Possibly shady Russians on ebay.
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The Official Headphone Thread 2.5: We're Making WAVs and Catching FLAC
- Thread starter HiResDes
- Start date
I'd been using HD201's for the longest time and replacing them each year, but I got fed up with the cable always breaking or connector bending. Needed a pair for falling asleep to and so not mind too much if something happens to them, so I got a JVC HA-RX700 for €20 off Amazon (Italy), and found that these are just absolutely insane value for that price. Very pleasant all-around and sound better by the day. Super comfortable for extended periods, but god damn huge. Very solid build quality too. Wager to say this is among the best you can get under $50/€50, perhaps even higher up depending on your preferences.
They're pretty good, but man I gotta the HD201s are not good headphones. Not everything Sennheiser makes is gold.
Lucky Forward
Member
I'm not an audiophile, so I'm hoping someone here can help me with some earbud/IEM sound quality issues I'm having with my Sandisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 player.
I just bought the Clip+ two weeks ago, it's my first MP3 player and I mostly bought it because I wanted to listen to podcasts, which I'm new to. The earbuds that were included with it are okay, but I figured, why not upgrade to something with a little more quality so I can enjoy my music as well? After researching the "best budget IEM's under $50" category, I narrowed my choice to the Soundmagic E10's and the Vsonic VSD1S's, both of which were supposed to be big upgrades over stock earbuds.
I decided to order the Soundmagic E10 from Amazon, and when they arrived, I was disappointed to find that they sounded like tin...they had no bass whatsover, no "full" sound to them. I went into the Clip+ equalizer and brought the bass way up and they started to sound acceptable. But after reading a bit online, it seems I shouldn't have to use the equalizer to "fix" the sound in the first place, so I returned the the E10's and ordered the Vsonic VSD1S's.
Got 'em today and...exact same thing...virtually no bass with the equalization off, but acceptable with the bass boosted in the equalizer. I guess I can live with them because I mainly bought the Clip+ for podcasts, but can anyone tell me why this is happening? The Clip+ is supposed to be the best "budget" MP3 player, and both the Soundmagic's and the Vsonic's were rated by multiple websites as among the best of the bargain IEM's, and they were supposed to maybe give you 80% of the performance of much more expensive IEM's.
Why do these both IEM's fail to offer the full sound I'm getting from the stock earbuds, unless I help them with the equalizer?
I just bought the Clip+ two weeks ago, it's my first MP3 player and I mostly bought it because I wanted to listen to podcasts, which I'm new to. The earbuds that were included with it are okay, but I figured, why not upgrade to something with a little more quality so I can enjoy my music as well? After researching the "best budget IEM's under $50" category, I narrowed my choice to the Soundmagic E10's and the Vsonic VSD1S's, both of which were supposed to be big upgrades over stock earbuds.
I decided to order the Soundmagic E10 from Amazon, and when they arrived, I was disappointed to find that they sounded like tin...they had no bass whatsover, no "full" sound to them. I went into the Clip+ equalizer and brought the bass way up and they started to sound acceptable. But after reading a bit online, it seems I shouldn't have to use the equalizer to "fix" the sound in the first place, so I returned the the E10's and ordered the Vsonic VSD1S's.
Got 'em today and...exact same thing...virtually no bass with the equalization off, but acceptable with the bass boosted in the equalizer. I guess I can live with them because I mainly bought the Clip+ for podcasts, but can anyone tell me why this is happening? The Clip+ is supposed to be the best "budget" MP3 player, and both the Soundmagic's and the Vsonic's were rated by multiple websites as among the best of the bargain IEM's, and they were supposed to maybe give you 80% of the performance of much more expensive IEM's.
Why do these both IEM's fail to offer the full sound I'm getting from the stock earbuds, unless I help them with the equalizer?
You're probably not getting a good seal. The Clips come with earbuds and you're buying In Ear Monitors, which are a whole different beast, though I believe mostly superior once you get a good seal, but that might require a bit of fiddling (trying different tips, messing with the fit into you feel as though they're snug inside of your ears)
Yeah I'm aware. They're not bad for the price and I used them mostly for falling asleep to podcasts, so they served me well for that!
Lucky Forward
Member
Thanks, that made a world of difference! I switched the tips to the larger ones that were included and made sure they were firmly seated in my ears, and they started sounding like I expected. Also, with the larger tips the equalizer setting I was previously using sounded way too muddy and booming, but now I can leave it on the normal setting and get the sound I like. I'm new to IEM's and had no idea the seal made such a difference. Thanks again.
PastorOfMuppets
Banned
A bit different from the usual set of posts here but I picked these up for $20 two days ago. They are a set of Sennheiser HD540 headphones from 1985. Next to them is are the SHP9500 which were selling for $64 Canadian a week or so ago and not pictured is the DT990.
Let me just say, the HD540's sound incredible. If it were not for its aesthetics which scream 1980's, I not think these headphones were 30 years old. The guy who owned them kept them in immaculate shape too, the pads still are fine - the foam on the inside of the earcups needs to be replaced though.
Are there any other vintage headphones I should be on the lookout for? I legitimately enjoy these HD540's more than I did my HD598's so I figure this is not an isolated incident.
Edit: Fixed my broken link
Let me just say, the HD540's sound incredible. If it were not for its aesthetics which scream 1980's, I not think these headphones were 30 years old. The guy who owned them kept them in immaculate shape too, the pads still are fine - the foam on the inside of the earcups needs to be replaced though.
Are there any other vintage headphones I should be on the lookout for? I legitimately enjoy these HD540's more than I did my HD598's so I figure this is not an isolated incident.
Edit: Fixed my broken link
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Get a pair of jecklin floats.
Your images aren't loading BTW.
Your images aren't loading BTW.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
The Quads and the TakeT H2 are two phones I always wanted to hear. Still sorta kick myself for not being quicker on the draw with the mint pair of H2 that popped up a few years back.
This seems to be a really good article on Jitter which includes academic researches on the subject matter.
http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/KB/BitPerfectJitter.htm
http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/KB/BitPerfectJitter.htm
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Damn, I actually kinda want a chord mojo?
Especially if the rumored bluetooth module works as I want, which is that I can output and control my music playback on a phone to a dac/amp without needing to tether them together to form a brick. That would actually be exactly what I want out of one of these products.
Especially if the rumored bluetooth module works as I want, which is that I can output and control my music playback on a phone to a dac/amp without needing to tether them together to form a brick. That would actually be exactly what I want out of one of these products.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Yeah the Blutooth mode on the Hugo was nice. I did like that a lot to be honest. I know Noble also makes a Blutooth module but I'd never buy anything from them. Anyway, gonna meet up with some folks to listen to the whole Unique Melody line up today. Always wanted to hear the Miracle since it was Joker's fave for a real long time. Friend is getting the entire Empire Ears line up too so that'll be pretty cool, especially since their flagship is supposedly quite a bit better than the EarWerkz Legend.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
I'm seeing a chart with massive treble roll offs in the mojo head fi thread now though which makes me hesitate on wanting to get it. I know frequency response isn't entirely what a DAC/amp can do but to me all source equipment should be flat.
Yeah I really want to have a look at the empire ears IEMs too. The Spartan IV sounds super interesting. Would be nice to have something neutral in my lineup. SGS writeup made it sound really good.
Yeah I really want to have a look at the empire ears IEMs too. The Spartan IV sounds super interesting. Would be nice to have something neutral in my lineup. SGS writeup made it sound really good.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
Ahahaha oh Chord...
I hope that LHL sort out their shit. I'm almost certain the V2'll kick the Mojo's ass. Hell it recently kicked the Grace X Massdrop M9XX's ass. I've recommended the V2 to a couple friends who wouldn't even entertain it on principle alone. And I get that. Haven't been burned thankfully but I'd be annoyed as fuck if I preordered a wave and had to sit through their bullshit excuses.
The treble on the V2 is superb. I honestly can't listen to the 450 anymore. I did some A/B against the V2 last night for a friend out of the Leck Mk II and the 450 just sounds etched to me now. Like it's really obvious. You hear it in everything. From vocal delivery, to guitar chords to the snap of the snare to the digital crap in the decay of a crash.
The V2 sounds much smoother and more relaxed. Don't confuse this with syrupy and undetailed cause it's not. It's a very airy, detailed, and smooth sound, and quite unlike anything I've heard in portable audio. The 450 also seems to always be on. It's very forward, hard sounding, and with seemingly no gradation in loud/soft dynamics. It's just one or the other. You don't pick up on the small nuances with the 450. The V2, hours just slip by and you don't notice it cause it's not fatiguing to listen to. Hoping Liquid Carbon ships next week so I can see how that sounds with the V2.
Yeah the Spartan was the one I wanted to hear most. Should be able to hear it myself in 2 weeks if scheduling permits. I talked to SGS the other day and the Perfect Seal AR 6 sounds really interesting. Similar tuning to UERM but seems to have far better imaging. Most IEMs really suck at forward projection. The images typically feel locked in your head and vocalists never really feel like they're actually in front of you like you'd hear on a good 2 channel setup unless you're listening to a modded R2 or a 1plus2. The AR is supposed to address that, and the space between instruments/vocalists/layering is supposed to feel proportionate.
I'll get to hear the AR eventually too. I'm not really in the market for anymore kilobuck IEMs but I guess you never know. That being said, waiting on James to get a crack at the KSE1500, since he doesn't mince words. The HF thread kind of annoys me. Too many people buying into something just cause Jude says so or talking about super hi bit rate files. Last time that happened, we got the Sony Z7 :l. I'm incredibly skeptical that the KSE1500 actually represents some sort of next level leap in IEMs, but, I guess you never know.
I hope that LHL sort out their shit. I'm almost certain the V2'll kick the Mojo's ass. Hell it recently kicked the Grace X Massdrop M9XX's ass. I've recommended the V2 to a couple friends who wouldn't even entertain it on principle alone. And I get that. Haven't been burned thankfully but I'd be annoyed as fuck if I preordered a wave and had to sit through their bullshit excuses.
The treble on the V2 is superb. I honestly can't listen to the 450 anymore. I did some A/B against the V2 last night for a friend out of the Leck Mk II and the 450 just sounds etched to me now. Like it's really obvious. You hear it in everything. From vocal delivery, to guitar chords to the snap of the snare to the digital crap in the decay of a crash.
The V2 sounds much smoother and more relaxed. Don't confuse this with syrupy and undetailed cause it's not. It's a very airy, detailed, and smooth sound, and quite unlike anything I've heard in portable audio. The 450 also seems to always be on. It's very forward, hard sounding, and with seemingly no gradation in loud/soft dynamics. It's just one or the other. You don't pick up on the small nuances with the 450. The V2, hours just slip by and you don't notice it cause it's not fatiguing to listen to. Hoping Liquid Carbon ships next week so I can see how that sounds with the V2.
Yeah the Spartan was the one I wanted to hear most. Should be able to hear it myself in 2 weeks if scheduling permits. I talked to SGS the other day and the Perfect Seal AR 6 sounds really interesting. Similar tuning to UERM but seems to have far better imaging. Most IEMs really suck at forward projection. The images typically feel locked in your head and vocalists never really feel like they're actually in front of you like you'd hear on a good 2 channel setup unless you're listening to a modded R2 or a 1plus2. The AR is supposed to address that, and the space between instruments/vocalists/layering is supposed to feel proportionate.
I'll get to hear the AR eventually too. I'm not really in the market for anymore kilobuck IEMs but I guess you never know. That being said, waiting on James to get a crack at the KSE1500, since he doesn't mince words. The HF thread kind of annoys me. Too many people buying into something just cause Jude says so or talking about super hi bit rate files. Last time that happened, we got the Sony Z7 :l. I'm incredibly skeptical that the KSE1500 actually represents some sort of next level leap in IEMs, but, I guess you never know.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Hmmm yeah I do want to try out the V2+ too despite LHL's current sketchiness. Still might do if the final chassis seems better than the current one.
Plan right now is to basically get the Aurisonics Harmony, maybe the spartan IV, V2+, compare them altogether to see what would be my favourite setup, then start a massive culling by selling off the ones that don't make the cut.
Plan right now is to basically get the Aurisonics Harmony, maybe the spartan IV, V2+, compare them altogether to see what would be my favourite setup, then start a massive culling by selling off the ones that don't make the cut.
I don't trust Jude at all considering he's pretty much the headphone industry's equivalent of a hype man. Nothing wrong with that but its goddamn obvious what his job is and I dunno why people swallow hook, line, sinker, and half of the rod. Araund and Currawong both claim that its a bit short on the extreme ends of both sides of the spectrum while Jude claims otherwise so...
mmazurkiewicz
Member
What would be the best way to sell my amp/dac? I have an Alo Audio Pan Am stack and want to upgrade to something better. I think it was $600 but I'd be willing to sell it for $250.
PastorOfMuppets
Banned
Probably Head-Fi and Ebay.
Head-Fi is full of knowledgable hobbyists and is hyper competitive so you probably won't get as much as you REALLY want but you'll sell your stuff faster. EBay you'll have to wait a bit but you can get more money, however EBay and Paypal combine to take more money from your fees.
I'm considering grabbing a pair of RHA MA750i for $130 (standard price). Before I do, any alternates in that price range I should consider (I can go up to 200 or so)?
I listen to a fairly broad range of music, with an emphasis on pop and minimal techno. Microphonics are also very important, cable bumps drive me insane.
I listen to a fairly broad range of music, with an emphasis on pop and minimal techno. Microphonics are also very important, cable bumps drive me insane.
mmazurkiewicz
Member
Yeh I'd sell on Heafi but isn't it full of scammers?
Theres really not seller protection either way right?
Bloodember
Member
You have seller protection through paypal and they have a feedback system.
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
I've bought and sold stuff on HF for like a decade now. 40 transactions at least. Just B/S from reputable members and you should be good. There's a feedback system there.
LQX
Member
Massdrop for the O2+ODAC (revB) DAC/Amplifier ends today. $200
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-o2-odac
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-o2-odac
mmazurkiewicz
Member
Would the Chord Mojo be a good recommendation for someone looking to power some HD650s?
I want to sell my Pan Am and get the the Shure electrostats for portable use and the Mojo for the HD650s.
I'm reading that the Mojo is near Hugo SQ at a third of the price.
If not, what would someone recommend as a dac/amp combo replacement?
I want to sell my Pan Am and get the the Shure electrostats for portable use and the Mojo for the HD650s.
I'm reading that the Mojo is near Hugo SQ at a third of the price.
If not, what would someone recommend as a dac/amp combo replacement?
PastorOfMuppets
Banned
Honestly, I'm much more wary of eBay than I am of Head-Fi. The audiophile community can be a bit too delusional for my tastes but they've been nothing but nice and welcoming to a newbie like myself. The video game community could honestly learn a lot from them.
EBay will usually take the side of the buyer, even if the seller provides a mountain of evidence to the contrary. You gotta be super careful selling on eBay because of this. That and Ebay plus Paypal fees will eat into your profits. That's not going to be a concern if you sell on Head-Fi though because you will not get a good price as a seller on Head-Fi.
I've seen a lot of earbud recommendations lately, but I was wondering what people would suggest for a pair of earbuds suitable for falling asleep in somewhat regularly? I need it for traveling or when I am falling asleep listening to podcasts (some light music/youtube usage too)
qualifications:
- better overall sound than the current gen apple earbuds
- has to be suitable for sleeping in (ear on top of pillow, etc.)
- prefer something not too pricey, under $100 would be nice.
I've looked at a few of the earbuds recommended in recent pages and some look like they would fall out if I rolled around too much. Honestly, I don't have a lot of trouble keeping the Apple ones in. I can toss and turn a fair bit sometimes, and I often wake up with them both still in. I just want something that sounds better, because I can tell a huge difference between those earbuds and my PC headphones when listening to the same podcasts. I'd like to narrow the gap some.
qualifications:
- better overall sound than the current gen apple earbuds
- has to be suitable for sleeping in (ear on top of pillow, etc.)
- prefer something not too pricey, under $100 would be nice.
I've looked at a few of the earbuds recommended in recent pages and some look like they would fall out if I rolled around too much. Honestly, I don't have a lot of trouble keeping the Apple ones in. I can toss and turn a fair bit sometimes, and I often wake up with them both still in. I just want something that sounds better, because I can tell a huge difference between those earbuds and my PC headphones when listening to the same podcasts. I'd like to narrow the gap some.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
I'd still recommend the trinity hyperions honestly. I do lay in my bed listening to them, though I don't actually fall asleep with them. I do lay my head on the side with them and don't really feel anything.
Another iem people use for low profile sleep use is the shure se215.
If you want actual earbuds and not iems though, I guess the VE monks?
Another iem people use for low profile sleep use is the shure se215.
If you want actual earbuds and not iems though, I guess the VE monks?
Thanks. Doesn't have to be earbuds, but based on the few in-ear i've used I feel earbuds are more comfortable for me, but it's been a while and I haven't tried some of the newer in-ear offerings. It may be time to revisit, especially since a lot of them are coming with fittings for multiple sizes now.
DataStream
Member
Any Fidelio X2 owners here? These seem pretty perfect for me for my home studio. Relatively neutral but with a bit of a bass boost (i make techno/house). Comfortable and non-fatigueing.
Other options being weighted are the NADs, Sennheiser 6xx series (especially once they do BF refurb sales), and HiFi Man HE-400.
Other options being weighted are the NADs, Sennheiser 6xx series (especially once they do BF refurb sales), and HiFi Man HE-400.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Are they, I haven't heard them yet, but my impressions from reading about them is that they're too bassy to be neutral.
The NAD viso hp50 is more to the warmer side of neutral, and I actually do think that they sound absolutely wonderful at that price range. Too bad they make you look like you're wearing luggage handles, but if you're in a studio environment it shouldn't matter.
The NAD viso hp50 is more to the warmer side of neutral, and I actually do think that they sound absolutely wonderful at that price range. Too bad they make you look like you're wearing luggage handles, but if you're in a studio environment it shouldn't matter.
DataStream
Member
Yeah I guess I mean to imply I've heard outside of the bass they are neutral and smooth. Having some extra bass is a positive for me as I want to mix for systems that have large woofers. My monitors are very flat response wise but roll off on bass hard. Given space limitations, a sub isn't an option in that room (my main room system is very high quality with a sealed sub so mixes get piped in there when I'm not composing).
I went ahead and pulled the trigger on these. Got several trips coming up so will be nice to have good portable sound
woo and indeed hoo
Banned
I fall asleep listening to podcasts too . Funnily enough we pretty much discussed this matter only a few days ago. Have a look at post # 1799 onwards as that might be helpful.
. Funnily enough we pretty much discussed this matter only a few days ago. Have a look at post # 1799 onwards as that might be helpful.I went ahead and pulled the trigger on these. Got several trips coming up so will be nice to have good portable sound
Not a bad choice at all, just slightly dark, but it makes them less fatiguing than a lot of other options.
I think other decent choices would include: Final Audio Heaven IV, Audio-Technica ATH-CKR9, Dunu DN-1000, maybe the Dunu Titan 1.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
The Titan 3 sounds more interesting that the titan 1 actually. More mid focus, smoother treble, removable cables, and better isolation.
Well of course, but I didn't think those were out.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Huh weird, it seems like it isn't out yet, even though the new revisions of the 1 and 5 are out.
In general I'm fine with a dark sound. I'll be coming off of the Sennheiser Momentum IEMs.
PastorOfMuppets
Banned
Alright because Mass Drops fees are stupid high for the AKG7xx, I opted to AKG K712 off Head-Fi for $200.
What should I expect?
What should I expect?
I'll give you a suggestion: you're not really solving anything unless the cable is somehow attenuating the bass, fixing the bass distortion, getting rid of some of that closed headphone hollowness, and eliminating that severe 4khz dip. The Sony Z7's faults (like the MDR-1R/1A) are a result of shitty engineering/cost cutting...Sony is yet another company who thinks its sensible to put drivers in a hollow plastic cup. Its basically a really expensive mid-fi headphone unless you find a way to deal with its hollow driver housing. Fortunately, this is easily solved by shoving Dynamat and acoustic fiber inside the hollow cups.
Amusingly, Dynamat and acoustic fiber does a pretty good job solving all of these problems so who knows why Sony couldn't be bothered putting an extra 50 cents into their $$$ flagship.
Amusingly, Dynamat and acoustic fiber does a pretty good job solving all of these problems so who knows why Sony couldn't be bothered putting an extra 50 cents into their $$$ flagship.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Well bad news. My asg 2.5 seems to have been lost during shipment when I sent it for repairs.
Good news, addicted to audio have offered a full refund in store credit, so that's awesome.
Still thinking of getting the aurisonics harmony with it, though my issues with the 2.5 got me a bit leery. Seems like I might have just ran into a bad batch though and there doesn't seem to a lot of problems with that company in general, so I might just put it down to bad luck and give the harmony a shot. At least I know that addicted to audio will take care of me. Plus I still love the sound of the aurisonics.
Good news, addicted to audio have offered a full refund in store credit, so that's awesome.
Still thinking of getting the aurisonics harmony with it, though my issues with the 2.5 got me a bit leery. Seems like I might have just ran into a bad batch though and there doesn't seem to a lot of problems with that company in general, so I might just put it down to bad luck and give the harmony a shot. At least I know that addicted to audio will take care of me. Plus I still love the sound of the aurisonics.
LEND ME UR EARS IS HAVING A BIG SALE GOING ALL ALL MONTH
...Really wanna hear those Future Sonics G10, I bet the bass on those is ridiculous. Oh and I'd also love to play around with all of those configurations on the FLC.
...Really wanna hear those Future Sonics G10, I bet the bass on those is ridiculous. Oh and I'd also love to play around with all of those configurations on the FLC.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Ooh, pretty interested in the flc 8s.
I've currently got an Astro Mixamp plugged into my Xbox One via optical and USB to my PC, playing through a pair of AKG K612's. Is the Mixamp giving me a good representation of my K612's and what they should sound like?
I've seen someone else mention that they use a Sound Blaster E5 but not sure how much difference it would make considering it would cost me over £100 to replace the Mixamp.
Any advice?
I've seen someone else mention that they use a Sound Blaster E5 but not sure how much difference it would make considering it would cost me over £100 to replace the Mixamp.
Any advice?
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri
Member
If all you care about is mounds of bass then sure. Friend of mine had the G10. He's a former basshead. Said the Tenore just trashed it and flipped it back on the FS posthaste.
There's a tour going on for the FLC actually. I think nmatheis is running it. You might be able to still get on.