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

Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
New gimbals are here just 3 days later. It's nice that they are speedy when their shit breaks, but it would be nicer if it didn't. Maybe I'll have a nicer set 2 years from now.
 
A

Accoun

Member
Was in store and had the opportunity to try the LCD-3. Considering I was limited to more of the typical audiophile albums (maybe the only deviation from this that I knew was Ayreon, but I didn't have the time to listen to it) - yeah, it sounded great.
But are they so uncomfortable also for other people? Because for me, they were.

Also checked Brainwavz HM5 and M3, both of which were pretty neat. Also, FiiO X3 and iRiver AK100 and some better or worse IEMs.
 
H

Halo 2

Banned
Addnan said:
Oh my didn't know headphones can be so comfortable.

Roeld0Tl.jpg


Just arrived so will start listening to everything I own haha. The audio quality is making me tear up a little, I have issues.
Click to expand...

What are these?
They look soft.
 
A

aznpxdd

Member
So I just got my Sennheiser IE800 today and been giving it a listen...all I can say is HOLY SHIT it sounds soooo good. The mids are crystal clear and very personal, makes everything I've owned (including IE8 & HD600) sound low-fi and muffled by comparison. The bass is sweet as well, plenty of it and very focused, not bloated at all. Shit's not cheap, but from what I can gather so far, it is worth every damn penny. I've got the IE800's running off lossless files on iBasso DX50 (with FiiO E12 at home) and the pairing sounds excellent.
 
D

Dragon

Banned
Looking for a wireless gaming headset that would work for PS4/PC. Are the gold wireless by Sony really that bad? I see that they work with the PC which is kinda nice. I don't mind spending some money on it but would like it to be pretty plug n play.
 
X

XBP

Member
Dragon said:
Looking for a wireless gaming headset that would work for PS4/PC. Are the gold wireless by Sony really that bad? I see that they work with the PC which is kinda nice. I don't mind spending some money on it but would like it to be pretty plug n play.
Click to expand...

Their build quality is pretty bad but sound and comfort more than make up for that.
 
R

RoKKeR

Member
Just now getting my first taste of what music sounds like through high quality headphones... God. Fuckin. Damn.

Probably not the ideal setup for audiophiles but I recently snagged a cheap pair of Astro A50's for gaming wirelessly at school. They have an EQ option tailored for music which sounds like a pretty good mix to my fairly untrained ears, so I've been streaming some tunes from Xbox Music today...

I mean, this shit is unreal. The two words that come to mind when describing this vs. dinky little in-hear headphones are "depth" and "clarity". Sounds like I'm in a room with speakers all around me and everything is crystal clear, especially drum kits which makes my drumming self very excited. On top of that though the bass is great without being overdone, you can just "feel" it a tiny bit which goes a long way to making everything sound full.

Having a weird amount of fun just sitting around listening to music. Giorgio by Moroder is currently on and I'm smiling ear to ear as the synth phases from one ear to the other.

This was essentially a long-winded "you guys are right" post. Given my setup I might drop down for an Xbox Music pass after this trial is up, but I'm going to do a bit more looking around first. Reason being it's just most convenient for me to stream though the Xbox One.
 
K

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
The cable on my Momentums went bad, and waiting for the replacement has me bored, so I want some new IEMs.

Here's what I need:

Budget: up to $200-$300

Priorities: clarity, resolution, soundstage, accuracy

They'll be used with a FiiO E17. The money doesn't have to be spent. If a $100 pair gets me what I want, so be it.
 
T

The Lamp

Member
I used my Atrio Future Sonic mg7 today for the first time in months and the left earbud doesn't work anymore. What the fuck. Those were $200 earbuds.

Does anyone know how much it costs to repair? Would it be better just to buy new earphones?

I'm interested in earphones that have nice bass but don't sacrifice highs and mids. Hopefully something under $200. Maybe up to $300 if it's really worth it. I really liked my mg7 but I would never buy one again because they felt cheap quality and apparently that shows because it just randomly doesn't work anymore :l

Or for this price range can I get better headphones instead?
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
No joke dude. Some of the people I associate with on HF have preferred them to the K3003, Ocharaku KAEDE, Senn IE800, FAD FIBASS, JVC FX850, just to name a few.

I'll attach some images of messages I've received from friends who have been thru more than a few VERY nice phones who are just stunned by the Tenore

http://imgur.com/98CuzdM.jpg

http://imgur.com/fb9xuaV.jpg

http://imgur.com/4g5xSwx.jpg

http://imgur.com/9tffTIB.jpg

http://imgur.com/W81zLHQ.jpg

http://imgur.com/JFSMki8.jpg

http://imgur.com/op2t49g.jpg

And of course SGS' famous I prefer these to 120+ IEMs: http://www.head-fi.org/t/665111/zer...ion-and-impressions-thread/1050#post_10503715

(Of course he prefers the UERM now, but... lol at the price gap to get there)

I just wish the QC were better since I've been hearing about some weird channel imbalance shit lately on the Tenore thread (I've personally not experienced anything out of the ordinary nor heard anything unusual around the time I got mine)

I actually got the second to the last FAD LAB 1 left in the world coming in (My friend HiFlight scored the other one), it'll be very interesting to see what my other friend was talkin about in regards to "most people would probably prefer the Tenore to the LAB"
 
K

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
Amazing sound, low price, and questionable QC? That's okay, it's like I'm right back home with HiFiMan again.

I'm so excited to get them, I paid extra on the shipping.
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
K.Jack said:
Amazing sound, low price, and questionable QC? That's okay, it's like I'm right back home with HiFiMan again.

I'm so excited to get them, I paid extra on the shipping.
Click to expand...

Hahaha hadn't considered the parallels there man. Hopefully you'll be incident free. My Tenore's been going strong. I had it connected to the GEEK OUT 450 last night on my MacBook. Sounded absolutely amazing in every way - expansive, detailed, smooth and tonally spot on.

Make sure you tip roll and if you're getting more bass than you feel is right, try checking out the J444 front vent mod on the previous page. Bass should be very tight and textured with a 50/50 split between sub and midbass.
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
Addnan said:
These? They seem way too cheap. If they are the right ones I'll order a set just to test. http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0093VVP0Q/
Click to expand...

Those would be it. Please refer to my friend's email here:

http://imgur.com/fb9xuaV.jpg

He has owned: FitEar 111, FitEar 334, FitEar Parterre, ER4S, Westone ES3X, FAD FIBASS, FAD Heaven S, FAD LAB 1, FAD PF IX, Senn IE800, DITA Answer, Ocharaku KAEDE, Fischer FA-4E, JVC FX850, Shure SE846, UERM, HD800 and uses a Violectric V200 and an AK240 as a source.

His favorite phones are the ER4S, UERM, HD800 and LAB 1. He and I have a lot of crossover in gear so I can easily verify or understand what he's hearing. He's got a very good ear for this sort of thing and is unflinchingly honest. Besides that, I've attached messages from other guys I talk to on HF and they've all arrived at the same conclusion.

The Tenore has also been measured by Ryu Matsuba and it measures very close to flat with some sub bass elevation (basically close to ER4S with weightier low end, the ER4S can't even dream of having the Tenore's stage though). Even the stodgy pirates at Changstar have gotta give it up to the Tenore
 
A

Addnan

Member
That seems unreal, going to put an order in. Amazon.jp don't seem to ship headphones to UK so will go through ebay. I think these are the 5th pair of IEMs I have bought this year xD. Can't wait for these to arrive.

I should unsubsribe from this thread...
wk44FuM.png
 
C

CRS

Member
K.Jack said:
The cable on my Momentums went bad, and waiting for the replacement has me bored, so I want some new IEMs.

Here's what I need:

Budget: up to $200-$300

Priorities: clarity, resolution, soundstage, accuracy

They'll be used with a FiiO E17. The money doesn't have to be spent. If a $100 pair gets me what I want, so be it.
Click to expand...

I'm basically in the same boat. Cable died on my Sony EX-600s after almost 3 years (thanks for the recommendation Des back then. They've served me extremely well and have been awesome) and because it's such a pain in the ass to get a cable replacement, looking for a new pair of IEMs.

Budget: no more than $200

Same priorities but would prefer a bit more bass for my bass heavy tunes.

Will be using them during work, when I'm outside, and while working out so this a big factor

I think this is standard with all IEMs but using different tips is a must since my left and right ear tend to use different sizes.

Will be hooked up directly to my phone (Galaxy S III)


Should I look into the Tenore's as well?
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Tenore are really balanced and I think you might enjoy the bass more on the Carbo basso or Ostry KC06a.


If you have a bit more money the Altone200 is the new must have in the sub $150 range.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Kimosabae said:
Guys, could someone recommend a good pair of headphones for no more than 25-30 dollars?
Click to expand...

depending on your requirements:

Koss KSC75 - The ultimate budget portable, but is open and will leak sound. Decent comfort.

Panasonic HTF-600 - One of the best sounding things you can get and it's closed so it leaks less sound, this is at the edge of your budget though. Decent comfort

JVC HARX700 - Probably isolates the best out of these, but it's not very portable, and is also closer to the edge of your budget. Good comfort

JVC-HA S400 - Offers the best clarity out of these, but doesn't have a very robust bass response or isolate very well, is quite portable though. Fair comfort

JVC HA-S500 - Up there with there with the Panasonic in terms of overall sound quality, and is quite portable, but it's slightly over budget and doesn't isolate very well. Fair comfort
 
K

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
Well, turns out the TMA-1s aren't as indestructible as i have always believed. The band just snapped in half while I was taking them off. At least they lasted what, 3 years?

There goes my last pair of working headphones, until the Tenore gets here from Japan.

CRS said:
I'm basically in the same boat. Cable died on my Sony EX-600s after almost 3 years (thanks for the recommendation Des back then. They've served me extremely well and have been awesome) and because it's such a pain in the ass to get a cable replacement, looking for a new pair of IEMs.

Budget: no more than $200

Same priorities but would prefer a bit more bass for my bass heavy tunes.

Will be using them during work, when I'm outside, and while working out so this a big factor

I think this is standard with all IEMs but using different tips is a must since my left and right ear tend to use different sizes.

Will be hooked up directly to my phone (Galaxy S III)


Should I look into the Tenore's as well?
Click to expand...

Well, since the Tenore is competing with $1k IEMs, I saw no reason to spend more.
 
C

CRS

Member
It's too bad I didn't ask sooner for suggestions, just missed the Altone200 pre-sale. Right now I'm stuck between the Basso and Altone200. I'm actually really tempted to get both Basso/Altone200 and the Tenores. It's just the recent complaints about The QC for the Tenore have me worried a bit.

I think I might just bite on the Basso/Tenore combo since they're both being sold from the same vendor on Amazon. Also, the Altone200 pre-orders are being shipped on the 18th so I can only imagine when shipments are going to go out for regular orders. I'll see if there's anything on eBay for the Zero Audio pack but I think I'm pretty much set.

What do you guys think?
 
H

HiResDes

Member
I don't think you can really go wrong. I'm thinking about selling my Rockets if they're not up to par and copping the Altone200 myself.


Also wish I had known KJ didn't have cans just gave away some Takstars to someone that he could have had as a holdover
 
Y

yonder

Member
yonder said:
Since I replace my earbuds once a year I've started thinking about buying a pair of headphones instead, so I'm looking for recommendations on a pair that would be good for public transport and travelling: durable, blocks sounds, doesn't bleed noise and won't look too goofy. Any suggestions? I listen to all kinds of music and a lot of podcasts, too.
Click to expand...

HiResDes said:
Price range
Click to expand...
Sorry for the incredibly late reply! I'd say I have about $150-200 to spend.
 
Eanan

Eanan

Member
HiResDes said:
If you're okay with on ears I'd snag some V-Moda XS or some Sennheiser Amperior.

Rock-it sounds R-DJ are also a great choice if you wanna save a bit of money.
Click to expand...
Were the amperiors not discontinued a while back and replaced by on ear momentums'?
 
Soodanim

Soodanim

Member
Where can I get some new tips from in the UK? I'm having a hard time finding any. Amazon doesn't seem to have much at all.

Fake edit: the fuck? They have loads of Comply tips but they're £20. Is that anywhere near worth it?
 
N

Nopren

Member
Comply tips are ridiculously expensive but they are the best tips I've ever had. If you have the money to spare then definitely get them.
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
I dunno that I'd recommend complies to someone just like that. I'd imagine some people wouldn't be able to stand them. They're basically like having earplugs in. If you can't take that sensation of fullness in your ears I'd move along
 
S

Suen

Member
Not sure if this is the right place to ask this but here goes:

Last night I ordered Sony's Stereo bluetooth headset SBH80 as it had what I wanted. I want to use it with my iPhone 5 and I checked the compatibility list to make sure it works with it.

Well today as I looked more into it I read that iPhone lacks aptX technology which the headset use. I'm clueless about these things and have no idea how much this will affect the sound quality. Should I just cancel the order? In that case is there something similar to this (wireless, decent sound quality, decent microphone and pause/play, volume and next/previous track buttons) that works well with iPhone 5 for a similar price (and not the price listed on the website, I ordered mine for $110 so something close to that) ?
 
N

Nopren

Member
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri said:
I dunno that I'd recommend complies to someone just like that. I'd imagine some people wouldn't be able to stand them. They're basically like having earplugs in. If you can't take that sensation of fullness in your ears I'd move along
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, didn't think of that. You need to be able to cope with the fullness sensation (insert obvious innuendo joke here). Imagine you take a small marshmallow, mush it together, put it in your ear and then let it expand.
It only expands until it meets resistance so they wont put pressure on the inside of your ear.
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
Especially considering that some people can't even stand the silicon sleeves that come with IEMs. I'd imagine that the Comply's would be unbearable. A cheap way to figure out whether they're for you is to buy some cheapo earplugs at a drugstore or something and then cut them down to size and see if you can tolerate the fit/material
 
K

Kimosabae

Banned
HiResDes said:
depending on your requirements:

Koss KSC75 - The ultimate budget portable, but is open and will leak sound. Decent comfort.

Panasonic HTF-600 - One of the best sounding things you can get and it's closed so it leaks less sound, this is at the edge of your budget though. Decent comfort

JVC HARX700 - Probably isolates the best out of these, but it's not very portable, and is also closer to the edge of your budget. Good comfort

JVC-HA S400 - Offers the best clarity out of these, but doesn't have a very robust bass response or isolate very well, is quite portable though. Fair comfort

JVC HA-S500 - Up there with there with the Panasonic in terms of overall sound quality, and is quite portable, but it's slightly over budget and doesn't isolate very well. Fair comfort
Click to expand...

thnx bud
 
M

Meteorain

Member
Got myself a Grado SR80i today.

I am pretty happy with them, but am wondering if there are any HQ things I can test them out on, just to see how good it can sound.
 
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