Converting a non-believer

Submitted by Perviewted t3_10pounk in headphones

Let's say, hypothetically, I've got a friend, and their only experience with audio is the same Sony MDR-7506 they've had for a decade. Let's say, hypothetically, they made the claim that all audio sounds the same and that headphones couldn't possibly sound better than cheap studio cans.

If you were so inclined to try and prove this individual wrong and completely blow their mind and change their lives, which single pair of headphones would you choose? Any particular tracks or songs?

Round 2: max budget $200

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Significant-Detail65 t1_j6lo78c wrote

Get him something cheaper. Make him realise first that his mdr 7506 are pretty decent and are not just "cheap studio cans".

Then, book a listening session for the he-1.

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Perviewted OP t1_j6loh79 wrote

Indeed the noble MDR-7506 are very decent, I'd never besmirch its good name.

Honestly not sure how he'd react to the HE-1, or myself for that matter.

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Significant-Detail65 t1_j6lp7c4 wrote

I swear, it's a gateway drug.

My buddy: "Aww, I was missing out this whole time. What's the price?"

Sennheiser rep: "$59,000. You can customise the colour of the marble and the logo"

My buddy: "Gosh darn it, gotta start somewhere"

Me: "Fancy headphones or a decent car..."

Hifiman: " Lemme intoduce you to our cheaper tonally similar $6,000 headphone..."

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beardedtomato971 t1_j6m33i7 wrote

> Hifiman: " Lemme intoduce you to our cheaper tonally similar $6,000 headphone..."

I'm very new here, but susvara?

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oratory1990 t1_j6mcwpx wrote

Hifiman does not have a headphone with the same timbre as the HE1.
They're all missing the bass boost that the HE1 exhibits.

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Significant-Detail65 t1_j6mgj9f wrote

Ehh, susvara's tone is close enough to say that it tried to follow the HE-1.

I don't think I've tried a headphone with similar timbre to the HE-1, but it literally might be me forgetting things lol.

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oratory1990 t1_j6mk1ry wrote

The HE1 is very (!) close to the Harman Target (not by coincidence but also not because they wanted to, Sennheiser‘s internal research simply yielded very similar results to Harman‘s).

So I wouldn‘t say the Susvara tried to copy the HE1‘s sound, it just was designed with a similar target in mind (transparent, uncolored sound)

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Significant-Detail65 t1_j6mlhro wrote

Yeah, Harman didn't make the Harman Target without reason, so it'd make sense that Sennheiser and probably Hifiman got pretty similar results.

It doesn't really make sense time wise that one of them copied the other, probably lots of time researching and testing for both manufacturers.

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Significant-Detail65 t1_j6mgnud wrote

To me, yeah. That was the vibe I got when I first tried them. Never had them side by side though.

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ConspiratorM t1_j6lpj73 wrote

> I'd never besmirch its good name.

You called them "cheap studio cans" when they are widely considered very good headphones. You did besmirch them. What do you think is really better in this price range?

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irago_ t1_j6m65ut wrote

Cheap doesn't necessarily mean bad.

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JProllz t1_j6mq8tt wrote

Unnamed Gas Station buds: allow us to introduce ourselves.

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TheReturnOfKoffietas t1_j6m1jfq wrote

Why don’t you just let your friend be perfectly content instead of dragging him down this hole with you?

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Hopeful-alt t1_j6lrdik wrote

Go ALLLLL in on proving him wrong.

Grados.

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zoinkability t1_j6lu302 wrote

This is actually probably the right answer.

Are they neutral? No. Do they hit hard in the sub-bass? Not at all. Are they objectively better than the Sonys? Not necessarily, depending on what your sense of objective quality is.

But! Do they sound very different from a pair of closed back Sony cans, and will give a far "airier" and spacious sound that will make them say, "yeah, this sounds very different and kinda awesome"? Absolutely. And you can have a lot of change left over from $200.

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roladyzator t1_j6m7hye wrote

I've listened to a bunch of Grados and I consider Koss KSC75 the best take on such a sound flavour (in-your-face and airy). Everytime I listened to them they are better than I remember them.

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GamePro201X t1_j6lnav9 wrote

$200? Not much is gonna sound much better than an MDR-7506 at that price point, and anything that does sound better doesn't sound good enough to the point where it would blow your friend's mind. You'd probably have to go into the $300-$500 price range to get something that will surprise them. They already have some pretty decent headphones imo

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klogg4 t1_j6lv7mz wrote

AKG K371, AKG K612 (though I guess I'm too late for that)

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Bugg100 t1_j6m2vpf wrote

If he isn't interested, he isn't going to be impressed by even he-1.

And that's okay.

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Character_Record1232 t1_j6m5upr wrote

I think you are just looking for trouble, why do want to change headphones if you are super happy with ones you have ? Buy another pair if you just want to spend money

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scrappyuino678 t1_j6lzd7t wrote

Unless you want to risk getting a second hand Sundara, maybe HD560S but I don't think there's anything else that's better than the Sony's at that price point

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irago_ t1_j6m685n wrote

Second hand Hifiman cans, they're already broken so you don't have to do it yourself!

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hawkeyejw t1_j6ol1tg wrote

Don’t bother. If they don’t care about it let them carry on with what they’re happy with.

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anoon999 t1_j6m24x8 wrote

Kph40 is pretty shocking imo. If you have a source already a hd6xx.

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audiochef68 t1_j6m70ox wrote

DT880 playing - vivaldi four seasons spring....

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roladyzator t1_j6m754h wrote

You're in a tough spot, since MDR-7506 aren't bad headphones to begin with, at least based on measurements.

I haven't heard those, but it seems they have decent bass boost that doesn't bleed into the midrange, no excessive warmth, proper ear gain with maybe too much upper midrange and treble. It's all going to be "same, but different" from now on, especially if your friend already seems to have this attitude:)

I've had an occasion to listen to a Stax SR-007 (first version) and I wasn't blown away. I didn't hear all the detail or resolution I expected, based on what you can read online. Sure, they were sounding good, but that's it. No mind was blown. I'm more impressed by my Samsung Buds 2 since do seem to over-exaggerate detail (8 kHz boost) while still having a pleasant tonality overall. And I'm lucky to be one of the people who does experience soundstage in IEMs, at least with the music I listen to (soundstage is very dependent on the recording, though for may people IEMs will always sound closed-in).

I suppose if you really want to blow minds, for $200 you can get a pair of decent monitor speakers (JBL 305, Kali LP-6) and some good weed :) (if you don't have moral objections, legal issues with that in your country and no mental health risks like a history of schizophrenia or depression in your family, of course).

EDIT: Looks like a pair of JBL 305 is $300 and not $200.

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suppaboy228 t1_j6pjhuw wrote

Leave him alone and don't be anal about it.

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wijnandsj t1_j6ltvnc wrote

PRetty much the one thing the 7506 does badly is comfort. Based on that I'd get a DT770 out.

Tracks? Pointless to recommend anything. MY musical tastes will be quite different from your friend's

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D1visor t1_j6lyxg3 wrote

If the measurements found online are of any substance, just applying EQ to the 7506 should already do a lot.

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Kydarellas t1_j6m1rfx wrote

In the 200 range, I'd look at IEMs, most headphones won't really provide enough of an upgrade. As far as songs go, my usual benchmark/test is Untethered Angel by Dream Theater, it hammers both the treble and bass simultaneously with extremely fine detail, and it's got some S+ tier recording and mastering

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RB181 t1_j6m35bp wrote

The best I can do for $200 is Sennheiser HD 560S (preferably a pre-2022 revision pair, I haven't heard the 2022 revision but I'm reading bad things about it).

Music? Cryovile and Cecile Monique in lossless, of course.

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seth096 t1_j6ma36d wrote

Akg n5005? If your friend down for IEM

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Tanachip t1_j6mw70g wrote

Hand your friend the Sennheiser HD560s and an apple dongle (because it guarantees clean sound regardless of the source).

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thatcarolguy t1_j6niqq5 wrote

Quarks DSP. I'm thinking of just ordering a pile of them and handing them out to anyone I know who could use them.

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dbsylvia t1_j6nrgdx wrote

I wouldn't try to convince them with words but by letting them hear gear I have experienced and let them decide for themselves. I would have them listen to the Rode NTH-100 as a comparison to budget gear to start. Then I would move on to the Austrian Audio Hi-X60, Sennheiser HD8xx, Audeze LCD-2 Closed, Dan Clark Ether C, Rosson RAD-0, Audeze LCD-5. I would use the Mytek Liberty DAC ii and HeadAmp GS-X Mini. I would play music from my reference playlist: https://www.thehonestaudiophile.com/post/does-your-music-preference-impact-your-sound-impressions

Staying in the $200 price range is a tough one, especially for closed back options.

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Overall_Falcon_8526 t1_j6nxf5x wrote

Someone on a different thread was just singing the praises of the Philips Fidelio L2. It's under $100. Sivga SV021 might also be a contender in this price bracket.

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Clickbaitllama t1_j6ohea7 wrote

I dragged my friend to Audio46, who also mainly uses mdr7506, plopped the Sundara's I was trying on his head, and his reaction was "they sound like headphones". The same headphones that sounded so amazing and immersive to me didn't even make him flinch.

My point is that a headphone that universally "wows" doesn't exist. And unless you know what to listen for, diminishing returns start way cheaper than you may think. I guess maybe blasting him with soundstage with a k612 and then putting on Yosi Horikawa might work, but I don't think it would change his worldview. Especially if he prefers a more intimate sound (like me).

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Chastity23 t1_j6ojfb6 wrote

Mackie MC-450 $170 on Amazon

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MSB3000 t1_j6lo89t wrote

I'd look into a Hifiman 4XX or other huge open-backed planar. One thing the 7506 does not have is soundstage.

Edit: Why the downvotes? My 4XX sounds amazing.

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josher814 t1_j6lso7t wrote

HD 560s with EQ? I know this ain’t a headphone, but Quarks DSP is nicely tuned for $15.

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dongas420 t1_j6lpt4m wrote

For $200, I'd hand them a secondhand Dusk or some other IEM instead. For $0, I'd just tell them to try oratory1990 EQ.

For the weebshit-tolerant, I use these test tracks among others to dissect a transducer's sound characteristics. I don't know whether I'd call the experience mind-blowing or life-changing, but I find it handy for separating the good from the meh.

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MrCatsoup t1_j6lq3xk wrote

Seems like to me you need a new friend

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