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Author Topic: The most tonally balanced headphones?  (Read 12376 times)

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anetode

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Re: The most tonally balanced headphones?
« Reply #30 on: March 02, 2014, 10:50:33 PM »
I'll throw a wildcard into the running: the Koss ESP950. As far as budget stats go I don't think that you'd find Lambdas (Stax 404, 307, etc.) neutral, but they are quite good if you're ok with the mid hump and a lack of extension in the lowest octave.

HE-500 is probably the most reasonable compromise, best of the current HiFiman lineup anyway. The Paradox is more neutral, though as Marv said it has some extra energy in a portion of the treble.

The HP50 is not neutral. I really like it, but it is definitely more of a fun sounding headphone with extra bass and a wonky upper midrange.
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CEE TEE

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Re: The most tonally balanced headphones?
« Reply #31 on: March 02, 2014, 11:06:56 PM »
I just traded for some Focal Spirit Pro, think I will ask SolderDude to take measurements of my K550 in current shape and then try his modifications.  (I am wondering if my left driver is performing well right now, so more measurements before starting anything are smart.)

Also, maybe he can assess how similar my pair is to his and if I should follow exactly the same mods as he did...
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Darth Obvious

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Re: The most tonally balanced headphones?
« Reply #32 on: March 02, 2014, 11:07:56 PM »
Quote from: anetode on March 02, 2014, 10:50:33 PM
I'll throw a wildcard into the running: the Koss ESP950. As far as budget stats go I don't think that you'd find Lambdas (Stax 404, 307, etc.) neutral, but they are quite good if you're ok with the mid hump and a lack of extension in the lowest octave.

HE-500 is probably the most reasonable compromise, best of the current HiFiman lineup anyway. The Paradox is more neutral, though as Marv said it has some extra energy in a portion of the treble.

The HP50 is not neutral. I really like it, but it is definitely more of a fun sounding headphone with extra bass and a wonky upper midrange.

I am having the same opinion about HP50 and Focal Pro, looking at some measurements and impressions... But obviously people find these headphones close-to-neutral so I dont know. Anyway, you're right that I dont find SR-404 and associated lower Stax headphones neutral enough. I enjoy them but I already have HD800 which are great at everything else than being forgiving and completely natural-sounding. So I need exactly that kind of headphones.

Yeah, the Koss ESP950 is not a bad recommendation...
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n3rdling

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Re: The most tonally balanced headphones?
« Reply #33 on: March 02, 2014, 11:38:26 PM »
Quote from: MuppetFace on March 02, 2014, 10:09:14 PM
Whoops, ninja'd while I was editing my post. I added a few more recommendations to the post up there before you responded.

The Abyss and Jecklin Float QA are my current reference headphones. You mentioned bass performance in another thread. No headphone I've heard has better lower-end response than the Abyss. It comes closest to speakers (without the obvious physical power that a big woofer has).
How would you compare the bass on the Float to other high end headphones?  Does it sound similar to any HPs I'd know or is it completely different from the other electrostats?
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Marvey

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Re: The most tonally balanced headphones?
« Reply #34 on: March 03, 2014, 12:07:14 AM »
Quote from: Darth Obvious on March 02, 2014, 11:07:56 PM
I am having the same opinion about HP50

The HP50 measurements would seem to indicate otherwise but no. They just don't sound right to me. I hear a nasal-ness or honk which doesn't jive with any of the measurements that I have seen. In fact, I found the Monster Dre. Beats Studio to sound more tonally right than the HP50.



ESP950 yes - except for bass roll off.
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Darth Obvious

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Re: The most tonally balanced headphones?
« Reply #35 on: March 03, 2014, 12:17:25 AM »
Quote from: marvey on March 03, 2014, 12:07:14 AM
Quote from: Darth Obvious on March 02, 2014, 11:07:56 PM
I am having the same opinion about HP50

The HP50 measurements would seem to indicate otherwise but no. They just don't sound right to me. I hear a nasal-ness or honk which doesn't jive with any of the measurements that I have seen. In fact, I found the Monster Dre. Beats Studio to sound more tonally right than the HP50.



ESP950 yes - except for bass roll off.

And what about the Focal Spirit Pro - does it have the same tonality problems as HP50?
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AustinValentine

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Re: The most tonally balanced headphones?
« Reply #36 on: March 03, 2014, 02:05:51 AM »
FSP doesn't have any tonal problems - it really is a beautiful headphone if you can deal with the clamp. (Speaking of which, Muppetface, did your Focal's clamp lessen over time at all? Mine is still crushing the sides of my head and jaw after three weeks of use.)

 :wheel: Also, in before Donunus: have you tried out the DT250-250s yet? Pretty neutral phone, a lot like a closed HD600. I like them more than the NAD Viso HP50, but not as much as the FSP (FSP extends deeper and has better bass quality). If you can find a pair that doesn't have Beyer-Fail on driver matching they can be a real steal at their current prices.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2014, 02:16:42 AM by AustinValentine »
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DaveBSC

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Re: The most tonally balanced headphones?
« Reply #37 on: March 03, 2014, 02:22:12 AM »
Quote from: Darth Obvious on March 02, 2014, 10:01:44 PM
Thank you for the post... So what are your favourite headphones at the moment?

The ones at the top of my list to try - Spirit Classic, Slant, Enigma. The big Orthos I just find to be too heavy. My favorite headphone in terms of comfort remains the SR-007MK1 I used to have, but it was ultimately too polite for my tastes and I moved on.
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Stapsy

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Re: The most tonally balanced headphones?
« Reply #38 on: March 03, 2014, 02:39:27 AM »
What about the Code-X?  Assuming you can find an HE-5 that may give you what you are looking for.  Code-X is definitely at the top of my list right now.
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Marvey

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Re: The most tonally balanced headphones?
« Reply #39 on: March 03, 2014, 04:10:28 AM »
They measure well, but the Code-X along with the HE-5 and HE-6 have the HFM treble etch which I find difficult. Tube rolling on an appropriate amp such as the Liquid Glass can yield excellent results.
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