SolarMystic
Member
Hd800/800S and anything by Donald North Audio.
Although you won't find DNA amps on amazon. If restricted to Amazon for the amp, then grab a Mjolnir 2. Not much else other than Schiit is on amazon that's worth the purchase.
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The Official Headphone Thread 2.5: We're Making WAVs and Catching FLAC
- Thread starter HiResDes
- Start date
Hd800/800S and anything by Donald North Audio.
Although you won't find DNA amps on amazon. If restricted to Amazon for the amp, then grab a Mjolnir 2. Not much else other than Schiit is on amazon that's worth the purchase.
If you are considering Orpheus then I'd just go STAX, SRM-727 and L700 would be a great high end setup. To be honest the low end system (SRS-3100) would be more than good enough and I think there should be a dealer in Malaysia.
http://www.stax.co.jp/Export/Distributor-Malaysia.html
Edit: what headphones and sources do you have at the moment and what music and environment are you listening in?
Chittagong
Gold Member
I agree that Stax is the highest you can go, but personally I chose a more fun/enjoyment focused end game setup
Headphones - Hifiman HE-1000
Amp - Schiit Ragnarok
DAC - Schiit Yggdrasil
Source - Tidal on Autonomic Mirage, SPDIF coax to DAC
http://schiit.com/faq/international
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
The CK-10 is super rare these days. You might be able to get about $200+ out of a collector? HFs FS section kinda sucks these days unless what you're selling is the FOTM hype backed phone du'jour.
Thanks for the heads up. I had some luck years ago on Head Fi so I guess I'll try there. Reselling stuff seems to be getting harder these days on a lot of stuff though.
Carpe Carnim
Member
Got some Amazon credit to use. Looking for cans in the $120-150 range that are BT but has 3.5mm option to serve double duty for my PS4 and phone. I don't have, or need, an amp and while my music is all flac or 320k mp3's I only use Google Play Music on normal quality to listen to them.
I see the Sony MDRXB950BT/B and Platinums are in my price range, but I can't get over all the horror stories of cracked plastic.
What say you Phone-GAF?
I see the Sony MDRXB950BT/B and Platinums are in my price range, but I can't get over all the horror stories of cracked plastic.
What say you Phone-GAF?
Xander51
Member
Getting a decent headphone that's also Bluetooth in that price range is tough. The new Skullcandy Crusher Wireless sometimes goes on sale that low, but often at Best Buy not on Amazon. Skullcandy Grind Wireless maybe? You might have to get a different cable that has a mic, if you want to do chat on PS4, but the Grind uses a non-proprietary jack so that shouldn't be too hard.
The XB950 is a fun sounding headphone, but as you've mentioned it's got reported durability issues. I enjoyed the sound of it when I first started out, but the bass boost is aggressive and silly. The Crusher Wireless's two driver system seems like a better way to go for stupidly enhanced bass.
The Platinums don't come out until later in January, but I'm curious about them even though the Golds were flimsy. I want to try out Sony's new 3D audio system without having to buy a PSVR.
I'm sorry I don't have better advice. I'm not as experienced in the realm of cheap Bluetooth headphones as I'd like to be.
Carpe Carnim
Member
No worries, you've confirmed what I suspected and I think I'll just wait for hands on reviews of the Platinums for the PS4 and find some decent dedicated phone cans. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
itsinmyveins
Gets to pilot the crappy patrol labors
Another one who needs a bit of advice here!
Looking for good BT over ear headphones. I'll mainly use them at home for PS4, computer and music via iPhone.
I don't know if I'm sold on the idea of active noise cancellation since I've hear they might build up pressure (?).
Looking for good BT over ear headphones. I'll mainly use them at home for PS4, computer and music via iPhone.
I don't know if I'm sold on the idea of active noise cancellation since I've hear they might build up pressure (?).
reposting because it was lost in the last page:
I never noticed any 'pressure' problem in mine.
I use my Plantronics Backbeat Pro in the phone (it has APTX which in theory give better audio through bluetooth if your phone support it) and also on the PS4 sometimes. Nothing to complain about it.
I never noticed any 'pressure' problem in mine.
I use my Plantronics Backbeat Pro in the phone (it has APTX which in theory give better audio through bluetooth if your phone support it) and also on the PS4 sometimes. Nothing to complain about it.
Carpe Carnim
Member
Those Backbeats look nice. My wife has the Backbeat fit and GO 3's and she likes them so I will give a hard look to the Pro. Thanks for the recommendation.
Most of the headphone amps I have been looking at lately have also had DACs on board but if I was going to just pick an amp (that also gave me plenty of headroom for any headphone I wanted to throw at it down the road) I would probably go with the Lake People GS109. That being said, it's nearly $700 retail so it isn't cheap.
For a low cost item I believe the "El Amp" by JDS labs is also worth a mention.
Thanks. That GS109 is a bit out of my price range, sadly. I'm just looking for a standalone amp with a ceiling of about $200 and Schiit seems to be pretty highly recommended in the price range I'm looking. My cans are probably a month out yet so I've got a little time to browse and save up.
Xander51
Member
That's a 25 ohm headphone with a sensitivity of 106dB. Unless your current gear absolutely sucks, a dedicated amp of any sort is probably overkill and wasted money. In my opinion.
There are a lot of good amps and amp/DAC combos out there in that price range. You probably can't go wrong with Schiit in terms of power for price but I know that some folks don't care for the sound quality so its probably worth it to do as much research as you can. The upside is most good companies (including Schiit) give you a period of 30 - 60 days in which you can return the product and get most of your money back (minus a restocking fee, sometimes).
My thought on that is, if you like the hobby then you aren't going to be sticking with just one pair of headphones for any long period of time. A good amp or amp/DAC will ensure that you have some room to grow and it certainly won't hurt the sound of what he's using now.
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
Skullcandy Crusher Wireless is 140 this week at Best Buy, Amazon and on SkullCandy's site. This review covers everything you asked for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kUp8gx807E
I am going to pick up a pair myself this week.
You already have the Modi 2? If yes, just save your money and stick with that. There's no point in spending another $250, when it won't benefit your headphones.
Spend the money when you need to, not when your setup is perfectly fine where it is.
The vast majority of people buy one headphone and stick with it for years.
SolarMystic
Member
Schiit pretty much has a monopoly on the budget audio gear market. That said, I would recommend the Vali 2 over the Asgard 2 for just about any headphone. Bonus points that it stacks with your Modi 2 Uber nicely and is cheaper.
The EMU Teak would definitely benefit from some decent upstream gear. I understand where some come from that it's not hard to drive, so an amp may not be worth it. Honestly though, it's almost never about raw power and how loud it can go. Most headphones can be driven to ear blistering levels by most motherboards. However a good designed DAC/amp and all the circuitry involved makes a far bigger difference than simple raw power.
The EMU Teak is a great headphone, it definitely deserves some good gear to go with it. Just another m50x, it is not.
Carpe Carnim
Member
20% off coupon for your first order brings them to $112. Damn. I think I've found my cans. Thanks for the heads up, these hit all the highlights for me. Sold!
Edit: Damn, no coupon on sale items. Oh well. $140 is still a good deal
Thanks--any particular reason you'd lean Vali 2 over the Asgard 2?
And KJack, yeah, I've got the Modi 2U already, got a good deal on a second hand one. Just need an amp to go with it now.
I've found my "starter" amp/DAC combo: the Fostex HP-A4BL. It satisfies my requirements for DAC chip (Burr Brown PCM1792), amp power (150mW unbalanced or 300mW balanced) and aesthetics (because how it looks on the desk is actually important to me) and in all respects measures well. And it comes in at $399 and is reportedly well made, being a Fostex and built in Japan. Should be here by the end of the week in time for my Meze 99 Classics to arrive that I bought off of a Head-Fi'er for a nice discount.
I reckon I will use this until such time as I decide that I want to move up to a multibit DAC with a separate amp, which will require some cash buildup first. But first things first!
I reckon I will use this until such time as I decide that I want to move up to a multibit DAC with a separate amp, which will require some cash buildup first. But first things first!
SolarMystic
Member
The Vali 2 has a more natural presentation. You get some of that solid state glare with the Asgard 2 and compressed soundstage.
NingenJanai
Member
My Austria made AKG 141M broke recently and I'm looking for a replacement.
Trying to decide between the AKG 240, AKG 702, Sennheiser 598SE, and Beyerdynamic DT-990 PRO.
Any opinions?
Thanks in advance.
Trying to decide between the AKG 240, AKG 702, Sennheiser 598SE, and Beyerdynamic DT-990 PRO.
Any opinions?
Thanks in advance.
Carpe Carnim
Member
Pulled the trigger on the Crusher wireless and they are stupendous. Did a 4 hour Diablo marathon last night and they were super comfy, sounded great and the adjustable bass-boost gave me a lot of control over how my game sounded. These aren't going to satisfy the hobbyist, but for my more pedestrian uses, they're shaping up to be great. Thanks dskillzhtown, you've made me a happy consumer.
Of those the AKG 702 and DT-990 Pro would be the favorites although I have not had the pleasure of hearing either one in person.
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
Good to hear. I have the Hesh 2.0 wireless from Skullcandy that I think are okay and the Crusher wired from last year. The Crusher wireless seem like the best of both of those. I'll be pulling the trigger myself on them later this week. Everyone who has tried them seems to love them.
Cool, thanks. Pulled the trigger on a Vali 2. Now the waiting game begins.
j0hnny_385
Member
Any info/ETA on another batch of 6XX from Massdrop? :/
Oh boy
I was in savers (used stuff and thrift store style) spotted a bag with some foam ear tips, and marked at $2.99 (yes, under $3). Worth it for the tips (and someone bundled a phone case in there too). Noticed a pair of IEMs in the bag as well.
It's a pair of Shure E2c. Clear on one side and black on the other.
Edit: they work! Not sure what the disc filters are but will grab the manual.
Sound sweet!
I was in savers (used stuff and thrift store style) spotted a bag with some foam ear tips, and marked at $2.99 (yes, under $3). Worth it for the tips (and someone bundled a phone case in there too). Noticed a pair of IEMs in the bag as well.
It's a pair of Shure E2c. Clear on one side and black on the other.
Edit: they work! Not sure what the disc filters are but will grab the manual.
Sound sweet!
super-famicom
Member
There's also the K7XX on Massdrop right now for $199: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-headphones
Nero's Neptune
Member
I'm considering buying some Audeze LCD-2s whenever tax time rolls around. I heard them years ago, I think shortly after they first came out, and really liked them. But it seems there's been some different revisions of them over the years. Have there been sizable differences at all? How is their customer service/warranty? I know Hifiman has caught some flak recently for poor quality control and customer service, and I'm hoping Audeze isn't the same way.
still can't decide whether I wanna get those BT wireless Sony ABN
I just got the Sony ABNs and they're so much better than I ever thought wireless headphones could be. I'm not a total audiophile but I'm very impressed.
NingenJanai
Member
Thanks for the recommendation, I've read good things about that model, but I'm from Europe and I don't want to have to deal with importing and customs.
SolarMystic
Member
Quality control is similar to Hifiman. Ergonomic design stuck in the 90's. However customer service is solid and 3 year warranty is nice. If your out of warranty, driver replacement is reasonably priced (that's what usually fails, otherwise solidly built).
Just don't buy full retail. They regularly go on sale at adorama for $700 and Audeze just had a B stock sale with full warranty for $500.
If you buy used, make sure it's either pre fazor or 2016 fazor. Don't spend more than $500 used.
https://www.massdrop.com/talk/989/c...rce=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=13176
Interesting interview with one of Sennheiser's Enginners.
Interesting interview with one of Sennheiser's Enginners.
Oh boy
I was in savers (used stuff and thrift store style) spotted a bag with some foam ear tips, and marked at $2.99 (yes, under $3). Worth it for the tips (and someone bundled a phone case in there too). Noticed a pair of IEMs in the bag as well.
It's a pair of Shure E2c. Clear on one side and black on the other.
Edit: they work! Not sure what the disc filters are but will grab the manual.
Sound sweet!
Wow, what a find. Nice haul!
Awesome find. Had a pair myself back in the day that only lasted about a month before my cat chewed through the cable.
Got my Meze 99 Classics in today in Walnut and Silver. What a beautiful set of headphones! And some of the buttery softest ear-pads I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
I'm listening to them right now and am itching to do a proper back to back comparison with my MA900's but would like to break them in a little bit and get used to them first. Once I've gotten my Fostex DAC/amp in next week I'll start doing some back to back listening sessions for science
.
I'm listening to them right now and am itching to do a proper back to back comparison with my MA900's but would like to break them in a little bit and get used to them first. Once I've gotten my Fostex DAC/amp in next week I'll start doing some back to back listening sessions for science
but mostly for fun
Nice pickup, congrats.
Hehe, these two posts back to back really made me chuckle.
In other news, I just plugged in my new DAC/amp (the previously mentioned Fostex HP-A4BL) and it is indeed spectacular. The step up in detail and clarity from on-board audio on my PC is pretty amazing. And it's a fairly sexy little black box with the most perfect feeling potentiometer.
Fostex is using the updated HP-A4BL as their "mobile" DAC/amp to feature in conjunction with their revamped TH900 Mk II flagship cans so they must think fairly highly of the unit.
sadaiyappan
Member
Am I supposed to use low or high gain on my FiiO E10K amp with Audio Technica ath-m50x headphones?
SolarMystic
Member
I would use low gain.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
I think I want a fostex driver headphone, but it seems like the emu-teak is a better execution on it than the TH-XX