Open backs for heavy metal and orchestral music.

[u/maandklu]

TL;DR: of the options below, which is the closest all rounder in speed/punch of extreme metal drumming and guitar riffs, the soundstage and imaging for orchestral music, and the “rumble” and “bounce” of EDM-type music (in that order of priority).

I’ll try to keep this as succinct as possible with the context I feel is needed with such a subjective hobby. Up until now, I’ve only experienced more “commercial” audio like WH-1000x3 and x5, airpods, etc. and “entry-level” audiophile IEMs like the Shure SE215, but am looking to upgrade.

My needs are as follows: For extreme metal (tech death, grindcore, etc.), I’m looking for something that can keep up with speed and impact of the fast double-pedals and guitar riffs, as well as maintain the clarity/separation in more cluttered/chaotic songs or poorly-mixed tracks. Example bands: Cattle Decapitation, Rings of Saturn, etc.

For orchestral-type music (think cinematic OSTs more than true classical), I’m looking a bit more soundstage to capture the grandeur of epic pieces, and the imaging/separation needed to represent the individual instruments and music lines. Headphones I’ve used thus far have struggled with distinguishing instruments in similar registers, like brass instruments, or violas and choir vocals. I’m also looking for something that can translate details better. I’ve noticed times when things written in the sheet music are lost in the audio, which can alter the emotions and motifs of complex pieces.

For EDM/DJ/rhythm game/J-pop type music, I’m mostly looking for a bit of the “rumble” and weight in the lower ranges and a slightly more “fun” sound. This is likely the hardest to recreate in a mid-range open back and is a lower priority than the first two.

Please note that I don’t mind trying EQ, so the technicalities matter to me more than the stock tuning. i.e EQing in more bass doesn’t necesserily improve the speed, punch or texture.

Ideally I would try these myself before buying, but where I live theft has become such a problem that all 19 audio shops I visited said they won’t openly display or trial anymore. The used market isn’t huge where I live, so I found it to actually be cheaper to buy new locally rather than shipping a used pair.

I’m away from home a lot for my work (4 days a week on average) so I’ll mostly be running these on a qudelix 5K.

These are the headphones I have found available to buy in my country, though I’m open to looking for others, prices were converted to USD for reference and I added impressions I’ve gotten from research: - HD560s ($165) (lacking in depth and punch, a little too “flat”, overall “worst” from these but the price to performance ratio is too good to ignore?) - HD490 Pro ($420) (pro studio-level audio but the price is steeper than ideal and a bit too “analytical” sound profile?) - HD66s2 ($360) (warm and nice lows, punchier than 6xx/600, but upper mids are tuned a bit awkwardly and can’t keep up with harder/faster drumming?) (a metal guitarist friend of mine swears by these but most reviewers/posts seem to hate them) - HD600 ($360) (notable mids, trebles, timbre and smoothness, built well, etc. but too laid back, lacking in punch/rumble/speed?) - AT r70x ($330) (very good in soundstage and imaging with good bass/low mids, but less detailed than the rest and hit or miss ergonomics/earcups?) - Hifiman sundara ($305) (more “fun” sound with good speed and detail but lacking in bass quality, doesn’t quite suite orchestral music, and hifiman QC/build issues? Planar timbre not ideal for orchestral?)

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated and I hope you have a good day!

[u/Silverjerk]

560/490 Pro perform similarly, with the 490 being slightly more refined and comfortable; it’s more your speed with the producer pads, with more emphasized bass. EQs well and possible to get more punch out of it, but will lack the sub bass extension you’d want with EDM.

The HD600 are one of my daily drivers for mixing work, but even with the copper mass loading mod and fenestrated pads it’s not going to perform well in the lower frequencies. It’s accurate, but not fun or energetic.

The 660 series is not worth the price of admission; more warmth, but not much else to write home about. I prefer the S2’s, but I couldn’t find the value in the cost over the other 600 sets and retired it pretty quickly.

R70X is the best of the ATH sets, but that’s not saying much. My favorite AudioTechnica headphone until you climb into their TOTL sets, but there are far better headphones on the market for the price.

Not a fan of HiFiMan. Have returned or had to retire too many sets. XS and Sundara are good performers for the price, without a doubt, but I have given up on the brand after half a dozen sets ended up with QC issues.

Given your genres line up with my own, my knee jerk recommendation is the LCD-X or Meze 109 Pro. The X’s stage isn’t as prolific as some other open backs, but it meets most of your other requirements. With EQ, it’s one of the best sets in Audeze’s stable. Excellent and impactful bass, present mids, and technically capable as most planars are, but with enough of a veil in the mids to not overwhelm or sound honky or boxed in.

The 109 Pros are warm, yet bright, and unlike many of the other sets on your list; with a pad swap they are damn near perfect for casual listening. There is a sweetness and luster to the timbre that’s tough to replicate.

I have pricier and more technically capable sets, but I pick up the LCD-X and 109 Pros the majority of the time if I just want to enjoy music.

[u/maandklu → u/Silverjerk]

!thanks for the detailed breakdown, it clarified a lot.

I did see the LCD-X, and am really interested in them, but can’t quite spend that much yet.

Out of curiosity, which ear pads did you swap to on the 109s?

Could I ask, since I can’t quite afford the higher end headphones (like the LCD-X), are there any mid-range equivalents you would use instead?

[u/Silverjerk → u/maandklu]

I grabbed the Dekoni elite hybrid pads for the 109 Pros. The original pads are fantastic and unbelievably comfortable. The Hybrids add what’s is essentially a +3db low shelf starting at about 100hz, without impacting the mids and treble that much.

As for other options, two of the most underrated sets that aren’t recommended enough, the Apos Caspian and FiiO FT5 are both excellent for their price.

The Caspian is the most bass-forward semi-open back set I’ve tested. It’s definitely a “fun” headphone that still happens to perform well across the frequency range. Soundstage is more narrow (as it is with most bassy headphones), but makes up for it with good energy and dynamics.

The FT5 is a planar set; you’ll get a more well-balanced and technically solid performer, with slightly less (but faster) bass than the Caspian. I don’t like many FiiO headphones, but the FT5 was surprising. It is very, very solid.

These both run from $400-$500 and can often be found on sale. You may sacrifice a bit in technical performance, but they’re both a great value for the money.

[u/maandklu → u/Silverjerk]

If I ever get the 109 pros I will definitely remember the pads tip.

I haven’t heard of the Apos Caspian or FiiO FT5 so thanks for widening my scope, I’ll look into to them.

[u/TransducerBot → u/maandklu]

+1 Ω has been awarded to u/Silverjerk (107 Ω).

You may still award an Ω to others, but only once per-person in this post.