What/which headphone?

[mbhangui]

I listen mostly using my amp and speakers. Lately I find that tiring sitting on a chair and listening to music. I have been gravitating towards listening on the headphone. Somehow I don't find headphone realistic. The music comes within your head. The soundstange is dysmal or atrocious - It seems to be coming from inside the skull. It puts me off. Maybe it is my headphones. I have the following

Senheiser HD600 and HD650. I mostly prefer the HD650 when I know I'm going to be stationary. Mostly at nights
ATH-M50x. This is my prefered headphone when I move around. Mostly during the day. They are very comfortable to wear as far as I'm concerned.
AKG K701. This I listen rarely, usually when I think some rabid dog has bitten me. Don't know why I got this.

Are there headphones which can replicate the soundstage realistically? Is there a problem with the above headphones? i'm not complaining about the clarity. It is just the replication of the soundstage.

 

[shibashis]

HD series are not known for their soundstage generally, plus the 650 requires good power to shine. I would be curious to know what is your source and what DAC and/or amp is driving your headphones.

 

[mbhangui]

HD series are not known for their soundstage generally, plus the 650 requires good power to shine. I would be curious to know what is your source and what DAC and/or amp is driving your headphones.

Source is varied. Mostly local flac/dsd files on my hard drive. Around 50k songs. Once in a while I listen to Apple Music, Spotify (Jazz and Pre 1980 bollywood songs).
Amp is one of the three. O2 headphone amp (most of the time). Followed by Fosi P2 tube headphone amp and rarely IFi hipster headphone amp.

 

[bornfi]

I would suggest headphones with planar drivers. Hifiman is what I had and liked.

 

[shibashis]

Source is varied. Mostly local flac/dsd files on my hard drive. Around 50k songs. Once in a while I listen to Apple Music, Spotify (Jazz and Pre 1980 bollywood songs).
Amp is one of the three. O2 headphone amp (most of the time). Followed by Fosi P2 tube headphone amp and rarely IFi hipster headphone amp.

You could give Hifiman Edition XS a try, it is a technically accurate headphone, tonally not so much but it is quite a step up from the HD650 or HD600 in terms of soundstage and speed, attack. Very different to the Sennheisers but quite good. The price has come down now, look around and you may get a really great deal.

I will also recommend a Chord Mojo 2 if and when you can, this will be an investment that will pay in many folds for years to come.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

I dont know anything about headphones, but I think a planar + open back combination might be the best bet at trying to get a out of the head experience. I was never a headphone guy too. Had only BT headphones for the one-off morning walk or jog. Just got a Sony WH1000 XM5, after a few BT headphones and ear buds. And Iam loving this one.

I think after continued headphone usage due to my travels, Iam warming up to their strengths and weaknesses. Speakers will always be most preferred, but headphones are now having their moments too. Would be curious to try out a proper headphone rig sometime

 

[mbhangui]

I dont know anything about headphones, but I think a planar + open back combination might be the best bet at trying to get a out of the head experience. I was never a headphone guy too. Had only BT headphones for the one-off morning walk or jog. Just got a Sony WH1000 XM5, after a few BT headphones and ear buds. And Iam loving this one.

I think after continued headphone usage due to my travels, Iam warming up to their strengths and weaknesses. Speakers will always be most preferred, but headphones are now having their moments too. Would be curious to try out a proper headphone rig sometime

I have never tried a planar headphone. Let me try one of them. Like you say that the speaker will always be most preferred, so probably it is a elusive dream to get the speaker kind of ambience from headphones.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

I have never tried a planar headphone. Let me try one of them. Like you say that the speaker will always be most preferred, so probably it is a elusive dream to get the speaker kind of ambience from headphones.

Yeah I am coming around to the notion that both are different and can never match what the other does. With speakers each ear receives signals from the opposite speakers, not so with headphones. So probably some kind of cross feed system somewhere in the amp or dac might help improve the sound stage width and depth. But without these electronic gimmicks, I think headphones might be pretty limited with what they can do between one and another.

I had a pair of Audeze Isine 20's I think long while ago, they were planar and open back ear buds. They were the most open sounding ear buds I ever heard for obvious reasons. When I say open sounding, it is still relative to normal ear buds, and they always still sounded like earbuds

 

[shibashis]

Yeah I am coming around to the notion that both are different and can never match what the other does. With speakers each ear receives signals from the opposite speakers, not so with headphones. So probably some kind of cross feed system somewhere in the amp or dac might help improve the sound stage width and depth. But without these electronic gimmicks, I think headphones might be pretty limited with what they can do between one and another.

I had a pair of Audeze Isine 20's I think long while ago, they were planar and open back ear buds. They were the most open sounding ear buds I ever heard for obvious reasons. When I say open sounding, it is still relative to normal ear buds, and they always still sounded like earbuds

By far the biggest advantage of a headphone is by nature, they take out the 'room' out of your audio experience. And say what you will, the vast majority of us can not have the perfect room, where everything will be to our liking, nor is it possible to cater for every little tweak and change to the room aesthetics. With a headphone you do not have to listen to that imperfect room which is resulting in diminished performance from your otherwise carefully chosen and crafted stereo setup.

Room correction, DSP, cross feed and all that are available almost as a staple in today's straight-forward 2 channel electronics even, then why worry about the same present with a DAC or headphone-amp for headphones? So these are not 'gimmicks', these are improvements or at the very least improvisations for you to try and then either approve or discard.

And, judging the headphone game with Sony's Bluetooth offerings (as good as they are) would be a mistake. In my opinion, you can spend the fraction of what a lot of us spend on stereo and get much greater return with a proper headphone setup.

A point which is often overlooked when people talk of headphones is comfort. Since you are going to be wearing them, if it is even mildly uncomfortable after a while, it will put you off and you will get away from them, rightfully so. Headphones are no different than your underwear or your socks for someone who runs or walks a lot!

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

By far the biggest advantage of a headphone is by nature, they take out the 'room' out of your audio experience. And say what you will, the vast majority of us can not have the perfect room, where everything will be to our liking, nor is it possible to cater for every little tweak and change to the room aesthetics. With a headphone you do not have to listen to that imperfect room which is resulting in diminished performance from your otherwise carefully chosen and crafted stereo setup.

Room correction, DSP, cross feed and all that are available almost as a staple in today's straight-forward 2 channel electronics even, then why worry about the same present with a DAC or headphone-amp for headphones? So these are not 'gimmicks', these are improvements or at the very least improvisations for you to try and then either approve or discard.

And, judging the headphone game with Sony's Bluetooth offerings (as good as they are) would be a mistake. In my opinion, you can spend the fraction of what a lot of us spend on stereo and get much greater return with a proper headphone setup.

A point which is often overlooked when people talk of headphones is comfort. Since you are going to be wearing them, if it is even mildly uncomfortable after a while, it will put you off and you will get away from them, rightfully so. Headphones are no different than your underwear or your socks for someone who runs or walks a lot!

Haha... I agree with your opinion

Ive probably dabbled the most on here with DSP's of every kind . So when I say electronic gimmicks, it is only in a lighter vein

Headphones do have the advantage of taking away the room, and I would indeed like to try a proper headphone setup once, and see if its worth chasing. The Sony's sound brilliant to my ears at the moment, and the added convenience of not having wires dangling around my neck and the freedom of not being chained to my seat are turning out to be pleasant bonuses at the moment. So will enjoy what Iam liking for now, and a dedicated headphone setup will probably be something for the future, as there are many other fish to fry at the moment

 

[arj]

I have never tried a planar headphone. Let me try one of them. Like you say that the speaker will always be most preferred, so probably it is a elusive dream to get the speaker kind of ambience from headphones.

if you like the tone of the Senns then you might find most planars too "in your face". I'll confess to not able to listen to Headphones for too long but I do haven a Senn 6xx and better the power, the more it scales up and that might be the better way to go

Currently use my preamp a LTA MZ2 as a headphone amp and its excellent. The chord Mojo is also excellent . i have the older version and ver 2 is supposedly even better.

 

[sbg]

... The music comes within your head. The soundstange is dysmal or atrocious - It seems to be coming from inside the skull. It puts me off. Maybe it is my headphones. ...

this may interest you.
Grell OAE1

Also I'm not sure if P2 can drive any 300ohm headphones properly.

 

[sachinchavan 15865]

While some headphones will create a larger soundstage than others, don’t expect an experience comparable to stereo system, though larger drivers and planars can help. Enjoy them for what they do - that is, excellent clarity and separation that’s not affected by the room. Headphones allow getting ‘into’ the music, more than stereo systems multiple times the cost. Yes, they’d sound ‘inside and in front of the head’ and won’t give the bass feel to the body. For those who have grown on stereo system, headphones can be a nice complement, but not a substitute.

 

[whiskymusic]

Currently use my preamp a LTA MZ2 as a headphone amp and its excellent. The chord Mojo is also excellent . i have the older version and ver 2 is supposedly even better.

I've MZ3 as HP amp, didn't expect fellow LTA users in India. Being a hybrid amp it's best of both worlds, however, it's slightly choosy with DACs. R2R ones do not pair as good as DS in my experience

 

[mbhangui]

I've MZ3 as HP amp, didn't expect fellow LTA users in India. Being a hybrid amp it's best of both worlds, however, it's slightly choosy with DACs. R2R ones do not pair as good as DS in my experience

From where did you buy MZ3?

 

[whiskymusic]

From where did you buy MZ3?

US

From where did you buy MZ3?

You can also import from them directly but there'll be production time & up to 50% import duties.

 

[mbhangui]

You can also import from them directly but there'll be production time & up to 50% import duties.

Ok.

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

I listen mostly using my amp and speakers. Lately I find that tiring sitting on a chair and listening to music. I have been gravitating towards listening on the headphone. Somehow I don't find headphone realistic. The music comes within your head. The soundstange is dysmal or atrocious - It seems to be coming from inside the skull. It puts me off. Maybe it is my headphones. I have the following

Senheiser HD600 and HD650. I mostly prefer the HD650 when I know I'm going to be stationary. Mostly at nights
ATH-M50x. This is my prefered headphone when I move around. Mostly during the day. They are very comfortable to wear as far as I'm concerned.
AKG K701. This I listen rarely, usually when I think some rabid dog has bitten me. Don't know why I got this.

Are there headphones which can replicate the soundstage realistically? Is there a problem with the above headphones? i'm not complaining about the clarity. It is just the replication of the soundstage.

I thank you for this perspective.

Source is varied. Mostly local flac/dsd files on my hard drive. Around 50k songs. Once in a while I listen to Apple Music, Spotify (Jazz and Pre 1980 bollywood songs).
Amp is one of the three. O2 headphone amp (most of the time). Followed by Fosi P2 tube headphone amp and rarely IFi hipster headphone amp.

I thank you for this information.

Unfortunately I can't help you, I personally have never found headphones/earphones satisfying. I do own some for some specific uses but don't enjoy them. Good luck.

 

[whiskymusic]

Unfortunately I can't help you, I personally have never found headphones/earphones satisfying. I do own some for some specific uses but don't enjoy them. Good luck.

I do feel that cans can never match the experience of stereo setup no matter how much money one splashes on the entire TOTL chain.

 

[arj]

I've MZ3 as HP amp, didn't expect fellow LTA users in India. Being a hybrid amp it's best of both worlds, however, it's slightly choosy with DACs. R2R ones do not pair as good as DS in my experience

I have heard bernings designs and wanted a pre with an option of a HP amp..this was the best option
I use an old school Reimyo DAC and it works perfectly as it does with Phonos