You're quickly becoming my "Go to" guy for honest and discerning reviews; I left the hype train when Zeos did that review which you addressed. Everything you said about the Athena also vibes with other honest reviewers who didn't know how to put it the way you do. Seconding another's question, would you recommend Athena or 6xx for atmospheric gaming? Detail and natural counds with good imaging is the goal. (closed a nice bonus) Thanks and keep up the great work!
Zeos is all about functionality of equipment and entertainment. You shouldn't watch Zeos to find out if something sounds good. He's all about the hype.
Glad I can help, Ben. I would choose the Athena over the 6XX I think. It won't have quite the sense of open space as the 6XX, but the tonal balance and ability to reach deep in the bass would be preferable to me for that use case. I used the Athenas quite a bit while playing Baldur's Gate 3 and they've been excellent.
@@PassionforSound that's a great endorsement for them. I've been using Dt 770 pro for good imaging and isolation and my HD580 died, so maybe something best of both worlds then. ☺️
Ghosts are one of my daily drivers for last 5 months. The build, like the Sennheisers, is more robust than meets the eye--and they're very comfortable. I use them with a balanced copper cable out of my Jotenheim2 on low gain. It's an easy listen and somehow I don't feel like I'm missing anything. The bass has nice textures and the mids and treble are well articulated with no harshness. Some have called it "nothing special" and some have called it "boring". I think it's shocking how good they sound for this money even stock. The timber is very, very, good also The driver has some serious engineering behind it. Very good review. Athenas might be my next purchase.
I like that you point out what we might want to expect at a given price point- what we mostly will get at a given price point, in our current markets. I also like that you separate build strengths, as opposed to sound strengths.. I happen to like the much disparaged Audioquest nighthawks, which- technically fall short by general consent , and absolutely by those who know. However, I love them for the bits I love, and as a proposition on the used market. Your discerments are helpful.
I sold my hd560s and bought the Athena’s a couple of months back. The comfort combined with the warm detailed sound was what made me keep the Athena’s. Now I’m looking very closely at the Zeus Elites since I enjoy the Athena’s so much
I received my Ghost today! Its comfy and light, but was lacking a bit in bass, so I added about 4 db at 60hz and 100hz. Considering the price, I find these quite pleasing and well worth the 130!
I got a nice bass lift with thicker pads and no eq. Plus more comfort. I like to EQ gear but was surprised by the warm easy sound of the ghosts with just a pad upgrade.
You know I love seeing that pad-rolling section 😍. But there's only so much pads can do, you're 100% correct on what to expect from pad-rolling. Comfort first, sound adjustment second, and it's only broad strokes at that point. I think when you hit prices like 5, 6, 700 USD, we should be lobbying for more stock pad options from manufacturers. More people should get to experience the benefits and limits of pad-rolling without spending more money.
Amazon has the Ghost for $87 I ordered mine got to hear them for myself, I also ordered the pads that zio's from z reviews recommended for these they were $11 on Amazon also fingers crossed
iMO linsoul has been a great partner for the channel. A good variety of headphones and iems at varying price points. Helps keep the channel content fresh
They've been wonderful to deal with. No pressure on timing of reviews, lots of different products, and zero expectations for anything to be positively slanted.
Thanks a bunch, Nicely put together. Need a bit of a suggestion, What do you think pairs well with DT 900 Pro X in terms of Dac/Amp. Here are some options I've considered. 1.) Xduoo Link V2 2.) Shanling UA1s 3.) Fiio KA2 4.) Tempotec Sonata HD Pro 5.) Ifi Audio - Go link 6.) Creative Sound Blaster - G3 Did watch some of yours reviews regarding these, although much helpful I still couldn't make up my mind. I would much more emphasize upon the Sound and loudness as opposed to flashy features. Eager to hear from you. Cheers again.
I haven't tried a lot of the options you listed so it's hard for me to say. What's your budget and are there any key things you want from the device? The 900 Pro X is really easy to drive so it will really come down to which device most suits your needs
@@PassionforSoundHi, Thanks for reaching back. I've already spent a significant portion of the budget with the headphone purchase alone. I'm aware of the very effortless drivability of 900 X's, one of the many reasons why I chose them. I do plan to purchase a proper desktop Dac/Amp in future but as for now a portable one should do me fine. Anything in your best knowledge that you're comfortable enough to recommend, that pairs well and scales up 900 X in comparison of a stock PC 3.5mm output, with a budget of 60$ or 95 AUD. They're mostly going to be a placeholder. Hence, I'm not fishing for features or looks, anything that affects and improves Audio Quality and Loudness is all I'm in for. I'm not certain, but as far as I am aware you did cover Xduoo Link V2 and Tempotec Sonata HD Pro. I couldn't find reviews for others in the list. It would be really ideal if you could recommend ones from the list, as they're on a discount where I'm from. However, Anything Helps. Much appreciated. Edit: Objectives - Critical Listening, Mixing and Editing. Preferred Sound Profile - Low-Mid focus, Uncoloured Output.
The xDuoo Link v2 is a lovely option for sure. If you're interested, I probably have a few in that price range that I need to move on. You can contact me at passionforsound@lachlanfennen.com if you want to chat about buying one before I put them on eBay.
Interesting bit about burn in for some headphones, I recently bought a pair of HE560 V4’s and initially I was a bit put off by how shouty they came off, but I gave them a chance, got the grill mod, and a decent cable, and some time and now I absolutely love them and the bass is a bit more present. Granted it could be mental burn in 😂 who knows
It's very hard to know with burn-in because it's gradual and takes time so it's impossible to properly compare before and after. Glad you're enjoying the 560s.
Great review! I was wondering however, how the Athena’s stack up against the BEYERDYNAMIC Dt 900 pro X, as they seem both semi closed/semi open headphones around the same price range. Cheers.
The Athenas isolate a bit more than the DT900 Pro X I think and they're also a bit more neutrally tuned. The 900s have a bit more bass than the Athenas so they'll be more fun if that's what you're after. As for the Zeus Elite, I think they perform a little bit better technically, but they're also more v-shaped and therefore less natural so it depends a lot on what you're looking for.
It all depends on your personal tastes (i.e. what you're looking for in a headphone) and how you'll be using it. I would choose the Sundara or Athena over the HE400SE and then it's aquestion of which one you think will suit you better.
Just bought the ghost for literally 50 as linsoul is having a sale rn this is going to be literally my first Proper headphones and first experience on openbacks
Hi passion need your helps asap. I have bitfrost 2 connected to jotuneim 2 , how do I connect my android mobile phone to bitfrost 2 ? My phone has all my streaming music apps..this is weird can't find where to connect.
@PassionforSound I don't have a iPhone, I have android Samsung S21 phone. I also have usb-c to usb-b cable that I was using on my topping dac , so the cable has no problem , but using that cable with bitfrost , the music just comes out my phone speakers as if the bitfrost 2 is not recieving the audio signal from the phone .
Hmmm... that's strange. I would have thought it would work fine with the BF2, but I've never tested. Do you have another device to test with the BF2? Have you confirmed that the BF2 has the correct input selected?
@@PassionforSound bitfrost only have 3 select input so I tried all 3 and nothing . When playing music from phone the music just comes out phone speakers as if the phone doesn't recognize the dac or the dac doesn't recognize the phone. My other equipments are monolith thx 887 amp , topping e50 dac and topping L30 amp , Dap fiio m11 plus ess . So there's nothing else to try with bitfrost because the audio music stream must be pass thru the usb-b . Most people uses a laptop and I don't have that.
@@PassionforSound I contacted schiit audio and he said maybe it needed a firmware update so going to try that tomorrow, but it shouldn't be that because before a update came the unit should've been working and a update is usually a tweek a small update..I'm so unhappy when at first I was so excited when I got it.
Great to see you finally featured these two pairs on your channel! I know the comparison might be a little weird, but would you recommend the Athena over the 58X or 6XX? I can get any of the three at a quite similar price, so I'd like to know which pair suits me better, specially since they'd be my second pair of headphones. I love details in music, but I'm more into detailed bass without being too bassy (Etymotic - ER2XR / Tripowin x HBB - Olina SE as reference). I know they're semi-open vs open but maybe you can help me. Which one you would choose?
If you want detail and detailed bass then I would strongly recommend the Beyerdynamic DT 770 which you should find is cheaper than either of these options.
@@DarkFire515Hi there. What do you think about X series? Are they really an upgrade in terms of Overall Sound, Detail, Clarity, Soundstage, Frequency Response etc? Over is it just DT legacy repackaged in 48ohms? I’ve been considering buying 900 Pro X, but having second thoughts about it. Should I resist and go with DT Legacy series (DT 990 Pro) or should I go ahead with 900 X’s. I would still require a dedicated headphone amp for the legacy, so drivability could be an issue. Considering all options, What would you recommend? Thanks.
@@quietlydone6676 Unfortunately I haven't tried the drop versions so I can't really comment on them. As far as driving the DT 990's goes, they'll be driven fairly easily by pretty much anything, though they also scale well. For years I had my 770's hooked up to a Creative X7 which is an external PC sound card. I currently have them connected to a FIIO K9 Pro ESS. They sound better but not 'night & day' better. One thing I'd recommend is going with the velour pads instead of the PU leather pads. The velour pads offer equally good detail but give the headphones better bass extension.
ArmidaMusic, I'd take the Athena over the 58X/6XX based on your preference for quality bass. The Athena extends deeper than either of those without enhancing the bass at all. The suggested Beyerdynamic headphones are also all nice, but don't have the tonal balance of the Athenas.
My money's still on the Sennheiser HD600 or HiFiMan Sundara, below $500 even for hundreds more, and I don't need or want anything better. Chinese are getting better slowly but it still seems like a crap shoot to me. I had gone through the same thing with IEMs. You could have good performance for the price, but face poor build like the early HiFiMans.
It's definitely not more open than closed. When you put it on, you are immediately aware that your ears are covered/obscured from external sounds and the soundstage is bounded more - unlike open headphones. They're definitely not a fully closed headphone, but to suggest they're more open than closed makes me wonder if you've actually tried a pair.
@@PassionforSound yeah its interesting what we are calling here open,semi or closed!For example beyer calls the 1990pro openback,but it just have a small hole on the cups sides!I didnt ordered or tried the athena because the sound leak!But i like what i hear about the sound!I beleieve harmonic did a good job with them!Maybe one day i will try!
@@PassionforSound i think the correct term harmonicdyne used was semi closed-back. I agree with you tho it def sounds more closed than open. Loving my set to death
Because they respect the right of a reviewer to be honest and it allows the reviewer (me) to establish credibility and integrity. th-cam.com/video/X1CLKmY-hv4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=XiyEuNCKM5UtRcaP th-cam.com/video/qt0ESu-Ye3k/w-d-xo.htmlsi=g5LpxZuFRAuzQy7I
Followed z reviews a while and one thing I came to learn quick is he hypes up many products. I dare to even call them "reviews" on his channel. You can go through an entire long video and still not know how a product he is talking about sounds. Plus not buying into the hype and flavour of the month products that never seem to end is better for the wallet and not having a collection of gear you won't use. I only watch his channel for entertainment. I view your channel as a more professional, no nonsense review not full of hype unless the product is justified. Rare on yoir channel. I watch and read many reviews to get a feeling if it's what I'm looking for. Sometimes reading and watching all these reviews many times leads to not purchasing a piece of new gear. One thing I will say is z has a crap ton of pads in his collection and doesn't hesitate to pull any out and try. Even $$$ pairs. I don't want to buy a product new to have to tweak the sound. Only if it was recommended by the manufacturer would I do that. Thanks for adding some perspective and slowing down the hype train and finding a nice budget headset to recommend!
Just giving a warning about the Athena. Both my co-worker and I have that headphone and both of ours have a poor connection to the left ear-cup, regardless of which cable we use it happens all the time. I contacted Linsoul and in order to replace them I would have to pay for shipping, plus $30 USD for customs clearance, so the RMA was not worth it. There may be some production line issues that HarmonicDyne is not aware of because it seems very unlikely that both of us would have the exact same problem if this wasn't the case. That being said, thank you for your review!
My initial impressions too. They are way too muffled by the thick foam and were lacking bass. Brainwavz angled hybrids solved both problems. I found the non angled pads changed the sound at bit too much, but the angled ones was perfect. For me, at least. :)
The lesson here in this video is, if you spend $50 more you will get a better headphone. So why stop at the Athena’s keep going if you spend $50 more then the athenas you’ll get even better headphones it just $50 more 😂
Every headphone benefits from burn in. You should always do at least 200 hrs of burn in minimum 150 and sometimes even say more. I always burn in my new headphones for days without stopping just playing all the right burn in tracks.There is a big difference whoever tells you bs that it's placebo is full of shit. One day after burning in my 560s I just started doing normal stuff hearing music,playing games and I swear my 560s the bass just switched and sounded way superior it literally sounded like someone hit a switch and switched the headphones to superior mode it was the most profound change in sound I ever heard from any headphone I ever burned in it was nuts when I experienced in real time my headphone going through the second burn in stage.
Having reviewed however many headphones I have and measuring most of them before and after burn-in, I'd say the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Some headphones definitely benefit from burn-in. Some headphones show measurable differences with burn-in. Others don't change at all (at least not in a perceivable way). Perhaps there is burn-in done at the factory for some of these or the drivers just don't benefit from the burn-in - I don't know.
100% no hifiman is worth buying don't care how good they sound those shitty headphones break so easily. Hundreds of people have the same experience. I took care of mine treated like gold shit fell apart in ways you would even believe. I won't trust that shitty company never again. I learned my lesson especially when many are saying the same.
Sorry to hear about your experience and while many might say the same, most of the headphones Hifiman has made are still out in the field working great. I have had my Sundara's for 2 years as a daily driver and have had no issues so far.
I completely agree, Robert. We only hear about the failures. For every person complaining about HiFiMan headphones breaking, there'll be another 10+ people who have had no problems and therefore aren't saying anything. I've owned every model of HiFiMan headphone other than HE-6 I think and still own many. I've had no issues with any of them.
You're quickly becoming my "Go to" guy for honest and discerning reviews; I left the hype train when Zeos did that review which you addressed. Everything you said about the Athena also vibes with other honest reviewers who didn't know how to put it the way you do.
Seconding another's question, would you recommend Athena or 6xx for atmospheric gaming? Detail and natural counds with good imaging is the goal. (closed a nice bonus)
Thanks and keep up the great work!
Zeos is all about functionality of equipment and entertainment. You shouldn't watch Zeos to find out if something sounds good. He's all about the hype.
Glad I can help, Ben. I would choose the Athena over the 6XX I think. It won't have quite the sense of open space as the 6XX, but the tonal balance and ability to reach deep in the bass would be preferable to me for that use case. I used the Athenas quite a bit while playing Baldur's Gate 3 and they've been excellent.
@@PassionforSound that's a great endorsement for them. I've been using Dt 770 pro for good imaging and isolation and my HD580 died, so maybe something best of both worlds then. ☺️
Ghosts are one of my daily drivers for last 5 months. The build, like the Sennheisers, is more robust than meets the eye--and they're very comfortable. I use them with a balanced copper cable out of my Jotenheim2 on low gain. It's an easy listen and somehow I don't feel like I'm missing anything. The bass has nice textures and the mids and treble are well articulated with no harshness. Some have called it "nothing special" and some have called it "boring". I think it's shocking how good they sound for this money even stock. The timber is very, very, good also The driver has some serious engineering behind it. Very good review. Athenas might be my next purchase.
Glad you're enjoying your Ghosts. If you get the Athenas, I'd love if you'd drop back in and share your thoughts comparing the two.
I like that you point out what we might want to expect at a given price point- what we mostly will get at a given price point, in our current markets. I also like that you separate build strengths, as opposed to sound strengths.. I happen to like the much disparaged Audioquest nighthawks, which- technically fall short by general consent , and absolutely by those who know. However, I love them for the bits I love, and as a proposition on the used market. Your discerments are helpful.
So glad my approach is helpful for you! I'm with you on the NightHawks too! I loved those headphones.
I am glad I came across your channel. I was mostly sold on the ghost but for $50 more the Athena sounds more like one I would be satisfied.
I definitely think so. I'm glad you found me too! 🙂
I sold my hd560s and bought the Athena’s a couple of months back. The comfort combined with the warm detailed sound was what made me keep the Athena’s.
Now I’m looking very closely at the Zeus Elites since I enjoy the Athena’s so much
That would be a lovely combination! Good you're enjoying the Athenas.
I received my Ghost today! Its comfy and light, but was lacking a bit in bass, so I added about 4 db at 60hz and 100hz. Considering the price, I find these quite pleasing and well worth the 130!
Glad you're enjoying them. That bass lift would be a nice balance.
I got a nice bass lift with thicker pads and no eq. Plus more comfort. I like to EQ gear but was surprised by the warm easy sound of the ghosts with just a pad upgrade.
You know I love seeing that pad-rolling section 😍. But there's only so much pads can do, you're 100% correct on what to expect from pad-rolling. Comfort first, sound adjustment second, and it's only broad strokes at that point. I think when you hit prices like 5, 6, 700 USD, we should be lobbying for more stock pad options from manufacturers. More people should get to experience the benefits and limits of pad-rolling without spending more money.
Nicely said!
Amazon has the Ghost for $87 I ordered mine got to hear them for myself, I also ordered the pads that zio's from z reviews recommended for these they were $11 on Amazon also fingers crossed
Hope you enjoy them!
iMO linsoul has been a great partner for the channel. A good variety of headphones and iems at varying price points. Helps keep the channel content fresh
They've been wonderful to deal with. No pressure on timing of reviews, lots of different products, and zero expectations for anything to be positively slanted.
Any thought comparing Athena and DT-770? Thank you for your work! Curious to see other blind test with headphones...
I don't own the DT770 and currently have no plans to review them - sorry 🙂
great review man, you finally found a over-ear headphone you can actually power with Sony N306 walkmann 💀💀(1.1mW max output on 32Ohms, $350 💀💀)
Glad you liked the review! Yep, that will be a perfect pairing
Thanks a bunch, Nicely put together. Need a bit of a suggestion, What do you think pairs well with DT 900 Pro X in terms of Dac/Amp. Here are some options I've considered.
1.) Xduoo Link V2
2.) Shanling UA1s
3.) Fiio KA2
4.) Tempotec Sonata HD Pro
5.) Ifi Audio - Go link
6.) Creative Sound Blaster - G3
Did watch some of yours reviews regarding these, although much helpful I still couldn't make up my mind. I would much more emphasize upon the Sound and loudness as opposed to flashy features. Eager to hear from you. Cheers again.
I haven't tried a lot of the options you listed so it's hard for me to say. What's your budget and are there any key things you want from the device? The 900 Pro X is really easy to drive so it will really come down to which device most suits your needs
@@PassionforSoundHi, Thanks for reaching back. I've already spent a significant portion of the budget with the headphone purchase alone. I'm aware of the very effortless drivability of 900 X's, one of the many reasons why I chose them. I do plan to purchase a proper desktop Dac/Amp in future but as for now a portable one should do me fine.
Anything in your best knowledge that you're comfortable enough to recommend, that pairs well and scales up 900 X in comparison of a stock PC 3.5mm output, with a budget of 60$ or 95 AUD. They're mostly going to be a placeholder. Hence, I'm not fishing for features or looks, anything that affects and improves Audio Quality and Loudness is all I'm in for.
I'm not certain, but as far as I am aware you did cover Xduoo Link V2 and Tempotec Sonata HD Pro. I couldn't find reviews for others in the list. It would be really ideal if you could recommend ones from the list, as they're on a discount where I'm from.
However, Anything Helps. Much appreciated.
Edit:
Objectives - Critical Listening, Mixing and Editing.
Preferred Sound Profile - Low-Mid focus, Uncoloured Output.
The xDuoo Link v2 is a lovely option for sure. If you're interested, I probably have a few in that price range that I need to move on. You can contact me at passionforsound@lachlanfennen.com if you want to chat about buying one before I put them on eBay.
Great review! Would you consider the Zeus Elite a substantial upgrade to the Athena or not so much considering how much more they cost? Thanks.
Not really. I think the Elite might do a few things better, but it's not enough of a step for me to recommend it as a clear upgrade.
@@PassionforSound Thanks!
Interesting bit about burn in for some headphones, I recently bought a pair of HE560 V4’s and initially I was a bit put off by how shouty they came off, but I gave them a chance, got the grill mod, and a decent cable, and some time and now I absolutely love them and the bass is a bit more present. Granted it could be mental burn in 😂 who knows
It's very hard to know with burn-in because it's gradual and takes time so it's impossible to properly compare before and after. Glad you're enjoying the 560s.
Great review! I was wondering however, how the Athena’s stack up against the BEYERDYNAMIC Dt 900 pro X, as they seem both semi closed/semi open headphones around the same price range. Cheers.
I’d also love to know how the Athena stack up against the Harmonicdyne Zeus Elite. Again, any response is greatly appreciated!
The Athenas isolate a bit more than the DT900 Pro X I think and they're also a bit more neutrally tuned. The 900s have a bit more bass than the Athenas so they'll be more fun if that's what you're after.
As for the Zeus Elite, I think they perform a little bit better technically, but they're also more v-shaped and therefore less natural so it depends a lot on what you're looking for.
@@PassionforSoundThank You!
The HE400se is phenomenal when just slightly modded. Ghost also can be improved with some mods.
Do you still have the Meze 99 neo if you're suggesting up to $500 closed recommendation.
I do have the Neo's still and I'd personally choose the Athenas over them unless someone specifically wants a bassy experience
What will be better choise - HE400SE (or even Sundara) or Athena as 1st headphones?
It all depends on your personal tastes (i.e. what you're looking for in a headphone) and how you'll be using it. I would choose the Sundara or Athena over the HE400SE and then it's aquestion of which one you think will suit you better.
great recommendations! might add to the list when i start earning more hahaha
Hope you get there soon! 🙂💰💰
@@PassionforSound thank you! ill be sticking around the channel for more content :D
Thank you very much!
For budget open back the drop X4 and Hi-Fiman 400 are very similar and both kick arse for the price and with EQ they really kick arse.
Just bought the ghost for literally 50 as linsoul is having a sale rn this is going to be literally my first Proper headphones and first experience on openbacks
Enjoy!
Can you please review Ananda Nano and compare it with similar level headphone, including meze 109 pro especially? Thanks!
Review coming soon. Unfortunately, I don't have the 109 Pro here to compare, but I will have some other comparisons.
Thanks for the response. Channel subscribed. Looking forward to the review@@PassionforSound
Thanks for the sub!
DCA closed cans have great stage ✌😎👍
good advice & review, thank you
That's generally true, although I find the DCA stages to be quite compact.
I wonder how the Ghost would compare with a Sennheiser HD 599SE
I'm not sure on that one - sorry.
"Brainwavz angled oval hybrids" are great with Ghost. Stock Ghost is meh, but with these pads the Ghost has replaced my 6XX as daily driver.
Glad you're enjoying them. Thanks for the tip
Do they fit the ghosts perfectly?
Hi passion need your helps asap. I have bitfrost 2 connected to jotuneim 2 , how do I connect my android mobile phone to bitfrost 2 ? My phone has all my streaming music apps..this is weird can't find where to connect.
You'll need to get a USB-C (or Lightning for an iPhone) to USB-B cable.
@PassionforSound I don't have a iPhone, I have android Samsung S21 phone. I also have usb-c to usb-b cable that I was using on my topping dac , so the cable has no problem , but using that cable with bitfrost , the music just comes out my phone speakers as if the bitfrost 2 is not recieving the audio signal from the phone .
Hmmm... that's strange. I would have thought it would work fine with the BF2, but I've never tested. Do you have another device to test with the BF2? Have you confirmed that the BF2 has the correct input selected?
@@PassionforSound bitfrost only have 3 select input so I tried all 3 and nothing . When playing music from phone the music just comes out phone speakers as if the phone doesn't recognize the dac or the dac doesn't recognize the phone. My other equipments are monolith thx 887 amp , topping e50 dac and topping L30 amp , Dap fiio m11 plus ess .
So there's nothing else to try with bitfrost because the audio music stream must be pass thru the usb-b .
Most people uses a laptop and I don't have that.
@@PassionforSound I contacted schiit audio and he said maybe it needed a firmware update so going to try that tomorrow, but it shouldn't be that because before a update came the unit should've been working and a update is usually a tweek a small update..I'm so unhappy when at first I was so excited when I got it.
With linsoul discount rn it's at 49 bucks would u say the price difference is still worth it?
You mean the Ghost? At that price, it's probably worth taking a run at them.
@@PassionforSound yes sorry i didnt specify it the ghost
Thank you for the reply !!
Great to see you finally featured these two pairs on your channel! I know the comparison might be a little weird, but would you recommend the Athena over the 58X or 6XX? I can get any of the three at a quite similar price, so I'd like to know which pair suits me better, specially since they'd be my second pair of headphones. I love details in music, but I'm more into detailed bass without being too bassy (Etymotic - ER2XR / Tripowin x HBB - Olina SE as reference). I know they're semi-open vs open but maybe you can help me. Which one you would choose?
If you want detail and detailed bass then I would strongly recommend the Beyerdynamic DT 770 which you should find is cheaper than either of these options.
@@DarkFire515Hi there. What do you think about X series? Are they really an upgrade in terms of Overall Sound, Detail, Clarity, Soundstage, Frequency Response etc? Over is it just DT legacy repackaged in 48ohms?
I’ve been considering buying 900 Pro X, but having second thoughts about it. Should I resist and go with DT Legacy series (DT 990 Pro) or should I go ahead with 900 X’s.
I would still require a dedicated headphone amp for the legacy, so drivability could be an issue. Considering all options, What would you recommend? Thanks.
If you like to EQ consider the Hi-Fi man 400 or drop X4. Planars take well to EQ.
@@quietlydone6676 Unfortunately I haven't tried the drop versions so I can't really comment on them. As far as driving the DT 990's goes, they'll be driven fairly easily by pretty much anything, though they also scale well. For years I had my 770's hooked up to a Creative X7 which is an external PC sound card. I currently have them connected to a FIIO K9 Pro ESS. They sound better but not 'night & day' better. One thing I'd recommend is going with the velour pads instead of the PU leather pads. The velour pads offer equally good detail but give the headphones better bass extension.
ArmidaMusic, I'd take the Athena over the 58X/6XX based on your preference for quality bass. The Athena extends deeper than either of those without enhancing the bass at all.
The suggested Beyerdynamic headphones are also all nice, but don't have the tonal balance of the Athenas.
My money's still on the Sennheiser HD600 or HiFiMan Sundara, below $500 even for hundreds more, and I don't need or want anything better. Chinese are getting better slowly but it still seems like a crap shoot to me. I had gone through the same thing with IEMs. You could have good performance for the price, but face poor build like the early HiFiMans.
That's all fair enough. It's still very hard to go past the HD6__ range even so long after their original release.
As i see we can call the Athena a minimum semi-open headphone,not a closedback!
It's more open than closed, so it really should be considered semi-closed.
@@BobbyDigital6411 i believe so!
It's definitely not more open than closed. When you put it on, you are immediately aware that your ears are covered/obscured from external sounds and the soundstage is bounded more - unlike open headphones. They're definitely not a fully closed headphone, but to suggest they're more open than closed makes me wonder if you've actually tried a pair.
@@PassionforSound yeah its interesting what we are calling here open,semi or closed!For example beyer calls the 1990pro openback,but it just have a small hole on the cups sides!I didnt ordered or tried the athena because the sound leak!But i like what i hear about the sound!I beleieve harmonic did a good job with them!Maybe one day i will try!
@@PassionforSound i think the correct term harmonicdyne used was semi closed-back. I agree with you tho it def sounds more closed than open. Loving my set to death
Why would they send you anything in the future if you give a negative review? Links to negative reviews?
Because they respect the right of a reviewer to be honest and it allows the reviewer (me) to establish credibility and integrity.
th-cam.com/video/X1CLKmY-hv4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=XiyEuNCKM5UtRcaP
th-cam.com/video/qt0ESu-Ye3k/w-d-xo.htmlsi=g5LpxZuFRAuzQy7I
I believe the reseller works with hundreds of brands. Maybe if items were sent directly form manufacturers, your statement could make sense
Linsoul is the exclusive distributor for Thieaudio and HarmonicDyne AFAIK and they are still fine with whatever I say about those brands too.
Followed z reviews a while and one thing I came to learn quick is he hypes up many products. I dare to even call them "reviews" on his channel. You can go through an entire long video and still not know how a product he is talking about sounds. Plus not buying into the hype and flavour of the month products that never seem to end is better for the wallet and not having a collection of gear you won't use. I only watch his channel for entertainment. I view your channel as a more professional, no nonsense review not full of hype unless the product is justified. Rare on yoir channel. I watch and read many reviews to get a feeling if it's what I'm looking for. Sometimes reading and watching all these reviews many times leads to not purchasing a piece of new gear. One thing I will say is z has a crap ton of pads in his collection and doesn't hesitate to pull any out and try. Even $$$ pairs. I don't want to buy a product new to have to tweak the sound. Only if it was recommended by the manufacturer would I do that. Thanks for adding some perspective and slowing down the hype train and finding a nice budget headset to recommend!
Glad you like my approach. I definitely agree that balancing any review with extra opinions is a good idea 🙂
You should have way more followers than you have! Looking forward to your growth! Make some gaming videos for the algorithm…
Thank you! Cracking the algorithm is the challenge in a small niche area like audio. I do have a gaming related video coming soon...
Just giving a warning about the Athena. Both my co-worker and I have that headphone and both of ours have a poor connection to the left ear-cup, regardless of which cable we use it happens all the time. I contacted Linsoul and in order to replace them I would have to pay for shipping, plus $30 USD for customs clearance, so the RMA was not worth it. There may be some production line issues that HarmonicDyne is not aware of because it seems very unlikely that both of us would have the exact same problem if this wasn't the case. That being said, thank you for your review!
I'm so sorry to hear that! I've had no troubles with mine, but that's not saying very much.
@@PassionforSound It's a bummer, but I hope yours do not eventually develop the same issue.
Me too. That would be sad.
I was underwhelmed by the Theo Audio Ghost. I find the Ghost to be poor value because is does not perform. It lacks detail and bass.
I think it's fine for the price, but it didn't match the hype for me either
My initial impressions too. They are way too muffled by the thick foam and were lacking bass. Brainwavz angled hybrids solved both problems. I found the non angled pads changed the sound at bit too much, but the angled ones was perfect. For me, at least. :)
Or else get an akg 371. One of the best closed back headphones for it's price
Or the cheaper akg k361. It follows the Harman curve quite nicely.
I've not tried any of the lower level AKGs
The lesson here in this video is, if you spend $50 more you will get a better headphone. So why stop at the Athena’s keep going if you spend $50 more then the athenas you’ll get even better headphones it just $50 more 😂
I'm not sure I can think of a headphone I'd choose over the Athenas for $50 more. 🙂
Every headphone benefits from burn in. You should always do at least 200 hrs of burn in minimum 150 and sometimes even say more. I always burn in my new headphones for days without stopping just playing all the right burn in tracks.There is a big difference whoever tells you bs that it's placebo is full of shit. One day after burning in my 560s I just started doing normal stuff hearing music,playing games and I swear my 560s the bass just switched and sounded way superior it literally sounded like someone hit a switch and switched the headphones to superior mode it was the most profound change in sound I ever heard from any headphone I ever burned in it was nuts when I experienced in real time my headphone going through the second burn in stage.
Mhm, thats why you cannot even measure any differences after burn in, but each to his own i guess
Having reviewed however many headphones I have and measuring most of them before and after burn-in, I'd say the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Some headphones definitely benefit from burn-in. Some headphones show measurable differences with burn-in. Others don't change at all (at least not in a perceivable way). Perhaps there is burn-in done at the factory for some of these or the drivers just don't benefit from the burn-in - I don't know.
The guy with absolutely zero evidence says everyone else is full of shit. Are you familiar with irony?
100% no hifiman is worth buying don't care how good they sound those shitty headphones break so easily. Hundreds of people have the same experience. I took care of mine treated like gold shit fell apart in ways you would even believe. I won't trust that shitty company never again. I learned my lesson especially when many are saying the same.
Sorry to hear about your experience and while many might say the same, most of the headphones Hifiman has made are still out in the field working great. I have had my Sundara's for 2 years as a daily driver and have had no issues so far.
I completely agree, Robert. We only hear about the failures. For every person complaining about HiFiMan headphones breaking, there'll be another 10+ people who have had no problems and therefore aren't saying anything. I've owned every model of HiFiMan headphone other than HE-6 I think and still own many. I've had no issues with any of them.