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JustFluxz
456
Oct 3, 2018
Is this worth the upgrade from the Sennheiser HD 700 and Beyerdynamic Amiron Home? Will I enjoy the sound enough in comparison to my other headphones or regret the amount of money spent? Hmmm...
pure5152
74
Oct 8, 2018
JustFluxzFWIW, There was a review in the Massdrop reviews for this headphone that compared it to the hd 700 saying it was a clear upgrade
JustFluxz
456
Oct 8, 2018
pure5152Thanks. I just read it. Just hard to hit the buy button for $700 and not be able to return them if I dont like them. I definitely prefer the aesthetics of the HD 700 and the Elear more though, as I dont normally prefer an all black aesthetic.
eertnoisiced
3
Oct 8, 2018
JustFluxzCurrently own both the hd700s(modded with modhouse audio mod) and the Elex, IMO it's a clear upgrade. I prefer the comfort, these have clearly superior low end, and the soundstage seems about equal, which is the 700's greatest strength. These sound better to me, and are also less fatiguing.
JustFluxz
456
Oct 8, 2018
eertnoisicedYeah, I just installed the modhouse audio mod, and joined the Dakoni ear pad drop for the Elite Velour pads. I mean, I feel that the HD 700 does get a lot of undeserved shade as it is a great headphone. I also will need to figure out what I will be going to do with my HD 700 and my Beyerdynamic Amiron Home. I purchased the beyerdynamic, and regretted it a few months after because my ear gets presed against the inside of the cups and it doesnt conform to the shape of my head due to the literal circular shape of the cups. I hate selling online and shipping them. Just hate buying more headphones when I barely used the others that I bought lol. The Amiron Home is great sound wise and there are a lot of things I do like about it but the comfort isn't completely there for me unfortunately. One of my other concerns was the aesthetics of the Elex, as stupid as it sounds, becuase I already have so many black stuff that I like having atleast some other kind of metallic color to be used as well just to mix things up. Would you say that the Elex is worth the upgrade, despite already saying it is a clear upgrade? Like, I am just trying to figure out whether it is something that I can wait on without regretting it, if that makes sense.
Edit: It seems to be about the perfect headphone, except for the fact that I would prefer no leather and the minor aesthetic differences. I always only purchase headphones over the past few years that I have detacheable cables, so that is a huge plus for me, but this price tag scares me a little, as I only spent $315 on my HD700 as I bought it used, and I negotiated my Amiron Home down to $450 brand new. $700 is a pretty significant price difference for headphones and I am nervous. I just wish there was a way for me to try the headphones before I purchased them so that I could know if it is something I would be willing to drop the money on.
eertnoisiced
3
Oct 9, 2018
JustFluxzI wouldn't really describe the pads as leather, but IMO they are endgame headphones (basically focal clears) at $700. I agree with you on the 700s, they are a great value, I got mine used for 250 on reddit.com/r/avexchange. I'm not going to lie, there isn't a huge difference in headphones going up the line from the 700s, so if you wish, you could just never spend money on headphones again.That being said, I love the Elex, and would reccomend them to you. They are everything I want in headphones, they are the most comfortable pair I have ever worn, and they fixed my issues with the 700s, which was a lack of low end, and they just felt sort of fatiguing to listen to. Keep in mind, you aren't risking $700, you could sell them for 600 used or maybe even refund them, and I highly doubt you won't enjoy them. If you are in a financial position to buy them, I'd say go for it.
JustFluxz
456
Oct 9, 2018
eertnoisicedLike I can afford them but it would make a very large dent, as a full time student and part time employee. I try to focus more on my cheaper hobbies haha. The bass was one thing I did feel that the HD 700 was lacking, so hoping the new pads I ordered will make it sound better as the frequency response graph shows it should. When I was mentioning leather, I was referring to earpads and headband, but from what I've read, I think only the headband uses leather.
rastus
1391
Oct 9, 2018
JustFluxzYes, a very nice step up from the HD700’s, from any angle other than pure comfort, and the Elex carries it‘s weight well, a non-issue really.
rastus@JustFluxz To add on here, the Elex is also MUCH easier to drive and honestly sounds very good from even the most humble of sources. Pair them with a high-end amp/DAC and they come alive even more--especially when balanced. I had the joy to use mine out of an iFi Pro iCAN for a month and it's wild how well these things can sound. I have also heard despite their lowish impedance, they still respond well to tube amps.
All that said, these come with a nice balanced cable and storage box (it's seriously swanky) and are arguably one of the most dynamic headphones I have heard in this price bracket. For those of us that have had these for a while, you're really getting a cheap Focal Clear with the Elex.
ludachris
314
Oct 9, 2018
jaydunndidditI love the blacked out elex. I like the look more than the elears
JustFluxz
456
Oct 9, 2018
ludachrisIdk. I always felt blacked out look very boring. That's just my opinion though
rastus
1391
Oct 9, 2018
jaydunndidditGot one of those Focal cases, did you? I was hoping we would get one as first signer-on's for the Elex, Will then said we would get something... not yet come to fruition... still waiting... were you in the first wave for the Elex?
I'm on the tube Holy Grail - second harmonic - siren song road right now, and really kind'a there. The Elex's sounded fine with my little modded APPJ 6V6GT tube SE head amp. But now, as an unexpected bonus, it got even better with my new pre-owned 300B SE amp, that was really intended for speakers... but I can't stop listening with my Elex's. The Cary spec says 4-50Ω for cans and I have asked what is the actual output impedance, no response, but the 80Ω Elex sounds just fine. The Cary 300SEI has the auxiliary 7200uF 250 VDC capacitor power bank, this was what clicked in my head for speakers, did not think it would come so much into play for cans, but it does, that extra 'headspace' power, tapped only when needed... damn... I'm still looking for a new SS amp, eventually, end-game you know lol;) the Audio-gd HE-9 is on the top of the list, it's a small Hoover Dam for cans.
And you really can't go wrong with black:
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rastusYup, I was in on the initial run Elex. And the Focal case is coming with the Elegia :) I was talking about the stock display case the Elex comes in. It's arguably the nicest headphone box I have ever owned. Best part is it fits the cable perfectly so I never had to unplug them or mess with the sliders when putting it back in the box.
For amps, I still have my eye on the Darkvoice 336SE as everyone raves about it. If I like it, I may move into something from Woo Audio (firefly's, maybe) as they also get great remarks. I'm more used to tube hybrid's and the tubes in iFi gear so it'll be nice to finally have something with a proper "tubey" sound.
I know many love Audio-GD but if you want an alternative absurdly powerful amp, check out the iFi Pro iCAN: https://ifi-audio.com/products/pro-ican/. I absolutely loved it when I had it (borrowed from a friend) as it has tube and solid state stages and can be operated either balanced or SE with a monstrous 14W of power on tap. It can work for sensitive IEMs to current hungry planars to pushing close to 100W to a 40 ohm speakers (in 20V mode). The thing is an absolute beast. If I had cans or speakers that needed that much power, I would've bought it off him. But, once I finish my headphone buying for the year, I'm going to settle on the Pro iDSD: https://ifi-audio.com/products/pro-idsd/. It still outputs 4W of power and has bluetooth/wireless/NAS functionality and bunch more modern goodies while still maintaining the solid state and tube stages.
I don't know much about motorcycles but is that a Triumph? My dad gave me an old 1970s Triumph Bonneville I was working on restoring but sadly lost it in a house fire. The bike had less than 10k original miles on it and basically sat in a garage for 30 years. That truly hurt as it was in such amazing shape for its age and would have made a wonderful classic restoration. This is the one I had, but in green:
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rastus
1391
Oct 9, 2018
jaydunndidditSad about the bike, a classic, once gone...
The Pro iDSD, looked at that before, the "Swiss Army Jackknife" of head amps, very nice as it can do almost anything and has true quality components throughout.
I will be interested in your take on the sound stage of the closed Elegia... though I may take the lower cost route to getting a Focal case;)
Cdn_Adrian
3
Oct 10, 2018
JustFluxzdo you stare into a mirror as you listen to music? i mean i get build quality, or heavy weight being an issue but having a hard time buying a audiophile quality headphone because they are... black? like jesus man, care more about how they sound.
JustFluxz
456
Oct 10, 2018
Cdn_Adrianlol, its on the very bottom of the list of concerns. I am very nitpicky and if I am spending so much that I have never spent on headphones before on one pair, I want to make sure that I am getting something that is truly the best for what I want, especially if there are very similar options.
cwelton17
108
Oct 10, 2018
jaydunndidditI'm sure you saw that Darkvoice amp just got added today??
jaydunndiddit
3262
Oct 10, 2018
cwelton17I know. It's like I talked that drop into existence, hahah. Been doing some additional reading on it and various tubes on/off all morning. I stumbled upon the new Lyr from Schiit that has been getting good reviews as well as some other brands. But, I'm also torn as my THX 789 will be here at the end of the month so I may just wait until I have some ear time with it before pulling the trigger. The DV336 seems to pop-up here several times a year so I'm sure I could catch it around the holidays if I'm still in need.
Admrl
14
Aug 1, 2019
JustFluxzDid you get an answer to this? I'm thinking of the same upgrade.
JustFluxz
456
Aug 1, 2019
AdmrlI havent purchased them yet, but from what people say, it is a better headphone. its just a matter of whether you are okay with the money difference. doubt it would be much better though
rastus
1391
Aug 1, 2019
JustFluxzThe HD700 was my first foray into $ cans, and they were worth it. I keep them nostalgically; Elex get the ear time... eventually they will most likely be sold, so I can “transform” to the 800s, where I would have jumped,, if I had $$...
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