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$500 cans on, this is how you dream right - Official Headphone Thread
- Thread starter HiResDes
- Start date
Have been in the market for a pair like this. Pulled the trigger. Thanks!
mr stroke
Member
Just set up these
Probably overkill for gaming cans but damn if they aren't comfortable and amazing for gaming paired with an Astro Mixamp. Surprisingly the Mixamp powers the HD700's just fine for games(sounds like ass with music though). Footsteps, gunshots, explosions are so articulate as Dolby Headphone really shines with these, everything has so much depth.
Bass is the only thing lacking, though I am sure once I find a proper amp to run out of the Mixamp it will solve that issue.
Probably overkill for gaming cans but damn if they aren't comfortable and amazing for gaming paired with an Astro Mixamp. Surprisingly the Mixamp powers the HD700's just fine for games(sounds like ass with music though). Footsteps, gunshots, explosions are so articulate as Dolby Headphone really shines with these, everything has so much depth.
Bass is the only thing lacking, though I am sure once I find a proper amp to run out of the Mixamp it will solve that issue.
GluedOnBeard
Member
Not sure if anyone has any opinions on this but I am looking to upgrade my Creative Aurvana Live! and saw these posted over at head-fi:
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-headphones
Is this going to be the best upgrade for the money or is it going to have a radically different soundstage and there are other sets to consider in the same price range?
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-headphones
Is this going to be the best upgrade for the money or is it going to have a radically different soundstage and there are other sets to consider in the same price range?
If you like the sound of the CALs I'd definitely stay away from those AKGs, which have pretty much the opposite sound signature.
Console -> mixamp -> amp -> headphones. That setup works wonderfully. The Mixamp on its own won't power HD700s though that's for sure.
Does the Mixamp have an internal DAC?
GluedOnBeard
Member
Interesting thanks. It's not that I love the CALS but I liked them better than the Vmodas I had previously. I am just looking for something that will really bring classical/rock and electric through with a bit more clarity.
You might like them then. They are absurdly clear, yet the bass is quite light on them especially unamped. Also the AKG K70X series are completely open headphones. Just something else to take note of and consider. I'd recommend the Audio Technica TAD500 as a safer bet since they're a bit easier to drive and are more mid centric than the CALs.
GluedOnBeard
Member
Thanks for the advice, I'll check those out now.
mr stroke
Member
Already running a soundblaster recon 3d card with the mixamp
But I don't think the sound card makes any difference since it's just sending the optical Dolby Digital live signal(could be wrong though)
I guess the Mixamp itself is kind of a DAC by definition. It takes a digital source and converts it to analog.
Wouldn't that be feeding the Mixamp a stereo signal?
Phat Michael
Banned
after getting some DSD files and some 384khz files i placed an order (from singapore of all places) to get a couple of headphones. someone is picking them up for me next month, the amp i will have to get from here (as it would cost too much to ship)
Audeze LCD-X
I have chosen these over the LCD3 as there is a decent price difference and the X seems more in line with what i am looking for. Also, it is much easier to drive.
Oppo PM-2
Because they cost $700, and the PM-1's are $1100 and they sound exactly the same.
Oppo HA-1 Amp
I want a balanced amp with Class A specs - and i trust oppo products.
Both the cans will be run with balanced cables using Jriver audio software running FLAC/DSD and 384khz source material.
Audeze LCD-X
I have chosen these over the LCD3 as there is a decent price difference and the X seems more in line with what i am looking for. Also, it is much easier to drive.
Oppo PM-2
Because they cost $700, and the PM-1's are $1100 and they sound exactly the same.
Oppo HA-1 Amp
I want a balanced amp with Class A specs - and i trust oppo products.
Both the cans will be run with balanced cables using Jriver audio software running FLAC/DSD and 384khz source material.
Oops I mixed it up, the TOSlink out from the consoles goes into the MixAmp first then out to the M-Stage.
Alessandro
Member
Any feedback on Razer Kraken 7.1? It's on sale at Amazon for 75€ and I was looking for a surround headset (5 or 7.1) to use on PC and PS4.
Phat Michael
Banned
If you look at it in the whole scheme of things - they really are not THAT expensive.
If you want a decent stereo audiophile stereo system you are looking at $15K to $20K for speakers alone - then you need something like a Devialet to run it ($10K) and cables ($3K) plus your laptop as a source.
To get some seriously high end headphones - you can get an oppo set for $2000USD....which i think is pretty damn reasonable all things considered.
I live in an apartment so i dont have room or would not be able to have a GREAT stereo setup, however i can have a great headphone setup for a relatively decent price and still listen to music loudly.
ElectricKaibutsu
Member
lol, welp, now I feel kind of silly counting pennies over the Hm5s.
I'm going for the Hm5+FiiO e17 bundle now btw.
I'm going for the Hm5+FiiO e17 bundle now btw.
Audioquest, the company behind the Dragonfly DAC are making their own headphones
http://nighthawk.audioquest.com/
http://nighthawk.audioquest.com/
I read about his, gonna be expensive, but utilizes a similar technology to that of the Master and Dynmaic MH40.
Just curious: Are you getting your idea that it takes $15k/pair for "decent" loudspeakers from demoing them or from reading hifi magazines?
mr stroke
Member
I used these for a couple weeks and they aren't that bad, if you can find them around $60-70 it's a decent buy. Very bass heavy, and terrible with music. The 7.1 in these didn't work that well IMO. Since they are so bass heavy its hard to discern little details(either that or Razer's 7.1 processing sucks). If you can spend another $40 and you must have a "gaming headset" the refurb A40's on Amazon are worlds better.
mr stroke
Member
curious has anyone here actually used one of the DragonFly USB DAC's? are they actually good?
Phat Michael
Banned
yes i read magazines to audition speakers. That is what i do. Jesus.
Phat Michael
Banned
These are the speakers i want: the Raidho's in the link below.
Semi Affordable @ around $15K per pair
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOlHGc65Jsk
The dream speakers would be the Magico Q7 - but they are unaffordable for me.
The Raidho's are great because you dont need big monoblocks to run them - a simple 10K Devialet would be enough. high end hifi is really becoming a lot more affordable.
the last system i really auditioned was the Steinway Lyngdorf Model D system which was around $250K i think..or $300K with cables. To go from something that is $30K to $300K is pretty amazing and it would have very comparable sound.
The $99 sale on the Sony bluetooth xtra bass set is amazing. Link here. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MCHE38O/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I got the pair today and am in love.
I got the pair today and am in love.
They're seriously demoing their 15k speakers in a room with zero room treatment. That's the thing that always gets me: 99% of them don't bother with any form of room treatment or equipment that actually help, like crossovers.
Phat Michael
Banned
i think the sound would be incredible if you were actually there. I guess if you are in a showroom though there will be lots of other pieces of equipment around so you cant really have the requisite sound proofing/furniture/treatment or anything like that as it isnt a permanent solution.
Okay, let's see: a magnetostatic tweeter, world-class, 340. One oversized mid, three mid-bass. Respective 100 and 115 dimensions. Material ceramics. So also about 300 a piece. It's 100% passive so component cost in total will be about 250 for excellence.
Cost without assembly and box: 1800 bucks, calculated at end-retail. A cabinet in small-series-manufacture is 500 and then it's really really good stuff. 2300. Assembly time: 10 hours, being generous. That includes preparing any wiring and soldering. I make this a very nice 100 bucks per hour a feel dirty.
So all in all you have a speaker that is worth 7k a pair and everyone included in the process got paid well.
If I include the Volume rebates you get when you make 500 pairs it would just become ridiculous.
I can self-build an world-class Eton speaker for 3.5k in 3-way semi-active. 4k for exotic verneer. Which is ridiculous since in no other fields homebrew can compete in price or quality with an industrial product. Except speakers.
To get an overview: the most expensive competent current driver is the Seas T29D001 Diamond tweeter. Like the B&W one but will be used in actually good speakers. The matched pair is 2k. That's it. Mind you the difference to an Eton ER4 Airmotion driver is... well, it's made of diamond, okay? In my experience you can't beat a good AMT (Mundorf, Elac, Eton), the transparency, neutrality and effortlessness is ridiculous.
..
.......
Okay, I went off track. To get back on topic, the only way this speaker is 15k is because it's from Denmark, propably very small series and has the usual huge Markup. If this were a mass product, expect a third or less in retail. Alas, we audio fans feed the good 200 or so speaker manufacturers worldwide. That number alone should tell how profitable this market is.
Greets, Fox
Cost without assembly and box: 1800 bucks, calculated at end-retail. A cabinet in small-series-manufacture is 500 and then it's really really good stuff. 2300. Assembly time: 10 hours, being generous. That includes preparing any wiring and soldering. I make this a very nice 100 bucks per hour a feel dirty.
So all in all you have a speaker that is worth 7k a pair and everyone included in the process got paid well.
If I include the Volume rebates you get when you make 500 pairs it would just become ridiculous.
I can self-build an world-class Eton speaker for 3.5k in 3-way semi-active. 4k for exotic verneer. Which is ridiculous since in no other fields homebrew can compete in price or quality with an industrial product. Except speakers.
To get an overview: the most expensive competent current driver is the Seas T29D001 Diamond tweeter. Like the B&W one but will be used in actually good speakers. The matched pair is 2k. That's it. Mind you the difference to an Eton ER4 Airmotion driver is... well, it's made of diamond, okay? In my experience you can't beat a good AMT (Mundorf, Elac, Eton), the transparency, neutrality and effortlessness is ridiculous.
..
.......
Okay, I went off track. To get back on topic, the only way this speaker is 15k is because it's from Denmark, propably very small series and has the usual huge Markup. If this were a mass product, expect a third or less in retail. Alas, we audio fans feed the good 200 or so speaker manufacturers worldwide. That number alone should tell how profitable this market is.
Greets, Fox
I just think the idea that you would bring stupidly expensive cables, amplifiers, sources of dubious worth yet don't bring hardware that would benefit the system the most to be immensely amusing.
I don't doubt that it probably sounds good by the virtue that its using good internals, loudspeakers aren't too difficult to design decently, and its played damn loud (when I worked in consumer electronics, the easiest way to upsell is to play the more expensive system a tad louder) but room treatment and EQing is piss easy these days. It doesn't have to be permanent either. I honestly don't know why loudspeaker audiophiles are seemingly reluctant to adopt technology that the 21st century offers.
Edit: Sorry, I'm not trying to have a go at you. Its just both frustrating and amusing to me that there has been so little progress in promoting audio technology that actually makes loudspeakers sound significantly better. Room treatment and EQ are probably just as important as a headphone's earpad. Anyone with modded Fostex T50RPs or Hifiman HE400/500 will know how much the earpads influence the quality of sound.
I don't doubt that it probably sounds good by the virtue that its using good internals, loudspeakers aren't too difficult to design decently, and its played damn loud (when I worked in consumer electronics, the easiest way to upsell is to play the more expensive system a tad louder) but room treatment and EQing is piss easy these days. It doesn't have to be permanent either. I honestly don't know why loudspeaker audiophiles are seemingly reluctant to adopt technology that the 21st century offers.
Edit: Sorry, I'm not trying to have a go at you. Its just both frustrating and amusing to me that there has been so little progress in promoting audio technology that actually makes loudspeakers sound significantly better. Room treatment and EQ are probably just as important as a headphone's earpad. Anyone with modded Fostex T50RPs or Hifiman HE400/500 will know how much the earpads influence the quality of sound.
biosnake20
Member
IF those were the rare earth ones than yeah that was a pretty good deal, though they're usually no more than 45.
Dreams-Visions
Member
Guys, can anyone recommend me a Dac/Amp combo (or separate components) that will be appropriate for a smallish work desk to pair with my cans (and run out of a laptop 100% of the time)? I currently have:
- Denon D7000
- Fidelio X1
- Mad Dogs w/ Dog Pads
- UE Triple-Fi 10vi
- Hi-Fi Man HE-5LE
- ATH M50
Been using a NuForce Icon HDP for the last few years, and am just naturally assuming something better is available at a size smaller than a PlayStation 4. My ideal footprint is something no better than 7"x 7", width and breath. Height is negotiable. < $600 is preferable. The lower the better, but it's gotta sound better than my Icon or there's no point.
- Denon D7000
- Fidelio X1
- Mad Dogs w/ Dog Pads
- UE Triple-Fi 10vi
- Hi-Fi Man HE-5LE
- ATH M50
Been using a NuForce Icon HDP for the last few years, and am just naturally assuming something better is available at a size smaller than a PlayStation 4. My ideal footprint is something no better than 7"x 7", width and breath. Height is negotiable. < $600 is preferable. The lower the better, but it's gotta sound better than my Icon or there's no point.
Phat Michael
Banned
2nd hand CEntrance DacMini. Its tiny and powerful. I have one now and am selling it but I don't think you live near me.
MiniBossman
Member
Seems there will be a lightning deal on the X-1s tomorrow on Amazon.
saveweyard
Banned
Yeah just noticed that one. Depending on the price I might bite. I've been thinking about getting the NVX XPT100s, but maybe I'll spend a little more and get these.
Oveja Negra
Member
curious has anyone here actually used one of the DragonFly USB DAC's? are they actually good?
Yes, for me, the improvement is totally noticeable, which most -if not all- reviews are saying since this little guy got released.
saveweyard
Banned
Yeah I've never had open headphones, but I know in general they are supposed to be a bit more lively. Right now I've got some Audio Technica M30s which I've found to be very serviceable but I was looking to step up to a higher quality. Impressions would be most welcome.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Again... Geek out measures better than the Dragon Fly and Meridian DACs. It's actually quite comparable to the O2/ODAC. One of my friends (miceblue) has both and says the GO is just a bit warmer, but in terms of resolution they're dead even. Unless Schiit's Fulla is somehow better than the GO, I really don't foresee anything challenging it for awhile
EnVy_CaLiBeR
Member
Not an audiophile at all so looking for some advice on some headphones. I'm honestly looking to get some awesome headphones for around $200 ($300 at the max). I saw the Studio Beats are on sale for $199 but I hear they are overrated so what would you guys recommend in that price range?
HD598, MDR-1R, Momentum
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