Headphones, got any favorites?

[Big B]

I just replaced Audeze LCD-4’s with Utopia’s. I loved the sound of the LCD-4’s but the design was poor so far as managing those heavy things. They were always sliding off my head.
I still have an HD-800 S. I also have the Violectric V281.
I’m replacing the Utopia’s cable with Nordost Heimdall 2’s. I can share the extension with the Heimdall’s on the HD-800’s.

I'm curious how the the Heimdall sounded with the HD -800. Approx. what did the cables cost.

 

[Leatherneck]

The cable cost $800 and supports both balanced and single ended. An extension is available for around $600 (when I bought mine).

Heimdall's were recommended to me some time ago by my Naim/Focal dealer and by someone who sold me my first Sennheiser HD-800's. I've used them on my HD-800S and LCD-4's.

These are really good cables Clearly better than the OEM cables. My dealer sold me the last one he had in stock and thought Nordost may be discontinuing it as too expensive. They make a less expensive headphone cable but it's not as good.

BTW, all my Ethernet cables are Nordost Heimdall's too.

 

[Big B]

The cable cost $800 and supports both balanced and single ended. An extension is available for around $600 (when I bought mine).

Heimdall's were recommended to me some time ago by my Naim/Focal dealer and by someone who sold me my first Sennheiser HD-800's. I've used them on my HD-800S and LCD-4's.

These are really good cables Clearly better than the OEM cables. My dealer sold me the last one he had in stock and thought Nordost may be discontinuing it as too expensive. They make a less expensive headphone cable but it's not as good.

BTW, all my Ethernet cables are Nordost Heimdall's too.

Thank you for the reply.

 

[Randy Myers]

MrSpeakers Voce on Blue Hawaii Special Edition. Dan also turned me on to some nice Phillips NOS tubes.

At my office I use Focal Utopia balanced with a Violectric V281.

Electrostatic is so precise, dynamic a bit warmer.

I always thought the Voce would be great for electrostatic. I also had loved what I heard about the Blue Hawaii for a while now. It is what actually got me interested in the HeadAmp amplifiers. Almost got a GS-X Mini if not for the deal I came across on the SimAudio.

I can't do electrostatic though because I wanted a headphone that I could use at home and with my portable. I have two black dragon balanced cables, one 4-pin for the home setup and one using the A&K balanced cable connector for the portable!

 

[Mike]

We have this headphone amp on display:

Products

The sound is just off the charts. I’ve heard nothing come close, even the big stuff from WOO.

Only downside is the price! GULP. $10K and you still need a DAC. The new Viva DAC pairs beautifully. I heard this combo in Munich when the Viva DAC was just a prototype.

 

[Randy Myers]

We have this headphone amp on display:

Products

The sound is just off the charts. I’ve heard nothing come close, even the big stuff from WOO.

Only downside is the price! GULP. $10K and you still need a DAC. The new Viva DAC pairs beautifully. I heard this combo in Munich when the Viva DAC was just a prototype.

Gulp... but it is still cheaper than the MSB .... Have you compared it to the SimAudio NEO 430HA? I can not imagine a better headphone amp, but then again I have never listened to a $10k or $38k (MSB) headphone amp as of yet .

 

[Mike]

Gulp... but it is still cheaper than the MSB .... Have you compared it to the SimAudio NEO 430HA? I can not imagine a better headphone amp, but then again I have never listened to a $10k or $38k (MSB) headphone amp as of yet .

Nah, haven’t tried the MSB headphone amp. I can imagine it’s great. But this Viva is real sweet too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Randy Myers]

Nah, haven’t tried the MSB headphone amp. I can imagine it’s great. But this Viva is real sweet too.

I imagine it is. Have you ever had the SimAudio 430 in the store?

 

[bluegrassphile]

Really diggin' my Stellias. I thought they would be a high end version of the standard closed HP sound. They go way beyond that. Since they're actually "ported" they sound more similar to an open HP than you would expect. They're an excellent HP. Especially for quiet listening. Very highly detailed and well balanced. Nice, tight, clean bass. Gorgeous midrange and top end. Killer SQ over all. Couldn't be happier with them.

Then there's the NAIM UnitiAtom HE amp/streamer/server/music player that I use with the Stellias. Incredible piece. But that's a whole other thread.

 

[CPP]

We have this headphone amp on display:

Products

The sound is just off the charts. I’ve heard nothing come close, even the big stuff from WOO.

Only downside is the price! GULP. $10K and you still need a DAC. The new Viva DAC pairs beautifully. I heard this combo in Munich when the Viva DAC was just a prototype.

Yep $10k is a little steep. Looks cool though

 

[Randy Myers]

I have a hard time thinking that I could do any better than my Woo WA22, but then again for $10k it better smoke my Woo.

 

[Randy Myers]

HeadAmp GS-X Mini is simply amazing. It definitely has some heritage on its side being the baby brother of the Blue Hawaii. In my view the best headphone amplifier I personally have heard, and they are under $2000!

I will be using my Abyss Diana Phi's with the HeadAmp and using my new HifiMan Ananda with the Astell&Kern portable. The HifiMan cans arrived yesterday. I wanted to get a much less expensive headphone to carry with me for portable use, to work, etc., for use with my portable player. I have not been feeling comfortable carrying my really expensive Abyss with me to work every day.

The Ananda's are physically larger than my Diana Phi's however they are a bit lighter. They are also more efficient and therefore the portable does not have to drive as hard to get to acceptable volume levels. They also seem to be very comfortable. I have had them on for an hour now and barely realize I have an over the ear headphone on. The Ananda are surprisingly good, especially for the price. They retail for $999, but can usually be found for about $699 (I got a really good deal from HeadAmp and used a coupon Justin gave me with my new GS-X Mini amplifier to make them even a better deal!). I was able to get them into the Abyss canvas bag that comes with the Diana, although it is a fairly tight fit. All in all I think this will work out good and allow me to keep my Abyss at home and not worry about them getting damaged carrying them every day for portable use.

 

[Stormlord]

I know they're nothing special but I like my Shure SRH440.

 

[Jack in Wilmington]

Love my new Abyss Diana's. It is so easy to almost go into a trance as you listen to these. The large part of my listening goes to my headphones and it is essential that they be true to the recorded sound to my ears and comfortable.

 

[Bones13]

At home - Headamp BHSE with DCA Voce and older Stax X900
Violetric V281, and a plethora of old headphones, and a couple of newer ones
Meze Elite, Senn HD650, Senn HD580. V281 has input from Pre-Amp, and also from a small USB DAC direct from computer for Zoom.

Currently liking the fuller sound of the V281 +Meze Elite better than my estat system with current cans.

At work - HeadRoom Balanced Ultra Desktop Amp with Senn HD800
Other work Desk - iFi Amp with Focal Elegia

All my Senns are older, replaced pads on 800, and new pads coming for the other 2.

Some choices coming up end of year with the move. I’ll probably have to pick estat vs dynamic. I’ll keep the smaller iFi DAC and amp for son when he returns from school in a few years.

If I have to jettison the vinyl rig (TT, phono, pre-amp, and records) I’ll either keep the BHSE, and get the most recent Stax, or get the MSB headphone amp with the Meze Elite.

 

[Randy Myers]

Love my new Abyss Diana's. It is so easy to almost go into a trance as you listen to these. The large part of my listening goes to my headphones and it is essential that they be true to the recorded sound to my ears and comfortable.

I continue to love my Abyss Diana Phi! I now am using them with the Schiit Mjolnir 3. I do not always use headphones, but when I do I love this combo!

 

[Puma Cat]

Sennheiser HD600s with a Schiit Valhalla 2 triode OTL headphone amp. For home theatre, when I listen to headphones with my AVR, I use Oppo PM-3 planar magnetic 'phones.

My IEMs of choice are Campfire Audio, and my "main squeeze" are the now-discontinued Comets.

 

[Randy Myers]

Sennheiser HD600s with a Schiit Valhalla 2 triode OTL headphone amp. For home theatre, when I listen to headphones with my AVR, I use Oppo PM-3 planar magnetic 'phones.

My IEMs of choice are Campfire Audio, and my "main squeeze" are the now-discontinued Comets.

I never liked IEMs. I even had the higher end Audeze once for a while. Just never comfortable to me. I use my Abyss for home and I used to use them portable with my A&K at work. Now that I no longer work they don't get used portable much.

 

[Puma Cat]

I never liked IEMs. I even had the higher end Audeze once for a while. Just never comfortable to me. I use my Abyss for home and I used to use them portable with my A&K at work. Now that I no longer work they don't get used portable much.

I use my IEMs when out out training on my roadracing bicycle and listening to my A&K, and as such I use my IEMs way more frequently than my headphones.

Folks needs, requirements, and likes may be different, and that's fine. The key point is they're all equally valid.

 

[Dr Morbius]

I realize these aren’t special, but my Beyerdynamic 990 Pro and my very new HiFiMan HE400 SE’s sound great with my (pictured here) Schiit Vali 3.