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

joshlee

Member
1stStrike said:
Hey headphone GAF (long time no see :p) and especially Denon lovers - I have some great songs for you to run through your setups.

Bassnectar - Lights

Nero - Innocence

Nero - Promises

Make sure to listen in HD. A friend of mine just turned me onto these today and they just blew me away. If you're not into dubstep, probably not your thing, but those that are should get a kick out of em.

I'm listening on Denon D7000's btw.


Just started listening to nero a couple days ago. listened through their whole album straight through with my TMA-1s. It was a heavenly experience.
 

1stStrike

Banned
Bearded Dudebro said:
I ended up switching to this stand after a recommendation that the Lowes one would leave indentations on the headband.

This one leaves creases, I returned it and just sit my headphones down on the desk.

Seriously, get something like this.

I use it for my Denon's and after almost a year - there's no creases, indentations or anything in the headband. Works great.
 

shira

Member
dc89 said:
Does anyone else here own B&W P5's?
I owned them for about 6 months. You get a really clean sound but nothing amazing or brilliant. The bass does not kick at all.

You can fawn over the NZ leather and aluminum parts, but its just another made in China headphone. The leather gets warm and hot after long listening and they did not go well with my glasses or head. It felt like a vice and I didn't want to tweak or bend $300 cans. So like the beats you are paying a premium for the BW name, but you are not getting BW speaker performance (but even the logo looks like a cheap chinese knock off).

The worst part was looking inside the leather pads and seeing some kind of polysterene foam. It looks great on the outside, but its all plastic on the inside. Take a spin at the Apple store, they usually demo them. If you can get past the weird styling, uncomfortable fit, and huge price markup they are sonically good.
 

LCfiner

Member
Bearded Dudebro said:
I ended up switching to this stand after a recommendation that the Lowes one would leave indentations on the headband.

This one leaves creases, I returned it and just sit my headphones down on the desk.

I wrapped up the hook with padding and coloured tape to make it rounded and soft. Without that, it definitely leaves ridges in the headband. someone with more talent, could actually make it look decent.

arD7l.jpg
 
Zeth said:
Klipsch S4s can be had for $60-$70 and they're actually my workhorse phones now for electronic and hip-hop. My SR225s are amazing for rock/indie but bass heavy stuff is kinda weak through them so I use the S4s which are actually surprisingly solid all-around (for the price).
I had heard a good bit about the S4's. This finally put me over the edge, thanks. And hooray newegg for free shipping and 0 taxes!
 

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
will52 said:
I'm considering getting TMA-1's with the mic. What are these like for 'on the go' with an iPod?
They're compact, light, and fairly easy to drive.

They do benefit from amping, but I wouldn't at all consider one as requisite to enjoy them.
 

Utako

Banned
Always hated this thread title

It should be "$500 cans tight, this is how you dream right"

I know it's a reference, but it makes the thread seem dumb. :shrug:
 
Thinking of picking up a set of Sennheiser 595s soon. Using them for my computer only at this point. I am using the semi crappy on board sound that came with my computer and I have been shopping around for a sound card after reading that a card is better for gaming. Anyone have some suggestions for around 100?
 

charsace

Member
I have a gaming related question in regards to earphones. Would it be better to buy a set of stereo headphones or 7.1 with multiple speakers. My thinking is that 7.1 headphones make no sense since its on your ears and that stereo cans with some sort of amp for 7.1 emulation would be better.
 
Do either the TMA-1s or the ATH-M50s have detachable cables? I'd like to buy one or the either but I am sure I will damage the cable in 6 months time, so it'd be great if I only had to replace the cable.
 

LCfiner

Member
Celery&Lager said:
Do either the TMA-1s or the ATH-M50s have detachable cables? I'd like to buy one or the either but I am sure I will damage the cable in 6 months time, so it'd be great if I only had to replace the cable.


TMA-1 has a removable cable. M50 does not.
 
charsace said:
I have a gaming related question in regards to earphones. Would it be better to buy a set of stereo headphones or 7.1 with multiple speakers. My thinking is that 7.1 headphones make no sense since its on your ears and that stereo cans with some sort of amp for 7.1 emulation would be better.

Never buy surround sound headphones, it's all nonsense. Stereo headphones are completely capable of doing everything.

If you think about it, you as a human being hear in "surround sound", yet you don't have 7 ears. The time delay and relative volume between your ears hearing the same sound is used by your brain to calculate where the sound is coming from. Stereo headphones (especially with some sort of 3d sound software to emulate the tiny time delay) can emulate the same time delay and relative volume.

Logically, surround sound headphones make no sense. Especially since the drivers will be maybe a couple centimeters apart. It's just silly.

Surround sound speakers make sense because they are a massive angle away from each other and I doubt stereo speakers could properly emulate surround sound because the manufacturers have no way of knowing where you'll place the speakers or anything that might partially block the sound.
 

ChanHuk

Banned
So GAF, what is comparable to the Beats Studio? I listened to them and and cannot stand the bass, its just.....too much. My friend keeps telling me that's how the producers wanted the music to sound like. I'm like uh, its distracting me from the actual music. He mainly listens to rap and R&B so I can understand where he's coming from. What would be comparable to the Beats Studio for much less?
 

nib95

Banned
ChanHuk said:
So GAF, what is comparable to the Beats Studio? I listened to them and and cannot stand the bass, its just.....too much. My friend keeps telling me that's how the producers wanted the music to sound like. I'm like uh, its distracting me from the actual music. He mainly listens to rap and R&B so I can understand where he's coming from. What would be comparable to the Beats Studio for much less?

Beyerdynamic DT880 or 990 Premium/Pro's which are fairly neutral but a bit high emphasised. The 990 has a bit more bass and high emphasis with more distant mids whilst the 880 is a bit more neutrally balanced.

Sennheiser H598's or 650's. Very good headphones, with quite a warm tone. The 650 can compete with more expensive phones but requires hefty amping to do so.

AKG701/2's. A very articulate and detailed headphone. Some say it's bass light or over sibilant, others talk of it's fantastic detailing.

Audio technica ATH-AD900 (open) or AH900 (closed).
Very nice detailed, balanced headphones. The AD is an open can more airy and realistic version.

Denon D2000.
Rich, mid forward quite bass heavy musical cans. Not a huge soundstage but fun.

Fostex T50RP. Only buy these if you're willing to do the mod. if you do, they'll compete with headphones in the $500 range. Once modded, they're detailed, very well balanced with nice defined bass, nice airiness and instrumental separation.
 

shira

Member
ChanHuk said:
So GAF, what is comparable to the Beats Studio? I listened to them and and cannot stand the bass, its just.....too much. My friend keeps telling me that's how the producers wanted the music to sound like. I'm like uh, its distracting me from the actual music. He mainly listens to rap and R&B so I can understand where he's coming from. What would be comparable to the Beats Studio for much less?
You buy beats for the look only. Its the only decent looking headphones on the market.

joshlee said:
Does anyone know where to snag just the mic cable for the TMA-1s? All I can find is the replacement original coil cable.
customcans.co.uk
he also does ebay sales

Very nice guy.
 

Yocke

Member
I actually ordered a pair of Beats Studio. I thought I wasn't an audiophile. I was wrong. I have been using a pair of Sennheiser HD 485 for my computer for a few years, so listening to the Beats was like stuffing my ears full of cotton and then putting my headphones on. At first I thought it was the output of my iPhone that was low, so I connected my Sennheisers to it, and they beat the crap out of the Beats. I mean even the bass was better with the Sennheisers. Now, I don't condone walking outside with a pair of 485's (they're a tad large), but I ordered a pair of Sennheiser HD 25-1 II and have never looked back. They're not as sexy as the Beats, but they sure sound a whole lot better. And their look has grown on me. They kinda look like I've built them myself. Also, they seal off outside noise really well, so I can use them in the gym even though they play music there.
 

HiResDes

Member
ChanHuk said:
So GAF, what is comparable to the Beats Studio? I listened to them and and cannot stand the bass, its just.....too much. My friend keeps telling me that's how the producers wanted the music to sound like. I'm like uh, its distracting me from the actual music. He mainly listens to rap and R&B so I can understand where he's coming from. What would be comparable to the Beats Studio for much less?
I assume you're looking for closed cans:

AIAIAI TMA-1

Audio Technica ATH-PRO700 MK2

Sennheiser HD 25

Phiaton MS400

Ultrasone HFI-580

Audio Technica M50

Superlux HD 669

...Can't go wrong with any of them
 

LCfiner

Member
fireside said:
I need some new earpads for my Grado SR-125s, does anybody have any recommendations or should I just go with the L-Cush?

the only recommendation I can give is that the cheapest prices I have seen are at jazzloft.com

I got a pair of bowls and (just recently) a set of SR60s from them and they ship fast and free.

the comfies are way comfier than the L-cush bowls, imo, but you might appreciate the slightly better soundstage of the bowls
 

Extollere

Sucks at poetry
Question for Beyer owners. Do the DT880's semi-open design isolate fairly well? I want to keep open back headphones for the sound quality, but sometimes my listening feels interrupted by the sounds of the TV and such from the other room.
 

Yoshiya

Member
Thinking of picking up some Shure SE215s. I want a good sounding and well built IEM that's reasonably affordable. Anybody have any input on that idea? The detachable cable is an extremely appealing feature given I ruined my ES7s (twice) by catching the cable on things all the time :(

Edit: I'm concerned about portability when looking at cans to replace the ES7s. I considered the Aiaiai Tracks but they probably wouldn't be usable given the lack of sound isolation.
 

FoxSpirit

Junior Member
biosnake20 said:
What are some good in ear headphones for cheap? Im talking like 10 bucks cheap. Only ones ive found are skullcandy ink'd.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/mul...s-compared-xears-cp100ip-td-iii-v2-added-8-23

Read up. The Ink'd didn't review too badly though harsh treble is a no-go, at least for me.
Stuff like the Maike or the MEElectronics Ai-M2 / M2 seem better for the money. Watch for the bass description, depending if you like it more neutral or more emphasised.
 

Izayoi

Banned
Extollere said:
Question for Beyer owners. Do the DT880's semi-open design isolate fairly well? I want to keep open back headphones for the sound quality, but sometimes my listening feels interrupted by the sounds of the TV and such from the other room.
I will let you know in a few weeks when mine come in.
 

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
eternalthree said:
I will quote from ijoker (the resident IEM master) on Head-Fi:

"I can only give this warning - don't bother. The S3 is an okay earphone but it is closer to the S2 than the S4 in sound quality. The S2 can be found for ~$25 and remains the better deal for those who must buy Klipsch. After half a week of burn-in I still feel that the S3 combines all of the weaknesses of the S4 and S2 in a single earphone - it is a little boomy but much worse than that it has some treble spikes that just won't go away. Sibilance and harshness are a problem on some tracks (just as with the S4) and the soundstage is tubular - i.e. lacking in depth and height (just as with the S2). Plus the plasticky housings are bigger than those of the S4 and have sharp edges at the front. Inserting them deeply can be painful - the S2 is way more friendly towards the ear. It's not all bad - the S3 does have slightly more prominent mids than the S4 and the clarity is good for $50 - but I'd grab the Thinksound TS01 if I wanted something a little boomy and a little harsh in the price bracket without sacrificing immersion or timbre."
 
Forgive me if they've already been discussed and whatnot, but I've gotten my hands on some Senny HD238's and they're the first set of cones where pressing them against my ears doesn't yield better sound. Ie, they sound fucking teets without doing that, particularly the bass. For $60 they're the best 'phones I've ever bought, and I suspect they're not even burned in yet.

10/10

Love them to death.
 

nib95

Banned
This combo has taken over my life :( | :)

9907b12e.jpg


Best portable amp I've used by far, and I've used a fair few, from low all the way to high end.
 

Ashhong

Member
So my friend just got the Sony MDR7506 with the intention to use them to produce trance music and for DJing. Thoughts on these headphones for that type of music? Also should he look into purchasing a DAC?
 

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
Ashhong said:
So my friend just got the Sony MDR7506 with the intention to use them to produce trance music and for DJing. Thoughts on these headphones for that type of music? Also should he look into purchasing a DAC?
Just at a glance, they seem to be industry standard DJ/Studio cans, so it seems to be a pretty safe bet.

I would definitely invest in a DAC.
 

Ashhong

Member
K.Jack said:
Just at a glance, they seem to be industry standard DJ/Studio cans, so it seems to be a pretty safe bet.

I would definitely invest in a DAC.

Cool cool. I dont think he has a special sound card so yea, a DAC is probably a good idea. Best DAC under 100$? I was just gonna recommend the E7 but I don't think he will care about the look of the DAC like I did, so is there a better option?
 

LCfiner

Member
The HRT music streamer 2 will be a better DAC than the E7, but it has no amp. so there goes another 100 to 200 or so for an amp

as an all in one package, the E7 is the one to beat for 100 bucks.
 

Ashhong

Member
LCfiner said:
The HRT music streamer 2 will be a better DAC than the E7, but it has no amp. so there goes another 100 to 200 or so for an amp

as an all in one package, the E7 is the one to beat for 100 bucks.

It will be strictly for producing music and DJ gigs, so I dont think he will be needing an amp.

That one seems to be over $100 though, anything 100 and below?
 

LCfiner

Member
Ashhong said:
It will be strictly for producing music and DJ gigs, so I dont think he will be needing an amp.

That one seems to be over $100 though, anything 100 and below?

if he intends to plug headphones into it, he needs an amp. there is no volume control out of a simple dac. it is a line out feed.

so watch out for that if you do happen to find a DAC that is 100 bucks.
 

qcf x2

Member
I'm looking for a pair that I can use for home producing (hip hop) and mixing. Don't really wanna go with BEATS unless they're really the best choice. Suggestions?
 
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