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

A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Cool, glad to have learned something today.

I've been thinking about how I can drive the son to be acquired hd600 too. The mojo can apparently drive them to about 122dB, so I probably have nothing to worry about at that front.
 
Chittagong

Chittagong

Gold Member
My second Magni 2U just died on me, and this time the warranty is over. I think I'm done with Schiit.

Any recommendations for desktop amps with a 6.25" jack that would drive Fostex TH-600s well? Doesn't have to be as cheap as the Magni, but should be under £500, to stay in the sane territory.
 
S

SolarMystic

Member
^ Seconded. O2+ODAC is a fantastic combo for the price.

Chittagong said:
My second Magni 2U just died on me, and this time the warranty is over. I think I'm done with Schiit.

Any recommendations for desktop amps with a 6.25" jack that would drive Fostex TH-600s well? Doesn't have to be as cheap as the Magni, but should be under £500, to stay in the sane territory.
Click to expand...

That's some crazy bad luck, as Schiit is usually rock solid. Do you know what happened to it?
 
Chittagong

Chittagong

Gold Member
SolarMystic said:
^ Seconded. O2+ODAC is a fantastic combo for the price.

That's some crazy bad luck, as Schiit is usually rock solid. Do you know what happened to it?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion guys, looks like a good way forwards.

Both times it was the same thing, something with the headset connector. First the R channel would start to corrupt and cut out. Then the L channel would start to corrupt, and eventually there would only be a static hiss until the unit would not give a sound at all.
 
S

SolarMystic

Member
Chittagong said:
Thanks for the suggestion guys, looks like a good way forwards.

Both times it was the same thing, something with the headset connector. First the R channel would start to corrupt and cut out. Then the L channel would start to corrupt, and eventually there would only be a static hiss until the unit would not give a sound at all.
Click to expand...

Even though it's out of warranty, I'd still send Schiit an email if you haven't already. They've been known to make exceptions on a case by case basis. As it seems to be a defect, I'd say you've got a decent chance.
 
Chittagong

Chittagong

Gold Member
SolarMystic said:
Even though it's out of warranty, I'd still send Schiit an email if you haven't already. They've been known to make exceptions on a case by case basis. As it seems to be a defect, I'd say you've got a decent chance.
Click to expand...

Really weird. I tried earlier powering the unit on and off and it didn't help, it would only hiss no sound would come out. So I powered it off for good.

Now after a few hours I decided to have just one more go, lo and behold - it's working as well as ever. Man, I had just configured a nice O2+ODAC... there goes my excuse.
 
S

SolarMystic

Member
Chittagong said:
Really weird. I tried earlier powering the unit on and off and it didn't help, it would only hiss no sound would come out. So I powered it off for good.

Now after a few hours I decided to have just one more go, lo and behold - it's working as well as ever. Man, I had just configured a nice O2+ODAC... there goes my excuse.
Click to expand...

That is strange, can't help you with that one though. My engineering skills end at putting computers together.
 
W

WhiskerFrisker

Member
Got the Audio Technica ATH-M50x today in the mail. Looks great and I have the Fiio A3 to mess around with it. Question: I read over on Head-fi that people burn in their phones for 50+ hours for added benefits. Honestly that sounds stupid to me but does that actually make a difference?
 
Bloodember

Bloodember

Member
WhiskerFrisker said:
Got the Audio Technica ATH-M50x today in the mail. Looks great and I have the Fiio A3 to mess around with it. Question: I read over on Head-fi that people burn in their phones for 50+ hours for added benefits. Honestly that sounds stupid to me but does that actually make a difference?
Click to expand...
Its subjective. Some people say they hear a difference, some dont. I think people just think they hear a difference.
 
T

thabiz

Member
WhiskerFrisker said:
Got the Audio Technica ATH-M50x today in the mail. Looks great and I have the Fiio A3 to mess around with it. Question: I read over on Head-fi that people burn in their phones for 50+ hours for added benefits. Honestly that sounds stupid to me but does that actually make a difference?
Click to expand...
Enjoy your purchase man. The added bonus is that after 50 hours of enjoyment, you can say they are burned in.
 
Xander51

Xander51

Member
WhiskerFrisker said:
Got the Audio Technica ATH-M50x today in the mail. Looks great and I have the Fiio A3 to mess around with it. Question: I read over on Head-fi that people burn in their phones for 50+ hours for added benefits. Honestly that sounds stupid to me but does that actually make a difference?
Click to expand...

Bloodember said:
Its subjective. Some people say they hear a difference, some dont. I think people just think they hear a difference.
Click to expand...

I agree with Bloodember, it's totally subjective. Your brain will get more used to the sound over time, and you'll hear them differently then you did when you got them.
 
W

WhiskerFrisker

Member
Bloodember said:
Its subjective. Some people say they hear a difference, some dont. I think people just think they hear a difference.
Click to expand...

thabiz said:
Enjoy your purchase man. The added bonus is that after 50 hours of enjoyment, you can say they are burned in.
Click to expand...

Xander51 said:
I agree with Bloodember, it's totally subjective. Your brain will get more used to the sound over time, and you'll hear them differently then you did when you got them.
Click to expand...

Thanks guys. I just couldn't imagine how they played white noise on their headphones for so long. One even said for 500 hours WTF.
 
K

K.Jack

Knowledge is power, guard it well
Brain burn in is real, as you adjust to the sound signature. Equipment burn in is mysticism that no one can prove exists, so people do it "just in case".
 
N

Nero's Neptune

Member
Just ordered me a pair of Beyerdynamic T5Ps. So excited to get them. The days are going to drag by until they get here.

So now I own:

Sony MDR-CD900ST
Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80
AKG K612
Sony DR-ZX701iP (Which are on their way here)
Koss Pro DJ100
Koss KSC-75

The family is growing!
 
W

Waikis

Member
Chittagong said:
My second Magni 2U just died on me, and this time the warranty is over. I think I'm done with Schiit.

Any recommendations for desktop amps with a 6.25" jack that would drive Fostex TH-600s well? Doesn't have to be as cheap as the Magni, but should be under £500, to stay in the sane territory.
Click to expand...

Other than O2 stack, maybe look at grace m9xx? It has a warmer sound and might pair well with th 600's treble.
 
L

leng jai

Member
K.Jack said:
Brain burn in is real, as you adjust to the sound signature. Equipment burn in is mysticism that no one can prove exists, so people do it "just in case".
Click to expand...

I've even heard people claim that some DACs need several hundred hours burn in. What a laugh.
 
D

Dynamite Ringo Matsuri

Member
The only actual burn in that occurs is my brain getting fried from reading all these asinine claims of X00 hours leading to things magically opening up. I can't roll my eyes hard enough whenever I come across that shit, which, sadly, is far, far too often on HF.
 
Xander51

Xander51

Member
Dynamite Ringo Matsuri said:
The only actual burn in that occurs is my brain getting fried from reading all these asinine claims of X00 hours leading to things magically opening up. I can't roll my eyes hard enough whenever I come across that shit, which, sadly, is far, far too often on HF.
Click to expand...

Hahahaha. Yeah, you're spot-on. Pretty much every thread about a new headphone on HF has people talking about the mechanical merits of burn-in.

A year ago I was in that dark spot where I listened to the gear more than the sound that comes out of it, if that makes sense. Now, I try to remember to actually enjoy the content I'm listening to.
 
B

Blitzhex

Member
The only change I've noticed over the past 50 hours with my th-x00 is me starting to appreciate the bass more. I like how it lets in sound, but doesn't leak too much. I like to hear what's happening around me and prefer the openish sound.
The cable isn't that good though, it's a 1m microphonic beast. Have alpha pads coming in soon, hope they sound good because I need their comfort.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
So had an audition with the hd600 on the mojo vs ak320 > schiit Valhalla 2. Kind of imperfect testing conditions and didn't necessarily the longest amount of time to access them, but I really don't think that there's much of a difference?

Honestly kind of loving the hd600 out of either really. Doesn't have bass depth and slam of the harmony but I didn't expect it to. Weirdly enough though I kinda think that the soundstage width is bigger on the harmony? Need more testing to be sure.

Also the hd650 is just... Woolier sounding? That mid bass bump. From quick impressions I generally prefer the hd600 more.
 
T

Tommy DJ

Member
Schiit Valhalla 2 set in High Gain should have more bass due to the Sennheiser impedance curve. I don't really hear much of a difference between amps either unless it has huge impedance combined with headphones that actually react to output impedance.
 
SliChillax

SliChillax

Member
Maybe my ears aren't properly trained but I've been doing some comparisons with Spotify premium and flac and to be honest I cannot tell the difference... is it just me?
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
On blind tests very few people can tell the differences between flac and we'll encoded mp3. I wouldn't worry about it.

Tommy DJ said:
Schiit Valhalla 2 set in High Gain should have more bass due to the Sennheiser impedance curve. I don't really hear much of a difference between amps either unless it has huge impedance combined with headphones that actually react to output impedance.
Click to expand...

There's not really that much bass added either. Still not a very bassy headphones in either case, especially in the subbass.

Kind of nice actually. Allows my mind to reset. I've been thinking that my harmony wasn't as bassy as I remember, but putting them back on after the hd600 makes me go "oh, bass."

Our minds are weird.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
A few of the ones targeted at gamers, generally don't remember because well, didn't like them.

People I know who take gaming audio seriously (because I don't if I'm being honest) generally just use your traditional stereo headphones because they're still better for positional cues.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Man the pads on the HD600 right out of the box is kinda stiff. Hopefully they soften up after awhile.

Now that's something in headphones that actually requires break in.

Also I really don't see why people say that these are veiled. I can understand a bit with the 650 but the treble extension is great without veering into overly bright territory.

The only sennheiser I can actually say are definitely veiled to my ears are the momentum 1.
 
S

SolarMystic

Member
Antiwhippy said:
Man the pads on the HD600 right out of the box is kinda stiff. Hopefully they soften up after awhile.

Now that's something in headphones that actually requires break in.

Also I really don't see why people say that these are veiled. I can understand a bit with the 650 but the treble extension is great without veering into overly bright territory.
Click to expand...

My 650 pads were the same way and they did soften up.

I maintain that the only "veil" people complained about was due to the fact that the hd6x0 main competitors were by Beyer and AKG and are today considered very bright sounding. Back in the mid 2000s though, those treble mountains were perceived as being reference quality. The hd650 was the dark prince of that time, but only because the competition were so bright/forward in the treble. Unnaturally so, IMO.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Yeah, I suppose so. I thought I was a positive treblehead back then because I liked the HD25 a lot but apparently there are bigger treble mountains which I dare not climb. :p

If anything I'd say the treble in the HD600 is a little bit etched. Teensy bit though, it's still pretty smooth.

Also yeah, I did buy them because I wanted something more neutral to the Aurisonic Harmony, but you do miss that sub/lower bass lift. Not talking about it in a "doof doof" bass monster way either, but it lacks the visceral impact relative to the harmony for stuff like percussion. Otherwise the bass seemed fine quality wise.

If I could make an analogy the hd600 would be a nice 2.0 system (though with a somewhat small soundstage), and the harmony would be like a nice 2.1 system with the sub bass cranked up a bit more than recommended.
 
L

leng jai

Member
The extra warmth and mid bass on the 650 would contribute to it sounding "veiled" compared to the HD600. I sold my pair because it was missing any semblance of treble sparkle.
 
M

Melhisedek

Member
Damn, where do I start or perhaps don't need to bother you with my lack of audio quality all these years :)

In short I have a budget of about 200€. Can go a bit higher but not by much. I would value comfort very high, as I hate having sore ears like I do now.

Right now I have Logitech g930 (costed me an arm and a leg few years ago and I thought they sounded fantastic, now I hear they are pretty bad actually especially for the price I paid back in the day) and jaybird bluebuds x (convinced me to never again go wireless as I need to charge them often and can't connect them to most of my things).

I need a pair of comfortable over the ear cans that I will use for

1. gaming on PC with onboard soundcard (no need for competitive)
2. Listening to music (soundtracks, classical, choir, acoustic [no hip-hop])
3. Listening to spoken word

On the other hand I'm planning to have a budget of about 30-40€ for IEMs that I will use with 3ds/Vita/PS4 exclusive.


Any advice guys?
 
mr stroke

mr stroke

Member
Melhisedek said:
Damn, where do I start or perhaps don't need to bother you with my lack of audio quality all these years :)

In short I have a budget of about 200€. Can go a bit higher but not by much. I would value comfort very high, as I hate having sore ears like I do now.

Right now I have Logitech g930 (costed me an arm and a leg few years ago and I thought they sounded fantastic, now I hear they are pretty bad actually especially for the price I paid back in the day) and jaybird bluebuds x (convinced me to never again go wireless as I need to charge them often and can't connect them to most of my things).

I need a pair of comfortable over the ear cans that I will use for

1. gaming on PC with onboard soundcard (no need for competitive)
2. Listening to music (soundtracks, classical, choir, acoustic [no hip-hop])
3. Listening to spoken word

On the other hand I'm planning to have a budget of about 30-40€ for IEMs that I will use with 3ds/Vita/PS4 exclusive.


Any advice guys?
Click to expand...

Yes, buy these

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I4KPBF2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

They would suit both your needs of an IEM and Gaming headphone. I use those JVC's with an Astro Mixamp currently and they are hands down the best gaming earbuds/headphones I've ever used(and I've used everything from $1000 Senn's to Astro A40's for gaming and still nothing comes close to the positioning those JVC's give)
 
M

Melhisedek

Member
Never thought about having just IEMs. Though as far as I can see I can't seem to order them from amazon.com and there are none at co.uk and none in sweden I can buy. I'll check out some more. Still open to other recommendations

I thought about "Sennheiser CX300-II" for the 3ds/Vita but perhaps there are better ones in the same price range
 
LQX

LQX

Member
Melhisedek said:
Damn, where do I start or perhaps don't need to bother you with my lack of audio quality all these years :)

In short I have a budget of about 200€. Can go a bit higher but not by much. I would value comfort very high, as I hate having sore ears like I do now.

Right now I have Logitech g930 (costed me an arm and a leg few years ago and I thought they sounded fantastic, now I hear they are pretty bad actually especially for the price I paid back in the day) and jaybird bluebuds x (convinced me to never again go wireless as I need to charge them often and can't connect them to most of my things).

I need a pair of comfortable over the ear cans that I will use for

1. gaming on PC with onboard soundcard (no need for competitive)
2. Listening to music (soundtracks, classical, choir, acoustic [no hip-hop])
3. Listening to spoken word

On the other hand I'm planning to have a budget of about 30-40€ for IEMs that I will use with 3ds/Vita/PS4 exclusive.


Any advice guys?
Click to expand...

Sennheiser HD 598. Vocals and instruments sound amazing on them and you can wear then all day with no issues.
 
mr stroke

mr stroke

Member
W

WhiskerFrisker

Member
LQX said:
How is the amp you got with it?
Click to expand...
Small and discrete which is great for portable use. I noticed some slight clicking sound whenever I switched music on my phone but that could just be the amp making those otherwise inaudible sounds noticeable. I'm so glad you linked that sale on eBay.
 
LQX

LQX

Member
Good to hear. If you decide to keep them for the long term the velour earpads might be worth the investment. Every now and then Massdrop sells them for $20. Very comfortable and they don't sweat like the leather ones.
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
So now I actually have a reason to use my computer for playback, do people here use foobar and what's their favourite setup?

Mine is the with column UI and with the barfive skin.
 
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