A list of my headphones, past and present.
My audiophile journey from 2000 to 2023 is described in details in this post.
gantt
title headphones over the years
dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
axisFormat %Y
section Portable
Koss KSC75 :2007-01-01, 2009-12-31
Sennheiser IE4 :2009-01-01, 2017-12-31
Beyerdynamic Byron BT :2018-01-01, 2022-12-31
Apple AirPods 3 :2023-01-01, 2024-12-31
SoundCore Liberty 4NC :active, 2024-01-01, 2025-09-18
section Studio
Audio Technica ATH-M50 :active, 2013-01-01, 2025-09-18
Sony WH-1000XM3 :active, 2018-01-01, 2025-09-18
Sennheiser HD6XX :active, 2019-01-01, 2025-09-18
- 👌 Koss Ear Clip KSC75 ❌ (2007-2009). I wanted a (then legendary) Koss Porta Pro, but didn’t have the money. This was the next best thing I could find. Arguably it was a bad choice for my purposes, since the open nature of the headphones made them impractical to use on the subway.
- 🧡 Sennheiser IE4 ❌ (2009-2017). My first proper choice of headphones, in a sense that I researched the market, read the reviews and selected this particular model. I was not disappointed, and they served me for years.
- 👎 Beyerdynamic Byron BT ❌ (2018-2022). Planned as a wireless replacement for IE4, to use while commuting to work. Sadly I never got to make it fit properly in my ears, regardless of that size tips I used. They still served me for a good few years, but I never got to love them.
- 🧡 Audio Technica ATH-M50 (2013-). The GOAT! I still use them almost every day. I replaced the ear pads and put a cover on the headband, but the rest works just fine. The sound quality is great, significantly better than the noise-cancelling Sony I use for meetings.
- 👌 Sony WH-1000XM3 (2018-). Originally meant as a wireless, noise-cancelling replacement for the ATH-M50, but never fulfilled this promise. Sadly the audio quality for music is noticeably worse than ATH-M50. I use them only for Zoom calls at work.
- 🧡Sennheiser HD6XX (2019-). The real luxury for me. I rarely use them, only when I have the time to properly listen to an album or two. But when I do, I very much enjoy the sound and the soundstage they provide.
- 💩Apple AirPods 3 ❌ (2023-2024). The plastic abomination which I got for free at work. Hurt my ears, never notified me that they are out of juice - pure overpriced garbage. In the end I couldn’t even successfully unlink them from my Apple account to return, so they went right in the e-waste recycling bin.
- 👍SoundCore Liberty 4NC (2024-). My go-to headphones for any day to day activity and travels. Noise cancellation works remarkably well, the sound is not bad either. Very happy with the headphones overall.