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Whether speakers or headphones, there’s something magical about showing someone good sound quality for the first time. We live in a golden age for accessible quality audio products, and TWS are the future of personal audio. If you took a $100 pair of Galaxy Buds2 back in time just ten years ago they would be among the best IEMs on the market even ignoring the TWS sorcery.
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Oct 3, 2022 21:16
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If I am looking for a closed headphone that's a step above the Status Audio CB-1s I've beaten the poo poo out of but not TOO big a step above (maybe in the $150 US or less range?) what are my best options? Is it basically the K371? I am tempted to try something more expensive but I saw Swans once without any hearing protection so I'm pretty sure anything above $150 is wasted on me.
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Oct 3, 2022 22:17
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Poke around for opinions on those as well as the DT770, those two are usually the go-to recommendations in that price bracket and having owned both in the past the K371 have much less offensive tuning, albeit aren't nearly as comfortable or durably built. Alternatively, have you heard the good word of IEMs? If you can comfortably wear them they generally have much better sound quality than closed-back headphones, especially at the reasonably priced end of the spectrum.
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Oct 4, 2022 00:03
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I rolled over my headphone cable and messed up the jack, thankfully it's a replaceable 3.5mm male-male cable. I know the super expensive audiophile cables are snake oil but is there a bottom acceptable quality range? I assume at some point they could be made poorly enough that they actually are susceptible to EM interference from the various fans and hundreds of watts of DC flowing around.
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Oct 4, 2022 02:30
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Wheeee posted:Poke around for opinions on those as well as the DT770, those two are usually the go-to recommendations in that price bracket and having owned both in the past the K371 have much less offensive tuning, albeit aren't nearly as comfortable or durably built. Thanks! I have a couple of pairs of cheaper fad iems like the Blon bl-03 and like them, but I tend to use them mostly when I'm out and not so much at home. I will read back further in the thread and see if anything a little better jumps out at me!
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Oct 4, 2022 12:43
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Wheeee posted:Creaking noises are common due to how the internal parts move against each other and can be gotten rid of with a dry lubricant sprayed inside, actual snapping is rare. Yes it’s bullshit that their handbands suck at the prices they charge and it was a factor in me letting mine go last year, but actual failures just happening for no reason are rare. I chatted with a couple Focal dealers before buying mine, their return rates are pretty normal. my Elex's broke twice within a year of ownership because they are significantly heavier than other headphones yet still use fragile plastic for critical parts in spite of being both very heavy and very expensive. a quick google search or just a look at the MassDrop reviews turns up lots of instances of this happening! this probably isn't an issue if you live in an empty goon cave and have never, ever dropped or knocked over a thing in your life. however, if you are in a home with cats, children, or normal humans at all, having a ~$700 headphone that breaks from a ~18" fall isn't realistic. My Grado SR125 pair just turned 20, my AKG K702s are 15-years-old, and my HD6xxs are pushing a half-decade at this point with the same treatment that the Focals couldn't handle for a few months. they are too expensive to be so fragile. also, stop trusting salespeople in general. redeyes posted:Yes that is what DACs do. I am saying you can't measure differences that your brain can pick up. The human ear and brain is a hell of a machine! e: redeyes posted:It exists. Are you speaking from experience or repeating internet stuff? TenementFunster fucked around with this message at 23:03 on Oct 4, 2022 |
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Oct 4, 2022 23:00
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Laugh it up fuzzball.
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Oct 6, 2022 01:05
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redeyes posted:Laugh it up fuzzball.
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Oct 6, 2022 01:52
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TenementFunster posted:lol cannot believe a Focal dealer told you there was no issue with their return rates. if you can't trust a salesperson working on commission, who can you trust? glad you guys had a nice chat, thought. Couple dealers of multiple high end brands, plural, the one I went with were already getting my money either way whether it was Focal or Audeze, I've worked sales before and know how to talk with people in the field, and based on your posting have substantially stronger emotional intelligence and ability to read people than you. Yes, they could have been full of poo poo, of course that's possible, but given that you directly quoted my saying "their return rates are pretty normal" and interpreted that as my believing there's no issues with them rather than that they reportedly don't experience issues at a particularly higher rate than similar boutique brands implies poor enough comprehension on your part that I'm not inclined to care what you think about much of anything. I did a fair bit of my own poking around and talking with owners as well, of course I never trust a single source, especially one with a clear angle, but this was one piece of information among many gathered while shopping for a consumer item and not something so substantial as screening a new financial advisor or therapist. You're projecting your own inadequacies here, are you imagining that I sent an email asking if Focals are good, got told "Yup" and was convinced on the spot? I'm sorry that you can't handle owning delicate things, but that's a you problem, it's not like you had a driver just fail due to poor QC, which was in fact a common problem with their headphones pre-Clear and among earlier production runs of the Clear while they sorted the changes to the driver manufacturing. That information isn't from a dealer, if it makes you feel better. Their headbands suck, I've already admitted as much in the very post you quoted and you either didn't read it or it just didn't get through to you, but they are not as disastrously awful as you continue histrionically screeching about, you're just kinda too stupid to take care of your poo poo when you know there's kids and pets around. Stop condescending to others, it is impolite.
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Oct 6, 2022 02:10
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Wheeee posted:Stop condescending to others, it is impolite. the headphones are too heavy (and way too expensive) for the band to be made out of plastic. they are substantially more fragile than other premium headphone brand i have ever used. stop getting your feelings hurt over this poo poo then again, im substantially stronger emotional intelligence and ability to read people than you so i don’t get personally invested in headphone brands.
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Oct 6, 2022 02:22
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TenementFunster posted:believe me, i am. once you spend more than ~$100 on a DAC, it’s all astrology and sommelier adjectives. I just said my reference is a 80 bux ES100. Nothing super special.
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Oct 6, 2022 02:50
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redeyes posted:I just said my reference is a 80 bux ES100. Nothing super special.
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Oct 6, 2022 03:20
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BeastOfExmoor posted:I'll throw out the Samsung Galaxy Buds2, which check basically all your boxes. They have good noise cancelling. I've used them on multiple airplane flights without feeling like I'm missing out compared to my over-ears. They also have audio pass-through which I've used on runs before with decent effect for short periods where I need to hear approaching cars, talk to co-workers, etc. I haven't put the Buds2 through their paces in rain, but I have a pair of Buds+ that have seen extensive water and sweat exposure without ill effect. I'm not the most discerning person audio-quality wise, at least relative to others in this thread, but they sound great to me. It's been a few days, but I wanted to say thanks, mine came in and I've tested them, and apart from a somewhat loose fit in my left ear (probably just a personal thing) they're pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
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Oct 6, 2022 04:31
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Elentor posted:I'm tempted to finally bite it and get the 650 for personal use since it has good mid bass and the 599 sounded impressive but I'm a bit more used to neutral headphones and by all accounts it's muddied compared to the 650. I just wish I had more choices in Brazil, especially wrt amps, because buying those is a nightmare.
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Oct 6, 2022 06:01
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Alas, the 6xx would go through our import taxes and it would most definitely not be cheaper.
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Oct 6, 2022 15:13
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Josh Lyman posted:I have HD650 and just run them off my PC’s front audio jack. I’ve also listened to them using the 1/4” headphone out on my A/V receiver and there isn’t a noticeable difference in audio quality. I’d get the headphones (might as well get 6XX to save money these days) and enjoy them and not worry about an amp. That's kind of impressive because PC front audio jacks are notoriously lovely, usually due to lovely unshielded cable running inside a computer case.
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Oct 6, 2022 15:14
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Wheeee posted:Their headbands suck, I've already admitted as much in the very post you quoted and you either didn't read it or it just didn't get through to you, but they are not as disastrously awful as you continue histrionically screeching about, you're just kinda too stupid to take care of your poo poo when you know there's kids and pets around. lmao dude the headbands suck, period full stop. your data point of "the sales people told me the return rates are normal" is not the argument you think it is and if you don't want to get owned on the internet you should probably not passive aggressively snipe at other posters to begin with lmao. redeyes posted:Yes that is what DACs do. I am saying you can't measure differences that your brain can pick up. The human ear and brain is a hell of a machine! i completely agree with you that different DACs sound (extremely) subtly different, and also that it's probably not the DAC itself but the analog stage that brings it up to line level. I've heard more difference between different sabre implementations than between sabre and ess dacs, it's almost certainly not the chip. this statement is dumb as hell though and is why you're getting dunked on fyi. i think what you meant was "you can't measure reliably past 10k on most couplers, even expensive GRAS compliant ones" but that doesn't mean that it's impossible or that the differences won't show up in a proper anechoic testing chamber. Dr. Fishopolis fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Oct 6, 2022 |
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Oct 6, 2022 16:09
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https://youtu.be/voRXBR59ZPM uh oh
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Oct 6, 2022 17:28
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redeyes posted:Actually I can tell given enough time. Already done some testing. I know everyone here is just repeating internet stuff, but give it a try. Might be surprising. What do you use to ensure proper volume matching between sources?
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Oct 6, 2022 17:51
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Just wanted to say that my HD6xx shipped quickly, and I'm pretty satisfied with how they sound driven my by PC as is. I'm going to try running it through an ancient Fiio E7 that I bought ages ago, once I get my hands on it again, and see if that works/sounds any better. I also am really digging this Audio technica mic - I got the ATR2100x, and it sounds super nice and is v well built. Thanks again, goons. These headphones are incredible, btw. Anyone care to share why DACs and amps are teh go-to, vs the olden days of PCI soundcards, at least for desktop listening. For instance: why not run this? https://www.newegg.com/creative-sound-blaster-audigy-rx/p/N82E16829102063 AppleNippleBOB fucked around with this message at 19:41 on Oct 6, 2022 |
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Oct 6, 2022 18:06
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AppleNippleBOB posted:Anyone care to share why DACs and amps are teh go-to, vs the olden days of PCI soundcards, at least for desktop listening.
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Oct 6, 2022 20:10
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yea unless you have a very specific need for one a soundcard is not a good option in TYOOL 2022 for what it's worth, i just volume matched my Tempotec dongle DAC and old Atom (there's a new one) with my 6xx to a significantly higher volume than I ever listen at and in a very brief A/B test couldn't identify any difference in sound with any degree of confidence while not all dongles are good, i've had others that can't power my headphones worth poo poo, the ones that are are real good. i'd still replace my desktop powered DAC and amp with other standalone units if it came down to it, but that's just me wanting a volume knob and peace of mind from having the 'good one'
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Oct 6, 2022 21:29
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Kilazar posted:I am in the market for some in ear's for multi use. Trying again. Anyone have input?
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Oct 7, 2022 13:06
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is it possible to restart the thread with an OP that's not nearly a decade old with dead links? anyways, I've been using these JVC Gumy Earbuds for many, many years, first the larger versions and then these smaller ones as the originals became unavailable. They've served me well, as I can wear them and still interact and converse with people, which is important for my job. But unfortunately my old standby, the Ipod Nano 2nd gen, kicked the bucket and the replacement 4th gen I bought also has a dying battery, so I guess it's time I finally upgrade to a more recent one. And with that, if it's something that can sync with wireless earbuds, I'd like to look into getting some of those, but am entirely unfamiliar with wireless earbuds. I constantly hear Raycon ads on podcasts I listen to, but I'm not sure if they're the best to go with. There's Airpods of course, but those are very expensive. I'm looking to get some that do not block sound, are sturdy on the ear and won't fall off easily since my job is quite...kinetic, and have a solid battery life so that I can wear them both shifts with little time for recharging. If they're similar in style and how they sit in the ear to the above Gumy earbuds but with, like, attachments to hold them onto the ear better or something, that'd be perfect. Any help would be appreciated. My budget isn't super constrained, but I'd prefer not to drop 100+ dollars on earbuds if I can help it.
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Oct 7, 2022 14:03
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Kilazar posted:Trying again. Anyone have input? I don't have any experience with those things specifically, however I'm using the kz equivalent of the BT adapter (kz az09) with a pair of bl03s, works good, can hold a charge for most of the day, and can be easily swapped for a cord if desired. Also dirt cheap, I don't think they were even $50 total. Note I had to take a Dremel to mine as I bought the wrong pin type...
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Oct 7, 2022 14:14
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Captain Invictus posted:is it possible to restart the thread with an OP that's not nearly a decade old with dead links? If you don’t want isolation, your modern wireless options are Airpods, the Samsung Buds Live or the Sony Linkbuds. Look for a deal on the 2nd gen Airpods would be my rec, places are likely trying to get rid of them. The Galaxy Buds Live are also probably being fire sale’d everywhere because they’ve not been popular. Don’t buy Raycons, they’re terrible cheap buds with a huge markup.
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Oct 7, 2022 14:31
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The second gen AirPods have been $90 for the past few days. Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds with Lightning Charging Case Included. Over 24 Hours of Battery Life, Effortless Setup. Bluetooth Headphones for iPhone https://a.co/d/4NSHeq0 serebralassazin fucked around with this message at 15:54 on Oct 7, 2022 |
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Oct 7, 2022 15:52
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My Soundcore Spirits are finally dying. Are there any good non-true wireless earbuds out there, or is the category just dead? Budget is around $75.
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Oct 7, 2022 18:28
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Kilazar posted:Trying again. Anyone have input? Something like a Fiio BTR3/5 with the wired headphones of your choice would be a possible solution. If you're going to be switching from wired to wireless regularly I wouldn't suggest anything that requires constantly plugging and unplugging the actual earpieces from a cable - that connection is pretty fragile and an obvious point of failure. If you want a TWS, the Sonys are a good choice. Astell and Kern stuff is, in general, massively overpriced.
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Oct 7, 2022 19:27
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nrook posted:My Soundcore Spirits are finally dying. Are there any good non-true wireless earbuds out there, or is the category just dead? Budget is around $75. Beats Flex. If you can find a deal or stretch the budget Powerbeats (non-pro) as well.
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Oct 7, 2022 20:43
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I got contacted by the local distributors and the price is 1500 usd lol. This is probably a case of gently caress Brazil but lol.
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Oct 7, 2022 21:15
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lmao god drat they’re $800 USD in other markets
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Oct 7, 2022 21:56
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serebralassazin posted:The second gen AirPods have been $90 for the past few days. edit: seems so, but there's drawbacks/hoops to jump through etc, but I'll pick'em up if they're that "cheap" right now. I am tempted to get a newer ipod to go with it rather than using my phone, but I don't want to drop 200+ bucks on a current ipod. wish it was possible to get the batteries replaced in the original ipod nanos since I have a couple that work perfectly except their batteries are toast, but even taking it to a shop that specializes in ipod repair, they couldn't successfully fix my old ones. Captain Invictus fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Oct 7, 2022 |
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Oct 7, 2022 23:50
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Captain Invictus posted:these are tempting, do they work with android devices? I've got a samsung galaxy s22 ultra, and if I can finagle it to be able to play podcasts and music through that into airpods I'd settle for that. Sorry, late reply. Yea they work on android but they lose a few of the nicer features as you discovered.
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Oct 8, 2022 00:02
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Wheeee posted:What do you use to ensure proper volume matching between sources? Given enough time means months generally. When im actually volume matching I put one iem in one ear and then i have a SPL meter I hold where my other ear is and play via studio monitors.
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Oct 8, 2022 00:58
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Kilazar posted:Trying again. Anyone have input?
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Oct 8, 2022 01:38
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Dessel posted:What's my best option for non-penetrating workout headphones? Earbuds, over-the-ear or on-the-ear. I've had a scare with ear infection/ear canal irritation so I need to lay off from IEMs at least from a while. Yes, I've cleaned them with anti-bacterial solution and cleaned them prior with water fairly regularly but I can't be taking risks anymore for a while. For reference I was using Jabra Elite 75t. Sound quality isn't super important, I use them mostly for podcasts and... walking videos, so *some* spatial performance wouldn't be bad. Relatively secure fit would be nice. Preferably sub 100$/€, absolute maximum around 150€. I'm a non-Apple user so AirPods 3 would probably be a waste of money. Some more unknown brands might be unavailable domestically. Jabras, Soundcore, soundpeats seem to be widely available though. Just so I'm not just drive-by asking for advice posting I went with Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100. It's really a huge compromise of non-ideal circumstances but they: + Are at least IPX5 + Do not protrude much from ears (relevant for some exercises where your arms are close to the ear lobes) + Have an optional string built-in which further increases grip so it won't definitely move in that mode. Generally speaking actually designed for working out. I'd feel horrible about wearing xm4s or similar and actually exercising. On a similar note are any ANC headphones which seem to be recommended often for working out actually IPX5 rated/can deal with below freezing temperatures/downpour? However they are also: - Micro-USB in 2022 - Plantronics doesn't even exist anymore, rebranded into Poly, and HP bought them so I wonder what the future availability is going to be. - The touch controls are garbage, can be accidentally triggered during exercise, can only be disabled via the app for maximum for a duration of 3h 59 minutes if not switched off in the meanwhile. God forbid the app stops receiving updates for OS updates... Time will tell how they actually feel during serious heatwaves outside. I don't plan to take them to runs but might plan to do outdoor gym stuff with them. As for advice: Budget: 300€ or below (1000XM4s are actually available in EU below 300€, US prices seem to be ~350$ surprisingly enough). Source: Android phone/wired from a USB DAC Isolation Requirements: All the isolation/ANC I can get. Mid to high freaquencies more important. My portable AC's lower freaquencies get well masked even by cheapo Chinese ANC headphones. Planning to take them to travel/fairly loud cafes/student libraries as well, though. Preferred Type of Headphone: Over-the-ear, no compromise here, sadly. Preferred Tonal Balance: Balanced. Whatever that doesn't start pissing me off. I can deal with 1000XM3's sound signature judging from what I've tested though, and they're far from balanced. Past Headphones: Nothing relevant here tbh. I like my DT770 Pros Preferred Music: Japanese hardcore EDM, metal. Lo-fi/Solar fields and the like for focus. ANC strength is the single most important factor, followed by decent sound signature that isn't extremely "bloated." I'm planning on looking for Prime day deals on the EDIFIER W820NB, but doubt they'll deal with the AC unit too well, but that'll only become relevant in the Summer. I have a set of ANC headphones but I'd have to replace the memory foam pads to them and generic memory foam pads seem to be going for 20€ or so it becomes not ideal since their ANC performance isn't that great in the first place. I had some non-memory foam pads around but they are decidedly less comfortable now, so I'm considering the EDIFIERs if decent deals come around for being able to focus better in crowded places. I guess my overall question is whether there are any decent cheaper alternatives to the 1000XM4s with close to as good ANC performance? Or any potential product launches that might compete with their ANC in a lower price bracket? I'm just planning to look for deals on the XM4s. I have about half a year to find them before the heat becomes relevant again and I need some serious ANC performance.
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Oct 8, 2022 02:18
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Thanks for the info everyone! I think I will go with the Sony for tws buds for now and venture into the iem+bt ampthingy in the near future. The idea for the iem bt is cause I like to zone out and listen to music when at my kids events.
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Oct 8, 2022 02:39
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The Sony flagships have the best ANC, only Bose and sort of Apple come close. Apparently the new Sennheiser Momentum 4 is decent but not quite on the same level, I haven’t tried it but people seem to really like it. Nothing cheap will come close and anything better in the near future will be another high end Sony/Bose/Apple product, good ANC development ain’t cheap. You can also EQ the Sonys in the app, I’ve only listened to them in store and they sounded like unacceptable garbage in their stock tune, but that can be fixed with a little tweaking. Wheeee fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Oct 8, 2022 |
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Oct 8, 2022 18:44
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metasynthetic posted:It's been a few days, but I wanted to say thanks, mine came in and I've tested them, and apart from a somewhat loose fit in my left ear (probably just a personal thing) they're pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Thanks! Fit is always a tough one with IEM's since it's so personal, but glad to hear they're working out well otherwise. I imagine you've tried all the different sized tips it came with, but there's also 3rd parts tips that might improve the fit. Foam tips generally fit the tightest, but I'm not sure how gross they get from use working out?
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Oct 8, 2022 20:00
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