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

H

HiResDes

Member
For just iems I'd buy a schiit fulla and put the money you save towards even better earphones. I'd personally recommend the LZ A4 over the 1more due to its flexibility and the supposed brightness of the 1More series would turn me off.
 
M

matmanx1

Member
Chittagong said:
Big Schiit weekend ahead, mystery product being announced.

Schiit Autotune?
Click to expand...

RMAF is happening now, right? Should be some good stuff coming out of that show. I actually communicated with Zach from ZMF this morning and he said he would be at RMAF so some lucky folks will get to demo the Auteur and we should have more impressions shortly.
 
M

maven

Member
toff74 said:
I’m looking for a way to improve my mobile and PC audio (borked headphone socket) experience so was thinking iem’s And a usb DAC, which I could use for both.

So far I have the 1more quad driver iem’s and got a dragonfly red DAC on the way.

I guess I’m asking if this is the best route? Should I get better iem’s and a cheaper DAC for example?

I blame amazon Prime for the impulse purchases!!
Click to expand...

The dragonfly seems like a popular option. I doubt you will be disappointed. I’m currently trying to convince myself that I don’t need one.

There is always more gear to buy. Try what you’ve got. It will probably be great. If not, figure out what you’d prefer and then make a more informed decision.
 
G

groansey

Member
Hi thread - a complete novice here hoping you can sprinkle some wisdom my way in terms of a good gaming headset for PS4. I currently use the cheapest Sony stereo gaming headset that cost £12 and they are perfectly fine for figuring out if a noise is from the left or right... but I get the impression I am probably missing out loads in terms of 3D gaming audio spacial awareness and also sound quality and detail.

I am looking to upgrade to something in the £50-80 region provided it offers a noticeable upgrade and I think in that range there are analogue or virtual surround sets? I am looking for a wired set as I will be using it with the controller so bluetooth isn't an expense I'm concerned with. Obv mic is a necessity too and if they were good all-rounders for music too that would be a bonus. Any recommendations?
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Sir_Stoo said:
Hi thread - a complete novice here hoping you can sprinkle some wisdom my way in terms of a good gaming headset for PS4. I currently use the cheapest Sony stereo gaming headset that cost £12 and they are perfectly fine for figuring out if a noise is from the left or right... but I get the impression I am probably missing out loads in terms of 3D gaming audio spacial awareness and also sound quality and detail.

I am looking to upgrade to something in the £50-80 region provided it offers a noticeable upgrade and I think in that range there are analogue or virtual surround sets? I am looking for a wired set as I will be using it with the controller so bluetooth isn't an expense I'm concerned with. Obv mic is a necessity too and if they were good all-rounders for music too that would be a bonus. Any recommendations?
Click to expand...
Keep your headphones...
 
J

Jimnymebob

Member
What are Sennheiser's customer service like in the UK?

I've had some CX 2.00G's for around 3 weeks, and the microphone is only picking up noise if you physically tap the mic, or blow into it, and the right earphone just went really quiet all of a sudden 5 minutes ago.
 
LQX

LQX

Member
Sir_Stoo said:
Hi thread - a complete novice here hoping you can sprinkle some wisdom my way in terms of a good gaming headset for PS4. I currently use the cheapest Sony stereo gaming headset that cost £12 and they are perfectly fine for figuring out if a noise is from the left or right... but I get the impression I am probably missing out loads in terms of 3D gaming audio spacial awareness and also sound quality and detail.

I am looking to upgrade to something in the £50-80 region provided it offers a noticeable upgrade and I think in that range there are analogue or virtual surround sets? I am looking for a wired set as I will be using it with the controller so bluetooth isn't an expense I'm concerned with. Obv mic is a necessity too and if they were good all-rounders for music too that would be a bonus. Any recommendations?
Click to expand...
HyperX Cloud II. Great headphones and right at your price point.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SAYCXWG/
 
K

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
Sir_Stoo said:
And I was told you guys were friendly.

So any headphones under, like,£200 are only as good as £10 ones?
Click to expand...

It's not unfriendly to suggest that a person who finds no fault in their current headphones, should keep them and save the money.
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
So this just happened:

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-plus-universal-iems

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/massdrop-plus-universal-iem.862099/

So MF apparently thinks it sounds like a UERM with sub bass? Vented sonions that hit 10 hz? Honest to god sub bass extension without any of the treble quirks of dynamic based drivers? For $300? I mean, holy shit man. I know she has the UERM, Prophile 8 and Andromeda (the big 3 reference IEMs) so this excites the hell outta me

I think the K10 are really nice sounding phones. They aren't worth anything near their original asking price, and much less now if the Massdrop Plus is as good as MF alleges.
 
LQX

LQX

Member
Dreams-Visions said:
Has anyone heard the Noble Kaiser 10 IEMs? I see they're going hella vast on Massdrop @ what I think 99.9% of people would consider a high price. $899.

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-noble-kaiser-10-universal-iems

Everything that I'm reading says they're amaze even at their MSRP. Confirm/Deny?
Click to expand...

Seeing the fervor around them I started reading up on them and nearly every thing I have read/seen universally praises them. Even saw many saying they were on the level of the Sennheiser HD800 and better than many sub $2,000 headphones. I still cant get myself to pay out the ass for an IEM as I would an over-ear though and that 1- year warranty scares the hell out of me for an IEM for some reason as nearly every one I have ever bought died at a little over year. That thing dies and it is done, at-least I can attempt to fix an headphone myself.

That said, I want to up my game when it comes to in ears as I spend a lot of time with cheap ones during my workouts and even in bed, so going really consider some of these $100-$300 offerings like the Noble X which also seems to get a lot of praise.
 
LQX

LQX

Member
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri said:
So this just happened:

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-plus-universal-iems

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/massdrop-plus-universal-iem.862099/

So MF apparently thinks it sounds like a UERM with sub bass? Vented sonions that hit 10 hz? Honest to god sub bass extension without any of the treble quirks of dynamic based drivers? For $300? I mean, holy shit man. I know she has the UERM, Prophile 8 and Andromeda (the big 3 reference IEMs) so this excites the hell outta me

I think the K10 are really nice sounding phones. They aren't worth anything near their original asking price, and much less now if the Massdrop Plus is as good as MF alleges.
Click to expand...
Ha, just wrote a post saying I wanted to take the plunge on a more decent IEM. I may jump on these. Hopefully they wont take forever to ship.
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
LQX said:
Ha, just wrote a post saying I wanted to take the plunge on a more decent IEM. I may jump on these. Hopefully they wont take forever to ship.
Click to expand...

LQX said:
Ha, just wrote a post saying I wanted to take the plunge on a more decent IEM. I may jump on these. Hopefully they wont take forever to ship.
Click to expand...

MF's been extremely effusive about them over at SBAF. If they're honest to goodness close to the UERM in technicalities/FR but have level extension down to even 20 hz (let alone 10), these will be phenomenal. Years and years later, I still think the UERM can throw down against just about anything on the market. I already thought the 2 driver ATH-LS200 was an amazing alternative to the UERM, but these sound like they'll be even better.
 
G

groansey

Member
K.Jack said:
It's not unfriendly to suggest that a person who finds no fault in their current headphones, should keep them and save the money.
Click to expand...

I am using the cheapest headphones available, so the fault I find in them, is that there are evidently better headsets in terms of functionality, comfort and most importantly sound quality. But I don't have hundreds to spend on a high-end set..
 
S

sirap

Member
LQX said:
Seeing the fervor around them I started reading up on them and nearly every thing I have read/seen universally praises them. Even saw many saying they were on the level of the Sennheiser HD800 and better than many sub $2,000 headphones. I still cant get myself to pay out the ass for an IEM as I would an over-ear though and that 1- year warranty scares the hell out of me for an IEM for some reason as nearly every one I have ever bought died at a little over year. That thing dies and it is done, at-least I can attempt to fix an headphone myself.

That said, I want to up my game when it comes to in ears as I spend a lot of time with cheap ones during my workouts and even in bed, so going really consider some of these $100-$300 offerings like the Noble X which also seems to get a lot of praise.
Click to expand...

The K10U's are much closer to HD600s. Very similar highs and mids. Vocals are also a touch warmer on the K10's. If I had to choose something from Noble that matches the HD800, it would be the Katana.

The Kaiser is pretty much a jack of all trades, master of none. There are better IEMS out there, but the OG K10 is the only one I can think of that works well with almost every type of music. Campfire's Andromeda fills that roll too, but I like to switch sources and they can be very picky.

EDIT: I also really dislike the new Kaiser Encore. I tried them at CanJam Singapore this year and they felt like an odd compromise between the K10 and Katana. Idk, shit just sounded weird.
 
K

Kambing

Member
Do you guys think Sennheiser will release a successor to the HD 800 S? I had the Focal Utopia and Abyss at one point, but ultimately sold both due to discomfort. The Utopia has a clampshell like design which got tiresome after a while, whereas the Abyss is like wearing a tank on your head due to the weight. The sound quality on both exceed the 800 S. But i can wear the 800's without experiencing any fatigue so its the only pair of headphones i own now. With the $1-3k market heating up, i really hope so...
 
L

leng jai

Member
Kambing said:
Do you guys think Sennheiser will release a successor to the HD 800 S? I had the Focal Utopia and Abyss at one point, but ultimately sold both due to discomfort. The Utopia has a clampshell like design which got tiresome after a while, whereas the Abyss is like wearing a tank on your head due to the weight. The sound quality on both exceed the 800 S. But i can wear the 800's without experiencing any fatigue so its the only pair of headphones i own now. With the $1-3k market heating up, i really hope so...
Click to expand...

Basically everything is uncomfortable when you compare it to the HD800. I haven't heard anything about Sennheiser releasing a true successor to the HD800 yet, they seem pretty happy with them and not too interested in the 2-5k market. Makes sense to me, a lot of people still consider them to be the best cans on the market despite being sub $1500.
 
K

Kambing

Member
leng jai said:
Basically everything is uncomfortable when you compare it to the HD800. I haven't heard anything about Sennheiser releasing a true successor to the HD800 yet, they seem pretty happy with them and not too interested in the 2-5k market. Makes sense to me, a lot of people still consider them to be the best cans on the market despite being sub $1500.
Click to expand...

Yeah this is so true, they are so comfy... it’d be a real shame if they don’t ever release a successor. The utopia showed me that dynamic headphones can achieve a greater high than the 800’s.

HiResDes said:
Zmf headphones are supposedly comfortable.
Click to expand...

Sweet, I’ll do some research on these. They look real nice, with the wood. Unlike the abyss... ohhh boy those were ugly
 
V

Very Berry Sunday

Member
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri said:
So this just happened:

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-plus-universal-iems

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/massdrop-plus-universal-iem.862099/

So MF apparently thinks it sounds like a UERM with sub bass? Vented sonions that hit 10 hz? Honest to god sub bass extension without any of the treble quirks of dynamic based drivers? For $300? I mean, holy shit man. I know she has the UERM, Prophile 8 and Andromeda (the big 3 reference IEMs) so this excites the hell outta me

I think the K10 are really nice sounding phones. They aren't worth anything near their original asking price, and much less now if the Massdrop Plus is as good as MF alleges.
Click to expand...

I see that 2.5mm TRRS balanced cable can be included for $30 more. What is 2.5mm TRRS balanced cable for? Will I need it to plug into my Magni 2?
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
Very Berry Sunday said:
I see that 2.5mm TRRS balanced cable can be included for $30 more. What is 2.5mm TRRS balanced cable for? Will I need it to plug into my Magni 2?
Click to expand...

It's for plugging into a balanced connection on a portable audio player. You'd need to own something that has a 2.5 mm jack such as an A&K, iBasso, etc. You shouldn't need an amp for this at all

leng jai said:
Is the Noble X on Massdrop any good?
Click to expand...

SGS has comparisons against Noble X, UERM and Andromeda at the bottom of this page:

http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...endations-favorites-and-classics.2229/page-57

Echoes MF's opinion that these stack up against TOTL offerings
 
M

matmanx1

Member
HiResDes said:
Zmf headphones are supposedly comfortable.
Click to expand...

My ZMF Eikon's certainly are. Zach uses extremely high quality foam inside the earpads and extremely high quality hide (cow hide, I think) on the outside so they feel buttery soft on your ears and head. I don't think there's really any secret to their comfort other than not cheaping out and always using premium materials in their construction.
 
B

Blitzhex

Member
matmanx1 said:
My ZMF Eikon's certainly are. Zach uses extremely high quality foam inside the earpads and extremely high quality hide (cow hide, I think) on the outside so they feel buttery soft on your ears and head. I don't think there's really any secret to their comfort other than not cheaping out and always using premium materials in their construction.
Click to expand...

Weight is also a big factor in comfort. Personally ~300g with cable is the threshold for comfort for me. Zmf headphones are double that weight and more w/o cable.
 
LQX

LQX

Member
Schiit Gadget...
10011078_thumb.jpg
 
O

Oveja Negra

Member
LQX said:
Schiit Gadget...
10011078_thumb.jpg
Click to expand...

Chittagong said:
They don't have a Norse name? Wonder when the chapter drops
Click to expand...

I'm also surprised at the name, but whatever.

The important part is: IMPRESSIONS!!!!!

I just can't find any -_-

EDIT: I was convinced this Gadget was going to be Bifrost size, but it's just like the Eitr/Modi/Wyrd/others. Does it mean the uber version that it will take care of the other 12 parameters is the one that will appear in a Bifrost chassis?
 
K

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
Blitzhex said:
Weight is also a big factor in comfort. Personally ~300g with cable is the threshold for comfort for me. Zmf headphones are double that weight and more w/o cable.
Click to expand...

Man, you must not find anything we discuss comfortable, if 300g is the line. Your X-00 is 350g with, 482g with the cable. How do you tolerate it?

NipplesAndToes23 said:
What are some good earphones? I like the round ones, not earbuds though.
Click to expand...

Buy the Noble X.

Since you didn't include a budget, I'll assume its unlimited.
 
B

Blitzhex

Member
K.Jack said:
Man, you must not find anything we discuss comfortable, if 300g is the line. Your X-00 is 350g with, 482g with the cable. How do you tolerate it?
Click to expand...

I don't. I hate wearing it for more than 1 hour. The k7xx and mdr1a I can wear the whole day and go to sleep with though. Maybe I'm just picky about weight. My computer speakers recently died, so the only sound I've got is headphones. Being able to wear them for long periods of time is important for me.
 
K

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
LQX

LQX

Member
HD660S?

No idea if true but here is more info..

.....

What it is ?
Well it looks exactly like an all black HD650.
It sounds similarish to an HD650 as well.
Only heard it with 2 songs I am not totally familiar with but it sounded good.
A bit more subbass for sure.
Pleasant in the treble a lot like the HD650.

Not the same drivers though.
Different damping scheme in any case.

It has the familiar HD650 connectors and looks but as said all black.
Clamping force was high.
The pads also differ a bit.
They are slightly deeper and have edges that are getting smaller near the edge.

Because of this they aren't as comfy as HD650 pads as with the high clamping force you also have less surface and thus more local pressure around the ears.

The price is around 500 Euros.
So inbetween HD650 and HD700.

......
Click to expand...

http://diyah.boards.net/thread/1660/sennheiser-hd660s-he1

This is supposedly it...

Loeoe3L.jpg
Click to expand...
 
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