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Sennheiser HD6XX or HIFIMAN HE5XX? or Other?

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Hey all, Not quite an audiophile, but a music lover and creator and could use some advice. First open-back pair I'll have purchased in a while. Had a pair of Grados, but sold as I never found time to listen with them in the right environment. Now that I'm working from home, feels like the right time to purchase, but of course listening through speakers when I can too! This is my lineup today for context, so might be nice to find something that fits within:
  • Meze 99 Classics
  • Audioquest NightOwl
  • Airpods (Not pro, never like deep in-ear and headaches w/ ANC)
  • Audio-Technica ATH-M50xbt (Arriving today in the mail. For work calls and listening on-the-go, have always gotten headaches and nausea from ANC; these seem like the best solution w/o. I did order the Sony XM4s just to do one final test, but will likely get the same headache and I've read they don't sound as good with ANC turned off, or when used with a wire. High hopes for the ATs as they seem to maintain the standard M50x non-bluetooth quality when used wired)
  • Chord Mojo w/ Silver Dragon micro-usb
  • Audioquest DragonFly Red w/ lightning camera-connection kit for on-the-go
  • UA Apollo Twin Duo interface (for recording)
  • Yamaha HS5 Speakers & Sub
  • Sonos Speakers/Soundbar (Turnable line-in)
I know I know using with Spotify negates a lot of the above gear, but I've toyed with Tidal and Qobuz with neither coming close to the recommendations Spotify provides, plus I use the social features to share music with friends. And HiFi is finally coming this year!! As a bonus, what should be my next pair in the $500-700 range? Or... should I just skip the HD6XX/HE5XX and go straight there? Something like the Focal Elex? Thanks!
(Edited)
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NotABot
424
Jun 12, 2021
Between these: Sennheiser HD6XX or HIFIMAN HE5XX? On the one hand, you could buy the model that has been so good that it's been made for 20+ years and is still heavily respected, made by a company that has been providing complete replacement parts for just as long, for a product that is so reliable that the only thing you'll need to replace once in a blue moon are the ear pads. Or you could buy from the company that is famous for poor QC, has a history of minor upgrades after the existing versions are shown to have production problems, and for treating their customers with contempt.
(Edited)
chuim
0
Nov 10, 2021
NotABotWould you mind clarifying which is which? I'm clueless of the reputation history of each company...
NotABot
424
Nov 14, 2021
chuimSennheiser is the first, Hifiman is the second.
JaegerD
190
Jun 11, 2021
As for the big boi cans,Id think the Focals could be pretty nice. I have no dealings with these cans, Ive just seen favorable reviews for it https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-focal-elex-headphones#overview they do have a refurb if you want to save some pennies (15000) but add that degree of unknown in dealing with the refurb... That being said, if you went refurb (https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-focal-elex-headphones-refurb), you could buy the Focals and the HiFis refurb for about the price of the retail, drop price, focals
JaegerD
190
Jun 11, 2021
Id lean towards the 6XX as a creator since they are more neutral, but I dont know the shape of the sound for the cans you already have, I just have a faint thinking that the HiFi ones have a slight coloring to the scape. Honestly, you could just buy whichever looks cooler to you and call it a day(Which are probably the HiFi, but the HDs are pretty easy to take apart and color it yourself). If youre already looking to invest in a more expensive set of cans down the road; I (personally) would just save the cash now and put it towards that bigger better headphone, whatever it may be.
teataotu
7
Jun 11, 2021
I'd love to be able to say something more useful than this, but for wiw, I've recently got the HIFIMAN HE5XX, and being a numpty I have them running through a much worse dac and amp than you have access to. The Hifi's are amazing to me - first in a long time that I have been able to return to my favourites like Handel Oratorios, and other baroque classical. using roon software to run computer, with Qobuz subscription. But it even got me drifting to Snoop, comparing versions of the beethoven series, and discovering Yo Yo Ma has recorded a 3rd version of the bach solo cello suites (Still not as good as the Jean-Guihen Queyras, but Ma's are available in hi-def.).
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