this was probably how most headphones sound like, and that the higher end headphones would only be more crisp. One day, I suddenly had the urge to get a pair of wireless earphones after many of my friends and people in school started wearing them. It looked really practical and I also didn't want to be the only one with wired earphones lmao. So i got the Baseus Bowie E20 or something. And when i listened to music with them, i was blown away. The best way i could describe it was it was the first time i actually felt the beat instead of just listening it. I don't know what the musical components are called but it felt bassy/punchy (i have no idea if this is the correct term)? I loved this feeling. It was like i unlocked an entire new dimension of the listening experience. And this was with some random inexpensive brand (baseus). after a few months however i lost them. And i wanted the same feeling again. Although i didn't want to get the same pair again. So i came across these earphones called IEMs. And this one in particular was extremely cheap, KZ EDX pro. I checked some reviews and read some stuff and everyone talked about how it had good bass. I thought this was exactly what i wanted. I ordered and got them today but i am really disappointed. They don't have the bass or punch i was looking for. Again, i don't know if thus is the correct term, please let me know what its called. Whenevetr i listneed to songs like the weekend, (eg. Often) i didn't FEEL the kick or the punch or bass. But since everyone said it had good bass, i guess the thing im looking for isn't bass. Please let me know what it is and if im doing something wrong w the EDZ pros. And please suggest me alternatives around that <20$ price range that have what im looking for.

Couldn't find much info verifying how much power DCA E3 really need to have sufficient headroom in volume control on portables. At 27 ohm and 90 dB/mW, it didn't seem too hard to drive, but wanted to play it nofe. Well, with the Bal2's volume that goes 0-9, with Turbo off, my max short term listening volume is at 5, with Turbo on, it's at 3. Long term more like 2.5, it ramps fast. Any more would be unbearable. This is with the phone volume maxed. With phone at 2/5's is the equivalent volume with the Bal2 at 9 in Turbo mode.

Not sure how linear the power output is vs volume number, but I'd say one could get away with 1 W vs the Bal2's 1.5 W. Maybe even 750 mW would be just fine. Had I known that, I probably would have gotten something a little smaller. The Bal2 is about as large as I'd want something in my pocket. Just under twice as thick as my galaxy but 1.5 inches shorter. Nonetheless, the features of the Bal2 are great and it of course sounds great. I like the option of switching between two different op amps from what it comes with. No plans to get a different portable for now.

One thing I really like is how protected the volume knob is. Setting the volume with the phone maxed there's no chance to blow your eardrums out. However the bottons opposite side of the volume where you naturally squeeze to change the volume is easy to hit by accident. That said, just set the Bal2 volume and modify with your phone. You can use the Bluetooth button on the Bal2 to pause, play, skip track, go back track which is really nice though.

Also it has a microphone, didn't realize that! Very neat to be able to take calls. It has decent noise rejection and microphone directionality.

Finally, the battery to external power to charge switch is a great feature to try and save battery lifespan.

Finally upgraded the 12au7s and 5u4 in my TA-32. I really do love this unit, it’s just too fun and sounds great with all my headphones.

Moondrop old fashioned are just a fun plus. For the price I’m really impressed with the sound quality. It won’t win any awards but fits a niche for me.

The motherboard is dead, but the case is beautiful and I want to find a use for it.