V6s definitely have more treble than the M50s, but not quite as much bass. The M50x are a bit too colored for mastering and mixing overall. If I were you I'd check out the KRK Kns8400 or Kam HP1 for mixing as they're both flat linear headphones with extreme detail retrieval that would be perfect for detecting flaws in the mix.
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The Official Headphone Thread 2.5: We're Making WAVs and Catching FLAC
- Thread starter HiResDes
- Start date
The Sony MDR-V6 is still a decent headphone for monitoring purposes so you potentially don't need to get anything. You shouldn't really use monitoring headphones to do a final mix anyway as you should always use loudspeakers for that, which you seem to be getting soon. Proper speaker positioning and properly placed acoustic dampening (this is cheaper than you think!) will do more than a pair of new monitoring headphones.
The frequency response on most monitoring headphones, like the MDR-V6, always have a wonky upwards frequency response for their purpose as a tool. That isn't useful if you want to know if your final product sounds good or not but it wasn't really designed for that purpose anyway.
jongkookie
Member
Those Kam HP1's look really interesting. Definitely gonna read up on those.
The KRK's are alright as well but I'm not really a fan of their monitors so I'm kinda hesitant about them. I'll still read up on them just to make sure though.
I've actually managed to crank out some good mixes on them the last few years but I agree. It's a good thing I just do all this for fun and not to make money or else I wouldn't make anything out of it haha.
Speaking of monitors, I actually don't even know how I'm gonna arrange my room to accommodate them. My desk is a mess right now, and it doesn't have any room for standard sized monitors lol. It's looking like I'm gonna need more than $300 to fully upgrade my setup.
The Brainwavz Hm5 and M-Audio HDH50 also have a pretty flat linear curve that would be good for monitoring, but I don't get why you dislike KRK, especially the model I'm talking about.
Here are two good HP1 reviews btw - http://www.head-fi.org/t/648810/review-kam-hp1-an-unknown-headphone-that-rivals-the-hm5
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-58-headphones-compared#user_HP1
... You might have to scroll down to the review on the last one.
The KRK Kns8400 are quite similar but sport better comfort in my opinion with their memory form pads.
Here are two good HP1 reviews btw - http://www.head-fi.org/t/648810/review-kam-hp1-an-unknown-headphone-that-rivals-the-hm5
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634201/battle-of-the-flagships-58-headphones-compared#user_HP1
... You might have to scroll down to the review on the last one.
The KRK Kns8400 are quite similar but sport better comfort in my opinion with their memory form pads.
jongkookie
Member
Thanks for them links! I'll be reading them in a bit.
As for my KRK hate... just had a bad experience with their studio monitors. My uni bought 10 pairs of them for our computer lab and only 5 pairs of them worked. Seriously, out of the 20 monitors they bought, 10 did not work.
I haven't sworn them off, but I'm definitely a little weary about KRK's.
The KRK 8400 is a pretty alright sounding headphone. It honestly sounds closer to a Hi-Fi headphone rather than a typical monitoring headphone to me...this makes sense considering KRK's house sound. May or may not be what you're looking for but I can confirm that they're not bad. Build quality is not as bulletproof as the Sony MDR-V6 (which I still think is peak studio monitor design) but they seem rugged enough except for the headphone jack lock which I've seen people break.
jongkookie
Member
Lol in that case I might stay away then.
I bought a Presonus Audibox USB just recently coz it works as a DAC/amp while also having 2 inputs for a mic or instrument and the thing is fantastic. It's actually the reason why I'm interested in buying a new pair of headphones and studio monitors coz my MDR-V6's sound completely different from when I just used mobo sound.
But anyway, my initial setup, I had a 3.5mm splitter(connected to a 3.5mm to 1/4 adapter of course) on the headphone out that connected my headphones and computer speakers. But as soon as I took out the adapter, the head got stuck in the jack while the tail end got out. I ended up using pliers to take the head out. Thankfully the headphone out still works really well or else I'd be in more trouble lol.
If the headphone jack can break easily, then yeah I'm out lol.
nekroseven
Member
Trying to decide between m50x and Yamaha MT220. I've read that the ATs are warm and have a recessed midrange... which I would prefer. I've also heard that it could be bright and I prefer rolled off highs. I think the Yams are more detailed and neutral but not sure if this equates to being better. Any advice?
Septimus Prime
Member
Hey, I just wanted to drop in and thank HiResDes for the help in the last thread. My wife ended up getting the Bose QC 25, since noise isolation is definitely her top priority (I forgot that one of her use cases for this is studying for her CPA exams). Meanwhile, I ended up getting myself an M50x, since it was on sale for $109.
You prefer a recessed midrange? You prefer less detail? Definitely get the 50x then. I prefer the Soundmagic HP150 myself, but I seem to be in the minority.
Fidelio X1s are amazingly comfortable. I forget I have them on sometimes.
Explain the differences between a hi fi phone and what you want out of a studio monitor because I've never heard of those two things being mutually exclusive. The KRKs have the detail and neutrality with a slight treble edge not too unlike the Sony, but are less prone to sibilance. They're an upgrade in every fashion besides bass, which is fairly light on both.
Can anyone recommend closed over-ear headphones under or a little above $100 that compare to the CAD Audio MH310? None of the headphones I've tried in the same price range really compare to them.
Other headphones I've had are:
CAD Audio The Sessions MH510 (the worst sounding headphones I've ever had)
The original Beats by Dre Studios (meh)
Sennheiser HD201 (second best)
Other headphones I've had are:
CAD Audio The Sessions MH510 (the worst sounding headphones I've ever had)
The original Beats by Dre Studios (meh)
Sennheiser HD201 (second best)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0093PVTPS/?tag=neogaf0e-20PSY・S;160844509 said:
Or
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007CNC79A/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Headphone studio monitors generally upward tilts in their frequency response so to put emphasis on the midrange and treble. This can make them useful for tracking, monitoring, whatever. Its also useful if you have some degree of hearing loss.
So to answer your original question: hifi and studio headphones and loudspeakers aren't really mutually exclusive. The Neumann KH120 is better sounding than the majority of similarly priced hi-fi standmounts; the HD800 would probably be a damn good studio monitor despite being audiophile headphones. But both hi-fi and studio equipment are designed with certain purposes in mind and that is reflected in their sound signature, texture, listening distance, soundstage, whatever.
Studio monitors aren't always neutral or balanced sounding neither. The Yamaha NS10, for instance, isn't anywhere close to being neutral or balanced. The Sony MDR-V6 is the same. Both are terrible sounding equipment but do their job pretty decently.
Since he's getting a pair of Mackies, I don't think there's really a need to get another pair of studio monitor headphones. In terms of neutrally, I'd bet any pair of good studio loudspeakers will be better than any headphone on the market even after taking into account room modes. In most small rooms, a $400/pr studio monitor like the JBL LSR305 will basically measure ruler flat 200hz upwards.
The KRK KNS-8400 sound good but they definitely have a bit of KRK's house sound. They didn't sound anywhere close to being bright compared to most studio monitors on the market. Unless he wants a headphone reference, there's no real point if he already has the Sony MDR-V6.
Thanks man! I went with the Koss cans. Praying that they're a good replacement.
Phat Michael
Banned
I just realised the pm3s are not suitable for the gym. My hair can sweat and leave marks on the white headband and earcups.
I wore the el-8s to the gym and that really got some looks..
I'll have to use my shitty iems with my phone it seems. The FADs have a use I guess..
I wore the el-8s to the gym and that really got some looks..
I'll have to use my shitty iems with my phone it seems. The FADs have a use I guess..
If you're in need of a DAP China has tons of exclusive niche ones, there's one called the Shanling M3 that is modeled after a modern lighter that looks pretty cool.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
I'd probably pop into one of the audiophile stores and check stuff out. There's a pretty good list of places to check out here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/648279/official-hong-kong-thread-shops-meets-events-and-more
I know you can demo some top shelf IEMs and phones since a friend of mine jets back and forth to Hong Kong on a frequent basis
Oh and I guess I'll be getting a second pair of Angie in. Was able to negotiate a pretty damn good deal with Headphone Lounge. Been fiddling with the one I have on hand it seems that I can get a pretty good fit with Spinfit tips, so I guess it all worked out in the end.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/648279/official-hong-kong-thread-shops-meets-events-and-more
I know you can demo some top shelf IEMs and phones since a friend of mine jets back and forth to Hong Kong on a frequent basis
Oh and I guess I'll be getting a second pair of Angie in. Was able to negotiate a pretty damn good deal with Headphone Lounge. Been fiddling with the one I have on hand it seems that I can get a pretty good fit with Spinfit tips, so I guess it all worked out in the end.
Where'd you order yours? I might need some for science.
Http://www.ebay.com/itm/Spinfit-Tip...80? pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27f9660014
Fuck I typed that all out and it doesn't work. Just search on Ebay and the seller's name is corvid, confirmed legit on headfi.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Spinfits do help if you've got a pair of phones that don't quite fit all that well. I had a hell of a time getting the Angie situated but the flexing nozzles on the Spinfits certainly helped me get a really good seal, ditto with some of other pseudo custom fit phones like the Aurisonics.
You gotta know what size to order too as the sizes are kinda weird. M is about the size of a Sony hybrid medium but L is all kinds of big. I think I technically fall under ML, some size that's inbetween the two, but I can get a good seal with a deeper insertion.
My fave tips are still Ortofons just for the sheer comfort alone, but spinfits are good to have in your arsenal just in case
You gotta know what size to order too as the sizes are kinda weird. M is about the size of a Sony hybrid medium but L is all kinds of big. I think I technically fall under ML, some size that's inbetween the two, but I can get a good seal with a deeper insertion.
My fave tips are still Ortofons just for the sheer comfort alone, but spinfits are good to have in your arsenal just in case
I don't really know a ton of technical details about headphones, so I'll try to ask my question as best I can.
I'm looking for a pair of closed, over-ear headphones that have a high level of sound isolation. Doesn't have to be active noise cancelling or the kind of "turn an airplane cabin into a quiet library" level, but enough to block as much background noise as possible, including a refrigerator in the next room over that never seems to stop running. Portability isn't an issue, they'd mainly be for in-home listening only. No real demands on super-high-level sound.
Budget is flexible up through the mid $200s, though of course I'd prefer lower if possible as long as it wouldn't cut too many corners on quality.
I know it's a lot simpler than what most of you seem to deal with, but that's what I'm looking for right now.
I'm looking for a pair of closed, over-ear headphones that have a high level of sound isolation. Doesn't have to be active noise cancelling or the kind of "turn an airplane cabin into a quiet library" level, but enough to block as much background noise as possible, including a refrigerator in the next room over that never seems to stop running. Portability isn't an issue, they'd mainly be for in-home listening only. No real demands on super-high-level sound.
Budget is flexible up through the mid $200s, though of course I'd prefer lower if possible as long as it wouldn't cut too many corners on quality.
I know it's a lot simpler than what most of you seem to deal with, but that's what I'm looking for right now.
super-famicom
Member
What kind of music do you listen to? The Sennheiser HD-280s isolate really well, but I found them to be kinda flat and boring. Plus they have a tight clamp which I found uncomfortable, even when I stretched them across some books overnight. I also have the AKG K271 MK2, which isolate fairly well and have amazing mids. Really great with female vocals.
Brainwavz Hm5 if you're looking for something with good balance that will sound good with a variety of genres. Or the AKG K553 if you're looking to spend a little extra.
The Soundmagic HP150 also isolate well, but have a more fun, V-shaped curve.
And finally if you're looking for something warm and musical the ADL H118 have great isolation smooth lush mids and pretty good bass response.
HammerOfThor
Member
So I know I've asked this here before when my budget was larger, but I never got around to buying headphones. Now my budget is preferably no more than $100.
Whats a good pair I can get that works well for listening to metal/rock mostly? Ear buds are starting to hurt my ears.
I'd prefer closed so my music doesn't escape and annoy my coworkers too easily.
Whats a good pair I can get that works well for listening to metal/rock mostly? Ear buds are starting to hurt my ears.
I'd prefer closed so my music doesn't escape and annoy my coworkers too easily.
$100 is tough if you want good, closed, semi-portable headphones. I'm assuming you want something at least kinda portable since you mention using them at work. Best headphone I've had for this role was the Audio-Technica ES7 ... tough build quality, thin and short cord, and the earcups swivel to 'flat' so it could ride in my lunchbag. It's now been replaced by the ATH-ES700 which is something like $143 on Amazon. A little over your budget, yes, but if you're looking for something to take to work but not leave there, I think you'd be very happy with the ATH-ES700. If you're ok with leaving your headphones at work, then you could get some bigass headphones like Sony MDR-7506, SRH-440, or HD380 Pro. I don't have any experience with those, but if portable isn't a requirement it does open up the options.
Okay everybody, promise me you won't laugh !
I have recently plugged all my PC / consoles to an A/V receiver to simplify the audio side of my setup, but I'm by no means knowledgeable when it comes to technical things.
So... who could tell me which type of cable I should use in order to plug my headphones in the receiver ?
My headphones have a single jack, and I suppose this is a RCA port, but better safe than sorry. If this is indeed a RCA port, I have a hard time finding an adapter for the headphones. I mean there are a lot of jack (x2) female to rca male, but I didn't find many jack (x1) to rca female.
And with that adapter I will have stereo output on the headphones, right ? Just asking, the name of the item I found (3,5 mm Mono Jack Female to Mono RCA Cinch) throws me off.
French link :
http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00APNJGRA/
Is it what I need ? Is the whole 'every hardware plugged to the A/V receiver' a good thing in your opinion ? Will I ever know more than two type of cable ?
This is embarrassing.
I have recently plugged all my PC / consoles to an A/V receiver to simplify the audio side of my setup, but I'm by no means knowledgeable when it comes to technical things.
So... who could tell me which type of cable I should use in order to plug my headphones in the receiver ?
My headphones have a single jack, and I suppose this is a RCA port, but better safe than sorry. If this is indeed a RCA port, I have a hard time finding an adapter for the headphones. I mean there are a lot of jack (x2) female to rca male, but I didn't find many jack (x1) to rca female.
And with that adapter I will have stereo output on the headphones, right ? Just asking, the name of the item I found (3,5 mm Mono Jack Female to Mono RCA Cinch) throws me off.
French link :
http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00APNJGRA/
Is it what I need ? Is the whole 'every hardware plugged to the A/V receiver' a good thing in your opinion ? Will I ever know more than two type of cable ?
This is embarrassing.
Weeeee new thread
Enjoying my HiFi-Man 400i quite a bit. They can be a bit overbearing at times though - not sure the technical term for that.
At that point I switch to my monitors, Yamaha HS8. Love them, but I don't have any reference points for how they compar to others in their price range.
All are powered by Schiit Modi 2 Uber and Magni 2 Uber. Set up is working perfectly, but I wish I could switch between headphones and monitors with a switch rather than having to unplug the headphones. Oh well, no big deal.
For my iPhone I have Senn Momentum ear buds which I am very happy with.
Anyhow I bought all that stuff this year for nearly $1000 total, so I'm done with audio upgrades for a while I think.
Enjoying my HiFi-Man 400i quite a bit. They can be a bit overbearing at times though - not sure the technical term for that.
At that point I switch to my monitors, Yamaha HS8. Love them, but I don't have any reference points for how they compar to others in their price range.
All are powered by Schiit Modi 2 Uber and Magni 2 Uber. Set up is working perfectly, but I wish I could switch between headphones and monitors with a switch rather than having to unplug the headphones. Oh well, no big deal.
For my iPhone I have Senn Momentum ear buds which I am very happy with.
Anyhow I bought all that stuff this year for nearly $1000 total, so I'm done with audio upgrades for a while I think.
Definitely these unless size is a concern, but in terms of isolation, sound, and comfort I think they're the pretty much the very best at the $100 pricepoint - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0093PVTPS/?tag=neogaf0e-20
PSY・S;160994053 said:
If you can afford a small amp they definitely scale, and if you get an extra $25 the M50 pads help the bass a bit on them as well - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006NH8768/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Phat Michael
Banned
It's pretty hard to see scale but isnt that just a 6.3mm single ended?
Yeah, I'm sorry for the absolute noob question but your answer seems to be in line with what I could gather today. Looks like I need a 3.5 to 6.35 adapter.
Actually I already bought those pads based on several reviews. I'm also using a Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro II as an external sound card and a FiiO D3. Is there a particular amp you would recommend?
Edit: I'm still not quite sure what it is but my laptop has Beats Audio which is horrifying and I'm using the AAMII to bypass that.
It'd be more for movies and games than for music, though my main music genres are rock for most of what I listen to with vocals, and trance and jazz for instrumental stuff. Don't really know much about what's ideal for different genres; the most I've ever messed with is preset EQ settings with some media players, so whatever it means to have good mids or warm music is going over my head. As long as one part of the sound isn't completely overpowering the others, it should be alright for me. I mean, I know you're all trying to help narrow things down in that area but it's just not something I have any kind of knowledge in so I wouldn't even know what to prioritize.
Besides, the isolation and comfort factors are definitely a tier above the need for fine-tuning the sound quality for me anyway.
I'd skimmed the previous thread for other people's questions on isolation and bookmarked a few that seemed to get mentioned a lot, including those Brainwavz, but I forgot the rest and I'm not on that computer at the moment... I'll look them up later.
Awesome. Thanks.
I'd really recommend the ADL H118 for your needs unless you have large ears then go for the Soundmagic HP150.
So combining the recs just now with the bookmarks I had from before, my shortlist is the Brainwavz HM5, Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, and Soundmagic HP150. I guess any of those would work well for high isolation?
Or, of course, I could always say to hell with it and kill my wallet with the Bose QC25.
Or, of course, I could always say to hell with it and kill my wallet with the Bose QC25.
Phat Michael
Banned
Yes there are loads of them around. Many new headphones come with one attached (my audeze el8s and the oppo pm3 both came with one)
indigo-cyclops
Member
Any opinions on the Jabra REVO, DailySteals has it for 39. Just looking for something to kick around with on my PC/PS4 when needed. It seems to have a mic as well. I have never heard of the brand so I can only assume its junk but maybe I'm wrong.