Free Standard Shipping in the US on orders over $99

[Community] Audiophile headphones

by Zac

Audiophile

SHARE: GIVE $10, GET $10

9153 votes

[Community] Audiophile headphones

by Zac

Audiophile

SHARE: GIVE $10, GET $10

9153 votes

gotmoosefur

No ATH-1000s? Or even 2000s? :(

Lollausen

no love for the Fidelios? what the hell guys. when are we gonna see some drops on some entry level mixers and consoles though?

lucky.life

will there be any drop soon?

gearofwar113

There are better options besides HD800....Ether, Dharma D1000, Elear....please make those happen guys. You could always find a cheaper pair of HD800 nowadays....

Cookster997

256

To all of those who so dearly want the Audio Technica M50x's and have been voting for them in almost every headphone poll everywhere... Just keep in mind what you are getting, and make sure it is really what you are looking for. Youtuber Zeos Pantera has a few very critical and objective videos explaining why the M50x's aren't for anyone, and pointing out what else might be a better option.
His original M50 review:

his second M50x review:

If you're looking for gaming headphones, he has a breakdown of good options.

Here is his review of a similar and comparatively priced headphone from Shure:

And here is his review of the Sennheiser HD 598 headphones, which I currently own and recommend for their much lower price if you don't mind open back.

And here is his review of Audio Technica's open back option in this price range, the AD 900x:

I hope this helps people further refine their decision, and keep in mind, there are hundreds of headphones out there. Don't get a pair because everyone tells you they are the best. Get a pair because they will do what you want them to do to your music, games, or movies. Never be afraid to do more research.
EDIT: Oh! And I forgot to mention, in this price range, Fostex offers an excellent lineup of planar magnetic headphones. Just jeep in mind you will definitely need a proper amp for these.

crashtestgenius

Cookster997

Thank you! Someone gets it. M50's are not audiophile headphones. They're pleb-level cans barely better than beats.

The0NE

crashtestgenius

I own them, going from IE phones to them was amazing, I also notice most of the people who buy them have never owned a decent set of cans before and I think this is the main reason people buy them. They are an experience though I think most people starting their audiophile journey must try them just so that they can actually appreciate good cans! I have moved on from them and I have realise now how crap they are and they arent the best for their price range.

gavin898898

beyerdynamic T1 or HD800

SenorPlatano

389

What's the point of getting TH-900's now that the TH-X00's exist.

Lisanna

can anyone help me with finding headphones with maybe a wider sound stage but most of all the sound quality should be good. I'm looking for something in the price range of around £30(it can be a bit over that limit).

SuperSomeone

Consider getting the HD800S instead of the HD800. It's a better headphone, and it'd be nice to start off sales with that instead.

Theverybestof7

http://dro.ps/v/rRwZHe9 Good microphones pls vote

Hauntedabyss

https://www.reddit.com/r/ZReviews/comments/3fpti5/which_z_review_made_you_buy_what/

Hauntedabyss

Why did 1800 people pick HD800 when the T1 , LCD, DT990 ect are better headsets??? wtf

Lv5Mudkip

The poll has over 3000 total votes but no word yet? I know I voted on a similar poll a while back and nothing happened. I really hope they put this one up :/

Mr.Ting

I have seen some of you guys said that the high price headphone is not going to work on Massdrop because not too many people are going to buy. I agree with that point. However, to speak of headphones. There are lots of over ear have happened on Massdrop or are still active drops. These are all around 500 dollar. I am not try to say that money is the key factor that determine the performance of a headphone, but if it doesn't affect any audio quality, why they ever exist? Just because ALL of the buyers are simply rich and stupid? All of them just want to buy some expensive gear that they might not even get a chance to show off? You guys are all audiophiles and you should know that there are not too many people out there who very care about sound quality. At least not as many as the number of people who care about watching Blu-Ray instead of VHS. That's why people still listening to lossy streaming. What I am trying to say is that we already have headphones in the range from budget price to mid-range. We should have some Hi-End to make some different. If you just buy many different headphones around 500 bucks, they are not going to sound obviously different, because the marketing targets of them are similar and the price of their design and assembling are similar. This is like you switch back and forth between Spotify and Apple Music, they are both lossy and you will not get huge different from that. Massdrop may be trying to become another retail. In that way, this platform will eventually become another small Amazon, but it will not beat Amazon anyway (in my lifetime at least). Therefore, for the idea of pursuing high quality audio, please don't say that the Hi-End drop is meaningless. What we want is to improve the sound quality AND save money, not just buying some random things that seem cheaper than the MSRP been told. Don't let the price get in the way of your original goal. Again, having many same price range headphones don't make sense. You'd better save all the money spent on them and buy one Hi-End gear, or spend money on over-all optimization. If all you just want to save money and want to buy stuff that you might don't really need or similar to what you already have, you don't really need Massdrop, because you might find better deal somewhere. The attached snapshot is the HD650 I bought from Amazon with pretty good deal (my opinion).THe Audeze has happened before and I think HD800 and other Hi-End gears also could happen. Besides, please voting base not only on your interest but also on the money you have.

American

Mr.Ting

ive listened to a lot of headphones, each of them had something i disliked, even in the high end, but the HD800 were the perfection, i would however do the 10Hz mod on them to turn them into HD800S, because the 10Hz spike on your ear drum is like a cat claw slashing your face slowly, and im in my early 20's and can hear it all too well, older ppl 30+ wont hear it at all

Marziman

I've got a pair of HD800's and let me tell you, some say it's a 700 with 800 rebranding and a wider sound stage but the sound quality is very different. Though aesthetically I prefer the 700's for some reason they remind of something out of Star Wars.

American

Marziman

tried HD800 on, they are creme de la creme of all headphones in my opinion (80% on ABX), id probably do the 10hz frequency resonator mod though - something what HD800S basically come with from the factory, makes for an easier, less strain listening, as per color lol, I wouldn't hesitate spray painting them, there are ppl that have done an amazing job customizing their pairs!