Dreams-Visions
Member
can you define "oomph", please? it's a word that means nothing at all.cnizzle06 said:
do you want more sound, fuller sound, more bump, what?
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$500 cans on, this is how you dream right - Official Headphone Thread
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do you want more sound, fuller sound, more bump, what?
cnizzle06 said:
I'd suggest Grados if you like your guitars, audio technicas if you want warmer and more enveloping bass, senn hd25s if you want that solid mid bass kick. I have 595s, and I would never accuse them of having "oomph".
I'd be more specific but I'm on my phone. Others can clarify and help with more suggestions.
I guess I will conversation hijack, as I also have some 555s. I got them from Amazon about a year and a half ago, January 2010, and they have pretty bad splitting on both sides at the top of the silver part of the headphones. I have seen a few places but I can't find them again, that this is a common problem with 555s and if you talk to Sennheiser they will repair them or send you a new pair as it is a common defect. Is this true? I would love to get a new pair, as they fit my head perfectly and I have had no problems with them for the nearing 2 years I have had them. The splitting is getting so bad on the right side that I may have to see if I can wrap a little tape around it soon to keep from really falling apart.
Scuba Steve
Member
I just got some Klipsch Image S4s for $36 with my Best Buy discount, well worth the price. Blowing me away as far as earbuds are concerned
Sarcasm said:
IEMs very rarely need amps. they are super efficient. an amp will help headphones reach their fullest potential but are typically only needed for hard to drive, bigger headphones.
I think one of the very few earbuds that benefits noticeably from an amp is the Yuin PK1 because it's rather inefficient
Just got a real job!
I took my Sennheiser 555s to work and started playing competitive pc games again.
I have $400 to spend on a headset with a usb interface so I can switch audio sources in windows(music/ventrillo through speakers or headphones). Here is what I've come up with so far.
1. Sennheiser PC 360 Headset + NuForce Icon uDAC-2 Headphone Amp and USB DAC for $310
2. Sennheiser PC 350 Headset + NuForce Icon uDAC-2 Headphone Amp and USB DAC for $270
I guess that I'm just having problems trying to find a legit microphone that I can use for ventrillo that won't have issues with my music coming through the speakers.
I took my Sennheiser 555s to work and started playing competitive pc games again.
I have $400 to spend on a headset with a usb interface so I can switch audio sources in windows(music/ventrillo through speakers or headphones). Here is what I've come up with so far.
1. Sennheiser PC 360 Headset + NuForce Icon uDAC-2 Headphone Amp and USB DAC for $310
2. Sennheiser PC 350 Headset + NuForce Icon uDAC-2 Headphone Amp and USB DAC for $270
I guess that I'm just having problems trying to find a legit microphone that I can use for ventrillo that won't have issues with my music coming through the speakers.
Seems the new Hifiman HE-300 is the new hot item on headfi. Be on the lookout because initial impressions are very good.
Good mix of qualities on top of high efficiency lead to some almost gushing review. Talk of a new fourth entry to HD-650, DT-880 and K-701 is out :-D
Good mix of qualities on top of high efficiency lead to some almost gushing review. Talk of a new fourth entry to HD-650, DT-880 and K-701 is out :-D
UtadaBarkley
Member
Got a pair of sweet Sennheiser RS 170's. Anyone else own these?
By far, the best cans I've ever owned. What's so good about them?
Admittedly, I'm not an audiophile, but I can appreciate good sound. With these, I hear things I've never heard before in my music. It's almost a euphoric experience. You hear breathing patterns of singers, wind instruments in more details, the resonance from drums, it's just amazing.
On top of that, these are by far the most comfortable set I've ever used. So incredibly soft on the ears and head. They also are rechargeable using the included docking station, which is really nice. Now I don't have to buy a separate stand for them to hang on.
Lastly, and here's the kicker: Wireless. Not bluetooth, with all of its bandwidth restricting, and its range restrictions, but RF wireless that allows for full bandwidth. So even my FLAC lossless music sounds just like it does out of my monitors. It's pretty amazing. And when it does happen to cut out, it's digital, so no static, etc. It's either on or off.
My main complaint is the lack of tactile feedback on the buttons, and the fact that it kind of cuts out during quiet spots. But I've found that you grow to adjust to that, and it's just second nature.
Beside those minor complaints, it's the best $150 I've spent in a quite a while.
By far, the best cans I've ever owned. What's so good about them?
Admittedly, I'm not an audiophile, but I can appreciate good sound. With these, I hear things I've never heard before in my music. It's almost a euphoric experience. You hear breathing patterns of singers, wind instruments in more details, the resonance from drums, it's just amazing.
On top of that, these are by far the most comfortable set I've ever used. So incredibly soft on the ears and head. They also are rechargeable using the included docking station, which is really nice. Now I don't have to buy a separate stand for them to hang on.
Lastly, and here's the kicker: Wireless. Not bluetooth, with all of its bandwidth restricting, and its range restrictions, but RF wireless that allows for full bandwidth. So even my FLAC lossless music sounds just like it does out of my monitors. It's pretty amazing. And when it does happen to cut out, it's digital, so no static, etc. It's either on or off.
My main complaint is the lack of tactile feedback on the buttons, and the fact that it kind of cuts out during quiet spots. But I've found that you grow to adjust to that, and it's just second nature.
Beside those minor complaints, it's the best $150 I've spent in a quite a while.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Ugh. This is why I stopped going to Head Fi, always some interesting FotM. I'll have to look into these. If they sound good, I may have to sell off some of my phonesFoxSpirit said:
Dreams-Visions
Member
BB Cmoy or Fiio E6.Pterion said:
Stupid questions, but got to ask them.
What are the top mp3 players in terms of sound quality? How does the samsung YP-Q1 fare?
How can I get the greatest sound quality (formats). Buy CDs and rip them to the pc, then drag and drop to mp3 player? Or buy directly from itunes or whatever?
What's the benefit of DAC vs amp?
What are the top mp3 players in terms of sound quality? How does the samsung YP-Q1 fare?
How can I get the greatest sound quality (formats). Buy CDs and rip them to the pc, then drag and drop to mp3 player? Or buy directly from itunes or whatever?
What's the benefit of DAC vs amp?
Pterion said:
concerning sound quality. itunes is not quite as good as lossless CD rips but it's very close and most people have a very hard time telling the difference when tested (ABX testing). you can also download "HD" tracks that are lossless 24 bit or 16bit FLAC files that will sound very, very good.
If you do start getting tracks online, don't get suckered into thinking that 24bit sound has to be better than 16bit sound. it only refers to max available dynamic range and, when outside the mixing studio, 16bits has way more than enough DR for human listening.
most of the benefits of those HD recordings you can buy online is that they are typically not mastered like the CD with the volume set at one level - "super loud" - and very little available dynamic range getting used for quieter passages.
-----------
it's not a question of DAC vs amp. they are both needed for listening to digital music.
the DAC converts the digital to analog. the amp, well, amplifies the signal for your headphone drivers.
a PC soundcard or an ipod has an internal DAC and amp already, but they are not as good as the ones you can buy separately. depending on the efficiency and quality of your headphones, a dedicated amp or dac may only provide a small benefit.
Hari Seldon
Member
Pterion said:
Yeah ideally you don't want to connect the headphone out of a mp3 player into another amp. But I do it all the time so whatever. I have a quality DAC and a real nice tube amp and I prefer the amp over the DAC in terms of bang for your buck. Like if you can only buy one just get an amp. (Assuming you need an amp, if you are using IEMs then get a DAC).
Edit: Also, I don't know about the samsung, but on an ipod classic you can get the line out signal via some cheap adapter.
DontTouchMe
Member
Pterion said:
As others have recommended get the JDSLabs Cmoy. I've go that hooked up to my M50's and if you're using foobar2000 then find some equalizer presets online. It really brings the headphones to life. I can provide you with a DL link if you need to find some presets.
Pterion said:
E7 is more expensive because of the DAC, yes.
Ive used a cmoy, E5, E7 and E11. If I needed an amp and nothing more, I would get the JDS labs cmoy
the cmoy gets better battery life than the E11 and has a warmer sound (a little pleasant distortion on lower frequencies. E11 is more neutral but has switches for 2 bass boost levels).
E5 is not much of an amp. it will help provide some volume or bass boost for harder to drive headphones but it doesn't really improve details or soundstage (at least, it doesnt to my ears).
E7 is a decent amp but not worth 100 bucks just for the amp. the value is that its a usb Dac and amp. if you dont need the dac, save some money and get the cmoy (or E11 if you prefer the slimmer form factor)
The_Inquisitor
Member
Looks like I am buying a Fiio E6. God dammit GAF, first I buy I fucking set of AudioEngine A5's for 279.99, and now I am buying a headphone amplifier for my ATH-M50's.
The_Inquisitor
Member
Izayoi said:
I'm using a Xonar DG on my pc and a Fiio E6 for my iphone when I'm at work. I must say going from the onboard --> dedicated soundcard made a big difference. I'm sure it will too with my AudioEngine a5's.
I don't see the need to buy a dedicated amp considering my pc is in my bedroom and effectively acts as my music player.
Robobandit
Member
Earlier this week I picked up a pair of Klipsch Image X5 IEMs from beach camera.
So far, I have to say I'm highly impressed both with the clarity of the sound and the comfort of the fit. In the past I've had difficulty getting IEMs to fit comfortably. With these, I just pushed them in and immediately had a good seal and I forgot that they were there after an hour or so.
My last pair of "nice" IEMs was a pair of Klipsch S4s.. and these blow them away. My only concern is the flimsy cables.. apparently that has been the number one issue with these particular 'phones.. I tend to be careful with my things, though.. so hoping it won't be an issue.
I paid $189 + shipping, which I thought was a nice discount over the msrp of $249..
So tell me, Audio-Gaf.. how badly did I do with this choice?
So far, I have to say I'm highly impressed both with the clarity of the sound and the comfort of the fit. In the past I've had difficulty getting IEMs to fit comfortably. With these, I just pushed them in and immediately had a good seal and I forgot that they were there after an hour or so.
My last pair of "nice" IEMs was a pair of Klipsch S4s.. and these blow them away. My only concern is the flimsy cables.. apparently that has been the number one issue with these particular 'phones.. I tend to be careful with my things, though.. so hoping it won't be an issue.
I paid $189 + shipping, which I thought was a nice discount over the msrp of $249..
So tell me, Audio-Gaf.. how badly did I do with this choice?
Looking for portable headphones that ideally I can fold up and shove into a pocket when time needed. Also if they would not break in one ear after nine months that would be a significant advantage.
Already tried Sennheisser PX-100s and Koss PortaPros, they tend to explode after about that amount of time.
Price is not an issue, or rather, if they're guaranteed not to go fucking crazy after three quarters of a year I don't care about price.
Already tried Sennheisser PX-100s and Koss PortaPros, they tend to explode after about that amount of time.
Price is not an issue, or rather, if they're guaranteed not to go fucking crazy after three quarters of a year I don't care about price.
Evening chaps,
Does anyone have any good recommendations for durable (read: indestructible) IEMs? I seem to go through a pair every 3 - 4 months. The last two set sets I had were the SoundMagic PL21's, which sounded decent for the price, but both times the housing became detached. For a time I would try to pull out my earphones but the bit with the rubber tip on it would stay in my ear, which was a little unsettling. I had the same problems with the 4 sets of Sennhiesers I used before them too.
I use them for probably at least 5 hours a day, in and out quite often, so I can understand why they break, it's just I'd prefer it if they didn't...
I like the look of the Panasonic RP-HJE900's but I need some persuading to spend £100 on IEMs unless I can be sure that they will last.
Are there any other cheaper alternatives?
Does anyone have any good recommendations for durable (read: indestructible) IEMs? I seem to go through a pair every 3 - 4 months. The last two set sets I had were the SoundMagic PL21's, which sounded decent for the price, but both times the housing became detached. For a time I would try to pull out my earphones but the bit with the rubber tip on it would stay in my ear, which was a little unsettling. I had the same problems with the 4 sets of Sennhiesers I used before them too.
I use them for probably at least 5 hours a day, in and out quite often, so I can understand why they break, it's just I'd prefer it if they didn't...
I like the look of the Panasonic RP-HJE900's but I need some persuading to spend £100 on IEMs unless I can be sure that they will last.
Are there any other cheaper alternatives?
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
arena08 said:
I wrote a bit about the HJE-900s awhile back. They are very good for the money and are extremely robust in their construction. The cables are really thick compared to the average set of IEMs, and best of all, they are detachable and you can purchase a replacement cable for $15 from Sleek Audio. The phones have metal jacks and the strain relief is pretty beefy, and the zirconium shells are practically indestructible. They are no longer in production though, so your best bet would be to buy used off of Headfi, for the money though, I would go with the Sony Ex600 (I got a pair off of Amazon for $132 USD)which I consider to be technically more impressive (best bang for the buck phones by a sizeable margin in my opinion) and they also are well made and feature detachable cables.
Dreams-Visions
Member
HD600's: they're excellent...until I put my D7000's on.
oh well.
that about sums up what any review I'd write sounds like.
oh well.
that about sums up what any review I'd write sounds like.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
hahaha I lol'd hard!Dreams-Visions said:
If anyone is interested, Newegg is having a sale on Corsair Gaming Audio Series HS1A
Promo code: EMCYTZT721
89$ -> 49$ plus a MiR -> 39$
Promo code: EMCYTZT721
89$ -> 49$ plus a MiR -> 39$
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