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[T-Matt]

I'm kinda thinking about getting some sr60's to mod and have fun with. I know I like the sound and it would be cool to put some wood cups on there and a more padded headband and such.

 

[LCfiner]

I'm kinda thinking about getting some sr60's to mod and have fun with. I know I like the sound and it would be cool to put some wood cups on there and a more padded headband and such.

dooo eeeet.

but I gotta say, it’s really hard to get a decent leather headband these days for a grado headphone. the site Jmoney (horrible name) is the place where practically all custom leather headbands that you’ve seen online were made

And he doesn’t make them anymore

I found only one other person who makes new leather headbands but they’re not as good as he uses glue instead of stitching for the leather and it’s a real PITA to slide it on the metal band.

But if you want to make the headband yourself, you’ll find some tutorials online. might be a fun DIY project.

 

[PhoenixDark]

I'm looking for some ipod headphones, perhaps earbuds, for under $40. I mainly listen to hip hop, rock, soundtracks, and a bit of electronic shit. Looking for something with nice bass

 

[T-Matt]

dooo eeeet.

but I gotta say, it’s really hard to get a decent leather headband these days for a grado headphone. the site Jmoney (horrible name) is the place where practically all custom leather headbands that you’ve seen online were made

And he doesn’t make them anymore

I found only one other person who makes new leather headbands but they’re not as good as he uses glue instead of stitching for the leather and it’s a real PITA to slide it on the metal band.

But if you want to make the headband yourself, you’ll find some tutorials online. might be a fun DIY project.

Yeah I think I'm gonna go full DIY for the headband so I can get it just how I want. You getting wood cups(or whatever they are referred to as) for your Alessandro headphones is what initially sparked my interest.

 

[HiResDes]

I'm looking for some ipod headphones, perhaps earbuds, for under $40. I mainly listen to hip hop, rock, soundtracks, and a bit of electronic shit. Looking for something with nice bass

When you say earbuds, do you mean earbuds specifically?

 

[PhoenixDark]

When you say earbuds, do you mean earbuds specifically?

No, although I've only owned them so I'm not familiar with other types; anything that sounds good and is portable is fine. I mainly need some for listening to my iPod in bed and while walking to school.

 

[LCfiner]

Yeah I think I'm gonna go full DIY for the headband so I can get it just how I want. You getting wood cups(or whatever they are referred to as) for your Alessandro headphones is what initially sparked my interest.

ha ha, cool!

I figure you’ve already been here but I’ll post this link to anyone else in the thread not familiar with the lengths you can go modding the grado.

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/560806/sr60-mod-part-ii

 

[HiResDes]

I'd recommend the Superlux HD681 or HT-21 for headphones, the PK3 for earbuds, or the MEElectronics M21 for in-ears...All the links are in the OP.

 

[Zaptruder]

If you’ve never heard headphones of very good or exceptional quality, then you won’t get it till you hear it.

EQ can be used to slightly tweak a sound signature. you can slightly boost frequency responses to your taste. But you can’t push it too far or else you WILL hear distortion as you increase the EQ. You can’t use it to hide major deficiencies in equipment. it’s lipstick on a pig

a poor quality headphone that has excessive bass might be able to provide that THUD of bass but won’t be able to provide details of the music behind the THUD. the actual sound of bass strings vibrating and the note the music is playing at.

similarly, songs with complex and fast guitar playing will sound less detailed and you won’t be able to hear all the details of the guitar strings or the finger sliding and picking the strings on cheap headphones. you’ll hear just the obvious notes but not the whole picture. EQing can’t fix that. you need better equipment to actually reproduce these sounds.

Now, it’s fair to say that there’s an obvious curve of diminishing returns as you go higher up the ladder in equipment. a lot of these subtle details can be heard on headphones that cost around 100 bucks.

But as you get better stuff, the ability for a headphone to be able to reproduce both amazing high frequency detail plus low frequency detail improves. cheaper headphones usually focus on one or the other. you can also get improvement to soundstage so it’s easier to identify where performer are located in space around your head (best on live recordings) as you go up the ladder.

I've actually got some of the most highly rated IEMs around... but I've moved between a few headphones - and while I can say these ones are better than the rest I've had - they don't blow me out of the water. I still prefer my Logitech 5500s in many ways as far as sound quality goes, despite the similar costs...

It makes me think that, past a certain point - a lot of preference for devices has more basis in the psychology of the person than the actual sound itself.

 

[remz]

Just got my set of AD900s today.

They're fucking awesome, so comfy.

 

[Fou-Lu]

I just ordered some Brainwavz M3 IEMs for the public bus rides. Hopefully they'll be satisfying.

 

[LCfiner]

I've actually got some of the most highly rated IEMs around... but I've moved between a few headphones - and while I can say these ones are better than the rest I've had - they don't blow me out of the water. I still prefer my Logitech 5500s in many ways as far as sound quality goes, despite the similar costs...

It makes me think that, past a certain point - a lot of preference for devices has more basis in the psychology of the person than the actual sound itself.

OK, based on your initial post, it seemed like you were questioning the existence of midrange or high end equipment at all. it seems that’s not the case.

And, yes, I agree that beyond a certain point (I’m not gonna try to pin a price on that), the differences are in the sound signature more than the overall quality and ability to resolve details.

 

[Zaptruder]

OK, based on your initial post, it seemed like you were questioning the existence of midrange or high end equipment at all. it seems that’s not the case.

And, yes, I agree that beyond a certain point (I’m not gonna try to pin a price on that), the differences are in the sound signature more than the overall quality and ability to resolve details.

Queue my graphic equalizer comment.

Surely you can take reasonably good headphones and just get an equalizer to change the sound signature to your liking?

 

[LCfiner]

Queue my graphic equalizer comment.

Surely you can take reasonably good headphones and just get an equalizer to change the sound signature to your liking?

I tried it with the Denon D5000 to reduce bass and add midrange. didn’t work.

I tried with the LCD2 to slightly boost midrange. I couldn’t make it work.

I tried it with the Alessandro MS1 and Grado RS2 to add some bass. nope. doesn’t work. sounded distorted.

I could make very small changes before I could hear the distortion or an artificial feeling to the music.

which goes back to my original response. you can make small changes with EQ and still have headphones sound OK. but major changes don’t work well. you’re better off with a different set of headphones. all of the headphones above sound pretty different. they are all good quality but they cannot be made to sound alike with EQ. (and I’m not even considering differences in soundstage here)

bass heads will always want a D5000 over an RS2. EQ can’t fix that. a consumer needs to know what sound they prefer and make a buying decision based on that. they can’t hope to EQ a headphone to sound like one that is drastically different.

 

[Izayoi]

Queue my graphic equalizer comment.

Surely you can take reasonably good headphones and just get an equalizer to change the sound signature to your liking?

Define "reasonably good".

 

[HiResDes]

Tried to boost my DT770's mid-range through EQ, but only amping them with a tube-amp helped any at all really.

 

[Zaptruder]

I tried it with the Denon D5000 to reduce bass and add midrange. didn’t work.

I tried with the LCD2 to slightly boost midrange. I couldn’t make it work.

I tried it with the Alessandro MS1 and Grado RS2 to add some bass. nope. doesn’t work. sounded distorted.

I could make very small changes before I could hear the distortion or an artificial feeling to the music.

which goes back to my original response. you can make small changes with EQ and still have headphones sound OK. but major changes don’t work well. you’re better off with a different set of headphones. all of the headphones above sound pretty different. they are all good quality but they cannot be made to sound alike with EQ. (and I’m not even considering differences in soundstage here)

bass heads will always want a D5000 over an RS2. EQ can’t fix that. a consumer needs to know what sound they prefer and make a buying decision based on that. they can’t hope to EQ a headphone to sound like one that is drastically different.

Fair enough.

 

[Mighty]

Got a pair of Astro A30's last week (surround sound cans designed for gaming on the 360/PS3). I think it was a little steep at $270 total after the wireless receiver and lithium ion battery, but damn Battlefield Bad Company 2 sounds amazing with these things!

 

[CRS]

I'd go with either the VSonic GR07 (Greater Balance) or the Sony MDREX600 (Greater bass emphasis)

Awesome. Thanks for the recommendations! Leaning towards the Vsonics between the two. How do people feel about the Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10? Will most likely make a final decision and order something next week or so after I get paid.

 

[LCfiner]

Awesome. Thanks for the recommendations! Leaning towards the Vsonics between the two. How do people feel about the Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10? Will most likely make a final decision and order something next week or so after I get paid.

I owned a pair of the triple.fi 10s a few years ago. they sound excellent, as expected. lots of detail. not as bassy as other IEMs in the same price range like the Westone 3 or (from what I’ve read) the Senn IE8.

as long as you’re aware that you will look like Frankenstein’s monster with those things in your ears as they stick out around an inch out of your head.

 

[HiResDes]

I think Ultimate Ears are a bit bass light in quantity, but I've only heard the lesser models personally.

 

[vertopci]

Got a pair of Astro A30's last week (surround sound cans designed for gaming on the 360/PS3). I think it was a little steep at $270 total after the wireless receiver and lithium ion battery, but damn Battlefield Bad Company 2 sounds amazing with these things!

You would have been better off getting ATH-AD700s or DT880 but whatever floats your boat.

 

[CRS]

Hmm... maybe the Ultimate Ears aren't what I'm looking for. Can I still expect some nice bass with the Vsonics even though they are more balanced?

 

[HiResDes]

Hmm... maybe the Ultimate Ears aren't what I'm looking for. Can I still expect some nice bass with the Vsonics even though they are more balanced?

More so than the Ultimate Ears, but don't expect it to overpower the spectrum...Also consider the HiFiMan RE-262, which are also mostly balanced but slightly on the warm/bassy side.

 

[Izayoi]

Got a pair of Astro A30's last week (surround sound cans designed for gaming on the 360/PS3).

Why did you do that?

A quality pair of stereo cans with good soundstaging is far better at emulating a surround sound environment than these so-called "surround" headsets that cram a bunch of weak drivers millimeters apart from each other.

It's wireless too? If you can, I would recommend returning the whole setup and buying a nice pair of Audio Technicas or Beyerdynamics. Hell, you'd probably be better off even with a cheap pair of Senns.

 

[nomis]

Why did you do that?

A quality pair of stereo cans with good soundstaging is far better at emulating a surround sound environment than these so-called "surround" headsets that cram a bunch of weak drivers millimeters apart from each other.

It's wireless too? If you can, I would recommend returning the whole setup and buying a nice pair of Audio Technicas or Beyerdynamics. Hell, you'd probably be better off even with a cheap pair of Senns.

They have dolby headphone 5.1 emulation through stereo. They don't have a bunch of little drivers in a "surround" configuration, they just have two.

 

[Neo Child]

My friends got some awesome looking Urbanears Platten headphones. About £50, read some reviews and their a bit mixed.

I listen to stuff like Two Door Cinema Club, Death Cab as well as like loads of drum n bass stuff... they just look awesome and would go well with my new shoes if i got a red pair. Opinions?

 

[Izayoi]

They have dolby headphone 5.1 emulation through stereo. They don't have a bunch of little drivers in a "surround" configuration, they just have two.

Oh, well that's a good start I suppose.

Is there at least a wired model he could get?

 

[LCfiner]

My friends got some awesome looking Urbanears Platten headphones. About £50, read some reviews and their a bit mixed.

I listen to stuff like Two Door Cinema Club, Death Cab as well as like loads of drum n bass stuff... they just look awesome and would go well with my new shoes if i got a red pair. Opinions?

here’s the frequency response

not particularly inspiring. midrange and treble gets tossed off a cliff after 1000 Hz. seems to jive with the reviews saying they’re “muddy”.

I am about 95% positive you can get better sound for your money but, well, if the fashion aspect is important to you (matching shoes and all that) then you can give them a shot.

you may want to buy them from a local store where you can return them if you don’t like how they sound.

 

[Dany]

I hope this is the right place to ask but my apple earphones can no longer do. I exercise about 2 hours a day with running being 45 minutes of that and the sweat goes inbetween the earphone and my ear making me hear less and getting it earphones a little wet.

I am tired of it.
What are some good earphones to run during?
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-AS20J-Active-Headphones-Hangers/dp/B0015AHRFK/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_3

I had those a long time ago but they fell apart quickly.

 

[Izayoi]

Speaking of IEMs, does anyone know the best ones to get if I'm interested in sleeping with them on? I.e., low-profile so I can lay on my side and not have them jamming into my ears, but snug enough so they don't fall out (like my Zune ones do). Good sound quality isn't really a necessisicty, as I'm sure pretty much anything is better than the Zune buds, which is what I'm using now.

 

[Blackhead]

Speaking of IEMs, does anyone know the best ones to get if I'm interested in sleeping with them on? I.e., low-profile so I can lay on my side and not have them jamming into my ears, but snug enough so they don't fall out (like my Zune ones do). Good sound quality isn't really a necessisicty, as I'm sure pretty much anything is better than the Zune buds, which is what I'm using now.

saw this yesterday

http://www.tested.com/quick-look-at-bedphones-headphones/

Check out the comments for more suggestions.

 

[Izayoi]

saw this yesterday

http://www.tested.com/quick-look-at-bedphones-headphones/

Check out the comments for more suggestions.

Gives me a 404 error.

 

[PhoenixDark]

I'd recommend the Superlux HD681 or HT-21 for headphones, the PK3 for earbuds, or the MEElectronics M21 for in-ears...All the links are in the OP.

Are the PK3s good for hip hop/bass? Reviews seem to vary

 

[thegreatchamp]

Hey guys so I'm a n00b when it comes to headphones as I just typically use my iPod ones even though I hate them with a vengeance because they always fall out my ear. So, i was thinking about getting some beats because in my uni all I see is people with them and this got me interested on buying some good ones. Is this a bad choice and if so why? And if you disprove, what would you recommend for my first real pair?

 

[Izayoi]

Hey guys so I'm a n00b when it comes to headphones as I just typically use my iPod ones even though I hate them with a vengeance because they always fall out my ear. So, i was thinking about getting some beats because in my uni all I see is people with them and this got me interested on buying some good ones. Is this a bad choice and if so why? And if you disprove, what would you recommend for my first real pair?

Beats are way overpriced for the performance they offer. If you're willing to spend that kind of money you would be looking at AKG 701s or the Beyerdynamic DT 880s. If you're willing to spend about $100 more you could also look at the Sennheiser HD 650s.

 

[Ravenn17]

What would be the best place to sell some headphones? I've had my Sennheiser 595's on Amazon for awhile but they haven't sold yet.

 

[Scuba Steve]

What would be a dramatic improvement in sound quality from the Senn 555s? I've had them for awhile and I think it's time to upgrade, I'm looking to spend around $300.

 

[Dice]

In that range you're really entering the place where you have to choose what kind of sound you want to have and where amps are important. I have Gradio SR325is and they are worlds above the Senn 555s I had but they are also worlds apart in the shape of the sound. I also got a DAC and an amp which dramatically revealed several new levels of their capability.

Looking to spend $300 you're in a tricky spot deciding not only what type of sound you want, but whether or not you should spend all of it on headphones or rather split it between two less expensive components. The first thing you need to ask is what is it that you don't like about your Senns? If you started playing with EQ settings, how would you be changing around the frequency response? Paying attention to that is what helped me figure out I'm a Grado kind of guy.

 

[LCfiner]

What would be the best place to sell some headphones? I've had my Sennheiser 595's on Amazon for awhile but they haven't sold yet.

Best place, in my experience, is head-fi's for sale forums. but if you just show up and register only to sell there, it may be frowned upon since you'd have no feedback and no posts.

 

[PflargBlarg]

Hey guys so I'm a n00b when it comes to headphones as I just typically use my iPod ones even though I hate them with a vengeance because they always fall out my ear. So, i was thinking about getting some beats because in my uni all I see is people with them and this got me interested on buying some good ones. Is this a bad choice and if so why? And if you disprove, what would you recommend for my first real pair?

A fairly ok standard to follow in terms of headphones is that if you see a lot of people wearing them they are probably either crap or terrible value as most people just buy what they see on tv or what looks nice. Beats are not bad if you get them for a very good deal, but they are not worth anywhere near what they cost new.

The other guy who responded had some good suggestions in the beats price range. Do not buy Beats unless you care a lot more about aesthetics than sound quality.

 

[outunderthestars]

What is the difference between the AKG K271 and the AKG K272?

With only $50 between the two, should I just jump to the K272?

Would a Fiio E5 work well with them when paired with an iphone or Cowon X7?

 

[Crimson Clown]

Do wireless earphones exist? All I've been able to find on google are wireless headphones.

 

[Blackhead]

Gives me a 404 error.

oops

http://www.tested.com/quick-look-at-bedphones-headphones/47-470/

Do wireless earphones exist? All I've been able to find on google are wireless headphones.

Yes. e.g. Jaybird Freedom, Motorola s10-hd, sony ericsson hbh-is800 and so on

 

[HiResDes]

What is the difference between the AKG K271 and the AKG K272?

With only $50 between the two, should I just jump to the K272?

Would a Fiio E5 work well with them when paired with an iphone or Cowon X7?

There is virtually no difference in sound...

 

[snack]

For all you audio lovers out there, does any one have a spare what.cd invite to share? Much appreciated!

 

[Blackhead]

For all you audio lovers out there, does any one have a spare what.cd invite to share? Much appreciated!

we can make that wish on here?

 

[snack]

we can make that wish on here?

I hope we can.

 

[Pand]

I know this is a long shot, but does anyone here have any experience with Sensaphonics earphones? I'm thinking of buying this one since I've got unilateral hearing loss (deaf in one ear), but I'm guessing they're pretty expensive since they're molded to fit the ear perfectly, so I want to be sure they're worth it.

 

[Vanillalite]

Got a pair of Astro A30's last week (surround sound cans designed for gaming on the 360/PS3). I think it was a little steep at $270 total after the wireless receiver and lithium ion battery, but damn Battlefield Bad Company 2 sounds amazing with these things!

Any reason you went for the A30s over getting the A40 bundle with the amp? Is it because you wanted the wireless amp?

PS: Always interesting to see the push and pull on high end gaming sets that mainly a big thing in the PC space (and the competitive console space) verses the headphoneaphiles.