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[John Rabbit]

GAF, it happened. 4 moves and 7 years of loyal service. my 595's are done-zo.

to be totally honest i perhaps wasn't as nice with them as i should've been, but over the course of about 6-7 months a crack turned into a full-on break. the problem stems from my typically picking them up by the left ear piece (where the cord is) and putting a lot of strain on that particular part of them.

i loved these cans and will gladly just buy them again but i was wondering if you dudes had any alternate suggestions before i go ahead and rush order a pair.

 

[Blackface]

Thinking about grabing the Koss Portapro's, but I have a question.

I am going to be using them maybe 6 hours a day, plus I will be using them while making a podcast.

How much sound do they leak? I have a very sensitive condense microphone. It picks up everything. I won't be blasting them while recording the podcast. So do they leak sound even at low but audible volumes?

I was going to go with the Sennehsier HD201's on sale at Bh for $19, but they refuse to sell them or the Audio Technica's to Canada. I can only find them for $40-69 in Canada, and I refuse to pay that.

 

[HiResDes]

All fully open cans leak shit ton basically....Get a closed pair if you worried about it at all, or at least one that is only semi-open.

 

[okno]

The TMA-1 are the most ugly headphones I have ever seen. That said, there is something about their ugliness that seems almost utilitarian, like the kind of headphone the military might use or something. To the extent that they are so ugly they become unique and different, and somewhat beautiful in their own right. I heard they sound good too. I'm jelly. How's comfort? They look like they're supra aural.

I get nothing but compliments on mine :3

I love my TMA-1s to death. Got them about two months ago and they've only improved in comfort and sound. I was really worried about them at first, because they leaked a TON of sound while wearing them; I use my headphones while DJing, at home and on the subway, so I was worried. After breaking in the padding, though, they keep all sound in my ears, but they don't completely isolate exterior sounds, which is fine.

They're easily worth the money. Fantastic sound throughout all frequencies, and the bass isn't too punchy. I've worn them for upwards of seven hours at a time and barely felt fatigued. Amazing, amazing headphones.

 

[FoxSpirit]

Got a Matrix mini-i.

Mostly used as DAC but my god, that thing is smooth. Definitely makes my M50 much more enjoyable. Nice soundstage too, headphones basically vanish.

Oh, and the remote cracks me up. Solid aluminium brick style. Seriously, milled from a single block of aluminium, add in the aluminium buttons, metal switches and screws to hold the backplate in place and have the most robust remote I've ever seen.

Oh, and new speakers as posted here:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=27766012&postcount=1143

Electrostatic tweeter. Stax-treble in da Room :-D

 

[Enron]

GAF, it happened. 4 moves and 7 years of loyal service. my 595's are done-zo.

to be totally honest i perhaps wasn't as nice with them as i should've been, but over the course of about 6-7 months a crack turned into a full-on break. the problem stems from my typically picking them up by the left ear piece (where the cord is) and putting a lot of strain on that particular part of them.

i loved these cans and will gladly just buy them again but i was wondering if you dudes had any alternate suggestions before i go ahead and rush order a pair.

Beyer DT880s! sturdier than Sennheiser!

 

[Blackface]

Decided to go with the Shure SRH240

 

[Meatfist]

Hey GAF, I'm looking to get my feet wet with audiophile-quality headphones and I'm looking for some recommendations.

-Budget of 200, would be open to a pair of ~100 dollar headphones like the 555's with a DAC/Amp

-I Primarily listen to: Indie, Jazz, Metal, Hip-Hop, Rap and Classical. Weak bass is kind of a turn off for me. I'm a studying musician so accuracy of tone and color is important.

-I'm an avid member of the PC gaming master race, so soundstage is a big factor. Mic recommendations to clip on or whatever would be great, too.

Thanks!

 

[Ashhong]

Might as well recommend the Audio Technica M50 for $120, I'm sure someone will

I just got this mic off the recommendation of someone earlier in the thread. It clips onto the wire of my M50s and the quality is pretty good. I haven't used it extensively but it worked well in my initial testing

http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Microphone-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1305585780&sr=8-2

 

[Extollere]

Bought some cheap ass M9's from the OP recommendation post (for work). They cost about 17 bucks on Amazon I'm happy just to have something to plug in my ipod again, but if they sound even slightly better than the apple buds I'll be thrilled.

 

[Giant Robot]

Hi all,
I'm looking for some IEM's for my iPod while traveling. I listen to mostly metal, rock, and some ambient/electro. But mostly tingy with lots of mids-highs in the music. All my stuff is also ripped to Apple lossless for iPod playback if that helps.

I've gotten some Grados SR80i's for private listening and love the openess/wide soundstage it provides, so I'm looking for something similar. Preferably under $100.

 

[dr3upmushroom]

I'm getting a 23" monitor and a 360 soon and want to get some headphones to go along with it so I can play without bothering anyone (I have M Audio AV 40s and a sub for when that's not an issue).

Right now I'm leaning towards the Audio Technica cans that are often suggested for gaming (AD-700), but I wanted to ask hear to see if anyone had any other recommendations. They're going to be used just with the 360 a huge majority of the time, I have Grado SR-80s that I still love for music, but it'll be nice to have another pair of headphones with a different sound.

Looking to spend around $100 max.

 

[sixteen-bit]

AD-700 are some of the best headphones you can get for the price. Just be aware they leak sound so if the person you don't want to disturb is in the same room as you, it might be a problem.

 

[Charoncaori]

Are there any shops in or around NYC that would let me try out a range of headphones? The only ones I've walked past just hawk those silly Skullcandies. I have a pair of RP-21s that are a few years old, and I love them but they have enough really small issues (I keep needing new cords, the headband gets caught in my hair so I can't take them anywhere, etc) that I'd love a second pair. They're really the only quality headphones I've ever owned, so I thought I'd broaden my horizons a bit. I listen to a ton of different genres of music, so I don't quite know where to start... I'd also love some smaller, more portable ones, but anything that goes inside my ear drives me nuts.

 

[HiResDes]

Hi all,
I'm looking for some IEM's for my iPod while traveling. I listen to mostly metal, rock, and some ambient/electro. But mostly tingy with lots of mids-highs in the music. All my stuff is also ripped to Apple lossless for iPod playback if that helps.

I've gotten some Grados SR80i's for private listening and love the openess/wide soundstage it provides, so I'm looking for something similar. Preferably under $100.

Sunrise SW-Xcape or the Silver Bullets

 

[ngower]

I bought the Adidas/Sennheiser PMX 680i's today (well, exchanged from the CX 680i's I bought last night) for exercising and I rather enjoyed them. They'll need a week or so to get used to I'd imagine, but I thought sound quality and comfort were nice for the price point.

 

[Gummifaust]

Looking for new headphones and would be grateful for some advice from Gaf. I'm coming from the Grado SR-60.

Candidates (according to some German hi-fi board these are the "Big 3"):

• AKG 701 ~ €190
• Beyerdynamic 880 ~ €250
• Sennheiser 650 HD ~ €270

At the moment the sources are my laptop and my old Denon AV-amp but an entry level headphone amp might be an interesting option.

I am mostly listening to genres like Indie Rock (I dislke this generic term), Folk, Lo-Fi, Art Pop, Shoegazing, Post-Hardcore, Post-Rock, Punk, (Neo) Classical, Soundtracks and some Jazz, Eletronica. Until now I didn't use my headphones for gaming or movies/tv. But it wouldn't hurt if the new headphones would do well in this area anyhow. I won't use the headphones on mobile devices.

 

[K.Jack]

Are there any shops in or around NYC that would let me try out a range of headphones?

Dijital Fix.

 

[Mercutio]

AKG K271 MKII Closed Back Version

...I think that's the no-brainer choice with those musical choices

The 271 MKII is an amazing choice for Radiohead, anyone who likes Radiohead out there. There are many pictures on the net of members of the band (Thom in particular) wearing them during recording sessions.

 

[Mercutio]

Are there any shops in or around NYC that would let me try out a range of headphones? The only ones I've walked past just hawk those silly Skullcandies. I have a pair of RP-21s that are a few years old, and I love them but they have enough really small issues (I keep needing new cords, the headband gets caught in my hair so I can't take them anywhere, etc) that I'd love a second pair. They're really the only quality headphones I've ever owned, so I thought I'd broaden my horizons a bit. I listen to a ton of different genres of music, so I don't quite know where to start... I'd also love some smaller, more portable ones, but anything that goes inside my ear drives me nuts.

You want J&R in downtown Manhattan. They have a huge counter devoted to everything from midrange to very high end, just bring an MP3 player to try them out. Hell, you can even plug in an HD800 there if you feel like it.

 

[Ikuu]

..

Same thing happened to my HD555s, just tripped over the cable and they fell on the floor and the left ear broke off =( Think I'm just going to use this as an excuse to grab some 595s.

 

[Ashhong]

Same thing happened to my HD555s, just tripped over the cable and they fell on the floor and the left ear broke off =( Think I'm just going to use this as an excuse to grab some 595s.

Just mod the 555s..

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

Looking for new headphones and would be grateful for some advice from Gaf. I'm coming from the Grado SR-60.

Candidates (according to some German hi-fi board these are the "Big 3"):

• AKG 701 ~ €190
• Beyerdynamic 880 ~ €250
• Sennheiser 650 HD ~ €270

At the moment the sources are my laptop and my old Denon AV-amp but an entry level headphone amp might be an interesting option.

I am mostly listening to genres like Indie Rock (I dislke this generic term), Folk, Lo-Fi, Art Pop, Shoegazing, Post-Hardcore, Post-Rock, Punk, (Neo) Classical, Soundtracks and some Jazz, Eletronica. Until now I didn't use my headphones for gaming or movies/tv. But it wouldn't hurt if the new headphones would do well in this area anyhow. I won't use the headphones on mobile devices.

I have both the K701s and the 650HD. I prefer the K701 for the soundstage and detail, but the 650s definitely have more kick to the bass.

 

[poweld]

I have both the K701s and the 650HD. I prefer the K701 for the soundstage and detail, but the 650s definitely have more kick to the bass.

702 and 600 here, but I have the same opinion.

 

[TheExodu5]

The AKG K701 are absolutely delicious for gaming. Might need to EQ up the bass according to your tastes, but regardless, the soundstage is just perfect.

 

[SolarPowered]

I have not posted in the thread for a good while, but I spent nearly two weeks burning both my M50 and Beyers in. The sound on the both of them has really taken on a life of it's own. The M50 probably gets the most use because my laptop drives it easier, but my Beyers are definitely going to get the most time on my receiver.

Video games and music seriously have their own personality when I listen with the Beyers and my Onkyo receiver. I actually felt the bottom of the cups(I guess where the drivers are placed) rubbing the tips of my ears when I was listening to Mirror's edge and SSX Blur. I'm definitely going to love these for my movies.

Might as well recommend the Audio Technica M50 for $120, I'm sure someone will

I just got this mic off the recommendation of someone earlier in the thread. It clips onto the wire of my M50s and the quality is pretty good. I haven't used it extensively but it worked well in my initial testing

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00029MTMQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Is there any microphone that I can use with my headphones and a 360 controller?

 

[Ashhong]

Say what? No...I don't think so. I think you can only plug in certain compatible headsets into the 360 controller, no? Guess you could look for a third party microphone only solution to plug into the controller, but it wouldnt have anything to do with your headphones. You would have to plug that into your TV or receiver.

 

[Yasae]

Hopefully I'll get these in tomorrow:

Those will have most of the same problems I've mentioned already. The 240 range does tend to be somewhat neutral, however, with a good stage. They have a sharpness at 10k, bump in the lows (mainly from their design,) and a slightly recessed 1k range. Other than that they're usually spot on and uncompromising about image. You can tell the difference between Todd AO, the Newman scoring stage, Lydhurst Hall etc with these, not to mention the difference in miking techniques.

They look huge and ugly when you have them on, though, so forget about looks.

 

[Gummifaust]

WHOAguitarninja and poweld, if you would go for just one type which one would you choose? AKG or Sennheiser?

 

[SolarPowered]

Say what? No...I don't think so. I think you can only plug in certain compatible headsets into the 360 controller, no? Guess you could look for a third party microphone only solution to plug into the controller, but it wouldnt have anything to do with your headphones. You would have to plug that into your TV or receiver.

I thought that was a given. I just need a third party clip on mic that I can use in tandem with my phones.

 

[Ashhong]

So you want a clip on mic that works with the Xbox controller? I doubt that's available.

 

[poweld]

WHOAguitarninja and poweld, if you would go for just one type which one would you choose? AKG or Sennheiser?

I find myself using my Sennheisers more than my AKGs. The sound is more laid-back, which makes listening to them for hours and hours very easy. On that note, I also like the headband on the 600's more. Not a fan of the auto-adjusting type that AKG uses (similar to AT cans), seems to slip down on my head over time.

If I were you, I'd ask myself how long you wear them for, and the type of sound you want. If you're going to use them for MANY hours on end, I'd lean towards Senns. If you want a highly analytical sound, go for the AKGs.

 

[smurfx]

hey i have a question and i'm hoping you guys might be able to answer it. i just got a blu ray system but it doesn't have any headphone jacks on it. it has a coaxial digital connection out. is there any way to somehow connect my headphones to it? like some kind of adapter? i hate not being able to use my headphones with it.

 

[Alucrid]

hey i have a question and i'm hoping you guys might be able to answer it. i just got a blu ray system but it doesn't have any headphone jacks on it. it has a coaxial digital connection out. is there any way to somehow connect my headphones to it? like some kind of adapter? i hate not being able to use my headphones with it.

DAC (blu ray -> DAC -> headphone [w/ coaxial cable]). Or I guess you could buy a 3.5 to 1/4 adapter and plug that into your TVs headphone out. If your headphones just have a 3.5 then all you need is a 3.5 extension cord.

 

[Shai-Tan]

AD-700 are some of the best headphones you can get for the price. Just be aware they leak sound so if the person you don't want to disturb is in the same room as you, it might be a problem.

yeah, they are open air. I gave my dad a pair for his computer and he wants a set with the same or similar quality that he can take on the train, preferably also smaller but it's ok if they are big

up to $150 is also ok, doesn't need to be under $100 like the ATH-AD700. any suggestions? thanks

 

[sharkmuncher]

yeah, they are open air. I gave my dad a pair for his computer and he wants a set with the same or similar quality that he can take on the train, preferably also smaller but it's ok if they are big

up to $150 is also ok, doesn't need to be under $100 like the ATH-AD700. any suggestions? thanks

Well if he really likes the AD-700s, the A-700s are the closed version of the same headphone. I love mine, large as they may be, and have used them a few times on the plane with great success.

 

[SolarPowered]

Oh, I forgot to mention that my cousin has had a couple of days with his new Audio-Technica ATH-A900 and he loves them. I got my first chance to test out that funky headband and it feels like a few feathers just landed on your head. The sound is pretty awesome and I love the look, but he regrets that he couldn't pick up the Beyers instead. He likes the Beyer sound more and the Beyer cups are just way too comfortable.

The funny part is that he has a sound system that can actually work as an amp for the Beyers. I would have recommended them had I known. He is also finally starting to notice how different sources(sub connection>laptop>phone) drive headphones. The A900 are still very nice and definitely a great deal for the price. I just with the M50 had that design instead...

So you want a clip on mic that works with the Xbox controller? I doubt that's available.

Yeah, this is what I figured.

 

[Ashhong]

Yeah, this is what I figured.

Took a quick look and I see there are adapters available. This may not be the exact one you need but something like this should work

http://cgi.ebay.com/Headset-Headphone-Mic-Adapter-Xbox-360-Controller-/220775596034#ht_1810wt_1139

Then just buy any clip on microphone like the Zalmann, and put it on your headphones and go. Although I dont know how in game voice sounds work. Can you set it so that it all voice talk comes through the TV and not the official headset when plugged in?

 

[HiResDes]

Nice find, didn't even know those existed.

 

[Funtruck]

yeah, they are open air. I gave my dad a pair for his computer and he wants a set with the same or similar quality that he can take on the train, preferably also smaller but it's ok if they are big

up to $150 is also ok, doesn't need to be under $100 like the ATH-AD700. any suggestions? thanks

audio technica m50s maybe?

 

[Ashhong]

Hm....meelectronics has some weird deal where you pay ~20$ and they send you a random headphone with MSRP of 35$ or more. I just got the 21P....but this is tempting.

http://www.meelec.com/category_s/313.htm

 

[Blackface]

What does everyone think about the Sony MDR-V6?

Thinking about picking them up to monitor podcast mixing.

 

[HiResDes]

"Official Headphone Thread of don't know what to get, just buy M50s"

...At Blackface, they're great and built like a tank

 

[SteveO409]

"Official Headphone Thread of don't know what to get, just buy M50s"

...At Blackface, they're great and built like a tank

Make sure to add this picture under the banner of that thread

 

[Ashhong]

wtf he has 2 cushions on. i want that! maybe..

 

[AVclub]

Hm....meelectronics has some weird deal where you pay ~20$ and they send you a random headphone with MSRP of 35$ or more. I just got the 21P....but this is tempting.

http://www.meelec.com/category_s/313.htm

Thanks for the heads up. I just ordered the "P" version of this deal. Hope I get a good one!

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

WHOAguitarninja and poweld, if you would go for just one type which one would you choose? AKG or Sennheiser?

Given that my headphones are most often used for mixing music, i would definitely choose the AKG. My Senns still get used, but the AKG are just better for most of the music i listen to. The Senns have a much more 'relaxed' sound though. They're also more comfortable for long periods (the AKG's are initially really comfortable, but after awhile the headband will leaves an irritated spot on the very top of your head unless you have fairly long hair). This can probably be remedied by just sticking a sock or something between the headband and your head, though you'll look rather goofy for it.

 

[SolarPowered]

Took a quick look and I see there are adapters available. This may not be the exact one you need but something like this should work

http://cgi.ebay.com/Headset-Headphone-Mic-Adapter-Xbox-360-Controller-/220775596034#ht_1810wt_1139

Then just buy any clip on microphone like the Zalmann, and put it on your headphones and go. Although I dont know how in game voice sounds work. Can you set it so that it all voice talk comes through the TV and not the official headset when plugged in?

Thanks for the find. I just got the chance to put some money in the bank so I may give this adapter a whirl.

 

[Mercutio]

hey i have a question and i'm hoping you guys might be able to answer it. i just got a blu ray system but it doesn't have any headphone jacks on it. it has a coaxial digital connection out. is there any way to somehow connect my headphones to it? like some kind of adapter? i hate not being able to use my headphones with it.

You're going to have to buy some kind of headphone amp, possibly one with a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter).

Here's how it works: A headphone needs power to run, hence the amplifier. An amplifier also controls the power being pushed out to them, AKA the volume control.

Your headphones run on analog signals. A just plain headphone amp takes an analog signal, amplifies it, and allows you to change the power (volume) of that signal. Essentially. You can get one of these (a CMOY or other inexpensive amp) for about $50 or so. No promises on quality at that point, but it'll work. You might need an RCA to 1/8" converter to hook up the amp, but that's like $4 or less.

Now, if you ONLY have a digital out, things get tricky. You need to find something that contains a DAC as well, to turn that digital signal into an analog signal. It also must contain a headphone amp so you can control the audio etc.

Sorry for the lack of actual product recommendation here, I'm not too familiar with the lower end devices in these categories anymore. I use a NU-Force DAC2, but that only accepts USB digital signals as I use it with my PC.

 

[Mercutio]

Hi all,
I'm looking for some IEM's for my iPod while traveling. I listen to mostly metal, rock, and some ambient/electro. But mostly tingy with lots of mids-highs in the music. All my stuff is also ripped to Apple lossless for iPod playback if that helps.

I've gotten some Grados SR80i's for private listening and love the openess/wide soundstage it provides, so I'm looking for something similar. Preferably under $100.

If you like Grado, try the Grado iGi. It's not exactly the same sound signature as their earpad cans, but they're pretty great in their own right and an excellent deal for about $80. It's as close to the Grado signature in an IEM you're gonna get.