I want preface this review/vs post with a link to my original review of the FT7 and a link to the possibility that I have a "good unit" of a possible FT7 silent revision.

So lets get the little things out of the way before talking about the sound. Both headphones come in identical packing with mostly the same accessories, including the same case, cable, and adapters. The only difference is the pads and the headphones themselves. FT7 includes sheepskin and fabric pads, while the FT15 has pleather, and velour/suede pads (not the same alcantara pads as the FT7-A shocking)

Comfort is nearly the same, but the clamp force is weaker on the FT15 making them a bit mor comfortable.

I will also say that though purely subjective, the FT15 looks way better. Matte finish all around and more uniform colors.

Now time for the sound comparison. Please bare with me as my thoughts are kinda all over the place.

First let's talk bass. FT15 has more bass presence, FT7 feels more tight and controlled. The FT15 does get lower and deeper into the bass, stays more linear without rolling off vs the FT7. FT15 is more dynamic and punchy which is kinda surprising but I guess it makes sense.

Mid range these sound similar, but key differences are that FT7 has a much wider soundstage. In my initial impression I thought the mid range was recessed on the FT15, but after more listening, I don't think it's necessarily recessed, just obviously elevated bass and treble presentation make it seem like such. Imaging is great on both, but FT7 takes the win, placing the vocalist pin point center stage while the FT15 kinda just has them generally in front of you (Test track used, "I Miss You" - ARMNHMR, Trella).

Now for treble. I generally enjoy bright headphones (most hifimans, moondrop venus, monolith m1060, ect) and I would consider both of these to be on the brighter side of neutral, HOWEVER after a while I did notice a glaring issue. The song, "Get Your Wish" by Porter Robinson, is amazing for testing dynamic range as the song basically has none. So headphones with great dynamic range make the song sound phenomenal even though it's already a fantastic song. However, the FT15 is the first time I actively disliked the song, as it was incredibly sibilant. It was very scratchy and ear piercing for me which was a real shame. Again, I usually like bright headphones but that was unnecessarily painful. Other than that, I would say both of these headphones had spectacular detail retrieval.

So yea. Not sure where I'm left with these. My goal was to A/B test these, keep one and sell/return the other, but I don't know which to pick. I really like the bass and looks on the FT15 but I don't know if that's enough to for me to justify getting rid of my "end game". The FT7 is just too good. I think I'll continue listening through the weekend and make a choice come Monday.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them and I'll do my best to answer them!

Key Test tracks used:

CLOUDY STORIES - OddKidOut, artemis orion, San Holo. Used for "spaciousness" and soundstage due to the echo effect.

I Miss You - ARMNHMR, Trella. Soundstage and imaging test. I find some headphones can put the vocalist pin point dead center, or other times just "in front of you in that general direction".

places to be - Fred Again..., Anderson .Paak, CHIKA. Dynamic range test specifically for punchiness and low end boom.

Get Your Wish - Porter Robinson. Another Dynamic Range test noted in the post, thats nonexistant on some headphones but decent on others. But I guess now also for testing sibilance.

Snow - Masked Man, emysprout. Sub bass test. The drop is almost entirely below 80hz. The rumble is a good way for me to gauge headphone subbass.

Nescience - Galdive. Just a beautiful song that really pushes headphones to show off their strengths.

Everything To Me - Porter Robinson. Around 2:44, Porter gets closer to the microphone, and there's only 1 guitar playing. Over the next minute, you hear more guitars appear in very pin point areas.

It looks to be like beyers but can’t exactly tell which model it is. Yeah pretty sure no ones gonna care about this post. Im just sharing it because i thought ts was like finding the newton’s law for the first time. Now that i think about it its just regular headphone. But i do think beyers would fit her personality well

From the KZ ZSN Pros, Salnotes Zero, Moondrop Chu II, Tangzu Wan'er, and Truthear Zero: Red in IEMs. The Samson SR850, Superlux HD681, KSC75, HE400se, AKG K240, AKG K712 Pro and now finally the HD600 and this is it. I'm finally here, these have been my dream headphones since 2020. I've always loved how it looks but was kind of scared when people said how these sound boring, narrow and have no soundstage. However, the mids are so well presented, smooth but detailed highs so they never sound fatiguing, and the cleanest bass I've ever heard. To me, as fun as the AKG K712 Pros sound because of the wide soundstage, the HD600s give enough room for me not to feel claustrophobic unlike some iems and the better instrument separation makes up for it. These have been the best set of cans I've ever put on my head and I'm so glad because these are exactly what I've been trying to achieve with EQ for all the headphones I've owned. I am very happy and this is where it ends for me.

T+A just listed this new Pro version of the Solitaire T. Is it going to be the new best-sounding ANC headphone? I have my hopes up!

Since there isn't much going on here on Reddit for Estats thought I'd post some here.

First off these were my dream Headphone (or Earspeaker) but I hesitated to buy one because this would also mean I need to buy an Energizer which is why I was sticking with the Susvara OG/Unv for quite some time now.

After finally selling my Amp and Headphone and a little bit of waiting I now have the X9000. Even with an Energizer which doesn't really do justice to the X9000 it sounds more to my liking than the Susvara and the Soul 170HA but only with EQ. I EQ every Headphone to my taste and out of the box the X9000 sounded too etheral and light so I added some body via EQ (and tube preamp) now it's pretty great!

(Plus it actually feels like a premium product unlike my squeaky Susvaras.)

Can't wait till my "real" Energizer arrives.

Only issue now I have with the X9000 is the cable. It's thick and heavy.

Don’t turn it up too loud. Details in the comments.

The Qudelix UI for the chrome extension was working really well and they decided to change it to ... this?? Why oh why??? The settings are so small ... And that choice of color??!!

Am I the only one to think it's a downgrade?

AUNE AR3000 in for review and testing, won't say to much as I am not sure what im allowed to say before launch. So for now just a photo and ill say this is good stuff, I do belive the price will be very nice 🔥

I've been looking for a nice pair of wireless ANC headphones and I narrowed it down to the Bose QC Ultra 2 and Sennheiser Momentum 5's. I went ahead and purchased both to A/B compare and I thought I would share my thoughts for anyone in the same predicament. These are strictly my thoughts and opinions. No outside influence whatsoever. I'm also not a headphone expert nor an audiophile, just a regular dude. I'm a musician though and do have some reference headphones but, I like my every day headphones to be fun and exciting to listen to.

Sound Quality

Regarding sound quality, they both sound great but they are very different.

The Bose QC Ultra 2 have very crisp and rich detail in the highs and mids, and a really smooth and punchy low end. I did end up having to dial back the bass and treble in the Bose app EQ to -1, 0, -3 as I found those to be my preferred sound settings.

The Sennheiser Momentum 5's are definitely tuned flatter out of the box but man they can move some air. They have way more prominent bass and sub bass than the Bose. I found the mids and highs on the Momentums a bit lacking though. Even with graphic EQ, I couldn't get them to match the crispiness of the Bose. They still sound great though. They have more "down the middle", raw, aggressive punch than the Bose so I preferred their sound profile a bit more for certain hardcore, hard rock, and hip hop songs. (Note: When I was playing with the bass frequencies EQ in the app, I found that the Momentums will start clipping/popping on the peaks if you increase the low end too much.)

Regarding the soundstage and instrument separation, the Bose wins hands down. You can hear every detail and instrument with clarity. The Momentums still have a great soundstage but they sound a bit narrower with less definition and instrument separation.

For movies and TV, I had them both connected to my Apple TV 4K. The Bose Cinema mode sounded better and more natural to me than the Momentums but they both worked fine. It's a tie for me.

Winner: Comes down to personal preference but I prefer the Bose. I'm a basshead to an extent too but, if you're a true basshead, you'll probably prefer the Momentum 5's

Noise Cancelling

The Momentums actually surprised me a lot here. They were very close to the Bose but I still prefer the Bose. I felt the Bose handled a wider variety of loud noises better and were able to adapt to the environment more naturally. They are very impressive. That said, I would still be happy with the Momentum's ANC, they're also really good.

Winner: Bose

Comfort

Besides their sound profiles, this is where they differ the most for me. The Momentums are very comfortable to wear and listen to. Plush ear cups, not too heavy on the clamping force, and still lightweight but, switching to the Bose is night and day. The Bose are so much lighter and don't clamp nearly as hard. They are the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn by a mile, it's like wearing a pillow on your head. I forgot they were on my head multiple times. Another thing I noticed is that the Bose have a deeper ear cup so no part of ears touch the drivers. The top of both of my ears touch inside the Momentums ear cups. It's not a deal breaker but something I noticed right away.

Winner: Bose

Aside from those categories, they're pretty much the same regarding connectivity and features. I like the Sennheiser app a little more but the Bose app is fine. Oh, I almost forget, another big note is that the Momentum's have a vastly better battery, something like 60 hours vs the Bose's 30 hours. And the fact that it's replaceable is really awesome. Those things don't matter to me as much as sound quality and comfort though.

I'll be keeping the Bose QC Ultra 2 and returning the Sennheiser Momentum 5's but it was close. One thing I can promise, if you haven't tried either of these, the comfort of the Bose cannot be understated. They feel so nice to wear. Sound is subjective though so, I hope this review helps but it's impossible to know what you want without hearing both. For transparency, I found the Bose's open-box at Best Buy for $310. Idk that I'd pay $450 for them but I still think they're better than the Momentum 5's

Probably forgot some stuff so if you have any questions just lmk and I may be able to answer.

I have Sony headphones and that thing rubbed off. Do I buy new ones?

Just got the FT15 in today and I'm super excited for these. Unfortunately I worked a 13 hour day and have to be asleep in the next hour to go to work tomorrow. So here's a mini impression review after 40minutes of listening

They're great.

Definitely V-shaped leaning side of neutral. Very fun sounding. Compared to the FT7, the ft15 has better/more bass, slightly recessed mid range, and both are bright leaning but in different areas of the treble.

I believe the FT7 is just a better Hifiman Arya in every way (and I'll stand on that), so comparing the FT7 to the FT15 feels like comparing the Arya Stealth to the Arya Organic. I don't necessarily know if ones better than the other, as they're both similar but also very different.

Looks wise, the FT15 is absolutely stunning. Love the all black headband with forged carbon rather than the ft7 black with orange accents carbon fiber weave.

Again. I'll do a full write up tomorrow or Saturday, but as of right now it's a great headphone.

I got them primarily for gaming, with about 10-20% for music. Not going to lie - I expected to be blown away by the soundstage size and imaging precision, but I wasn’t. With my U12t and IER-Z1R, it already trips me out how so many sounds seem to come from outside my head, even though I have little speakers stuffed into my ear canals. I bought the HD’s blind and have never listened to open back headphones before, so based on all the reviews, I thought these were going to sound like I’m listening to speakers in the room, but the improvement over the IEM’s is just subtle, rather than transformative.

The Z1R’s are my go-to’s for music. They’re known to have one of the largest soundstages of any IEM, and while I do perceive the overall soundstage to be a bit larger with the HD’s, it’s not by much. Granted, the Z1R’s soundstage is so grand, to say anything is even a tiny bit better than them is quite the compliment.

The U12t’s are what I use for gaming, and I’d say those give me a better perception of center image and depth out in front of me, while the HD’s have a mild improvement to my perception of width. My ability to pinpoint the exact location of sounds (footsteps, reload, etc) is maybe a tiny bit better with the HD’s, but again, not by much. All three of these are incredible at revealing every last detail in music.

None of this is meant to be a criticism of the HD800S - I’m just pretty spoiled to have two of the greatest IEM’s of all time as my baseline reference. The HD800S sounds awesome, I enjoy having another new sound signature in the collection.

I bought these and love the soundstage and one of my favorite purchases of the year, but my only issue is that when I put it on, the adjustment band sometimes overtravels and expands the clicks so that its way bigger than what I need.

Do I just put electrical tape on it? Is there a cleaner sleeker solution?

Decided to upgrade my audio setup as a treat to myself for my 18th birthday. Still a broke student so I got these both used but paid just about 100 dollars for the two together which I think was a steal. Been running a 30-dollar pair of in ears and third gen airpods for the longest time so pretty big upgrade for me.

I'm listening to my HD600 and my IE200. For a given rock song, I thought it would be easy to decide which is the better sound but I can't! Anybody else switch endlessly comparing headphones and/or IEMs on the same song ?

(It's also an excellent way to accidentally blast yourself)

And no, this photo is staged, I don't keep my headphones like this.

Is the Sennheiser HD 650 the most accurate audio headphones? How does it compare to later models? How is the surround sound in headphones? I'm very new to this and I've heard that headphones don't have the best surround.

Does anyone currently own the Genesis one? I'd be interested to hear your perspective on them. I'm on the vip list for the pure. The reason I find them so interesting is because you're getting those E stat speeds without sacrificing bass. The pure have a drive target of 300 ohms, which surprisingly, my microphone is powerful enough to handle.

Ultimately are they more novel than anything else or do they genuinely sound amazing and were worth the buy?

Hello guys ! If you have any questions about those headphones please feel free to ask me anything about them ! I will be happy to help you if you are about to bought one of them or if you wonder how they compare!

Update #1

I want to make a little comparison , between them

Sony mv1

1. Bass /sub 8
2. Mids. 9.5
3. Treble 9.5
4. Detail. 9.5
5. Soundstage. 8
6. Power to drive 9 ( 10 means is very easy to drive )
7. Slam /punch. 2 8 comfort 9.8

Sony m1 ( closed back )

1. Bass /sub. 8.2
2. Mids 9.3
3. Treble 9.7 ( may be piercing from some people)
4. Detail 9.5 5.soundstage 7
5. Power to drive 9
6. Slam /punch 3 8..comfort 9.6 ( the lether pad may accumulate heat )

Sennheiser hd480 pro

1. Bass /sub 8.5 , the sub low notes are addictive one of the best i ever heard ( 25 to 80hz ) but lack some Midbass for some people may sound wrong , I really like the sub bias personally

2. Mids 9.7 more natural timbre but more distant that both Sony feel recessed by comparison to Sony , but i really like how vocals sounds in 480 pro

3. Treble 8 , very relaxed , people sensitive to Treble may love this type of Treble

4. Detail 8.5

5. Soundstage 6.9

6. Power to drive 7

7. Slam /punch 3

8. Comfort 9.9

The mv1 clamp less but may create a hot spot on top of the head , the hd480pro clamp more but doesn't have any Hotspot, so almost perfect score for hd480 pro , and the pads are even better that the pads on mv1 , they feel like a dream

I bought these in 2019. 100% satisfied. I've bought earbuds, other over the ear sets, but I just love these. All the padding has recently started flaking off, but they're still comfy, they still bump.

This might be a weird question, but…

I’m home with him three days a week and I go a bit feral without something in my ears, so I moved to open-ear stuff a while back specifically so I could still hear him. The OpenFit Pro ones hook over the top of the ear, nothing in the canal, so I can hear what’s going on. Him, the kitchen, the dog, all of it. Including when he goes quiet in the other room, which is the one that actually matters.
None of which matters to him. As far as he’s concerned, if there is something on my ears then I am Unavailable.
And I don’t think I’m actually missing him. He’ll hold up a dinosaur and tell me it’s the big one, I say yes that’s the big one, and he’ll still go “you’re not listening.” So I take them off, we talk. Which I suspect just teaches him he was right.
My guess is he’s pattern matched it off phone calls. Thing on ear, dad is talking to someone else. Tried letting him hold one. He thought that was great and wanted to put it on me himself. Tried explaining it. He’s three, so......

Does this wear off on its own?

Bought these Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones back in April 2026. Just a few weeks ago I noticed this delamination. Contacted Sony, but "physical damage" is not covered under their limited warranty. Is this normal? I've only ever used these under normal wear conditions. Took good care of them but it seems as if there is a defect in the outer coating. Is there anything I can do? I bought these from Best Buy, but I assume they will want me to contact Sony, which has been pointless. Any tips would be appreciated.

I saw some review about them and theyre said theyre are both very good for pricing and aesthetic that why i post this thread i wanted to know if you have one and wihch one i could take it or if you have another recommandation for the same price

(Sorry I try to do my best to enable speak in english sorry)