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?

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evobatman: Jul 30, 2006; it means nothing, but says everything!; Pillbug

ineptmule posted:

I'm looking for some light-ish weight fairly compact headphones for use commuting and in the office. The last pair I had in this role was some lower-end Sennheisers that cost about �30 and were fine until the jack connector got busted. I've been meaning to repair the cable since then but . If this new pair had a replaceable/detachable cable that would be great. It also would ideally have a slim jack housing as the cutaways on my phone case are quite small but I could always run them through a remote or slimline extension so that's not a dealbreaker.

Budget - �50-100

Source - Primarily iPhone 6+ and MacBook

Isolation Requirements - Yes

Preferred Type of Headphone - On-ear or preferably Over-ear. I can't stand IEMs, they hurt my ears and they always fall out and are generally a nuisance. Between on- or over, I very much prefer over but I realise that for a smaller set of headphones I'm likely to have to consider on.

Preferred Tonal Balance - Pretty much balanced? I don't really know what I'm talking about here but I listen to a really wide range of stuff so I need something pretty neutral that won't affect the far ends of the spectrum too much.

Past Headphones - I have some Sennheiser 598s at home that are ideal for my listening, but they are a bit obnoxious for use to in public as they are open. Also quite big but as I said, not too bothered by mid-range size if they are the right headphones. I have the aforementioned cheaper Sennheisers which were perfectly decent but are busted and possibly not worth the effort to repair. I tried out the Xiaomi Pistons last year and they sounded good but, as I explained, I am not a fan of IEMs.

Preferred Music - Really almost anything except for R&B. My Spotify Discover Weekly is almost all rock and metal so I guess those are my most commonly listened to genres, but I have lots of friends who are classical musicians and listen to that a lot, I love reggae, folk and jazz (both classic and contemporary revival kind of stuff) and sometimes spend a week or two at a time listening to Drum & Bass or some other absurdly named electronic subgenre.

I will suggest Bang & Olufsen H2s, they regularly come up on sale for under �100. I love mine, use them on the bus to and from work and in the office and at home, and their sound signature should suit your music taste.

Also, your Apple products should be paired with B&O accessories.

# ? Sep 28, 2016 14:46

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# ? May 31, 2024 14:35

Dr. Fishopolis: Aug 31, 2004; ROBOT

ineptmule posted:

I'm looking for some light-ish weight fairly compact headphones for use commuting and in the office. The last pair I had in this role was some lower-end Sennheisers that cost about �30 and were fine until the jack connector got busted. I've been meaning to repair the cable since then but . If this new pair had a replaceable/detachable cable that would be great. It also would ideally have a slim jack housing as the cutaways on my phone case are quite small but I could always run them through a remote or slimline extension so that's not a dealbreaker.

Budget - �50-100

Source - Primarily iPhone 6+ and MacBook

Isolation Requirements - Yes

Preferred Type of Headphone - On-ear or preferably Over-ear. I can't stand IEMs, they hurt my ears and they always fall out and are generally a nuisance. Between on- or over, I very much prefer over but I realise that for a smaller set of headphones I'm likely to have to consider on.

Preferred Tonal Balance - Pretty much balanced? I don't really know what I'm talking about here but I listen to a really wide range of stuff so I need something pretty neutral that won't affect the far ends of the spectrum too much.

Past Headphones - I have some Sennheiser 598s at home that are ideal for my listening, but they are a bit obnoxious for use to in public as they are open. Also quite big but as I said, not too bothered by mid-range size if they are the right headphones. I have the aforementioned cheaper Sennheisers which were perfectly decent but are busted and possibly not worth the effort to repair. I tried out the Xiaomi Pistons last year and they sounded good but, as I explained, I am not a fan of IEMs.

Preferred Music - Really almost anything except for R&B. My Spotify Discover Weekly is almost all rock and metal so I guess those are my most commonly listened to genres, but I have lots of friends who are classical musicians and listen to that a lot, I love reggae, folk and jazz (both classic and contemporary revival kind of stuff) and sometimes spend a week or two at a time listening to Drum & Bass or some other absurdly named electronic subgenre.

If you're willing to spring the extra 9 pounds: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sennheiser...ennheiser+hd+25

I think I've already professed my love for these enough, they're an indestructible classic. Don't go for the "Light" or "SP" versions, they're bad.

If you want something more fashionable, the Momentum on-ear version 1 are discontinued and you might find them in your budget, but the HD25 is cheaper and sounds better.

If you want over-ear, you can't go wrong with the M40x: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audio-Tech...1&keywords=m40x

the tradeoff from the HD25 being a much more fragile (though still solid) build and a lot more bulk.

# ? Sep 28, 2016 17:32

Squibsy: Dec 3, 2005; Not suited, just booted.; College Slice

Awesome, thanks for the recommendations, I'll have a look!

# ? Sep 28, 2016 21:55

Constellation I: Apr 3, 2005; I'm a sucker, a little fucker.

Dr. Fishopolis posted:

Okay I went and got me some of those ridiculous $5 VE monk plus earbuds. The hype is ridiculous, but what the heck they're 5 bucks. Turns out, they're a joke, how good they are. It's a silly joke.

They have Serious Business imaging and soundstage. If you double up the little foam things they give you, they have fast, decently extended bass. They're on the warm side of neutral, but not crazy. They don't just sound great for 5 dollars, they sound great period.

The only earbuds I have left from the Great Earbud Purge of the late 90s are Apple Earpods. It's no comparison. The earpods are scooped to gently caress. The bass is flabby and bleeds into the lower mids. There's a vague suggestion of vocals that give way to sibilant, peaky treble with a big fat 5k spike that overwhelms any sizzle or harmonics that might be present in the higher registers.

Compared to my old standard favorite portables, the Sennheiser HD25's, they actually kind of hold up. Obviously there's no isolation, they're not as "aggressive in a good way", the bass isn't quite as deep or fast or accurate. There's no getting away from the fact that they're $5 plastic earbuds either, the comfort and build quality will never be close to the unkillable, industrial brutality of the HD25s, let alone a decent set of over-ear cans. They're no good for walking around outside, it's like trying to listen to HD598s in a crowded bar. You'll have to turn them up to dangerous levels for anything good to happen, so just don't.

But in a quiet room, the soundstage is the widest I have ever heard in a portable format, and they have inarguably better mids. I'm listening to Goblin's Profondo Rosso and there are synth lines coming from another god drat room somehow.

How comfortable are these? Looking for earbuds to listen to poo poo while in bed and potentially falling asleep in them. (probably the only use case for earbuds nowadays for me) IEM's were always uncomfortable for a side-sleeper and headphones are a no-no obviously.

# ? Sep 29, 2016 03:58

Big Nubbins: Jun 1, 2004

I lost my DUNU DN-1000, so it's time to get another pair of headphones. I originally got them for the wide soundstage and the bass response, but was a little put off by the weight of these things. They held up like a tank to drops but eventually the aluminum strain relief slider stripped one of the wires and it got patched with electrical tape i.e. I was ready for a new set anyway.

Budget: $100 should be plenty for a capable single-driver system
Source/Isolation: I'm combining these because while I have a Schiit Modi for desktop/work listening, I need these to have enough sensitivity or isolation to drown out gas-powered yard equipment
Tonal balance: Lightly emphasized bass and a nice, wide soundstage.
Past headphones: the DUNU mentioned above and Klipsch S4i
Music pref: Mostly EDM, some rock, instrumental

# ? Sep 29, 2016 17:15

grack: Jan 10, 2012; COACH TOTORO SAY REFEREE CAN BANISH WHISTLE TO LAND OF WIND AND GHOSTS!

Are you looking for something similar to the Dunus? The DN-1000 is much more than "slightly" bassy.

# ? Sep 29, 2016 18:30

Big Nubbins: Jun 1, 2004

grack posted:

Are you looking for something similar to the Dunus? The DN-1000 is much more than "slightly" bassy.

You're absolutely right. With the DUNUs I was looking for big, clean bass but now I'm looking for something more subdued than those, but still emphasized. I'm more concerned about bass accuracy and depth, but not at the cost of the midrange. Does that make any sense? I'm kind of floundering on the lexicon here.

# ? Sep 29, 2016 19:36

grack: Jan 10, 2012; COACH TOTORO SAY REFEREE CAN BANISH WHISTLE TO LAND OF WIND AND GHOSTS!

Shame Boner posted:

You're absolutely right. With the DUNUs I was looking for big, clean bass but now I'm looking for something more subdued than those, but still emphasized. I'm more concerned about bass accuracy and depth, but not at the cost of the midrange. Does that make any sense? I'm kind of floundering on the lexicon here.

No, that makes sense. I'd suggest the Hifiman RE400, as they tick just about all of your boxes. They have some bass emphasis but it'll be much more linear than the Dunus. Decent isolation as well.

# ? Sep 29, 2016 20:04

Big Nubbins: Jun 1, 2004

grack posted:

No, that makes sense. I'd suggest the Hifiman RE400, as they tick just about all of your boxes. They have some bass emphasis but it'll be much more linear than the Dunus. Decent isolation as well.

Thanks, after reading the review on head-fi, these sound like they'll fit the bill! I picked a pair of these up for $80 on Amazon. The cable manager looks pretty flaky, but thankfully the DUNUs came with an amazing case that you could probably drive a truck over.

# ? Sep 29, 2016 21:23

8-bit Miniboss: May 24, 2005; CORPO COPS CAME FOR MY

Budget - Still thinking about it. But I've been looking at downsizing some possessions to subsidize whatever I end up getting. Let's say $350 is the top end for now.
Source - iPhone 7, N3DS, PC and MacBook Air
Isolation Requirements - Home, not so much. Work, yes. I sit next to a 20 ton AC unit.
Preferred Type of Headphone - Circumaural or in-ear. On-ear is the devil and will never use. Also because I wear eyeglasses, it becomes very uncomfortable to use on-ears very quickly.
Preferred Tonal Balance - No real preference. I ingest so much different content that it hasn't mattered much to me.
Past Headphones - Bose QC15's are my current headphones still soldering on and also use Wirecutter's previous cheap in-ear bud picks, the Brainwavz Delta with Mic.
Preferred Music - Ranges from Nordic metal, to regular heavy metal to lighter stuff like Bowie and occasional old school hip-hop.

So with iPhone 7 included in the mix, I'd like to get a BT set with wired option for my other sources. So far I've looked at the Bose QC35, Sony h.ear MDR-100ABN and the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless. Obviously the QC35 seems to be the pick for me given I'm still on my QC15's, is this the right sentiment? The Sennheiser only has my attention because it offers a 2 year warranty and full on leather rather than the fake leatherette stuff the Bose and Sony sets use, otherwise I could ignore it.

# ? Sep 30, 2016 02:23

Dr. Fishopolis: Aug 31, 2004; ROBOT

Haven't heard the h.ear but Momentum is better built and much, much, much better sounding than the qc35.

# ? Sep 30, 2016 04:23

priznat: Jul 7, 2009; Let's get drunk and kiss each other all night.

Budget: $200 or so, could go higher for some top end quality
Source: iPhone, will be upgrading to the 7 at some point so, bluetooth preferred
Isolation Requirements: Very much so, in a noisy office/lab environment
Preferred type of headphone: IEM, for the isolation and lightweight/portability
Preferred Tonal Balance: neutral with maybe some bass as long as it doesn't get muddy. Nothing too sibilant!
Past Headphones: My current set of wired IEMs are RHA MA750is which I quite like. I've had Shure E2Cs, Klipsch S4i and Custom-3s (which I loved until the cables went to poo poo).
Preferred Music: Mostly electronic stuff with pop and heavy rock in there too.

For BT headphones I've been looking at the Jaybird X2s which seem to get decent reviews. I am kind of interested in hearing if the new beats x/beats extreme ones are any good (yeah, I have doubts) just because of their effortless pairing with an iphone using that W1 chip. I tried a set of Optoma Nuforce BE6i which were utter crap (monitors were too drat large, fit sucked, sounded terrible) so I took them back to Costco where I got them from.

Additionally they should be a 8 hour battery life to be able to get through a long workday in one go.

Thanks!

priznat fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Sep 30, 2016

# ? Sep 30, 2016 04:52

poppingseagull: Apr 12, 2004

8-bit Miniboss posted:

Budget - Still thinking about it. But I've been looking at downsizing some possessions to subsidize whatever I end up getting. Let's say $350 is the top end for now.
Source - iPhone 7, N3DS, PC and MacBook Air
Isolation Requirements - Home, not so much. Work, yes. I sit next to a 20 ton AC unit.
Preferred Type of Headphone - Circumaural or in-ear. On-ear is the devil and will never use. Also because I wear eyeglasses, it becomes very uncomfortable to use on-ears very quickly.
Preferred Tonal Balance - No real preference. I ingest so much different content that it hasn't mattered much to me.
Past Headphones - Bose QC15's are my current headphones still soldering on and also use Wirecutter's previous cheap in-ear bud picks, the Brainwavz Delta with Mic.
Preferred Music - Ranges from Nordic metal, to regular heavy metal to lighter stuff like Bowie and occasional old school hip-hop.

So with iPhone 7 included in the mix, I'd like to get a BT set with wired option for my other sources. So far I've looked at the Bose QC35, Sony h.ear MDR-100ABN and the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless. Obviously the QC35 seems to be the pick for me given I'm still on my QC15's, is this the right sentiment? The Sennheiser only has my attention because it offers a 2 year warranty and full on leather rather than the fake leatherette stuff the Bose and Sony sets use, otherwise I could ignore it.

I'm looking for similar, and QC35 are facing tough competition now. Momentum 2.0 wireless are good, PXC 550s look good too. But personally I'm leaning towards the Sony MDR-1000X once they release and we get more reviews. Only downside of Senn/Sony vs Bose is Bose supposedly works better with the iPhone since it supports AAC, whereas the others use AptX. In the case of Apple products it falls back to SBC. But I've seen mixed reports of how much that really matters, since the SBC implementation can achieve a high bitrate.

# ? Sep 30, 2016 06:20

8-bit Miniboss: May 24, 2005; CORPO COPS CAME FOR MY

poppingseagull posted:

I'm looking for similar, and QC35 are facing tough competition now. Momentum 2.0 wireless are good, PXC 550s look good too. But personally I'm leaning towards the Sony MDR-1000X once they release and we get more reviews. Only downside of Senn/Sony vs Bose is Bose supposedly works better with the iPhone since it supports AAC, whereas the others use AptX. In the case of Apple products it falls back to SBC. But I've seen mixed reports of how much that really matters, since the SBC implementation can achieve a high bitrate.

Wow, the Sony MDR-1000X looks really nice and I like that "quick attention" feature. Seems useful for when I'm at work and someone needs to talk to me, which happens a lot. This is one is going on the list for now. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

# ? Sep 30, 2016 07:22

Dr. Fishopolis: Aug 31, 2004; ROBOT

Constellation I posted:

How comfortable are these? Looking for earbuds to listen to poo poo while in bed and potentially falling asleep in them. (probably the only use case for earbuds nowadays for me) IEM's were always uncomfortable for a side-sleeper and headphones are a no-no obviously.

I basically don't notice they're in my ears. The foam they come with looks like cheap bullshit, but is some kind of hoodoo magic.

Just buy them. Seriously, everyone in this thread go to veclan.com and get a pair of Monk Plus. They will cost you around seven dollars fifty cents with shipping.

A month will pass. You will forget you did this. Life will go on. Some of you will fall in love, or out of love. Some of you will get sick, or get better. Maybe nothing at all will happen.

One day a strange package will arrive from China. You'll open the envelope to find a cheap looking little baggie, with cheap looking little earbuds in it. You'll try them out and go "huh, these are pretty loving amazing earbuds for seven dollars fifty cents."

Other things will happen, you'll listen to music, eventually you'll die.

# ? Sep 30, 2016 07:26

Nitrousoxide: May 30, 2011; do not buy a oneplus phone

poppingseagull posted:

I'm looking for similar, and QC35 are facing tough competition now. Momentum 2.0 wireless are good, PXC 550s look good too. But personally I'm leaning towards the Sony MDR-1000X once they release and we get more reviews. Only downside of Senn/Sony vs Bose is Bose supposedly works better with the iPhone since it supports AAC, whereas the others use AptX. In the case of Apple products it falls back to SBC. But I've seen mixed reports of how much that really matters, since the SBC implementation can achieve a high bitrate.

The Sony ones are real nice. If only they had a usb type c port and could charge and play through that. You'd never have to worry about running out of power.

# ? Sep 30, 2016 07:59

evobatman: Jul 30, 2006; it means nothing, but says everything!; Pillbug

Do not ever buy the Bose QC25/QC35 unless the single thing you need them for is sitting on an airplane. They are cheap plastic poo poo with horrible tinny sound quality that would be bad for a $20 headphone.

# ? Sep 30, 2016 12:21

sirbeefalot: Aug 24, 2004; Fast Learner.; Fun Shoe

Dr. Fishopolis posted:

"huh, these are pretty loving amazing earbuds for seven dollars fifty cents."

Hell, here they are for multiple dollars less!

# ? Sep 30, 2016 14:22

prom candy: Dec 16, 2005; Only I may dance

Unless you really need BT headphones I have a feeling that right now is a terrible time to buy a pair. People upgrading to the iPhone 7 is going to create more demand and likely more options for wireless headphones over the next couple of years.

# ? Oct 1, 2016 06:22

8-bit Miniboss: May 24, 2005; CORPO COPS CAME FOR MY

prom candy posted:

Unless you really need BT headphones I have a feeling that right now is a terrible time to buy a pair. People upgrading to the iPhone 7 is going to create more demand and likely more options for wireless headphones over the next couple of years.

There's plenty of cheap jobbers out now for around 20. I bought a piece of poo poo BT headset to run as a temp set until I get something I want because of work concerns.

Edit: What I'm saying is: gently caress dongles. I left my iPhone 7 headphone dongle at home today and I've never hated life more than today. :argh:

8-bit Miniboss fucked around with this message at 06:54 on Oct 1, 2016

# ? Oct 1, 2016 06:36

priznat: Jul 7, 2009; Let's get drunk and kiss each other all night.

Yeah I'm hoping there will be a flood of new models of BT headsets coming up with the iPhone 7 being released.

A temp set of the cheaper ones would be ok too I suppose. I do a lot of lab work moving equipment and it would also be nice to not have the dangly cords for when I forget to run the wires through my shirt.

My RHA MA750is are on warranty service for the cord fraying, so I have been desperately digging out alternatives that I have laying around. Even tried the apple earpods, whose fit I absolutely despise. They always feel like they're going to fall out at any second. Their wireless version would give me the heebie jeebies.

# ? Oct 1, 2016 07:19

Chelb: Oct 24, 2010; I'm gonna show SA-kun my shitposting!

I'm getting tired of my old Superlux 681's and would like something more comfortable while still being cheap.

Budget - Under $100

Source - PC (no external amp). I've got a Xiaomi Piston 3 for my android phone, so headphones portable enough for phones would be cool but not necessary. If they are portable though, control buttons would be nice.

Isolation - Not really an issue

Preferred Type of Headphone - Over-ear but hell, whatever's comfy and sounds nice

Preferred Tonal Balance - I like bass but I don't want anything real bass heavy. My Superlux's have a real piercing treble that I've always eq'd and I'd like to avoid that. A good soundstage would be a nice bonus.

Past Headphones:

The aforementioned Superlux HD668b, which sounded wonderful save for their uncomfortably high treble, and had only mediocre comfort.

Grado SR60i - A pretty great set of headphones but at the same time not really my thing. Too forward, y'know? And I don't really listen to rock anymore.

Preferred Music - Pop, r&b, electronic stuff. I'll also occasionally put on jazz, rap, folk/acoustic, and classical music. The only genres I don't really care about at all are hard rock and heavy metal.

Chelb fucked around with this message at 14:36 on Oct 1, 2016

# ? Oct 1, 2016 12:42

Kalenden: Oct 30, 2012

prom candy posted:

Unless you really need BT headphones I have a feeling that right now is a terrible time to buy a pair. People upgrading to the iPhone 7 is going to create more demand and likely more options for wireless headphones over the next couple of years.

I've heard really great things about the B&W P7 Wireless though.
Anybody have any experience with them?

# ? Oct 1, 2016 13:15

Emmideer: Oct 20, 2011; Lovely night, no?; Grimey Drawer

I've been having to buy new headphones for my PC every couple of months for years now. I always purchase over-ear headphones because I prefer them. My headphones always break in the exact same way, every time; the side of the band that allows the headphone to be adjusted to your head via pulling down or up, and/or by swinging on a hinge, snaps on one side. The headphone is still technically functional, but a pain the rear end to try and wear, what with one side now dangling by a cord.

At first I thought it might have been the fact I was purchasing wired headphones, given the various accidents that can happen. Another thought I had is it could have just been the brand I was buying (Turtle Beach), despite others having no similar problems. So I purchased a new type of wireless headphones, these: https://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-Gold-Wireless-Stereo-Headset-4/dp/B00HVBPRUO Now I just noticed from the reviews my problem isn't uncommon (should have probably went to amazon in the first place), but I still can't help but think my problem is closer to user error.

Therefore, I need some new headphones and some headphone handling advice. It would also probably help if my new headphones were on the durable side.

Budget - Up to $300 if that can get me my sought after durability. Replacing hundred dollar headphones three times a year is already around this much.
Source - PC
Isolation Requirements - None
Preferred Type of Headphone - Over-ear, comfortable, and durable
Preferred Tonal Balance - Don't care
Past Headphones Wired Turtle Beaches and the wireless PlayStation headphones linked above. Hate: The constant breaking. Prefer: The wireless, though I tend to use my headphones a lot and the charging was annoying. If it's possible to get wireless headphones with a charging stand (do those even exist?), that might help. Like: Clear audio and microphone.
Preferred Music: Not particularly relevant.

# ? Oct 1, 2016 19:43

prom candy: Dec 16, 2005; Only I may dance

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/567089b73c33056f/

These headphones have no adjustment mechanism and use the weird wing things instead to just fit on your head. They're super comfortable and I really like them for gaming/movies. I've used mine daily for about 5 years now and they're still in great shape.

# ? Oct 1, 2016 20:17

Linnaeus: Jan 2, 2013

How does the ATH-A990z compare to the older A900x? I'm looking for some headphones to travel with, but I can't give up the audio technica wing system lol

# ? Oct 2, 2016 02:43

Nitrousoxide: May 30, 2011; do not buy a oneplus phone

USB audio 3.0 will support analog out over the extra pins in the type C connector.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/10719/usbif-publishes-audio-over-usb-typec-specifications

That means you can keep the DAC and amp in the phone and have a passive adaptor to a standard headphone. You can have headphones that use a standard USB type C port, don't need onboard DACs or amps and can still get power they need for stuff like active noise cancelling from the phone.

It'll also support digital out of course too.

I mean the type C port is still not as robust and durable as the mini jack because it can't take rotational torque like it, but this is about as good as you could hope from USB standard and a huge step up over Apple's lightning audio.

# ? Oct 2, 2016 07:19

Squibsy: Dec 3, 2005; Not suited, just booted.; College Slice

I was very impressed by how solid the USB-C connection is the first time I encountered it. As you say, the rotational issue is going to be a drawback, but otherwise I think it will be very good. When it matters, e.g. with phones and tablets, those devices hardly rotate at all in the pocket or bag. A decent cable will help offset that.

# ? Oct 2, 2016 09:23

IuniusBrutus: Jul 24, 2010

I need some new headphones like....right now. Got an emergency business trip scheduled on me, and haven't gotten around to buying something suitable yet. I have some ATH-M50xs that I love, but they are bulkier than I want to take on a flight.

I want something on-ear (IEMs might be OK too) and wireless. They need to be able to fold up to make them a bit easier to carry. I'm not a huge audio quality snob, and don't need the absolute best. Most frustratingly though....I need to be able to get them from a Best Buy. That is the only electronics store of consequence in the area.

Any suggestions?

# ? Oct 2, 2016 14:40

Dr. Fishopolis: Aug 31, 2004; ROBOT

IuniusBrutus posted:

I need some new headphones like....right now. Got an emergency business trip scheduled on me, and haven't gotten around to buying something suitable yet. I have some ATH-M50xs that I love, but they are bulkier than I want to take on a flight.

I want something on-ear (IEMs might be OK too) and wireless. They need to be able to fold up to make them a bit easier to carry. I'm not a huge audio quality snob, and don't need the absolute best. Most frustratingly though....I need to be able to get them from a Best Buy. That is the only electronics store of consequence in the area.

Any suggestions?

That's an interesting challenge.

The Skullcandy Grind wireless are surprisingly good. Avoid the Hesh, they are extremely not good.

Anything MEElectronics is probably your best el-cheapo option if they have them in stock.

The sony 770bt are over-ear but not huge, and have some of the most comfortable stock pads I've tried at that size. Durability is iffy at best though.

The Sennheiser momentum wireless are also over-ear, but fold nicely and are the best wireless headphones I've heard. Of course, for $500, they better be. The B&W P5 wireless is another high-roller option if you really need on-ear.

# ? Oct 2, 2016 20:39

Dr. Fishopolis: Aug 31, 2004; ROBOT

Krunge posted:

I've been having to buy new headphones for my PC every couple of months for years now. I always purchase over-ear headphones because I prefer them. My headphones always break in the exact same way, every time; the side of the band that allows the headphone to be adjusted to your head via pulling down or up, and/or by swinging on a hinge, snaps on one side. The headphone is still technically functional, but a pain the rear end to try and wear, what with one side now dangling by a cord.

Avoid Turtle Beach, they are horrible. Just about anything in the price range you're looking at should not have this problem.

The Audio Technica AD series that prom candy linked are great, but be aware they are light on bass.

Philips Fidelio X2 are far from neutral, but a hell of a lot of fun to listen to and built remarkably well.

Sennheiser 558 / 598 are both solid choices. 558 has much more bass but less refined mids and treble than the 598. Comfy as poo poo.

The Senn HD600 is the de-facto, neutral standard of excellence around this price point and does just about everything well, though it requires a decent headphone amp which may put it slightly outside your budget.

# ? Oct 2, 2016 21:35

Dr. Fishopolis: Aug 31, 2004; ROBOT

Chelb posted:

I'm getting tired of my old Superlux 681's and would like something more comfortable while still being cheap.

SHP9500. They're still treble-oriented, but nothing like the sibiliant hellscape that the 681s are. They are profoundly comfy, well built and generally my favorite open can under $100.

If you want something (much) more warm and laid back, the Sennheiser 558 is another solid choice. If I could only have one, it would be the SHP for me, but there's no wrong answer between the two, only preference. If you can, get both from Amazon or somewhere with a generous return policy and send back the one you like less.

# ? Oct 2, 2016 21:42

Chelb: Oct 24, 2010; I'm gonna show SA-kun my shitposting!

Dr. Fishopolis posted:

SHP9500. They're still treble-oriented, but nothing like the sibiliant hellscape that the 681s are. They are profoundly comfy, well built and generally my favorite open can under $100.

If you want something (much) more warm and laid back, the Sennheiser 558 is another solid choice. If I could only have one, it would be the SHP for me, but there's no wrong answer between the two, only preference. If you can, get both from Amazon or somewhere with a generous return policy and send back the one you like less.

Great, thanks a ton!

Has anyone tried these? The drivers are apparently identical to the Brainwavz HM5, the Fisher Audio 003. and the Jaycar Pro Monitors. I was looking at those as an alternative but now I guess I'll swing for the SHP9500's unless someone has a very positive experience with the former.

# ? Oct 2, 2016 22:29

Emmideer: Oct 20, 2011; Lovely night, no?; Grimey Drawer

Dr. Fishopolis posted:

The Senn HD600 is the de-facto, neutral standard of excellence around this price point and does just about everything well, though it requires a decent headphone amp which may put it slightly outside your budget.

Reading up on that one, it actually looks really great! I wouldn't mind spending about $100 more for a decent headphone amp, if you're willing to suggest one. Why does it require one, by the way?

# ? Oct 2, 2016 23:00

Dr. Fishopolis: Aug 31, 2004; ROBOT

Krunge posted:

Reading up on that one, it actually looks really great! I wouldn't mind spending about $100 more for a decent headphone amp, if you're willing to suggest one. Why does it require one, by the way?

It's higher impedance than normal consumer headphones, which basically means it has more inherent electrical resistance. This (usually but not always) makes the headphone require more power to get going.

My favorite cheap-ish amp is the Micca Origen+: https://www.amazon.com/Micca-OriGen...gen%2Bplus&th=1 which also has a very nice built-in DAC.

The FiiO E10K is another solid entry-level choice and will do fine with the Sennheisers, though it may struggle if you decide you want to start getting into planars at some point (god help you)

# ? Oct 2, 2016 23:29

prom candy: Dec 16, 2005; Only I may dance

Dr. Fishopolis posted:

The Audio Technica AD series that prom candy linked are great, but be aware they are light on bass.

I should have mentioned that yeah, they're awesome for movies and especially gaming (the wide soundstage is awesome) but not great if you want to listen to a lot of bass music.

# ? Oct 3, 2016 05:35

Chelb: Oct 24, 2010; I'm gonna show SA-kun my shitposting!

Okay, SHP9500's bought on newegg for the cool price of $56.99 (with a few bucks off because i'm a college student)

these better not disappoint me dr. fishopolis or else i will insult your ears with such vivacity and venom that you transmogrify into a hideous videophile

# ? Oct 4, 2016 03:50

Google Butt: Oct 4, 2005; Xenology is an unnatural mixture of science fiction and formal logic. At its core is a flawed assumption...

that an alien race would be psychologically human.

So, currently have DT770's being powered by a Magni 2 uber and a Xonar Essence STX DAC. Decided I wanted to try some open headphones and ordered a pair of HD650's a few hours ago. After ordering I came across some posts about the AKG KX77, saw they were live on Massdrop and ordered those too. gently caress. You guys think they'll be different enough to keep both?

# ? Oct 5, 2016 08:08

Hamelekim: Feb 25, 2006; And another thing... if global warming is real. How come it's so damn cold?; Ramrod XTreme

Google Butt posted:

So, currently have DT770's being powered by a Magni 2 uber and a Xonar Essence STX DAC. Decided I wanted to try some open headphones and ordered a pair of HD650's a few hours ago. After ordering I came across some posts about the AKG KX77, saw they were live on Massdrop and ordered those too. gently caress. You guys think they'll be different enough to keep both?

AKG are pretty light on bass from my experience with them. The 650's have solid bass and are a warm headphone, you will notice a difference.

If you enjoy both sound signatures, keep both if you can, otherwise just keep the one you enjoy the most.

At a certain price point it's about the sound of the headphone more than anything else as you hit diminishing returns.

# ? Oct 5, 2016 14:27

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# ? May 31, 2024 14:35

bump_fn: Apr 12, 2004; _{two of them}

What's a decent sub $100 pair of IEMs that have a microphone (and preferably volume up/down)? The SteelSeries Flux in the headphone buying guide, which seemed the nicest, in the OP is discontinued and now sells for $125 and gently caress that noise. I just want a pair of headphones for commuting and gym (and I don't want bluetooth), preferably a pair where the thing loving breaks after a year and starts sending errant start/stop signals to my phone (I'm looking at you, apple earbuds).

# ? Oct 5, 2016 22:37

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

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