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The Official Headphone Thread 2.5: We're Making WAVs and Catching FLAC

T

Tommy DJ

Member
Phat Michael said:
Completely different sounds. The HD800s are transparent and completely neutral. I find them slightly bright where the treble can hurt a little bit. The new cables I got for them really compliment them well and I heard they benefit from the warmth of tube amps.
Click to expand...

The Sennheiser HD800 is hardly neutral. The stock configuration without the foam mods is definitely a bright headphone with a fair bit of emphasis and ringing around the exact region sibilance occurs. Hence why a lot of people actually prefer the HD600 and HD650 over the HD800, despite the HD800 having some insanely low distortion, because the tonal balance on them is better and more flexible.

If Sennehesier bumped down the hump that occurs around 6-8kHz, it'd probably be perfect but that obviously hasn't happened judging by everyone getting amps, sources, and doing mods to reduce the problems around that frequency range. The HD800 is a perfect example of "buyer beware" because its one of the most technically proficient headphones in the world with some unfortunate problems that give lots of people buyer's remorse.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
bPod said:
thoughts on these?

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product...spx?path=0682f69f831c6b7a8ce40cb4eec9c988en02

looking for a cheap pair to use for trips and running
Click to expand...
That's not a cheap pair and I the only okay headphones that Monster has out out are the DNA and those are quite uncomfortable. You'd be better off with Solo 2s... Seriously.


Just get some Koss KSC75 maybe two pair since they're cheap, offer great sound at a budget, and low isolation which is actually a plus if you're running outside.
 
F

Fox1304

Member
I bought way too much headphones in the last months so I'm sorting through what I have and trying to decide which I'll keep. I'm curious about what would be your takes on which one keep on those :

Fidelio M1, AKG K845BT, AKG K551, Sennheiser Momentum On Ear, Logitech UE6000 and AKG K452.

The ones I have and will keep for sure are Fidelio X2, Bose Qc20, Jabra Rox Wireless and Sony HW700DS.
So to sum up my Home Cinema needs are covered by the Sony, the sports by Jabra, the office by the Bose, and the Hifi by the Fidelio. So I think I'll keep one of the firsts for travel and to plug on PS4/Xbox for chat+game, but not sure which one.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
The X2 is completely open, and if you're traveling you're probably gonna want isolation...Those on-ears you have don't really isolate all too well, but I guess you have the Bose for that so I'd sell them anyway.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
I actually think the k551 isn't that great for travel mostly because the shitty-ass cable splits on you after awhile, or at least it did for me. Still works fine but it's not very reassuring is it?

Gonna do the removable cable mod soon though.
 
F

Fox1304

Member
My current state of mind would be to keep either the Fidelio M1 or the Logitech UE6000.
The momentum isn't comfortable, the k452 is a bit cheap, the k551 does everthing well but less than the Fidelio X2 ...
The UE6000 is foldable so not bad for transport but needs a battery to have correct sound. The M1 has really great sound, is comfy and stylish but fully open which is often annoying for people around.
 
J

j0hnny_385

Member
Hi HeadphoneGAF!

I'm thinking of upping my PC sound since the crap coming out of my Sony TV ain't cutting it. :/

Here's the rig:

ASUS Z87-PRO
Intel Core i5-4670K
Noctua NH-D14
G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR, 2x4GB
Gigabyte GV-N970-G1 GAMING-4GD
Coolermaster V850 RS-850-AFBA-G1
Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD, MZ-7PD256BW
Western Digital WD10EZEX, 1TB SATA-III
DVD±RW SAMSUNG SH-S224DB
Dell U2412M, 24” LED 1920x1200
Antec P183 Case
Windows 8.1 Pro N x64

I don't have a dedicated sound card.
The MBO has this:
Realtek® ALC1150 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
- Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking
- High quality 112 dB SNR stereo playback output (Line-out at rear) and 104 dB SNR recording input (Line-in)
Audio Feature :
- Absolute Pitch 192kHz/ 24-bit True BD Lossless Sound
- DTS Ultra PC II
- DTS Connect
- Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back panel
- BD Audio Layer Content Protection
Click to expand...

1. Should I buy a dedicated sound card? If yes, which one do you recommend?

2. I need good, quality headphones (mic is not important). Would be nice to have 5.1./7.1. Surround sound.
I'm not that big of an audophile so something in the line of Wireless Gold Headset for PS4 but made for PC would be ideal in terms of price/performance.
 
K

Karish

Member
Fox1304 said:
My current state of mind would be to keep either the Fidelio M1 or the Logitech UE6000.
The momentum isn't comfortable, the k452 is a bit cheap, the k551 does everthing well but less than the Fidelio X2 ...
The UE6000 is foldable so not bad for transport but needs a battery to have correct sound. The M1 has really great sound, is comfy and stylish but fully open which is often annoying for people around.
Click to expand...

As a recent UE6000 buyer and lover that would get my vote. What do you mean needs a battery for correct sound? I thought consensus was noise canceling was worse sounding
 
F

Fox1304

Member
Karish said:
As a recent UE6000 buyer and lover that would get my vote. What do you mean needs a battery for correct sound? I thought consensus was noise canceling was worse sounding
Click to expand...

I don't care for noise cancelling on this model since I find it pretty useless on them, but for me on this model without it the sound is severely lacking, in many areas.
 
Jzero

Jzero

Member
Fox1304 said:
I don't care for noise cancelling on this model since I find it pretty useless on them, but for me on this model without it the sound is severely lacking, in many areas.
Click to expand...

I don't like the build quality of logitech headphones. They feel too plastic-y.
 
P

Phat Michael

Banned
j0hnny_385 said:
Hi HeadphoneGAF!

I'm thinking of upping my PC sound since the crap coming out of my Sony TV ain't cutting it. :/

Here's the rig:

ASUS Z87-PRO
Intel Core i5-4670K
Noctua NH-D14
G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR, 2x4GB
Gigabyte GV-N970-G1 GAMING-4GD
Coolermaster V850 RS-850-AFBA-G1
Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD, MZ-7PD256BW
Western Digital WD10EZEX, 1TB SATA-III
DVD±RW SAMSUNG SH-S224DB
Dell U2412M, 24” LED 1920x1200
Antec P183 Case
Windows 8.1 Pro N x64

I don't have a dedicated sound card.
The MBO has this:


1. Should I buy a dedicated sound card? If yes, which one do you recommend?

2. I need good, quality headphones (mic is not important). Would be nice to have 5.1./7.1. Surround sound.
I'm not that big of an audophile so something in the line of Wireless Gold Headset for PS4 but made for PC would be ideal in terms of price/performance.
Click to expand...

why not just get a cheap Amp/DAC and plug it in to your PC then put the headphones into that?

ie like a CEntrance Dacmini and a nice set of headphones with a 6.3mm jack at the end. Dont go for the surround sound ones. You seem to have quite a nice PC rig so dont cheap out on the sound. If your budget can go to around $600USD you can get some amazing sound and you will be able to use the setup for games/music and take it portable if you need it.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Jzero said:
I don't like the build quality of logitech headphones. They feel too plastic-y.
Click to expand...

I think I'm one of the few who don't think plastic = not well-built. The Senn HD25 is all plastic and is one of the most well-built headphone I've owned.
 
A

andylsun

Member
New music source for my sennheiser headphones.

Ae9fWPpl.jpg


It needs some cleaning of the mechanisms but it plays the pre recorded tapes I have pretty well. Output pot is crackly/noisy as expected so going to get in there with some deoxit.


Edit: new bits from Amazon

Class T amp to drive my STAX SRD6/SB energizer and a new cable for my HD-25 I (replace the steel cable with copper)

zGuVqz4l.jpg
 
P

Phat Michael

Banned
Tommy DJ said:
The Sennheiser HD800 is hardly neutral. The stock configuration without the foam mods is definitely a bright headphone with a fair bit of emphasis and ringing around the exact region sibilance occurs. Hence why a lot of people actually prefer the HD600 and HD650 over the HD800, despite the HD800 having some insanely low distortion, because the tonal balance on them is better and more flexible.

If Sennehesier bumped down the hump that occurs around 6-8kHz, it'd probably be perfect but that obviously hasn't happened judging by everyone getting amps, sources, and doing mods to reduce the problems around that frequency range. The HD800 is a perfect example of "buyer beware" because its one of the most technically proficient headphones in the world with some unfortunate problems that give lots of people buyer's remorse.
Click to expand...
How many hours, in total, would you say you have had listening to a set of HD800s?
 
T

Tommy DJ

Member
Phat Michael said:
How many hours, in total, would you say you have had listening to a set of HD800s?
Click to expand...

Around 20 before I returned it to the retailer? I used a Torpedo as the amp and the dam-1021 R-2R kit as the DAC, if you care.

No matter how you cut it, the HD800 is a bright headphone. The Anax 2.0 mod actually makes it more bearable but I still couldn't listen to them if the recording is remotely sibilant, which is a shame because they're so technically proficient with stuff that isn't. At the end of the day, I went back to the HD600 as my go-to headphone since it works perfectly fine with just about any material in the world.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
j0hnny_385 said:
Hi HeadphoneGAF!

I'm thinking of upping my PC sound since the crap coming out of my Sony TV ain't cutting it. :/

Here's the rig:

ASUS Z87-PRO
Intel Core i5-4670K
Noctua NH-D14
G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR, 2x4GB
Gigabyte GV-N970-G1 GAMING-4GD
Coolermaster V850 RS-850-AFBA-G1
Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD, MZ-7PD256BW
Western Digital WD10EZEX, 1TB SATA-III
DVD±RW SAMSUNG SH-S224DB
Dell U2412M, 24” LED 1920x1200
Antec P183 Case
Windows 8.1 Pro N x64

I don't have a dedicated sound card.
The MBO has this:


1. Should I buy a dedicated sound card? If yes, which one do you recommend?

2. I need good, quality headphones (mic is not important). Would be nice to have 5.1./7.1. Surround sound.
I'm not that big of an audophile so something in the line of Wireless Gold Headset for PS4 but made for PC would be ideal in terms of price/performance.
Click to expand...

I'd still consider getting a soundcard with a great headphone out like the Asus Xonar Essence for sure if you can afford it.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Eanan said:
Hmm, well you do get a 2 year warranty for peace of mind and you can pay by paypal for some extra protection.
Click to expand...
Yeah definitely get them then. Really good soundstage for a closed headphone, good details especially in their price range, just don't expect bass canons.
 
P

Phat Michael

Banned
Tommy DJ said:
Around 20 before I returned it to the retailer? I used a Torpedo as the amp and the dam-1021 R-2R kit as the DAC, if you care.

No matter how you cut it, the HD800 is a bright headphone. The Anax 2.0 mod actually makes it more bearable but I still couldn't listen to them if the recording is remotely sibilant, which is a shame because they're so technically proficient with stuff that isn't. At the end of the day, I went back to the HD600 as my go-to headphone since it works perfectly fine with just about any material in the world.
Click to expand...
You bought it then returned it???

I don't think it's a particularly "fun" headphone and it's definitely not my go to set. It's a lot nicer with the norne draug 2 cable because it takes the edge of the high end brightness a bit.

The only thing is, it's so damn comfortable to wear and much lighter and cooler than wearing the LCD3s.

The headphone I'm using the most now is the PM3 which is pretty much flawless at its price range. It suits the HA2 as it needs the bass boost function from the amp.
 
P

Phat Michael

Banned
Antiwhippy said:
I always wonder about amps with bass boost. Why not just EQ? It's essentially the same thing I assume.
Click to expand...

yeah i only have used one with the boost (the HA2) and i think it works well because the OPPO PM3s are very neutral. I dont use it when i plug in the audeze's as i dont want anything colouring the sound with the Audeze warmth.

im glad they put it on there as it's easy to disable if you dont want it - just the flick of a switch
 
Duxxy3

Duxxy3

Member
Hopefully Sennheiser's warranty is worth a damn. Left driver in my HD598's is louder than the right. Imbalance drives me crazy and I can notice even a small amount.

Back to the Portapro's.
 
M

mrkgoo

Member
Looks like my etymotic hf3 may be on they'd way out. Might try something different.

How are the Sennheiser Momentum in-ears? Anyone have any experience? Big sure about the look...
 
H

HiResDes

Member
mrkgoo said:
Looks like my etymotic hf3 may be on they'd way out. Might try something different.

How are the Sennheiser Momentum in-ears? Anyone have any experience? Big sure about the look...
Click to expand...
Supposed to be really good, but a big warm departure from the Etymotic sound signature.
 
A

Aiii

So not worth it
So, I've just returned my Momentum (first gen) headphones that I got last week because it just wasn't comfortable to wear them for over two hours straight and, well, I need headphones I can wear all day without my ears feeling like I'm torturing them. :D

That said, I absolutely loved the looks, the quality and the sound of them, not to mention, I really like the gap in the headband as far as heat production goes (I walk about 1,5 to 2 hours daily, so that's a big plus). So, I'm looking to buy the Momentum 2.0's, but don't have anywhere around me to try them.

So, has anyone here compared the two, do the bigger earpads solve the comfort level or is it still leaving somewhat to be desired?
 
Y

yonder

Member
Aiii said:
So, I've just returned my Momentum (first gen) headphones that I got last week because it just wasn't comfortable to wear them for over two hours straight and, well, I need headphones I can wear all day without my ears feeling like I'm torturing them. :D

That said, I absolutely loved the looks, the quality and the sound of them, not to mention, I really like the gap in the headband as far as heat production goes (I walk about 1,5 to 2 hours daily, so that's a big plus). So, I'm looking to buy the Momentum 2.0's, but don't have anywhere around me to try them.

So, has anyone here compared the two, do the bigger earpads solve the comfort level or is it still leaving somewhat to be desired?
Click to expand...
I've tried both and the 2.0 are really much more comfortable. The earcups are larger and softer, and I could wear them for hours without discomfort. I have small ears, though, but I also wear glasses. I found the original Momentums to be pretty comfortable as well, but after an hour they started to bother me.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
Aiii said:
So, I've just returned my Momentum (first gen) headphones that I got last week because it just wasn't comfortable to wear them for over two hours straight and, well, I need headphones I can wear all day without my ears feeling like I'm torturing them. :D
Click to expand...

Best not to invest in Grado then. We hardcore Grado folks have developed extensive outer ear scar tissue to accommodate our headphones of choice.
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
coolcole93 said:
Is the Flare Audio R2 Kickstarter making the rounds all marketing hype? Seriously considering dropping £79 on them if they're as good as the reviews sound. Any advice?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/584645150/flare-audio-a-revolution-in-pure-sound

Here's a review:

http://headfonics.com/2015/05/the-r2a-and-r2pro-iems-by-flare-audio/
Click to expand...

I hopped on for a pair of R2A last night. There's precious little *legit* info available on them but I'm bored and the price isn't bad. Should be able to resell pretty easily close to what I paid. Tonal balance doesn't seem like my kinda thing (bassy, treble shy) but I'm a soundstage junkie so I'm just here for the claims of outstanding soundstage. I'm actually quite skeptical of the headfonics review. On the one hand he says its a fun, bassy phone with smooth mids/treble and then on the other he goes and says its a perfect tonal match to the Alpha Dog? I mean... What?
 
A

Aiii

So not worth it
yonder said:
I've tried both and the 2.0 are really much more comfortable. The earcups are larger and softer, and I could wear them for hours without discomfort. I have small ears, though, but I also wear glasses. I found the original Momentums to be pretty comfortable as well, but after an hour they started to bother me.
Click to expand...

That's good to hear, thanks.
 
P

Phat Michael

Banned
I still don't get how you guys can use IEMs. Even with different comply tips I can't stand shoving them in my ear canal. I've tried 3 different types and different sizes and none of them feel as comfortable as on ear or over ear headphones..
 
H

HiResDes

Member
I like how they feel around the ear with ear guides, I forget I have them in sometimes. Definitely not as cushy as a nice over the ear, but they weigh nothing, which is also a significant part of the comfort equation.
 
M

mrkgoo

Member
HiResDes said:
Supposed to be really good, but a big warm departure from the Etymotic sound signature.
Click to expand...
Thanks.

I think I may definitely going back to etymotics in the long run, but in the short term, it might be interesting to try something different.

Thing is I REALLY like the light weightless and comfort of the etymotics. I think I will miss and care about that more than anything else.
 
F

Fox1304

Member
Phat Michael said:
I still don't get how you guys can use IEMs. Even with different comply tips I can't stand shoving them in my ear canal. I've tried 3 different types and different sizes and none of them feel as comfortable as on ear or over ear headphones..
Click to expand...
Me I can't stand the on ear. Always feel like they're crushing my ears. Over ear are perfect of course, but the Bose QC20 provide me an incredible comfort, they're the only in-ear that I could keep all day long (haven't tried the high end models from other high end brands though)
 
T

Turbowaffles

Member
Hey guys, I was wondering if you could recommend me a pair of headphones? I have $200 to spend on them. Currently I'm using the PlayStation Gold wireless headset and I love them, except for the build quality. I don't know if it's because I have a big head, but they're breaking in spots right above where you can adjust the length of the headphones, and the cloth material is falling off of the speakers.

So I'm looking for headphones that can do everything the PlayStation Gold set can do, but better build quality. I love that the PlayStation set is wireless and uses Bluetooth. And I can plug the little dongle into my PC, PS4 or Xbone and it just works. And I love the sound quality, too. I use them when I'm browsing the Internet, watching Netflix or movies in general, and of course when playing video games.

If you guys could recommend me a good quality headset for no more then $200 I'd really appreciate it.
 
H

HarryDemeanor

Member
Hey folks.

I'm currently in the market for a new pair of headphones. I'm looking to spend at least $100 - $200 to get an upgrade in sound quality over my JVC HA-RX700s that were recommended to me in this thread a year or so ago.

I've been looking at three different pairs of headphones right now: the Sennheiser HD 598, the Beyerdynamic DT-770, and the DT-990. Now I mainly listen to Rock music and I'm fine with bass. I will be using these for gaming as well. I'm sort of leaning towards the 598s but I want to make sure that it's the right choice for me. Any sort of help you guys can offer to help me pick would be greatly appreciated.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
HarryDemeanor said:
Hey folks.

I'm currently in the market for a new pair of headphones. I'm looking to spend at least $100 - $200 to get an upgrade in sound quality over my JVC HA-RX700s that were recommended to me in this thread a year or so ago.

I've been looking at three different pairs of headphones right now: the Sennheiser HD 598, the Beyerdynamic DT-770, and the DT-990. Now I mainly listen to Rock music and I'm fine with bass. I will be using these for gaming as well. I'm sort of leaning towards the 598s but I want to make sure that it's the right choice for me. Any sort of help you guys can offer to help me pick would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
You don't have a preference as to whether they're open or closed? Also I'm not sure what your thoughts are about bass, it's a but unclear in your wording. Price Range? Also are you going to be using them unamped.


If you want a blind recommendation the Yamaha MT220 is probably my favorite headphone in your range.
 
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