|
GruntyThrst posted:Fair point- pretty much general media consumption. Movies, music, and games on my iPhone and iPad. The Switch as well. Phone calls are a distant secondary importance, more a nice to have than a need to have. Noose cancelation would be nice but I doubt anything worth the name will be in that price range. Nothing that will deal with the executioner, but something that shuts down monotonous noise is reliably in that price range. How important is it the games have accurate audio cues? (So, rhythm games and Hades style fast action games.) Also is this more for on the go or sitting at home? Are bag space or size on your head a concern?
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2022 06:08
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 7, 2024 00:03 |
|
|
Switch is kind of aggressively bad about getting wireless headphones to sync up to anything at all, so that makes a case for "works via bluetooth and USB-C" which you can find in full size but not really in earbuds.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2022 06:11
|
|
|
This is an at home/at the office type situation mostly, so size is not a big issue. I play more strategy/RPG type games so hyper accurate sound cues are not necessary. Any kind of game that needed that I’d be more likely to play on PC and I have a wired headset for that.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2022 06:34
|
|
|
redeyes posted:Hey! I can't DM. Keep in mind I hate hype treble IEMs, I run a small mixing studio and I want my stuff reference. Appreciate this big breakdown. I’ve got a solid DAC/amp (I think? JDS Labs Element III) and was looking at grabbing my first pair of IEMs. The Softears sounds like it has pretty all around glowing reviews. I’ll be using for a similar mix of music and some gaming (all genres). When buying a set this pricey, how do you know they’ll fit in your ears properly? Maybe this is a dumb question, they just look so large compared to the junky $40 silicone in-ear headphones I’ve had in the past. Just diving head first into better audio. Also looking to get my first pair of open back headphones but think I’ll wait for those Moondrop to release and check reviews on those.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2022 15:55
|
|
|
NIce nice. Softears is Moondrops premium brand, much like Lexus/Toyota. TBH the RSV beats the S8 and A8 and is slightly less expensive. I chose it over them easily. Back a few years ago I was a massive Moony fan but they just don't have enough bass to fill in and balance the signature. I forgot about this but I own a bunch of amps and the best most amazing emotional one I have is the Aune B1S. It's a small class A single ended amp only, gets 3-4 hours at most on Class A+ mode(the good one). Still it can be plugged in on a desk. This little guy beats everything for IEMs. Topping, Burson, Xduoo, etc, etc. I adore it. Also in terms of cheap and amazing, the 9038D tiny USB dac/amp is holy crap good for 99 bux. It's kind of a nerd device but if you combine with the Aune, you get an absolutely top level replay for about $320 bux. I got mine on sale for only 200 for the pair.. lucky.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2022 17:13
|
|
|
Opioid posted:When buying a set this pricey, how do you know they’ll fit in your ears properly? Maybe this is a dumb question, they just look so large compared to the junky $40 silicone in-ear headphones I’ve had in the past. You don't, but anywhere you buy a set of softears will have a good return policy. Personally I'd dip my toes in the water with a less expensive set before shelling out $700+ on a set of IEMs, it's good to have an idea of what kind of tuning works best for you and what tips work with your ears. Also, I'm broke as poo poo so ymmv.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2022 18:16
|
|
|
Dr. Fishopolis posted:You don't, but anywhere you buy a set of softears will have a good return policy. Personally I'd dip my toes in the water with a less expensive set before shelling out $700+ on a set of IEMs, it's good to have an idea of what kind of tuning works best for you and what tips work with your ears. Also, I'm broke as poo poo so ymmv. The moondrop/softears have the largest bores of all the IEMs. 5.5mm and thick af. Good luck.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2022 18:22
|
|
|
redeyes posted:Hey! I can't DM. Keep in mind I hate hype treble IEMs, I run a small mixing studio and I want my stuff reference. Thanks a ton for this. Got me pretty hype about the EJ07, will see if I can try it soon!
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2022 19:45
|
|
|
Ended up ordering a set of Kato from Moondrop’s AliExpress store since it’s free shipping to Canada. Any ol 3.5mm -> 1/4 in adapter will work right?
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2022 15:57
|
|
|
Yep, it’s just a normal connector so any converter you know works on a 3.5 will work.
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2022 18:42
|
|
|
Hey everyone, was about to buy the Sony XM5s but then I stopped and realised I can come and get the collective hivemind wisdom of this thread to make an informed purchasing decision. So basically, I want a pair of headphones that are comfy and have good audio quality, they'll primarily be used for watching TV. I've got two very skittish birds so I don't want to blast TV loudly, so opting for wireless headphones seems like a good choice for when I want to watch an action movie or something that'll scare the two dummies. ANC, do I really want it? I don't think I do, tbh. It's not a make-or-break factor. Would it be nifty for when I travel on airplanes? Sure. Do I travel often? No. So I guess my main focus is a pair of wireless headphones I can connect to my android TV that'll give me the best listening experience with a good level of comfort for extended watching sessions. I don't usually like wearing headphones out in public cause I completely lack a single shred of self confidence and anything that draws attention is something I avoid. So yeah, just TV watching at home or listening to music.
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2022 19:41
|
|
|
Qubee posted:Hey everyone, was about to buy the Sony XM5s but then I stopped and realised I can come and get the collective hivemind wisdom of this thread to make an informed purchasing decision. So basically, I want a pair of headphones that are comfy and have good audio quality, they'll primarily be used for watching TV. I've got two very skittish birds so I don't want to blast TV loudly, so opting for wireless headphones seems like a good choice for when I want to watch an action movie or something that'll scare the two dummies. You may just wanna find an older Sennheiser PXC 550 II instead. Better sound, lower cost, still has ANC but isn't gonna detonate your wallet. If you're okay with a microUSB charger this is a no-brainer. I suggest this one because it's got large ear cups and is very light, as I'm assuming you're gonna use this for a long time in your listening periods.
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2022 20:27
|
|
|
Okay, I'm currently wearing a Logitech G933 wireless. Comfortable, feels good over my huge ears, I'm very used to the sound profile, but the USB port is dying and I'm probably on my 3rd warranty replacement, and I think I want to be done with Logi. Their warranty and customer service is good, but I'm ready to branch out. I grabbed a pair of Corsair Virtuoso wireless, but they were too small for my ears and the sound profile was just not what I was used to. I could have tweaked the sound profile, maybe, but the comfort was just not there. Great build quality, though, admittedly. What I'm looking for is
My primary use cases are youtube, music (all types, from classical to metal), and some gaming. The 933 audio profile really is great (or I've just become so used to it).
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2022 02:32
|
|
|
null_pointer posted:Okay, I'm currently wearing a Logitech G933 wireless. Comfortable, feels good over my huge ears, I'm very used to the sound profile, but the USB port is dying and I'm probably on my 3rd warranty replacement, and I think I want to be done with Logi. Their warranty and customer service is good, but I'm ready to branch out. Can you wait 3-6 months? The next generation of steelseries, turtle beach etc etc are coming out over the next couple months and all have significantly improved wireless battery life over the current models. Then hoover up the reviews to figure out what solution best suits you. Edit - actually now that I think about it, if you want to buy today and are impatient, I'd recommend trying (hopefully before you buy) either the Razer Barracuda X (no it doesn't make you install synapse) or the Logitech G535 (for more money). But I'd recommend you wait and see what the rest of 2022 brings out and buy what suits you best rather than just whats available. Edit2 - I am fully aware Crin slammed the Barracudas. He was correct. They are also cheapish for a wireless set while not being total garbage hence I mention them. DancingShade fucked around with this message at 07:56 on Jul 10, 2022 |
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2022 06:44
|
|
|
picked up some used WH-1000XM4 headphones, I hope they're okay, got them at a much more reasonable $236, I wringed my hands too much and someone was selling them for $200 and I missed out on it
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2022 05:24
|
|
|
So I decided to use a whole box of dekoni nuggets (x4 individual cushions) on the headband of my LCD-X, which I normally enjoy wearing for about an hour or two max before the leather suspension strap sags enough and all I can feel is 650 grams painfully pressing down on the centre of my skull because the headband and strap aren't quite the right size. (maybe the modern Audezes do it better, mine are first gen suspension and I didn't even know I was getting a suspension headband until I opened the box because the SKU had only just changed) The extra height means the extension rods are now maxxed out but I don't feel the need to buy the extra-long rods so that was lucky. Overall... I would say it was worth it. They look a bit silly (cushions on the leather suspension strap?!?) but you can't argue with comfort.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2022 07:32
|
|
|
The modern faux leather suspension band is better (I have a recent LCD2C) than what you describe.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 01:59
|
|
|
Hi goons, I was wondering if any of you experts could advise whether or not I should get a dac/amp to pair with my Sony mx3s. I know the dac issue is covered in the opening post, but it's very techy for a luddite like me, and the articles it links to are also very techy, and also very ancient. My reason for thinking about it is that, to my subjective ears, the sound quality I get listening to music on my pixel 4a is notably worse than the quality I get when listening on my 5y/o ipad. I can't really elucidate on how the ipad is better, other than the sound just feels crisper and cleaner and more detailed. This has awakened me to the possibility that, firstly, I could be getting better sound when listening on my phone, which is my primary music playing device, and secondly, that I could be getting EVEN BETTER SOUND from the ipad. If I did dabble, I'd only get something which cost £100 or so (eg some of the cheaper ones recommended here, but it would be good to find out if even that would be a waste of money. Any assistance would be appreciated!
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 15:51
|
|
|
The Perfect Element posted:Hi goons, I was wondering if any of you experts could advise whether or not I should get a dac/amp to pair with my Sony mx3s. I know the dac issue is covered in the opening post, but it's very techy for a luddite like me, and the articles it links to are also very techy, and also very ancient. You should not, because the XM3s are 100% designed for use over Bluetooth, and the wired connection is at best an afterthought. When using the wired connection you either have to turn the XM3s "off", where they sound absolutely horrible and no matter how good your signal is it will sound bad, or you turn on the noise cancelling and internal amps, where your signal gets run through a bunch of filters and digital signal processing, so it doesn't really matter what kind of signal goes in. Your best path to better sound is to install the Sony Headphones app on your Pixel and iPad and making sure you are using the highest available codec, and play around with the EQ and listening modes. I have XM3s, XM4s and a bunch of amps and have played around a lot with them both wired and wireless, and they are just not meant to be wired.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 17:27
|
|
|
The Perfect Element posted:Hi goons, I was wondering if any of you experts could advise whether or not I should get a dac/amp to pair with my Sony mx3s. I know the dac issue is covered in the opening post, but it's very techy for a luddite like me, and the articles it links to are also very techy, and also very ancient. I believe you! Sometimes the language these headphones use to talk to other devices (codec) doesn't really work in the way they're supposed to. On the pixel: Enable developer options, then open that menu. Should be in settings -> advanced -> developer options. Scroll down to where it says stuff like "Bluetooth codec" and while your headphones are paired, see if you can force them to use: "Bluetooth audio codec": LDAC "Bluetooth audio LDAC codec: playback quality": Balanced audio and connection quality (660kbps) It's possible that your phone is defaulting to the really low bitrate version of LDAC and that sounds a bit like butts. If you wanna try other codecs, your iPad is almost certainly using AAC, and you could try that too! Mr. Mercury fucked around with this message at 19:56 on Jul 12, 2022 |
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 19:52
|
|
|
I noticed some cheap bt headphones have that "low bit rate" mode and I'm not sure why it's even an option
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 19:58
|
|
|
My guess is battery life/connection stability. If someone isn't aware of anything being amiss, they'll be more pissed if there's dropouts
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 20:01
|
|
|
Yeah if you only listen to podcasts a low bitrate mode to extend battery life makes complete sense.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 20:07
|
|
|
njsykora posted:Yeah if you only listen to podcasts a low bitrate mode to extend battery life makes complete sense. But it sounds like listening to audio underwater, barf
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 20:26
|
|
|
I mean, you're already listening to three assholes talking over each other for a couple hours, how can you tell?
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 20:40
|
|
|
What's the current consensus on decent quality good bang/$ wireless IEMs?
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 20:51
|
|
|
evobatman posted:You should not, because the XM3s are 100% designed for use over Bluetooth, and the wired connection is at best an afterthought. That's good to know, thanks!
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 20:52
|
|
|
KillHour posted:What's the current consensus on decent quality good bang/$ wireless IEMs? depends on what you mean by IEM and good bang/$ Not many good true IEMs in the wireless world yet, but plenty of earbuds Given the feature set and QoL features, especially the ease of connectivity and charging and quality of ANC, it’s hard to argue that Beats Fit Pro or AirPods Pro at $150-$180 aren’t great value for money compared to what you get for less
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 21:00
|
|
|
Mr. Mercury posted:I believe you! Sometimes the language these headphones use to talk to other devices (codec) doesn't really work in the way they're supposed to. Thanks for all the advice! I tried the developer options thing before, and literally all the Bluetooth codec options are greyed out other than SBC, which I understand is dogshit. I had a Google, and it looks like one of those classic issues where a bunch of other people have moaned about it on other forums, and it's never been resolved. Bugger. edit : I solved my own problem! Turns out on the headphone app itself, the setting was 'prioritise connection over sound quality'. I turned this off, and now all the developer options are available. Hooray! The Perfect Element fucked around with this message at 21:05 on Jul 12, 2022 |
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 21:01
|
|
|
The Perfect Element posted:Thanks for all the advice! I tried the developer options thing before, and literally all the Bluetooth codec options are greyed out other than SBC, which I understand is dogshit. Huh. The app shouldn't be able to do that but hell I'll take good news! Congrats! Come back if you have other questions
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2022 21:30
|
|
|
KillHour posted:What's the current consensus on decent quality good bang/$ wireless IEMs? Idk I feel kinda like a shill but anytime someone asks I can't help but recommend the KZ AZ09 and your flavor of IEM. I am enjoying the blon bl-03 ATM, and can be both had for under $50
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2022 00:35
|
|
|
Rakeris posted:Idk I feel kinda like a shill but anytime someone asks I can't help but recommend the KZ AZ09 and your flavor of IEM. I am enjoying the blon bl-03 ATM, and can be both had for under $50 That's pretty sweet. I wonder if it would work with the KBEARs
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2022 04:56
|
|
|
Out of all the audio gear I own the stuff that gets used the most are my Tin T3s plugged into the exotic high spec amplifier that is the on-board motherboard output of a cheap lenovo workstation. It's that magical combo of cheap, low value enough to leave at work, rugged and decent sounding.
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2022 08:13
|
|
|
KillHour posted:That's pretty sweet. I wonder if it would work with the KBEARs Honestly I had a hard time figuring out what the differences were between the multiple types, and when I ordered the bl03s I thought it would fit the C pin style I had, but the connection on them was square instead of oval. A few minutes with a Dremel fixed it pretty easy. But the B pin variety may work...or not, hah.
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2022 13:02
|
|
|
This is going to be a weird question. What kind of headphones should I be looking at if I don't like the sound of my muffled voice when talking? Would open back headphones be the ticket? I currently have in-ear headphones and I find the way my voice sounds when talking while wearing them to be distracting.
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2022 19:48
|
|
|
xgalaxy posted:This is going to be a weird question. Yeah open backs just sound like you're talking normally (obviously a little quieter if something is playing through them)
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2022 20:04
|
|
|
101 posted:Yeah open backs just sound like you're talking normally (obviously a little quieter if something is playing through them) Cool. I guess I'll go down the rabbit hole of checking out open back headphones now 
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2022 20:15
|
|
|
xgalaxy posted:Cool. I guess I'll go down the rabbit hole of checking out open back headphones now It's that time of the year when Sundaras are down to 300 bucks https://www.amazon.com/HIFIMAN-SUNDARA-Over-Ear-Full-Size-Headphones/dp/B077XDWT7X.
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2022 20:45
|
|
|
Passburger posted:It's that time of the year when Sundaras are down to 300 bucks https://www.amazon.com/HIFIMAN-SUNDARA-Over-Ear-Full-Size-Headphones/dp/B077XDWT7X. Are these a decent entry point for open backs? Also is there a site or discord that’s worth following for headphone news/reviews that isn’t too over the top audiophile absurdity?
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2022 00:07
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 7, 2024 00:03 |
|
|
The Sundaras are one of the great headphones in that price range but you could also look at their true entry ones the HE400se, or the Sennheiser 560s if you don't want to spend $300 right off the bat.
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2022 00:35
|
|