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

H

HiResDes

Member
I underestimated how similar the X1 would be to my FA-011, which is a good thing for most, but I think I need a new direction. If anyone has HE-400 I'd be down for a trade...And obviously I'd throw in some cash considering how little I paid for these.
 
G

Geneijin

Member
SoulPlaya said:
Anyone have any recommendations for great, comfortable, over the ear headphones for under $30? Obviously, I know that's cheap, but still. I was looking at these http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MMEI8W/?tag=neogaf0e-20 or these http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007XJSQC/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Click to expand...
If you had to pick between the two, go with the HTF600. These will only be for use at home, right? Because if you want portability too, the HD201 would be a better choice but I would rather suggest you get the JVC HA-S400 if you needed a portable pair despite being on-ear.
 
S

SoulPlaya

more money than God
Geneijin said:
If you had to pick between the two, go with the HTF600. These will only be for use at home, right? Because if you want portability too, the HD201 would be a better choice but I would rather suggest you get the JVC HA-S400 if you needed a portable pair despite being on-ear.
Click to expand...
They would be for all purpose use, so outside, as well.
 
G

Geneijin

Member
SoulPlaya said:
They would be for all purpose use, so outside, as well.
Click to expand...
Then the Panasonic RP-HTX7 would be the better portable option than the HTF-600, but I would still recommend the JVC HA-S400 over both. For $30, there's also the Takstar HD2000 if you don't mind purchasing from ebay (it's $40 with Prime on Amazon.com from MP4Nation). I haven't listened to the HD2000 yet, but I do like the Takstar Hi-2050 (out of your budget) for what it's worth.

I wonder what others would suggest for around $30.
 
D

Dahaka

Member
HiResDes said:
I underestimated how similar the X1 would be to my FA-011, which is a good thing for most, but I think I need a new direction. If anyone has HE-400 I'd be down for a trade...And obviously I'd throw in some cash considering how little I paid for these.
Click to expand...

HE-400 went down to 299$ now, no production anymore to make way for the HE-400i. The same happens to the HE-500 (-100$) which will get replaced by the HE-560.
 
T

Tonza

Member
Just got my V-Moda M-80's I picked up as my portable set. First impressions are really good. I think these sound better than my home headphones. (Sennheiser RS170)
I think its generally the clarity, which is better in the M-80's.

Now I kinda want to upgrade my RS170's....
 
M

MarkusRJR

Member
My HD518 I ordered finally got here. My first legitimately good pair of headphones. I'm so impressed with the audio quality. Everything sounds so good. I can't believe these only cost me $75 ($110 off in a sale).

Now I just have to wait for my a-Jays Five IEM headphones to get here and I am golden.
 
Jzero

Jzero

Member
What are your guy's favorite "low profile" headphones? I like my UE6000's but they look a bit too big to be wearing around in public.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
I abandoned my tube in favor of the schiit madi/modi unit to lend a cleaner signal to my X1s. It seems as though the X1s can't handle too much power without making the mid bass sound overblown
 
F

Fudgepuppy

Banned
I'm thinking of buying a headphone amplifier for my Galaxy S4 and Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro, but I'm kind of torn.

I'm Weighing between Fiio E12, Fiio E11 and Fiio E17. What I want is good bass and louder volume. All of them are said to have good bass but different amounts of volumes and types of sounds. I'm leaning towards E12 because it looks the best, has loud sound and great bass even if it's not analog. E11 is supposed to have great bass and a lot of bang for your buck but the volume is supposedly lacking.

Does anyone have any input on the matter?
 
H

HiResDes

Member
I'm going to take an unpopular stance and suggest that it's not a great idea. The Custom Ones don't scale all too dynamically and I'm not sure the S4 hasa very good built in DAC, and bypassing it may prove to be a bit complicated and ultimately renders your somewhat portable setup into a convoluted mess. When it comes to portable setup I'm always in favor of keeping it simple and upgrading up through headphones that aren't so source dependent. I think besides an increase in volume you will find negligible differences between an amped and unamped Custom One.
 
F

Fudgepuppy

Banned
HiResDes said:
I'm going to take an unpopular stance and suggest that it's not a great idea. The Custom Ones don't scale all too dynamically and I'm not sure the S4 hasa very good built in DAC, and bypassing it may prove to be a bit complicated and ultimately renders your somewhat portable setup into a convoluted mess. When it comes to portable setup I'm always in favor of keeping it simple and upgrading up through headphones that aren't so source dependent. I think besides an increase in volume you will find negligible differences between an amped and unamped Custom One.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty desperate as I bought a S4 for equalizers in Spotify, and now that doesn't work as Spotify glitches out with offline playlists.

Using the default sound-settings on my S4 with a decent equalizer should be able to offer the same bass that I get when the equalizer isn't malfunctioning, why wouldn't it?
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Fudgepuppy said:
I'm pretty desperate as I bought a S4 for equalizers in Spotify, and now that doesn't work as Spotify glitches out with offline playlists.

Using the default sound-settings on my S4 with a decent equalizer should be able to offer the same bass that I get when the equalizer isn't malfunctioning, why wouldn't it?
Click to expand...
You can definitely increase bass and volume, but usually not without adding a bit of distortion. Are your Custom Ones not putting out enough bass even after toggling the slider to their bassiest level?
 
F

Fudgepuppy

Banned
HiResDes said:
You can definitely increase bass and volume, but usually not without adding a bit of distortion. Are your Custom Ones not putting out enough bass even after toggling the slider to their bassiest level?
Click to expand...

Not really. When the EQ works it's amazing, but without it the sound is much flatter.

I've always been using equalizers in one way or another so being unable to use one makes the music so much more boring.
 
S

Saren is Bad

Member
Hello HeadphoneGAF,

I currently have the UE6000s. I listen to mostly rap/hip-hop and some pop/top-40 type music. Would be listening mostly using my iPhone or laptop (Macbook). Could you all recommend good $300+ headphones that would be a big upgrade and suited towards my music types? I guess my only other 'want' is that it doesn't leak much sound, I don't like when people can hear what I'm listening to at medium volume. I was looking at the V-Moda m100s.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Saren is Bad said:
Hello HeadphoneGAF,

I currently have the UE6000s. I listen to mostly rap/hip-hop and some pop/top-40 type music. Would be listening mostly using my iPhone or laptop (Macbook). Could you all recommend good $300+ headphones that would be a big upgrade and suited towards my music types? I guess my only other 'want' is that it doesn't leak much sound, I don't like when people can hear what I'm listening to at medium volume. I was looking at the V-Moda m100s.
Click to expand...

Sennheiser Momentum
 
D

Dreams-Visions

Member
Guys, I want to add a little more volume to the audio out on my PS4 controller. I'd like maybe 25% more volume than I'm getting at max volume through the controller. My usage is 90% games and Netflix.

I think I'm going to get a little amp. Fiio E6 or E11 for this task? Headphones are low impedance, and again if I had ~25% more volume I'd be a happy camper. E11 is $30 more and I'm not sure if it's necessary, as this amp will be used only for the PS4...but I'm not sure about the quality of the E6, though.

Thoughts?
 
E

Erekiddo

Member
wilflare said:
still waiting for this pair to go back on sale on Amazon.com
I SHOULD NOT HAVE HESITATED :/
Click to expand...

The price difference isn't too bad. There's sales tax in my area so it's like a $40 difference shipped.

I definitely bought replacement wires, due to the recommendations in this thread.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
If you're going to factor in shipping anyway there should be plenty of audio stores in singapore that has it at a fair price right? Last time I went to Jaben it seemed pretty reasonable.
 
W

wilflare

Member
Antiwhippy said:
If you're going to factor in shipping anyway there should be plenty of audio stores in singapore that has it at a fair price right? Last time I went to Jaben it seemed pretty reasonable.
Click to expand...

if it's shipped directly from Amazon.com there's no shipping cost.
but if it's a third party, i need a forwarder which means shipping cost
 
G

garath

Member
Dear Headphone-GAF,

I'm having a lot of trouble picking some cans for my daily gaming needs. I currently have a very old (~10 years) cheaper (was around $70) Sennheiser headset and want to improve my listening situation. I'm also moving my PC setup from a dedicated room to the living room thanks to a new baby on the way so having headphones instead of my 2.1 speaker setup will be valuable.

This is 90% gaming, 10% music. I don't play FPS competitively anymore but I do enjoy great positional sound and is high on my list of importance.

This is a birthday gift to me from my wife so I'd like to keep the max price around $150 (or close to it).

Birthday isnt' until March so I can deal hunt for a couple months as necessary.

I'm a little concerned about open headphones due to the proximity to others but I don't listen to the games THAT loud so if leakage is minimal that'd be fine I think.

I'll figure out the mic later with modmic or something but the convenience of a headset is why the PC350 and PC360 are on the list.

I've done some research and here's some of the ones I've found that look like they deserve consideration:

Sennheiser HD518 - Best bang for the buck? The price is really attractive but I'm reading that the bass is weak. Seems to be a Sennheiser thing though.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042A68R8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Sennheiser HD558 - Still a good price. Noticably better than HD518? Same issue with weak bass. A friend has these and claims the leakage is bad bad.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004FEEY9A/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Sennheiser PC360 - Best headset in the price range? What would I be giving up getting these over say the HD558? Price of the modmic + HD558 I might as well get the PC360. When Amazon gets them back in stock that is. Amazon usually has them for $166
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DA4D2U/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Sennheiser PC350 - Closed design is good for quiet around me, price is prohibitive. It's only on the list because I keep seeing people say they find it around $150. I haven't see it that low yet though :(
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008O510Y8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Audio-Technica ATH-AD700x - This is one of the most mentioned headsets. Great positional and good music sounds. Comfort may be a factor? Price seems to fluctuate wildly.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009S332TQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Beyerdynamic DT-990-Pro-25 - This is another one that is mentioned a lot. Maybe top tier of an all-around headphone at the $150 price? I keep seeing that I won't get the most out of it without an amp though. That would price me out of these for sure.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0011UB9CQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO - If I want closed this may be the winner? Except now again we're getting up there in price. And again it's 250ohm. Does this need an amp to get the most out of it? I guess there is a 32ohm version for $10 more.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006NL5SM/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Sony MA9000 - I hear a lot of good things about these and supposedly they were supposed to be in the $150 range but now they're $220 and discontinued? Is there a successor for these? The amazon "replacement" headphones are the MDR-10R and I can't find any info about those.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007DCCK60/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Honorable mention that are priced out: AKG Q701, AKG K702 and Philips X1 (I do know I missed an incredible sale on the X1. Knowing what I know now, I would have bought them instantly at $150 and given them to my wife to give to me lol). All these guys seem to get great marks as gaming headphones as well as strong music headphones but are just too expensive :( Only mentioning them in case my singular source of Amazon is not the only place I should be looking and there might be another place to grab them on the cheap. I have this thread sub'd now so I won't miss an X1 sale again lol.

I'm really stumped here. I realize it's a subjective thing and chances are ANY of the above headphones will be worlds better than the cheap headset I have from 10 years ago but if I'm going to spend over $100, I want to make sure I'm getting a good set for the money.
 
G

Geneijin

Member
garath said:
Dear Headphone-GAF,

I'm having a lot of trouble picking some cans for my daily gaming needs. I currently have a very old (~10 years) cheaper (was around $70) Sennheiser headset and want to improve my listening situation. I'm also moving my PC setup from a dedicated room to the living room thanks to a new baby on the way so having headphones instead of my 2.1 speaker setup will be valuable.

This is 90% gaming, 10% music. I don't play FPS competitively anymore but I do enjoy great positional sound and is high on my list of importance.

This is a birthday gift to me from my wife so I'd like to keep the max price around $150 (or close to it).
Click to expand...
I'd probably recommend the Sennheiser HD558 from what you listed. Through experience, the HD555 and HD598 have adequate bass and more than adequate bass when amped. If you're looking for more visceral bass, the Beyerdynamics (not the DT990) like the DT770 and DT880 would be closer to that.

Reasons why:
1.) It's under your $150 budget.
2.) Your friend has a pair you can borrow. Hopefully, you two are good enough chums that he'd lend them to you for a listening test.
3.) The sound leakage shouldn't be bad bad. It really shouldn't be worse than the Sennheiser HD598 unless the damping materials are that different. Besides, what better way to ascertain how loud the leakage would be at the given volume you'll be listening at than testing with the pair your friend has?
4.) You may not like the mic on the PC360. For that issue, you may prefer the HD558 + the V-Moda Boom mic instead.
5.) The Beyerdynamic DT990 is fun V-shaped sound, but it can be too bright. Depending how sensitive your ears are, it can be fatiguing quickly.

Polishin8r said:
i don't know anything about headphones but will I need any adapters with these?
was looking and seems Panasonic has a wider range for frequency, but less impedance..
Thanks for any help in advance
Click to expand...
You would not. Both come with adapters you can unscrew.
 
G

Geneijin

Member
Polishin8r said:
Thank You Sir! Any Idea which you think would be better? went to best buy to try some but they didn't have neither of those.... so I am at the mercy of a fellow Gafers recommendation
Click to expand...
For $30, I love the Panasonic HTF-600 more than the ATH-M30. It's quite a contrast to the Sennheiser HD201 if you ever listened to one.
 
I

injurai

Banned
garath said:
Beyerdynamic DT-990-Pro-25 - This is another one that is mentioned a lot. Maybe top tier of an all-around headphone at the $150 price? I keep seeing that I won't get the most out of it without an amp though. That would price me out of these for sure.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0011UB9CQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Click to expand...

As of now I'm still looking to eventually get a pair of X1's or an AD700 (or AD900)

Can anyone tell me about these Bayer's in comparison to their soundstage?
 
T

Tommy DJ

Member
injurai said:
As of now I'm still looking to eventually get a pair of X1's or an AD700 (or AD900)

Can anyone tell me about these Bayer's in comparison to their soundstage?
Click to expand...

Beyerdynamic DT990 has a "smaller" soundstage than either of them. Its not as open as either headphone and its not a flagship headphone so that's to be expected.

Geneijin said:
I'd probably recommend the Sennheiser HD558 from what you listed. Through experience, the HD555 and HD598 have adequate bass and more than adequate bass when amped. If you're looking for more visceral bass, the Beyerdynamics (not the DT990) like the DT770 and DT880 would be closer to that.
Click to expand...

The Sennheiser HD558 can be modded to be close enough to the HD598 if that means anything.

The good thing about the DT990 is that the design is pretty solid for the price so the excessive treble doesn't really have any severe negative issues like crazy driver ringing, unlike most of Beyer's more expensive headphones. The CSD plots are all pretty nice so if the treble is too excessive, equalization can probably do wonders to tackle the problem.

Also just bought a Magni + Modi because I need a desktop headphone system. They're surprisingly tiny at about the width of an iPhone 5 and the thickness of three. The Modi is plug and play and the Magni outputs very clean sound for a $100 amp. The Magni does get warm but nowhere near as warm as that Audio-GD amp I tried out a few weeks ago. If you're looking for a desktop amp + DAC, I still think they're one of the best solid-state options to choose on the basis of ease of use, sound quality, aesthetics, and size.
 
S

Smurf Yetti

Neo Member
Hey guys...

I'm not too much of an audiophile, so I don't know how far I should go. I'm willing to spend some money for a decent pair of headphones (probably up to $300--maybe more if you can convince me haha). I really like the aesthetic of the Sennheiser HD800 (how they fit over the entire ear), but there is no way I'm spending that much on headphones. I know pretty much nothing about amps or if I would need one. Also, the main use for these headphones would be for my desktop computer (gaming, media, etc.), so they need to be comfortable for long periods of time. Is the Audio Technica ATH-ADG1 good?

Edit:
Also, are there any good places to test out headphones?
 
G

garath

Member
Geneijin said:
I'd probably recommend the Sennheiser HD558 from what you listed. Through experience, the HD555 and HD598 have adequate bass and more than adequate bass when amped. If you're looking for more visceral bass, the Beyerdynamics (not the DT990) like the DT770 and DT880 would be closer to that.

Reasons why:
1.) It's under your $150 budget.
2.) Your friend has a pair you can borrow. Hopefully, you two are good enough chums that he'd lend them to you for a listening test.
3.) The sound leakage shouldn't be bad bad. It really shouldn't be worse than the Sennheiser HD598 unless the damping materials are that different. Besides, what better way to ascertain how loud the leakage would be at the given volume you'll be listening at than testing with the pair your friend has?
4.) You may not like the mic on the PC360. For that issue, you may prefer the HD558 + the V-Moda Boom mic instead.
5.) The Beyerdynamic DT990 is fun V-shaped sound, but it can be too bright. Depending how sensitive your ears are, it can be fatiguing quickly.


You would not. Both come with adapters you can unscrew.
Click to expand...

Good thoughts, thanks. I'm actually asking my friend to bring the 558s into work so I can test them a bit. Those keep getting recommended and the price is definitely good. I think my only concern at this point is sound leakage. If it's not too bad they'll be a win. If it's really bad then I may have to start looking for a closed pair. I don't want to disturb my family with gaming.

edit: Any thoughts on the HD380s?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UE6I0G/?tag=neogaf0e-20

edit2:
ATH-A700x?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E9VKUQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20
 
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