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Open back headphones - recommendations

I

IanRB

pfm Member
Headphones seem to be in season right now!

I want to buy some good quality open back headphone, budget around £1000, to be driven by a Hugo2 plugged in to a laptop. I don't need sound insulation, either for me or for other people, and I tend to get hot ears, so closed back designs would not suit.

I have trawled through all the review sites I can find but it's very difficult to see any sort on consensus, even if I did trust them.

Music preferences? All sorts.

Does anyone have relevant experience that they care to share? Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Ian.
 
You'll get as many different recommendations as there are people on the forum. Headphones are very personal to the listener, much more than speakers. The sound of the same headphone driven by same amplifier can be described utterly differently by different people, even if they agree on how a pair of speakers sound.


Comfort and fit are also important to consider. Probably best if you can find a dealer who can demo... More places are setup for this nowadays.
Highendheadphones.co.uk in Bedfordshire have fantastic range and demo facilities.
 
alanbeeb said:
You'll get as many different recommendations as there are people on the forum. Headphones are very personal to the listener, much more than speakers. The sound of the same headphone driven by same amplifier can be described utterly differently by different people, even if they agree on how a pair of speakers sound.


Comfort and fit are also important to consider. Probably best if you can find a dealer who can demo... More places are setup for this nowadays.
Highendheadphones.co.uk in Bedfordshire have fantastic range and demo facilities.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Dealers who stock this sort of kit are few and far between in southern Scotland and northern England, so I'm trying to get a short list before I even try to get a demo.
 
Just my opinions... Which won't tally with anybody else's!

Sennheiser HD800S are very good. Imaging is superb, and I've never seen a bad word about how they sound, even from people who ultimately bought something else.

Audeze LCD2 also highly regarded but I didn't like them as much as the Senn HD800 and found them too heavy for long listening.

I tried Hifiman HE600 a few years ago and again found them too heavy on the head, and sound seemed very dark and closed in.

Beyerdynamic T1... Good but not as good as the HD800 IMO.

Have never heard Focal Elear or Clear but reviews seem to be very good. Same with Mr Speakers.
 
Definitely put the Focal Elears on your shortlist, Grados are a bit marmite, you'll either love them or hate them, you will definitely need an extended audition to see if you can live with the comfort levels. The Focals are extremely comfortable & non fatiguing to listen to for long sessions.
 
To further muddy the water, if you like Grados, you may want to check out Alessandro, Music Series Pro, which is well within your budget, but only available from USA, I think.
 
A satisfied user of Grado PS500 here. Comfort is the most important thing, next to the sound quality. If they're not comfortable you won't use them!
 
Do the higher-end Grados have full size earcups or do they sit on the ear? I had some of their entry level 'phones years ago and would frankly rather clamp cheese-graters to my ears than go back to them!
 
alanbeeb said:
Do the higher-end Grados have full size earcups or do they sit on the ear? I had some of their entry level 'phones years ago and would frankly rather clamp cheese-graters to my ears than go back to them!
Click to expand...

You can put the big donut pads on the lower models - I bought a pair of entry level Grados(SR60?) for a lady at one point and put the big pads on there which made them a lot more comfortable.
 
I find the Grado G-cushions, which are big bowls to be the best fit as they go completely over the ear. Much more comfortable than L-cushions which sit on the ear.

I have a pair of the Grado SR125’s in need of new cushions as they tend to perish after a couple of year's use.
 
I would look at Grado also, I have a pair of the 125 series and their great and all I need, can imagine that at that budget and with your source they will be superb.
 
Have Grado upped their game recently? I remember trying a few pairs about 10 years ago and wasn't impressed at all.
 
Very subjective with headphones. Agree with a visit to Hifi
Lounge in Bedfordshire if possible. A vast range on demo. As you’re using a Hugo I wouldn’t pair it with anything bright imo but Paul has the Hugo as well so easy to dem. I would look at Audeze to start with.....
 
I've tried the Hugo 2 with grado (can't remember the model, but they were well over a grand), Audeze lcd3, Focal Elears and Focal clears.
Grado - to bright for my liking, up front sound and were exciting to listen too.
Audeze - huge deep bass, not one tone either. Amazing midband (voices sounded so real). Treble area is where the Audeze house sound seems to divide opinion, It is recessed compared to other brands (not sibilant) but once you get used to it, the other advantages of the headphone took over.
Focal Elears - real good fun. great driving sound, just a tad uneven for me.
Focal clears - very impressive as they sound alot like the utopia's more than the elears. They trade the elears bass for a brighter more detailed sound. Again, not sibilant, just detailed. Alot more even than the elears, just depends if you want that sort of sound with a detailed headphone dac amp like the hugo 2.

I did some more demo's and ended up buying Audeze lcdx. In my opinion, these are alot more neutral than the lcd3's. A little less bass but more treble up top. There more forward than the lcd3 too (the lcd3's are called the "king of dark" headphones).
Try the uk distrubutor "scan uk". I got mine for a grand with a 3 year warranty.

There's also a difference between dynamic drivers and plannar magnetic drivers, something you need to have a listen too.

I now have a tube headphone amp and am saving up for the Focal utopia's. They sounded sublime with a tube amp - punchey, detailed but smooth. Made my lcdx's sound plain rough!
 
alanbeeb said:
Sennheiser HD800S are very good. Imaging is superb,
Click to expand...
TonyScarlett said:
Definitely put the Focal Elears on your shortlist,
Click to expand...
broadey said:
Focal Elears - real good fun. great driving sound, just a tad uneven for me.
Click to expand...

A comment re. the Hugo above would tend to rule out the Senn's with their vivid presentation, if indeed the Hugo is like that

I waited a long time to upgrade from my lovely Senn. 650s, but was worried about the 800, which was within my budget. I would have uped the ante for the S but watching some UTube comparisons and reading lots of reviews and reports over a few months lead me to the Elears, which I find sooooo comfy and having a very wide frequency range and good soundstage. Mind you, the 800/S are comfy too. Large over-ear for me.

I have a cheap pair of Grados, but find their on-ear pads are not conducive to longer term comfort. The Senn's are 300 ohms and pretty efficient but the Elears (and Clears/Utopias?) are around the 60 mark and need less welly. Caveat re. Elears is the thick and long cable; very strong and functional but it can be a wee bit cumbersome because of its weight but the plus point is their importer/agent, which is superb.

Suggestion: do your internet research (including here, of course), esp. referencing your Hugo (if you're intent upon keeping it) and take a punt on Ebay or the forums for a used pair (as I did). If they are unsuitable (unlikely), you won't lose much, you'll be that much wiser and will know in which direction to go. Listening to a few at a dealer won't necessarily be foolproof unless you take your Hugo/laptop along. A used pair at half price is better than suffering 40/50% depreciation if you're not satisfied.
 
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