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Best Headphone under 1k$?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K2LHB1J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I had enjoyed using SoundMAGIC E11C while out of town for 3 weeks on May.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077XDWT7X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But I also got HIFIMAN SUNDARA from Amazon 10 days ago to compare it with SoundMAGIC E11C .


Although I will keep SoundMAGIC E11C for travel, I enjoy the sound from HIFIMAN SUNDARA much better.
It sound open and balanced.
I use Chord Dave to drive it.


Now my question is whether there is any headphone under 1k$ which will sound significantly better than HIFIMAN SUNDARA.
I wish to get transparent and open sound out of it with just enough tight bass.
Of course, if it provides wide and deep soundstage, it will be better.
I do not wish to get bright sound.


Can anyone recommend best headphone under 1K$?
thanks in advance
Thomas
shkong78
shkong78's avatar
shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
Some reviewers reported 7Khz peak of RE800S even after full burn in of around 300 hours.

After 50 hours of burn in, it still sounds too bright to my taste.

It is almost certain that I will return it to Amazon after comparison of three earphones.

But it may work with some forgiving system.

Thus I do not discourage other people from trying this out.

This one has vivid and dynamic sound with clear soundstage which will suit some people’s taste.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I am saying you should expect the brightness to continue for at least 200 hours. Rome wasn’t built in a day. 😬 At this point in time my Grado 60s sound much better than the HE-600S V2s. And the Grados are relatively inexpensive headphones. The HIFIMANs are FAST, I’ll give them that! It is what it is.
shkong78's avatar
shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
As Geoff mentioned, Hifiman RE800S earphone sounds very fast and exciting.

With Cocktail Audio X12 music server and CD player, it is listenable while it sounds too bright to listen with Chord Dave.

Thus with some system matching, Hifiman earphone could be good value.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Just checking in to say I do not think we’re on the same page yet. But no problem. I expect at the end of the day my HIFIMAN HE600S V2 earphones will have it all, bass, balance, speed, tonality and bass. I am pretty sure brightness will be determined to be an artifact of not being sufficiently burned in. I would caution against drawing any conclusion regarding sound quality prior to the magic 300 hour mark. No reason not to be patient. The hurrieder you go the behinder you get. It’s the reason why one person on Amazon gave the HIFIMAN HE-800S V2 earphones one star, because it had no bass and sounded terrible. Well, duh! He never heard of burn in.
shkong78's avatar
shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
I went back to Hifiman Sundara with Cocktail Audio X12 music server and CD player.

It sound much more musical than RE800s earphone with balanced and relaxing sound.

If somebody want to try out planar headphone for the first time, I recommend Sundara.


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