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

3N16MA

Banned
What do you guys think of the Monster Dre's Solo HD's? My friend wants to sell me his for $130. They're week old. Worth it?

Style with little else. The Solo's actually seem to fare worse in reviews than the Studio's which are decent but very overpriced.
 
A good way to test for yourself is to get a pair of phones off of Amazon and A/B against your friend's Solo. I'm certain just about any recommendation made in this thread will possess better balance and clarity than the Solo. The problem with Solos is the FR is tuned so that the bass is boosted, mids are sucked out and highs are neutered, it results in this really muffled sound that works within a very limited scope. Some songs might sound alright, the majority will sound like ass
 
Unless you're particularly emamoured with the style of the phones, you can get better sounding phones for your money. Beats are style over substance

Thanks for the info man. I'll pass.
I'm looking to spend around $100-$150. I want something I can travel with that has great sound and comfort. Your thoughts headphone gurus?
 
Thanks for the info man. I'll pass.
I'm looking to spend around $100-$150. I want something I can travel with that has great sound and comfort. Your thoughts headphone gurus?

First thought was the Phiaton MS400s. I can't recommend these enough, especially if you like warm sounding headphones. Rumbly bass, forward mids and detailed relaxed highs. Fairly comfy for portables too.

Do you listen to any genres in particular and will you be amp'ing?

EDIT: The AIAIAI TMA-1s should only really be considered if you REALLY hate treble (and don't much like mids either)
 
Right now I'm listening to lots of stuff:
- M83
- Deadmou5
- Muse
- Flo Rida
- T.I
- Wyclef
-Mac Miller

Hip-Hop, Rock, ect. It all gets equal play. Plus I'll be using it with my Vita a lot as well.

Thanks for the help guys.
 
Just got my M-80s today. I listened to some HD 25's yesterday before work. I get how people think they have a Grado sound, but I thought the soundstage was very thin. The M-80's, even without the super crisp highs, has a better soundstage and sound imo.

It could just be the fact that I own one pair, and not another. I'm happy with my choice.
 
Right now I'm listening to lots of stuff:
- M83
- Deadmou5
- Muse
- Flo Rida
- T.I
- Wyclef
-Mac Miller

Hip-Hop, Rock, ect. It all gets equal play. Plus I'll be using it with my Vita a lot as well.

Thanks for the help guys.

Nice, the Vita actually has a Wolfson DAC (PSP had one too) so with the right pair of headphones , you will get some glorious sound on the go.

Quite a varied list of music there. The M-Audio Studiophile Q40s would make a good rec, but you sacrifice on portability and they really do need an amp to shine.

For unamped portables in the price range, again the Phiaton MS400s are a good fit. I also second the V-Moda M80s. Neither of these cans require an amp and are compact, light and relatively comfortable. The former sounds warmer and isolates better. The latter have more extention, a wider soundstage and are more durable.
 
Nice, the Vita actually has a Wolfson DAC (PSP had one too) so with the right pair of headphones , you will get some glorious sound on the go.

Quite a varied list of music there. The M-Audio Studiophile Q40s would make a good rec, but you sacrifice on portability and they really do need an amp to shine.

For unamped portables in the price range, again the Phiaton MS400s are a good fit. I also second the V-Moda M80s. Neither of these cans require an amp and are compact, light and relatively comfortable. The former sounds warmer and isolates better. The latter have more extention, a wider soundstage and are more durable.

Those MS400s look great! Thank you so much I'm ordering them
 

mr stroke

Member
looking for a new pair of headphones to pair up with a Astro Mixamp for Gaming only, I am a bass head, so something with a ton of bass($150 price range)


after quite a bit of reading its down to these two-


Audio Technica ATH-A700 Headphones



or


Denon AH-D1100 Advanced Over-Ear Headphones








?
 

shira

Member
B&W P3, coming to an apple store near you

www.engadget.com/2012/05/03/bowers-and-wilkins-p3/

bowers-and-wilkins-p3.jpg


Can't tell if they fixed the awful font on the 5's



Also anyword on the AIAIA TMA-1 Studio editions?
 

mkenyon

Banned
Audiophile neophyte here, please bear with my possibly inane questions. Have a pair of PC-350s. Onboard sound on my motherboard is actually quite good, I just want a bit more oomph out of my headphones, where at high volumes it doesn't sound like it is straining to get there as much. The amps in the OP seem more or less tailored to bypass the onboard sound, which adds a bit of cost to the DAC/amp purchase. So, is there something that is *just* an amplifier that is recommended? I did a bit of searching on amazon, but was a bit overwhelmed with the options.
 

FoxSpirit

Junior Member
Audiophile neophyte here, please bear with my possibly inane questions. Have a pair of PC-350s. Onboard sound on my motherboard is actually quite good, I just want a bit more oomph out of my headphones, where at high volumes it doesn't sound like it is straining to get there as much. The amps in the OP seem more or less tailored to bypass the onboard sound, which adds a bit of cost to the DAC/amp purchase. So, is there something that is *just* an amplifier that is recommended? I did a bit of searching on amazon, but was a bit overwhelmed with the options.
Depends on how much you want to spend.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Depends on how much you want to spend.
I don't need something ridiculously nice, not listening to lossless tracks or anything. Under $150 would be great.

*edit*

Also, bonus points if it's something I could mount creatively in an aluminum computer case that I'll be cutting up anyway.
 

FoxSpirit

Junior Member
I don't need something ridiculously nice, not listening to lossless tracks or anything. Under $150 would be great.

*edit*

Also, bonus points if it's something I could mount creatively in an aluminum computer case that I'll be cutting up anyway.
Okay, how about this??
www.jdslabs.com/item.php?fetchitem=O2Asmb

Fully assembled but without enclosure so you can add one yourself, 111 dollars with the batteries included. Needs an external ac/ac (!!) converter extra for 15V supply. Quality? Final step, unlikely you will ever need a better amp for anything short of vintage AKG-1000.

I myself am waiting for the non-mobile Desktop Dac-amp in summer, price performance ratio is pretty much insane.
 

shira

Member
i saw that article too, what's their pedigree like? they look sexy as fuck

Bowers & Wilkins; Actual quality or great marketing? Specifically the C5's.
Sound is above average but the P series is horribly designed.
Gets hot too fast.
Phones only stay on if you are perfectly still upright.
Leather scratches easy.
Bass underwhelming

Perfect for an apple store demo. Terrible for actual home use.
 

dskillzhtown

keep your strippers out of my American football
Thanks for the info man. I'll pass.
I'm looking to spend around $100-$150. I want something I can travel with that has great sound and comfort. Your thoughts headphone gurus?

I think Solos are the worst of the bunch. I bought some Studios off of the Monster Outlet and I like them alot. The discounted price probably had alot to do with my happiness.
 
Is it me, or the FiiO E10 can sound statically sometimes. I hear the static noise whenever I plug in my headphones or whenever the E10 moves.

Occasionally it makes beeping noise.
 

leng jai

Member
I own the C5s and sonically they aren't great. Bass is way overblown and the midrange sounds pretty hollow. Definitely a v-curve headphone designed for the mass market. People looking for clarity should look elsewhere.

Aesthetically they are 10/10 though.
 

npm0925

Member
I am looking for recommendations for a portable headphone for unamped use with a Vita and an iPad. My primary headphone is an Audio Technica ADH-AD900, and I prefer its crispness and wide sound stage. So my ideal portable portable headphone: comfortable, durable, short cord, not too bassy, clean sound. I am currently using a pair of Sennheiser PX-100's.
 

shira

Member
I am looking for recommendations for a portable headphone for unamped use with a Vita and an iPad. My primary headphone is an Audio Technica ADH-AD900, and I prefer its crispness and wide sound stage. So my ideal portable portable headphone: comfortable, durable, short cord, not too bassy, clean sound. I am currently using a pair of Sennheiser PX-100's.
The px100s are by far the lightest and comfiest for the price/quality
 

pax217

Member
I am looking for recommendations for a portable headphone for unamped use with a Vita and an iPad. My primary headphone is an Audio Technica ADH-AD900, and I prefer its crispness and wide sound stage. So my ideal portable portable headphone: comfortable, durable, short cord, not too bassy, clean sound. I am currently using a pair of Sennheiser PX-100's.

Have you considered the Koss PortaPros?
 
Ok audio-gaf, I need an earphone rec. I don't know much about earphones, but I know I'm tired of the shitty ones I have and need a new pair. I mainly use them when I mow the lawn with my tractor so I'm looking for something that I can hear well over the noise of the mower. Preferably under $75, if possible.
 

HiResDes

Member
Ok audio-gaf, I need an earphone rec. I don't know much about earphones, but I know I'm tired of the shitty ones I have and need a new pair. I mainly use them when I mow the lawn with my tractor so I'm looking for something that I can hear well over the noise of the mower. Preferably under $75, if possible.

Vsonic GR06 or if you don't care about bass Ety MC3


BTW, I updated the OP adding a few things and correcting some dead links...I was going to do a large overhaul but I heard others were working on a new thread so I scrapped it. If anybody can suggest a few more budget Amps and Dacs I'd be quite thankful as I'd like to split the section into two and add a brief description of their differences.
 

Fonds

Member
I'm looking for headphones that will be suited for mostly gaming and watching a movie every now 'n then. I won't use them for listening to music at all.
After reading a few reviews, this is what seemed best for my price range.

I'd like to check with the cranial audio guru's before purchasing though.

7H Fnatic Steelseries

STEELSERIES-7H-FNATIC-LIMITED-EDITION-HEADPHONE.jpg
 
BTW, I updated the OP adding a few things and correcting some dead links...I was going to do a large overhaul but I heard others were working on a new thread so I scrapped it. If anybody can suggest a few more budget Amps and Dacs I'd be quite thankful as I'd like to split the section into two and add a brief description of their differences.

I have a biased opinion now, but I think the M-80's should be on that list. They're a really great set for pretty much any genre.
 
So, like the idiot I am I ended up dropping a book on my IEMs. Granted, they were cheap (Around $30) but they sounded okay(Sennheiser CX 500).

I'm now looking to spend roughly $60-80 for some good IEMs. I listen to everything from Rap to metal and classic rock to Instrumental music. My most played music on my phone would have to be Hip-hop. So, I'm looking for something that would work well with those styles of music, but I don't know much about headphones or IEMs so that's where you come in.

Thanks for your suggestions.
 

HiResDes

Member
So, like the idiot I am I ended up dropping a book on my IEMs. Granted, they were cheap (Around $30) but they sounded okay(Sennheiser CX 500).

I'm now looking to spend roughly $60-80 for some good IEMs. I listen to everything from Rap to metal and classic rock to Instrumental music. My most played music on my phone would have to be Hip-hop. So, I'm looking for something that would work well with those styles of music, but I don't know much about headphones or IEMs so that's where you come in.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Here are a few suggestions:

Brainvwavz M2

VSONIC GR06

Beyerdynamic DTX101 or Ebay Link

Fischer Eterna V.1

Edit: Make a decision quick as many of these will take about a week and a half to ship as they're coming from overseas. GR06 is the most balanced.
 
Here are a few suggestions:

Brainvwavz M2

VSONIC GR06

Beyerdynamic DTX101 or Ebay Link

Fischer Eterna V.1

Edit: Make a decision quick as many of these will take about a week and a half to ship as they're coming from overseas. GR06 is the most balanced.

Hey, thanks for the quick response! Have you personally used any of these? If so, which were the most comfortable? Do all IEMs stay in while running, is falling out not an issue for IEMs?

Yea, it probably didn't help to specify I am in the US in my first post. Again, thanks for the recommendations.
 

HiResDes

Member
They are all really comfortable, but both the M2, Eterna and GR06 work best when worn in this fashion:

238141d1303941322-best-20-30-ear-headphones-pl30.jpg


I've owned both the M2 and Eterna, and have heard the GR07, but not the GR06

Eterna has best bass, but M2 isn't far behind and has a slightly better soundstage (it's airier if you will), both have great midrange (though I'd give the edge to Eterna as well), and recessed highs (though M2 isn't as recessed).
 

Fonds

Member
I'm looking for headphones that will be suited for mostly gaming and watching a movie every now 'n then. I won't use them for listening to music at all.
After reading a few reviews, this is what seemed best for my price range.

I'd like to check with the cranial audio guru's before purchasing though.

7H Fnatic Steelseries

Anyone with an opinion on this?
 
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