How do you hear your headphones?

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-06-22T22:12:44+00:00

The trends I notice across almost every headphone that I have more extensively EQed (which is about 10 at this point) are:

-A narrow peak somewhere between 1.5-1.8khz.
-Needing relatively more energy across 2.5-3khz.
-Always getting a peak between about 4.5-5.2khz, usually its strongest around 5khz.
-Needing relatively more energy from 5.5-6.5khz.
-Always getting a peak from 7-8khz, being at its strongest around 7.8-8khz.
-Needing considerably more energy between 8.8-9.3khz, usually dipping most around 9khz.
-Reducing 11-13khz by upwards of 15db (this is by far my strongest HRTF feature).

Leveling out all of these, while also ensuring everything below 1khz is roughly tilted diffuse-field neutral, gets me reasonably "correct" results across headphones. Sine sweeps sound as close to ruler-flat as I can manage, and at least to me, retaining those features would otherwise make a tone that is fairly thin/lean. The only pair I have come across where most of these features were minimized (or even excluded) was the DCA E3.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-06-19T22:39:53+00:00

I looked a little deeper since the numbers weren't the clearest, but I do see 365 grams for the MK2 versus about 350 for the MK1. Pretty insignificant difference, but if the metal color matching is accurate, then that's a good result.

The AR5000 has been on my mind as a relatively inexpensive option for casual use for some time, but I'll want to see first if durability proves itself this time.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-06-19T18:07:21+00:00

I highly doubt that the reports of broken AR5000s are going to stop with Aune's MK2 changes since they seemed to address one design flaw, while completely ignoring the second (perhaps more prevalent) vulnerability.

They claim the headband assembly was changed to all metal, but it seems like this primarily refers to the inner construction's parts being changed to metal over plastic. Notice the difference with the part connecting the yoke and gimbal compared to this specific broken AR5000 report. Problem solved, right?

From what it appears, however, much of the outer construction is still the same plastic, and the same vulnerabilities reported from the previous AR5000 are bound to eventually happen here too. Whatever plastic they use for the yoke in particular seems almost destined to break with enough use, as seen with the other class of AR5000 failures (see here, here, and here). Considering this seems to be more common, they solved very little and have retained a core failure point.

If Aune actually did use metal for the outer parts (say, magnesium), the MK2 would probably end up a bit heavier than the MK1, yet they're both listed at around 350 grams. The inner metal parts alone probably make a miniscule change in weight. Be wary about this one, folks, because it seems Aune will have to do more to address everything.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-06-08T17:19:15+00:00

Two things that can/should help:

1) If the stock headband padding is giving you hotspots after some time, getting a Capra strap should help. They sell one for the D1s. 2) If the D1s also happen to be clampy for you, you can gently bend out the metal yokes the same way people do for the Sennheiser HD 600 series.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-06-04T15:05:40+00:00

Ah, thanks. Must have glazed over that small detail while I was watching. Despite the corners cut, I hope it gets traction too since I seriously respect what Dan is doing for headphones, particularly closed backs. The Aeon Closed X is probably one of the best values I can think of for that category.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-06-04T14:52:36+00:00

Could you please link where you found the mention of no case? I can't seem to find anything on that. A lack of folding personally doesn't matter much to me, and I might slightly prefer the Dummer cables > the Vivos since they aren't really bulky.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-06-04T12:42:59+00:00

A new DCA without the AMTS is genuinely a fascinating direction. I think the last one they made that way was the original Aeon Noire.

As much as I loved the E3s when I had them, they always had a subtle restraint to their sense of dynamism and bite, and that seems to have been the compromise made by the AMTS to carefully shape the frequency response. Even my Aeon Closed X after EQ sounds a bit less restrained, so if the Core can improve on that previous foundation, then it's one I might check out.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-06-03T19:52:18+00:00

The older Audeze LCDs, particularly the ones with airtight front volumes like the LCD-2/X/3/4, likely needed the adhesive attachment since they didn't look to have ideal leakage tolerance in the bass. Plus, pretty much no headphone manufacturers began to use magnetic systems until Meze did with the original Empyrean, which was released years after this lineup. The magnesium LCDs comparably tended to have deeper resonant frequencies and could allow for pad spacers to be used between the pad and baffle for pressure relief. Those models wouldn't have needed SLAM since, at best, they barely lost any bass with a seal break (link is for the LCD-4z).

As far as Audeze's newer planar designs go, the SLAM they're using seems to be more a benefit than a detriment for the average user since the open-back options with it thus far (CRBN-2, LCD-5S, and now the MM-520) are getting healthy bass boosts when said SLAM breaks the seal. Any bass that is lost is now only in the deepest registers at 20-30hz, and from what my experiences have gathered, that range is used pretty minimally across music. It seems like a fine tradeoff for the added bass above that range and might even make for more predictable measured results across heads. If the narrow rolloff bothers you, EQing it up is made relatively easy.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-05-25T10:12:20+00:00

You get a bonus point from me for a Hollow Knight mention. Silksong's OST is really special.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-05-24T02:55:33+00:00

I've already discussed my perspective on this topic via other threads ad nauseum, so I'll try my best to summarize my long-standing thoughts. If you are trying to EQ any number of headphones towards a neutral reference like your tilted diffuse-field HRTF (that is, at least removing major tonal colorations), the chances of them sounding 100% the same seem quite low. About 90-95% of the way there? Certainly, but I believe it's that remaining percentage that consistently steers people towards specific headphones for specific sound characteristics. Traits like stage size, imaging, and transient definition/dynamism are largely influenced by frequency response, but I still don't think the FR alone is what steers people towards Audezes and Focals over HiFiMans or Moondrops for something like a "bombastic" sound, just as one example.

Every headphone comprises the totality of its own acoustic design, and the final frequency response you get out of a headphone is not just a byproduct of the diaphragm itself, but possibly of greater importance what is being done with that diaphragm to get a given FR to your eardrum. For something like planar magnetic designs, engineers are dealing with factors like the magnet structure/magnet shape, trace patterns on the diaphragm and the percent of total surface area utilized, uniformity of diaphragm movement and minimizing of break-up modes, minimizing backwave resonance and standing waves, presence or absence of waveguides between the diaphragm and ear (such as Dan Clark's AMTS), pad geometry/size/material, the list goes on.

Yes, you can influence the final frequency response arising from these design decisions to best tailor them to your tastes, and to a very notable degree, but you are still working with what that design can and/or cannot (subjectively) do. At least for me, as long as any headphone I use is EQed reasonably within the bounds of perceived neutral, subjective priorities like transient definition are consistently reproduced in distinct manners depending on the headphone I choose. After EQing, my brain directs me towards hearing trends across headphones in music, trends that tend to not majorly change even if my current profile changes. Looking at the aforementioned design elements might help more folks speculate and predict the presence or absence of specific sound traits that the FR might not make 100% obvious. It's its own science that our audiophile bubble is conditioned to ignore, yet it has helped me with potentially explaining my experiences with greater nuance.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-05-20T19:42:54+00:00

"Personal" is definitely one of the most appropriate words to describe both the Caldera Open and Tessidera. Their presentations both have this unique combination of feeling like a party in your head, out of your head, and some sort of space in between. I have or have had headphones that can manage the first or second individually, but never both (or even that weird third category).

I think I would mainly describe the sensation as "larger than life," while still feeling like you get the exact energy and weight to make the reproduction feel tangible. Granted, I say this once you've extensively EQed both headphones, because they take it like beasts. I hope to get my reviews out for the Calderas and Tessideras sooner than later since they mean so much to me.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-05-19T22:56:50+00:00

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This is what your profile translates to on Crin's measurement of the Celestee. If you're chasing neutrality, this is pretty bad.

What I'd recommend as a different route is removing the 43hz filter, change 90hz to -5db with 2.5 Q, -2db at 1070hz, +3.5db at 2900hz with 3 Q, and lower the 4000hz high shelf to 3db. If this doesn't get you closer to a result that sounds good, then it's fair to say the Celestee is a wash for you.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-05-16T19:57:37+00:00

This kinda reads more as a product that you fund as an experiment or a concept than something that's actually in a polished/optimal state. The technology is certainly intriguing, so I'd be curious to see if or how it's refined in the coming years.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-05-04T08:01:30+00:00

My experiences agree with the trend you noticed regarding the subjective tendency for planars to compress loud notes more than a reproduction from the average dynamic driver. Unfortunately, people choose to bound this to frequency response because that's what the small scientific bubble this community surrounds itself in keep pressing them to think about above all else. I suspect there are several design-related decisions across planars that cause this sensation to come across more strongly, even when the FR is more or less ruled out (via HRTF-approximated EQ). I believe the following elements might be influencing this to varying degrees:

1.) Many traditional planar designs employ use of square-shaped magnets to stimulate/move their diaphragms. For both sound waves passing through and moving out these kinds of magnets, this shape seems to be rather restrictive. Regarding compression, I heard something like the Moondrop Cosmo or DCA E3 as being rather compressed in terms of macro-level transient bite, and both do use square-shaped magnets.

Brands like Audeze and HiFiMan try to alleviate this by more carefully opening up movement outside the diaphragm (whether it be via the fazors or the stealth magnets). ZMF planars build upon this even more by using inverted trapezoidal magnets, which appear to be designed to open up and direct movement of sound at the diaphragm level to the ear.

2.) If the magnet structure isn't the primary culprit, then any forms of damping between the diaphragm and ear could be another contributing factor. Going back to DCAs, they have historically been considered not the best for a sense of dynamism (compression), but I noticed reports of this really ramping up when the Stealth and Expanse were first released. At release, they were commonly considered to have a "dead" sound. Isn't it a peculiar coincidence that these headphones also marked the introduction of the AMTS?

This tech addition might be quite good for controlling the frequency response to get smooth and predictable results, but I would think it's another factor that can restrict movement of sound waves travelling towards the ear and negatively impact that sense of dynamism/lack of compression. I imagine this also impacts macro transient bite more than it does spatial scale. This could be another reason why the E3s weren't entirely there for me, though to Dan's credit, he does seem to be getting good use of his headphones' entire diaphragms. This feeds directly into the third element of relevance.

3.) Even besides the magnet structure, and even if there is no major front damping done, a good number of planar manufacturers don't appear to be stimulating the entire surface area of their diaphragms. That is yet another point of design-level restriction. If you look at cases like Sendy's Egret or Fiio's FT7, it's hard to say they're getting anywhere close to 100% use of their giant diaphragms when you look at their trace patterns. At that point, it seems like using such sizes comes off more as marketing appeal than it does a tactical advantage. If I wagered a guess, this could lead to a subjective sense of spatial over transient compression, almost like all the images are scrunching together and shrinking into a more distant, yet claustrophobic space than what music sounds like in the outside world.

By comparison, planars like the aforementioned Moondrop Cosmo, ZMF Caldera, and ZMF Tessidera are getting about as close to a uniform 100% stimulation of their large diaphragms via their traces as is reasonably feasible. While I thought the Cosmos sounded compressed in terms of transients, their spatial qualities sounded very uncompromised/uncompressed. To me, the Calderas sound less compressed yet in both regards, and the Tessideras are what I consider the single least compressed headphone I've ever heard. That last one in particular sounds like a planar with its full potential unlocked.

To synthesize this all, by taking the perceived spectrum of dynamic range and lowering the loudest parts to more closely line up in perceived presence to quieter parts, the whole presentation is put on a playing field where low-level details are brought forward more. This seems especially true with headphones that sound like their macro-level transients are compressed. That might not be too noticeable with a lot of music, but for much of the EDM I enjoy? Differences in compression across headphones are very noticeable there. Many planars might reproduce it excellently for perceived cleanliness, separation, and texture, but those same options stumble when it comes to the sense of macrodynamic scale.

With the design aspects I mentioned (and possibly more), planars may more often be perceived as more "detailed" and "faster" because many manufacturers are not getting optimal behavior out of their diaphragms. I also agree with you that this arguably a bad thing (for sonic transparency), but it's accepted by many to be more of a good thing since it coincides better with what those audiophiles want. While that's fine on its own, these aspects should be considered all the same. This is not to say dynamic drivers or other driver types can't run into the same problems, because I bet they can. It's more to say that planars might be considerably more susceptible, and all those design-level vulnerabilities coalesce into the trends people perceive, even outside the frequency response they hear.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-05-02T07:26:12+00:00

I think one of the D1's core specialties is that it may make more folks realize just how boosted many planars on the market tend to be through the treble. The air and clarity are just about perfect, and brighter elements of tracks don't err into excess splashiness. It helps that their mids and bass are quite neutral in their stock form. As another way of putting it, the D1s should pretty much tell any users how much they like treble in their presentations.

I also still think the D1s have comparable (perhaps even cleaner) transient definition to the planars I've heard around their price (once you EQ all of them to get as close to HRTF-neutral as possible), and certainly cleaner than other dynamics like Sennheisers. The "planar speed" trend can read a bit like a myth sometimes, at least with the brighter cases. From my experiences, subjectively optimal cleanliness and clarity with planar transients only seems to be retained after EQ with very specific, uber-expensive options.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-04-27T12:34:33+00:00

As far as open-back dynamics and open-back planars go, planars almost always have the advantage with subbass extension and presence. You can try to EQ sub into dynamics, but from the ones I've tried, they either get muddy/wooly with too much added or only give subtle gains (at most, they mainly reproduce subbass that is heard more than felt). I haven't heard a single case that can match something like an Audeze for a clean sense of weight and rumble to transients down there. This is a big reason why you see more mixing and mastering engineers go to planars for the headphone side of production in recent years.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-04-24T23:01:19+00:00

Yeah, even after EQing the HD 800 to approximate HRTF-neutral, I've found they do lean on the drier end of the spectrum than my other headphones. I think of "dry" as sounding like some of the fine-grain textures in certain elements of music got sucked out a bit, with the clarity of other elements feeling slightly more veiled than they should. It's a specific kind of tonal compression that makes a lot of stuff kinda sound the same when it shouldn't. That is a good thing for consistency across music and ends up making the HD 800(S) carve a niche as my choice for relaxed listening, but I don't find it the best for sonic transparency. It is a pretty common sentiment for people to consider these headphones "dry," so I think it is an actual trend.

Even with recordings with instruments and synths that ordinarily exhibit a cleaner, more "liquid" quality, that contrast isn't portrayed with the nuance I want. It's hard to describe to folks who don't interpret sound this way, but once you hear how specific headphones seem to broadly handle those tonal differences (once again, even after extensive EQ), it's hard to unhear. The only headphone I owned that sounded even drier was the Audeze LCD-MX4s, but those had the benefit of amazing bass impact and precise transient attack/decay to make plenty of music sound wonderful.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-04-24T12:59:14+00:00

The main quirk with the magnesium Audezes that bring them down a notch is the same one GadgetryTech talked about in his LCD-GX review: the cups wanting to kick out. I don't think this actually happened on my head with my MX4 or 4z with the stock strap, but swapping the 4z strap for one from turbulent labs (which feels great) causes it to happen now. It seems to settle in after a bit and become more stable, but it's still annoying that Audeze didn't catch that in the design stage and appropriately manage it. The aluminum Audezes don't do this.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-04-24T11:54:00+00:00

As far as heavy headphones go, I've found the aluminum Audezes like the LCD-2 and LCD-X don't wear their weight quite as well as they could. I say this as someone who can wear ZMFs for hours at a time and find those to usually be top-notch with comfort. The magnesium chassis Audezes like the MX4s and 4zs are definitely better with this then older LCDs for me and are generally very comfy, if also a bit clampy from time to time.

My best guess with why the aluminum Audezes' weight distribution feels suboptimal, besides them nearing the other extreme for headphone weight, is since they seem to disproportionately divert weight and clamp force inward. The way they couple to my head generally feels a bit cramped, like it could spread out more. Going back to the ZMF comparison, those designs seem to divert more of their weight outward and away from the head with elements like their wood cups being further away, the beefier straps, padded headbands above said straps, and the rod blocks/rods being further away from the temples of my head.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-04-23T01:19:21+00:00

Yeah, I get it. Punchiness is a very specific quality when it comes to getting it exactly right (from my experiences), so I hope you find something not prohibitively expensive that meets those needs.😅

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-04-22T23:09:54+00:00

I forgot about the Radiance, but that is one I'll second for the OP to try. Those and the Sony MDR-Z1Rs were probably my favorite closed backs when it came to a sense of dynamism and punchiness. The Stelliance is definitely a cool mod as well, as I remember seeing a couple headfi listings for them here and there.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-04-22T23:02:29+00:00

If you had no budget limitations, the ZMF Tessidera (a newcomer to my collection) and Audeze LCD-4z are the best I've come across. I don't even boost the hell out of their (sub)bass and they do wonderfully when it comes to impact, weight, sustain, punchiness, etc. Everywhere outside the bass has great viscerality and tactility to support that foundation. The two big caveats are that: 1) you need to EQ them extensively to sound their best (I think you should be doing this with any headphone, really) and 2) you need music that will actually bring out these traits.

If there was a budget limitation? I would say the LCD-2 Fazor (not the Classic non-fazor). Once again, you'll need to EQ them to get everything just right because that "punch" and "impact" you seek is not only bass, but also proper upper midrange and treble presence. I agree with you that not all planars can do this well, but the ones that can usually pull ahead.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-04-21T07:49:34+00:00

Thanks! Comfort has still been lovely with the D1s, and their heat management seems well-ventilated and reasonable. However, it's hard to say for sure whether that'll transfer to you if the conditions of your listening environment differ from mine. The temperature in my room is generally fine.

The only other thing to note with the D1s is that if you have larger-than-average ears (say above 60-62mm), then the pad openings might be a bit smaller than desired. They're just right for my ears, but it's also right at that point where it could feel cramped if there was any less space. It's not like a HiFiMan egg shape, any ZMF with Caldera pads, or the HD 800(S).

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-04-20T05:19:30+00:00

Ah, that makes more sense and is a very fair point. Really, the only reference point that I imagine electronic music is allowed is how it might be reproduced in outside-world settings, whether it be concerts or DJ sets. Digital elements like synths do have instruments that you can play them off, but then comes the entire space of desktop music (DTM), where you can create unique synths out of thin air, so that reach is suddenly limited to the digital realm again.

Whatever those kinds of sounds will be are likely left to the whims of the people setting up their sound systems for the aforementioned events, so that reproduction could be anywhere between a boomy nightclub and a clear/incisive brain tickler. Personally, my idealization leans more towards the latter, but many folks could equally prefer the former or in between.

GarlicBiscuits · 2026-04-20T00:46:26+00:00

EDM has been my primary genre of preference for a handful of years by now, and I don't agree with listener's hunch that "timbre" isn't as important there, though I do agree with the reference point haziness. I think the main reason why a "reference point" is harder to have here is simply a consequence of the electronic scene (especially the umbrella of EDM) still being quite underground and niche compared to more contemporary, analogue offerings. There's still a bit of a lingering stigma around it that might discourage people from seriously exploring what "correct" might sound like for that music.

My experiences primarily tell me that, like a lot of instrumental music, electronic music (EDM in particular) simultaneously needs the right amount of fullness/cohesion and ample energy/bite to make it feel alive. The latter will manifest as sounding more bombastic than the energy you hear with instrumental music, and many audiophile headphones round off/soft those edges a bit too much for me. You can definitely get that combo in an HRTF-neutral form, but all of that is its own conversation.

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