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[Zeth]

Sup headphone gaf.

Just took the plunge into hifi phones. Got a PA2V2 portable amp from Gary Ali at electric-avenues.com. (Amp was just reviewed by Steve Guttenberg at CNET I believe) I'm gonna be pairing it with Grado SR225s. What I need now is a good, preferably affordable, DAC. Anyone have suggestions for someone new to the audiophile community?

 

[Dreams-Visions]

what plug-ins should i be looking for? i like that it loads the song in the memory, though i wish it wouldn't start until it is loaded. not hearing huge change, but i'm willing to try!

So far the only one I really like is Sonalksis SV-517Mk2 Stereo EQ. PM for sauce. Player is definitely a step up from iTunes while being more stable than Amarra. win.

 

[totowhoa]

Sup GAF. Looking for some good budget headphones for the two primary purposes:

-Playing on my digital baby grand piano
-Something that at least accentuates the wonderful bass guitar lines that are often unheard while listening to music

I'm no audio-phile. I've never experienced grade-A audio, so some good-quality budget phones will probably sound ace to me. I'm sure this thread has had plenty of similar requests, but I doubt many people have asked regarding the piano. I'm not sure if really good headphones will make much of a difference there either, but I'm sure it'll beat the hell out of the on-board speakers or the mediocre (eh, crappy actually, but better than on-board speakers) amp I have. It's a Yamaha P-95. Not the greatest keyboard out there, but I've been quite happy with it. I'm not sure if sound quality peaks early at a certain point with things like this as opposed to listening to your standard rock or whatever with a number of instruments and mixing issues or not, so opinions would be helpful here as well.

Edit: I should clarify, I read the OP and it was very informative, but I guess I'm just mostly curious if there's a point at which the quality of the sound of the keyboard will become negligible with upgraded headphones due to the "simplicity" of what's going on. I'm audio-ignorant, so I guess that's my main question. I want something nice for both, for sure, with the primary stress on getting the best sound out of the keyboard while also getting a fine bass sound when I listen to other things.

 

[TheExodu5]

Anyone have any experience with the Fostex T50RP? I think they might be a very good match for a keyboard, due to their very flat bass and midrange.

 

[HiResDes]

Anyone have any experience with the Fostex T50RP? I think they might be a very good match for a keyboard, due to their very flat bass and midrange.

Aren't Alessandro MS1's fairly neutral as well?

 

[TheExodu5]

Aren't Alessandro MS1's fairly neutral as well?

They're apparently more neutral than Grado...but still Grados nonetheless. They also have a very inside your head soundstage, which doesn't work too well with the piano.

Sklorenz: what's your budget? I think Denon headphones might actually be a really good fit.

 

[HiResDes]

Hmm...that's true. I guess studio headphones are the way to go then for sure. I'm completely oblivious really, as my ideal headphones are far from being neutral with a large leaning towards sounding warm.

 

[TheExodu5]

I ordered the Phiaton MS 400 today...not sure if I might regret that now. I didn't realize there were nice iPhone compatible Denons for $100.

 

[HiResDes]

I heard the PS500's sound fantastic, but comfort is kind of an issue.

 

[TheExodu5]

Denon AH-D1100 review:

A good seal from a closed-back headphone can also facilitate enhanced bass production and that is certainly the case here. The 50mm drivers combined with an excellent seal, generous enclosure and Denon’s voicing efforts culminates in some seriously robust bass response. Those that demand a more balanced bass response may be put off by the D1100’s affinity for the low tones but we found it to be enjoyable – particularly when listening to vinyl records or recordings with naturally lean bass tracks. When listening to tracks with plenty of bass, the response we got was a little heavy handed, but never without accurate tone and integrity. Kick drums were punchy and resonant, bass guitars very percussive and even the lowest octave had generous support. For grins, we ran through a few action packed movie tracks and found that the D1100’s provided us plenty of visceral low end that helped to enhance the listening experience.

We felt that the D1100’s midrange was pleasantly uncongested and open. Vocal tracks were reproduced with a truth and intimacy that we normally experience with only very high-end headphones. We also enjoyed how the D1100’s resolved low brass, string instruments and percussion without undue coloration. We dug the D1100’s accurate midrange enough that we spent some time simply enjoying the headphones for music enjoyment’s sake.

Having tested some mighty bright headphones over the last few weeks, our initial impression of the D1100’s treble response was that it was very laid back – perhaps too laid back. Once our ears relaxed into them, however, our opinion changed significantly. After the treble desensitization caused by extensive listening over the last few weeks had worn down, we heard very clearly that the D1100’s high frequencies had incredible extension and were not so laid back as we had initially thought. We would characterize the high frequency sound of the D1100’s as warm, airy and revealing with extension well above 25 khz. On our brightest tracks, the D1100’s did begin to get a little “shouty” but most headphones in this class do.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/headphone-reviews/denon-ah-d1100-review/1/

And they're apparently really comfortable to boot. $200 might be out of your price range...I don't know. They seem like a pretty awesome candidate though.

edit: they're $120 at Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042ETXRQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I think that may be tough to beat.

edit: that review seems to conflict with head-fi's opinion...hmmmm.

 

[HiResDes]

They're only $120...I think the Equation Audio RP-21 would be great too, if you're willing to go up to $100

 

[TheExodu5]

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/537636/denon-ah-d1100-review-the-m50-killer

Actually, judging by it's strengths there, and the fact they say it has a deep soundstage, though not particularly wide, makes it sound perfect for piano. My old Denons had a similar quality, and I could imagine the piano right in front of me when I was playing my Yamaha keyboard.

 

[kevm3]

Just sold the Audio-GD DAC19 mk3 the other day on head-fi. I offered it here. Wish someone would have picked it up, especially at the price I was selling it for. Excellent DAC for it's price. If one comes up for sale on head-fi, I would recommend grabbing that.

I may get back into headphones in the not too distant future just to have something to mix-up with my speaker setup. Already have the headphone amp (Head Direct EF1) and DAC. I just need to find a decent pair of headphones. Didn't care for the Sennheiser HD600s, even after a recable.

 

[TheExodu5]

Let's just say both my dad and I did not hear the difference a $6000/pr cable made over his usual $2/ft balanced connection on his B&W 800 Diamonds.

 

[FoxSpirit]

Pk3s are garbage. There are much better options out there for around the same price.

You can get legit AKG K-319, which sound pretty awesome. Very clear and seperated without sounding sharp in any way. Nice bass for an earbud too.

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/537636/denon-ah-d1100-review-the-m50-killer

Actually, judging by it's strengths there, and the fact they say it has a deep soundstage, though not particularly wide, makes it sound perfect for piano. My old Denons had a similar quality, and I could imagine the piano right in front of me when I was playing my Yamaha keyboard.

The review says it has quite the tendency to be sssibilant. I could never get those.

 

[Dice]

HOOOLLLYYYYY CRAAAAPPPP!!!

My HRT MS2+ came in and the sound is blowing my mind. Even with something incredibly difficult and messy like 4minute's "Hot Issue" is presented fully clear and separated. The sound is clean, balanced, effortless... perfect! The difference is twice as drastic for my Swan speakers.

 

[FoxSpirit]

HOOOLLLYYYYY CRAAAAPPPP!!!

My HRT MS2+ came in and the sound is blowing my mind. Even with something incredibly difficult and messy like 4minute's "Hot Issue" is presented fully clear and separated. The sound is clean, balanced, effortless... perfect! The difference is twice as drastic for my Swan speakers.

I'd like to get that too but having to turn on my PC just to listen to music... or what about watching movies? I dunno...

 

[TheExodu5]

You can get legit AKG K-319, which sound pretty awesome. Very clear and seperated without sounding sharp in any way. Nice bass for an earbud too.



The review says it has quite the tendency to be sssibilant. I could never get those.

I picked these for their strengths in reproducing the piano, and their comfort. My old Denons were also sibilant, but they were ridiculously good with my Yamaha keyboard.

 

[FoxSpirit]

Have you ever heard DT880s??
They are way bright and a bit sharp sounding, but man, do they nail everything related to strings and metal. And absolute speed freaks too.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Denon AH-D1100 review:



http://www.digitaltrends.com/headphone-reviews/denon-ah-d1100-review/1/

And they're apparently really comfortable to boot. $200 might be out of your price range...I don't know. They seem like a pretty awesome candidate though.

edit: they're $120 at Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042ETXRQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I think that may be tough to beat.

edit: that review seems to conflict with head-fi's opinion...hmmmm.

That review is bullshit. The reason they dropped $80 in 3 months on the market is because they're only good if the heavy amounts of bass are removed. The amount of bass is so bad it muddies everything in the mids. Listening to a piano playing through the 1100's makes you wonder what Denon was thinking.

But...if you have the ability to reduce the bass (ie bass reduction EQ settings on your source) the mids can some out and they sound pretty good. But if you don't want cans you have to do adjustments on in order to make them listenable, look elsewhere.

That review is misleading as fuck. I'm actually angry because people could be buying those cans on the strength of that review without knowing what they're getting.

TLDR: Good with heavy EQ'ing; offensive as stock. Better than many at the price when EQ'd, but better options exist even when EQ is adjusted. My time with them = 30 full days. That review = bullshit. For the amount of work you have to do to make them sound decent, they should be <$100 cans.

Apologies for spelling mistakes; writing on an ipad is irritating as hell.

 

[Ezalc]

Greetings headphone GAF, my shitty ipod headphones died and I was hoping that those more versed in all things headphones could please help me out getting some new ones that don't suck major ass. I would only use them on my ipod really but I want something that won't die in less than a year and has that little button on the headphones themselves(like on the wire) to play, pause, skip, and etc that the ipod headphones have, if there are any others that have that, that is. The budget for the headphones isn't big but as long as they don't suck like the ipod headphones then it's already an improvement, if it doesn't have those buttons then can anybody tell me if there is some little ipod touch remote I could buy which could help with this? Thank you for any and all assistance provided!

 

[ghostofsparta]

If anyone is interested in a pair MS400's then PM about it. I'm selling them for 150 w shipping(or best offer). I've only had them since late December.

 

[HiResDes]

Greetings headphone GAF, my shitty ipod headphones died and I was hoping that those more versed in all things headphones could please help me out getting some new ones that don't suck major ass. I would only use them on my ipod really but I want something that won't die in less than a year and has that little button on the headphones themselves(like on the wire) to play, pause, skip, and etc that the ipod headphones have, if there are any others that have that, that is. The budget for the headphones isn't big but as long as they don't suck like the ipod headphones then it's already an improvement, if it doesn't have those buttons then can anybody tell me if there is some little ipod touch remote I could buy which could help with this? Thank you for any and all assistance provided!

M21P's, if you're okay with In-Ear Headphones

 

[TheExodu5]

That review is bullshit. The reason they dropped $80 in 3 months on the market is because they're only good if the heavy amounts of bass are removed. The amount of bass is so bad it muddies everything in the mids. Listening to a piano playing through the 1100's makes you wonder what Denon was thinking.

But...if you have the ability to reduce the bass (ie bass reduction EQ settings on your source) the mids can some out and they sound pretty good. But if you don't want cans you have to do adjustments on in order to make them listenable, look elsewhere.

That review is misleading as fuck. I'm actually angry because people could be buying those cans on the strength of that review without knowing what they're getting.

TLDR: Good with heavy EQ'ing; offensive as stock. Better than many at the price when EQ'd, but better options exist even when EQ is adjusted. My time with them = 30 full days. That review = bullshit. For the amount of work you have to do to make them sound decent, they should be <$100 cans.

Apologies for spelling mistakes; writing on an ipad is irritating as hell.

Good to know. I've encountered several headphones now with so much muddling bass that seem to be praised in the audiophile community.

 

[MadOdorMachine]

I'd like some advice on headphones. I'll be using them for 2 purposes. One for gaming/movies and the other for mixing and mastering my own music/recordings. As far as price goes, I'm not really too concerned with that. I just moved to a new house and a surround sound system is out of the question so any money I would have spent on new speakers can now be substituted for a nice set of headphones. Now for details -

Movies/Gaming -
- I suppose something that could support surround sound would be nice.
- I will be routing the headphones thru a Harman Kardon AVR 145 5.1 Channel Audio/Video Receiver

Music Mixing/Mastering -
- Whatever ever has the best frequency response. The hardest thing I find mixing are the drums.
- I'll be routing the headphones thru an Mbox 2

 

[HiResDes]

I'd like some advice on headphones. I'll be using them for 2 purposes. One for gaming/movies and the other for mixing and mastering my own music/recordings. As far as price goes, I'm not really too concerned with that. I just moved to a new house and a surround sound system is out of the question so any money I would have spent on new speakers can now be substituted for a nice set of headphones. Now for details -

Movies/Gaming -
- I suppose something that could support surround sound would be nice.
- I will be routing the headphones thru a Harman Kardon AVR 145 5.1 Channel Audio/Video Receiver

Music Mixing/Mastering -
- Whatever ever has the best frequency response. The hardest thing I find mixing are the drums.
- I'll be routing the headphones thru an Mbox 2

Beyerdynamic DT990's or AKG K702's if you can deal with open headphones

 

[kamspy]

I'm gonna try to return the cans I got. They sound good for the $ for sure, but the clamping is too much. I've got a big head (fitted size = 8).

What's comfy, bassy and comfy under $100?

I'm leaning toward the Sony XB500. I found a Best Buy that had them on display and they felt really light, but I only had them on for 30 seconds.

Thoughts? Will 8th Street Music even do a return?

 

[HiResDes]

I'd go with the XB500 then, they are pretty damn comfy...And I'm sorry to hear that man, now I feel guilty

If it's the pads you could cop some DT770 pads, but they will cost you almost as much as the headphones themselves.

 

[Alucrid]

This shit has ruined anything else for me.

 

[kamspy]

I'd go with the XB500 then, they are pretty damn comfy...And I'm sorry to hear that man, now I feel guilty

If it's the pads you could cop some DT770 pads, but they will cost you almost as much as the headphones themselves.

Nah. I think it's the way the frame is designed. The cups are great. Material is good, nice quality. Overall I've been really impressed with the fit and finish vs price.

Also, there's nothing to feel sorry about. I'm really happy with the sound. There's no way to account for my huge dome. You and everyone else who chimed in showed my that I can get the quality I was looking for in the Beats for under $100. Even if they won't return these I can still buy the Sony's and be +$300 for what I would have paid for the Beats.

That little FiiO is pretty boss too. I ended up ordering one for inline volume controls and it does a nice job bringing just a little more out of the phones. I test it with the Superlux's, Sennies, and IEMs and it made a nice little difference in all of them. Especially on the droid and in PC games.


So, what the word on 8th Street being cool? I found a spot on their site that says they wont' return headphones, but I couldn't find that text on their amazon listing, which is where I ordered from.

 

[Dice]

I take back what I said about the 325is comfort level. The things are pretty damn heavy... HOWEVER! I seriously just peeled the headband pad off my 555s (which are dead to me now) and stuck it to the Grados headband. The glue sticks really well and it's a perfect fit. It's much more comfortable now and the added height changed the angle of attack and pressure on my ears to be more comfortable for them as well.

 

[1stStrike]

Amusingly enough, my Fiio E7 died on me in its hard, and rock solid feeling shell, yet my Linearossa W1 in its plastic case is holding out strong. *sighs* Time to go through the return process.

 

[poweld]

Amusingly enough, my Fiio E7 died on me in its hard, and rock solid feeling shell, yet my Linearossa W1 in its plastic case is holding out strong. *sighs* Time to go through the return process.

Why are you using either. Get drunk and listen to the magnetic fields on your PPA like you're supposed to. This was part of the agreement.

(sorry to hear that)

 

[1stStrike]

Why are you using either. Get drunk and listen to the magnetic fields on your PPA like you're supposed to. This was part of the agreement.

(sorry to hear that)

lol the Denon's and the PPA stay on my desktop. I use the Fiios on my laptop upstairs. Now that I finally got my zune HD working again (3rd time's the charm) I'll probably hook the Line up to that. Everything shall be amped!

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

This shit has ruined anything else for me.

Woo-Audio 6 nice pick up man. Good to see you back.

 

[GCNemesis]

Hey Headphone-GAF,

I've had two pairs of Seinheisser CX 300's and I've really enjoyed these, however, both pairs broke on me.

Now I'm in the market for a slight step-up in IEMs that I can use for running, PC and iPod use.

I've been looking at the NuForce NE-700Xs and was wondering if they were any good. I've also been looking at the Brainwavz M1 and M2s.

Any help/recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Alucrid]

Woo-Audio 6 nice pick up man. Good to see you back.

Thanks. And yeah, that's the last time I participate in anything religious oriented thread of GAF. Eternas are still in the ocean somewhere. I think. I'll try and do a quick write up on the stuff, although I'm not sure how eloquent it'll turn out. I'll have to go look up some audiophile-esque terms.

 

[HiResDes]

Thanks. And yeah, that's the last time I participate in anything religious oriented thread of GAF. Eternas are still in the ocean somewhere. I think. I'll try and do a quick write up on the stuff, although I'm not sure how eloquent it'll turn out. I'll have to go look up some audiophile-esque terms.

They have to come today...Yesterday was my birthday so hopefully that brings me good luck.

 

[HiResDes]

Hey Headphone-GAF,

I've had two pairs of Seinheisser CX 300's and I've really enjoyed these, however, both pairs broke on me.

Now I'm in the market for a slight step-up in IEMs that I can use for running, PC and iPod use.

I've been looking at the NuForce NE-700Xs and was wondering if they were any good. I've also been looking at the Brainwavz M1 and M2s.

Any help/recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!

Go with the M2s.

 

[deadbeef]

Anyone seen this HD555-to-HD595 mod? Anyone done it?

http://mikebeauchamp.com/misc/sennheiser-hd-555-to-hd-595-mod/

Seems too good to be true so it's either a hoax or old. If so, all apologies.

 

[K.Jack]

^ the mod is quite old and 100% legit

Ordered on the 4th, shipped on the 9th, my TMA-1s will finally arrive today.

I am not HYPE, so expect my impressions to be very realistic.

 

[Alucrid]

^ the mod is quite old and 100% legit

Ordered on the 4th, shipped on the 9th, my TMA-1s will finally arrive today.

I am not HYPE, so expect my impressions to be very realistic.

You're definitely hyped.

They have to come today...Yesterday was my birthday so hopefully that brings me good luck.

We can only hope. Especially since I lost a bi-flange tip for the Rev 2s and am not liking the normal ones. Russian Post still says &#1069;&#1082;&#1089;&#1087;&#1086;&#1088;&#1090; (export).

 

[K.Jack]

You're definitely hyped.

Nah the hassle surrounding the sale soured my anticipation. Hype on zero. Irritation on max.

I'm wearing them right now though. Definitely up there with the most comfortable sets I've worn. I have a giant head but small ears, and the fit is perfect. I've had them on for about 1.5 hours, and there's no way they'll be bothering me even three hours from now.

I haven't listened to enough music yet, but hmm... these are impressive. I've run through a few of the songs I consider "make or break", and the TMA-1 has performed above par with all of them.

More on these later....

 

[Ashhong]

Another refurb Monster sale! Turbines for 55, Solos for 100, Studios for 150

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?sduid=593891&t=2669361

What stand is this?

 

[Stuck]

Anyone seen this HD555-to-HD595 mod? Anyone done it?

http://mikebeauchamp.com/misc/sennheiser-hd-555-to-hd-595-mod/

Seems too good to be true so it's either a hoax or old. If so, all apologies.

I also did this mod on my old HD555s before I sold them. It was quick and painless.

Also, not sure if anyone noticed already, but this specific thread got mentioned on Tested.com in an article about DIY headphone stands.

 

[kamspy]

Anyone want a pair of the Superlux HD681s mentioned in the OP? Mine are less than 2 weeks old. My dome is just too big for em. Headfi likes em a lot.

$25 shipped. Can post pics.

 

[Burger]

^ the mod is quite old and 100% legit

Ordered on the 4th, shipped on the 9th, my TMA-1s will finally arrive today.

I am not HYPE, so expect my impressions to be very realistic.

Also can be done to the new model, the HD558:

http://www.headfonia.com/sennheisers-new-hd558-and-hd598/3/

 

[Jomjom]

I'm looking at the MEelectronics M9 for my ipod shuffle to use at the gym. I mainly just listen to podcasts and with music occasionally. Will these hold up pretty well to all the sweat and junk?

 

[Ashhong]

Alright guys, so I need some advice regarding encoding and whatnot. Here is the backstory:

My iPod refuses to play some Korean songs that I have (maybe even other genres, but I haven't encountered them yet). I can play them off the iPod through itunes, but not off the iPod itself. It just skips the song. It's really weird too because I reformat, and resync, and suddenly songs that were working, stop working.

ANYWAYS, I found that when I tell iTunes to "Convert to MP3", even though it is already MP3, the newly created file goes onto my iPod just fine.

So my question is, what setting should I put my iTunes at so that I dont lose any quality in the song, and keep it at MP3? The songs are a max of 320kbps. I put custom settings on iTunes to be 320kbps with VBR bitrate. Is this my best option? Will I lose any quality if the song is 192 and then upped to 320 with iTunes?

 

[HiResDes]

Alright guys, so I need some advice regarding encoding and whatnot. Here is the backstory:

My iPod refuses to play some Korean songs that I have (maybe even other genres, but I haven't encountered them yet). I can play them off the iPod through itunes, but not off the iPod itself. It just skips the song. It's really weird too because I reformat, and resync, and suddenly songs that were working, stop working.

ANYWAYS, I found that when I tell iTunes to "Convert to MP3", even though it is already MP3, the newly created file goes onto my iPod just fine.

So my question is, what setting should I put my iTunes at so that I dont lose any quality in the song, and keep it at MP3? The songs are a max of 320kbps. I put custom settings on iTunes to be 320kbps with VBR bitrate. Is this my best option? Will I lose any quality if the song is 192 and then upped to 320 with iTunes?

Convert them to the equivalent in AAC, it's much more efficient than MP3 at bitrates lower than 256 kbps.