Now that you mention it, I forgot to include my Alessandro MS-1s (which are essentially Grados). They'd have been A or B tier. I do think Grados get overlooked due to their often poor comfort and also their very distinct tunings
Great list. And nice to see your preferences. A Sendy Peacock beating out a Susvara is a wild choice but I appreciate your opinion. For me the Peacock was easily one of the worst headphones I’ve ever heard so this shows that personal preference is very subjective.
Glad you liked the list. I have a feeling that there's some product variance in the Peacock range, perhaps particularly early on based on some of the first reviews. Preferences will always play a part too which is why I decided to make this list based on my enjoyment levels rather than anything else.
This is definitely not to suggest that the Susvara isn't an amazing, and technically superior headphone to the Peacock. I just don't enjoy it as much for pure musical engagement. I strongly agree that it's nice to be able to discuss our different opinions in a respectful and friendly manner.
And there's the problem. I don't think I can do one because there are so many new IEMs every week and everyone wants to see where their favourite is placed. Having thought more about it, I feel like it's going to be more trouble than it's worth - sorry!
Great list! I have been watching your reviews and find them very useful. I am interested to know what your views are on these headphones and where they will be placed in tier list - Audio Technica ADX5000, Senn - HD800 (Non-S), HD800S, HD820, Hifiman HE6SEv1, HE6SEv2, Stax L700, 007, 009, ZMF Caldera. My gripe with Hifiman headphones is that they offer only 1 year warranty here in India - whereas something like ZMF provides lifetime driver replacement warranty. Similar issues with Focal. The more I spend money in this hobby, the more I realise how important it is to have gears that are least likely to fail. From that perspective- I will stick to my SDR modded HD800 and may get a ZMF Atrium or Caldera in future and be done with the headphones game. Thank you again!
Hi M J, I've reviewed some of these, but not all. The best bet is to check my "Headphones" playlist for the models I have reviewed. I've also got the HiFiMan HE1000SE and the new HE1000 stealth magnet version coming soon.
I don't own any Focals anymore, but the Clear and Utopia would both have been A tier I think. Both excellent, but the fact I sold them is evidence that I didn't absolutely love them. Glad you enjoyed the list!
This is cool, I appreciate you doing something different and within a clearly expressed context. A price to performance list would have been interesting as well, but nothing wrong with an enjoyment list. I think the biggest surprise is gonna be the Peacock; seems to be a very love it or hate it kind of device. Thanks for humoring us with this, I know we've been nagging you for some time now.
My pleasure. The reason I went with enjoyment is that price to performance is VERY subjective, but also something that some people will want to take as gospel (you know the ones I'm talking about 😉) and that leads to debate and blah, blah, blah. This way, I'm kind of giving you a similar result without directly addressing bang-for-buck. Just consider price, consider where it lands on my list and, voila! Verum 1, HarmonicDyne G200 and Peacock are probably some instant standouts off the top of my head. 🙂🙂
That's a good question. They're probably A tier, but only just for me. It's either A or B because I don't love them but I could absolutely live with them.
All new Camerton Audio BINOM-ER Headphones are in a Class of their own matched with the Western Electric 91E 300B Integrated amp and matching CD Player !
I've got a 5-way DAC-amp battle video coming pretty soon. Not sure if I can do a tier list on that topic due to the huge range of variables (as you'll see in the battle video), but never say never 🙂
Atrium for midrange and vocals I think, but Elites by a small margin on soundstage - they're different in soundstage rather than one being significantly better/worse
Haha. I like that. Let me think on it. I'm in the process of revamping my approach to videos so I'll have to see how it might fit in the future plan/schedule.
Peacock in S tier 🤯 I appreciate your honesty and not following the trend but giving a sincere thought to it! It was a fun and interesting video to watch 🙏🏼 thank you for this!
My pleasure! Yes, the Peacock ranking shocked me too, but something must have been up with those early review units because the pair I have are marvellous IMO
My favorite headphone (and I have very limited experience with your list), are the Dan Clark / Drop Aeon Open-X. They probably are closest to the Noire? I haven't heard that one. My set up is the Geshelli J2 AKM (with linear power supply) and am xDuoo MT-604 (also on an LPS) in balanced mode. I use no tuning pad - it is a "bright" as it can be, and I use no EQ,
Totally no agreement on Arya is better then susvara. My set up is Mytek Brooklyn DAC + and Soloist GT connect with supra usb cable they just amazing sound . Just betting better and better during the burn in coming soon I going to upgrade the op amp inside the GT
That's ok. That's why I made this about my enjoyment because this is a subjective hobby and will be influenced by your tastes in sound and the genres you listen to.
Really? No Hifiman HE1000v2? Come on :D It's better than the Arya, so I'll wait to see what you say about the Arya. Hmmmm ZMF Atrium vs HE1000v2...............must decide. My preferred sound sig is a slightly warm of neutral sound with a large/deep soundstage with a rich midrange and airy detailed top end :D Ya know, the perfect headphone.........
Lachlan, what's your microphone/headset setup with the Ollo in the video? I'm looking for something that matches up a nice open-backed headphone with a good microphone. Thank you!
Universe Solid Pads for VC is usually not the favorite pad for most ppl. I recall you said your stock pads were universe solids. the stock pads are currently (and typically) the Auteur Solid Pads and the ZMF recommended pad swap right after is the BE2 Pads. However, the most # of users preferred the Auteur Hybrid Pads. Auteur solid and Universe Hybrid pads are close seconds. The Eikon Pads are outliers for ppl who somehow dislike every other pad. Please do keep us updated on your VC impressions after you do the pad swaps.
I might have mis-spoken on the pads for the VC. They are the stock pads that arrived from ZMF so probably the Auteur Solid. I've got a full pad-rolling video coming soon that will include measurements and impressions across the VO, VC and Atrium (to a lesser degree)
@@PassionforSound wow nice. as for stock pads, ZMF did send Universe pads instead of Auteur for some woods/editions, so you'd have to somehow check which ones u got :p
Just curious but what pads where you using on the VC? If you haven't tried the Autuer Hybrid I highly suggest trying them. To me they bring the best qualities of the Autuer Lambskin and Universe Lambskin into one sound. The suede may tone down the highs for you some. I enjoy the highs on the VC myself but i understand everyone has their preferences. ZMF cans are so hard to judge because the pads really do make a difference. I have learned to never give up on a pad because I have worn a certain pad for months and then gone to a pad I have given very little time too and absolutely fell in love with them. That's what happened with the Autuer Hybrid. I honestly can't pick a favorite between the Atrium and VC! They are so different but still have that ZMF sound to them! I enjoyed this video. It was very interesting to see your opinion on what you liked the best!
Putting the HD6xx next to the Rode NTH-100, depriving Susvara for being too honest... there should be a dedicated pool in hell for such sinners, I reckon ;)
Amazing video because no other youtuber touch on non mainstream headphones. However I think you could have talked more about the sound characteristics of each of them, Bassy, Soundstage, dynamic, lean, lively, perhaps about the driver types. I know it would make the video longer but you basically say, "I liked them, it was enjoyable... this one was better". Or perhaps proposing a different type of ranking for each types of headphones. I don't mention build quality, weight comfort and leakage because that would be too much.
Glad you liked it! I didn't discuss the sound characteristics of each because, as you said, it would have gone too long and also because I have full length reviews of every headphone on the list 🙂
Hmm, the BLON B60 and the Hifiman HE-400SE in the same tier? Really? While the B60 is pretty and very comfortable, the Hifiman has clearly the better sound (imo). Where the B60 is kind of generic, almost a little boring and 'ok' at best, the Hifiman is more detailed and fun (good soundstage, good treble etc.) than the B60 and at least 'good'. I do understand, that you don't have that many tiers, so some tiers must span a wider variety of more or less 'similar' headphones, but I still think the 400SE is clearly a tier above the B60. I'd rather put it in 'B' with the Sundara, because although the Sundara is better in some aspects, the lack of bass doesn't put it as far beyond the 400SE, as the B60 is below the 400SE. Of course this is just my subjective impression of these headphones (with my 'sound production chain', my library and my personal preferences, of course). So there is no need to change your tierlist, I just wanted to give another perspective. :)
Other perspectives are always welcome. The B60 nearly slipped into Nope! tier for me, but they're not a bad headphone and the HE400SE is only just below B tier so I do agree on the separation, they just didn't quite push out of C tier in either direction for me
Have you ever listened to Audio Technica M50 Legacy instead of M50x? They sound very different (to me) and actually have different drivers: HD-125B in the legacy M50 and HD-125E in the M50x, also HD-125H in the M50xBT. I know it's almost impossible to find a decent M50 Legacy due to significant wear and tear, but if you take the HD-125B drivers and solder them into the M50x chassis, you'll be surprised how smooth, flat and detailed it sounds across the spectrum, including restored mids, tamed lows and highs with more natural non-plasticky treble. It's very pleasant to listen to, if you stick with the factory earpads or those that do not deviate from the factory ones.
Thank you so much for this and all your efforts in explaining such a complex subject of high end headphones. I am new to all of this but have the Meze Lirics and the Cayin N8II which I am very pleased with but know I can probably get better than what I already have. I have been looking at the Meze Elites for sometime and know that they are open back which I will use privately. I have been told I should get the Focal Utopias, but I have recently sold my Focal Bathys which I know are not particularly premium. I just am not impressed with Focal for some reason. The build on the Lirics are exceptional which is why I want to try the Elites. My only concern is that I have a smaller head, the Lirics fit perfectly but wanted to know if the fit on the Elites would be as good. Thank you again for this review.
I've actually just picked up the 2022 model (current version) Utopias and they're lovely , but I'm not sure if I'd choose those over the Elites with the new, angled Alcantara pads (which now come as standard with the Elites). The Utopia review will of course address this in detail 🙂
Regarding the HiFiman 400se. I see this is on the recommended list yet it is rated lower on the tier list than the hd560s which is not on the recommended list.
Good pickup. That's because I look at the recommendations list in terms of what others might like, not just me. I also consider value for money and other options you could buy instead. I guess the HD560S probably should be on the recommended list, but I do think the HE400SE is better value and the HD6XX is a better headphone for not too much more money.
Arya Stealth has much narrower soundstage, but more fun/musical than OG Arya, right? Even though you don't have OG Arya on hand, I'm assuming it won't be that hard to contrast the differences. What tier would OG Arya be at?
I'd put OG Arya in B tier I think. I didn't find a vast difference in soundstage, but I found it's overall tonality to be less well-balanced than the stealth version
I haven't heard the stealth version but I have heard the V2. Inittially I thought the Soundstage was just amazing on the V2 but I must admit after further listening I realized that it didn't agree with all genres. With rock music the big soundstage made the Arya V2 sound to soft for me. Everything was coming from such a distance it made it sound like there wasn't enough weight behind the notes. Because of this quality I got bored with the V2. I look forward to hearing the stealth edition. Did you listen to the Arya stealth on tubes any?
@@PassionforSound that's good to hear! I tried the Arya V2 on my wa22 but that was with stock tubes. I have since added eml 5u4g mesh, we421a, and mullard ecc35 6sl7. They made a huge impact on the sound. I wasn't that impressed with the Arya V2 on tubes. I preferred my lcd x 2021 on tubes out of the planars I had. I would like to try the Arya stealth on tubes and I may get a chance in the next several months since I have a friend that asked if I would trade my VC for his Arya Stealth for a month. I might just take him up on that to see because I have heard very good things about the Arya Stealth. From everything I've heard I think I will like the Stealth better than the V2.
I was waiting for it too, but for me it would be between s and a tier since it’s 95% of the Arya V2. Well, I guess it could be s tier. They are giant killers!
As I said at the beginning, this is only based on the headphones I own and I don't own the XS. Part of the reason for that is that they'd be a B tier headphone for me. They produce a very flat soundstage that I don't particularly enjoy and I find both the Ananda and Arya to be more enjoyable listens.
@@PassionforSound I totally agree - I sold my XS because I were disappointed in comparison to Ananda. Comparing the XS to the Arya is completely ridiculous. I can't understand the hype. P.S.: I love my Peacock, too :)
@@PassionforSound that what such a hilarious exchange with the massive difference between the hype for the XS and the completly dry answer to it. I'm looking forward to your Ananda Stealth review, as i love the Ananda as well. I'm glad to see it finally getting the recognition it deserves by some reviewers now.
Yes, I don't really get the hype around the XS. It's a solid headphone for sure, but it seems to have the reputation as being way better than its price and I didn't experience it that way. I'm looking forward to the Ananda SE review too. I've only done short sessions with it so far and it didn't blow me away compared to the Ananda OG, but it doesn't need to because the OG is already excellent so incremental upgrades will be perfect. I also haven't compared yet so maybe the direct comparison will impress more.
Nice jacket! It's been very cold and wet this year in Australia. Sydney hasn't been dry since December of last year, with the exception of June, which was the only more or less dry month.
It wasn't included because I didn't own it anymore. As I said in the opening, I didn't want to rate headphones from memory because it might not be accurate and fair. I think the OG Clear would have been an A tier headphone if I still owned it.
Hi Lachlan, brilliant insight into all these headphones and a smart way to rank them based upon enjoyment. I am very grateful to you for all your reviews and guidance and have settled on an open box bargain Burson Conductor Reference 3 as my amp to match my Hifiman Arya Stealth and Sundaras. With the exception of a pair of closed back headphones (for shared space listening moments) I’m all set for years to come. My budget and the law of diminishing returns prevent me from venturing further😁
So glad you enjoyed this one and great choice of source for your Aryas and Sundaras! When it comes time for some closed backs, do consider the Aeon Noire if they're in budget. They're such great value for money.
I find it weird that Audeze, one of the biggest players in audiophile planar headphones, is completely absent from this list. Also I lost count of the amount of times you said “even though it’s not a comparison” when it was clearly a comparison.
There were a few headphones that were affected by the choices available at the same price for sure, but if it were a comparison, none of the cheap headphones would have made it to the higher tiers because they're clearly not as good as things like the Elite. As for Audeze, I can't get Audeze demo units so I haven't tried them, therefore haven't bought them, therefore don't own them.
Do consider your own preferences and how they relate to my preferences (based on some other known devices you've tried that I've reviewed), but hopefully I'm steering you towards an even better choice. You can't go wrong with either
I'm in Australia so I think we see even less. Many of these you kind of have to go looking for. In my case, either the manufacturers have reached out to me or I've had commenters bring my attention to them
Hi what a great and interesting video, nice to see you selected hd560 and hd6xx, I be very interested to find out whether yiu plave 6xx with the custom cabs bass mod . It is now better at the bottom end . Regards mark
I don't generally do any mods to headphones, partly because I like to hear each headphone for what it brings to the sound, but also because I need to keep them stock for comparisons (and resale)
Deva and Deva Pro would be B-Tier. NightOwl would probably be A-Tier and 99 Neo either B or A - not sure on those... Can't say for the others because I've never owned them or reviewed them
Hey was planning to get a pair of 560s because I’m getting for absolute banger price of 149AUD due to me having some student vouchers For an amp/dac wise would you say the Dx3 pro+ is a good choice to power the hd560s? Would go for a schiit stack but sold out went for my backup option instead.
@@PassionforSound Sorry to bother you again, what do you think of the Fiio k7 powering the 560s I’m not sure if you have tried it out but it’s just another option in the same price range instead of the dx3 pro+
@@PassionforSound Having watched alot of your videos and really gained some respect for your reviews, I had a feeling you'd say that. I actually just got my Elites in today and LOVE them.
Well done. I was looking for at least one Focal on your list, though. I mostly grab my Audio-Technica ATH over my DCA Aeon 2 Noire just for the fact the DCA's are very difficult to drive with my current amps, where as the AT's sound good and loud on any device I use them on. Just need a little EQ...
I know this an annoying and difficult question but I am looking for a very neutral and resolving headphone in order to compare phono cartridges in the most unbiased way possible. Any suggestions under about $2,000 come to mind from this list?
That's actually a great question! You could go for something like an Ollo S4X or S4R (I'd choose the R for reference tonality unless the S4X is now updated to version 1.1 or higher). The Ollos aren't the last word in resolution, but they're outstanding for tonal accuracy. Alternatively, if you want the best possible resolution, staging, and tonal accuracy then I'd maybe look at the HiFiMan Arya Stealth and just know that it leans a little bright. The Meze 109 Pro is another excellent option that's not on this list (review coming this weekend)
@@PassionforSound wow, thank you so much! I have lots of great dacs, speakers, preamps, phono stages, amps, ect. But would you believe I just got my first ever dedicated headphone amplifier😂 I was finding it really hard to characterize subtle differences between similar cartridges in my various environments so I thought headphones would be a great equalizer. Also help with my DACs and so forth. I’ll wait for the review and check it out for sure. Thank you for the reply!
Lirics are a tricky one. On one hand, they're an impressive listen so A tier, but they can be just a little too energetic for me sometimes which might push them to B tier.
I appreciate your going out on a limb with your headphones tier list! Was just at SoCal CanJam and spent my 3 hours at ZMF listening to my Auteur BW’s, Auteur Classic Maple, Atrium Cherry & BW, Caldera, and Verite Open BW via MacBook Air/roon- Metrum Amber-Yggdrasil-5 tube amp? Atrium Black Wood was like my Auteur BW with refinement, added resolution, but had the excitement and focus I’m drawn to. Caldera is captivating, a bit more live reference. The verite open is the detail Illuminator-it could flesh out a saxophone in Miles’s kind of blue and give a lifelike sense of the instrument, not just the notes! I can see why you’d like the Atrium, check out a black wood version if you get the chance :)
@@PassionforSound It's a tough call especially between the Atrium BW and Caldera, they are both sooo good. I'd be reluctant to get rid of the Auteur BW, but it might be necessary to help finance a significant upgrade. :) The Verite resolving ability is quite alluring. I was curious what effect the change in woods would have on the Atrium and Verite :) ++
I've got them here now actually, but I haven't decided yet. I like them, but you'll have to wait for the review to see if they're B, A or S Tier because I'm not 100% sure yet. Glad you liked the list!
Very good video; I was looking forward to seeing where the Utopia came in, but it was conspicuously absent? I thought for some reason you had some but perhaps that was a while ago (or I have early onset dementia, both of which being entirely possible). I know there is a new one due imminently but the specials on the soon to be outgoing model are quite compelling..
You're not losing your marbles just yet 😉 I used to have a pair and only recently sold them after buying the Elites and Verités. The Utopia would have been an A tier for me. They don't quite captivate me like an S tier, but are a wonderful headphone, particularly on a good tube amp
@@PassionforSound ah thanks, I ended up pulling the trigger today while Addicted to Audio have a special going. Now I need to find a nice tube amplifier.. that Elite must be excellent but I think they just recently went up in price in Australia, to around $6500? 😳 Another thing to save for..
I'd probably suggest using my recommended products database for that. It's in a link in the description and you can sort by product type and retail prices. It's only the products that I personally think are good value though.
That would have required hours and hours of additional work. Until the channel pays me a full time wage (we're a LONG way from that), I have to squeeze it in outside of work hours and family.
@@PassionforSound totally understand and am somewhat in the same boat with one of my own side-gigs. Still a great video of course! PS: where would you’ve placed hd800s? I recognize you don’t have them on hand so you couldn’t have auditioned them for this tier list. But I wonder if you’ve had any extensive experience with them before. Asking since hd800s are sort of a very well know headphone in the space and can somehow be considered as a reference point for many.
I owned the HD800S for some time and I've reviewed them here on the channel. I think they'd have been B tier for me because they're not ideal across all genres. In their sweet spot for classical/orchestral music they're great though
I think your taste in headphones from all the RU-vid reviewers is the closest to mine. Would be interesting to see where the Empyrean/D8000/D8000 Pro end up on your list.
Great video. A few surprises along the way. Always entertaining to get someone’s list! Thanks for doing this. Would love to see the same for iem’s if you can… cheers!
Glad you enjoyed it! I'll have a think about the IEM list because there's been some interest. I'm a little concerned that I'll get swamped with "What about X?" and "Why didn't you rate Y?" comments though 😉
Very cool and informative video, Lachlan. Just curious: You have no Audeze or Focal headphones in any of your tiers. Do you not like the sound of these brands? Tough to get in Australia? Thanks!
Glad you liked it, Paul. Unfortunately, while those brands are available to buy, the local distributor is unhelpful with review samples, etc. Because I am trying so much gear these days, I don't buy anything that I haven't tried and I don't have the time or motivation to go seeking products to try when so much is already sent to me to try. Hope that makes sense. I'd gladly review Audeze and Focal if circumstances were different.
I actually applaud your tier list, i own Lcd5, im seriously thinking of getting Atrium and Verite closed, selling Lcd5 as 3 pr are not sustainable. My thing with Lcd5 is high end ultra detail, i feel too much info at times
Glad you like it, Anna! I agree that LCD-5 can be a bit too much even though it's a wonderful headphone. Hopefully my review of the Atrium and Vérité will be helpful for you with your decision making 🙂
This was a very interesting video. Last year I was diagnosed with a mild hearing loss (high frequencies). It's frustrating watching reviewers describe the "sparkle" and "air" on various headphones that I can't hear or barely hear because of tinnitus. I'm hoping I can find a hearing aid that will enhance the higher frequencies and most of all eliminate my tinnitus.
That sucks. Sorry to learn that! Hope you can find a good solution to enjoy your listening again. Alternatively, you could just start buying all the overly bright headphones that I rate as not so good 😉
I have never had reviewer who impacted me this much. With his help, now I almost have end game setup as follows; Hifiman Arya Stealth Shiit Bifrost 2 Burson Soloist with Supercharger
No, it's not there because I don't own it. I think it would have been either a C tier or even a Nope! for me. I'm really not much a fan of that one - sorry!
When I tried a pair they sounded too thick in the midrange and really not enjoyable. Perhaps the pads were over-worn (they were on loan from a viewer), but the HD6XX is vastly superior to me.
That's probably accurate and probably contributes to my impressions of them being a bit too thick sounding. I've got a review of them here on the channel if you want my full thoughts (it's been a long time since I heard them)
