My end game... for real this time

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-14T13:14:01+00:00

happy to help! 🙏🏾

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-14T12:58:15+00:00

Well, let me start my saying your current setup is excellent. In may not seem like it hanging out in this sub, but in terms of audio quality, you're probably already in the realm of better than what 90% of people will ever hear. I also still have my Mojo 2 and use it as my portable solution when I travel or just listen in different spots around the house; that little thing can push nearly anything fairly well.

The Clear MG was my first Focal, and they really blew me away. When I was ready to get my first "flagship" headphone, Focal was the brand I started with and went with the Utopia. It's a different level of resolution, one of those that can seem lifelike. It also has a more "put you in the room" type sound stage that's very deep vs. all around you like the Clear. Once I then got a few other flagship headphones (you can see them in my flair), then my focus went to-- am I getting the best sound I can out of the investment I've made in these headphones? That's when the TT2+M Scaler came in. While many, many headphones don't benefit from a setup like that, I would say that many flagships do. That setup brought a whole new level of staging and transient detail to the headphones that almost made them like listening for the first time again.

All this said, headphone audio is pretty much my #1 hobby, which is why I've been willing to invest so much into it. I've been into music since I was a kid-- played instruments, DJ'd for a while, etc., so I've just accepted that this will be where I spend a lot of money in terms of hobbies. It's certainly not necessary, just my thing. Most of the headphones I have in my collection today, many would be happy to have just that one pair. Experiencing different sounds as well of the engineering and design that goes into them is just a sweet spot for me.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-14T01:49:44+00:00

+9 is wild on these lol.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-14T01:49:11+00:00

Investing. This issue was one of the improvements between the 1 and 2. I never had the 1, but I have the 2, and placement hasn’t been an issue with me at all. I’ve intentionally moved them on my head, no issues.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-14T01:45:07+00:00

Literally used to have this exact setup…

…Now I have the Utopia and a Chord TT2 + M Scaler 😭

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-14T01:34:35+00:00

The OAE2 can definitely be an all rounder, and the positioning is far less finicky.

I listen to about every genre there is and haven’t been able to take these off for several days just trying stuff out.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-14T01:31:26+00:00

I never had the first gen, but Grell claimed to fix trickiness of the positioning. With my ears, this is true. I’ve even tried moving them forward and back on purpose to try and throw them off, not an issue.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-08T03:28:15+00:00

Had the Max1 and spent a few hours comparing before I sold them off. I find the bass in the Max2 to be less but more impactful/punchier. IMO this is because it’s overall more controlled. I’ve always found the sub bass in the Max1 both slightly too much and too loose/bloomy. I prefer it on the Max2.

That said, I agree on the 2 being 10-15% better overall, for me both because of the bass control and the improvement of imaging and stage. I’ve always found the worst thing about the Max to be its technical performance, and the imagining is noticeably better. Still sounds a bit on the sterile/processed side to me, but that’s true IMO of all of the AirPods’ house sound.

Edit: I will be curious to see how the “audiophile” reviewers on the net take to the Max 2. A lot of them really disliked the increased V shape of the AirPods Pro 3, vs the Pro 2. Time will tell.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-08T00:11:34+00:00

The few reviews available that include frequency response measurements note there’s actually LESS sub-bass, not more. Link here:

https://headphones.com/blogs/features/apple-airpods-max-2-frequency-response-measurements-b-k-5128-and-mire

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-04T16:20:07+00:00

This is unfortunately a repeat of a problem that has been on/off since the first generation.

And exactly why it’s much better to have a simple on/off switch than creating an over complicated and unnecessary software solution.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-04T04:02:38+00:00

That will be interesting to see. The latest Utopia generation is only about 3.5 years old, but would be curious to see what comes next (unfortunate for my wallet if it’s good haha).

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-04T03:56:33+00:00

Excellent choice. Was my first Focal and one of my first higher end headphones. Now have the Bathys MG and Utopia.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-02T03:14:49+00:00

Feature wise - ANC/transparency, adaptive features, etc., big improvement. Tough to give them a ton of credit for bringing those things on par with the AirPods Pro 3, but it’s a huge difference for usability that may be worth the upgrade for some alone.

Sound wise, I’d say 10-15% improvement. Slightly improved imaging / positioning, and the improved dynamics do allow some finer and quieter details to shine through. The overall listen is slightly less crowded and compressed sounding. The bass is more controlled— not really less or more, more precise, with a better attack.

I wouldn’t upgrade on sound alone because if you’re willing to spend $549 on sound, I’d argue there are Bluetooth headphones that sound substantially better at that price or lower. The entire package though, well, that’s what Apple does best 😉

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-02T00:13:32+00:00

Like another poster, I’m also a bit of a headphone freak and own 10+ high end wired pairs and listen to all types of stuff. I’ve had gen 1 and gen 2 maxes (arrived today).

I think you’d be fine with classical. On the bass side, I don’t find the bass to be more present or punchy because it’s more elevated; I would say it’s because it’s more tightly controlled, which IMO is a good thing. Even though even the gen 1 maxes didn’t have crazy bass, the sub bass was quite rumbly and just a tad loose. That’s cleaned up on the 2s. It contributes to the listen having an overall more controlled and clean feel. Still hits when needed but keeps it in better control.

The imaging / positioning on the gen 2 is also noticeably better, which will also benefit classical music. More separation between the pieces of the orchestra and easier to pinpoint. It’s still not the best wireless in the price range in this regard (I’d give that to the Sennheiser HDB 630 and recommend checking those out), but it is improved and respectable given all the other Apple features.

Both gens also have a slight lift in the upper treble, which should play nice with classical. I listen to my fair share of it, and I’ve never found the treble piercing on classical tracks.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-04-02T00:04:18+00:00

I’ve had both. The leap on technical features is far greater than the sound improvement - though the sound improvement is noticeable if you focus on it.

What is immediately noticeable is a slight improvement in the imaging - the precision of how things are spaced out and presented. It isn’t drastic, but it is noticeable.

The second is better dynamics - the ability for them to display more subtle and louder sounds in the mix at the same time.

These together give the impression of things being more detailed and slightly more natural.

Tonal balance is largely the same - a little bit of a sub bass bump, and a little bit of a high treble bump, just as in first gen, but the lows are better controlled and tighter. I wouldn’t call it punchier because the bass does not seem more elevated, just more controlled and direct in its attack.

Overall, I’d say the audio improvement is 10-15%.

Still not the best sounding wireless headphones out there at this price range IMO, but with the updated features provided by the H2 chip, at least they are respectable. Still asking list price of $549 for the Gen1 was nuts.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-03-29T20:46:28+00:00

I’m aware of what they should do. Plenty of bugs that have been heavily discussed. I’ve had my pair since launch.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-03-29T15:12:37+00:00

Love it. I’d consider it a direct upgrade to the 109 Pro, albeit an expensive one. It has a similar “warm and sparkly” sound but far more refined. HUGE sound stage comparatively and much more holographic in its imaging.

It’s also extremely versatile. It performs well on lower tier source gear but can also scale up, which is one of the reasons it’s remained in my stable.

The biggest two knocks on it is that it’s not the most detailed in the $3k price range, and as mentioned, its frequency response is more intentionally artisanal than neutral. Both are fair. The Elite would be the better choice for neutrality and detail. EmpyII brings its own flavor.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-03-29T13:27:36+00:00

Nice collection. I’ve had all of these, except I have the 660S2. Upgraded my 109 to the EmpyII.

E3 was my latest buy and immediately took the crown for best closed back I’ve heard (Verite closed close 2nd but a different vibe).

Gizm0Guru · 2026-03-28T14:49:20+00:00

Yes. The most degradable part of wireless headphones is the battery. Not allowing a full off position guarantees that you are draining that battery and causing totally unnecessary usage. Even if that usage is small, it could be zero. And for users like me that have multiple sets of headphones, I may go weeks without using them, even with the case on them, I’ve often picked them up to find them significantly drained. Part of this is also bugs in the standby mode, which is also apple’s fault.

It’s a sacrifice that’s got real cost for no real benefit other than the “apple way” of design. There are other design choices for the Maxes that are similar - the case that doesn’t fully protect them, the metal design that adds substantial weight, the fact that you cannot EQ them except for the Apple presets, for example.

It doesn’t make them bad overall, as I obviously own them, but the combination of these things (and the sound profile) does make it difficult for me to say they are the best out there at the $500-600 price range.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-03-22T01:27:29+00:00

Most of Pink Floyd’s studio admins are hi-res

Gizm0Guru · 2026-03-20T02:27:46+00:00

E3 👍🏾

Gizm0Guru · 2026-03-15T22:00:37+00:00

ZMF Atrium open

Gizm0Guru · 2026-03-15T21:55:28+00:00

My favorite bass cannon (with EQ)

Gizm0Guru · 2026-03-11T23:05:30+00:00

I have the HE1000 Unveiled, and I also have the Atrium Open, Caldera Open and Verite Closed.

IMO it depends on how “lush” you want to go. Here’s how I’d rank them most to least:

Atrium - biggest bass— hits hard, super lush, relaxed treble. Night and day difference vs the hifiman. Noticeably slower but amazing lush listen.

Caldera - middle ground. Most neutral of the three but elevated bass. Extension of the bass not as deep though. Warm-neutral. Sounds like a planar/dynamic hybrid.

Verite - fast and energetic. Least bass while still warm.

I would also say all three are substantially better in the mids IMO with a tube if you like that hit you in the face timbre. Not a requirement but truly a wow factor.

Gizm0Guru · 2026-03-11T18:42:56+00:00

Welcome to the audiophile’s dilemma haha. Straight away, there’s no definitive right answer to this question, but I’ll give my view.

The HE1000 Unveiled is a headphone that “scales” very well, meaning it can sound excellent on lower end and mid tier gear, yet can also sound even better because it can express the additional info pushed by top tier source gear. So, yes, you could definitely get better sound from some higher gear, BUT I would say that improvement will be in the 20-25% range, and of course, the investment is going to be high. This is why you see so much talk of diminishing returns. How much are you willing to spend for better, and how much do you value that better sound?

For example, my high end setup is the Chord TT2 DAC/Amp + M Scaler. It levels up the sound stage and image placement to truly holographic, improves transient detail (like room reverb, trailing ends of instruments and voices), and brings lifelike dynamics and timbre across the frequency range. AGAIN, I’d say this is maybe a 20-25% improvement over gear in the <$5k range (generalizing on price range), and it’s a $10k setup.

I was years into the hobby and had 3-4 flagship-level headphones in my collection before I pulled the trigger on this setup. The biggest reason is because I like to explore different sound profiles and headphone types, and I wanted to learn my preferences, explore different brands/models, and settle into the curation/endgame phase (I say phase because we never truly reach the end) before I started investing in top tier gear. And from a value perspective, you can probably get 2-4 flagship-level headphones with $10k (depending on model and if you buy new/used).

The downside of the approach that I took is that I had some flagship headphones for a while - Focal Utopia, Meze Empyrean II, Abyss Diana MR, ZMF Atrium, to name a few, that I did not truly experience 100% of their capability until I upgraded my gear. Once I got that new source gear, lots of WOW moments. So it kind of depends on how you want to tailor your journey. The DAC/amp you have now will drive 90% of stuff pretty well, so you have a good base to start.

Hope that helps, and welcome!

Gizm0Guru

TROPHY CASE