To be fair, I think what we hear can indeed be measurable. It's the interpretation of the data, and relevance/applicability with our own unique HRTF's that is one of the major missing links.

Similar to how I would buy a pair of shoes, it would be nice if I could pop in a few measurements of my ears and head, and be able to spit out results that tell me what kind of headphones or speakers I might like. Just like a pair of shoes though, you still need to "wallk a mile" in them to really determine how well they "fit" you, but it would be much less haphazard and aimless. Perhaps one day.

The main issue I have with a lot of the hubbub is the stance that "all of audio is a solved problem" because of our current body of measurements, which I vehemently disagree. And throwing out subjective discussions entirely, because we cannot reliably correlate it with the data, is definitely the wrong way to go about furthering our overall understanding if we want to have any hope in achieving the above hypothetical future.

It really depends how worn things are, and is gut checked against my personal tolerances for hygiene.

With leather earpads, it's not nearly as big of a deal, to me, and I usually just do a quick surface wipe with slightly diluted rubbing alcohol. However, for velour-type of pads, I check to see just how grimy things are, but usually have new replacements ready to go.

As far as cables, most headphones tend to use standard connectors, so I've amassed a small collection of random cables over the years that are bound to fit something, so it's a wash for me. Because of this, I tend to ignore any stock cables, unless of course it is non-removable. :P

Regarding headbands, sometimes there isn't much you can do about them. However, with Sennheisers (and I believe Beyerdynamics), there is an assortment of parts available for replacements on the market. Recently, I finally got tired of the super worn out/loose HD580's stock headband (which, has likely seen well over two decades of usage before I inherited them), so I ended up replacing it with a modern HD650's headband instead, as well as the plastic grilles at the same time. To me, they look so much better now, and no longer slide off my head, which is a win-win in my book.

I mean if the limiting factor for your enjoyment is how quiet the room is, technically speaking, even non-"summit-fi" options will also sound better in this hypothetical room, too.

So the poll should include moving out and living on your own. ;)

In that case, check to make sure all four clips are seated in properly. The Hifiman pad ring mechanism can be a giant pain in the ass when pad rolling, and can lead to anomalous sounds when even one clip is not fully secured.

Looks like a great cozy setup to help pass the time. I could think of worse ways to spend new years. ;)

Feel better soon, and happy new year!

A few things to add:

• What music do you listen to? The 600-series tend to excel well with anything that emphasizes the mids strongly - especially with regards to vocals and acoustic instruments. Despite how revered they may be, I don't find them to be great for bass heavy music or for eye ball popping dynamics.
• How long have you used the HD599? If they've been your daily drivers for years on end, it's going to take time to adjust to a new pair of headphones, regardless if it's the HD600 or anything else, for that matter.
• Jumping off the above question about length of usage, I would actually suggest listening to them without applying any EQ for a week or two straight, at least. Especially the Harman EQ profiles that tend to emphasize bass shelves that serve to emphasize the blurry bass region these headphones tend to have.
• Often, people feel naturally compelled to have this "love at first sight" sensation, but in my experiences the headphones that immediately wow'ed me are the ones I rarely listen to, whereas the ones that I grew to love over time are mainstay staples of my collection.
• Lastly, keep in mind that these headphones have a legacy that has endured the better part of three decades. Naturally, the rose-colored fondness comes from a period where we didn't have nearly the amount of variety and options that exist today.

At the end of the day, even though the HD600 is popular, there are going to be people out there who don't like it, and that's ok. There's plenty of options out there available for the choosing, so it's just a matter of making sure you've given yourself a fair amount of time, before moving on, because if expectations are not in check, then you're going to have the same problem with all other headphones as well.

Sadly, I have a lot more headphones than what shows on my flair, and I end up using many of the unlisted ones a lot more frequently, overall. Even as I type this now, I'm listening to an HD600 through the aforementioned tube amp.

But between those two though, I do prefer the Utopia more than the HD800. The punchiness and dynamism of the Utopia is more appealing to me (at least, right now) over the larger sensation of a headstage from the HD800, but there are times when those urges do flair up.

I guess it's a long drawn out way of saying I'm a giant pain in the ass, and need the freedom of change always at a moments notice. :P

Most days, it starts off with what is nearby, but throughout the course of the day, as the playlist rolls on, curiosity could strike in wondering "how this song sounds on 'XYZ' pair". Other times, I just stick with whatever is on my head.

Lately, with the frigid cold weather in the Northeast these past few weeks, it has been a bit fortuitous to have a hot running Class A tube amp warm up the room, so that has also contributed to enjoying the high impedance Sennheisers more often, as well.

So really, there is no consistent rhyme or reason - just what is appealing for the moment.

Plus, you don't have to worry about the stock earpads soaking up oils and grime like a sponge, nor anymore of the "velour" layer flaking off anymore. :P

See you at the alter of Fang Bian. ;)

> while my Arya is still alive

Don't jinx it...

Lol, no worries, I'm much the same way. I keep all of the packaging because "just in case" I never know if I will find the urge to sell off things.

10 years later: "Hey guys! Here is my vinyl cartridge collection over the years!"

:P

For what it's worth, I had a pair of HD600's back in 2016, but sold them off because I considered them largely "redundant" in my overall collection, at the time. Cut to present day, I ended up repurchasing a brand new pair last month because I actually missed that balance of sound, and am enamored by them all over again.

In audio, often times the amount spent doesn't always equal the amount of enjoyment and appreciation that can be derived. :)

I'm sure it's just a matter of time as well.

However, until we can get Susvara levels of uncompressed sound quality, on a weekly battery charge though, there are still many challenges up ahead. But I look forward to the day when something like this will happen - I just hope I'll still be around to experience it. :P

> I'm not seeing young people wanting to use wired headphones/IEMs either

Tell that to the celebrities and influencers:

https://www.nssmag.com/en/pills/28094/black-friday-2021

> I have a general idea of the kind of audio I am aiming to get at home

Ah ok. If you have a target or a reference, then at least that will help guide you towards a particular setup, further down the line.

> I think I’ll be satisfied for a LONG while nevertheless

This is genuinely great to hear, because it's very easy to get lost in the audiophile rabbit hole.

Keep it simple - especially because you are new to this. If it sounds good to you now, and you're not needing more volume, then don't spend any more money. All hobbyist communities will have ways of tempting you with greener pastures, but it's not an absolute necessity for enjoyment.

Additionally, everyone will have differing opinions on their own "ideal" setups, but keep in mind that it is ideal for them, specifically. The old sayings "you need to learn to walk before you run" and "one size does not fit all" both apply here, so just enjoy what you have for as long as possible.

It's all good. At least you have actually listened to them and was able to make up your own mind.

> Those cans crave current and I wonder if speaker amps not being as current-limited as a lot of headphone amps plays a part.

Ah yes, great point! Definitely need a refresher on this, for myself. :P

Nice find on the OG LAu! I was interested in the more recent LAuX but never pulled the trigger, and completely forgot about it. I'll pick this one back up in the new year.

Thanks for sharing this! Always good to see your posts. :)

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I often play my Susvara and HE6se v2 through an entry level Cambridge Class AB speaker amp (nothing over the top in the least), and generally hover around 50-60% volume, which gives me a comfortable ~75 dB average, with spikes in the low 80's. Similarly, I do find the sound to be subjectively fuller in the low end, and smoother overall, through extended long-term listening. Especially when watching action movies or shows, the dynamic and visceral snaps/cracks of gunshots and explosions sometimes do cause me to involuntarily flinch a bit, which isn't always observed in other setups - at least in the context of these hard to drive planars. And this is compared against headphone amps that are not lacking in powering, on paper, like the Schiit Lyr 3 and Jotunheim 2.

What I wonder is if the design of speaker amps just inherently have "a sound" (whether if by topology, design, component choices, etc.) that contributes to these types of sound impressions, rather than it being simply a characteristic of having excessive power on reserve. Any thoughts on this?

I personally have not tried them (yet), but from my experiences, take what you read with a grain of salt until you can try them out for yourself. Either my tolerance for "bad sound" is quite high, or it's that people are capable of exaggerating to the point of hyperbole.

To be fair, you do also have to take into account the asking price for what's being offered; and it's the same with any other headphone. Take for example the Focal Elegia and Hifiman HE6se v2, both were largely deemed as "not worth it" at their respective MSRP's, and for a variety of reasons. However, now that Adorama are pricing them at or below the $400 mark, suddenly, more and more people can now tolerate the faults (i.e. sound quality, build quality, comfort, etc.), which by the way have not changed - only the prices have.

So, for an MSRP of $2399, it's understandable that the expectations for the HD820 didn't quite meet the mark, but for used prices of ~$1000 (or less for some lucky few), can they now become acceptable? It's all just a matter of perspective. :)

Weird. Mine was from the second drop, which I received in January of 2019, and I haven't used it much in the past year, but I fired mine back up just to make sure, and it still works fine.

Perhaps, as with a lot of things, the quality standards aren't the same as pre-pandemic times, which is a shame. :(

Oh geez. Yeah, I'm seeing that now...

> Only downside for me is the need for energizers.

Yeah, this was initially some of my hesitation to try estats early on, as well. Technically speaking, if you did pick up an energizer, you could hook it up to your AHB2 and have an incredible setup - or separately pick up an amp that can be directly fed from one of your DAC's instead. There are older (but still quite capable) Stax SRM-1 amps that routinely show up on eBay, like this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144836240623

This can allow you to run modern estats using Pro bias, as well as older vintage Stax through the Normal bias.

> And this top bracket is based on what exactly? Ah, I know: PRICE.

Why so obtuse? The context is obviously about prices in the used market. The OP clearly stated as such, and the math is clear and simple.

Someone shit in your cereal this morning?