This is a review of the 20 best headphones I currently own with some added stuff at the end. I made the choice to review both full-size and IEMs in this comparative review. I was originally going to make this just a wiki, but as I put more and more effort into it I started to want to share it in the forum.
Very briefly I want to clarify a few things:
* My home rig is the MSB Platinum DAC iii and the amps I use are the TTVJ Millett 307a as well as the Larocca PRII MKii. I've had the fortune of also auditioning most of these headphones on the Apex Pinnacle and Ray Samuels Audio B52 in my home. I am presently looking to get a second main amplifier to compliment the 307a so some of my reviews will be edited at a later date I'm sure. I will update the Wiki as my experience and equipment changes.
* For IEMs I mainly use the iPod or the Ray Samuels Audio Hornet, SR71a (which I just sold), Larocco PRii, Ray Samuels Audio Tomahawk, the Meier Corda Move and the Headroom Total Bithead. And I use them mainly with an iPod 5G :-)
* All headphones are in stock configuration unless otherwise specified.
* By "Uses" I am referring to which genre I listen to with the headphone as I think that is a key aspect of viewing a headphone. I break the genres down into percentages which I just roughly estimate based on my personal listening experience.
* My references to packaging have to do with a case that comes with the headphone and sometimes accessories, not the actual cardboard box that most headphones are "packaged" in.
20. Sennheiser IE8
Uses: Classical >40% / Jazz & Acoustic >30% / Rock <20% Strengths: It is very tough comparing IEMs and full-size headphones. They are totally different in the way they feature sound, not quite as much as speakers vs. headphones, but there are parallels in the comparison. The IE8 is one of the few IEMs (as of this date) to use a dynamic transducer. The Sony EX700 which I also own are another. This is the better one in my opinion. I enjoy the tonality of the bass especially in this IEM. The mids are also very good here. The user-adjustable bass feature is very very cool, though I don't know if it's necessary due to the amount of bass at the 0 position. This has the widest sound-stage of all the IEMs I've tried. The ear loops (to hang the cable on your ear) are an interesting and considerate feature, but I never used them. Of course like all IEMs they are very well driven even out of an iPod and other portable players. Weaknesses: The fit is poor, and I find that in terms of IEM isolation, most people have this problem. I find the treble region excessively grainy. There's not enough IEM sleeve options for this model in my opinion. Westone, Shure, Ultimate Ears are far more generous with their sleeve variety.
19. Shure SE530 Uses: Classical <119.>40% / Rock >50%
Strengths: Like all IEMs, portability is a key benefit. The mids here are forward and make for an involving listen. I enjoy the bass response as it is very present but no overtly boomy. Packaging is very nice for an Universal IEM, maybe the best I've seen.
Weaknesses: The highs feel too rolled off for many genres which require treble to be more forward, such as classical. I feel the Westone 3 is a better universal IEM in most aspects. Like all IEMs, sound-staging ability is limited due to the absence of outer ear psychoacoustics. The cable feels cheap and does not loop around the ear well. This last issue has since been resolved by Shure with the release of the SE535.
18. Ultrasone HFI-700 (same as HFI-650)
Uses: Classical <25%>40% / Rock >35%
Strengths: A colored robust bass response makes these a fun listen sometimes. They are decent out of a portable player but they don't get too loud. Sound-stage is quite wide and enjoyable for a closed headphone.
Weaknesses: Lack of transparency. The whole upper spectrum feels grainy to me. The bass can be overwhelming at times as well as bloated. The fake leather feels cheap, and the painted letters have since cracked of come off entirely. They aren't extremely comfortable due to the fake leather accompanied by the slightly tighter than average grip.
17. Beyerdynamic DT770 250 ohm 2005 model
Uses: Classical >30% / Jazz & Acoustic >40% / Rock <30%>60% / Jazz & Acoustic >35% / Rock <5%>40% / Rock >40%
Strengths: Very nice tonal balance with a forward and colored bass. Good for portable use, though they are ported.
Weaknesses: These feel flimsy and my pair is very old and has some weird deterioration of the padding which I've never seen on another headphone. Headphone feels too bloated for some classical. Denon has offered better in recent times.
16. Sony MDR-SA5000
Uses: Classical >60% / Jazz & Acoustic >35% / Rock <5%
Strengths: Very very fast transient action going on here. I would imagine these would be great for electronic music, but I don't listen to that genre much. Tonality is very nice for classical music. These are fairly comfortable headphones in my opinion.
Weaknesses: These are too bright for a lot of music and ultimately I give the headphone less consideration because of this. The bass is not as impactful as I would like it to be. The stock cable (which is not user replaceable) is amongst the worst I've seen for a headphone at its price-point. Overall I would call this headphone very cold, though some may like that very much especially if their system is already warm.
15. Denon ADH-D950
Uses: Classical <20%>40% / Rock >40%
Strengths: Very nice tonal balance with a forward and colored bass. Good for portable use, though they are ported.
Weaknesses: These feel flimsy and my pair is very old and has some weird deterioration of the padding which I've never seen on another headphone. Headphone feels too bloated for some classical. Denon has offered better in recent times.
14. AKG K702 with Stefan Audio Art Equinox Balanced 4-Pin (only one sided balance)
Uses: Classical >80% / Jazz and Acoustic >18% / Rock <2%>40% / Rock >50%
Strengths: These are my main portable choice. I love the warmth and powerful bass for rocking out. They are very fun and for an IEM really quite comfortable. Sound great from an iPod.
Weaknesses: It's hard to say. For what they are they're not exactly weak, but I don't judge their sound seriously. They are fun and a bit bassy. I would never consider them a top of the line transducer though against the full size headphones listed below. I say this for every IEM entry, but the sound-stage is all inside the head. These can be sibilant at times. Sometimes they feel cluttered as well.
13. Westone 3
Uses: Classical <10%>40% / Rock >50%
Strengths: These are my main portable choice. I love the warmth and powerful bass for rocking out. They are very fun and for an IEM really quite comfortable. Sound great from an iPod.
Weaknesses: It's hard to say. For what they are they're not exactly weak, but I don't judge their sound seriously. They are fun and a bit bassy. I would never consider them a top of the line transducer though against the full size headphones listed below. I say this for every IEM entry, but the sound-stage is all inside the head. These can be sibilant at times. Sometimes they feel cluttered as well.
12. Ultimate Ears UE10 Pro
Uses: Classical 33% / Jazz & Acoustic 33% / Rock 33%
*My pair is from the original run when Jerry Harvey was still with the company. I don't know if Ultimate Ears has since altered the sonic design.
Strengths: Again its really a gamble comparing IEMs to full size headphones. These were the most neutral IEMs I ever heard. For a while, when most of my listening was portable, these were my favorite headphones period, though I did not have 3/4 of what I have now. Isolation with most IEMs are the best in the biz, this is no exception. They sound great even out of an iPod. Detachable cable
Weaknesses: I do not find hard-shell custom molds comfortable at all. This is why I never ventured for the JH13 / 16. Armature drivers have a different sound from Dynamic and Electrostatic drivers and it feels a little more grainy to me. Sound-stage of IEMs never impress me due to lack of air and natural outer ear sound reception. When I bought them there was no market for selling custom molded IEMs in the used market. This has since changed, but if you don't like them you lose a lot of money and the custom molds are not returnable in most instances.
11. Denon ADH-D7000
Uses: Classical <20%>40% / Rock >40%
Strengths: Wonderful bass and mids. Great for just rocking out. Very attractive headphones....much more-so than Denon's earlier offerings. Imaging is quite on point here. Very comfortable despite the leather padding which can sometimes heat up. I enjoy playing these loud, haha:-) The packaging is pretty nice here.
Weaknesses: There's a slight lack of transparency (maybe due to the closed seal). The mids feel a very slightly recessed. Bass can feel bloated on some systems. Sound-stage is Denon's best offering, but not as realistic as some other brands.
10. Ultrasone Edition 8 Limited Edition
Uses: Classical <25%>30% / Rock >45%
Strengths: Firstly, the isolation and portability here is insanely good! These are without question, the best sounding portable headphone made as of the conclusion of 2010. I haven't heard every portable headphone, but I have never heard one which came close to the Edition 8. The sound feels neutral with a slightly forward bass which is nice for portable listening anyway. I do experience the S-Logic difference and sound presentation feels slightly different from other brands in terms of where the sound is generating from. There is a nice center image here. Extremely comfortable and for some reason the leather does not bother me as much here. Probably the most stylish headphone I own to most people. The cable extension is also a plus and makes home listening very easy, whiles still maintaining the portability of a short cable. Packaging of the Limited Edition Pair is gorgeous.
Weaknesses: So darn expensive that I'm afraid to take them outside and therefore the portability factor is a moot point. The tonality of these headphones is extremely good, but I feel the 9 pairs listed below are slightly better in most areas of tonality. Sound-stage is a bit inside the head. The reinvention of this product at various price-points makes me weary of the company's intentions.
9. AKG K501
Uses: Classical >80% / Jazz & Acoustic >15% / Rock <5%>40% / Rock >35%
Strengths: Tone is lush, beautiful and involving. These are one of the most neutral headphones in the market even today. Poorly mastered recordings still sound good on this headphone. These are very comfortable to me (though some people don't agree). I appreciate that almost all the parts are user replaceable. Detachable cable! I still think this is Sennheiser's most versatile offering in terms of amping and is pleasing in many genres equally.
Weaknesses: Not really a weakness, but is very very similar to the slightly more colored HD650. The HD650's lusher coloring makes me gravitate towards it more often than the HD600. The treble is slightly recessed here (or as they say veiled). The sound-stage is narrower than others.
8. Sennheiser HD600 with Moon Audio Silver Dragon Balanced 3-Pin Dual XLR
Uses: Classical <25%>40% / Rock >35%
Strengths: Tone is lush, beautiful and involving. These are one of the most neutral headphones in the market even today. Poorly mastered recordings still sound good on this headphone. These are very comfortable to me (though some people don't agree). I appreciate that almost all the parts are user replaceable. Detachable cable! I still think this is Sennheiser's most versatile offering in terms of amping and is pleasing in many genres equally.
Weaknesses: Not really a weakness, but is very very similar to the slightly more colored HD650. The HD650's lusher coloring makes me gravitate towards it more often than the HD600. The treble is slightly recessed here (or as they say veiled). The sound-stage is narrower than others.
7. Sennheiser HD650 with Moon Audio Silver Dragon Balanced 3-pin Dual XLR
Uses: Classical: <5%>40% / Rock >55%
Strengths: Tone is lush, beautiful and involving. Impactful bass. I find these headphones very comfortable (others do not). Transient response is not super fast, but feels natural. Great for poorly mastered recordings. Benefit greatly from balanced recabling. Again, like its sibling, most parts are user replaceable. Detachable cable!
Weaknesses: Very mellow and sometimes a bit sleepy. Bass can simply be too impactful from some amps. Treble is rolled off and makes it impossible to enjoy with classical on most systems for me. Sound-stage feels defined but limited in terms of spaciousness.
6. Beyerdynamic T1 with reterminated 4-Pin Stock cable
Uses: Classical: >35% / Jazz & Acoustic >35% / Rock <30%>80% / Jazz & Acoustic >15% / Rock <5%>65% / Jazz & Acoustic >20% / Rock <5% w="499&h=">50% / Jazz & Acoustic >30% / Rock <20%>33% / Rock >40%
Strenghts: Some of the best mids I've ever heard. Bass is impactful and tight. Highs are deliciously smooth. Transient response here feels very very natural and allows for great detail to be heard. The wood is beautiful, and I appreciate the handmade look. Detachable cable! Love the wooden box it comes in with the satin-like interior.
Weaknesses: On some systems I can imagine the treble would be slightly recessed for some tastes. The leather heats up my ears. The grip of the headphone on the head is a bit too tight to deem the pair as extremely comfortable. The foam of the headband looks and feels cheap (but is comofrtable). The sound-stage is fairly wide, but due to lack of angling feels a little more linear than optimal.
5. AKG K1000 (bass heavy version) with Stefan Audio Art Equinox balanced 4-Pin
Uses: Classical >80% / Jazz & Acoustic >15% / Rock <5%
Strengths: Most realistic sound-stage in the industry. Naturally produced crossfeed. Bass feels wonderfully impactful for acoustic instruments. Overall sound is extremely neutral.
Weaknesses: Headphones have the least isolation and most leakage on the planet. Headphones can feel slightly grainy at times in the upper mids and highs. These are very very very hard to drive. You need to make sure your amp is suited for this headphone. Sound-stage is too wide for most rock music to be enjoyed as much as other headphones. They are comfortable to me, but some may find the temple pads a bother. Some pairs have issues where grills rattle due to deteriorated glue or improper grill installation.
4. Sennheiser HD800 with APureSound Balanced V3 dual 3-pin XLR
Uses: Classical >65% / Jazz & Acoustic >20% / Rock <5%
Strengths: Wonderful mids here. You feel a neutral presence when listening to this headphone. The sound-stage is one of the most well angled and defined. The bass, while a bit reserved (on some systems) is extremely well reproduced for acoustic instruments. Transient response is extremely fast. These are also the most comfortable headphones I own. Detachable cable!
Weaknesses: These headphones make badly mastered recordings sound awful. Highs can feel slightly grainy at times and sibilant on some systems. The sound feels a little bass-shy for a lot of genres such as rock and hip hop. They are extremely amp-picky, more than usual and can drastically change tonal balance depending on the amp. The plastic looks nice but feels cheap in the hand.
3. HifiMan HE-6
Uses: Classical >50% / Jazz & Acoustic >30% / Rock <20%
Strengths: My vote for best mids. Bass reproduction is impactful but very tight. Highs are smooth and clear. Transient response feels extremely natural and allows optimal detail. Headphones are pretty. Detachable cable!
Weaknesses: Harder to drive than most headphones. The sound-stage feels more closed in than it should. Feels very slightly bright at times which leads me to stay away from poorly mastered recordings. The inside of the cup sometimes touches my ear and irritates it.
2. Audez'e LCD-2 with APuresound V3 balanced 4-pin cable
Uses: Classical <20%>33% / Rock >40%
Strenghts: Some of the best mids I've ever heard. Bass is impactful and tight. Highs are deliciously smooth. Transient response here feels very very natural and allows for great detail to be heard. The wood is beautiful, and I appreciate the handmade look. Detachable cable! Love the wooden box it comes in with the satin-like interior.
Weaknesses: On some systems I can imagine the treble would be slightly recessed for some tastes. The leather heats up my ears. The grip of the headphone on the head is a bit too tight to deem the pair as extremely comfortable. The foam of the headband looks and feels cheap (but is comofrtable). The sound-stage is fairly wide, but due to lack of angling feels a little more linear than optimal.
1. Sony MDR-R10 (bass heavy version) with balanced stock 4-pin
Uses: Classical 33% / Jazz & Acoustic 33% / Rock 33%
Strengths: Liquid mids, excellent punchy and impactful bass, extended and smooth highs. Sound-stage is very well defined. The transient response is still one of the best. Overall, this headphone to me is the most versatile and complete listening experience in terms of transparency, though it may be outclassed in some areas by other headphones even if only by a marginal amount. Packaging here is the most grandiose of all my headphones.
Weaknesses: So expensive that I can't always relax when using them. The leather pads can make me sweat. Other headphones are preferable for classical depending on my mood. Some amps make the bass heavy R10 a little to bass forward.
Addendum:
Other headphones which I own which did not make it on the list:
Sony EX700
Sensaphonics 2XS
Other headphones which I have owned but own no longer (in order of best to worst personal preference of sound):
Sony MDR-R10 (bass light version) ....sold this to recoup my losses from the Single Power scam...miss it terribly.
HifiMan HE-5 (non LE version)
Denon D5000
Beyerdynamic DT880 (250 ohm version 2005)
AKG K701 (same sound as the K702)
Beyerdynamic DT770 (250 ohm version 2003)
Sennheiser HD595
Ultrasone Proline 750
Ultrasone Proline 650
Beyerdynamic DT990 (250 ohm version 2005)
Sennheiser HD25
Sennheiser HD280
Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10 Pro
Sony MDR-7509 (non-X version)
Grado SR60
Audio Technica ATH-W5000
Ultrasone HFI-550
Headphones which I have never owned but either auditioned in my home or had extensive time with at meets (in order of best to worst personal preference of sound):
Stax Omega 2 MKI
Stax Omega 2 MKII
Stax SR-404LE
Stax SR-404
Grado PS1000
Headphones which have high reputations which I have heard but need more time with before I form an opinion:
Grado RS1
Grado RS2
Headphones which I have never had the pleasure of hearing and would love to:
Sennheiser HE-90 (Orpheus)
Sennheiser HE-60 (Baby Orpheus)
Sony Qualia 010
Beyerdynamic DT48
Beyerdynamic DT880 (600 ohms)
Ultrasone Edition 10
Audio Technica ATH-L3000
Audio Technica ATH-W2002
Grado PS1
Grado HP2
AKG K240 Sextet
AKG K1000 (bass light version)
JH13 (if softer molding is considered)
JH16 (if softer molding is considered)
Westone ES
HE Audio Jade
Stax Lambda Pro
Stax Lambda Signature
Stax Lambda Pro Signature
Stax 4070
Stax Omega 1
Stax SR-507
Smeggy Thunderpants
JVC DX1000
Finally:
Although I was not able to compare them all side by side, this is my ranking of all the headphones I have ever owned and heard (up to 40)....starting with the best
1. Sony MDR-R10 (bass heavy version)
2. Audez'e LCD2
3. HifiMan HE-6
4. Sony MDR-R10 (bass light version)
5. Sennheiser HD800
6. Stax Omega 2 MkI
7. Stax Omega 2 MKII
8. AKG K1000 (bass heavy version)
9. Stax SR-404LE
10. Stax SR 404
11. Beyerdynamic T1
12. Sennheiser HD650
13. Sennheiser HD600
14. AKG K501
15. Ultrasone Edition 8 LE
16. Denon ADH-D7000
17. HifiMan HE-5 (non LE version)
18. Denon ADH-D5000
19. Beyerdynamic DT880 (250 ohm version 2005)
20. Ultimate Ears UE10 Pro
21. Westone 3
22. AKG K701 - K702
23. Denon ADH-D950
24. Grado PS1000
25. Sony MDR-SA5000
26. Beyerdynamic DT770 (250 ohm version 2003)
27. Beyerdynamic DT770 (250 ohm version 2005)
28. Sennheiser HD595
29. Ultrasone Proline 750
30. Ultrasone Proline 650
31. Ultrasone HFI-700
32. Shure SE530
33. Sennheiser IE-8
34. Beyerdynamic DT990 (250 ohm version 2005)
35. Sennheiser HD25
36. Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10 Pro
37. Sony MDR-7509 (non X version)
38. Grado SR60
39. Audio Technica ATH-W5000
40. Ultrasone HFI-550
Just my Opinion:-)
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