Headphones we'd PERSONALLY buy - 2022 year end roundup

We gather the headphone show team together for a year-end roundup of headphones and audio gear we'd personally buy at various different price tags. These are not necessarily products we'd always recommend to everyone, but things that work well for our individual tastes and use cases.

Measurement Index

Resolve's Headphone Ranking:

How to read headphone measurements

How to EQ Headphones

The Limits of EQ

Become an expert on headphones

[ResolveReviews]

If you're wondering about some of the prices you see in this video, some of those are sale prices or what we've seen them at on occasion and not their regular MSRP.

[tysontyson]

Headphone Show picks:

$200
Moondrop KXXS
Sennheiser HD560S
Moondrop Kato
Qudelix-5K + Truthear Hexa

$500
Sennheiser HD6XX + Little Dot MKii
HiFiMan Sundara + Atom DAC + Atom amp
Moondrop x Crinacle Blessing2:Dusk
HiFiMan Edition XS
Sennheiser HD600 + Atom DAC + Atom amp

$1000
Audeze LCD-2 Classic + Atom DAC + Atom amp
Meze 109 PRO
Symphonium Helios
Audeze LCD-2F (2021)

$2000
ZMF Caldera $3500
RAAL-Requisite SR1a $3500
Focal Clear + Darkvoice 336SE + Audio-GD NFB-11
Sennheiser HD800S
64 Audio - U12t
HiFiMan HE1000 V2

Infinite
Blah blah blah

[jeffcarrozzi]

I love these long group discussions, you guys are awesome with a ton of good info for someone starting out in this hobby. Thank you!

[onepieceatatime]

It's impressive that you were able to make a 30-minute video ostensibly about "headphones" that is interesting, informative, and fun.

[aznsensation]

I'd go with:
$200 and under - Senn HD6XX
$500 - Dan Clark Aeon X Closed
$1000 - Hifiman Arya Stealth
$2000 - Hifiman HE1000SE
$2000+ - Stax X9000

[SuperReview]

Toyota Camry as a dream car is by far the spiciest take not only in this video, but on this channel. I thought you were joking about being dead inside.

[hekakain]

HD650s and Apple AirPods Pros with Mojo 2 and Poly are superb sounding... I'm still getting used to fine-tuning the Mojo 2 as I have only had it for two days. Great review, guys.

[ScottoGrotto]

Delightful dialogue!
Maggie’s ☑️
Quiet car for audio ☑️
Discussion and tangents ☑️
Tune amp like Valhalla 2 for Sen hd650 or ZMF Auteur Blackwoods ☑️ (mine)
Really liked this video and all input!
For a car, I’ve thought some kef 6.5 inch home coax speakers in custom enclosure s could be very good!

[danterikxx]

I came for the HD 600 jokes and i was not disappointed

[eruilluvitar]

This was an awesome discussion! Thanks for all the awesome content and I hope all you have a happy New Year!

[savkhetan]

I bought the Sundara with the Atom stack based on these guys reviews a couple of years ago and I've loved them. Loved this discussion. Shows the amazing range of audio gear available to us these days. Great video!

[nike]

Great review, very honest.

In many areas I still enjoy my Senns. HD800s or HD820 much more than other $6, 000 headphones.
The improvement in the expensive ones is not absolute.
So I prefer to use the extra money on another trip to Europe with my wife and visit new cities.

[AverieS]

Man, for below $200, Qudelix 5k was a genious answer by Resolve! That and any of the excellent budget IEMs currently in the market is pretty much all I need to be happy enough with.

[kyron]

Happy New Year from Australia. 2023 feels very similar to 2022.

[ToysForTheGods]

I love my Focals but they are heavy so they don't sit on my head for long periods of time. The HD600 is a timeless classic that gets more time on my head than perhaps it deserves, but for my head shape they are by far the most comfortable. I love all of my Beyer headphones as well, especially the 1990's but they are also a bit heavy so long sessions I feel like I am pushing them farther past my comfort. Currently I am pad rolling the new ThieAudio Ghosts and they are getting more and more impressive as I go through the huge box of pads that I own. Currently I am liking them with the Dekoni fenestrated sheep skins, they don't fit perfect as they were meant for the Beyers, but they make the headphones sound great, and make the soundstage enormous.

[GadZookz]

Thanks guys! Your collective wisdom is always welcome. Best wishes for 2023👍🏻

[matthewweflen]

If I had 50k to spend only on headphones, I would get the TOTL from multiple companies. LCD-5, Meze Elite, Focal Utopia and Stellia, HD800, DCA Stealth, MDR-Z1R, ZMF Caldera, Fostex TH-900, Hifiman Susvara, Stax SR-X9000, etc. That way I would have many different form factors and sound signatures, and lots of backups if anything breaks. I would get an Astell & Kern CA1000 to power them and store my music.

[surjer]

I only ever listen to my HD600's on either my audio interface, or my work PC headphone jack. I have never even THOUGHT of a headphone amp as they can get way louder than I can listen to. Why is it so popular for folks to recommend a headphone amp/dac. I feel they really dont need it and to hear the tonality difference wouldnt be for powering an under-powered headphone, it would be to color them with your fav amp. Thoughts? I don't have a headphone amp so I am honestly curious...

[millenwagon]

HD600 for me regardless of budget because it’s just so damn comfy and natural sounding.

[camoturtle]

I used to wear a lot of iem’s and I can totally agree that they change the shape of your ear with time. I used to have trouble getting iems to stay in my ears for over 2 hours and now all of them stay in my ears for a much larger amount of time.