Monarch MKII continues to be the unbeatable all-rounder for me. It works so well with every genre I throw at it. Currently listening to a lot of older J-Pop, as well as classical rock and the occasional Bollywood/Tamil song.

Don’t worry too much about DACs and AMPs.

Even if you EQ to a standardised curve, each headphone still has its unique characteristics. It’s fun hearing your favourite songs interpreted in slightly different ways.

I have both and they sound identical to my ears. Some might find the OG marble tacky but I do think it gives them character, something the updated design sorely lacks.

Not putting headphones on when my hair is still damp has significantly extended the lifespan of my pads (looking at you HD600)

Welcome to the club! The Z1R twins are amazing.

No local stores where I live, unfortunately. Have to trust reviews, or at least hope that the reviewer’s personal tastes match my own.

Monarch MK2 if it has to be an iem. MDR-Z1R for headphones.

Already broke the first rule and bought a HE1000 :(