Let's Talk Headphones IV: Should I get Beats? Do I need Noise Cancelling?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > Let's Talk Headphones IV: Should I get Beats? Do I need Noise Cancelling?

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

Can anyone who's used both compare the base of the Audio-Technica ATH-A900 or Audio-Technica ATH-A900X and the Beyerdynamic DT990? I own and love the DT990 but they get to be a little much after a long time, whereas my ATH-A700s don't sound nearly as lovely but I can wear them indefinitely. This talk about the bass on the 900s has me wondering if I should acquire a pair.

# ¿ Oct 15, 2013 19:55

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# ¿ May 29, 2024 13:23

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

Gimbal lock posted:

Both my source (my soundcard) and my amp have an output impedance. The last thing in the chain before the headphones is the amp -- does that mean that I must match this "8 times greater" rule between the amp and the headphones, or does it also apply to the source (the soundcard) in a way that I'm not quite catching?

My guess is only the output impedance of the amp matters, but I'd love to get confirmation on that from anybody that knows more about this stuff than I do... Which is pretty much anybody in here!

The sound card is only driving the amp, not the headphones. Headphone amps will have huge input impedance, generally in the tens of thousands of ohms, so your sound card will have no trouble. You want to look at the output impedance of the amp compared to the headphones.

# ¿ Nov 2, 2013 06:19

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

I own the DT990 250 ohms (non-pro) and the sound is significantly improved by a good amp. Even the difference between my old AT-25 DAC/amp combo and my current Asgard was easy to hear. I would never hesitate to go with a USB DAC instead of a sound card.

# ¿ Jun 3, 2014 20:41

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

thehacker0 posted:

Well the reason I am leaning towards a sound card, specifically the xonar essence stx or the sound blaster z/zx/zxr is that they have a DAC and amp supporting well over 250 ohms (have read reviews/tests). I may get an amp/DAC later on, but since I would only be using them with my desktop, it seems pointless to spend money on a USB DAC alone for basically the same price as a sound card with it's own DAC/amp.

Do you have any experience with the DT990 and sound quality on a PC with motherboard vs a discrete sound card?

No, I moved all my audio gear external years ago, sorry. Clearly I haven't kept up on audio cards.

# ¿ Jun 4, 2014 16:47

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

Drunk Badger posted:

Can someone recommend some clip on headphones like this that I would primarily use for listening to the radio and podcasts from a ml3 player while sleeping?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003DKL56W

I've tried ear buds and I'm not a fan of how they feel. As long as they are cheap and can make human speech sound listenable, I don't care about much else, just want to see if anyone has anything they like

Why headphones and not a pillow speaker? My mother-in-law got a cheap one for just such a purpose a few years back and loved it.

# ¿ Nov 6, 2014 20:37

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

I also have DT990s and I'd say yes, you could easily hear it. With an amp they exactly mirror my musical tastes and make things sound fantastic. Plugged right into my iPod, they sound completely ordinary.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2015 20:30

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

Doom Rooster posted:

Yeah, ~200 is more than I was hoping to spend, but not out of the question.

To clarify though, the headphones do not plug directly into the PS4. The VR headset itself plugs into the PS4, and the headphones plug into a standard 3.5mm audio jack on the VR unit. Would I not be able to stick an amp/dac in between the headphones and headset?

If I'm following this right and that's a simple analog 3.5mm jack, how much portability do you need? You could just get a 3.5mm to RCA cable (and maybe a 3.5mm to 1/4" adapter if you need it) and use a Schitt Magni for $99, but the Magni is not portable.

# ¿ Nov 30, 2016 00:06

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

eddiewalker posted:

I bought Plantronics Backbeat Fits on Amazon for cycling because I like the form factor, and they�ve got a bunch of good reviews, but drat these are the worst sounding headphones I�ve ever worn. Even podcasts sound like they�re echoing out of a cave.

They came in a thermoseal plastic pouch without a box, and the seller swears it�s �frustration free e-commerce packaging.� Plantronics says they never sell without a box, and at best I may have gotten a repackaged return unit

I�m just worried that these aren�t fake and if I buy a confirmably-legit pair, they�ll still sound this bad.

Does anyone own a pair of Backbeats and NOT think they sound appallingly terrible?

I use them for jogging and while they're pretty weak for music, I've never minded the sound quality for audio books. I assume podcasts should be in the same category, so if yours sound obviously bad, you may have gotten screwed.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2018 16:51

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

Naturally Selected posted:

It's not a loudness issue, more extraneous recorded noise. Think the background hum of cars during a street interview. Putting the volume up won't fix a recording that's got a ton of garbage in it-using an EQ to cut certain frequencies will. As I said, I could solve it with a rackmount EQ sitting before the headphone base to cut the most common noise freqs, but that's too costly and would take up way too much space to be a realistic option.

Basically, is there such a thing as a small, configurable low/hi-pass filter I could just toss between sound source and headphone base? Again, I realize this probably makes very little sense, but eh, worth a shot.

If you don't mind hand-rolling the setup, and if you're correct that this a frequency-based problem, you could probably make a MiniDSP do that. Once set up, according to their web site, it's set-and-forget. I have never used one, just remembered them from something I saw years ago. https://www.minidsp.com/products/minidsp-in-a-box/minidsp-2x4

# ¿ Dec 4, 2018 23:21

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

I've been thinking about getting some new headphones for air travel, but there's one bit of information that a lot of reviews leave out. In flight I use both my phone, for listening to music, and an iPad, for playing games or occasionally watching a movie. Do any of the top-tier noise cancelling headphones let you pair them with multiple devices and toggle back and forth, or would I be constantly re-pairing my headphones?

# ¿ Jun 5, 2019 15:28

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

The faux leather headband cover on my DT990s is getting disgusting. It looks like Beyerdynamic will happily sell me a snap-on replacement, but I'm guessing that it's just the same stuff that will also get disgusting in a few years. Is there a third party that sells replacement covers in nicer materials? My Google attempts got nowhere, but maybe I was using the wrong keywords.

# ¿ Nov 19, 2019 21:20

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

I. M. Gei posted:

The Amazon reviews for the Sony WH-1000XM3s say the same thing, sooo...

I have the 1000s, and switching them between my phone and my iPad requires me to explicitly disconnect them from one device and connect with the other. It's not fun, but it's not really a pain in the rear end, unless you need to do it a whole lot.

I have some Plantronics headphones I use for work, b and they can connect to my laptop and my phone at the same time, which is pretty trick. Phone quality is outstanding, but for music, they can't compare to the Sonys.

# ¿ Dec 29, 2019 08:02

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

The Plantronics headphones I mentioned earlier that sound decent, but not amazing, are the Voyager 8200s. They will stay connected to my laptop and my phone at the same time, which is very handy for work. I also own a pair of Backbeat Fits, which sound ok at best, but let me maintain situational awareness when I'm out running.

# ¿ Dec 30, 2019 08:21

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

trem_two posted:

It's taken my brain a couple of days to adjust to the tuning of the UM 3D Terminator

Sometimes I pick this thread out of my bookmarks, start skimming a post, and I think I'm in TFR.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2021 21:56

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

The cable on my DT990s is going, and given their age and their limitations, I'm more interested in getting new headphones than finding someone to repair the cable. Anyone care to make me a recommendation?

Budget - $300 or so would be good. I could stretch a little if needed.
Source - Schiit Asgard 2.
Isolation Requirements - None. These are for use in my home office, and nobody else comes in here for long.
Preferred Type of Headphone - Circumnaural. I have a big old head (one size fits all hats usually don't fit me) so nothing too tight please.
Preferred Tonal Balance - I used to play bass and I love that low end, but I want something balanced.
Past Headphones - I was OK with those 990s, honestly. I've also had Audio-Technica ATH-A700xs and Sennheiser HD-280s and didn't really feel any affection for them. The HD-280s, especially, were just too tight, and I was delighted to pass them on. I own some WH-1000XM3 and they really are just too bassy. I like them for fun but I would not want them for my primary listening headphones.
Preferred Music - I love Rush and old Genesis but I also like Frank Zappa, Indigo Girls, and Against Me! The only thing I do not listen to is country... though even then, I do have a token Ray Wylie Hubbard album.

Zorak of Michigan fucked around with this message at 14:24 on Mar 30, 2021

# ¿ Mar 30, 2021 02:50

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

I tried replacing my DT990s with HiFiMan Sunderas, and while I love the sound, they're tight enough to give me a headache. Anyone have a sense of whether they tend to loosen up over time?

# ¿ Apr 2, 2021 03:30

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

Thanks and also hrmhrmhrmhrm. I like the sound so much that I really don't want to return them, but then I also generally prefer headphones that don't give me headaches. Decisions decisions.

# ¿ Apr 2, 2021 14:52

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

Have you tried to get Schiit to fix the Asgard 3? That'd be my first move.

# ¿ Apr 14, 2021 15:17

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

poe meater posted:

Hi, the answer to this question might be just to buy some cheap $10 earbuds but I thought I'll ask anyways.

I'm looking for wired earbuds for home use. I prefer earbuds because majority of the time I only have one earbud in but occasionally I'll play games that require both earbuds to be in.

I've been using random earbuds that'll generally lose sound in one earbud after a year or so of use. I was maybe looking into those detachable cable earbuds which might have extra durability?

Any particular recommendations?

I asked a similar question for my wife and kid, both of who seem to lose or destroy headphones all the time. The VE Monk were recommended by other posters in this thread, and they have held up until lost. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J0S4AAS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_X0B480W479P7BHKV26DK?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

# ¿ Jul 17, 2021 20:01

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

nrook posted:

Here's kind of a specific question.

I need wireless in-ear headphones for running, but I think I want a wire between the headphones. My experience is that all in-ear headphones fall out of my ears

I use Plantronics Backbeat Fits for this same purpose and I've been happy with them. This is the current model:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FTTPVGG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_2V0YH387EKCD1X0SXFEB

# ¿ Jul 27, 2021 00:01

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

I have a friend who loves the way her AirPods fit (resting in the ear but but not sealing) but the battery life keeps her from using them for work. Does anyone know of an around-the-neck style Bluetooth set that has that same sort of earbud fit but a bigass battery?

# ¿ Aug 30, 2021 03:59

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

Manager Hoyden posted:

Xposting from the Xbox thread. Maybe you folks can help me out with an unusual audio situation that I feel might be impossible to solve.

I get together with a group of friends in real life for a gaming night. Four TV's, four Xboxes, single room. Thing is, we also play online with the rest of the group.

This hasn't worked very well as far as sound is concerned. We need headsets to talk to the remote people, but we also need to be able to talk to one another in person. Since we're in the same room, party chat in the headphones isn't great for the in-person crowd - we hear one another speak/yell irl and then a second later through party chat. So we muted each other in chat BUT now we couldn't hear each other well. This has led to a room full of grown-rear end adults using headsets lopsided with one ear uncovered. This kind of sucks because now the game sounds like poo poo and it's uncomfortable.

What is the solution here?

Things we've tried or thought of and shot down:

Plugging wireless headsets that have a transparency mode into the controller using an audio cable. This would have been great; it's a perfect solution on mobile. It didn't work because every single pair of wireless headphones on the market that has a 3.5mm connection option will not turn on while using it, as far as I've seen. Sure, audio plays and may even sound good but mics don't work (without a mic-in cable anyway) but more importantly features like transparency mode aren't available.

Using the Skull & Co. Audiobox to jerryrig Bluetooth support into the $500 modern piece of hardware. No dice because the audiobox bafflingly doesn't support audio input over Bluetooth. Sure, it has its own mic but it is so awful it shouldn't be used by a human in any circumstances. Unusable.

Having half a dozen people buy the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. Yeah it has a transparency mode but there is no way we're going to spend just shy of two grand, especially for a headset that is astronomically overpriced for its quality.

Any ideas?

Are you using some external program for audio or purely in-game? If it's external, could you mic the whole room with an appropriate device (conference calling box? condenser mic? Not sure on the details yet), and have that device join the chat and be the only thing in the room sending audio?

# ¿ Mar 21, 2023 22:05

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

Manager Hoyden posted:

The mic isn't the problem really; it's one-strapping our headphones to hear one another clearly in person. I do have an unreasonably expensive omnidirectional mic from work but I feel like that would just lead to the same outcome, unfortunately

Double-down on my earlier notion! Put the remote people on speakers so everyone can hear, nobody wear headphones. Yeah, I'll show up in the headphones thread and say "don't wear headphones," what of it?

# ¿ Mar 21, 2023 22:37

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# ¿ May 29, 2024 13:23

Zorak of Michigan: Jun 10, 2006

Dr. Fishopolis posted:

yah there is, just mix their local feed back into the headphones rather than monitoring the discord.

In my experience the latency added by the app is considerable, so you need really good isolation for this not to be a serious nuisance. Or, I guess, just mind it less than I do.

# ¿ Mar 22, 2023 22:05

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > Let's Talk Headphones IV: Should I get Beats? Do I need Noise Cancelling?