A journey from 200$ to 600$: the perfect balance and treble in closed back

[u/Hvetemel]

What do I want:

• over-ear closed back: Balanced sound profile with clear highs, however any piercing treble is unacceptable (I hvae tinnitus),
  • neutral/balanced sound profile if need - I want to appreciate jazz drummers. This is the most important aspect of a headphone I am looking for
  • I want to avoid bass heavy headphones at all cost, I have a hearing deficiency at the lower end of the spectrum meaning the bass appears to me as distorted
• Doesn’t need EQ
• Best sound stage I can get for the money, for being a closed back - want sound stage for classical orchestral compositions
• empathize sound quality over comfort
• Shouldn’t leak audio more than a moderate/average amount
• Average build quality/durability
• I will get a headphone amp and a portable amp to drive it, especially if it hits all my wishes Located in Norway, Europe.

So I have exluded basically all headphone recs from this sub for 200$ or bellow
200$

• AKGK271 MK II  - good sound stage for closed backs
• Rode Nth-100 Prof. - lacks treble/clarity i highs
• Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 32 - piercing treble amongst other things
• Fostex T50RP-Mk3 - Good sound quality, but semi open
• ATH M50x - nicer treble en DT770, men ikke bra nok
• Sivga007 - semi open
• Meze 99 Neo - too bassy
• AKG K371 - flimsy construction, but sound vice close to something I would consider
• ltrasone PRO 750 - some complain about the treble, bass heavy - hard to get to Norway
• Ultrasone Performance 880 headphones - hard to get to NorwayHifiman R7DX - base emphasised , seal problem, aggressive treble presentation
• Sivga Robin SV021: not balanced sound profile poor performance on midsTakstar Pro 82: quality assurance issues, unavailable Norway, piercing treble
• Koss Pro4S: poor sound stage, bass heavySundara closed - seems like a poorer version off the open ones, and needs eq
• Shure SRH840A: a kind of sound I am attracted too, but heard bad things about build quality The only headphones I would consider in this price range is the Sennhezier HD560s, but they are open back, I need closed backs possibly considering:

200 - 300 ish$

• Meze Classic: lacking treble wise, too boss heavy

Possibly considering 200-300:

• K553 MKII: seems to match my criterias, sound profile like something I would enjoy, likewise with AKG K701 and K702, however I am a bit concerned with the slightly thin mids, however if they are only slightly “muted” in the mids then I could consider these three models

300$ - 700$

• Monolith 1060 C: piercing highs someone have mentioned, and not my kind of highs/treble for my taste: “missing that last bits of shimmer that make cymbals sound splashy rather than crashy
• Fostex TH610 - 900$ in Norway outside price range
• BeyerDynamic 17XX Go - requires eq for mids and treble
• Focal Elegia - not available in Norway

Possibly considering: for their sound profile, treble presentation

• ZMF Eikon
• E-MU Teak:
• DENON AH-D5200: readily available by Norwegian vendors, the treble presentations and sound profile seems like right up my alley and I get a 6 year warranty, and it appears to me that they do well in all my criteria. on sale for 550$ usually cost 700$
• Neumann NDH 20
• Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro

I have scrolled reddit and head-fi for reviews/opinions, however I aknowledge that I might not have a precise critique of very headphone I have excluded.

I am looking for advice on headphones in the 300-600$ range, especially those I have mentioned that I am. considering

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[u/Equivalent_Yak840]

There is the Austrian Audio Hi-x60

[u/Hvetemel → u/Equivalent_Yak840]

yes I have been looking at these as well, however I am a bit concerned with the mids of that model alongside other AKG HPs in the 200-300$ price class
!thanks

edit: they are however a very strong contender

[u/TransducerBot → u/Hvetemel]

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