• 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

Neko Mimi Mode

Neko Mimi Mode

Member
clem84 said:
I wouldn't mind going as high as 400 or 500 if it's worth it. But if you have suggestions in the 300 range I would like to hear them as well.
Click to expand...

I've got plenty, but I'll actually need a few more specifics;

1. Do you play competitively or for fun (or both)?

2. Do you use a headphone amplifier and if not, would you be adverse to buying one?

3. Open back or sealed matter any?

EDIT: In case you're wondering, the Beats anti-hype that runs wild mostly on Head-fi is primarily a result of them being horribly bad value. Noontec Zoros are clones that sound better in every way imaginable for much, much less. Phiaton MS 400s are just plain sexy and literally blow away Beats with a sonic advantage so great I'd arbitrarily assign them a price of $100 more, not $100 less.

Sounds to me though if you are gaming you'll want something with long term comfort and on-ear portables can't really provide that. But that's good, as by sacrificing some portability you can make serious gains in fidelity.
 
O

oyoshimaru

Member
Hix said:
The best portable headphones for rock/metal under $300 are Sennheiser Amperiors IMO. If that breaks the budget a bit too much though the Sennheiser HD25-1 II would make a good substitute. Both have sound signatures made for rock and are built like a tank.

For a portable headphone that plays all genres equally well in the price range, then you'll want a V-Moda M-80.



What's your budget?
Click to expand...

Thank's for the tips, I think I'm gonna go for the M-80, the style really looks great, I just hope they are comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
 
clem84

clem84

Gold Member
Hix said:
I've got plenty, but I'll actually need a few more specifics;

1. Do you play competitively or for fun (or both)?
Click to expand...

I play mainly for fun but I could see myself play competitively at some point so I'd like to keep that option open.

Hix said:
2. Do you use a headphone amplifier and if not, would you be adverse to buying one?
Click to expand...
I'm not using one and I would not be adverse to buying one no.

Hix said:
3. Open back or sealed matter any?
Click to expand...
http://blog.shure.com/shure-notes/open-back-vs-closed-back-headphones/ This video seems to suggest that open back provides the most natural and accurate sound possible. So I would lean more toward that. Only thing is that there's no noise suppression. But I'm not even sure how important that is. What IYO would provide the best sound quality? Open or closed?
 
Neko Mimi Mode

Neko Mimi Mode

Member
clem84 said:
http://blog.shure.com/shure-notes/open-back-vs-closed-back-headphones/ This video seems to suggest that open back provides the most natural and accurate sound possible. So I would lean more toward that. Only thing is that there's no noise suppression. But I'm not even sure how important that is. What IYO would provide the best sound quality? Open or closed?
Click to expand...

If isolation isn't an issue and sound quality is your number one priority, then there's simply no contest. Open headphones are the way to go.

I have a few recommendations in mind, but it's up to you to pull the trigger in the end;

For sound quality alone, in the price range you listed above, not much will come near the Hifiman HE-400s. These have all the bass needed for gaming and bring a near end-of-the-line level of transparency and microdetail. That said, I feel there might be an issue there with long term comfort and build quality could seriously be improved.

A very good substitute is the gorgeous Philips Fidelio L1. I love these cans, amazing bass response, smooth and balanced mids with a gently rolling off treble. The over-all warmth makes these perfect for gaming and movies IMO. They don't leak as much as the HE-400s and should be more comfortable for longer sessions. That said, sound quality doesn't reach the level of the aforementioned orthodynamics (they are $100 less after all).

Either of these would make an excellent choice, but I highly recommend also making an investment in a DAC/Amp to drive them. Even a relatively inexpensive Fiio E10 will make a huge difference to sound quality. You may want to factor that in or, it might make a good Xmas present request.
 
K

Kipp

but I am taking tiny steps forward
Are there usually good sales on headphones on Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday? If I find a good deal on some, I think I'll buy some this weekend.
 
A

Astra

Member
I don't know much at all about headphones, but I got these for $60. I'm not much of an audiophile, so I'm sure these will sound great. Coming from a pair of Sony MDR-XD200's.
 
K

Kipp

but I am taking tiny steps forward
HiResDes said:
Good deal though I dont personally think they are as good as the MS400
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. After doing some research, I think I want to go for something higher quality than the ATH-M50.
What do you think about the Beyer DT990?
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Kipp said:
Thanks for the advice. After doing some research, I think I want to go for something higher quality than the ATH-M50.
What do you think about the Beyer DT990?
Click to expand...
Fantastic but they are open headphones and youre gonna want to consider getting an amp down the road
 
K

Kipp

but I am taking tiny steps forward
HiResDes said:
Fantastic but they are open headphones and youre gonna want to consider getting an amp down the road
Click to expand...

Yeah, definitely. I think those might be the significant upgrade I'm looking for. Or would you have another recommendation for that price range (~$200)?

Edit: Speaking of amps, are there any good speaker amps that also work well as headphone amps? I plan on getting some speakers down the line as well, so if I can kill two birds with one stone I might as well. (Please note, I know very little about amps. Sorry if this is a dumb question.)
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Kipp said:
Yeah, definitely. I think those might be the significant upgrade I'm looking for. Or would you have another recommendation for that price range (~$200)?

Edit: Speaking of amps, are there any good speaker amps that also work well as headphone amps? I plan on getting some speakers down the line as well, so if I can kill two birds with one stone I might as well. (Please note, I know very little about amps. Sorry if this is a dumb question.)
Click to expand...
Also check out the Tiesto K167 and the UE600 in the OP, some amps can power both speakers and headphones well but are quite pricey such as the Woo WA5
 
clem84

clem84

Gold Member
Hix said:
If isolation isn't an issue and sound quality is your number one priority, then there's simply no contest. Open headphones are the way to go.

I have a few recommendations in mind, but it's up to you to pull the trigger in the end;

For sound quality alone, in the price range you listed above, not much will come near the Hifiman HE-400s. These have all the bass needed for gaming and bring a near end-of-the-line level of transparency and microdetail. That said, I feel there might be an issue there with long term comfort and build quality could seriously be improved.

A very good substitute is the gorgeous Philips Fidelio L1. I love these cans, amazing bass response, smooth and balanced mids with a gently rolling off treble. The over-all warmth makes these perfect for gaming and movies IMO. They don't leak as much as the HE-400s and should be more comfortable for longer sessions. That said, sound quality doesn't reach the level of the aforementioned orthodynamics (they are $100 less after all).

Either of these would make an excellent choice, but I highly recommend also making an investment in a DAC/Amp to drive them. Even a relatively inexpensive Fiio E10 will make a huge difference to sound quality. You may want to factor that in or, it might make a good Xmas present request.
Click to expand...
Thank you Hix for your recomendations. I haven't made up my mind yet but it will likely be one of your suggestions. Thanks again dude! You're a nice guy. :)
 
D

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
clem84 said:
Would you guys have any suggestions for gaming headphones?

I made a trip to my local futureshop and best buy yesterday just to have a look at what they had in the headphones departement. I tried a bunch of different Turtle beach and I don't know, I thought they all sounded kinda average to me. I like the fact that some of them supported surround sound and had an optical input (directly from your console or blu ray player) but that's about it. I tried the most expensive X42 (160$) and yeah, sound definition in general was just average, the lows were practically non-exitant, outside sound suppression (or whatever it's called) was also non-existant.

Then, just out of curiosity, I tried a few non-gaming headphones. They had a Beats PRO and Bose quiet comfort 15 for people to try. HOLY CRAP. The sound quality was worlds better. I've looked around online a little. I know that most Beats and Bose headphones have the reputation of being all style and no substance. The Beats especially. I was surprised at the amount of hate they receive in online forums. But they really sounded awesome to me. WAAAAY better then the X42, it wasn't even close. The problem with the Beats and the Bose for me is that they don't have an optical input. A salesman told me that I didn't really need an optical in because I could simply plug any high quality headphones into my TV. The problem is that my TV doesn't have a standard headphones connection. Weird I know. It's an HDTV from 2008. Lots of input, pretty decent TV in general, no headphones connection. So I need to have an optical input.

One more thing I should point out is that I would rather not have those headphones with tons of game specific features like those Call of duty headsets. They probably cost more and the features are ones that I won't use since I don't play a lot of online games. I mean if they have incredible sound quality I will consider them of course but I would rather stay from them.

So this is what I need.
- optical input
- wired if possible
- highest sound quality possible
- no unnecessary features

I don't even know if such a thing exists. I googled a bit but couldn't find anything that
interested me. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I bought the Afterglow wireless headsets(they come with a charger, so you can go corded), and I'm surprised how good they are at under 100.
 
S

SteveO409

Did you know Halo invented the FPS?
looks like it was a typo, it's up to $179 now. They left me positive feedback on ebay for fast transaction...hope it goes through lol
 
R

Rabbit Clock

Banned
Alright since I just missed out on those other headphones, what are a good pair of headphones for around $100?

I want a pair of over ear headphones that keep noise in so people don't have to hear what I'm listening to. I'd be using them for music and messing around in fl studio.

I'd be listening to music like Bloc Party and Klaxons, if that makes a difference.
 
S

SteveO409

Did you know Halo invented the FPS?
Rabbit Clock said:
Alright since I just missed out on those other headphones, what are a good pair of headphones for around $100?

I want a pair of over ear headphones that keep noise in so people don't have to hear what I'm listening to. I'd be using them for music and messing around in fl studio.

I'd be listening to music like Bloc Party and Klaxons, if that makes a difference.
Click to expand...

Just keep an eyes on this thread the next few days

http://www.head-fi.org/t/505970/the...cam-or-fake-no-affiliate-links-permitted/6960
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Rabbit Clock said:
Alright since I just missed out on those other headphones, what are a good pair of headphones for around $100?

I want a pair of over ear headphones that keep noise in so people don't have to hear what I'm listening to. I'd be using them for music and messing around in fl studio.

I'd be listening to music like Bloc Party and Klaxons, if that makes a difference.
Click to expand...
Jaycar HM5 rebrands in the OP would work well with the genre
 
J

Jomjom

Banned
I'm looking to purchase something cheap, but ok for my first set of headphones. There is a deal on the Sony MDR-V6 right now, but searching through the thread I've seen a lot of people recommend Superlux headphones.

So the question is should I get the MDR-V6 or one of the Superlux ones, or something else entirely in the $30-40 price range?

I have a huge dome if that matters.
 
J

jongkookie

Member
jling84 said:
I'm looking to purchase something cheap, but ok for my first set of headphones. There is a deal on the Sony MDR-V6 right now, but searching through the thread I've seen a lot of people recommend Superlux headphones.

So the question is should I get the MDR-V6 or one of the Superlux ones, or something else entirely in the $30-40 price range?

I have a huge dome if that matters.
Click to expand...

Lol I actually just bought the MDR-V6's on Amazon and I have a Superlux HD662F on my head right now. I've had the HD662F's for a year now, they're great headphones... very comfortable, sound signature is actually a little similar to the MDR-V6's... decent bass, highs aren't overbearing, and mids are mostly okay. The area that the V6's obliterate the 662F's is on clarity and neutrality.

I've used a lot of V6's since the recording studio at my school has a crap ton of them sitting on the headphone rack and I honestly prefer the V6's over the 662F's simply coz it's more neutral than the other.

But the biggest reason I bought the MDR-V6's... I'm an audio engineering student and the pads and the headband on my 662F's are starting to tear apart. Not to mention the fact that having a bunch of headphones is awesome lol.
 
S

sixteen-bit

Member
jling84 said:
I'm looking to purchase something cheap, but ok for my first set of headphones. There is a deal on the Sony MDR-V6 right now, but searching through the thread I've seen a lot of people recommend Superlux headphones.

So the question is should I get the MDR-V6 or one of the Superlux ones, or something else entirely in the $30-40 price range?

I have a huge dome if that matters.
Click to expand...

link to MDR-V6 deal pls.

I already have a pair, but I'd like to gift one.
 
P

polyh3dron

Banned
I just got some V-Moda Bass Freq IEMs for $10 from Amazon.. it was a lightning deal tho.

And yeah the V-6 deal was great while it was up, oh well.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
I think the 668Bs have better clarity, but the durability of the V6s still put it slightly over the edge

I really want to hear the Superlux Beyer clones now that I have a decent amp.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

The Official Headphone Thread 2.5: We're Making WAVs and Catching FLAC
186 187 188 189 190
9K
1M
Chittagong replied
  • Locked
Recommendations for PORTABLE Headphones
4
1K
nhlducks35 replied
"I Need a New PC!" 2017 The Ryzing of Kaby Lake and NVMwhee!
236 237 238 239 240
12K
1M
DGrayson replied
  • Locked
"I Need a New PC!" 2016 Plus Ultra! HBM2, VR, 144Hz, and 4K for all!
401 402 403 404 405
20K
2M
GreenTornadoX replied
  • Locked
What kind of headphones do you use?
2 3 4
166
12K
hsin replied
Top Bottom