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[Jazzy Network]

Need some help deciding on some new headphones to get. I'm interested in the V-MODA LPs, but there's an LP and the LP2. I read some descriptions, but doesn't seem much of a difference, but the LP2s on Amazon are like $25 more. Anyone can shed some light on whether the LP2s are worth the extra dough?

 

[Antiwhippy]

I'd say get the vmoda m100 for another $30 if possible.

 

[Jazzy Network]

I'd say get the vmoda m100 for another $30 if possible.

Where are you seeing these for $30 more? On Amazon they're about $100 more than the LP2s.

 

[Ptaaty]

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.

Yeah, I love mine. A/Bed with HE-400s and liked them quite a bit better.

The best way to describe the sound is full range speaker like in a near perfect room set up, including the room gain (bass). Only minor flaw is a bit of grain in certain treble ranges - something I only noticed while really critically listening on cymbal decay...and only after repeated listens against my full higher end home setup.

A major positive for me - they sound great out of nearly anything with a low impedance output...my PC, sansa clip, whatever. IMO I greatly prefer the sound out of a simple sansa clip than even modified HE-400 out of a schitt stack for example.

X2 is just a really fun headphone that sounds great with many music types and doesn't grate your ears if the recording is subpar. While a bit warm, the treble isn't rolled off - more just the room curve bass sound (not really too heavy and very good resolving for the bass level and open nature)

 

[Antiwhippy]

Where are you seeing these for $30 more? On Amazon they're about $100 more than the LP2s.

Is it?

$238 for me here.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A39PPDK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Edit: oh wait, weird, the lp2 came up as $209 for me earlier.

 

[Jazzy Network]

Is it?

$238 for me here.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A39PPDK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

LP2s are like $125

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HYH7HXA/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Antiwhippy]

Yeah sorry about that. Must have seen the lp2 price somewhere different.

 

[iuuk]

Only partly a headphone question, but this might be as good a place as any to ask it; anyone here who's got an AIAIAI TMA-1 where the rubber coating is peeling of and knows what to do with it?

I've had this headhpone since release, and it's been peeling for about 1-2 years now, but it's gotten to the point where it's become basically unwearable. Which is a shame because all my other headphones are either too big to be worn outdoors or crap. Are there ways to remove all the coating, or am I out of luck?

 

[Antiwhippy]

Only partly a headphone question, but this might be as good a place as any to ask it; anyone here who's got an AIAIAI TMA-1 where the rubber coating is peeling of and knows what to do with it?

I've had this headhpone since release, and it's been peeling for about 1-2 years now, but it's gotten to the point where it's become basically unwearable. Which is a shame because all my other headphones are either too big to be worn outdoors or crap. Are there ways to remove all the coating, or am I out of luck?

What's under the coating? If it's still usable without the coating I would honestly just peel the rest off and slap on a snap-on head phone band cushion.

 

[iuuk]

What's under the coating? If it's still usable without the coating I would honestly just peel the rest off and slap on a snap-on head phone band cushion.

Just plastic. The problem is that the coating doesn't want to be removed. It's impossible to clean with water/soap or anything but a knife (which will destroy the plastic as well) so I'd like to know if there's a normal way of removing the coating without damaging the plastic.

Here are some pics (it's not as dirty irl, but the flash exeggerates things a bit). That dust just sticks to it and is hard to remove as well. It's an absolutely worthless coating.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Actually, don't they sell replacement headbands? I remember that being one of the selling points of the tma1.

 

[iuuk]

They did, but they're sold out (EU website at least), not on ebay and wouldn't completely fix the problem considering the cups are peeling as well.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Hmm, no idea then. I'd sand them down but I dunno how well that would work for you.

Also got a Sony xba c10 which I got at an astounding price. They are really good actually. Especially for the price I paid. Good exercise phones.

 

[Afro Samurai]

I've been hearing some static noise in the background in some classical music. In recent music, the background is completely silent. What can I do to get a silent background?

 

[Tommy DJ]

Nothing, it's inherent in how classical is recorded/produced/mastered especially with older recordings.

 

[aznpxdd]

Been in love with this combo - don't know how to explain it but they sure have damn good synergy. 846's bass and sub-bass never ceases to amaze me, simply astounding for an IEM (or anywhere, really).

 

[Phat Michael]

http://gizmodo.com/we-listened-to-s...X1oytHipyg.0&utm_referrer=http://gizmodo.com/

Really good read on the new Orpheus - it's amazing to see the GIFs of how the buttons and vacuum tubes emerge from the chassis once it is turned on.

 

[Servbot24]

RHA MA750 came in, and I'd say they're just ok. The great thing about them is that they feel quite heavy duty and there is barely any cord feedback. Sound is serviceable, but I don't necessarily feel that it's $100+ good. May need some burn-in, we'll see.

 

[HiResDes]

Well I remembered what earphones you had previously and I wouldn't have recommended those to you at all. RHA just released the T20, which are supposed to be quite a bit better, but they're $200+

 

[ty_hot]

anyone treid the Xiaomi Silver? they say it is as good as the senheiser CX300, for almost half the price.

 

[andylsun]

anyone treid the Xiaomi Silver? they say it is as good as the senheiser CX300, for almost half the price.

Not sure that's much of a recommendation. CX 300 is my least lIked sennheiser of the ones I have.

I want to pick up the new Xiaomi Hybrid or whatever they are called. Heading to China this weekend.

 

[Afro Samurai]

These FX850 are so good that I can hear coughs from the audience! Damn child coughs ruining my classical music.

I had to check around me if there's anyone in my room for coughs.

 

[HiResDes]

anyone treid the Xiaomi Silver? they say it is as good as the senheiser CX300, for almost half the price.

CX300s are garbage though

 

[ty_hot]

CX300s are garbage though

My gf has a Philips that costed 10 dollars (in Brazil, so probably 6 in USA) and I think it is really good I never had any really good earphone so mostly 'anything' is good (I can hear the difference of this philips and any other cheap earphone though). I had a Senheiser HD201 once, it was good but it made me sweat so much in the ears that I gave up using it.

 

[HiResDes]

My gf has a Philips that costed 10 dollars (in Brazil, so probably 6 in USA) and I think it is really good I never had any really good earphone so mostly 'anything' is good (I can hear the difference of this philips and any other cheap earphone though). I had a Senheiser HD201 once, it was good but it made me sweat so much in the ears that I gave up using it.

Yeah they're probably these: Philips SHE3590BK/10

...Pretty respectable for the price

 

[robox]

decision time: been waiting for my xiaomi pistons for 3 weeks now and they still haven't come in from overseas shipping. the earpods i've been using the in the meantime physically pains me. need something for electronic dance music, electronic chill music (usually the same songs), hiphop. needs mic integration since i do calls with them between phone and laptop.

choices:
fischer consanance - recommended by hiresdes
trinity hyperion - recommened by antiwhippy
sony ex450 - had these, lost them and i quite liked them
sony sbh80 - basically bluetooth version of mh1c

 

[HiResDes]

decision time: been waiting for my xiaomi pistons for 3 weeks now and they still haven't come in from overseas shipping. the earpods i've been using the in the meantime physically pains me. need something for electronic dance music, electronic chill music (usually the same songs), hiphop. needs mic integration since i do calls with them between phone and laptop.

choices:
fischer consanance - recommended by hiresdes
trinity hyperion - recommened by antiwhippy
sony ex450 - had these, lost them and i quite liked them
sony sbh80 - basically bluetooth version of mh1c

If you really need a mic I'd recommend the Soundmagic E50s or M-Duo


The E-50 are a bit more balanced, while the M-Duo is going to have the wowing bass impact.

 

[HiResDes]

I'm selling my Fidelio X1 btw:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=185208440&postcount=3582

 

[Antiwhippy]

Eh, I'd say that the m-duo is just decent unless bass is a major factor for you.

 

[e_i]

Just bought a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M40Xs. Goddamn.

 

[Tommy DJ]

Remember how Beyerdynamic told everyone they improved the T1? Turns out they think the solution is to emulate the HD800, just with more midbass and distortion:

Again this is why I don't give a shit about Head-Fi impressions unless the poster isn't scared of throwing punches and/or is able to measure the hardware in question. Considering I think the HD800 sound signature is pretty terrible without physical modifications, I'd probably prefer a good T1 V1 over this V2.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Man, beyerdynamic really dropped the ball with the Tesla line.

 

[robox]

i'm not super crazy about bass... but going through my history, each of my 'phones have been getting progressively bassier. but i attribute this to the general trend for headphones getting bassier

almost pulled the trigger on the sony bt set, but technical difficulties got me a little worried. a wirefree life sounded really tempting though

 

[Antiwhippy]

I can see the benefits of wireless for exercise but I'd much prefer to have wires than have another thing in my life where I have to worry about charging.

 

[theSlacker]

Remember how Beyerdynamic told everyone they improved the T1? Turns out they think the solution is to emulate the HD800, just with more midbass and distortion:

Again this is why I don't give a shit about Head-Fi impressions unless the poster isn't scared of throwing punches and/or is able to measure the hardware in question. Considering I think the HD800 sound signature is pretty terrible without physical modifications, I'd probably prefer a good T1 V1 over this V2.

Womp womp. Sticking with my DT880s forever it seems.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

I recently lost the pair of Apple Earpods that came with my iPhone. I hated the way that they fit in my ears (they hurt!) and the sound quality wasn't great (not that I'm overly picky—I've never owned headphones that cost > $40), but my god, they were ALWAYS really easy to untangle after taking them out of my pocket.

Any recommendations for (budget) earbuds that won't get super tangled?

 

[HiResDes]

I recently lost the pair of Apple Earpods that came with my iPhone. I hated the way that they fit in my ears (they hurt!) and the sound quality wasn't great (not that I'm overly picky—I've never owned headphones that cost > $40), but my god, they were ALWAYS really easy to untangle after taking them out of my pocket.

Any recommendations for (budget) earbuds that won't get super tangled?

Do you want earbud style ones or In-ear monitors?

 

[Jazzy Network]

Just got my V-Moda LP2s. So far so good. Really love the design. The sound is pretty good. The bass isnt too overpowering so Im happy with that. I dont belive its better than my Sony MDR1s though. For 125 bucks there is very little comparison though.

 

[e_i]

Waiting on my Status HD Twos. Statusaudio has had them in stock since Monday but mine haven't shipped yet.

 

[pj]

Nine months ago I asked for a recommendation for IEMs that were good and wouldn't break after six months of daily use. Someone suggested the Ostry KC06, which is what I ended up buying. They are still going today which officially makes them my longest lasting IEMs. I don't even want to total up the amount of money I've spent on IEMs costing many times what these cost (for marginally improved sound) that all died in six months or less.

"We made these babies indestructible by constructing the driver enclosure out of carbon fiber reinforced titanium. Oh, the cable? That is attached with a little dab of marshmallow"

The KC06 cord-over-ear fit isn't great and they don't isolate a ton of noise but they sound good and haven't died, so thanks to whoever recommended them!

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Do you want earbud style ones or In-ear monitors?

Earbuds are what I've worn in the past, so that would be preferable.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Just had a demo of the aurisonics harmony and forte, with comparisons between the Angies. Impressions from 2 hours or so, of listening, so take it with a grain of salt.

Wowow, really like them. They're a lot closer to neutral than the asg 2.5, though of course nowhere near the bass performance. Bass is still probably elevated over neutral, but it's the way I like it. Though by elevated I meant more that it has more impact and body at the lower bass. No mid bass hump. Mids are beautiful too, though the harmony I feel are a little sweeter. The major differences between the two models is in the treble. The harmony is more extended and present while the forte is somewhat more laid back. Some might prefer the smoother treble of the forte.

In comparison with the Angies the Angies' mids are more forward, maybe a touch more detailed. Though the forwardness to me seems to be more about the weightier, more present and more impactful low end of the aurisonics. All of them have excellent bass texture and quality, but I much prefer the impact and weight of the aurisonics. I think the harmony and Angies are both really close to each other, just depends on your preference of bass to mids balance. Also your tolerance when it comes to price.

In comparison to the asg 2.5 the mids and the highs are more present, definitely. More detailed too but the 2.5 are lusher. All of them do incredibly well in vocals. I just love the way aurisonics presents the vocals. I still think that the asg 2.5 are basically the endgame for bass heads. The harmony and forte are probably at 1/5 on the bass dial of the 2.5.

Can't wait to get one of them when they are in stock in my store. Need to decide between the forte and the harmony.

 

[DagsJT]

Just found my Samson SR850's (SuperLux in America, I think?) and had a quick listen, I'd forgotten how good they sounded for such a cheap price. I then put my AKG K612's on, connected to my Astro Mixamp, and I much preferred the SR850's.

I'm considering selling my K612's and I'm wondering if anyone can advise on a good replacement for the K612's that has a similar sound to the SR850's. The K612's sounded a little too ... clear? Not sure if that makes sense, I know the K612's are analytical but I definitely prefer the overall sound of the Samson's although I can't pinpoint what the exact part of the sound is (I'm not an audiophile in any way and not sure of terminology). I THINK it's that the treble isn't as high-pitched, the bass and overall sound just feels a bit more ... intimate. That probably doesn't make sense but it's like I feel closer to the music, more involved with it, the sound is more in my head rather than knowing it's coming from headphones.

I guess I can sell the K612's for maybe £80? So budget would be maybe £150 at a maximum. I'm also looking at buying a Sound Blaster E5 so that will be the DAC/amp used to drive the headphones. They will mainly be used for non-competitive gaming and music (hip-hop, rock, indie), atmosphere during games is a priority.


I hope this post makes sense!

 

[HiResDes]

The Samson SR850 are quite V-Shaped in comparison to the K612. It seems quite simple what you're missing and that's the elevated bass and treble boost of the Samson. It makes hip-hop and rock sound more exciting in some places, especially when you're first starting out. Although you seem intent on selling them I gotta say the K612 have a low sensitivity despite their relatively average impedance and require quite a bit of power to bring out their real potential. But if you want something more similar to the Samson with a fairly wide soundstage for gaming I'd recommend these headphones:

Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro, Audio Technica ATH-A900x (Closed), Fidelio X1/X2, Soundmagic HP200.

 

[DagsJT]

The Samson SR850 are quite V-Shaped in comparison to the K612. It seems quite simple what you're missing and that's the elevated bass and treble boost of the Samson. It makes hip-hop and rock sound more exciting in some places, especially when you're first starting out. Although you seem intent on selling them I gotta say the K612 have a low sensitivity despite their relatively average impedance and require quite a bit of power to bring out their real potential. But if you want something more similar to the Samson with a fairly wide soundstage for gaming I'd recommend these headphones:

Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro, Audio Technica ATH-A900x (Closed), Fidelio X1/X2, Soundmagic HP200.

Cheers HRD, since posting this I've been researching and the DT990 Pro's have caught my attention so great to see you also recommending them. The AD900X's sound interesting as they don't need an amp. Even though I have a Mixamp, I've read that the DT990's will struggle with the Mixamp. The HP200's also seem great.

Too much choice!

 

[wilflare]

okay so the cables for my TripleFi 10 are spoiling...
any recommendations? (maybe I should check out Lend Me Ur Ears...)

and... any tips on how to take good care of my Fidelio X1 (the temptation to upgrade to X2 is there)

 

[SolarMystic]

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.

I'll lend my opinions, since I owned them for awhile a few months ago.

Very nice headphones, pretty neutral with a bit of a bass boost like you say. Best soundstage in its price range imo. Only points to knock is a VERY slight recessed midrange and sometimes grainy treble as another poster pointed out. These in no way take away from the headphone in any major way, and at $299 they are a steal.

If you can A/B them with an HD6xx that would be even better. I ended up settling on the HD650 myself, but your ears are different. Sometimes I miss my X2s though.

I don't have experience with the NADs, however they are commonly recommended in their price range for closed headphones. Being closed they will sound different from the X2 or HD6xx. Imo open is always better, unless you NEED the isolation.

 

[Tommy DJ]

I think the X2s are pretty clearly in the V shaped camp. Not that is a bad thing, they sound pretty good and don't do anything wrong except for a sharp lower treble peak. Neutral they are not but that might not be what you want.

The Sennheiser HD600/HD650 are (probably) a bad option for techno and house considering their key weaknesses is pretty soft and muddy bass that doesn't really extend into the sub-bass in any meaningful manner.

I think the Hifiman 400S is really the default choice for people looking for a $300 headphone. Relatively even sound signature, achieves really good bass extension if using Focus earpads (those pleather + velour hybrid earpads), crazy clean for $300 headphone. Yeah they don't have a huge amount of bass slam some people expect but, like the Sennheiser HD800, they will hit pretty hard if the production and recording put some care into the bass.

 

[HiResDes]

I forgot about those and I might be getting that exact headphone myself sans grill mod. I do think the HP200 are underrated due to their somewhat boosted treble, but it's not peaky like other headphones a lot of treble, but rather it sounded like how I expect the Sennheiser HD800 to sound though maybe not as refined. Boosted treble, flexible bass that can shows it self much more when amped, and a midrange that's just a tad recessed but in such a way that it still sounds quite natural and convincing with rock music.

 

[SolarMystic]

I think the X2s are pretty clearly in the V shaped camp. Not that is a bad thing, they sound pretty good and don't do anything wrong except for a sharp lower treble peak. Neutral they are not but that might not be what you want.

The Sennheiser HD600/HD650 are (probably) a bad option for techno and house considering their key weaknesses is pretty soft and muddy bass that doesn't really extend into the sub-bass in any meaningful manner.

I think the Hifiman 400S is really the default choice for people looking for a $300 headphone. Relatively even sound signature, achieves really good bass extension if using Focus earpads (those pleather + velour hybrid earpads), crazy clean for $300 headphone. Yeah they don't have a huge amount of bass slam some people expect but, like the Sennheiser HD800, they will hit pretty hard if the production and recording put some care into the bass.

Ehhh...muddy might be a bit overstated. I find them to be pretty detailed, but too each their own. (Sennheiser has made adjustments to the HD650 line a few years back).

I second the 400S though. In fact I almost bought those even. They had just come out though and not enough impressions were around at the time. I really want to give them an audition sometime in the future, as I really want to try that planar sound (without my wallet bursting into flames).

In my opinion the X2, 400s and HD6xx are the trinity of best open headphones in the $300 range. Just depends on what your looking for.


EDIT: I've been considering upgrading my Takstar Pro 80 recently. I've been looking at the discontinued ATH A900x and the Shure SRH840 (these should be able to do beautiful things with my symphonic metal). Both can be had for under $200 on amazon. I don't use my closed cans nearly as much as open.

If these are more of just a side grade then I will probably just hold off and save up for another open. It's kinda hard for me to gauge a good upgrade path for these as they hit so much higher than what they sell for ($60).