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eddiewalker posted:No one has responded to your question with anything about "5.1" headsets, only stereo headphones so far. Reading through those posts again you're definitely right. Really I'm just looking for a headset that's able to provide the same sort of 3D acoustic environment I get from my 5.1 stereo system (which is not marketing speak, it's actually the number of channels as popculturereference suggests). Maybe this is possible with my current stereo headphones and just a more complex sound card or whatever on my PC, but I'm not entirely sure where to start, hence the reason why I'm falling back on asking for "a 5.1 headset." It sounds more like I might need to invest in a sound card and maybe a nicer stereo headset...?
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Oct 1, 2013 21:20
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Ultimate Mango posted:The Etymotics are supposed to be very flat and have the best isolation if you can take a deep insertion. Might be a little lacking in low end, but otherwise excellent and bang on your price point. I really hated the ety's I owned for a few years - I could never enjoy the tiny bass out of them. I think for the sound sig terre packet is looking for, dynamics like the JVC HA-FXZ200 or ATH-CKS1000 would be perfect. After trying out both I stuck with the CKS1000s myself, not as thumpy as the FXZ200 but sounds cleaner, especially since I listen to pretty much every genre. I've also heard good things about the Sony xba-10/20/30 line, but never had a chance to listen to them myself. kedo posted:Reading through those posts again you're definitely right. Really I'm just looking for a headset that's able to provide the same sort of 3D acoustic environment I get from my 5.1 stereo system (which is not marketing speak, it's actually the number of channels as popculturereference suggests). I've shopped for this recently myself and it was a huge headache. I eventually gave up on getting one that worked with everything and just picked up the Logitech G930 when it went on sale for my PC. It doesn't require a dedicated soundcard since it uses its own, wireless which was an absolute criteria, and relatively cheap compared to a monster like the Astro A50. It's not fantastic for music, but the surround sound effect is pretty fun in general.
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Oct 1, 2013 21:49
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tynam posted:I've shopped for this recently myself and it was a huge headache. I eventually gave up on getting one that worked with everything and just picked up the Logitech G930 when it went on sale for my PC. It doesn't require a dedicated soundcard since it uses its own, wireless which was an absolute criteria, and relatively cheap compared to a monster like the Astro A50. It's not fantastic for music, but the surround sound effect is pretty fun in general. Those look promising, I'll have to check 'em out. Bummer that they only work with PCs, but I'm really only interested in the headset for a 360 for a single game anyways, so mayhaps I'll just bite the bullet and drop that criteria. And I've always liked my previous Logitech gear. Thanks much!
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Oct 1, 2013 22:01
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I have a pair of HD555 that I use exclusively on my PC. I need a volume knob so that I can easy change the sound level while in the middle of a game or movie. What's a good inexpensive solution that won't degrade the signal integrity?
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Oct 2, 2013 21:17
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notZaar posted:I have a pair of HD555 that I use exclusively on my PC. I need a volume knob so that I can easy change the sound level while in the middle of a game or movie. What's a good inexpensive solution that won't degrade the signal integrity? Is it hooked straight up to the PC's headphone jack, or do you have a DAC/amp? Either way, I wouldn't spend a dime on this and would just use either media keys or AutoHotKey. I don't know what kind of adjustments you're making, but they sound temporary or minor. If you have a DAC, yes that would technically degrade the quality a bit, but would it be too much? If you're plugged straight in, then the quality wouldn't be any different when changing the OS volume anyway.
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Oct 2, 2013 22:40
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notZaar posted:I have a pair of HD555 that I use exclusively on my PC. I need a volume knob so that I can easy change the sound level while in the middle of a game or movie. What's a good inexpensive solution that won't degrade the signal integrity?
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Oct 2, 2013 22:50
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glompix posted:Is it hooked straight up to the PC's headphone jack, or do you have a DAC/amp? Either way, I wouldn't spend a dime on this and would just use either media keys or AutoHotKey. I don't know what kind of adjustments you're making, but they sound temporary or minor. If you have a DAC, yes that would technically degrade the quality a bit, but would it be too much? If you're plugged straight in, then the quality wouldn't be any different when changing the OS volume anyway. It's hooked up right to my sound card, which is supposed to have a built in amp.
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Oct 2, 2013 23:30
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Looking for some goony headphone advice. Budget - Around £100 but that's not a strict limit, I'm flexible if there's something worth paying more for. Source - Mostly my Nexus 4 and my iMac at work. Occasionally also to be used with my Nexus 7 (2013), Nexus 10, and my PC (Asus ExtremeFX on Optimus VI Impact). Isolation Requirements - Isolation is important so that the noise of the train (London tube trains are noisy) doesn't drown out my music, and so that other people can't hear them at work. I don't tend to listen at high volumes. Preferred Type of Headphone - Circumaural preferred, I don't like anything that goes in my ears. Preferred Tonal Balance - I honestly have no idea. Past Headphones - Sennheiser PCX150 or something, noise cancelling supra-aurals from a few years ago. They are okay but they hurt my ears after wearing them for a while. For gaming I bought an Astro A40 headset which I have found to be super comfortable. Preferred Music - Mostly rock/indie, bit of a mixture but leaning towards lighter stuff. I also need a way to carry them around easily in my rucksack so bonus points if there is something that has a nice compact bag/case or they can fold up or something. Tunga fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Oct 3, 2013 |
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Oct 3, 2013 15:59
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Asgard 2 arrived. I'm planning on listening to it directly for a few days then comparing it to the Magni. I'm honestly not expecting much of a difference in sound, especially since the Magni already provides a clean output, but we'll see!
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Oct 3, 2013 17:09
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Tunga posted:Looking for some goony headphone advice. This guy on head-fi has an ongoing review thread of about 100 portables. http://www.head-fi.org/t/433318/shootout-108-portable-headphones-reviewed-denon-dn-hp1000-added-09-07-13 That said, I bought the Sony V-6 (the V-7506 is the same thing) for my son and they worked well as an all around phone. They're built like a tank and stand up to abuse, foldable, and isolate well enough. There's a reason they've been the studio standard for decades. The biggest cons are a shallow cup if you have big ears, a coiled cord and they have a V shaped sound signature.
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Oct 3, 2013 18:32
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glompix posted:Is it hooked straight up to the PC's headphone jack, or do you have a DAC/amp? Either way, I wouldn't spend a dime on this and would just use either media keys or AutoHotKey. I don't know what kind of adjustments you're making, but they sound temporary or minor. If you have a DAC, yes that would technically degrade the quality a bit, but would it be too much? If you're plugged straight in, then the quality wouldn't be any different when changing the OS volume anyway. Speaking as someone with an external amp, the big volume knob is REALLY nice for changing volume in a game. I could see why someone would want one without an amp. You'd be looking for an attenuator like this: http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Patch-Passive-Volume-Attenuator/dp/B000T9K8ZO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1380835480&sr=8-4&keywords=audio+attenuator That being said, for just a little more money... http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-E10-USB-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005VO7LG6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1380835610&sr=8-3&keywords=fiio+desktop+amp
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Oct 3, 2013 22:27
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Jesus christ, 60 bucks and all I want is a volume knob. Maybe I'll just buy a potentiometer and solder one up myself.
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Oct 3, 2013 23:01
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notZaar posted:Jesus christ, 60 bucks and all I want is a volume knob. Maybe I'll just buy a potentiometer and solder one up myself. At least buy a nice pot like an Alps rk097 or "Blue Velvet." Expect to pay at least $20 for the latter, but cheap stereo pots can cause bad channel imbalances at lower volumes
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Oct 3, 2013 23:18
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notZaar posted:Jesus christ, 60 bucks and all I want is a volume knob. Maybe I'll just buy a potentiometer and solder one up myself. In all honesty the HD555 deserve a decent amp, at least an E10. I think they sound like poop without one.
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Oct 4, 2013 04:43
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Midorka posted:In all honesty the HD555 deserve a decent amp, at least an E10. I think they sound like poop without one. Err, he did say that his sound card has a built in amp. I would guess what, a Xonar? Generally well respected cards. notZaar, just look for "USB volume control" on amazon. I'm sure you could find a cheap usb media controller under $20. E: http://www.usbfever.com/index_eproduct_view.php?products_id=860 grack fucked around with this message at 09:10 on Oct 4, 2013 |
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Oct 4, 2013 09:05
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Yup it's a Xonar. That USB control is an option, I'll look into it. Honestly I wish they had something that fits into a free drive bay on a PC case but I haven't been able to find anything like that.
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Oct 4, 2013 17:57
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Hey, looking for some advice here. My old headphones have broken and I'm looking for a new pair. After looking at recommendations, it seems like I can get a DT770, HD598 or AKG K550 for similar prices here. Would I be better of getting something less expensive and getting a cheap dac/amp alongside? I'd be grateful for any further input or advice as I pretty much have no clue, thanks. 
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Oct 6, 2013 18:21
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ful posted:Hey, looking for some advice here. Amps don't help anything unless the headphones require a higher current. What are you going to use these with? Where are you going to be listening with them? Do you like a bassy response or do you like to equalize your music? What's your price ceiling?
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Oct 6, 2013 18:45
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These would cost me about £130/$200, I wouldn't really want to go higher than that. I'd be using them at home on my pc pretty much exclusively. As for bass, I mostly listen to rock/metal so I don't really want anything that's going to overpower the other frequencies.
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Oct 6, 2013 19:21
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ful posted:These would cost me about £130/$200, I wouldn't really want to go higher than that. Okay then- the sound requirement puts the DT 770 at somewhat less desirable compared to the rest: they emphasize bass sounds more heavily than the other two sets of cans. After that, the K550 and HD 598 are a tossup and come down to mostly what's gong to be more comfortable for you. However, I will say this: the HD 598 has the opposite problem of the DT 770--they underemphasize the lowest bass notes, while the K 550 does not. This means that the K550 is better at keeping rumbles, super-low notes and other sounds at the lowest frequencies where the mixer intended. All that said, if you get a great deal on any of these, you'll be happy with 'em. All of these are good headphones, and you should go with your gut; you'll probably be happy with any you pick up. GonadTheBallbarian fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Oct 6, 2013 |
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Oct 6, 2013 21:10
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Be mindful that the K550 are closed back too.
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Oct 6, 2013 21:55
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I tried my brother's ATH-M50 this weekend. The sound is really nice, but drat those things are uncomfortable on me! Maybe I have large ears or something, but somehow it seems that supra-aural are just not for me. I've had this experience before, where I can wear them maybe 10 minutes before the pressure on my ears becomes annoying. I'm sticking with my trusty Senn HD448 for now. The sound is good enough and at least I can wear them for a couple of hours before they're too sweaty.
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Oct 7, 2013 14:43
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I have Sennheiser HD25s. Pretty great so far for my usage - blocking out office noise, and occasionally using on the move for train rides (I have some running headphones that I use for running). My biggest issue is the lack of a remote (iPhone / whatever) in the cable. I've seen recently that the new Amperior headphones are essentially the exact same thing, but with fancy metal cups, and an integrated iPhone remote... I *could* just buy a replacement cable from Sennheiser with the remote integrated, as it would fit the HD25s OK. But the prices: http://headphonespares.sennheiser.co.uk/dj-headphones/amperior-blue Almost 40 GBP for the remote cable. Plus 70 for a connecting cable (the part that plugs into the headset). That's more that 2/3 the price I paid for my HD25s. Has anyone seen any cheaper options on eBay / elsewhere? Clearly I could just buy a generic remote & hack up my current cable, but I'm lazy.
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Oct 7, 2013 17:11
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wooger posted:I've seen recently that the new Amperior headphones are essentially the exact same thing, but with fancy metal cups, and an integrated iPhone remote...
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Oct 7, 2013 17:14
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Anyone have experience with the Klipsch S4i II IEMs? They're basically the same as the S4i but they have a bit of a different look, including a flat cable to dissuade tangling. I have had three pairs in a row fail on me.  One channel will lose a whole lot of volume. The other sounds fine. Same problem on all three. Klipsch has been awesome about replacing them when they break (free shipping, not even asking me to return the broken ones either time).But I am sort of at my wit's end and ready to just take the loss. It's too frustrating to deal with.
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Oct 7, 2013 17:14
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I hope I didn't make a huge mistake, but Best Buy is apparently closing out Sennheiser HD-380 Pros here for $99 and I grabbed a pair after doing a quick look on reviews. I'm not going to be able to give them a long listen until later tonight, but they seem to be a good step up from the HD-439s they are replacing.
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Oct 7, 2013 18:17
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ful posted:These would cost me about £130/$200, I wouldn't really want to go higher than that. I recommend the Audio Technica Ad900x or AD900 over the choices you have, if you can get them in your price range.
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Oct 7, 2013 18:32
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I have ATH-AD900's with w5000 pads and a Nuforce Icon HDP. I'm really happy with them in general, from all the types of music I listen to daily to being able to hear a Cheeto bag crumple from some fat neckbeard on the opposite corner of de_train in Counter-Strike. I managed to get the Icon as part of a package deal on Craigslist and sold the stuff that came with it to make the HDP effectively free, too.  That said, the Audeze LCD-3 caught my eye. Oh god. 2 grand new. But I have headphones on about a third of my life and audio quality is hugely important to me. I can save for a nice pair of headphones and amplifier over the course of a year or two, no problem, because I manage my finances well enough and don't have many expenses. That said: what am I really gaining by upgrading? Can the quality be that much better? Would it "wow" me in a way that my current headphones wouldn't? Upgrading from MDRV6's unamped to Grado SR-60i's with an Avenue pocket amp was "wow" for me. Going from that to an Asus Xonar STX with ATH-AD700's was wow for me. Going from this setup to the one I have now definitely had the wow factor as well. Really, how long will it last before I should basically give up, curl up, and die as a human being, knowing anything past a point is psychoacoustics?
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Oct 7, 2013 23:46
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I don't want to sound like a get-off-my-lawn prick but if it takes you a year to save a grand, don't spend it on headphones.
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Oct 8, 2013 00:15
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It's not a matter of taking a year to save up for headphones because I can't afford them; I just don't want to sound like a sperg by saving a month to buy them if I'm happy with my current set. A year gives me time to wait on reviews of the LCD-X and see if at that point I wanna get something different or put that money toward another motorcycle or upgrading my car or getting A/D/S L1290's and a dedicated 2ch amp.
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Oct 8, 2013 00:22
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Xovaan posted:That said: what am I really gaining by upgrading? Can the quality be that much better? Would it "wow" me in a way that my current headphones wouldn't? Upgrading from MDRV6's unamped to Grado SR-60i's with an Avenue pocket amp was "wow" for me. Going from that to an Asus Xonar STX with ATH-AD700's was wow for me. Going from this setup to the one I have now definitely had the wow factor as well. Really, how long will it last before I should basically give up, curl up, and die as a human being, knowing anything past a point is psychoacoustics? They'll sound great, but an order of magnitude greater than what you have currently? Absolutely not. You'll marvel at your purchase, and sure, it'll sound better to you (a bit of a performance bump in signal decay, and because you're happy), but that's more pride at your acquisition than performance. That said, home audio is a hobby like anything else, and is no crazier than fixing up a junker car or collecting old photography equipment or what have you. Only you can decide what you want to do with your money, but just be aware that the ratio of price:performance increase tends to rocket down once you pass $400 or so. GonadTheBallbarian fucked around with this message at 02:19 on Oct 8, 2013 |
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Oct 8, 2013 02:14
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I need a pair of headphones for a series of flights tomorrow. I have read through the thread and I haven't seen anything about the Bose noise canceling IEMs other than the general 'stay away from noise canceling.' Is there something better than the QC20 or IEM version that I can also pick up in a store? I live in the boston area if that matters, and have the day off. The QC20 is about 300 from best buy, I believe.
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Oct 8, 2013 15:12
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shymog posted:I hope I didn't make a huge mistake, but Best Buy is apparently closing out Sennheiser HD-380 Pros here for $99 and I grabbed a pair after doing a quick look on reviews. I'm not going to be able to give them a long listen until later tonight, but they seem to be a good step up from the HD-439s they are replacing. I was almost 100% sure they were actually meant to complement/replace the HD-280. The model number certainly seems to indicate a connection, and they're both in the "studio" line. The 280 is still there, though. http://en-de.sennheiser.com/headphones/studio From what I can see the HD-439 are removed from that page, though. Weird, the HD 449 are still listed under "Music & entertainment", as are the older HD 438. The people in this thread seem thoroughly unimpressed with the HD 380. Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 16:14 on Oct 8, 2013 |
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Oct 8, 2013 16:09
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Hippie Hedgehog posted:I was almost 100% sure they were actually meant to complement/replace the HD-280. The model number certainly seems to indicate a connection, and they're both in the "studio" line. The 280 is still there, though. When I was checking I read http://www.head-fi.org/t/417831/hd380-vs-hd280 The gist I got is that at the $200 MSRP it's probably not great, but other than the HD-280 Pro I didn't see it compared to many $100ish headphones. They certainly don't sound as nice as the VSonic GR07 but I don't have the cash to match decent IEMs with my daily-use headphones.
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Oct 8, 2013 18:03
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Zhent posted:I need a pair of headphones for a series of flights tomorrow. I have read through the thread and I haven't seen anything about the Bose noise canceling IEMs other than the general 'stay away from noise canceling.' Get iems that have double/triple flange tips and foam tips all in multiple sizes. Something like foam, if you get ones that fit you well and are comfortable will have great isolation without using any noise canceling gimmick. For something you can go get in a store easily Shure has some good options, or check out the iem hall of fame on inner fidelity or your favorite review site. Lots of widely varying signatures in iems, from flat to colored to bassy. The only reason why I mention Shure is their black olive foam tips are pretty much the best I have ever used for comfort and isolation.
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Oct 9, 2013 02:16
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I posted earlier about looking for something that is circumaural and portable, but those things don't really go together all that well. I really like my Astro A40 headset, which I mostly use for gaming, but they seem fine for music too. I'd happily use my A40s (or get a second pair for the office) except that they are open backed and leak sound quite a lot. So I was thinking about picking up a pair of A30s and just removing the mic. They come with a carry case and the design seems like what I'm looking for. Is this a giant waste of money? Most of the reviews I read say that they sound good but they are mostly gaming-focused reviews.
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Oct 10, 2013 18:02
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Budget: Around 50 bucks ideally, but I could go higher if someone thinks the jump in quality would be massive. Source: PC and guitar amp mostly, Vita and phone sometimes but I usually use my IEMs for those. Isolation Requirements: Preferable. Preferred Type of Headphone: Over-ear Preferred Tonal Balance: Like a handful or 2 of bass, noticeable but not to the point that it steals attention from the mids and highs Past Headphones: Some Sennheiser HD 202s that I've had for the last 10 years, the ear pads on them are sorta starting to disintegrate. Instead of just repairing them I figured I'd use this as an excuse to trade up a bit. I'd sorta like to stick with Sennheiser as the 202s have been good to me, but it's not a strict requirement. My IEMs are MEE A151s and they mostly stay at work. Preferred Music: Almost anything, mostly a lot of electronic stuff, classical, jazz, and classic rock as of late. Also if anyone has suggestions on tip replacements for my A151s I'd also be much obliged as the current ones are starting to get worn out. They're pretty much just used for music and sometimes games, I don't really like the idea of foam tips and I remember someone suggesting a replacement set when I got them 2 years ago, but I forget what it was now. Edit: Checked the buying guide in the OP and decided to go with the JVC HARX-900s and I might mod them later on. Brightman fucked around with this message at 21:24 on Oct 15, 2013 |
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Oct 10, 2013 19:48
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My current setup needs replacing. My ATH700s are getting moved to tv/games/ignore wife while watching tv duty. I tried a pair of DT880s and loved them. So I think that might be my Christmas present to myself, unless the t90s are significantly better (unfortunately, no where local has them to demo). What's the general opinion on pairing them with a Woo Audio amp? I probably can't afford a WA7, unless I find a used one or something, so probably a WA3 or maybe a WA6. It will be only for music, either via computer or some kind of tablet. I listen to almost everything that isn't polka, classical or dance/techno/bleepbloop, from Wu Tang to Dissection to Explosions in the Sky to Kelly Clarkson. ... shut up. I love her. I don't care what you think. Dicks. BrosephofArimathea fucked around with this message at 01:46 on Oct 11, 2013 |
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Oct 11, 2013 01:34
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Midorka posted:In all honesty the HD555 deserve a decent amp, at least an E10. I think they sound like poop without one.
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Oct 12, 2013 20:08
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Budget - $100, willing to go a bit higher. Source - Mostly my Macbook Pro, maybe on my iPhone. Isolation Requirements - Open back; closed or isolating headphones feel stuffy and tend to give me headaches. Preferred Type of Headphone - Full size circumaural. Looking for long-term comfort here, nothing pressing on or or jammed inside my ears. Preferred Tonal Balance - Balanced, I guess. Past Headphones - Sennheiser HD 555s. Got them for $99 and they have been very comfortable (maybe a little too much clamping force) and sound pretty good to my ears. Preferred Music - Mostly Prog Rock, Jazz, and Classical but toss in a bit of everything. Also used for watching movies and playing games on my laptop. ------------ My 5 year old 555s are in the process of self destructing (held together with about half a roll of gaffers tape) and I'm looking for a replacement. The 555s seem to be discontinued and I'm feeling a bit adventurous so I've been checking out other models/manufactures. So far I'm leaning heavily towards a set of AKG K240 Studios. From what I can tell they're light, comfortable, open-backed, and have good sound for the $$$. They also look really cool!  Anyone have anything to say about the K240s or have any other recommendations? Any advice would be much appreciated.
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Oct 12, 2013 21:15
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