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

SleazyC

Member
So the left earpiece on my UM3X's died yesterday. Been using some Monster Turbines in the interim and these puppies have a crazy amount of bass. Mid's are recessed and slightly veiled though and I am finding it a pretty rough transition coming from the ultra forward mids on the UM3X.
 

HiResDes

Member
SleazyC said:
So the left earpiece on my UM3X's died yesterday. Been using some Monster Turbines in the interim and these puppies have a crazy amount of bass. Mid's are recessed and slightly veiled though and I am finding it a pretty rough transition coming from the ultra forward mids on the UM3X.
That's quite of an expensive loss...
 

SleazyC

Member
HiResDes said:
That's quite of an expensive loss...
UM3x's are still under warranty so they are out to Westone for repair. Should see them back early next week, customer service has been great.

I had previously had some Westone 4's pre-ordered but cancelled to hear reviews and was greatly tempted when my UM3X's first crapped out but have somehow still resisted the temptation.
 

Ashhong

Member
HiResDes said:
M16 are decent, M9 are good, M21 are great...Plus the M9P didn't come with iPhone/iPod controls like how I believe the M21P does

Yo hires, went to Amazon to order the 21P but they don't seem to have it, but they do have the 31P for 45$. Are they better than the 21?

edit: just found the 21P for 5$ less than the 31P. I'm willing to spend the 5 bucks if its worth it.
 

HiResDes

Member
Ashhong said:
Yo hires, went to Amazon to order the 21P but they don't seem to have it, but they do have the 31P for 45$. Are they better than the 21?

edit: just found the 21P for 5$ less than the 31P. I'm willing to spend the 5 bucks if its worth it.
It's not, M21 are better all around, less bloated by bass.
 

jett

D-Member
I don't know if I'm crazy but it seems like my HD555's are "unbalanced". The center channel pulls slightly to the right, or at least that's what it sounds to me.
 

Extollere

Sucks at poetry
jett said:
I don't know if I'm crazy but it seems like my HD555's are "unbalanced". The center channel pulls slightly to the right, or at least that's what it sounds to me.

I got that feeling with my headphones too.. except mine pulled slightly to the left. I noticed that it went away after a while. I don't know if that's because A) I got used to it that way B) break-in period or something, or C) My own hearing equaled itself out. My theory on that last option is that everyone has (or might have) slightly different perceptions of loudness in each ear. Listening to headphones over the course of several hours a day could *slightly* decrease sensitivity to loudness in the ears enough to equalize them... I'm not saying this is true, I have no idea if it is or not, but I'd like to find out if anyone knows the answer.
 

Lucentto

Banned
Does anyone know of any good in-ear headphones to use for portable gaming? I've been trying to find some good ones but I am not having any luck. Looking to spend around 50$.
 

Mordeccai

Member
punkypine said:
i'm a little dissapointed with the ATH-M50's that i bought last week. They sound nice, i like the build quality, and everything is good about them... except they start to hurt the tips of my ears after just a couple of hours (the top part of my ear). anyone else have this problem? will it get better over time when the headphones are broken in?


Yo man, I just got my M50's on Monday, posted in this thread to no response so I did some of my own leg work. Personally, I love these things. Been wearing them for about 5-6 hours straight every day since, with no pain at all on my ears. I actually find them fairly comfortable.

Then again, this is my first real pair of headphones, so I don't have much to go off of. All I can say is that I'm in a state of musical bliss when ever I plug these dudes in and turn on my prog metal \m/ haha.
 
Mordeccai said:
Yo man, I just got my M50's on Monday, posted in this thread to no response so I did some of my own leg work. Personally, I love these things. Been wearing them for about 5-6 hours straight every day since, with no pain at all on my ears. I actually find them fairly comfortable.

Then again, this is my first real pair of headphones, so I don't have much to go off of. All I can say is that I'm in a state of musical bliss when ever I plug these dudes in and turn on my prog metal \m/ haha.

Haha mine came in Monday too. Loving them so far. I don't wear them more than 4 hours in a row so I haven't had any problems.
 

Ashhong

Member
Everybody's ears are different. If the top of your ears are hurting I would recommend shortening the length of them so that the pressure is more on the top of your head instead of your ears. My ears stick out from the side of my head so the M50s can be a bit uncomfortable sometimes, but doing what I said above helps.
 

Mordeccai

Member
Ashhong said:
Everybody's ears are different. If the top of your ears are hurting I would recommend shortening the length of them so that the pressure is more on the top of your head instead of your ears. My ears stick out from the side of my head so the M50s can be a bit uncomfortable sometimes, but doing what I said above helps.


I just tried adjusting the length of mine just now, and by god, if you're using your M50's all the way extended I can see why your ears would be in pain. I keep mine as short as they can go, gives me a comfortable fit.

Ninja edit: didn't mean to quote you per-say, post directed towards the subject of my original quote.
 

Ashhong

Member
Yea it takes me a bit of adjusting everytime I wear mine to get it perfectly comfortable. My head is too big to use the cans without making them longer.

Even when I am in pain a bit though, it's so worth it
KuGsj.gif
 

Buggy Loop

Gold Member
Any good places to order in-ear headphones in canada? Seriously, every store i find in Quebec is only Bose, panasonic, JVC, sony, basically the japanese stuff, nothing fancy, even the sennheiser ones are sport editions.
 
Buggy Loop said:
Any good places to order in-ear headphones in canada? Seriously, every store i find in Quebec is only Bose, panasonic, JVC, sony, basically the japanese stuff, nothing fancy, even the sennheiser ones are sport editions.
LoL, Panasonic, JVC and Sony churn out excellent phones. Well... Maybe not so much Sony if we're talking in ears. I think it's common knowledge that the best stuff is never found in stores unless you live in Japan. Internet is your best bet. Do the research and then buy. The thing about phones is that they hold their resale value very well over at headfi.
 

TheExodu5

Banned
Anywhere from the US that ships to Canada. Honestly, Canadian prices for headphones are absurd.

I haven't ordered a pair of headphones in a while...my last order was from SweetWater for the HFI-580. The order before that was from eBay for the DT 770 Pro.
 

Ashhong

Member
Got the meelectronics in today, thanks for the recommendation! I honestly cant hear THAT much of an improvement over the CX300 but the microphone and control button works so I'm happy.
 

KJTB

Member
So I finally got to try out my TMA-1's today... holy fuck, they're awesome! Totally worth the money, I love them :D
 

hoverX

Member
TheExodu5 said:
Anywhere from the US that ships to Canada. Honestly, Canadian prices for headphones are absurd.

I haven't ordered a pair of headphones in a while...my last order was from SweetWater for the HFI-580. The order before that was from eBay for the DT 770 Pro.

I once ordered a pair of Sennheisers from the US. Paid $110 for them, had to pay $50 at customs. Never doing that again. You don't know how much they are going to nick you for until you've made your purchase and it's sitting at the border.
 

TheExodu5

Banned
hoverX said:
I once ordered a pair of Sennheisers from the US. Paid $110 for them, had to pay $50 at customs. Never doing that again. You don't know how much they are going to nick you for until you've made your purchase and it's sitting at the border.

You should have disputed that one. You shouldn't be paying more than ~$20 or so in taxes + duties for that. Unless you got it shipped by UPS, who like to rip you off with brokerage fees.
 
Ashhong said:
Got the meelectronics in today, thanks for the recommendation! I honestly cant hear THAT much of an improvement over the CX300 but the microphone and control button works so I'm happy.

I don't know how the MeElectronics sound, but I recall the CX300 sounding pretty muddy with recessed mids and highs. A step up from the junk that's bundled with your mp3 player, but not that great. You should allow yourself to acclimate to the MeEs for a week before calling any judgements, you just might have to allow yourself to get more acquainted to the sound.
 

HiResDes

Member
TheExodu5 said:
Anywhere from the US that ships to Canada. Honestly, Canadian prices for headphones are absurd.

I haven't ordered a pair of headphones in a while...my last order was from SweetWater for the HFI-580. The order before that was from eBay for the DT 770 Pro.
TurntableLab
 

KJTB

Member
So I have a question about EQ settings on itunes... What do you guys prefer? I have no idea what to do.. right now I just have it on flat >_>

I know that it's been posted about already in the thread but I can't seem to find the posts, sorry :/
 

RPS37

Member
I tried the Sony XB500s the other day at Best Buy. They seemed really comfortable. Beet Buy doesn't sell the XB700's, so I couldn't try them out. How do they compare? Anyone have either?

The 500s are 80 bucks at Best Buy, but the 700s are 80 bucks on Amazon. Wanna know if I should bite the bullet or not.
 

HiResDes

Member
RPS37 said:
I tried the Sony XB500s the other day at Best Buy. They seemed really comfortable. Beet Buy doesn't sell the XB700's, so I couldn't try them out. How do they compare? Anyone have either?

The 500s are 80 bucks at Best Buy, but the 700s are 80 bucks on Amazon. Wanna know if I should bite the bullet or not.
Get the 500 for $50 on Amazon with free shipping and call it a day.
 

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
Dipindots said:
So I finally got to try out my TMA-1's today... holy fuck, they're awesome! Totally worth the money, I love them :D
Dipindots said:
So I have a question about EQ settings on itunes... What do you guys prefer? I have no idea what to do.. right now I just have it on flat >_>

I know that it's been posted about already in the thread but I can't seem to find the posts, sorry :/
Yup, they are indeed an amazing set. I am in love with the TMA-1.

I don't use EQ with these, anymore. I used to bump up the treble a little bit (by setting iTunes to Treble Booster, then dialing them back) but now the cans have opened up to the point where it's unnecessary.
 

KJTB

Member
K.Jack said:
Yup, they are indeed an amazing set. I am in love with the TMA-1.

I don't use EQ with these, anymore. I used to bump up the treble a little bit (by setting iTunes to Treble Booster, then dialing them back) but now the cans have opened up to the point where it's unnecessary.

I love just about everything about them. Your recommendation prompted me to look into them which then made me buy them, so thank you :).

I might try the treble thing for fun but yeah they already sound pretty awesome just on flat settings right out of the box. It's pretty sweet listening to songs and hearing stuff that I didn't even know was IN the song but can now hear it simply due to nicer headphones lol.
 

Ashhong

Member
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri said:
I don't know how the MeElectronics sound, but I recall the CX300 sounding pretty muddy with recessed mids and highs. A step up from the junk that's bundled with your mp3 player, but not that great. You should allow yourself to acclimate to the MeEs for a week before calling any judgements, you just might have to allow yourself to get more acquainted to the sound.

Ah ok. I'll see if it changes at all over time. I'm probably giving the CX300 too much credit as well. My audiophile abilities arent very high.
 

jacobs34

Member
Hello Head-Fi Gaf. I've been the happy owner of AT:AD 700's for a couple of years now. Recently I've gotten the itch to upgrade, and have around 500 dollars to spend on a pair of new phones pus an amplifier to drive them. My taste in music ranges from Classic Rock to Electronic so it's tough to zone in on a specific pair of cans.

I've been told that the Dennon D2000's have a nice range and don't take a lot to power. I've also noticed that there are some deals on Amazon to get the Senn 650's with an amp for under $500 as well as AKG K702's with an amp for under 450. The Amp in both deals is a PreSonus HP4. Are either of these deals worth looking into, or should I be on the lookout for a better amp, and if so what kind of amps should I be looking at? Any advice would be great. Thanks.
 
Ashhong said:
Ah ok. I'll see if it changes at all over time. I'm probably giving the CX300 too much credit as well. My audiophile abilities arent very high.
No worries man. I once recommended the Victor FX-500 to someone. A pair of phone that I own that retail for $150. The guy I recommended them to was coming from a CX300 background as well. Objectively, the FX-500 and the CX300 couldn't be any more different, but the first few days with them, he said he could hardly tell the difference. I was flabbergasted. The FX-500s sport near best of class bass articulation, were very fast and detailed for a dynamic, and have very nice timbral reproduction qualities. Yet, to his ears, they weren't all that different to him. I kept telling him not to be alarmed and to keep listening to them, and indeed he finally made a breakthrough 2 weeks later. Be went back to the CX300s and finally realized how flabby and boxy they sounded. He ended up liking the FX-500s so much that he ordered a second pair as a backup. So yeah, just take it easy, and listen to music. There was once a time when I was rocking $10 cheapo Sony headphones and I thought I'd never own any good gear too.
 

cnizzle06

Banned
I'm a noob to audio-tech, but I'm looking to have a pair of headphones for my ps3 with a budget around 150.00.

I'm thinking a pair of Sennheisers HD555, with a Ear Force DSS 7.1 Channel Dolby Surround Sound Processor.

Does anyone have an opinion of this or possibly a better alternative?

Also, for future reference, how are the HD598 because they have to be the sexiest pair of headphones that I've ever seen.
 

HiResDes

Member
cnizzle06 said:
I'm a noob to audio-tech, but I'm looking to have a pair of headphones for my ps3 with a budget around 150.00.

I'm thinking a pair of Sennheisers HD555, with a Ear Force DSS 7.1 Channel Dolby Surround Sound Processor.

Does anyone have an opinion of this or possibly a better alternative?

Also, for future reference, how are the HD598 because they have to be the sexiest pair of headphones that I've ever seen.
For gaming, ATH-AD700 + Astro Mixamp is godlike
 
After reading a shit ton of articles and looking through the OP, I still am really confused about which pair I should buy.

Situation: I'm a commuter but also love some nice sound while on the bus, so I need some over the ear phones (also, I have sensitive ears, so cranking crappy ear buds up is a huge nono). They need to be portable and durable, though, as I am clumsy as shit and tend to break electronics that are fragile. I'm hoping for a price below $90, because of the fact that I'm not confident at all that I will keep from breaking whatever pair I buy. I listen to pretty much any music you can think of: jazz, rock, electronica, world, acoustic, etc.

Not sure if anyone can help me narrow my choices with that info but DAMN are there a lot of choices.
 
jacobs34 said:
I've been told that the Dennon D2000's have a nice range and don't take a lot to power. I've also noticed that there are some deals on Amazon to get the Senn 650's with an amp for under $500 as well as AKG K702's with an amp for under 450. The Amp in both deals is a PreSonus HP4. Are either of these deals worth looking into, or should I be on the lookout for a better amp, and if so what kind of amps should I be looking at? Any advice would be great. Thanks.
D2000
  • Well worth the price, if under $240. They're fantastic. I would still have mine had I not upgraded to a pair of D7000s. But my experience with the D2000s and D5000s were the reason I invested in the top-of-the-line Denon, so that should tell you something about how I feel about their products.
  • Keep in mind, they don't isolate particularly well and they're not designed to be mobile cans, so if either of those are needs, they might not work well for you. The Denon earcups are attatched with a single metal rod and as such feels kinda fragile. That won't be a problem for around-the-home usage, but I wouldn't take them on the bus every day, if you know what I mean. I'd have some in-ears or something that is made of plastic and can fold for travel duty.
  • These are great for music that has a bit of kick to them (pop, rock, hip-hop, electronic, electronica, latin, etc.) and I'd consider them the perfect movie-watching cans as well. Strap on the Denons and watch the lobby scene from The Matrix or the opening scene of Star Trek (2009) with a change of underwear ready. Denons offer some of the best sound for electronic music on the market.
  • Of the 2 cans you mentioned, the Denons require the least amount of power. All Denon's can be driven to volume levels beyond your comfort level straight out of an iPod. No amp is required, though adding an amp will enhance the broadness of the sound stage. Buying *the right* amp will also soften the sometimes sharp highs as well, though this may not be an issue depending on the type of music you listen to and how well it was mastered.
  • Denons are godtier when it comes to gaming. Explosive, ass-shaking bass and clarity to die for.

HD650 + Amp
  • It really depends on the amp. If you're going to have to upgrade to a better amp, you take a loss on the amp's cost in the package. As such, we'll need to know what amp is being included in order for us to give you an accurate opinion.
  • As for the cans, they're also worth their price. Some of the most popular on the market.
  • They do, however, require a lot of power to drive them to good volume levels...and they need a quality amp with high power to help them bring out their best sound.
  • Keep in mind: these, unlike the Denons, are Open-Air cans. They do not keep sound in. As such, anyone else in the room will hear whatever you're listening to loud and clear and will consider you rude as hell. If this is not a concern, don't worry about this point.
  • Beware fakes or people who have "made" a pair of 650's from parts. They're unlikely to sound as good.
  • The 650's will grow with your collection if you can envision a future where you're spending $1000 on a DAC and another $1000 on an Amp. In other words, the sound quality continues to scale and improve as you upgrade your equipment.
  • These cans are NOT designed to be driven straight off of an iPod or straight out of your computer. You can do it, but the results will be unsatisfactory. If you want the flexibility of not being tied to an amp all the time, you'll want to look elsewhere.

$0.02
 

Alucrid

Banned
Dreams-Visions said:
D2000
  • Well worth the price, if under $240. They're fantastic. I would still have mine had I not upgraded to a pair of D7000s. But my experience with the D2000s and D5000s were the reason I invested in the top-of-the-line Denon, so that should tell you something about how I feel about their products.
  • Keep in mind, they don't isolate particularly well and they're not designed to be mobile cans, so if either of those are needs, they might not work well for you. The Denon earcups are attatched with a single metal rod and as such feels kinda fragile. That won't be a problem for around-the-home usage, but I wouldn't take them on the bus every day, if you know what I mean. I'd have some in-ears or something that is made of plastic and can fold for travel duty.
  • These are great for music that has a bit of kick to them (pop, rock, hip-hop, electronic, electronica, latin, etc.) and I'd consider them the perfect movie-watching cans as well. Strap on the Denons and watch the lobby scene from The Matrix or the opening scene of Star Trek (2009) with a change of underwear ready. Denons offer some of the best sound for electronic music on the market.
  • Of the 2 cans you mentioned, the Denons require the least amount of power. All Denon's can be driven to volume levels beyond your comfort level straight out of an iPod. No amp is required, though adding an amp will enhance the broadness of the sound stage. Buying *the right* amp will also soften the sometimes sharp highs as well, though this may not be an issue depending on the type of music you listen to and how well it was mastered.

HD650 + Amp
  • It really depends on the amp. If you're going to have to upgrade to a better amp, you take a loss on the amp's cost in the package. As such, we'll need to know what amp is being included in order for us to give you an accurate opinion.
  • As for the cans, they're also worth their price. Some of the most popular on the market.
  • They do, however, require a lot of power to drive them to good volume levels...and they need a quality amp with high power to help them bring out their best sound.
  • Keep in mind: these, unlike the Denons, are Open-Air cans. They do not keep sound in. As such, anyone else in the room will hear whatever you're listening to loud and clear and will consider you rude as hell. If this is not a concern, don't worry about this point.
  • Beware fakes or people who have "made" a pair of 650's from parts. They're unlikely to sound as good.
  • The 650's will grow with your collection if you can envision a future where you're spending $1000 on a DAC and another $1000 on an Amp. In other words, the sound quality continues to scale and improve as you upgrade your equipment.
  • These cans are NOT designed to be driven straight off of an iPod or straight out of your computer. You can do it, but the results will be unsatisfactory. If you want the flexibility of not being tied to an amp all the time, you'll want to look elsewhere.

$0.02

Heh. I was reading this and thought "yeah, that sounds about right. Who's the new guy?" Then I saw it was you. Didn't see the smang avatar so I had no clue.
 

swoon

Member
some dude is selling the burson 160d for a 1000$ shipped.
stello da100 for $500! shipped.

some good deals going on, plus the massive lcd-2 sell off going on. use the system folks!
 
SleazyC said:
UM3x's are still under warranty so they are out to Westone for repair. Should see them back early next week, customer service has been great.

I had previously had some Westone 4's pre-ordered but cancelled to hear reviews and was greatly tempted when my UM3X's first crapped out but have somehow still resisted the temptation.

I have to keep myself from buying the Westone 4's every damn pay check. I went from UM1 to UM2 and have had them from three years. I love them but am chomping at the bit for an upgrade. I damaged my cable in my zipper and then dropped my earphones and damaged the right ear driver. Both times my earphones were covered by warranty and both times Westone support was top notch. You are in good hands. They will get them back and fixed up in no time. Now...to resist the Westone 4's for another few months.
 
swoon said:
some dude is selling the burson 160d for a 1000$ shipped.
stello da100 for $500! shipped.

some good deals going on, plus the massive lcd-2 sell off going on. use the system folks!
WHAT THE HELL.

why is there an LCD-2 sell-off going on? where?

and who in their right mind would sellthat Burson for $1k? talk to me, damn it!
 

swoon

Member
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri said:
I've noticed the T-1's and T50's being sold off too. HD800 not so much.


yea i'm thinking about picking up a lcd-2, throwing off my stax and speaker plans. why can't stax ever become fotm so i can pick up people's used stuff cheap.
 

jacobs34

Member
Dreams-Visions said:
D2000
  • Well worth the price, if under $240. They're fantastic. I would still have mine had I not upgraded to a pair of D7000s. But my experience with the D2000s and D5000s were the reason I invested in the top-of-the-line Denon, so that should tell you something about how I feel about their products.
  • Keep in mind, they don't isolate particularly well and they're not designed to be mobile cans, so if either of those are needs, they might not work well for you. The Denon earcups are attatched with a single metal rod and as such feels kinda fragile. That won't be a problem for around-the-home usage, but I wouldn't take them on the bus every day, if you know what I mean. I'd have some in-ears or something that is made of plastic and can fold for travel duty.
  • These are great for music that has a bit of kick to them (pop, rock, hip-hop, electronic, electronica, latin, etc.) and I'd consider them the perfect movie-watching cans as well. Strap on the Denons and watch the lobby scene from The Matrix or the opening scene of Star Trek (2009) with a change of underwear ready. Denons offer some of the best sound for electronic music on the market.
  • Of the 2 cans you mentioned, the Denons require the least amount of power. All Denon's can be driven to volume levels beyond your comfort level straight out of an iPod. No amp is required, though adding an amp will enhance the broadness of the sound stage. Buying *the right* amp will also soften the sometimes sharp highs as well, though this may not be an issue depending on the type of music you listen to and how well it was mastered.
  • Denons are godtier when it comes to gaming. Explosive, ass-shaking bass and clarity to die for.

HD650 + Amp
  • It really depends on the amp. If you're going to have to upgrade to a better amp, you take a loss on the amp's cost in the package. As such, we'll need to know what amp is being included in order for us to give you an accurate opinion.
  • As for the cans, they're also worth their price. Some of the most popular on the market.
  • They do, however, require a lot of power to drive them to good volume levels...and they need a quality amp with high power to help them bring out their best sound.
  • Keep in mind: these, unlike the Denons, are Open-Air cans. They do not keep sound in. As such, anyone else in the room will hear whatever you're listening to loud and clear and will consider you rude as hell. If this is not a concern, don't worry about this point.
  • Beware fakes or people who have "made" a pair of 650's from parts. They're unlikely to sound as good.
  • The 650's will grow with your collection if you can envision a future where you're spending $1000 on a DAC and another $1000 on an Amp. In other words, the sound quality continues to scale and improve as you upgrade your equipment.
  • These cans are NOT designed to be driven straight off of an iPod or straight out of your computer. You can do it, but the results will be unsatisfactory. If you want the flexibility of not being tied to an amp all the time, you'll want to look elsewhere.

$0.02

Wow. Amazing post. Where to start.

I've really had my eye on the HD650's because they tend to scale nicely and will still sound good if I ever want to upgrade my rig.

The Dennon's sound great, and I may end up getting a pair as well if I can find a good deal on an amp/Dac combo.

As far as what I've been looking at as far as amps are concerned, the first thing someone suggested to me was the NuForce Icon HDP. I've also heard good things about the iBasso D12. I'm wondering if the E9 has enough juice to power the HD650's? Perhaps you could help me out on this. Because if it can I would be open to pairing the 650's with the E7/E9.

I still plan on using my AD700's for gaming and movies, they are really excellent for gaming and I would suggest them to anyone looking for a pair of starter cans. This is why I'm leaning for the 650's over the D2000's.

My budget for a rig is around $1,000. I really want a good setup as I listen to music for 6-8 hours every day. I don't mind spending the cash because I recently stopped drinking, and I want to reward myself with a nice audio setup Thanks again for the help.
 
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