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

E

e90Mark

Member
VanquishUK said:
The thing is I want them to both be working at the same time so I can talk on skype and listen to music on the PC, and hear the game sound at the same time for example.
Click to expand...

Older Astro Mixamp's had an input source, where you could use that to input your game sound from your console, and then use USB to PC for skype/music, and then be able to balance voice and game/music with the balance knob.

It's probably more expensive then that thing you linked, but it's definitely less ugly.
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
How comfortable are the Koss KSC75 Portable? I want something for work that I can wear for an extended period of time. I don't usually do this, but I'm going cheap too.
 
A

Ashhong

Member
K.Jack said:
The FA-011 is the open back bass king, in that price range. There is no better option, for a basshead.

Do keep in mind that the FA-011 was something like $249 when it originally launched.
Click to expand...

Sounds good, thanks! Buying them now :D

Now my next dilemma, keep my Shure SE215 for 40$ or upgrade to the Woodduo HiRes recommended me....life of a music lover is hard
 
B

BolognaSoup

Member
Trojita said:
How comfortable are the Koss KSC75 Portable? I want something for work that I can wear for an extended period of time. I don't usually do this, but I'm going cheap too.
Click to expand...

I use them for running. So light you don't even really feel them. They are open though in case that's a concern at your workplace.
 
H

Hazaku

Member
Picked up a used pair of these despite not liking gear with lots of treble. I just couldn't resist at the price I found em for ($200NZD).

eh1vvkz4.05d.jpg
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A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
I haven't even received my emu teaks yet and I'm already convinced that I should get an eikon with a tube amp sometime down the line.
 
S

SolarMystic

Member
Antiwhippy said:
I haven't even received my emu teaks yet and I'm already convinced that I should get an eikon with a tube amp sometime down the line.
Click to expand...

Should be getting mine in a week or two. Sbaf is getting their hands on a pair so I'd wait for measurements and some impressions outside of hype-fi. I'm convinced everyone in the ZMF thread there doesn't know what a midrange sounds like.
 
M

MyNameIsRye

Member
Returning my X2's and Astro mix amp, just gonna keep my Sony golds. I gave into the hype about how much better headphones are, but the difference doesn't seem that major, especially for $400. Super disappointed. I really wanted to like them.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
MyNameIsRye said:
Returning my X2's and Astro mix amp, just gonna keep my Sony golds. I gave into the hype about how much better headphones are, but the difference doesn't seem that major, especially for $400. Super disappointed. I really wanted to like them.
Click to expand...
Save that money go in peace
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
SolarMystic said:
Should be getting mine in a week or two. Sbaf is getting their hands on a pair so I'd wait for measurements and some impressions outside of hype-fi. I'm convinced everyone in the ZMF thread there doesn't know what a midrange sounds like.
Click to expand...

I've been getting hyped from the SBAF thread lol.

This will be ways into the future though, maybe even next year. I still want to enjoy my teaks. :p
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
I think it depends on how warm you like your headphones? I think the consensus is that the atticus is tuned warmer.

Dunno though, but the eikon is in my sights until another new release distracts me again.
 
L

Lockjaw333

Member
MyNameIsRye said:
Returning my X2's and Astro mix amp, just gonna keep my Sony golds. I gave into the hype about how much better headphones are, but the difference doesn't seem that major, especially for $400. Super disappointed. I really wanted to like them.
Click to expand...

Again really surprised by that, but its your call. You are saving $400 and untold amounts down the road by avoiding the hobby lol. Enjoy the golds.
 
J

Jabronium

Member
Antiwhippy said:
I think it depends on how warm you like your headphones? I think the consensus is that the atticus is tuned warmer.

Dunno though, but the eikon is in my sights until another new release distracts me again.
Click to expand...

I've been loving my Teaks so far and in doing some (very limited) A/B with my Senn's...I keep going back to the Teaks thus far. But like you, I'm also already eyeing up some ZMF's for later this year or next. RIP wallet.
 
M

matmanx1

Member
SolarMystic said:
Should be getting mine in a week or two. Sbaf is getting their hands on a pair so I'd wait for measurements and some impressions outside of hype-fi. I'm convinced everyone in the ZMF thread there doesn't know what a midrange sounds like.
Click to expand...

What makes you say that? I'm genuinely curious. As far as I remember, only two or three people on SBAF actually have an Eikon or Atticus. Everyone else is just speculating based on what they have heard elsewhere.

I've been wanting Tyll or someone at Innerfidelity to put up their review of the Eikon and Atticus but either way, I'm already committed. In another month or so I will be able to hear the Eikon for myself.
 
S

SolarMystic

Member
matmanx1 said:
What makes you say that? I'm genuinely curious. As far as I remember, only two or three people on SBAF actually have an Eikon or Atticus. Everyone else is just speculating based on what they have heard elsewhere.

I've been wanting Tyll or someone at Innerfidelity to put up their review of the Eikon and Atticus but either way, I'm already committed. In another month or so I will be able to hear the Eikon for myself.
Click to expand...

I was referring to the thread on head-fi, not sbaf.

Hype-fi = Head-fi
 
A

Ashhong

Member
Maybe I just have all warm headphones but I just can't understand this "warm" talk. Does that just mean more bassy? Is it possible for headphones to be bassy but not warm?
 
L

leng jai

Member
Ashhong said:
Maybe I just have all warm headphones but I just can't understand this "warm" talk. Does that just mean more bassy? Is it possible for headphones to be bassy but not warm?
Click to expand...

Midrange and bass emphasis with tame treble. It's generally a smoother sound signature with less emphasis on detail and soundstage generally speaking. Higher end headphones can manage both at the same time though.
 
L

Lockjaw333

Member
Ashhong said:
Maybe I just have all warm headphones but I just can't understand this "warm" talk. Does that just mean more bassy? Is it possible for headphones to be bassy but not warm?
Click to expand...
I am very much a novice in this headphone scene and have only been avid for a few months, and at first I felt the same as you. But having a few different cans now, I definitely understand the "warm" denotation. Compared to the shp9500 which are definitely "bright", my 598cs are definitely "warm". Not as much treble emphasis, and more earthy or mid to lower end focused. Being a noob at this, those explanations make sense to me.

If you don't have a Philips shp9500, buy one for $56 on Newegg and there is your "bright" basis of comparison.
 
M

matmanx1

Member
You guys talking about the Fischer Audio fa-011 made me curious so I went and did some reading and then ordered one of the northern beech models ($159). I've got my TH-X00's for sale and want to demo some less expensive headphones before my Eikon arrives and the fa-011 sounds like something I would enjoy.

I also found a Logitech UE6000 on Ebay for $45 (noise cancelling and strong bass) and figured, what the heck. Either the fa-011 or the UE6000 might work out for gaming purposes if nothing else.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Ashhong said:
Maybe I just have all warm headphones but I just can't understand this "warm" talk. Does that just mean more bassy? Is it possible for headphones to be bassy but not warm?
Click to expand...
He-400 the OG version is a headphone that's very bassy and not warm. Soundmagic HP150 also a little bassy but not warm.
 
M

matmanx1

Member
Mimby (Modi Multibit) came in today. Oh my! What a great little box of fun this is! In a couple of hours of listening to all kinds of songs in all kinds of genres I am now a complete believer in Schiit and their R2R DAC technology.

It's pretty incredible how much the sound quality on my music has improved from just this one addition. And this is me just using my TH-X00's! (which are great but nowhere near TOTL).

Everything just sounds bigger, fuller and deeper but also with a complete lack of any harshness or fatigue. Yep, my mind is pretty much blown.

Edit- Bonus pic showing how small Mimby is next to the Lyr 2 with apologies to anyone who has already seen this image over on SBAF!
87CzTsY.jpg
 
V

Very Berry Sunday

Member
One of the ends of my MMCX cable is inaudible. I came with my JVC FX850 headphones. Where do I get a replacement MMCX cable?

Looking for something that's at least as good as stock cable.
 
M

MyNameIsRye

Member
So now I'm debating if I want to return my X2's.

Although I most likely will return the Astromix amp, it doesn't seem to provide any benefit on the PS4 for me, versus plugging it into the controller.

I'm still not totally sold on the X2's being that much better, but I'm considering keeping them now.
 
O

opticalmace

Member
MyNameIsRye said:
So now I'm debating if I want to return my X2's.

Although I most likely will return the Astromix amp, it doesn't seem to provide any benefit on the PS4 for me, versus plugging it into the controller.

I'm still not totally sold on the X2's being that much better, but I'm considering keeping them now.
Click to expand...

Try listening to music with them, preferably from a good source.
 
M

MyNameIsRye

Member
opticalmace said:
Try listening to music with them, preferably from a good source.
Click to expand...

I tried it with Pandora, and it's not like I can't tell a difference, it just doesn't seem as drastic as I hoped it would be. I'm also using these headphones 90% of the time on PS4, and I'll hardly listen to music, watch movies with them.
 
S

SolarMystic

Member
Honestly, the X2 isn't going to be much different for you. It gets points in soundstage and imaging due to the nature of being an open back, but it is still a bloated bass, peaky/grainy treble headphone.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
I think a case is probably wasted on a skull Candy. :p

For serious though, yeah, if he's going to true or until a bag probably, because they aren't known for their robust construction.
 
T

The Boat

Member
Assuming the OP is outdated, can I get some suggestions for some nice over the ear headphones at around €100?

I don't have a DAC or amp atm but that might change. Headphones to use at home so portability isn't an issue.
 
M

matmanx1

Member
The Boat said:
Assuming the OP is outdated, can I get some suggestions for some nice over the ear headphones at around €100?

I don't have a DAC or amp atm but that might change. Headphones to use at home so portability isn't an issue.
Click to expand...

I just picked up a pair of Logitech UE6000's for $45 on Ebay and I am demoing them now. I would say they are a poor man's TH-X00 which is a $400 headset so for less than $50 they are quite good indeed.

The UE6000's are discontinued but seem to be pretty readily available on Ebay and elsewhere. Also the Sony MDR-1A can be picked up used for around $100 or so and is also quite good for that price.
 
J

jdavid459

Member
hey guys,
anyone know if there's any benefit of getting a dedicated amp vs running through on-board soundcard with the phillips Philips X2/27 Fidelio headphones?

They already sound good - just wondering if they get even better...

Using Realtek ALC1150 115dB SNR HD Audio which seems to be fairly good according to quick google search?
 
S

SolarMystic

Member
jdavid459 said:
hey guys,
anyone know if there's any benefit of getting a dedicated amp vs running through on-board soundcard with the phillips Philips X2/27 Fidelio headphones?

They already sound good - just wondering if they get even better...

Using Realtek ALC1150 115dB SNR HD Audio which seems to be fairly good according to quick google search?
Click to expand...

The X2 doesn't really scale, but I would never not recommend a Fulla 2 to someone interested in taking a small step into audio. Especially at $99.
 
M

matmanx1

Member
jdavid459 said:
hey guys,
anyone know if there's any benefit of getting a dedicated amp vs running through on-board soundcard with the phillips Philips X2/27 Fidelio headphones?

They already sound good - just wondering if they get even better...

Using Realtek ALC1150 115dB SNR HD Audio which seems to be fairly good according to quick google search?
Click to expand...

What Solar Mystic said. The Schiit Fulla 2 is a nice upgrade over any onboard audio, even a good one, at only $99. If you want to take it one step further you can go for the Modi and Magni combo which splits the DAC and amp into two separate boxes for even an even bigger step and they are $99 each, which is still an insane deal for the amount of power and clarity you would get out of that setup.
 
M

Mastermind Vade

Banned
Hey Gaf, aby reccomendations for over the ear wireless headphones, I've ran through at least 6 different headphones that have broken due to my poor care of the cables.
 
K

Kambing

Member
Welp, I can't believe I sold my Ether Flow's. Was fortunate enough to try out the Focal Utopia this past weekend, and was legit shook. The sound and experience is similar to HD 800's... similar soundstage, but excels in every other area. Unlike any other headphone I've tried, these headphones replicate the experience of listening to speakers, it's fucking mad.

They are stupid expensive but if you have the HD 800 and have that itch to upgrade, give them a listen. It really feels like this is what a HD 900 or 1000 would sound like.
 
M

matmanx1

Member
Kambing said:
Welp, I can't believe I sold my Ether Flow's. Was fortunate enough to try out the Focal Utopia this past weekend, and was legit shook. The sound and experience is similar to HD 800's... similar soundstage, but excels in every other area. Unlike any other headphone I've tried, these headphones replicate the experience of listening to speakers, it's fucking mad.

They are stupid expensive but if you have the HD 800 and have that itch to upgrade, give them a listen. It really feels like this is what a HD 900 or 1000 would sound like.
Click to expand...

I do hear amazing things about the Utopia's but that price tag is way out of my league for the time being. The ZMF Eikon's I ordered are already cost more than I ever thought I would spend on a pair of headphones and the Utopia's are like 3x that.

That being said, I would very much like to hear them one day. Oh and that reminds me, I believe I have a loaner pair of Focal Elear's coming my way courtesy of TTVJ from over at Head-Fi. I will be very interested to hear them in action as well.
 
T

The Boat

Member
matmanx1 said:
I just picked up a pair of Logitech UE6000's for $45 on Ebay and I am demoing them now. I would say they are a poor man's TH-X00 which is a $400 headset so for less than $50 they are quite good indeed.

The UE6000's are discontinued but seem to be pretty readily available on Ebay and elsewhere. Also the Sony MDR-1A can be picked up used for around $100 or so and is also quite good for that price.
Click to expand...
Thanks!
 
O

omgkitty

Member
I need some help finding some in-ears. For several years, I've been using some Shure SE215's. The first set I had lasted me close to 3 years. I bought another set when they started to go out, but that set only lasted me about 6 months before I started having issues. I also bought the VSonic GR07 at some point in there, and switched to those. Those lasted all of a month, and are now falling apart.

I've been looking at the MEE Pinnacle P1 as that looks like it has a sturdy cable, but obviously that's $200. I want something with some good performance that's going to withstand me using them 6 hours a day. I'm not doing anything crazy with them, just wearing them while working my normal desk job. Any suggestions would be great.
 
K

Kambing

Member
matmanx1 said:
I do hear amazing things about the Utopia's but that price tag is way out of my league for the time being. The ZMF Eikon's I ordered are already cost more than I ever thought I would spend on a pair of headphones and the Utopia's are like 3x that.

That being said, I would very much like to hear them one day. Oh and that reminds me, I believe I have a loaner pair of Focal Elear's coming my way courtesy of TTVJ from over at Head-Fi. I will be very interested to hear them in action as well.
Click to expand...

Well if you ever do try them, please share your impressions! I bought a used pair so saved quite a bit of money that way.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
omgkitty said:
I need some help finding some in-ears. For several years, I've been using some Shure SE215's. The first set I had lasted me close to 3 years. I bought another set when they started to go out, but that set only lasted me about 6 months before I started having issues. I also bought the VSonic GR07 at some point in there, and switched to those. Those lasted all of a month, and are now falling apart.

I've been looking at the MEE Pinnacle P1 as that looks like it has a sturdy cable, but obviously that's $200. I want something with some good performance that's going to withstand me using them 6 hours a day. I'm not doing anything crazy with them, just wearing them while working my normal desk job. Any suggestions would be great.
Click to expand...

The P1s are probably what you want. They had build troubles during their initial launch but they have ironed out those issues since.

You might want to look at 2pin connector iems instead of mmcx though because mmcx is more prone to flaking. Pinnacle P1 is a solid iem though.
 
D

deoee

Member
Anyone (from EU/Germany) interested in buying a Fiio E10K Olympus 2?

It's in perfect condition and comes with a slightly ripped box :D

I put it on ebay "craigslist" for 60€ but I'm open for offers :)
 
X

X-Frame

Member
Is it safe to make the assumption that if for example I use my HE-400i's with my MacBook Pro and the DragonFly Red -- and I'm able to listen to them at my high-end comfortable volume without maxing out the MB's volume, that they are being driven sufficiently?

I just wanted to make sure that if I can reach X volume on my MacBook w/ DF Red, and can reach the same X volume on my Magni/Modi stack that essentially it should be no different in terms of power? Excluding the differences in the DAC.

Thanks guys.
 
L

leroidys

Member
I hate going on gaf and asking for buying reccomendations, but I've had a hell of a time trying to sort through amazon, heapdhone review sites, and neogaf to try and find stuff that is both (1) still available and (2) fits my requirements.

I'm looking for
*over-ear
*under $300
*don't look too stupid/huge/ridiculous
*noise cancelling (active or passive)
*good build quality (I've had some sennheisers in the past that basically just fall apart eventually)

and of course, good audio quality. I listen to pretty much everything from spoken word, classical, rap, rock, vocal, lofi, etc.
 
S

SolarMystic

Member
X-Frame said:
Is it safe to make the assumption that if for example I use my HE-400i's with my MacBook Pro and the DragonFly Red -- and I'm able to listen to them at my high-end comfortable volume without maxing out the MB's volume, that they are being driven sufficiently?

I just wanted to make sure that if I can reach X volume on my MacBook w/ DF Red, and can reach the same X volume on my Magni/Modi stack that essentially it should be no different in terms of power? Excluding the differences in the DAC.

Thanks guys.
Click to expand...

Just about literally everything outside of an HE-6 can be driven to loud volumes out of a POS off brand phone. Doesn't mean it's gonna sound good though.
 
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