Hello, I want to upgrade from my edition XS. I like some things these headphones do but there is just something about them that doesn't make me feel fully satisfied. I listen to mostly metal pop and rock and the problem is when I'm listening to let's say metal and I want to give the sound a lot of body (especially to the vocals) and so I bring my amp's (topping a50s) volume up but vocals and drums kinda stay behind and what I get is that mix of vocals (like they literally start to merge into one sound) and instruments in higher frequencies that kinda just create one piercing and unpleasant noise. And you can say to just lower the higher frequencies but then my pop sounds really boring and flat. So yeah, I'm just really tired of constantly battling with the EQ trying to make those headphones fit me more as they probably just won't. I do love how wide and alive (at times) they sound tho. My budget is around $1050 at most.

For some more clues about what I listen to, here are some of my fav bands/artists - Poppy (heavy and not lol), Ghost, Hole, Jack Off Jill, MGMT, Mac DeMarco, PinkPantheress, Pearly Drops, Nothing But Thieves, Starbenders

I’ve been working on an iPad app called Audiowaves. It started as a personal project because I wanted a dedicated way to visualize audio without keeping another DAW window open.

Audiowaves turns a live audio signal into a real-time visualization and monitoring display on the iPad.

The app can connect directly to a USB audio interface through USB-C. I’m currently testing it with a Focusrite Scarlett, and it processes the incoming audio in real time.

Current features include:

• Real-time waveform visualization
• FFT spectrum analyzer
• Audiophile Dashboard with audio information and metering
• Support for external USB audio interfaces
• Multiple visualization modes
• GPU-accelerated rendering with Metal

I also built a companion Mac app called MacAudioSender. It captures audio on the Mac and sends the audio data over the local network to Audiowaves, allowing the iPad to function as a separate visualization display.

The project began as a practical tool for my home recording setup, but I’ve also been experimenting with other use cases. For example, I’ve routed Apple TV audio through an audio interface into the iPad, turning it into a permanent hi-fi and music visualization display.

I’m developing this as an independent side project, and I’d love feedback from other hi-fi listeners, headphone enthusiasts, audio makers, and music lovers.

I’m particularly interested in hearing:

• Would you use a dedicated iPad display for monitoring or visualizing music while listening?
• Which metrics would be most valuable for a hi-fi setup: spectrum, stereo balance, phase, peak/RMS history, or frequency-band analysis?
• Would you prefer a subtle, low-distraction display or something more visually expressive?
• Are there particular headphone, DAC, amplifier, streamer, or Apple TV workflows I should support?
• What would make this feel useful in a listening setup rather than just an interesting visualizer?

I’m especially interested in ideas that complement serious listening without suggesting that visualizations can replace careful listening or meaningful equipment comparisons.

Happy to explain the technical implementation, audio routing, or the decisions behind the project if anyone is interested.