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

The Friendly Monster said:
Just received my Fischer DBA-02s.

Fucking lovely, will hopefully be even better when my cold clears up.


Another Dba-02 owner on GAF :O. Yep, i'm loving mine too :). The instrument separation is flawless and the treble is perfect. Love them :).
 
How are the Beyerdynamic DT770 premium 250ohms in bass driven by a Sansa Cip? Do the DT770 pro's have more bass? Why are they so many DT770's? Im so confused .__.
 

HiResDes

Member
ghostofsparta said:
How are the Beyerdynamic DT770 premium 250ohms in bass driven by a Sansa Cip? Do the DT770 pro's have more bass? Why are they so many DT770's? Im so confused .__.

DT770 Pro 80 OHM are the best but still cannot be driven properly by just a Sansa Clip, so hell no the 250 OHM cannot be either...C'mon you should know this stuff by now : )
 

HiResDes

Member
ghostofsparta said:
Alright, so the lower the Ohm the better it is unamped right? Is this always true?
Very little in this world operates in absolute certainty...Headphones aren't an exception, but yes usually the lower the OHM the easier to drive. In all seriousness you might want to check out the Ultrasones, although I don't think any headphone is going to give you much more bass than the XB500.
 

HiResDes

Member
The DJ1's in the OP are supposed to be quite bassy.

Edit: Oh yeah that's a good price on the 580's, definitely get those if you can afford them.
 

TheExodu5

Banned
SolidsnackooFoxhound said:
Another Dba-02 owner on GAF :O. Yep, i'm loving mine too :). The instrument separation is flawless and the treble is perfect. Love them :).
Woop woop!

Yeah, I agree they really let you pick apart the instrumentation. Vocals as well sound beautiful.

I thought I cared about bass before but these are perfect for my needs.
 

1stStrike

Banned
I don't really want to go through the hassle of trying to get a pair of DBA-02's, however if down the road any of you that own them want to demo the Victor FX700's I bought let me know and we can maybe arrange a 1 week swap or something. I am interested in giving them a trial run!
 

Jakeh111

Member
Bought some studio cans a few weeks ago, always liked the Sony MDR-7506 and for the price they are great!
sony%2Bcasque%2Bmdr%2B7506__74844_zoom.jpg
 

poweld

Member
ghostofsparta said:
^ Thanks for that!

One more question: What is sound stage? I tried to google but it didn't help much.
Soundstage: A listening term the refers to the placement of a stereo image in a fashion that replicates the original performance. A realistic soundstage has proportional width, depth and height.

I take it as the virtual space in which the music is playing that you can envision if you close your eyes. Sometimes it sounds cramped and shut in, sometimes like you're in a theater. An open soundstage is almost always better, otherwise it sounds like the music is playing "in your head" instead of "in the room around you".

Maybe this should be linked to in the OP?
 

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
This whole Sandy Bridge CPU mess has pushed the notebook I was saving for, from February to like April slash May.

That frees up a ton of my money, so I'm going to spend a little bit on my audio fix. AiAiAi TMA-1 incoming!

I want the FiiO E7 too, but it's back up to $99 for some reason. I hope it goes back to $79 soon.
 

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Are there ear pads that fit on 555s that are more firm? Mine have flattened some over time and now the sound is too muddled. If I pull them away just slightly the sound clears up and the soundstage improves like when I first got them.
 

guidop

Member
Great thread. I'm after some recommendations for a new set of headphones. My current set (sennheiser HD555) are busted the plastic on the hinge broke. I'm after an upgrade, something that will sound as good or better then the HD555 for Movies & Hip Hop mainly but I listen to a wide variety of music and genres (funk, classic rock, prog rock, punk, world music, indy, soul, OST's) so I guess I need something thats a bit of a all-rounder but would be willing to sacrifice if a particular headphone handles Movies really well.

More importantly though they need to be comfortable and really durable. I wear my headphones exclusively when I'm on my computer and will generally wear them for 2+ hours a day. When I've got a lot of assignments due, that can be 5 to 6 hours plus with headphones on. From a durability stand point I often watch movies laying down or in bed and will fall asleep with my headphones on from time to time, so they should be able to handle a fair bit of wear and tear. If the headphone is easy to clean would be great too.

I went through the OP at it seems that the Beyerdynamics fit the bill. Can you replace / remove the ear cuffs on the Beyerdynamics?
 

HiResDes

Member
guidop said:
Great thread. I'm after some recommendations for a new set of headphones. My current set (sennheiser HD555) are busted the plastic on the hinge broke. I'm after an upgrade, something that will sound as good or better then the HD555 for Movies & Hip Hop mainly but I listen to a wide variety of music and genres (funk, classic rock, prog rock, punk, world music, indy, soul, OST's) so I guess I need something thats a bit of a all-rounder but would be willing to sacrifice if a particular headphone handles Movies really well.

More importantly though they need to be comfortable and really durable. I wear my headphones exclusively when I'm on my computer and will generally wear them for 2+ hours a day. When I've got a lot of assignments due, that can be 5 to 6 hours plus with headphones on. From a durability stand point I often watch movies laying down or in bed and will fall asleep with my headphones on from time to time, so they should be able to handle a fair bit of wear and tear. If the headphone is easy to clean would be great too.

I went through the OP at it seems that the Beyerdynamics fit the bill. Can you replace / remove the ear cuffs on the Beyerdynamics?


Yeah they feature removable ear cuffs, but I gotta say it's kind of bad timing to get the Beyerdynamics as the DT990's (which probably would have been perfect) are no longer on sale and have increased $100 in price. I think you might find the DT770's a little bass heavy coming from the 555's honestly.


Edit: Maybe check out the Ultrasone 580's now in the OP : )
 

TheExodu5

Banned
Another thing to add about the Ultrasones which makes them quite special: they are closed headphones that sound like open headphones. They have a nice wide soundstage and airy presentation, which I think really helps set then apart from other basshead cans.
 

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
So, what would a good earphone for using at work be?

Like a nice step up from the crappy iphone earphones without going crazy.

I am an audiophile, but only really with regards to home theater, never for earphones/headphones.

Good isolation so others can't hear my music when at my desk with decent sound would be my main goal. good voice reproduction and isolation would be my main concerns. Flat curve, Soundstage, bass would be my next biggest concerns.

Maybe between 30-50 bucks?

I know the money could be limiting, but I don't want to leave a 150 dollar set of earphones at work where there is a chance someone would grab them thinking they were normal crappy best buy earphones.
 

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
HiResDes said:
Check out the OP, maybe the new CW31.

yeah, I was poking around the OP a bit, but was thinking someone might know something that had really good voice reproduction.

I use SVS speakers in home almost exclusively because their voice reproduction is just amazing.
 

HiResDes

Member
RE2 or the Brainwavz M1 probably have the best in that price range but they're both quite bass shy...While the CW31 sports a bit better balance at both ends of the spectrum.
 

1stStrike

Banned
StoOgE said:
yeah, I was poking around the OP a bit, but was thinking someone might know something that had really good voice reproduction.

I use SVS speakers in home almost exclusively because their voice reproduction is just amazing.

How much are you looking to spend? I could give a couple of suggestions, but I don't know if your wallet would be able to handle them ^_^
 

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
1stStrike said:
How much are you looking to spend? I could give a couple of suggestions, but I don't know if your wallet would be able to handle them ^_^

Under 50 bucks.

Not that I can't afford it, but these are for work so I don't want to leave a 200 dollar pair at work.

What about the RE0? They seem to be just outside of my price range but seem to be very well liked.

Those CW31s are really sleek looking though.
 

HiResDes

Member
RE-0 are great, but are also lacking in the bass department a bit, especially unamped...If you're willing to go that high check out the CC51 while it's on sale.
 

thuway

Member
I have some HD650s. I absolutely love them, but don't like the fact that everyone in the room can hear what I'm listening to. Are there any In Ear's or Closed cans that match them?

I love that they have a warm sound with great bass.

By the way, I run them unamped, and run them through Cowon D2s.
 

HiResDes

Member
thuway said:
I have some HD650s. I absolutely love them, but don't like the fact that everyone in the room can hear what I'm listening to. Are there any In Ear's or Closed cans that match them?

I love that they have a warm sound with great bass.

By the way, I run them unamped, and run them through Cowon D2s.

Maybe check out the Audio Technica W1000, or The Denon AH-D5000/AH-D7000
 
Was wondering if anyone has encountered the pioneer hdj 500 in their travels ? or even gave them a test run

Looking online for reviews and having a pretty hard time . Not expecting much performance wise as its an entry level pair but they are pretty nice to look at . Ditching my beats studios but I can't see them being that much of a downgrade . Plus I find them more aesthetically pleasing on the old eyes

Pioneer-HDJ500W-main.jpg
 

kamspy

Member
OK. To recap my journey for those just joining (and maybe willing to help).

I need headphones.

Basic attributes:

-Large cups

-Low-ish impedance. I'm buying a little amp, but would like it to remain optional.

-Suited for hip hop and gaming

-Not going to be my 'critical listening' medium, so I want them to be fun.

-Use when walking daily with a Droid. (ie: 30' coiled cord not ideal)


As someone who's already gone through a very expensive (and insanely stupid) home audio spending spree and 5 years of hobbyist research (which cost me 4 AVS accounts), I know that I don't want a monitor sound. I don't want a flat frequency response. I want something a little bright with slightly exaggerated bass. A nice V signature. The Beats came to mind, but I think I can do better for far less dough. I'd like to keep it under $100. Being a hip hop guy (along with Tool, APC, SoD, Pennywise etc.) I want some rocking, jaw vibrating bass.


Right now I've got the Sony XB500s in my Amazon cart along with a FiiO E5. Should I pull the trigger? Other cans I'm considering right now are the Superlux 681 and the Audio Technica ATH-M40. I can't find enough info on the Superlux. Maybe I'm missing the comprehensive thread at Headfi when I search. The M40s look great, but might be a little too honest for what I'm looking for. Do these have comparable bass to the XB500s?

So, any thoughts guys? Anyone had the JVC set mentioned in the OP? It's a dark horse right now.
 

kamspy

Member
HiResDes said:

Thank you good sir!

EDIT:

Only a couple impressions in there, but they both compliment the bass. I like the aesthetic design of the Superlux's a lot more than the Sonys. Not a big fan of the red, but the cup size and band style are a lot better for me than the pillowy Sonys. That's the main thing I have against the Sonys right now.

So what do you think Des? You know what I'm going to be listening to on them.
 

TheExodu5

Banned
Testing a few pairs of headphones at the moment:

Audio Technica M50s
AKG K271 MKII

Early impressions:

The K271 probably have the most neutral presentation, but they feel relatively closed in (compared to my Ultrasone HFI-580) and highs are painfully sibilant.

The M50s have a ton of bass...but mids and highs are definitely recessed.
 

TheExodu5

Banned
Switching in between the two is tough. The K271s bass sounds almost non existant after listening to the M50 or HFI-580. That does not mean the bass is bad by any means...after a while my ears get accustomed to it and the bass is just right.

The K271 are nice. Definitely much better than the M50. If only it weren't for the sibilant highs. They're quite comfortable as well.
 

HiResDes

Member
kamspy said:
Thank you good sir!

EDIT:

Only a couple impressions in there, but they both compliment the bass. I like the aesthetic design of the Superlux's a lot more than the Sonys. Not a big fan of the red, but the cup size and band style are a lot better for me than the pillowy Sonys. That's the main thing I have against the Sonys right now.

So what do you think Des? You know what I'm going to be listening to on them.

Superlux HD681 are better all around, and are going to be the better value if you can deal with some sound leakage. Plus you won't need a FiiO E5 with them.

...Sorry for the late response, I thought I was going to work out but my friend bailed on me.

Alucrid said:
So I emailed Dmitry and he said the Eternas will be in tomorrow, shipped in two days.

YES! Just received an email back from him telling me that they have to be in tomorrow. Now maybe I'll get them by my birthday 2/13
 

TheExodu5

Banned
Found a nice orchestral track that makes these K271s sing. Mids are very silky. Bass extension is very nice and doesn't overpower the music at all.
 

kamspy

Member
Jesus Carbomb said:
Why are you going full size, kampsy? A nice bassy IEM like the Hippo VB's would be perfect for you.

I.....I don't know... I'll look up the Hippo's now.

Can I get nose rattling bass from IEMs?
 

Kukuk

Banned
TheExodu5 said:
Testing a few pairs of headphones at the moment:

Audio Technica M50s
AKG K271 MKII

Early impressions:

The K271 probably have the most neutral presentation, but they feel relatively closed in (compared to my Ultrasone HFI-580) and highs are painfully sibilant.

The M50s have a ton of bass...but mids and highs are definitely recessed.

Woah, really? Compared to the Ultrasones? That surprises me, since I found the Ultrasones to be very sibilant, and the K271's to be very pleasant in the upper regions.
 

TheExodu5

Banned
Which Ultrasones in particular? My HFI-580 are definitely recessed in the highs, which pretty much eliminates any sibilance.

graphCompare.php


(not the K271, I know)
 

Kukuk

Banned
I've heard both the HFI-580's and HFI-780, but it's particularly the 580's I'm talking about. They sounded like they spiked the highs to compensate for the large amount of bass they had.
 
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