just amazed that these arent on the wall.. there must be a reason i'm overlooking.

Wish you were able to review/test more customs..   The Westone ES-5's for example are a thing of beauty.

great job!

Thank you very much for your work. I've obviously become an avid reader of your blogs and find them entertaining, informative, and unique. I happen to own two of your recommendations and I happen to love these products (Audeo PFE 112, and Koss KSC75). Thanks Tyll.  

There are some Westones in the loop, and I've got a pair of the custom ACS from Altec just in. Had to start somewhere though, and the JH13 is a sure bet.

LCD-2 and LCD-3 are in flux at the moment, but I'm sure one or both will end up on the WoF.

I noticed that Innerfidelity has measurements for the ESP950 and there is a very old review somewhere at Innerfidelity as well. It seems a bit of a good price/performance ratio can. Is there any reason it didn't get to the "Wall of Fame"? A bit bright? Lack of bass? I've read here and there that is a reasonable performing system... Is the HD650 superior to it? Thanks.

Good to hear the P5 cable is replaceable, but I read on C-net aftermarket cables won't work because of how small the opening is. Have you tried any, particularly a V-Moda? I really liked the P5 in an Apple Store, but the flimsy cable is out of a horror story. EDIT: I see the cable is a hard-to-find, slim-profile 2.5mm-to-3.5mm cable.

The horror...the horror...

It looks good so far with few surprises. I was interested to see the full-sized open cans having only a few entrants. You gotta get a K702 or sibling on that list.

Also, I thought for sure I'd see the MDR-V6 until I realized that this isn't a museum for the ancient and outdated. Keep up the work, Tyll. This is good stuff.

Great jobTyll! I agree with most of your selections, although couldn't help but notice the absence of some high end Grados. I know you dislike hot treble, but cans like RS1i or PS500 (mid tier) are pretty well regarded (I personally love SR325is but I agree they can be too treble happy for a lot of people). Any specific reasons other than the aggressive treble for your liking?

Oh and great call on the K550s!

You can include LCD-2/3 indicating the SN and pointing the freq.graph of the piece included

I've been waiting for this for a very long time. 

Now this will makes things much much easier.

I am surprised you didn't select the Grado SR325is as one of the best headphones for the price, i'm completely in love with my grados! could you give me a brief explanation why you dont like Grado so much?

Oh! and thank you, i bought a pair of custom V-Moda m80 for street use, they are beautiful! thank you for all your reviews, i'm always checking your reviews and commentaries. You are a very talented and honest reviewer..( sorry about my weak english, it's not my native language )

Keep the good work!!

I didn't include the 950 primarily due to their widely reported failure rate.

I find the HD 650 a significantly superior headphone, though somewhat more expensive.

They're just too piercingly bright and weak in the bass.

VSonic's GR07 is one of the finest (and -the- finest bang-for-buck) IEMs that I've ever heard, and I definitely think it deserves at least some consideration for the WoF.

I agree. The GR07 are definetely one of the best dynamic IEMS out there and for a great price!

I don't know if he has heard a pair yet. At very least, the measurement data has not been posted yet. FWIW, he did bring over ClieOS from head-fi to write an IEM recommendation guide, who did note GR07 on his list. It is excellent, especially at its price.

Tyll, did you kick off the EX600 for the PFE? Okay, the PFE is good and has plenty of features, but the Sony sound is killer. Did the isolation disqualify it? 

Would be nice if the link to the guides would be in some place besides just the bottom of the page. My brain blanked out and forgot where the guides were collected.

Thanks Tyll. I appreciate the heads up on the ESP950. Cost and other priority considerations aside, the HD650 are highest in my list along with maybe an O2 HP amp.

The DT990 Pro 250 ohm will have to do for the time being... I know is a bit bright, but I think it is not worse than the Grados (save the PS500) in that respect (some may disagree), has more bass and is relatively comfortable ( + I paid $172 for it )... I still have to do a lot of home remodeling

BTW I has expecting a Wall of Fame with marble columns, dedicated hard wood headphone stands, tempered glass shelves, with crystal headphone dust covers, dedicated metal plate with headphone name and history engraved... some bling, some love... Nope, off to the garage pegboard!

I really have not heard the EX600, and they may be a great set of sound making thingies.

However, from what I've read it seems Sony EX line is a bit bright (and you know Tyll no likey shiny):

http://www.headphoneinfo.com/content/Sony-MDR-EX600-In-Ear-Headphone-Review/Sound-Quality.htm

Some say using T-400 Comply tips help... and they should if they are bright. Comply tips tame the tremble at the expense of bass extension, while silicon bring back the bass but the tremble will go up as well (particularly @ 10kHz)

http://www.head-fi.org/products/sony-mdr-ex600/reviews

ClieOS did not seem to have reviewed the 600, but he did the 700 and he didn't like the tremble either from what've read.

Anyhow, I don't own them, but there does seem to be some different opinions about them. Definitively not a slam dunk as some of the cans that are on Tyll's Pegboard of Fame.

Which one has more sound leaking the V-Moda m80 or the Sennheiser Amperior?? do you know when the Amperior is going to be released??

Thank you

The V-Moda prolly has more leakage, but it's not a lot. Sorry, don't know when the Amperior will be for sale for sure. B&H Photo Amperior page says May 25.

I like the Sennheiser HD 518 for portables and computer especially, and think the headroom people made a good pick when they chose these as one of the top ten headphones. Sennheiser plans to provide a cable for these that is shorter and terminated with a  3.5mm plug for portable use. Good price on these.

ClieOS at inearmatters.com is an excellent resource. 

The EX600 might yet make it. But I do have a "Recommended List" that will eventually appear, so there's some parsing to keep the WoF relatively small and accessible.

Tyll,

This is an awesome resource and the embodiment of much hard work. 

Thanks. 

I hate to join the ranks of why not x? Why not z?

Just surprised to see HiFiMan riding the bench. 

Hopeully you'll get a chance to comment on these relative to the Wall at some point. 

Keep up the good work. 

I like the HE-500, and recommend it, but I think the Audeze cans are better. So I'm sorta waiting for Audeze to sort out some issues, and then they'll likely take a place on the wall.

Thanks Tyll, appreciate your perspective on the orthos!

Isn't lame??? people asking: "omg why MY headphone is not on the list?????????????"

Hey guys, Tyll isn't THE HEADPHONE GOD!!! Yeah he probably knows a lot more than anyone else, but the "wall of fame" is probably based on his TASTES and what HE LIKES. 

It is so lame people asking him to put "x" headphone on the list, so they will fell better with their buyings.

"omg... put akg k701/k702 on the list!!! *cry* 

Seems he has two or three of those akg, if he didn't put, that's because he didn't want to.

lame lame lame...

Not saying you are wrong, but say I've heard or hear about the ESP950 and was on my top list for buying... Then find out that it didn't make it to the pegboard of lame... WTF!? I'm 'bout to pull the trigger on those 'cuz they seem to be better than viagra and the expert says nay?

So we ask and find out that the HD650 is the way to go because the ESP950 have quality issues. Not sure 'bout you, but I'm sure glad I asked, instead of finding out myself in customer support helldome (for a $600 lamephone), and smeared with a brown "I told ya so" in the end.

BTW Oh Omniphonetent LAMEASSPHONE, what shoud I buy?

Nah, this thread is here for people to express their interest in a phone and lobby for it to be on the list.  It's good for me to hear the preferences of others. I just might learn something.

@lameassphone: Guess your cans are not it the WoF ...

Maybe they did, maybe you don't care, but the bottom line dude is that I can only speak for myself: I'm far from a headphone expert, but I started to appreciate what quality HP bring to the table. You can try an own every single HP ever built, but some of us just don't have the substance in our wallets to do so... So we investigate, learn what we are missing... In the process maybe become hobbist and start modding our own cheapo gear to sound better than the expensivo gear and HAVE FUN WITH IT. Dude maybe you knew this all along, but I didn't know crap about orthodynamic, electrostatic, and electret HP... and I'm YET to listen to one, and they hang high in that pegboard. It really makes me curious 'bout them!

Naturally people can ask: Eh Tyll? Do you think the Stax sound a little better than my Philips head band and my Apple earbuds?

If you have better gear you may ask: Eh Tyll? Do you think the Stax sound a little better than my HD202s?

Say you really care 'bout HP and you think you heard it all: Eh Tyll? Do you think the Stax sound a little better than my DT880s, HD600, and AKG701?

You could pose the last question differently: Tyll, I'm supriced my AKG701s didn't make it... Wazup?

You already know Tyll has heard, measured, fundled, and got right down weird with almost all HP in the market, while I haven't. So what was it that Tyll found on the Stax, the HD800 and HD650 that took a dump on the AKG701? Here is where we get to subjective domain dude... Say you like your AKGs AND you think anymore bass will violate the sanctitiy of your ears. Man I can tell you that you should run with them AKGs into a convent, and lock yourself out of the HD800 unholly reach... But if you are all 'bout bass and you thought the AKG701 had it, man start opening that wallet and get your ears a treat...

Say the same guy that thinks AKGs bass is borderline subsonically sick ends up hearing the HD800... What do you think he is going to say 'bout the HD650, HD800, and Stax making it to the WaF... I mean WoF? If the dude liked curgical tremble he's got the right to disagree, no? He's got the right to CRY!... He's got the right to be LAME!... No leave him alone before I defend him!

To ultrabike:

 I have no idea what you should buy. But still, i find lame to ask someone to put "X" headphone on the wall of the fame list...

I was specifically pointing to this guy here:

" funkmeister: "You gotta get a K702 or sibling on that list.""

As someone pointed Tyll tested all of them, and if it didn't make it, it didn't make it. Seems he wants to feel better with his buyings.

And my entire point is, if the headphone is not on the list, doesn't mean it is bad too.

ultrabike:@lameassphone: Guess your cans are not it the WoF ...

All the 3 headphones i have are on the list. Since i know nothing about headphones, i bought them from reviews at headphone.com, and most recently from Tyll reviews.

Thx for your reviews.

@lameassphone: I know dude. No worries...

Tyll i figured from you Sony MDRZX700 review that you liked it better than the AT ATH M-50....

you said it has a bit of lesser bass response but better mids and treble...it also costs less

so how come you didnt include it in the Wall of Fame insted of the Technica's?

Hi Tyll,

I was wondering if you would ever do a DJ section for the wall of fame, or would you recommend from the full size and ear-pad closed sections? If it's the latter, which one would you recommend? Im leaning towards the m50's, but if there are any other popular DJ headphones you would recommend (Sony, Pioneer, shure, Skullcandy mixmasters)?

I've also heard you will be doing a celebrity section? If so, would you be able to compare them to non celebrity headphones that are around the same price catergory? For example the Beats by dre rely heavily on celebrity endorsement to sell their headphones, where as the skullcandy aviators don't as much (If I saw them I would just think they were another skullcandy headphone just high up model), yet you have said they best the m50's in the review. Just would be very helpful for a comparison as some sounding celebrity headphones have just had a cosmetic change.

"I love recommending the D2000 to audio professionals because they are articulate and clear, but I always have to warn that they really don't seal very well...hardly at all, in fact. So the fall-back position for a really good sealed headphone seems to be the slightly biting Audio Technica AT-M50 or somewhat woolly Shure SRH840."

"The AKG K550, on the other hand, is a very well balanced sounding headphone, and, to my ears, bests the above mentioned cans in terms of overall performance."

"The K550 will now be my go-to recommendation for audio pros and headphone enthusiasts alike needing both good isolation and solid audio performance. These will find a place on my Wall of Fame due to very good overall performance on all fronts. Highly recommended."

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/wonderfully-competent-akg-k550-sealed-headphone-page-2

It is not cheap though

I am very much considering the AKG K550, looks very slick and does have some useful features for the guy behind the mixr, plus with Tyll recommending them to audio proffesional's. It's only £180 here in the UK, which makes it even more tempting!

I could never justify HD 800, T1 et al. if compared to Edition 8 and T5P.

If cans are of no use on the go, they make no sense for me.  I learned it the hard way - by spending money and ralising it's spent in vain, as I never use those cans.

If I am in a minority, so be it; but if that is not the case, then the wall of fame can attribute value to the portability of cans - and penalise the lack of it.

+1

Was just wondering why there aren't any full-size open headphones under $300? I'm guessing it's either because Tyll still has some more listening to do or has decided that any headphones under this price point aren't good enough? Only because I have a few in mind which I know are quite popular, for example:

• Audio Technica ATH-AD700
• Sennheiser HD598
• Sennheiser HD518
• Grado sr225i

Tyll, love the work you've done on this site, your reviews have been nothing short of helpful. Suggestions:

-Vsonic GR07

-TDK BA200

-Superlux HD668B

I was looking at the wall of fame and I'm basicly looking for the best sound I like hip hop and rap but I don't just love overwhelming bass I love mids and clarity and hate sharp treble but I do like hearing the cymbol taps and such just not something that will sound like glass. Right now I own the Skullcandy aviators wich are just a tad bit light on the bass for me and vocals can sound a little hollow but I love how the mids sound and the highs are right. I was debating on getting the V-moda and Shure SRH 840 and I was wondering how do the two compare in terms of everything ex. isolation, bass, clarity, nutrality ect. I'm only going to be using an ipod without anything other them the ipod's amp.

I'm curious as to whether the Mix Masters or the Aviators are deserving of Hall of Fame-dom? I plan to buy one of them because I sampled them at Best Buy and they impressed me the most.

I think the Aviators may end up making it eventually.

I was wondering if anyone knew if the Sennheiser 239's were just a cosmetic update of the 238's or also an improvement in sound quality? 

Thanks!

Greetings Tyll,

After scouring your site and all the plaudits that the HD 650 & HD 800s get, how does the mad dogs stack up against these cans?

Thank you for any insight given.

westone 4r is a pretty good headphones too tyll. what do you think between westone 4r and the shure s535? which one is better? westone 4r should be in the wall of fame.

I know that they are in two separate categories, but I am strongly leaning towards one or the other. Tyll, what would you recommend in comfort and sound? Thanks!

What about the Alessandro Music Series (MS1, MS2, MS-Pro)? They are supposedly more tonally correct and balanced than the Grado range
Also your issues about 325 being too bright is solved by the Alessandro series
I'm curious if you've heard the MS-Pro? I'm thinking of picking one up
Pretty popular model here in Australia actually, one of the leading Australian headphones retailer touts them as one of the best and most musical headphones available

Also for in-ear monitors how about Earsonics SM3? They are really popular and touted as one of the best universal in-ear monitors

Tyll,

You really ought to get your hands on the GR07s - they are fantastic iems. You really do need to hear what all the fuss is about...

Im thinking you're right.

Hi Tyll, 

Please, if you can, make some reviews about the new Monster headphones, like the Vektr, Inspiration, and diamond tears. I'm very curious! I want to know if they have improved the sound quality in comparison to the beats by dre

Thanks for making all of this reviews!