Headphone newbie seeking recommendations

[Jasonovich]

Amanda's are really good budget planars, if you could have stretched your budget a little, the Hifiman Arya Stealths have better soundstage.

I want closed back planars for commuting, love these SIVGA P2 Pros, they're beautiful and light but these are open backs!

I just found this on AliExpress:
SIVGA P2 PRO Planar Diaphragm Driver Wooden Headphone High-fidelity Audio Over-ear Open-back 4.4mm Balanced Wired Headset

SIVGA P2 PRO Planar-Membrantreiber, Holzkopfhörer, High-Fidelity-Audio, Over-Ear-Headset mit offener Rückseite, 4,4 mm, symmetrisches kabelgebundenes Headset - AliExpress 44

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

 

[Entrigo]

Amanda's are really good budget planars, if you could have stretched your budget a little, the Hifiman Arya Stealths have better soundstage.

I want closed back planars for commuting, love these SIVGA P2 Pros, they're beautiful and light but these are open backs!

I just found this on AliExpress:
SIVGA P2 PRO Planar Diaphragm Driver Wooden Headphone High-fidelity Audio Over-ear Open-back 4.4mm Balanced Wired Headset

SIVGA P2 PRO Planar-Membrantreiber, Holzkopfhörer, High-Fidelity-Audio, Over-Ear-Headset mit offener Rückseite, 4,4 mm, symmetrisches kabelgebundenes Headset - AliExpress 44

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

I am already thinking about the Arya - and actually watching a near new pair on eBay 😂.

But I genuinely can't stop thinking about how MASSIVE they are...

And it's not just look, although pretty light, they feel funny. Like the ear cups sitting half way down my jaw. The Sennheiser, although clamping a little tighter, feel more natural.

I might wait to send the HD650 back just for the moment...

 

[Jasonovich]

I am already thinking about the Arya - and actually watching a near new pair on eBay 😂.

But I genuinely can't stop thinking about how MASSIVE they are...

And it's not just look, although pretty light, they feel funny. Like the ear cups sitting half way down my jaw. The Sennheiser, although clamping a little tighter, feel more natural.

I might wait to send the HD650 back just for the moment...

The egg shaped cups you get use to it, when you go back to the rounds you start feeling naked! 🤣 🤣
Hifiman He600 are traditional shaped and sound excellent but different sounding than the Arya's . The He600 are the new models and likely to cost you £600+ is this why they have six in the title! 🙂

The model it replaces He6se, you can probably get for £400 new.

The Ananda's are a good budget planars and punches well above it's weight.



My Three Amigos 🙂

 

[Entrigo]

The egg shaped cups you get use to it, when you go back to the rounds you start feeling naked! 🤣 🤣
Hifiman He600 are traditional shaped and sound excellent but different sounding than the Arya's . The He600 are the new models and likely to cost you £600+ is this why they have six in the title! 🙂

The model it replaces He6se, you can probably get for £400 new.

The Ananda's are a good budget planars and punches well above it's weight.

View attachment 11210

My Three Amigos 🙂

View attachment 11211

Oh no don't get me wrong, I prefer the oval shaped cups, but these are just TOO big. Did a bit of a side by side and they are easily twice as big as my Sony WH-1000xm4 (admittedly these are snug - probably also to maximise noise cancelling) and probably 1.5 as big as the Sennheiser HD650...

And yeah as it can be seen from your picture 😂

I was actually looking at the HE6SE - there's some on Aliexpress for £350.

But I think I will have to go to a shop or three and see/try in person.

 

[Entrigo]

The egg shaped cups you get use to it, when you go back to the rounds you start feeling naked! 🤣 🤣
Hifiman He600 are traditional shaped and sound excellent but different sounding than the Arya's . The He600 are the new models and likely to cost you £600+ is this why they have six in the title! 🙂

The model it replaces He6se, you can probably get for £400 new.

The Ananda's are a good budget planars and punches well above it's weight.

View attachment 11210

My Three Amigos 🙂

View attachment 11211

I have also been looking at the Beyerdynamic for a while. Just a bit concerned about many reports of them being very bright /sharp. But I guess, if I can't find them in a shop, there is always Amazon free returns....

 

[Jasonovich]

I have also been looking at the Beyerdynamic for a while. Just a bit concerned about many reports of them being very bright /sharp. But I guess, if I can't find them in a shop, there is always Amazon free returns....

I'm using the Beyer 250 ohms Amiron's, not sure they still make them. These are Home version of the DT1900, a warmer and less clinical as the latter and these are mighty fine, these replaced my Focal Elegia's which didn't have the high ohms to run the tube amps properly. It's odd how the Amiron's can sound so similar to the Elegias.

Oh Amiron's are still being sold, Amazon has them!



Hifiman He6se's on Amazon and He600!



Look at the price on He600, they're really creaming off their customers!

 

[Entrigo]

I'm using the Beyer 250 ohms Amiron's, not sure they still make them. These are Home version of the DT1900, a warmer and less clinical as the latter and these are mighty fine, these replaced my Focal Elegia's which didn't have the high ohms to run the tube amps properly. It's odd how the Amiron's can sound so similar to the Elegias.

Oh Amiron's are still being sold, Amazon has them!

View attachment 11212

Hifiman He6se's on Amazon and He600!

View attachment 11214

Look at the price on He600, they're really creaming off their customers!

View attachment 11215

Hahah yeah. Well I think the Ananda were originally marketed at something silly like £700...

There's also a pair of HE1000 on the bay for £650/best offer. Might be too much for me atm tho, with upcoming "domestic" expenses and strife to save money towards a long dreamed about speakers upgrade...

The Beyer sound good though! I guess they are still not "warm" (soft) as such but retain some of that sharp Beyer character I keep reading about?

My head is spinning a bit, I have to say. Almost feel like sending all three back and starting again veeery slowly, going around shops to listen to as many as I can.

I feel with speakers and generally standard hi-fi components, I know enough and can surmise enough from reading and researching to make informed purchases - in fact the only purchase I kinda regret is a Denon PME800 amp - but that was almost ten years ago, well before the audiophile bug bit me. And it was still decent..

But with DACs and Head-Fi, I feel like a fish out of water. 😬

 

[Angle Poise-Lamp]

The Beyer sound good though! I guess they are still not "warm" (soft) as such but retain some of that sharp Beyer character I keep reading about?

Before buying Focal Elegias I tried a pair of Beyerdynamic T5Ps but, after a few weeks listening, I found them to be too clinical for my taste, so off they went back to Amazon (In the first Covid lockdown they had an extended returns window, so great for trying something new). Focal Elegias give my favourite music the energy and punch it deserves.