Great comparison, can't wait until part two with different flagships! Who needs a car to get anywhere when you can stay in and listen to such beauty in each genre. Love you highlighted all the great genres (both Country and Western - just kidding!). It really is important to know what you are are going to get for your money and library. I have 2,000+ electro/industrial CDs but with Tidal have discovered Beethoven, Mahler, Fitzgerald, Dino, and Paco Pena. Music is great in all it's forms.
I've actually got the D8000 here now, but I don't think I can gather enough headphones for a proper Part 2. I'll likely reference this video in the D8000 review though. 🙂
Great review of headphones so expensive that I can only dream about 🙂To compensate, I ordered the more affordable Meze 105 AER after listening to your recent review ! Greetings from France
This was a really great take on doing a shootout. I like how you were able to group the performance by genre and then speak to amp pairing impact as well. For me brain burn in is always tricky for assessing sound and my preferences. This is especially true with 2 channel listening when you go to showroom to demo speakers. Typically they will have a half dozen speakers in various rooms and chains setup to demo. What I listen to and like all vary by track by room and by chain. I find what I like in a showroom setting to not be what I would prefer to listen to at home for longer sessions.
As an example Bowers and Wilkins (B&W) have a very impressive “showroom” sound in many of their mid to upper level models. Their presentation and tweeter performance is very lively which gives the impression of greater transient speed and details. Something like a dynaudio set which has a neutral presentation seems to be less impressive and detailed. However if you listen to 30 min or more the naturalness and beauty of the dyn shines while the impressive initial sound of B&W becomes grating or fatiguing.
I completely agree! Thankfully, I've spent lots of time with each of these headphones other than the Yamahas so I already had a good sense of their sound and adapted to each pretty quickly. I'm glad you liked the approach. Many seem to have felt the same and it's giving me an idea for future content that's different but picks up on this theme.
Round two with the Abyss Diana DZ (the most neutral Abyss ever) the Raal 1995 Immanis and out of pure curiosity I would be interested to know how much better current flagship headphones are than a Sennheiser HD800S.
Well that was one of the best, and arguably most important videos on the channel. A really clear picture came across of the personality of each headphone, because of the comparisons to each other, the subtle differences are easier to understand through your lens of tests and explanations. Really enjoyed it, and wasn’t expecting a shout out so that was icing on the cake. You should be proud of this video, it’s the ultimate test to figure out which is the right one for you, and it’s apparent that a lot of thought went into how to approach it. Also - radio pop and the quote ‘The things I do for you’ - we know mate and we do appreciate it 🫶
On the YH5000 - please give them a listen before you invest into them. I've had the opportunity to try them out and i think it's very ironic that Lachlan only prefers them for "radio pop", as that's pretty much what they sound like. A good part of the mid-range is so unresolving and distorted sounding that it could be confused for a Radio. Maybe they have improved over time, but i also saw these on japanese marketplaces already going for less than half their msrp shortly after they'd released. They feel incredible in the hands, very light-weight but so sturdy that you can so feel how quality the build is. Look really cool too. But the sound is just bad in places where it matters most. Bass and highs are mostly ok. Give them a try if you're interested in them, but i'd say you get a lot better sound all in all with a Hifiman Ananda already.
That was a useful comment to read, and they do visibly look the business though, for sure. I think they are definitely onto something with the aesthetics, quite industrial-cyberpunk-titanfall looking. Into that.
They're definitely an unusual design and they need a specific sounding amp to be at their best (not about power, just tonality). I'm not certain I'll be highly recommending them, but they're an interesting headphone for sure...
Hard to tell - what pads are you running on the Elites? The original alcantera (not angled)? Been favoring the susvara and HE1000SE lately, but want to get the Elites in the mix after this video. Personally I like the original alcantera pads overall and it looks like you might as well.
Ah yes, good question! I like the angled Alcantara pads the most. They're the standard Alcantara pads on newer Elites, but my Elites are older ones that originally came with the flat Alcantara pads. I don't like those as much.
I Love your videos and this was perfectly timed, you’ve saved me a lot of time and trouble! I’ve shown this to my wife and my family and it’s really helped me out, thanks! See they were holding an intervention. They thought I’d had a full mental breakdown and needed to be committed. It’s all because I’d brought $900 headphones and $800 Dac/Amp/streamer. Luckily, after showing them this video and speaking to my psychiatrist, they realised that the Asylums are full, and that I may have a milder strain of the illness that may be possible to manage at home with medication and a support program. So I had to agree to start a program and start taking my vitamins again, and that I wouldn’t buy another headphone till next year! Thank you so much for this video! All the best!
@@PassionforSound I really did enjoy the video. It’ll be very useful if I can just somehow convince the family I have a completely unrelated reason for trading the car in for an E-bike! All the best!
@@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo sounds good, unfortunately though my wife said I’m still grounded for buying my last pair of noisy earmuffs! So I’m not allowed to visit at the moment! Maybe next year! All the best!
Absolutely loved this video! What a great way to go about the “flagships” of headphones. Surprised you didn’t slide the Calderas in the mix as well as DCA Stealth/Expanse. Regardless, my current next purchase for my headphone collection is Elite Chameleon Limited Edition #7 of out #10. Glad you confirmed my thoughts on the elites sound signature!
@@PassionforSound I appreciate that! Just continuing to add to my collection...... I know you were not fan of the Diana MR at all, but have you tried them with the bass ported pads? Just curious to hear your thoughts on them if you did. I have a set coming in since I've been wanting to try them. BTW im a realist, so you can trash them still all you want lol
I’ve owned most of these, with the exception of the Yamaha YH5000. Currently have the Susvara Unveiled & 1266 TC on the table. The Voyager + Fusion Core is insanely good, especially for detail & wide soundstage. Not sure I’ll need to upgrade for some time.
My vote goes to the Elite for all around best high end. It's "cheaper" by 1000, better build and way more comfortable than Utopia. Also it's more forgiving to bad recordings.
Yes there are party tricks in many of these headphones. For me there is not a close competitor to the Susvara especially on a very powerful 300b tube amp. You can listen to it all day and it just keeps giving. The bass is the most controversial aspect as it's so tight but some like more thump, to me, it's just perfect to match the dynamics of the rest of the tonal frequencies. 1266, Yamaha, Elite, and the LCD's all are great and I've had all of them but they all have tricks that get tiring and you become too focused on where they are tuned too strong in certain categories.
While I haven't heard the Susvara, I heard the HE-1000 and they were amazing for orchestral, but felt too distant for metal and rock. I haven't heard the Diana 1266 as well (heard one of their "cheaper" models). But for me, Focal Utopia was the best all rounder. Sounded excellent no matter what genre I threw at it. Much like the Sennheiser HE-1 but a fraction of the price. Noticed the DCA Expanse is missing, which I liked a lot more than the Meze Elite and Yamaha Yh5000 personally. If I had an absurd amount of money, I'd own them all but for now I'm happy with my Fostex thx00 that are almost 10 years old
Man I agree, for metal the fostex TH-X00 are some of the absolute best for modern metal reproduction. And electronic arguable too, at sensible money. Those are keepers.
@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo I've had to repair them using parts from my Denon D2000 which I just never use anymore. I just love them for rock/metal and soundtrack/orchestral music as well.
@@DeadWorld169 those are particularly susceptible to what Lachlan describes in the video, with the brain burn in and adjusting to how things sound, when you change to something else from the Fostex, anything else can just sound wrong for a few hours. Or a couple of days even if you’ve listened long enough. They are special though. Which wood are yours?
The best bang for the buck end game headphones are the Hifiman Ananda BT, which is wireless and has the amp/dac built in making it ideal for desktop listening, and for going outside or traveling on a plane, the Sennheiser True Motion Wireless 4 IEMs. Both deliver phenomenal performance for the money and their specific use cases. However for the ultimate summit tier performance, you’d want a pair of Hifiman Susvaras, a pair of Abyss 1266-Phi-TC, and a pair of Hifiman Shangri La Sr. electrostats and pairing those with something like the LTA Z10e tube amp, Benchmark AHB2, or the Viva Audio Egoista tube amp with a summit tier DAC and streaming source gives you the ultimate in headfi sound. But if budget was most important, I’d simply go with a pair of Hifiman Ananda BTs and Sennheiser TMW4s and would be very happy. You can’t go wrong with those for every day use cases.
Great video. I am a metal listener and I agree the utopias are endgame for this genre, although I own the OGs and not the 2022s. I prefer the spicier treble. Some modern metal has a lot more subbass which is a bit lacking in the utopias - and some days I want a slightly more relaxed and cleaner presentation. In those cases I use a pair of Arya Organics which I find a perfect complement with a 3db bass shelf at 166hz.
@@Mastermnd1 was just chatting to another commenter here on this video, about the set from Fostex called THX-00, and they are particularly good with the genre of metal. Thanks for the info. Always liked the look of the Arya…
I'd love to see a genre focused video for more realistic prices - $1000-$2000 category and a $500-$1000 category. The vast majority of music I listen, create, mix, master is underground house and techno. Sure i listen to some hip hop, rock, ambient and neo-classical but not all that often At these kind of prices I'm upgrading my monitors and acoustic treatment. I currently have the Ananda Nano, Organic, HE1000SE, LCD-X and MM500 on my radar. I've heard from people like Paul Third that the Nano's are by far the best for mixing low end. In terms of soundstage the others are much better though. He also says the 1000SE are like the most high end studio monitors possible. He uses both as a mix engineer (EQing to Harman). His very successful mentor uses the Organic and Nano and also EQs. A lot of people use the LCD-X too though.
@@fatdoi003 I've seen that - hopefully some reviews soon. I don't think i'd go for the 1000 unveiled. At that kind of price i'd rather put the money towards some new speakers. I don't want to spend much more than an Organic / LCD-X unless it's definitely worth it.
I need a good headphone for metal, it seems closed backs like the fiio ft1 work great with a bit of eq. open backs don't seem to have enough note weight, but edition xs works pretty well.
It seems that speed and separation of sounds are also important for metal and that's where finding the right balance is important. I've got the FT1s and FT1 Pros coming in for review soon. I'll be keen to see how they both compare and perform.
@@PassionforSound very important. The driver returning its travel to zero quickly for blast beats and so forth, it’s necessary. Not all metal is fast obviously, but it’s a difficult thing to reproduce well. Looking forward to see what you think of them.
Glad you liked the video. The HD800s just aren't for me, I'm afraid and they don't quite keep up with the likes of these from my experiences even with different source gear.
Hello, what do you recommend as the best headphone overall for general purposes for everything as wfh workers and price is not a factor and to play music in background for not fatiguing and comfortable but also have ability for Hifi if need?
I'd definitely go for the Meze Elites if that's the goal. They're my go to for everyday listening and working, but they can also be used as a technical tool too. Perhaps not quite as good as the Utopias or LCD-5s on technicalities, but those are also less relaxing for background listening.
I EQed my LCD-5 with -0.4 at 1000Hz, Q=1.7 and -0.7 at 3250Hz with Q=1. This makes them smoother, less shouty, easier to listen. I tried bumping the base, but I did not really like it. I love their precision, speed and coherence. If they feel too tame, just turn them up and they deliver. Due to their lack of distortion they can really go nuts.
I've tried all of these headphones except for the YH5000, and I pretty much agree with everything you've said. However I'm shocked you'd like the YH5000 for anything at all, based on the absurd FR graph. But hey, if I agree on your assessment of the other headphones, I guess I wouldn't disagree with you about the Yamaha either. My personal favorite flagship out of all of these are none of the above. Warwick Bravura with EQed bass shelf would be my pick. Or maybe the DCA E3. And if I had to choose one out of what you tested, I'd pick the Susvara.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. The Yamahas are a really interesting headphone. I'm still finalising my thoughts on them, but I think I've concluded that I really respect them, but don't love them... I'll explain more in the review.
I really don’t understand the obsession with EQ, especially on mega high end stuff, surely that goes against the point of them? I can’t EQ anything. Or rather I won’t.
@@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo it's like you buy cars but refuse to adjust the seat, so you end up trying 200 cars hoping by luck it'll fit you, when a free and easy adjustments would've helped. Even the best headphones don't necessarily mean they'll fit your personal hrtf or preference perfectly. And no, you cannot eq away the characteristics and brilliance of them.
@@CanadaLuke the seat can be adjusted, it’s called a headband. Or changing the pads. Those are better analogies for adjusting the seat. But changing the tuning is saying there is something wrong with how they are designed, in which case just buy something that’s right from the get go. Changing the eq is like changing a cars chassis or engine, like thinking you know better than the design engineers - it’s more egregious. To each their own though, but I wouldn’t do it.
@@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo i respect your opinion, but disagree. The idea that some tuning is perfect doesn't make sense for a couple of reasons. One is that headphones, unlike speakers, don't have a repeatedly consistent way to be measured which accurately represents how an industrial hears (especially above 6000hz). Another reason is that each individual hears slightly differently due to anatomy, let alone having their personal preference, which is why there is such a large variety of preference of up to +/- 6db through the whole frequency range. I recommend having a look at the Sonarworks headphones white paper, there are some interesting findings over their decade long and many thousands of tests, comparison tests and measurements. Unlike other reproduction systems like a calibrated monitor which can be tested and adhere to an iso standard, headphones do not. I have personally tested over 200 headphones, and while obviously some of them get extremely close to sounding perfect to my ears, none of them do. A little bit of eq change isn't admitting defeat, but simply a free and nondestructive way to tune the sound to fit personal preference.
Glad you liked the video and sorry about the Calderas missing out. The demo pair went back to ZMF ages ago. With that in mind, I really can't comment on how they'd fare in this type of format because it was so reliant on the comparative elements.
I don't even want to hear one of these headphones...I'd probably end up spending too much money if I did lol. I'm mostly satisfied with my Arya Organic + FiiO Q15 + Astell&Kern AK PA10. I absolutely love the hardware crossfeed included in the AK PA10. It makes the Arya Organic have an even larger soundstage.
@@PassionforSound the one thing I noticed with more expensive audio is the clarity gets the biggest upgrade. Makes me wonder bc hifiman XS right now is only $269 and the stealth is around $600. That is why was wondering what do we really pay for….
@crate718 you're paying for R&D, new technology/approaches (e.g. better designs), better build quality and even better internal materials like the wire in the diaphragm, the diaphragm material, the number of magnets and quality of magnets, etc. There's a sense in some parts of the community that brands are just trying to extract the maximum profit with no regard for the consumer's experience. In my experience, this is very rarely true. There are a couple of brands that I fear are guilty of these practices, but most are not. Most companies I've ever spoken to are building to a price or pricing based on the actual cost of development and build. That means there's a profit margin applied, but it's rarely if ever exorbitant from most companies. In the case of the HiFiMan gear, I think they do an excellent job of lowering prices as they recover the costs of R&D, but it might also be limiting their future opportunities because the recent releases (Stealth versions, Nano, Organic and now Unveiled) are all very iterative rather than brand new products with significant new designs and approaches.
I didn't include those because they're a closed back and maybe not on the level of these others, but I do love them. I just haven't compared them across all genres to say how they'd fare across all the genres. If I had to choose just one headphone to use though, they'd be well up in the list!
@@PassionforSound actually there was a good spread in this video, any more may have become a bit overwhelming anyway in one video, to review and to keep track of watching, I thought the format was the right size here.
@@PassionforSound also was meaning that it was me who forgot about them existing, didn’t mean that to come across as suggesting that you forgot to include them, I think the ones in the video were a good match for each other, and as you said the Sony are a wee bit different. I just often forget they exist because I don’t hear about them all that often.
Loved this review...as a newcomer in this world one just can dream... just to draw a picture: the minimum monthly salary in my country is about US$ 320
Yes, it's a bit tricky in countries with lower incomes. I'll try to do another one in the future with lower priced headphones. What would be an achievable end game headphone price for you?
@PassionforSound thanks for the consideration, i just love audio gear, and really love music, and taking baby steps, just have a couple of iems a He4xx and a Shp9600. So far so good. Now trying to get a nice and first closeback.
@guillermobrito4987 there are some really interesting affordable closed backs like the Rode NTH-100, Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X and I've just received the ADAM Audio H200. All are excellent.
@@PassionforSound thanks a lot for taking the time. Was looking at the Fiio Ft-1 or the Akg 361, so now i will keep this on my shortlist too. Have a great weekend. And keep them comming, i'll be watching.
I'm so glad you're enjoying the new content approach. I'm contemplating a little test of something slightly different, but mostly the same. Let's hope it's another step forward...
@@PassionforSoundI’d say it’s not an analytical or aggressive sounding headphone, it’s on the more delicate and airy side. As for comfort, it’s far lighter and more adjustable than most. I haven’t got the neck strength for some other headphones lol.
Elites with the Meze Copper cable are better for Electronic music than with the Silver cable, because the bass is considerably punchier, and just in general more musical.
@@PassionforSound Haha, maybe for once, having a news letter was useful.;)) "We’ve crafted some especially sweet Black Friday deals for you this year. You’re going to want to save the November 25th date in your calendar, starting with 12.00 PM GMT, as this is an opportunity you cannot miss!"
How about extra round for me and answer in comment 😊 I listen to a lot of Vocals ( Male or Female ) + Guitars 🎸 and other natural sound instruments. Thanks for Your work us always 😊
For this genere my setup is: Hifiman Arya , Pontus 12th, Freya+ , Violectric V550Pro Dream setup: Hifiman He1000se or Susvara, V550pro, Denafrips Terminator Plus, Primaluna Evo 400 Preamp
I think we should start referring to stuff above £10k as ultra-flagship, because they are so few and far between that they are kind of in their own class. Like when they started making cars so powerful they couldn’t be called supercars anymore, thus they invented the ‘hypercar’.
I listen for a bit, then end up turning it off. I'll never buy anything like these at that budget, so I'll just listen to some music instead. Love the channel, though.
Glad you like the channel over all. I try to mix up the content across all price levels so not every video will be for everyone. Thanks for watching and commenting!
There's nothing wrong with my mic or I'd be getting complaints from the thousands of other viewers too... What exactly are you experiencing as a problem?
@@athathsonty2925 to which type of electronic music are you referring? Electronic dance music or something? Because remember that electronic music covers dozens of sub genres. It’s extremely ignorant to suggest something like that. Funny even that someone would think that.
Great comparison, can't wait until part two with different flagships! Who needs a car to get anywhere when you can stay in and listen to such beauty in each genre. Love you highlighted all the great genres (both Country and Western - just kidding!). It really is important to know what you are are going to get for your money and library. I have 2,000+ electro/industrial CDs but with Tidal have discovered Beethoven, Mahler, Fitzgerald, Dino, and Paco Pena. Music is great in all it's forms.
a flagship hp vs. a lemon car.....
I've actually got the D8000 here now, but I don't think I can gather enough headphones for a proper Part 2. I'll likely reference this video in the D8000 review though. 🙂
@@PassionforSoundcan’t wait for that!
@@PassionforSound I actually really like the D8000 especially compared to the Yamaha and Meze. For my ears at least
Great review of headphones so expensive that I can only dream about 🙂To compensate, I ordered the more affordable Meze 105 AER after listening to your recent review ! Greetings from France
Congrats on the 105 purchase. It's great and you'll love it!
This was a really great take on doing a shootout. I like how you were able to group the performance by genre and then speak to amp pairing impact as well. For me brain burn in is always tricky for assessing sound and my preferences. This is especially true with 2 channel listening when you go to showroom to demo speakers. Typically they will have a half dozen speakers in various rooms and chains setup to demo. What I listen to and like all vary by track by room and by chain. I find what I like in a showroom setting to not be what I would prefer to listen to at home for longer sessions.
As an example Bowers and Wilkins (B&W) have a very impressive “showroom” sound in many of their mid to upper level models. Their presentation and tweeter performance is very lively which gives the impression of greater transient speed and details. Something like a dynaudio set which has a neutral presentation seems to be less impressive and detailed. However if you listen to 30 min or more the naturalness and beauty of the dyn shines while the impressive initial sound of B&W becomes grating or fatiguing.
I completely agree!
Thankfully, I've spent lots of time with each of these headphones other than the Yamahas so I already had a good sense of their sound and adapted to each pretty quickly.
I'm glad you liked the approach. Many seem to have felt the same and it's giving me an idea for future content that's different but picks up on this theme.
Round two with the Abyss Diana DZ (the most neutral Abyss ever) the Raal 1995 Immanis and out of pure curiosity I would be interested to know how much better current flagship headphones are than a Sennheiser HD800S.
Brilliant review!. Thank you Lachlan, this content was as informative as entertaining.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the ride!
Well that was one of the best, and arguably most important videos on the channel. A really clear picture came across of the personality of each headphone, because of the comparisons to each other, the subtle differences are easier to understand through your lens of tests and explanations. Really enjoyed it, and wasn’t expecting a shout out so that was icing on the cake. You should be proud of this video, it’s the ultimate test to figure out which is the right one for you, and it’s apparent that a lot of thought went into how to approach it. Also - radio pop and the quote ‘The things I do for you’ - we know mate and we do appreciate it 🫶
Haha. Thanks Mark! I'm so glad you liked it and found it so helpful
On the YH5000 - please give them a listen before you invest into them. I've had the opportunity to try them out and i think it's very ironic that Lachlan only prefers them for "radio pop", as that's pretty much what they sound like. A good part of the mid-range is so unresolving and distorted sounding that it could be confused for a Radio. Maybe they have improved over time, but i also saw these on japanese marketplaces already going for less than half their msrp shortly after they'd released.
They feel incredible in the hands, very light-weight but so sturdy that you can so feel how quality the build is. Look really cool too. But the sound is just bad in places where it matters most. Bass and highs are mostly ok.
Give them a try if you're interested in them, but i'd say you get a lot better sound all in all with a Hifiman Ananda already.
That was a useful comment to read, and they do visibly look the business though, for sure. I think they are definitely onto something with the aesthetics, quite industrial-cyberpunk-titanfall looking. Into that.
They're definitely an unusual design and they need a specific sounding amp to be at their best (not about power, just tonality). I'm not certain I'll be highly recommending them, but they're an interesting headphone for sure...
Lachlan - do you not own a Caldera anymore?
Thank you so much. One of the most interesting reviews ever. Very Insightfull and educational. ❤ it.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it so much! Thanks for letting me know!!
Hard to tell - what pads are you running on the Elites? The original alcantera (not angled)? Been favoring the susvara and HE1000SE lately, but want to get the Elites in the mix after this video. Personally I like the original alcantera pads overall and it looks like you might as well.
Ah yes, good question! I like the angled Alcantara pads the most. They're the standard Alcantara pads on newer Elites, but my Elites are older ones that originally came with the flat Alcantara pads. I don't like those as much.
I Love your videos and this was perfectly timed, you’ve saved me a lot of time and trouble! I’ve shown this to my wife and my family and it’s really helped me out, thanks!
See they were holding an intervention. They thought I’d had a full mental breakdown and needed to be committed. It’s all because I’d brought $900 headphones and $800 Dac/Amp/streamer. Luckily, after showing them this video and speaking to my psychiatrist, they realised that the Asylums are full, and that I may have a milder strain of the illness that may be possible to manage at home with medication and a support program. So I had to agree to start a program and start taking my vitamins again, and that I wouldn’t buy another headphone till next year!
Thank you so much for this video! All the best!
Haha. That was a fun read - thank you! 😁
We all belong in the asylum but I’m an inmate who’s running the place now, once a week in the common room there is a headphone meet.
@@PassionforSound I really did enjoy the video. It’ll be very useful if I can just somehow convince the family I have a completely unrelated reason for trading the car in for an E-bike! All the best!
@@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo sounds good, unfortunately though my wife said I’m still grounded for buying my last pair of noisy earmuffs! So I’m not allowed to visit at the moment! Maybe next year!
All the best!
@aj8ky 😂😂🚴♂️
Thank you so much for your detailed and Guides and pleasant presentations.
My pleasure. I'm so glad you're enjoying my channel!
The things you do for us 👏👏👏👏👍
😁😂
That was a fun video, thanks!
I'm glad you liked it!
Absolutely loved this video! What a great way to go about the “flagships” of headphones. Surprised you didn’t slide the Calderas in the mix as well as DCA Stealth/Expanse. Regardless, my current next purchase for my headphone collection is Elite Chameleon Limited Edition #7 of out #10. Glad you confirmed my thoughts on the elites sound signature!
It was a shame I couldn't get them all here at once. Getting 6 together was already a challenge!
Congrats on the Elites!!
@@PassionforSound I appreciate that! Just continuing to add to my collection...... I know you were not fan of the Diana MR at all, but have you tried them with the bass ported pads? Just curious to hear your thoughts on them if you did. I have a set coming in since I've been wanting to try them. BTW im a realist, so you can trash them still all you want lol
I haven't tried them with the ported pads, but I know a lot of people like them with those pads.
Would have been nice to have the Caldera there as well.
Agree
I’ve owned most of these, with the exception of the Yamaha YH5000. Currently have the Susvara Unveiled & 1266 TC on the table. The Voyager + Fusion Core is insanely good, especially for detail & wide soundstage. Not sure I’ll need to upgrade for some time.
That's a wonderful setup!
Very fun (and informative) video. I like the sense of tongue-in-cheek gladiatorial combat, as each enters the ring . . .
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂🙂
You know something? This is a pretty daunting video and I’m absolutely shocked you were able to keep it under an hour. 😂
TLDW - Mainstream = Elite, Electronic = 1266, Metal = Utopia, Jazz = Susvara/Utopia/Elite, Orchestral = Susvara, Pop = YH5000, Media = Elite
All round = Utopia
My vote goes to the Elite for all around best high end. It's "cheaper" by 1000, better build and way more comfortable than Utopia. Also it's more forgiving to bad recordings.
Yes there are party tricks in many of these headphones. For me there is not a close competitor to the Susvara especially on a very powerful 300b tube amp. You can listen to it all day and it just keeps giving. The bass is the most controversial aspect as it's so tight but some like more thump, to me, it's just perfect to match the dynamics of the rest of the tonal frequencies. 1266, Yamaha, Elite, and the LCD's all are great and I've had all of them but they all have tricks that get tiring and you become too focused on where they are tuned too strong in certain categories.
While I haven't heard the Susvara, I heard the HE-1000 and they were amazing for orchestral, but felt too distant for metal and rock.
I haven't heard the Diana 1266 as well (heard one of their "cheaper" models). But for me, Focal Utopia was the best all rounder. Sounded excellent no matter what genre I threw at it. Much like the Sennheiser HE-1 but a fraction of the price.
Noticed the DCA Expanse is missing, which I liked a lot more than the Meze Elite and Yamaha Yh5000 personally.
If I had an absurd amount of money, I'd own them all but for now I'm happy with my Fostex thx00 that are almost 10 years old
Man I agree, for metal the fostex TH-X00 are some of the absolute best for modern metal reproduction. And electronic arguable too, at sensible money. Those are keepers.
@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo I've had to repair them using parts from my Denon D2000 which I just never use anymore. I just love them for rock/metal and soundtrack/orchestral music as well.
@@DeadWorld169 those are particularly susceptible to what Lachlan describes in the video, with the brain burn in and adjusting to how things sound, when you change to something else from the Fostex, anything else can just sound wrong for a few hours. Or a couple of days even if you’ve listened long enough. They are special though. Which wood are yours?
@@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo I definitely agree with that. I have the Mahogany.
The best bang for the buck end game headphones are the Hifiman Ananda BT, which is wireless and has the amp/dac built in making it ideal for desktop listening, and for going outside or traveling on a plane, the Sennheiser True Motion Wireless 4 IEMs. Both deliver phenomenal performance for the money and their specific use cases. However for the ultimate summit tier performance, you’d want a pair of Hifiman Susvaras, a pair of Abyss 1266-Phi-TC, and a pair of Hifiman Shangri La Sr. electrostats and pairing those with something like the LTA Z10e tube amp, Benchmark AHB2, or the Viva Audio Egoista tube amp with a summit tier DAC and streaming source gives you the ultimate in headfi sound. But if budget was most important, I’d simply go with a pair of Hifiman Ananda BTs and Sennheiser TMW4s and would be very happy. You can’t go wrong with those for every day use cases.
Lol. The Ananda would be a TERRIBLE headphone for listening on a plane.
@ Exactly! Which is why I said get both the Sennheiser noise canceling iem! :)
Underrated channel.
Thank you!
Great video. I am a metal listener and I agree the utopias are endgame for this genre, although I own the OGs and not the 2022s. I prefer the spicier treble. Some modern metal has a lot more subbass which is a bit lacking in the utopias - and some days I want a slightly more relaxed and cleaner presentation. In those cases I use a pair of Arya Organics which I find a perfect complement with a 3db bass shelf at 166hz.
So Arya organic are quite good with metal then?
@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo i like them, yes. And when I need more oomph, i use the utopias
@@Mastermnd1 was just chatting to another commenter here on this video, about the set from Fostex called THX-00, and they are particularly good with the genre of metal. Thanks for the info. Always liked the look of the Arya…
I'd love to see a genre focused video for more realistic prices - $1000-$2000 category and a $500-$1000 category. The vast majority of music I listen, create, mix, master is underground house and techno. Sure i listen to some hip hop, rock, ambient and neo-classical but not all that often At these kind of prices I'm upgrading my monitors and acoustic treatment. I currently have the Ananda Nano, Organic, HE1000SE, LCD-X and MM500 on my radar. I've heard from people like Paul Third that the Nano's are by far the best for mixing low end. In terms of soundstage the others are much better though. He also says the 1000SE are like the most high end studio monitors possible. He uses both as a mix engineer (EQing to Harman). His very successful mentor uses the Organic and Nano and also EQs. A lot of people use the LCD-X too though.
Arya unveiled just came on market @$1450..... now i'm tossing between this and HE1000se...... hope lachlan will shed some light in the near future
@@fatdoi003 I've seen that - hopefully some reviews soon. I don't think i'd go for the 1000 unveiled. At that kind of price i'd rather put the money towards some new speakers. I don't want to spend much more than an Organic / LCD-X unless it's definitely worth it.
@@MadelnMachines no.. i'm referring to arya unveiled vs he1000se..... they're within few $100 difference.....
@@fatdoi003 I know
I might do a HiFiMan genre video from the Edition XS through to the Susvara Unveiled with all of their models that I can get my hands on.
I need a good headphone for metal, it seems closed backs like the fiio ft1 work great with a bit of eq. open backs don't seem to have enough note weight, but edition xs works pretty well.
Fancy trying those FT1’s for that very reason.
The Røde mentioned in another comment are a good all-rounder that work fairly well with the genre.
It seems that speed and separation of sounds are also important for metal and that's where finding the right balance is important. I've got the FT1s and FT1 Pros coming in for review soon. I'll be keen to see how they both compare and perform.
@@PassionforSound very important. The driver returning its travel to zero quickly for blast beats and so forth, it’s necessary. Not all metal is fast obviously, but it’s a difficult thing to reproduce well. Looking forward to see what you think of them.
Great idea and well done video.
You should give the hd800s another go. With the right amp/dac or tube combo can be a S tier headphone.
JAR800 is where it's at.
Glad you liked the video. The HD800s just aren't for me, I'm afraid and they don't quite keep up with the likes of these from my experiences even with different source gear.
@@PassionforSound Then you have to check out the Jar800 - a totally different beast.
@@mariodrvjust looked them up, they look interesting. No prices on the website easily findable. Any idea what they cost?
Wanted better bass. Decided on VZR Model One. Seems like a good pick. (Coming from HIFIMAN HE-560 V4)
Hello, what do you recommend as the best headphone overall for general purposes for everything as wfh workers and price is not a factor and to play music in background for not fatiguing and comfortable but also have ability for Hifi if need?
I'd definitely go for the Meze Elites if that's the goal. They're my go to for everyday listening and working, but they can also be used as a technical tool too. Perhaps not quite as good as the Utopias or LCD-5s on technicalities, but those are also less relaxing for background listening.
@ how does elite compare with empy 2?
I'm not a fan of the Empy 2. They're not bad, but they lack the magic of the OG Empy or the Elites IMO.
What a great idea for a review, thanks 😊
I'm so glad you liked it!
I EQed my LCD-5 with -0.4 at 1000Hz, Q=1.7 and -0.7 at 3250Hz with Q=1. This makes them smoother, less shouty, easier to listen. I tried bumping the base, but I did not really like it. I love their precision, speed and coherence. If they feel too tame, just turn them up and they deliver. Due to their lack of distortion they can really go nuts.
Did you manage to shave a few hundred grammes off its hefty weight?
@@TheVeganVicar Of course. I removed the left transducer. Light as a feather.
people who don't EQ headphones scary me
Sacrilege using EQ 😖
@@TheVeganVicaractually the weight of Audeze’s don’t really feel that heavy, but that is going to be massively subjective I suppose.
I've tried all of these headphones except for the YH5000, and I pretty much agree with everything you've said. However I'm shocked you'd like the YH5000 for anything at all, based on the absurd FR graph. But hey, if I agree on your assessment of the other headphones, I guess I wouldn't disagree with you about the Yamaha either.
My personal favorite flagship out of all of these are none of the above. Warwick Bravura with EQed bass shelf would be my pick. Or maybe the DCA E3. And if I had to choose one out of what you tested, I'd pick the Susvara.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
The Yamahas are a really interesting headphone. I'm still finalising my thoughts on them, but I think I've concluded that I really respect them, but don't love them... I'll explain more in the review.
I really don’t understand the obsession with EQ, especially on mega high end stuff, surely that goes against the point of them? I can’t EQ anything. Or rather I won’t.
@@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo it's like you buy cars but refuse to adjust the seat, so you end up trying 200 cars hoping by luck it'll fit you, when a free and easy adjustments would've helped. Even the best headphones don't necessarily mean they'll fit your personal hrtf or preference perfectly. And no, you cannot eq away the characteristics and brilliance of them.
@@CanadaLuke the seat can be adjusted, it’s called a headband. Or changing the pads. Those are better analogies for adjusting the seat. But changing the tuning is saying there is something wrong with how they are designed, in which case just buy something that’s right from the get go. Changing the eq is like changing a cars chassis or engine, like thinking you know better than the design engineers - it’s more egregious. To each their own though, but I wouldn’t do it.
@@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo i respect your opinion, but disagree. The idea that some tuning is perfect doesn't make sense for a couple of reasons. One is that headphones, unlike speakers, don't have a repeatedly consistent way to be measured which accurately represents how an industrial hears (especially above 6000hz). Another reason is that each individual hears slightly differently due to anatomy, let alone having their personal preference, which is why there is such a large variety of preference of up to +/- 6db through the whole frequency range.
I recommend having a look at the Sonarworks headphones white paper, there are some interesting findings over their decade long and many thousands of tests, comparison tests and measurements.
Unlike other reproduction systems like a calibrated monitor which can be tested and adhere to an iso standard, headphones do not. I have personally tested over 200 headphones, and while obviously some of them get extremely close to sounding perfect to my ears, none of them do. A little bit of eq change isn't admitting defeat, but simply a free and nondestructive way to tune the sound to fit personal preference.
Great vid L! Would love to have seen the Calderas in the shoot-out too, but I get it :)
Or rather perhaps: can you, from memory, give a tête-à-têre between the Calderas and the rest of the gang?
Glad you liked the video and sorry about the Calderas missing out. The demo pair went back to ZMF ages ago. With that in mind, I really can't comment on how they'd fare in this type of format because it was so reliant on the comparative elements.
@@PassionforSound I understand completely. Thanks for the replay anyway. Keep it up L!
I don't even want to hear one of these headphones...I'd probably end up spending too much money if I did lol. I'm mostly satisfied with my Arya Organic + FiiO Q15 + Astell&Kern AK PA10. I absolutely love the hardware crossfeed included in the AK PA10. It makes the Arya Organic have an even larger soundstage.
That's the great thing about this hobby these days. There is amazing sound to be enjoyed at every level. Happy listening!
how much are you paying for the sound versus the build?
I can't answer that. I don't know what they cost to make.
@@PassionforSound the one thing I noticed with more expensive audio is the clarity gets the biggest upgrade. Makes me wonder bc hifiman XS right now is only $269 and the stealth is around $600. That is why was wondering what do we really pay for….
@crate718 you're paying for R&D, new technology/approaches (e.g. better designs), better build quality and even better internal materials like the wire in the diaphragm, the diaphragm material, the number of magnets and quality of magnets, etc.
There's a sense in some parts of the community that brands are just trying to extract the maximum profit with no regard for the consumer's experience. In my experience, this is very rarely true. There are a couple of brands that I fear are guilty of these practices, but most are not. Most companies I've ever spoken to are building to a price or pricing based on the actual cost of development and build. That means there's a profit margin applied, but it's rarely if ever exorbitant from most companies.
In the case of the HiFiMan gear, I think they do an excellent job of lowering prices as they recover the costs of R&D, but it might also be limiting their future opportunities because the recent releases (Stealth versions, Nano, Organic and now Unveiled) are all very iterative rather than brand new products with significant new designs and approaches.
How does the MDR-Z1R compare? You gave it such a glowing review.
Forgot about those.
I didn't include those because they're a closed back and maybe not on the level of these others, but I do love them. I just haven't compared them across all genres to say how they'd fare across all the genres.
If I had to choose just one headphone to use though, they'd be well up in the list!
@@PassionforSound actually there was a good spread in this video, any more may have become a bit overwhelming anyway in one video, to review and to keep track of watching, I thought the format was the right size here.
@@PassionforSound also was meaning that it was me who forgot about them existing, didn’t mean that to come across as suggesting that you forgot to include them, I think the ones in the video were a good match for each other, and as you said the Sony are a wee bit different. I just often forget they exist because I don’t hear about them all that often.
I read it as you forgetting them so we were on the same page
Loved this review...as a newcomer in this world one just can dream...
just to draw a picture: the minimum monthly salary in my country is about US$ 320
Yes, it's a bit tricky in countries with lower incomes. I'll try to do another one in the future with lower priced headphones. What would be an achievable end game headphone price for you?
@PassionforSound thanks for the consideration, i just love audio gear, and really love music, and taking baby steps, just have a couple of iems a He4xx and a Shp9600. So far so good. Now trying to get a nice and first closeback.
@guillermobrito4987 there are some really interesting affordable closed backs like the Rode NTH-100, Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X and I've just received the ADAM Audio H200. All are excellent.
@@PassionforSound thanks a lot for your time
@@PassionforSound thanks a lot for taking the time. Was looking at the Fiio Ft-1 or the Akg 361, so now i will keep this on my shortlist too. Have a great weekend. And keep them comming, i'll be watching.
Your videos and camerawork coupled with the recent storytelling format is fantastic. Thank You for the fun start to my mornings every few days.
I'm so glad you're enjoying the new content approach. I'm contemplating a little test of something slightly different, but mostly the same. Let's hope it's another step forward...
I agree, the production quality in this, the lighting as well, was all ace.
My personal favorite flagship is The Composer from Austrian Audio but I haven’t heard all the flagships.
And that's one I'm yet to try too! 🙂🙂
@@PassionforSoundI’d say it’s not an analytical or aggressive sounding headphone, it’s on the more delicate and airy side. As for comfort, it’s far lighter and more adjustable than most. I haven’t got the neck strength for some other headphones lol.
תודה!
Thank you so much!
Great comparison but you should prepare similiar for more normal budget headphones with price about 1k $...
I'm glad you liked it and I'm happy to do that if I can gather a suitable range of headphones
Final D8000 Pro
ZMF Caldera
Superb.
Elites with the Meze Copper cable are better for Electronic music than with the Silver cable, because the bass is considerably punchier, and just in general more musical.
I would love to try that combo. I've used some other copper cables with the Mezes, but not their own.
@PassionforSound It's worth a try. Meze advertises a Black Friday sale and they might drop the price of their cables as well... ;))
@V4zz33 thanks for the heads-up!
@@PassionforSound Haha, maybe for once, having a news letter was useful.;))
"We’ve crafted some especially sweet Black Friday deals for you this year. You’re going to want to save the November 25th date in your calendar, starting with 12.00 PM GMT, as this is an opportunity you cannot miss!"
Really want a pair of Focal Utopia, but I also really want to remain married!
😆
Haven't you heard? All audio products cost less than $500 when it comes to marital negotiations...
@@PassionforSound lol
@@PassionforSound hahaha! 😂 that’s official now.
No Caldera?
No. I could only get my hands on some.of the flagships
How about extra round for me and answer in comment 😊 I listen to a lot of Vocals ( Male or Female ) + Guitars 🎸 and other natural sound instruments. Thanks for Your work us always 😊
That's the first category, Micha. 🙂
For this genere my setup is: Hifiman Arya , Pontus 12th, Freya+ , Violectric V550Pro
Dream setup: Hifiman He1000se or Susvara, V550pro, Denafrips Terminator Plus, Primaluna Evo 400 Preamp
Susvara is not the flagship headphone of Hifiman ... it's the Shangri La 😂 but I'm happy with the 1000SE 👍
I think we should start referring to stuff above £10k as ultra-flagship, because they are so few and far between that they are kind of in their own class. Like when they started making cars so powerful they couldn’t be called supercars anymore, thus they invented the ‘hypercar’.
I also consider the Shangri La as a headphone system because the headphone alone can't be used without an energiser.
@@PassionforSound good point, same with that bravura system, he-1 and so on.
I listen for a bit, then end up turning it off. I'll never buy anything like these at that budget, so I'll just listen to some music instead. Love the channel, though.
Glad you like the channel over all. I try to mix up the content across all price levels so not every video will be for everyone. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I can barely afford rent, food and heating, LOL.
Same
Me neither but my new headphones sound great!
Point of this?
Then really any product reviewed on RUclips is not for you. Politely maybe get off RUclips and get a 2nd job? 🤷♂️
@aceofspades6667 you don't sound like some elitist toolbag at all
Mine is better though, and it's none of those, though I do have the Utopia as well :D
Which headphone is it?
@@PassionforSound Raal Immanis
@@SergeySedlovsky how do they actually sound to your ears? Are those the ones which have the ribbon drivers? Always wondered how they sound with bass.
@@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo They sound full, detailed, fast, in every frequency, yes, these are Ribbon drivers, 3 drivers per side.
@@SergeySedlovsky just checked the price, those are some amazing looking and very expensive headphones, for when I win the lottery.
please to something with your mic sir
There's nothing wrong with my mic or I'd be getting complaints from the thousands of other viewers too... What exactly are you experiencing as a problem?
mistaking a clarinet for a trumpet is inexplainable to me
That's why I explained the circumstances
Electronic (Crap) Music is an insult to all of these iconic Headphones.
What a useless, dumb and ignorant comment.
Why do you think electronic music is crap? You sound like a sour old grandpa
I strongly disagree with that sentiment, electronic is capable of sounding arguably the most impressive and acrobatic.
@@RocketLauncherwithInfiniteAmmo Juvenile Genre.
@@athathsonty2925 to which type of electronic music are you referring? Electronic dance music or something? Because remember that electronic music covers dozens of sub genres. It’s extremely ignorant to suggest something like that. Funny even that someone would think that.
GM ☕️🍩🦘
Good stuff ain’t cheap and cheap stuff (tho getting better) isn’t at flagship levels of performance.🎭
Great video,have a great weekend 🍻
Glad you liked it! Happy listening 🎧🙂
@ one day I’m hoping to get the Meze’ Emp 2.0 😊
What headphone are you listening to now?
@@PassionforSoundTop dog in my headphone stable is LCDX 2021
Still a lovely headphone by all accounts
No Caldera?