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

Soodanim

Gold Member
Xonar Essence or one of the budget DAC/Amp in the OP. So yeah like another 40 Euro on top of the headphones. The Takstar Hi 2050 are a good budget headphone to start with if you can't afford the DT880s.
Fuck it, I'm sick of holding back. It's easier just to throw a bit of money at it instead of sticking to an arbitrary budget. I'll get an amp if needed.

The brand usually helps also.
Sorry, I was rather tired when I posted. I'd have given more info but I wasn't thinking straight. Earlier in the night I'd looked farther into it, finding chip/codec names.

Thanks, that actually has decent sound try the headphones without an amp first, if you feel you need or just want one then go ahead and get one. Sound is subjective so it's pretty much up to you and your tastes.
Thats good, thanks. I did wonder, as the headphones I'm currently using I have to leave on a volume setting of 7-11, so I figured even a power hungry headphone could be brought up to a decent enough volume.

I think I'll go probably go DT250-250. Or maybe 990. One day I'll decide.
 

Bloodember

Member
Fuck it, I'm sick of holding back. It's easier just to throw a bit of money at it instead of sticking to an arbitrary budget. I'll get an amp if needed.

Sorry, I was rather tired when I posted. I'd have given more info but I wasn't thinking straight. Earlier in the night I'd looked farther into it, finding chip/codec names.

Thats good, thanks. I did wonder, as the headphones I'm currently using I have to leave on a volume setting of 7-11, so I figured even a power hungry headphone could be brought up to a decent enough volume.

I think I'll go probably go DT250-250. Or maybe 990. One day I'll decide.

If your going to go with a 250 Ohm headphone, you will probably need a amp.
 

HiResDes

Member
It's not just about volume dude you're most definitely going to want to get an amp like he said but I'd also consider getting one with a decent DAC.
 

DagsJT

Member
Hi,

I've got a pair of Fidelio X2's which I use with a Mixamp at the moment, connected to my PC and Xbox One.

I'm happy to use the Mixamp just for the Xbox One but what I'm thinking is that I'd like something which will make music sound better on my PC. The Mixamp works decently enough but doesn't give it that life that I was hoping for. I've just received a Sound Blaster G5 and the music quality is a lot better from the G5 than it is from the Mixamp.

But what I'm wondering now is if I can get an internal soundcard rather than the G5, send the G5 back and get the £90 back and buy a cheaper internal card but I imagine would sound better with it being internal?

So what I'm after is any recommendations on a good internal soundcard that will be used for music 90% of the time, the rest maybe for movies or TV shows so while 5.1 or 7.1 would be nice, it's not a dealbreaker. I also have a pair of Edifier R1600T speakers which I'd like to connect to the soundcard.

My next question is what's the best way of plugging in my headphones to the soundcard? I don't want to climb underneath my desk and reach around to the back of my PC everytime I need to swap my headphones between the Mixamp and PC so do people use some kind of extension cable?
 

Bloodember

Member
Hi,

I've got a pair of Fidelio X2's which I use with a Mixamp at the moment, connected to my PC and Xbox One.

I'm happy to use the Mixamp just for the Xbox One but what I'm thinking is that I'd like something which will make music sound better on my PC. The Mixamp works decently enough but doesn't give it that life that I was hoping for. I've just received a Sound Blaster G5 and the music quality is a lot better from the G5 than it is from the Mixamp.

But what I'm wondering now is if I can get an internal soundcard rather than the G5, send the G5 back and get the £90 back and buy a cheaper internal card but I imagine would sound better with it being internal?

So what I'm after is any recommendations on a good internal soundcard that will be used for music 90% of the time, the rest maybe for movies or TV shows so while 5.1 or 7.1 would be nice, it's not a dealbreaker. I also have a pair of Edifier R1600T speakers which I'd like to connect to the soundcard.

My next question is what's the best way of plugging in my headphones to the soundcard? I don't want to climb underneath my desk and reach around to the back of my PC everytime I need to swap my headphones between the Mixamp and PC so do people use some kind of extension cable?

If you want to go with an internal sound card with a module to plug your headphones in here are two option I know of.

[URL="http://www.soundblaster.com/products/sound-blaster-zxr.aspx"]http://www.soundblaster.com/products/sound-blaster-zx.aspx[/URL]

http://www.soundblaster.com/products/sound-blaster-zxr.aspx

There has been reports that the module produces static though, not sure if it's been fixed.
 

yagal

Member
Sounds bad to me. If you're gonna EQ that much buy headphones with real bass out of the box.

I was playing with the E17 and the result ...was surprising

Usually i don't it, and most of the time i listen to Jazz or "soft" music with a neutral setting

By the way this is my 2015 Top artists:
1. Sufjan Stevens (352 streams)
2. Uochi Toki (332) lol why?
3. Brad Mehldau (328)
4. The National (281)
5. Alt-J (177)

Top albums:
1. Brad Mehldau Trio: Live (219)
2. Libro Audio (174)
3. Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians (155)
4. In colour (137)
5. This is all yours (134)
 

Moonkid

Member
Hi guys,

I'm looking to buy a relatively cheap pair of headphones, $150 USD at most, that are comfortable for someone wearing glasses over a long period of time. I currently own the Samson SR850 but wearing it for a couple hours put a lot of strain on my glasses. I don't mind whether it's open or closed, comfort is the big thing I'm looking out for.
 

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Oh man, the noble bts is really good. About the same sound quality as my phone with minor bass roll-off but with what I have it's no problem.

I'm starting to think that Bluetooth is perfectly fine for on the go, it's just that most Bluetooth headphones have shit tuning/drivers/DSP. The noble bts is certainly a more universal version that fits more with my needs. Will be used more for when I'm doing more active stuff.
 
Hi, can I ask for recommendations for good light, foldable open headphones under $100? It's for travel, not planning to use it walking on street, but will use it on hotel and cafe etc.

Thank you .
 

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
No more than $300.
Desktop.
Combo.



How so,
The things Ive heard are that they are equal

Just mostly from superbestaudiofriends. Aren't the modi and magni 2 stack about the same price as your usual o2 combo unit?

If you want a rec from something I've actually experienced though the oppo ha2 is very good and at your price range.
 

Tommy DJ

Member
Superbestaudiofriends/Changstar really has a strange grudge against the creator of the O2. Changstar is real strange a lot of the time where they're pretty sensible in a lot of aspects but seem to go full mental when it comes to amps and DACs.

Really, the O2 stack is more or less the same as the solid state Schiit stack. Would still go with the Schiit stack as its cheaper (in Australia at least) and plugs together cleaner. Not a huge fan of the all-in-one solution as I feel the amp does a whole lot more to the sound than the DAC does - keeping them seperate lets you keep the DAC but sell the amp.
 

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Yeah looking up some posts purrin makes about the o2 it definitely seems like there was a thing there.

Also the new jh audio Rosie looks neat actually. A cheaper universal jh13 freq phase seems a lot more reasonable than what the rest of the siren range offers. Plus I actually like the design instead of that hideous all carbon weave design it used to have.
 
Superbestaudiofriends/Changstar really has a strange grudge against the creator of the O2. Changstar is real strange a lot of the time where they're pretty sensible in a lot of aspects but seem to go full mental when it comes to amps and DACs.

Really, the O2 stack is more or less the same as the solid state Schiit stack. Would still go with the Schiit stack as its cheaper (in Australia at least) and plugs together cleaner. Not a huge fan of the all-in-one solution as I feel the amp does a whole lot more to the sound than the DAC does - keeping them seperate lets you keep the DAC but sell the amp.

The deciding factor for me when I bought my Uber stack. Preferred them to be separate so I could have more choices in upgrading.
 

ty_hot

Member
How are bluetooth headphones doing? I never thought about it but there is some compression involved so the final audio quality is worst, but I also read that with BT 4.0 they can have almost the same quality as a wired one.
 

Tenebrous

Member
Got my B&O H2's today. First impressions are pretty fantastic, but I'll have to wait a while before giving them outdoor use (the weather here is terrible).
 

FoxSpirit

Junior Member
How are bluetooth headphones doing? I never thought about it but there is some compression involved so the final audio quality is worst, but I also read that with BT 4.0 they can have almost the same quality as a wired one.
What you are looking for is BT headphones with AptX standard and a device compatible with AptX.
It's a bit difficult because a lot of devices give no indication at all if they have it or if it's active since hey, we already wrote "bluetooth compatible". To quote Cnet on the issue:
But the problem is, you don't know if you're getting aptX even if you have it with both pieces of gear. On most aptX-enabled gear, there's no indication that aptX is present, or active. That's something aptX really needs to work on. A little indicator light would go a long way.

So a little detective work is necessary.
 

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
If you're just powering IEMs or highly efficient headphones I think the Noble BTS is actually a pretty great little device.
 

mr stroke

Member
How are bluetooth headphones doing? I never thought about it but there is some compression involved so the final audio quality is worst, but I also read that with BT 4.0 they can have almost the same quality as a wired one.

Ive actually been on a Bluetooth kick as of late for Travel and you will be surprised how many good sounding BT cans there are now

currently trying these-

And these are surprisingly fantastic-

ZBgT9lx.jpg


Plantronics BackBeat Pro: great bass, wide soundstage, latest BT tech, and decent NC, though a tad bit of clamping pressure makes them heavy after an hour or so


and if you don't mind spending a little extra-

Def Tech Symphony 1

pnfByCu.jpg




both are APTX 4.0 with low latency, so they sound great and can be used for movies with out lag.
 

Ultimadrago

Member
I just picked up some new Fidelio X2's, is it recommended to buy a V-MODA cable to replace the OEM cable for this like with the X1's?

I also saw this BoomPro Gaming Mic on Amazon. Is it a good option for having voiceover available while wearing non-headsets?

Well, to answer my own question. I got picked up the BoomPros and, while it took a while to get them actually working, they ended up working great.
 

Karish

Member
Ive actually been on a Bluetooth kick as of late for Travel and you will be surprised how many good sounding BT cans there are now

currently trying these-

And these are surprisingly fantastic-

ZBgT9lx.jpg


Plantronics BackBeat Pro: great bass, wide soundstage, latest BT tech, and decent NC, though a tad bit of clamping pressure makes them heavy after an hour or so


and if you don't mind spending a little extra-

Def Tech Symphony 1

pnfByCu.jpg




both are APTX 4.0 with low latency, so they sound great and can be used for movies with out lag.
I've been contemplating getting the Backbeat Sense, the new on-ear sibling of the sense.
 

duckroll

Member
Okay, I've been looking for a new pair of headphones for use on the go with my phone, and I can't seem to find something that really fits my criteria. So some advice would be nice. These are not headphones for home use and I'm not an audiophile. It needs to be portable, it's meant for my phone, and ideally music and videos sounds good on it. The problem I'm having is with comfort.

Right now I'm using a cheapass pair of 2 buck headphones from Daiso which look exactly like these: https://frenchclassroom.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/photo-1.jpg

It sounds about what you expect from 2 buck headphones - ie: they work, and I don't expect them to last. But they fit my requirements - it's not a super tight fit that squeezes my head, it doesn't crush on the tips of my glasses behind my ears, and they're light.

I've tried a number of headphones in the past week at various stores, but I find that they all like to be a tight squeeze which I really dislike. I'm also not looking for something particularly bulky. I would love to have something light, foldable, extra points if it has a carrying pouch, but provides better sound than what I have currently. Budget would be around 40-60, but I wouldn't mind paying more if there's something really worthwhile.

Any ideas?
 

duckroll

Member
I wouldn't really want to completely block out all outside sound, if I can still hear stuff like train stops that'll be fine. Would be nice to block out most ambient noise though. :p
 

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Well they're pretty leaky, though it also depends on how loud you're playing your music. Probably good if you want to still be aware of your surroundings.

Only other phone I've had experience with that fits the criteria are the audio technics sq5, though they've replaced it with the sq505. Cup foldable, fair isolation and highly comfortable with my glasses, though I have a very high tolerance for clamp. Dunno if these things still apply to the sq505 though, but it's something you can have a look at.

Also they sound decent to good and looks stylish. I pretty much got them because I love the way they looked. :p
 

duckroll

Member
Thanks for the recommendations so far. The PortaPro looks like it might be good, but the design is kinda messy and the headband is exposed and shiny. The SQ505 definitely -looks- great, but it would look even better if the cups were circular rather than rectangular though. Lol.
 

Waikis

Member
Thanks for the recommendations so far. The PortaPro looks like it might be good, but the design is kinda messy and the headband is exposed and shiny. The SQ505 definitely -looks- great, but it would look even better if the cups were circular rather than rectangular though. Lol.

Aren't you from singapore duckroll? Jaben sg has plenty of options that you can try at their store at the adelphi.
 

Soodanim

Gold Member
I've tried a number of headphones in the past week at various stores, but I find that they all like to be a tight squeeze which I really dislike. I'm also not looking for something particularly bulky. I would love to have something light, foldable, extra points if it has a carrying pouch, but provides better sound than what I have currently. Budget would be around 40-60, but I wouldn't mind paying more if there's something really worthwhile.

Any ideas?
From my time reading threads at Head-Fi, I noticed a lot of talking of stretching bands. It seems to be generally accepted as an okay thing to do and a lot of people seemed to be happy with the results (a less tight grip on their head). Maybe it's worth looking into that, as a lot of 'phones seem to be tight.
 
Thanks for the recommendations so far. The PortaPro looks like it might be good, but the design is kinda messy and the headband is exposed and shiny. The SQ505 definitely -looks- great, but it would look even better if the cups were circular rather than rectangular though. Lol.

What about the Koss KSC75 ? they are absolutely inexpensive and very good sounding.
They are not too practical to put on and off, but they fit me pretty well for hours without getting uncomfortable. People complains about their durability, but I have them since 6 months with no problem at all,with heavy use and without having good care.
No carrying pouch come with them, but,given the design, you shouldn't have problem to find something to use.
 

duckroll

Member
Hmmm, not a fan of phones without a band. It's one reason why I don't like earbuds anymore. I like being able to just slide the phones off and have it rest on my neck if I need to. Might check out Jaben tomorrow if I have the time.
 

HiResDes

Member
Hmmm, not a fan of phones without a band. It's one reason why I don't like earbuds anymore. I like being able to just slide the phones off and have it rest on my neck if I need to. Might check out Jaben tomorrow if I have the time.
Sennheiser PX200-II would be perfect but they're a little out of your range.

The Prodipe Pro800 would also be perfect but they're extremely hard to find.


AKG Y40 are closer to your range sound pretty damn good, but feature small cups that might be a problem if you have huge ears.
 
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