HIFIMAN - Edition XV

I demoed these and I was not a big fan of the sound. I preferred Ananda Unveiled and Edition XV from Hifiman. Would love to hear the FT7 with some EQ next time.

Would strongly recommend planar headphones Hifiman edition XV would be a great one within your budget

Hifiman Edition XV for sure

Mezes are definitely good for those who are blessed with less analytical ears. Nano were a tad harsh on the highs but I assume EQ will fix this? I'm going to try the xv again and see if I still like it, and try the stealth as well while im there. xv were funny, too bassy on some songs, too much high end on others, but eq again should fix.

XV are very good. They hit the mark for 85-90% of my wants. Soundstage isnt the best, imaging isnt either (not very good in front of the head), and some mid range frequencies sound slightly unnatural (violins especially). Unveiled solve both of these issues in a more expensive, more annoying package. Didn't bother with the nano because I know what to expect from it.

If you get the Capra strap then they are great for long sessions- just as comfortable as the aryas then

Closer to the Audeze presentation, at least IMO!

Sennheiser 490 Pro is designed to be comfortable. Other options are the hifiman xs / xv / ananda / arya. Meze 109 and 105 are very comfortable. There are also options from Audeze, Meze, and DCA if you're looking to spend a couple grand on comfy headphones.

For Hifiman, the price for the "next step up" Edition XS model has come down a lot. It's overtaken the Sundara as the default recommendation since it's a little more detailed and spacious-sounding, while just being a bit more in price. It's pretty similar to the Hifiman Ananda (which has also fallen in price). They also just recently released a model called Edition XV which seems to be a warmer version of the Hifiman house sound. Don't think there's anything better than the HD6XX still for the timbre and midrange quality. There is a new headphone called the HEDDPhone D1 that many have called a true upgrade to the HD600 series, but it's a lot pricier. The older Focal models (Elear, Clear, Elegia) have been getting retired in favor of the new Azurys and Hadenys models, so their price has gone down a lot on the secondhand market. I wouldn't say the Clear's exactly a direct upgrade of the HD600 series, but it does have a similarly intimate presentation while being a step up in resolution and bass impact. For the 990 Pro, Beyerdynamic's released some iterations such as the DT 900 Pro and DT 990 Pro X that require less power, have improved build, and dampen the treble more. I've heard mixed accounts though if it sounds "better". For me, I'd say the Sennheiser HD490 Pro is a better refinement that's still got that V-shaped sound and good imaging, but more balanced and versatile for different usage. It's also probably their most comfortable headphone imo. The Meze 109 Pro was also popular for a time because it was a more balanced sound than the bassy V-shaped Meze 99 (though now they've also released a Meze 99 v2 that supposedly refines the tonality).

I recommend hifiman edition xv, check out the reviews, demo if possible and see what you think. They can be found for less than 400 and punch way above their price category.

I believe less than than 1% of audiophiles will agree with them that Arya Organic is “a lot worse” than Edition XS, XV, and Sundara. Interestingly, all 3 of them share that extremely controversial take.