R70x

Audio Technica ATH-R-70x, and its siblings. It’s got a great soundstage and neutral reference tuning. It’s sometimes considered a “poor man’s HD800”. I own the R70x, have extensive listening time on the Reference (and own Daybreaks eq’d to ape the Reference) and HD6XXs (and 20 other headphones, many

Covid, I bought a couple of Chi-Fi in-ears, some were good, but realized they were all "tinny", "screeching" very high treble basically which gives the impression of "clarity". Then I bought the Audio technica m40x. Decent pair, but very sweaty on the ears. Wasn't as "clear" as I expected it to be.

I recently replaced my HD650s (which are great, but limited in the low end and require sonarworks IMO) with the new Audio-Technica R70xa. I love them. Light, comfortable, accurate with deep bass. I use those for general listening and for writing music. For later mixing stage I have Slate VSX which a

Big sennheiser fan too but I would never glue myself to one choice. I prefer the audio technica ath-r70x over the hd650 for mixing for example. Same ballpark price.

I have had the 70X and 70X refine and they’re very comfortable. Talked about the comfort here: https://daemonxar.com/2026/03/24/the-6xx-dethroned-audio-technica-ath-r70x-refine-and-ath-r70x-quick-review/#build

For my mid-range ones, Hifiman Edition XS and the Audio Technica R70xa. Both can be powered with high gain. Super high wasn't needed. I've seen a lot of posts with Sennheiser HD6-- headphones, so I'm sure those are great too.

I've been somewhat interested in the ZMF Bokeh and ZMF headphones in general, but recently bought a Hifiman Arya Organic, so it'll be a while before I consider expanding my collection. I noticed I have the same headphone stands as well. They're really stable. Hearing news about the Sennheiser change

I have a few, but my favorite are the Audio-Technica ATH-R70X. Lightweight and sound great. Also balding and I like there is no typical headband. You will need an amp. Audio-Technica ATH-R70x Professional Open-Back Reference Headphones, Black https://a.co/d/0aK2VkK4 Editing to add their support is a

You can get an Arya Stealth and amp of your choice with what's left. Hifiman XV if you want cheaper. Audio Technica R70xa is another option if you want great imaging. I'm guessing you're looking for soundstage based on the open back tag. If anything, I prefer the impact from closed backs for watchin

I recommend getting the R50x ($150 US) with replacement OEM R70x pads ($30) which are roomier. From everything I’ve seen, people reviewing both headphones like the R50x better. I have a pair and they are incredibly comfortable. The sound is excellent as the R50x uses the same drivers as the R70x.