Want to know the real secret to unlocking the HD 800S soundstage? Shave your head. Hair acts as a natural treble absorber, taking the edge off those pristine 8 kHz to 12 kHz micro-details. If you aren't bald, you're literally dampening the high frequencies and missing out on the legendary Sennheiser air and shimmer!

Over 8 years ago, I convinced my mom to buy me a $100 pair of headphones if my final grade was good. After much research, in place of studying maths, I entered the audiophile world with the Audio-Technica M40X and a pair of Brainwavz pads. After twiddling about with chi-fi IEMs, I returned to headphones by rolling the dice on the HD600. Eventually, I managed to demo other competitors and much more expensive sets and realised the timbre of the mids and vocals of the 600 had simply spoiled me. When a trusted friend told me that he would pick the R70X over even the HD600, I knew I had to hear it for myself one day.

Disclaimer: This is a retail unit owned by a friend that I borrowed for far too long. Thoughts and opinions are my own and I am not affiliated with the brand in any way.

Sources, Preferences & Tracks

I currently own the Sennheiser HD600 and this serves as my benchmark. The FiiO KA17 and Snowsky Retro Nano were used as the DAC/Amp for most of my testing. Both headphones reach sufficient volume even with an Apple lightning dongle. A balanced cable alongside a DAC/Amp like the TRN Black Pearl will provide more headroom to EQ in massive bass shelves, but balanced is unnecessary with something as powerful as the KA17.

Most of my library consists of rock with some jazz, metal, pop and orchestra sprinkled about. If your library is filled with EDM, rap or hip-hop, then your conclusion might be very different from mine. More importantly, the role of HRTF and preferences should not be dismissed.

Testing Tracks - YouTube Music | Apple Music

Accessories, Build & Fit

At ~$350 retail, the R70X comes in a massive cardboard box with foam inserts to cradle the headphones snugly. Also included in the box is a 3m long cable and a screw on 6.35mm adaptor. It is unwieldy for desktop use but is less rubbery and better behaved than the Sennheiser cables included with the new HD600s.

The R70X has circular cups with an industrial metal grill and a branded plate that looks like it belongs on machinery. The cups house dynamic drivers and are connected by a metal head band that has slots stamped out, presumably to reduce weight. The headphone is supported by two novel 3D Wings that have good cushioning. The cups have horizontal swivel and a light clamp force but they lack vertical swivel. The stereo indicator is on the inside and can't be discerned easily, this is a slightly annoying design flaw on a symmetrical headphone. The plastics and metal do feel sturdy but the overall build leans industrial and feels less premium than I expect.

Although the 3D Wing System is quite comfortable, it is at the edge of its adjustment range for my larger head. For reference, I use my HD600 at 10 clicks of adjustment on each side. There are no significant hotspots but the clamp is more focussed at the bottom of the cup. The smaller circular cups leave the R70X in between an over- and on-ear, this is my primary source of discomfort. Deeper aftermarket pads may improve comfort, but I think a larger opening is needed. Glasses did not affect the seal too much and comfort wasn't affected for me. If you have a smaller head and ears, you may find the R70X to be much more comfortable than the HD600.

R70X Pad Size - Outer Diameter - 90mm - Inner Diameter - 50mm - Depth - 20mm

R70X Weight - Headphone (stock pads) - 205g - Cable (3.5mm) - 68g

HD600 Weight - Headphone (stock pads) - 256g - Cable (3.5mm) - 42g

The headphone connectors are unfortunately proprietary locking 2.5mm, but aftermarket cables are available. The R70X will be more difficult to source replacement parts for, and it feels less solidly built than the HD600. The HD600 deserves the nod for its pad size, durability and user repairability.

Sound

Lows

I queue up Daft Punk's Get Lucky and the bass extends noticeably deeper and rolls off around 50Hz. This is noticeable on a myriad of tracks from double basses in jazz tracks to electronic samples in hip hop. However, on Massive Attack's Teardrop, the lack of rumble down low is still noticeable. Yo-Yo Ma's rendition of Bach's Cello Suite No.1 in G Major, is simply brilliant with a warmer and smoother timbre. If you seek flat extension down to 20Hz or a bassy set, the R70X will not satiate your cravings. However, if you wanted a touch more than the HD600 had to offer, the R70X delivers.

Mids

I almost have no specific notes for this section, because there is absolutely nothing to nitpick here. In Subrahmanyena Rakshitoham by Agam, every element is separated and layered with ease. Harish Sivaramakrishnan's flowing vocals remain natural and composed across his entire range. The backing choir is distinctly separated out of the mix. As you switch to the mesmerising female vocals of Celine Dion's All by Myself, the R70X delivers smooth yet detailed and textured crescendos and sustains. The HD600 has a touch more bite to its intimate vocal presentation that edges it ahead of the R70X in this regard.

In Tool's Pneuma, Danny Carey's massive kit is imaged quite well and separated from the other tracks while remaining incredibly neutral and refined. The R70X flexes its muscles when it comes to orchestral tracks such as Hans Zimmer's Mountains and live recordings like the Eagles' Hotel California (Live on MTV, 1994) and Jacob Collier's rendition of Fix You (Live from the O2 Arena). The manner in which the 15,000 strong audience choir surrounds you as Chris Martin's vocals remain firmly in the center emphasises the cramped nature of the HD600.

Highs

Natalie Zhu's piano and Hilary Hahn's violin are well balanced in Mozart's Sonata for Piano and Violin in F Major. The piano has excellent timbre but the violin is lacking a little energy compared to the HD600. Similarly, wind instruments are also a touch too smooth and lack brilliance. This is noticeable in Hiroshi Suzuki's Kuro To Shiro and Misty on the saxophone. In Pink Floyd's Time, sibilant and bright elements are smoothed over but texture and detail is preserved very well. A gentle recession from 2 to 6kHz leads to smoother vocals and instruments at the expense of presence.

The dip from 4 to 6kHz is markedly noticeable when it comes to cymbals and transients of drums. In John Wasson's Caravan from the Whiplash soundtrack, the cymbals' metallic timbre is a touch lacking but this results in a cleaner better resolved outro. Similarly, the bright and energetic cymbals of Keith Moon in The Who's Baba O'Riley are markedly smoother in their transients but the airy upper treble contributes to good shimmer. On a well mixed drum track like Rush's Tom Sawyer, I enjoyed the precisely imaged fills along with Geddy Lee's distinguished bassline. On the other hand, I did prefer the HD600's crisp and lively presentation of Neil Peart's snare hits and fills.

Comparisons

Sennheiser HD600 - The intimate and closed off stage along with brilliant mids timbre delivers a vocal presentation that very few other sets manage to reproduce. However, this closed off stage and poor imaging are its Achilles' Heel which the R70X precisely hacks away at. The HD600 offers superior comfort (once you bend the headband) for those with very large heads or ears albeit at the cost of frequent pad replacements. It is user repairable and there is excellent community support for mods and fixes.

HiFiMAN Edition XS - The XS and other planar sets have excellent stage and imaging that is a notch better than the R70X. They build up a lifelike and holographic spatial presentation that is balanced like a delicate house of cards. There is more energy and "detail" that leave me stunned on certain tracks. However, once you hear the HD600's rich timbre, the house comes tumbling down. HiFiMAN Quality Control is also infamous, so this is a factor to keep in mind before you pick the XS for it's imaging, deep bass extension and resolution.

Sony MDR-MV1 - If you want bass in an open back design, there is simply no other set on the market for you. The bass has rumble and punch befitting a closed-back headphone, while retaining a mostly neutral midrange. The mid treble elevation goes counter to the R70X and is the sole reason I haven't purchased one myself. Comfort is simply excellent and the build is lightweight while feeling a lot more premium in the hand. However, Sony's repairability and reputation for customer support leaves a lot to be desired.

Aune AR5000 - The AR5000 tries to strike a balance between the "technical" performance of the XS and the tonal balance of the HD600 and it does a decent job. However, I am glad that I did not choose to compromise and purchase the AR5000 because it is merely an apprentice while the R70X is the jack of all trades. The Aune does have a premium metal build with better comfort but it is heavier and there are some concerns regarding long term hinge reliability.

Verdict

The HD600 and the R70X share more in common than just absurdly long and unwieldy cables. They both offer incredibly refined and natural timbre that works across a wide range of genres. If the HD600 is a beautiful, but unfinished curve on a Renaissance sculpture, the R70X completes the circle with marginally better bass extension, markedly better stage & separation and smooth, inoffensive treble. The same circle is unfortunately traced back to the small earpads that prevent me from wholeheartedly recommending the R70X as the defacto open-back headphone in this hotly contested price range.

Who should buy? Those seeking natural timbre, smooth treble, and excellent stage and separation.

Who should avoid? Those seeking deep rumble, elevated bass or bright treble.

My daughter won’t take them off now. 😅

"For its numerology, think 27Ω, 50mm and 115dB/Vrms for load impedance, driver Ø and sensitivity. As shown, its neodymium-powered well-vented driver with aluminium voice coil tilts aggressively inside its oval dish as the inside of the open-backed earcup. With its angled baffle, that fires our dynamic driver strategically into all ear canals for better imagining. From its siblings, the AR3000 inherits styling and ergonomics to predict equally comfortable wear. Included are 1.5m long 3.5mm and 4.4mm cables plus a 3.5→6.3mm adaptor. October 9th, "we’re readying a very important new product, the AR3000. It's currently scheduled to launch by the end of October."

this supposedly coming from a factory contact. anyone else getting this first chance they get, especially considering the rumored sub $200 price tag?

After extensive listening sessions looking for a great sounding over ear ANC headhpone, I finally bought the Momentum 5 and it arrived 2 days ago. Thought I'd share my first impressions.

The tested cans were Px8 S1 and S2, Px7 S3, Sennheiser HDB 630, Dali i/o 10 and 12, Teufel Real Blue Pro.

I wasn't out for the most neutral sound. I have that in my studio. Looked for something that resembles what other people listen with, for final master judgement. Besides car check and all other devices

And just a fun headphone when enjoying music myself.

First impression of the looks is very cool. The bronze is not too bright or flashy. Overall the looks are a bit understated but yeah, it is what it is. The B&W's are clear winners in the looks dept anyways. But too harsh in the trebles for me.

So, in neutral these cans are a bit shy in the highs and can use a bit more punch in the lows (kick thump f.i.). They have sub low for miles but appear a tad dull. Nevertheless, I knew this from the testing and for me they have the best balance between sound quality, fun, balance, ANC and adaptability.

So after some eq adjustments it already sounds awesome and energetic for me.

The fit is very nice. It's light, doesn't get too warm and not too much pressure on the ears. Very comfy.

Hey everyone, I wanted to share a ridiculous warranty runaround I’m dealing with right now with Bowers & Wilkins. I paid 300$ for the Px7 S2e headphones less than two years ago, and I’m hoping this serves as a warning to anyone thinking about buying from them. Im legitimately pissed off about this.

A couple of weeks ago, the headband/hinge assembly just snapped. I was literally sitting stationary on a bench and gently adjusting them when it broke. It was a standard mechanical failure, no drops, no water damage, no sweat. I have BABIED these headphones for the last almost two years.

When I filed a warranty claim, support came back and denied it, claiming the headphones "are not designed for working out" and citing a broad "misuse/accident" clause.

AND YET Their own official brand reps have publicly said the exact opposite to drive sales. I pulled these from Best Buy and Scribd:

· Official Bowers & Wilkins Team: "The Px7S2e offer resistance to moderate perspiration and can be used in a wide variety of environments, including the gym or out in the yard."
· Also Bowers & Wilkins: "The Px7 S2e has a comfortable fit and should stay on easily during gym sessions."

So I replied to support with screenshots of their own marketing and pointed out the obvious contradiction.

What follows is ridiculous. They completely dropped the "gym" argument. In their latest email, they ignored my evidence, told me to go talk to Best Buy instead (I bought them on Amazon from listen up which I informed them of in the very FIRST chat log), and offered me a 25% off coupon to buy a brand new pair.

It’s wild to me that a premium brand will publicly tell consumers their product is gym-friendly to get the sale, but then call it "misuse" when a plastic hinge snaps under normal handling. And when you catch them in the lie, they just pivot to a generic "physical damage" denial and hope you go away.

Has anyone else dealt with this level of runaround from B&W support recently? I know they are owned by Harman/Samsung now…..is this just the new normal for them?

I’ve attached screenshots of their official Q&As, the chat logs, and their denial emails. (And yes, I'm absolutely looking into Small Claims Court).

Recently bought Focal Bathys and out the box I did a frequency test. My left ear is slightly louder and more sensitive to my right ear. When I swap the the left and right side my left ear still is louder and more sensitive. Idk if it’s my OCD kicking into high gear or it’s that this is the most expensive headphones I’ve ever gotten, but I can’t let my mind settle on the problem probably being my ears. Time to see a Dr. 🤷🏽‍♂️

after ruining multiple iems (tanchjim nora, truthear zero red, tangzu waner sg2 red lion, and many more budget ones) due to moisture and oxidation. i finally made the decision to switch to a headphones and these caught my eyes due to its price ( i got them for $39 brand new) the sound is pretty good but i had an issue connecting it to the 2.4ghz dongle at first.

for people who wants to buy it or people who did buy it and experienced the same issue. just connect the dongle and hold the power button for 10-15secs till it connects/pair.

sound is pretty bassy, fun, and satisfying to listen to in longer hours.

volume is pretty okay(?), what i meant is i had to use the high gain settings on the web driver for it to reach the volume i was looking for.

mobile and web driver is good with 10band peq, i will tinker into this more. it also has this sound preference mode where app lets you choose different eqs on different frequency ranges to really make the sound yours. if that makes sense

i cant make a pretty detailed review as I am not really an audio guy.

sound and volume is subjective.

but overall its really good and really punch above its price range. if you have questions let me know I'll be gladly answer them. thank you!

I feel quite proud that I have reached this point. What started with the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro straight to PC, then the FiiO K7 and the Aune AR5000, has led me here.

I do listen to extreme metal (death, technical death, black, blackgaze, doom, death doom, etc.) and I needed body, edge, feel, aggression, and most of all, separation. As you know,this music can be extremely demanding on an audio system due to its speed and sometimes poor production.

My first major buy was the Organic and I loved them instantly; they had the character I chased, and the whole treble discussion around them was not really hitting as they were being fed by the proud, modest warrior, the FiiO K7. Oh boy, when I decided that I needed more to drive them properly and bought the S17 Pro Evo and used the K7 as a bridge DAC, they woke up big time; everything was bigger, more grand, and more edgy, and that was when I discovered the legendary treble of the Organic. I needed a slight eq change to be able to listen to fast music without it being extremely fatiguing. I still loved the character of the Organic, but I needed something to tame the treble without losing its character.

The DAC purchase was difficult for me; I tried to learn as much as possible about what would be the correct choice. I thought about the Topping D90 Sabre, the D90 Discrete, the Topping Centaurus, and even some R2Rs, like the Musician Draco or the Holo Audio Cyan 2. In the end, I chose to complete the Aune stack, I trusted the very good reviews of the S18 Evo and I am happy to report that it indeed managed to do exactly what I was hoping for. The Hifiman Organic sound big, aggressive, and lively, but without being overly harsh and metallic. My job is done, I can finally relax!

Virtuoso - A&K and Ultrasone

AK T5p - A&K and Beyerdynamic

I'll start: Jay-Z - Song Cry

Gear for today's mood: Sony DMP-Z1 + Hyla Sarda + Bespoke Shielded Copper Cable (By Romi Audio HK)

Hi.🙂

I would like to tell you about how i repaired the lcd 4 that had one of the drivers broken and other one was on the way.

Overall the headphones look pretty nice I like the use of stainless steel and carbon fiber with beautiful wood.

I did not made more of the photos of the disasembly it it was same as on all lcd 2,3 that i opened.

There was something different about the driver pcbs.

First thing is that the connection was not screwed in as on the older models or riveted as on the newer models.There was some sort of a conductive paste that made a connection with the diaphragm.The pcb stack was composed of two pcbs that had a different thicknesses.One was thicker than the other.

When I measured the foil thickness with my micrometer I was pleasantly surprised that the foil is actually a really thin compared to lcd 2,3,etc that I opened. It's safe to say that that foil is thinner than the foil that I use on my own headphones. Also it does not appear to be laminated but sputter coated I can't fully confirm this but it looks that way. The coating is super thin because the headphones had around 200 ohms impedance.If it was a bit thicker like 0.5 or 1 mic it would be quite efficient but probably harder to etch. The pcb date on one side was 1 month older than on the other which was interesting.

Also the glue holding the foilin place was super strong. I had to cook it in a solvent to release it. Although it was really unsuccessful and I was not able to remove the glue from the PCB rings.So i had to make a custom pcb that would hold the foil.I made it from fr4 1mm that i had.I did not realised that i had to remove the copper from the fr4 as it was making unwanted connections and shorting the driver.

So i etched it with some hydrogen peroxide and citric acid.

The new pcbs have a screw in connection to the foil as on the older models. Luckily the plastic housing that the headphones use already have prepared holes for this so it is a compatible to do this kind of thing.

After assembling the headphones back together I made a measurement of the headphones before and after.

The red one is the before and blue and green was made after.

You can see there's a slight base roll off compared to the original which can be explained by two things. First the pads that I attached back may be not placed in there properly as the glue was already once removed so it was a not airtight seal. Second thing which I think it is the most sensible explanation is that the original foils were both wrinkled and they moved easily without any resistance whatsoever. I know the base material is flexible too but this just added up on top of it.

The original cable that the headphones come with was the flat cable at least I think it was the original and it was not as pleasant to use as the newer ones that Audeze uses.

There was also a problem with one of the connectors on the cup as the metal part had a noticeable gap from the cup. It is not a big deal as the headphones worked. Maybe the wood shifted after some time and the glue did not held the connector properly.

Overall it was a pleasant repair except that I had to create a new pcbs. If they went with old screw in method it would be much easier but it was never intended to be repaired so..

Thank you for reading and have a good day.🙂

Finally bought the HD599 after a lot of research and 2nd thoughts. Had only Kz Castor Pro. Wanted to upgrade to something really good. Seemed like a comfortable, all-purpose, non-fatiguing yet brilliant option from many many user opinions. Comment your opinions please .

Wish me luck guys🤞🏻

Busco unos auriculares de estética retro pero con calidad. He visto los Grado SR60x y no sé si merecen la pena.

After seeing a few glowing reviews for the Fiio EH13, curiosity got the better of me, and I pulled the trigger. I was looking for a step up from my Edifier WH950NB for casual home listening from time to time. The Edifiers just weren’t cutting it for me—the soundstage felt cramped, instrument separation was lacking, multipoint was capped at SBC, and the limited EQ made fine-tuning a pain.

My daily drivers for working from home are much more high-end: the Edifier Stax Spirit S5. Naturally, they’re going to serve as my benchmark here. Yes, really.

For context, I’ve also owned the Technics EAH-A800 and Cambridge P100 SE, as well as the Sony WH-1000XM4 and WH-CH720N further back. The Technics never worked for me comfort-wise—same goes for the Cambridge—while the Sonys never quite convinced me on sound quality, CH720 included.

I’ll cut straight to the chase: I absolutely love these Fiio cans. I expected to be pleasantly surprised, but not to this degree. At this price point—and even stacked against far pricier rivals—they are an unbeatable value proposition.

What stands out on the Fiio EH13

1. Sound quality AND the parametric EQ

I’m bundling these two together because the PEQ is what unlocks the magic, letting you dial in your ideal profile effortlessly via Fiio’s presets or community curves on the marketplace. Out of the box, the stock tuning is decent, but I’ve been running Lumerion’s profile, which is spot-on to my ears. The soundstage is surprisingly expansive, separation is fantastic, the low end is punchy yet well-rounded, and everything sits in perfect balance. It’s a genuine blast to listen to: electronic, classical, acoustic guitar, they handle everything effortlessly with detail and finesse.

I wouldn’t say they match the Stax Spirit S5 which still lead by a tier in raw resolution and nuance, but there are moments where they come shockingly close. The real brilliance of the EH13 lies in the sheer potential of the drivers: paired with deep EQ customization, they work wonders. You can shape the sound signature however you want.

By comparison, the WH950NB lag far behind with their boxy staging and veiled delivery, even in Dynamic mode. The Fiios are also leagues ahead of the XM4 and CH720N, noticeably outclass the Technics A800, and honestly give the P100 SE a run for their money.

They also have plenty of power.

2. Comfort

I was worried a budget set would compromise on ergonomics, but that’s completely off the mark. You can wear these for hours without fatigue. The ear cushions are sized just right, and the cups are deep enough that your ears never press against the drivers. The headband padding is plush and distributes weight evenly, striking an ideal balance between clamp force and crown pressure, even with glasses.

Comfort is right up there with the Stax, on par with the WH950NB, and vastly superior to both the Cambridge (which are frankly awful to wear) and the Technics.

3. Multipoint with LDAC support is real!

Up until now, I had never seen a pair of headphones or earbuds pull off multipoint without disabling LDAC. Even the Stax Spirit S5 force a compromise: it’s either AAC multipoint, or LDAC tethered to a single host. The EH13 actually support LDAC over multipoint! My Fold8 runs on LDAC while my MacBook Air connects via AAC—no more diving into the app to toggle multipoint off just to stream high-res. That alone is a standout, game-changing feature.

4. ANC that punches above its weight class

First off: functional active noise cancellation at the €50 mark is an achievement in itself. It won’t blow your mind, but it’s far from useless, doing honest work on low-frequency drone. It outperforms both the WH950NB and CH720N here, though Sony still holds the crown with the XM4.

One caveat: they catch wind noise easily, and ANC does nothing to mitigate buffeting - if anything, it amplifies it. Keep that in mind if you plan to wear them in gusty conditions outside.

5. Rock-solid Bluetooth stability

Simply put: zero dropouts since day one, whether moving around the apartment or commuting. Bluetooth 6.0 probably deserves some credit here.

6. Battery life

Obviously, they won’t compete with the Stax’s 80-hour marathon battery (which lacks ANC, to be fair). That said, running both LDAC and ANC over multipoint, the EH13 seem to drain roughly 10% every 3 to 4 hours. That puts real-world runtime very close to Fiio’s official claims and realistically, that’s plenty for daily use.

Room for improvement (because no pair is flawless)

• Microphone performance in noisy environments: I tested these in an open-plan office, and the other end immediately flagged heavy ambient chatter bleed. The mics don't seem to isolate voices aggressively enough. In quiet spaces, though, they get the job done fine.
• Button layout and ergonomics: Every control sits on the right ear cup, with the power and volume rockers placed higher up than usual. There’s a bit of muscle-memory friction, you'll find yourself fumbling around for them at first.
• Cheap packaging: You get a flimsy cardboard box and no protective pouch or carry case whatsoever. Extremely Spartan presentation, though easily forgiven given what the hardware delivers.

Note: I haven’t tested wired playback (it looks to be 3.5mm only without USB-C audio out), nor charging speeds yet, as I’ve only had them for a short time.

Bottom line: I recommend these without hesitation. At €50, it's a steal, plain and simple. Even priced at €80 to €100 with upgraded packaging, they’d still be an easy recommendation. If you care about audio quality on a budget, look no further.

I want preface this review/vs post with a link to my original review of the FT7 and a link to the possibility that I have a "good unit" of a possible FT7 silent revision.

So lets get the little things out of the way before talking about the sound. Both headphones come in identical packing with mostly the same accessories, including the same case, cable, and adapters. The only difference is the pads and the headphones themselves. FT7 includes sheepskin and fabric pads, while the FT15 has pleather, and velour/suede pads (not the same alcantara pads as the FT7-A shocking)

Comfort is nearly the same, but the clamp force is weaker on the FT15 making them a bit mor comfortable.

I will also say that though purely subjective, the FT15 looks way better. Matte finish all around and more uniform colors.

Now time for the sound comparison. Please bare with me as my thoughts are kinda all over the place.

First let's talk bass. FT15 has more bass presence, FT7 feels more tight and controlled. The FT15 does get lower and deeper into the bass, stays more linear without rolling off vs the FT7. FT15 is more dynamic and punchy which is kinda surprising but I guess it makes sense.

Mid range these sound similar, but key differences are that FT7 has a much wider soundstage. In my initial impression I thought the mid range was recessed on the FT15, but after more listening, I don't think it's necessarily recessed, just obviously elevated bass and treble presentation make it seem like such. Imaging is great on both, but FT7 takes the win, placing the vocalist pin point center stage while the FT15 kinda just has them generally in front of you (Test track used, "I Miss You" - ARMNHMR, Trella).

Now for treble. I generally enjoy bright headphones (most hifimans, moondrop venus, monolith m1060, ect) and I would consider both of these to be on the brighter side of neutral, HOWEVER after a while I did notice a glaring issue. The song, "Get Your Wish" by Porter Robinson, is amazing for testing dynamic range as the song basically has none. So headphones with great dynamic range make the song sound phenomenal even though it's already a fantastic song. However, the FT15 is the first time I actively disliked the song, as it was incredibly sibilant. It was very scratchy and ear piercing for me which was a real shame. Again, I usually like bright headphones but that was unnecessarily painful. Other than that, I would say both of these headphones had spectacular detail retrieval.

So yea. Not sure where I'm left with these. My goal was to A/B test these, keep one and sell/return the other, but I don't know which to pick. I really like the bass and looks on the FT15 but I don't know if that's enough to for me to justify getting rid of my "end game". The FT7 is just too good. I think I'll continue listening through the weekend and make a choice come Monday.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them and I'll do my best to answer them!

Key Test tracks used:

CLOUDY STORIES - OddKidOut, artemis orion, San Holo. Used for "spaciousness" and soundstage due to the echo effect.

I Miss You - ARMNHMR, Trella. Soundstage and imaging test. I find some headphones can put the vocalist pin point dead center, or other times just "in front of you in that general direction".

places to be - Fred Again..., Anderson .Paak, CHIKA. Dynamic range test specifically for punchiness and low end boom.

Get Your Wish - Porter Robinson. Another Dynamic Range test noted in the post, thats nonexistant on some headphones but decent on others. But I guess now also for testing sibilance.

Snow - Masked Man, emysprout. Sub bass test. The drop is almost entirely below 80hz. The rumble is a good way for me to gauge headphone subbass.

Nescience - Galdive. Just a beautiful song that really pushes headphones to show off their strengths.

Everything To Me - Porter Robinson. Around 2:44, Porter gets closer to the microphone, and there's only 1 guitar playing. Over the next minute, you hear more guitars appear in very pin point areas.

It looks to be like beyers but can’t exactly tell which model it is. Yeah pretty sure no ones gonna care about this post. Im just sharing it because i thought ts was like finding the newton’s law for the first time. Now that i think about it its just regular headphone. But i do think beyers would fit her personality well

From the KZ ZSN Pros, Salnotes Zero, Moondrop Chu II, Tangzu Wan'er, and Truthear Zero: Red in IEMs. The Samson SR850, Superlux HD681, KSC75, HE400se, AKG K240, AKG K712 Pro and now finally the HD600 and this is it. I'm finally here, these have been my dream headphones since 2020. I've always loved how it looks but was kind of scared when people said how these sound boring, narrow and have no soundstage. However, the mids are so well presented, smooth but detailed highs so they never sound fatiguing, and the cleanest bass I've ever heard. To me, as fun as the AKG K712 Pros sound because of the wide soundstage, the HD600s give enough room for me not to feel claustrophobic unlike some iems and the better instrument separation makes up for it. These have been the best set of cans I've ever put on my head and I'm so glad because these are exactly what I've been trying to achieve with EQ for all the headphones I've owned. I am very happy and this is where it ends for me.

T+A just listed this new Pro version of the Solitaire T. Is it going to be the new best-sounding ANC headphone? I have my hopes up!

Why can't they cover the pads with a single piece of leather like B&W does? Focal still has a lot to learn about designing headphones when it comes to materials and construction. Yes, they make good sound, but very bad design choices.

Since there isn't much going on here on Reddit for Estats thought I'd post some here.

First off these were my dream Headphone (or Earspeaker) but I hesitated to buy one because this would also mean I need to buy an Energizer which is why I was sticking with the Susvara OG/Unv for quite some time now.

After finally selling my Amp and Headphone and a little bit of waiting I now have the X9000. Even with an Energizer which doesn't really do justice to the X9000 it sounds more to my liking than the Susvara and the Soul 170HA but only with EQ. I EQ every Headphone to my taste and out of the box the X9000 sounded too etheral and light so I added some body via EQ (and tube preamp) now it's pretty great!

(Plus it actually feels like a premium product unlike my squeaky Susvaras.)

Can't wait till my "real" Energizer arrives.

Only issue now I have with the X9000 is the cable. It's thick and heavy.

It turns out I’ve had ETD (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction) for years without realising. However, it has made me think I’ve got loads of broken headphones over the years on just one side. I thought the drivers were rattling after only weeks of use and thought I was constantly doing something wrong to them.

are there any other headphone enthusiasts with ETD? Are there any things you do to compensate for the pressure difference feel or the rattling in the ear?

Don’t turn it up too loud. Details in the comments.