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$500 cans on, this is how you dream right - Official Headphone Thread

Bitmap Frogs

Bitmap Frogs

Mr. Community
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri said:
They are absolutely worth that price for the sound quality you get, just at $295 MSRP, there are other phones out there that will definitely outperform them and at cheaper price points. I think the thing that bothers me the most about the X10 is its imaging isn't very good. They felt really claustrophobic from my memory, and I much prefer something with a larger soundstage. I think that has a lot to do with them being very, very small single driver phones. I think IEM tech has come a ways since the TF 10 and X10. But this is really me just nitpicking since I've heard better than the X10. At that price point, they are excellent phones and don't really have a peer. I'd just be a bit weary of the build quality. The straight jack is bound to short over the long run.

I should also mention that insertion depth plays a role in how good these phones sound. You have to be them deeper in the ear canal than you'd think, just like with Etymotics.
Click to expand...

For 260 buckaroos you can get the beyerdinamics 990's which have a killer rep.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Alucrid said:
They're talking about IEMs. Also, those X10s look like ear dildos.
Click to expand...

tumblr_lhygfnMI431qzehl5.gif
 
A

apana

Member
I want to get some earphones but I'm surprised by how little information there is about them and how costly they are. A neighbor had a bunch of them that he used to give me for free when they broke but unfortunately he is no longer around. I'm confused by the types. I think I prefer what people call earbuds, the type that fit into the outer ear. I think earbuds are the type that Apple includes with their ipods. The inner ear ones are uncomfortable for me so that probably isn't an option. Do you guys know what are the best types in the price range of $5-$10. I guess I could just get some more standard ipod earbuds but they are a bit expensive. Also is there a real danger of hearing loss by using earbuds? That's the warning I have heard but I assumed it was only a problem if the sound is up to the max.
 
M

Mindlog

Member
Bitmap Frogs said:
IEMs are for wussies, real men rock huge cans.
Click to expand...
A real man accessories according to the occasion!
or something

Thanks for the mini-review. Even if I don't like them they'd make an excellent gift. God knows I am trying to steer so many people away from Beats this holiday season.
 
A

Alucrid

Banned
apana said:
I want to get some earphones but I'm surprised by how little information there is about them and how costly they are. A neighbor had a bunch of them that he used to give me for free when they broke but unfortunately he is no longer around. I'm confused by the types. I think I prefer what people call earbuds, the type that fit into the outer ear. I think earbuds are the type that Apple includes with their ipods. The inner ear ones are uncomfortable for me so that probably isn't an option. Do you guys know what are the best types in the price range of $5-$10. I guess I could just get some more standard ipod earbuds but they are a bit expensive. Also is there a real danger of hearing loss by using earbuds? That's the warning I have heard but I assumed it was only a problem if the sound is up to the max.
Click to expand...

Honestly, in the $5-$10 range it's a crapshoot. I'm sure whatever you get in that range (i.e. the cheapest) will suit your needs fine. If you want to spend a bit more the recommendations in the first post go up to about $40. And no, as long as you play it at a normal volume your hearing will be fine.


Bitmap Frogs said:
What dedicated equipment?

Your cellphone on your pocket and your big cans on your head.
Click to expand...

Well. They are open, and as dynamite said, they're big, they're open so they leak sound in and out, the cheaper version is the 250 ohm so it'll be tough to drive from a cellphone and require additional equipment so it doesn't sound bad, etc. etc.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
apana said:
I want to get some earphones but I'm surprised by how little information there is about them and how costly they are. A neighbor had a bunch of them that he used to give me for free when they broke but unfortunately he is no longer around. I'm confused by the types. I think I prefer what people call earbuds, the type that fit into the outer ear. I think earbuds are the type that Apple includes with their ipods. The inner ear ones are uncomfortable for me so that probably isn't an option. Do you guys know what are the best types in the price range of $5-$10. I guess I could just get some more standard ipod earbuds but they are a bit expensive. Also is there a real danger of hearing loss by using earbuds? That's the warning I have heard but I assumed it was only a problem if the sound is up to the max.
Click to expand...

Honestly I didn't realize you were only down with earbuds, maybe just cop some Koss KSC75, that's the only thing cheap enough.
 
Bitmap Frogs

Bitmap Frogs

Mr. Community
Mindlog said:
A real man accessories according to the occasion!
or something

Thanks for the mini-review. Even if I don't like them they'd make an excellent gift. God knows I am trying to steer so many people away from Beats this holiday season.
Click to expand...

NP. Just keep in kind they aren't bass head phones. They have a closed version with better bass and no dentable aluminium mesh for similar price at the cost of soundstage.
 
W

whitehawk

Banned
apana said:
I want to get some earphones but I'm surprised by how little information there is about them and how costly they are. A neighbor had a bunch of them that he used to give me for free when they broke but unfortunately he is no longer around. I'm confused by the types. I think I prefer what people call earbuds, the type that fit into the outer ear. I think earbuds are the type that Apple includes with their ipods. The inner ear ones are uncomfortable for me so that probably isn't an option. Do you guys know what are the best types in the price range of $5-$10. I guess I could just get some more standard ipod earbuds but they are a bit expensive. Also is there a real danger of hearing loss by using earbuds? That's the warning I have heard but I assumed it was only a problem if the sound is up to the max.
Click to expand...
For earbuds, everyone seems to be recommending these on GAF: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001B4E49C/?tag=neogaf0e-20
 
C

Chris R

Member
LordCanti said:
You can buy the mic cable for $30 from UE's site. Works with the regular model if I've read correctly.

Just got in on this deal. Very thrilled that I didn't sleep right through it (post thanksgiving sleep is a bitch).

Unless the fit is god-tier, I'll be getting them reshelled into customs for $100.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I did for my dad last year (Amazon had the same deal last BF). He loves them so much I jumped on the deal for myself this year.
 
A

apana

Member
Alucrid said:
Honestly, in the $5-$10 range it's a crapshoot. I'm sure whatever you get in that range (i.e. the cheapest) will suit your needs fine. If you want to spend a bit more the recommendations in the first post go up to about $40. And no, as long as you play it at a normal volume your hearing will be fine.




Well. They are open, and as dynamite said, they're big, they're open so they leak sound in and out, the cheaper version is the 250 ohm so it'll be tough to drive from a cellphone and require additional equipment so it doesn't sound bad, etc. etc.
Click to expand...

What is a normal volume? For example can I turn up you tube to the max volume and that will still be in the normal range. I'm just trying to get a sense for what is safe. Lets assume I am using the standard ipod earbuds. Is there any way for my laptop to tell me the amount I am receiving in decibels or whatever the measurement is?
 
H

HiResDes

Member
If it hurts at all turn it down. But honestly don't worry about it, hearing deteriorates with age, give into your pleasures, life is short.
 
L

leng jai

Member
HiResDes said:
If it hurts at all turn it down. But honestly don't worry about it, hearing deteriorates with age, give into your pleasures, life is short.
Click to expand...

Pretty horrible advice. You should always watch your listening levels. Hearing deteriorates with age but listening too loudly accelerates the deterioration to an obscene rate.
 
F

Flying_Phoenix

Banned
Dreams-Visions said:
the most apparent difference is that semi-open will bleed more sound than closed. sound stage will usually be more wide than purely closed..but not as wide as fully-open cans. the advantages of semi-open/open shine on acoustic/classical/live Jazz music. anything made with a live band on a stage. the advantage is non-existent when it comes to electronic music (or anything not recorded with a live band).

consider semi-open as possibly a good amount of both worlds...or a master of neither. buy based on the kind of music you listen to.
Click to expand...

I listen to mostly metal and rock. I will primarily use this for gaming though.
 
M

MeBecomingI

Member
Just wanted to pitch into the thread about my current set of headphones... I am currently using the Sennheiser HD 650 which I bought for just a little over $350 brand new on eBay through a Sennheiser dealer. Sennheiser themselves sell this baby for $650 through their own site... see above.

I've had them for about 5 months now and they are absolutely worth it. I bought them 'cause I needed a good pair of headphones (being in an apartment and all) to use as a substitute to my sound system I was using before. Before I settled on the HD 650, I was constantly moving back and forth between the Grado RS-2 and the Sony MDR-SA5000. I ended up going with the HD 650... not really sure why. I can't recall.

Regardless, I only use them with my computer because I currently have an extremely good ASUS Xonar Essence ST audio card in my computer which I bought to compliment the HD 650. 32-bit perfect audio at 4ms latency through ASUS Xonar ASIO enabled Foobar2000... all with FLAC encoded music... perfect match and my ears love me for it, haha.

I wouldn't mind trying out something new at some point, but I think the HD 650 is a perfect set. Super comfortable, durable and some of the best sound I've heard.
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
Bitmap Frogs said:
What dedicated equipment?

Your cellphone on your pocket and your big cans on your head.
Click to expand...
Dat efficiency mismatch. I used to walk around with SA5k's connected to my MD player about 7 years ago. The sound was really anemic. I did build a home setup, but from that point on, I got more and more into IEM's out of sheer convenience and portability. I'm just not home often enough to justify using full sized cans really.
Mindlog said:
A real man accessories according to the occasion!
or something

Thanks for the mini-review. Even if I don't like them they'd make an excellent gift. God knows I am trying to steer so many people away from Beats this holiday season.
Click to expand...
To be honest, if you've never used a pair of quality universal IEMs, you'd be really surprised just how much of the sound quality (highs, mids, lows, timbral accuracy) of a full sized set of cans they can reproduce. And I'm talking about properly driven, good full sized cans like the HD650, DT880, K701 etc. So long as you've got a good source, the efficiency and speed of a select number of universal IEMs are able to keep pace with these cans. Of course you're not getting 100% of the performance, and of course they can't rival the very best of full sized cans due to limitations in soundstaging, and bass output, but the best universal IEMs can definitely fool you at times, into thinking you are listening to full sized cans, and they are improving ALL the time. There will come a day when the custom tech in a pair of JH16s will be available at a consumer price point of say... $500. That's when the IEM game changes completely and I think it will be more difficult to justify a full sized set up with matching components.


leng jai said:
Pretty horrible advice. You should always watch your listening levels. Hearing deteriorates with age but listening too loudly accelerates the deterioration to an obscene rate.
Click to expand...
Agreed. The thought of some day losing my hearing depresses me greatly. A safe listening volume isn't that loud to be honest, and the louder you listen, the less exposure your ears should receive. That's another reason why I advocate the use of IEMs since they seal you off from your environment and allow you to experience more music at lower volumes.
 
T

Thagomizer

Member
Can anyone recommend a fairly sturdy pair of in-ear headphones that are sweat-resistant and suitable for workouts, including running and martial arts forms, for under $75?
 
A

apana

Member
When earphones mention sound sensitivity and list the decibel level, is that what the decibel level is supposed to be at its maximum? Reading a few articles it seems like 80-100 decibels should be safe. Earbuds add 8 extra for some reason.

Here are some stats from an article on it. Decibels and then the number of hours you can listen to it in case anyone is interested.

http://gilmore2.chem.northwestern.edu/articles/hearing_art.htm

90 dbA 8 hrs
92 dbA 6 hrs
95 dbA 4 hrs
97 dbA 3 hrs
100 dbA 2 hrs
102 dbA 1.5 hrs
105 dbA 1 hr
110 dbA 0.5 hr
115 dbA 0.25 hr or less
 
M

MeBecomingI

Member
opticalmace said:
Can any Linux audio player do bit-perfect audio?
Click to expand...

I haven't actually found any that don't require massive effort on the user to make it work... which I why I have yet to fully migrate onto Linux as my standard day-to-day OS.

Well, to be clear, Linux can support bit-perfect audio through a small workaround, but I don't think there is any player that automatically supports that work around. This thread might help you...
 
M

Mindlog

Member
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri said:
To be honest, if you've never used a pair of quality universal IEMs, you'd be really surprised just how much of the sound quality (highs, mids, lows, timbral accuracy) of a full sized set of cans they can reproduce.
Click to expand...
Fully agreed. I have a modest collection of cans and amps. The missing piece is the ER-4P I gifted to a friend. I got them at a great price and figured it would be no problem getting them at that discount again. In louder environments IEMs help me keep the volume down. I am very very cautious about accelerating any tinnitus damage.

I love reading that the x10s 'disappear in your ear.' I am mildly concerned with wear issues. From what I have read it would be pretty easy to repair with a razor and some solder. If I keep them I am hoping they'll stand up to extensive gym use.

Re Cheap Earphones:
Monoprice 8320 $7.11
For some reason Head-Fi crackpots (I say this as a compliment) are quite enthusiastic about these cheap things. It could just be a marketing stunt, but it worked. The headphones are back-ordered until the first week of December. I have no experience with them, but at less than $10 shipped there is really nothing to lose if you want to try out some cheap headphones.
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
Mindlog said:
Fully agreed. I have a modest collection of cans and amps. The missing piece is the ER-4P I gifted to a friend. I got them at a great price and figured it would be no problem getting them at that discount again. In louder environments IEMs help me keep the volume down. I am very very cautious about accelerating any tinnitus damage.

I love reading that the x10s 'disappear in your ear.' I am mildly concerned with wear issues. From what I have read it would be pretty easy to repair with a razor and some solder. If I keep them I am hoping they'll stand up to extensive gym use.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the X10s are tiny, and very light, slap a Sony hybrid on there, and it's a very comfy phone. Apart from that, the two are pretty markedly different in terms of sound signature even if they are both single driver balanced armature phones. The X10 is much warmer, bass oriented and less concerned with microdynamics, neutrality and speed as the ER-4 seem obsessed with rendering. I think the X10s are just better "consumer" phones, whilst the Etys are for audiophiles. They both have their applications, but I think the X10 suits more genres and are going to be less polarizing than the clinical sound of the ER-4.
 
S

sotodefonk

Member
Guys, yesterday i impulse bought the ultimate ears triplefi v10, that were on sale in Amazon...

does anyone has listened to this IEM's? I remembered looking for information about these but i don't remember why i didn't go got them (price?)

i currently have the etymotic hf2 and i know the ue are better just want to know personal opinions about them
 
hxcmuziq

hxcmuziq

Banned
Sennheiser HD 600 Headphones Lightning Deal today @ 12:15 PM PST

List Price: $519.95
Price: $314.95
Deal Discount: Check Back
Deal Price: Check Back

I just bought a pair of HD558s for $120, or I'd probably jump on these.

Speaking of my 558s... I'm running them through my Denon 3806 in Dolby headphone mode. I'm thinking this should do the same thing a mixamp does, only better, yet somehow I'm not impressed with the directionality or explosions. Is a mixamp going to be any improvement in either of those?
 
A

Alucrid

Banned
hxcmuziq said:
Sennheiser HD 600 Headphones Lightning Deal today @ 12:15 PM PST

List Price: $519.95
Price: $314.95
Deal Discount: Check Back
Deal Price: Check Back

I just bought a pair of HD558s for $120, or I'd probably jump on these.

Speaking of my 558s... I'm running them through my Denon 3806 in Dolby headphone mode. I'm thinking this should do the same thing a mixamp does, only better, yet somehow I'm not impressed with the directionality or explosions. Is a mixamp going to be any improvement in either of those?
Click to expand...

Is that really that good of a deal? You could get used HD650s for less and, I'm not sure what J&R might sell 600s for, but they sold the 650s for a little above that price.
 
D

Dreams-Visions

Member
Alucrid said:
Is that really that good of a deal? You could get used HD650s for less and, I'm not sure what J&R might sell 600s for, but they sold the 650s for a little above that price.
Click to expand...

that's not the price. the price hasn't been shown. They'll probably be in the $260-$270 range.

too bad the 650's aren't on sale. I'd like to buy those back, but I'm not paying the current prices for them.
 
C

cory.

Banned
I think I'm going to get 558s with Christmas money. They would be used for general purpose listening on my computer at home.
 
O

opticalmace

Member
MeBecomingI said:
I haven't actually found any that don't require massive effort on the user to make it work... which I why I have yet to fully migrate onto Linux as my standard day-to-day OS.

Well, to be clear, Linux can support bit-perfect audio through a small workaround, but I don't think there is any player that automatically supports that work around. This thread might help you...
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll give this a go. I prefer foobar2k with WASAPI, but I've been working more in Linux lately so I'd like to get the audio set up nicely.
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
Man people must really be using scripts on Amazon to get the deal right away. I was put on wait list right away.
 
D

davidcotton

Member
Well I'm feeling a little sorry for my self right now. Main reason is that I've just got back the set(s) of iems that I've had remoulded for the second time and they still do not fit right. I had the Triple fi 10's done (and for the hell of it the westone 2's and klipsch x10). First time round had fit issues with the main units and could barely get them in. This time round it's easier with the fit but they still aren't all that comfortable to wear for long periods, plus with the issue of not getting a proper seal means the sounds out as well so tiring to listen to. With the triple fi's it seems that there's pressure on the right ear and starts to hurt like hell after a couple of hours (tried wearing it at work for that long). Main reason for feeling pissed though is that I'm in the uk and got these done with Fisher in the states. It also means a four week turn around. If I send these off this week I may not get them back till after christmas now. Plus I've had no decent iems to listen to for about 8 weeks now. In hindsight I wish I had either not bothered or just sent in the triples to get done. Weighing up my options now.

Cheers
 
L

LordCanti

Member
Trojita said:
Man people must really be using scripts on Amazon to get the deal right away. I was put on wait list right away.
Click to expand...

There aren't any good scripts that I know of. I checked pretty extensively before the TF10 deal (I was lucky to get it without one).

There is a program called PriceWatcher, but the best it can do is put an item in your cart for you and sound an alarm. Previous versions had the ability to buy for you automatically once an item hit a certain price, but that functionality seems to have been removed.

I guess if you are within hearing distance of an alarm, it's a good app to have. It's $2 for a license though, or you're limited to it checking the price every half hour, instead of every minute.


davidcotton said:
Well I'm feeling a little sorry for my self right now. Main reason is that I've just got back the set(s) of iems that I've had remoulded for the second time and they still do not fit right. I had the Triple fi 10's done (and for the hell of it the westone 2's and klipsch x10). First time round had fit issues with the main units and could barely get them in. This time round it's easier with the fit but they still aren't all that comfortable to wear for long periods, plus with the issue of not getting a proper seal means the sounds out as well so tiring to listen to. With the triple fi's it seems that there's pressure on the right ear and starts to hurt like hell after a couple of hours (tried wearing it at work for that long). Main reason for feeling pissed though is that I'm in the uk and got these done with Fisher in the states. It also means a four week turn around. If I send these off this week I may not get them back till after christmas now. Plus I've had no decent iems to listen to for about 8 weeks now. In hindsight I wish I had either not bothered or just sent in the triples to get done. Weighing up my options now.

Cheers
Click to expand...

From everything I've read, getting a good fit starts at the impressions. Did your audiologist take your impressions with an open mouth (and a bite block?). This is how a lot of manufacturers ask for them to be taken, but a lot of audiologists don't do it. Even if they did it open mouth, they could have done it wrong (not deep enough for instance) causing it to be a bad fit every time, or the impressions could have been damaged in their trip across the Atlantic, etc.
 
O

Oveja Negra

Member
sotodefonk said:
Guys, yesterday i impulse bought the ultimate ears triplefi v10, that were on sale in Amazon...

does anyone has listened to this IEM's? I remembered looking for information about these but i don't remember why i didn't go got them (price?)

i currently have the etymotic hf2 and i know the ue are better just want to know personal opinions about them
Click to expand...

I have them and I have to say that the sound that they deliver is nothing but amazing. Very crystaline with plenty of bass; the mids are very very detailed too. Overall, they're very analytical (in a good way).

Sadly, I'm going to stop using them just for one reason: comfort.

Yeah, maybe is an issue with my ear canals, but this IEM is very uncomfortable. After two hours my ears hurt really bad. Also, frequently I have to re acomodate them because they tend to pop out, ruining the sealing (specially when I'm eating).

I just can't understand why in the hell all the other manufacturers refuse to emulate (ok, steal) the oval Klipsch design. Seriously, the only one (so far) Klipsch model that I owned is the S4, and to this day, this is without a single doubt the most comfortable IEM EVER, to the point that sometimes I needed (past tense since my S4 died like 2 months ago) to touch my ears just to know they were there :)

Yesterday I just ordered the Klipsch X10 for just $98 instead of the regular $350 price (thanks to the guy from a couple of pages back who point the Amazon deal out).

I can't wait!!!!!
 
S

sotodefonk

Member
Oveja Negra said:
I have them and I have to say that the sound that they deliver is nothing but amazing. Very crystaline with plenty of bass; the mids are very very detailed too. Overall, they're very analytical (in a good way).

Sadly, I'm going to stop using them just for one reason: comfort.

Yeah, maybe is an issue with my ear canals, but this IEM is very uncomfortable. After two hours my ears hurt really bad. Also, frequently I have to re acomodate them because they tend to pop out, ruining the sealing (specially when I'm eating).

I just can't understand why in the hell all the other manufacturers refuse to emulate (ok, steal) the oval Klipsch design. Seriously, the only one (so far) Klipsch model that I owned is the S4, and to this day, this is without a single doubt the most comfortable IEM EVER, to the point that sometimes I needed (past tense since my S4 died like 2 months ago) to touch my ears just to know they were there :)

Yesterday I just ordered the Klipsch X10 for just $98 instead of the regular $350 price (thanks to the guy from a couple of pages back who point the Amazon deal out).

I can't wait!!!!!
Click to expand...

Nice, I hope I dont have trouble getting a seal and comfort, I have used a pair of shure e4c, the nuforce n7, the etymotics hf2 and never had problems with comfort, lets just wait for them :D I hope I doesnt regret going for these instead of the klipsch...
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
Dreams-Visions said:
so did anyone score a pair of the HD600's when they were $260.00 for like...2 minutes @ Amazon?
Click to expand...

I was on a wait list and got through but decided not to get them. Too much money to spend right now :(. I was expecting an even better deal since it was a lightning deal. Also they were 100% claimed within a nanosecond. I had the page up as it was counting down.
 
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