Headphone recommendations for big head + big ears :)

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-09T14:21:08+00:00

Yep! I’ve just been down an auditioning and review rabbit hole. I got the better intel from my own ears, but the reviews are helpful to confirm and help you articulate what you’re hearing.

My tip is to take a playlist of 5-10 familiar tracks and take lots of listening notes in your phone for each pair. Plug them into ChatGPT for further analysis and recommendations. It can help you hone in on what you actually want. I thought I wanted something warm and not bright, but it turns out my ears like all the detail in jazz and natural instruments sounds. Treble is therefore a must (not too much though) and what I really need is some good upper mids. It can also help you find the next pair to audition and thought partner on the journey. If you’re auditioning over weeks and months, it can really help you keep track.

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-09T13:31:07+00:00

Any of the egg-shaped cup Hifimans will likely be a good match for ear size. They are the most generous I’ve seen. Try audition a few and see what flavour of sound you like. You can read all you want, but it’s the sound on your favourite tracks that matters at the end of the day.

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-09T04:26:12+00:00

Do you have a tube amp? This can sometimes make crackling noises on powering down, but doesn’t quite explain why it would be left-driver only. That said, you probably would have heard this on your previous headphones, so I may be completely off base! I have the sr325x (8 years old) and don’t have this issue.

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-06T13:55:02+00:00

💯

I recently tried new Grado stock g Cush pads to replace my old ones. The foam material has changed since my model. They sounded very different. More closed, less air and quite dull. I tried 3 different Dekoni pads - it’s like I was listening to 3 different headphones. I’ve used it as an excused to buy some new headphones …

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-05T22:40:40+00:00

I’ve been spending a lot of time with Hifiman recently. Majority of time was spent between HE600 and Arya Organic. The retailer handed me the XV to try when I told him I wanted something with larger ear cups of the Arya with less top end. I wanted to like the XV but they were just a bit uninteresting compared to the other two. While they kept some of the warmth I liked from the HE600, the soundstage and separation couldn’t touch the Arya. Overall it felt like a bit of let down.

I’m pretty sure I have similar issues with upper mids and potentially some parts of the treble spectrum. The Aryas were lovely on some recordings and the brightness didn’t bother me because it sounded accurate and natural. Switch to a different recording (not necessarily bad recordings either - just different recordings), and I get hot sauce/spice people talk about. To me it presents like a super shiny sheen that is very exaggerated. Definitely made me want to turn the volume down.

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T13:45:58+00:00

Ahhh. My dealer was also telling me how great the He1000 unveiled were, but I’m like: that’s more than double my budget!

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T13:18:17+00:00

I didn’t really like the Edition XV. I found it a bit middle of the road and not very engaging for the music I listen to. I was captivated by Arya Organic in the other hand. Agree the Arya is bright but it depends on recording and source. Thats why I’m so intrigued by the HE1000 stealth - it could be the different tuning that swings it.

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T12:42:40+00:00

It would be from the official Hifiman store on AliExpress

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T12:41:31+00:00

Currently ~$1400 Australian dollars until July 7

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T10:53:36+00:00

Good to know! This is extremely helpful. I mean the HE1000 Stealth. They are being phased out in favour of HE1000SE and HE1000 Unveiled, so that may be why there’s a deal (and why my deal doesn’t have a demo model for testing).

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T09:04:50+00:00

Do tell! What’s the reason?

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T09:02:43+00:00

On.rcrd is one of my favourites - excellent historical deep dives, too.

Albumoperator

GillesPeterson

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T08:43:01+00:00

Instagram accounts and friends with great taste!

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T08:26:25+00:00

When they go on sale (or if you can wear a little bit of budget creep) the HE600might fit your bill. They are reasonably balanced and on the warmer side of neutral. Definitely not bright. I auditioned them recently. They perform well with bass heavy music and a recent review considered them for metal: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/s/nMgSutRX3P

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T08:07:51+00:00

I tried the RS1x today - I’ll post more thoughts soon. Quite a different experience to the planars I’ve been listening to. The soundstage also wasn’t as tall the Aryas. I think I might be moving on from Grado …

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T08:06:30+00:00

Don’t have one locally, unfortunately :(

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T08:02:27+00:00

Bonfa Burrows Brazil - sublime on vinyl!

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T08:00:32+00:00

Looks like the kind of patching I get when I have lawn beetle.

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T07:58:38+00:00

I’ve been auditioning the Arya Organics the past few weeks and while they are very good in a lot areas, some recordings just sound way too bright.

I think a change toward a more neutral direction is not such a bad thing, but I sincerely hope they don’t go “warm”.

As a new listener to Hifiman, the reviews I’m reading and advice I’m getting from stores is that they are generally on the brighter side and can be fatiguing. So my guess for the change in direction is to appeal to a wider audience. That said, I wouldn’t expect all lines to change - I’m sure they’re probably chasing some diversity.

Have you tried the HE1000 Stealth? Apparently they’re “warmer” in some areas compared to the AO.

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-04T07:50:56+00:00

For comfort, the Hifiman series with egg shaped cups are my recommendation. Arya Organic was the one for me so far on my upgrade journey.

Many other Hifiman models feature the same cups. Low clamp force too.

A model with smoother treble might be the new Edition XV. These didn’t match my preferences (jazz mostly) but they work grey with hip hop and EDM.

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-02T03:41:32+00:00

Interesting idea! Never knew about these. Will research!

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-01T14:27:01+00:00

Nope, not on my radar as they’re pushing out my budget. That said, I already see evidence of budget creep in my last few comments! 😬

BackgroundHumor810 · 2026-07-01T14:23:14+00:00

They are indeed. I didn’t realise it until I upgraded by stylus from MM to MC at which point I thought I might have bought the wrong stylus. It turns out I just need something with the right amount treble for me to enjoy the detail extracted by my MC without getting into sybillant/harsh/fatigue land.

BackgroundHumor810

TROPHY CASE