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[SolarMystic]

Beyerdynamic makes solid headphones, they just don't know how to make one without a treble spike.

How are Grado going these days? Their popularity seems to have fallen off a cliff in recent times and I barely recall hearing about any new headphones from them. I remember they used to recommended for rock all the time and that the SR60 was the absolute value king. I bought one about 8 years ago and absolutely hated it actually due to the non existent soundstage, terrible sand paper like pads and annoying cable.

They still have a pretty large following, just not as prevalent as they used to be before the headphone market exploded after 2009.

 

[leng jai]

Beyerdynamic's build quality is off the charts, they just have issues with their Tesla drivers.

 

[Tommy DJ]

Going by Grado's Instagram and Facebook, Grado has found a niche among people who aren't 60 year old white men and like vinyl.

Good idea if you ask me. You completely dodge all the competition these days, especially from Chinese manufacturers, and you can still get away with packing $1 drivers inside your headphones.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Beyerdynamic's build quality is off the charts, they just have issues with their Tesla drivers.

Which is part of having good build quality.

I guess quality control is more apropos.

 

[Chittagong]

Wanted to post my thanks to Headphone-gaf for the recommendation of gaming headphones, couldn't be happier. Impressions below!

AKG K712

The specific use context I wanted headphones for was playing Halo 5 late at night. So I needed a headset with a wide, open sound stage, with precise location.

Gaming
These are the best headset for gaming I have heard. The sound stage is so wide it's sometimes hard to remember that you have headphones on. It's very easy to locate sounds around me, using Yamaha Silent Cinema virtual surround. The booms and bangs are satisfying. And it can be played quite loud without becoming jarring. Awesome for gaming, in other words.

Music
The open soundstage makes for a pleasing acoustic and live recording headset. The bass is reasonable, but not in Fostex territory. The mid range gets a bit congested on louder volumes, so vocals are not the strength of this headset. For music I prefer my Fostex TH600s.

Comfort and design
I was blown away by how light and comfortable this headset is, I can wear it for hours. It feels like your ears are out in the open. It doesn't feel very sturdy as a result. They need a lot of amping to run, however. They are open too, so no isolation either way.

 

[SuperSah]

Awesome! They do indeed have a great sound and fit to them, and a pretty solid build too.

Been using them for a bit now - awesome sound, really like it.

Bass sounds good and the sound stage is pretty sweet!

 

[Kudo]

Any idea how much for Beyerdynamic DT770 600 ohm would go for nowadays? I've got pair (albeit one driver is broken) and just investigating how much they're worth if it's even good idea to get them repaired, don't really have anything to drive them at the moment.
Guess I'll get them repaired depending on how much the repairs would be as it's more fun to have 4 pairs of working headphones than 3..
They're discontinued so just wondering.

 

[Blitzhex]

Wanted to post my thanks to Headphone-gaf for the recommendation of gaming headphones, couldn't be happier. Impressions below!



AKG K712

The specific use context I wanted headphones for was playing Halo 5 late at night. So I needed a headset with a wide, open sound stage, with precise location.

Gaming
These are the best headset for gaming I have heard. The sound stage is so wide it's sometimes hard to remember that you have headphones on. It's very easy to locate sounds around me, using Yamaha Silent Cinema virtual surround. The booms and bangs are satisfying. And it can be played quite loud without becoming jarring. Awesome for gaming, in other words.

Music
The open soundstage makes for a pleasing acoustic and live recording headset. The bass is reasonable, but not in Fostex territory. The mid range gets a bit congested on louder volumes, so vocals are not the strength of this headset. For music I prefer my Fostex TH600s.

Comfort and design
I was blown away by how light and comfortable this headset is, I can wear it for hours. It feels like your ears are out in the open. It doesn't feel very sturdy as a result. They need a lot of amping to run, however. They are open too, so no isolation either way.

Glad you like it. My k7xx has gone to massdrop for rma and I'm really missing them for gaming right now. Using the thx00 for csgo and the recessed mids don't help for footsteps at all.

 

[Kudo]

Glad you like it. My k7xx has gone to massdrop for rma and I'm really missing them for gaming right now. Using the thx00 for csgo and the recessed mids don't help for footsteps at all.

How's the Fostex TH-X00 for gaming overall? I've got pair coming to replace my ATH-M50x.

 

[Oveja Negra]

Wanted to post my thanks to Headphone-gaf for the recommendation of gaming headphones, couldn't be happier. Impressions below!

Sorry for the offtopic, but I'm noticing you have a set of Genelec speakers as your 5.1 system (they look like the G series). Your center channel is just a regular front speaker in horizontal position?. Is that the manufacturer recommendation? How would you describe the sound of it?

BTW, congrats on your new headphones, it is fantastic to try a new pair and being blown away by them

 

[Chittagong]

Sorry for the offtopic, but I'm noticing you have a set of Genelec speakers as your 5.1 system (they look like the G series). Your center channel is just a regular front speaker in horizontal position?. Is that the manufacturer recommendation? How would you describe the sound of it?

BTW, congrats on your new headphones, it is fantastic to try a new pair and being blown away by them

No worries - yeah I have a standard setup of 3 x 8040 for LCR, 4 x 8020 for rear/surrounds and a 7050B for SW. Centre channel is horizontal. It's not the recommended position but I've seen it done before, and there aren't really many options.

I absolutely love the setup, the audio is phenomenal. You can have them pretty loud without them becoming over powering. They really sound like a movie theatre. They are fairly localised so for optimal experience you want to sit in the sweet spot. For the relatively low price you pay I think they're phenomenal value. Plus knowing most games and films I play have been mixed with them is a nice bonus.

I'm working with Genelec to spec our next flat currently. Working hypothesis is to go with their consumer line, and go up to G Fives in the front and G Fours or Threes back/surround, allowing us to skip the SW.

 

[Trojita]

I ordered a Schiit Vali 2

I hope it's good.

Will be running

Sennheiser HD700
Fostex TH-X00
Fidelio X2

Will be using my Creative X-FI HD Titanium as my DAC.

Coming from just the sound card or using a FiioE17.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Man, I honestly don't know how people with multiple open back headphones do it, which is kinda hypocritical coming from me. I do try to rationalise my purchases in having different functions for each.

1 main IEM for out and about use, which is most of the time for me.

1 fairly inexpensive CIEM for exercise.

1 open back for home use.

Plus an assortment of other stuff in case my mains need to be sent for repair. Mostly cheap IEMs other than the Flat-4 nami and AKG K551.

Also regarding your thread about headphone fatigue I think you bring up some valid points, but you also seem to have headphones that have quite huge treble spikes or wonky treble which can explain the fatigue too.

 

[Trojita]

Also regarding your thread about headphone fatigue I think you bring up some valid points, but you also seem to have headphones that have quite huge treble spikes or wonky treble which can explain the fatigue too.

Oh no doubt lol

 

[SolarMystic]

I ordered a Schiit Vali 2

I hope it's good.

Will be running

Sennheiser HD700
Fostex TH-X00
Fidelio X2

Will be using my Creative X-FI HD Titanium as my DAC.

Coming from just the sound card or using a FiioE17.

Should be a great match for the hd700 and the X2 will sound good out of anything you plug it into.

Man, I honestly don't know how people with multiple open back headphones do it, which is kinda hypocritical coming from me. I do try to rationalise my purchases in having different functions for each.

1 main IEM for out and about use, which is most of the time for me.

1 fairly inexpensive CIEM for exercise.

1 open back for home use.

Plus an assortment of other stuff in case my mains need to be sent for repair. Mostly cheap IEMs other than the Flat-4 nami and AKG K551.

Also regarding your thread about headphone fatigue I think you bring up some valid points, but you also seem to have headphones that have quite huge treble spikes or wonky treble which can explain the fatigue too.

Personally, I get curious about the different sound sigs and sometimes I'll have headphones dedicated to a particular genre. I've tried to scale back my purchasing lately though as VR is getting super close and will require a hefty investment. Just recently sold my 400i and I think the only headphones I'll buy this year is if the Fostex thx00 drop again and maybe a Beyer DT150.

I did just buy an Ivory HD598, but that was because amazon had a pricing error.

 

[Blitzhex]

How's the Fostex TH-X00 for gaming overall? I've got pair coming to replace my ATH-M50x.

It's ok, serviceable compared to the k7xx. Sound signature is not that great for games for me, I value close to neutral curve for competitive purposes. Comfort isn't that great, but I've got alpha pads coming in for that, weight is fine though. My head starts to hurt if I wear it for more than a couple of hours.
Probably noticeably better than the m50x because of the weird semi-closed soundstage, it sounds open and in your head at the same time. There isn't as much use low frequencies in games as in movies to really enjoy the bass. Love it for music and movies though.

 

[Oveja Negra]

No worries - yeah I have a standard setup of 3 x 8040 for LCR, 4 x 8020 for rear/surrounds and a 7050B for SW. Centre channel is horizontal. It's not the recommended position but I've seen it done before, and there aren't really many options.

I absolutely love the setup, the audio is phenomenal. You can have them pretty loud without them becoming over powering. They really sound like a movie theatre. They are fairly localised so for optimal experience you want to sit in the sweet spot. For the relatively low price you pay I think they're phenomenal value. Plus knowing most games and films I play have been mixed with them is a nice bonus.

I'm working with Genelec to spec our next flat currently. Working hypothesis is to go with their consumer line, and go up to G Fives in the front and G Fours or Threes back/surround, allowing us to skip the SW.

Thanks for answering.

I asked cause I know Genelec promotes their G series as a home theater solution too, but usually, every manufacturer offers a center speakers that differ from the rest (because it has to manage vocals in a superb way). But in this case, Genelec doesn't have a proper center channel speaker. It's weird.

BTW, I own a pair of Genelec M030 as desktop speakers so yeah, I know they sound phenomenal and are extremely popular among audio engineers

 

[Kudo]

It's ok, serviceable compared to the k7xx. Sound signature is not that great for games for me, I value close to neutral curve for competitive purposes. Comfort isn't that great, but I've got alpha pads coming in for that, weight is fine though. My head starts to hurt if I wear it for more than a couple of hours.
Probably noticeably better than the m50x because of the weird semi-closed soundstage, it sounds open and in your head at the same time. There isn't as much use low frequencies in games as in movies to really enjoy the bass. Love it for music and movies though.

Sounds interesting, looking forward to getting mine in May.
Heard they're pretty easy to drive and currently using integrated Realtek ALC892, hopefully that'll do the trick.
Should invest in MagniModiUber stack in future though I guess, could run PS4 through that too.

 

[Chittagong]

Thanks for answering.

I asked cause I know Genelec promotes their G series as a home theater solution too, but usually, every manufacturer offers a center speakers that differ from the rest (because it has to manage vocals in a superb way). But in this case, Genelec doesn't have a proper center channel speaker. It's weird.

BTW, I own a pair of Genelec M030 as desktop speakers so yeah, I know they sound phenomenal and are extremely popular among audio engineers

Yeah the reason is that once films and games are mixed on Genelecs, the setup has three identical front speakers, so to replicate that experience at home you need a center identical to the fronts, the mix should take care of vocals. It's not super convenient but it does sound good.

Here's how Remedy has set up theirs

 

[Nero's Neptune]

So the T5Ps sound utterly, utterly fantastic at low volumes. Every other headphone I've heard is a bit weak at lower volumes. Detail is lost in a fog, bass practically dissolves entirely, mids sorta get lost in the mix, and soundstage and imaging disappear.

Not here though. All of these things come in crystal clear. The addition of soundstage at low volumes is particularly amazing to me.

It all makes for long sessions without damaging your ears possible, at exceptionally high quality.

It's just completely jaw dropping that this kind of quality is possible from such a modest setup. (Modi 2 plus Little Dot I+. And really, a proper amp isn't even needed)

 

[WhiskerFrisker]

Anyone has the ATH-MSR7? I've been looking at them for a while and they look sooo good.

 

[Chittagong]

Man, I honestly don't know how people with multiple open back headphones do it, which is kinda hypocritical coming from me. I do try to rationalise my purchases in having different functions for each

I'm kinda like you, headphones for purposes. Here's what I currently have, all recommendations from this thread:

Fostex TH-600 - my main music headset, lovely wide sound stage, very deteiled, excellent vocals, phenomenal bass. Requires an amp. Too bulky for travel. Virtually open back in terms of leakage. Currently hooked to my studio iMac via a Magni/Modi stack.

AKG K712 - my gaming headset, amazing wide sound stage, very crisp and detailed, good localisation, super light and comfy for long gaming sessions. Open back so not people friendly. Needs serious amping. Currently hooked up to my Xbone via a Yamaha silent cinema amp.

Oppo PM-3 - my travel headset, a solid all arounder with decent isolation and an across the board pleasant sound profile. Can be used without amping, although I do have the Oppo HA-2 amp for more involved listening. Good enough for music and films on planes, and laptop music in hotel.

I have been tempted to get one more open backed high end headset for home music use, the problem is that I haven't managed to try anything I like more than the Fostex TH-600s. I auditioned even Audeze LCD-3s but found their sound too claustrophobic and close.

 

[SolarMystic]

Sounds interesting, looking forward to getting mine in May.
Heard they're pretty easy to drive and currently using integrated Realtek ALC892, hopefully that'll do the trick.
Should invest in MagniModiUber stack in future though I guess, could run PS4 through that too.

Integrated cards are typically terrible. Even something cheap like a Schiit Fulla for $80 would be an improvement.

I had an M&M Uber stack myself, used it with my Ps4 as well. Worked flawlessly.

 

[HiResDes]

Realtek will not do the trick. Xonar Essence or Claro Halo or bust pretty much.

 

[WhiskerFrisker]

Integrated cards are typically terrible. Even something cheap like a Schiit Fulla for $80 would be an improvement.

I had an M&M Uber stack myself, used it with my Ps4 as well. Worked flawlessly.

Tell me more...

 

[Kudo]

M&MU stack definitely most interesting choice as it would let me use my desktop and PS4 with good headphones, but 350$ is keeping me off it.

Xonar Essence and HT Claro Halo look nice too, and I was thinking of ST/X before but friend told me their drivers are bad so not the best idea.

Schiit Fulla being the cheapest is tempting too. Not that I'm super concerned about driving the TH-X00 as people report them sounding fine from portable devices, but most of them are probably better than the Realtek.
Not sure how good compatibility the Fulla has with HD555, ATH-M50x, DT770/600 but I guess nothing is worse than integrated.

Choices of life, kinda want to invest on M&MU but I already got Gold Headset for PS4 so maybe it's not needed..

 

[Tommy DJ]

Tell me more...

Optical inputs. Solution with most consoles that aren't the Wii U.

Unless you have something with HDMI inputs/outputs like an AV processor or the NAD M51 but that stuff is extremely expensive.

 

[Chittagong]

Integrated cards are typically terrible. Even something cheap like a Schiit Fulla for $80 would be an improvement.

I had an M&M Uber stack myself, used it with my Ps4 as well. Worked flawlessly.

Surround mixing tho? Maybe a surround DAC and an Magni amp?

 

[Antiwhippy]

Hah, they opened up the k7xx red edition on Massdrop again? Guess they weren't happy with the sell through on the initial batch?

 

[WhiskerFrisker]

Optical inputs. Solution with most consoles that aren't the Wii U.

Unless you have something with HDMI inputs/outputs like an AV processor or the NAD M51 but that stuff is extremely expensive.

So that method gives better sound on my PS4?

 

[Tommy DJ]

I don't really think so...not in the ways you're probably thinking of. What it does is allow you to hook whatever headphone amplifier you want straight to the DAC.

Better because:
- Less noisy than using the TV/monitor's analogue outputs.
- Your amplifier of choice will likely be better than whatever is found in the controllers
- Your TV or monitor might not have analogue audio or headphone outputs

 

[leng jai]

Best way to listen to your headphones on a PS4 is via optical with an external DAC. Whatever you do don't use the jack on the controller, that sounds absolutely awful.

Man, I honestly don't know how people with multiple open back headphones do it, which is kinda hypocritical coming from me. I do try to rationalise my purchases in having different functions for each.

1 main IEM for out and about use, which is most of the time for me.

1 fairly inexpensive CIEM for exercise.

1 open back for home use.

Plus an assortment of other stuff in case my mains need to be sent for repair. Mostly cheap IEMs other than the Flat-4 nami and AKG K551.

Also regarding your thread about headphone fatigue I think you bring up some valid points, but you also seem to have headphones that have quite huge treble spikes or wonky treble which can explain the fatigue too.

I never use my T1s or PM3s.

 

[LQX]

Not even two weeks after the last drop Massdrop is again the "AKG K7XX Limited Red Edition". I knew they would most likely not truly be limited as the blacks ones are pushing close to 10,000 but figured they would at least wait until close to Valentines next year. Ha, oh-well.

I got my pair a few days ago. They're decent, sort of reminds me of the sound signature of the HD600/50. Good bass and they sound great in games but I'm sort of not having fun listening to music with them. I guess that's where them being called reference headphones comes into play. Nothing I have listened to has really come to life with them. I may keep them as my go-to console and movie viewing headphone for my TV instead of the HD598.

Also, auditioning so many headphones in the past few months I just cant get over how the TH-X00 are seemingly in a different stratosphere at just $399. Nothing I have personally listened to at or near $400 like the 400i or HD650 comes close to them. I regret and not regret getting rid of them because the damn cables were bringing out my OCD tendencies. I just cannot stand twist and bends in headphone cables, especially under a sleeve where nothing can be done about them.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Hmm, I'm a basshead, but I don't think a reference sound is necessarily lifeless. I find the HD600 straight up more euphonic (ie. give me that tingly feeling) when it comes to vocals compared to some basshead phones, which I do love, but it's a different thing. Though of course the k7xx might be different. From what I remember the mids in the AKG house sound is pretty dry, like my k551.

 

[Chittagong]

Also, auditioning so many headphones in the past few months I just cant get over how the TH-X00 are seemingly in a different stratosphere at just $399. Nothing I have personally listened to at or near $400 like the 400i or HD650 comes close to them.

I'm with you, after my TH-600s no other headphones have felt as great for music. I am conscious that it's partly of their meaty bass, I guess they are kinda the Beats of headphones in that sense. But in addition to that, the soundstage, precision and lack of mid range congestion makes them a very pleasant music headset.

 

[Trojita]

Still not sure if I'm going to keep the Alpha Pads on my TH-X00 and return to stock or not.

 

[Xander51]

Been using them for a bit now - awesome sound, really like it.

Bass sounds good and the sound stage is pretty sweet!

Which color did you get? Been using my MDR-1a's more since we had this conversation, hah. I had a hard time deciding between the black ones and the silver/brown ones, and ultimately went silver/brown because pretty much every other piece of gear I've purchased, I've always gone with black. Figured it was time to mix it up!

 

[K.Jack]

Tyll once had a great quote about this hobby:

"Any serious headphone audiophile will be happy to rattle off the things that are wrong with just about any "Audiophile" headphone out there, and at some point we have to admit that being an audiophile headphone is just as much about not doing anything wrong as it is about doing particular things very right."

Sometimes you just have to celebrate how much they did well. "So good it's flawed" is madness to my ears.

As far as sound preferences, I'm more weird than most.

I'm a basshead and Hip-Hop and R&B are 90% of my listening.

But I never buy basshead cans. Okay, I did have the TMA-1, but other than those everything I buy is closer to neutral or U-shaped. Besides being a Hifiman junkie, take my last 3 purchase, Momentum (which I hated), Viso HP50, and now the PM-3. The latter 2 definitely have enough bass to keep even most bass lovers content, but they are definitely not huge on bass.

I should probably turn in my basshead card, but I love when my headphones rumble on my ears. Was just listening to a Tinashe track, and I subconsciously grinned ear to ear when the bass kicked. The PM-3 has a great mix of deep bass and technicality, for me.

Now you guys are making me want to hear the X00 so badly, fuck. Wish I had a way to, but maybe it's for the best that I don't contemplate another $399 purchase so soon. I'd have bought them on the first drop, if they'd have a removable cable.

 

[SolarMystic]

M&MU stack definitely most interesting choice as it would let me use my desktop and PS4 with good headphones, but 350$ is keeping me off it.

Xonar Essence and HT Claro Halo look nice too, and I was thinking of ST/X before but friend told me their drivers are bad so not the best idea.

Schiit Fulla being the cheapest is tempting too. Not that I'm super concerned about driving the TH-X00 as people report them sounding fine from portable devices, but most of them are probably better than the Realtek.
Not sure how good compatibility the Fulla has with HD555, ATH-M50x, DT770/600 but I guess nothing is worse than integrated.

Choices of life, kinda want to invest on M&MU but I already got Gold Headset for PS4 so maybe it's not needed..

The Fulla would be fine with the headphones you listed aside from the DT770 as it is the 600ohm version. That would benefit from an M&M stack. Also, unless your outside the US, the stack starts at $200, $250 if you want to use it with your Ps4 as you will need the Uber version of the Modi 2.

Hah, they opened up the k7xx red edition on Massdrop again? Guess they weren't happy with the sell through on the initial batch?

They sold out of all but 50 in the initial batch. My guess is they had AKG produce another batch as soon as the first one was done.

So that method gives better sound on my PS4?

Much better than the headphone jacks on the controller. It is also beneficial if your driving high impedance headphones.

Not even two weeks after the last drop Massdrop is again the "AKG K7XX Limited Red Edition". I knew they would most likely not truly be limited as the blacks ones are pushing close to 10,000 but figured they would at least wait until close to Valentines next year. Ha, oh-well.

I got my pair a few days ago. They're decent, sort of reminds me of the sound signature of the HD600/50. Good bass and they sound great in games but I'm sort of not having fun listening to music with them. I guess that's where them being called reference headphones comes into play. Nothing I have listened to has really come to life with them. I may keep them as my go-to console and movie viewing headphone for my TV instead of the HD598.

Also, auditioning so many headphones in the past few months I just cant get over how the TH-X00 are seemingly in a different stratosphere at just $399. Nothing I have personally listened to at or near $400 like the 400i or HD650 comes close to them. I regret and not regret getting rid of them because the damn cables were bringing out my OCD tendencies. I just cannot stand twist and bends in headphone cables, especially under a sleeve where nothing can be done about them.

If your on Head-fi, PETEREK does great work with re-cabling at a good price. I think he also has a storefront on Etsy.

 

[HiResDes]

I wonder how they compare to the Denon D2000 on a loose basis

 

[Kudo]

The Fulla would be fine with the headphones you listed aside from the DT770 as it is the 600ohm version. That would benefit from an M&M stack. Also, unless your outside the US, the stack starts at $200, $250 if you want to use it with your Ps4 as you will need the Uber version of the Modi 2.

Most important thing is to get best possible sound out of the Fostex TH-X00 when they come, how does Fulla compare to the stack? Don't want to pay myself bleeding if they're comparable in terms of sound quality, even if it doesn't have enough power for the Beyers.

And yeah, being European the price goes little higher. Magni 2 with Modi 2 Uber would be 309 euros for me (340 USD), and if I wanted Magni 2 Uber it would be 359 euros.
If I decide to invest and get the M&M stack when I can afford it near June, do you think I should get Magni 2 as Uber too?

 

[SolarMystic]

Most important thing is to get best possible sound out of the Fostex TH-X00 when they come, how does Fulla compare to the stack? Don't want to pay myself bleeding if they're comparable in terms of sound quality, even if it doesn't have enough power for the Beyers.

And yeah, being European the price goes little higher. Magni 2 with Modi 2 Uber would be 309 euros for me (340 USD), and if I wanted Magni 2 Uber it would be 359 euros.
If I decide to invest and get the M&M stack when I can afford it near June, do you think I should get Magni 2 as Uber too?

The Magni 2 Uber main advantage is the pre-amp outs and aluminum chassis. The power difference is negligible.

The thx00 is very easy to drive, therefore investing in a more powerful amp won't necessarily get you better sound. The Magni 2 has over 1.2w for 25ohm headphones like the thx00, which is overkill. At that point, any noticeable change in sound quality is just the amp coloring the sound. Your 600ohm 770 would definitely benefit from the stack.

Of course, the Magni/Modi stack is MUCH more versatile and can be used across a wide range of headphones, even harder to drive ones. Worth the investment? That's up to you.

 

[Kudo]

The Magni 2 Uber main advantage is the pre-amp outs and aluminum chassis. The power difference is negligible.

The thx00 is very easy to drive, therefore investing in a more powerful amp won't necessarily get you better sound. The Magni 2 has over 1.2w for 25ohm headphones like the thx00, which is overkill. At that point, any noticeable change in sound quality is just the amp coloring the sound. Your 600ohm 770 would definitely benefit from the stack.

Of course, the Magni/Modi stack is MUCH more versatile and can be used across a wide range of headphones, even harder to drive ones. Worth the investment? That's up to you.

Thanks a lot for the help!
I guess if I can get the Beyers repaired I'll get stack definitely, if not, I'll consider it hard. Already found RCA, Toslink and USB cables for the stack from my bottomless chest so won't need to spend money on those at least.
Both the stack and Fulla are thing of beauty so it's indeed hard choice.
Now time to wait for Beyers reply, and resist the urge to order.

 

[Antiwhippy]

I wonder how they compare to the Denon D2000 on a loose basis

I heard that E-MU (people behind CAL!) actually uses the old fostex denon drivers and the Teak is pretty much the denon d5000.

 

[Pifje]

My Creative Aurvana Lives died, the left ear piece broke down.

So I need something durable and portable. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is something you can collapse, and according to some light googling the sound is fine too in its class. And the white ones look quite great.

Do I just go buy the M50x, or are there immediate alternatives? Can't really go above $200/170 €.

 

[SolarMystic]

My Creative Aurvana Lives died, the left ear piece broke down.

So I need something durable and portable. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is something you can collapse, and according to some light googling the sound is fine too in its class. And the white ones look quite great.

Do I just go buy the M50x, or are there immediate alternatives? Can't really go above $200/170 €.

Personally I enjoy the Momentum over ear (version 1). They don't fold but are small and very portable. Comes with a nice travel case as well. The 2.0 version folds, but costs quite a bit more, unless you find a good deal on a used pair.

I was very unimpressed with the m50x, though I guess they are nice if you get them on sale for $120 or less. Certainly good build quality plus 3 different detachable cables. I just didn't care for the sound signature, which was kind of all over the place to me. Boosted bass, boosted treble, scooped out mids to my ears.

 

[Pifje]

Personally I enjoy the Momentum over ear (version 1). They don't fold but are small and very portable. Comes with a nice travel case as well. The 2.0 version folds, but costs quite a bit more, unless you find a good deal on a used pair.

I was very unimpressed with the m50x, though I guess they are nice if you get them on sale for $120 or less. Certainly good build quality plus 3 different detachable cables. I just didn't care for the sound signature, which was kind of all over the place to me. Boosted bass, boosted treble, scooped out mids to my ears.

I just actually read somewhere that the sound stage is very poor on the M50x. I'm seeking for a better sound than the Aurvanas, but this isn't apparently as easy as it should be.

What about Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus? It should be even more durable than M50x, but I'm not entirely convinced about the sound quality yet according to some comments. "Lack of midrange", and stuff.

 

[Antiwhippy]

I just actually read somewhere that the sound stage is very poor on the M50x. I'm seeking for a better sound than the Aurvanas, but this isn't apparently as easy as it should be.

What about Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus? It should be even more durable than M50x, but I'm not entirely convinced about the sound quality yet according to some comments. "Lack of midrange", and stuff.

Meze 99 classics get a pretty big endorsement from tyll.

I don't personally like the darker walnut styling but I love the white look, but my preferred stylings will always be light in colours.

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/meze-99-classics-very-fun-very-tasty#LUzs2wg4OXx9AdkO.97

 

[leng jai]

I was never impressed with the M50X and I bought them back when they were $100USD or so. They're built like a tank though.

 

[SolarMystic]

I just actually read somewhere that the sound stage is very poor on the M50x. I'm seeking for a better sound than the Aurvanas, but this isn't apparently as easy as it should be.

What about Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus? It should be even more durable than M50x, but I'm not entirely convinced about the sound quality yet according to some comments. "Lack of midrange", and stuff.

The only Beyer I have experience with is the DT150. It's closed and the soundstage is very good for a closed headphone, but it is not portable.

Somebody else here might have further recommendations. The Oppo PM-3 is THE portable to get IMO, but that is more than what your looking to spend.

Edit: Forgot about the 99 Classics. Look into those as well, though they are just over your $200 budget.