Step up to the Meze classic99.
Around $349 and sound quite good.
Around $349 and sound quite good.
Simple, Inexpensive, but Decent Headphone System
The AKG k550’s are a fantastic closed back headphone with an open back sound. You can still buy them, but I believe they are now an MK11 version. Also, the Graham Slee Novo is a fantastic little headphone amp. It can be daisy chained into your system without occupying a line input, for instance, placed between a cd player and your amp. It has both an input and output RCA’s on the back that are internally linked to enable this. You might be pushing $600 for this combo. You can read up on both of these products at WhatHiFi. https://www.whathifi.com/us/akg/k550/review https://www.whathifi.com/us/graham-slee/novo/review |
I've got a pair of Meze 99 Classics that I love. Fun, non-fatiguing sound profile, very comfortable, plus they look fantastic for all those telemedicine and zoom conference calls we're stuck doing these days... In the under $500 range, I think they'd be awfully tough to beat. I'm also a physician and let a few of my partners try them...none are audiophiles but it was an eye opener for a couple of them. I'd also suggest picking up a USB camera adapter plus dongle-style DAC for the iPad (Dragonfly, EarMen Eagle/Sparrow, etc). They're small enough to fit in the headphone carry case so not inconvenient like a typical headphone amp would be. I have a dragonfly red I use with both the Mezes and my Campfire audio earbuds and I think it greatly improves the sound via my iPhone. |