• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

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

KJTB

Member
After a lot of listening I've noticed that my headphones seem to pull more to the right than the left. Just right of center... if that makes any sense. Is this a normal thing? It's kind of distracting for some songs.

Edit: I found where I can change the balance on my computer. Put it just slightly more to the left and it sounds great now :).
 

Extollere

Sucks at poetry
rhfb said:
Is there such a thing as DECENT wireless headphones? Range would be ~10 feet tops. I ask because my SR80s finally bit the dust, and like every other headphone I've EVER owned, the problem was the wire at the Y eventually separating/causing static/ect I'm going to try to do a solder job on it tomorrow but I have little faith that I will get them back to full working order :(

I figure wireless = no wire to break at the Y = happy me. I know the sound quality will be shit, but whatever, my SR80s weren't high end to being with anyways. I just want something decent for under $100 that will last.

Just buy a pair of headphones that have the cable running out of one end.

HD555, AD700, and M50 all have this, bunch of others too.
 
Extollere said:
Just buy a pair of headphones that have the cable running out of one end.

HD555, AD700, and M50 all have this, bunch of others too.
I dunno man. If a pair of phones are susceptible to shorting out, it doesn't really matter whether they are Y style or not. I owned both the Sony SA3k and the 5k. The 3k shorted out and I had to return them to Sony in hopes of a replacement; they reimbursed me instead. My friend had a pair of 3ks that he has repeatedly serviced. The 3ks are not Y style, with the cable coming out of a single cup. I eventually bought the 5K which was the last flagship phone from Sony a few years back. You'd think the workmanship on the cable would be top notch for something that retailed for $500, but surprise, surprise. They shorted too, I lost sound on the right side. The 5ks are Y style. I eventually just had them recabled and they've been fine ever since.

My latest purchase, a pair of Head Direct RE262s shorted in ONE week. They retailed for $150. So I can sympathize with him. You simply don't expect these shenanigans at these price points.
 

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
the_painted_bird said:
My ME-Electronics M25s just started not working... left side pops in and out all the time.

Any thoughts? Might just be time for new ones, but I got these 'round Christmas, disappointed.
Thought? Use the warranty.
 
So, I'm thinking about picking up my first pair of quality headphones. I don't want them to be heavy or uncomfortable, and I plan on using them for gaming and music. The music and games I play usually have a fair bit of bass. I was leaning toward a pair of Sennheiser HD555's, and then doing the 555 to 595 equivalent mod. Would this be a good choice, or do you guys recommend something else? I'm spending probably around the $150 range in Canada, by the way.
 
Just got my K81DJs today....I must say, they are a bit bass heavy, but for $50 this is a damn good pair of headphones (although I have limited experience on headphones so take my opinion w/ a grain of salt). The bassiness shouldn't hurt for commuting, either.
 
Im officially a Sennheiser man.

Started with an HD212, moved up to a HD555, and now I'm also using the IE6 for my portable needs. Probably should branch out but they haven't done me wrong.

Only used the IE6s for a day but I've heard it has a long break in period. Already sound amazing but the bass is a little lacking; something which I expect the break in should help. But I also need to mess with the proper sized silicon since a proper fit is important for the low end.

The packaging made me feel like I was buying a luxury item. Senn always has amazing packaging. The headphones design itself is pretty plain which I actually like...if you didn't know better, you certainly wouldnt guess that these are $100+. Certainly a good thing for me since Im commuting to NY every day with them and dont want any extra attention.
 
besiktas1 said:
I'm in NYC for the first time, what's with everyone having Beats? Are they cheap somewhere, if so can i buy one?
I'm no expert but

-They are decent headphones, but...
-They're about $200 overpriced.
-You're basically paying for the Dre name

So basically it's kind of a fad.
 

Enron

Banned
CoffeeJanitor said:
I'm no expert but

-They are decent headphones, but...
-They're about $200 overpriced.
-You're basically paying for the Dre name

So basically it's kind of a fad.

They are also of shit-tay build quality.
 

HiResDes

Member
CoffeeJanitor said:
Just got my K81DJs today....I must say, they are a bit bass heavy, but for $50 this is a damn good pair of headphones (although I have limited experience on headphones so take my opinion w/ a grain of salt). The bassiness shouldn't hurt for commuting, either.
For future reference, most DJ-style headphones are bass heavy.
 
Alright, so I think I've decided I'm gonna pick up a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50's, does anyone here have this set? Is it good for both gaming and music? Comfortable to wear for periods of time? Thanks.
 
SUBZERO-08 said:
Alright, so I think I've decided I'm gonna pick up a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50's, does anyone here have this set? Is it good for both gaming and music? Comfortable to wear for periods of time? Thanks.
Great for both.
 

modulaire

Member
My girlfriend has these old Sony Qualia 010. They are very nice, I should use them more often.

Most of the time I use my HD555, love them, and will stay with them for many years.
qualia-1280x1024-hd-walrxl.jpg
 

swoon

Member
modulaire said:
My girlfriend has these old Sony Qualia 010. They are very nice, I should use them more often.

Most of the time I use my HD555, love them, and will stay with them for many years.


wow...

yea if the fit is right for you with the qualia it is one of the finest headphones ever made. i had a brief time with them i liked them more than the r10 - though the fit is kinda particular.
 

Alucrid

Banned
modulaire said:
My girlfriend has these old Sony Qualia 010. They are very nice, I should use them more often.

Most of the time I use my HD555, love them, and will stay with them for many years.
http://www.abload.de/img/qualia-1280x1024-hd-walrxl.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?
 

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
modulaire said:
My girlfriend has these old Sony Qualia 010. They are very nice, I should use them more often.
Casual, as if the cans didn't cost $3Gs plus, brand new.

Stealth brags itt.

Then you troll me with the HD555 honorable mention, as if they hold a burnt fucking candle to the Sony set. Are you serious? I hate you.
 
modulaire said:
My girlfriend has these old Sony Qualia 010. They are very nice, I should use them more often.

Most of the time I use my HD555, love them, and will stay with them for many years.
qualia-1280x1024-hd-walrxl.jpg
Hmmm... You two must have extremely similar shaped heads with ears at similar angles etc. Cause from all I've read about the Qualias over the years they are the most fit particular phones ever. They might as well be customs in a sense since they are so sensitive to angle and placement. Anywho, yeah, they are beyond nice actually. They are likely the most detailed phones ever made period, not even electrostats can best them in detail retrieval. You're very lucky to have access to them and have a pair that seemingly fit you perfectly.

K. Jack - the phones should be worth more now, since they aren't even produced any more. However, since they had to be individually sized at the Qualia store for the buyer, it'd be foolish to buy a pair second hand unless you could audition them first.
 

AwesomeSauce

MagsMoonshine
claviertekky said:
Some refurbished Sennheiser HD428 headphones on ebay for $27.99: http://cgi.ebay.com/Sennheiser-HD-4...5869999&PID=1225267&_trksid=p1468660.m2000037

How do these compare to the HD201, my current headphones, or should I not bother?

I've had these HD201 cans for five years and love them aside from the fact that they require a lot of drive (and perhaps a cmoy amp) for louder sound. Otherwise, enjoying music on these headphones have been great.

Okay i haven't had much time with the HD428, but they are sure to be much much better than the HD201's. I had a pair of HD201's and i thought they were horrible to be honest. They had this hollow and tin sound i thought, but to each their own right? Anyway i would get the HD428 as refurb Sennheiser's are great. My HD555 is a refurb and the thing was practically brand new w/o the packaging.
 

Chao

Member
For those of you with a FIIO E7, how does this thing charge properly? I have the USB charge setting off so it won't be constantly charging and do it only when its really empty.

Problem is,it seems this thing runs out of battery every day because every morning I see the charging light.
Wasn't this suppossed to last like 80 hours?
 
Witchfinder General said:
Clearly bullshit on the Qualia. He's just having a laugh.

I'm feeling like that too. Not to be stereotyping but the majority of audiophiles are male and the chances of a young woman having something like a Qualia 010 are pretty damn low.
 

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
Witchfinder General said:
Clearly bullshit on the Qualia. He's just having a laugh.
What, you mean you don't buy $4-5k sets, and use your $85 cans instead?

I don't believe you bro.
 

alr1ght

bish gets all the credit :)
Just have to comment on Sennheiser's great warranty service. I had some buzzing in my PX100 IIs, sent them in, and they sent me a brand new pair (in retail box). Took about a week and a half. :D
 

besiktas1

Member
I listen to mainly hiphop and RnB. Bass heavy headphones.

Under £100, sound comparable to or better than beats. Portable.

Thanks in advance for help, I want Beats, so talk me out of it :)
 

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
HiResDes said:
If you can get Beats for that price go ahead...

...but if you're only lowering the budget on non-Beats options, you suck majorly.

The AIAIAI TMA-1 murders the Beats, if you're a Hip-Hop head.
 
Okay, so I have some money saved up and I'm looking into a decent headphones.

Mostly to listen to music outside, to plug to computer/monitor for browsing and and what not, gaming.

I don't know much about headphones, but portability is important. I'd like something close to really cut of noise from transport and plane. Price isn't the first issue. I'm no music enthousiast though, I would not ear big difference between a good and an excellent sound.

What should I look for ? What could you recommend ?
 

marc_c

Neo Member
I'm looking to buy some decent headphones but don't know much about this stuff.

I'm looking to spend between $80-150 and I mostly listen to hip hop and R&B. I've been looking into the HD555s but have read it lacks bass. Would the quick mod to make them HD595s improve the bass? The price tag on Amazon is very tempting.

Any recommendations? Any help is much appreciated.
 

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
UnluckyKate said:
Okay, so I have some money saved up and I'm looking into a decent headphones.

Mostly to listen to music outside, to plug to computer/monitor for browsing and and what not, gaming.

I don't know much about headphones, but portability is important. I'd like something close to really cut of noise from transport and plane. Price isn't the first issue. I'm no music enthousiast though, I would not ear big difference between a good and an excellent sound.

What should I look for ? What could you recommend ?
Price may not be #1, but I feel that you still need to provide an upper limit, to narrow the possibilities.

There's too many sets out there. Browse the OP, then come back.
 
K.Jack said:
What, you mean you don't buy $4-5k sets, and use your $85 cans instead?

I don't believe you bro.
shit. if I paid $5,000 for some cans, I'd use them rarely too. but not because they don't sound as good as cheap cans, though...but because I'd be afraid of breaking/scratching them. lol
 

Curufinwe

Member
I bought the Audio-Technica ATH-M30 headphones a few years ago to use with my PC and while I've been happy enough with the sound quality, I've never been able to wear them for more than a few hours without them starting to hurt my head. So I'd like to try a different set of headphones, and hopefully get something that sounds as good or better but is more comfortable to wear.

My price limit is $100, and after doing a couple of hours of Amazon research and browsing the OP I've come up with these three candidates.

KOSS PRO DJ100 Professional Stereo Headphones - $79.99

SR850 Professional Studio Reference Headphones - $59.00

JVC HARX900 High-Grade Full-Size Headphone - $58.99

Any recommendations or advice will be appreciated.
 

ianp622

Member
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri said:
I dunno man. If a pair of phones are susceptible to shorting out, it doesn't really matter whether they are Y style or not. I owned both the Sony SA3k and the 5k. The 3k shorted out and I had to return them to Sony in hopes of a replacement; they reimbursed me instead. My friend had a pair of 3ks that he has repeatedly serviced. The 3ks are not Y style, with the cable coming out of a single cup. I eventually bought the 5K which was the last flagship phone from Sony a few years back. You'd think the workmanship on the cable would be top notch for something that retailed for $500, but surprise, surprise. They shorted too, I lost sound on the right side. The 5ks are Y style. I eventually just had them recabled and they've been fine ever since.

My latest purchase, a pair of Head Direct RE262s shorted in ONE week. They retailed for $150. So I can sympathize with him. You simply don't expect these shenanigans at these price points.
I've yanked at the wire of my AD700's with forces that made me cringe, mainly because of the long wire plus my chair has wheels, and I still haven't had a problem after over two years of use.
 

Threi

notag
just curious, but what is the best headphones under $50 that fit these requirements?

- Small size
- Poor isolation
- Extremely low clamping force (to the point where they will fall off if you tilt your head down)
- Decent extension in both the high and low end (and yes i know that sound quality is directly proportional to isolation)
 

Curufinwe

Member
K.Jack said:
Of those three, I'll take the SR850 9 times of 10.

Thanks. They are the ones I liked the look of the most, but I was little hesitant because I had never heard of the Samson brand before yesterday and there's only two reviews for them.
 
Threi said:
just curious, but what is the best headphones under $50 that fit these requirements?

- Small size
- Poor isolation
- Extremely low clamping force (to the point where they will fall off if you tilt your head down)
- Decent extension in both the high and low end (and yes i know that sound quality is directly proportional to isolation)
Senn PX100?
 
So, I feel that I am ready for a pair of good headphones. Up until now I have been happily using the earbuds that come shipped with an iPod or iPhone. I actually love these because they fit my ear very well, and I don't really know what I am looking for with regards to sound quality.

This interest started when I began hearing about the Beats by Dre headphones. Some research and asking around provided me with the insight that these are not great headphones for the price. I was also reccommended Sennheiser on more than one occasion.

So, while not committed to Sennheiser, it seems to be the direction I am heading. I read the OP and gathered that Low Impedance seems preferable. Additionally I want headphones, and not IEMs, because I am satisfied (for now) with the Apple stock ones; especially considering I don't use them all too much, and when I do I usually don't want noise cancellation because I'm not in an environment where that would be advisable.

I'm looking through the Lower Mid-tier Headphone list because of the price, but really don't know what I'm looking at. Also, are the headphone stands necessary, or more of a convenience?

Thanks for any and all help!
 
I've owned a Sennheiser HD650 for about a year or so now, and I plug it directly into the source, where source = computer / receiver / zune. I've never had a problem with the volume level on any of these devices.

In regards to amplifiers, I've heard some people say they make a huge difference, and others say headphone amps are audiophile snake oil.

Will a headphone amplifier make a significant difference in the quality of sound?

Also, can someone recommend a way to try out an amp before I buy one?
 
Dr Stabbingworth said:
I've owned a Sennheiser HD650 for about a year or so now, and I plug it directly into the source, where source = computer / receiver / zune. I've never had a problem with the volume level on any of these devices.

In regards to amplifiers, I've heard some people say they make a huge difference, and others say headphone amps are audiophile snake oil.

Will a headphone amplifier make a significant difference in the HD650?

Also, can someone recommend a way to try out an amp before I buy one?
lol, of course it will.

as for trying amps...good luck with that. here's what I'd recommend: buy from Amazon or JR.com. They have liberal return policies. If you're not impressed after 30 days, send the shit back and that will be that.

and to answer the most important question: yes, the HD650's world changes with a good amp.
 
Top Bottom