Headphone newbie seeking recommendations

[Entrigo]

Completely new to the world of "proper" headphones (have only had Bluetooth NC ones).

I have been quite curious to try some for a while but always put it off, but time is ripe.

I have a Rega Elex-R amp, which has no headphone out so here I am looking for recommendations for both headphone amp and headphones.

My speakers are Focal Aria 906 which I like well enough - and looking at PMC/ ProAc as my upcoming upgrade. And I love the energy of the Rega Elex-R,

Ideally I would be looking for a amp and headphones which can paint a good soundstage and are resolving but not too dry.

I obviously considered the Rega Ear but read a few reviews /reports of a quite high noise floor which is quite off putting.

Budget - first of all I would be looking at the amp used/ex-demo and ideally looking be looking for around £100/150. Headphones I'd strongly prefer new but looking at £2-300 max.

Don't want to spend too much as my first pair, in case I decide headphones aren't for me - or more likely, in case I like it and quickly decide to upgrade to a higher end pair.

 

[RTHerringbone]

Do you know if you'd prefer / require open or closed-back? A simple generalisation is that open-back have advantages (more spacious sound) and disadvantages (sound leaks in and out).

I think there's an argument that as you cite soundstage as a requirement, then open-backed would perhaps be a better bet.

Then you have the choice between Dynamic Driver or Planar. Historically the latter were more expensive, but the rate at which models are appearing means that now last year's models are massively discounted to make them pretty comparable to DDs.

My initial thoughts would be that you may like the FiiO K11R2R which as new comes in at £150. The definition of "dry" can vary from person to person, but the R2R architecture can add some colour to the sound. It's not a particularly highly-revered architecture on sites where it and its acolytes appear to prioritise looking at graphs over listening, but I think it's an enjoyable sound.

The budget you've set for headphones is decent and you'll have loads of options, but I'd say you need to decide between those two thing: open vs. closed, and DD vs. Planar.

 

[PieterG]

My first question would be: are you going to use the headphones in an environment where sound leaking out might disturb people around you? (And vice versa, are there noises around you that will inevitably leak in and interfere with your listening?)

My headphones are closed back because i need them to be, but their design limits the openness and the width of the soundstage. On the positive side, they isolate, give more impact to bass, and have good detail. I made a safe choice and picked Sennheiser HD620s. I found that the pairing with a Fiio K11 R2R was not great, but that DAC/amp is practically impossible to beat for its price. It will probably match really well with open backs. (Again, Sennheiser is reasonably priced apart from flagship models, and in my opinion always a safe neutral choice.)

Your choice of Focal speakers suggests you prefer a bit of warmth and energy. With the right headphones (open back, moderate impedance) i suspect the K11 R2R would land in that sweet spot. It packs enough power, especially if you use the balanced output.

(@RTHerringbone i would love to try those Fiio FT7 you have 😉)

 

[RTHerringbone]

(@RTHerringbone i would love to try those Fiio FT7 you have 😉)

I think they're absolutely fantastic.

They're a less costly pair than those on my headphone setup, but they're being used through a more expensive system downstairs and I actually prefer the sound of the overall package down there. The FiiO are significantly better made than the HIFIMAN Stealth's and I also think they're more comfortable, which is just what you want for long listening sessions.

I also got mine for a good 10% less than I see them listed online at the moment 😎

 

[Jasonovich]

The above comments hold true, first decide if you want open back or closed.

FiiO have excellent budget planars (open), consider also Hifiman Sandaras the closed back is slightly cheaper than the open version.
FiiO also make excellent dynamic headphones, FT1, priced around £135.

If you considered buying second hand headamp, the Singxer SA1s Class A headphone amp are going for £250 on eBay, actual RPM (new version SA2) is about £600 new.

The Singxer's make any genre of music sound great. Really worth the investment, if you can find one.

The Singxer headamp you won't want to upgrade, not unless you're thinking of top end Gustard 😊

 

[Entrigo]

Do you know if you'd prefer / require open or closed-back? A simple generalisation is that open-back have advantages (more spacious sound) and disadvantages (sound leaks in and out).

I think there's an argument that as you cite soundstage as a requirement, then open-backed would perhaps be a better bet.

Then you have the choice between Dynamic Driver or Planar. Historically the latter were more expensive, but the rate at which models are appearing means that now last year's models are massively discounted to make them pretty comparable to DDs.

My initial thoughts would be that you may like the FiiO K11R2R which as new comes in at £150. The definition of "dry" can vary from person to person, but the R2R architecture can add some colour to the sound. It's not a particularly highly-revered architecture on sites where it and its acolytes appear to prioritise looking at graphs over listening, but I think it's an enjoyable sound.

The budget you've set for headphones is decent and you'll have loads of options, but I'd say you need to decide between those two thing: open vs. closed, and DD vs. Planar.

Thanks for that. Yes I ran a simple search and I came across the open/closed stumbling block already. Of course my instinct would be open but will need to think it through a little more.

The whole idea came as I moved my listening area to one half of a double living room, so that the other half could be a more visual/TV or just lounging area - with me no longer hogging the sofa as main listening spot 😆. Obviously we couldn't have TV and hi-fi on at the same time in any case,. And my wife likes to walk around with her own headphones on listening to podcasts, so sound leakage might not be a massive issue, but I'll still need to consider it more in depth.

As per sound and other, I do occasionally visit that website which we do not speak of as part of my due diligence, but not guided by measurements as much as from what I can hear. And I have always had a slight preference for the warmer side of neutral anyway, so wouldn't normally be welcome in purist, graph-gazing circles.

On the Fiio, I was reading someone's impressions on it the other day - and I think it might very well have been yours haha. Isn't that primarily a DAC though - and if so, wouldn't I be better off with just a dedicated headphone amp? I use the DAC in my Marantz SA8005 for those few times I need one, as the vast majority of my listening is done via vinyl.