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

E

ElectricKaibutsu

Member
I'm looking at the Carbo Tenores but I'm worried by all the people who say they break real fast. I noticed Zero Audio has another IEM on their site called the ZH-BX500. It's about the same price and looks like it would last longer. Does anyone have any experience with them? Or know of any other IEM with a similar sound to the Tenores that is a bit more robust?
 
H

HiResDes

Member
ElectricKaibutsu said:
I'm looking at the Carbo Tenores but I'm worried by all the people who say they break real fast. I noticed Zero Audio has another IEM on their site called the ZH-BX500. It's about the same price and looks like it would last longer. Does anyone have any experience with them? Or know of any other IEM with a similar sound to the Tenores that is a bit more robust?
Click to expand...
Those are older models that feature a balanced armature driver, purportedly they sound similar to the A161P, which are good sounding mid centric headphones with some nice detail, but lack the linear dynamics of the newer Carbo basso and Tenore. They aren't going to have the low end of either and supposedly the treble is even a bit rolled off as well.
 
E

ElectricKaibutsu

Member
HiResDes said:
Those are older models that feature a balanced armature driver, purportedly they sound similar to the A161P, which are good sounding mid centric headphones with some nice detail, but lack the linear dynamics of the newer Carbo basso and Tenore. They aren't going to have the low end of either and supposedly the treble is even a bit rolled off as well.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. It looks like I'll go with the Tenores and just try to take good care of them.
 
TheContact

TheContact

Member
Not a headphone aficionado but the Sony gold wireless headsets are the best sounding and most comfortable headphones I've ever owned and they're less than 100 bucks. I've had so many problems with headphones being uncomfortable or hearing a static noise when nothing is playing but these are incredibly comfortable and the 7.1 sound is really good. I'm sure not compared to other 500 dollar headphones but my only comparisons are bose and seinhouser (sp?)
 
N

nailbombxx

Member
HiResDes said:
No they used to be a super good value,but I think the NVX XPT100, Gemini HSR-1000, and Koss Pro DJ100/200 handidly beat them in the realm of neutral closed all-arounders
Click to expand...

Ah, thanks! Those all look good. However, a detachable/replaceable cord is very important to me. Is the Koss Pro DJ200 the only one of these recommended that has a detachable cord?

Thinking about getting those pair.
 
N

NotBacon

Member
Okay so I saw the amp and dac technical descriptions in the OP, but why should I buy them? And how would I hook them up? Would I need both?

Right now I'm just using M50s connected straight to my Motorola android phone filled with mostly 320kbps music. Is there something I can buy or do to get better sound quality? Maybe purchase the Fiio X5 or X1? Thanks.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
NotBacon said:
Okay so I saw the amp and dac technical descriptions in the OP, but why should I buy them? And how would I hook them up? Would I need both?

Right now I'm just using M50s connected straight to my Motorola android phone filled with mostly 320kbps music. Is there something I can buy or do to get better sound quality? Maybe purchase the Fiio X5 or X1? Thanks.
Click to expand...
A DAC purifies the sound while an amp just amplifies it.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
I am generally against connecting an amp to your phone (even moreso if you want to attach a DAC too) so I would go for an X1 personally. The DAC and amp stage on the X1 is supposedly very good.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Dunno really. Some phones have pretty ok DAC and amp stages nowadays, and I'd argue that you should only really get a dedicated player out you feel your phone can't drive your headphones properly. I'm going to get an x1 because I don't want to carry a big phone while I'm working out.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Zefah said:
Can anyone recommend any good Bluetooth headphones/earbuds that aren't terribly expensive?

My wife wants something wireless to pair with her MacBook to listen to music while at home.
Click to expand...

Anyone able to help with an answer to this? Been searching around for a couple of days but haven't been able to find anything that jumps out at me.
 
WarMacheen

WarMacheen

Member
Gaffers, I'm looking for some solid headphones, over the ear, in the 200-250 range. I've been looking at the Munitio PRO40's. Are these a good choice or is there something better in this price range?
 
H

HiResDes

Member
darkwing said:
MDR-1 vs Senn 598?
Click to expand...

598s are open headphones you know, while the MDR-1 are just mediocre isolating closed ones.

For a closed headphone the MDR-1 has a spacious soundstage, but it doesn't quite offer the same depth as the 598s.

The bass on the MDR-1 is much boomier, and definitely wins out in both quantity and quality.

The mids of the MDR-1 are pretty good, but nowhere near as full as the slightly mid-forward 598s.

Neither the 598 or the MDR-1 sport very extended treble, but I'd say it's slightly more accurate sounding on the 598.

The 598s are the more accurate and technically proficient headphone with a definite advantage in detal retrieval.

However, I personally like the way the MDR-1 sound better. They are just more fun and sound good from a variety of different sources.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Azulsky said:
So what are some good closed headphones in the ~$500 range?

Currently have DT770 250ohms, looking to move up
Click to expand...

Many of the good headphones within this range scale considerably with a good source, and thus I'd recommend saving a bit on the headphones if you need to beef up your setup. There's also not always a huge difference between a really good $300 headphone and a really good $500.

Since you like the DT770 I'd assume you value good bass and comfort and thus I've considered this in my suggestions:

  • Mr. Speakers Mag Dog Pro
  • Denon D5000 (Discontinued, so you'd have to luck upon a used set around this price)
  • Bowers & Wilkins P7
  • V-Moda M100
  • ADL H118
 
A

Azulsky

Member
HiResDes said:
Many of the good headphones within this range scale considerably with a good source, and thus I'd recommend saving a bit on the headphones if you need to beef up your setup. There's also not always a huge difference between a really good $300 headphone and a really good $500.

Since you like the DT770 I'd assume you value good bass and comfort and thus I've considered this in my suggestions:

  • Mr. Speakers Mag Dog Pro
  • Denon D5000 (Discontinued, so you'd have to luck upon a used set around this price)
  • Bowers & Wilkins P7
  • V-Moda M100
  • ADL H118
Click to expand...

I listen to all my music from my computer. I have the Fiio E17 + E11 right now.
 
R

Rubius

Member
I have a sound system with all my stuff plugged in via HDMI. Right now I use a Seinheiser Wireless (Stereo without bass) that I love and would like to upgrade to a more gaming oriented one. If possible with at least 5.1 surround. I made a little research and I saw that the two big ones are the Turtle Beach Seven and the Astro A-Series. I need headphones that do not plug via USB but via audio jack.

Any suggestion? Right now I'm going toward the Astro more than the Turtle Beach since I had a bad experience with a bad turtle beach headset.
I never play online on consoles so microphone is really not an issue, and I mostly want to have the depth and detail of the sound. If a guy move behind me, I want to be able to know that he's behind me and ect.
 
S

super-famicom

Member
Rubius said:
I have a sound system with all my stuff plugged in via HDMI. Right now I use a Seinheiser Wireless (Stereo without bass) that I love and would like to upgrade to a more gaming oriented one. If possible with at least 5.1 surround. I made a little research and I saw that the two big ones are the Turtle Beach Seven and the Astro A-Series. I need headphones that do not plug via USB but via audio jack.

Any suggestion? Right now I'm going toward the Astro more than the Turtle Beach since I had a bad experience with a bad turtle beach headset.
I never play online on consoles so microphone is really not an issue, and I mostly want to have the depth and detail of the sound. If a guy move behind me, I want to be able to know that he's behind me and ect.
Click to expand...

If you'd like to have good sound quality and don't need a mic, I'd steer away from Astros or Turtle Beach headsets. 5.1 headphones aren't really great.

Instead, headphones like the Audio Technica AD700x are preferable. The AD700x have a great soundstage, which let you pinpoint exactly where other players are relative to you. If you're on a budget, the Superlux HD668B is a great alternative, as its basically a high quality knockoff of the AD700x.
 
D

darkwing

Member
HiResDes said:
598s are open headphones you know, while the MDR-1 are just mediocre isolating closed ones.

For a closed headphone the MDR-1 has a spacious soundstage, but it doesn't quite offer the same depth as the 598s.

The bass on the MDR-1 is much boomier, and definitely wins out in both quantity and quality.

The mids of the MDR-1 are pretty good, but nowhere near as full as the slightly mid-forward 598s.

Neither the 598 or the MDR-1 sport very extended treble, but I'd say it's slightly more accurate sounding on the 598.

The 598s are the more accurate and technically proficient headphone with a definite advantage in detal retrieval.

However, I personally like the way the MDR-1 sound better. They are just more fun and sound good from a variety of different sources.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input, makes it harder to choose lol how about compared to the Vmoda m100? already have the m80 though, was looking for an over ear one
 
R

Rubius

Member
super-famicom said:
If you'd like to have good sound quality and don't need a mic, I'd steer away from Astros or Turtle Beach headsets. 5.1 headphones aren't really great.

Instead, headphones like the Audio Technica AD700x are preferable. The AD700x have a great soundstage, which let you pinpoint exactly where other players are relative to you. If you're on a budget, the Superlux HD668B is a great alternative, as its basically a high quality knockoff of the AD700x.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I ended up getting the Seinheiser HD 558 since it was on sale and had a lot of praise. Seem like it has a good sound stage too.
 
W

wilflare

Member
my X1, BoomPro and Astro Mixamp Pro 2013 finally arrived.

some thoughts
(1) Philip Fidelio X1 is FANTASTIC! :D love the new details I'm hearing! tried it both on my PS4 and my PC (via the Audinst HUD-MX1) - sounds really good

(2) for all the Audio Mix settings in-game in PS4 (e.g. inFamous SS, First Light, and The Last of Us) do we choose Home Theater or Headphones?

(3) Mixamp Pro 2013 is a disappointment - I don't know what's wrong with it but I can't seem to set up my BoomPro properly with it.
(i) With the X1 and BoomPro plugged into the Mixamp, I'm getting electric shocks from the Boompro mic itself when it brushes my cheek (I tried the Boompro on my Note3, no such issue!)
(ii) I can't seem to get the PS4 to recognise my voice commands (e.g. "PlayStation") - When the PS4 catches the command, it can't understand as it is too loud. I turn down the Microphone level, the PS4 can't catch the command at all. I tried testing the mic via PS4 Twitch stream, it is way too loud as well.

any suggestions on how to exactly configure my Mixamp? I updated it to the latest firmware as well
 
H

HiResDes

Member
darkwing said:
Thanks for the input, makes it harder to choose lol how about compared to the Vmoda m100? already have the m80 though, was looking for an over ear one
Click to expand...
M100 sports an even slightly wider soundstage.

More bass and a midrange that's somehow more forward than the Sony, but also slightly less detailed. Vocals sound better on the Sonys while the actual backing music especially in electronic and hip hop sounds more exciting on the m100s


The treble on the Sonys is very smooth while being rolled off.

The m100s is very similar, maybe even more rolled off.
 
C

cabot

Member
I've been using the Shure SE530/535s for years and years, I now have the Fidelio X1s for the house, and they're gorgeous but I've been so out of the IEM game by being brand allied to Shure, I have no idea what's out there.

What would be a juicy alternative to the SE535s? any suggests?

yeah, that's right. I said suggests!
 
H

HiResDes

Member
cabbeh said:
I've been using the Shure SE530/535s for years and years, I now have the Fidelio X1s for the house, and they're gorgeous but I've been so out of the IEM game by being brand allied to Shure, I have no idea what's out there.

What would be a juicy alternative to the SE535s? any suggests?

yeah, that's right. I said suggests!
Click to expand...
Dunu D2000 would be my pick

or if money just isn't any object, the Earsonics SM64 will surely put the Shures to shame.
 
B

Beezy

Member
Are these Sennheiser Black PMX95 worth $29.99? I love my Amperiors, but I'd like something cheaper and less visible to wear on my commutes sometimes. Especially something that can fit under a hoodie easily.
 
C

cabot

Member
HiResDes said:
Dunu D2000 would be my pick

or if money just isn't any object, the Earsonics SM64 will surely put the Shures to shame.
Click to expand...

My current situation restricts me from splurging on the Earsonics, though they are noted.

I did indulge just a little on the D2000s though.

Thanks!
 
D

darkwing

Member
HiResDes said:
M100 sports an even slightly wider soundstage.

More bass and a midrange that's somehow more forward than the Sony, but also slightly less detailed. Vocals sound better on the Sonys while the actual backing music especially in electronic and hip hop sounds more exciting on the m100s


The treble on the Sonys is very smooth while being rolled off.

The m100s is very similar, maybe even more rolled off.
Click to expand...

hmm between the 3, m100, M1DR, 598, which one would you choose? incidentally, which is best for gaming?
 
H

HiResDes

Member
cabbeh said:
My current situation restricts me from splurging on the Earsonics, though they are noted.

I did indulge just a little on the D2000s though.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Enjoy!
darkwing said:
hmm between the 3, m100, M1DR, 598, which one would you choose? incidentally, which is best for gaming?
Click to expand...
I don't really have a large preference. They'd all be pretty good for gaming, though the 598 have the edge competitively and the other two are more fun. You should just read up on them more and or if you're close to an audio store go check them out yourself.
 
M

Man God

Non-Canon Member
Anyone have any thoughts on These?


I've been using various Senn products for years and have had good luck in the past buying older models when they became cheap and am looking for a good set of bluetooth headphones for dog walking/exercise that I won't feel awful about falling apart in a year or two.
 
W

wilflare

Member
wilflare said:
my X1, BoomPro and Astro Mixamp Pro 2013 finally arrived.

some thoughts
(1) Philip Fidelio X1 is FANTASTIC! :D love the new details I'm hearing! tried it both on my PS4 and my PC (via the Audinst HUD-MX1) - sounds really good

(2) for all the Audio Mix settings in-game in PS4 (e.g. inFamous SS, First Light, and The Last of Us) do we choose Home Theater or Headphones?

(3) Mixamp Pro 2013 is a disappointment - I don't know what's wrong with it but I can't seem to set up my BoomPro properly with it.
(i) With the X1 and BoomPro plugged into the Mixamp, I'm getting electric shocks from the Boompro mic itself when it brushes my cheek (I tried the Boompro on my Note3, no such issue!)
(ii) I can't seem to get the PS4 to recognise my voice commands (e.g. "PlayStation") - When the PS4 catches the command, it can't understand as it is too loud. I turn down the Microphone level, the PS4 can't catch the command at all. I tried testing the mic via PS4 Twitch stream, it is way too loud as well.

any suggestions on how to exactly configure my Mixamp? I updated it to the latest firmware as well
Click to expand...

tried contacting the Astro guys - they simply said it's the Boompro's fault and there's nothing they can do :/
 
TabletopTictacs

TabletopTictacs

Member
Hey Gaf, HiResDes suggested Etymotic to me a few years ago and I loved them for as long as they lasted. The main thing I was after was noise cancellation as I love to be able to have my music as loud or as quiet as I like it without having to worry about my music leaking.

So I'm thinking about going back to some nicer earphones, as my Etymotics are long gone and I'm currently using the ones which came with my mobile. I'm thinking about going back to these, but are there now better alternatives for the same sort of money? Ideally I'd be looking to spend ~£100.

Cheers.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
coolcole93 said:
Hey Gaf, HiResDes suggested Etymotic to me a few years ago and I loved them for as long as they lasted. The main thing I was after was noise cancellation as I love to be able to have my music as loud or as quiet as I like it without having to worry about my music leaking.

So I'm thinking about going back to some nicer earphones, as my Etymotics are long gone and I'm currently using the ones which came with my mobile. I'm thinking about going back to these, but are there now better alternatives for the same sort of money? Ideally I'd be looking to spend ~£100.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

I can't see the link, but I'm guessing the old pair were Etymotic MC5.
 
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