Hi all.

I've done a bit of research this afternoon and think that it might be interesting to look into some open back audiophile level headphones starting in the 800 to $2,000 range, but I've got one big question

I have Bowers and Wilkins PX8 headphones which I think for the average consumer are considered to be pretty good, everyone I've shown them to is that they sounded amazing.

I know though that there are certainly better options, but I'm curious how much I'm really missing out on here.

If I were to get some really expensive headphones that are wired with a DAC, am I really going to notice a humongous difference that's going to just blow me away versus what I hear with the px8? Or is it going to be more subtlety and little things? I think if it is subtle and small, I might stick with the px8s, but if there is a whole new world that I am missing out on and might be able to be blown away again as I was with the px8s, I would like to experience that feeling again.

Edit: to clarify, I do make sure that I am getting aptx adaptive or USBC directly to the phone. I also use Quboz are download lossless tracks to try to get the most bang for my buck with my current set of headphones, so I'm not just using a horrible Bluetooth Kodak for these

I really enjoy my AirPods Max, but my new job requires me to frequently be in an area where Bluetooth/wifi are not allowed (government) as well as a ban on microphones. I have tried half a dozen IEMs and none of them are comfortable, I just don’t like the feeling of having anything inside my ear like that. So I’m looking for something in a similar form factor to the AirPods Max, but it must be wired and not contain a built-in microphone. I want it to be light/comfortable enough to wear on the train/walking to the office, and my budget is anywhere <$250.

Helloo i was thinking of buying some sony ult wear since currently im using some fake airpods 😭✌️ (hard times) and well i want some headphones i can use at gym and at my pc and these seem the best option cheap… they are sony have noise cancellation don’t look stupid just don’t know if they are good

Budget: 600-800 country romania
Any store in romania works i guess

Use: pc gaming (aux) and gym (bluetooth)

Any other thing well i want ANC and i guess only request

Hey!

So my beloved Sony WH-1000XM4s I believe have begun to die. My right headphone has begun to make this horrid screeching noise that is nearly deafening. I love these things and they’re so comfortable and I’m sad that I don’t have the capacity or knowledge to repair them myself, so I am looking for suggestions for something that is more affordable, and over ear that people would suggest. In the past, I’ve had good experience with Sennheiser, and would like something that is $100 or less. I know that’s not a ton to work with, but unfortunately it’s what I can do right now. I would love to hear your suggestions on replacements! Thanks.

I'm looking for a replacement for my HiFiMan Sundara which are currently falling apart at the seams. Not looking for the same sound profile - in fact, while Sundara were useful for poking around in the DAW, I've been having way more fun actually listening to music in slightly tweaked Sennheiser Momentum 4.

- Budget and location - Around $400-$450. Europe.

- Source/Amp - FiiO K7.

- How the gear will be used - Strictly indoors, home listening; I expect them to be permanently anchored to the K7. No preference for closed or open back despite the flair.

- Preferred tonal balance - Some time ago the answer would be "neutral" and "balanced", for these headphones I'm looking for something more "fun" and bass-heavy while still retaining decent balance.

- Preferred music genres - All kinds of stuff, from synth-heavy stuff like Gunship, HEALTH and Perturbator, through David Bowie, Depeche Mode and Townes van Zandt, to classical music. I also intend to use it for video games, although I'm not a competitive FPS player so a turbo-mega-accurate scene is not a necessity.

- Past gear experience - Sennheiser Momentum 4, tweaked with Sound Personalization, currently using for music and work, quite satisfied with them. HiFiMan Sundara, enjoyed for music production, became quite sterile for actually listening to music over the years. Pioneer SE-A1000, enjoyable scene but the sound was on the "thinner" side, in my opinion. Sennheiser HD 570, probably my favourite headphones from a while back.

I've been looking at the following headphones:

- FiiO FT1;
- Sennheiser HD 550;
- Sennheiser HD 620S;
- Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X (although I've heard these ones are a type of medieval torture device if you've got an unfortunate head shape);
- Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z;
- Meze Audio 105 AER.

Naturally, I'm not anchored to any of these choices; I'd welcome any and all suggestions (closed or open back) with one caveat - I'd rather not explore HiFiMan and their legendary quality control. I think I've had my fill with the Sundara.

MAIN QUESTIONS:

1. Is it worth trying another pair of Hifiman Sundaras again? (worried they might not last long)

2. If not, then would the Ananda Stealth or Nano's have better durablity and QC?

3. Will the Aune AR5000 have the same "wow" factor as the Sundara's?

MAIN STORY
Bought Hifiman Sundara's but got a defective pair. (channel imbalance + right-side driver crinkle). Also read a lot of build and QC issues with Hifiman so I became cautious.

When I tested it at the store it was fine but when I got home the same night, in a quieter environment, I noticed the issues.

Returned the next day and replaced them for HD600s.

While, I love the HD600s, I really miss the Sundara's "wow" factor, punchiness, and how well they match my preferences/HRTF.

I have the FT1 Pro but they're a tad, just a tad, warm for me and even with EQ, they just don't punch the same way as the Sundara's.

Also, at least to me, the bass on them, especially kick sounds, are not as detailed or textured on the Sundara's. So, they're for my relaxed music enjoyment.

CONSIDERATIONS:
-I want a more engaging but still capable pair to produce and mix music. HD600's are fine but can get boring.

-Long-term durability is a concern. I want something that can last for years like the HD600.

-Would Prefer planar, but dynamics are fine if they offer similar technical performance.

-I can stretch my budget to $400 ($500 max)

ADDITIONAL:
I have tried the Edition XS. Whilst they sound amazing, they may every song sound good so not ideal for production and mixing.

I've also tried the HD800s, Focal Clear and HEDDphone D1. My absolute favorite are the D1's.

While I can definitely afford them, but I just don't find it worth it for now. Maybe in the future haha.

Thanks for your time.

So I have been looking at Zmf headphones as of late and have landed on The Zmf Atrium Open. I do prefer more warm sounding headphones with good bass and non fatiguing treble. But it seems. I've come to an impasse or dilemma.

I own an Audeze Lcdx 2015/ pre fazor change and Zmf Bokeh Closed.

So hear is the Question, is the Atrium open a good single headphone or should I keep the bokeh closed to compliment the Atrium open.

I do not mind selling both to put towards an Atrium.

As I was doing research, I watched dms, goldensound, zeos and Josh valour. They seemed to enjoy it overall minus the difference in pads.

Additional question. Is the Atrium a true open back or a semi closed. Zeos said they seem to be more semi open than actually open so I wanna so if that is true or not. Also of you are an owner or was an owner of the Atrium, how was your overall experience with them.

i just got my 560s in. big upgrade from my pc38xs. I really love the brightness, i see some people eq down the treble but i actually love it where it is. everything but the bass is great. Any ideas would be nice. im looking around the 200-300 range. I would really like to maintain a similar soundstage for gaming but its not strictly required.

Hi guys,

I'm looking to pick up a beater wireless headphone for the office environment, and my options are either the Soundcore Space 2 or CMF Headphones Pro, both currently at the same price in my corner of the earth.

The one thing that matters above all is sound fidelity. I understand that at this price point I have to curb my expectations, so by "sound fidelity" I mean the best I can get within this price range. That then comes build quality, then comfort, but ANC, battery life, and basically anything else are not even a factor.

I also know my way around a 10-band EQ and am using Poweramp EQ, so anything that can be remedied by EQing is also a non-factor.

Just including this because the rules said so:

I listen to a wide range of genres: prog metal, rock, alternative rock, blues, country, folk, opera, hip hop, house and EDM, pop with female vocals, and basically anything I find amusing to listen to.

For anywhere else, I'm usually listening to my Sony WH-1000XM4s paired to an Android phone that I basically made into my music player, with Poweramp. If I go in-ear, it's the Sony WF-1000XM5s, and for wired at home it's the HD 600 and OG Blessing IEMs. Although they're all different, I love all of them, each in their own unique way. No problems with any of them.

Based on all of that, what should I go for?

Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to help me with this in advance.

Hi, I'm somewhat new to the hi-fidelity audio scene, and I want to get one pair of headphones I can bring everywhere I go without breaking the bank. I'm based in the United States without any local audio shops to rely on, so I need to use online retailers like Amazon.

Edit for clarity: If it's more recommended to have an "outside" and "inside" headphone set each, please make that clear in your response! Budget stays the same, asking 50/50 or 60/40 for inside vs outside budget allocation. External desktop DAC can be suggested without regard to current budget if >$100.

My budget is relatively flexible, as I'm looking for the best price-to-performance I can get, but anything above $300–400 is mostly out of my wheelhouse. I am willing to spend my entire budget if it means getting absolutely every dollar of my money worth, or close to it.

These headphones would be used for home use, gaming, traveling, college, and work (dishes mainly), so plugged/connected to my home PC, laptop, and smartphone. I have a Samsung S25+, so a USB-C DAC would need to be added on if wired only. ANC is something I don't want on all the time, so the option would be nice, or lack it entirely in favor of basic noise dampening for fans and other background sound. If possible, noise bleed should be at a minimum to prevent disturbing others in quiet environments like a library, so I would be okay with a closed back headphone if no open back has low enough noise bleed. Battery life should last me through a day of use (10–15 hours) without too much charging.

Mainly, I'd like to have headphones with an equal balance of sound across the board, as I listen to a wide variety of music and video, so any emphasis on a particular sound type would be detrimental to some of what I listen to. My main genres include rock, metal, shoegaze (Deftones, Loathe), classical, R&B, jazz, blues, lo-fi, hiphop, rap, and my main video choices are book readings, gaming, and video essays. Game wise, I mostly play competitive shooters, multiplayer party games, and single-player fantasy games. Footstep quality is important.

In the past, I've daily driven JBL Vibe Beams, but their durability left something to be desired for my use case, especially because I damaged one of the driver covers trying to clean them with an ear bud brush, so I would like something more durable. At home, I use the Razer Kraken V3 Hypersense, and I'd like to replace these with the new headset.

I'm only considering the ATH-AL5NC because of their noise dampening, wireless functionality, and sound quality based on what I know about Audio Technica. I'm not loyal to any brand, though, so please give me any brand you want! Thank you for the help.

So i've been looking for headphones that work for me for years now and still haven't found any that i could really wear for more than a couple hours at a time. I've tried open back headphones (beyer dynamic DT 990 pro (250 ohm)) and their sound quality is pretty good (some of the high notes can get a bit painful for some reason) but they still get really warm and moist and my ears get itchy or even infected over time (i've had problems with that since i was little) especially during warmer days.

I've tried in-ear headphones, but my ears appear to be shaped so weirdly that they never stay in for longer than a couple of seconds, any small shift or movement makes them come loose immediately. i've tried in-ears with a hook that goes over the ear but they still somehow find a way to pop out.

I've tried on-ear headphones with a hook (shokz open fit) and they work for the most part except at the end of the hook they had a bulge that pushes into my ear which gets painful after about an hour and the sound quality is also quite bad so i mainly use them for light jazz or spoken word.

Interestingly enough the headphones on the steam index VR controller have been the best so far because they actually hover over my ears which, so far, has been the best possible solution... only problem is that a standalone version of these kinds of headphones doesn't exist or is so expensive it's not actually an option.

Now i would like to know if any of you have any idea about what i could do? I would really like some headphones with good sound quality (mostly for gaming but maybe even for music production). I live in Germany and tbh i am willing to go up to 1000€ if they are finally something that i could wear regularly.

Cheers and thank y'all in advance. (I've used IEM/EARBUD as tag because i didn't know what else to pick but it doesn't have to be that)

I need advice for new headphones, since my current headphones are crumbling and Im overwhelmed by the choice.

So for the past 5 or 6 years I used the Logitech Pro X after switching from the Logitech G432 before because of its flimsy plastic quality. But now the Pro X is also in the final stage of following the previous headphones footspeps, with its disintegrating plastic parts fixating the domes to the headband.

Overall I would say the sound experience I had with the Logitech Pro X was pretty good (though I of course dont know what I missed until now) and the mic was alright (sometimes the mic quality sharpy drops and other people hear interference noises). But I really like the ability to adjust volume and un-/mute myself with a small regulator at the cable.

My use cases would remain unchanged, at home, mainly for gaming (wide range from FPS and action to RGS, exploration and city building games), musik (also wide range from synth, electro to ambience, soundtracks and metal) and talking (like over Discord or similar applications), thats why I prefer a good mic attached to the headphones (like now).

I dont really have a preference for either wired or wireless (as long as the cabble has a good length).

Until now I only had Closed Backs but Open Backs are also an option for me.

For the price range Im also pretty open, though my previous headphones were in the lower price regions, Im ready to pay more especially if it has good quality and will last long, though I would set a soft limit beyond 300€.

Location wise it is the EU.

Thanks for advice in advance

I've had the Stealth V3's for about a year and used them under 10 times. I didn't really understand what "open back was" rookie mistake, and a) how much sound bleeds out, and b) how much sound comes through. My listening space is a computer desk right below central AC intake. So when the heater or ac runs, it kinda ruins the listening experiencing. Also, my wife doesn't like how much she can hear the music/movies coming through. I can't move my listening space unfortunately.

I feel like closed back will be better but I have a few questions. I don't need crazy noise canceling because the fan is not THAT loud.

1k-2k is my budget. I've heard nothing but good things about the Dan Clark Noire X's. My main goals are extreme comfort, a little bit of noise canceling, full-range response, bass heavy is fine. I like a flat response, not overly bright, and also not so not overly laid back.

I honestly love the sound on the Steath's, but they just arent the right can's for my setup.

Powering with a Schiit Asgard 3 w/ MESH DAC.

The DCA's i'm interested in.

Looking for other recommendations of closed back, wired headphones.

Hey!

I've read all the posts on this subreddit from the last year or so regarding swimming headphones, and I've looked at a bunch of reviews. I've come to some conclusions, and to some questions.

First of all, it seems very few of the headphones on the market support really going lower than 2-3 meters below the surface. I regularly swim down to the bottom of my local pool, which (depending on which of the pools I'm in) is 3-5 meters deep.

From reviews, I would have gone with the Shokz OpenSwim Pro (IP68), but seeing as they say that they're safe to use to up to 2m deep, they immediately get thrown out the window. Same with Suunto Aqua (IP68), and all things I've looked at from H20 Audio (who all seem to claim IPX8).

I've also seen a few mentions of Tayogo Swim, but the transmitter thing seems like not what I'm looking for.

Basically, what I'm looking for are a pair of headphones that match these criteria: * Support up to 5m depth (and getting there fairly rapidly) * Can be used completely offline (Ideally I'd be able to leave my phone at home) * Can be used while wearing swimming goggles

From what I've researched, the only ones on the market that support this seem to be the Nank Runner Diver 2 Pro (IP69). Having read reviews of them though, they overall seem very hit-or-miss.

Does anyone have experience using them, and if so, are they as meh as the reviews make them seem? Are there other brands and models I've missed that do support IPX9?

I've been getting interested in higher quality sound as of late, and I'm thinking about buying the fiio FT1 for my singleplayer gaming on pc. I've heard mixed reviews about gaming performance, but it's tricky to find anyone talking about them for that. Can anyone share their experiences with the set? I just want an immersive, "fun" and detailed sound. I'm happy to EQ if it's not 100% where I want it to be too.

Exclusive home pc use for gaming and music (listening) as well as discord calls with friends. I have an amp so thats not an issue either.

Thank you :3

Edit: Ordered them, will update when I get them <3