shira
Member
Please don't use headphones if you jog next to the road.
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$500 cans on, this is how you dream right - Official Headphone Thread
- Thread starter HiResDes
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TheContact
Member
Need a good pair of gaming headphones for under $150. Can anyone give me some recommendations? If it's not worth spending less than $150 then just tell me and I'll get a mechanical keyboard or something instead. GF is buying it for my birthday so I don't want to ask for too much.
The Big Rig
Member
He can just wear some Grados.
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Don't use headphones if you jog in/next a busy road.
That being said if you must have something I'd highly recommend Koss KSC-75s. They are slip ons and are really good phones for a really cheap price. You can get a pair on Amazon for under $20, and they don't sound that bad.
You have multiple options. If you'll use the cans for everything then your best bet is to get a regular pair of phones and then a clip on mic for like an extra $10. If you have to have a gaming set with a mini boom mic then you have to decide if you want a wireless pair or not.
You can get a pair of Audio Technica ATH-AD700s for around $100 on Amazon and then buy a Clip on Mic.
If you want a headset you can get say some Sennheiser PC 350s or Logitech G930. If you want to go cheaper you can get the old Logitech G35s that are wired for cheap if you look around too.
And when you buy the clip-on mic, buy the Zalman. It's $5 and it's excellent.
Mecha_Infantry
Banned
Quick Q
I have an iPhone and iPad I primarily play my music through, and I needed some new cans
I've been through the Apple IEMs that just died/lost all buds, then Denon C560/Comply Foam Tips which ultimately broke (wire just gave up on me), currently just using shitty Blackberry replacements. Now I was looking for something reasonable with a 3 button controller, and mic. I am fed up of earphones as they just don't last, and I travel by public transport for 3 hours daily, so I need something durable. I wanted to go down the headphones route, not BfDs but was looking at Sol Tracks/Tracks HD. BUt since I live in the UK I can't try them on or anything. I've looked at reviews and they seem pretty sound.
I mainly listen to a lot of hip-hop, thrash and heavy metal, grime, garage, and random Japanese folk music.
But I am wondering if there is some other gems in the audiophile world. I was looking at getting some Sony studio reference headphones, but just not sure how they will be in the wild
Any help?
Cheers
edit* lol
I have an iPhone and iPad I primarily play my music through, and I needed some new cans
I've been through the Apple IEMs that just died/lost all buds, then Denon C560/Comply Foam Tips which ultimately broke (wire just gave up on me), currently just using shitty Blackberry replacements. Now I was looking for something reasonable with a 3 button controller, and mic. I am fed up of earphones as they just don't last, and I travel by public transport for 3 hours daily, so I need something durable. I wanted to go down the headphones route, not BfDs but was looking at Sol Tracks/Tracks HD. BUt since I live in the UK I can't try them on or anything. I've looked at reviews and they seem pretty sound.
I mainly listen to a lot of hip-hop, thrash and heavy metal, grime, garage, and random Japanese folk music.
But I am wondering if there is some other gems in the audiophile world. I was looking at getting some Sony studio reference headphones, but just not sure how they will be in the wild
Any help?
Cheers
edit* lol
Got my Westone ES5s back from Fisher. Unfortunately, I will almost assuredly have to go back to see my audiologist to get new impressions made cause the right ear is causing me some real discomfort, left ear seems to fit perfectly... which is fucking terrible cause I've waited a month to get these things back :l Though I understand that Fisher prioritizes refits above new orders, which is good for me cause these things sound STUPID good. Listening to Beach House's Bloom on the ES5 was a definite WOW moment for me, I could scarcely believe how transparent and detailed the sound was. I tried using the SM3 right after and it literally sounded like I was listening to the music through a towel, they sounded slow, viscous, blurry and congested; the difference between the two is insane... In fact, they make all of my other phones sound recessed throughout the frequency range, dull and veiled. This is no doubt due to their utterly enchanting mids which is incredibly pristine, vibrant and full bodied. Anyone harboring doubts as to whether top shelf customs sound that much better than top tier universals can lay those worries to rest. Had I known what I was missing out on all these years, I would have just saved up my money and went straight for the top rather than dabbling in all these sidegrades and building a full sized rig...
Have them fix the graphic while they're at it. Looks like paint is coming off a little bit. I warned you about the necessity of refits, but it's still a shame that it has to happen.
I love my TF10 customs, but I'm considering upgrading to a silicone pair at some point. After hours the plastic does get a bit uncomfortable even though the fit is spot on. I'm told the same isn't really true of the silicone ones.
I can't believe it's been nearly 3 years since I own the Amazon's TF10 $99 deal. It's been a love and hate relationship. I've spent nearly over $100 on replacement cables and just had another cable break. I felt like I put too much into it to get rid of it now since it's great portable IEMs. Going all out this time and buying some Null Audio Lune Cable for $100 and will report back when I get it
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Yah, they said that they had to laser it 3 times and every time they sealed it, it blistered. They had to delay shipmen by one day to "get it right" and it still didn't look that great. Aesthetically I'm not too bothered by it, since the fit is what's paramount, but yeah, it might bring it up when I call Kaysen
BUDGET EARBUD RECOMMENDATION: HISOUNDAUDIO PAA-1 PRO
So instead of coming in here, like I normally do, and talking up some expensive high end headphone that no one’s gonna be crazy enough to buy, I wanted to pimp out the ~50 dollar Hisoundaudio PAA-1 Pro earbud. I got them for work where I do not want the kind of isolation you get from IEMs. I need to hear environment noises like phones.
I got my pair used for around 40 including shipping. Worth every penny and then some. They remind me of my Grado SR60 in a very good way. They have a full, vibrant midrange and a punchy bass. pretty impressive bass for an earbud (you need to keep the little foam covers on the buds or the bass disappears). They don’t have a huge soundstage but imaging is relatively precise (again, like the Grado). The treble is clear but there’s a slight tendency for sibilance. There's no piercing treble spike, though.
Compared to Apple earbuds that sell for 30 bucks, these have a more full midrange and better tonality. there’s a weird echo hollowness to the lower midrange and bass with the Apple buds. These sound much more full and natural. Compared to other high end IEMs I’ve used, well, these aren’t nearly as good. But they’re cheap and good enough for something you can pop in and out of your ears quickly.
I’m not going to call these detail monsters or anything like that but I don’t obviously notice missing details from the songs on my demo playlist. I’m just impressed by the balanced bass and real nice midrange for the price. It’s hard enough to get that stuff right.
Anyway, it’s still the first day and things can go wrong. I had previously talked about the yuin pk3 (~40 bucks but these sound better) but those broke after a month or so without undergoing any real hardships. I’m hoping these are more durable.
One more note: the drivers are big so the buds may not sit well with people who have small openings in the outer ear.
So instead of coming in here, like I normally do, and talking up some expensive high end headphone that no one’s gonna be crazy enough to buy, I wanted to pimp out the ~50 dollar Hisoundaudio PAA-1 Pro earbud. I got them for work where I do not want the kind of isolation you get from IEMs. I need to hear environment noises like phones.
I got my pair used for around 40 including shipping. Worth every penny and then some. They remind me of my Grado SR60 in a very good way. They have a full, vibrant midrange and a punchy bass. pretty impressive bass for an earbud (you need to keep the little foam covers on the buds or the bass disappears). They don’t have a huge soundstage but imaging is relatively precise (again, like the Grado). The treble is clear but there’s a slight tendency for sibilance. There's no piercing treble spike, though.
Compared to Apple earbuds that sell for 30 bucks, these have a more full midrange and better tonality. there’s a weird echo hollowness to the lower midrange and bass with the Apple buds. These sound much more full and natural. Compared to other high end IEMs I’ve used, well, these aren’t nearly as good. But they’re cheap and good enough for something you can pop in and out of your ears quickly.
I’m not going to call these detail monsters or anything like that but I don’t obviously notice missing details from the songs on my demo playlist. I’m just impressed by the balanced bass and real nice midrange for the price. It’s hard enough to get that stuff right.
Anyway, it’s still the first day and things can go wrong. I had previously talked about the yuin pk3 (~40 bucks but these sound better) but those broke after a month or so without undergoing any real hardships. I’m hoping these are more durable.
One more note: the drivers are big so the buds may not sit well with people who have small openings in the outer ear.
I do not, no. I heard those are also pretty great for the price. But it seems to be very hard to order the Blox. Like you need to make a bulk order or something. the Paa-1 pro can be ordered easily from amazon for 40 bucks.
my main points of comparison for the paa-1 pro were the grado SR60, the grado GR10 IEM, and the apple ibuds. it's similar in tone to the SR60 (but sounds a little heavier and slightly mushier), not as good as the GR10 and noticeably better than the ibuds.
I also had to go from my memory of the yuin pk3, but these are better. the bass is stronger and more balanced with the midrange.
Boards of Canada
Member
Has anyone tried these new Sony XBA-4 Balanced Armatures? Thinking of purchasing.
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/st...10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&partNumber=XBA4
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/st...10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&partNumber=XBA4
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
I'd do a lot of research into its sound signature before you buy, there are a lot of options at that price
Boards of Canada
Member
I think I'll just have to buy them and report back.
HungOverOnATues
Member
Haven't been able to sit at my desk for the past couple of months since I hurt my back and the thing that I miss the most is my headphone setup. I had my grados on for a few minutes the other day and I'd almost forgotten how good they sound. I might have to invest in an extension cable soon or something so that I can listen from the couch.
Hi guys, I have lurked this thread every once in a while, since while I'm not an audio fanatic, I'm starting to look for a good sound for a decent price.
Just to give you a quick history as far as in-ear I had been using some cheapo Sony MDR-E828 and for cans also some cheap Sony MDR-XD200. both served me well (the XD 200 for like 2 years already) but in the case of the IEMs I wanted something with a little more detail and in the case of the XD the cable started to have a false contact to it is time to get a new one.
Now onto the questions:
In my local target I found a returned Monster N-ergy like new for 40 bucks and I'm very happy with it, but would like to know if anybody here had it and could give me opinions on durability and sound after burn in (I only have a couple of days with them)
Then I also saw some Phillips downtown cityscape series, which look phenomenal for $70 bucks so I wonder if they are worth that price and if anyone here has used them before.
Thanks.
Just to give you a quick history as far as in-ear I had been using some cheapo Sony MDR-E828 and for cans also some cheap Sony MDR-XD200. both served me well (the XD 200 for like 2 years already) but in the case of the IEMs I wanted something with a little more detail and in the case of the XD the cable started to have a false contact to it is time to get a new one.
Now onto the questions:
In my local target I found a returned Monster N-ergy like new for 40 bucks and I'm very happy with it, but would like to know if anybody here had it and could give me opinions on durability and sound after burn in (I only have a couple of days with them)
Then I also saw some Phillips downtown cityscape series, which look phenomenal for $70 bucks so I wonder if they are worth that price and if anyone here has used them before.
Thanks.
They are like less than 5$ lol
The Big Rig
Member
Yes, monoprice is his friend.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
I'd go through Amazon or someone who has a solid return policy at least. Dropping 300+ bones on a pair of phones is a big investment. I understand that the achille's heel of the XBA-4 is its midrange (which is the case with many Sony sets that have a scooped midrange) so do keep that in mind.
Boards of Canada
Member
I'm planning on purchasing at a Sony Style retail outlet, ONLY if they let me return it if I don't like them.
damn : (
That's ooooold news:
http://www.bloxearphone.com/purchase.htm
$47 shipped worldwide. But Out Of Stock??? NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boards of Canada
Member
Just got my Sony XBA-4's. I'll report back my findings in a few days!
Teknopathetic
Member
Okay headphone GAF, confession time:
I have been using my DT880s (250 ohm) for coming on 2 years now without a decent amp. I'm seeking to rectify this (relatively) cheaply. I can spend maaaaybe 100-150$, which I know is probably just barely scraping of what can be acceptable for use with 250 ohm cans, but there you go. I've recently saw a lot about the Fiio stuff, how would the E11 (and by extension, E17) pair with it? Any alternatives in that range?
I have been using my DT880s (250 ohm) for coming on 2 years now without a decent amp. I'm seeking to rectify this (relatively) cheaply. I can spend maaaaybe 100-150$, which I know is probably just barely scraping of what can be acceptable for use with 250 ohm cans, but there you go. I've recently saw a lot about the Fiio stuff, how would the E11 (and by extension, E17) pair with it? Any alternatives in that range?
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
I'd honestly just spring for the O2 amp from JDS labs. I wouldn't bother with any of the FiiOs at all when the O2 scales so much better
Teknopathetic
Member
I'll look into both of those then, much appreciated!
Mecha_Infantry
Banned
I am looking at the reviews for these and the Uptowns, at 50GBP I can't really go wrong. But I am worried as a review on Amazon said the remote only stop and started tracks. Really need that forward and back control. Not bothered with volume
The Big Rig
Member
I hope they sound like $1800. Too rich for my blood.
Edit: Was it that much? I thought it was, but the listing is gone.
Edit: Was it that much? I thought it was, but the listing is gone.
I was able to negotiate a slightly lower price with shipping.
I can assure you, theres no way they will sound 1800 dollars good, since I have already heard headphones that cost between 1000 and 2000 and know that the higher pricing comes with only minor improvements. But my curiosity and the very limited availability of these headphones was a combination that made me crack. I had to see what all the fuss was about.
The Big Rig
Member
Well I just bought this on the thread's recommendation:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045JHJSS/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I needed a better sound card for my desktop to begin with. I'm hoping the headphone amp will make a difference in the sound. I'm definitely hoping it gets rid of the occasional noise.
I needed a better sound card for my desktop to begin with. I'm hoping the headphone amp will make a difference in the sound. I'm definitely hoping it gets rid of the occasional noise.
Jzero
Member
From my experience there is a huge difference in range between the 60i and the 80i, but that isn't nearly as big between the 80i and the 125i.
The 125i and 225i are probably the biggest jump in quality out of the entire Grado line-up.
You can't have buyers remorse on those, LC. You'll be fine.
I'm looking for a new pair of headphones to replace my cheap Sennheiser's. I plan on using it for pretty much everything: gaming (no need for a mic), music (vinyl and digital) and movies.
They will be hooked up to an Onkyo receiver if that makes any difference.
Design wise I really like the TMA-1's, but they don't look super comfortable.
My budget would be about 200. Suggestions would be very welcome.
They will be hooked up to an Onkyo receiver if that makes any difference.
Design wise I really like the TMA-1's, but they don't look super comfortable.
My budget would be about 200. Suggestions would be very welcome.
The way I see it, I love them more than any other dynamic headphone and I keep them for ages, making the price worth it for me spread out over many years.
or, due to their rarity, I can resell them for the same price I paid if I am disappointed in them for whatever reason (my biggest fear is if I love the sound but they're super uncomfortable on my head)
Third option: Pull an Obama and give them to me for much less than they're worth, leaving you a net loss-- but at least you look like a good person!
Edit: After reading my post, I need you guys to help keep me in this thread, and out of Political GAFs...
The Big Rig
Member
If you don't need a portable set, the ATH M50 has been recommended several times.
Neko Mimi Mode
Member
Would highly recommend you avoid the TMA-1s, they are some of the most lopsided headphones available. Unless you have an extreme aversion to treble and mids, then there's far better options in the price range.
Portable Closed: Sennheiser HD-25-II (dat V). Phiaton MS400 (bassy with warm forward mids)
Full Size Closed: Shure SRH840 (pretty smooth/laid back sound with slightly forward mids and a warmish bass). Ultrasone (any kind really, like Pro 750, recommended if you're a basshead).
If you're planning on getting an amp, then you could look into the M-Audio Studiophile Q40's and Beyerdynamic DT770s as well.
I disagree with this assessment as a TMA-1 owner. The trebles are recessed, but the mids sound strong. A small bit of treble boosting, and these set of cans sound great with surprising clarity and detail across the spectrum. I'm really surprised with how much detail I can pick out despite this being a set of DJ cans.
I have a wide range of music tastes, but it ranges from Arcade Fire, Tennis, Bon Iver, Of Monsters and Men, and Beirut to M83, The War on Drugs, Yeasayer, and Deerhunter to Kanye, Nas, and Clipse.
Haven't had a complaint with the TMA-1s. I listen to Grado SR125i's alternatively and have a nice Klipsch system in the living room.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
I've been wondering about this myself, as there are a few albums that I love that have pretty shoddy mastering. I know LFF over at Head-Fi is a mastering/sound restoration engineer. In his profile, it says if you'd like to have him restore or remaster something at an affordable rate, you can just PM him.
Not sure why Hix consistently throws such hyperbole at the TMA-1s, in the face of all of the positive professional reviews and user commentary.
Hell a few sites chose the TMAs as a funner listen, over the HD25-II and M50.
Like.... come on sir. To claim they have no mids is absolutely ridiculous.
Hell a few sites chose the TMAs as a funner listen, over the HD25-II and M50.
Like.... come on sir. To claim they have no mids is absolutely ridiculous.
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