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

F

FallingEdge

Member
HiResDes said:
They're open breh gonna leak a lot if you're next to people, but I think they're nicer sounding than the 598 with most genres for people in the open can market.
Click to expand...

oh they are open? gah, I thought they were closed. I have a pair of X2 for home/gaming use. Sennheiser HD25-1 II for work use.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Oh you're good then I wouldn't bother with them unless you listen to a lot of acoustic stuff where I think they really kill the X2
 
W

Waikis

Member
So, I won astell kern 320 from a local av show :D. I knew the owner of the store and asked if I can trade it with a head/ear phone. Managed to get an angie II plus store credit. Aw yeah.
 
LQX

LQX

Member
wilflare said:
how is the quality on this?
Amazon has them for $88

I have the X1 (still waiting for a X2 sale)
Click to expand...

I really don't know. They seem to get good praise but many complain of the hinge breaking which is nothing new to Sony. They seemingly over-design some of their headphones and they break after awhile.
 
S

SprachBrooks

Member
Figured I'd post on here, but why the fuck can I not use my Bluetooth headphones with my PS4?! What's Sony's reasoning for this? I know I'm super late to this lol.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
Hi Headphone-GAF.

I've been getting into headphones recently. Nothing nuts. Got some nice Sony Monitors. Much better than my 20 dollar earbuds.

Starting small.

However, is there something I can get so I'm not disconnecting my heaphones from my PC to plug in my speakers and vice versa?

I switch for AUX of sorts?

My computer only has one AUX port.
 
M

matmanx1

Member
Earlier than expected I received my imported Sony MDR-MA900's yesterday. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R99S14/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I only had an hour or so with them last night but I can already tell why they get so much praise as being supremely comfortable and light on the head while having a nice sound.

In terms of pressure and weight on the head they are nearly invisible. They have enormous ear cups (70mm drivers) but the headband is thin and very light. They will need to be broken in for best sound but out of the box they are fairly neutral with strong low bass and a little bit of warmth to the sound.

In three back to back games of Overwatch with Dolby Atmos enabled I was hearing details in the sound that I had never noticed before through my normal surround setup. The sound stage is large and it was very easy to tell what direction a sound was coming from or moving towards.

Despite the price ($250 + shipping) I am pleased with the purchase and will be getting a lot of use out of the MDR-MA900's going forward.
 
X

X-Frame

Member
Hey everyone, quick question ..

If I am using V-Sonic GR07 Classic's (sometimes the Bass Editions), which DragonFly DAC should I grab -- the Black or the more powerful Red?

The GR07's are 50 ohms and as of now I don't have any intention of wearing larger headphones on my commute.

Is the Black sufficient and possibly even preferable over the Red because of my IEM's? I heard with the Red it could result in way less volume control.

I have an iPhone 7 Plus.
 
S

Servbot24

Banned
Got some Sen 598 Cs for Black Friday, I know they're only $100 but I'm afraid these aren't impressive at all. Maybe I just don't like the closed sound, as these are my first pairs of those.

Considering returning these and putting the funds towards that TH-X00 massdrop or some IEMs for running.
 
LQX

LQX

Member
I'm also not super impressed with the 598 Cs. Not even sure they are better than some of my cheaper closed backs headphones like the ATH- M40X. I did not expect the clarity or as wide of sound-stage as the orginal 598 but also did not expect them to sort sound so muffled.

If I heard these before the originals I would be sort of disappointed. I'm going to keep them for a bit but I'm not sure if I would have been so quick buy them had Sennheiser not used 598 brand number on them. Also, the new design of the ear-pads really are not up to par with the 598 in anyway and the leak a ton so that might be another big disappointment for some in that everyone will still be able to hear everything just like original 598. Come on Sennheiser.

Servbot24 said:
Got some Sen 598 Cs for Black Friday, I know they're only $100 but I'm afraid these aren't impressive at all. Maybe I just don't like the closed sound, as these are my first pairs of those.

Considering returning these and putting the funds towards that TH-X00 massdrop or some IEMs for running.
Click to expand...

The TH-X00 are amazing. If you can afford them then definitely consider them.
 
Flying Toaster

Flying Toaster

Member
LQX said:
I'm also not super impressed with the 598 Cs. Not even sure they are better than some of my cheaper closed backs headphones like the ATH- M40X. I did not expect the clarity or as wide of sound-stage as the orginal 598 but also did not expect them to sort sound so muffled.

If I heard these before the originals I would be sort of disappointed. I'm going to keep them for a bit but I'm not sure if I would have been so quick buy them had Sennheiser not used 598 brand number on them. Also, the new design of the ear-pads really are not up to par with the 598 in anyway and the leak a ton so that might be another big disappointment for some in that everyone will still be able to hear everything just like original 598. Come on Sennheiser.



The TH-X00 are amazing. If you can afford them then definitely consider them.
Click to expand...

The 598 not being great is not that surprising. TH-X00 are wicked for the price.

I have been trying to listen to more mid range priced headphones as it is hard to suggest high end equipment to friends who don't listen to music as much as I do. It is crazy gow big the headphone world has become since 2005.
 
W

wihio

Member
diving headfirst into the world of headphones--

Scored some Sennheiser HD 6XX from the recent Massdrop and decided to get a Bottlehead Crack to go along with them. I am excited to build the Crack and to (eventually) roll some tubes!

Now to dust off my FLAC collection...

Any reason that I NEED to get a DAC right away?
 
K

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
Sennheiser silently releasing the 598CS with zero fanfare should've been a huge red flag to you guys.

wilflare said:
what about the HE-350 compared to the Senn 598CS?
thinking between the two for my brother
Click to expand...

The HE-350 is actually a decent headphone.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
wilflare said:
what about the HE-350 compared to the Senn 598CS?
thinking between the two for my brother
Click to expand...
I don't think either offers a very good value even at their heavily discounted price points. I'd much rather have the DT880 for fifty bucks more or he's more of a bass guy DT990 Pro go on sale all the time for around $150. If he wants closed id rather have the original Creative Aurvana Live for around fifty bucks or the Meze 99 Classics than the Sennheiser.
 
W

Waikis

Member
So Angie II, tried it on and was like wtf everything sounds congested. Turns out the bass port was dialed all the way up. Ive got it at 12 o clock now and omg that clarity. This is a way more mid centric iem compared to asg 2.5.

Pretty incredible what iems can do these days.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Servbot24 said:
Do you have any experience with HE-400i? That's my current set so I'm wondering if it's worth adding TH-X00 as a second unit.
Click to expand...

If they sound anything like the old Denon's like people say then of course it'd worth owning a closed pair of headphones with a completely different bassier/warmier sound signature. I'd go with the EMU Teak version though
 
Xander51

Xander51

Member
I had no idea that the 598C was even a thing until it got mentioned in this thread. Looks interesting in spite of its apparent sonic issues. The headband looks super comfy. I had a pair of HD 569's, the new closed-back model, in my hand last week at the store, but I couldn't convince myself to pull the trigger. Maybe I'll check these out instead. My pair of 558's had a ton of issues with the headband pad coming unglued.

Both might be good review fodder if nothing else.
 
M

Menaged

Member
People disliking their 598c's are making me wary.
I'll wait for more impressions to pour in though before I'll think of returning them (I can't try them for reasons)
 
sankt-Antonio

sankt-Antonio

:^)--?-<
Hi guys, i need your help.

I'm about tu buy a RME Babyface pro Interface for recording purposes.
I thought about maybe using it as a DAC/Amp combo for my HD800s as well.

It would allow me to use the balanced cables that came with the headphones too. Question is, would the Babyface be strong enough to power the HD800s's?

Tech specs:

Dynamic range (DR): 115 dB RMS unweighted, 118 dBA
Frequency response @ 44.1 kHz, -0.5 dB: 0 Hz &#8211; 20.8 kHz
Frequency response @ 96 kHz, -0.5 dB: 0 Hz &#8211; 45 kHz
Frequency response @ 192 kHz, -1 dB: 0 Hz - 89 kHz
THD: - 106 dB, 0.0005 % &#8226; THD+N: -102 dB, 0.0008 %
Channel separation: > 110 dB
Output: XLR balanced
Output impedance: 300 Ohm balanced, 150 Ohm unbalanced
Output level @ 0 dBFS: Balanced +19 dBu, unbalanced +13 dBu

Would you guys recommend using that combo over what i use now, wich is :HD800s+Objective O2?
Would like to have some input on this beforehand to solidify my buying session :D
 
F

FoxSpirit

Junior Member
sankt-Antonio said:
Hi guys, i need your help.

I'm about tu buy a RME Babyface pro Interface for recording purposes.
I thought about maybe using it as a DAC/Amp combo for my HD800s as well.

It would allow me to use the balanced cables that came with the headphones too. Question is, would the Babyface be strong enough to power the HD800s's?

Tech specs:

Dynamic range (DR): 115 dB RMS unweighted, 118 dBA
Frequency response @ 44.1 kHz, -0.5 dB: 0 Hz – 20.8 kHz
Frequency response @ 96 kHz, -0.5 dB: 0 Hz – 45 kHz
Frequency response @ 192 kHz, -1 dB: 0 Hz - 89 kHz
THD: - 106 dB, 0.0005 % • THD+N: -102 dB, 0.0008 %
Channel separation: > 110 dB
Output: XLR balanced
Output impedance: 300 Ohm balanced, 150 Ohm unbalanced
Output level @ 0 dBFS: Balanced +19 dBu, unbalanced +13 dBu

Would you guys recommend using that combo over what i use now, wich is :HD800s+Objective O2?
Would like to have some input on this beforehand to solidify my buying session :D
Click to expand...
It's not possible to say that from the specs that are given but if not, you can always go Babyface->O2->HD800s. The O2 is perfectly transparent and won't add anything of his own so there is no disadvantage to that.
 
S

SugarDaddy

Member
Merry Christmas to me :p

be38XWK.png
 
S

SugarDaddy

Member
Hmm, actually, I'm also looking at Beyerdynamic DT-990-Pro-250 OHM instead for $109. Anyone have an idea which might be better? My general uses are for gaming, listening to guitar amp, and music. I hear the 990 is more V shaped, so less meds but more lows/highs. Does anyone have a preference?
 
sankt-Antonio

sankt-Antonio

:^)--?-<
FoxSpirit said:
It's not possible to say that from the specs that are given but if not, you can always go Babyface->O2->HD800s. The O2 is perfectly transparent and won't add anything of his own so there is no disadvantage to that.
Click to expand...

mhhhh. It would be nice to be able to declutter my desk and get rid of the O2 Dac/Amp in the process and use it to refinance the Babyface pro.
 
T

Totakeke

Member
SugarDaddy said:
Hmm, actually, I'm also looking at Beyerdynamic DT-990-Pro-250 OHM instead for $109. Anyone have an idea which might be better? My general uses are for gaming, listening to guitar amp, and music. I hear the 990 is more V shaped, so less meds but more lows/highs. Does anyone have a preference?
Click to expand...

990 Pro is different from 990. AFAIK it's more bass heavy but you can't go wrong with it. When it was priced more expensive people definitely thought it was one of the upgrades you can go from the HD59x. No idea what's the consensus nowadays though.
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Totakeke said:
990 Pro is different from 990. AFAIK it's more bass heavy but you can't go wrong with it. When it was priced more expensive people definitely thought it was one of the upgrades you can go from the HD59x. No idea what's the consensus nowadays though.
Click to expand...
598 is boring, DT990 more exciting but less technically sound due to some treble peakiness
 
H

HiResDes

Member
Totakeke said:
He's looking at the 990 Pro though.
Click to expand...
They're really not as different as headfi would have you believe, the only real difference is the Pro clamps harder which makes the bass quantity rise while also making the soundstage slightly more narrow. Same drivers
 
N

NotSelf

Member
What have you done to your self now every headphone you hear will sound inferior.

But I could only imagine that is what would happen if I would to listen to those.
 
P

paskowitz

Member
Chittagong said:
We are going to need more than that I'm afraid

Also, I am jealous
Click to expand...

I am NOT a HiFi expert. So please take everything I say with a grain of salt. Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have and I will do my best to answer them.

All the songs I listened to were on the older side, so no studio electronic stuff. Some songs were from Tidal and some were FLAC files (no idea if 24bit lossless but I would assume so). Also, I barely got any time with them. 30 min if I am being generous.

The best thing I can say is that EVERYTHING felt natural. Nothing felt "off". Again, not an expert, but I tried the HD 650s, HD 800, and HD 800S (on Senn's big dac/amp thing) ahead of time and after. The 650 was nice, if a bit dark/muddy (not bad for the $200 I paid on Massdrop though!). The HD800 were really bright (almost harsh) with the HD800S being pretty damn good to my ears. None of those headphones were set up, and were all running off Tidal off of an MS Surface Pro in a noisy room.

However... the Orpheus was just so clear and detailed. Nothing felt over or under emphasized. I mean, if you have ever heard somebody play music in front of you, it is like that. Super low frequency sounds were picked up (also due to the fact there was no perceptible noise). The mids were very distinct and defined (not over powered by the highs and lows). Highs were crisp without being harsh.

I listened to multiple songs. Hotel California, Abbey Road, Purple Rain, also sprach zarathustra (2001 A Space Odyssey), Beethoven - 7th Symphony - 2nd movement, and Blue in Green (Miles Davis). Please note I only planned Hotel California and 2001 in advance. Luckily, the standouts were Hotel California and 2001. In Hotel California, I shit you not, I could hear the damn pick hitting and even sliding off of the guitar strings. There were subtleties in the drums that I don't know how to describe. The low frequency sounds were probably the most noticeable though. The organ in the very beginning 2001, that was the holy shit moment. It honestly felt like the airwaves from the organ were going through my head. It was trippy. That really took me by surprise because that sound is never really fully captured by many audio devices. In real life you can almost feel an organ... which is not something a (normal) headphone produces. Then the highs in the climax didn't pierce my head, rather they just radiated. If you go to the NYC store, I would suggest 2001.

Basically, like the rep there said, the frequency range is way beyond human hearing and thus what we can hear is basically flat, I don't doubt that claim. Obviously, everything else was great. Super comfortable, impeccable craftsmanship, yada yada.

Some analogies.
- iPhone headphones are like shitty Virginia tap water. HD 650 is like Saratoga Water. HD 800S is like 2 star Michelin restaurant water. Orpheus is pure Alaskan spring water straight from the glaciers, through the earth and to your mouth.
- iPhone headphones are like a Toyota Camry. HD 650 is a BMW M3. HD 800S is a Porsche 911 GT3. Orpheus is the Carrera GT.
- iPhone headphones are like Slim Jims. HD 650 is decent American prosciutto. HD 800S is prosciutto di parma. Orpheus is Jamon de Iberico.

To be fair, I am embellishing a bit. Nothing sounds better than an instrument played right in front of you and that is really all it is, on an intimate level, in your living room. IMO the place the Orpheus really shines is capturing those sounds and even feelings you can "only get in person". The organ being a great example.

On the question of, is it worth it??? If you have the money and have a passion for music... unequivocally, yes. Certainly a better experience than buying a shitty Cadillac for $50k. Not to mention I don't think it will depreciate as badly as most 5 figure luxury items. IMO better than dumping $50k on some painting or BS designer furniture. For anyone where $50k is a stretch, or music is kind of a hobby, no. I really liked the H800S considering they are about 30 times less expensive (less with a dac/amp but still).

Also, I wouldn't say they "ruined all other headphones". Reality shits on reproduction any day. IMO you are already dead before something like this... you just may not realize it.

Random additions:
- I may go back just for fun :p. If you have songs you think I should listen to, please feel free to suggest them.
- The listening room was sound proofed by Sennheiser.
- The sound was "enveloping"... I don't know the terms... but it didn't feel cone shaped or pointed... just from everywhere.
- I do think they could have paid more attention in the demo experience to sound file quality. Files on the computer were definitely superior to random Tidal recordings. If you go, bring your own files. EG Beethoven sounded like shit.
- If you go, plan your session better than I did (10 minute figuring out what song to play).
 
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