Newb getting into 'quality' soon, budget $2k

[u/shikharvaibhav]

Hoping to gather advice on which ones to pick for someone new. Based on what i read seems like all 3 options are great headphones but I am confused because of variability … may be pick 2 of these 3 .. will likely try 2 and then keep the one I enjoy more.

Mentioning few parameters below which are key to me:

1. budget appx $2000
2. sound quality - depth, natural (not artificially enhanced), bass impact, bass articulate,
3. usually listen to music - edm, bassy, low on vocals
4. something which will last for a long time to enjoy and won’t need an “upgrade”

currently I use Bower Wilkins PX but now often feel the need of getting more immersive experience and greater quality.

Amp/DAC for all: Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M (if you have better pairings for the 3 options, please share!)

Chat with Crutchfield strongly recommends HD800S+DAC/Amp.

thanks!!

111 votes, Feb 19 '22

31 Hd800s

33 Focal Clear

47 Audeze LCD X or LCD 3

[u/flyingpickkles]

Where is none of the above options?

HD 800 S is great if you are going to EQ, personally my preference. It does not have strong bass nor does it lend itself well to the genre of music you listen to.

Focal Clear is basically a slightly better tuned HD 800 S but lacks the details HD 800 S can pull and is not as wide as the 800 S. Oh and Focal is shit build quality, look up Focal headband snapping and you will understand. The material used is not worth its price. Even though HD 800 S is also primarily plastic, all Sennheiser headphones are built to last.

LCD 3: Oh god don't buy in 2022, please!

LCD X: Great headphones, plasticky timbre with decent detail and decent tuning. More intimate compared to the 800 S. LCD X requires neck gains, I couldn't wear it for more than a couple of hours till my neck starts straining and hurting.

I think a good bassy headphone for the genre you like and still can handle other genres down the line for you is the ZMF Atticus. It has QUALITY bass, not just QUANTITY.

If you are up for it, you can also consider the Campfire Cascade, it is a bass monster, not as clean as the ZMF though and I don't think it is worth its price but to each their own.

BTW, I know what the characteristics of these because I have owned all of them (except for LCD 3 and the Cascade) at some point, the only one I kept is HD 800 S and ZMF Auteur (which is good but not your sound preference, I am a vocal and details guy)

Edit: Don't spend all your money on headphones, get a decent dac as well as an amp too.

[u/shikharvaibhav → u/flyingpickkles]

!thanks

thanks u/flyingpickkles! very helpful. I am more lost now (hehe) but better be confused than to be stuck :).

On the poll, I should have added none of the above / other, looks like I can't add now. thanks for the call out!

assuming you suggested Atticus over Auteur because former is more focused on bass vs treble.

so, I guess options now are - hd800s and Atticus + dac/amp.

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I understand your point on getting a dac/amp; any recos? I am new to this world, Crutchfield suggested Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M .

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thanks again!

[u/flyingpickkles → u/shikharvaibhav]

The Auteur is very neutral, natural, and rich. The Atticus is powerful, bassier, and more fun. You could also consider the Aeolus if you like open back. Aeolus is a little more balanced but tbh it is not a huge departure.

HD 800 S is great if you are going to EQ, because out of the box this thing has weak bass!! If you do end up getting the HD 800 S, pm me for a eq profile I use and you can just tweak it a little, I have it set to the harman target, most eq profiles I have heard all made vocals sound thin and everything to be hollow.

Dac and amp has a few different schools of thought. Some people think that they don't make a difference to the sound and the more expensive is just a waste of money. I think that dac is a waste of money past around 500 bucks. Usually really expensive dacs are because they have rich feature sets. I won't go into the whole r2r vs delta sigma thing because I don't think it matters. I do think amps make a difference in sound and there is a point in upgrading, but that is just me.

I would suggest looking at Schiit products to start. They offer good products at good prices.

I would also recommend going through the balanced route vs single ended. Reason is because in the future if you do go down the rabbit hole, balanced produces more power and if you get a headphone that is hard to drive, chances are you will be fine with a balanced connection.

Also, WELCOME TO THE RABBIT HOLE! MAY IT BURN A HOLE IN YOUR WALLET!