I understand being careful, I recently read a review of a USB 3.0 cable that was so badly made that it fried the reviewers' chromebook USB controller.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
The Official Headphone Thread 2.5: We're Making WAVs and Catching FLAC
- Thread starter HiResDes
- Start date
I understand being careful, I recently read a review of a USB 3.0 cable that was so badly made that it fried the reviewers' chromebook USB controller.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Oh yeah, if it's something passing power from a power outlet definitely, but the power transfer between your phone and dac shouldn't be that powerful. Still, better safe than sorry.
Canadian.
SolarMystic
Member
I haven't heard either one, just know they are commonly recommended at that price range. Based on reviews, the M6 might be a bit brighter up top and less bass quantity than the se215.
Haloid1177
Banned
So I complained way early in this thread my Sennheiser Momentum in ears hurt my ears. Well I tried them again today and it really helps if you have the bud in the correct ear now these feel amazing.
OdysseusVA
Banned
Ordered the SHP9500 from Newegg. I need to know if it's real or all hype 
Not that I know of. Not much to say that hasn't already been said...obviously a w shaped sound signature but the boosts don't seem excessive so the overall sound signature still sounds cohesive and relatively smooth. Also doesn't seem to have the same closed earcup / cupped ears sound as most closed headphones, such as the Sony MDR-1 and Z7.
I could do without the midbass hump, as I think it does reduce some midrange clarity, but it's better than the majority of "fun" sounding headphones on the market because it sounds good independent of genre/content.
Man the HD800s really are a waste of money for pop music. They sound so flat and with how bad most modern pop recordings are the soundstage and bass depth are completely useless. Even the T1s sound significantly better with their more prominent mid-bass and slightly livelier sound.
RoninChaos
Member
800 or 800s? Tube amps really seem to be the best pairing with either headphone.
Sorry, the normal HD800. The S would probably be more suited due to the increased bass. I'm already running these things out of a decent tube amp.
The HD800 being sub-optimal for pop and hip-hop is the main reason why I'm looking at the Purplehearts.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
I feel like the recessed mids relative to that treble spike and that treble spike itself would contribute more to making modern pop music unlistanable.
LQX
Member
Ordered the SHP9500 from Newegg. I need to know if it's real or all hype
For 59.99? YES, especially if you do not hold their lack of bass agaisnt them. They stack up very well to the 598.
OdysseusVA
Banned
LQX
Member
They'll be here Thursday
Is the bass more or less than the 598? I found them to be lacking quite a bit.
I honestly cant say as I have not heard either in months, but if you found the bass lacking on the 598 you will most likely find that to be the case with the 9500. The bass was fine to me but I know some love that deep punchy bass which you just will not get with these headphones.
Yeah, it's this combined with the HD800's overall lack of meaningful distortion down in the bass region that makes it pretty unsuitable for pop music.
Which just so happens to be only significant differences between the HD800 and HD800S: smaller and less sharp 6khz spike and more bass distortion.
I think they're fine with pop music with the DIY resonator mod and EQ to boost the sub-bass though.
RoninChaos
Member
I gotcha. Yeah, I don't know that hip hop is the best fit for the 800. I have the S and its a big improvement over the 800 model.
The S ended up being all I will ever need. Every other can sucks now. Lol I wish there was a closed back version that was as comfortable as the S that I could use while traveling.
Anyway, I have a pair of Audio Technica M50s with a new slappa hard body case I'm looking to sell. The headphones were used for about 2 hours by my wife (I already have a pair) and she prefers the Sennheiser 380s. Anyone interested in purchasing them? I have the memory foam pads on them as well.
MasqueradeOverture
Banned
My Portable rig:
- iBasso DX50 portable audio player (1.9.2 firmware)
- FiiO E17K Alpen 2 Headphone Amp
- Audio Technica M50H headphones
The Audio Technicas sound great and I've had them for the past four years, but they have a really neutral signal and need an extra boost to get anything out of them. Only recently I've discovered that sweet spot by connecting my iBasso and FiiO amp through the iBasso's line out, setting the gain on the amp to 12db, and setting the amp's EQ settings to +8 bass and +2 treble.
Pure bliss. The soundstage, attack, and "air between the strings" is unbelievable.
- iBasso DX50 portable audio player (1.9.2 firmware)
- FiiO E17K Alpen 2 Headphone Amp
- Audio Technica M50H headphones
The Audio Technicas sound great and I've had them for the past four years, but they have a really neutral signal and need an extra boost to get anything out of them. Only recently I've discovered that sweet spot by connecting my iBasso and FiiO amp through the iBasso's line out, setting the gain on the amp to 12db, and setting the amp's EQ settings to +8 bass and +2 treble.
Pure bliss. The soundstage, attack, and "air between the strings" is unbelievable.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
This is probably the first time I've heard the m50 described as having a really neutral signature.
Glad you like them that much, you're going to be absolutely floored if you upgrade to something better down the track. They aren't neutral sounding at all by the way, but then again most headphones aren't.
Xander51
Member
Wow, I can't even imagine boosting the bass and treble on M50's that much. Are you using the stock pads? I feel like if I EQ-ed mine this way, my head would explode from all the bass and my ears would be stabbed by the highs.
michaelius
Banned
I'm looking for advice
I currently have Takstar hi-fi 2050 which are used for pc (Xonar DX) and PS4 gaming
I'm happy with their sound quality but they are a bit too small for me for so I was thinking about buying Takstart TS-671 and moving Hi-fi 2050 to Vita/ipad/phone duties.
But it looks like Ts-671 went out of production and were replaced by crappy TS-670 so are there any other alternatives with following characteristics ?
open or half-open
- neutral middle
- good high tones
- big soundstage
- comfortable
Budget <100$
Are there any interesting alternatives or should I try to hunt one of the few remaining TS-671 ?
I currently have Takstar hi-fi 2050 which are used for pc (Xonar DX) and PS4 gaming
I'm happy with their sound quality but they are a bit too small for me for so I was thinking about buying Takstart TS-671 and moving Hi-fi 2050 to Vita/ipad/phone duties.
But it looks like Ts-671 went out of production and were replaced by crappy TS-670 so are there any other alternatives with following characteristics ?
open or half-open
- neutral middle
- good high tones
- big soundstage
- comfortable
Budget <100$
Are there any interesting alternatives or should I try to hunt one of the few remaining TS-671 ?
Xander51
Member
I'd suggest the Audio Technica ATH AD500x. Very comfy, in your price range, great soundstage for gaming, and a focus on pristine mids and highs. I own the 700x's and love them for my open headphone needs.
EDIT: The only thing about them you might hate is the cord, which is long a little stiff. It loosens up some over time.
I wonder if they'll increase the Purpleheart deadline again. Still a few hundred short of their target.
What was their response?
What was their response?
They basically did the old "but look it measures different on a different measurement system so how you can be sure you can trust any measurement huh" argument. Basically they dismiss any negative measurements of their headphone to make the claim that the LCD-4 has exceptional midrange and treble extension that matches their target curve.
Which doesn't convince anyone who knows anything about how observed measurements are interpreted in general and how Audeze's lineup sounds compared to everything else.
Which doesn't convince anyone who knows anything about how observed measurements are interpreted in general and how Audeze's lineup sounds compared to everything else.
Mistake
Gold Member
I need some good over the ear headphones for traveling, like the plane or subway. Price isn't much a problem, I just want to get the most bang for my buck. I listen to rock like the pillows a lot, techno, and trance, so some bass is good, but nothing crazy I guess. I might also consider a pair for home and start giving flac a shot, so those could be better. I'm in Beijing, so maybe I need to find a store or order online. If someone knows a place to try out different sets that would be great since I'm new at this
michaelius
Banned
Thank You for suggestion those look nice but wow they are 70$ in US like TS-671 and 130-150 EUR in Europe
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
There's a jaben in beijing.
Also a variety of shops in mong kok if you can go to hong kong.
Cop some Somic Mh463 and then replace the stock pads with these - http://www.turtlebeach.com/product-detail/ear-cushions-parts/x32-x12-ear-cushion/156
Mistake
Gold Member
I just went to the Beijing location and they no longer exist. I'll have to look around some other places
Speaking off the DT770s they are cheap at Amazon UK currently. Around 150USD/185AUD depending now which version.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0016MNAAI/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0016MNAAI/
LQX
Member
How much did you pay to repair them?
michaelius
Banned
Crissis solved - someone shop put one pair of TS-671 on our local version of ebay now waiting for delivery.
Well, since those are those legendary budget entries by Andrew Jones, I just had to find a place to listen to his new babies. So, I got to listen to the Elac B5 and B6 today. Guys, this is the stuff of budget legends. Fuck me.
Very dynamic, very transparent sound but no harshness to go around from any angle. That mid/treble region is really something. Only in direct switching you notice that some subtleties are gone and it sounds a tad too clean. Which I never had any problems with.
Bass is the obvious looser here though it has surprising pressure and precision, but the springy agility of reference bass is missing. Again, better than thin or huge, bloated bass.
So? If you are in the US, take those 230 bucks and buy a pair. If only to gift them away. And so you can say, "yep, heard them and they are awesome, period."
Also, fuck that Euro price. For the B5 it's $230 in the US, here in Austria it's converted $360. What the fucking fuck?? I already made it a point with myself to get to the bottom of this. If they had been 250 Euro I'd have taken them straight home.
All in all, a great listen. Consider my interest for your new Uni-Fi line highly highly piqued, Mr. Jones.
Xander51
Member
Cool good luck with them! Love the Takstar Pro 80's, never used any of their other stuff. Sorry the AD500x's were more expensive in your area, that's a bummer.
I was in a mall today and saw a new Uvero store that do custom IEM's. I suspect they won't just make the earpieces and require you to buy their headphones as well.
Has anyone used them?
I'm thinking of getting custom earpieces if they would work well with my rockets
Edit: ooh, from their FAQ!
Yes. We create tailor-made earpieces for your Etymotic hf3 and hf5, Bose® SoundSport, and Apple® EarPod earphones.
Now to check if the hf5 has the same bore size as the rockets. I think hf5 is super narrow?
Has anyone used them?
I'm thinking of getting custom earpieces if they would work well with my rockets
Edit: ooh, from their FAQ!
Yes. We create tailor-made earpieces for your Etymotic hf3 and hf5, Bose® SoundSport, and Apple® EarPod earphones.
Now to check if the hf5 has the same bore size as the rockets. I think hf5 is super narrow?
OdysseusVA
Banned
The SHP9500 are awesome 😁 I was afraid of the harshness I read about, but I have yet to come across it. To my ears the bass is a bit better compared to the 598. Just enough, and it isn't just quantity but quality as well. Clarity also goes to the SHP9500 over the 598.
One thing I would rather have from the 598 are their pads. Super comfy that would pair perfectly with the SHP9500's light weight.
One thing I would rather have from the 598 are their pads. Super comfy that would pair perfectly with the SHP9500's light weight.
Tyll's review of the Audeze Sine. Also has some impressions on the Cypher cable for those curious about the 3.5mm-less iPhone.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Man the fitear mh334 sounds pretty good. It basically sounds like a more refined version of my harmony, but lacks a bit of the visceralness that I love.. The bass isn't as boomy as the tg334, and the highs are much more even across the board. I'm still surprised that a pure BA phone can sound this smooth and lush whole keeping a good amount of detail.
Is that refinement worth an additional $1500 though? Hmmmmmmmmmm.
I respect that they can get this sound without inflating driver count though. Sounded a lot better to me than the Layla and the angie.
Really want to listen to the 335dw.
Is that refinement worth an additional $1500 though? Hmmmmmmmmmm.
I respect that they can get this sound without inflating driver count though. Sounded a lot better to me than the Layla and the angie.
Really want to listen to the 335dw.
I had to return my fidelio X2. Thankfully amazon is amazing and took them back no questions asked even after a year. So, I decided it's time for a bluetooth headphone.
I usually listen to music on my Sennheiser Momentum 2.0, but damn I don't have the money for the wireless version. So I looked around and found the Sony ZX770BN. Reviews are mixed, but it's discounted on amazon from 179€ to 122€. With an amazon giftcard I still had I paid 80€.
today it arrived.
Listened for an hour to a few of my favourite songs, like "Heart Goes Boom!!" from K-On or "Bohemian Rhapsody"
played some Babymetal, T.Swift and also Mozart Requiem in D Minor.
what should I say, of course they're not my Sennheiser or my Westone IEM. Did not expect that, I only expected to have fun with them..and what can I say, I like 'em.
Bluetooth connection holds, even when my phone lies in the kitchen and I'm in the bathroom, NC can be shut off, they are light and not that expensive.
I usually listen to music on my Sennheiser Momentum 2.0, but damn I don't have the money for the wireless version. So I looked around and found the Sony ZX770BN. Reviews are mixed, but it's discounted on amazon from 179€ to 122€. With an amazon giftcard I still had I paid 80€.
today it arrived.
Cable is a forza audioworks I ordered for the Fidelio X2. Lucky me it fits the sony just as well.
Listened for an hour to a few of my favourite songs, like "Heart Goes Boom!!" from K-On or "Bohemian Rhapsody"
24bit file through cable/dragonfly from my mac and 256kb/s via bluetooth
what should I say, of course they're not my Sennheiser or my Westone IEM. Did not expect that, I only expected to have fun with them..and what can I say, I like 'em.
Bluetooth connection holds, even when my phone lies in the kitchen and I'm in the bathroom, NC can be shut off, they are light and not that expensive.
LQX
Member
Good to hear. I actually also sort of preferred them over the 598 but decided on keeping the 598 for comfort reasons when I was making a decision on which to keep.
That's surprising. Were they broken? Is that sort of warranty common in Europe?
It's absolutely not common. I had them replaced two times by Amazon once because of a broken cable out of the box and once because of "bleeding" cushions.
I just had enough and with my AKG 701 still working I decided to ask Amazon if they would be so kind to take them back.
Amazon customer service is really top-notch. Customer service said something about a two year Amazon warranty.
I've been using my MDR-1A for approaching two months now:
- The build quality on these is fantastic, they look and feel really really good. I got the silver and brown
- The comfort is also off the charts - I can watch full movies and keep these babies on after with zero discomfort or pressure
- I personally love the warm sound and very punchy bass and super clean vocals
Only issue I actually have with these is driving them by smartphone does the headphone some serious injustice, so I use my Mac which sounds 100x better. Also, the ear cups are kinda creaky but only when off the head, no big deal but it does kind of detract from the premium feel.
Would recommend to all!
- The build quality on these is fantastic, they look and feel really really good. I got the silver and brown
- The comfort is also off the charts - I can watch full movies and keep these babies on after with zero discomfort or pressure
- I personally love the warm sound and very punchy bass and super clean vocals
Only issue I actually have with these is driving them by smartphone does the headphone some serious injustice, so I use my Mac which sounds 100x better. Also, the ear cups are kinda creaky but only when off the head, no big deal but it does kind of detract from the premium feel.
Would recommend to all!
Xander51
Member
They're rather different, in many ways, and hard to compare straight across. The 598's are open-backed, with a much more airy, bass-light sound, and all the benefits and downsides thereof, and the M50's are a closed studio-style can with a sound signature that's boosted in certain ways which makes it a love/hate can for many. I personally like both headphones (though I no longer own my Senns) but I use/used them for totally different types of audio. I wouldn't call either of them a "Good for every scenario" type of headphone.
If you're trying to pick between them, I'd start with open vs closed. Are you going to ever use this headphone outside/in a public place/around other people at home? Then the 598's probably won't work for you. The M50's also include multiple cables and a bag for easy carrying. However, if you're mostly going to use these at home in a quiet environment, you'll probably prefer the 598, especially if you listen in long marathon sessions. The open backed design and velour pads will make your ears way less sweaty.
Ah, I should've guess it isn't as simple as one being better than the other. I have Sennheiser HD 439s and I absolutely love them for listening to music outside. The headphone I choose between these two are only going to be used for listening to music on PC, playing games, and messing around with music production. In this case, the 598s sound better for me.