Stealth

I just wrote this comment about a week ago on another post: Off the top of my head, the best headphones I've heard are: 1. Stax x9000 2. Hifiman Shangri-la Sr (After these 2, it's in no particular order) 3. Focal Utopia 4. LCD-5 5. DCA E3 (I prefer it over the stealth and expanse, my current dream headphone.) Other favorites: ZMF Atrium Open, Hifiman HEKSE (not a fan of the Susvara line), RAAL Magna (prefer over Immanis), Austrian Audio Composer I've been to Axpona 4 times so I've tested a lot. Still have not tried the HE-1 though.

I have a bias for closed back for low level details & micro dynamics that get lost in open backs unless you really crank the volume. Also sub bass roll off unless you EQ heavy. For me, the dca stealth + hugo2 has been perfect at conveying the entire mix as clean as possible. Unlike other closed backs(stellia) it presents objects in the mix as small & therefore occupying less space in the mix and hence creating a sense of space / openness. It kinda quells my need for an open back. The stellia on the other hand is more dynamic with bigger objects & more defined boundaries that occlude other tracks in a mix. It's intense & tiring, makes me want something that breathes. That said, i have been itching for an open back purely for technicalities that presents the stage in front of my face like the LCD X did. I wish audeze would drop a LCD 5 that isn't tuned as a hearing aid.

There's no such thing as a perfect headphone, just the one you feel most inclined to reach for. Each pair is its own experience, especially if you're not huge on EQing as you mentioned in another comment. With that said, have you had a chance to try the DCA Stealth? It's the only non-electrostat summit-fi headphone that's really wowed me so far. It's slightly warm with incredible detail retrieval, and comfortable enough to wear for hours. A good seal is extremely important for them though, so definitely try them first and make sure they fit your head well. Edit: Also these totl headphones retain value pretty well. You'll probably lose a little bit of money on the LCDs, but there's always someone on headfi looking to buy or trade for a high-end pair.

I have the CC but the DCA Stealth is better.

Went to an audio store to try out the 3 planars that I short listed after lots of trial and error. Tried everything from ZMF cans to Meze to Fostex and beyond. Ended up with head to head of LCD-X vs Arya Unveiled vs HE1000 Unveiled LCD-X Pros \- Great impactful bass (reminds me of my Audeze Maxwell 2 post EQ) \- Surprisingly vocals didn’t feel as recessed as FR would have you believe \- Sparkle up top \- Good low end, never felt muddy or boomy \- Planar that felt it was in between Planar and Dynamics \- Organic sound with body Cons \- Those 612 g destroyed my neck within half hour. And I already daily an Audeze Maxwell 2 which is 560 g almost \- Pads got hot \- Can be shouty for some higher pitched vocals \- Layering and separation was less than what I expected; I felt Audeze Maxwell 2 does it better \- Small soundstage Arya Unveiled Pros \- Amazing organic smooth sound \- Great warm vocals \- Beautiful timbre \- Bass is clean and fast \- Top end is fantastic and never fatiguing \- No comfort issues Cons \- Some tracks can get shouty \- Soundstage smaller than HE1000 Unveiled \- Piano black plastic \- Exposed driver (though not bad like Susvara Unveiled) HE1000 Unveiled Pros \- Amazing organic smooth sound \- Most resolving and (hot take) felt even better than Susvara to my ears \- Best timbre \- Vocals are lush and smooth \- Holographic stage \- Best imaging I have heard \- No comfort issues \- Mid was never shouty \- Top end is ethereal Cons \- Exposed driver \- Bass impact was slightly lower than Arya Unveiled (might be source also as it was Astell & Kern DAP) \- Price At the end of the day, I wish someone would make a can with bass of LCD-X, weight of Unveiled, price of Arya Unveiled, Mids and top end of HE1000 Unveiled and resolution of HE1000 Unveiled. Here are some pictures of the planar wars.

I tried Dan Clark products. I have tried E3 which I liked. But it didn’t have the detail, separation and layering I enjoy. I also tried Aeon 2 Flow Open which was OK. Felt overpriced for its offer. I tried Stealth. I liked it but it was not worth the money they are asking. In that money I would prefer other products to it - from Meze or ZMF. Had a treble peak as well for me. I also tried Noire XO and it was fine. Generally was too smooth. And bass was anemic.