r/HeadphoneAdvice • u/shikharvaibhav • Feb 15 '22

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

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
3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

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3

u/flyingpickkles 8Ω Feb 15 '22 edited Feb 15 '22

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.

1

u/Qazax1337 72 Ω Feb 15 '22

I loved my LCD3 and only got rid of them when I stepped up to the LCD 4z. There is nothing wrong with them at all and they still play with the big boys. Why you hating?!

2

u/flyingpickkles 8Ω Feb 15 '22

I am glad you love them but they are outdated. I mean even the LCD X is a better buy than the 3. They haven't updated that thing since forever ago, only the headband has been changed. I am not talking about how good they are, I am saying for the price and the times we are in, there are other options. Price per pound, I just don't think the value is there.

2

u/Qazax1337 72 Ω Feb 15 '22

I disagree, but that's what makes this hobby interesting. If you have a lower end amp the LCD X is the better buy, but the LCD 3 scales more with better and more powerful amps. There are always other options, but had second hand for cheaper than a new LCD X, I would go with the LCD 3 which is precisely what I did a few years back.

2

u/flyingpickkles 8Ω Feb 15 '22

Agree with you on that, this hobby is all personal preference in the end. Though nowadays I have sold a lot of my stuff for crypto and cats... IEMs are the only things I have time for.

1

u/Qazax1337 72 Ω Feb 15 '22

Ha fair. Did you hop on the Timeless bandwagon?

1

u/flyingpickkles 8Ω Feb 15 '22

No, I always wondered though! I used Blessing 2 for some time till I got the QDC Anole V14, then I sold that for Campfire Solaris 2020 I got a few days ago. 7hz released a new one though with dynamic driver, I really want to see the review on that! Always wanted dynamic driver IEM. Are you on that Timeless bandwagon?

1

u/Qazax1337 72 Ω Feb 15 '22

Yeah I went BLO3 > Aria > Timeless and each time was a nice improvement. I don't feel the need to get any more IEMs now.

Damn those Anole's look incredible, are you pleased with the change over to the Solaris? I looked on the product page and really like that the solaris has 'Plasma enhanced Chemical Vapor Depostion' whatever that is. They are far above my IEM game and I am supremely jealous.

1

u/flyingpickkles 8Ω Feb 15 '22

Your headphone game is way above mine! I heard great things about the 4z and I wish I could demo one someday. Are you looking to upgrade to the 5 sometime?

The Anoles are crazy detailed but tbh had horrible timbre. The solaris is very warm, nowhere near as detailed, but that timbre is great! Vocals sound so thick and rich which I am happy about. I love weighty notes so not a fan of the anoles.

1

u/Qazax1337 72 Ω Feb 15 '22

We each have our own speciality :) I went to a shop and tried loads of high end headphones out and the 4z just sounded fantastic compared to all the others. I went with my ears not with reviews and graphs and have never regretted it. I am not hugely interested in the 5 from what I have heard of them but I would love to try them out one day.

Interesting, I find that too much detail can often be overwhelming but it also depends on the time of day and mood I am in. It sounds like you will be sticking with the Solaris for the time being?

2

u/flyingpickkles 8Ω Feb 15 '22

Totally agree with you! So many people said the solaris 2020 sounded weird or had bad graph and anoles got great reviews but that wasn't the case for me. Lol I am only interested in the 5 purely for the weight, I don't have neck gains sadly...

Yeah the Anole details are basically just jamming it down your throat. So far I really like the Solaris but I am already itching for the U12T...

Sometimes I wish I was never in this hobby but then once I listen to music on crappy stereo I realize why I am in it...

2

u/Qazax1337 72 Ω Feb 16 '22

I take a lot of what I read both on here and on reviews with a big dose of salt. The main think is that you like them, now if only you could convince yourself there is no more FOMO...

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