My Evolving Headphone Collection

From entry-level beginnings to professional-grade sound

Pairs owned

Years of collecting

$1,000

Next target budget

Section I

The Collection Journey

My headphone collection has grown significantly over time. I've moved on from Skullcandy and Beats in favor of Audio Technica and Grado. In hindsight, I wish I had purchased a pair of M50s many years ago.

Here are my current headphones in all their glory, from left to right:

→Audio Technica M50x — Purchased 2014
→Audio Technica MSR7 — Purchased 2017
→Grado SR80e — Purchased 2016

Section II

Future Plans

As for future acquisitions, I’m not entirely sure. I have both closed and open reference cans covered, so my next move will either be to go upmarket to the $1k range with brands like Fostex or Ultrasone, or I might consider the tier below with options like the ATH M70x, Sony MDR1A, or other brands such as Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, or AKG.

Realistically, it will likely be another pair of Audio Technica headphones, possibly the M70s or an open reference model like the R70 or AD700.

Brand	Model	Potential Upgrade Path
Audio Technica	M70x	Professional Studio
Sony	MDR1A	Portable Comfort
Various	High-End	Fostex / Ultrasone

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My 'Big' Headphones - Circa 2017