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So Innerfidelity just put the Beats Solo2 up on their Wall of Fame. Anyone actually heard them yet?
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Aug 19, 2014 15:12
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So I've been using the SoundMAGIC E30s for around three years now and I'm looking to upgrade. They're a brilliant set of IEMs, the sound on them is fantastic and before I lost one of the earpads, the stock ones were great (I replaced with a set of Comply Foam pads which were lovely too, until they fell apart after 4 months). My budget is £100~ (I'm in the UK) I use Sennheiser HD598s for Desktop. I mostly listen to electronic (royksopp, ratatat, jean-michel jarre) but in general I prefer softer music. I've seen a few really good IEMs recommended but they're impossible to find in the UK and importing seems to expensive. Any ideas?
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Aug 19, 2014 15:41
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Mammalian posted:So I've been using the SoundMAGIC E30s for around three years now and I'm looking to upgrade. Thinksound ms01 if those are in your budget, or the JAYS a-JAYS Five I liked for that kind of music.
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Aug 19, 2014 15:53
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Midorka posted:Thinksound ms01 if those are in your budget, or the JAYS a-JAYS Five I liked for that kind of music. The MS01s look interesting, I've had a peek at them before I think. What about value for performance? With the E30s you get A LOT of value, the MS01s are rather pricey but I'd rather pay for something priced in the high-end that was actually high-end than something upper-mid end priced high-end, if you know what I mean. EDIT: read about about the MS01s, not sure. Gonna look around a bit more. Mammalian fucked around with this message at 16:24 on Aug 19, 2014 |
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Aug 19, 2014 16:15
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Looking for a new pair of headphones for my home PC. I will say I have a pair of Sennheiser 380 Pros at work, and with the Beyerdynamic velour earpads, they're great. I just kind of feel silly buying another pair of the exact same thing for home, and want to try something new. Budget - No more than $250 Source - Back of my PC. Either line-out or headphone. Isolation Requirements - No critically important. Preferred Type of Headphone - Over ear. Preferred Tonal Balance - Balanced. I know the 380 Pro are bass heavy, and I don't hate it, but as balanced as possible. Past Headphones - I like the isolation of the 380 Pros, but not necessary at home. I love the way they sound. Preferred Music - Most everything, really, but favoring bassy music over treble mostly. If the 380 pros are the best option, I'll just get another pair. Just curious if there were other suggestions worth looking into that were similar.
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Aug 19, 2014 16:34
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Sorry, let me post my request properly: Budget - Around £100, will push for 'the one' (UK-available pairs or reasonable to import (no import taxes / 3 week delivery times - also, feel free to recommend pairs that are way outside my budget, I'm considering everything and if I have to save a bit for a pricey pair, I will) Source - Phone - Galaxy Note 3 Isolation Requirements - Standard IEM Isolation, nothing too fancy. Preferred Type of Headphone - IEM Preferred Tonal Balance - Balanced - Past Headphones - HD598s (desktop) - brilliant soundstage, as accurate as you can get, really, but sometimes not bassy or warm enough, SoundMAGIC E30s (mobile) - really like these. Preferred Music - Electronic - as I said in my previous post, I listen to a lot of Ratatat and would like a huge soundstage with great mids and highs. Less bass is okay, but at a reasonable trade off.
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Aug 19, 2014 16:42
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eddiewalker posted:My small ears, both in the canal and outer-ear, are the reason I went with customs in the first place. The closest I ever got with universals were little Westone UM1s. I would suggest either of the earphones below. I almost went with the quads rather than my heir audio 4.a's. I kind of wish I had now, as 1964 tunes their quads to have more low end, which I enjoy. $499 - https://www.1964ears.com/product/1964-V3-Custom-In-Ear-Monitor $549 - https://www.1964ears.com/product/1964-Qi-Custom-In-Ear-Monitor
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Aug 19, 2014 21:34
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Hamelekim posted:I would suggest either of the earphones below. I almost went with the quads rather than my heir audio 4.a's. I kind of wish I had now, as 1964 tunes their quads to have more low end, which I enjoy. I'm working in Chicago for a few days and I just realized Sensaphonic is 10min from my hotel. Their website suggests they have some on-site services, so I'm going to roll in tomorrow and see what they think about my ears.
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Aug 19, 2014 22:34
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eddiewalker posted:Well, my 5 year old "Alien Ears" dual-driver customs were starting to give me comfort issues. A hard drop shattered one ear, so I guess now I'm fully in the market for a new pair. I don't know that Heir is even around really, but Noble was formed by the key Heir people and are doing well. I had some a heir stuff and got a pair of customs I quite like from Noble when they spun out from under Heir. Noble will do acrylic or silicone, and they do amazing artwork. Check out their Facebook page or Head-fi thread. The Noble guys also did my impressions for me, so depending on where you are that may be a selling point.
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Aug 20, 2014 03:57
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Mammalian posted:The MS01s look interesting, I've had a peek at them before I think. What about value for performance? With the E30s you get A LOT of value, the MS01s are rather pricey but I'd rather pay for something priced in the high-end that was actually high-end than something upper-mid end priced high-end, if you know what I mean. I had the E30 a long time ago so I can't comment on them. For $100 the ms01 are one of the most impressive headphones I've heard though. eddiewalker posted:My small ears, both in the canal and outer-ear, are the reason I went with customs in the first place. The closest I ever got with universals were little Westone UM1s. I think the InEar StageDiver 2s are phenomenal IEMs. They aren't customs, but they are worth a shot.
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Aug 20, 2014 15:28
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Midorka posted:I had the E30 a long time ago so I can't comment on them. For $100 the ms01 are one of the most impressive headphones I've heard though. Cool, thanks for the advice, I'll probably go for the MS01 then. EDIT: Ordered. Expedited from Amazon and it looks like they're shipping it from America. I don't understand why such a minimal amount of earphones are available in the UK, what's it about? It's no wonder everyone's walking around with Dre Beats and Skullcandy. Mammalian fucked around with this message at 16:15 on Aug 20, 2014 |
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Aug 20, 2014 15:54
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Midorka posted:I think the InEar StageDiver 2s are phenomenal IEMs. They aren't customs, but they are worth a shot. The fitting meant to hold a tip looks larger than the actual inserted tip on my customs. Seriously, my canal opening is 5-7mm wide.
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Aug 20, 2014 16:59
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@Mammalian worst case scenario if you don't like them is return as defective and check out the RHA750i I've heard they are quite good. As for this practice of returning the item in this manner, I've heard that it doesn't really hurt amazon or the company. If I hear otherwise I'll retract my recommendation on returning them. @eddie, ah sorry about that.
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Aug 20, 2014 18:37
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A few months in and I am still very happy with my RHA750is. The build quality is just great and they stay in place fantastically well. Really like the placement of the mic/controls too on the right ear cable, perfect height for phone convos. The sound quality is excellent too and a huge step up from the s4is I had that is for sure. I don't really have the technical lingo other than "they sound real good"
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Aug 20, 2014 18:52
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Just got a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-AD900X's in today and I'm pretty satisfied with them. Have a pair of the 700's which I love and these are pretty much an improvement in every way. Didn't seem to have any issues driving them straight from my laptop, and I have a FiiO E11 that works well with it if it ever becomes an issue. I read in some reviews that people complained about the fit, but it's perfectly fine for me (though a bit tighter than the 700s but this is not necessarily a bad thing because those were a bit loose). Maybe my head is just shaped weird. The wings seems a bit flimsier, which I've heard is attributed to changing plants from Japan to China, but it doesn't affect the comfort or fit at all so that's really just splitting hairs. Highly recommended.
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Aug 20, 2014 19:24
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I'd like to point out, to anyone who is considering purchasing a headphone amp and/or speaker amp in the near future, the guys over at Schiit Audio are nearly ready to release their Ragnarok amp, which will undergo a public beta for those who are willing to test out both speakers and headphones, and live in the continental US. Schiit products thus far have been not only affordable, but very solid performers, so I am excited to see this release on the horizon. I know at least one of the Schiit guys posts here occasionally, so perhaps they will make some more information available if there is any interest in either the beta testing, or purchasing one of these bad boys at a later time.
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Aug 21, 2014 02:23
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BabyRyoga posted:I'd like to point out, to anyone who is considering purchasing a headphone amp and/or speaker amp in the near future, the guys over at Schiit Audio are nearly ready to release their Ragnarok amp, which will undergo a public beta for those who are willing to test out both speakers and headphones, and live in the continental US. Schiit products thus far have been not only affordable, but very solid performers, so I am excited to see this release on the horizon. The Ragnarok is going to cost $1700, so... I'm not sure how relevant that is to most people who are considering buying an amp in this thread. GokieKS fucked around with this message at 04:25 on Aug 21, 2014 |
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Aug 21, 2014 04:19
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GokieKS posted:The Ragnarok is going to cost $1700, so... I'm not sure how relevant that is to most people who are considering buying an amp in this thread. Fair, but there are a few people around here who might be interested. It's more of a combo piece for those who want to drive multiple pieces of equipment than headphones specifically, and the majority of the people here are more interested in cheaper gear, but I think at least some interest could be garnered from a few of the folks who visit this thread on an occasional basis.
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Aug 21, 2014 06:45
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I've had a pair of Audio Technica ATH-A900s for about two and a half years now, the second set that I've owned along with two pairs of the open back variant, all of which are great sounding comfortable headphones that I can wear all day at a desk and not feel strained. However that said I'm not really happy with the build quality; - A year after purchase the pleather on the ear pads had all flaked off, sometimes leaving a black mess behind my ears. - A few months after that the foam began separating from the backing and I had to cut up an old black tshirt to sew it together again. - About a year later one of the headrest pads broke off of, the plastic clips ceased to be and I can see other parts of the headphones turning into some kind of plastic based mush. So at the moment, I've got a pair of very worn out looking headphones literally held together with rubber bands. Completely not up to the task of backpacking through Europe. So I had to pick up something cheap to replace them, which is why I now have a set of AKG K511s. And boy... these headphones are built well enough, but it sounds like I'm listening to music through a wooden door. Here's the EQ I'm currently using to get a somewhat more normal sound out of them:  Still, I guess it's not so bad for less than 30euro.
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Aug 21, 2014 15:10
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I'm looking for some wireless IEM style headphones. I'm mostly going to be using them to listen to lectures and other videos that are mostly just people talking. I would like to spend less than $50, but I don't know if that is realistic. I've never had or shopped for wireless headphones before. Any suggestions?
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Aug 21, 2014 23:32
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I'm looking for a good pair of headphones for music and gaming. Anyone have experience with Audio-Technica ATHM50RD Pro DJ Headphones? The ratings are really good and the price is in my range. As a related question, would a standalone webcam with a microphone plus good headphones replace a gaming headset sufficiently? I haven't been that impressed with the price/quality ratios on gaming headsets. edit: Well the reviews are really good and apparently one of my friends has them so I bought them. Elysiume fucked around with this message at 03:25 on Aug 22, 2014 |
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Aug 22, 2014 00:30
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VelociBacon posted:AKG 271 Mk.2's might be in that price range, I loved mine and they lasted 3 years of constant use. I bought these and am really enjoying them. They do a pretty good job at muffling out surrounding noise too, which I didn't even realized I wanted/needed. Sound is clean. My only fear is the permanent damage I am going to do to my ears from wanting to listen to everything at high volume now 
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Aug 22, 2014 04:11
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Elysiume posted:I'm looking for a good pair of headphones for music and gaming. Anyone have experience with Audio-Technica ATHM50RD Pro DJ Headphones? The ratings are really good and the price is in my range. They are just ATH M-50 headphones in red. Very popular suggestion for an entry level audiophile sort of headphone. I still have a pair hooked up to my computer rig since I don't have an amp I trust to run my more expensive headphones. Totally fine but not spectacular in any way.
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Aug 22, 2014 04:15
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Ultimate Mango posted:They are just ATH M-50 headphones in red. Very popular suggestion for an entry level audiophile sort of headphone. I still have a pair hooked up to my computer rig since I don't have an amp I trust to run my more expensive headphones. Totally fine but not spectacular in any way. Elysiume fucked around with this message at 06:01 on Aug 22, 2014 |
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Aug 22, 2014 05:58
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Elysiume posted:Yeah I know nothing about headphones and didn't know that Audio-Technica is a good brand or that ATH M-50s are a good headset. A couple of friends respectively told me those two things, and the red ones were the cheapest option. Ordered next day delivery because it was cheap. I believe they are frequently suggested as a first "expensive" headphone to people looking for something of quality and is willing to pay for it before heading down the slippery slope of ever more expensive headphones and gear. I like them for general use with my computer, light gaming and youtube and a little music. You made a solid choice. In other news, has anyone heard of the iFi iCAN nano? I just ordered one to replace another amp, and it seems it meets my requirements of portable and long battery life but I have heard it doesn't do well with sensitive phones or iems, which is all I have...
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Aug 22, 2014 06:04
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Well the good thing about the M50 is that the jump from whatever you have now to the M50 will be as big as from the M50 to whatever proper headphone you get next!
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Aug 22, 2014 15:35
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Just a check in from super-cheap headphone territory: The Philips SHE3590 was updated with oval stems, similar to some of the lower end Panasonics. It is awesome and very comfortable. The models marked "Clear Sound" are the ones with the ovals.
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Aug 23, 2014 01:08
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Hello, I'm looking for a nice comfortable, not-too-bulky, headset for music and gaming, preferably with a built in microphone. Budget - $30-60 Source - Laptop PC, either through audio jacks or USB. Isolation Requirements - None. Preferred Type of Headphone - Over Ear Preferred Tonal Balance -Balanced Past Headphones - A bunch of cheapish gaming headsets (Yapster, Plantronics etc.), they were comfortable but they broke after a year or two. So, something that lasts would be nice. Preferred Music - Mostly metal, and electronic stuff.
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Aug 23, 2014 16:55
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Just looking for some recommendations, a search through the posted links and on google hasn't really found anything that's convinced me it's right, so some recommendations from some real people would be nice. Thanks in advance. Budget - Something in the $200-300 Source - These'll be my stay-at-home headphones, for watching TV shows, playing games - I use my desktop computer for a lot of things. Isolation Requirements - Not required. Preferred Type of Headphone - Over ear, I want something big and comfortable for long periods of time (gaming, music, tv, sometimes 2 at the same time) that can fit an extra-large head. Preferred Tonal Balance - Balanced, I guess. Leaning towards bass. Past Headphones - I've had the AiAiAi TMA-1 for just over a year now, and in the first 6 months, it broke. Luckily, it was under warranty, and they replaced them for free. However, six months later (and half a month out of warranty) the second pair breaks. So I'm looking for a replacement. I have no complaints about the sound quality of the TMA-1s, but the comfort was an issue. They were a bit rigid, which wasn't comfortable for long periods, as well as being clearly not the right size/shape: They weren't tight enough to hold on properly so they weren't actually isolated yet my head is big enough that when I was pulling them over my head they would eventually break. So I'm looking for comfort that can handle a large head (i.e. custom hat size 90% of the time large) with comfort, and a similar level of audio quality. Less relevant but for travelling I have the Etymotic Research HF5 Portable IEMs which are fantastic with the memory foam earpieces, excellent sound quality - I swear they were better than the TMAs, although that might just be the excellent isolation. Preferred Music - Disney songs, heavy metal, and everything in between. Except for 99% of rap, I just never really got into that.
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Aug 23, 2014 20:20
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Jotunn posted:Just looking for some recommendations, a search through the posted links and on google hasn't really found anything that's convinced me it's right, so some recommendations from some real people would be nice. Thanks in advance. I used my AKG 271 mk.II's for exactly what you're describing and was very pleased with them.
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Aug 23, 2014 20:24
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I would like to see if I can get a good upgrade on headphones: Budget - $100 Preferably, but I can go up to $150 Source - Computer and console gaming mostly. Isolation Requirements - I do not need isolation terribly; I live by myself in an apartment that has decent noise insulation. Preferred Type of Headphone - Over ear Preferred Tonal Balance - Balanced, I guess. Past Headphones - I had Sennheiser HD428s that I really liked. Also have a Playstation Gold headset that is also good by kind of mute at times. Preferred Music - This is mostly for gaming, but I mostly to classic rock.
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Aug 23, 2014 23:42
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Well I recently bought Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphones for $105 and I've really been enjoying them. Also everyone I've talked to has basically said they're good for their price and a great pair of midrange headphones. They have very good sound and are surprisingly comfortable. edit: I also use them for gaming and music-listening and I've been impressed for both purposes. They feel very solid and the cord is coiled so it takes up less space and is unlikely to become knotted with other cords. A friend of mine has had a pair of (non-red) ATH-M50s for six years and has no complaints. Elysiume fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Aug 23, 2014 |
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Aug 23, 2014 23:48
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During my search for a pair of portable/work use non-IEM headphones, I picked up a pair of Sennheiser Momentum On-Ears. Used them for about a week and went ahead and returned them, mostly for comfort reasons (I haven't owned any supra-aural headphones in a long time, and was reminded of why), but the sound wasn't anything that made the decision difficult either. Got a pair of Philips Fidelio L1s in - they're discontinued but can be bought off Amazon for about the same price as the Sennheisers - and first impressions are mostly positive. There's definitely more emphasis on the low-end than what I prefer and am used to (I tend to go for neutral, with HD600s as my reference point for just about everything), but overall it's pretty well balanced, solidly built (though the cups swivel in what I think is the wrong direction, oddly), and reasonably comfortable (clamping force is a tad too high out of the box, but I imagine it'll get better with use). It's a semi-open design, and soundstage is certainly not comparable to the HD600s or most high-end headphones I've tried, but I didn't expect that anyway and don't particularly mind. I do worry that it might provide a bit more isolation than I honestly would like (to make sure I can hear people while at work), but I haven't really found any good fully-open headphones that features an inline mic (and does not require an amp), so this seems like an acceptable compromise.
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Aug 24, 2014 00:36
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Unlucky7 posted:I would like to see if I can get a good upgrade on headphones: This one's the go to at that price for now. http://www.amazon.com/NVX-Over-Ear-...VX+Audio+XPT100 A review. http://www.head-fi.org/t/624729/review-nvx-xpt100-a-direct-brainwavz-hm5-competitor
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Aug 25, 2014 03:16
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Oh well, thanks for linking my review!
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Aug 25, 2014 04:31
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I got a pair of Sennheiser Momentums yesterday and the sales guy at the store told me that for the first week I should continuously play music on them at maximum volume. Is this something that I really need to do and if so, what is the point of doing this?
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Aug 25, 2014 05:30
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Prof.Snugglesworth posted:I got a pair of Sennheiser Momentums yesterday and the sales guy at the store told me that for the first week I should continuously play music on them at maximum volume. Is this something that I really need to do and if so, what is the point of doing this? There's a belief held by some people that headphones need to be "burnt in" - that the the diaphragms change characteristics over time and only reach their maximum potential after 50-100 hours of usage. There is zero actual evidence that it works beyond psychoacoustics - people hear a difference because they want to hear a difference. Just use them as you see fit and don't worry about burn-in.
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Aug 25, 2014 05:42
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Budget - up to $200 if they're worth it Source - just into my iPhone Isolation Requirements - No Preferred Type of Headphone - IEM, I like the sound and the way they block out background Preferred Tonal Balance - I enjoy my bass, that's for sure and listen to a fair bit of drum and bass music.. but I don't want artifically bassey phones like Beats Past Headphones - Sennheisers, I've had a few pairs. The equivalent would be the MM70i, except I had the $200 version a few years ago. Bass was great as well as the rest of the listening range.. but the mic on the iPhone control broke down pretty quickly. I own the 'sport' version now, the over ear IEMs, again with the iPhone control and again it has stopped working. That is why I'm here, I want the iPhone control and mic so I can walk handsfree and do stuff while talking on the phone.. or adjust the volume without getting my phone out.. but the Senni's control just keeps crapping out. Looking for something more robust. Preferred Music - Everything really, drum and bass, various electronica, straight vocals and folk, rock, classical, everything. I can get the MM70i for around $60 and now I've got my other over ear Senni's for working out.. I can keep them for that and getting sweat soaked and just keep the receipt for the MM70i's and return them when the mic stops working (which I'm sure it will). I'd prefer some headphones that the iPhone control doesn't actually gently caress up on, though.
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Aug 25, 2014 09:50
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grack posted:There's a belief held by some people that headphones need to be "burnt in" - that the the diaphragms change characteristics over time and only reach their maximum potential after 50-100 hours of usage. There is evidence actually, Tyll posted graphs that, while inconclusive, certainly look like it's happening. Tyll posted this. Tyll claims that the results were inconclusive because there are too many variables. I get that, but I am also seeing that the headphones response is not changing erratically from measurement to measurement. The graph is tightening up each measurement. Now I've heard more headphones brand new to 100+ hours than most people that will post here, maybe even the most. I can say with certainty that I've heard this phenomena. This is why I make sure to listen to a headphone for at least 50 hours of head time after 50 hours of playing music through them while at work before I consider making a judgement. 50 hours to allow for the diaphragms to stretch their legs and 50 hours for me to get accustomed to the sound. You can believe me or not, that's your prerogative, but there certainly needs to be a counter-point to your bold claims. Edit: Page 2, Fig 6: Tyll posted:The gradual slightly increasing bass response could certainly be the seal of the headphone getting slowly better over time as the cushions seat against the head. However, at the 20 and 40 hour mark significant changes occur at about 80Hz; this is the fundamental driver resonance point. I don't think these data could me made by position change; at this frequency, FR changes due to position are from the changes of the seal and are not very frequency selective. These changes can really only be attributed to something happening with the driver during the 20-40 hour time period. I'd say this may be evidence of driver break-in. Midorka fucked around with this message at 14:03 on Aug 25, 2014 |
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Aug 25, 2014 14:00
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| # ? May 14, 2024 09:49 |
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I'm not really convinced that I've got the right thread, but can anyone make any suggestions for a Bluetooth headset for home office use? It needs to be able to switch easily between an iPhone and VOIP calls over an Apple laptop and be comfortable to wear for at least four hours at a time. Battery life also matters of course. A decent mic is important as well, since this will be used for work, not to shriek invective at video game playing twelve year olds. I'd prefer not to spend more than $300 at the absolute upper end, and less would be nice.
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Aug 25, 2014 17:19
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