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Spyronight t1_je8py3x wrote

Reply to comment by WeakestBoss in The right driver on my HE1000SE just died, again... by fgt-boi

had the ananda stealth and sold it. Better alternatives Focal Clear OG (better tone, slightly better detail retrieval, worse soundstage [ananda stealth had a “tall” soundstage) or the Stax L300 setup with srm 252 energizer (severely lacking without eq, peace eq has a great auto eq feature, I think I use the headphoneanalyzer eq for the L300). Nothing else matches it from the stuff I tried at that price range.

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blorg t1_je9izkg wrote

Focal quality is worse than Hifiman. They sound great, but incredibly creaky (Hifiman doesn't do this) and I would be more concerned about Focal headband or driver failure. And if it's out of warranty Focal want stupid money to fix anything, even the pads are like $200+.

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Spyronight t1_je9mivp wrote

I should have made it clear that I only gave those recommendations based of sound quality + same price bracket, not on build quality. The Ananda stealth is built way better than the L300 that’s essentially plastic with a weak headband. Regarding the focals mine only creak if I move around alot but I get were you are coming from. The pads for the clears are available for $80 I believe. I dont think you can find a headphone ~$500 in the pricerange of the 3 I mentioned with that quality of sound, Maybe a Beyer T1?

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blorg t1_je9mnue wrote

Edition XS :)

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Spyronight t1_je9q19i wrote

Thats still a hifiman tho, might as well get the ananda stealth.

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leperaffinity56 t1_jeab22j wrote

I have a pair of Hifiman Edition xs; what am I missing out on with the Anandas?

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Spyronight t1_jebqpvn wrote

no missing enough to upgrade.

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flyedchicken t1_jebnhe1 wrote

Anandas sound even a bit more 'clean' than the XS, slightly less bass, slightly more treble. Slightly more detailed I've heard.

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leperaffinity56 t1_jebprk6 wrote

Oh dang even cleaner than the xs sounds nice but the bass response on the XS is exquisite.

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Watermelon4man t1_je9nqvl wrote

The Stax L300's plastic is so brittle that it'll just break if you look at it wrong.

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Ok-Psychology-1420 t1_je9q6eb wrote

Neumann NDH30 is worth a try in that price range. Very strong technicalities, and yet a very fun, engaging listen. Build quality is top tier as well.

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Spyronight t1_je9qgyp wrote

Always wanted one of their mics, truth be told havent heard much of this headphone. Maybe itll get more traction in the future.

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Ok-Psychology-1420 t1_je9quwj wrote

Yeah it’s stayed out of the spotlight since its release last year (surprisingly). I think it’s being marketed to the pro audio crowd, and not so aggressively toward the consumer/audiophile set. There’s a pretty active thread over on head-fi and it’s definitely gaining traction. I give it a strong recommendation!

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