I have the same feeling towards the Clear and ultimately felt that while I might be missing out on the soundstage of the HD800S and the planar bass of the Arya or LCD-X, I’d just be getting a damn good all-rounder headphone that doesn’t do anything wrong. And coming from the Sennheiser family yes, it’s a great upgrade.

I’ve had mine for 2 years now and still love them. Add in the fact that you can get a new pair for $900 in the US now, or even less open box or used, you’re getting an end-game headphone for a really good price.