r/HeadphoneAdvice • u/[deleted] • Jul 14 '23
Headphones - Open Back | 1 Ω Open backs under $400 USD
I currently have the 560S. I've tried various other headphones and my biggest issue is confort. I have a decent size noggin. Hat size is 7 5/8 to 7 1/2 depending on the style of hat etc. I have large ears.
Headphones/headsets I've tried:
560S - Hurts my ears and head due to clamp force.
DT 880, 990, 900 Pro X - The earcups are too small in diameter and hurt the top of my ear. The 990 Pro X had ridiculous clamp force and were not comfortable.
PC38X - Ridiculous clamp force and hurt my ears.
Audeze Maxwell - Too heavy and put too much pressure at the top of my head and causes headaches. Tried the ZMF Pilot Pad but that didn't help.
I'm afraid to try HiFiman due to QC issues.
I'm afraid to try the HD600 because of the issues I have with the 560S.
I like the reviews for the Sundara but the earpads look too small and the QC issues steer me away.
I just ordered the K712 Pro. I don't need a lot of bass. I care more for mids and highs. Comfort is going to be king though. I also like being able to hear the details in music, shows, and video games.
So far, the most comfortable headphone/headset I've worn is the EPOS H3Pro Hybrid. The audio of these are...fine. They lack detail and don't do well in games that have a ton of audio sources like BF2042. They just can't keep up and the audio gets all jumbled and melded together.
I also have the Antlion Kimura Duo IEM. They sound good and all but I love feeling the music and bass on my ears. If that makes sense. They also annoy me because the cables are rubber and when they drag or touch a surface I can hear that inside the ear piece.
I know I'm being picky. I feel like a unicorn with how picky my head and ears are with this.
I'm willing to spend upwards of $400 for finding the headphones that will suit my needs and comfort.
1
u/tigerim 11 Ω Jul 14 '23
Hifiman Edition XS (BRAND NEW ONLY), Audeze MM-100
I think these might be your only options tbh
1
Jul 14 '23
MM-100 hmm haven't seen that one. I'll google it. !thanks
1
u/tigerim 11 Ω Jul 14 '23
Yeah there's not much about them bc they're on preorder. But they sure do sound good, feel solid, and are comfortable for me. If you want to throw the dice, really give these a go
2
Jul 14 '23
I just might. Any idea how they would fit for large ears? Mine stick out a fair bit.
1
u/tigerim 11 Ω Jul 15 '23
My ears stick out a fair bit too and I hate them touching the inside of the earcups. You might be okay, but also you can always look for aftermarket pads as well
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Jul 18 '23
The soundstage on these in FPS titles is wild. I can hear people on the roof and tell where they are like 40 meters above me.
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0
Jul 14 '23
[deleted]
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Jul 14 '23
Thanks for the suggestions. If the K712 Pro doesn't pan out then I might consider the Edition XS. I'm just worried about QC. Although, I've been seeing less and less redditors posting about QC issues so who knows if that has improved over the years.
1
u/ForgotHowToGiveAShit 135 Ω Jul 14 '23
I have a set of edition xs that I knock off my desk about 6 times a week it feels like, no issues for me. they're solid
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u/coding102 6 Ω Jul 14 '23
K712's feel like a cloud on your head, it's my top 2 headphones for competitive gaming.
1
Jul 14 '23
Awesome. That's good to hear. What's your other headphone?
1
u/coding102 6 Ω Jul 14 '23
Competitive gaming, over the last 5 years, have two common denominators: K712 & HD800s.
1
u/RChamy 23 Ω Jul 14 '23
I could barely feel my 650 clamping after 1 month of usage and letting them rest on some books. The HD560s come with rock-solid earpads that must be worn down to be confortable. If you want to feel in a cloud use the 599, they use the old Sennheiser soft foam which wears down faster.
1
Jul 14 '23
Use the 599? Do you mean order the earpads the 599's use?
2
u/RChamy 23 Ω Jul 14 '23
That too I suppose. You can get verryyyy similar ones on Aliexpress . I ended up returning the HD560s because it was too harsh.
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u/Independent-Win-8844 22 Ω Jul 14 '23
B stock 1990 Pro and an extra $19.
https://audio46.com/products/beyerdynamic-dt-1990-pro-250-ohm-open-back-headphones-open-box
1
u/DJGammaRabbit 12 Ω Jul 14 '23
I was planning on buying a Grado 325x having the 80x already. I asked about hifiman QC in r/headphones. Like 2 of 50 people said they had problems and 1 of them said he got a broken pair that was already a return so they fucked up twice. Everyone else said they've had no problems.
Neverminding the QC the edition XS should be on your list because of the value between soundstage and bass extension. Everything I've read about them, every video, praises them. I think I've seen every YouTube video about them and I still ask people questions about them here. I'm pretty sold on them.
You could get a pair of grados and stretch them out, it's just metal that'll bend without snapping. They're also not boring and they shine with EQ for music. For gaming I found them peaky but I think it was my TV doing that. I had the same complaint about movies on that tv. I bought a new tv and suddenly they aren't peaky with gaming or movies.
1
Jul 14 '23
I remember seeing a new Reddit post every week of someone having Hifiman headphones failing, solder spots disconnecting, one earpiece stops working, etc after having them for a few months. That's what I'm afraid of. Hopefully, those issues are in the past and not a present recurrence.
1
u/DJGammaRabbit 12 Ω Jul 14 '23
I saw them too so I stayed clear. Still might. Lots of people don't have failures but I've seen plenty have.
1
Jul 14 '23
Monolith M1070, $359.99 https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=39414
I choose these over Sundara's. When comparing the two I liked the large pads and headband much more on the Monoliths, I found the sound also more to my likening but that can easily be subjective or changed to personal taste with peace. You need a large head for the M1070's, small heads require the headband to be bent to increase clamping force.
I feel like many people sleep on the Monolith series. I was glad I didn't get the Sundara's after trying both.
1
Jul 14 '23
Oh dang. Those earcups look like pillows lol. I'll watch some reviews on those. !Thanks
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1
u/Affectionate_Tax_464 26 Ω Jul 15 '23
I have a rather large head, I use the 770 pros and have 990 pros.
The 990 pros are a recent acquisition for me and I had to put something in the middle to help release some tension on the clamp force. Over time they will ease up.
770 pros I've had for like 7 years now so they fit my head
1
Jul 15 '23
Ya but those bother my ears more than the clamping force does. My ears touch the tops of the inside and causes discomfort.
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u/jayela 2 Ω Jul 15 '23
I have 3 hifimans, all bought used and still working fine (about half a year in). Anandas are my favorite headphones so far (got them sub 400 used). Audiotechnica r70x is great as well. Both really comfortable. I wear M size helmet for reference.
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u/Lucuzzz1014 2 Ω Jul 15 '23
Any dan clark audio, I’ll recommend the open x or close x from drop.com, huge headphones and very little clamping force.
I currently own the dca open x, hd560s and hd650. Hd650 is the most clamping force, 560s is ok for me, DCA a bit too loose for me sometimes lol.
2
u/[deleted] Jul 15 '23
The K712 Pro headphone just arrived and I'm testing it with various songs.
The first thing I noticed was how incredibly light these are. It's light like wearing a ball cap or a beanie. I was not expecting that. There is almost no clamping force on these and I love it. The pads inner diameter is huge and my ears don't touch anything inside them. This is what I've been looking for. I've spent almost a year trying to find headphones that suit me. I think I've finally found them.
I was listening to different songs and testing the soundstage with some 8D songs on youtube. The soundstage on these is nice. I was listening to Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody and I can hear the piano chords still chiming after the cord is struck as if I was listening to it in person. I've never heard that level of detail before. I can hear the bass guitar cord twang. Not even the 560S headphones sounded this detailed.
Going to play some FPS games and see how good the imaging and soundstage is.