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Reddit Reviews
This really is one you have to figure out for yourself. For me personally, nothing beats speakers (there's just no substitute for filling a room with sound to me plus absolutely nothing touching your face). The further away from speakers the presentation is, the less I'm interested. So as you can probably imagine, open-back headphones are my first choice when speakers aren't possible or practical. Closed-back would be my 2nd choice. IEM's are my last choice to the point that I have essentially stopped using them in my life (do note that I rarely listen to music on-the-go these days). I'm personally not a big fan of the recent IEM trend. I love that it has caused IEMs to get a lot better very quickly, and they do offer amazing value, but I really don't find them to be great for home use. My high-end headphones journey started with IEMs (Shure SE530's specifically). I wore them for hours every day. Then I got my first pair of decent over-ears (I randomly bought some Sennheiser HD 700s for a good price). Man, I never looked back. Not only do I much prefer the presentation, but my ears were a lot happier too. Long-term comfort was better (granted, most over-ear headphones are not as comfortable as the HD 700 or HD 800) and there was a lot less wax buildup to deal with. Even when I demo high-end IEMs that people rave about, such as the Forté Ears Macbeth, which overall sound great, I just am not a huge fan of the presentation or having things jammed in my ears. That ship has sailed for me. Also, do keep in-mind that electronics come into play here, both with over-ears and IEMs. Over-ears tend to benefit from the additional power that a good quality amplifier can bring. IEMs on the other hand are not power-hungry, but are low impedance and very sensitive. This comes with its own requirements (mainly an amplifier with a very low noise floor and output impedance). I'd say that you get into the territory of benefiting from upgraded electronics a bit quicker with over-ears than you do with IEMs. Ultimately, this stuff can get a bit complicated. For example, with my own personal gear collection, I own 2 planar magnetic headphones, a Dan Clark Ether Flow 1.1, and an Audeze LCD-X. With one of my amps, my Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies, the LCD-X sounds fantastic, while the Ether Flow 1.1 is just okay. The bass is kind of loose and flabby. Ultimately, my other amps are a better choice for that headphone, and it's not because of a lack of power. All of that said, there are plenty of people that absolutely love IEMs, and if you're one of them, great! There's no need to feel bad or like you're "listening wrong" or something. You do you man! No one figures out their audio tastes right away. It takes time, experience, and usually some effort.
I had Sennheiser HD700s until they died and then got some DT770s to replace them. Studio headphones sound infinitely better than gaming headsets.
Sennheiser hd 700. The best for gaming. Y play PUBG.
Sennheiser HD700/800/800S AKG K612/702/712 Phillips SHP9500/SHP9600
Agree, I'm quite sure I will never get to even hear the best over the ear cans available let alone afford them. A friend brought over his HD800S (they were great), I own HD 700's ,Arya's and XS editions. I'll be 70 in three weeks so they will probably have to do..
I had the hd700’s as well. Great sound stage. Those are great cans. I would love to be able to test great headphones but I live in the sticks. No hifi stores within 2 hours. I’m not 70 yet but I’m getting closer. 😎
I have the HD6xx from Drop along with an HD700. The HD700, though discontinued, were my favorite headphones with great dynamics and tone. To me, the Arya's are more full in the midrange and lower-mids, and just sound a bit more musical than the HD700's. Although I have to admit that I'm curious to try out the HD700's again.
Originally started with an xDuoo TA-22 paired with the HD 660S2 mainly for music while working from home and some FPS gaming. At the time, I wasn’t really chasing “audiophile” experiences, just something enjoyable and comfortable for long sessions. That changed recently after I stopped by a local audio store out of curiosity and spent some time demoing different headphones, including the Meze Elite, DCA Noire X, HD800S, and Aune SR7000. What surprised me most wasn’t just how good they sounded, but how different each headphone was in terms of presentation, staging, and tonality. That visit helped me understand my own preferences a lot better. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve also realized I wanted a more intentional way to unwind after work instead of defaulting to hours of gaming. So I decided to build a dedicated music listening area in my home office. I was lucky enough to find an HD700 for $200 CAD on Facebook Marketplace. It’s a bit rough cosmetically and missing the stock headband padding, but I’ve ordered new earpads and a Capra strap to sort that out. The soundstage of the HD800S really stuck with me during my demo session, and while I know the HD700 isn’t on the same level, it felt like a good middle ground that could still work well for FPS gaming. I also picked up the new Meze Strada since I needed a closed-back option for late-night listening when my wife is asleep. To my ears, it feels like a closed back take on the 109 Pro, with stronger bass presence and good overall musicality. After spending time reading this subreddit and watching a fair amount of Youtube content, I landed on a FiiO K13 DAC paired with a Topping A70 Pro. I’ve always enjoyed the warmer presentation of the xDuoo hybrid tube amp, and from what I’d read, an R2R DAC could capture some of that character while offering better resolution. I chose the A70 Pro mainly for its power and headroom, giving me flexibility if I decide to move into harder to drive headphones down the line. Overall, I’ve been extremely happy with the new setup. I haven’t done extensive A/B testing against my xDuoo, but honestly, I’m content knowing I now have a system I can enjoy for the foreseeable future without constantly feeling the urge to upgrade. Longer term, I’m planning to save up over the next year for a true endgame headphone, something along the lines of the Susvara or ZMF Atrium. Based on the gear I’m currently running and the preferences I’ve described, I’d love to hear what you all think would be worth aiming for. **DAC/AMPS:** \-Wiim Ultra \-Fiio K13 \-Topping A7 Pro \-Xduoo TA 22 **Headphones:** \- Meze Strada \-HD 660S2 \-HD 700
Ye with EQ its decent sounding for sure without it I question how this retailed for 1k at the time. For gaming theyre definitely my best headphones for being able to pinpoint gunshots or footsteps in the FPS games i play
Without eq the best way I can describe it is that it makes music sound like you're in a concert. The mids and vocals sound muddy and less detailed compared to my other 2 headphones. Bass to me sound flat and lacks any thump. That's why for music listening I really cannot recommended this at all based on my ears. I will add though, for listening to live versions of songs and orchestral music where detail isn't a big focus. I absolutely love the sense of space this creates and the separation of different instruments. Unfortunately I don't listen to that genre often. Based on what I mentioned above those negatives and positives make them the perfect gaming headphones IMO. Explosions and gunshots won't pierce your ears and the added soundstage makes pinpointing sound a lot easier.
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Audiophile music listening

Top pick
Sennheiser - HD 6XX
Best for Bass-heavy music

Top pick
Sennheiser - MOMENTUM 4 Wireless
Best for Competitive FPS gaming

Top pick
Sennheiser - HD 560S
Best for Guitar practice

Top pick
Sony - MDR-7506
Best for Long-haul flights

Top pick
Sony - WH-1000XM4
Best for Marathon gaming sessions

Top pick
Sennheiser - HD 560S





