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The Official Headphone Thread 2.5: We're Making WAVs and Catching FLAC
- Thread starter HiResDes
- Start date
theSlacker
Member
To add to IEM questions, how is the Pinnacle PX? Thinking about getting in on that drop now and it is one of the other things I was going to ask about in my last post, IEM recommendations. Been using the Etymotic HF5 for years now.
Pinnacle P1 if you were gonna spring a little more otherwise maybe Fidue A73 or LZ A3What's a good apir of IEMs in the 150 buck range? I guess hybrid design? Hard/cutting treble is a nono but otherwise I really like clarity and precision. Bass has to be precise too, if it's too light I can EQ it anyway.
Please help
The PX is just the P1 in a different skin
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Which means it's pretty good, especially for the price.
theSlacker
Member
Yeah, gathered that from the description, but good to have confirmation. I don't know anything about the P1 either though, so what is good about it/are there better alternatives? Also how are the earplugs that come with it since I've just been using "glider" tips for my IEM but seems like that type of plug is now discontinued everywhere.
sankt-Antonio
:^)--?-<
So for the last couple of months I started to recognizing that I hear certain content in music slightly of center. The snare on basically any album was not centered like the vocals are but shifted to the right. After checking my equipment, different HP etc. I first came to the conclusion that my left ear is kind of fucked right around the frequency range of snares...it happens.
I went to a doc, he checked my canals for gunk and made a hearing test.... He was kind of pissed at me because I whined for like an hour that I'm not hearing right. He told me that I have the ears of a newborn and should just enjoy live :/
I read some papers about how "we" listen to music etc, and figured that this could be my mind playing tricks on me ... stopped listening to music for a month and it looks like I'm somewhat back to normal. If I concentrate to much on the snare it shifts to the right until I tell myself that this "can't be" and it jumps back to the center again. WTF.
Some of you have had similar experiences?
I went to a doc, he checked my canals for gunk and made a hearing test.... He was kind of pissed at me because I whined for like an hour that I'm not hearing right. He told me that I have the ears of a newborn and should just enjoy live :/
I read some papers about how "we" listen to music etc, and figured that this could be my mind playing tricks on me ... stopped listening to music for a month and it looks like I'm somewhat back to normal. If I concentrate to much on the snare it shifts to the right until I tell myself that this "can't be" and it jumps back to the center again. WTF.
Some of you have had similar experiences?
OMG so tempting.
theSlacker
Member
Dang it. Same situation as before. So which is more recommended, the Pinnacle PX or LZ A4?
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Never heard the A4 before but if i had to guess based on the reviews I've read, PX if you value a balanced sound, a4 for bass.
theSlacker
Member
Yeah seems that way. I have traditional gone with balanced so will probably go for the PX, but on the other hand that also means all the stuff I have already is already the same so maybe I should try something different. Bah.
dynamitejim
Member
Try using the DSP in Foobar that converts everything to mono. If you still hear certain things more in one ear then you've got some kind of hearing problem.
AKG K553 on Massdrop for $110 - https://www.massdrop.com/buy/akg-k5...ontent=1499498234640.920104244465932427158522
Dreams-Visions
Member
Picked up a Chord 2Qute for my DAC needs. Will be deciding whether it's worth the asking price soon.
In the realm of headphones, I've never been so satisfied, as I have been by the E-MU. I'm legitimately joyful.
I can't find any blatant sacrifices, in what they deliver. They give me everything I want, without compromise.
I'm blown away.
What headphones are you using with that?
I can't find any blatant sacrifices, in what they deliver. They give me everything I want, without compromise.
I'm blown away.
What headphones are you using with that?
theSlacker
Member
Still can't decide between the PX and L4. Thought I settled on the PX but then saw someone compare them with the L4 being mentioned as way better and on another level. But on the other hand not a fan of them being open IEMs so wouldn't really have the same use as my current IEMs that I'm replacing.
I added a Schiit Saga pre-amp to my Metrum Musette DAC and Schiit Jotunheim amp this week and I am really, really happy and surprised at just how good it is. The Saga, in tube buffer mode, basically takes the positive attributes of the Schiit Valhalla (holographic soundstage and euphonics) and adds them to the Jot without losing what the Jot already does well (which is clean, clear, crisp attack and decay and absolute tonal accuracy). It is a winner combination for not a lot of cash (Saga is $350 and Jot is $399).
It's not very common to use a pre-amp with a headphone amplifier but the combo has been tried and vetted by some folks over at SBAF and so I felt pretty comfortable with trying it out in my setup. After a couple of days playing with it I am pretty blown away by the results, even with the stock Sovtek tube.
Next stop, Psvane tube, which I hear is much, much better and I can't wait to hear what that sounds like.
It's not very common to use a pre-amp with a headphone amplifier but the combo has been tried and vetted by some folks over at SBAF and so I felt pretty comfortable with trying it out in my setup. After a couple of days playing with it I am pretty blown away by the results, even with the stock Sovtek tube.
Next stop, Psvane tube, which I hear is much, much better and I can't wait to hear what that sounds like.
It's true the A4's are super noise cancelling or isolating because of the open nature (with some filters more than others), but even still even with low volume and using tips that give a good seal it isolates outside noise quite well. Obviously won't be as good as a closed IEM though.
LQX
Member
This looks interesting. Mayflower is coming out with their own O2/ODAC alternative called the "ARC". It has DSP modes, mic and also optical so this will also be great for console owners.
https://www.mayflowerelectronics.com/shop/mayflower-custom-products/arc/
Also, Massdrop will be offering 10,000 more HD6XX headphones on Monday. If you planned on selling your HD650 you better do it before December. Sennheiser must be making a lot of bank on Massdrop in comparison to even huge outlets like Amazon to be putting so many of these out there at these prices.
https://www.mayflowerelectronics.com/shop/mayflower-custom-products/arc/
Also, Massdrop will be offering 10,000 more HD6XX headphones on Monday. If you planned on selling your HD650 you better do it before December. Sennheiser must be making a lot of bank on Massdrop in comparison to even huge outlets like Amazon to be putting so many of these out there at these prices.
Sword Of Doom
Member
This is interesting. I've tried the Jot and didn't like it As a fan of tubes because it just sounded very clean but a bit sterile. After trying the torpedo III, which is a hybrid amp, just today I was wondering if you could get something sounding similar to the Torpedo III if you added a tube preamp to the Jot.
How much will this cost? I like DSP for surround and having that option with the O2/ODAC seems perfect.
Conkerkid11
Member
So... I've had 1st gen Astro A50s for a long time because I won them in a contest like 6 years ago or something. I want a nice pair of headphones for like $300 or something and a mic that attaches to it. Primarily gonna be used for gaming and listening to music on my desktop computer. Not planning on taking them anywhere. Portability and wireless aren't important to me. I want my music to sound good, and I want to be able to hear where that guy near me in PUBG is.
Was considering the V-Moda M-100 and the V-Moda BoomPro Mic combo. Anybody have a better recommendation?
Was considering the V-Moda M-100 and the V-Moda BoomPro Mic combo. Anybody have a better recommendation?
sixteen-bit
Member
LQX
Member
$249.99. $229.99 if you pre-order. Also, though this is using the same housing as the O2/ODAC, it is not not an O2/ODAC. Mayflower supposedly came up with their own AMP/DAC and claim it is superior to the O2/ODAC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s4WhTbUQlE
Sword Of Doom
Member
Sword Of Doom
Member
Massdrop is supposed to have more HD6XX's and I think they're $250 now. Amazon has them for $315 right now. Honestly I would probably pay a little more just to not have to wait 6 months for them. I waited 5 months for the TH-X00 Purple Hearts and it was an excruciatingly long time.
SolarMystic
Member
A little confused as to how they can basically double the amount of headphones, and yet keep the same ship date
Could always get the 6xx if nothing comes up
sixteen-bit
Member
I'm sure Prime Day will be a joke all around, just like last year.
The Saga + Jot would probably be right up your alley then. It's uncanny how the Saga running in tube buffer mode completely eliminates the Jot's sterility and 2D soundstage while not ruining what the Jot does well. And it's a flexible setup because you can run the Saga in passive mode which does not use the tube meaning you really have the best of both worlds.
The Saga also has a 64 step attenuator which is nicer than the volume pot on the Jot and comes with a remote control. I keep the Jot volume maxed and use the Saga remote to control volume now, which is pretty slick.
For $349, it is another crazy good value from Schiit.
Interesting that Logan says the DSP is just bass boost. The product page states:
Built-in surround sound and bass boost DSP (Digital Sound Processor).
https://www.mayflowerelectronics.com/shop/mayflower-custom-products/arc/
Conkerkid11
Member
lmao at waiting half a year for 6xx to ship, would rather pay extra for the 650.
Still undecided on what to get though.
Still undecided on what to get though.
Sword Of Doom
Member
Too bad I just got a Torpedo 3 so I'm done buying amps for a while. That sounds like a great solution for relatively cheap. I really want to hear it now
Yeah I thought it's weird (maybe misleading?) to label it DSP if it's just bass boost. Like I said, I like the effect so not having would be a deal breaker for me
$199 is such a good price though. I'm tempted because I have 650's but my right driver is damaged. 6months is such a long time
lowrider007
Licorice-flavoured booze?
Grabbed this little beauty today!
Upgraded from an M-Stage HPA-1 so didn't really expect a big difference but to my surprise it was quite a big upgrade, a lot more detail retrieval, not nearly as warm sounding as I was expecting, really nice controlled slamming bass with just a hint warmth on the midrange and a slightly hot treble which makes sense as I think this AMP was designed with their planar's in mind, I'm currently using it with a pair of AKG K712's and imo it pairs very well with as the K712's are a little dark.
Upgraded from an M-Stage HPA-1 so didn't really expect a big difference but to my surprise it was quite a big upgrade, a lot more detail retrieval, not nearly as warm sounding as I was expecting, really nice controlled slamming bass with just a hint warmth on the midrange and a slightly hot treble which makes sense as I think this AMP was designed with their planar's in mind, I'm currently using it with a pair of AKG K712's and imo it pairs very well with as the K712's are a little dark.
Grabbed this little beauty today!
Upgraded from an M-Stage HPA-1 so didn't really expect a big difference but to my surprise it was quite a big upgrade, a lot more detail retrieval, not nearly as warm sounding as I was expecting, really nice controlled slamming bass with just a hint warmth on the midrange and a slightly hot treble which makes sense as I think this AMP was designed with their planar's in mind, I'm currently using it with a pair of AKG K712's and imo it pairs very well with as the K712's are a little dark.
Nice pickup! The Deckard is a well made, classy looking solid state amp. Enjoy it.
gutterboy44
Member
Nice, Monoprice updated the connectors on the M1060, they swapped out the MMCX connectors for 3.5mm. The mmcx connectors were a really bad choice for such large headphones, should be used only for IEMs. Luckily I was able to RMA my original M1060's for the revised edition. Should be getting them back in a week or so.
In news that will shock no one, I tried my LZ A4's out of my iPhone 7 with the little dongle and was not really impressed with them. Then I went back to my Dragonfly Red and the difference in white noise, bass response, and overall clarity was quite significant to me (I accounted for volume too).
I wanted to see if I really wanted to carry around the DF Red and adapter versus the dongle and I realized I do.
I wanted to see if I really wanted to carry around the DF Red and adapter versus the dongle and I realized I do.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
The footprint isn't really that much worse.
Yeah I know, but it's a bit awkward if I have to fold it behind the phone or let it hang.
I'm actually considering the Oppo HA-2SE since I can snap it to the back of my iPhone 7 Plus. Though apparently it still is experiencing problems with iOS 10.
Sword Of Doom
Member
How is the 400i compared to the 400S? How are they different? I really liked the 400s but I just couldn't get over the ugly Hifiman spring steel headband. It was very comfortable though. Hard to beat the sound quality for the price. I'd take the more refined and neutral sound of the 400S over the Monoprice 1060 any day.
lowrider007
Licorice-flavoured booze?
Thanks, loving it!, Have my eyes on the Audeze lcd-2 aluminum's now, although I think I'll be waiting for a very good B-Grade deal before I grab those as they are very expensive atm.
They sound a lot darker than the K612 Pro I upgraded from, and the Grado's I own, I guess it depends what headphones you're used to, I think they have a 'happy' sound signature with fantastic tonality and a lot of bass but lacking a little in treble sparkle, which is no doubt due to the 3dB bass 'improvement', something has to give! In my opinion they a mile away from being an analytical headphone.
Including the K712's? Because that is very surprising if so, what headphones do you normally use?
Very Berry Sunday
Member
Someone in Craigslist is offering Magni 2 Uber and Modi 2 Uber for $220. Should I get it?
I didn't hear the K712/K7XX as bright, in fact I thought it was fairly warm except for a low treble peak that manifests occasionally on percussion.
Other AKGs are pretty bad though. With so many products on the market, I just box everything into bad or good categories to make things easy for me to remember.
Other AKGs are pretty bad though. With so many products on the market, I just box everything into bad or good categories to make things easy for me to remember.
lowrider007
Licorice-flavoured booze?
Do you want a headphone amp? What headphones do you currently own/use, what are you currently using to amp your headphones?
What is the cheapest way to use a 3.5mm headphone with a PS4 via the optical out? In another thread someone recommended de DSS2, but here in Europe it costs much more than in the USA (the guy said 10 dollars, while here its 40 euros...) so I was wondering if there is any other cheaper or similar priced way (that might be cheaper in Europe).
Find someone throwing out an old AV amplifier with Dolby digital or DTS but no HDMI. Something like an old Yamaha RX-v850. Optical inputs and great headphone output. The only downside is they are big. charity shops, thrift stores and the like have loads of the things. Everyone wants HDMI inputs now so a lot of good stuff gets thrown out.