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[SolarPowered]

Would the D7000 even be a good recommendation for someone who was thinking of getting the beats so nonchalantly? Me thinks he is not very experienced with mid-high range headphones and it might be best to start off with something in that range before he goes spending tons of cash on uber headphones that he might not fully appreciate.

I could probably come up with some analogy that would fit the situation, but I'm sure you guys get the jist of what I'm saying.

 

[LCfiner]

Would the D7000 even be a good recommendation for someone who was thinking of getting the beats so nonchalantly? Me thinks he is not very experienced with mid-high range headphones and it might be best to start off with something in that range before he goes spending tons of cash on uber headphones that he might not fully appreciate.

I could probably come up with some analogy that would fit the situation, but I'm sure you guys get the jist of what I'm saying.

I tend to agree with you. if starting off with $500+ headphones (more for the D7000), it can get very expensive to experiment with different sound signatures and finding out what works best for you, personally.

 

[SolarPowered]

If I had 1K in spending cash for headphone equipment I'd probably buy the D2000 model, the AKG K702 and a good amp and dac. You could even buy yourself some good eats with the change.

This hobby is all about finding something new and exciting and superjumping to the top of the heap will probably make it harder to find the specific sound that appeals best to you. I'm glad I went along and bought the M50 and Beyers(at such a cheap price damn) since I now have a much better sense of what I want from my future headphones.

Also, I just got the shipping confirmation on my replacement Beyers. I can't wait to get them so I can start burnin' those babies again.

Edit: I have not tried the beats myself, but I'd be willing to bet that they would get trashed by most of the midrange $300-400 headphones by Sennheiser, Grado, Audio Technica, Beyerdynamic, AKG, etc....

Stuff like the D5000 just does not exist in the mainstream scene and those are more or less in the mid-high range.

 

[Alucrid]

So without looking through 60+ pages...can someone list me some of the best headphone/earphones? I have the Westone 3 earphones atm and I'm pretty sure the Beats can't be the best headphones out there right? Thanks guys!

How do you own W3s and presume that Beats are the best headphones out there when the W3s cost way more?

 

[K.Jack]

The E11 is a winner.

With the Gain on high, I actually prefer its sound signature to the E7's DAC. Maybe I'm crazy.

 

[cnizzle06]

While this thread is afloat, I'd like to mention that my GF got me the HD555's for my b-day yesterday. They're my first quality headphones and so far I'm quite impressed.

 

[LCfiner]

The E11 is a winner.

With the Gain on high, I actually prefer its sound signature to the E7's DAC. Maybe I'm crazy.

The E11 really looks nice. I want one.

I'm not sure what you mean with your surprise at the E7 comparison. It's no secret that the E11 amp is more powerful than the E7. I'm not surprised if there's improved performance.

do you mean it sounds better when bypassing an external DAC and using headphone out straight to the E11?

 

[Of All Trades]

Another recommendation request, my needs:

Want them for games/movies
I intend to have them in two locations: my "mancage" aka tv/video game/PC room where I go when the gf wants the living room and said living room where there's another tv and my laptop. They may travel but it will be rare.
Bald, glasses.
Not too picky/discerning
Don't care how they look.

What I'm looking at are the Senn HD555 and the AT AD-700s, as they hit a price range I'm comfortable with and apparently feel good on the head. My concern is with the open-air aspect: does having them open when that I'm banished mean she can still tell me things from the hallway/doorway and I'll be able to hear them so long as I don't have the volume blasting? And if I'm using my laptop with them, would she be able to hear what I'm doing if I kept the volume at a decent level? For the latter case, is it possible to muffle the side pointing at her (would that even do anything)?

Are either of those two a good pick for this situation? I'm mostly leaning towards the 700s.

 

[LCfiner]

The AD700 were my first or second pair of nice headphones.

this may sound silly but I find the AD700 to have such a huge headband that I thought the only thing holding it on my head was my hair - it would get noticeably more loose after a haircut. like, seriously, the clamps are held so lightly against my head (they're not rigidly joined in the middle) that they would start to slide forward if I just tilted my head a bit downward to look at my watch.

 

[Kyaw]

Well to start off with, AD700s are extremely comfy. They do move about if you move your head a lot.
Yes the sound will leak as it's an open headphone but not so much at lower volume levels.

You will be able to hear someone on low volume level but if you are rocking out or gaming loud you won't be able to hear anything else. It is possible (to an extent) to muffle the side but that would ruin the sonic properties of the headphone. (I don't recommend doing it)

I have the AD700 and i run them off a receiver/amp and they sound great albeit with weak bass. The bass does go low and it is very clear. Everything else is fantastic.

 

[Of All Trades]

Thanks for the info. I was about to buy the 700s but saw a couple reviews regarding the grip and that's what made me ask. I recognize that muffling one side will mess with the sound but in most of the situations where I'd want it muffled I don't think I'd care that much about sound quality (although that's when I'd also care most about the things staying in place) and the games I'd usually be playing during that (the laptop is mostly for GoG stuff) won't benefit from them.

What about the 555s? I'm willing to trade off a touch of comfort if they'll stay in place better.

 

[Max Armstrong]

Help!

I just bought a pair of Sennheiser HD555 and when I plug them into my TV, it makes this crackling/static sound. But it only does it when there is music or dialog. Did some Google search, but couldn't find anything TV related. I played with every option related to the audio on my LG and it doesn't change anything.

I'm pretty pissed off, since I bought these headphones so I could be able to watch movies and play games with some good quality sound, now I'm stuck with this shit. Even my shitty 10$ headphones don't make this noise. :\

BTW, the sound is amazing on my PC and iPod when I listen to some music.

So is there anything I could do?

Anyone? Please... there as to be something I can do?

 

[Extollere]

Thanks for the info. I was about to buy the 700s but saw a couple reviews regarding the grip and that's what made me ask. I recognize that muffling one side will mess with the sound but in most of the situations where I'd want it muffled I don't think I'd care that much about sound quality (although that's when I'd also care most about the things staying in place) and the games I'd usually be playing during that (the laptop is mostly for GoG stuff) won't benefit from them.

What about the 555s? I'm willing to trade off a touch of comfort if they'll stay in place better.

I'm bald with glasses and the AD700's fit perfectly on my head. They are not loose at all. However, I do have a huge head, and I've read that the fit seems to vary with head size. So if you were an extra large hat size like I do, then they should be no problem. I'm also very sensitive to headphone usage because of my glasses. I don't even feel these.

I tried the HD555 and AD700's back to back, and I couldn't tell which ones I liked better sound wise. They are both on par more or less, although the HD555's are a bit warmer, and the AD700's sounded a touch more crisp. The HD555's were also comfortable, but I noticed that they were on my head. The AD700's disappeared when I put them on, and sometimes I wear mine for 6 or more hours when at home.

With either headphone it'd also be worth it to buy a small dac or a better soundcard. My sound quality noticeably increased when going from integrated onboard sound to the dac.

 

[AwesomeSauce]

Anyone? Please... there as to be something I can do?

What is the setup you use to plug your HD555's to your TV?

 

[Max Armstrong]

What is the setup you use to plug your HD555's to your TV?

The setup? I just plugged the audio cable into the headphones input on the TV.

 

[AwesomeSauce]

The setup? I just plugged the audio cable into the headphones input on the TV.

Hmm if anything the HD555's are probably picking up some sort of static or interference from your TV's headphone input.

Do you by chance have an old audio receiver? Try connecting the TV through that and plug in your headphones to the receiver or do you need me to explain?

 

[brianjones]

just wanted to say i bought the Yuin PK3 earbuds based on this thread and they're fantastic

so thank you !

 

[LAUGHTREY]

I had a problem with my Astro A40s recently (my left speaker stopped working) after taking it apart i realized it was the cord connection to the mute button/Y-splitter. I went to work and slowly cut away the cord to try and see if i could find a loose connection since jiggling it around would temporarily give me sound back in the left ear, when I got through the first layer of shielding something really weird happened.


This greyish-brownish goo started leaking out of the cord. I have really never seen this before and I'm hesitant to say what I think it is, but is this some kind of weird padding inside the cord? Has anyone else seen this in any headset or audio device before?

 

[Of All Trades]

I'm bald with glasses and the AD700's fit perfectly on my head. They are not loose at all. However, I do have a huge head, and I've read that the fit seems to vary with head size. So if you were an extra large hat size like I do, then they should be no problem. I'm also very sensitive to headphone usage because of my glasses. I don't even feel these.

I tried the HD555 and AD700's back to back, and I couldn't tell which ones I liked better sound wise. They are both on par more or less, although the HD555's are a bit warmer, and the AD700's sounded a touch more crisp. The HD555's were also comfortable, but I noticed that they were on my head. The AD700's disappeared when I put them on, and sometimes I wear mine for 6 or more hours when at home.

With either headphone it'd also be worth it to buy a small dac or a better soundcard. My sound quality noticeably increased when going from integrated onboard sound to the dac.

Hmm, I do have a large head! Ok, thanks for replies, all, think I'm going to pull the trigger on the ADs. Not sure if I'll buy a dac, as there's something to be said for living in ignorance (ref: Seinfeld).

Now for a couple audio wiring questions, only one of which is likely idiotic:

1. Does it matter if I run an extension cable from my receiver to headphones? I can't imagine why (and I know Monster cable is a scam, etc) but?

2.a) What about a splitter so I can have it run from the receiver and my PC (the PC is hooked up to a 2.1 system)? Could the splitter cause problems, or can I buy the cheapest one I find?

2.b) If using a splitter, would/could a PC running Vista (or 7 eventually) output sound to both the headphones and speakers? I'm in easy reach of volume control for the speakers so having both blasting wouldn't be an issue, but I don't want to have to actually unplug the headphones from the PC to use them with a console if I want to listen to things from the PC (for example, watching hulu or youtube while playing a lower-focus console game).

 

[AEREC]

I just bought a pair of these (I figured the noise cancelling would come in handy at some point during traveling):

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N385QK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

and have them coming from a headphone jack coming out of my TV so I can game at night without waking the wife up.

Would I get a much noticeably better sound coming from the ATH-AD700s if they were plugged into the same standard headphone jack on my TV?

I know this sounds like an odd question but Im clueless about audio stuff.

 

[HiResDes]

just wanted to say i bought the Yuin PK3 earbuds based on this thread and they're fantastic

so thank you !

YAY! I think recommendations in this thread have about a 70 percent success rate...: )

 

[Tapiozona]

I just bought a pair of these (I figured the noise cancelling would come in handy at some point during traveling):

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N385QK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

and have them coming from a headphone jack coming out of my TV so I can game at night without waking the wife up.

Would I get a much noticeably better sound coming from the ATH-AD700s if they were plugged into the same standard headphone jack on my TV?

I know this sounds like an odd question but Im clueless about audio stuff.

If you like Bose, you'll like the Sony's that you bought. Will AD700's sound better coming from a horrible source like your TV? That's a tough question. You'll hear less bass, but the bass you hear wont be bloating farting noises. You'll hear more detail but in the end your limiting factor is going to be your source. I'd keep the Sony's. People tend to like the artificial sound they as well as Bose reproduce. If you want to get into critical listening then I'd upgrade.

 

[AEREC]

If you like Bose, you'll like the Sony's that you bought. Will AD700's sound better coming from a horrible source like your TV? That's a tough question. You'll hear less bass, but the bass you hear wont be bloating farting noises. You'll hear more detail but in the end your limiting factor is going to be your source. I'd keep the Sony's. People tend to like the artificial sound they as well as Bose reproduce. If you want to get into critical listening then I'd upgrade.

Maybe Ill just go with a pair of these:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E9VKUQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

and return the noise cancelling ones since I would rather have a nice pair of headphone swhen I eventually get a receiver, etc...

Any idea wah t the difference between the ATH-A700's and the ATH-AD700's is? Im going with the A700's mainly because I dont like the purple color on the AD700's

 

[PflargBlarg]

Maybe Ill just go with a pair of these:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E9VKUQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

and return the noise cancelling ones since I would rather have a nice pair of headphone swhen I eventually get a receiver, etc...

Any idea wah t the difference between the ATH-A700's and the ATH-AD700's is? Im going with the A700's mainly because I dont like the purple color on the AD700's

AD means that they are open, A means that they are closed. That's the only difference that I know of, but they will sound different of course.

 

[Johnlenham]

This is a first branching out into this type of headphones, Im usually more of a inner ear guy but I feeling flash after my birthday and thinking of dropping up to I guess £80 ($130) on some really bass orientated headphones for use at home (Via desktop pc) I dont know if its better running them through the sub I have mind you.

Someone suggested these
Sony X-Bass MDR-XB700 Headphones anyother suggestions? Everyone and anyone I know seems to think Beats are the gift of god so id rather avoid them if possible aha.

Should add its for Dub-step, Drum and Bass and Electronic music if that narrows it down.

 

[RS4-]

Just picked up a pair of AD700s; figured I might as well grab them at $50.

 

[Johnlenham]

Just picked up a pair of AD700s; figured I might as well grab them at $50.

What!? they are £86 here :/

 

[FoxSpirit]

What!? they are £86 here :/

US prices are ridiculously low for some brands for some reason.

 

[HiResDes]

This is a first branching out into this type of headphones, Im usually more of a inner ear guy but I feeling flash after my birthday and thinking of dropping up to I guess £80 ($130) on some really bass orientated headphones for use at home (Via desktop pc) I dont know if its better running them through the sub I have mind you.

Someone suggested these
Sony X-Bass MDR-XB700 Headphones anyother suggestions? Everyone and anyone I know seems to think Beats are the gift of god so id rather avoid them if possible aha.

Should add its for Dub-step, Drum and Bass and Electronic music if that narrows it down.

Ultrasone HFI-580

 

[Johnlenham]

Ultrasone HFI-580

Thanks for the suggestion I spent like 6 hours last night trawling the net and reading reviews and so on and I ended up bitching out and getting some Sony MDR-XB 500's because I found them for £20.
I was kind of stuck thinking if I paid £80 I might aswell have paid £150 for some M50's or something like that and then it started getting out of hand aha! Atleast I can sell these on for a profit if I dont like them.

 

[HiResDes]

They're better than M50's, just less comfortable

 

[Johnlenham]

They're better than M50's, just less comfortable

Ah ok. I couldn't find them for less than £130, That link you gave me was from an US shop so if Imported yeah they were just over £100 but I would be destroyed buy import tax! Though I will keep them in mind next pay check

Semi related if im going to be listening to the music via desktop PC is it worth getting a new sound card? at the moment I run sound out of the motherboard analog port as I dont have optical output so im guessing yes?

 

[XiaNaphryz]

I noticed the DT990s are on sale on Amazon right now at $167 - debating on whether to pick a pair up.

 

[LCfiner]

so as a followup to this post where I mention that I;m getting a new DAC and amp, the first part of that puzzle arrived.

the new DAC is the HRT Music Streamer II. I replaced the E7 DAC and kept the E9 amp hooked up.

my first impression with the MS-II and the Grado RS2 headphones was that it was all just louder. I had to turn down the volume a bit on the amp to notice the real improvement with the DAC. To my ears, the big improvement is a matter of more impact on drums and other percussion sounds.

I can't tell a difference in fine details (they may be there but I just can't tell since I don't have a quick way to A-B the equipment) but I could notice that there is an immediate improvement to drum sounds with the MS-II compared to the E7 at similar volumes.

A very nice improvement for me since that was one of the things I liked about the RS2 headphones in the first place so this new DAC just makes it better.

pretty happy with this purchase. not bad for 150 bucks. Now I wait the new Asgard amp to be delivered in a week or two.

 

[Max Armstrong]

Hmm if anything the HD555's are probably picking up some sort of static or interference from your TV's headphone input.

Do you by chance have an old audio receiver? Try connecting the TV through that and plug in your headphones to the receiver or do you need me to explain?

Sorry, totally forgot about that post.

So, yeah, I had these old computer speakers and I plugged them into the TV with the HD 555's into the speakers and it worked!

This is a total novice question, but is the sound quality going to be the same? Since they are pretty cheap speakers, it wont affect the quality? Or it's just acting like a cord extension? And if it is, can I just go buy one instead of having my ugly speakers next to my TV?

 

[params7]

So, I need to move on from my Senn PMX 100's into something more serious but of the same structure (NECKBAND, and anything less than giant cups as I'm going to wear it in gym, public places a lot and I don't like to stand out like that). Max i can spend is 200$. Any recommendations?

 

[HiResDes]

I can't think of anything in a higher tier with a behind-the-neck neckband, you might be out of luck buddy.

 

[params7]

Hmm..guess I'll have to look into earbuds then. I don't know much about them, but I did buy the Brainwavz M2 (Visang R03) from Mp4_nation which according to reviews are supposed to be the best for their price, but I was disappointed that it really couldn't match the pmx100's quality..I guess I should have seen it coming there would be loss of quality going to earphones, but would the 150-200$ earphones surpass the overall sound experience of headphones like pmx100's?

 

[sixteen-bit]

what would you folks recommend for the gym?
my cheapy RE2s keep falling out so I'm considering something that hooks around the ear
nothing to pricey, because I expect to be sweating on them and shit

 

[AwesomeSauce]

Sorry, totally forgot about that post.

So, yeah, I had these old computer speakers and I plugged them into the TV with the HD 555's into the speakers and it worked!

This is a total novice question, but is the sound quality going to be the same? Since they are pretty cheap speakers, it wont affect the quality? Or it's just acting like a cord extension? And if it is, can I just go buy one instead of having my ugly speakers next to my TV?

Well the source of your audio isn't going to get any better unless you get some kind of amp or use a audio receiver. BTW Is plugging in your HD 555's to your old speakers fix your static problem? If so then it's already better than plugging it in directly.

 

[RS4-]

what would you folks recommend for the gym?
my cheapy RE2s keep falling out so I'm considering something that hooks around the ear
nothing to pricey, because I expect to be sweating on them and shit

Meelectronics M6/m6p?

That might suit you

 

[sixteen-bit]

Meelectronics M6/m6p?

That might suit you

Thank you, I'll look into these.

 

[frogg609]

I'm curious, with something like the Asgard Schiit headphone amp, are people plugging them into their computers, or into a receiver/ cd player?

Also, why do most headphone amps I see only have RCA? Wouldn't Optical be good as well to include for component CD players? Or, am I a dinosaur and most of these aren't used on CD players?

 

[Ashhong]

Sorry, totally forgot about that post.

So, yeah, I had these old computer speakers and I plugged them into the TV with the HD 555's into the speakers and it worked!

This is a total novice question, but is the sound quality going to be the same? Since they are pretty cheap speakers, it wont affect the quality? Or it's just acting like a cord extension? And if it is, can I just go buy one instead of having my ugly speakers next to my TV?

I think the problem would be fixed using a cord extension.

 

[Max Armstrong]

Well the source of your audio isn't going to get any better unless you get some kind of amp or use a audio receiver. BTW Is plugging in your HD 555's to your old speakers fix your static problem? If so then it's already better than plugging it in directly.

Yup, no more static! I was just had concern on if I was going to lose audio quality, but after some tests, it looks pretty good.

I think the problem would be fixed using a cord extension.

Cool, I'll buy one and see what's the result. Radioshack still exists? :lol

 

[Ashhong]

Yup, no more static! I was just had concern on if I was going to lose audio quality, but after some tests, it looks pretty good.


Cool, I'll buy one and see what's the result. Radioshack still exists? :lol

It does but they probably overcharge lol. Get one from www.monoprice.com. Or buy from Radioshack to test and make sure everythings ok, then buy from monoprice and return the first one later =P

 

[Max Armstrong]

But what will I do without my gold plated cable?

 

[Ashhong]

 

[SolarPowered]

I've already finished burning the DT990s and they sound as good as usual. I used them for The dark knight and X-men 2 which made for some fantastic sound. It was definitely the closest thing next to being in a theater for me(I can't use the receiver to it's full potential in an apartment).

I noticed the DT990s are on sale on Amazon right now at $167 - debating on whether to pick a pair up.

If you still haven't bought them you should right now. They are the best deal for the price. I would recommend that you order them from a seller with a 30 day return policy though(I thought ahead and it saved my butt when the original phones broke after two weeks).

I actually put up a review for them in the premium model page if you are curious. It's pretty similar to my earlier impressions in the thread.

 

[iAmMaximus]

So I'm about to buy me a some M50s on Amazon but there are like 3 different listings for them. Are they all the same? I'm assuming these are the ones I want?