Headphones

I want in on this rant!! lol

I feel your pain. I did a rant one time before stating we just need to find a pair we like and be happy. Stop chasing better and better. You'll never find the "perfect" pair because someone says "yeah, but have you tried X!?" What is more frustrating to me is that I have found the ones that are typically more overwhelmingly positive, I don't like. Especially in the world of Chinese HiFi.

Sound is subjective, and I don't claim to have the "right" sound. However, I am a musician of over twenty years with brass and percussion, and I have found I have a picky year when it comes to listening to music. I have to be able to tell when things are out of tune, play by ear, etc. So I can be critical if I want to, but I hate doing that because it keeps me dissatisfied. I can tell the difference where many cannot. I've also taken the sound tests and for my age (39) I can hear a lot higher frequencies than is avg for my age. That being the case, I can't stand most of the ChiFi Market. People are like "that treble is insane! so clear!" All I often hear is sibilance to the point of pain.

I have found one reviewer that I trust because he dislikes a lot of the same stuff I've tried and think is junk and the stuff he recommends I really like. Oluv's Gadgets on youtube. I've tried his Eqs and they are spot on for me. He often comes back and says all this high-end stuff sounds bad compared to some cheaper stuff he has. For instance, he prefers the ANker Q30s over the Airpod Max and Sony XM4s when the ankers are tuned right. I have a pair and love them. I've tried the Sony XM5 and XM4s. I prefer the Ankers (not stock, eq'd right).

I've tried headphones all the way up to $700 Focals (not impressed at all). For reference, I use a set of Wharfedale 11.2 bookshelf speakers for my computer with a Topping E30, and a Tube amp. I have a Monoprice Liquid Spark for a headphone amp. Not top of the line, but very good stuff. I did a speaker review a few years ago, and it looks like it was added to a list of reviews for the group r/BudgetAudiophile here. I've owned Polk, Klipech, Def Tech, Sony, Yamaha, Jamo, and a bunch of stuff. I've had a similar journey with headphones and IEMs.

A few things I can now share:

1. If you can't hear higher frequencies, you will likely not realize something has sibilance or peaky treble because you literally can't hear it. You may also claim headphones are "warmer" when, in fact, they are not. You just can't hear it. I believe this is why some people say some headphones are sibilant, and others say they are not. I like my treble turned up a bit, but just before sibilance at louder volumes. This is why I don't like Beyerdynamic.
2. Bass has to be defined. Do you want to hear lower tones, or do you want to feel lower tones? This is often where people get mixed up on what has a "lot" or bass or doesn't. If you like to hear things flat, hearing a little rumble means it has a LOT of bass. I tried the Hifiman HE-R9 because I like rumbling bass. It was said to have a lot. It did, but it wasn't as much as I expected based on the reviews. My son's Dakoni blues with 2 watts of power hit just as hard with some EQ, but sounds better. The Dakoni's are not considered the bass cannons the HE-R9s are, yet they are.
3. Once you hit the $300 price point, it is harder to find something "better" about the next pair. There are trade-offs that I find are simply not worth the money. Those focal's were clear but had zero bass. I mean, they were lifeless in my opinion. Btu like I said, I like rumbling bass. I heard the lower frequences, but I didn't feel them, so to me, it didn't have any bass.
4. Sony 1AM2 headphones are my favorite all around I've tried so far. I compare what I test to those, and I've just decided to quit trying stuff. I feel it just isn't worth spending more money. The Sonys are consistently better for me, so I leave it. I've tried the bigger brother to them that are $600, but I still like the 1AM2s.
5. If you just want to Jam with some way-to-good-for-the-price headphones, pick up a pair of Koss KPH30i or KPH40. I prefer the 30 and it is my go-to almost every time. Super comfortable, hit hard, and are clear. Sure, my sonys are clearer and more detailed, and have a little more bass, but these won't make your ears sweat like overears normally do. They really are just fantastic. I've tried a lot of the "these are amazing for the price" headphones and the only ones that actually are, imo, are the Koss.