Headphones Buying Guide

I wrote this below, here is my guide as someone who listened to way too many headphones:

Poor Tier: Around $100

• Buy the HD598 since it goes for sale at this price often. I got the 598CS (the closed version) for jut $80 on Amazon when it was on sale. The open back version is more spacious and neutral, while the 598CS is more bassy and better for modern music.
• Another one that goes on sale for under $100 regularly is the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro, another great option that has customizable bass ports. On the side it has an adjustable bass port with 4 positions. If you set it at the 4th Bass position, the bass quantity is stronger than Beats if you like that type of sound signature. I prefer the 3rd position.
• If you want to go new and MSRP price, the ATH-M40x is your best bet but I would honestly just move up to the $150+ tier since so many better options exist there. Koss Portapro also has surprisingly good sound for so damn cheap, but it looks terrible and I find the band uncomfortable.

Mainstream Tier: $150-200

• The Beyerdynamics DT 770 generally goes for around $150 and is a great option for a bass heavy signature. For those seeking something more neutral the DT 880 is at a similar price point. I would avoid the DT990 unless you like a heavily treble focused signature.
• The Massdrop Sennheiser HD 6XX, which are $199 and are basically a rebranded HD 650. They completely annihilate the $300 Beats in terms of sound quality, comfort and durability. Its like day and night, its not even close. They would probably be a end-game headphone to your average person paired with a decent amp.
• Philips Fidelio X2 is now discontinued, but a good option for around $150 if you can find it. Nice open back headphone with decent bass and great soundstage. These are awesome for gaming, wonderful directional cues. Put at attachable mic like the VModa Boom pro and you have something that beats any gaming headset. Another great discontinued option is the Phillips SHP9500, also open back and fantastic for its price. Amazing for gaming as well.

The ATH-M50x was often recommended back in the day as the $150 headphone, but I would avoid it. Its really been surpassed by superior options and is too narrow sounding. I would recommend moving up to the $200 ATH-M60x and skipping the M50, as its much more resolving across the spectrum and not so congested.

Upper Mainstream Tier: $250-350

• The Fostex TR-X00 is the best option for your average consumer, its extremely well defined in the bass region and goes extremely deep into the subbass while also having low distortion. They are biocellulose drivers so they sound much more "tight", the notes don't bleed into each other like with more conventional driers. They are also drop dead gorgeous.
• The Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 HD also tend to go for around $250 and I recommend them highly. The 1.0 have smaller earcups which were a problem for me, but the 2.0 are spacious and very comfortable. I've heard it described as a Beats for adults and I would agree, its a fun sounding headphone that doesn't have the hollow mids or absent highs.
• The Monolith M1060 is a planar headphone, and really the lowest priced planar I can recommend. Planar headphones are different than dynamic headphones (most mainstream headphones use dynamic drivers), and are generally more difficult to make. They do have some build issues with the hinge, but they sound absolutely wonderful at this price. I also recommend changing up the pads to the ZMF Eikon Suede pads, with this mod and a bit of midbass EQ (+2db) it becomes scarily similar to the high end Audeze LCD2C planars.
• The Meze 99 Classics is also another great option, it looks very adult and high end while offering a smooth, warm sound. Enjoyable for long term listening.
• This is also where the go-to wireless headphone is, the Sony 1000XM3 for $350. Its better than Bose in everything, including finally surpassing them in noise cancellation. I had the 1000XM2 and sold them because they weren't that comfortable for long term flights, but the new 1000XM3 are more comfortable to me than even the Bose flagship QC35. Wireless doesn't sound as good as wired generally, but the 1000XM3 with LDAC enabled are actually as good sounding as most decent $200 headphones.

"Upper Tier" $500

• The Beyerdynamic DT 1990 are a great option here, they are stupidly detailed and can be very easily EQ'd to any sound signature. This is a sound engineers headphone, and is open ended, but its so comfortable and has such great drivers that I comfortably recommend it here.
• The Fostex TR-X00 Ebony is another fantastic option here. I have these and absolutely love them for EDM and Rap, they're so pleasurable to listen to. They have a much more reference sound signature with a bit of an emphasis on the bass, but they're semi open and have surprisingly good sound stage. Plus they look really beautiful, the exotic Ebony wood grain looks really nice.
  

• For those seeking a reference signature, I highly recommend the Mr. Speakers Aeon Flow Closed. They are extremely resolving and they have extremely quick decay, being planar headphones. Some find them a bit sterile, but they are surprisingly dynamic when the music calls for it. They are also insanely comfortable and offer excellent isolation, they're almost as quiet as noise isolating headphones but with vastly superior sound quality.
• The Audeze LCD2C is also an excellent headphone and can be bought for around $650 used (I got mine for $550), and its such a comfortable listening experience. Awesome bass, smooth midrange and excellent transparency. Extremely nice planar sound with very good imaging. And unlike other Audeze headphones, they're actually no a pain to listen to in terms of comfort. If you can afford it, its worth to upgrade to an LCD X in terms of sound but I find that they are uncomfortable for long periods of listening.
• The ZMF Atticus ($1100) and Eikon ($1300) are absolutely wonderful and for my money are the best bang-for-buck option if you go high end. The Eikon is the technically superior headphone with its biocelullose drivers, but I personally find the ZMF Atticus to be my favorite headphone to listen to music period. It's got an absolutely glorious midrange, it so smooth it so crystal clear. The overall sound signature is warm and midbassy, with a slight 3db bump at around 150hz and a nice gentle rolloff to a flat deep 20hz region. The highs are nonfatiguing and its the widest sounding closed back I've ever heard. They are also absolutely beautiful in African Zebrawood (yes, I'm a sucker for exotic wood headphones)

If you're a sound engineer or serious content creator, the Sennheiser HD800 are the go to reference, but I wouldn't listen for enjoyment. They're unrealistically wide and too sterile. Yes you can EQ them, yes you can buy something like the Cavalli Liquid Carbon amp to give them some color, but even then they lack that weight to the lower spectrum that adds dynamism.

I forgot to add, get an amp. For most a Fiio E10K ($75), Objective2 ($100) or Topping A30 ($125) all will be more than enough power for anything up to $500. You really don't need anything more unless you're looking for a specific sound signature. If you'd like to spend a bit more to power hungry planar headphones, I recommend the Aune 7XS ($300) and Schitt Jotunheim ($399).

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