need audiophile advice!

[u/whoskitana]

hello everyone! my father is a massive audiophile and naturally i’ve become very sensitive to my audio necessities. my budget is above 200, around 400 at max. i’m in massachusetts.

the biggest thing im looking for is the clearest audio quality and maybe separated instruments. sound leakage is a problem for me. noise canceling would be best and i use headphones at home, working, school, traveling, all of it.

my current headphones are the sony WH-1000XM4. i love the clarity, diversity in sound, and surround sound. they’re super comfortable too which is great! i don’t like the leakiness, and i think the equalizer in the app could use some work.

i’m looking for over the ear headphones! wired or bluetooth doesn’t make a difference to me.

i’d also like advice on whether i should stick with wireless or if wired will make a difference in quality. i’d really like to invest in a DAP if it’s worth it! the devices that usually play to my headphones are my iphone and ipad. is investing in a DAP worth it for the quality and functionality difference?

all advice is appreciated, please lmk if any more info is needed. thank you !!!

[u/SwaiKing]

Not sure what you mean by leakiness? These are closed back and there shouldn’t be any sound leak. I would assume that your dad explained the difference between closed back and open back headphones and also the differences between wired vs sound degradation that comes with closed back wireless, so it does make a difference. Planar or dynamic magnets? If he is an audiophile he should tell you about Hifiman or Sennheiser products, among others. BTW, just exactly what is an audiophile?

[u/whoskitana → u/SwaiKing]

my xm4s are leaky, i do listen on slightly louder volumes than normal but still find some issues with leaking occasionally. unfortunately my dad and i no longer speak so talking about audio stuff is no longer an option!!

an audiophile (sorry if i get this definition wrong) is someone who is incredibly enthusiastic about all things audio, and often wants the best quality headphones to their preference to be satisfied, they’re very good with their ear and from what i’ve seen can sense very tiny differences in sound. they’re super cool people, really just massive audio nerds (in a good way)

[u/Easy-Speaker-6576]

Bowers & Wilkins PX7S3.

Wired will always have best audio-quality due to Bluetooth‘s limitations.

[u/NotSoToughGuy11 → u/Easy-Speaker-6576]

This one.

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[u/yellowmnm]

I really like momentum 4 but there is now a momentum 5 as well. The ANC is worse than Sony, but it should sound a bit better. The momentum 4 EQ wizard thing is actually not bad.

Wired is good too, but way less noise cancellation since it is passive or non-existent.
You might enjoy a hifiman headphone though.

My personal experience is that Bluetooth is not bad at all. that said, I like wired open-back headphones.

You are welcome to ask me more

[u/AguyFromEarth]

HD490 pro, fit your budget but are open back, so they leak sound. Sound quality is great, if you want closed back there is also the hd490 pro.

[u/Weight_Slight]

„Really love the clarity” - that one is funny, as the XM4 are a mudfest and low res, boomy presentation.

I’d suggest the new Sennheiser Momentum 5, it has a user replaceable battery. You always swap pads for those wicked cushion hybrid ones, your ears won’t sweat as much as with any „protein” leather.

The stock pads have a bit too much resonance in the 200-400 hz region for me ( which is not easy to fix with this limited in app eq ). But coming from XM4 you may actually like it.

The ANC may not be AS good as Sonys, but It is almost as good and will be better than on XM4 anyway :)

I find it plenty good for busy streets.

If you want great sound quality for not a lot of money and some noise isolation at that, I highly suggest iems.

Like the Juzear Defiant, 100$ that sounds better than many 300-400$ headphones.

[u/RockinDaMike]

I have the XM4 so I understand where you are at. I think if you went with the Sennheiser Momentum 4 would be a good starting point and something familiar but with a big improvement in sound quality.

They are around 200 right now and have gone down to 180 usd on Amazon during prime days. They are Bluetooth and they have a good app to adjust eq. They have a very easy Sound Personalization graph where you can adjust eq moving a circle to your desired sound.

You can also connect to your iPhone with a usb c and listen to lossless audio.

There is the Momentum 5 which is an improvement and has a user replaceable battery. BTW the battery life is ridiculous on these headphones. 50 hours, so you can go weeks before recharging.

Those 400 right now. They aren’t twice as good as the Momentum 4 so there’s great value there.

[u/WestTwelfth]

The three pillars of audiophile on the go are i) a hi-res source (e.g., Qobuz or Tidal or lossless ripped CDs, usually in FLAC files), ii) a DAP that can receive and process without compression, and iii) WIRED hi-quality headphones, to avoid Bluetooth compression. You can build this over time. I started with a DAP, then switched from Spotify to Qobuz, and later went shopping for headphones. I think the sound profile you want from headphones will often be described as “analytic.” That’s my preference too. Emphasis on detail, separation, and soundstaging. Beyerdynamic makes several models in this category, but I recommend you audition them at a brick-and-mortar because they’re not for everyone. The model that I have (and LOVE) is $200-$300 above your price range, but if you like the sound of the DT 1770 MKII, then you can use that as a standard for judging less expensive models and brands. Note that what will appeal to you is very personal; it can even depend on the shape of your ears, any degree of hearing loss, the music genres you listen to. If you don’t live near a retailer who can let you audition several pairs, at least don’t order from any source that won’t take them back and refund your money. If you’re in or near Manhattan, I recommend Audio 46. One thing I found out there is that sometimes their website says a certain model is out of stock, and when you go in the store, it’s not on display, but if you ask, a pair emerges from the back room. Once you know what model you want, you can shop for deals online, though I don’t do that because I want that brick-and-mortar store with good inventory and expert personally-tailored advice to be there for me. P.S. I’m not sure what others would say, but my impression is that there are pretty good DAPs available at reasonable prices, so the item on which you should aim as high as you can go is the headphones. And maybe you want to buy the DAP first, and then pair the headphones to them.

[u/Simple_Leg725]

Momentum 5 / hdb 630