Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Bryonmedina
8
Sep 19, 2018
Would you prefer the Fostex planars from Massdrop, or the HiFiMan’s planars? Go!
Inverse3264
2
Sep 19, 2018
BryonmedinaI'm interested to hear this too... I have the HiFiMan HE4XX and giving these Blue's some thought... I love the detail and soundstage of the HE4XX, but prefer the slight U-shape and bass response of my B&W P7s. These look like they might be close to an ideal middle ground for me.
Bryonmedina
8
Sep 20, 2018
Inverse3264Now there is a Mitchell and Johnston drop too. How to decide?
NoiseTracker
23
Oct 6, 2018
Inverse3264I have Hifiman HE-400i's and Fostex TX-0's, so I can get you kind of close YMMV.
The fostex are warmer and better at low-mid and oomph but at the expense of some sound stage, they were originally designed as tracking headphones, capturing midrange and making EQ decisions. I find mine fun to use if I want a livelier experience. My hifiman's can be described similarly to what you say above, however they do not slam like the slightly more closed fostex do, a tradeoff for soundstage and a bit of detail.
If you're in the CONUS. Just get these through amazon or similar, there's no rush. You can return or re-sell later and net nearly zero loss if you don't love them.
BryonmedinaI'd say the Dekoni's but I might be a little biased? :)
BryonmedinaI’m curious about the build quality of this model. I’d like to try my first planar magnetic cans. Is (Fostex-Massdrop) > (HiFiMan HE...)? I’m used to the HD6XX quality level. I have a Schiit Magni-3 & Vali-2, so driving them won’t be a problem. After a year of indoor use (at home, maybe dropped once or twice from ~0.5m onto wood floors), stored away from pets when not in use), do any current owners have buyer’s remorse?
Bryonmedina
8
Oct 31, 2018
ScubaManLakeHuronAfter consistently hearing that these where “dark”, I opted for the Hi-Fimans’ which are built like tanks. Someone else would be better qualified to describe the Dekonis
ScubaManLakeHuronI don’t know if the Blue has been out for a year yet, but I have one. I have a cat, but I store my headphones in an office she’s not allowed in. I haven’t dropped it, but I have taken my Blue with me in a bag stacked with other headphones to a headphone meet, and I’ve also taken it through an airport stored bare inside my backpack with clothes and a few chargers for my electronic devices, no durability issues so far. Everything seems pretty robust, so I wouldn’t worry about falls from a desk or seated height, but I would disconnect the headphone cable when packing bare in a bag. That said... this drop would have come with a Slappa case, so that helps with longevity. I would say the Blue has “big” bass, but they are not Sony XB500 bass cannons! There is enough treble and mids presence that I would disagree with descriptions calling it “dark,” but it does have some midbass warmth and mids body. The treble has some sparkle and decent extension to higher treble range too, but it’s on the safe side of the “hot” knife edge, whereas MY opinion is that the AKG K712 Pro and HD 800 sit right on that knife edge (where good amp synergy makes all the difference between enjoyment and fatigue), and a Beyerdynamic DT 880 is for treble enthusiasts only (it made my ears ring occasionally, sadly). I haven’t heard the new HiFiman’s which are on Massdrop. The HE-400 I heard at home sounded really weird without proper amplification (despite sensitivity, sometimes lead vocals would have the presence of background vocals) and had a fascinating interaction with any solid objects (like my hands) within 1 foot of the earcups. I’ve borrowed an HE-560 (which I thought was a bit dull), and been to trade shows to hear the Edition X and HE 1000 (I quite liked these! But I could hear a sample variation). For the price, I’d get a Blue, but with more budget I’d get the more than 2x as expensive Edition XX coming soon. I’m happy that I have a Blue.
PRODUCTS YOU MAY LIKE
Trending Posts in Audiophile