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[Tommy DJ]

Many thanks. I think I will just buy a reasonably priced well constructed cable and be done with it. At the moment I am using a flimsy thin extension that came with an old pair of Creative headphones, and although it works I swear I can hear a difference but it might just be a psychological thing - highs seem to distort slightly compared to not using it - the sound is more harsh.

If its really, really, really thin (as in wire gauge) garbage quality wire, the cable may possibly may have an audible impact. In that case, I'd argue that you'd notice the attenuation of high frequency content rather than any distortion though. So I still don't think the overall impact is particularly significant.

If there is an increase in impedance due to the cable (possible), you'd probably notice a boost in mid-bass with your Beyerdynamic headphones. The Beyerdynamic headphones you own all have upper midrange / treble peaks and measured distortion around said peaks so maybe you noticed the issue on a bad day?

Anyone here use the HD800, and play some shooting games with it? If so, how do you like the sound stage?

Good but the HD800's strengths are in its sound signature. I haven't played many modern day FPS games but I've never found sound stage to be particularly important when I played CS 1.6 or Quake. Sound signature was always the most important thing to me.

The HD800 doesn't really have a bass emphasis and has a lift in upper midrange/treble would make it easier to notice sound cues. If you look at all of the headsets from AKG and Audio Technica that are often recommended for positional audio, they all have similar traits: not a lot of bass, upper midrange/treble emphasis, wide sound stage that is arguably exaggerated and unnatural but real easy to tell left from right.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

Looking to put together a better headphone setup.

Currently using Fidelio X2s with a Soundblaster E5. Mostly did the combo for games on my PC - love the super open soundstage - obviously beneficial to gaming; but it's also really preferable to me for music, too. These are also my "anytime I'm on the PC" headphones, where I listen to music on Tidal - much easier than trying to remember all the different places I have music stored - some CDs, some vinyl, some stuck on old iPods, some on different hard drives, etc. Honestly, I notice a nice bump going from Spotify to Tidal's HIFI, but Tidal to me sounds just as good as from a CD - I know some people will say I'm crazy, but whatever.

Anyway, looking for a desktop headphone amp/DAC. I've casually perused Marantz, Denon, Sony, and lusted over McIntosh. I know Schitt audio is usually the recomendation, but I'm willing to spend a little more scratch. Probably about $1000-$1,500 all-in (new headphones and DAC). Ideally, I'd like to find a headphone with a similarly (if not better) soundstage than my X2s, but with more bass/punch and nicer build quality/materials.

I've read a lot on Head-Fi, Absolute Sound, and other sites - feel like I've seen most the standard recommendations. Curious if anyone here has looked in this price range specifically - wide soundstage and punchy bass, while maintaining clarity and seperation in the mids/highs seems to be a tricky find. Also, maybe silly - but this will be relatively "on display" on the side of my office's chaise, and so I'd prefer something that looks, aesthetically, very pleasing.

Thanks!

 

[NotSelf]

Unboxing video of the TH-X00

 

[Nero's Neptune]

Ended up buying a shorter cable for the M220s, since the stock one is waaaay too long. This one looks really nice, and makes it much easier to use these as a semi-portable headphone.

Build quality seems really nice for the $13 or so I paid.

 

[K.Jack]

After spending a week listening to the TH-X00 I think there truly are great just a joy to have on your ears once I got over the lack of soundstage the sound is still big lush and detailed. Initially I wanted to compare the TH-X00 to my other headphones in my collection but what ended up happening is I started comparing recordings to one another. It was a real joy hearing how well the mixing and mastering was done on the albums my personal preference of the two albums that I thought sounded best on TH-X00 was Midnight Marauders and The Low End Theory from A Tribe Called Quest. I personally just gravitate more towards hiphop when listening to the TH-X00 but i'm sure others will gravitate towards other genres and i'm sure the TH-X00 will be just as great.

Here's a really bad pic they look much better in person. There's a deep indentation on the cable near the headphone you can even see it in the pic the cable is in a odd angle the audio hasn't cut out but it could still be a future problem.

That sucks.

Tbh I passed on them because of the non-removable cable. I ain't bout that life anymore.

 

[Chittagong]

After spending a week listening to the TH-X00 I think there truly are great just a joy to have on your ears once I got over the lack of soundstage the sound is still big lush and detailed. Initially I wanted to compare the TH-X00 to my other headphones in my collection but what ended up happening is I started comparing recordings to one another. It was a real joy hearing how well the mixing and mastering was done on the albums my personal preference of the two albums that I thought sounded best on TH-X00 was Midnight Marauders and The Low End Theory from A Tribe Called Quest. I personally just gravitate more towards hiphop when listening to the TH-X00 but i'm sure others will gravitate towards other genres and i'm sure the TH-X00 will be just as great.

Here's a really bad pic they look much better in person. There's a deep indentation on the cable near the headphone you can even see it in the pic the cable is in a odd angle the audio hasn't cut out but it could still be a future problem.

Glad you like them man. I'm not sure how the TH-600s compare, but they have a considerable soundstage, one of the best I've heard - weird if the TH-X00s don't. Other than that, my first reactions were similar, I just wanted to listen to album after album of my favourites, just to hear them.

 

[DeathByBacklog]

Tbh I passed on them because of the non-removable cable. I ain't bout that life anymore.

I did the same. The length,and that plug... Apparently the chord is easy to swapped out but I wasn't going to take a chance.

 

[SolarMystic]

That sucks.

Tbh I passed on them because of the non-removable cable. I ain't bout that life anymore.

I did the same. The length,and that plug... Apparently the chord is easy to swapped out but I wasn't going to take a chance.

Keep an eye out on future EMU-Teak drops. Same Foster OEM and sound very similar to the thx00 apparently. The head of EMU has stated that they will be putting out a model with detachable cables in the next few months.

 

[K.Jack]

I did the same. The length,and that plug... Apparently the chord is easy to swapped out but I wasn't going to take a chance.

The point where I have to do some soldering work to my expensive headphones, is the point where I tap out.

Keep an eye out on future EMU-Teak drops. Same Foster OEM and sound very similar to the thx00 apparently. The head of EMU has stated that they will be putting out a model with detachable cables in the next few months.

Interesting, will definitely keep an eye out.

Pretty sure my next expenditure will be on an open set, though, if I ever figure out in which direction to go.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Creating replaceable jack ports for headphones is actually a really fun soldering project.

Like maybe not do it on your $400 product, but it's a fun project to get some soldering skills.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

How much does it generally cost to have somebody do a detachable cable mod? The head-fi TH-X00 reviewer had his done by that Peterek guy, but I can't find his Etsy store.

 

[Antiwhippy]

I can do it for you if you're willing to ship it to australia and trust someone's whose soldering skill is amateur at best.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

Whippy I wouldn't trust you with a match underwater.

Spoiler

Joking! I'm sure sending anything to or from there is prohibitively expensive though.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Oh it is. Definitely is.

Makes massdrop a bummer sometimes.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

Shipping prices in general are all over the place on Massdrop. Free shipping for one thing, $3 for another, then $15. I don't know what factors into it.

 

[leng jai]

Good but the HD800's strengths are in its sound signature. I haven't played many modern day FPS games but I've never found sound stage to be particularly important when I played CS 1.6 or Quake. Sound signature was always the most important thing to me.

The HD800 doesn't really have a bass emphasis and has a lift in upper midrange/treble would make it easier to notice sound cues. If you look at all of the headsets from AKG and Audio Technica that are often recommended for positional audio, they all have similar traits: not a lot of bass, upper midrange/treble emphasis, wide sound stage that is arguably exaggerated and unnatural but real easy to tell left from right.

The HD800's sound signature is pretty bad for most games if we're talking about pure enjoyment. The treble peaks are an absolute killer for a lot of their games with their weird mixing and the mid-bass is severely lacking. For competitive multiplayer shooters it's pretty good of course due to the soundstage, but at the same time it's not really any better than something like the K702. I think the biggest reason I'd pony up the cash for the HD800s for games/movies is due to the comfort - you can wear them for hours easily.

 

[SolarMystic]

How much does it generally cost to have somebody do a detachable cable mod? The head-fi TH-X00 reviewer had his done by that Peterek guy, but I can't find his Etsy store.

You have to message him on head-fi.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

You have to message him on head-fi.

Ah ok, I'll do that. Everything I was seeing on head-fi was saying to find him as "AudMod on Etsy" (including on his head-fi profile), but AudMod on Etsy is definitely not him.

 

[SolarMystic]

Ah ok, I'll do that. Everything I was seeing on head-fi was saying to find him as "AudMod on Etsy" (including on his head-fi profile), but AudMod on Etsy is definitely not him.

I didn't even realize he had an etsy page.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

Well apparently he doesn't because I can't find it. The head-fi review for the TH-X00 says "Wanting more input of what terminations I could use, I contacted Brandon Peterek (@PETEREK) from AudMod on Etsy..." and then you go to the guy's head-fi profile where it says Member of the Trade: AudMod on Etsy at the top.

So I Googled Audmod Etsy and I get this lady. This is more discussion than the topic warrants, I've just found this all confounding.

 

[leng jai]

How long does Massdrop's freight forwarding take to get to Australia?

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

My Schiit Vali 2 is arriving today, but for now I only have my Sony MDR-7506s to listen with.

Also, I'm having my Massdrop TH-X00s shipped directly to Peterek from head-fi so he can modify them with removable cables. He charges $130, and it includes modifying the original cable so it can be removable.

 

[SolarMystic]

My Schiit Vali 2 is arriving today, but for now I only have my Sony MDR-7506s to listen with.

Also, I'm having my Massdrop TH-X00s shipped directly to Peterek from head-fi so he can modify them with removable cables. He charges $130, and it includes modifying the original cable so it can be removable.

Nice! The Vali 2 is a fantastic little hybrid amp. I have one myself.

 

[NotSelf]

My Schiit Vali 2 is arriving today, but for now I only have my Sony MDR-7506s to listen with.

Also, I'm having my Massdrop TH-X00s shipped directly to Peterek from head-fi so he can modify them with removable cables. He charges $130, and it includes modifying the original cable so it can be removable.

That's cool a bit steep but I may have to contact him if mine goes kaput. Which state dose he live in it's a stretch but it would be cool if I could just drive there.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

Nice! The Vali 2 is a fantastic little hybrid amp. I have one myself.

I've heard good things! What has your experience been like with it?

That's cool a bit steep but I may have to contact him if mine goes kaput. Which state dose he live in it's a stretch but it would be cool if I could just drive there.

He's in Michigan. It was actually less expensive than I thought it would be. The guy doesn't do quick-and-dirty mods, he's a talented fucking craftsman.

 

[DeathByBacklog]

Also, I'm having my Massdrop TH-X00s shipped directly to Peterek from head-fi so he can modify them with removable cables. He charges $130, and it includes modifying the original cable so it can be removable.

He's in Michigan. It was actually less expensive than I thought it would be. The guy doesn't do quick-and-dirty mods, he's a talented fucking craftsman.

Yikes! Yeah for that price...it better look factory. So are you getting just the original cable with it modded to fit the custom plug?

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

Now that you mention it, I suppose I should get an additional, smaller cable. The original one is thick and cumbersome even while removable. I'll ask how much extra that would be.

Oh, and I'd say his work does look pretty damn close to factory:

More pictures in the head-fi review.

 

[DeathByBacklog]

Now that you mention it, I suppose I should get an additional, smaller cable. The original one is thick and cumbersome even while removable. I'll ask how much extra that would be.

Oh, and I'd say his work does look pretty damn close to factory:



More pictures in the head-fi review.

If those ports are just regular 3.5mm jacks then you could just buy your own from wherever you want couldn't you? The other reason I wondered (besides the length) was the plug. It's massive. And adding the 3.5mm extension on the end of it, makes it even MORE massive.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

He uses 2.5mm jacks on the TH-X00 because it allows him to add them without making any cuts to the mahogany. 3.5 jacks are juuust too large for the existing holes. And I agree about the plug. There's just no reason for it to be a 1/4" plug. I didn't ask Peterek to change that, though.

Are 3.5mm to (split) 2.5mm headphone cables generally available?

 

[SolarMystic]

I've heard good things! What has your experience been like with it?

It is an excellent pairing with my hd650. I heard it pairs well with the 600 and 800 as well. Can't get much better for the price, would have to step up to at least a Valhalla to get an upgrade.

It's worked well with my low impedance headphones too. Just make sure you put it on low gain for phones like your thx00.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Oppo uses 2.5 mono too.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

I'm looking at a couple of custom cable sites, and it looks like neither of them do 2.5mm connectors. Are they uncommon?

 

[Antiwhippy]

Have another word of warning: at least spend some time with your headphones first before falling deeper down this rabbit hole.

If you're using it with vali 2 that amp uses 6.3mm as their headphone output anyway.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

Hah, I hear ya. I'm talking about the connection between the headphones and the cable. The plug will be the standard 1/4"/6.3mm. Am I misunderstanding what he means by 2.5mm here?

I use 2.5mm connectors by default, they work the best in that frame and they are the most reliable.

I just assumed he meant a 2.5mm headphone jack.

[EDIT] I'm picturing something like this:

 

[Antiwhippy]

Pretty much, but the ones for the cups usually uses a mono plug. I know that the hifiman he-350 uses stereo plugs for whatever reason, but that shouldn't be the case for yours, you might want to check with your modder though.

Still, if you're that worried about the cable just look up "sennheiser 2.5 cable". There should be a few.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

I talked to Peterek and he's going to make me a custom cable alongside the headphone mod, so that solves that.

I received my Vali 2 today and am going to try it out with my Sony MDR-7506s. They're a far cry from my TH-X00s, I'm sure, but they're great little headphones in their own right.

This little glowy tube is just as charming as I was hoping!

 

[Xander51]

Thinking of picking up some Sony H.ear On MDR-100aap's tonight, since some shops near me finally got them in. Ugh, that name is terrible and long. Anyone have experience with this headphone? Seems like it's aimed squarely at the M50X.

 

[K.Jack]

Ended up going with the Hifiman RE-400a for my cell phone needs.

Really, really nice sounding IEMs and the mic is of great quality as well.

 

[tokkun]

Hi guys,

Been out of the full-sized headphone scene for a while, since I didn't really have much of a use case for them that wasn't better handled by either IEMs or speakers. However after getting my HTC Vive a few weeks ago, I think I've finally got an application for them. Looking for some recommendations as a starting point for my research.

Given the intended use, these are the features I'm looking for:
- Large soundstage with good imaging
- Easy to drive, since I can't easily add my own amp
- Detachable cable (I will likely want to replace it with the shortest cable I can find)
- Ideally not too heavy or bulky
- Just as a note, there are music applications for VR like AudioShield and Plane9, so I consider music performance important - it's not just about explosions.

I'm not married to any specific pricepoint, but I will probably start out looking in the sub-$500 range since this is not going to be an everyday use. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[HiResDes]

My man very specific which is great, but one last question do they need to be closed headphones?

 

[tokkun]

My man very specific which is great, but one last question do they need to be closed headphones?

No specific preference about open vs closed. My intuition is that open may be better for soundstage considerations, but I'm open to recommendations for either type.

One thing I forgot to mention is that I prefer circumaural pads; I get pain in one of my ears when using on-ear headphones.

 

[HiResDes]

No specific preference about open vs closed. My intuition is that open may be better for soundstage considerations, but I'm open to recommendations for either type.

One thing I forgot to mention is that I prefer circumaural pads; I get pain in one of my ears when using on-ear headphones.

Maybe the HE-400s? And though people have come down on them, the Fidelio X2 might be worth looking into still.

 

[DeathByBacklog]

Maybe the HE-400s? And though people have come down on them, the Fidelio X2 might be worth looking into still.

I just finished having to decide between the 400s and X2's. Went with the X2's based on them being less expensive, appeared to be more comfortable and durable, easy to replace cable (to add a mic), and no need to swap out stock pads.

 

[Xander51]

My first impressions of the Sony h.ear on MDR-100AAP: They're fantastic, and they immediately supplanted the M50X's in my collection. They're a more balanced, more portable, more comfortable, and much nicer-looking headphone. Their design is nice and understated, with all the fancy touches the M50X's totally lack.

The sound signature is flatter than the M50X, or indeed perhaps even than the Sony MDR-1A, but still a fun listen with impressively deep sub-bass extension and non-fatiguing highs. They also have impressive width to their sound, for being closed-back. They have a warm feel that doesn't sacrifice clarity. I'm using them in a noise coffee shop right now and I'd say isolation is slightly above average. Again, better than the M50X's, though that might just be because my ears fit much better into the pads.

At first blush they felt a little cheap, and the headband is straight off the current Extra Bass line of headphones. It's a metal and plastic thing with just enough padding at the top. Its only positive is that it's really light. However, the ear cups feel way more expensive, and the pads are perfect. The cable, although very slightly microphonic on the end nearest the headphones, is nicely-built. I think they're amazing for their price.

I'm going to keep doing comparisons against other headphones in my modest collection, but right now I'm really impressed. The head-fi thread for these is full of tons of hype, and for the first time in a long while, I might agree with them.

The name is profoundly ridiculous, but then Sony has never been great at naming headphones.

 

[rbnoble06]

My first impressions of the Sony h.ear on MDR-100AAP: They're fantastic, and they immediately supplanted the M50X's in my collection. They're a more balanced, more portable, more comfortable, and much nicer-looking headphone. Their design is nice and understated, with all the fancy touches the M50X's totally lack.

The sound signature is flatter than the M50X, or indeed perhaps even than the Sony MDR-1A, but still a fun listen with impressively deep sub-bass extension and non-fatiguing highs. They also have impressive width to their sound, for being closed-back. They have a warm feel that doesn't sacrifice clarity. I'm using them in a noise coffee shop right now and I'd say isolation is slightly above average. Again, better than the M50X's, though that might just be because my ears fit much better into the pads.

At first blush they felt a little cheap, and the headband is straight off the current Extra Bass line of headphones. It's a metal and plastic thing with just enough padding at the top. Its only positive is that it's really light. However, the ear cups feel way more expensive, and the pads are perfect. The cable, although very slightly microphonic on the end nearest the headphones, is nicely-built. I think they're amazing for their price.

I'm going to keep doing comparisons against other headphones in my modest collection, but right now I'm really impressed. The head-fi thread for these is full of tons of hype, and for the first time in a long while, I might agree with them.

The name is profoundly ridiculous, but then Sony has never been great at naming headphones.

Interesting thoughts on these cans. I was looking at these before I purchased my ATH-M50x's a few weeks ago. I'm quite happy with the way they sound, but I definitely don't find them the most comfortable.

The particular issue I have with a lot of headphones, is that after long periods of use, I feel significant pain at the top of my head. You say these are more comfortable than the ATH-M50x and have just enough padding at the top (although the ATH-M50x doesn't have the greatest amount either). Also you mention they are lighter which would be a plus for me.

Do you think these would be better for me, with regards to comfort and exert less pressure at the top of my head?

 

[tokkun]

Maybe the HE-400s? And though people have come down on them, the Fidelio X2 might be worth looking into still.

I just finished having to decide between the 400s and X2's. Went with the X2's based on them being less expensive, appeared to be more comfortable and durable, easy to replace cable (to add a mic), and no need to swap out stock pads.

Thanks. The 400s were already on my radar after reading the WireCutter article. One thing that concerns me about their comparisons, though, is that the reviewers don't spend a ton of time with them so it can be harder to suss out the subtler issues. If anyone owns them and wants to weigh in on the experience, I would appreciate it.

I'll look into the X2s as well.

 

[Xander51]

Interesting thoughts on these cans. I was looking at these before I purchased my ATH-M50x's a few weeks ago. I'm quite happy with the way they sound, but I definitely don't find them the most comfortable.

The particular issue I have with a lot of headphones, is that after long periods of use, I feel significant pain at the top of my head. You say these are more comfortable than the ATH-M50x and have just enough padding at the top (although the ATH-M50x doesn't have the greatest amount either). Also you mention they are lighter which would be a plus for me.

Do you think these would be better for me, with regards to comfort and exert less pressure at the top of my head?

Yes, absolutely. To quantify it a bit more, the MDR100-AAP is a fair bit lighter than the M50X (220g vs 285g) and also has a lower clamping force, though they still stay on my head just fine. The padding on the top is also a little bit more squishy. The 100 AAP definitely disappears on my head and I've had no comfort issues in long sessions so far. Although, I think in the lineup of Sony headphones, the MDR-1A is just a tiny smidge more comfy thanks to its slightly bigger ear cushions and head cushion.

You can always buy from someone with a good return policy and give them a shot yourself, but the light weight and comfort of the 100AAP were the first positives that stuck out to me. I banished my M50X's to a shelf on the other side of the room I never look at.

 

[K.Jack]

My first impressions of the Sony h.ear on MDR-100AAP: They're fantastic, and they immediately supplanted the M50X's in my collection. They're a more balanced, more portable, more comfortable, and much nicer-looking headphone. Their design is nice and understated, with all the fancy touches the M50X's totally lack.

The sound signature is flatter than the M50X, or indeed perhaps even than the Sony MDR-1A, but still a fun listen with impressively deep sub-bass extension and non-fatiguing highs. They also have impressive width to their sound, for being closed-back. They have a warm feel that doesn't sacrifice clarity. I'm using them in a noise coffee shop right now and I'd say isolation is slightly above average. Again, better than the M50X's, though that might just be because my ears fit much better into the pads.

At first blush they felt a little cheap, and the headband is straight off the current Extra Bass line of headphones. It's a metal and plastic thing with just enough padding at the top. Its only positive is that it's really light. However, the ear cups feel way more expensive, and the pads are perfect. The cable, although very slightly microphonic on the end nearest the headphones, is nicely-built. I think they're amazing for their price.

I'm going to keep doing comparisons against other headphones in my modest collection, but right now I'm really impressed. The head-fi thread for these is full of tons of hype, and for the first time in a long while, I might agree with them.

The name is profoundly ridiculous, but then Sony has never been great at naming headphones.

Log in.

Choose random page in the 100AAP head-fi thread.

See people saying they should only be compared when listening out of Sony equipment.

Log off.

 

[Xander51]

Log in.

Choose random page in the 100AAP head-fi thread.

See people saying they should only be compared when listening out of Sony equipment.

Log off.

Okay great? I've been listening to them out of my Chromebook, my iPhone 6 Plus, and a small Creative E1 amp attached to my PC. They don't need much to sound good.

When I said I might agree with the head-fi hype, it was over the sound vs others in the price range, not because of the few people who are obsessed with Sony's DAPs.

I would never touch one of those new Walkman's myself. They seem overpriced for what they are compared to others on the market, and I use a phone as my DAP anyway.

 

[K.Jack]

Okay great? I've been listening to them out of my Chromebook, my iPhone 6 Plus, and a small Creative E1 amp attached to my PC. They don't need much to sound good.

When I said I might agree with the head-fi hype, it was over the sound vs others in the price range, not because of the few people who are obsessed with Sony's DAPs.

I would never touch one of those new Walkman's myself. They seem overpriced for what they are compared to others on the market, and I use a phone as my DAP anyway.

No no no, I wasn't criticizing you at all. Sorry I probably shouldn't have quoted you.

Just got a laugh out of the usual head-fi madness.