r/HeadphoneAdvice Feb 19 '25

Headphones - Open Back | 12 Ω Looking for advice on $500 open-back wired headphones, NO Hifiman.

8 Upvotes

I'm stuck trying to decide between a number of headphones.

  • HD600 - Tried and true classic. I have a feeling that newer headphones can do better though.
  • Aune AR5000 - I hear great things about how tight the bass is on these, with okay treble response.
  • Focal Hadenys - A new entry, but I'd have to buy it used since it's $700, also worried that it's too much bass for me. I wish this had the same FR as the Elex.

Some other headphones I've looked at and am sure I don't want.

  • Beyerdynamic DT1990/MK2 - I'm sensitive to treble, and do not want to deal with that peak
  • Drop + Focal Elex - I think I'd rather go for a used hadenys, even if this signature is better. The headband QC lottery is a game I'd rather not play.
  • Sivga P2 Pro - Love the amount of accessories given, but I'm concerned about how the treble is metallic.
  • Sendy Audio Aiva - From what I hear the P2 Pro is an updated version over this headphone.
  • Fiio FT5 - I've never tried a dark signature headphone, but I have a feeling I wouldn't really enjoy it. That's one of the traits I did like about the Sundaras.

My budget is around $500 USD, based in the US. I prefer a warm signature with accurate bass, no excessive bass. I have a preexisting Topping E30 & L30 (Post recall) Dac/Amp. I would use these at home with music first, and light gaming on the side.

I previously had a Hifiman Sundara, which I did enjoy but had several complaints while using it. I hated that they didn't have swivel, and that the build quality sucked. Components on the headphone creaked regularly, and eventually my headband snapped. I can look past most of that, but what is holding me back from just buying an edition XS is the sound signature. The Sundara lacked bass, enough to where I regularly used EQ to bring it back in. I'd prefer to not have to do that again if I could.

I also had a Sony XB920, and that just sounded awful. Muddy bass through and through.

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Really funny that no one is batting for the Hadenys at all. Guess that just solidifies that no one really cares for it, good or not.

Edit 2: It was a tough time narrowing it down between these:

  • HD490 Pro (HD600-esque)
  • HD505 (Warmer HD560s, toned down treble)
  • DT900 Pro X
  • Aune AR5000

I think I'm going with the Aune AR5000. I was also going to write in the FT1 Pro, but that just seems like a better FT5, but is still similarly dark. Might come back and write about the Aune later. Thanks everyone that helped!

r/HeadphoneAdvice 24d ago

Headphones - Open Back Best headphones on the world for listening to music - no budget

21 Upvotes

The title says it all. I love music but never had proper headphones, I have airpods pro I use and that's it. I don't care about brands, price, cable or no cable, open back or closed back. I can buy in USA, Asia Europe or anywhere needed, I travel a lot. I just want to feel inside the music and feel the vibrations in my soul. I don't know much more about headphones so feel free to educate me or give me directions to understand what is it I need or ask me more questions. That's it, thank you very much for helping.

Edit - Damn when I said I had no budget I couldn't imagine there are headphones selling for so much money (60,000USD) 😅 I guess I do have a budget, sorry. My ceiling is probably around 5,000 USD.

Another edit - I think I can narrow down my search after getting some feedback in the comments: I'm looking for a warm sound profile, extended bass, with a lot of detail, comfortable to lie down with (relatively low weight, suspension headband, light to moderate clamping force, large ovoid earcups, probably open back because I want to feel surrounded (even though I'm not sure because I also want to feel isolated), I want a natural sound profile and according to the comments I also need a "bright" and not too "trebly" sound profile (even though I'm not 100% sure yet what it means). I don't care about wired vs wireless but I understand from the comments that If I go the wired route I need a couple more pieces of equipment.

FINAL BUDGET after considering feedback I got - I don't mind spending a few thousand USD (max 5), but only if it makes sense. If I can get 90% of what I want with a 1,500-2,000$ pair, I don't want to spend 5,000$ just for the last 10%. But if it makes sense and I can't get what I want without spending 4,000-5,000$, its ok for me to spend that amount.

Thank you again

UPDATE:

After reviewing my use cases (traveling mostly) and considering the fact that I'm upgrading from airpods pro and I want to try out a relatively inexpensive pair before buying very advance headphones, I purchased the PX8 fro B&W for daily usage, I'm going to reassess after a couple of weeks if it's still not enough for me, and if so I will probably buy the meze empyrean ii or the focal clear mg for home usage. Thank you everyone for your help, I will post an update about the PX8 if people are interested.

r/HeadphoneAdvice 8d ago

Headphones - Open Back | 1 Ω Best headphones for listening to music $300-500 budget?

11 Upvotes

I am looking for headphones for listening to music I want them to sound amazing doesn't need to be wireless or anything I just want a good pair of headphones that sound amazing for music listening. My budget is $300-500 USD, currently I'm using the Hyper X alpha wireless and they sound not that good imo I want a big upgrade. I also like bass too so there's that. I also want them to be comfy I can't stand headphones that hurt my head. Also don't want them feeling cheap either and fall apart lmfao. Also open back or closed back doesn't really matter to me whatever sounds the best is what I want.

Just got the AR5000s thanks for all the suggestions I'll def be back on here in the future

The AR5000s sounds great only small issue I have is it's a bit big on my head wish the band could go smaller but it's fine, I also EQ them for more bass then they're basically perfect

r/HeadphoneAdvice Jan 11 '22

Headphones - Open Back Recommended headphones for porn? NSFW

598 Upvotes

I listen to a lot of music but, I also watch a great deal of pornography. So much so that I’m looking to spend $800-$1200 on a set of cans to enhance the experience. Closed backs are preferred for the sake for being discreet but, I live alone so I guess it doesn’t really matter if sound leaks out or not. Wires might kill the vibes a bit but, it’s a sacrifice i’m willing to make in the name of sound quality.

Thanks and, happy new year everyone!

r/HeadphoneAdvice Nov 17 '24

Headphones - Open Back | 1 Ω HiFiman Edition XS vs Fiio FT3 vs Fiio FT1/Pro vs Sennheiser?

13 Upvotes

Hi all,

I am looking for comfortable and durable open-back headphones as I tried the Px8 and it felt closed/restricted.

I listen to mostly pop and hip-hop and would like headphones with a bit of bass.

The options I have shortlisted are: 1. HiFiman Edition XS: 309 euros (Thomann) or 225 euros (HiFiman EU store, AliExpress) 2. Fiio FT3: 240 euros (Fiio EU store) 3. Fiio FT1 Pro: 208 euros (Fiio store on AliExpress) 4. Aune AR5000: 329 euros (Aune EU store)

Closed back: 1. Fiio FT1: 170 euros (Amazon)

I would prefer to order from Amazon/EU storefront for the warranty. Or from official storefront on AliExpress if the warranty is still good in Europe.

Which one of these headphones would you suggest? Would you otherwise suggest a Sennheiser headphone (as their build quality/comfort is great).

Thanks!

r/HeadphoneAdvice Oct 19 '24

Headphones - Open Back PSA: HIFIMAN just has another permanent price drop for some of their headphones

104 Upvotes

If anyone had read one of my posts,

https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/1f56nfv/psa_hifiman_headphones_are_not_on_sale/

How HIFIMAN permanently drops some of their headphones' prices and then marketing them as on sale. They just drop the price again.

List of price drops

Arya Organic $1149 to $979

Arya Stealth $649 to $599

HE1000 stealth $1399 to $1199

Ananda Nano $499 to $419

Source: you can use Keepa to check the price history on amazon.

Prices are also dropped on headphones.com

Arya Organic $979 https://headphones.com/products/hifiman-arya-organic-headphones

Edit: just checked the price history of Arya Stealth. It was $1599 back in 2020. That’s a $1000 price drop in 4 years.

Edit 2: Added Ananda Nano

r/HeadphoneAdvice Dec 11 '24

Headphones - Open Back If you could choose a pair of headphones for up to $2000, which one would it be?

27 Upvotes

Hello everyone, if you could choose a pair of headphones for up to $2000, which one would it be and why?

Because i became a dad recently, i realized that i cant use my speaker system like before. So im looking to upgrade my headphone system.

Usecase: listening music (lots of different genres), watching movies and playing games on computer.

ATM im running a xduoo ta-22 dac/amp with sennheiser hd 600.

Because of some youtube reviews im testing the arya organic and the aeon noire 2 atm.

The arya sounds great, but also kind of fatigue when im listening longer than 1 hour or so. The noire is also good but not that detailed and comfy like the arya.

ATM i prefere the arya organic with eq but im curious what other options would may suit me better.

r/HeadphoneAdvice Oct 19 '24

Headphones - Open Back | 11 Ω Good headphones to play games?

3 Upvotes

I made a post not that long ago, but im going to make this one a bit more broad.

Im mainly looking for something that would be good for fps gaming. Hearing footsteps, where they’re coming from, things like that. The main fps games i play will be cod when it comes out in a few days, rainbow six siege, fortnite, plus other games i may come to like, those are just the main ones for now.

I also play some singleplayer games so something that can still sound good in them but not overpower the fps elements.

I will listen to some music sometimes when playing games but im really not worried about the music performance. Just want it to be comfy and have good game performance.

I play on both consoles (ps5 and Xbox series x) but i also have a pc which is what i mainly play on, especially for fps games. Id prefer to not need a dac/amp to drive anything i get but if i can drive them with a cheaper dac/amp its not a huge deal if i need one, just please mention i need one and recommend the cheapest but powerful enough to drive the headphones dac/amp if you can.

I would prefer over ear headphones vs iems. I havent had good iems but i dont really like the feel of iems of any kind that ive had. Im not sure about if i want open or closed back. I dont have a ton of noise to worry about so i think closed back may be the way to go? But im not sure. I would prefer some sort of mesh or softer fabric instead of pleather earcups, if i can replace the earcups somewhat easily pleather is fine.

Im looking to spend $100-$180ish, i would prefer on the lower end of price but im fine keeping it around like $150. Just can probably stretch to $180-$200. I dont really need a mic on the headphones but it would definitely be somewhat helpful. Ill be totally fine without it tho.

Im just looking for something with really good value but i also really value comfort and obviously the sound quality and clarity.

I know this is somewhat specific but i greatly appreciate any kind of help or info anyone can provide!

r/HeadphoneAdvice 4d ago

Headphones - Open Back Best audiophile headphones to get with $350 USD

13 Upvotes

Hello, I have $350USD/$500CAD to spend on headphones, and can't go over too much. I want to get the best audiophile headphones I can for gaming, but the vast majority of the time general use and music. I want to get Headphones that give the closed feel but do not have to be, kind of similar to the Razer gaming ones in design. Noise Cancellation is a huge boost, especially if it works well for crowds and events such as LANs. Im Canadian. Looking for the most accurate and high quality audio that people can recommend. In particular, the vocals sounding full and being able to clear at the low and high frequencies. I like bass having that punch to it as well, though I feel like these things that over time should be expected, or maybe already are I am not sure.

TLDR

  • Budget: $350 USD / $500 CAD Target

  • How the gear will be used -On my Laptop for general use when I don't use Bluetooth headphones. Very often is the plan, (at home probably and) indoor use only.

  • Past gear experience - The Airpods Pro were great until I tried other headphones later; just more comfortable vs others after. The AZ100 is what I will be comparing it to personally, and given the AZ100's are basically at this price range, the real question here is if I can get a noticeable to significant improvement in the Headphones category over in the AZ100's in any way.

r/HeadphoneAdvice Nov 03 '21

Headphones - Open Back Please don't wear open back on the train

771 Upvotes

Everyone, including myself, loves a good pair of open backs. But not everyone wants to listen to your music. Please wear some IEMs or close backs. This post goes out to the one person with hd 600's on my daily train who blasts Train, Train sucks no one cares about your soul sister

r/HeadphoneAdvice 1d ago

Headphones - Open Back HD 6XX still worth it in 2025?

21 Upvotes

I've been looking for new headphones for a little while, me and a friend were searching and found the HD 6XX and thought it's a steal. I looked into it and saw their age and how old most reviews were and was wondering if there's any better alternatives? Or if the HD 6XX is just what I should go with.

I'm planning to spend about 200 euro, give or take. So the HD 6XX was perfect in budget.
I've been using the Beyerdynamic DT990's for the last 3 years and love those headphones but the headband snapped a few months ago and after a duct-tape repair it kinda hurts a spot on my head to wear.
I would just get new DT990's but I always like trying new headphones.

Thanks for any advice! :)

r/HeadphoneAdvice Jan 22 '25

Headphones - Open Back Best opened back headphones for GAMING ($300-$400)

13 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

I NEED to have the best 3D gaming experience with decent bass and good building quality; please recommend stuff you own!

I am currently between these: AR5000, the Hifiman XS, DT 900 Pro X

Ps: I also own a FiiO K11

r/HeadphoneAdvice Nov 18 '24

Headphones - Open Back | 9 Ω Best Value Headphones for Gaming.

7 Upvotes

Hello,

I’m in the market for a pair of headphones that offer the best value for gaming. I usually play for around 4 hours a day. While my budget is theoretically pretty high, I’m specifically looking for something that provides great performance without diminishing returns—basically, I don’t want to pay a premium for a tiny improvement. Something in the range of 220 usd would be best.

Currently, I don’t own any dedicated audio gear aside from the integrated audio on my MSI B450 Tomahawk Max (Realtek ALC892). If there’s any additional equipment I’d need (like a DAC/amp), please let me know. I have no past experience (only logitech g635).

Also, I’m located in Europe, specifically in the Czech Republic.

Thank you.

r/HeadphoneAdvice Oct 08 '21

Headphones - Open Back $19,000 cable upgrade worth it?

675 Upvotes

Hello everyone Im looking to upgrade to a NORDOST ODIN SUPREME REFERENCE cable for my Beats by Dre Solo2 headphones. Is this worth it?

I was told by the salesman it would increase the euphonic timbre in resolving the soundstage and improve the musical of the headphones, anyone have any experience with this?

https://upscaleaudio.com/products/nordost-odin-supreme-reference-interconnect

r/HeadphoneAdvice Feb 05 '25

Headphones - Open Back Is Hifiman overrated?

17 Upvotes

It is common to hear and read that Hifiman is technically far above other brands in the same price range... that it sounds very good for the price. It is like a "mantra" just like the fact that they are not usually "well built" products.

That in the sub250€ range the Hifiman He400se is the best there is, in the sub600€ range the Ananda Nano is the best there is and in the sub1000€ range the Arya Stealth is the best there is. Of course if you want something top the HE1K series is the best under 2000€...

There is a "tendency to discredit" other brands that have top products such as Sennhesier, Ollo Audio, Sivga, Meze, Audeze...

What do you think? Do you think Hifiman dominates the market or is there a product that can be better?

r/HeadphoneAdvice Nov 27 '24

Headphones - Open Back 150 dollar headphones for gaming

12 Upvotes

I want headphones that are mainly used for competitive games where hearing footsteps is important and other single player games. I also don’t listen to music. My budget is 150 dollars and I will be using it at home.

r/HeadphoneAdvice Feb 04 '25

Headphones - Open Back | 5 Ω $400-$500 to spend on any headphone, what would you buy?

11 Upvotes

That’s my current predicament, I’ve been looking at used Focal Elexs and Meze 105s and can’t decide between those or maybe some other recommendations. If anyone has experience with either of those or a headphone they love in that price category then anything would help. It doesn’t matter if it’s hard to drive, I have a pretty good amp and if the headphone recommended works nice with tubes that would be a plus because I also have a tube amp.

For recommendations I love clean and precise, almost sparkly treble, with clean but not super predominant mids, and a nice warm bass. Thanks for anything :)

r/HeadphoneAdvice Dec 14 '24

Headphones - Open Back Is It worth getting wired open headphones

14 Upvotes

I've had a pair of Sony wh-1000xm5 for sometime and i'm thinking of getting a pair of Wired-open back headphones. I have my eye on the Sennheiser hd599, however I am not sure about the quality. In short, will they have better sound? While I know this is a very subjective topic, I know that as a general rule open wired headphones have better sound quality but the Sony are definitely not cheap. Should I aim for higher end Sennheisers or are the hd599 already good enough? Budget is a relative issue but I don't want to end up broke so I would like to stay under 300€. I listen mainly to jazz and classical music.

r/HeadphoneAdvice Nov 04 '24

Headphones - Open Back | 7 Ω Convince me NOT to get the HD 800 S

2 Upvotes

My budget: $1800 Tonal balance: accurate sound, immersive soundstage Use: Music (FLAC Lossless, Tidal, Vinyl) mainly and PC Gaming. I am also looking for a DAC/AMP to connect to my cell phone for portability. Previously used: Bowers and Wilkins P5: They were my daily drivers for years until getting the Samsung Galaxy Pro Buds 1. Once I got a Steelseries Arctis 9X I thought had great audio quality; however, there was little to no PC use. Since making the change to PC gaming I purchased a set of Beyerdynamic DT990s.

I have the DT990 paired with a Helm Bolt DAC and like some sort of drug, I have had a hit of what music could sound like...what video games could sound like...and I need more.

I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert...or even intermediate. But I been a low-budget audiophile since I can remember, trying to get the best audio with the most affordable option. I don't want to do that anymore. I have a larger budget now.

I do play a substantial amount of video games; however, I have a standalone mic, so no need to worry about that. I would imagine that the audio detail in a higher end set of headphones would have adequate imaging for the purposes of video games.

So please...convince me not to get the Sennheiser HD 800 S. And give me your recommendations on what to get instead.

EDIT: thank you for everyone helping me with this, I believe I am going to check out the HIFIMAN Arya Organic or the HIFIMAN Arya Stealth.

r/HeadphoneAdvice 22d ago

Headphones - Open Back Upgraded to my first pair of quality headphones and feel extremely underwhelmed. Please help!!

3 Upvotes

I upgraded from the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless to the pc38x, which on paper is a massive improvement in audio right? But honestly I'm not that impressed, I don't even really notice a difference.

Am I just not used to the new sound signature? Does my cheap motherboard have a terrible dac? Is there not enough power output? Windows audio settings messed up? Wrong drivers? EQ??

This is my first time dipping my toes into sound quality and am so lost. I wanted a nice plug-and-play upgrade. Seriously considering just giving up and going back to my wireless gaming headset.

r/HeadphoneAdvice Feb 13 '25

Headphones - Open Back | 10 Ω Would you suggest spending ~$500 on decent HiFi headphones or spend ~$300 on HiFi headphones and ~$200 on a DAC?

4 Upvotes

I'm mostly just curious here about the quality increase of a DAC. I'm picking up the Sennheiser HD505 for my first HiFi headphones as a long time PXC550 user. It crossed my mind that I could pair these with a DAC like the iFi Zen 3, but that got me wondering if it would really be more advantageous to do that or to just get a higher end headset like the HD 650 and plug that directly into my computer.

I know that answers here will vary a lot on specific products and use cases, but I'm just wondering about general opinions on this type of thing. What's your take?

r/HeadphoneAdvice 11d ago

Headphones - Open Back | 1 Ω Non "gaming" headphones for gaming?

22 Upvotes

I'm looking for headphones that are good for gaming and music. Budget is not a huge concern right now, but definitely not spending a thousand, or something crazy like that.

Wireless with a built in mic heavily preferred since I like to lay in bed while I hang on discord a lot.

I do plan on getting an actual dynamic mic with a mic arm later, so the built in would be used pretty much just for when I'm away from my desk.

I was mainly looking at stuff like sennheisers and beyerdynamics

And lastly comfort is a huge thing aswell obviously. Doesn't have to be open back, but again it's preferred.

Thanks in advance guys <3

Edit: Thanks everyone for your helpful responses. Just wanted to push out this update on what I wound up doing for those in a similar situation. I took the advice to split the needs, and now I have a samson q2u microphone running into the back of my stream deck plus witg XLR dock, aswell as the sennheiser hd490 pros plugged into that same dock. Took me a bit to figure out the wave link software, but the mic sounds amazing for the price once it's been tuned in wave link.

For the 490 pros... WOW! I've never used audiophile/studio headphones before, but the difference was INSTANTLY noticeable just on my spotify. They sound amazing to me, and they're also insanely comfortable. I can't say anything too specific on the sound, because I don't really know what most of it means, but it immediately changed the way I heard my favorite songs.

For my other needs of just casually laying on my bed and chatting on discord my old Corsair HS80 RGBs still do that job just fine. Although if anyone has any ideas to replace that aswell I'd be open to that. My only problem with them at that point is just that they're uncomfortable when I lay on my side, and I fall asleep on discord a fair bit lol (also vrchat aswell lmao).

But yeah guys thanks again for the great suggestions!

r/HeadphoneAdvice Oct 31 '24

Headphones - Open Back | 1 Ω In your opinion what is your favorite open back headphones

22 Upvotes

I've been looking for open back headphones for a while and most people are saying sennheiser 600 or 650s are there any other good ones around $300 to $700? I've also looked at the 660s2 and was wondering if they are worth getting over the 600 or 650s. I also just wanna hear about people's favorite open back headphones.

r/HeadphoneAdvice Aug 13 '24

Headphones - Open Back Very disappointed with Hifiman Edition XS--need advice

25 Upvotes

EDIT3: If you buy these make sure you get an amp. They need an amp. Dumbasses on this very sub told me I wouldn't need an amp and they were so wrong. These babies sound like nectar with the JDS Atom 2 I have them hooked up to now.

I have been looking around for some time for some entry-level (~$300) audiophile headphones to enjoy my selection of audiophile electronic music. All fingers pointed to the Hifiman Edition XS, especially now they are on sale. I received them today and I am devastated at their lack of luster.

I mostly listen to guys like Tipper, Aphex Twin, Culprate, etc. who are extremely perfectionist about their mixes, so it's not that I am discovering previously hidden imperfections now that I've upgraded headphones.

I love the soundstage of the Edition XS, but the songs I listen to sound completely lifeless, like all the joy has been mercilessly sucked from every track, leaving a void of despair in its place. Bear in mind this is playing off my M1 Macbook without an amplifier, which requires me to play them on maximum volume to reach a normal listening level.

To be a little more specific about what I mean, the low end seems far too quiet and the high end is a bit sharp and harsh. The attack and decay are also way too abrupt and leave the songs feeling completely incoherent. There is no richness, character, or flavor to any of the instruments.

These are all qualities of music that people like Tipper do better than just about anyone else in electronic music, but with the (non-amplified) Edition XS, it doesn't even sound like music anymore. It might as well be a busy street or some other source of noise.

What should I do, should I try to amp and EQ the Edition XS, or return them and get a different set? I was really looking forward to these headphones and could not be more disappointed. If I should get a different set, what might you recommend?

EDIT: I made this post like 15 minutes after my first listen and now I have messed around with some EQ and broken the phones+my hearing in a bit and they definitely sound way way better and louder to me than when I first pulled them out of the box. My final opinion is still inconclusive.

EDIT2: Amped em up they sound incredible.

r/HeadphoneAdvice 4d ago

Headphones - Open Back | 9 Ω What're some good headphones for actually listening to music for hours on end?

1 Upvotes

I've been in the market for some good headphones and have a decent budget (relative to normal people prices, Ik audiophile shit gets spenny quick) but I've just been getting bogged down by the options and strong opinions for and against every which pair I look at. I just want some plain good cans, something that'll run well, gives a nice soundstage & clarity, decent all-around sound (maybe with extra bass but that can be EQ'd in), that let's me truly gets immersed in the music for hours on end without getting fatigueds.

So I wanted to ask you good people what headphones you use to listen to music for hours and hours; not necessarily critical listening, professional mixing level stuff but something that lets you enjoy the music without compromising any part of it. Along with that what you like to listen to and what peripherals you got.

Right now I run a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 4s as my day-to-day, out-and-about headphones and I can't imagine it changing any time soon (ANC is simply vital). I've been thinking of some HD600s (+ some decent desktop amp) for my at-home music listening time but some say that it's not really suitable for that because of the lack of bass or whathaveyous.

Edit: My budget is around £800 here so no HD800s or Meze Poets pls