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

HiResDes

Member
Thanks for the reply. I was reading the OP and came to the conclusion that if I get an amp I'm going to need at least something like the Beyerdynamic DT 770 250 Ohm headphones which are $170 on Amazon right now.

Decisions, decisions.

I really want high quality sound. I'm not sure if simply spending $100 on low impedance headphones and calling it a day will satisfy me.

No No No....You've got it all wrong. You don't have to get high impedance headphones to get good sound. V-Moda M80s, Soundmagic HP100, AKG K167, Sennheiser HD25, and a boatload of other headphones offer top notch sound at a low impedance and without the need of an amp.
 

shira

Member
pulse_pkg_99037_angle155337--415x415.jpg




Gaf verdict ? I want to buy these for home, and the Koss PortaPro's for outdoors.

Could I sync the pulse headphones with a walkman? or sony cellphones? That would be a great feature.

Tried them on. Way too heavy for longer than 30 minutes usage.
 

dhlt25

Member
Can someone recommend me a good can for people that wear glasses. I love my grados 225 but my ear start to hurt if I wear for long because the can push my glasses frame against my ears. I'm looking for a big can and not iem since I already have a bunch of them.
thanks
 

FoxSpirit

Junior Member
AFter getting a high-res Vinyl rip of Deep Purples "in Rock" I can conclude 2 things:

I can't hear a lick of difference betwwen 24/96 flac and 320 mp3. Only when I leave enough time and diligence when switching my psyche kicks in telling me mp3 sounds more harsh. But in a instant sitch, 0. Nada.

The K550 are not too cold or analytical, most records are just produced in a hard, cold, sterile manner with brutal audio compression and clipping, sounding stressfull. Point being, I have ripped my own Deep Purple Collection and the Anniversary Edition of a friend and both sound a ton worse than the Vinyl rip. The Rip sounds so warm and smooth and musical. Fuck those compressed remixes. Anniversary my... buttocks. Oh yeah.
Also found the 2010 Audio fidelity version of Machine head, an audiophile remix. Superb.

Bottomline: the K-550 are really outstanding but are really ruthless with harsh source material, aka almost everything available. Will need to get a warm amp.
 
Hey guys, extreme newbie/idiot question.

I have people staying over at my house, so I decided to buy some headphones so I can watch TV, movies, and play games without bugging them. I just picked up some Wireless Sony ones for a hundred bucks (better ones I'll get down the line probably). Problem is... I'm an idiot, and I didn't check my TV first. It doesn't have a headphone jack or an Audio Out, so I have no idea how I'm supposed to connect these headphones to the TV. The headphones only have a connector for headphone jacks and the red/white AV cables. I have a satellite connected to the AV IN connectors on the TV and my PS3/360 connected to the two HDMI ports. Is there any fix for connecting my headphones to the TV? Or should I just pack them up and return them? I gotta be honest, I'm feeling pretty disappointed. I mean, how hard/expensive could it possibly be to put a headphone jack in a TV? I hope someone can help me out with this.
 

Ambitious

Member
I'm looking for a wireless headset with surround sound for about $200. I only need it for gaming (PC/PS3/XB360), not listening to music. Any recommendations?
Sony's Pulse Headset is supposedly pretty good, but the surround feature only works with the PS3. Is it even worth it or is stereo good enough?

Anyone? I'm pretty clueless. The PC gamers in the thread for the Pulse headset seem to be pretty satisfied with it.
What about the Turtle Beach Ear Force P5X?
 

Eric WK

Member
Man, I remember the days when I was reading this thread with a budget of $500-$800 for cans and an amp. Here I am, back in college, trying to find a recommendation for studying IEMs or headphones. I've checked academic forums but I don't trust the opinions there as much as I would trust them here (suddenly realizing the true extent of Bose's popularity).

Does anybody have a pair that they use specifically for reading or studying, particularly in public places? I don't know that they need to be noise-cancelling but I would prefer isolation. I'll typically be listening to ambient, classical, jazz and post-rock while reading/studying, and a whole lot of shit when I use them just for music.

I'm not entirely sure about budget. Definitely no more than $200, but I'd prefer not to stretch it that far if I don't have to.
 

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Yes IEMs are awesome for ambient/wide-stage stuff and isolation. And if you find them uncomfortable definitely try foam tips before deciding against them. I love my airbuds.
 

shira

Member
Can someone recommend me a good can for people that wear glasses. I love my grados 225 but my ear start to hurt if I wear for long because the can push my glasses frame against my ears. I'm looking for a big can and not iem since I already have a bunch of them.
thanks

A lot depends on you own glasses, head size, and angle, so it's hard to say.
Have had contradicting reports of what worked for someone else - not working for me.
Also 2-3 hours will make any headphone uncomfortable as they will start compressing the skin or warming up.

Try before you buy I guess.

Anyone? I'm pretty clueless. The PC gamers in the thread for the Pulse headset seem to be pretty satisfied with it.
What about the Turtle Beach Ear Force P5X?

For $200 you can do a lot better sound quality wise.
If you think faux 7.1 is the bees knees go for it.

My 2 cents is that they are too heavy for long gaming.
You are going to fuck up your neck.
 

Septimius

Junior Member
No No No....You've got it all wrong. You don't have to get high impedance headphones to get good sound. V-Moda M80s, Soundmagic HP100, AKG K167, Sennheiser HD25, and a boatload of other headphones offer top notch sound at a low impedance and without the need of an amp.

It's true. There's nothing wrong with 25/32 Ohm headphones. I've had 250 Ohm headphones for the last 5 years now, and I didn't get an amp until 8 months ago, and that wasn't because I needed louder music, it was because I finally realised that there can be a solid difference in sound from a good amp, and a no dedicated amp.

But you do get some benefits from going higher impedance. The dampening-effect will be dramatically higher, so everything will be tighter. You can also use more coils in the voice coil of the driver, which should improve the sound of the headphones further. They're not night and day difference, and not as much as it used to be. But if you know you're going for an amp, and you know the amp and headphones will always be together, I don't see a reason not to go higher impedance. That means if you're getting a headphone to only use outside, maybe you want to get low impedance, and if you're getting ones to only use inside with your amp, you probably want to go with the high impedance.
 

Ambitious

Member
For $200 you can do a lot better sound quality wise.
If you think faux 7.1 is the bees knees go for it.

My 2 cents is that they are too heavy for long gaming.
You are going to fuck up your neck.

Well, I don't know. That's what I was asking about in my original post. I've never tried headsets with this stuff (been thinking about buying one only since a while, really didn't have a chance to go to a store since then). But if I like it, with the Pulse I could only use it with the PS3, and I'm more often playing on the PC recently.
 
Well, I don't know. That's what I was asking about in my original post. I've never tried headsets with this stuff (been thinking about buying one only since a while, really didn't have a chance to go to a store since then). But if I like it, with the Pulse I could only use it with the PS3, and I'm more often playing on the PC recently.

For PC you'd need a sound card for 5.1 or more.. or outputs that supply surround than headphones that can plug into to them or a receiver. The pulse seem to be great because the PS3 has a good mode for them. So that's exclusive 7.1 (emulated) and Pulse feature is good for some games. If you love using your PS3 seems they're ideal.

I'm on the verge of buying them myself, as they're also a headset and also wireless for the go. But it does seem like they're big and heavy. The appeal of just plugging it into my laptop when I want it for that though, is pretty huge. You can also send any signal to the docked USB device and even send a record player, cd player or any sort of 3.5mm output into the headphones. Using the cable provided they also work with cellphones and the microphone can be accessed.

It's an all in 1 type of deal for 150 euros. I guess if you can get used to the added weight you can't go wrong. Manly necks need not apply.
Reviews claim it sounds better than the Dr.Dre beats, and offer lots of features as well.. damn it I'm either buying these or a vita this month.
 

f0nz0

Member
Need some new earphones for gym use. What's currently the best bang for your buck in the 20-30$range? I listen mostly to rap/hiphop so something with thumping bass and clean highs would be appreciated
 

TTOOLL

Member
guys, my portapro is broken, the sound is louder on the left side =(
Now I'm thinking about buying new ones and need some advice.
Note that I live in Brazil, so I have VERY limited options I can afford. Right now I'm looking at the Sennheiser HD229 and the Sony MDR-ZX600.

Are they any good?

thanks!
 
guys, my portapro is broken, the sound is louder on the left side =(
Now I'm thinking about buying new ones and need some advice.
Note that I live in Brazil, so I have VERY limited options I can afford. Right now I'm looking at the Sennheiser HD229 and the Sony MDR-ZX600.

Are they any good?

thanks!
PortaPro's have lifetime warranty no?
 

Ambitious

Member
For PC you'd need a sound card for 5.1 or more.. or outputs that supply surround than headphones that can plug into to them or a receiver. The pulse seem to be great because the PS3 has a good mode for them. So that's exclusive 7.1 (emulated) and Pulse feature is good for some games. If you love using your PS3 seems they're ideal.

I just read a few more reviews, and they explicitely say they're a good choice for PC gamers. Alright, I'll get them. Thanks for the advice!
 

Jhriad

Member
Can someone recommend me a good can for people that wear glasses.

Look for a good pair of over ear headphones. Also be aware that your head size can exacerbate the ear wear so look for a pair that doesn't clamp. I've got a giant head and glasses and I used to have the same issue.
 

Eric WK

Member
Definitely go with IEMs, and my suggestion would be either the Hifiman RE-Zero or the MEElectronics A161. Astrotec AX-7 would be incredible if you want to spring $150 though.

Thanks, man. My initial inclination is the A161. I've had great luck with MEElectrionics in the past and these look perfect in terms of quality and price point.

Much appreciated.
 

dhlt25

Member
Look for a good pair of over ear headphones. Also be aware that your head size can exacerbate the ear wear so look for a pair that doesn't clamp. I've got a giant head and glasses and I used to have the same issue.

Over the ear as in bigger cup than the grados or smaller like some of those audio technica headphones? My problem is that I live in the middle of the pacific and there isn't a store with a lot of headphones that I can try
 
Can someone recommend me a good can for people that wear glasses. I love my grados 225 but my ear start to hurt if I wear for long because the can push my glasses frame against my ears. I'm looking for a big can and not iem since I already have a bunch of them.
thanks

I have a pair of 225s as well as wear glasses. I take my glasses off and put them back on while the headphones are on my head. That way the arms go over the tops of the cups rather than behind my ears. It's a tad goofy looking, but way more comfortable.
 

Jhriad

Member
Over the ear as in bigger cup than the grados or smaller like some of those audio technica headphones? My problem is that I live in the middle of the pacific and there isn't a store with a lot of headphones that I can try

Bigger cup. They go around your ear entirely instead of putting pressure directly on you ear. Look at this list for options. I believe the Grado pair you have are over-ear though I don't have any personal experience with them so I can't say how well they actually go around your ears (sometimes I've had "over-ear" phones actually land on a bit of my ear during wear) and what the clamp is like.

EDIT: Since your trial options are limited it tough since I can't tell you to go out and try on a few options. Just find a few on head-fi that fit your preferred listening tastes and then make sure to ask about the fit particularly clamp and if anyone with glasses had any pressure problems.

Another EDIT: Reading some reviews on the Grado 225i and I'm noticing some folks talking about the clamp particularly when newer. How old is your pair? Have you tried anything to help lessen the clamp? Maybe try buying some different pads?
 

Joe

Member
Thanks for the replies guys.

I did more research and came back leaning to ATH-M50 + sansa clip+ or a cheaper cowon.

Are there any other headphones in the same $100-150 range I should look at?

I like the closed headphones, and I'm going to be using them for music listening sessions 100% of the time.
 

HiResDes

Member
I named some but I'll do it again I guess, also the OP is always good. AKG K167, Creative Aurvana Live, House of Marley Exodus, V-Moda M80, and JVC HAS500 all are in your price range.
 

dhlt25

Member
I have a pair of 225s as well as wear glasses. I take my glasses off and put them back on while the headphones are on my head. That way the arms go over the tops of the cups rather than behind my ears. It's a tad goofy looking, but way more comfortable.

I've just tried your method and it's way more comfortable, prob. will wear it like this from now on.

Bigger cup. They go around your ear entirely instead of putting pressure directly on you ear. Look at this list for options. I believe the Grado pair you have are over-ear though I don't have any personal experience with them so I can't say how well they actually go around your ears (sometimes I've had "over-ear" phones actually land on a bit of my ear during wear) and what the clamp is like.

EDIT: Since your trial options are limited it tough since I can't tell you to go out and try on a few options. Just find a few on head-fi that fit your preferred listening tastes and then make sure to ask about the fit particularly clamp and if anyone with glasses had any pressure problems.

Another EDIT: Reading some reviews on the Grado 225i and I'm noticing some folks talking about the clamp particularly when newer. How old is your pair? Have you tried anything to help lessen the clamp? Maybe try buying some different pads?

my head is pointy so the grado doesn't actually cover the entire ear. I've had this pair for over a year, actually I've had this problem ever since my old grados 80, I just decided to live with it til now because I love the sound. But I recently switch to a thicker frame glasses and it's been worse.
 

hateradio

The Most Dangerous Yes Man
I recently lost mine, and need some new ones. RIP. :'(

$20. That's my best offer.

Amazon links appreciated. Thanks.

Okay, $30 tops.
 

Cptkrush

Member
Just recently started hitting the gym and the standard iPod Headphones are absolutely atrocious. I'm looking for some great sounding, durable in ears that won't slip out while I'm running like a madman. I'm looking to spend under 100, preferably under 75 if it's possible. I listen to mostly Metal if that's necessary.
 

Jzero

Member
These are crap compared to what you guys have but you gotta start somewhere right? Damn student budget
LLShC.gif



They sound pretty good compared to the crappy Apple earphones I've been using for years.
 

HiResDes

Member
guys, my portapro is broken, the sound is louder on the left side =(
Now I'm thinking about buying new ones and need some advice.
Note that I live in Brazil, so I have VERY limited options I can afford. Right now I'm looking at the Sennheiser HD229 and the Sony MDR-ZX600.

Are they any good?

thanks!

The Sony's are pretty good : )
 

Vox-Pop

Contains Sucralose
My MTH-50's ear pads are starting to crack. :(

Might buy a more comfy set of headphones. ATH50 clip my big ears pretty bad.
 
Superlux HD681

These are semi-open, while mine are closed. May not be a big deal, but I:

a) Don't want my noise to bleed out for others,
b) Listen to classical while working, so outside noise may really degrade the sound.

Thoughts? I want DJ style, as opposed to in-ear and wouldn't mind trying something new, so the superlux may work, but I'm just curious!
 

GManDH

Member
gf got my bose quiet comfort 15 3.0, thinking that only i would use them and now she loves them as well. we got a great deal and we now both love this headphones. ive realized that headphones are worth the money and in future i will be spending real money for quality headphones.
 

Joe

Member
So this afternoon I went to the store and got the ATH-M50s. I can't try them out until tonight but the anticipation is killing me!

Is there any sort of recommended plan for properly breaking in headphones?
 

strikeselect

You like me, you really really like me!
These are crap compared to what you guys have but you gotta start somewhere right? Damn student budget
LLShC.gif




They sound pretty good compared to the crappy Apple earphones I've been using for years.

Take care of the wire with this one. Very fragile.
 
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