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

XBP

Member
So i'm thinking of getting a wireless headphone for gaming on my PS3, any suggestions? Main use will be gaming and the occasional movie/tv show. Something with decent battery life, good sound quality and comfort would be great.

Budget = 100$
 

Weetrick

Member
I posted this in the PC thread, but I figured you guys would be able to help too.

I need a surround sound PC gaming headset and can't decide between these:

- Logitech G430

- Sentey Harmoniq Pro

Which is better? Im not an audiophile, just looking for the best bang for my buck (in that price range). I'm also open to other suggestions. Thanks.
 

Eanan

Member
Opinions on the sennheiser momentum on ear headphones?

Currently on offer on amazon, but I already have the HD 25-1s (Adidas model) which I use for DJing primarily. Not sure if its worth dropping the €150 on the momentums.
 

pelicansurf

Needs a Holiday on Gallifrey
Has anyone tried out PSB M4U 1 Around-the-ear headphones? I've heard some really good things about them.

I had some sennheisers HD 598s that I managed to blow out the speakers on in 1-2 years. I'm going to be using the above for gaming vita/3DS, primarily.
 

HiResDes

Member
Has anyone tried out PSB M4U 1 Around-the-ear headphones? I've heard some really good things about them.

I had some sennheisers HD 598s that I managed to blow out the speakers on in 1-2 years. I'm going to be using the above for gaming vita/3DS, primarily.
They're fantastic, you should be able to demo them at Apple I believe. Kind of remind me of the KEF M500 but a bit warmer.

Momentum are really good, but more of a sidegrade than a complete upgrade from the HD25. They sport a wider soundstage and bass with a longer decay giving an impression of higher quantity, though it's less punchy than the former headphone. The treble on the Momentum is more rolled off and the midrange just has a different presentation.
 

Eanan

Member
Momentum are really good, but more of a sidegrade than a complete upgrade from the HD25. They sport a wider soundstage and bass with a longer decay giving an impression of higher quantity, though it's less punchy than the former headphone. The treble on the Momentum is more rolled off and the midrange just has a different presentation.

Yeah, I guess that they are fashion headphones primarily, but have very good sound and reasonably priced. Excited to test them out as splurged the €150 on them.
 

pelicansurf

Needs a Holiday on Gallifrey
They're fantastic, you should be able to demo them at Apple I believe. Kind of remind me of the KEF M500 but a bit warmer.

Momentum are really good, but more of a sidegrade than a complete upgrade from the HD25. They sport a wider soundstage and bass with a longer decay giving an impression of higher quantity, though it's less punchy than the former headphone. The treble on the Momentum is more rolled off and the midrange just has a different presentation.

Excellent, thanks.
 

Norns

Member
I posted this in the PC thread, but I figured you guys would be able to help too.

I need a surround sound PC gaming headset and can't decide between these:

- Logitech G430

- Sentey Harmoniq Pro

Which is better? Im not an audiophile, just looking for the best bang for my buck (in that price range). I'm also open to other suggestions. Thanks.

Get this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826247002

Edit: Sorry missed the surround sound part the first time.

I had a G35 for a few years. I found the simulated surround to be pretty poor. The drivers had pretty bad issues with audio mixes. Had issues with some flash updates breaking audio in chrome...you get the idea.

I decided to go back to stereo sets myself. I don't play a lot of shooters, or games where directional audio matters that much.
 

Dries

Member
Hey guys, just bought myself a Sennheiser 323D headset. It supports 7.1 surround sound. Got some questions about it:

- Is there a list of games which take full advantage of 7.1 surroud sound? Or at least some more than others if you know what I mean.

- Will every game I play be "enhanced" when I use these headphones?

- Does my motherboard or soundcare need to support 7.1 surround sound?

1192941629_1637249662_o.jpg


yes, I am very new to this.
 

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
I looked at some suggestions in the OP, and even at the ZERO AUDIO IEM's posted above, but I just wanted to check...

I need some earbuds for when I mow the lawn. Something that will isolate noise but also stand up to sweat. I don't want to spend a lot of money ($20-60), but want something that doesn't suck. I mostly would be listening to podcasts. The Apple earbuds have no noise isolation, so I can't use those when I'm out there. Also, they fall out of my ear due to sweat and that's no good.
 
I looked at some suggestions in the OP, and even at the ZERO AUDIO IEM's posted above, but I just wanted to check...

I need some earbuds for when I mow the lawn. Something that will isolate noise but also stand up to sweat. I don't want to spend a lot of money ($20-60), but want something that doesn't suck. I mostly would be listening to podcasts. The Apple earbuds have no noise isolation, so I can't use those when I'm out there. Also, they fall out of my ear due to sweat and that's no good.

The Zero Audio Tenores actually have great noise isolation since they're so small you can get a deeper seal in the canal, and they should stand up to sweat pretty well since they're a sealed design. I truly believe that there is absolutely no better value in all of audio than the Tenore. I personally think it's a better phone than Shure's SE846, my friend thinks it's about on a par with the DITA Answer/Truth, and you can check out this post here where Anaxilus weighs the differences between the ER-4S/Tenore and the extremely linear/reference monitor from Ultimate Ears:

http://www.changstar.com/index.php?topic=1643.0

In all cases, the Tenore holds up extremely well against some real TOTL heavy hitters. I've actually gone off and sold a number of $1000 sets after hearing it myself. Look for the seller "woodland hills" on eBay. He sells the Tenore for $53 I believe

Other than that, I have been messing around with the Chord HUGO for the last few days. I'm using it to drive the K812, and while this combo sounds amazing, so does the 812 out of my humble Geek Out 450. The Chord HUGO has been compared to dedicated DAC/rack gear costing up to $15,000 (such as the MSB Analog DAC driven by the Burson Conductor).

I've actually never heard components in that price range so I can't comment on the veracity of the aforementioned. So what does all this mean? The Geek Out in its various power configs is likely the best source any sane person actually needs (unless you're saddled with an electrostat or the HE6 I guess). Which probably shouldn't surprise me given that Light Harmonics' Larry Ho is also the chief engineer behind the highly reputed DaVinci DAC.

I've been thru countless kilobuck phones and in the end, I find it rather hilarious that all I find myself really needing are the Geek Out, Tenore, and KC06. Sure I've got a UERM coming in a few days but hey, I just love the Tenore's neutral sig that much I guess
 

elfinke

Member
I use GR07BE+Fiio E11 for portable use and it's a terrific combo. For comfy couch PC gaming-only, what are the ducks guts of <$100 closed headphones these days? Takstar Hd5500, HM3, SRH240A? They're all around $80 delivered to Australia.

Doing a bit of reading it seems like the HD5500 are what I'm after. Anyone here comment on their comfort?
 

HiResDes

Member
I use GR07BE+Fiio E11 for portable use and it's a terrific combo. For comfy couch PC gaming-only, what are the ducks guts of <$100 closed headphones these days? Takstar Hd5500, HM3, SRH240A? They're all around $80 delivered to Australia.

Doing a bit of reading it seems like the HD5500 are what I'm after. Anyone here comment on their comfort?

No for gaming you want something with a decent soundstage and good accuracy, the HD5500 are not very accurate. If you're okay with open headphones I'd suggest trying to find these shipped to Australia:

Superlux HD 668B
Superlux HD330
Takstar TS-671
Samson SR850
Takstar HI-2050
Pioneer SE-A1000
NVX Audio XPT100
 

elfinke

Member
No for gaming you want something with a decent soundstage and good accuracy, the HD5500 are not very accurate. If you're okay with open headphones I'd suggest trying to find these shipped to Australia:

Superlux HD 668B
Superlux HD330
Takstar TS-671
Samson SR850
Takstar HI-2050
Pioneer SE-A1000
NVX Audio XPT100

Thanks for the suggestions. Open is probably no good, unless the leakage is really low, as the couch is shared with the family as I play, and they're either watching tv or I'll be a nuisance to them. Either way, leakage in or out is a no go. I'll clarify PC gaming a little, too, in case it helps: not any multiplayer, and very rarely FPS. At the moment I'm playing Transistor which has an amazing soundtrack, as well as Banished, Shovel Knight and Dark Souls 2. I would prefer a fun, musical set of cans to something which would aid with target acquisition in a FPS for example.

As usual, one thing lead to another on this search and before I knew it I was umming ahhing over the typical ATHM50 and Sony MDR7506 both of which are around $140 delivered. I'll look into those suggestions and see what's up, thanks HiResDes.

/edit: oh wow, those 668B's seems like great bits of gear for bugger all coin. How much so they leak?
 

HiResDes

Member
Thanks for the suggestions. Open is probably no good, unless the leakage is really low, as the couch is shared with the family as I play, and they're either watching tv or I'll be a nuisance to them. Either way, leakage in or out is a no go. I'll clarify PC gaming a little, too, in case it helps: not any multiplayer, and very rarely FPS. At the moment I'm playing Transistor which has an amazing soundtrack, as well as Banished, Shovel Knight and Dark Souls 2. I would prefer a fun, musical set of cans to something which would aid with target acquisition in a FPS for example.

As usual, one thing lead to another on this search and before I knew it I was umming ahhing over the typical ATHM50 and Sony MDR7506 both of which are around $140 delivered. I'll look into those suggestions and see what's up, thanks HiResDes.

HM5 rebrands can be had in Australia for pretty cheap, they compare favorable to the Sony MDR, I'd cop them if you need closed. http://www.jaycar.us/productView.asp?ID=AA2065&w=AA2065&form=KEYWORD
 

HiResDes

Member
Even with Aussie tax applied, the Jaycar Aus site has those rebrands for $99, which is considerably cheaper than the HM5 (by $40-$70). That's a hot tip, thanks!

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AA2065

No problem, sorry to keep suggesting things, but I found these gems on ebay for cheap and the sellers list Australia as a location they ship to -

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...XJVC+HA-S&_nkw=jvc+ha-s680&_sacat=0&_from=R40

...Just giving you options
 

elfinke

Member
No problem, sorry to keep suggesting things, but I found these gems on ebay for cheap and the sellers list Australia as a location they ship to -

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...XJVC+HA-S&_nkw=jvc+ha-s680&_sacat=0&_from=R40

...Just giving you options

Keep 'em coming, I enjoy the search almost as much as the acquiring! Another important feature just occurred to me: I'm learning to play guitar with Rocksmith on the PC and obviously I listen to that game via whatever headphones I've got plugged in. Does that change your recommendation in anyway?
 

elfinke

Member
HM5s will sound better with guitar playing, but the JVCs are more fun sounding with bassy music.

Seems there are a bunch of sellers, all shipping from Japan to Aust, for around $60 total (!!) for those swanky, gaudy looking white JVCs. I think that's a winner. Thanks for your help.
 

Jzero

Member
OP has a bunch IMO.

The top performance budget IEMs right now are:

  • Zero Audio Tenore
  • Ostry KC06
  • Havi B3Pro 1
  • VSD3S
  • Fidue A63

Thanks, i read the OP but i thought you may have new ones to recommend since the last time you updated the OP.

I think i'll go with the OSTRY KC06A since they look great.
 

HiResDes

Member
Awesome, enjoy, one note about them... Burn in is usually bullshit, but seems to be fairly real with these. They will sound better after about a week or so of use.
 

HiResDes

Member
So iam using my new AKG k 701s with my iPad / PC. It sounds awesome and i dont use a DAC / amp? Is this stuff realy nessesary?
The iPad has a pretty good built in soundcard and depending on your PC it might also have a passable one. The 701 have a relatively low impedance, but aren't very sensitive, which means their output might be stymied by the lack of an amp. A warm tube amp might help liven them up and make them sound less sterile, for example.
 
Any tips on selecting ear tips for in ear headphones like the turbines ? They always seem to fall out and to get isolation I need to stick them deep, which sucks.
 
Just ordered me a AKG K 701.

They are my first HiFi headphones so what else do i need? DAC? Amp? Plan to use them at home with my PC / iPad (Spotify).


Should i get a audiophile soundcard instead of a DAC/AMP combo?

http://www.amazon.de/dp/B001P9O894/

I've read that the K701s can be difficult to drive properly. A proper DAC/AMP combo will be way better than the soundchip in the iPad. I've heard the Matrix M-Stage works really well with the 701s. A Little Dot Mk II tube amp is also supposedly good as well.

Edit- This might be a useful read: http://www.head-fi.org/t/548831/whats-a-good-inexpensive-amp-to-drive-akg-k701s
 

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
Looking for suggestions on headphones.

My Senheisser HD380s bit the dust (thanks dog for eating the cord and the headband).

Primary uses: listening to music, playing Xbox One with the headset adapter, movies and TV shows in bed/on planes.

So sound leakage is a no no since I use these to watch TV shows while my wife is asleep in bed and for playing Xbox One while she works downstairs.

Would prefer something that can work well unamped.. good sound stage, decent bass. Tend towards more musical laid back tones and not super punchy lively soundstage.

Interested in maybe nabbing a DAC/Amp pack too that would work well on a plane. We like to split audio off of the ipad for flights. So something that would let us run two pairs of headphones and work with the Xbox One headphone adapter would be great.

250 budget on the cans, 150 or so on the DAC/amp combo.

Thanks duders.

Edit: One final consideration. I have a big head, and I need comfy over ears. I hate on-ears. So something that I could wear easily for 3-4 hours at a clip.
 

Soodanim

Member
Just ordered some Tenores on eBay for £32, free delivery. Thanks to those who have mentioned them on the last page. It'll be nice to switch away from whatever these cheap Sony extra bass IEMs that I got from HMV for £15. They were supposed to be temporary replacements (couldn't be bothered to buy new tips for my CX300-IIs, as dumb as that sounds) but I kept them for ages.

Some guy on Amazon mentioned double-flange tips in his review, and it made me wonder it about the idea of replacing them. I've only ever used the ones that came with the CX300s. Is there any benefit outside of comfort?
 

Eanan

Member
These babys arrived today;

oLSMA9Ql.jpg


Sennheiser Momentum On Ear for those that dont know.


Excellent vivid sound from them, with the bass being very punchy but not artificial like some other high end cans...

Build quality is second to none. The case is excellent, the steel headband gives it that top of the line feel, and the cups are super comfortable and soft. Dat alcantara cushion

I recommend them if your after some stylish cans, that are very well built and have very good sound, even coming from a windows phone (shame the in line controls dont work but no biggie, I may get an iPhone/iPad in the future)
 
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