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

N

Nappuccino

Member
The Big Rig said:
I still love my Portapros. The warranty alone makes them a great buy.
Click to expand...

I need to make use of the warranty at some point. Ruined the chord and I've been working on JVC marshmellow IEMs and just grabbed some Grados. But for portablity/quality ratio, the porta pros were the best (besides, like you said, the original PX100s)
 
P

pax217

Member
Still planning on getting the MadDogs, but I noticed that Focal has released a headphone. I've always installed their speakers in my cars (and have nothing but good things to say); has anyone heard the "Spirit One" headphone?
 
S

Salaadin

Member
Any good headphone recommendations?

My problem is this: I wear glasses and any average sized headphones that rest directly on my ears will eventually hurt from the headphones pushing my ears into my glasses. Is there anything good thats also big enough to cover my entire ear so that I dont have that pressure ON the ear?

Any suggestions?

I cant get too expensive. Maybe less than $200.
Was looking at Sennheiser HD558 but Im not sure if they cover the entire ear like I say above.

How are wireless headphones? Sennheiser RS160s any good?
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Good news, I was just sent video of my IEMs. They have been safe and sound in the ISC in New York for a week.

oY4vZ.gif
 
K

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
After over two years of service, the right ear of my RE-ZEROs is starting to fizzle out.

I guess the only natural progression is the RE-272. Time to start saving up.....
 
shira

shira

Member
Bought the JYP Diamond Tears Monster Beats.
DSC_0170.jpg
Click to expand...
Played Gangnan Style
Looked in the mirror.
Looked at $350 price tag.
Drove back to Best Buy and got a refund all within 10 minutes.

1/10
Worst beats sound quality so far
Xtreme bass and muffled everything else
Look absolutely terrible
 
H

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Anyone here have any experience with either of these?

ModMic: http://www.modmic.com/

or

VSONIC IEMs?
Salaadin said:
Any good headphone recommendations?

My problem is this: I wear glasses and any average sized headphones that rest directly on my ears will eventually hurt from the headphones pushing my ears into my glasses. Is there anything good thats also big enough to cover my entire ear so that I dont have that pressure ON the ear?

Any suggestions?

I cant get too expensive. Maybe less than $200.
Was looking at Sennheiser HD558 but Im not sure if they cover the entire ear like I say above.

How are wireless headphones? Sennheiser RS160s any good?
Click to expand...
I wear glasses and had that issue with two pairs of headphones after maybe 4-5 hours.

My ATH-AD700's are comfy incarnate and I can wear these things for 40 of 48 hours and feel no pressure at all.
 
C

Canis lupus

Member
Don't know if this is the right place to ask. I am listening to music via Wasapi output in Musicbee, now I don't have any sound on youtube videos. Why?
 
S

sweetvar26

Member
Alright, I need in ear headphones.

I walk around 15 to 30 minutes a day.
I go to the gym for about an hour, not everyday but usually.
I commute a lot, around 90 minutes a day at least in the bus.

I pretty much listen to everything. Some melodies when in the bus or walking, hip hop or other club hits when at the gym and some local music that you guys wouldn't know about.

On an average, I will be using them at least for two hours a day and I could really use a good pair. I like a little bit of punch to my sound, at least when I listen to the club hits when at the gym.

Can I get recommendations please? I use these with my HTC One X, so volume control and a microphone is an added advantage but not a necessity.


Any idea how these are?

Monster Jamz Control Talk - $40

Sennheiser CX300-ii - $50

Sennheiser CX880i - $90

Klipsch IMAGE X10i - $140

Klipsch-X10i-Headphones-With-iPhone-Microphone.jpeg


These are just some of the stuff that I have been going through last night but if you guys have any other recommendations, please do let me know.

Thanks.
 
D

Dilbert

Member
I also picked up the EarPods as an upgrade over the previous-gen earbuds for my iPhone 4. They are significantly better in terms of sound quality. They are not as good as my "real" headphones for home (ATH-A900) or planes/noisy environments (CC51), but they are the best-sounding earbud-style headphones I've ever heard. And only $30! However, for me the key was putting foamies on them — without those, the fit/seal (and therefore bass quality) wasn't quite there.

Speaking of foamies — I've been using crappy, rough, semi-thick Radio Shack ones since I couldn't find any others readily. Anyone know a good place to get thinner, softer ones, like the ones that came with the original iPod earbuds?
 
O

Oveja Negra

Member
sweetvar26 said:
Alright, I need in ear headphones.

Any idea how these are?

Klipsch-X10i-Headphones-With-iPhone-Microphone.jpeg


These are just some of the stuff that I have been going through last night but if you guys have any other recommendations, please do let me know.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I have those Klipsch, but the model without the iPhone controls.

Most comfortable in ear headphones ever. Seriously, you can wear them all day without even feeling them.

The sound is fantastic too, very detailed both in the middle and higher frequencies. The bass are, in my opinion, not that strong compared to, for example, Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10, but don't take it as a disadvantage, cause these Klipsch have enough power to sound great with genres like any kind of electronic, mellow and beautiful jazz and even extreme death metal.

Again, I can't stress enough how comfortable they are (be sure to wear the correct tip according to the size of your ear canal).

Cheers.
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
I should be able to pick up my headphones tomorrow.

APPARENTLY when it enters the ISC sort facility, tracking on that item ceases.

So, depending on how long it takes to sort it out, they will try to deliver it any random day in the next 1-3 weeks.

Every international package needs your signature, so you have to be there when they deliver it.

WHEN they miss you (because they will) you have the option of letting them try to redeliver it, or you can pick it up at the local post office.

Oh, and it takes 5 FUCKING DAYS to get from your house back to the post office IN TOWN to be picked up.

Overall, I'm getting these 2 weeks after I ordered them, and I've definitely had worse for international orders, but when it could have been 1 week I'm just amazed at how terrible the process for international shipments is.
 
S

sweetvar26

Member
Oveja Negra said:
I have those Klipsch, but the model without the iPhone controls.

Most comfortable in ear headphones ever. Seriously, you can wear them all day without even feeling them.

The sound is fantastic too, very detailed both in the middle and higher frequencies. The bass are, in my opinion, not that strong compared to, for example, Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10, but don't take it as a disadvantage, cause these Klipsch have enough power to sound great with genres like any kind of electronic, mellow and beautiful jazz and even extreme death metal.

Again, I can't stress enough how comfortable they are (be sure to wear the correct tip according to the size of your ear canal).

Cheers.
Click to expand...

Oh, thanks for the impressions. I shall check them out. I know, if I am not happy, I can always return them.
 
A

Alucrid

Banned
Dice said:
I should be able to pick up my headphones tomorrow.

APPARENTLY when it enters the ISC sort facility, tracking on that item ceases.

So, depending on how long it takes to sort it out, they will try to deliver it any random day in the next 1-3 weeks.

Every international package needs your signature, so you have to be there when they deliver it.

WHEN they miss you (because they will) you have the option of letting them try to redeliver it, or you can pick it up at the local post office.

Oh, and it takes 5 FUCKING DAYS to get from your house back to the post office IN TOWN to be picked up.

Overall, I'm getting these 2 weeks after I ordered them, and I've definitely had worse for international orders, but when it could have been 1 week I'm just amazed at how terrible the process for international shipments is.
Click to expand...

Well uh, the bold is the only odd thing out of your entire experience.
 
D

Drago

Member
So my pair of headphones broke a while back so I've been using a pair of spare Apple ear buds for a week now... and they're broken too. :(

Could anyone recommend me the best pair of headphones for ~$30 or less? I'm not in the market for top-of-the-line headphones, just want something that isn't too quiet, something for general use. I'll probably invest in a really nice pair sometime down the line, but not right now. I'd prefer over the ear but I'd be fine with ear buds. Thanks for anyone who can help me out :)
 
L

LCfiner

Member
For 30 bucks, i recommend the new Apple earpods. they're readily available in stores and sound very good. A massive step up from previous Apple buds.
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Drago said:
Could anyone recommend me the best pair of headphones for ~$30 or less? I'm not in the market for top-of-the-line headphones, just want something that isn't too quiet, something for general use. I'll probably invest in a really nice pair sometime down the line, but not right now. I'd prefer over the ear but I'd be fine with ear buds. Thanks for anyone who can help me out :)
Click to expand...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003MG2AY8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

They won't break. They are invincible everydays but surprisingly good sound for how cheap they are.
 
D

Drago

Member
LCfiner said:
For 30 bucks, i recommend the new Apple earpods. they're readily available in stores and sound very good. A massive step up from previous Apple buds.
Click to expand...

Dice said:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003MG2AY8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

They won't break. They are invincible everydays but surprisingly good sound for how cheap they are.
Click to expand...

I do really like the new design of the Apple ear buds, nice to see that the sound has improved too? I was fine with the sound on the original design (I have low sound standards ;p) so if they're even better, that's great. Those Sony ones have a nice look to them, but my last pair of cheap Sony headphones were quite quiet and broke after a few months of use. They are cheaper, though... will have to think about this. I'll also wait for any other advice that may pop up. Thanks!
 
J

Jill Sandwich

the turds of Optimus Prime
RBrjg.jpg


After desiring some Bowers & Wilkins P3s for my iPhone 5, I did some reading around and found that the AKG k451s come highly recommended, earning a 5 star review in What Hi-Fi for about half the price of the B&Ws. I went to my local Richer Sounds and tried them out, along with some others in the price range and they indeed are fantastic. I've usually used in-ear Sennheisers but they end up being pulled out of my ear as I walk and the cord gets shuffled down under my jacket. I wanted to try mini-headphones this time, but I knew I could better than bloody Beats. The AKGs really have an open soundspace and you don't have to have the volume up loud to hear every instrument. Bass feels different from in-ears obviously, but although it's powerful it doesn't dominate like it did with the old plugs. I really like them, I must admit I feel more self conscious wearing them than in-ears, but I suppose that will pass the more I'm out in them. I'll fit in right with the Beats wearers.
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Drago said:
Those Sony ones have a nice look to them, but my last pair of cheap Sony headphones were quite quiet and broke after a few months of use.
Click to expand...
These are different:
-40mm ccaw coil drivers
-Tough flexible plastic coasted in rubber for super invincibility
-Special flat cord that is amazingly tough and doesn't tangle up
-Design contains connecting parts to prevent breaking
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Okay so I got my GR02s and have been fucking around with different tips for the last 3 hours. I thiiiiink blues might be the winners here, but I haven't decided between normal and the ones with a foam layer.

I have mixed feelings, and I feel like it's mostly issues that come with IEM.

Pros:
-Amazing isolation
-Good soundstage
-Great clarity and separation of instruments and vocals
-Impressive bass without pounding into your head
-Compact

Cons:
-Pressure on the walls of your ear required to get a good song causes discomfort after a while
-Managing the right amount of air pressure can be kind of annoying
-Sounds exactly like what it is; sound being delivered through a little tube

Unique:
-Those liquid tones as opposed to air tones of traditional headphones

Frustrating:
-Can usually be manually held in just the right angle and pressure to sound 5x better, yet it's impossible to get them to rest in that sweet spot.

Overall they're better than the Koss IEMs I got for the same price some years ago, so I'm satisfied with them. They will be great for their intended conveniences, but I think I will always prefer traditional headphones.

Now I need to get some M-80s... ^__^
 
T

ThanksVision

Member
hey smart ppl

I'm at school now, and I only have the AKG k550s (which I love), but they are really only good for dorm/home listening because I'm too afraid to take them out and they aren't very portable. Sometimes I take them to the library, but that's about it.

I'm thinking about getting another pair of m50s because I loved them to death, and they are really durable, not that expensive, and extremely portable. I won't be afraid to take them anywhere. But I won't get those for a while.

Before I do that, I'd also like to get some quality earphones that I can take around with me. Going to and from class or on the bus--things like that. I'm looking at the list in the OP and I like the $60-$75 price range for earphones. I don't want to pay more than that. As some of you know, I'm really into techno i.e. Actress. I want earphones that somewhat specialize in that kind of sound.
 
P

purg3

slept with Malkin
Anyone thinking about picking up the new Sennheiser Momentum headphones? I love the look of them, but the price seems pretty steep. Especially considering I got a pair of HD600's for about the same price at the beginning of the year.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Dice said:
Okay so I got my GR02s and have been fucking around with different tips for the last 3 hours. I thiiiiink blues might be the winners here, but I haven't decided between normal and the ones with a foam layer.

I have mixed feelings, and I feel like it's mostly issues that come with IEM.

Pros:
-Amazing isolation
-Good soundstage
-Great clarity and separation of instruments and vocals
-Impressive bass without pounding into your head
-Compact

Cons:
-Pressure on the walls of your ear required to get a good song causes discomfort after a while
-Managing the right amount of air pressure can be kind of annoying
-Sounds exactly like what it is; sound being delivered through a little tube

Unique:
-Those liquid tones as opposed to air tones of traditional headphones

Frustrating:
-Can usually be manually held in just the right angle and pressure to sound 5x better, yet it's impossible to get them to rest in that sweet spot.

Overall they're better than the Koss IEMs I got for the same price some years ago, so I'm satisfied with them. They will be great for their intended conveniences, but I think I will always prefer traditional headphones.

Now I need to get some M-80s... ^__^
Click to expand...

Sounds like you're not getting a proper seal, play with the different tips and find the right size. Or you could try using some foam tips, like these or these (in small). The biflanges are probably just a bit too big for your ears.
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
I have played with all the tips. It seems like it comes in my ear at a better angle if I have them come over the back of my ears, and it's best if I push them all the way in, which creates a vacuum, then I pull on them a bit and let go to them suck back in, which creates a balanced air pressure and clearest sound.

Xb6ef.jpg


They are like this:

<-- loose || small black, red (shallow) peach (deeper), yellow (s) green (d), medium black (s) blue (d), large black (s) lavender (d), pale green, biflange || tight -->

The small and especially shallow ones sound like listening through a tin can and the large ones are all muffled with bass. Right now I'm using the blue ones, which are fairly accurate sound and good clarity. I have wondered about memory foam tips, but I have no extra money anymore. I think I'm getting the correct seal, but my description is from comparing them to Grado 325is. They just aren't going to be that level of quality, even though they can manage a more atmospheric sound.
 
H

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Dice said:
Okay so I got my GR02s and have been fucking around with different tips for the last 3 hours. I thiiiiink blues might be the winners here, but I haven't decided between normal and the ones with a foam layer.

I have mixed feelings, and I feel like it's mostly issues that come with IEM.

Pros:
-Amazing isolation
-Good soundstage
-Great clarity and separation of instruments and vocals
-Impressive bass without pounding into your head
-Compact

Cons:
-Pressure on the walls of your ear required to get a good song causes discomfort after a while
-Managing the right amount of air pressure can be kind of annoying
-Sounds exactly like what it is; sound being delivered through a little tube

Unique:
-Those liquid tones as opposed to air tones of traditional headphones

Frustrating:
-Can usually be manually held in just the right angle and pressure to sound 5x better, yet it's impossible to get them to rest in that sweet spot.

Overall they're better than the Koss IEMs I got for the same price some years ago, so I'm satisfied with them. They will be great for their intended conveniences, but I think I will always prefer traditional headphones.

Now I need to get some M-80s... ^__^
Click to expand...
I got ye olde GR02's in and I'm fairly impressed (Needed something decent quickly), the Bass edition is on it's way over. What other IEMs have you tried?
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Hazaro said:
What other IEMs have you tried?
Click to expand...
Koss KE29BZs which I had for a couple years, yet died 5 years ago, random cheapass stuff, my friend's Shure SE315s with foam tips for about 5 minutes 3 years ago. The faint memory of that gives me hope for foam tips.

Really, I have a strong preference for traditional headphones, I just got these because they're better for mowing the lawn, will be better with hats and hoods as it gets colder, and I ride the bus more often these days.

Edit: Okay, found a free shipping coupon for the airbuds, I guess I'll try them out...
 
B

B.O.O.M

Member
hey headphonegaf,

I’m looking for a closed, over-ear headphone. New, not used.

Budget is up to around £180 ($290 USD). I’ll just be listening through an mp3 player or a computer (I don’t have an amp, but, if the cans needs a relatively low price one I'll stretch the budget. A Fiio E7 or something like that)

I listen to…
Fast, synth-heavy stuff like Kpop, Dance, House.
Bassy, low-fi stuff like Trip Hop or Dub.
And some acoustic/rock stuff as well.

I don’t want neutral. I need a strong low end for the Trip Hop tracks and Kpop synths. However, I dislike 1. Overly boomy ‘tone def’ bass and 2. Bass that veils the rest of the sound spectrum (think Beats Solo HDs with their patented 'smeared in vaseline' sound). I suppose I could summarise with wanting responsive, strong bass without sacrificing clarity elsewhere.

Any help is appreciated.
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
B.O.O.M said:
hey headphonegaf,

I’m looking for a closed, over-ear headphone. New, not used.

Budget is up to around £180 ($290 USD). I’ll just be listening through an mp3 player or a computer (I don’t have an amp, but, if the cans needs a relatively low price one I'll stretch the budget. A Fiio E7 or something like that)

I listen to…
Fast, synth-heavy stuff like Kpop, Dance, House.
Bassy, low-fi stuff like Trip Hop or Dub.
And some acoustic/rock stuff as well.

I don’t want neutral. I need a strong low end for the Trip Hop tracks and Kpop synths. However, I dislike 1. Overly boomy ‘tone def’ bass and 2. Bass that veils the rest of the sound spectrum (think Beats Solo HDs with their patented 'smeared in vaseline' sound). I suppose I could summarise with wanting responsive, strong bass without sacrificing clarity elsewhere.

Any help is appreciated.
Click to expand...

Mr Speakers Mad Dogs or the AKG K550. I'd go for the Mad Dogs personally
 
P

polyh3dron

Banned
B.O.O.M said:
hey headphonegaf,

I&#8217;m looking for a closed, over-ear headphone. New, not used.

Budget is up to around £180 ($290 USD). I&#8217;ll just be listening through an mp3 player or a computer (I don&#8217;t have an amp, but, if the cans needs a relatively low price one I'll stretch the budget. A Fiio E7 or something like that)

I listen to&#8230;
Fast, synth-heavy stuff like Kpop, Dance, House.
Bassy, low-fi stuff like Trip Hop or Dub.
And some acoustic/rock stuff as well.

I don&#8217;t want neutral. I need a strong low end for the Trip Hop tracks and Kpop synths. However, I dislike 1. Overly boomy &#8216;tone def&#8217; bass and 2. Bass that veils the rest of the sound spectrum (think Beats Solo HDs with their patented 'smeared in vaseline' sound). I suppose I could summarise with wanting responsive, strong bass without sacrificing clarity elsewhere.

Any help is appreciated.
Click to expand...
A couple different options in this price range:

Sony MDR-XB700 - lots and lots of bass, and more clarity than Beats. Also, the absolute best bass headphone for the price.

Audio Technica ATH-M50 - Not AS bassy as the aforementioned Sony set, but a bit more accurate in its bass. Also a bit more expensive. There's also a DJ variant of this model that is a bit larger and more bassy and a tad more expensive, but also not as comfortable apparently, the Audio Technica ATH-PRO700MK2.

If you want to go a tad above your budget you can get what I have coming to me tomorrow, the Ultrasone Pro 900.
 
B

bomb

Unconfirmed Member
Dice said:
I have played with all the tips. It seems like it comes in my ear at a better angle if I have them come over the back of my ears, and it's best if I push them all the way in, which creates a vacuum, then I pull on them a bit and let go to them suck back in, which creates a balanced air pressure and clearest sound.

Xb6ef.jpg


They are like this:

<-- loose || small black, red (shallow) peach (deeper), yellow (s) green (d), medium black (s) blue (d), large black (s) lavender (d), pale green, biflange || tight -->

The small and especially shallow ones sound like listening through a tin can and the large ones are all muffled with bass. Right now I'm using the blue ones, which are fairly accurate sound and good clarity. I have wondered about memory foam tips, but I have no extra money anymore. I think I'm getting the correct seal, but my description is from comparing them to Grado 325is. They just aren't going to be that level of quality, even though they can manage a more atmospheric sound.
Click to expand...

I got the same pair. How do you put on the colored tips? I can take off the main two part tip but I do not know where to go from there. For example, Do you take off the two part tip then just put on the yellow one piece tip? Or, does the yellow tip attach to a larger base tip to connect to the earphone? I just tried shoving the yellow tip directly onto the earphone to no avail.
 
Neko Mimi Mode

Neko Mimi Mode

Member
B.O.O.M said:
hey headphonegaf,

I&#8217;m looking for a closed, over-ear headphone. New, not used.

Budget is up to around £180 ($290 USD). I&#8217;ll just be listening through an mp3 player or a computer (I don&#8217;t have an amp, but, if the cans needs a relatively low price one I'll stretch the budget. A Fiio E7 or something like that)

I listen to&#8230;
Fast, synth-heavy stuff like Kpop, Dance, House.
Bassy, low-fi stuff like Trip Hop or Dub.
And some acoustic/rock stuff as well.

I don&#8217;t want neutral. I need a strong low end for the Trip Hop tracks and Kpop synths. However, I dislike 1. Overly boomy &#8216;tone def&#8217; bass and 2. Bass that veils the rest of the sound spectrum (think Beats Solo HDs with their patented 'smeared in vaseline' sound). I suppose I could summarise with wanting responsive, strong bass without sacrificing clarity elsewhere.

Any help is appreciated.
Click to expand...

You need bass bro? Here's your bass right here. There's currently a sale on them too, so pick one up fast and you'll have cash spare for a nice DAC/Amp.
With an amp, you'll get a nice even and detailed sound right across the spectrum with a respectable soundstage and quite impressive dynamics, contrary to the Beats method of compressing everything to substitute for lack of quality (if you can't hear it, you won't know it's bad har har).

EDIT:

Skip;
Mad Dogs - too bass-lite for you, treble is a bit rolled off too.
Ultrasones - mids, what mids?

Sonys and M50s would be good recs too though.
 
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