Elex

Totally fair question wanting solid bass doesn’t make you any less of an audiophile. You can absolutely have clean, rich low-end without sacrificing clarity or soundstage. The trick is finding open-back headphones that have a slightly warmer tuning or respond well to EQ. If you like the idea of the HD660S2, they’re excellent for detail and balance, but they’re not what most people would call bass-heavy. You might prefer something like the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (with the “balanced” pads) or the **HIFIMAN Edition XS** both deliver tight, extended bass while keeping the mids and highs open and spacious. The **Focal Elex** is another great option if you can find it; it has a punchier low end and a very engaging sound. Also worth noting, open-backs will never hit as hard as closed-backs in terms of sub-bass impact. If you want a bit more weight, a mild EQ boost around 60–100 Hz can do wonders without distorting the sound. So yes, you can definitely have that “best of both worlds” setup just look for headphones with a naturally warm tuning or pair them with a good DAC/amp and subtle EQ adjustment.

HD580 (an older model in the HD5xx/6xx line) is what got me into nice headphones and they were my comfy go-tos for a long, long time. I finally retired them when I got the Focal Elex, because they fit the same bill for forget-they're-on-your-head comfort for me, and the sound was a little better across the board. Gotta say, though, now that I have kids in the house, my closed-back studio headphones (Beyer DT 700 Pro X) are what I would most accurately call laid-back listening. "Blocks out the screaming" has become my top audiophile bullet point.

This guy’s got it right. Personally I’d find a pair of used Elex if you want to try Focals; they’re basically a super 6XX with bass. Very little will sound “better” than the Arya at this price point. I prefer the Meze 109 Pro and the HE6se V2 over the Arya, but I wouldn’t say they’re objectively better.

A couple of reasons: 1) I much prefer the older style Focals; they're bigger and to me much more comfortable, plus I like the option of running balanced (one of my favorite amps is balanced only). 2) The Hadenys is more expensive, and I rarely see it pop up used. The Elexes are often available around $250 and the Hadenys is more like $350; I haven't spent enough time with the Hadenys to have A/B'd them, but the Elex is a pretty perfect sound, especially for people who like the 6XX.

I'd recommend the Meze 109 Pro (used, MSRP is $799) or 105 AER (new, $399); both have a really lovely, buttery, warm character and will compare favorably to Sennheisers as well as probably my favorite aesthetic in hifi AND the most comfortable headphones I own. I bought the 109 for myself as a "job stability is awesome" gift right before I got laid off, and they're hands down my favorite headphone of the 100 or so I have right now. I'd recommend the Focal Elex instead but it's been out of production for years and they're a little challenging to source, but they're basically a super-6XX with incredible vocals. Reviews: 109: [https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/02/08/meze-109-pro-review/](https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/02/08/meze-109-pro-review/) 105: [https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/06/05/meze-105-aer-review-another-great-meze-product/](https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/06/05/meze-105-aer-review-another-great-meze-product/)

Overall quality: sound, comfort, build, aesthetics, everything. The 490 are incredibly comfortable, but not the most comfortable (that's the Meze Empyrean II and 109 Pro). They've got really solid sound quality, but aren't the best sounding in my collection by a long shot (Empy II, LCD-2.2 pf, Focal Elex/Clear, etc.). And so on. They're a really good headphone, at a relatively great price if you can get them for around $350.

I’m a fan of the Focal Clear OG after many years. If you look across the scores, you can see it is the first they all gave at least a 6. I think it rightfully belongs in the top 10. Focal Elex above it is a mystery to me, but acknowledges Elex is a strong performer for the price. HD800S isn’t in their top tiers. Overall strange scoring. These are tools suited to varying genres. You’d think they scored these while listening to pop music.

Focal elex 100%, don't have mine anymore but when I did I loved them. Or just go some cheap iems which will do the same for much cheaper.

Focal Bathys & Elex. It depends on the need. Open back versus closed and mobile.

For closed back I would recommend FT1, very satisfying mid-bass and comfortable pads. I think the step up from HD600 is the Focal Elex. Neutral but dynamic and punchy.