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Choosing Headphones up to 1700 USD

I’ve been going back and forth between reviews of different headphones of up to 1700 USD price range.

I currently have the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro and I like them a lot, both the punch and slam that they provide, and the detail they have across the range. I know that the treble of those headphones is notoriously sharp, but I just EQ it out when listening to music (and leave it un-EQed when mixing). 

I only have a USB audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett), so if the headphones require an amp that would have to be part of the budget).

I mainly listen to electronic music, but also some jazz and rock. 

I would like to upgrade to something higher end and the main headphones I checked out are Audeze LCD-X, Hifiman Arya, Ananda (which are much cheaper) and Focal clear. 

I might be wrong but from what I picked up from the reviews, there seems to be a compromise between soundstage and dynamics. 

I was mainly focused on the LCD X but encountered many complaints about serious reliability issues with Audeze headphones so I decided to drop them. 

The Arya looks awesome about everything except the dynamics, and this worries me as I like the punch and slam of my current headphones (the DT1990). 

I understand that the focal clear has very good dynamics but no soundstage at all. 

Now soundstage is something that I’m really curious about, as I never heard a really good soundstage headphones. I know that the DT 1990 are supposed to have some mid range soundstage but frankly I don’t notice it at all (perhaps it has to do more with the music I’m listening to?).


To sum up:

I’d love to hear about what other headphones I should check out in that price range, and how they compare with each other and what to expect comparing to my current DT1990.



roobi
roobi OP
3 posts
 
@soix thanks for the very informative response!
The Scarlett is a studio USB interface used for music production (it's basically a DAC/amp unit but suited more for recording and monitoring rather than audiophile listening). 
I decided to start with a DAC/amp and to save for a while and than get headphones (maybe indeed Arya). 
What do you think about this DAC/amp?
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24459
I heard about it in this review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KiXpt97wf8&t=1s
and also here:
https://headfonics.com/monoprice-monolith-thx-amplifier-dac-review/

soix
9,588 posts
 
I think the Monoprice is probably a very good unit and a good value (gotta love Monoprice!).  The SDA-2 uses a more advanced AKM chip and they’ve paid a lot of attention to improving the USB input, clock, jitter, etc. whereas I don’t see anything about this implementation on the Monolith, which is a little frustrating as this is fairly important.  Just going by what I’ve read, your DT1990s are already on the transparent/detailed side of the sonic spectrum as is the Monolith, so I’d be a little concerned that the two together may be a little much and possibly become fatiguing over time.  The SDA-2 on the other hand will still give you a lot of detail and transparency with perhaps a little more flesh on the bone in terms of tonality and heft and maybe a little smoother and more refined sounding, which is why I thought it might synergize well in your particular situation.  I think both units are great and excellent values, but as with everything in audio it ultimately comes down to personal preference and system synergy so let that be your final guide.  In searching around I did find a review from headphones.com that actually compares the two and this is what he had to say.  I have no idea about this guy so can’t vouch for the validity of his impressions, so FWIW...

Well, I think these two are approaching AIO from different perspectives. The THX feels wider and cleaner. Separation feels slightly better. More fatiguing treble, and overall not as enjoyable as the Singxer. It feels more “harsh” to me. That being said the THX-788 is still my recommendation for AIO or even DAC/amp under $600, and honestly even higher depending on your preference. The THX-788 is a more analytical sound and it has EQ options (a little hard to figure out at first but once you do it is pretty easy to get around the menu). If you are looking for the best bang for your buck, I would go with the THX-788. If you want a more relaxing involving sound and don’t mind not having EQ options baked in and don’t mind the price, or will be potentially pairing with better amps down the road, Singxer SDA-2 is the option I would go with.

Again, hope this helps and by all means let us know what you find and decide. 
erik_squires
16,136 posts
 
Does anyone have an opinion on electrostatic headphone amps?

I wanted to get something that sounds warmer, richer rather than accentuate the hyper detailing of the headphones.

I was thinking of Woo GES, but read mixed reviews about the circuitry.
roobi OP
3 posts
 
@soix in your opinion the SDA-2 would also be better with headphones like Arya?
soix
9,588 posts
 
“Better” is impossible to say because that’s really a personal taste thing, but reading between the lines in the reviews the SDA-2 seems to be a more complete and refined-sounding amp/DAC that I think would come through on an excellent and transparent pair of ‘phones like the Arya. I may very well buy an SDA-2 for myself in the near future unless I end up going with a separate amp and DAC. Anyway, FWIW...
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