One of the things I love about the headphone hobby is that it’s still possible for small, initially one man shop businesses to come up with artisan headphones that can compete with the flagships from goliath companies like Sennheiser and Sony. HiFiMan, Dan Clark Audio (formerly MrSpeakers) and ZMF are three who have done just that coming up with highly competitive headphones in both price and performance.

Like Dan Clark, Zach Mehrbach got his start modifying the Fostex T50RP. When he began creating original designs, his craftsmanship, engineering and competitive pricing won over a sizeable following in the audiophile community. By 2016, anticipation reached a fever pitch when the Atticus and Eikon were announced. A Head-Fi member who heard a prototype of the Eikon said it had a “HE-6/Abyss/TH900-level impact.” I heard both and briefly met Zach at Axpona 2017. Both headphones sounded great, and I was tempted to buy the Eikon. I’m tempted by many things, however, and usually think a long time before making a big purchase.

Then came the the Vérité and the headphone community collectively lost their minds. Like, seriously. People were saying it’s the first closed headphone to sound truly open, and compared it to the legendary Sony MDR-R10, a sort of chupacabra headphone that came out in 1989. The few who heard it claimed it was the best sounding headphone ever, and some insisted that remained true after Sennheiser’s Orpheus came out in 1991. Is this crazy talk? It was time to find out. I ordered a pair, initially the open version, in January. Metalheads on the Head-Fi forum were particularly evangelistic about the closed version, and convinced me to change my order. By then, the limited Leopardwood edition was available for pre-order, so I opted for that. I also drove poor Zach crazy trying to convince him to stain it black for me. I’m sure that offended the wood lover’s sensibilities, and as you can see from the photos, the black did not happen. No matter, when they finally arrived in April, they looked lovely, and were dark enough that it didn’t look like I was wearing hamburgers on my ears (an unfortunate visual impression left on my co-workers when I used to have the Fostex TH-X00).

I’d originally hoped to pick up the headphones myself, as I live in the area, and see the workshop. But we were well into the pandemic, and I stayed home. I meant to write about them within a few weeks, but time warped in strange ways this year, and I put on the Vérité, and before I knew it, the year’s nearly over. And I listened to a whole lot of music. Those who follow my site and music lists will see that I’ve rated more albums than ever, more than 1,200 and counting.

Before going into specifics, I’ll say that I got so lost in the music, that I stopped thinking about headphones, and lost all interest for a while in comparing them, thinking about them, or talking about them. I was MIA from the Head-Fi forum for most of that time. This was partly due to the fact that the Vérité did it’s job in enveloping in music to the point where all gear disappears. That’s about as close to a perfect experience one can get with headphones. The only caveat for me is a comfort factor, which did remind me about an hour in, that something large was most definitely sitting on my head. Nevertheless, they are definitely the best closed headphones I’d ever heard, noting that I have listened to the Fostex TH900 Mk2, the Sony MDR-Z1R, and other top closed flagships from Audeze, beyerdynamics, Sennheiser and AKG, but have never heard the MDR-R10, the Denon AH-D9200, the Focal Stellia or the newest contender, the HiFiMan HE-R10.

I noticed that most of the flagship closed headphones use dynamic technology, as opposed to the extremely popular planar-mag open headphones. There must be something about dynamic drivers, with their fast responsiveness and impact, that complement the closed cup design. But the 50mm Vérité has benefits for fans of both technologies. It uses an ultra-thin polyethylene naphthalate driver, vapor-deposed with 20% beryllium coating. This process yields a stiff driver that delivers planar-like sound, with extra fast, dynamic punch.


Bass: I like me some head-rattling bass, and with some music like doom metal and sludge, I don’t even mind if it’s sloppy. But beyond those genres, it’s good to have some balance between depth, impact/slam and accuracy/clarity. So while they may not be quite the heavy bass cannons as others like the Sony MDR-Z1R and Fostex TH900 Mk2, their overall bass performance rivals anything an open headphone can achieve outside of the Abyss. I should mention that pad rolling is a thing with ZMF users, but I’d rather chew my arm off than fiddle with that crap, so I stayed with my vegan velour Universe earpads.

Midrange: This is important for the accurate reproduction of voices, but also guitars. The vocals generally are well-defined and stand apart from the instrumental music (unless the music is of course mixed to be intentionally murky). And the guitars, hoo boy, talk about aggressive. It gave me flashbacks to be literally whacked in the face by a guitar at an L7 show. Too much? Not for most rock and metal fans. It’s something that Grado has been known for, but I can’t stand the overall tuning of most of the ones I heard. It reminds me of what I missed with one of my longtime closed favorites, the Denon AH-D2000, which remained in use for a full decade, mainly at my office. They had that familiar V-shaped tuning, with a bit of dip in the midrange. The Vérité doesn’t have that problem.

Treble: If you go by the specs, which is difficult because not all manufacturers appear to be honest, the range is reported as 10 Hz to 25 kHz, whereas the Denon AH-D9200 is reported as 5-56, and the Sony MDR-Z1R the absurd 4 Hz to 120 kHz, which renders these specs meaningless. No wonder why Dan Clark Audio’s response to those specs is simply, “yes.” This is a good time to remind ourselves that the human hearing range is only 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and the average top range for adults is only 15-17 kHz. So unless your dog or pet bat is listening, all headphones can cover our entire audible range. It’s more about the tuning.

The particular tuning that ZMF favors is on the “warm” side of neutral. Part of this is a slightly rolled off treble, though it’s subtle, and others have described it as “sweet and extended,” so it’s relatively subjective. This is where it all depends on your preference. Those who have complained about “harsh” treble in some headphones from beyerdynamics and HiFiMan, will really like this. Those looking for a completely neutral, transparent headphone may need to look elsewhere. I have not experienced issues with harsh treble on any of my headphones, and nor do I feel the desire to hear all the highest frequencies. For the purposes of the kind of music I’d focus on, hard rock, psych, punk and metal, it’s not a problem. Were I more of a jazz/classical listener, I’d probably use a different headphone.

Image/Soundstage: Another particular strength that stands out for a closed headphone that has caused some excitement is it’s image and soundstage. They do have a particularly wide soundstage with vivid imaging that’s unusual for a closed headphone, thanks to both the unique airflow porting and the deep cups with a flowing, non-congruent, radiused edge which allows the driver ideal placement and angle. These cups do slightly resemble the legendary Sony MDR-R10 in that way, though not quite as deep. The results are, in ZMF’s words, “three dimensional soundscapes of the acoustic image” and a “natural, deep, rounded stage.”

This is perhaps what prompts some to say these are the first closed headphones to sound truly open. Is this hyperbole? Maybe, but it depends on which headphones you compare them to. They certainly outperform many open headphones. Some have indeed claimed they check all the boxes better than all other headphones, or at least equal the Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC and HiFiMan Susvara, and even the Sony MDR-R10. I would not quite say that. I have heard but not owned the Abyss and Susvara, and in the end, while the Vérité are definitely the best sounding closed headphones I’ve heard, they still sound closed to me. And that’s okay. If you don’t like or need the closed sound, that’s why there is an open option. Some prefer that intimate “in your head” experience with closed headphones where you’re certainly aware you’re wearing headphones. Others use them out of necessity due to the need to share space with work colleagues or family.

I fell into the latter camp. I used closed headphones at work because I had to, though I did enjoy the slam and impact the closed, dynamic Denons (and for a time, the Fostex/Drop THX00) provided. Whether closed or open, I’ve always benefited from a crossfeed simulator in my amps in order to better approximate the way we naturally hear sound and reduce headphone fatigue. Meaning, not separated between left and right channels stuck into our ears. This is why I still prefer loudspeakers when possible, even if the room may mess up the acoustics and result in a less than perfect sound. For that reason, the best option for those not requiring closed headphones might be an open air design, along the lines of the legendary AKG K1000 or the recent RAAL SR1a ribbon Earfield monitor.

Comfort: Any headphones weighing over 400 grams (the stock monkeypod wood version is 455g) really needs to get the comfort right. Just the right clamping force, earpads and balance helps, which ZMF does well. But while the second soft layer under the firm headband is meant to cushion, it’s not enough for extended sessions beyond an hour for me. Everyone’s head is shaped different, and I must have an irregular shape (good thing I’m not bald), as I’m prone to hot spots and headaches. They’re definitely more comfortable than my Audeze LCD 2.2, which weighed over 100g more. Part of the flagship pricing ($2,499) went into a magnesium headband chassis to keep the weight down. Nevertheless I get fatigued beyond an hour. This is inconvenient when I need to pull myself out of a deep listening trance and either take a break, or switch to my HiFiMan HE6se. Those who have had no problem with heavier headphones like Audeze, however, should have no problem with these.

These are pretty efficient headphones at 99dB/mW, 300ohms impedance. A headphone amp is still needed, but I always have to remember to switch off the gain on my iFi iCAN Pro amp, and turn the volume knob down by 25% when switching from my HE-6se. My amp has a couple tube settings, but I mainly stick to the solid state setting. You can go deep into Head-Fi threads where folks will say they sound best on tube amps, but that’s not me. As I said before, when a headphone gets just about everything right, I lose the desire to twiddle knobs and just get to the music.

Even if the Vérité may not be definitively the best closed headphone available right now, you’d have to pay an extra $3,000 for the HE-R10. For those with a budget ceiling at $2,500, this could certainly be an endgame closed headphone. I look forward to hearing what ZMF comes up with next. If anyone could come up with, for example, an open planar mag that competes with the Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC, but lighter weight (magnesium, baby!), it would be ZMF.


Note — I exposed them to the sun only briefly to show off the wood grain. Normally I keep the shade down to protect my gear.

Most people balk at spending more than $20 on a pair of headphones, given the disposable history of a typical portable consumer headphones for the past 35 years. Music lovers who do invest in a full size set of over-the ear cans, 9 times out of 10 they’re terrible sounding Beats or average sounding Bose noise reduction headphones. When flagships are selling for over $1,000, and more frequently more than $3,000, it’s understandable that the audiophile world can seem inaccessible to anyone but the most fervent hobbyists, obsessed music fiends, industry professionals, or just plain rich ******** with too much disposable income. However nearly every brand with a pricey flagship offers other more affordable models that benefit from the research and technology that go into the flagships. Case in point, the latest offering from venerable German company beyerdynamic, the DT 1990 Pro, which makes use of the Tesla technology first introduced to their T1 flagship in 2011. Tesla refers to the relatively large amount of magnetic force in the driver mechanism of the headphone which renders it very sensitive, and therefore efficient. The DT 1990 Pro is arguably a more accurate reference headphone than the T1, and at $600, less than half the current price of the updated T1 ($1,399). I also simply enjoy seeing images of new flagships, because they are often great looking works of art, much like loudspeakers and bicycles.



My love for headphones, as it is with many people, is rooted in a formative experience from my childhood. I grew up in an extended family of music lovers with pretty diverse record collections. However like a lot of sensible working class folks, they did not spend much money on fancy stereo systems. Well, my grandparents’ TV-record-player-shortwave-radio-bourbon-glass-storage combo might have been pricey for them back in the day, but it wasn’t exactly hi-fi. So the first time I put on my uncle’s full size Koss headphones (probably a 1974-76 model), I felt like I was in Oz when it flips to full color, or I’d fallen through the looking glass. I’d never heard music so intimately and with such detail before, and the experience played a big part in my becoming such an insatiable music fiend. Ironically my own headphone purchases started with an early cheap Sears knockoff of the Walkman, so basically the nadir of headphone history. It wasn’t until after college that I invested in a pair of Sony MDR-V6 to spare my housemates from my music late at night.

15 years later it was time to retire the worn out Sonys, and I joined the Head-Fi discussion forum to research what was new and exciting. I looked at the Sennheiser HD 650, beyerdynamic DT 880, Audio-Technica ATH-W1000, and Sony MDR-SA 5000 but went with AKG’s latest flagship the K701, which, remarkably cost less than half of their previous flagship the K1000 ($895) at $449, and I got it for $318. That was a decade ago, probably the last time a new flagship would debut at well under $1,000. The average price of flagship headphones has at least tripled since then, but I don’t really see that as a problem. It started with the Sony MDR-R10 in 1989, which sold for, $2,500, and then of course the 1991 Sennheiser Orpheus system, with the HE90 / and HEV90 tube amp, that originally sold for about $16,000, and went for up to $41,000 used (as there were only 300 made). Since 2009, flagships have regularly been coming out at between $1,800 and $6,000. And of course there’s the new Sennheiser Orpheus 2 HE1060/HEV1060 was revealed on November 3, 2015, at the price of $55,000. It rests on a solid marble base, when you turn it on the buttons come out, the tubes rise up (“and SLAY THEIR OPPRESSORS!” joked a friend when I posted this on FB), and the case opens revealing the headphones.



I’ve peripherally paid attention to the audiophile speaker industry, which remains much larger, with many, many more brands available, with literally dozens that sell for more than the cost of a luxury car, some even a house. They represent not a shift, but an expansion from consumer-oriented product, to limited edition benchmarks to show what all their research, technology and resources can come up with, unlimited by cost, just as many car manufacturers have their limited flagship models. I will never own most of these headphones, but regular people do get opportunities to try them out in listening rooms, Head-Fi meets and trade shows like CanJam London last month, and coming up, the 13th annual Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver, October 7-9. There should be at least a couple new exciting flagships announced. I’m most excited to learn more about two new flagships from ZMF, which I will get back to at the end of the article.

It’s gratifying to see the growth and enthusiasm in this industry the past ten years, when so many are prematurely lamenting the alleged death of albums, CDs, and high fidelity. Clearly there are still many people who believe music is worth spending money on, both on the physical artifacts and the gear. And the fact is that the technology has been trickling down, so that many of the most inexpensive IEMs sound much better than they did previously. So while I may never own the new Focal (a French company that has made $180,000 loudspeakers) Utopia flagship introduced in June for $4,000, or Sony’s new flagship MDR-Z1R ($2,300), which will be available in October, headphones are improving all the time at all pricepoints.



For example, beyerdynamic has trickled down the Tesla driver technology originally introduced in its T1 flagship into two of their arguably best headphones, the DT 1770 Pro closed headphone which came out last year, and the open DT 1990 Pro, out recently on September 19. I previously had a great run with the closed DT 770 Pro, as seen in “Cans Of Doom” in 2013, but sold it in order to try another open headphone, the Philips Fidelio X2, which I wrote about here.

I decided I wanted a more neutral reference quality open headphone, and reviews indicated the DT 1770 Pro was exactly what I’d been looking for, and I ordered it just a couple days after it became available. Beyerdynamic certainly has an impressive history, starting in 1924, and creating the first dynamic headphones in 1937, the DT48, which stayed on the market for an amazing 75 years. They experimented with quadrophonic headphones in 1973, electrostatic in 1976, and in 1980, did what they did best in making another great dynamic headphone, the DT 880, which they claimed competed with the best of the latest electrostatic headphones. They may have been right, and that model still remains in production 36 years later. Beyerdynamic clearly know what they’re doing. They intended the closed back DT 770 Pro for studio and stage use, the semi-open back DT 880 Pro for reference monitoring, mastering and mixing, and the fully open back DT 990 Pro for critical listening.

My DT 1990 Pro was delivered ahead of schedule last Saturday morning, and I was pleased right away with it’s look and feel. They had the sturdy build similar to the DT 770 Pro, but with slightly more heft (370 g vs the extremely light 270 g DT 770 that is ideal for musicians in action). The cable is removable, and both straight and coiled cables are provided. They also give two options for velour earpads, one for analytical listening and another that’s balanced with slightly more emphasized bass and rolled off treble. The pads seem a bit softer and more comfortable than the 770 Pro, and my AKG K701. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to me that these are velour, and not leather or lambskin. I don’t care if they feel like your ears are being cuddled by tiny baby otters, I would never buy headphones that don’t at least give a non-animal skin options. So I will never own a Focal as long as they use lambskin, but kudos to companies like Audeze (who offer vegan pads) and beyerdynamic.

While the model number indicates it’s a successor to the DT 990 Pro, I wonder if it means something special that the Star Wars death star-patterned grill harks back to the 880. While there is more clamping force on the Pro series than consumer due to practical purposes, it’s still plenty comfortable, and I experienced no physical fatigue in my 2 to 4 hour session. I wondered if I would miss the lack of bass emphasis, but the truth is that there is plenty of bass, just as it was intended. It simply doesn’t artificially increase the bass like some other headphones.

The closed DT 1770 Pro does reportedly offer more bass, just like my Fostex TH-X00 and Denon AH-D2000 do. There’s nothing wrong with that, as the bass is naturally emphasized in a lot of live performances. Criticisms of the treble being somewhat annoying in previous models appears to have been solved in the 1990. The result is truly the most transparent, neutral sounding open headphones I’ve ever owned, the kind of headphone that makes you forget you’re wearing a headphone, and are just fully immersed in the music. I’ve sampled plenty of other headphones, but I have not personally experienced anything that has done this better. From what I have read, the EnigmaAcoustics Dharma D1000 ($1,190), OPPO PM-1 ($1,200), Mrspeakers Ether Flow ($1,800) and Focal Utopia ($3,999) are likely candidates to surpass it. So nothing else close in that price range except possibly the Audioquest Nighthawk ($599). I exclude the popular models from Audeze and HiFiMANbecause they’re just so heavy (LCD-2 is 570, HE1000 V2 is 688 grams), that they are not a comfortable option if I want to listen for more than 30 minutes. While I will continue to switch to my Fostex TH-X00 to enjoy bass heavy rock and doom, the DT 1990 Pro should serve as an excellent reference for critical listening and reviewing music from all genres for years to come.

Historical Timeline: http://fastnbulbous.com/beyerdynamic-dt1990pro-headphone-timeline/

It’s Black Friday, and what’s more black than to buy a good pair of headphones for your favorite rocker or metalhead. Today the headphone audiophile community is buzzing about what may become a historic event in headphone history. Massdrop and Fostex have collaborated to create the best value in closed back headphones you can find today, with the Fostex TH-X00.

This isn’t the first time Massdrop has collaborated with an audiophile headphone manufacturer. Will Bright, who participated in the Head-Fi forums since he was a teenager, is the head of Community Expansion at the San Francisco company, and initiated a collaboration with AKG to create a special version of their 65th anniversary limited edition of their K702, which was a big hit in 2012. The resulting AKG K7XX Massdrop Limited Edition Headphone was assigned an MSRP value of $650, but sold for only $200 with Massdrop, a pretty amazing deal. In this case, it sold in only a run of 150, but more drops have been scheduled due to popular demand. A similar collaboration happened recently with the Grace Design x Massdrop m9XX DAC/Amp, a simplified $500 version of an amp that normally sells for $2,000.

I was tempted by these offers, but I already have the AKG K701 which I’ve used mainly for TV and movies in the living room for the past 9 years, and do not need another amp. However, the Fostex TH-X00 has inspired me to do my first drop. For years my favorite workhorse had been the Denon AH-D2000, great bass response for doom, midrange for rock and metal, and just enough detail but not fatiguing. The Dx000 line was designed by another well regarded Japanese company, Fostex. In 2009 they were the best closed back (semi-open) headphones around, an important evolution in headphone design that opened up a whole new segment of the market. The headphones were so popular that they fueled a whole additional side industry of modifications, for hobbyists who liked to switch out the earpads and cups for their own customized versions provided by companies like Lawton Audio.

The partnership with Denon ended quickly, by 2012, when Foster (the parent company of Fostex) decided to pull the licenses for their designs from Denon and focus on marketing their own Fostex TH-600 (originally selling for $1,000) and TH-900 ($1,200). Fans of the much more reasonably priced Denon DX000 line (starting at $350) justifiably felt abandoned. Today they are finally offering an olive branch to those customers by teaming up with Massdrop and creating a new design, the TH-X00, that is both a nod toward the popular “woodies,” the Denon D5000 ($699) and D7000 ($999) with their mahogany cups, and not only using elements from the Fostex TH-600 and TH-900, but even improvements, all for the amazing price (via Massdrop only) of $399. It claims the MSRP is $1,000. If that’s true, then that’s an incredible 60% discount that they’re selling it at, with a headphone that in most regards surpasses the TH-600, and in some respects the TH-900 and old Denon Dx000 line.

The past few years I’d been looking for a used pair of D7000 for a good price. I’d known people to find it for $400. Unfortunately it now mostly sells for $750 used, and that’s just too much for me. So the introduction of the Fostex TH-X00 is really exciting. It’s not the exact same tuning as the Dx000. Reviews have stated that the bass emphasis (thought not necessarily the extension) is mitigated in order to improve the midrange. Some bassheads should still be satisfied as it’s still very deep, while others may still believe it’s worth it to pay the extra money for TH-600 (which now sells for $600), TH-900 or a used Denon. However it should be good news for most metal and hard rock fans, as the midrange is very important for guitar music. And no less important is the bang for the buck.

I signed up for this drop as soon as I got up this morning and it was already at 1002. It’s now at 1322 as I finish writing this. 1950 units are available in this drop, so it will be sold out probably within the day. But they will certainly do another one as soon as their production catches up. Here’s a review:



While it is an astounding deal, they aren’t necessarily an endgame (a perfect headphone that suits all your needs for your lifetime) headphone for everyone. There’s plenty of great options, many more than when I last wrote about my latest Cans of Doom two and a half years ago, the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro. Since then, I tried out the Denon AH-D600 and did not like their tuning, and the fact that they looked to much like Beatz. I then sprang for a used pair of the famous Audeze LCD-2 v.2. In many ways, they were the most interesting headphone I’d ever experienced. They use updated planar magnetic and orthodynamic technology that was popular in the 70s, but faded when manufacturers found cheaper ways to make headphones. By the 2000s, Fostex was the only manufacturer that used orthodynamic technology, until Hifiman entered the picture in 2007 with the HE-5, and Audeze in 2009 with the LCD-1. My LCD-2 v.2 was released in 2013, definitely has a unique sound signature, with deep, luxurious bass response, rich midrange, and a rolled off high end that decidedly excludes them for use as professional reference. These are open headphones meant to be enjoyed at home for those who’s idea of fun is to re-listen to their collection through the unique filter of the LCD-2 tuning. And yeah, they go great with most metal, particularly doom.

They were a hit, and Audeze has since come out with several more models, with rapidly increasing price tags. While the latest edition of LCD-2 with fazor technology has gone down a bit to $995, there’s also the LCD-X($1,699), LCD-XC ($1,799), LCD-3 ($1,945) and LCD-4 ($3,995). I spend a huge portion of my life listening to music, and I do think it’s worth spending some money on, but even I can’t yet justify that much. Not when you can get headphones that perform nearly as well for far less. Additionally, the main drawback, at least for my LCD-2, is the weight. They are so heavy, that after an hour or so, the top of my head starts to throb and ache. I could mess around with alterations, but I decided it was time to sell them via the Head-Fi community and try something else.

A couple weeks ago, I became interested in the ENIGMAcoustics Dharma D1000. It uses an intriguing hybrid of electrostatic and dynamic technology. The result is supposedly stunning bass extension (5 Hz) and high frequency range (40 kHz). What really caught my attention was when renowned audio engineer Bob Katz, in a blind listening test, rated it third in a group of headphones all priced significantly higher than it’s proposed $1,200 price (he had a prototype). It was ranked between the Audeze LCD-3 and Sennheiser HD 800, and also beat out the likes of Hifiman HE-1000, Stax SR-009, Audeze LCD-X and Mr. Speakers Ether. However, no one in the Chicago area has the headphone that I can audition, and I just can’t justify paying that much for a headphone right now. Perhaps in a couple years I can snag a used one for half the price. Still, it’s innovative technology that can compete with headphones priced as much as $4,450 is exciting. It’s a good sign that competition will make prices more competitive.

In the past couple years, an enthusiastic Head-Fi member from Moscow who goes by levap took on the ambitious task of auditioning dozens of headphones and rating them for their compatibility with various metal genres. As expected, my favorites, the Denon AH-D2000, Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro and Audeze LCD-2 fared very well. While his overall favorites seem to be the D7000 and the Abyss AB-1266, which goes for a whopping $5,495, I took special note of the Philips Fidelio X1, because if their value, and the fact that many others in the headphone community have compared the newer X2, released in 2014 for $300, favorably with the likes of the LCD-2. They do have a somewhat similar tuning, an open headphone that reaches sub-bass depths possibly even deeper than the LCD-2. And like the LCD-2, they are known for their dark sound, meaning they do sacrifice some detail in the treble, compared to even the Denon AH-D2000. But for those looking for that sound, they are an amazing deal. And what sold them for me is they are much lighter and more comfortable than the LCD-2, with a self-adjusting headband along the lines of the AKG K7xx series, and memory foam earpads. During extended wear, I can nearly forget that I’m wearing headphones. Of course that can backfire if you’re not careful, as it’s important not to play at loud volume for extended periods. I usually don’t listen at high volume for more than 20-30 minutes, then I gradually turn down the volume. If I’m doing a marathon listening session of more than 3-4 hours, I take breaks and switch to speakers (which at night have to be at pretty tame volume).  Who knew that the same manufacturer as my electric toothbrush would knock it out of the park with headphones? For the $300 price point, the Philips Fidelio X2 is probably the best option for metal and hard rock, unless you’re a fan of the Grado sound. I am not, as I find them harsh and fatiguing, and uncomfortable. Also, they still look like they were made in someone’s garage, which holds a certain rock ‘n’ roll charm for some, but not me.

Also worth mentioning is the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro, which just came out in September. Judging from it’s model number, I presume it’s meant to be an update of my favorite Cans of Doom, the DT 770 Pro. However, these are different in that they use the Tesla 2.0 drivers famously used in their famous T1 Tesla headphones (originally listed for $1,399, but on sale at the moment for $699). Also much different is the price, at $699, more than twice the cost of the $299 DT 770 (which can be found easily for under $200). However, every component is easily replaceable, including removable cables, which make them a great, durable option for professional reference quality headphones with great bass extension. I have not yet heard them myself, but reviews so far have been very positive.

Another category worth exploring is portable headphones. The latest and greatest generally are smaller, sealed so as to keep out most exterior noise and avoid bothering those around you, and with removable cords with controls and a microphone that work with your phone. After selling off my venerable Audio-Technica ATH-M50 and doing some research last year, I tried and rejected the Denon AH-D340 (lack of bass extension), and settled on the NAD VISO HP 50, which lists for $299, and is currently available for $249. I also considered the V-MODA Crossfade M-100 and Sennheiser Momentum. I’ve been very happy with NAD, who are of course veterans in the audio world in regards to amplifiers and receivers (I use their C 355BEE integrated amplifier in my doomcave listening lair), but fairly new to headphones. They are nearly as comfortable and light as my Denon AH-D1001, but sturdier for outdoor use, and better noise-isolating properties. What seemed to give them an edge over others according to reviews, was their RoomFeelTM technology, which creates a much wider soundstage than other headphones in that category. I have to agree that with some music, you can imagine being in the room and hearing instruments come from different directions. This would probably make them suitable for movies too, if I were to invest in a smart pad/tablet. This past year my use has been limited to FLAC files on my little Zip Clip+, and streaming Spotify on the iPhone. Bass extension is excellent, though not quite as deep as my Denons.

For many, $300 is still an insane amount to spend on headphones. Fear not, there are still great affordable options. Often neglected in the hype over the legendary Fostex-designed line was the Denon AH-D1001. Listed at $149, I got them for around $80 new from Amazon, and they are what inspired me to also get the D2000. For relatively small on-ear headphones, their bass extension is incredible, I’d say at least 95% as good as the D2000. They are also the most comfortable headphones I own, which is why I keep them at my bedside, as I can lie back on my pillow with them on and listen and read with total comfort. Fortunately, when Denon lost their licensing with Fostex, Creative was able to carry on the design with just a couple small changes and improvements. The Creative Aurvana Live! lists for just $99, and can be found currently for $57.50, without a doubt the best value in headphones at that pricepoint. Another popular option is the Fostex T50RP Semi-Open Dynamic Studio Headphones for Commercial Recording and Critical Listening Applications, which list for as low as $99. A whole industry has also arisen based on making modifications to these headphones. The latest version, the Fostex T50RP MK3, was just released last month, and lists for $200, and can be found for $160. Many claim this is the best sounding headphone available for under $500, and I would love to audition them and compare to the DT-770 Pro, Fidelio X2 and of course the TH-X00.

There are literally hundreds of other viable options, as I’ve been focusing on headphones that work best with metal and hard rock. Sennheiser, AKG, Sony, Audio-Technica, Hfiman and many others also make great headphones.

I should note that with the exception of the Audeze and Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (250 Ohms), most of the ones I’ve personally used can perform fine from your phone or computer. A dedicated DAC (digital audio converter) can improve on the sound, and the increased power from an amplifier can resulting in scaled, better performance from many of the headphones. However beware of this rabbit hole! There’s a fine line between what is cost effective, and what is completely ludicrous and frivolous. I admit that I drank the kool-aid and, in order to drive my Audeze, invested in a Meir Audio Corda Classic amp and Daccord DAC setup. While not nearly as expensive as other compatible rigs, it also wasn’t cheap, it took 20 days to arrive due to customs. On the other hand, it looks and sounds great, especially with the Audeze. If I were to simplify, I would probably opt for the Grace Design m9XX via Massdrop, which, like the Meier, still offers crossfeed, which I believe helps alleviate headphone fatigue (basically it simulates how you would normally hear speakers in a room with natural crossfeed, the theory being that hearing completely separate left and right channels makes your brain work harder to make sense of it). However my Meier setup works nicely as a pre-amp to my stereo amp and loudspeakers too.

Some audiophile hobbyists have no problems with tinkering with amps, upgrading and collecting. I, on the other hand, simply need uninterrupted time with my tunes. So before you go in too deep, consider a starter like the Creative Soundblaster X-Fi HD, which lists for $99 and sells for less. Also highly regarded is American company Schiit (yes, it’s pronounced just how it looks), hence the punny name of their diminuitive Fulla, for just $79. They are one of those dangerous companies that draw you in with the quality of their lower end products, and you could end up spending $3,900 on the Ragnarok/Yggdrasil amp/DAC combo!

While several headphone manufacturers are getting into the game of insanely priced flagships for over $3,000, fortunately there are still some that are also doing a great job putting cumulative experience, knowledge and technology to great use in affordable options that far outperform most anything that was available even six years ago.

The evolution of headphones has been fascinating to watch over the years. Pretty much everyone aged 50 and younger has grown up using headphones, and have owned many, many pairs. Some may remember the crappy headphones that came with the original Walkman and its progeny that would usually break long before the foam covers would wear off. They were an afterthought, although Sony’s 1979 introduction of the 3.5mm “minijack” stereo connector was useful. In some ways things haven’t changed much since then, as headphones associated with portable audio is still considered disposable. Good full size “over the ear” headphones existed of course, but were mostly used by audio professionals and audiophile hobbyists with almost art-deco/mad scientist looking tube amplifiers.

In 1985 Sony once again was a step ahead when they introduced the MDR-V6 studio monitor headphones. They were not obviously revolutionary compared to the standard of headphone technology at the time, but their immense popularity with studio and audio professionals expanded to general consumers who realized their flat sound (meaning accuracy), sturdiness and portability was a great value for the price ($70). But not everyone wants completely neutral sounding headphones. In order to enjoy relatively bass heavy funk, dub & dancehall reggae, hip-hop and dance music (especially drum ‘n’ bass and later, dubstep), DJs in particular craved headphones that could simulate the immersive low-end sounds. Again, Sony responded in 1993 with the MDR-V600, which emphasized bass and featured swiveling earcups so DJs could easily switch to one-ear listening. And while previously most quality full size headphones traditionally had high impedance (100-600 ohms), the MDR-V600 was only 45 ohms, which meant they could be used without an amp on portable tape and CD players with decent loudness and sound quality.

In the years since the explosion of iPods and MP3 players, there’s been a reaction to diminishing returns in sound from poor quality sources and transducers (cheap inner ear headphones and computer speakers) that’s manifested in a growing number of people going back to buying records (they really just need lossless files and decent speakers, but I cover that elsewhere), and using better quality full size headphones. The audiophile market seems to have responded to the demand in the past decade, and often exploited it. Around 2003-07, the flagship models of headphones by industry leaders like AKG, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Denon, Audio-Technica, Ultrasone and Grado were priced around $400 to $650. There were a few exceptions of more expensive models, including Sony’s MDR-R10 which sold for several thousand, but that became more common in subsequent years, with most manufacturers, including newcomers Hifiman and Audez’e, offering headphones for well over $1,000. Perhaps fortunately, almost none of them were really made for rock music, working best with classical, jazz and folk. And when it comes to metal, when very few bands of that genre are big selling superstars, it just seems wrong to listen to their music on cans that might be more expensive than the instruments they played with.

There’s a number of sub-genres of metal and heavy rock, which I often clump together as “stoner/psych/doom,” that emphasizes fuzzy low tones and bladder-shaking bass that would benefit from some headphones that do the music justice. Cans of doom! There’s no shortage of bass-heavy headphones, but most of them are models of poor quality and bad value. It’s hard to get heavy bass without being too boomy or just flatulent and all over the place, and sacrificing quality of the mid-range too much. Bose has long been the whipping boy by audiophiles, and more recently, Dr. Dre’s Beats By Dre have become the most common example of bad quality and value. They’re also hugely popular, and while they may serve as a gateway to better things for many people, they’re also a huge rip-off, especially with Beats Studio at $300. So what’s a rocker on a budget to do? Skullcandy’s Aviator offers better sound at half the list price ($150), though again, the quality might not be quite there. Next week they’re issuing a special Dinosaur Jr. edition along with the release of a single. Lemmy Kilmister has his own series of vanity cans with Swedish company Krusell International AB, with the top model, the Motorizer, selling for a more affordable $129. With endorsements from rockers across the globe (who wouldn’t want to support Lemmy?), they should sell well. I haven’t gotten to hear it but Lemmy’s m.o. to “make them louder than everybody else’s” is not exactly promising.



Surprisingly, at least to some people, you can get audiophile quality cans that will do heavy music justice at comparable prices to the mass-marketed Beats, Monsters, Skullcandy and Motorheadphones, while also putting sufficient boom in your doom. I’ve been lurking and participating in the Head-Fi forums for close to a decade, and the favorite headphone for general rock listening is the Grado SR-225i. I heard it while researching headphones, and while it excels at conveying the excitement of mid-range guitar sounds, it lacks low end depth, and can sound harsh and irritating, causing fatigue to occur quickly, within 15-20 minutes. On top of that, they’re uncomfortable and look like they were assembled in someone’s garage. Clearly I’m not a fan, but they do have their use for certain people. Just not us heavy psych and doomsters. For that kind of music, the favorite by a significant margin has been the Beyerdynamic DT 770. The company is considered one of the German headphone giants along with Sennheiser for good reason, having been around since 1924. In addition to featuring boosted “bass-reflex” technology, the DT 770 was considered since 1985 as one of the best overall sounding closed-back headphones on the market, and listed at only $250. It was discontinued in 2011 and replaced by the T70 which uses Tesla technology from their flagship T1. Unfortunately it’s priced much higher ($649) and does not share the bass characteristics of its predecessor.

Luckily for bassheads and rockers everywhere, the DT 770 Pro model is still available, and for just $179. I treated myself to a “like new” used one for my birthday for $133, a great bargain compared to the T70 and the $1,500 T1. For the past few years the Denon AH-D2000 has been my workhorse in my doom cave listening lair, and the smaller AH-D1001 in the bedroom. They are an excellent choice for rock music, with a healthy amount of bass that would satisfy anyone but the worst bass junkies. In his piece “The Battle Of The Flagships,” Head-Fi Guru David Mahler said, “The DT 770 really digs down deep with tremendous impact. Despite this, its bass presentation manages to be rather tight. What may be most impressive about the DT 770’s bass presentation is that it really is able to bring forward the sub-bass frequencies that many headphones skimp out on.” Unfortunately that Denon series lost their license with Fostex, who created the designs. The line has been discontinued and replaced by the AH-D600 Music Maniac ($550). Being brand new, I was unable to find out much information on it, and I’ve been wanting to try a Beyerdynamic anyway. I wasn’t disappointed. As promised, they are bass heavy without being completely overwhelming. The mids are somewhat recessed, making for a “dark’ sound signature that’s perfect for most heavy psych and stoner/doom metal. The bass on the new Goatess album sounds insanely over the top, and great fun. Previous listens to Age Of Taurus‘ Desperate Souls of Tortured Times seemed a little lacking in bass, and the DT 770 helped remedy that. Sessions with Black Sabbath (new and old), Saint Vitus, Magic Circle, Rote Mare, Jex Thoth, Elder, Electric Wizard, Wo Fat and Pagan Altar all benefited from the cans of doom! They’re definitely not neutral reference cans. They are available with three different impedance ratings (32, 80 and 250 ohms). I got the 250, which would sound very quiet plugged into a computer or MP3 player, but come alive on my home Meier Corda Catante.2 amp. I love this amp, with crossfeed features that helps prevent listening fatigue, which I discuss more here. That one is discontinued, but he has newer models that are even better.  Some DT 770 owners like the portable Fiio E10, which does not have crossfeed.

A close runner-up in the cans of doom category is the Ultrasone HFI-780. While it lists at $279, it’s available new on Amazon for $155, and used as low as $120. I was unable to hear these myself, as no one’s gonna be sending me free review headphones, but lots of people with large headphone collections swear by them. For portable listening, you can’t go wrong with the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 ($199/$159) sturdy studio pro headphones that fold up nicely, similar to the venerable Sony MDR-V6 and V600, both of which are still available for $80 and $250 respectively. But for cans of doom, you can’t go wrong with the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro.