I’ll start!
- Fiio FA9: my most critical listening sessions and overall best sounding. Also one of my remaining wired headsets that make work calls sound fantastic. These rarely leave the house with the exception for work travel, no intention for mobile listening with these.
- Sony WH-XM5: these are my go to for work travel/ out in public when I have a backpack to lug em around. The ANC and mic quality are 10/10. Sound out of the box was meh but after using the commonly used Reddit EQ, their sound is fantastic without any of the distortion. Never seen a set react to EQ so well without any distortion. Having great sound wirelessly has been a big QOL upgrade for me. Love having LDAC with high quality streaming.
- Fidelio X1’s: were my daily driver’s for about 7 years until the FA9’s. I now use them when the family is asleep, I click em into my BTR3 and connect to the TV, and get a cinematic experience. Their sound signature and soundstage make shows/movies/games MUCH more enjoyable when I cannot use the home theater setup. Otherwise, for music, they’re a little too easy going, I prefer something on the warmer end of neutral. Lacks the texture and resolution of the FA9’s.
- Google Pixel Buds 2: These are my grab and go’s, my daily beaters that integrate well with my pixel. Meh sound quality, decent call quality, sweat resistant. Most likely will upgrade to the WF-XM5’s as their sound is becoming evident as a dramatic downgrade to my other sets
Moondrop Quark - Best for sleeping, I use them exclusively while I’m camping in the backcountry
Sennheiser IE600 - Daily IEM’s, use them mostly while I walk my dog and when I work out
Sennheiser HD800s - Daily headphones, set up at my bedside, use them most evenings
Sennheiser HD6XX - Set up at my desk, I use them occasionally but not very often anymore.
All of my others are basically ‘retired’. Sennheiser HD 25-1 II, Bose IE2, Bose Soundsport Free, Shure SE215
LCD i4 + Qudelix: When I’m going for a walk, or going out in non noisy area.
Grado SR80e: Office, openback is nice.
Random IEM + Kinera: Office, meeting.
Smoll IEM: Sleep.
ER2XR: Ear dildos, work.
XBA-N3: Commute, train, etc. When I need slight noise isolation while still able to hear stuff.
9999 db speaker: Home.FiR Krypton 5: Hip hop & harder rock tracks - for when I want the music to be in my face and intimate
Monarch MK3: Everything else - for when I want more soundstage and holographic presence
Blessing 3: Hiking & when I expect to be sweaty
- S12 pro - At the office with a Q5k
- Linkbuds s - when i dont feel like taking the s12 and or q5k
- T1 gen 2 - Gaming and music - Replaced my hd 700
Am still looking for a well build bassy/rumbly planar though, since ive now sold my DCA Aeon Flow (which sounds meh). I have tried a bunch from hifiman, but the built and comfort are meh on the lower end models. And i dont want to spend arya money on something from them. Might give Audeze a go, if/when i can find me a second hand one for “cheap”.
AirPods Pro for podcasts, never music
Focal Utopia for relaxing and listening in the background
MM-500 for critical listening or when more guitars are involved, the Utopia is not really great at that
Empire Ears Odin for listening on the go or when headphones seem too uncomfortable
Meze Empyrean for daily drivers at home. Use them for work, gaming, TV, movies, and surfing the web. When I’m in the office I use focal elagia because they sound really good with an EQ, are good at cutting out surrounding noise, and don’t leak audio at louder volumes. I also got them cheap at like $400 since they were being discontinued. But sometimes on the weekends I’ll use them when I want to listen to something from my phone and don’t want to be tethered to my PC. I used to use my momentum 3 for that and travel but the focal connected to my qudilex 5K sounds much better than them so they sit in a drawer most of the time. I’d like to get a new pair of headphones to compliment the Empyreans one day but everything I’m looking at is expensive.
- HiFiMan HE400se: desk use at home, everything. I’d use this over the others to watch movies. Dat subbass rumble (speaker guys don’t kill me plz). Never turn off autoEQ on this.
- Grado SR80e: also desk use at home, everything. Prefer this over the HE400se when I want something lighter on my head. Rarely use autoEQ, because I’ve grown to love the sparkle.
- Samson SR850: currently in my hometown, didn’t carry them to where I work now as they’re rarely used. Planning to give them away or to be sold.
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50X: sometimes for audio monitoring when video making, an extra earmuff on air travels.
- KZ PR2: for in the office.
- Tangzu Wan’er SG: for commuting when I want to use my iPod, have foam ear tips for better seal. An alternative for audio monitoring when video making.
- Sony WF-1000XM4: sometimes commuting, definitely for air travel, under the M50X.
- FiiO F9 Pro: were my IEM flagship, until beaten by… the Wan’er. And PR2. Planning to sell them.