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grack posted:If anyone cares it looks like you can now get replacement cables specifically made to fit the BLON-03. Not expensive, either (unless you're in Canada) Cool, just ordered that, thanks for pointing it out. I had a cable just die on me, and in the ensuing rotation of my 2 pin cables I'm currently without one for the BLON. Can't have that now.
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Dec 11, 2019 16:40
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Well this is interesting: https://drop.com/talk/28554/panda-announcement A $400 bluetooth headphone with the oppo pm-3 driver, a THX amp and... no ANC or digital tuning whatsoever? That's a bold fuckin move. On the one hand, I love the fact that someone is finally just putting a really good amp and a really good driver in a bluetooth headphone. If it's on par with the Oppo, that's a perfectly fair price. On the other hand, ANC is a requirement if it's gonna be successful outside the audiophile community, you can do so much with DSP these days it's insane, and planar drivers take EQ extremely well. I think it's a bit of a missed opportunity. I mean, this is all assuming it's actually comfortable. Dr. Fishopolis fucked around with this message at 23:06 on Dec 11, 2019 |
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Dec 11, 2019 20:02
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KozmoNaut posted:3M Worktunes were recommended earlier in the thread. Finally had a chance to take these into the data center, and holy poo poo, it's like a whole new world in there. Very good isolation, and decent audio quality. It even fits my big dumb head! My healing eardrum thanks you.
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Dec 11, 2019 22:38
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Just got my airpod pros yesterday, they are amazing. Worth every penny. The ANC and transparency mode are aces.
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Dec 11, 2019 22:40
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I’m waiting on Blon 03s. I got the Black Friday combo with iem, a new cable, and new tips. Sadly, it’s waiting at JFK in customs.  I can’t wait any longer!
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Dec 12, 2019 04:10
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Dr. Fishopolis posted:Well this is interesting: Yeah I've been keeping my eyes out for updates on these since the first mention of the concept ages ago, back when it was still Massdrop. Clicked "interested" and forgot about them. Thought it was just going to be yet another wireless headphone at the time but hey, I was curious. After receiving that announcement I'm a lot more curious. Seems like a really nice all in one package. Theoretically.
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Dec 12, 2019 11:17
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Jascum posted:I’m waiting on Blon 03s. I got the Black Friday combo with iem, a new cable, and new tips. Sadly, it’s waiting at JFK in customs. My littleblack bluetooth cable from Aliexpress got stuck in LAX customs for weeks and they never even opened the package. Speaking of, the littleblack is really nice for a bluetooth 5.0 2-pin IEM cable. Only downside really is Micro USB, but I don't know any that aren't.
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Dec 12, 2019 17:40
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I ordered myself some Sennheiser 6xx to try out finally because I was able to get them for $170, which I think is less than I paid for my 598se. I hope this isn’t a dumb side grade I’ve just always wanted to try a 600 or 650
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Dec 12, 2019 19:54
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Okay now that I am a junior audiophile with HD650s (great call goons!), a schiit magni, playing lossless files off of my tidal HiFi subscription, what is my next audiophile big leap? Is it getting an offboard DAC for my surface pro? Is it getting a fancier headphone amp?
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Dec 12, 2019 21:54
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MOVIE MAJICK posted:Okay now that I am a junior audiophile with HD650s (great call goons!), a schiit magni, playing lossless files off of my tidal HiFi subscription, what is my next audiophile big leap? Is it getting an offboard DAC for my surface pro? Is it getting a fancier headphone amp? The Surface DAC is actually pretty good but the opamps aren't great. The Surface 4/5/6/7 Pro can power the HD650, but not exceptionally. A good headphone amp might be a worthwhile investment. I love my Teac UD-501 and AX-501 combo, but my Emotiva's XDA-2 also has a very excellent headphone circuit. I use a Focusrite 2i2 or 4i4 with my Surface Docks and that works great. It's also great for a traveling desk setup, but I'm not about to whip that poo poo out on an airplane. That's dumb.
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Dec 12, 2019 23:01
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Clearly the next step is to get an Orpheus. I mean, that's where you're heading anyways, may as well do it now and save some money.
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Dec 12, 2019 23:20
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MOVIE MAJICK posted:Okay now that I am a junior audiophile with HD650s (great call goons!), a schiit magni, playing lossless files off of my tidal HiFi subscription, what is my next audiophile big leap? Is it getting an offboard DAC for my surface pro? Is it getting a fancier headphone amp? I mean, technically you're a junior audiophile if you consider time and experience but you don't really need anything else.
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Dec 12, 2019 23:46
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HD6xx / 650s benefit a lot from a quality headphone amp. They like a bit of juice. Any of the usual suspects around $100 will do you just fine, i.e. an o2 or an Atom, Schiit Magni, Monoprice Liquid Spark, that sort of thing. I use a Topping A30, it's lovely. Or, you could get into tubes and let the worms devour your brain immediately.
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Dec 12, 2019 23:48
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MOVIE MAJICK posted:Okay now that I am a junior audiophile with HD650s (great call goons!), a schiit magni, playing lossless files off of my tidal HiFi subscription, what is my next audiophile big leap? Is it getting an offboard DAC for my surface pro? Is it getting a fancier headphone amp? The HD650 was summit-fi back in the day so you're entering the dangerous and windy pathway of sidegrades and different flavors. I'd recommend taking some time to enjoy what you have first then start branching out. Get something with wooden cups, get some ridiculously large driver planars, get some chi-fi. Once you have built a large collection of terrible financial decisions then it's time to build an amp collection. That's a whole other can of worms. Dr. Fishopolis posted:HD6xx / 650s benefit a lot from a quality headphone amp. They like a bit of juice. Any of the usual suspects around $100 will do you just fine, i.e. an o2 or an Atom, Schiit Magni, Monoprice Liquid Spark, that sort of thing. I use a Topping A30, it's lovely. All good ideas. As suggested above never skimp on amp power if you have a choice. You'll be surprised how much better your headphones sound at the same volume level but on a well-powered amp. Generally. Some headphones sound great on almost anything but can't scale for poo poo with better source gear. That's a + and a - depending on which dragon you're chasing at the time. Desktop amps I own that I like: Jotunheim (little out of date now so better options out there, still good but best to use only if you're chasing balanced output), Fiio K3 (USB powered), Fiio K5 Pro (mains powered, great for the price), Burson Playmate V6 Vivid (best I own, note my first one died within a few months and I had to warranty replace, the CEO was very nice about it though). I tend to enjoy Sabre DACs no matter what form I find them in. Fancy overpriced gamer headphones, portable digital players, desktop, etc. Not saying they're better than other options only that it fits my personal preference. DancingShade fucked around with this message at 07:39 on Dec 13, 2019 |
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Dec 13, 2019 07:32
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Got a pair of Monoprice M300s since they're cheap these days. Not bad, though I had to spend nearly an hour getting the fit and EQ right. Oh, also the cable sucks, the tips are horrendous and the case is a joke in poor taste. grack fucked around with this message at 08:23 on Dec 13, 2019 |
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Dec 13, 2019 08:17
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DancingShade posted:The HD650 was summit-fi back in the day so you're entering the dangerous and windy pathway of sidegrades and different flavors. Please don't doxx me.
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Dec 13, 2019 13:02
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Dr. Fishopolis posted:Honestly, I think the 215s have been totally outclassed in every aspect by way cheaper options at this point. Blon BL-03 is the go-to rec, it's been flavor of the month for like 6 months running. Tin T2 is a nicer package, no fit or build issues, but lighter on the bass and narrower soundstage. There are plenty more recommendations in this thread, just scroll up a bit. The BLONs can dig real deep if you want. Little late, but good to know! I'm pretty conservative with IEM's, if only because I've had trouble finding a pair that have decent fit and sound isolation for my ears in the past. I'll keep this in mind next time I need a new pair though.
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Dec 13, 2019 13:41
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DancingShade posted:The HD650 was summit-fi back in the day so you're entering the dangerous and windy pathway of sidegrades and different flavors. I'm in a similar position to the other poster who just got the HD650 (HD6XX in my case). I'm looking into my crystal ball and foreseeing a future where I gradually purchase slightly more expensive headphones until ending up at the true high end (or rather "the high end minus the truly ridiculous electrostatics"). Strongly considering just skipping the process of getting a bunch of "mid-tier" headphones and aiming directly for something "end game", like one of the HiFiMAN or Audeze planar magnetics.
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Dec 13, 2019 20:08
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Ytlaya posted:I'm in a similar position to the other poster who just got the HD650 (HD6XX in my case). I'm looking into my crystal ball and foreseeing a future where I gradually purchase slightly more expensive headphones until ending up at the true high end (or rather "the high end minus the truly ridiculous electrostatics"). Ackchyually... https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-koss-esp-95x-electrostatic-system these are supposedly very good if only from a sonic standpoint.
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Dec 13, 2019 20:14
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:Ackchyually... Yeah I saw those, but I imagine they really had to skimp on the amp, and I'm not sure how good a super-low-end electrostatic compares with other similarly priced headphones.
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Dec 13, 2019 20:16
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I own the Grado SR60e headphones and I'm wondering if there are better foam ear cushion things available that will fit them. I'm also curious if anyone makes something that wraps around the head band and provides cushioning between your head and the hard plastic/metal. Right now I just have an old wash cloth wrapped around it and taped on. I'm on the spectrum and so hypersensitive to touch so any improvement in comfort would be awesome. They sound good enough for me, but they're not the most comfortable thing. Thanks!
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Dec 14, 2019 13:35
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Desert Bus posted:I own the Grado SR60e headphones and I'm wondering if there are better foam ear cushion things available that will fit them. I'm also curious if anyone makes something that wraps around the head band and provides cushioning between your head and the hard plastic/metal. Right now I just have an old wash cloth wrapped around it and taped on. I'm on the spectrum and so hypersensitive to touch so any improvement in comfort would be awesome. They sound good enough for me, but they're not the most comfortable thing. Thanks! I’m assuming you’ve got what Grado calls the “comfy” pads. You can wash them with dish soap and soften them up. You can also get the Grado “bowl pads” that higher-tier Grados come with, depending on where your discomfort is. The bowls at least don’t sit fully on the ears, but they aren’t big enough to fully fit around a normal ear. I think you can still get cheap third party knockoffs from “earzonks” on amazon. Another option are the yellow sennheiser 414 pads. There’s a bunch of info about those on Head-Fi. They alter the sound a bit but it’s a popular option and they’re cheap. I don’t remember anything specific about the headband because it never bothered me, but I think there’s a Beyer or Sennheiser pad that fits over it too. tldr search “grado mods” on headfi.
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Dec 14, 2019 15:22
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MOVIE MAJICK posted:Okay now that I am a junior audiophile with HD650s (great call goons!), a schiit magni, playing lossless files off of my tidal HiFi subscription, what is my next audiophile big leap? Is it getting an offboard DAC for my surface pro? Is it getting a fancier headphone amp? As a HD650 owner I can recommend using equalizer - I just this week started using these settings and holy moly it is like I have new cans. 
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Dec 15, 2019 01:42
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eddiewalker posted:I’m assuming you’ve got what Grado calls the “comfy” pads. You can wash them with dish soap and soften them up. You can also get the Grado “bowl pads” that higher-tier Grados come with, depending on where your discomfort is. Awesome, thanks for the info!
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Dec 15, 2019 02:02
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Sorbus posted:As a HD650 owner I can recommend using equalizer - I just this week started using these settings and holy moly it is like I have new cans. I actually really like the 'sennheiser veil' or whatever it's called. That being said they certainly have enough clarity and capability that you can EQ the gently caress out of them and get whatever you want. The only thing they can't really do like a pair of huge closed backed cans is rattle your brain with bass.
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Dec 15, 2019 02:38
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:Ackchyually... Funny story about those. Remember the Audeze LDC-2C? They started off life as a Massdrop version of the LCD-2. Then Audeze went "nah let's sell them ourselves instead" and pulled out of the deal. So Massdrop went and made a new deal with Koss to sell their electrostatics instead.
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Dec 15, 2019 04:47
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Latest chi-fi hype that delivers the goods: TRN BA5. Really well tuned, with above average detail, sound stage, and layering for something under $50. Really good for vocals. Bass has good impact and detail, although as a cheap all BA set it doesn't have super deep sub bass extension. Just as a comparison, it sounds much nicer than any KZ I've owned (I don't have the latest and greatest KZ ZSX, which are supposedly very good). Only bummer, which is pretty major, is that TRN are notorious for quality control problems, and there have been some reports of dead drivers and people having units temporarily fail due to moisture build-up in the shells. I got a good set, thankfully, and they're really nice. The build quality, comfort and appearance are all positives for me too. I guess I'll just never take them outside.
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Dec 15, 2019 05:45
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Trip report on the Monoprice M300: Fantastic sound quality, clearly designed by someone who's never seen a human ear.
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Dec 16, 2019 04:34
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Sorbus posted:As a HD650 owner I can recommend using equalizer - I just this week started using these settings and holy moly it is like I have new cans. Ohh this is nice. Anyone else have hd650 equilizer settings they recommend? Also is there a good sciencey article explaining why headphone amps make everything sound so much better but it isnt just about making it more loud.
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Dec 16, 2019 06:14
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So I loaned my Sennheiser earbuds that I've had for 15 years to my wife and she broke them. Who makes a decent pair of earbuds now that won't break the bank? I swear I remember paying $25-$30 for them back then.
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Dec 16, 2019 09:21
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Bit of a random question. Got my BLONS, quite happy with them. Sound fine from my phone headphone jack, but when I plug them into my work laptop, they sound really thin and terrible. It must be a setting somewhere in my laptop, but after some Googling, I still didn't figure it out. How can I get my laptop jack to sound natural, as this is definately not what these headphones are capable of doing. It's a Lenovo laptop on windows 10....thank you! Edit - fixed it. Had to disable some windows 'sound enhancements' which were doing their own thing. henpod fucked around with this message at 13:00 on Dec 16, 2019 |
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Dec 16, 2019 10:22
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My dad asked what I wanted for Christmas and I decided that it would be nice to have a good quality set of headphones that I can use while playing Xbox and my partner can use when they're watching Netflix and I want to listen to podcasts. What are some options I could consider? We have a TCL TV and Xbox One X, if that helps. Edit: Preferably something without a mic, as I don't play online usually
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Dec 16, 2019 11:42
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MOVIE MAJICK posted:Ohh this is nice. Anyone else have hd650 equilizer settings they recommend? Here's the big fat master list of headphone EQ corrections. These will correct your headphones to the Harman target, you can tweak from there as a starting point or just leave it and enjoy: https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wiki/index/list_of_presets Tyll did a great write up back in the day about why amps are important: https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/ultimate-headphone-guide-articles-what-headphone-amplifier-and-why-do-i-need-one the tl:dr is: 1: big discrete components are almost always quieter and more efficient than embedded silicon, 2: even if your headphones don't need all the power all the time, having headroom means that volume peaks don't clip or distort, and 3: impedance matters The last part of the equation is your DAC, but I'm gonna solve that for you real fuckin fast: get the Apple USB-C to 3.5mm adapter for $8. If you don't have a USB-C port, just get an adapter for another $4. That thing has better SNR than the $400 Chord Mojo, you do not need to spend more on a DAC.
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Dec 16, 2019 20:22
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If you're on an Android, the Meizu Hi-Fi DAC is also a good choice: https://www.0db.co.kr/index.php?mid=REVIEW_0DB&category=184&document_srl=1005449 Cleaner output and more power on an Android device. It's more expensive than the Apple adapter, but it's still only $25. You could also spring for the Pro version, which has a stronger amp and (slightly) cleaner output.
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Dec 16, 2019 20:43
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hahaha holy poo poo you guys my 6xx came in and are an obvious and immediate improvement on my 598se, esp at the price I got them for. my source is pc with a xonar stx, for reference.
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Dec 16, 2019 22:36
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:Ackchyually... Are the Koss ESP 95X's a great value? I am kinda on the same boat with a HD-650 and a Monoprice M1060 and been saving up for an Audeze LCD Classic. Wonder if anyone who has these headphones can give a short review. Do they come close as to what a high end electrostatic headphone should sound like?
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Dec 17, 2019 06:41
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grack posted:If you're on an Android, the Meizu Hi-Fi DAC is also a good choice: https://www.0db.co.kr/index.php?mid=REVIEW_0DB&category=184&document_srl=1005449 I dunno about cleaner, but definitely more power yeah. To be clear, I'm recommending the Apple DAC for desktop use as well, basically anything that can talk USB that doesn't have a good line out. If you're just looking for a line level signal to your amp, it's the best $8 you can spend.
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Dec 17, 2019 06:56
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Dogen posted:hahaha holy poo poo you guys my 6xx came in and are an obvious and immediate improvement on my 598se, esp at the price I got them for. Grats! That feeling of "holy poo poo, obvious upgrade!" is to be savoured and enjoyed at length. The worst is when you spend big dollarydoos and get "yeah it's good but... *obvious flaw*".
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Dec 17, 2019 09:45
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Thank you to the goon who recommended the BLONS (Yes, another BLON post). I'm not an audiophile, so I can't tell you about bass rumble, delay, roll off, fartmetrics or whatever. I just needed an affordable, good earphone to play from my ipod and phone. These things are really, really good. The bass is strong and warm (but not too much) and everything else sounds good too. I tried it with really dense music such as Fleshgod Apocalypse, and some electrical music and they sounded great with everything. They find the details in the music very nicely. The only thing, like everyone says, it takes a fair amount of work to get the fit right. I had to: - Cut little rings from another eartip to extend the reach of the nozzle. - Try about 5 pairs of eartips until I found ones that fit. And even then I gotta wiggle and turn them until the seal comes in with the bass. I ended up using the ones from my previous Final Audio earphones which seem to fit well. - Cut away the preformed plastic earhooks from the cable, which was a real ballache. I like to wear earphones down, so I eventually managed. Cable seems fine, tangles easily, so I just used electrical tape to bring together the long, individual wires for left and right. So yeah, they are really finicky to get right. But once you do, they are really great. If you want great sound for less than 50 bucks, go for these. henpod fucked around with this message at 11:45 on Dec 17, 2019 |
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Dec 17, 2019 09:49
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Mang Tomas posted:Are the Koss ESP 95X's a great value? I am kinda on the same boat with a HD-650 and a Monoprice M1060 and been saving up for an Audeze LCD Classic. I don't have any of the headphones you have, just the HD 600s, but I'll do a crappy write up. The 95x are a good value on virtue of being effectively a headphone/amp combo at a nice entry point, but I can't personally recommend them to someone with 600/650/6xx. The imaging is a tad better and they're a bit brighter at the expense of having a cheap feeling build. Personally they feel like a slight upgrade at best and a sidegrade at worst.
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Dec 17, 2019 14:27
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