Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Speaking of isolation, been using my ciem for my travels and it has been amazing for that.
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The Official Headphone Thread 2.5: We're Making WAVs and Catching FLAC
- Thread starter HiResDes
- Start date
Chittagong
Gold Member
I am really waiting for a Oppo PM-3 / Audeze Sine successor or competitor. My wife wants my PM-3s for travel, but don't really want to get another pair as I didn't particularly love them in the first place.
If there only was a travel version of the Foster design.
Hopefully this is the place to ask, although it's gaming related.
I'm looking for headphones that will go with my PS4.
I don't need a mic since I don't play online.
I do prefer them to be wireless, but if you'll guys say that it will limit greatly my options, then I'll reconsider.
If I do get a wired pair, then do I just plug them into the TV and get the best sound quality?
My budget is around $150-$200, but maybe I can jump a bit higher since Black Friday is around the corner.
I'm looking for headphones that will go with my PS4.
I don't need a mic since I don't play online.
I do prefer them to be wireless, but if you'll guys say that it will limit greatly my options, then I'll reconsider.
If I do get a wired pair, then do I just plug them into the TV and get the best sound quality?
My budget is around $150-$200, but maybe I can jump a bit higher since Black Friday is around the corner.
SolarMystic
Member
There is a headphone jack on your controller as well. Almost as nice as being wireless. I don't have any recommendations for a Bluetooth headphone though outside of stay away from the official Sony gold headset. Breaks extremely easy to the point it's not a matter of if, but when it breaks.
Xander51
Member
Regular wireless/bluetooth headphones don't work with the PS4. If you want something wireless, you're going to be stuck with either Sony's Gold Wireless headset (Which has so-so build quality but pretty good sound) or something from Turtle Beach or Astro. Turtle Beach's cheaper wireless headphones are not good.
Also, all of those have a mic which you say you don't want. Soooo....
SolarMystic is right on, you should probably just buy a decent wired pair and plug it into the controller. The controller's audio output is not fully amazing, but it's totally fine for most low-impedance portable headphones. You could get anything from the venerable M50X to one of Sennheiser's open-backed 5 series headphones to solid "gaming" products like the HyperX Cloud II, and be good to go. The Cloud II even lets you remove the microphone.
While I think both consoles have dropped the ball with Bluetooth support, that they both have headphone jacks in the controllers now means you'll be great with most wired cans. Don't limit yourself!
Thank you both for the detailed responses.
I think I'll go with a wired pair then.
If I connect them to the controller though, I get the Bluetooth compression no? For the best sound I guess I should connect them straight to the TV's headphone jack? (if the cord is long enough...).
If the Sennheiser or the M50X offer a noticeable upgrade over the Hyper Cloud, then I think I'm willing to splurge a bit on a good set.
How do I narrow it down from here though?
Thanks again
I think I'll go with a wired pair then.
If I connect them to the controller though, I get the Bluetooth compression no? For the best sound I guess I should connect them straight to the TV's headphone jack? (if the cord is long enough...).
If the Sennheiser or the M50X offer a noticeable upgrade over the Hyper Cloud, then I think I'm willing to splurge a bit on a good set.
How do I narrow it down from here though?
Thanks again
X2s slightly more bass quantity, less smooth and natural sounding in its transition from the midrange to its treble if that makes sense, more rigid in the treble spectrum showcasing peaks in its upper frequencies...A bit less detailed in its presentation of various instruments.
Is the HD650 a clear step up? Or does the X2 hold it's own?
I like the fact that the X2's don't really need an amp.
X2 somewhat holds it's own like it's not a night and day difference but over time it becomes apparent it's not as refined in many regards.
Xander51
Member
The Cloud offers really great audio quality, even compared to more expensive models, that's why I included it. If you need the extra features other headphones provide, like the removable cable and collapsible design of the M50X for instance, then it's worth stepping up, otherwise the Cloud is a great place to start.
Also, you won't necessarily get a better signal out of your TV's audio jack.
The PS4 controller puts out decent, clean audio that only the most attentive would notice the compression in. It runs a little quiet on some pairs of headphones, but that shouldn't be a problem unless you like to blow out your ears.
Some TV's have audible hum or hiss on their headphone jacks, because their audio circuits are not adequately isolated from the rest of the stuff inside the TV. I speak from experience. I've got two TVs with 3.5mm jacks in my house, and they both suffer from noticeable hum at anything past a medium volume. If the choice is controller vs TV jack, I'd definitely start by trying out the controller.
Do you have any stores near you that might offer headphone demo stations? Best Buy? Guitar Center? Local audio shops? Etc? That could help you to decide.
It's pretty hard to blind-buy headphones even with well-written reviews, because you still might not like them. I've learned over time that the best way to decide is to just dive in on a pair, test it out for a while, and if I really can't stand them, return them or sell them down the line. I have a stupidly-shaped head, so sometimes I get a highly-rated headphone and can't get a comfy fit.
Make sure you use a retailer with a good return policy! That's so important when buying headphones.
If there isn't a major difference quality wise between the clouds and the other models, I think I'll go with them since it's half the price.
A disclaimer though - I currently have the PS Pulse Elite which are nice IMO, but aren't very comfy. To be honest, most of the time they sound good to me, but maybe that's because I don't know anything else.
That's some cool info about the DS4 headphone jack. I'll definitely give it a go then.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I can try the clouds over here, but I'll check. I'll definitely import them from the UK (Amazon) though, since everything is so expensive here.
Thanks again
Xander51
Member
If there isn't a major difference quality wise between the clouds and the other models, I think I'll go with them since it's half the price.
A disclaimer though - I currently have the PS Pulse Elite which are nice IMO, but aren't very comfy. To be honest, most of the time they sound good to me, but maybe that's because I don't know anything else.
That's some cool info about the DS4 headphone jack. I'll definitely give it a go then.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I can try the clouds over here, but I'll check. I'll definitely import them from the UK (Amazon) though, since everything is so expensive here.
Thanks again
The Clouds are super comfy! They use memory foam cushions on both the headband and ear cups. Check out some reviews, you'll find almost nothing but praise.
And you're welcome!Question for those in the know. I've scoured as much of both this thread and the previous thread as well as broad google and reddit searches before ultimately having to ask for help.
I've landed on the DT 990s as my first "open" headphone purchase based on tons of various impressions and general descriptions of their strengths. It was between this and the 598s.
My question is: is it even worth my while to get the 250ohm versions of a headset if the furthest I plan to take an amp purchase is something like a USB combo such as the fiio e10k? I have no real ambitions currently about getting "proper" amps and dacs and I'm not really sure if something like the e10k is going to have enough "juice" to power the headphones.
The thing is though, the 250 Pros seem to be consistently cheaper(albeit by only $15-20), look a little nicer and, of what little I can find for comparisons, seem to be slightly better headphones than the 32ohm variants. These are all relatively minor things I'm willing to drop in favor of the 32 variants if I need to, but I can't find anything super concrete about how much/little of a shitshow plugging a headphone with that much impedance into a USB DAC/Amp would be.
I've landed on the DT 990s as my first "open" headphone purchase based on tons of various impressions and general descriptions of their strengths. It was between this and the 598s.
My question is: is it even worth my while to get the 250ohm versions of a headset if the furthest I plan to take an amp purchase is something like a USB combo such as the fiio e10k? I have no real ambitions currently about getting "proper" amps and dacs and I'm not really sure if something like the e10k is going to have enough "juice" to power the headphones.
The thing is though, the 250 Pros seem to be consistently cheaper(albeit by only $15-20), look a little nicer and, of what little I can find for comparisons, seem to be slightly better headphones than the 32ohm variants. These are all relatively minor things I'm willing to drop in favor of the 32 variants if I need to, but I can't find anything super concrete about how much/little of a shitshow plugging a headphone with that much impedance into a USB DAC/Amp would be.
SolarMystic
Member
The cheaper all in one dac/amp combos should be just fine for the 250ohm dt990. I'd look at the Schiit Fulla as well and read some comparisons between it and the e10k.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Went to music sanctuary in Singapore, and man, if you're a fan of unnecessarily totl iems, like i am, and just plain unnecessary iem cables that pretty much costs the same price as those iems, this is the place to be.
Had a listen to the empire ears lineup and the hum pristine because i was interested in those and there was nowhere to demo them in Australia. The hum pristine is kinda eh. Good resolution but sounds distant and hollow. Not a fan. Was disappointed because i thought it was trying to make a statement by making a totl with 2 BAs but eh. Pretty though.
The Empire ears lineup was pretty great, though they didn't have the savage series which is the one I'm most interested in. The zeus sounds great. Eye popping Price, but those 14 drivers are surprisingly coherant. Lovely layering and separation between the different frequency ranges, and surprisingly good Sub bass depth while retaining midrange clarity. The bass is especially lovely, good detail throughout whole retaining punch and slam, though it's not to basshead levels. Very full sounding tuning, and the soundstage was pretty excellent for a iem. Made me extra interested in their vassgead series though.
Also had a listen to the arthur which is a zeus with fancy cabling that somehow equates to an extra 1600. Only had a short time with it, but didn't seem immediately different to the zeus except for some very slight tuning charges which immediately made me think that it wasn't worth the extra 1600.
Dunno if I'm actually willing to plonk down the change for a zeus, but it made me immediately interested in the savage series. It told me that they know how to do bass even with BAs.
Also bought an effect audio cable because i wanted a cool looking cable that matches my savanna and those were the most reasonably priced ones there.
I don't know why an iem cable needs Metal and carbon fibre at the unnecessarily large split and plug but hell, it looks cool!
Had a listen to the empire ears lineup and the hum pristine because i was interested in those and there was nowhere to demo them in Australia. The hum pristine is kinda eh. Good resolution but sounds distant and hollow. Not a fan. Was disappointed because i thought it was trying to make a statement by making a totl with 2 BAs but eh. Pretty though.
The Empire ears lineup was pretty great, though they didn't have the savage series which is the one I'm most interested in. The zeus sounds great. Eye popping Price, but those 14 drivers are surprisingly coherant. Lovely layering and separation between the different frequency ranges, and surprisingly good Sub bass depth while retaining midrange clarity. The bass is especially lovely, good detail throughout whole retaining punch and slam, though it's not to basshead levels. Very full sounding tuning, and the soundstage was pretty excellent for a iem. Made me extra interested in their vassgead series though.
Also had a listen to the arthur which is a zeus with fancy cabling that somehow equates to an extra 1600. Only had a short time with it, but didn't seem immediately different to the zeus except for some very slight tuning charges which immediately made me think that it wasn't worth the extra 1600.
Dunno if I'm actually willing to plonk down the change for a zeus, but it made me immediately interested in the savage series. It told me that they know how to do bass even with BAs.
Also bought an effect audio cable because i wanted a cool looking cable that matches my savanna and those were the most reasonably priced ones there.
I don't know why an iem cable needs Metal and carbon fibre at the unnecessarily large split and plug but hell, it looks cool!
I'd probably recommend the vali instead, tube pairing seems to be a good match with Sennheiser. Little Dot MK2 and Aune T1 might also be worth looking into.
SolarMystic
Member
Modi2/Vali1 combo $200 - If you want a little extra warmth.
Modi2/Magni2 combo $200 - If you want a more neutral setup.
Excellent, thank you!
Thanks for the info!
Kinda having a hard time deciding but i guess the X2's are the more logical choice since i have no amp and i can get them new for 180,- which is a pretty sweet price.
The HD6xx would cost me 200 without shipping and i would need an amp.. so that makes it much more expensive for me.
Man, found my old Koss Porta Pro again and hooked them up. In the bass department, this is such a good phone. Also from the voicing it's overall very well balanced. While not the most spacious and the most detailed, the overall performance is just so... harmonious. So many headphones do one thing so well and another so bad and the overall impression is just so... lacking in the end for me. And it's really cheap to boot. Everyone should own a pair.
Kinda like Philharmonic Audio's Affordable Accuracy monitor, if you want decent speakers to go with the headphone collection ;-)
Kinda like Philharmonic Audio's Affordable Accuracy monitor, if you want decent speakers to go with the headphone collection ;-)
Xander51
Member
I'm trying out some Audio-Technica WS1100is headphones (what a name huh?). In true AT fashion, in spite of being part of their Solid Bass line they actually seem mostly focused on the mids and highs. The pads are notable for being maybe the biggest, most spacious, and most comfy pads I've seen on an AT closed headphone. Like the MSR7 pads, but softer and with an even larger ear hole.
It all makes me wonder if the M series will ever get updated with slightly larger pads. Maybe not, cause they don't want to mess with success, but I think that'd be pretty cool.
It all makes me wonder if the M series will ever get updated with slightly larger pads. Maybe not, cause they don't want to mess with success, but I think that'd be pretty cool.
Any Questions
Member
Hi GAF, have posted on this thread a few times and still need to shit or get off the pot. So as crimbo is nearly here, do I get a chord mojo.
So, luckily I managed to get hold of some noble savants as my iem. They are lovely. Now I don't have the desire to burn CD's or get into flac so i run with extreme quality from Spotify and play through my Samsung s7 as it jolly convenient and I listen to album after album and to be fair am royaly treated with my savants to a lovely listening experience.
Now getting a mojo would be sensible if I wanted to run some serious over ears, but will I notice a the difference to my Spotify, S7 and current iem combo.
Looking forward to the hopefully incoming advice.
PS listening to the 2011 remastered PF the wall, and yes. Funking yes. I urge you all to listen to "the trial" awesome!
So, luckily I managed to get hold of some noble savants as my iem. They are lovely. Now I don't have the desire to burn CD's or get into flac so i run with extreme quality from Spotify and play through my Samsung s7 as it jolly convenient and I listen to album after album and to be fair am royaly treated with my savants to a lovely listening experience.
Now getting a mojo would be sensible if I wanted to run some serious over ears, but will I notice a the difference to my Spotify, S7 and current iem combo.
Looking forward to the hopefully incoming advice.
PS listening to the 2011 remastered PF the wall, and yes. Funking yes. I urge you all to listen to "the trial" awesome!
Xander51
Member
The chord mojo is overkill for basically any IEM unless you want to make it really loud. My number one rule in audio gear is that if you're happy with something you've got, don't buy a new thing to replace/enhance it. Buy a truly new thing to get a truly new experience. You said yourself the mojo would only be sensible if you wanted to run high-impedance over-ears, and honestly even then cheaper amps would do a great job. So you already know the answer. You already love what you've got. Sometimes there is no mythical "better," and we fool ourselves into thinking something is a huge upgrade because we paid for it. You already bought a beast of an expensive IEM. That was your big upgrade.
Sorry for the harsh perspective, if you were just looking for someone to justify another big purchase. I don't play in the same sandbox that some of you folks do.
Any Questions
Member
This is what I thought I would hear, but folks do say that it can make a night and day difference, but was a bit confused if I would actually notice, hence I asked. it's been a good 6 to 8 months since I last thought about it. Then last week was reminded when I saw an advert on the underground which made me think again. I was wondering if I could genuinely improve my music listening.
I did save for these nobles and would say that am positive that it was worth the effort, and was curious weather a mojo would make the same difference I experienced moving from £25 pair of ear phones to what am using now.
On Headfi?
According to What Hifi everything is good.
Any Questions
Member
Drat those shills. However it must make some impact else why bother
Xander51
Member
They're relying on you thinking this so that you buy it. It looks cool, but it has way more power than you'd ever need for an IEM. And it's really expensive. Expense doesn't always equal value.
Still, it seems like you've already made your mind up. And that's fine! It's okay to enjoy things. I look forward to you coming back to tell us we were wrong!
EDIT: I read that review. Oof. Also, you mentioned you don't want to use FLAC/hi-res, and the review constantly mentions testing hi-res audio, and that this is one of the main features of the mojo. They also used a bunch of full-sized cans. Food for thought.
SHp9500 is great and will save you money
I agree lol
Xander51
Member
Said with far more eloquence than my rambling posts!
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
I bought a mojo specifically for my iems.
Also the fact that it can run a hd600 pretty fang nicely, but mostly for my iems.
Also the fact that it can run a hd600 pretty fang nicely, but mostly for my iems.
Any Questions
Member
I hear this, however a big reason to get the mojo according to chord is because it works so well when plugged into your phone. Hence asking if anybody thought it was worth the investment.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
It works really well, but honestly for portable a dragonfly red is better because of form factor and the fact you don't have to charge another device. Mojo is great for is versatility, and i liked using mine for portable but it gets too bulky after awhile.
Any Questions
Member
Dragonfly Red! Have just checked it out. Never knew it was even out there. Sounds interesting. Will give it a look.
The whole idea of an IEM requiring an amp is just ridiculous to me.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
I use it because the nexus 6p headphone out sounds pretty bad. Noisey, the mids sounds slightly sucked out, some smear in the bass section.
It's the dac that matters to me more than the amp. Like the mojo is actually just pure dac.
It's the dac that matters to me more than the amp. Like the mojo is actually just pure dac.
SolarMystic
Member
Only thing I could think of is if the amp in the phone/DAP is pretty shitty and you've got a very revealing iem, it's going to show how shitty the chain is. In that case the Dac is probably crap too.
I wouldn't run an Andromeda out of my phone for instance. Out of a nice dap? Certainly.
But no dedicated amp required.
I can absolutely see someone wanting to use the Mojo with a fantastic pair of iems. A great pair of iems will reveal the quality of your chain as well as a nice pair of headphones may.
SolarMystic
Member
I agree, unless someone travels a lot and wants a portable system to set up in hotel rooms or something.
Just a nice standalone DAP works for me. Even totl iems have good matching DAPs to go with them.
If I use V-Sonic GR07 Classics with my iPhone and I am picking up an iPhone 7 today (which has the 3.5mm adapter), do I need to worry about or can my GR07's improve noticeably if I went with one of those tiny DAC's and Amps like the Fiio K1?
I know the DAC in the Apple dongle is slightly worse than the 6/6S one which has served me absolutely fine so I'm assuming the dongle won't be noticeable, but wanted to be sure after 2 months of the phone being out. Thanks!
I know the DAC in the Apple dongle is slightly worse than the 6/6S one which has served me absolutely fine so I'm assuming the dongle won't be noticeable, but wanted to be sure after 2 months of the phone being out. Thanks!
I dumped the Havi B3 for that exact reason. Sounded amazing tbh, when properly fed, but what it took to get the best from it was fucking ridiculous.