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Best closed back headphone for less than $1000?
I am going to graduate school where I will be working in an office environment mostly and I have need of an amazing closed back headphone.
I currently own a Focal Elex so I am looking to something comparable to these in sound quality but not necessarily sound signature. I want there to be good bass punch but not overwhelming (This is my main concern) but I also don't want the highs to be non existent either. I listen to a lot of different types of music so (from jazz to hiphop and everything in between except country) so versatility is a plus.
Right now I am looking at the Elegia , Aeon Flow Closed, Ether CX, Audeze LCD-2.
Any input is greatly appreciated! :)
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keyboard_arrow_downbakemun
22
Jun 6, 2019
I vote ether cx, present highs and bass without any one thing being too emphasized.
Heefty
1387
Mar 14, 2019
My vote goes to Focal Elegia. I have not spent as much time with the competition though.
jaydunndiddit
3263
Mar 13, 2019
If you have the Elex, I think the next progression would be the Elegia if you already enjoy the sound, build, and technicalities of Focal. The Elegia is basically a closed back Elear/Clear with some minor changes here and there. Easy to drive, super comfy, very dynamic with great detail retrieval.
I was not a fan of the LCD2 as it has some weirdness going on in the mids and sounds grainy to me. Pretty warm and dark colored to Focal as well. They're also quite heavy comparatively.
Also wasn't a fan of the Aeon Closed as they're just too thin sounding to my ears and have that same sort of odd graininess that just sticks out to me. They have more sub bass over the Elegia but still come off as bass light on some tracks. And they don't even have the best detail retrieval on this list. They were very odd to me. Also more power hungry than their specs lead you to believe.
Although not on your list, the Campfire Cascades have become one of my fave closed back cans unless you're allergic to bass. They hit hard, are built very well and fold up, and still have good resolution. If you hate bass, the cloth pads help here but really for HipHop especially or other similar genres, no other can listed will touch them. And while they don't have the resolution of the Elegia, unless you're analyzing your music, they can still keep up from a resolution perspective.
So, my vote goes Elegia if you want more detail and dynamics and that Focal sound. Or the Cascade if you want something that has some deep lows, good resolution, and is the most portable on this list. And just a heads up, their FR is a heavy resemblance of the HD 820, DT1770, Meze 99C, etc. just for context.
(Edited)
Senpai-sama
93
May 16, 2019
jaydunndidditI decided to buy the Elegia and they will arrive Saturday. I will hold you accountable for your glowing reviews of them lol
dcha12
463
Mar 13, 2019
If you can, go to a hi-end audio store and try these out. It's hard to tell you if you'd like anything we'd recommend because we all have different hearing, preferences, etc.
That being said, if you like the Elex the Elegia would be something along the same lines since you'd get the Focal house sound.
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