LogFAQs > #978973266

Ratchetrockon posted...

My most used headphone since 2021 is the hd600. I have it hooked to a rme adi 2 dac. I eq its bass +5.5 db at 105 hz. Prob used it at least a thousand hours more than my next used headphone which is probably the hd800s.

My collection rn consists of:
Another hd600,Hd6xx, Hd800s, Hd560s, Focal utopia, sr009s, sr007mk2, another sr007mk2 but with the ports sealed, Staxl500mk2, Wh1000x, Wh1000xm3,Bose qc 35, Hifiman sundara, Hifiman arya, Zmf verite, Zmf verite close,

For iems:
Sal notes zero, Thieaudio monarch (broken bass driver on one side), Thieaudio clairvoyance, Qdc anole vx, Cca cra, Truther x crinacle zero (i lost them somewhere and can't find), and the Qkz vk4 og black version

My fave sound-wise is the focal utopia w/ a bass boost eq. it's a nice upgrade from the eq'd hd600 imo. Better bass (punchier and deeper). More sparkly treble. Its mids are not as forward as the hd600 which gives me the illusion of a larger soundstage tho not as large as like the hifiman arya and hd800s. Not sure how it'd compare to the dt990.

Only reason why I barely use the Utopia is because it weighs around 500 grams (490g but without cable taken into account). Gives me a Hotspot too because of its band not fitting my head that well.

My reference point for neutral is the hd600 since I've used it the most. It's a much different sound sig than the dt990 looking at graphs. Ive actually never heard beyerdynamics.

I don't mind eqing headphones I don't like (like the sr009s and two zmfs) to the harman curve but with straight bass from 1k hz to 250 hz (harman curve has a -2 to -3 db dip around 250 hz which i dislike).

For iems the salnotes zero and truthear x crinacle sound similar to the hd600 but with deeper bass. Iems in general seem have deeper bass with a good seal..

Sucks about the Monarchs bro, they're second to none full stop. Even with your entire list they belong in the top #3 without a doubt to me. I've never heard a more accurate soundstage in my life, but I am in the same exact camp as you. Had them on warranty, the left side driver shit the bed, got my money back and didn't trust the brand again with thousands of my dollars.

Utopias rule but they're so finnicky. I'm glad you laid out your frequency and ohm preferences because that's the exact kind of tuning they need to get rolling.

tho not as large as like the hifiman arya and hd800s. Not sure how it'd compare to the dt990.

The 990s have a gigantic soundstage with minimal intrusion. Officially they're for audio reproduction. I do a lot of game design and modding as a hobbyist, and knowing what a "level" soundstage is to the average bear can be tough but they're phenomenal reproduction headphones. They're closer to the hd800s out of the box, or the Aryas with a slight bass reduction.