• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

The Official Headphone Thread 2.5: We're Making WAVs and Catching FLAC

The AD700 have both the widest soundstage and least amount of bass of the bunch so you might want to cross those out. The DT990 have both good bass and soundstage and are your price range looking on Amazon.co.uk, but really sound best when amped a bit, which will bring your overall cost up. The 598s are really bass neutral and have a good soundstage, you'll still probably find them bass light and therefore should avoid if that's the sound signature you're used to... I don't think you're gonna find an open headphone that will meet your bass expectations in the price range besides the DT990 which really sound better amped. Therefore I'd recommend a closed headphone with good bass and a decent soundstage like the Creative Aurvana Live 2 or Superlux Evo.

Thanks for the info. The Superflux Evo - do you mean these? A lot cheaper than I was expecting after the £99.99 CAL2 you mentioned. Just checking I'm looking at the right Superflux Evos, and if not, could you please link?

Beginning to have second thoughts about whether I want strong bass. If there's something out there that gives a good balance of soundstage and bass, I would be up for that - I just don't want to end up with poor bass in whatever I go with.

Are the CAL2 and Superflux you mentioned losing much in soundstage because of the better bass? Probably being picky now, and I'm not sure what I should be striving for in terms of performance if I'm mainly a single player gamer, but I do love being immersed into the music and audio atmosphere in RPGs/adventures (Mass Effect, FF, Zelda). But I need a good mic because I play Dead or Alive online a lot on PS4, too.
 

HiResDes

Member
Thanks for the info. The Superflux Evo - do you mean these? A lot cheaper than I was expecting after the £99.99 CAL2 you mentioned. Just checking I'm looking at the right Superflux Evos, and if not, could you please link?

Beginning to have second thoughts about whether I want strong bass. If there's something out there that gives a good balance of soundstage and bass, I would be up for that - I just don't want to end up with poor bass in whatever I go with.

Are the CAL2 and Superflux you mentioned losing much in soundstage because of the better bass? Probably being picky now, and I'm not sure what I should be striving for in terms of performance if I'm mainly a single player gamer, but I do love being immersed into the music and audio atmosphere in RPGs/adventures (Mass Effect, FF, Zelda). But I need a good mic because I play Dead or Alive online a lot on PS4, too.
Most open headphones are going to have better soundstage, no question about that, but the closed headphones I recommended have good soundstage for being closed and sport good bass as well, though neither are detail retrieval monsters.

I think the Fidelio X1 would be the absolute best headphone for you, but it's just slightly out of your price range. If you're okay with doing a little pad changing the semi open Somic MH463 are fantastic sounding headphones, but have really uncomfortable stock pads. The Turtle Beach X12 pads are cheap and fit making them a bit more comfortable. Or you could splurge for some HM5 velour. If you're down to do a little work you'll have a headphone that sounds 80 percent as good as the HD650 and X1/X2. Both the X1 and Somic have bass and fairly wide soundstage, while sporting decent detail. The Samson SR850 is another good semi open option though it's treble can prove to be quite sibilant with some types of music and sounds.

Another option would be to go with a balanced closed headphone if you're worried about losing out on detail. You should be able to find the Brainwavz Hm5 well within your price, which sports a well balanced sound with just enough bass to add warmth for movies and games. The soundstage on them is also fairly good for a closed headphone. The AKG K550 has a similar sound, but the pads are harder to get a seal with for some ears.

As for the mic, you can add a cheap Zalman or more expensive Antlion ModMic to most of the headphones.


Edit: Those indeed were the headphones I was talk about.
 
Yeah I'd think he'd have to consider stuff like the Angies, Noble 4S,1964-V6, 1Plus2, Parterre, and possibly going custom at that price range right with something like the Unique Melody Miracle.


Although I'd be really curios how much better they are than lower priced flagships like the Dunu 2000J, Fidue A83, and Ortofon E-Q8.

I honestly think the Angie smacks down every single one of those phones you listed and I've heard them all save for the Miracle and the V6.

EQ-8 is my absolute favorite at that price range, and is exceptionally good for the money, very nice neutralish sig that's probably 90% of the Angie for quite a bit less money. I'd imagine it's easier on the ears than the D2KJ, if Tomscy and James' impressions are anything to go by. Midrange would be richer/more upfront than the 2KJ based on K3003 comparisons by Tom/James. Only issue is that it's kind of a tough phone to drive, being very sensitive and requiring as close to 1 Ohm OI as you can get. (It sounds fine out of my iPhone 6 but is smoother and weightier in the low end with the Leckerton) Doubt the Fidue holds up if Tom's recessed upper midrange observation is correct (and it should be, he has good ears). He felt the mids on the Fidue were congested/veiled.

Anywho, I just came back from listening to the UM Mason, UM Maverick and HE1000. I felt the Maverick had great bass, with very good extension, body and tactility (perhaps owing to a very unusual dynamic driver X BA design for the lows), but I was let down by the treble which, while very clear, came through with excessive emphasis. Running tone gen revealed some peaks at 8, 10 and 12 khz. So uh... yeah, it was kinda annoying to listen to with poorly mixed music. Listening to something like Relationship of Command was just plain irritating to me, while it's much more manageable on the Angie. Soundstage had that typical concentric feeling stage that stage monitors have (decent width, but good height). At $1,000 I wasn't particularly impressed as it felt too run of the mill I guess.

The 12 driver Mason immediately felt much smoother across the FR than the Maverick, and possessed greater width to the stage. Clarity was excellent but it felt too smooth and laidback for my tastes. This was immediately noticeable when I queued up Dark Defender from the Evangelion 3.0 OST:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWqY6DM_qFs

The brass section just lacked the explosive dynamics that the Angie possessed, sounding too even in volume to the point of feeling sort of lifeless. The Angie managed superior layering, and sounded audibly more lively across the board making the Mason feel almost strangely veiled, in spite of all of the minute details actually being retained across both phones. It almost felt as if the upper end of the Mason was shelved or something. Very odd. I'm not sure if it was on account of a poor source matching, but seeing how I used the Leckerton UHA-6S MK II I kinda doubt it. I'll probably have to get around to listening to the Mason again next time I meet up since I spent most of my time listening to the HE1000.

Speaking of the HE1000, christ what a huge ass phone.

avslKSd.jpg

I had to actually stack a wad of paper towels on top of my head cause the lowest setting on the sliders still wasn't a comfy fit for me! It looked much nicer in person and felt very, very solid. I loved the swivel joints, very smooth action.

I had a friend queue up Google Play and was very impressed by the HE1000 through the Asus Essence 3 DAC/Amp. It moved a huge amount of air (the HE560 didn't compare in that regard), and felt pretty crystalline in detail. I was most impressed by how it matched something like the Angie in terms of black space/imaging. I've always felt like multi BA IEMs felt more precise in terms of placement, separation and "air" around instruments, but this really did feel like you could have your cake and eat it too. Long story short, I did feel like it managed to couple that gut churning planar punch with the texture of an electrostatic presentation. I don't think I'd pay $3,000 for it, but it was a very impressive phone.

Oh yeah, the Oppo PM3 was there as well. Switching from either the HE1000/HE560 to the PM3 was pretty hilarious. Felt like the walls were closing in, and everything became super honky, which is pretty funny cause I thought the PM3 sounded pretty darn nice all on its own. I guess that's what laid-back treble/upper mids will do to you.
 

HiResDes

Member
Really surprised the Maverick didn't have the soundstage to hang with the big boys. And now I wonder how the Ether will compare to the HE1000. Fantastic writeup as always, great read, highly appreciated. Are you interested in hearing the Layla or do you feel as though the jump is too negligible to justify the price.
 
Yeah... I mean, it's bizarre cause it's not that they're bad phones AT ALL. I'm just being super nitpicky about shit cause I can. They'd probably sound absolutely stellar to most people. I was pretty impressed by the bass. It wasn't overblown, and had tightness and control in spite of being elevated coupled with that organic "feel" that accompanies dynamic drivers. I was quite impressed by its extension, and it was just a touch more audible than the Angie on some really low pitched descending bass lines (and the Angie is seriously no slouch in terms of presence down to 20 hz). The Angie was definitely more concise and crisp down low though, it probably has the absolute best bass from an IEM I've heard to date. Incredibly intelligible, textured and impactful with zero smearing into the midrange. None. I think it's the result of the triple stainless steel sound bores and the high number of crossovers.

The Angie also has a very formidable soundstage. It's as close to that of a full sized can as I've heard and eclipses former champs such as the K3003/1plus2/Dita/UERM. Couple guys in the Angie threads on HF have put it about on a par with that of the LCD-X's stage, but with even better localization (which is really its forte IMO - pinpoint accuracy and stratification of sound layers). I would put the Maverick's soundstage on a par with phones such as the ASG-2(.5), FA-4, FitEar 334 etc. It has that familiar encompassing monitor feel that's more enveloping and rounded vs. the more hi-fi feel of phones such as the K3003/1plus2/Dita which have good height coupled with great width and present sound in a more forwardly projected fashion (sort of like attending an open air concert with the venue in front of you vs. the intimacy of being in a room I guess)

Not sure about the Ether TBH, I know virtually nothing about it. The HE1000 was quite an experience. I have a friend who was also on the tour, but he didn't like it nearly as much. He drove the HE1000 with his O2/ODAC though so... not sure if he was doing it justice there. He felt like it didn't possess the planar grunt which... just puzzles me cause the dynamics of the HE1000 were pretty visceral in my experience. I dunno, I thought it was superb, from top to bottom. I see some contention over at HF but whatevs I guess. At $2,000 I'd be highly tempted, $3,000 not so much.

My friend SGS heard the Layla and wrote a bit for Cymba Cavum. He wasn't too impressed and didn't feel as if it was "reference sound" since it felt veiled to him due to some midrange recession at 1-2 khz (? can't remember precisely where). Tumburu in the Layla thread also didn't feel it was reference sound in spite of JH's insistence and branding and he's a recording engineer. I know Goodvibes has heard both Layla and Angie and he's said Angie felt more accurate to him. He seems to feel that the Layla has a thicker note to it, and sort of compared it to the K10. I wasn't a fan of the K10. It's a rich/thick sounding phone.

The Angie feels quite accurate to me. More low end presence heading to 20 hz. than the UERM, slightly warmer midrange (which I favor), a bit more solidity to notes, better separation, and better treble timbre than UERM (smoother but with similar weight and resolution). Where the UERM bests the Angie is in air (it feels more open - I'm guessing due to better upper treble extension) and dynamics, it just feels snappier. Other than that, I'd say it's of reference quality if the UERM is anything to go by.

OH yeah, I'm also in for both the Flare Audio R2A and the R2Pro. Figured why the hell not since it carries a 14 day return policy. I'm really, really hoping one of them is a neutral phone. I've got a real soft spot for well executed single driver phones such as the Tenore, Rockets, FIBASS and EQ-8. My friend is also offing the Maverick and the K10. I'm gonna see if I can't coerce him to order the Adel A12 or A10 LOL as that's literally the only flagship phone left that I'm curious about.
 

Mohonky

Member
Getting some ideas for good headphones.

Already have a larger 5.1 system for movies etc, this is purely for when I am too lazy to play PC games through the home theatre and am sitting back using my monitor.

I wont be using a DAC or amp to start with, just my mobo which is a GIgabyte GA-Z87X-OC. Will maybe one day goto a dac / amp combo but not overly fussed right now.

I am thinking $200, $250 tops but never really looked into headphones before. I did look at the Seinheisser Momentums which were $170 but I think they must be an older model or something because I see others listing up to $399 for the Momentum 2's etc.

Anyway any recommendations around that price point? I like deep bass but I don't like muddy boomy bass, I prefer a tight and controlled low end (all my speakers are sealed enclosure for that reason). Its mostly going to be for playing games so it doesn't have to be musical, but I like smooth sounding, no sloppy bass or aggressive highs.

Any recommendations?

I am in Australia byw, so factor that into costs and location to purchase from.
 

HiResDes

Member
Getting some ideas for good headphones.

Already have a larger 5.1 system for movies etc, this is purely for when I am too lazy to play PC games through the home theatre and am sitting back using my monitor.

I wont be using a DAC or amp to start with, just my mobo which is a GIgabyte GA-Z87X-OC. Will maybe one day goto a dac / amp combo but not overly fussed right now.

I am thinking $200, $250 tops but never really looked into headphones before. I did look at the Seinheisser Momentums which were $170 but I think they must be an older model or something because I see others listing up to $399 for the Momentum 2's etc.

Anyway any recommendations around that price point? I like deep bass but I don't like muddy boomy bass, I prefer a tight and controlled low end (all my speakers are sealed enclosure for that reason). Its mostly going to be for playing games so it doesn't have to be musical, but I like smooth sounding, no sloppy bass or aggressive highs.

Any recommendations?

I am in Australia byw, so factor that into costs and location to purchase from.
Australian prices are horrendous so I'll just list a few headphones that I think match your description with the slim hope you'll be able to find them in your price range though you might have to get a used pair.

ADL H118
Master and Dynamic MH40
Fidelio X2
Sennheiser HD650
Sennheiser Momentum (2.0 over ear)
HIFIMAN HE-300
Yamaha MT220
NAD VISO HP50
Koss Pro 4S
 

Duxxy3

Member
Sennheiser support is solid. Just around 10 days from shipping to get a new pair of HD598's back. They sent me a good pair. No imbalance that I can detect so far.
 

neos

Member
I recently bought the Sennheiser cx300 II, and i'm quite happy with them. Bought for around 30€, i can't complain too much on how they sound. Lows an mid-lows are very warm and defined, but mids are lacking and highs are a bit to hissy for my taste.

I'd like to try some earbuds on the same price range but more mids-oriented (i can face a less defined low end in exchange for some more clarity in the mids and more pleasant highs). Any advice?
 

HiResDes

Member
I recently bought the Sennheiser cx300 II, and i'm quite happy with them. Bought for around 30€, i can't complain too much on how they sound. Lows an mid-lows are very warm and defined, but mids are lacking and highs are a bit to hissy for my taste.

I'd like to try some earbuds on the same price range but more mids-oriented (i can face a less defined low end in exchange for some more clarity in the mids and more pleasant highs). Any advice?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0093VVP0Q/?tag=neogaf0e-20
 

Mohonky

Member
Australian prices are horrendous so I'll just list a few headphones that I think match your description with the slim hope you'll be able to find them in your price range though you might have to get a used pair.

ADL H118
Master and Dynamic MH40
Fidelio X2
Sennheiser HD650
Sennheiser Momentum (2.0 over ear)
HIFIMAN HE-300
Yamaha MT220
NAD VISO HP50
Koss Pro 4S

There is the chance I can bring them in from overseas, but I am moving and I am not entirely sure when, so I can't order anything until I move as if it takes more than 3 weeks there is a chance I won't be at my last address.
 

Tommy DJ

Member
Yes but they're active noise cancelling, they're Bose, and they're not close to 20 years old. Stuff gets cheap when you've basically been making the same headphone for 17 years straight. The profit margin on the Sennheiser HD6XX series is probably outrageous at this point.

For a library environment, I survived with two things: earplugs and closed circumaural earphones with a good seal. I don't think active noise cancellation is really required in your circumstances.
 

Fox1304

Member
Do these work if no music is playing?

They have to be comfortable that it won't bother me if I'm in a long assed study session.

Edit: $300?! That's the price I paid for Sennheiser HD 650!

They do, and it works really well already.
For me they're the only pair of in-ear that I've tried that I can keep all day long. They're really comfortable and the "lock-in" rubber part is really effective.
As for the price, yes, they're expensive. You basically pay 150$ for the active noise-cancelling, but nothing can match what they do on this point.
 
They do, and it works really well already.
For me they're the only pair of in-ear that I've tried that I can keep all day long. They're really comfortable and the "lock-in" rubber part is really effective.
As for the price, yes, they're expensive. You basically pay 150$ for the active noise-cancelling, but nothing can match what they do on this point.

Please tell me there's some coupon or discount that happens rarely.
 
Not sure about the Ether TBH, I know virtually nothing about it. The HE1000 was quite an experience. I have a friend who was also on the tour, but he didn't like it nearly as much. He drove the HE1000 with his O2/ODAC though so... not sure if he was doing it justice there. He felt like it didn't possess the planar grunt which... just puzzles me cause the dynamics of the HE1000 were pretty visceral in my experience. I dunno, I thought it was superb, from top to bottom. I see some contention over at HF but what]vs I guess. At $2,000 I'd be highly tempted, $3,000 not so much.

Welp. He's just done some blind testing of the HE1000 with the ODAC/O2 vs. speaker taps and the test results in zero perceivable changes:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/767883/official-hifiman-he1000-impressions-thread/540#post_11682199

Very interesting stuff. He also seems to feel that the SR207 is overall a better reference phone than the HE1000, sounding less grainy, possessing notably faster bass, no midrange recession (he cites a recession at 1-3 kHz) and having a more accurate, less "stereo blobby" presentation. Wish I'd had my system there with me at the time to A/B.
 

Duxxy3

Member
Thank you, but i'm searching earbuds for a birthday gift in 10 days, and i don't want to risk an international shipment, so if you could point me on something available in Europe it'd be awesome.

(you made me curious with those Tenore btw, i'll probably buy them for me when i have some spare money)

You can change the .com to .co.uk and it's the same item. I have no idea how amazon shipping works in euroland.
 

HiResDes

Member
Please tell me there's some coupon or discount that happens rarely.

Tommy DJ's right though unless you're absolutely opposed to in-earphones you'll be able to find a much better value in those and most of them are going to isolate better than the average passive isolating closed headphone. However, if you do find them uncomfortable they are some passive isolating headphones like the Brainwavz HM5 that isolate well enough to be used in a library, though activities like riding on an airplane with really loud ambient noise will still be a bit troublesome.
Thank you, but i'm searching earbuds for a birthday gift in 10 days, and i don't want to risk an international shipment, so if you could point me on something available in Europe it'd be awesome.

(you made me curious with those Tenore btw, i'll probably buy them for me when i have some spare money)

Like the other poster said they are Available on Amazon.co.uk


You can also find these on Lendmeurears or Penon Audio which ships worldwide:

Fidue A65
RE-400
RE-300H
Ostry KC06
Vsonic VSD5
ECCI PR200 MKII
 
Tommy DJ's right though unless you're absolutely opposed to in-earphones you'll be able to find a much better value in those and most of them are going to isolate better than the average passive isolating closed headphone. However, if you do find them uncomfortable they are some passive isolating headphones like the Brainwavz HM5 that isolate well enough to be used in a library, though activities like riding on an airplane with really loud ambient noise will still be a bit troublesome.


Like the other poster said they are Available on Amazon.co.uk


You can also find these on Lendmeurears or Penon Audio which ships worldwide:

Fidue A65
RE-400
RE-300H
Ostry KC06
Vsonic VSD5
ECCI PR200 MKII

How's the Bose QC25? It costs $50 more, but it doesn't stick things in my ear.
 

HiResDes

Member
How's the Bose QC25? It costs $50 more, but it doesn't stick things in my ear.

I already recommended it. It's super comfortable and along with the QC15 has pretty much unrivaled active noise cancelling...Sound quality is just average though to my ears. If you have the money and feel as though you really need that level of noise cancelling sure go ahead.
 

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
The noise cancelling in the QC25 is honestly scary good. To the point where it feels like actual hear loss.
 

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
The technology I believe is that they emit some sort of soundwave that cancels out ambient noise of certain frequencies. It doesn't block everything out but it blocks out a lot of ambient sound. It works without music. You might want to go out to a store and try it yourself. I'm sure most big electronic stores will have it out for sampling.
 
The technology I believe is that they emit some sort of soundwave that cancels out ambient noise of certain frequencies. It doesn't block everything out but it blocks out a lot of ambient sound. It works without music. You might want to go out to a store and try it yourself. I'm sure most big electronic stores will have it out for sampling.

The big question is can the QC25 deal with shitty neighbors and are they available at New Zealand?
 
I tried a pair of the QCIIs in a Denver airport years and years ago. They had a booth that simulated cabin noise so you could test the isolation. It was pretty impressive I had to admit. Phones were super comfy too. The only thing was that the build quality left something to be desired at its price point. Felt pretty cheap. I'm not sure if the current batch of QCs are improved in that regard. They're not gonna sound impressive or anything, but in terms of comfort and isolation, they're pretty hard to knock. If I lived in a noisy area or flew frequently I'd probably pick up a pair.
 

herod

Member
ADL H118, AKG K553, or Focal Spirit Classic or the Brainwavz Hm5 if you can't find those.
Just wanted to say thanks, I have the H118's cranked here while she watches tv, she can't hear them at all. They seem better than my DT770 Premiums as well.
 

D23

Member
finally got my zero audio carbo tenore, wow this thing sounds pretty impressive for $40 i paid for it.
 
finally got my zero audio carbo tenore, wow this thing sounds pretty impressive for $40 i paid for it.

Lol. Some of you guys who are new to this have no idea how good that phone is for the money. Something on the Tenore's level used to cost several hundred dollars just 4 years ago.
 

neos

Member
You can change the .com to .co.uk and it's the same item. I have no idea how amazon shipping works in euroland.
Well looks like it doesn't work well:
"Sorry, we can't deliver this item to Italy - Mainland"
:(
Like the other poster said they are Available on Amazon.co.uk


You can also find these on Lendmeurears or Penon Audio which ships worldwide:

Fidue A65
RE-400
RE-300H
Ostry KC06
Vsonic VSD5
ECCI PR200 MKII
Was this list pointed at me or to someone else? I'm looking for something around the 50€ mark, these seems like top-end, i can't afford that:\
 

HiResDes

Member
Well looks like it doesn't work well:
"Sorry, we can't deliver this item to Italy - Mainland"
:(

Was this list pointed at me or to someone else? I'm looking for something around the 50€ mark, these seems like top-end, i can't afford that:
They're definitely not top end and are within your price range. Also consider the Zero Audio Tenore, though some of the others I listed have better build quality.
 

neos

Member
They're definitely not top end and are within your price range. Also consider the Zero Audio Tenore, though some of the others I listed have better build quality.
the fidue were 295€ on amazon, the second were 100,so i stopped searching. i'lo look for the rest of the list, thanks for your time.
 

Aizo

Banned
I need to replace some Sony IEMs I bought back in Japan (cat chewed the cord..), so I'm looking for something in the 50-60 USD range that are comfy and not bass-bloated. I mostly listen to Indie Rock, Hip-Hop, and Death Metal. I want something that won't become muddled with high treble.
 

HiResDes

Member
I need to replace some Sony IEMs I bought back in Japan (cat chewed the cord..), so I'm looking for something in the 50-60 USD range that are comfy and not bass-bloated. I mostly listen to Indie Rock, Hip-Hop, and Death Metal. I want something that won't become muddled with high treble.
I'd recommend the Vsonic VSD5, Vsonic VSD3, Ostry KC06a, or Zero Audio Carbo Basso.
 

Aizo

Banned
Thanks a lot! I'll let you know what I choose and how I like them. How many pairs of headphones do you own, anyway?

Also, what are your absolute favorites that you own?
Edit: These are the ones my cat chewed up. Are the ones you recommended significantly better, you think?

Edit2: I think the Carbo Tenores are more suited to my tastes than the Bassos. I'm going to pick 'em up. I'm afraid of peaking highs when listening to Melodic Death Metal.
 
Top Bottom