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$500 cans on, this is how you dream right - Official Headphone Thread
- Thread starter HiResDes
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Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
MOST DEFINITELY spring for the Zero Audio Tenore:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0093VVP0Q/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I got a pair coming in tomorrow. I got a buncha friends over at Headfi who've got experience with lots of expensive gear that really sing its praises. One in particular seems to prefer them to sets that cost in the kilobuck range if you can believe that. It's a more linear phone that serves as a really good all a rounder if you're searching for a versatile phone.The build quality seems to be really good as well, which is something you don't come across as often in the lower price brackets
The Ostry KC06 is another great alternative if you prefer a sound that focuses on lows and lower mids. It's supposed to be excellent for vocals
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Yeah... Bout that... :l
I just fuckin knew they'd be delayed so my bad for recommending lol. I'm sure the end product will be more than worth it though. These microdrivers seem to be the real deal and AS built theirs in house so I'm really excited. Reason I knew they'd be held up was cause they really botched the roll out of the ASG-2. I wound up waiting for that thing for what felt like a life time and to this day it doesn't seem to available on AS' site (the 2.5 is there instead... Lol).
So yeah, they're a young company that bit off way more than they could chew when they tried to cater to the audiophile and musician community all at once with the ASG-2. And now they're trying to get into the mainstream? LOL. They really shouldn't have listened to all the people clamoring for mics, and cable colors and other options and just focused on the phones themselves.
But yeah, I hope they go out next month. Only so many times they can pull the "cable not ready guys" line
Hey, Headphone-GAF, I need a bit of help.
I'm set on actual headphones, but I'm looking for a solid gaming headphone/mic thing. I figured with all your knowledge, one of you might know where to point me to that's of solid quality for the price.
I'm not concerned with brand or anything like that, and am willing to spend up to $200-300 if the product is worth it, but would prefer something cheaper. Hopefully you can help!
I'm set on actual headphones, but I'm looking for a solid gaming headphone/mic thing. I figured with all your knowledge, one of you might know where to point me to that's of solid quality for the price.
I'm not concerned with brand or anything like that, and am willing to spend up to $200-300 if the product is worth it, but would prefer something cheaper. Hopefully you can help!
Just wanted to say thanks for keeping the OP updated over the years.
I'd been using the SONY MDR7506 since 2011/12ish. Had to replace the earpads in December.
Everything was fine till Spring Break a month ago when my ipad dropped with the headphones plugged in. The jack bent about 60 degrees. I'm sure it could have been fixed but the process seemed too intimidating. Didn't want to buy all the materials and end up making things worse.
The iphone earphones have been doing an okay job for the past few weeks but I hate how loud I have to turn them up. When I'm listening to music (or anything else really) I don't want to be able to hear the outside world. With over the ear headphones I can get that same effect at a much lower volume.
My budget's smaller now than when I got my last pair so I just ordered Superlux HD-681 from Amazon a couple minutes ago. Should be here on Monday.
I'd been using the SONY MDR7506 since 2011/12ish. Had to replace the earpads in December.
Everything was fine till Spring Break a month ago when my ipad dropped with the headphones plugged in. The jack bent about 60 degrees. I'm sure it could have been fixed but the process seemed too intimidating. Didn't want to buy all the materials and end up making things worse.
The iphone earphones have been doing an okay job for the past few weeks but I hate how loud I have to turn them up. When I'm listening to music (or anything else really) I don't want to be able to hear the outside world. With over the ear headphones I can get that same effect at a much lower volume.
My budget's smaller now than when I got my last pair so I just ordered Superlux HD-681 from Amazon a couple minutes ago. Should be here on Monday.
rykomatsu
Member
Got a pair of Ultimate Ears ue900 and Shure se535 ltd IEMs. Needed some IEMs quickly and shipping co. fell through so had to find a pair last min, hence 2 pairs...
anyhow, I really like the ue900s. Sounds very neutral, if anything maybe a hair brighter than the triplefi 10 and more subdued (not lacking) bass. The mids sound quite detailed but warm.
The se535 ltd in comparison sound way too bright to the point I might classify as a little painful for some types of music. I like clear mids and highs, but almost sounds like borderline bad noise sharpening's been applied...
At nearly half the price I got the se535s for, I'm way happier with the ue900 at the moment.
Was using a 1gen ipod touch with wolfson dac and a line out dock to a fiio e7 for reference. Might be sending the Shures back...a little bummed since I was expecting more from the Shures...
anyhow, I really like the ue900s. Sounds very neutral, if anything maybe a hair brighter than the triplefi 10 and more subdued (not lacking) bass. The mids sound quite detailed but warm.
The se535 ltd in comparison sound way too bright to the point I might classify as a little painful for some types of music. I like clear mids and highs, but almost sounds like borderline bad noise sharpening's been applied...
At nearly half the price I got the se535s for, I'm way happier with the ue900 at the moment.
Was using a 1gen ipod touch with wolfson dac and a line out dock to a fiio e7 for reference. Might be sending the Shures back...a little bummed since I was expecting more from the Shures...
Well the 681 are semi open if I recall correctly whereas the 668B are the closed version so you might still have to turn them up pretty loud to block out the outside world. Moreover, if you were referring to the Apple Earpods they're earbuds, which aren't meant to isolate noise at all, whereas most IEMs are much more effective at noise isolation at lower volumes than most closed headphones.
Shure is a good brand, but I really don't think their IEMs are still a very good value considering how ridiculously stacked the market is nowadays.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Tenore is in. I gotta say, I am god damned impressed. Especially by the low end, holy shit. Solid, clean, and impactful. Separation and space are similarly excellent as they have a surprisingly wide presentation. Music is presented cleanly, and intelligibility is high through chaotic passages. The tuning is expertly done; very linear with nary a trace of harshness or shout to be found. It's smooth, detailed and non fatiguing, but perhaps at the expense of edge. Overall I'm very happy with what I'm hearing.
Does it dethrone some giants? Well, something like the FX850 comes out ahead overall (for my tastes) as a result of the much larger driver projecting larger, denser images and as a result, comes across as more tangible and realistic (as of this moment it's the overall best IEM I've heard). That aside, the Tenore is flat out outstanding for what is essentially $35 USD in Japan and I do believe it has traits that allow for it to share the company of some very pricey phones without being shamed. It may very well come down to a matter of taste in that regard
I'll try to offer some more thoughts after I've got more time under my belt
But you know what's better than the FX850?
Does it dethrone some giants? Well, something like the FX850 comes out ahead overall (for my tastes) as a result of the much larger driver projecting larger, denser images and as a result, comes across as more tangible and realistic (as of this moment it's the overall best IEM I've heard). That aside, the Tenore is flat out outstanding for what is essentially $35 USD in Japan and I do believe it has traits that allow for it to share the company of some very pricey phones without being shamed. It may very well come down to a matter of taste in that regard
I'll try to offer some more thoughts after I've got more time under my belt
But you know what's better than the FX850?
JK, not mine lol
Arren
Member
Hi, HeadphoneGAF!
I'm in the market for some new headphones (not IEM) that ideally would fit several scenarios.
- I'm specifically looking for a portable model, with low impedence and high sensitivity so that mp3 players, videogame handhelds and other similar devices can properly drive it without problems in regards to volume.
- It should be a closed model, with good noise isolation. I already own three open "studio" headphones at home, including the marvellous and breathtaking HD 800, so I'm not looking for anything 'state of the art': just some good closed cans that attenuate outside noises well.
- They should be comfortable for long listening sessions and easily wearable while commuting.
- I'd like something that has adequate bass presence and doesn't emphasize treble too much, but I'm not a basshead at all, so I'd rather stay in the realm of a flat, balanced sound.
- As far as the budget is concerned, I'd prefer not to go past the 100€ mark.
Well, thanks in advance for any help and looking forward to your recommendations!
I'm in the market for some new headphones (not IEM) that ideally would fit several scenarios.
- I'm specifically looking for a portable model, with low impedence and high sensitivity so that mp3 players, videogame handhelds and other similar devices can properly drive it without problems in regards to volume.
- It should be a closed model, with good noise isolation. I already own three open "studio" headphones at home, including the marvellous and breathtaking HD 800, so I'm not looking for anything 'state of the art': just some good closed cans that attenuate outside noises well.
- They should be comfortable for long listening sessions and easily wearable while commuting.
- I'd like something that has adequate bass presence and doesn't emphasize treble too much, but I'm not a basshead at all, so I'd rather stay in the realm of a flat, balanced sound.
- As far as the budget is concerned, I'd prefer not to go past the 100€ mark.
Well, thanks in advance for any help and looking forward to your recommendations!
Check out the Spider Powerforce
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
I know right? If only that were mine haha. I had a convo with James over at HF yesterday about the Orpheus and he actually feels the FX850 has a signature that's reminiscent of the Orpheus. When I asked him what he meant by that he offered the following:
Mainly mids and treble timbre. I kinda knew this from the first day I got the FX850, because I still remembered how natural and lifelike this piano piece had sounded on the Orpheus.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5Xc1wkB2fCA
I couldn't play my own music on their system back then and they just had a CD with Beethoven sonatas on, but nevertheless it left a lasting impression.
But as you know, aural memory can be deceiving, so I was hoping for a chance to compare them side by side. Well, what can I say, the JVCs are indeed pretty darn close to the Orpheus in mids and treble. The Orpheus is still a tad more resolving and less bassy than the modded FX850, but it's easily the one phone out of Senn's top range that sounds most similar to the JVCs. Likewise, out of all IEMs I've heard, the JVCs are the ones with most similar tonal character to the Orpheus.
As a side note, comparing the JVCs to the HD600 (out of the excellent HDVD 800) changed my perspective on their bassiness a bit. The modded FX850 sounded a smidgen less mid-bassy and warm, with more midrange clarity than the Senns. Considering the HD600 are widely regarded as pretty neutral; I'd say this is another remarkable result.
------------------
That aside, after spending more time with the Tenore out of an uncapped Sony F886, I gotta say, they are fantastic phones. VERY versatile, and plain astonishing at times. Get. this. phone. people!
Audio Technica ATH-IM Series Added to the OP
....READ MORE AND GET COMPARISONS HERE
Earfonia Review said:The Audio Technica IM series in this review:
- ATH-IM01 : Single Balanced Armature driver IEM (47 ohms)
- ATH-IM02 : Dual Balanced Armature driver IEM (36 ohms)
- ATH-IM03 : Triple Balanced Armature driver IEM (34 ohms)
- ATH-IM04 : Quad Balanced Armature driver IEM (14 ohms)
- ATH-IM50 : Dual Symphonic 8.8 mm dynamic driver IEM (10 ohms)
- ATH-IM70 : Dual Symphonic 8.8 mm dynamic driver IEM (10 ohms)
I have no issue with comfort, I found they are all very comfortable on my ears after some adjustment of the memory wire. Good fit, and I could wear them for hours without getting fatigue. But we all have different size and shape of ears, so YMMV.
I found that the BA driver IEMs require proper pairing with the headphone amplifier / player for optimum sound, more than the dynamic drivers. The dynamic drivers IM50 & IM70 in general are easier to drive. Some of the BA IEMs affected quite significantly with the output impedance of the headphone amplifier (including player's build-in headphone amp). Some BA IEM get veiled and muddy with the increase of amp's output impedance, some get brighter in the treble, and some get their optimum performance at certain output impedance. That's might be one of the reason we sometime hear very different opinions of the same product. Different pairings different sound. Although there are many other factors that contribute to the sound quality, in this review I found that amp's output impedance is one factor that's worth to be observed.
Summary
ATH-IM01, ATH-IM02, & ATH-IM03, are natural sounding IEMs with very good clarity & transparency, leaning more toward the analytical sound signature, when compared with the rest. IM02 is the most analytical, but in a good way, and also the most realistic & spacious sounding, that with proper pairing, sounds way beyond its price point. I vote IM02 as the best value among the three.
IM01 & IM03 are less analytical than IM02. And though still have a very good level of detail; they are more forgiving to recording & amps pairing. I vote for IM03 for being the most musical sounding between the 3 models. IM03 has a very good balance of detail, transparency, and smoothness, while offering the most natural tonal balance.
ATH-IM04 offers natural tonal balance & good bass in a different way: smoother, warmer, and very intimate. It seems enough to have 3 models within the variety of clean & transparent sound signature, IM04 took a different approach. While still offering good and smooth frequency coverage from bass to treble, IM04 sounds much warmer, very intimate on vocal, but less detailed & spacious than IM02 & IM03. I think vocal is what IM04 is good at.
IM01, IM02, IM03, & IM04 generally have good & rich sounding bass, but the bass level is on the natural level, not the level for bass head.
ATH-IM50 & ATH-IM70 have excellent, big and powerful bass, with very beautiful vocal sound. Bass head & vocal lovers should try these models. Tonal balance is pretty close between the two, rather bass heavy but overall tonal balance still sounds natural and in good balance. They have pretty good clarity too, no muddy midrange like I use to hear with other bass heavy IEMs. Both have smooth & organic sound signature, with very good & realistic dynamic. Vocal is very beautiful on IM50 & IM70, full bodied, nice balance between warmness & smoothness, with good clarity and silky smooth treble that extends pretty high. Although clarity is good, IM50 & IM70 are not as airy & transparent as the IM02 & IM03, and they are not the analytical type.
....READ MORE AND GET COMPARISONS HERE
Good catch. 668B is also semi open though. There's another one really similar to what I bought first that is closed. I cancelled my first order and I'm gonna wait for a refund before moving on with the correct one. Only 5 are left in stock so I'm afraid to link or post the name of what I found.
mr stroke
Member
Finally got these Fischer's from Germany
I have now found my official EDM cans. While they don't sound perfect(mids and highs are pretty recessed) the fucking Bass is so insane. The low end is pronounced and just so damn clean. These cans slap harder than any other headphone Ive used(including Beats or Denons)
I have now found my official EDM cans. While they don't sound perfect(mids and highs are pretty recessed) the fucking Bass is so insane. The low end is pronounced and just so damn clean. These cans slap harder than any other headphone Ive used(including Beats or Denons)
blame space
Banned
i bought a pair of beats by dre
Jealous,I miss mine, also you can really help the mids with a warm tube amp.Finally got these Fischer's from Germany
I have now found my official EDM cans. While they don't sound perfect(mids and highs are pretty recessed) the fucking Bass is so insane. The low end is pronounced and just so damn clean. These cans slap harder than any other headphone Ive used(including Beats or Denons)
Hey guys I'm in the market for a new pair of headphones - not IEMs. My cheap Sennheiser HD 201s broke a while ago and it's been suffering without any good headphones. I've had to use the dreaded Apple earbuds and I'm sick of it.
I'll be primarily using them for listening to music and playing games, and my budget is £40-50, but I could probably go up to £60 if there's something worthwhile. Gaming is priority number 1. I'd also like decent build quality since I break headphones easily..
I've been looking at the Creative Aurvana Live's, the Sony MDRXB600B and the Superlux HD 681/668B/Evo/669.
Also, how do I make sure I get the Dolby Headphone effects on a new PC? Do I just need to buy a compatible sound card? I really want that virtual surround sound. Sorry, I'm not technical at all.
I'll be primarily using them for listening to music and playing games, and my budget is £40-50, but I could probably go up to £60 if there's something worthwhile. Gaming is priority number 1. I'd also like decent build quality since I break headphones easily..
I've been looking at the Creative Aurvana Live's, the Sony MDRXB600B and the Superlux HD 681/668B/Evo/669.
Also, how do I make sure I get the Dolby Headphone effects on a new PC? Do I just need to buy a compatible sound card? I really want that virtual surround sound. Sorry, I'm not technical at all.
I prefer the CALs the most out of those, but they don't isolate sounds all too well. A Asus Xanax, Soundblaster card or ASTRO mixamp might help the soundstage a bit, but don't expect anything close to surround sound especially out of those closed/semi-closed cans
Well if you're okay with going completely open you could spring for these Takstar, which have a very wide soundstage
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FYII5NC/?tag=neogaf0e-20
mr stroke
Member
Any warm tube amp you recommend around $100? Currently using a FiiO E11.
No, you want to build a good speaker setup. Just so you can realise how insanely bad the audio world is ripping you off left and right.
Forums in English:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/
Stores and other resources:
http://www.loudspeakerbuilding.com/ (Gandalf builds loudspeakers)
http://oaudio.de (some very nice designs, can be set to english)
http://www.lautsprechershop.de/ (a bit shady since they are close to some high-end crossover part manufacturers but otherwise a solid source)
US sources:
http://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/
http://www.parts-express.com
Hypex NCore400: (in the webshop)
http://www.hypex.nl/
The amplifier against which all others shall be judged. A mono pair for 1200 and it's only a little soldering and case building.
Just to show the ridiculous price gouging in headphone amps with 2 watts. And they are worse than this.
If ONE thing irritates me in headphones is that the new audioplayers from HiFi-man and FiiO are again audiophile crap. I doesn't hurt to construct a player where you can publish the full audio specs at the end. Instead of "look, we are using the XYZ-wonder OP-amp". Which is complete overkill and requires extra careful layout implementation because of it's stellar sensitivity and responsitivity. Which FiiO botched, of course.
NWAvguy, where have you gone? :-\
/rant off
Can someone try to explain what the difference between the two models of Momentum's are? One is listed at $199.99 and the other is $299.99. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what is different.
EDIT: never mind. One seems to be on ear vs. the larger traditional over ear.
EDIT: never mind. One seems to be on ear vs. the larger traditional over ear.
Dolby Headphone is actually pretty good for directional sound if you had headphones with a decent soundstage. Better than speakers for that purpose imo.
AlwaysPlaying
Member
PlYstation Goldie's just stopped working
Better than 5 discrete speakers? I somehow doubt that.
For directional sound I'd say yes. Good stereo headphones combined with Dolby Headphone is basically the go-to setup for competitive gaming. A true 5.1 speaker setup is better in a lot of other ways but for directional sound and even voice chat (speakers+mic=bad combo) you're better off with headphones. This is strictly gaming I'm speaking about since he said gaming was his #1 priority.
air jordans for dogs
Member
I'm looking to replace my klipsch s5i's with new IEM's and i've been looking around but i need some guidance before i spend my kroners.
- budget is 200 USD
- preferably with a remote for volume control/play button, but not a must
- i took a look at the jaybirds bluebuds X, they look pretty sweet
- needs to be a bit rugged / solid build quality as they will be used partially in the gym and they might get ripped out of my ears
Thanks in advance
- budget is 200 USD
- preferably with a remote for volume control/play button, but not a must
- i took a look at the jaybirds bluebuds X, they look pretty sweet
- needs to be a bit rugged / solid build quality as they will be used partially in the gym and they might get ripped out of my ears
Thanks in advance
Here are the best IEMS in the range
SolidusDave
Member
Update:
Bought the Sennheiser HD 558 (120€
, did not see why the 598 is worth the price difference and actually I like the look of the 558 better anyway.Some feedback for others with similar setups:
- The 558s go well with the Mixamp Pro + 5.1DD via optical
- Surround sound is more pronounced compared to 40s, movies are better now, too
- they sound much clearer than the Astro 40s, better sound stage, too
- noise cancellation is weaker (the 40s have those extra covers), but I found it doesn't matter for me whatsoever as the volume is pretty high usually anyway
- bass is similar to the 40s, so not really dominant, just there. More natural I guess.
- they look a bit cheaper and are slightly less comfortable (I think it's because of the Astros movable speakers), but still no problem to wear them for a long time
- I really like that the cable clips INTO the 558, so if there's a cable break anywhere you only have to replace the cable.
@discussion above:
Dolby Headphone + decent headphones works really, really well for games. I would say that a good surround speaker setup is better for movies though, not really sure why.
Apart from the directional sound, I really miss having a subwoofer though so that you can feel the scene with your whole body. But my neighbors would not like that in my current paper-thin walled apartment
The X1s have been amazing for gaming for me. Even with just my built in computer sound.
Some of the levels on D3 make me think that things are knocking and plinking in my house. It's kind of disturbing.
I still think the Panasonic HTF600 are a greater steal and better value at only around 10 bucks more
Doc Holliday
SPOILER: Columbus finds America
Damn it!
I accidently bought the Fiio E7 instead of the E07k :/ I'm just going to keep it and the get the X3 down the line.
I accidently bought the Fiio E7 instead of the E07k :/ I'm just going to keep it and the get the X3 down the line.
Young Magus
Junior Member
Oh no!!!!
Speaking of Fiios products, how is the X5? Is it a good improvement over the X3?
Still haven't bought the earphones yet haha.
With the VDS1, these are about the same price as the Crystal. Are they better? Looking around there seems to be comparisons made with the Fidue, which you claimed were a great set of earphones (along with the other 2).
I can't get those Carbon Zeros shipped at a reasonable price to the UK unfortunately, and there is nowhere I can get those Ostry or the Fidue.
EDIT: What's the differnece between the VDS1 and the VDS1S . The VDS1S are out of stock but I'm just curious.
Got the Shakes
Member
I actually have an X5 coming today. I wanted a music player to play lossless files, have expandable storage (holds 2 Micro SD cards, and also has support for USB OTG with the latest 2.0 firmware) and it will also function as a USB DAC. Seemed like a pretty good overall package to me and it helped that I had a bunch of Amazon gift cards to defray some of the cost. Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to mess around with it tomorrow.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Check eBay. There's a set of zero audio Tenores on there that are $60 USD and ship free worldwide. That's right within your budget. The Tenore is absolutely insane for the price. I promise you that. There's hardly anything I can nitpick about it for the price
Other than that, I just got the DITA Answer in the other day. Really loving this thing
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