[MellowRoll]

Hello! I'm seeking your advice for my next headphone upgrade.

Currently, I'm using AKG 712's. They've been great for 7 years, but I'm wondering if there's a better set out there for me.

• Budget: Up to $2000.
• Sound: I favor bass-heavy music but don't want to compromise on clarity or balance. Not too keen on overly bright treble. I enjoy my 712's with Harman EQ and some bass boost (+8-9db). As for "soundstage", I'm still unsure how important it is.
• Use: Musical enjoyment. I don't use them professionally, so perfect accuracy is not as important as long as music is fun to listen to. My music taste is quite eclectic, so I'd need something versatile, but general pointers are lots of electronic, also jazz, funk, dub, rock, and a bit of hip-hop. Not much classical or metal.
• Setup: High-end laptop. Open to getting a portable (I travel a lot) DAC/amp if needed. I usually listen to Spotify at 320kbps.
• Type: Prefer over-ear open-back for their comfort and ambient sound. As I listen to music pretty much all day long, I need them to be light and comfortable. 712s are good in that regard.
• Environment: I listen at home in a quiet room. Moderate sound leakage is okay.

Looking forward to your suggestions. Thanks!

 

[Craft Ears]

Hello! I'm seeking your advice for my next headphone upgrade.

Currently, I'm using AKG 712's. They've been great for 7 years, but I'm wondering if there's a better set out there for me.

• Budget: Up to $2000.
• Sound: I favor bass-heavy music but don't want to compromise on clarity or balance. Not too keen on overly bright treble. I enjoy my 712's with Harman EQ and some bass boost (+8-9db). As for "soundstage", I'm still unsure how important it is.
• Use: Musical enjoyment. I don't use them professionally, so perfect accuracy is not as important as long as music is fun to listen to. My music taste is quite eclectic, so I'd need something versatile, but general pointers are lots of electronic, also jazz, funk, dub, rock, and a bit of hip-hop. Not much classical or metal.
• Setup: High-end laptop. Open to getting a portable (I travel a lot) DAC/amp if needed. I usually listen to Spotify at 320kbps.
• Type: Prefer over-ear open-back for their comfort and ambient sound. As I listen to music pretty much all day long, I need them to be light and comfortable. 712s are good in that regard.
• Environment: I listen at home in a quiet room. Moderate sound leakage is okay.

Looking forward to your suggestions. Thanks!

Portable HiEnd headphone? Gotta be Meze Lyric. Closed-back, great sound and can be driven by anything. If the open back is preferred, then I really like the HiFiMan HE6se.

For travelling I usually use IEMs, as they are much better suited, more comfortable and smaller.

 

[MellowRoll]

Portable HiEnd headphone? Gotta be Meze Lyric. Closed-back, great sound and can be driven by anything. If the open back is preferred, then I really like the HiFiMan HE6se.

For travelling I usually use IEMs, as they are much better suited, more comfortable and smaller.

Thanks for the suggestion! Could you share a couple of words on what you like about HiFiMan HE6se?

When I say that I travel a lot, I mean that I change locations often, but I listen at my desktop. So headphones size is not very important, as long as they're comfortable over long listening sessions. But for DAC/amp I'd prefer it to be portable enough so that it can be powered by USB and doesn't take too much space in my luggage. Do you have any suggestions on that as well?

 

[earmonger]

Not much pricier than AKG712, but the Audio-Technica ATH-R70X is so light and comfortable I have forgotten I'm wearing them.

Open-back, very transparent sound and great for all the spatial madness in electronic music. They are tuned neutral -- the R is for "reference" -- but their specs say the bass goes down to 5Hz, and since you're already cranking the bass on the AKG you can do the same with the ATH-R70X.

Thomann.de has good prices.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/6/17535412/audio-technica-r70x-review-professional-headphones

They are high-impedance phones -- 470 ohm -- but mine get plenty of juice from the VE Megatron, which was only $56 shipped to the US.

 

[Nick24JJ]

Meze 109 Pro + Mojo 2

 

[MellowRoll]

What do you guys think about ZMF Aeoulus? What do you think is the most portable way to drive them?

 

[Monsterzero]

If the open back is preferred, then I really like the HiFiMan HE6se.

The HE6 is one of the hardest headphones on the planet to amp properly. Good sound, huge bass slam, treble can be a bit sharp, quality control is highly questionable. Unless the OP has a mega amp already, a new amp is a must for the HE6.

What do you guys think about ZMF Aeoulus? What do you think is the most portable way to drive them?

Warm, musical sound with lovely mids and excellent bass slam. Very different from the K712, with much more bass, less staging, tons of texture. If you're familiar with the HD650 sound, think of the Aeolus as a HD650 on steroids.

I would not call any ZMF light in weight, though they are comfortable. I also would not consider any ZMF for outdoor use as the risk of scratching the wood cups is too great.

I know some ZMF owners use portable amps, but most folks use a dedicated desktop HP amp for ZMFs and a large chunk of those amps are tube based OTL amps, as all ZMF headphones except for the Caldera are high impedance.

You can try asking for portable amp suggestions in this thread.

 

[Craft Ears]

The HE6 is one of the hardest headphones on the planet to amp properly. Good sound, huge bass slam, treble can be a bit sharp, quality control is highly questionable. Unless the OP has a mega amp already, a new amp is a must for the HE6.

Yes, that's a fair point. Amp is a must with them. That's why I mentioned Lyric before. No issues with mine, or the ones my friends got.

Thanks for the suggestion! Could you share a couple of words on what you like about HiFiMan HE6se?

Incredible detail and resolution, with a nice kick and dynamics for open back.