Same here. The clamping force to the side of the head is also another factor. I prefer earphones to headphones and have BGVP Solomon and Thieaudio Prestige LTD as my main reference.
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Although I put a lot of research into getting the most comfortable headphones, that sounded the best I could afford, I find I rarely use them. I invested in Naim Headline2 and Napsc2 to power my Beyer Dynamic Amirons but have since sold the Amplifier and PSU and now just use the headphone output from my Supernait3, which is good enough for the amount I use them. The Amirons beat Grado/Focal/Meze/Sennheiser when I auditioned. Very comfortable for my head shape and size.
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I need to register my overwhelming jealously on the official record please 
lazyscott, would you take a risk on the manky Phonitor X currently on UK eBay? Asking for a friend.
The Phonitor series due to the way they have been designed seem to have a peculiarity that makes them rather delicate. (It may have been fixed) As the instructions say you must turn the volume down to zero before inserting or removing the headphone jack. It is in the instructions.
I asked a few questions before buying my Phonitor SE
Thank you I bought the Phonitor SE and it works fine with my setup.
I have set the amp to high gain +12db, as the Heddphone needed the volume control very high. It is better with my Sennheiser HD 800S and Beyerdynamic T1 V2 too. I presume this is normal functioning.
I have read about amps failing when a headphone is inserted/extracted whilst music is playing, is this still a problem? I am careful, but this might happen accidentally.
So far I am enjoying this amp.
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## _AI
## replied
2025/09/02 14:19:44
Hi,
well you should turn the volume control all the way down before you pull out the headphones. This protects your headphones and the amp. For safety reasons, we recommend this regardless of whether music is playing or not.
Enjyo listening musik 
There are cases on the Web were users have blown the circuity. So make sure the seller accepts returns.
Otherwise it is a fantastic piece of kit. The Cross Feed is very useful for some bad recordings.
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Is that not simply good practice and recommended with any amp?
Hi Jay, if i could get it for about Ā£650 definitely thatās half the price of the black one listed.
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One solution is to use headphones with XLR4 connectorsā¦ thatās what I do.
Other opinions are available.
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Yes, but if you read the reviews on the web, it seems not everybody, even those who should know, does this.
And I should perhaps added, similar applies with speaker systems, good practice dictating that the volume control should always be turned to zero before powering down/up, or between sessions. Once upon a time the on-off switch used to be attached to the volume control, meaning it happened automatically when you turned off, and of course people always used to turn off after use!
I have three use-cases for headphones and a pair for each: Focal Hadenys for my office, where I want smooth, light-weight and easy to wear. B&W P7 S3 for working in cafes, the dining room or anywhere else that isnāt my office but Iām sitting and working. Technics EAH-AZ100 for on-the-move - they really are exceptional and the best earphones Iāve heard. None of my headphones compare with my lounge system, but they all fulfil a very useful function.
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What, the stand?
Focal headphone stand - in their catalogue, frequently offered foc with their more expensive headphones.
ATB, J
All I got with my clears was a spare pair of pads ! Mind you, they wereabout Ā£120 I think.
I do use Headphones when the kids are in bed
Tube Headamp Eternal Arts
I used to have Bayerdynamic - very detailed but no bass
Then many years Ultrasone Edition 12 - to expensive for what they can or canāt
And many many years Fidelio X1, now upgraded to X2HR from Philips. Itās a real hidden gem!
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I enjoy both speakers and headphone listening. Headphones in particular took over from speakers when children came along 20 years ago and turning the volume up was strictly forbidden so I went down the headphone rabbit hole. With kids now much older I get to enjoy both once again.
I do wish more folk could experience what the higher end headphone set ups are capable of delivering. It seems many comments Iāve read over different hifi forums are from folk using pretty mediocre kit to form strong opinions from.
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Interestingly, I didnāt let children rule my life in such ways, though I deferred loudest rock listening to times young kids werenāt in the room. In particular we made the decision from the very beginning that it was making a rod for our own backs if we kept quiet after children had gone to bed, having known other people do that then having it ruled out their lives for years. Instead we just carried on as normal on the basis that it they would simply learn to sleep without requiring silence. It worked, and we never had any issues as a consequence. And they grew up with music a normal part of life.
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Yes, at a certain price point, around ā¬1500+ ( Recommended retail price) headphones start to provide a wonderful listening experience, as they become more detailed and generally crisper. Beyond the ā¬2000 price point, gains are negligible
My ā¬500 Shure 1540 cans are good, but my Heddphone 2GT, Beyerdynamic T1 ver 2 and Sennheiser HD800S, are another thing.
A good HP amplifier is pretty essential to match the headphones. My SPL Phonitor SE that I bought used is much better than the HP socket on my XS3 amplifier. The ā¬600 Lehmann Audio Drachenfels is a good value HP amp too.
You can buy second hand, if the cans are serviceable. I was undecided when I bought the HD800S between these and the Beyer T1. The HD800 won, but out of curiosity I bought a tatty pair of Beyer T1ās cheap, and restored them with a new headband and pads. I still am undecided, which of the two I prefer. But the Heddphone has mostly replaced both.
It is no accident that I have matched German headphones with German HP amps. Hedd recommend SPL for their cans, and Lehmann are known to work well with Sennheiser and Beyer.
The High End of headphone gear, is much more accessible than the mouth watering sums I see with speaker based systems.
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Yes headphones have significant cost advantage for themselves and amp (less so if you get multiple pairs because they suit different music). But that is solo, it would be a lot higher if you want a high end socially listenable headphone approach with as many listening (to same quality) as you can with a speaker system, multiple identical high end cans and amps required, and possibly a signal splitter to feed them,
If I do get a decent pair for travel, Iād certainly try them at home, where Iād feed direct from my Dave DAC which has headphone output reputed to be very good. (Now that would mke a low box count system, 2+cans, including music store!)