Which headphones should I include in my DAC tests and reviews?

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by Dot, Oct 16, 2015.

  1. Dot

    Dot Friend

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    I've got Beyer 880s and 990s here. Both are 250 ohm. A pair of ISK HD9999s 32 ohm, which are good AKG K240 knock offs.

    Audeze is sending pairs of LCD-X and LDC-8. Maybe a pair of EL-8s.

    Sennheiser HD 800s

    I'm in touch with AKG and Stax.

    I want a good range of headphones, both in terms of ohm ratings, and also for pro audio and audiophile use.

    What are the must-have headphones to do a thorough series of tests on a large herd of DACs?

    Thx!
     
  2. Bill-P

    Bill-P Level 42 Mad Wizard

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    Sennheiser HD800. I don't think you'll need any other headphone.

    If HD800 is not a viable option, Stax SR-009 is also a good (some would argue "better") choice.
     
  3. paranoidroid

    paranoidroid Friend

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    I agree, you only need the HD800.
     
  4. kapanak

    kapanak Canucklehead - Friend

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    HD800 is the only headphones mentioned in your list that will actually allow you to tell subtle if any differences exist. It is truly as revealing as the audiophile myth states.
     
  5. TomNC

    TomNC Friend

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    Not sure stock HD800 alone is a good idea. He may get fatigue or biases readily just due to the nature of the headphone.
     
  6. OJneg

    OJneg The Most Insufferable

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    Agreed. It's also good to have low-Z ortho to plug into things
     
  7. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    For pro audio you should get the HD280 or the HD25. I think you should also include some cheap($50-$150) headphones for perspective. Just to see if it's possible to hear some differences between top dollar DACs on a cheaper system as well as an expensive system.
     
  8. julian67

    julian67 Facebook Friend

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    Just ignore the stuff that breaks. I could puke every time some doofus on head-fi (usually joker ha ha) describes something as "solid build quality" after an entire three hours with the product when we all know that RHA, VSonic, HiFiMan etc. f'ing break almost quicker than they can be manufactured and marketed.

    Quality sound without longevity is worth dog shit.
     
  9. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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