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

K.Jack said:
CX300 is absolute garbage tier. A Xiaomi Piston poops all over it.
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I still love my OSTRY KC06A. I never really appreciated their soundstage until i listened to them while tripping. Really nice sound. I just wish there were more confortable tips for them.
 
Try spinfits. They're probably the most comfortable silicon tips I've owned. The spiral dots wears better on my harmony though.
 
Jzero said:
I still love my OSTRY KC06A. I never really appreciated them until i listened to them while tripping. Really nice sound. I just wish there were more confortable tips for them.
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It's pretty much all of the IEM I need. Can't really find many faults with its presentation, and I'd have to spend 3x its cost to really find a "next level"

Times have changed. Back in my day, end game IEMs were at least $250.

KC06A makes me happy.
 
I dunno, I'm much more willing to spend the big bucks for portable audio compared to home gear.

The hd600 has me set for years home audio wise, but I'm already contemplating getting the uerr a year from now. Or wait 2 years and get a fitear 335dw.

All of it is a maybe though because I'm pretty happy with the harmony.
 
Also tyll seems to really love the meze 99.

https://youtu.be/m40Z2gmf9BY

The white one looks really nice actually. Not a bad price too.

Meze_Classic99_Photo_Colors.jpg
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K.Jack said:
It's pretty much all of the IEM I need. Can't really find many faults with its presentation, and I'd have to spend 3x its cost to really find a "next level"

Times have changed. Back in my day, end game IEMs were at least $250.

KC06A makes me happy.
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I'm kind of at that point with the stuff I use for on the go listening.

Been using TDK BA200s and HD25s with my rockboxed clip+ since 2013.

I'd really like a new source and IEM to replace the BA200. But I can't really justify spending that much money on gear I'd only listen to on my daily commutes.

I'll probably just end up getting a decent DAC/AMP for my phone.
 
This kind of stinks, but I cancelled my Valhalla 2 order, at least for now. I really want to try the thx00 and since it is so easy to drive, an OTL with low gain like the Valhalla should pair fine with it, but I found multiple people who said the pairing was terrible.

I'm going to wait until I get the thx00 to order a Valhalla 2. That way if it does sound like crap, I can return it within the 15 day window and get the Lyr 2.
 
Things now are getting even more complicated. Was planning on buying some legitimate audiophile headphones next month(March) and now I even more confused. The amount of options are perturbingly overwhelming. At first I decided between the:

Sennheiser HD598
Audio Technica AD700X
Audio Technica AD900X

and now I am hearing great things about the:

Beyerdynamic DT990
Beyerdynamic DT880 Pros
AKGQ701
Sennheiser HD 558

I know the DT990 requires a decent to good amp to utilize them properly, but I am using this for now:

1094_dss1.jpg


It sounds really good to me with my entry level headphones I think. Very crisp and quite powerful. Does anyone have any clue if this Ear Force amplifier or whatever will be sufficient for powering any of those headphones listed above? I think it should, but I am definitely not the audio authority. If not, then I guess I would have to invest into another amplifier eventually. Also, I decided that I want to go with some open back headphones since they will mostly be for gaming, but now I am even more conflicted in which one I should get.

I mentioned this before, but I really wish I could test out who each one sounds to make a more informed opinion, but that seems to be really difficult at this point. I am using these primarily for gaming, some movies and then music. I like the soft sound of my Sennhesier HD 205, but I thought I would something new like the Audio Technica's or the Beyerdynamics to try a different type of sound out. I keep hearing soundstage is important for gaming, but I am not really a serious competitive gamer. Any recommendations on these listed headphones guys?
 
Hi guys, I'm new to all this.

So I bought a pair of quality Sony studio headphones and was told to get some new music files, something to do with lossless or FLAC or something.

I read I can do this by importing a CD into iTunes in lossless format, but my Mac conveniently lacks a disk drive.

Anyway I can download this kind of music or import my tracks into said format etc. etc.?
 
Just an advice on starting out.

Don't get choice paralysis.

Like really, any of these headphones are fine. It's harder when you can't audition, but really, you'll find enjoyment out of any. Probably.

The ones you've picked all have wide soundstages, some more than others, but not to the point that you should worry about it. The AKG is the widest. A bit too wide though.

If bass is important to you the beyers are your best bet.

Beyers are known to emphasize the treble. Avoid if you're sensitive.

Audio technicas are known for their upper-midrange peak. I really like it because it really makes female vocals shine. Some people find that it sounds harsh. YMMV. AD900x makes the bass not lean as shit. Still not basshead levels but I guess that's not what you're looking for.

From what I've read (never actually heard them) the 598 should be rather similar to the AT house sound, with an upper mid peak. Bass is underwhelming from what I know.

No idea about your amp, should be fine? The AKG are probably the hardest to drive out of any of them unless you're going for the 600ohm beyer models.
 
LQX said:
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.
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Is it normal for the ATH-M50X to have a clamping force that makes you feel pressure in your head? I can't use it for too long because of that. That's my only gripe with it so far.
Jzero said:
I still love my OSTRY KC06A. I never really appreciated their soundstage until i listened to them while tripping. Really nice sound. I just wish there were more confortable tips for them.
Click to expand...

K.Jack said:
It's pretty much all of the IEM I need. Can't really find many faults with its presentation, and I'd have to spend 3x its cost to really find a "next level"

Times have changed. Back in my day, end game IEMs were at least $250.

KC06A makes me happy.
Click to expand...
KCO6A were the best iems I've ever had. I'm not sure if it was because that was the first iem that had great sound, but I remember listening to "Yours Truly" by Mr.FijiWiji and being blown away by the clarity of the sound and the clean bass. Mine messed up because I dropped them in water :(
 
WhiskerFrisker said:
Is it normal for the ATH-M50X to have a clamping force that makes you feel pressure in your head? I can't use it for too long because of that. That's my only gripe with it so far.


.......
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They really did not bother me but remember you can stretch the hell out of them without fear. So if you cant get use to the clamping force stretch them until they get more comfortable.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/493838/stretching-your-m50s-for-less-clamp-and-much-more-comfort
 
SuperSah said:
Hi guys, I'm new to all this.

So I bought a pair of quality Sony studio headphones and was told to get some new music files, something to do with lossless or FLAC or something.

I read I can do this by importing a CD into iTunes in lossless format, but my Mac conveniently lacks a disk drive.

Anyway I can download this kind of music or import my tracks into said format etc. etc.?
Click to expand...


Anybody?
 
Because I don't think it sounds better. Not on the gear I have anyway, which is pretty near endgame for me.

I'll use FLAC, but I have no real qualms using EAC/LAME encoded MP3s from my FLAC source archive to save some space. Also I regularly just buy music from google music or just stream from spotify.
 
Antiwhippy said:
Just an advice on starting out.

Don't get choice paralysis.

Like really, any of these headphones are fine. It's harder when you can't audition, but really, you'll find enjoyment out of any. Probably.

The ones you've picked all have wide soundstages, some more than others, but not to the point that you should worry about it. The AKG is the widest. A bit too wide though.

If bass is important to you the beyers are your best bet.

Beyers are known to emphasize the treble. Avoid if you're sensitive.

Audio technicas are known for their upper-midrange peak. I really like it because it really makes female vocals shine. Some people find that it sounds harsh. YMMV. AD900x makes the bass not lean as shit. Still not basshead levels but I guess that's not what you're looking for.

From what I've read (never actually heard them) the 598 should be rather similar to the AT house sound, with an upper mid peak. Bass is underwhelming from what I know.

No idea about your amp, should be fine? The AKG are probably the hardest to drive out of any of them unless you're going for the 600ohm beyer models.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information. That does help out. As you can probably tell, I am pretty new to all of this and i had no idea that there were so many choices out there. Yeah, that essentially describes my situation. Choice paralysis. I didn't want to make a mistake because I will most likely have to order it online without listening to it and having to return it online if I do not like it and I hate returning stuff, especially online. Whatever I try should sound good though based on a lot of the positivity I've researched though.
 
Oh. My. God. Vocals. HD600. So. Good.

Seriously some of the most euphonic mids and upper mids I've heard on an open-back. The mids are so beautifully integrated with the rest of the spectrum.

Though I'd still say the harmony actually makes the mids on the HD600 sound a little grainy. The harmony would be as euphonic without all that sweet, delicious bass, but I'll take slightly less euphonic mids with that, sweet, deliciously deep bass. Still, the HD600 is so good at vocals.

I'm a certified basshead but even I can't understand why people would think the HD600s are boring. The mids alone makes the music sing.

I think they're practically a steal at the USD$230 I got them for.
 
Antiwhippy said:
Oh. My. God. Vocals. HD600. So. Good.

Seriously some of the most euphonic mids and upper mids I've heard on an open-back. The mids are so beautifully integrated with the rest of the spectrum.

Though I'd still say the harmony actually makes the mids on the HD600 sound a little grainy. It's would be as euphonic without all that sweet, delicious bass, but I'll take slightly less euphonic mids with that, sweet, deliciously deep bass. Still, the HD600 is so good at vocals.

I'm a certified basshead but even I can't understand why people would think the HD600s are boring. The mids alone makes the music sing.

I think they're practically a steal at the USD$230 I got them for.
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As an owner of the HD650s, I agree! Have you tried the Fidelio X2s ? They are bassier version of the 600s.
 
Are they? I've heard reports of wonky treble and sucked out mids which isn't really what I think about when it comes to the HD600. Impressions seems pretty all over the place for that one.

Not really looking for a bass set anyway. I've got my basshead headphones sorted out already with the aurisonic harmony. In fact I think I'm pretty much done. Can't really get any better in my mind unless I want to jump into summit-fi stuff, and that can wait for a long, long time. (by which I mean maybe a year or two).
 
Antiwhippy said:
Are they? I've heard reports of wonky treble and sucked out mids which isn't really what I think about when it comes to the HD600. Impressions seems pretty all over the place for that one.

Not really looking for a bass set anyway. I've got my basshead headphones sorted out already with the aurisonic harmony. In fact I think I'm pretty much done. Can't really get any better in my mind unless I want to jump into summit-fi stuff, and that can wait for a long, long time. (by which I mean maybe a year or two).
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The Fidelio X2 IMHO is an upgrade of the Sennheiser HD650s. The only issue is some of the treble can get spiky, which you can eq out. They have tremendous detail, and the soundstage is some of the widest I've ever head. The bass is really heavy though, and the mids come in nice. The poor quality of the latest Gibson version has pissed off a lot of people though.
 
X2 is a great headphone, but with boomy bass, recessed mids and some peaky treble, they are completely different from the hd600/650. Idk what Tyll was thinking when he did that review.

Fantastic "fun" headphone though. Like an open back Fostex but with less fatiqueing treble. I've owned them twice and each time was a pleasure.

They also don't scale at all. The hd6x0 is legit endgame material you can build a huge system around.
 
Anything with a similar sound to the X2's but lighter in weight? I currently have HD650's but want something with more bass and thump.

Will be used with a Magni 2 Uber and Vali amp. Budget is around £170, basically I'd sell the HD650's to fund the new set.
 
DagsJT said:
Anything with a similar sound to the X2's but lighter in weight? I currently have HD650's but want something with more bass and thump.

Will be used with a Magni 2 Uber and Vali amp. Budget is around £170, basically I'd sell the HD650's to fund the new set.
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Not sure about the weight but the Fischer FA-011 were like Fidelio X2 but more V-shaped.
 
Would you say that sennheiser HD 598 over ear hedphones are a good pair for at home listening?

Was wanting a new pair and keeping my sony mdr 7506 as a backup pair.
 
TEJ said:
Would you say that sennheiser HD 598 over ear hedphones are a good pair for at home listening?

Was wanting a new pair and keeping my sony mdr 7506 as a backup pair.
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Yes, the 598's are good for home listening. In fact, that's all I'd mainly use them for since they're open-backed headphones. Sound is going to leak out, and ambient sounds will intrude in. The 598's are not the bassiest headphones in the world, and they'll sound very different than your 7506's.
 
Guys, what's your opinion on the Sennheiser HD700?

Just for the record, I've never tried a pair of Sennheiser.

My tastes in music goes from Ella Fitzgerald, to Pink Floyd/Led Zeppelin to guitar players like Steve Vai, prog rock bands like Dream Theater and prog death metal bands like Opeth. Also, a lot of classical music.
 
TEJ said:
Would you say that sennheiser HD 598 over ear hedphones are a good pair for at home listening?

Was wanting a new pair and keeping my sony mdr 7506 as a backup pair.
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Yes, that's what to meant for. They're awful for use outside.

Oveja Negra said:
Guys, what's your opinion on the Sennheiser HD700?

Just for the record, I've never tried a pair of Sennheiser.

My tastes in music goes from Ella Fitzgerald, to Pink Floyd/Led Zeppeling to guitar players like Steve Vai, prog rock bands like Dream Theater and prog death metal bands like Opeth. Also, a lot of classical music.
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Never heard them myself but there are easily the least popular high end pair they produce. Most people go for the HD600/650 or all the way to the HD800.
 
thuway said:
The Fidelio X2 IMHO is an upgrade of the Sennheiser HD650s. The only issue is some of the treble can get spiky, which you can eq out. They have tremendous detail, and the soundstage is some of the widest I've ever head. The bass is really heavy though, and the mids come in nice. The poor quality of the latest Gibson version has pissed off a lot of people though.
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They have "detail" because they have boosted treble. It's not just spikey, the X2 are pretty obviously V shaped. They're not really more detailed than the HD600s lol.

This is like exactly how audiophile companies sell technically terrible speakers and headphones to everyone because boosted treble is a very easy way to hide the fact that your speakers/headphones are actually pretty terrible.

Not to say that the X2s are terrible but they don't have tremendous detail that isn't directly tied to its V shape sound signature.
 
I've had my Denon D2000s for maybe 5 or 6 years and they still kind of blow me away. One of my favourite headphones ever for sure, though I haven't owned/auditioned all that many.

I need to head-to-head them with the Hifiman 400i, which is also very very good.
 
Sony MDR-1A or Sony MDR 100AAP?

Looking at views, they clash very much.

1A looks a lot nicer and more comfortable, but apparently the wind outside is bad on it? Any opinions because I will be wearing these things across Uni Campus, and the whole campus is rather windy with a massive lake running through it.
 
SuperSah said:
Sony MDR-1A or Sony MDR 100AAP?

Looking at views, they clash very much.

1A looks a lot nicer and more comfortable, but apparently the wind outside is bad on it? Any opinions because I will be wearing these things across Uni Campus, and the whole campus is rather windy with a massive lake running through it.
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I looooove my 1A's for comfort and fun sound, but yes, they don't isolate terribly well due to big ports for bass on top of each cup, so if that's a concern, then don't buy them.
 
Xander51 said:
I looooove my 1A's for comfort and fun sound, but yes, they don't isolate terribly well due to big ports for bass on top of each cup, so if that's a concern, then don't buy them.
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Is it bad though?

I really like the look of them, just wondering how bad they may be outside.
 
Hey guys im in the market for a new set of cans. I already own the Q701s and the hd598 and now I'm looking for a closed set. My budget is 200 and I'm looking at the M50x, V Modas M100 and the Custom one pros. where i live the v moda is the most expensive and the custom ones the cheapest, I cant try out any of them so any input is appreciated.
 
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