The Big Rig
Member
People will get mad about both of those. I'm not sure which is better though.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
$500 cans on, this is how you dream right - Official Headphone Thread
- Thread starter HiResDes
- Start date
polyh3dron
Banned
GalacticSushiman
Member
Wendy's?
Solideliquid
Member
Why the hate bros?
my take: if you don't need active noise cancellation, skip the Bose and get the noontec zoro instead of the beats HD. sounds a lot better, costs 70 bucks on ebay, new in box.
If you do need the active noise cancellation, then the Bose QC15 aren't awful. they're certainly comfortable but they are pricey for the sound quality you're getting. you might want to consider the Audio Technica ANC7
If your budget is around 350 or so, consider the sennhesier Amperior or sennheiser momentum. Both have excellent sound. Amperior is smaller and has more lively treble. Momentum has a more laid back sound and is more comfortable.
If you do need the active noise cancellation, then the Bose QC15 aren't awful. they're certainly comfortable but they are pricey for the sound quality you're getting. you might want to consider the Audio Technica ANC7
If your budget is around 350 or so, consider the sennhesier Amperior or sennheiser momentum. Both have excellent sound. Amperior is smaller and has more lively treble. Momentum has a more laid back sound and is more comfortable.
I don't know if I should ask this here, since I am technically looking for a headset. I know very little about headphones, so maybe someone here can enlighten me. I'm tired of buying cheapy headsets, but I don't want to spend a boatload of money either (not over $100). I mainly want a headset for gaming, but I do want something that provides good sound too. I don't care if it's behind-the-head, over-the-head, closed, open, or what have you. I just want something good. My preferences are something with adjustable audio controls on the wire, with the wire and microphone on the left-side of the headset. I found a couple that may interest me, but I'd like to hear recommendations and suggestions.
The two I found that seem okay are Logitech Gaming Headset G330 and Razer Carcharias. I never bought a Razer product but those are the only ones that look alright to me (and cheapest). The Logitech headset looks comfortable, but I have no idea how long it will last (looks cheap, material-wise).
Also, is there any noticeable differences between using a 3.5mm connection and a USB connection. The nice thing is that you can use either one for the Logitech headset. I tried using a USB-connected headset a couple years ago, and I found it did screwy stuff with my Windows' audio settings, which I had no issues with when using a 3.5mm-connection headset.
The two I found that seem okay are Logitech Gaming Headset G330 and Razer Carcharias. I never bought a Razer product but those are the only ones that look alright to me (and cheapest). The Logitech headset looks comfortable, but I have no idea how long it will last (looks cheap, material-wise).
Also, is there any noticeable differences between using a 3.5mm connection and a USB connection. The nice thing is that you can use either one for the Logitech headset. I tried using a USB-connected headset a couple years ago, and I found it did screwy stuff with my Windows' audio settings, which I had no issues with when using a 3.5mm-connection headset.
PflargBlarg
Member
Agreed, the guy owns a 40,000 dollar DAC with special addons to prevent jitter (which is already undetectable by human ears). Reading this thing would probably make me vomit.
If what you want is headphones and a microphone, the following is always the best option:
(A pair of headphones), I'd recommend these since you're looking to save money
Zalman ZM-Mic1
Holy shit, I don't think I ever wished I had a trust fund until now
Just bought some Bose AE2 Around-Ear Headphones and honestly kind of crappy. Been trying them out most of the day the sound for some reason is all over the place. Some songs sound like your listening to them down a hallway, some the bass is over blown and the clarity is certainly not there I think I am gonna take them back my previous $60.00 headphones sound better.
No highs, no lows-- it must be Bose. OH NO I'M BEING PRETENTIOUS.
There are definitely better options than pretty much any Bose pair at any price point. The same can be said for their loudspeakers (the 901s are not half-bad, but they aren't worth the recent $400 price jump)
I took them back and got my money back. The problem I find is though alot of the headphones are so bass heavy even adjusting settings on pc it's too much especially if I am sitting here programming all day after awhile it gives you a headache.
I am gonna look into something else I am leaning towards the Shure Srh440 because I have heard them before and they aren't bad.
If it's clarity you want check out the KRK KNS8400s
I use to have Bose AE2 for awhile....yea it's kind of meh lol
Right now I have been using Sol Republic headphones which have been pretty good for the most part
Is there a way I can use my own headphones along with an attachable microphone to clip on to voice chat and play games on the Xbox 360? I really don't want to buy a gaming headset.
Would I need a MixAmp like this?: http://www.astrogaming.com/mixamp-58-rx
Would I need a MixAmp like this?: http://www.astrogaming.com/mixamp-58-rx
Correct me if I'm wrong, but a LOD cable still won't bypass the iPods DAC, just the amp. Bypassing an iPods DAC is more complicated and a lot more expensive I believe. I least that's what I was told, lol.
Sorry for DP
Yeah, that would be what you need. Didn't know that existed, will keep that in mind for my Black Friday purchases. Thanks.
Just did a quick google search on this. It seems you're right; only some DACs will bypass the one on the iPod.
The Big Rig
Member
Just ordered V-Moda M-80s on an impulse, to replace my lost ATH-ES7s. What should I expect?
Awesomeness. The only negative I've seen on them is that some don't like the smoother highs. It's less fatiguing, in my opinion, than a V-shaped sound though.
Monkeylord
Member
First of all, I'll just get this out the way. I am NOT an audiophile. I have no clue at all about anything earphone, bud or speaker related.
That said, I do have a personal audio problem that I feel you fine fellows may be able to help me resolve.
My GF likes to sit next to me on the sofa while I watch TV or play a game, and during this time she's on her netbook, listening to music and Tumbling. I do not begrudge her this.
Unfortunately, she has what is apparently a fairly decent pair of Seinhauser (sp) earbuds that she uses and loves. Apparently they sound really really good. My problem is, that no matter what she's listening to I AM FORCED TO LISTEN ALONG for they leak noise like nobodies business.
I've tested them myself, and just like she protests the volume is fine. I was adamant they were up too loud and she was bound to go deaf, but no, they just simply leak sound in abundance.
So, I intend to get her some new headphones as part of her Christmas gift. Not earbuds, but a reasonable sized (she's a tiny person of 5'2", so anything too big will look ridiculous on her) over the head style set.
Can anyone recommend any reasonably priced (reasonably = no more than £60) over the head headphones that leak as little sound as possible.
I'll probably be ordering from Play.com or Amazon.co.uk, if that info's of any use to anyone.
Please... before I throttle her!
That said, I do have a personal audio problem that I feel you fine fellows may be able to help me resolve.
My GF likes to sit next to me on the sofa while I watch TV or play a game, and during this time she's on her netbook, listening to music and Tumbling. I do not begrudge her this.
Unfortunately, she has what is apparently a fairly decent pair of Seinhauser (sp) earbuds that she uses and loves. Apparently they sound really really good. My problem is, that no matter what she's listening to I AM FORCED TO LISTEN ALONG for they leak noise like nobodies business.
I've tested them myself, and just like she protests the volume is fine. I was adamant they were up too loud and she was bound to go deaf, but no, they just simply leak sound in abundance.
So, I intend to get her some new headphones as part of her Christmas gift. Not earbuds, but a reasonable sized (she's a tiny person of 5'2", so anything too big will look ridiculous on her) over the head style set.
Can anyone recommend any reasonably priced (reasonably = no more than £60) over the head headphones that leak as little sound as possible.
I'll probably be ordering from Play.com or Amazon.co.uk, if that info's of any use to anyone.
Please... before I throttle her!
Hmm...That's a bummer
NOT HEADPHONES:
Looking to build a cheaper-end separate loudspeaker hi-fi:
NAD C 316BEE ($350)
Cambridge Audio DACMagic ($300)
At those price points/quality, is there anything better than what I've got listed? Should I just go for a HK3490?
System will be a 2.1, probably HSU bkshlf horns and Outlaw M8.
Looking to build a cheaper-end separate loudspeaker hi-fi:
NAD C 316BEE ($350)
Cambridge Audio DACMagic ($300)
At those price points/quality, is there anything better than what I've got listed? Should I just go for a HK3490?
System will be a 2.1, probably HSU bkshlf horns and Outlaw M8.
Monkeylord
Member
Hmm... looks like a winner so far, although from the amazon reviews there's a lot of complaining about them being tight (clamping). Still, she's only wee, so shouldn't be an issue. I'm sure there's a method listed somewhere for breaking them in a bit too so it shouldn't be an issue.
If only they had them in pink, or Hello kitty branding, lol.
She'll get what she's given, dammit!
Thanks for the recommendation.
They're a little uncomfortable for bigger heads, but for smaller heads I'd imagine they'd be pretty comfortable.
If she does find the clamping force is too much, there are little foam inserts behind the pads that can be removed to alleviate some of the pressure. Doing so cuts back on isolation a bit though.
Whiteshirt
Member
Preferably, you'll go into a hifi store with those speakers and try a selection of amplifiers within your budget. Component matching is important and I imagine its doubly important since you are using speakers with horn loaded tweeters.
As for the DAC, the DACMagic is really flexible but I personally think there is close to no difference between properly implemented DACs. The components that are most important are the speakers then the amplifier. Everything else doesn't really play that huge of a role.
My personal favourite stereo amp in the sub-$500 range would probably be the Yamaha A-S500. A lot of audiophiles seem to scoff at Yamaha but the recent A-S series are all really capable and all of the lower end models have actual subwoofer out ports. The only real problem is that the speaker binding posts are pretty awful if you are going to use banana plugs.
One reason I was attracted to these actually was because of the smoother highs. I like a balanced sound, but dominant treble fatigues me and makes my ears ring.
Monkeylord
Member
Sound advice (heh... sound, that was unintentionally mildly amusing).
I'm sure she'll be fine with them. As I said, she's quite quite tiny, lol.
PflargBlarg
Member
It really only matters for people that are doing recording and stuff. You almost certainly won't hear a difference.
The Big Rig
Member
I have the same thing. My only problem was that the headband size wasn't the most accommodating for my very large head. It thankfully, the flex band is malleable.
No. I've never noticed a difference and the science and engineering backs it up. (we're talking about the finished songs, not the mixing process)
it's all about maximum dynamic range. 16 bits has enough range to go from silence to jackhammers in your face. 24 bit files have enough range to go from silence to dude in scanners whose head blows up.
However, what you might find is that some albums may be remastered for "HD tracks" or other 24 bit resources with greater dynamic range than the standard CD master you get in stores. Most music is compressed to use only the upper range of loud listening levels. an album remastered for audiophile use might (it's not guaranteed) use a greater amount of the available dynamic range. And it's more likely to find those remasters in 24 bit versions even though they would still sound the same as a 16 bit version.
Thanks. I've also got that, the Marantz PM5004, and the MusicHall a15.2 (as powerful as the Yahama) on the list. I was just going to run the sub out of an older Onkyo NR606 I have sitting around... might just use that instead of the DAC anyway. The system will primarily be used for music, with ancillary use for television (which most of what I watch is Bloomberg, so sound isn't huge). Music will come out of Oppo's latest BD player that I picked up last month.
Believe it or not, Seattle doesn't have a ton of options for hi-fi if you aren't looking for either vinyl (a lot of "hipsters" on trust funds) or Definitive Tech equipment. I don't know of anyone who carries the PM5004 or the MusicHall. I believe the Yahama is at Fry's, though... which they probably won't let me bring my own speakers.
Do you have any favorite bookshelfs in the sub-$300/pr range that aren't the Wharfedale Diamonds?
Whiteshirt
Member
Power isn't really an issue with any amplifier so unless you plan on getting some extremely difficult to drive speakers, such as Dynaudios, or want to play music loud enough to fill a very large room. More power is always nice for that dynamic range but the reality is that more power won't make a mis-matched amplifier sound good.
Almost all major companies have a decent bookshelf around $300 so its really hard to go wrong. The Boston Acoustics A25 and Usher S520 are typically good speakers that come to mind. Also look at Polk Audio's low end speakers and subwoofers since they're pretty much the go-to company for affordable loudpseaker systems.
One thing to be aware about is the placement of the bass reflex port. Speakers with rear bass reflex ports, like the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1s, may sound exceedingly boomy if placed too close to a wall. Take your room into account.
Almost all major companies have a decent bookshelf around $300 so its really hard to go wrong. The Boston Acoustics A25 and Usher S520 are typically good speakers that come to mind. Also look at Polk Audio's low end speakers and subwoofers since they're pretty much the go-to company for affordable loudpseaker systems.
One thing to be aware about is the placement of the bass reflex port. Speakers with rear bass reflex ports, like the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1s, may sound exceedingly boomy if placed too close to a wall. Take your room into account.
Yeah I noticed that too, otherwise I don't think the T1s or John Grado would get a look-in. Still it's a pretty epic read that helped me get through an incredibly arduous day listening to incoherent customers complain over the phone at work.
I also find the lack of Fischer headphones disturbing. Clearly not quite as much an enthusiast as he thinks
EDIT: $50K DAC don't mean shit when you aint hooked up to an FA-011, like a boss.
Wait. Why wouldn't the T1s make it?
bumbillbee
Member
So I've been using a FiiO E10 USB DAC/Amp with my laptop, with my Sennheiser HD555s. It sounds fine, but I was wondering if there was any benefit to adding a dedicated amp to the mix, especially if I upgrade my headphones in the future. Does anyone have any experience using the e10 just as a DAC and adding a portable amp to the mix, such as the E11?
bumbillbee
Member
Ah okay, thanks for setting me straight there. I definitely need portability since the headphone jack on my laptop is messed up, so I guess I'll stick with my current setup until I can afford to upgrade to something more permanent.
Damn is that NFB sexy, though. Might make a nice graduation present to myself next year; if only I were graduating with a degree that bore the possibility of a decent job!
Damn is that NFB sexy, though. Might make a nice graduation present to myself next year; if only I were graduating with a degree that bore the possibility of a decent job!
I don't know if this is the right thread to post this in but it is about audio so I'll ask it here. How can I get the best quality music possible? I JUST found out about 320 kbps last week and now that I redownloaded my whole itunes library to be at least 256kbps, I was thinking I had the best quality available. After researching I am now finding out about FLAC or lossless quality? I'm so confused because I'm thinking that 320 kbps sounds fantastic compared to my old 128 kbps collection for the past few years.
TLDR: I thought 320 kbps was the best audio quality available but I just found out that there is lossless audio format. Where do I downlaod lossless audio quality music and is the difference that big?
TLDR: I thought 320 kbps was the best audio quality available but I just found out that there is lossless audio format. Where do I downlaod lossless audio quality music and is the difference that big?
you can get lossless music by buying CDs and then ripping them as FLAC or as Apple lossless (ALAC)
Or you can go to places online like HD tracks or bandcamp to get lossless versions of some albums (limited selection)
but, seriously, there's almost no chance you'll hear a difference between a lossless file and 320 mp3 (or 256 AAC). people fail ABX tests all the time trying to figure out which one is which.
So I don't recommend rebuying your existing music on CD if you've already bought it from itunes. but if you want to start with lossless from now on, you can opt for ripping the CD as ALAC instead of using the itunes download.
Or you can go to places online like HD tracks or bandcamp to get lossless versions of some albums (limited selection)
but, seriously, there's almost no chance you'll hear a difference between a lossless file and 320 mp3 (or 256 AAC). people fail ABX tests all the time trying to figure out which one is which.
So I don't recommend rebuying your existing music on CD if you've already bought it from itunes. but if you want to start with lossless from now on, you can opt for ripping the CD as ALAC instead of using the itunes download.
I read through a lot of this thread and even made my own post to try to get a better feel for earbuds [here]. Whats out there?
I want something that will give me a good tone over a good range of frequencies. I've never really had a pair of earbuds with good bass, but I don't just want some overbearing filler bass either.
Hopefully something with a decent build quality and comfortable too, I will mostly use these when I'm out and about. Price wise i'm willing to go up into the $70s but I'd rather stay lower.
I want something that will give me a good tone over a good range of frequencies. I've never really had a pair of earbuds with good bass, but I don't just want some overbearing filler bass either.
Hopefully something with a decent build quality and comfortable too, I will mostly use these when I'm out and about. Price wise i'm willing to go up into the $70s but I'd rather stay lower.
Neko Mimi Mode
Member
Commercial reviewer; Most of the review was done before he joined Headroom.
40k Source; Little known fact, the best and often the most expensive DACs have literally no sound at all, they are invisible. An expensive DAC is perfect for this review as only the sound sig of the headphone (and amp, if it has one) will be heard.
2.5k Cables; While I admit he paid a ridiculous amount for cables, they do have an impact on fidelity, albeit at the bottom of the chain. Headphone > Amp > DAC > Cable.
Overwhelmingly bright, treble distortion/ringing, QC and variation issues, overpriced by at least $600 etc.
Are you adverse to IEMs?
I happen to like the pretty amazing half-in ear Phiaton PS 20s. Awesome bass extension, but wonderfully proportioned mids and a soundstage ALMOST as wide and deep as on proper headphones.
Those earphones look great. Possibly will go with those.
I really don't know much about IEMs (just looked them up) how do they differ from regurlar earbuds?
I was told to just mention the music that I listen to in order to get best fitted with earphones. I listen mostly to DnB, Breakbeat, Electroswing, Trip-hop... stuff with deep bass but often times a lot of mids...
Neko Mimi Mode
Member
IEMs (In-ear Monitors) stick deeper into your ear, as the name indicates. Generally this provides considerably more isolation, for a trade-off of having a very narrow and defined soundstage.
The Phiatons I linked are half in-ear, somewere inbetween regular IEMs and earbuds. They provide a bit more isolation than earbuds and a bigger soundstage than IEMs and don't invade your ear-canals as deep either, for those who don't like that.
You'll find them ideal for your sound preference methinks, as they provide deep thumpy bass, but perfectly proportioned "goldilocks" mids.
I wouldn't call the T1s overwhelmingly bright at all. Have you heard the HD800s, AT cans or Grados? That's bright. Variance and ringing issues are problems that most headphones have as well. To me the T1 has the best tonal balance I've ever heard in a pair of headphones.
Please do tell which $700 headphones objectively outperform the T1s.
Please do tell which $700 headphones objectively outperform the T1s.
Similar threads
- Locked