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The Official Headphone Thread 2.5: We're Making WAVs and Catching FLAC
- Thread starter HiResDes
- Start date
sankt-Antonio
:^)--?-<
So i got in contact with Custom Arts regarding IEM's.
Always love it when the head of operations directly answers within 30min.
He actually recommends pretty much the whole lineup for use in a "on stage" setting (band/studio) etc. with the option to get a better sound when buying the more expensive products... well
Now that got me thinking.... would I really listen to them over my HD800S at home? And will my phone or future phone be able to drive them proper? Should I go with cheaper ones and use them just for stage use or should I go the more expensive route and get ones that are top of the line for listening at home.
Do some of you have overears and IEM's - what to do you use for what?
I never got to try IEM so I have no idea if I would like them for home / on the go use, dont want to spend money twice either (buying cheap now ...liking it and buying a new set later on).
Always love it when the head of operations directly answers within 30min.
He actually recommends pretty much the whole lineup for use in a "on stage" setting (band/studio) etc. with the option to get a better sound when buying the more expensive products... well
Now that got me thinking.... would I really listen to them over my HD800S at home? And will my phone or future phone be able to drive them proper? Should I go with cheaper ones and use them just for stage use or should I go the more expensive route and get ones that are top of the line for listening at home.
Do some of you have overears and IEM's - what to do you use for what?
I never got to try IEM so I have no idea if I would like them for home / on the go use, dont want to spend money twice either (buying cheap now ...liking it and buying a new set later on).
Go, go, go! Black Jotunheim, Valhalla 2 and Bifrost in stock now at Schiit.com!
Er, sorry. Got a little bit overexcited there for a moment. As you may or may not know Schiit is one of the best in the business for personal audio stuff considering their asking price. (Seriously. The price to performance ratio on the average Schiit DAC or Amp is absurd) The only knock I have against them is their "all silver, all the time" aesthetic which matches absolutely nothing in my space.
Well, once in a blue moon they will very quietly put some limited quantities of black versions of certain products up on their website. They are very sneaky about it and the only way you can tell is by loading up the website and checking each product individually under "Finish" availability. I do this randomly about once a week.
So today I about fell out of my chair when the first product I loaded up (Jotunheim) had "Black" available as a finish. Needless to say I ordered it immediately.
So anyway and long story short, get them while they are available. I doubt they will last long. Black Jotunheim, Valhalla 2 and Bifrost!
Er, sorry. Got a little bit overexcited there for a moment. As you may or may not know Schiit is one of the best in the business for personal audio stuff considering their asking price. (Seriously. The price to performance ratio on the average Schiit DAC or Amp is absurd) The only knock I have against them is their "all silver, all the time" aesthetic which matches absolutely nothing in my space.
Well, once in a blue moon they will very quietly put some limited quantities of black versions of certain products up on their website. They are very sneaky about it and the only way you can tell is by loading up the website and checking each product individually under "Finish" availability. I do this randomly about once a week.
So today I about fell out of my chair when the first product I loaded up (Jotunheim) had "Black" available as a finish. Needless to say I ordered it immediately.
So anyway and long story short, get them while they are available. I doubt they will last long. Black Jotunheim, Valhalla 2 and Bifrost!
Unconditional
Member
Thanks for the heads up. I ordered a black jotunheim with the DAC. I was gonna wait on it but you pushed me over the edge.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
So i got in contact with Custom Arts regarding IEM's.
Always love it when the head of operations directly answers within 30min.
He actually recommends pretty much the whole lineup for use in a "on stage" setting (band/studio) etc. with the option to get a better sound when buying the more expensive products... well
Now that got me thinking.... would I really listen to them over my HD800S at home? And will my phone or future phone be able to drive them proper? Should I go with cheaper ones and use them just for stage use or should I go the more expensive route and get ones that are top of the line for listening at home.
Do some of you have overears and IEM's - what to do you use for what?
I never got to try IEM so I have no idea if I would like them for home / on the go use, dont want to spend money twice either (buying cheap now ...liking it and buying a new set later on).
For at home I use my over-ears, but I'm outside a LOT so I generally use my IEMs more. I generally have an iem inserted into my ear at least 8 hours a day so the comfort of a custom is crucial, and seeing that Im using them so much SQ is a top priority too. Even at home more often than not I'm doing something other than being rooted at my desk so IEMs are useful for that.
Also, better for lying in bed.
If you ever go on a flight too these are pretty key. Slept really good using these as ear plugs basically.
Actually thinking of getting some customarts soon. They have a new lineup coming up (I think?) and I want to give silicon customs a try. I think the acrylic ones are better for stage though.
Just got Sennheiser Momentum M2i (2.0?) over ear for 139 from a traditionally quite expensive small electronics store chain. The normal price was at 279 , and at Sennheiser web store quite ridiculous 319 .
Has to be quite good value at that price? I have been semi seriously looking for a replacement to my Creative Aurvana Lives for almost 2 years now, so I assume these'll do.
Has to be quite good value at that price? I have been semi seriously looking for a replacement to my Creative Aurvana Lives for almost 2 years now, so I assume these'll do.
SliChillax
Member
I've got a weird issue and I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask. So I have a Fiio E07k and E09k dac + amp combo and since yesterday my music skips or stops. There is audio but it cuts off every once in a while and when it does cut off, the progress bar goes fast forward on iTunes, Spotify or YouTube. This doesn't happen with the speakers or when my headphones are connected straight to the PC.
Xander51
Member
Have you tried using just the E07K without being docked in the E09K to see if that makes a difference? It almost seems like something in your chain is sending a fast forward media key signal to your computer. If your keyboard has media keys, maybe try disabling them? Those are the best ideas I've got.
Yeah, same here. And I actually decided to go ahead and sell my silver Lyr 2 and pick up a black Valhalla 2 after I gave it some more thought. The black Schiit stuff is pretty sexy but the Valhalla 2 might be the sexiest of the bunch. Either way, with Jot + Valhalla 2 I should be well covered for amplification for a good long while and I am thrilled to have them both in black.
Definitely something weird going on with the interaction between your DAC/amp and your PC. I am assuming this is connected via USB? USB can be finicky although if you've never had problems before then it might be an impending hardware failure. Hard to say.
So my neighbor who is also on the board for my "housing cooperative" or what you call it in English, talked to me yesterday. Basically said "sell your subwoofer". I have long been thinking about getting some headphones for gaming and movies. So I don´t need to bother with volume. I will keep the rest of my sound system but the subwoofer will have to go but I want great surround headphones for gaming and movies.
I have some demands.
Wireless.
Surround.
Easy fast switch between PC and PS4.
Pretty good for music as well.
I have been looking at two basically.
Turtle Beach Elite 800
Sony MDR-HW700DS
Well ok the Astro A50 as well but they look like crap.
I am pretty sure Sony has the better sound quality. But the features with Turtle Beach might make up for it. It will be used mostly for gaming where chat is pretty important though I could use another mic of course.
One big worry with the Sony headphones is this; do the HDMI passthrough cause ANY lag? Ok 1 ms or 2 is ok but I am very sensitive for that stuff.
Or are there any other wireless surround headphones I should look at? Price isn´t really an issue.
I have some demands.
Wireless.
Surround.
Easy fast switch between PC and PS4.
Pretty good for music as well.
I have been looking at two basically.
Turtle Beach Elite 800
Sony MDR-HW700DS
Well ok the Astro A50 as well but they look like crap.
I am pretty sure Sony has the better sound quality. But the features with Turtle Beach might make up for it. It will be used mostly for gaming where chat is pretty important though I could use another mic of course.
One big worry with the Sony headphones is this; do the HDMI passthrough cause ANY lag? Ok 1 ms or 2 is ok but I am very sensitive for that stuff.
Or are there any other wireless surround headphones I should look at? Price isn´t really an issue.
SliChillax
Member
Thanks for the suggestions but unfortunately nothing worked. I guess I have to buy a new dac or amp. I don't have the cables to connect the E07k only unfortunately so I cannot try it without the E09k combo.
Yes it is connected via USB, tried different USB slots but still the same issue. I have a spare E07k at my parents house so I'll try that and see if it fixes the issue.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Alright, firstly.
Don't bother with actual surround sound headphones.
They're gimmicky multi driver designs that never sound as good having 2 big drivers blasting into your ears. Also, we process positional audio in stereo and I've never found the stereo output of most games inferior to their surround output as far as positioning goes.
Still with your actual requirements there's not a lot out there. Might be easier to get a headphone like this:
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-sennheiser-pc37x-gaming-headset
And then get a wireless amp/dac that can switch between ps4 and pc fast. I think the astro mixamp and some creative amp/dacs might qualify? They also do simulated surround if that's your thing but again, you only really need stereo, especially for headphones.
John Blade
Member
Just a quick questions here. I am going for a trip and was looking for an earbuds which can do noise cancellation as I will need one when I am watching movie on my tablet. I was wondering what earbuds I should look for as of now at a reasonable price. I know they is Bose but was wondering if they is one I should look at before I go to Bose site.
Yeah you are right of course. Been talking bad about surround headphones myself for a long time. Looked around a bit more for something wireless and came across the Sennheiser RS 185. No mic or surround. But probably way better sound than any surround headset. Gonna go to a store an listen to them. A wireless DAC and headphones would give better sound but this will be completely cable free.
EDIT: Hmm and now I found that you CAN connect Bluetooth headphones to PS4 using a Bluetooth adapter... Doesn't work on all but Sennheiser Momentum among others work.
ReplacementPelican
Member
So my in-ear headphones decided to die today, left ear was crackling a tiny bit yesterday so I saw it coming.
What do you guys reckon a decent pair that isn't going to set me back too much would be? The headphones I had previously were decent enough, only cost me about £20 though.
What do you guys reckon a decent pair that isn't going to set me back too much would be? The headphones I had previously were decent enough, only cost me about £20 though.
Is that your budget?
Actually, the MDR-EX800STs sound pretty good.
I haven't used IEMS in months, only DT770 Pro 80s and Fidelio X2s, which are obviously going to sound better than IEMS.
I've EQ'd them a little and I've got them sounding pretty good. In the future I'll add a OPPO HA-2SE and they shouid be even better.
The odd fit of the EX800STS can definitely affect sound. Changing the size of the eartips will help.
Another thing to note is that they are pretty revealing. You can definitely tell how well a track has been mixed with these IEMS.
I haven't used IEMS in months, only DT770 Pro 80s and Fidelio X2s, which are obviously going to sound better than IEMS.
I've EQ'd them a little and I've got them sounding pretty good. In the future I'll add a OPPO HA-2SE and they shouid be even better.
The odd fit of the EX800STS can definitely affect sound. Changing the size of the eartips will help.
Another thing to note is that they are pretty revealing. You can definitely tell how well a track has been mixed with these IEMS.
I expected more out of Linus. He should have gone all out and made it so you could press a button and not have to connect the headphone to the amp. I'm sure there's a way to do it with multiple amps too.
I liked it. It's very manual in that you have to select your source and your headphone but it's still pretty cool and was a fun watch. I also like how most of his sources and amps are Schiit Audio, hehe.
In other news I picked up a cheap Amazon Warehouse deal on a Beyerdynamic DT770 250Ohm and have been using them off an on for a couple of days. I love the build quality and comfort but there's something about the timbre or tone that I find just a little off-putting for listening to music.
I thought they might be a little bit more of an "everyday" can on the cheap while I was waiting for my ZMF Eikon but at this point I think they are going back to Amazon.
I will say that using them for gaming is pretty pleasant because they are so comfortable and their imaging seems to be pretty accurate.
Edit - Yeah, just did some A/B'ing on the same song between my Fischer Audio fa-011 and the DT770's and the fa-011's are just a lot more engaging with more presence and more body. The DT770's sound congested and muffled in comparison. This is out of my Metrum Musette DAC and Lyr 2 amp and I am volume matching, just for info.
The fa-011's have a couple of troublesome treble spikes and have slightly scratchy earcups but man are they good for the price.
Jesus Carbomb
From Water into Guinness
So it's lawn mowing season and I need a pair of beater earphones. Who's making the best sub $20 IEM's these days? I remember a few years ago it was MeeAudio. Any other brands I should take a look at? TIA
When I did some yard work with leaf blowers these worked pretty good with the triple-flange tips:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0038W0K2U/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Based_legend24
Neo Member
I'm looking at getting the audio quest Night Hawk headphones. Could anyone recommend another headphone that would be just as good for cheaper? Or another headphone the same price that would be better?
EMU Teaks similarly priced but superior
Master and Dynamic MH40, slightly cheaper similar sound signature.
Fischer FA-011 a lot cheaper similar more V-shaped but somewhat similar. Same more or less with Fidelio X1.
Nikodemos
Member
I'm looking at some cheap earbud headsets to replace the crappy stock one Sony provided with my phone.
What would you choose between the MDR-XB50APB and the MDR-EX450APH?
P.S.: If you'd like to suggest me something else, do bear in mind I don't live in the US, so whatever you might propose could be unavailable here.
What would you choose between the MDR-XB50APB and the MDR-EX450APH?
P.S.: If you'd like to suggest me something else, do bear in mind I don't live in the US, so whatever you might propose could be unavailable here.
Funnily enough I picked up a lightly used Nighthawk this weekend on Ebay. $320. It seems to be one of those headphones that you either love or hate so I will soon find out which camp I am in. They should be arriving sometime this week.
For recommendations, what kind of sound signature are you looking for and how will you be using them? The Fostex Massdrop variants are all easy recommendations that have a lower "new" price (TH-X00 Mahogany for $399 is awesome and has the same driver as the E-mu Teak).
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Are you just buying every headphone under the sun till your eikons get to you?
sankt-Antonio
:^)--?-<
So i just ordered the CA Harmony 8.2 and send my impressions to "custom art". Let's hope they fit and arrive in a timely manner.
Thanks also to you guys for pushing me to the right corner of the internet. Now the waiting begins. Why didn't I do this four weeks ago, could already be here.
Design wise I simply went to the company's Facebook page, and told them to redo the design I liked the most as it turned into hours using their online designer tool and not being really sure what to choose etc.
Apparently a successor is in the works but I really don't want to wait half a year for them. GAS is to strong now.
Thanks also to you guys for pushing me to the right corner of the internet. Now the waiting begins. Why didn't I do this four weeks ago, could already be here.
Design wise I simply went to the company's Facebook page, and told them to redo the design I liked the most as it turned into hours using their online designer tool and not being really sure what to choose etc.
Apparently a successor is in the works but I really don't want to wait half a year for them. GAS is to strong now.
Where do you live
Are you just buying every headphone under the sun till your eikons get to you?
Well, not every headphone, just certain ones that I am interested in. =) The Nighthawk didn't work out anyway (and I returned the Beyer DT770's to Amazon). The seller cancelled my order and refunded me this morning so I'm just going to let it go. I'd still like to demo one for a couple of weeks but only at a fairly low buy in price since I might not even like it.
I'm still sort of looking for a comfortable "everyday" pair of headphones as my Eikons are still likely several weeks out and the couple of pairs I have now are a little bit specialized and not great for general, multi-genre usage.
I'm really impressed with the Fischer Audio fa-011 for the price but there are certain types of music that I like that don't work well with them. Similar to how the Sennheiser HD800's have a treble spike that can cause issues the fa-011's have two treble spikes that can cause similar issues.
Next stop is likely the Hifiman He-400S with Focus -A pads from a member over at SBAF that I have been talking to. He's willing to let them go for a fair price so we'll see how that works out. From reviews they seem like they would do what I want them to do and would likely provide a nice counterpoint to the Eikons when they arrive.
Nikodemos
Member
Romania.
I'm definitely interested in your thoughts on the 400S. I've almost bought them multiple times.
And hey the FA-011's flaws give them character lol.
Is there a speakers thread?
I've found a store selling Monitor Audio BX6 floorstanding speakers for a nice price, around 600 usd converted.
I've got no clue about speaker amps and I'm looking for recommendations on the cheapest no frills quality stereo amp that can power these. Needs optical input.
I've found a store selling Monitor Audio BX6 floorstanding speakers for a nice price, around 600 usd converted.
I've got no clue about speaker amps and I'm looking for recommendations on the cheapest no frills quality stereo amp that can power these. Needs optical input.
Elac EA101EQ-G.
Extremely neutral sound with perfect bass performance, one of the best neutral amps. For consideration: app controlled.
But then again, stuff like Musical Fidelity come exactly with input selector and volume knob and that you have on the device itself too. With the app you control bass and treble, subwoofer integration, can rename inputs and adjust their relative levels as well as teach the amp a different remote.
Even cheaper Pioneer and Yamaha deliver great sound. Some other people might suggest NAD but I have no experience with that.
Extremely neutral sound with perfect bass performance, one of the best neutral amps. For consideration: app controlled.
But then again, stuff like Musical Fidelity come exactly with input selector and volume knob and that you have on the device itself too. With the app you control bass and treble, subwoofer integration, can rename inputs and adjust their relative levels as well as teach the amp a different remote.
Even cheaper Pioneer and Yamaha deliver great sound. Some other people might suggest NAD but I have no experience with that.
I will definitely post at least a summary on the 400S once I've had some time with it. And yeah, the fa-011 has a lot of character, no doubt. It is never boring. I think it's awesome for the price and I'm struggling to think of another headphone that costs around $150 that I would rather own (I don't think there are any, actually, unless it's something totally obscure that I've never heard of).
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
I got my hd600s for around that price.
Hear is what I'd do on a budget, go on ebay and buy a cheap power amp preferably Crown/QSC/BGW
Then go back on ebay and find a cheap preamp
...If you look hard enough you should be able to net a complete system for around $300 or under
Sleeping Lesson
Member
Maaaan the new Goldfrapp album sounds so good on my TH-X00s. Do yourselves a favor and listen to the track Systemagic. That punchy percussion!
there is. search for "neogaf audiophile pc" on google. but i'll chime in.
YAMAHA - A-S301
NuPrime IDA-8
Thanks for the suggestions guys. The ELAC looks really good, was looking into the used market too, but visited the store today and they sold me on the Marantz PM6006. Should be delivered soon. They also had a Denon AVR that pushes more wattage per channel and has a billion features for the same price. What do you guys think?
The speakers sounded amazing in the store, the low end sounded just like the th-x00, sort of mid-bass heavy. They're going to be my first real speaker set, I'm kinda done with headphones right now with the fostex th-x00 for music and k7xx for games.
Monitor Audios are good. I was looking at the Platinum PL 200 II or 300 II to purchase recently, but their distribution/dealership situation in America is dire.
Don't actually shove them against the walls. Create an equilateral triangle with you as the vertex. Leave at least one foot of space behind them, and try to leave 3 to 4 feet of space on the sides. At least 6.5 feet between.
Sit at your listening position and play around with toe-ing in, ie, angling the speaker slightly towards your listening position. See what's sounds best, most focused. Try some acoustic tracks with good vocals.
edit: also, since you went for the Marantz, I get an idea of your budget. If possible, return and go for either the Elac or the Nuprime. Even though 8 ohms, the MA speakers you bought will play nicer with more power. Also speakers need time to break in, don't panic if they don't sound good out of the box.
Xander51
Member
Hey, this is pretty cool! Listening to it now on some 250 Ohm DT770s. Thanks for the recommendation.
New? If so, that was a pretty insane deal. Heck, even used that's a pretty good deal. Market seems to hover around $200 for a used HD600. Still, if someone offered to trade me their HD600's for my fa-011's I don't think I would take the trade. Sennheiser clamp and I don't get along well which is why I haven't shopped the HD600 or HD650 more seriously.
Sleeping Lesson
Member
You bet! I hadn't listened to Goldfrapp in years, but I'm glad I picked up their new one. Great headphone music.
Xander51
Member
This is the road to madness that ends with trying to discern differences where there are none and spending too much money and storage space on hi-res files you don't need.
Sometimes Apple Music encodes sound a little bit different because of the Mastered for iTunes program, but you'd have to be a dog to notice a difference between the two services on highest quality.