Fostex th900mk2. The SJY carbon needs nuclear level power to get your money's worth. DCA has good planar bass but dynamic drivers are more bombastic. To me at least.
Used th900 MK2 with zmf ori pads and you're good to go. But make sure your dac amp set up can drive them. Or a zmf Atticus used. Both within that budget.
If that’s the case, give the Fostex TH900 a listen. I’ve tried all but 2 of the listed HiFiMans, and to my ear, the TH900 outslammed them all. And if you happen to fall in love with it, a used one can be had for about $600 for Mk.1.
The TH900 has a surprisingly large soundstage for a closed-back headphone while still keeping the V-shape and precision, physicality, and visceral nature of its bass, hence me recommending to give it a listen. I also was afraid that it would feel claustrophobic (because the TH610 does), but it’s really wide for what it is. The TH909 is even better at that while retaining most of the bass qualities (I really love it), but it’s way above budget and cannot be found for cheap at all.
Diminishing gains are real and they get brutal with the highest end headphones. It's up to you how much extra you're willing to pay.
For example, I recently picked up the Fostex Th900 MK2 as I heard they're supposed to be one of the best for bass.
They are very good, the best sounding closed back I've ever owned... but I'd rather keep using my Sony Z7m2. The gain in sound quality is not worth the loss in comfort or being triple the price.
On the other hand, the HD 800 S is my favourite headphone. It has the clarity and soundstage you're looking for. It's built beautifully. But for the majority of individuals it is in no way worth 2-3x more than a 660S2 or HD 490. Only enthusiasts with money to burn should consider it in my opinion.
With all that said. The HD 650 has major shortcomings especially if you use them for anything other than music, and an upgrade to the Arya Stealth or one of the above headphones is worthwhile in my opinion.
Yes it is noticeably better, 32% more enjoyable based on my notes (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zQnL7R9RIE1Aqk4CLEnIp6QBuKeXVWR9aCfsSiNVClU/edit?usp=drivesdk).
I am biased. I use my headphones for movies and gaming a lot so the poor imaging and bass response on the HD 650 hurts their score for me. That might not be a factor for you.
Whether an upgrade is worthwhile depends on your main use case, how happy you are with your headphones, and how much a little more enjoyment is worth.
The Arya Stealth I haven't tried myself but it's on the shortlist for my next acquisition, I've heard great things.
Hi folks!
I'm looking for planar headphones for slam with good bass up to $500. Do they exist?
I had experience with the stocked Fostex T50RP Mk3 and while I liked them overall for clarity, neither bass nor enough speed were there. Currently I use Fostex TH900 with Schiit Lyr 3 (Mesh with 6N8S), they are my reference for good bass.
After some googling there are some potential candidates:
* Fiio FT5
* Monoprice M1060C
* Fostex TH500
* Audeze MM-100
* Sigva Audio SendyAudio Aiva
* Fostex T50RP MK4/T60RP MK2 (but they are somewhat pricy and need modding)
Anyone who has had experience with these headphones, please share your impressions. Or add your own advice.
Thanks!
TH-X00 purplehearts with an Audeze LCD headband conversion for the clamp force
Hands down my favorite cans for sub bass production. I own a pair of TH900’s but the purplehearts with that headband still takes the cake 👍
I’ve tried just about everything except for most of the recent ZMF headphones.
Yeah, I got to borrow the HD 800S for an extensive period, and I have an HD 820 and HD 8xx too 😅 Things find their way to me, but I also try to attend CanJam trade shows.
I respect Audeze, but even the LCD5 feels distant and a bit softer impact than the HD 800, so it’s more cozy and really fun as a warm headphone but doesn’t put me on the edge of my seat like the Sennheiser’s.
I actually liked the Meze Elite and Empyrean quite a bit, warm but with quite a bit of that snap I like about the HD 800(S), but… price? And it’s more of a different flavor in a side grade.
Stax L700 Mk II, it’s extremely airy and light, handling all audio with delicate finesse, but electrostats are kind of a pain to live with. Amazing in the right setup. Surprisingly comfortable too. There’s a bit of an excursion limit you might run into with bass, but this takes that “more clear than real” feeling to the extreme… if you’ll excuse the foolish subjective metaphor, it’s like watching a ballerina twirling an 18-wheeler truck in the air. It’s impossible, no way should something that delicate be performing those feats of strength, but already she caught the truck and before you’re ready the freight is flung back into the air again, both bodies pirouetting in sync 😂 No doubt it would be amazing for gaming, but I might wish for more foundational bass, and like I said estat setups are kind of a pain.
First time I heard the Dan Clark Audio (then Mr. Speakers) Ether was right after the first time I heard the HD 800. While I didn’t have quite the same body response as the HD 800, honestly I think for music I preferred the timbre of the Ether. Future Ethers also sounded great with small FR changes, bit more clarity from the airflow control, but the closed versions just don’t do it for me… I’ll do low fat mayo, no problem, but the Ether C’s are fat free and just sound too thin in the midbass and it sounds weird in timbre too. The DCA Stealth was an improvement over former closed back models, but I’d still stick with open back ones.
First time I heard the HD 800, I could FEEL the air pushing the tiny hairs on the surface of my skin, and could feel chills and goosebumps prickling down my spine. ASMR! That’s only happened for me with the HD 800, HE-1, the first 64 Audio IEM with the Apex module I heard (I forget which one, but honestly I’ve been back and I loved them all), and the Fostex TH-900 when it was hooked up to Fostex’s extreme and now discontinued HP-V8 tube amp. If anyone finds a modern amp that sounds like that HP-V8, I NEED it, holy grail tbh, transforms any headphone connected to it 😁 But, for the price, HD 800 + Liquid Cavalli Carbon + Mojo 2 (would like Qutest some day), I’m really happy, and sub out the DAC for a usb audio class 1 DAC that works with PlayStation and I’m in bliss, wanting nothing.
At the end of the day, the HD 800 won out for me due to price, and that whole body response that I can’t tie to a specific trait of the sound. It kind of walks the knife’s edge of being sparkly and being too much, but with the right amps it’s no problem, just honest. If I could, I’d rather have the HD 800S than the 800. The 800 has the last word in detail and sharpness, but I’d trade a bit of that edge for the bit of less dry bass in the HD 800S, also the HD 800S is a bit kinder on the ears for longer sessions. The tradeoffs are minimal for better comfort, and I think the performance is still very high (and priced lower than summit fi from other companies, feels weird to say but a good value for people shopping the high end).
Top Headphones (Over / On Ear) on Reddit
1
Sennheiser
HD 560S
79% positive of 619 users
Budget gaming king with clear sound, but tight fit.
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