|
Besson posted:Itching to upgrade my Sennheiser 585s, if anyone has any good ideas for the next logical step up. Do you mean 595? The HD 585 does not exist. For upgrades to the 595, there's not much in the same price range. The newer 598 is slightly better but not that much. The next real model up in Sennheiser's range is the HD 600, which is much more expensive ($300 or so) and requires an amplifier.
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 05:48
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 14:48 |
|
|
Besson posted:Itching to upgrade my Sennheiser 585s, if anyone has any good ideas for the next logical step up. HD600 if you like the sound signature you have now, hifiman HE 400s if you want something more bright or philips fidelio x2 if you want more bass. You'll definitely want an amp with the hd600 or he 400s, and its still a good idea with the x2 absolem fucked around with this message at 05:59 on Jan 23, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 05:55
|
|
|
ddogflex posted:What Bose have you used? QC XX headphones sound really good, not the $350 they cost good, but really good all the same. If you actually have a use for active noise cancelling they are definitely the way to go. I have a pair of QC 15s I got as a gift years ago and they're my main portable full-size headphones. Which means I basically just use them when traveling or around the house occasionally. They seem like the Apple of audio... for what you get, you end up paying a shitload that could be used to purchase something comparable or better for a lot less. Particularly compared to Sennheisers.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 06:03
|
|
|
Are headphones like my new Sennheiser HD598s something worth getting a non-onboard sound card (or USB thingy?) in my PC for? I haven't done a lot of testing yet, I just got the things, but the deep bass of e.g. explosions and collapsing cover in XCOM sound ruddy awful, like they're distorted. (Not a great description, I know, but I suck at sound  )Or is that more a characteristic of the 598s?
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 06:39
|
|
|
Sound quality isn't usually a top priority in video games, so don't blame the hardware just yet. How do movies sound?
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 07:19
|
|
|
I tried a couple movies, couple TV shows, TF2, and some random dubstep on youtube and couldn't really duplicate the effect, so I guess it's XCOM being wonky or something. Can't really get anything to play as loud as I want out of the 'phones, though, so hard to be 100% sure. (It's not QUIET, mind, just not quite loud enough.  )
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 07:47
|
|
|
Woolie Wool posted:Do you mean 595? The HD 585 does not exist. Whoops I meant 558! Thanks for the recs anyhow.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 08:35
|
|
|
Besson posted:Whoops I meant 558! Thanks for the recs anyhow. I updated from 598 to HD 650 last week. Would recommend if you feel ok spending $300+ on headphones.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 10:50
|
|
|
Constellation I posted:No way in hell you're gonna wear that monstrosity outside. Also, it requires a base station. I think people were just confused that you wanted a wireless headset (for gaming or VOIP for work or something). Yea, I meant Headphones, sorry for the misunderstanding. ddogflex posted:Funny thing is, for wireless, I would actually suggested the other HATED BRAND on here. I did a beta test for the Beats Studio Wireless 2's and they're pretty loving great for wireless headphones. Around $300. They are not a flat sound signature, but they're a pleasing one. They are not super boomy fart cans like people think of the older Beats. I'd buy some for myself if they were around $200.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 14:07
|
|
|
Ciaphas posted:Are headphones like my new Sennheiser HD598s something worth getting a non-onboard sound card (or USB thingy?) in my PC for? I haven't done a lot of testing yet, I just got the things, but the deep bass of e.g. explosions and collapsing cover in XCOM sound ruddy awful, like they're distorted. (Not a great description, I know, but I suck at sound I'll keep pimping the Asus Xonar U7. They did amazing things with my cheap Steelseries Siberia V2 compared to the onboard audio, and even more amazing things when I upgraded to DT770s.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 16:55
|
|
|
I'm looking for some new in-ears. I listen to pretty much everything but country using an iPhone, frequently in noisy environments like airports and public transportation. My headphones I use at home are HD650s driven by an old NAD integrated amp. I don't want to use a portable amp or any additional hardware. For a long time I used a Klipsch S4i, and switched to the Sony XBA-H1 on The Wirecutter's suggestion. The left side failed in about 18 months, and I didn't really like the sound that much (not enough detail, weird top end) and missed having the in-line controls and mic. I have reasonably large ear canal openings. They will be somewhat abused as I will frequently have to quickly take them off to interact people in airports, on planes, etc and I'll likely just throw them in a coat pocket or my bag for a few minutes before putting them back on. When not using them or putting them away for the day I'd use the case. I'd like to spend less than $500 and get at least 2 or 3 years out of them.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 18:22
|
|
|
I'm thinking of venturing into the baller high-end $1k-2k headphone realm, but I'm not sure if I should do CIEMs (K10, UE18, etc) or full size open headphones (HD800, LCDX, etc). I work from home but travel quite a bit, so they'd both get roughly equal listening time. Here's some more info: Budget - $2,000 Source (CIEM) - iPhone to a FiiO E12A, maybe also my computer (see below) Source (Open) - Computer (digital out) to stereo receiver to headphone amp (probably Bottlehead Crack) Isolation Requirements - No Preferred Type of Headphone - CIEM or Open Preferred Tonal Balance - Neutral to warm Current Headphones - V-Sonic GR-07 (IEM) & HD595 (Open) Preferred Music - Pretty much everything, I'd also use them for movies and video games I've seen a lot of people claim that CIEMs are the holy grail and full size open headphones can't touch them, and then there's a lot of other people claiming the exact opposite. I've got a place where I can try out some of the full size headphones, but I guess you can't really do that with CIEMs. Obviously, at this level, personal preference plays a huge role, but I'm curious to get some other opinions.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 19:18
|
|
|
Try before you buy really expensive headphones because there are a lot of serious caveats to them. I can't speak of the IEM world but I can of the headphone world. Generally, really expensive headphones offer one of two things. One is very good linear bass extension, which is what you get from the likes of the Hifiman HE-560 or Audeze LCD series. Second is better transient response and much lower distortion, which is what you get from the likes of the Sennheiser HD800. However, most expensive headphones just don't have very good build quality or consistency, especially if they are planar magnetic headphones. In the case of Audeze's LCD series, there have been more than a few objective measurements showing a fair amount of deviation between samples (even left and right drivers of the same headphone) of the same product lineup and more than a few reports of dead drivers. It doesn't mean they sound bad but it does mean that you cannot necessarily 100% trust objective and subjective impressions because its very much a mystery box situation. Its also difficult to "prove" to anyone that you're not crazy unless you know how to rig yourself a measuring device. I reckon its also a large reason why so many subjective impressions of flagship headphones are often different and contradictory...because people are basically listening to different headphones in certain situations. Another problem is that most actually have pretty wonky frequency responses. For all of the technical achievements of the Sennheiser HD800, a lot of people think it isn't a very nice headphone to listen to. To be more specific, it has recessed midrange that suddenly becomes a sharp peak at 6khz amongst other enclosure related issues that appear to be exaggerating this problem. A good number of audio products are guilty of rising frequency responses and treble peaks to boost clarity, like all of Beyerdynamic's lineup, but they generally don't place the peak at a frequency range that will accentuate sibilance. A lot of "high end" headphones have similarly wonky frequency range problems. For certain headphones like the Sennheisher HD800 and Hifiman HE-6/HE-560, there are a few well documented modifications that have been proven (i.e. objective measurements and not subjective impressions) to improve certain areas they may be weak in. But you're still modifying a $1,000+ headphone and voiding its warranty in the process. What I think? You're not going to get something that sounds nicer than something like the Sennheiser HD600 combined with a good headphone amplifier and DAC (i.e. Magni + Modi stack). It might be missing some of that lower bass but the overall package is much better than the majority of high end headphones on the market. If you really want something more out there, the Koss ESP-950 is really nice provided you can manage a good seal on your head - the bass response is surprisingly good actually. Chafe fucked around with this message at 18:28 on Jan 24, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2016 18:23
|
|
|
Melp posted:I'm thinking of venturing into the baller high-end $1k-2k headphone realm, but I'm not sure if I should do CIEMs (K10, UE18, etc) or full size open headphones (HD800, LCDX, etc). I work from home but travel quite a bit, so they'd both get roughly equal listening time. Here's some more info: I have a pair of K10 customs as well as the LCD-XC. While I don't have a full size open, I can tell you that my K10 gets way more use than the LCD. I don't need an amp for the K10 and I travel quite a lot, and that makes a big difference. You can't really do international air travel with a full size, and the K10 are so comfortable I can sleep in them even on a plane. There are ways to demo a universal K10 (and some other CIEM shops also have universal demo pairs), and Noble even makes and sells the K10 universal so you could at least hear what they sound like. I would say think about your use case and course and go from there. I love both my high end sets, but the K10 goes with me literally everywhere and the LCD is more a rare, sit down and listen to music treat. If you go Noble I can probably give you a little more advice as well, since I have gotten to know them having the K10.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2016 19:07
|
|
|
WugLyfe posted:These are the OG gameboy, the Nokia phone, the loving mithril of headphones. I haven't actually laughed out loud at a post that was so accurate in a long time. Not to mention the warranty they have. its like 2 years no questions asked fix anything. They say its "manufacturer's defect", but basically they consider it "as long as you aren't stupid with it" We replace/fix it.
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2016 00:37
|
|
|
Ultimate Mango posted:If you go Noble I can probably give you a little more advice as well, since I have gotten to know them having the K10.
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2016 17:10
|
|
|
I've had a random desire to get a nice pair of bluetooth headphones mostly for around the house listening but also to be paired with my phone when I'm out and about and I have decided on the Plantronics Backbeat Sense as a light weight and full functioned pro style headphone for under $200. I didn't read a single word of this thread nor do I plan to in the future. Okay bye.
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2016 18:45
|
|
|
Disclaimer: really stupid question incoming. My HD 598s have a big plug at the end that's made to go into some special kind of audio jack. It came with a converter to go from the big plug to the little one that you see on smartphones and such but I lost mine. What should I search for on Amazon to get the right part? I did a little searching myself but there were a ton of different options and I didn't want to buy the wrong thing.
|
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2016 00:18
|
|
|
jack to mini jack. Or someone prob makes a replacement cable so you don't have that stupid lump at the end of the cable.
|
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2016 00:24
|
|
|
Melp posted:The K10s are actually my top choice right now. How does the sound stage compare between them and the Audeze offerings? Have you tried the K10s with an amp before? I'm curious just how much of an impact it would make. I have used a K10 with a good number of amps, and they take well to a good amp. Traveling I use the K10 either out of my iPad or from the iPad or iPod to an ALO Audio Rx. When the Cavalli Audio portable drops I will be buying that immediately (I tried a beta of the portable Cavalli for a while, and while it was missing the battery pack and circuit it sounded better than anything else I have heard with the K10). Before the Rx I used several other amps, the TCG U-Skin being particularly nice. For movies and such I use the iPods headphone jack and it sounds like I am in a full blown movie theater. Really, even the bass impact is palpable. I honestly have not done much A/B comparison between the LCD and K10. The K10 are comfortable for long times at a stretch (18 hour plane flight comfortable). The LCD I can't wear more than an hour or two at a time. Soundstage on both are good. The K10 have such incredible detail retrieval that you can really get in and listen to every nuance of every instrument or part of what you are listening to. LCD is wider because they aren't shoved in your ears, and the micro detail (god I sound like a douchebag right now) isn't quite as pronounced. It isn't meant as a slam against the excellent LCD-XC, it's just a different flavor if that makes sense. Most people who I have had listen to the LCDXC say its the best they ever heard, including an audio producer/mixer with decades of experience who has ears I personally trust. The LCD give you a sound stage that makes you feel like you are there, where the K10 feels like you are inside the music.
|
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2016 00:34
|
|
|
Virtue posted:Disclaimer: really stupid question incoming. My HD 598s have a big plug at the end that's made to go into some special kind of audio jack. It came with a converter to go from the big plug to the little one that you see on smartphones and such but I lost mine. What should I search for on Amazon to get the right part? I did a little searching myself but there were a ton of different options and I didn't want to buy the wrong thing. I use this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008JGWY2Y because evil_bunnY posted:Or someone prob makes a replacement cable so you don't have that stupid lump at the end of the cable. solid hunk-o-metal converters put waaaaaaay too much stress on the phone jack and are very unweildly.
|
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2016 00:36
|
|
|
Virtue posted:Disclaimer: really stupid question incoming. My HD 598s have a big plug at the end that's made to go into some special kind of audio jack. It came with a converter to go from the big plug to the little one that you see on smartphones and such but I lost mine. What should I search for on Amazon to get the right part? I did a little searching myself but there were a ton of different options and I didn't want to buy the wrong thing. You can also just buy a new cable entirely since the original cable is super long if you're using a phone. http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM/
|
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2016 06:05
|
|
|
Croc Monster posted:I use this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008JGWY2Y Constellation I posted:You can also just buy a new cable entirely since the original cable is super long if you're using a phone. Good advice. I'll probably go with one of these. It's not for a phone though. My FiiO E7/E9 died recently and I was going to replace it with an Asus Xonar U7 but from the pictures it looks like it only has the tiny hole and not the big one.
|
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2016 06:13
|
|
|
I'd get a adapter as well as it'll come useful in the future. I'd only spend about $5 max on one though (well, $2 ideally)
|
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2016 06:18
|
|
|
thinking about picking up a pair of Sennheiser HD25-1 II. mostly for gaming with a modmic, and listening to metal. I like the idea of reference speakers but they always seem light on the bass. granted all my experience in this is in the car audio world, do you think these cans would suffer the way? otherwise can you guys recommend something else under $200, replacable cable preferred.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2016 05:23
|
|
|
Unsane posted:thinking about picking up a pair of Sennheiser HD25-1 II. mostly for gaming with a modmic, and listening to metal. I like the idea of reference speakers but they always seem light on the bass. granted all my experience in this is in the car audio world, do you think these cans would suffer the way? otherwise can you guys recommend something else under $200, replacable cable preferred. I have a set of the Amperiors, which are effectively the same as the HD25. They have a great aggressive sound that's perfect for things like metal. The bass on them is great, too. Maybe not "car subwoofer" overkill but definitely not anemic. The one thing that you need to keep in mind about these is that they are on-ear headphones and they clamp pretty hard. I found them to be quite uncomfortable after an hour or so. Unless you're sure you're fine with using on-ear cans for the types of things you're planning to use these for, you might want to think about getting a set of around-ear for comfort reasons. Other than that, they are pretty great and apparently drat near indestructible. As far as around-ears: I haven't heard them, but apparently the Audiotechnica M50x and the V-moda line are well regarded and tend towards heavier bass. Edit: Also, the Philips Fidelio Pursus fucked around with this message at 15:39 on Jan 27, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2016 15:36
|
|
|
Budget - $150ish Source - My computer with onboard sound, phone (currently a Nexus 6p) and Playstation 4 controller. Isolation Requirements - Not really. Preferred Type of Headphone - I do not like earbuds, and by extension don't want IEMs. I'd prefer over ear, but on ear is fine, as long as they're comfy. Preferred Tonal Balance - I like bass, but listen to a variety so I'm not Past Headphones - The most expensive headphones I've ever owned were the Playstation Golds, which sounded fine to me. Preferred Music - Mostly hip hop. Basically, I want something like the Beats solo, but not the Beats solo. Been reading the thread for a few weeks and the Sennheiser 598s seem to be about what I'm looking for? Is there something else I should be looking for?
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2016 15:57
|
|
|
Unsane posted:thinking about picking up a pair of Sennheiser HD25-1 II. mostly for gaming with a modmic, and listening to metal. I like the idea of reference speakers but they always seem light on the bass. granted all my experience in this is in the car audio world, do you think these cans would suffer the way? otherwise can you guys recommend something else under $200, replacable cable preferred. Seconding the Philips Fidelio x2,or the m50 if you want something portable Athenry posted:Budget - $150ish The beats solo 2 are decent headphones. Do you want to take these around out of the house? If not, the 598 is good, but otherwise look at the audio technica m50
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2016 17:04
|
|
|
Rincewinds posted:Are you refering to beats studio solo 2 wireless, I could not find anything about Beats Studio Wireless 2. Maybe they never released them and I just broke an NDA? That or they're really just the Studio Wireless and I mixed it up because they came out at the around the same time as the Studio 2? I pretty sure the regular Studios were already out, this was a while back, who knows. I don't exactly follow Beats models. I'd try them out before spending that kind of money either way. The one big annoying thing to me is you can't turn off noise cancelling on them and the noise cancelling adds some white noise. Beyond that I thought they were great.
|
|
#
?
Jan 27, 2016 17:49
|
|
|
Chafe posted:Try before you buy really expensive headphones because there are a lot of serious caveats to them. I can't speak of the IEM world but I can of the headphone world. Really interesting post. I didn't know that Audeeze had problems like that with their quality control. I have always wanted to upgrade my HifiMan He-400s to the LCD2 (or someday the LCD3). You think that the difference wouldn't be noticeable? I'm currently running the He-400s into an Objective 2 Amp/DAC.
|
|
#
?
Jan 28, 2016 02:14
|
|
|
Ignore this post I am dumb 
|
|
#
?
Jan 28, 2016 03:05
|
|
|
Shankel Magnus posted:Really interesting post. I didn't know that Audeeze had problems like that with their quality control. I have always wanted to upgrade my HifiMan He-400s to the LCD2 (or someday the LCD3). You think that the difference wouldn't be noticeable? I'm currently running the He-400s into an Objective 2 Amp/DAC. The difference is going to be noticeable because they're two different headphones. Whether or not you'll actually appreciate the difference is a different matter as the HE-400S is less recessed in the midrange and treble than the LCD-2 but doesn't have the linear bass extension the LCD-2 has. But you can sort of solve the bass roll off problem the HE-400S has by swapping the earpads to Hifiman's Focus Pads.
|
|
#
?
Jan 30, 2016 04:03
|
|
|
Hello, looking for some advice on getting a decent pair of headphones for PC gaming and video watching. I'm not super picky about sound, having mostly cruised by on cheapass $30 USB headphones from Target, but I'd like to upgrade to something with better construction that isn't going to fall apart in under 2 years. My prior headphones all die from simple wear on the cords that eventually start shorting out and eventually cut through completely. So my primary concern is that they are quality parts that won't wear out simply by being worn. Budget - up to $150 but would greatly prefer under $100 Source - PC Isolation Requirements - Not really, I'm in my own room and would like to be able to hear my roommate if he needs to get my attention. Preferred Type of Headphone - Over-ear (circumaural), also prefer one with a build in microphone Preferred Tonal Balance - Really don't care as long as it's not heavily biased to one type of sound over the others Past Headphones - I wear glasses and hate headphones that press on my ears, as noted above I mostly want ones that will last more than a few years Preferred Music - all kinds of stuff but mostly rock, chiptunes/electronic, some drum n bass, the occasional j-pop or taylor swift, whatever
|
|
#
?
Jan 30, 2016 20:35
|
|
|
 the R6i's I bought a little more than a month ago. There was a short or something in the cable and now the controls don't work and the left channel keeps cutting out. Luckily Amazon is allowing me to return them but now I'm back to searching for a pair of headphones with inline controls. At this point I don't even care what type of phones they are, I just want a pair that'll be durable and have an Apple-compatible mic + clicker. Looking to spend around $100 but could go up to $150 if there's nothing at the $100 price level. Suggestions?
|
|
#
?
Jan 30, 2016 21:16
|
|
|
Indecisive posted:Hello, looking for some advice on getting a decent pair of headphones for PC gaming and video watching. I'm not super picky about sound, having mostly cruised by on cheapass $30 USB headphones from Target, but I'd like to upgrade to something with better construction that isn't going to fall apart in under 2 years. My prior headphones all die from simple wear on the cords that eventually start shorting out and eventually cut through completely. So my primary concern is that they are quality parts that won't wear out simply by being worn. Audio Technica AD700x. For the mic, just get the cheapo Zalman clip on mic to be under budget. ModMic is the preferred choice but it's pricey. Sennheiser HD558 is another alternative headphone.
|
|
#
?
Jan 31, 2016 03:30
|
|
|
Hey all I lost my old klipsch x10s and never bothered replacing them. Now that I have the money I was hoping for IEM recommendations. Hopefully something durable as my klipschs were pretty flimsy Budget - $ 300-100 Source - Laptop, have a portable amp, Iphone Isolation Requirements - Yes isolation would be fantastic and capable of blocking out airplane noise (my old x10s could easily) Preferred Type of Headphone - IEM Preferred Tonal Balance - No preferred balance. Clear, good bass, soundstage and I'm happy Past Headphones - I loved my old klipsch x10s. They were AMAZINGLY comfy, amazing isolation, and fantastic sound quality (soundstage was a little meh though) Preferred Music - Anything I tried looking on head-fi and was hit with the problem where there are too many options. Almost every iem reviews to pretty good so its hard to single one out.
|
|
#
?
Jan 31, 2016 10:33
|
|
|
Good amp to go with DT-770s? I take it buying the 250 ohm and an amp is superior to buying the 32 or 80 ohm? They are all about the same price on Amazon.
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2016 08:04
|
|
|
Shankel Magnus posted:Really interesting post. I didn't know that Audeeze had problems like that with their quality control. I have always wanted to upgrade my HifiMan He-400s to the LCD2 (or someday the LCD3). You think that the difference wouldn't be noticeable? I'm currently running the He-400s into an Objective 2 Amp/DAC. There is a very good reason why you can email Audeze with your serial number and ask for their frequency response measurements (left and right) for your headphones. They test them at the factory but won't show you if they are mismatched unless you ask...
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2016 08:10
|
|
|
dantheman650 posted:Good amp to go with DT-770s? I take it buying the 250 ohm and an amp is superior to buying the 32 or 80 ohm? They are all about the same price on Amazon. Only buy the higher impedance model if your source has a high output impedance. Buying an amp also fixes that issue because they generally have very low output impedance. So if you don't need more power, but the source output impedance is kinda high (like 10 ohm or something), just get the 80 or 250 ohm model. On the other hand if you need more output power than your source can deliver, get an amp and whichever model you want. The 32 ohm will technically be easiest to drive and sound exactly as good as the others. Reference: I tried all the models of the DT880 before buying the 250 ohm model and no amp, because it was fine with the 10 ohm output impedance on my stereo. They all delivered the same sound quality from a low output impedance source. Higher input impedance is not a marker for better sound quality, it just changes the voltage/amperage ratio needed to drive them, and lets higher output impedance sources drives them without causing uneven frequency response. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 08:22 on Feb 1, 2016 |
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2016 08:17
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 14:48 |
|
|
KozmoNaut posted:Only buy the higher impedance model if your source has a high output impedance. So to sum this all up, if I'm going to be using a Macbook Pro/phone as my source, I may as well just but the 32 ohm model and skip the amp? If it makes any difference, I already have a DAC (NI Audio 2 DJ) Harriet Carker fucked around with this message at 11:59 on Feb 1, 2016 |
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2016 11:37
|
|