What next? (After m50x, xm4 and qc 35 ii)

Submitted by Elryuk t3_ycq7l8 in headphones

So i have the basic bitch holy trinity, the qc ANC went to shit and the left earpad produces white noise, im planing on putting them on sale since the xm4 i got recently stated to grown on me. I feel like the m50x are the closest to a monotirng headphones ill ever get to liking ( i like bass, sue me).

So; im thinking of trying open back next and grado seems my price range: can i go wrong with them? Any recommendation on any other headphones that could expand or add to the collection - something with clearer sound, more disticnt soundstage or tighter bass than xm4 and m50x ?

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Gofa_Kirselph t1_itntjwr wrote

Grados aren’t particularly wide sounding. Getting the larger bowl pads helps but it doesn’t transform them; they’d still sound narrow compared to other headphones known for having a wide soundstage.

I have the 325is and those have plenty of bass for me. I have a love/hate relationship with them however. I love how full they sound still with low volume straight out of my phone with the Apple dongle. Perfect for nighttime listening sessions. I hate how shouty they can be at times. It definitely feels like you’re in the front row of a concert but that fatigues my ears rather quick.

It’s true what everyone says about Grados. They are great for rock. I also like them with Jazz but with a tube amp. These definitely don’t need amp and in my experience, they don’t exactly improve with one. Just ever so slightly tighter bass but nothing dramatic. And they become slightly less harsh with a warm tube amp. They just don’t “improve” like other headphones do when paired with a proper amp.

I really wish I could suggest the Sennheiser 560s but I haven’t received mine yet. They supposedly have some of the best out of the box tuning with great bass response but I wouldn’t know just yet. And since they’re open back and the drivers are angled like the HD 598, they’ll have a wide soundstage.

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RB181 t1_itowj4y wrote

HD 560S owner here. I think they're great headphones, but I'm not sure if they're really what OP is looking for; they definitely don't have as much bass as XM4 or ATH-M50x.

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crazywizard73 t1_itokqqd wrote

Personally, I’d give a good pair of IEMs a shot , headphones are great don’t get me wrong and you can find some real bangers on a budget like HD58x , shp9600, he400i or X2HR but IEMs get some great mileage in the $25-$100 range, I’d suggest giving the Truthear x Crinacle Zero a try if you’re willing to. But again that’s just personal.

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No-Context5479 t1_itp1k17 wrote

What will your peak budget for your next one look like? That will help narrow the recommends

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toastyhoodie t1_ito4clv wrote

Look into the Fidelio X2HR. Good bass, great soundstage and great build.

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RB181 t1_itowqe4 wrote

How about some Beyerdynamics? They're generally good at bass and soundstage, although the treble peaks can be offputting to some.

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