State of the Market: $1200-1800 Open-back Headphones Roundup 

Great exhaustive comparison! Just something to note. Red on blue is an absolute no no and can cause a lot of strain to look at (chromosteropsis)

Killer roundup, I've been looking forward to this one for a while and was very excited when I saw it was almost an hour, you took the time to fill us in on all the important sound elements for each player and did a great job of letting people know the relative strengths and weaknesses of each set of cans. Great job, I really appreciate your thoroughness and consistency. Also, I like the song names for rankings, paints a clear picture while being self aware/nerdy enough to inject some humor too.

Lots of work put in - appreciate you!

What a great video! Informative, useful and entertaining! Many of my findings on these headphones align with yours.

Exactly the review I was looking for! Thanks for that.

The review that helped me decide to purchase my lcdx a few month's back. Wave is hands down one of the best reviewers out there. I really hope his channel blow up because he really deserves it. The time and effort he puts into his videos is so informative and helpful. Wave , you fucking rock man

Somehow I missed this earlier. VERY well done and presented. Thanks for the time and effort. Interesting that for my library I have been considering both the Auteur and the Arya, which is apparently now even better. 😉

Nice idea about soundstage graph!

Love the setup and category breaking down style . Unique nice !

That's the benchmark for HP comparison review, well done!

Excellent video... I'm now tempted to get a ZMF Auteur.

Good roundup with relevant models. The Arya Stealth has had my interest for a while, as a complement to my ZMF Auteur.

That was a great review ! Love the channel

Great Video! Hopefully you can get to hear the LCD XC soon and make the Closed back equivalent video.

thanks for the review

Thanks for a very helpful review 👍

This is the most helpful and thoughtful headphone review out there. I've an LCD-x and heavily auditioned Arya. The opinion here makes perfect sense.

Amazing review ✌️

Love your video and doing this highend head to head.

Hey great video, appreciate all the work. Please do a closed back comparison. 👍

Excellent! Very useful

Excellent work and really useful information. Tossing up between HD800s and Arya Stealth. Difficult to find a place to hear them side to side. If you do the closed back comparison don't forget the Denon D9200, love mine.

Really helpful vid thanks a lot!

You are on a tear with all these uploads, glad to see serious comparisons. Just got the arya v2. Looking to complement it with a verite closed. Your channel is nice for someone looking to build a collection rather than buy the next new thing.

Great idea to make this video for this price range.

Another awesome review!!

Wow! One of the most serious and detailed headphone reviews I've ever seen! Tank's a lot man, this is really helpful. In this category (1000-2000 dollars headphones) making decision is absolutely tricky and you did a great job here to help everyone who want information for making right decision.

Spot on!!

Good review. I think you captured the essence of each headphone well. I have an opinion that the lcd-X 2021 is a good gatekeeper and that above that price headphones should perform better in most regards. So I’d argue most of the dynamic driver headphones are not worth more than $1200 due to a lack of bass performance, lack of dynamics, etc. in that case only the Arya and fostex deserve to be more than $1200. All the others are too focused on a limited range of music or audio performance. Which would be awesome for fans of those other headphones to get ‘em cheaper.

You are quickly becoming one of my favorite audiophile reviewers for your detailed analysis, clear opinions and focus upper end of the market without excluding this tier ($1K - $2K). So many other reviewers kinda skip this range in favor of cheaper and end game gear. Keep up the great work!

Thanks for a great roundup. I have a Focal Clear Professional which I am enjoying and was looking at getting the LCD-X to try out planar. But after watching your round-up, it sounds like the LCD-X is going to be sonically very similar to Focal Clear for my 2nd set of headphones. I would like to experience a bigger soundstage for orchestral music but the HD800s and Arya Stealth are too much money for me, here in Australia. I like tube amps so maybe I should be looking for preowned HD800s.

Another great video. We have to figure out what YT is doing to your thumbnails though. They are being crushed into lofi blocks.

Excellent review. BTW, which of these reviewed would be ideal for watching films?

Thanks for this, pretty comprehensive! The one thing that keeps hitting me is how many people parrot the BIG HEAVY LCDs, because I have the LCD-2 and LCD-X, as well as the Senn 820, and some lightweight Grados. Yes, they are ‘heavier’, but to me this is massively exaggerated because I can wear them for hours and hardly notice, and I also tend to equate the tank-like build with quality. They’re my favorites by a mile.

Good video. If you get the OG Clear in the US (and I think CAN) the $990 deal changes the equation quite a bit, but it's unclear (dumb joke) how long they'll continue to sell those since they're supposed to be discontinued at some point. They're very cheap used too because people are buying them for $990 and them selling them. Also I think your used HE1000 recommendation is valid but some people are hesitant to buy headphones on the used market. I'm fine with buying used from a reputable seller or someone I know but how do I know (from pics) some random person didn't run a 5K and then come home to jam out to some music without showering. It gives me the heebie jeebies to some extent.

Great video, great comparison of the headphones and explained in an understandable way. I am currently planning to take my setup to the next level. I will use either the Violectric V380 v1 or Bifrost 2/64 + Violectric V222 as my amp/dac. My favourite headphone for the new combo was the Arya SE. They are currently available for 1200. Your reference to the HE1000v2 makes me wonder... They are currently available for 1999. How much better is the HE1000v2 in your eyes? Is the surcharge worth it? Thank you.

Very nice work, as always. A couple things - I heard repeatedly how certain headphones can be "amp picky" but there were no specifics given beyond that, so I really don't know what you mean exactly. Second, it seems to me that if you don't have the chain to support these things, and by that I am guessing gear well beyond midrange, there is really no point in chasing any of these, as you are spending money just to spend money. These days, that is an increasingly bad option. So for me, the point is moot. I choose NONE of these. Now, should the circumstances change and I can improve my chain, I would go for either the ZMF Auteur or the Arya, depending on what I end up with. And I would want to audition them first, but that doesn't seem to be possible anymore. But oh well, this is great info and I love how it was presented. Please continue this great work.

Interesting review, would be interesting to see if the Ananda Stealth can keep upo with these enough for you to have £1000 left over for a better amp

IMHO, the 2021 LCD-X paired with the Topping E50/L50 combo is about the best performance you're going to find for less than $2K invested. Dekoni Elite Sheepskin pads just enhance the comfort and sound that little bit more.

I don't understand when people say that arya‘s Timbre is wrong.

The kind of reviews that matter to the everyday average headphone nut. References to rock music is very welcomed and important.

Very well done. Subscribed. Have you tried the HEDD?

I have the TH909 (and have heard it side-by-side with an unmodded TH900) and i'll add my own observations to what you've said throughout the video. Sound Signature: As you said it is V-shaped like the entire Fostex Biodyna line, however it is a lot more moderate/ refined that the TH900; it has toned down bass that is less boomy and more tight and punchy (but still very well extended), the treble is also toned down (although still can be a bit peaky) and the mids to upper-mids are a lot less recessed to the point that it MAY sound a tiny bit mid-forward (making it surprisingly good for female vocals). For that reason I think it gets closer to the Arya SE's tonality than the TH900. Amping: As amp-picky as you state it is. It can sound wide, bassy, and smooth on some amps, and shrill, thin, and narrow on others. However they are unlike any other headphone in the video in that a more expensive, higher-end amp will NOT necessarily be better with them. They seem to care more about the sonic character of the amp than raw power or quality. Very odd headphones. I've found amps with a warm tilt and a slight bass boost pair well with them. Assume everything I say is with a good amp pairing. Soundstage: Agree with what you said, but i'll add that it is notably more open and wider than the TH900. It reminds me of my Beyer T1 Gen 2. Still significantly behind the Aryas though. Imaging and Separation: On the same level as the OG Clears, but it has better separation because of the bigger soundstage. Resolution: I think it's very slightly behind the OG Clear in terms of transients (like 5-10%) which does make it seem less resolving, but otherwise it's good for the price range. Not as good as the Arya. Macrodynamics: Definitely "Clubbed to Death". Timbre: Agreed, but it's better than the TH900 because the mids are less recessed. It does upper mid-range/ lower treble timbre very well. Bass is also well textured. Hope this helps.

For a headphone and audio-focused channel you might want to consider a better microphone. The sound quality of this video is not very good on good headphones.

Almost identical to DMS pick on the headphone show

Hello. I want to express my opinion about your words that the LCD-X2021 headphones are not demanding of the source power. I responsibly declare that the quality of their sound directly depends on the power. These headphones can only show their maximum with a high level of output power! I think that the placement of positions in your comparative table should be different.

For Schiit Lyr+ (stock tube for now) and Bifrost 2/64 combo, Arya or 800s? Large head, btw. Thanks!

Terrific review. Well done. I've suscribed and liked. Now sell one of these and buy a Mic.

I wonder how this list looks now - that is, with the price-lowering of the Arya Stealth and the advent of the Arya Organic and the HEKv2 Stealths???

Which is the most complete?

Sennheiser 2 pin cables fit fostex connections when reversed (turning so letters look to the inside) and if you cut the neck of the cable to the first knob. I tried it with an aftermarket balanced cable and now it fits both my fostex TH610 and Sennheiser HD600. It may be too much hassle for some but after checking fostex cable prices, it is not. I still can't help but giggle thinking you struggle with the Clear MG :D

I know it's a little late, but is there any particular reason (other than possibly never hearing it) that you omitted the $1200 ZMF Aeolus from this comparison? I love mine. It would probably be the warmest of any of the headphones here except maybe the Fostex, though I suspect the LCD-X might be close. I'm planning a new headphone purchase in a few weeks and have pretty much settled on the Arya Stealth, which is now $1300 (a significant price drop for me since I'm retired on a fixed income). Since I intend the Arya to replace my old (and immersively wide) Sennheiser HD700 as my go to Blu-ray/streaming TV headphones, its soundstage and imaging are hard to resist. Since I like warm headphones, I'd probably lean to the LCD-X if I could only have one set, but the warm Aeolus is my daily driver for music, which I think makes the Arya a better complementary pair. I know the HE1000 V2 has now been slashed to $2K new, but that's still well beyond my budget right now and I simply won't consider buying used.

I really enjoyed this review but in all honesty listening to this video on my $1200-1800 headphones was a bit of a drag. I can see some room correction gear but man you need a decent mike really badly. I will give it to you about the Clear MG's..I found them to be a bit shouty out of the box for sure. Bit of EQ and I am one very happy owner. I came here looking for a complimetary pair and I think that the Arya would be so great as they both do things greatly that the other doesn''t..Anyway I really enjoyed the video and I hope my criticism is taken as constructive as it was meant. Cheers

Fostex beats lcd-4 for bass resolution n detail?

On the used market the OG Clears are a bargain I got mine for a steal so price to performance is incredible. Fostex th900 mk1/mk2 prices come up relatively low as well from time to time. HD800s are still overpriced as is the remaining units on this list.

What are the exceptions to headphones under 1000$ being inferior to more expensive?

The Focal Clear are now selling (in Europe at least) for 999 ..

When it comes to EQ (Harman) LCD-X 2021 is the only one of these that does it well. HD800s, Clear(s), Arya at least get worse with a bass shelf. The best all-rounder in my opinion by far. I like all four and would happily recommend them for different use cases and tastes, but the LCD-X just does everything well. The weight/comfort is good for me, but definitely some would have issues. Also the soundstage, I find the Arya to be fantastic in that regard, but I'm not a fan of the HD800s, which has a big soundstage, but vocalist doubling and an inability to sound intimate. With certain genres the soundstage is the biggest problem with them for me. The Arya, without EQ at least has some timbre issues in the highs, but the bass can sound really weird. Drums can sound wooden, extremely snappy and light in an unnatural way.

so would any of these be a good upgrade from a pair of HD600s? the Clear OG sounds like a good option...

It's interesting you find Arya to have bigger stage than hd800s. I haven't heard them yet but so far from my Ananda experience, i'm not that impressed with the soundstage. The depth and the height is there but width and distance is just not. They sound either inside of my head or just in front of my eyes. Especially the vocals can get very intimate. Even switching to my closed back DT 770 the sound immediately became more distant and more laterally spread out. I wonder how much soundstage improvement there is from Ananda to Arya or Edition XS. From a frequency response standpoint i think HD800S is the best except it needs a bit more bass eq than the others. Perks of trying to buy without auditioning lol. I've mastered the fr graphs. How close XS to Arya ?

W, My BEST headphones did not cost me $800 or more, only approx. $350. They have the typical "Zeos House Sound" and are not 'pretty'. Pads, tuning, comfort and a sweet cable is all they are. More round table videos..! Best, D.

Aryas Timbre is realistic

Guys help! I need recomendations about wich is the best imaging and bigger soundstage, but the like "focal and audeze bubble presentation" that Wave describes.

ALRIGHT! O.o . . .

Two reviews for the clear MG..what about the clear OG.

👍🌟‍‍👍‍‍

Im really considering the 909s. What amp would you recommend? Ill be pairing it with the denafrips areas 2.

Thank you for the sum up. Just to note that this is US centric, of course, and depending on one's region pricing, relative cost and selection may significant differ. For example I can get new HD800S for 1249 euro including 24% tax from the official distributor in my country.. On the other hand US made HPs tend to be much more expensive over here.

Arya not suitable for mixing?

Hey dude. Arya stealth and 800s are on special for $1299. At those prices would you still jump to the he1000 v2 for $1999? Also is the diana v2 worth the extra dough? I am a soundstage and bass freak so it seems like the Ayra is the best for the dough.

!

How would you say headphones in this price range compare technically to the top tier flagships?

Any idea where to find a pair of Arya V2's now? 😭

I hate all focals had the clear and MG they clip with high Volumes. For that price epic fail. lol My TH900 go tripple that volume without distortions.

I want to try the clear mg and be clubbed to death 🤕

TH-909's are up to $2k new now 💀

Its all about the sound quality, the rest is not so important really.

Wave it's time for a new mic! The timbre is all plasticky, sounds too smooth up top and thin in the mids with boomy bass. Would not recommend

Fostex TH909 & TH900Mk2 IMO are overpriced (in term of overall sound quality). I demo these 2 with my own Fostex HP-A8C Dac/Amp and I was not impressed.

To me this must be the most confusing headphones review I've seen on YT. He has managed to say the complete opposite of what other reviewers are generally saying about some of these headphones, particularly clear mg, and I feel I can't trust him, or alternatively can't trust the rest of the reviewers, which I guess means I simply can't trust anyone. Surely subjectivity comes in here, as well as experience, but the reviewers do their best of putting forward objective leaning reviews of these headphones to inform the consumers, and when they differ so much, then it's just confusing. Anyways, this is not meant to shoot down the reviewer or anything, and I appreciate the effort he has put into the review. I did learn something tho, that there is little point in listening to what reviewers on youtube have to say about these headphones, that is valuable info as well😂

I found this video to be clickbaity. The thumbnail displays a headphone that's not even in the review... Why even have the TH-909 in the images if you're not comparing it??? That's like me doing a review of different hamburgers and I include a hot dog...

Darn, between each segment, you say some first thing and your mic auto sensitivity doesn't adjust and it comes off as VERY LOUD and blows my ears off, it has happened three times now, I really need to turn you down... Very annoying.

Sorry but this isn't true, headphone technology has been stagnant for years. You may like a $2000 headphone more than an $800 but it doesn't make it better. A lot of people like their HD650 better than $6000 Susvara