To our newcomers, welcome, To the old crew welcome back. If people like to have more of an in-depth discussion in regards to the characterisation of these headphones, feel free to plough into the public telegram chat here at CMA linked below, for further discussion, and boys and ladies, keep it civil LOL it’s just audio at the end of the day however important it is to us t.me/joinchat/8R0_6_NZUygzYjdk
@bodythetan Жыл бұрын
This is definitely one of the tier lists of 2022
@Spik3rSuppa Жыл бұрын
Huge thanks for creating this tier list. Especially with the high, mid and low category. It really helps.
@adamgreenhill110 Жыл бұрын
You make the best comparisons between headphones. All the cans I've been looking at are in this tier list. Cheers!
@ramaidaugirdas Жыл бұрын
Very good, mate! Really aprreciated this. Can't wait to see the IEM ranking :)
@TheSPazCORE Жыл бұрын
Nice list! I'd personally move the TH-909, Utopia, and D8000 Pro up one tier and Stellia down a tier. But otherwise, I agree with your rankings.
@mrhenuАй бұрын
I would put all Hifiman headphones one tier flower because of the quality and durability issues. If I'm paying so much for headphones I expect them to last longer than Hifiman do.
@TheMMadmaXX Жыл бұрын
I find it very interesting, I`ve fallen for the headphones-hobby as well. I've got around 10 pairs of headphones, among them the Denon D9200, Focal Stellia or Audeze LCD-2 C but I more often than not grab my very old Sennheiser HD600. It's just the comfort-factor that makes a difference, they're made of plastic (which I don't care about) and are very light and still sound good, especially with a tube-amp. In the long run that matters even more than pure sound (obviously only as long as the sound is still good).
@strelnikoff7 Жыл бұрын
Finally a tiered list on headphones ! :) great effort ! Minor critique - your video ergonomics. Perhaps, in the next tiered list type video - do include names (brand) and models somewhere, preferably within the video, on the list (yes it may be minute and small) ... or in the video details below.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
I will actually fix this tomorrow video was released in a rush
@chungang7037 Жыл бұрын
I hope you get to try the Bravura soon~ Golden sound figured it was as good as the Susvara at half the price~
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
It’s going to be coming here mate before the year is out Already spoken to warwick
@chungang7037 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio awesome!
@zenboy863 Жыл бұрын
Excellent as always ConvinceMeAudio, wishing you seasons greeting, just wanted to say the Arya Stealth can be driven like a champ out of the Chord Mojo 2 with the volume level around half / light green. Yes the stock Hifiman cable is garbage. Its like something that you randomly come across walking city streets late at night. It makes the medical tubing covered cables included with the Ananda OG look good.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
Thank you kindly it’s very much appreciated, holiday greetings right back at you mate From everyone at CMA
@wandernogueira1682 Жыл бұрын
Excellent video, once again you made it! Where would you put the Hifiman he1000 v2? And for classical music I consider the HD800S s tier. Thank you for your superb reviews!
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
Genuinely the HD 800 S on the 20 K set up on tubes right now is definitely STLOL Unfortunately I’ve not had those headphones for review I’ve not even tested it so I really can’t say as of yet
@SapientPerson Жыл бұрын
The LCD-X 2021 could be an A-tier, in contrast to the B-tier LCD-X 2019.
@theodorezurla496 Жыл бұрын
💯💯
@Jamie-666 Жыл бұрын
Owner of B-tier LCD-X 2019s. Sadface.
@theodorezurla496 Жыл бұрын
@@Jamie-666 that version isn’t bad at all just throw a lil eq in that bitch maybe
@annarobertson8320 Жыл бұрын
Very much personal taste and ear canal shape . For me , i am Lcd5 with Chord tt2and mscaler.
@AndreiTkachyov Жыл бұрын
Thanks for effort and time spent, please consider it is inconvenient to see by small icons what model is what, text label would fix that
@wildturkey1230 Жыл бұрын
Another great video. Solid assessment by all means. I love the Fostex 909 so maybe and A from me on those. As for ZMF, S tier for all their flagship models. I'm a fanboy, though there's some mild subjectivity there. Thanks!
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
To be sure, for me, too, I deem them some of the most enjoyable best headphones on the market, but you kind of have to be objective when you’re putting it up against SUS and utopia et cetera for technical performance
@Karim-ik5ij Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio how does the 909 compare to the 900?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@Karim-ik5ij chalk and cheese, yet derived from the same family The resolution is higher on 909 but my goodness it’s a mess when it comes to equipment. You really do have to synergise it well, and it doesn’t like 90% of things But it’s so clean, 900 is Tonalea, better easier to synergise, and is easy-going, not quite on the same calibre
@Karim-ik5ij Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio THANKS!
@findingabby6 ай бұрын
I'd love an updated tier list.
@ROCKSTAR3291 Жыл бұрын
DAP tier list too, would be an interesting video.
@hemispherecompensation Жыл бұрын
Would you consider doing an end of 2022 "gear/ studio tour", similar to how car channels do "garage updates". Would be pretty cool knowing what stuff you are currently using, plus, we can see what (loaner) gear you have in store for reviews down the road!
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
I’ve always been meaning to do a behind-the-scenes video in regards to how I approach, videos, et cetera. Superb suggestion combine into one ❤️🐅🐅
@brandonyong301 Жыл бұрын
Where do you think some of the newer ZMF's would place on this list Specifically the Atrium, Atrium closed and Caldera
@anncleverley4721 Жыл бұрын
Enjoyed and thank you. I thought the Meze Liric would be here. I am about to purchase this headphone because of your love for it and your excellent review. Is the Stellia the only headphone that everyone seems to always pick? I am very confused with the headphone world it seems so fickle.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
This list is a very old video, that was released. I think 18 months later I’m going to have to revisit it It was more of an experiment actually
@anncleverley4721 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio Thank you so much for this. You really are the one I rely on for knowledge of hifi etc. Your dedication is exceptional. Thank you again
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@anncleverley4721 it’s my pleasure, and you’re welcome ❤️🐅
@freddyfranchise Жыл бұрын
Love your reviews! Could you please test the Denon 9200? I think you wouldn't regret it!
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
There are a few headphones from this manufacturer. I love the test, but they are almost impossible to get hold of and I’ve had no manufacturers or dealers. Send it in for review.
@freddyfranchise Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio Alright. If I buy it myself, which I might cause I've heard it once and it hasn't let go of me, I'll send it to you for review. You are one of the very few compelling, emotional headphone reviewers. You deserve to listen to all the greatness out there :) You are based in the UK, right?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@freddyfranchise thank you very much for the kind words, it’s very much appreciated, and that is a very generous offer, and we appreciate it Yes, we are based in the UK
@user-hb1ve6mc6f Жыл бұрын
Thanks for your review🙂 Please review NAD M33, Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition and DCS Bartok Headphone Edition ☮️ Cheers🎉
@ainsleywilkins145 Жыл бұрын
Great list. What happened to the Quad review. I have a pair which I like but am curious what an upgrade might be. Thinking Arya, but is it worth £700 more?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
It’s on Patreon mate and will be released next. I am pretty sure
@attomicrooster7823 Жыл бұрын
Hey dude. Great video I hope you’re doing well.I finally had the opportunity to try the utopia and Susvara. I found the detail retrieval to be quite similar on both with maybe a slight edge going to the SUS. Utopia had better imaging but SUS had better sound stage. All in all I prefer the utopia because I really enjoy the dynamics and exciting sound of the headphones. I’m going to have to go back for another lesson before I decide 100% on upgrading from my Stellea. I don’t actually think it’s very far behind in terms of technical performance even being a close back but they do both indeed have different tonalities. I love how easy they are to drive and I think they are definitely better value than the utopia but I really enjoyed what I heard from the utopia.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
Nice, out of curiosity, what did you hear as US on?
@attomicrooster7823 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio i’m not 100% sure dude but I know the system including the headphone was around £35,000. They are fantastic headphones it’s just the sound signature wasn’t for me. I found the utopia to work better with the genres of music I listen to.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@attomicrooster7823 probably DCS, Lina Apparently is quite anaemic, but setting that aside if you love utopia, put it on tubes, it’s incredible
@attomicrooster7823 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio what I’ve realised is it’s really difficult to tell people what you think of a headphone over the Internet. In this price category it’s really all about personal taste. SUS is a little too relaxed for me. I listen to mostly rock, metal, pop and country music with the occasional bit of jazz and classical. The utopia with this exciting dynamic sound really works well for me. SUS seemed to work better with more laid-back genres. I don’t actually think that one is better than the other, they are just both different. I am going to go back and get some other headphones and listen though. I want to give the utopia another go just to make sure that I definitely want to upgrade from my Stellea.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@attomicrooster7823 🐅
@chronometa Жыл бұрын
If you're gonna be in this hobby you need at least 2-4 headphones. What specifically is the LCD 2021 good at?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
I would say a nice all around headphone in the lower tier flagship category Good punch, good bass just okay overall
@MistaLova-Lova Жыл бұрын
Stellia over Utopia? How can a closed-back beat an open-back?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
STELLIA are some of the most versatile headphones I have reviewed on the go, and at the desk, scaling up, tremendously play nicely with a variety of equipment They are more comfortable, sound incredible and just work, utopia is only truly fantastic on tubes on solid state. You really have to find the right energy and put some effort into it. But Utopia on tubes when you’re at the desk and confining yourself, how incredibly fucking fantastic really up there as a super flagship
@martinuteng1403 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio Push pull tube amp i recon?
@samafshar Жыл бұрын
Honestly Koss KPH30i + pads are so good that I would put them on the Mid-Fi tier.
@nagodio Жыл бұрын
🎉 👍🏿 iem tier list ?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
Definitely be coming, seeing as we have 16 units here for review, plus everything else we have reviewed on the channel, this video was more of a test and an experiment to see the reaction from the Community And like stated in the video, there will be a DAC, amplifier, in ear monitor, videos coming if the reception is good and people ask for it
@ramaidaugirdas Жыл бұрын
Woah! Really want to see that too, mate!
@kyleo2113 Жыл бұрын
Another great video! Out of curiosity where would you place the Arya stealth?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
Those have not landed on the review desk yet, I’m trying to get hold of a pare the one in the video was v2
@jcap8391 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio You placed the 58x but not the 560s which are better I'm every aspect 🥲
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@jcap8391 they have not come in for review yet, I could not in good conscious say anything about it
@rickp6731 Жыл бұрын
New Camerton Audio BINOM-ER Headphones best on the planet with the Western Electric 91E 300B
@filipedecarvalho3390 Жыл бұрын
I was wondering what your opinion on DCA headphones is. I haven't seen any reviews of them on your channel.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
It’s been difficult getting hold of them, but at Munich, I had a 45 minute chat with Dan, it’s going to appear on the fireside chat series, and I think arena and stealth might becoming
@filipedecarvalho3390 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio Good to hear, I will keep checking! I had the chance of trying the Stealth on my Hugo 2, but it didn't wow me at first. I hear it likes a lot of power to excel though. Currently own the Ether 2 which is quite a unique pair of headphones.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@filipedecarvalho3390 stelth requires a tremendous amount of power expanse seems to be going the same route, but I have headtrip which should power anything
@shahkhan110 Жыл бұрын
Hi, I cant wait to see IEM tier list on your channel..plzzzzz
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
There is a shoot out for flagships already on the channel mate, but a tear list will be made next Due to the fact, I have 16 of the bloody things on my desk, being reviewed right now From the companies, moon drop, JOMO, final, ambient, acoustic, et cetera
@canibiteyou8980 Жыл бұрын
For me ZMF Verite are absolute S, when it comes to actual listening to the music and not reading the graphs or nerding out on driver tech. There are only few phones around that come anywhere close.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
I kind of hate how strict I had to be with this list, vC TT2, M scaler was one of my favourite systems ever I will always be S in my heart too
@nikhilsrl Жыл бұрын
Man, I hope you get to the Meze 109 Pros sometime soon.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
Oh bloody hell LOL I forgot to contact MEZE when I got back, it was supposed to be here on the 15th of November 😂 after Christmas now, but it will definitely come in for review
@nikhilsrl Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio Awesome. Can't wait.
@max1492a Жыл бұрын
Are you saying the Koss KPH-30 sounds better and overall a way better headphone than HD600? Or are you factoring in price, value?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
Each category is a ranked with its own confined area Those are a special one it’s literally prise to performance ratio those are ridiculous LOL
@michaelp.3485 Жыл бұрын
Still loving my LCD-5 with my ZMF Pendant amp and Chord Qutest combo, after you said it wouldn't sound good. I hope that bothers you.
@Aniki91PL Жыл бұрын
Hi, thanks. What about the hifiman sundara 2020?
@Mark-hh9du Жыл бұрын
very on the trigger to buy the stella but after hearing the driver failure and costumer's service problems I think I will check other options.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
I think if you’re buying it, new, you will be well covered by SoCal, and sometimes the Internet does tend to set fire to things that really is not as bad as it sounds, but they are terrific headphones genuinely, but at $3000 there are other fantastic options, too, When you’re planning to spend this amount of money, there is a lot to pick from
@pietersoetaert6625 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio If you want a closed back that is somewhat portable (can be taken to the office for example), what is the best hi fi one in your opinion? I personally love the ZMF Verite Closed but it’s not exactly portable!
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@pietersoetaert6625 Liric STELLIA These two are easy to drive sound excellent look great comfortable Otherwise, your best bet is in ear monitors
@pietersoetaert6625 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio unfortunately I can’t really fit IEM’s comfortably. Have you ever tried the T+A solitaire T? Is it any good compared to Meze Liric or Focal Stellia? I want the best portable closed back for a variety of genres (classical, piano, instrumental, indie, folk, rock, heavy metal, film scores, very rarely EDM and RnB) but having some difficulties finding places to demo all the top closed backs where I live!
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@pietersoetaert6625 solitaire P I think the flagship I’ve tried. I absolutely loved but wireless one I’ve not yet I’ve only tried one from this company it was $5000
@sumeetagarwal6561 Жыл бұрын
my tier list S tier: Shangri la SR A tier: Susvara, SRX9000 B tier: Utopia, lcd5, ab1266tc, 009/009s, sr1a, mysphere, d8000pro, solitaire p
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
We are truly putting the super flagships through the Grindr, I genuinely would like to have this discussion in depth, sometimes maybe join the telegram chat LOL The public one is open to everybody ❤️🐅❤️
@sumeetagarwal6561 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio I haven’t heard aperio or he90/Orpheus but the Shangri la sr is a solid step up from anything else I have heard. You have got to hear it some time!
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@sumeetagarwal6561 hence the comment, I actually have, on the blue Hawaii, SE and on a £125,000 set up with the Lampeter Plus X 9000 SR009. I’ve gone through them all LOL
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@sumeetagarwal6561 Warwick will be landing here in the next four weeks
@sumeetagarwal6561 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio I’ll join the discord
@SkywhiteChannel Жыл бұрын
I’ve owned most of your high end headphones plus the Diana tc and 1266 and I find your reviews align for the most part but your off in my opinion on 2 or 3.
@Viewer13128 Жыл бұрын
which headphone was with the grado pad mod?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
Koss kph30i
@Viewer13128 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio ty :)
@MrRosscoz Жыл бұрын
So subjective these tier lists. Another reviewer I respect views the elite as the best head phone in the world!! Personally I’d rather the sus.. but to each their own. The new stealth Arya are the bomb for the money..
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
If you want beautiful design sounds lovely on everything and works with everything. Elite are the best headphone in the world in that context.. But if we are talking about transducer capability, technical ability and performance versus the other super flagship headphones, not quite And of course a heavy dose of subjectivity to LOL, as it is always the case with audio unless somebody’s reciting measurements which come in themselves be interpreted due to the way, it was measured, subjectivity pretty much is the perspective you’re going to get from everybody
@killeraudiofile8094 Жыл бұрын
surprised to see the Stellia above the VC :O
@attomicrooster7823 Жыл бұрын
Stellea is an amazing heard from David. I’d go as far to say that it’s the best value for money TOTL headphones. I’ve managed to compare it to utopia, 1266 and Susvara and it’s really not that far behind. It’s also extremely easy to drive but I do still want to purchase the utopia. I haven’t managed to try the VC yet but I would like to pick up a ZMF at some point
@killeraudiofile8094 Жыл бұрын
@@attomicrooster7823 yea I guess it comes down to preference, it's really fast but has that more metallic timbre that I don't like as well. I really like the ZMFs for their timbre, and are no slouch when it comes to transients either, though it may not be as zippy as the beryllium Focals.
@latle111 Жыл бұрын
Koji, I admire and respect you. But the Empyrean elite is such a wonderful package with extreme musicality. I agree the price is way too high. But putting it in B tier was very surprising to me, and a bit shocking. Could you tell us a bit more about why it's in B tier? I'm just curious to hear more, I don't intend to fault your subjective rankings. Much love from America.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
First and foremost, remember to take each category within its own confined field. A category of P rating is not the same as low, tier or mid tier. As a whole package, it’s absolutely wonderful, as a singular headphone for somebody who wants luxury and an easy-going headphones that beautiful is fantastic But when it gets ranked in its category, it’s driver quality goes up against the focal ZMF, the abyss, and that’s where it falls short unfortunately I had to be as objective as I could, with their performance against their counterparts in its own category
@latle111 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio Thank you Koji. I'd love to see Meze go direct and cut out the middlemen and bring their price down back to earth. The Meze brand is well established now, I think they should totally go direct.
@Peace_Guard Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio The driver was perfectly capable this entire time, just wasn't correctly utilized. The new angled alcantara pads show that, exploring new heights of detail extraction, transparency, airyness, switching them from a laid-back/background listerning type to very engaging/addictive and slammy, even improving timbre. The hybrid pad listening experience feels like 1/10-1/5 the price of the angled alcantara experience.
@annarobertson8320 Жыл бұрын
Im interested that u never mention Grado
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
I’ve not reviewed any yet Also, remember, this list was shot a year ago as a test, you to the reception, there will be lots more coming in regards to separate part of the chain It was more of an experiment 😎 t.me/joinchat/8R0_6_NZUygzYjdk Public telegram chat, if this is what you were referring to
@timmasters4893 Жыл бұрын
Maybe do one for the under $1000
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
I need to revise this list. This was an experiment years ago and got released late.
@victorhermozaibarra7175 Жыл бұрын
Y donde estan los stax?
@munsukwon8393 Жыл бұрын
Arya stealth is easy to power and drive. Maybe you are talking about the previous version when you said it is difficult to power in it? Arya stealth is one of the easiest one to drive.
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
Yes, og, V2,
@willsenwijaya9410 Жыл бұрын
Awesome ranking, brother! Hilarious to see a few triggered Meze Elite owners in the comments. 😆😆
@manfredkravecki9074 Жыл бұрын
His ears, his selections. It's a subjective hobby and you can't argue personal preference. Other reviewers like Lachlan and Michael de Lazzer have placed Elite above most TOTLs 😉
@willsenwijaya9410 Жыл бұрын
@@manfredkravecki9074 For sure, it is a very personal hobby, and I have immense respect towards the Elite. One of the most enjoyable headphones, period. I observed a few triggered Elite owners and laughed about that; I failed to understand that this can be perceived as arguing? Probably should have a good read before replying? 😉
@klc2578 Жыл бұрын
Where's the iem list? 😏
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
I randomly recorded this video and put it together, almost a year ago, as a test I wasn’t honestly accepting such attention reaction and appreciation and anger LOL, I will be making one for DAC, amplifier, in a monitors, in the upcoming weeks
@gordonfreeman4491 Жыл бұрын
No ZMF headphones?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
This list is actually a very old video that I released, because I completely forgot about it, and it’s more of a test product for our community to see what the reception is like, be sure this will be updated with all of the latest flagships et cetera this was just testing the water
@gordonfreeman4491 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio Cool. We all love rankings ;)
@davidmthekidd Жыл бұрын
No love for the MDR-Z1R?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
I think it might of been a good thing LOL My experience with them was limited, and it was five years ago, I think, or thereabouts, and in my experience plus the HD820 are some of the worst headphones I’ve come across in the flagship territory, but I would like to test them again with the equipment. We have here before ever putting that on the screen LOL I hope they both come in for review, because they are rare So right now I’m holding judgement and I’m not putting them in this list Incidentally, this list was a complete whim, I did not know how it was going to be received, but I will need to do it again seen as this is a very very very old video and I have had at least 30 flagships here since then I just shot the portable amp-DAC and DAP list couple of days ago
@zhanurdos Жыл бұрын
Have u tried sash tres 45ohm?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
I can’t say I have unfortunately
@milankucera7304 Жыл бұрын
I understand that your list is subjective, but come on, Elite in the B section? Are you kidding?
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
remember, each category has its own section, that was the whole point of the video, It’s up against SU S, utopia, Diana et cetera Soooo yes
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@thickvinyl for somebody who wants a luxury headphone that just works with anything sounds pretty damn great and comfortable as hell and looks beautiful. It’s a world-class headphone, but if we’re talking about driver quality yes it does not compete in the realms of utopia SUS and 1266 and X9000
@manfredkravecki9074 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio You gave Elite four tigers and Diana 3 tigers, yet Diana is on A and Elite on B. That's what I call consistency, very reliable list 👍🤣
@ConvinceMeAudio Жыл бұрын
@@manfredkravecki9074 because elite is a fantastic all around headphone, but when you’re creating a list, like this sonic characteristics, come first, and elite does not touch Diana Second of all, as I stated in the video, I recommend watching videos carefully next time LOL, each category has its own section, so when you’re putting super flagship headphones up against each other in the $4000 and above, it’s only against those headphones not in the listing below it Thirdly, reviews of these products by themselves in their own echo chamber is very different to a list category and Rankin, Thanks for dropping by, 😉
@manfredkravecki9074 Жыл бұрын
@@ConvinceMeAudio Elite does not touch Diana V2? LOL Maybe to you 😂, for sure not to many out there including other known reviewers. But thanks anyway for trying to make a list. Your channel, your rules. I understand 😉