General Headphone Advice

The low end could be the seal, you're right about that. But 1.5-2 dB between 400-900Hz is quite a lot in my book. I'd be worried about vocals not being centred properly when it looks like that. Maybe I'm just picky.

 

In regards to the OP, yeah, going hi-fi is going to cost money. Even using the good value used market equipment. I imagine all the EU retailers will rip you off at a huge mark-up. There are some great audiophile companies in the EU that put out great products, but I can't think of any that are cheap. I think your best bet is to rely on the used market and China for the best possible values.

http://www.hifishark.com/
http://www.aliexpress.com/

Here's a DIY seller from China that I've had success with. He sells fully made DACs and amps too. You'll probably find nothing (of quality) cheaper:

http://stores.ebay.com/minishow0328?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

 

So if I have an HD650 and like it, and I like the bass of the 400i but not the top half as much as the 650, will any HFM planar give me those good goosebumps?

 

Planars > dynamics. Generally speaking, of course. I had the 400S briefly, and from what I recall, it easily out-classed in the HD600. I returned it because after getting the HE-6 shortly aftwards, it was clear I was never going to downgrade to a mid-fi headphone.

It's not just FR and impedance charts; there is a fundamental nature of the sound that is different between planars and dynamics. Think of a dynamic as a headphone; it produces the sound of a headphone. Think of planars as head-speakers; they are loudspeakers that sit on your head instead of on the floor. It's a question of scale and authority. And, like, loudspeakers, there is something undeniably euphonic about planars -- at least, the high-level planars.

 

Could you just please add IMO to everything you post in this forums from now on? You're going to really confuse people new to headphones that are looking for ACTUAL ADVICE BASED ON ACTUAL FACTS

 

What does authority mean to you?

 

Sounds like you and your brother need to bulk up. I listen to the HE-500 for hours and feel no discomfort at all. Everyone who complains about the weight is just a weak communist.

As for powering planars, most people like solid state, but Schiit's hybrid amps like Vali 2, Lyr 2, and Mjolnir 2 definitely have enough power and should be cool with a bit of tube rolling.

 

With your headspeaker comment, I kindof agree. I really enjoy the largeness of the sound because the drivers cover quite a bit of space. However, I think dynamic headphones (or at least all the ones I've heard) do euphony much better than the HE-500. However, planar speakers like Magnepans do have a really romantic quality to them in my experience. The largeness of the sound I like, and the ability to represent acoustic sound is just fantastic.

 

Don't worry, no one takes Gutb seriously.

 

^lol

Well after physical labor u want to rest, u dont need another workout .

For me its a different story i wont mind as much, as my sessions usually are about a couple of hours usually, sometimes more, many times less, i was more curious then anything.

 

Dynamics have come a long way, and they are now much better than what they used to be -- even from just 15 years ago. But dynamics are, fundamentally, just still headphones -- they have little coils pumping a flexible 40-50mm membrane to push air. Planars have huge "plates" moving back and forth to push air. The scale / size of the sound is on a different magnitude, hence the "head speaker" analogy. Planars are inherently superior in ways such as lower distortion and near-linear impedance curves (due to not having to fight ripples at the membrane edges). I have a TH-900, and I can attest to its phenomenal sub-bass power and incredible attack granted by the 1.5 Telsa magnets running Fostex cellulose drivers. They have almost planar-like impedance. Super efficient. They really are a superbly engineered dynamic. But as good as it is in many ways, it doesn't compete in terms of size, power and the sense of effortless performance of the HE-6.

And finally, there's a reason why HEs and LCDs are dominating the high-end headphone space. There's a reason why the Abyss is still generally considered to be the finest consumer headphone on the market, with main alternatives being Stax.

 

Looks at least as consistent as some measurements of the vaunted HD600 that I've seen.

This is actual nonsense.

 

I'm not informed enough to know what you guys are objecting to about what he's saying. Fill me in?

 

He's repeating trashy marketing speak as fact. Whether or not high magnetic flux in the gap or "cellulose drivers" make a difference, I don't think we're particularly equipped to draw such conclusions.

 

What's nonsense -- the fact that the TH-900 has great bass and attack speed, or that it's attributable to the cellulose driver and 1.5 Telsa magnets?

 

If you'd like to learn more about the generalization you're making here, feel free to download a free copy of REW and snag a copy of this file: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7coDQClAulIQjJ3Y1JuQXQxYVk

The file I've linked you to is measurements of two dynamic headphones (HD650 and Sony MA-900) and two planar magnetics (Alpha Dog and Oppo PM3). You'll need REW to load the file and view the measurements. You might be interested to see how distortion actually manifests among these different models of headphones. It's not as simple as you might think...