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Planning on buying headphones (or a headset) for PC gaming to replace my gifted and dying Bose QC15s. I'll do my own shopping, but sort of a general question: does it matter much nowadays whether they're 3.5mm or USB plugs, or is one preferable to the other as far as quality? I'm hoping they're equal because I'd like to be able to take off/put on my headphones without having to restart whatever game or application needs to use sound, which I have to do with USB. (Some games, anyway, a few enumerate audio devices, but most I've seen don't.)
Ciaphas fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Feb 5, 2015 |
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Feb 5, 2015 04:09
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MalleusDei posted:Are these worth jumping on at this price (HD558 for $90): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004FEEY9A/ref%3Dnosim/water70e-20 FWIW I own a pair of the HD558s I got maybe 2 years ago at close to full price and they are by far the most comfortable cans I've ever owned. As for sound quality, there are prolly better in the thread to speak of that. I've used them with an amp and w/o and its a noticeable difference, they were fine without though. I think they're a nice pair if you're kindof in between that range of quality. Definitely worth it for them to be in the 150ish range of headphones imo.
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Feb 5, 2015 06:46
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Ciaphas posted:Planning on buying headphones (or a headset) for PC gaming to replace my gifted and dying Bose QC15s. I'll do my own shopping, but sort of a general question: does it matter much nowadays whether they're 3.5mm or USB plugs, or is one preferable to the other as far as quality? I'm hoping they're equal because I'd like to be able to take off/put on my headphones without having to restart whatever game or application needs to use sound, which I have to do with USB. (Some games, anyway, a few enumerate audio devices, but most I've seen don't.) Quality-wise, it shouldn't matter. Some would say that with USB models, the sound card is matched to the headphones and mic for better sound quality, but that really shouldn't matter with modern sound cards. You do get volume controls and sometimes a mic mute button on some USB models, if that sort of thing matters. For instance, I use a set of Beyerdynamic MMX2s at work for VoIP and listening to music. They've got the 3.5mm plugs, but also come with a separate USB interface, which I prefer to use because of the mic mute. There is no audible difference between the two connection options.
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Feb 5, 2015 07:32
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Wireless new gen Momentums showed up in stores here, anyone got a chance at them yet?
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Feb 5, 2015 09:54
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KozmoNaut posted:See my post above regarding the DT-231/DT-235, especially the bit about durability. I have not heard the Grados you mention, but the DT-23x series has apparently been (favorably) compared to the SR60: http://theheadphonelist.com/headphone-review/beyerdynamic-dt235/ This was a bit ago, but thanks for the recommendation. From the way they look, I'd probably have skipped them immediately because they seem exactly like the kind of headphones I break, but if they're as tough as you say, I'll consider them. The main thing I'm not sure about is that they're closed headphones; I didn't mention it in my initial post since it wasn't the most important factor, but I prefer open headphones. Not a deal breaker, though. Considering their price, I think I'm going to get the DT-235s first, and see if I like them. Worst case, I'll get something else later and I'll have a good pair of backup headphones, which means that whenever my main pair breaks in the future I'll actually send them back to be fixed if they're still under warranty, instead of breaking out the soldering iron immediately so I don't have to spend a couple weeks without music.
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Feb 5, 2015 16:21
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I prefer open headphones as well, but they don't have the "stuffiness" that is usually associated with closed models. They also don't isolate quite as well, so it's a tradeoff. It's true that they look like something you'd get for free with a discman or something, which is basically my only complaint with them. Oh yeah, and the elastic headband is a bit loose after a decade+ of regular use.
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Feb 5, 2015 17:21
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Hi I had a pair of pistons per recommendation here and loved the poo poo out of them, no idea stuff could sound that good with that price, but the part where the cord meets the beginning of the male end only plays one ear unless I jiggle it Is there a good guide on how to take care of them too? I always seem to gently caress up some part of the cord and boom they're bad to me Also I want to use them for my PC, but the front audio jack is messed up from a long time ago, is there a good USB audio input out there? Budget - Up to $130, debateable if worth the increase? Source - PC, phone, ipod, PSP Isolation Requirements - none at all, maybe for walking or at the store and want to block out outside noise Preferred Type of Headphone - in-ear Preferred Tonal Balance - I have no idea, I love a lot of electroinc music, but I dont listen to dubstep, but love all trance, drum and bass, video game music, etc? Past Headphones - pistons, plantronics 780, other random garbage wal-mart earbuds Preferred Music - trance, house, lots of vgm, some metal is good. dislike dubstep or any other things that are close to it stringball fucked around with this message at 01:41 on Feb 6, 2015 |
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Feb 6, 2015 01:38
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Put your headphones in a case, don't just roll them up and shove them in your pocket or bag.
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Feb 6, 2015 05:59
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grack posted:Put your headphones in a case, don't just roll them up and shove them in your pocket or bag. Will a pair that I buy have a good enough case or get one regardless of what pair I buy
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Feb 6, 2015 06:14
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stringball posted:Will a pair that I buy have a good enough case or get one regardless of what pair I buy If the headphones you buy don't have a case, get one. Even a cheap cigarette case or Altoids tin is fine, it doesn't have to be super fancy. This is probably one of the most important things you can do to make your earbuds/iems last longer.
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Feb 6, 2015 06:29
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Lowness 72 posted:Counterpoint: people really like the creative aurvana lives. The Creative EP-630s are also a decent IEM for $20.
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Feb 6, 2015 17:20
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http://www.head-fi.org/products/vsonic-gr07 Are these a good buy for my price/what I'm using them for or is there something else out there? Also I like to sleep with them in and they look oddly shaped, will it be an issue?
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Feb 6, 2015 17:44
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stringball posted:http://www.head-fi.org/products/vsonic-gr07 They lay flat with the wires oriented towards the top of the ear but the housing is big and boxy enough that I couldn't see them being comfortable if you sleep on your side.
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Feb 6, 2015 22:38
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Hey, I've been using a pair of HD 280 Pro Sennheiser's for the past, forever. I think I had a pair before this pair. The padding has worn out and the top padding has long since disintegrated. I really liked them but honestly they become uncomfortable after an hour so I'm looking for a new pair. I am between the ATH-M50x and the MDR7506. The MDR seems like the crowd favorite while the M50x seems to have a few QoL neato add ons. Reviews I've read seem to indicate I can't really go wrong with either but the M50x is 2x the price of the MDR's so i thought it best to at least raise the question about what the experts here thought. Thanks! About me: Computer art professional type, going to use them in an office environment occasionally with spotify or whatever. Not a hardcore audiophile but I'd like something reliable, comfortable, and if possible cool.
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Feb 7, 2015 07:31
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Sony MDR-7506 are studio monitors and should only ever be used for that purpose. They're tuned in a very specific way that is terrible for music listening. The Audio Technica ATH-M50x are alright but they're expensive for what they are. What exactly are you looking in a headphone? Neutral, balanced, bass heavy, on-ear, circumaural? If I were to recommend a headphone to a random person, I'd recommend the Takstar Pro80 (comes with an awesome box!) and NVX Audio XPT100. Both are decent sounding closed headphones at a very affordable price.
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Feb 8, 2015 08:26
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What have your experiences been with home, or professionally molded in ear headphones? Chafe posted:Sony MDR-7506 are studio monitors and should only ever be used for that purpose. They're tuned in a very specific way that is terrible for music listening. How is that? What is that "very specific way" that's terrible for music listening?
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Feb 8, 2015 10:23
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Nerobro posted:How is that? What is that "very specific way" that's terrible for music listening? When people say that about studio monitors or monitoring headphones, they're generally referring to a sound signature that's more tuned towards making faults or weak spots in the sound more obvious, rather than for outright musical enjoyment. For instance, there may be a significant boost around certain treble frequencies to better pick out hiss and sibilance, or specific midrange tweaks to make flaws in vocals really stand out. Sometimes, there are also boost around problematic bass frequencies, like common resonances etc. The Yamaha NS10 speaker is an extremely good example of this. It's widely used in just about every studio ever, all over the world, because it has a very particular sound signature. It's extremely heavy on the treble, particularly in the frequencies that make noise and sibilance and other high-frequency nastiness go through very clearly. This makes it horrible to actually listen to music on, but it also makes it a very good tool in the studio, since if you can make your mix sound halfway decent on a set of NS10s, it'll sound pretty good everywhere else. It's the same reason why most studios have a set of Auratones or a set of the many clones that exist. They're horrible little things with a horrible sound signature, but they're awesome as a reference tool for hearing what your mix will sound like on a cheap transistor radio (or more likely today, a cheap car stereo). The MDR-7506s serve a similar purpose. They're tools for picking out bad mixes, so they tend to be way too harsh to actually enjoy the music through them. Not all studio/pro gear is like this, obviously. I use a set of Adam studio monitors as my main speakers, and they're just lovely. They're made to be as neutral as possible, without specifically focusing on certain problem frequencies like the NS10s and so on, so while they do expose badly mixed music for what it is, they don't hang a big fuckoff sign on it. Similarly, the DT-880 headphones that I also happen to love are a bit brighter sounding with a super clear treble. But they're not harsh like the 7506s, it's kinda hard to explain. It depends a lot on whether the frequency response is smooth or peaky. The 7506s are deliberately peaky right around the usual problem frequencies. The MDR-7506s will make great mixes sound OK, average mixes sound bad and bad mixes sound like utter poo poo. What a studio generally does is mix on neutral-sounding equipment like the Adams, and then test it on all kinds of "problematic" stuff like the NS10s, 7506s, Auratones, iPod earphones, car stereos etc. to make it sound at least decent no matter what it will eventually be played back on. The 7506s are also commonly used to monitor directly from cameras and other equipment, because they're efficient, can play super loud and are great at picking out if human voices aren't spot-on. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 11:17 on Feb 8, 2015 |
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Feb 8, 2015 11:08
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KozmoNaut posted:*effortpost* Well that makes sense. So.. studio monitors are "reference bad tools". I'd always figured studio monitors would be the flattest response setups a manufacturer could build. There goes logic.
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Feb 8, 2015 11:18
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Nerobro posted:Well that makes sense. So.. studio monitors are "reference bad tools". I'd always figured studio monitors would be the flattest response setups a manufacturer could build. There goes logic. Not always. There are a lot of studio monitors that are fantastic to listen music on. The Beyerdynamic DT250 sound pretty good and the JBL LSR305 studio monitors are the budget bookshelves to beat in my eyes. As KozmoNaut explained, certain equipment have certain purposes. These monitors generally have overall upward tilts in their frequency response. This is in contrast with most headphones for music listening, which generally exhibit overall downward tilts in their frequency response. The problem with the Sony MDR-V6 / 7506 is that they don't sound particularly balanced. The frequency response is perfect for picking out problems and detecting certain nuances you might care about but its a pretty unpleasant experience listening bad material on them. I hope people don't complete their work using one of these! They also have some other problems like a decent amount of ringing from memory but you can't expect too much for $70. Chafe fucked around with this message at 11:38 on Feb 8, 2015 |
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Feb 8, 2015 11:29
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Nerobro posted:Well that makes sense. So.. studio monitors are "reference bad tools". I'd always figured studio monitors would be the flattest response setups a manufacturer could build. There goes logic. Your logic is 99.9% correct. The vast majority of studio monitors aim to be as neutral as possible, but there are some very notable exceptions, like the NS10. It's all about having the right tool for the job. I use the Adam A5X monitors at home to listen to music, and they are absolutely stunning at it, because they were built to be neutral. They try to add and take away as little as possible from recordings. That means they sound great out of the box, but I also have a completely neutral starting point to add EQ, tone controls, DSP, room correction etc. onto. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 12:10 on Feb 8, 2015 |
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Feb 8, 2015 12:07
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Looked through the buyer guide... need some help finding really good isolation set... any ideas? Budget - Prefer $50-150, but willing to go to $250 if its really required. Source - Mostly my iPhone and my Macbook, rarely anything else. Isolation Requirements - Probably most important aspect to me. I'm a commuter, 60 min plus a day on a train and I HATE people who pound music with the intention of half the train hearing it. I pride myself on respectfully listening to things, yet this leaves me hardly hearing my own music. I take 3 or so trips a month on a prop plane, which is annoying as crap, a bonus would be blocking that prop noise out. Preferred Type of Headphone - I have tried several bestbuy in ear sets, i can't get anything that fits right and I've probably pissed away couple hundred trying. I guess the a closed set of Circumaural as the guide states would make sense. Preferred Tonal Balance - Balanced I suppose. No preference. Past Headphones - I had some over the ear joggable seinheiser earbuds, they were always louder than my other sets. I liked that I didn't have to crank the ipod to max. Maybe something to do with how many ohms they were? Preferred Music - I'm not a super audio nerd, and my music is all over the map. I'm practicing horn and sax with my wife, so I have some jazz and concert stuff. My personal music ranges from alternative and acoustic easy listening to death metal. A sort of jack of all trades master of none setup would be ideal?
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Feb 9, 2015 07:21
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In my experience, you'll never be satisfied with the isolation that even a good set of circumaural headphones will give you. On an airplane, they'll isolate approximately nothing. Actually, that isn't 100% true. There are some circumaural headphones that do really well on isolation. They're more like hearing protection with built-in headphones, though:  http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...94529207&rt=rud I've tried them, and they're quite good. Sound quality is decent too, since I believe Sennheiser had a hand in designing them. They'll also last roughly forever, but you'll look stupid wearing them on the train, and they're kinda pricey. These are slightly less stupid-looking, but I don't know how well they isolate, or how they sound: http://www.extremeheadphones.com/ For a more everyday-usable approach, in-ear monitors or active noise cancelling are probably your two best options. For how lovely they are in other areas, Bose's active noise cancelling headphones actually work quite well. The slight deficiency in sound quality is worth it for the lower noise floor. But personally, I would give the IEMs another try. If your problem is finding a set that fits you, Ultimate Ears can make you set from molds of your own ears. Other companies offer similar services.
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Feb 9, 2015 09:12
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Looking for a couple of recommendations. Tired of wires and would like to look into Bluetooth options. Wanting a earbuds for on the move stuff/ don't look silly with massive headphones on public transport, and a headphone set for home use. One set to connect to my mobile to use Spotify as I go. As as the area around my ear canals never hold the bud types, I prefer the inner ear stuff. Mic and controls optional, but I've never been too fussed. Headphone set to connect to my Surface Pro tablet for when I game and watch movies away from home, as well as my desktop for those same reasons. Looking at the around the ear cup types for comfort. An option to wire would be useful as my desktop doesn't have any Bluetooth options. Budget: Up to £40 on the inner ear type, and up to £200 on the big headphones. Though obviously looking for value. Source: HTC phone by bluetooth for earbuds and Surface Pro by bluetooth + wired by PC for headphones Isolation Requirements: I do enjoy blocking out the world, especially if I'm gaming. Makes public transport a bit more tolerable too. Preferred Type: Inner ear earbuds (If they have small options that's good, my ear canals seem to be small) for mobile. Around ear for headphones for comfort over long periods. Preferred Tonal Balance: I'm not really an audiophile, so no preference. Not shite I guess. Past Headphones: Been using these RHA earbuds for a while, really happy with them. Though recently damaged them by having them connected to my mobile whilst in my deep pockets, so the cable was damaged from stress. Right earbud only connects if the source end is at a certain angle. Preferred Audio: My taste in music is dumb and all over the place.
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Feb 9, 2015 18:58
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I'm looking for a new pair of headphones and I already have a lot of headphones. This is me trying to find some thin justification instead of any real need. Here's what I have:
Mostly I'm looking for something different from what I already have that's comfortable and could conceivably fill another niche in my collection.
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Feb 9, 2015 19:15
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powderific posted:I'm looking for a new pair of headphones and I already have a lot of headphones. This is me trying to find some thin justification instead of any real need. Here's what I have: The hd650 would slot in there well, also worth considering are the Fidelio x2 for something on the fun side of neutral or an he400 for something edgy/dark
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Feb 9, 2015 20:53
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KozmoNaut posted:In my experience, you'll never be satisfied with the isolation that even a good set of circumaural headphones will give you. On an airplane, they'll isolate approximately nothing. Thank you!!! Will give it a go.
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Feb 9, 2015 22:27
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I know nothing about headphone, was hoping you guys/gals could help. My Sennheiser HD 203s finally died, so I want to upgrade to something finally better than $30 cans. -Budget - $80-95 max -Use - I listen to music the whole day and I'm really into music, playing 320kbs mp3s and watching 1080p movies on my desktop PC(if that matters). -Style - Over ear. I don't care for full noise-cancelling, just something that seals it all in if that makes sense. I want a pair that sounds clean, but not too light on bass. The HD 203s were great, but a little flat. Also not artificial Skullcandy type bass. I hope this made sense, thanks for help.
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Feb 10, 2015 23:16
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<brokenrecord>Try the Beyerdynamic DT-235s</brokenrecord>
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Feb 10, 2015 23:25
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drat NIGGA posted:I know nothing about headphone, was hoping you guys/gals could help. My Sennheiser HD 203s finally died, so I want to upgrade to something finally better than $30 cans. NVX XPT100!
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Feb 11, 2015 01:53
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What kind of prices would I be looking at if I wanted a straight shot upgrade from a JVC FXT90? IEMs (obviously), lots of detail, somewhat V-shaped.
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Feb 11, 2015 03:06
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grack posted:What kind of prices would I be looking at if I wanted a straight shot upgrade from a JVC FXT90? IEMs (obviously), lots of detail, somewhat V-shaped. I've not heard them, but maybe the InEar SD-3, though I prefer the more balanced SD-2
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Feb 11, 2015 05:26
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I don't really have a price in mind. Less than $150 I guess? Less than $100 wouldn't suck either. Looking for a decent pair of IEM with bass emphasis if anything. They also need an iOS remote. These will be used almost exclusively with an iPhone or iPad. I have DT770s for home use. My last couple pairs were UE 600vi and 500vi. I actually like the 500vi ok, especially for the $25 or whatever I paid, but the loving tips fall off constantly. I went through ~4 pairs of 6/600s before giving up (they always die on one side). On my second pair of 500vi's currently. I'm really not rough on headphones, I just use them constantly. All day at work, most of the evening at home. I use to have a pair of Shures (don't remember the model). I loved the sound of them, but I hate the around the ear cord crap. I like small/light IEMs if possible too. Any suggestions? Also, another suggestions request, headphones for in bed? Sounds quality means gently caress-all, I just watch stupid TV shows with them when I go to sleep. I keep falling asleep with Apple EarPods in and then my ears hurt like gently caress.
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Feb 11, 2015 18:51
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ddogflex posted:Also, another suggestions request, headphones for in bed? Sounds quality means gently caress-all, I just watch stupid TV shows with them when I go to sleep. I keep falling asleep with Apple EarPods in and then my ears hurt like gently caress. I use a pair of cheap metal body, rubber cup, earbuds, that I molded into silicone. I"ll post some pictures in a moment here. The silicone molds make it so I can lay on my ears with no discomfort whatsoever. Edit: Please excuse the oil and wax on them.. they spend a lot of time in my ears.  When I molded mine, I used a spare ear cups, and cut them back while molding it. Leaving the cap to put the normal canal cups on.  And with the cups removed.  The instructions for the silicone say to completely encapsulate the headphones in the silicone. I've had the cords fail earbuds before. So I wanted to be able to swap them. I have a couple spare pairs of this model of JLab headphone, so I can re-use the silicone molds on there.  The silicone set was $22 I think. And it had enough silicone putty in it to do my ears twice. These are the most noise isolating things I own. Even beyond the yellow 33db ear plugs I wear while riding. Talking to someone while wearing these things is really very, very, difficult. Nerobro fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Feb 11, 2015 |
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Feb 11, 2015 22:38
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Midorka posted:NVX XPT100!
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Feb 11, 2015 23:44
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sorry to interrupt, but i doubt this will receive proper attention in sa-mart. is anyone looking for a headphone amp/dac? i bought a hifiman ef-5 from a pro audio store on ebay this past weekend, assuming it'd support both my headphones and my marantz receiver. turns out it's only sends to headphones. i know, i know--i'm an idiot. i should have looked closer at the unit i demoed a few weeks back, plus done some more research. in any case i have no use for this. and rather than pay a restocking fee, i would like to sell it. i'm asking for $375. or if anyone with a schiit lyr 2 is looking to trade...i might be interested. this unit was originally bought by someone, then returned the same day. per the ebay store the first owner bought the wrong product. that original owner did not use it. i did not use it either. i opened it up, saw the rca ports were inputs, and repacked it. there is no mileage on this unit. as for myself, i've bought and sold several times on sa. amazon prime, mlb.tv, a few random things in sa-mart. i've never had any trouble. headfonia review: http://www.headfonia.com/hifiman-ef5-review/ i can post pictures if anyone likes. abelwingnut fucked around with this message at 05:19 on Feb 12, 2015 |
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Feb 12, 2015 05:09
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Looking for some Bluetooth ear-buds mostly for working out/commuting... I was considering JayBird BlueBuds X, but seems.. kinda odd brand. I have never liked anything but Sennheiser or Beyerdynamic. Wondering if anything better has come around since I last researched like 3 months ago.
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Feb 12, 2015 19:27
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I could use some help picking out something for extended listening, probably 3 to 5 hours a day. I'm mainly concerned about the ergonomics. Budget - $50 - $200 Source - not amplified (rMBP/phone, mostly) Isolation - not a priority as long as it doesn't disrupt listening in a college campus environment. For context, I found EarPods to be very slightly lacking in isolation in daily use. Preferred type - either IEM or circumaural. I've got a very wide head and large ears to match. Over-ear headsets I've tried were very uncomfortable for me in general. Tonal balance - would prefer balanced, but I'd be okay with compromises if it meant getting a more comfortable headset. Past headphones - EarPods, various gaming headsets. I actually liked the gaming headsets because I could take a lighter to the plastic headband and warp them to fit.  Preferred music - all of it. Plus lots of audiobooks and podcasts.
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Feb 12, 2015 23:36
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KozmoNaut posted:In my experience, you'll never be satisfied with the isolation that even a good set of circumaural headphones will give you. On an airplane, they'll isolate approximately nothing. KozmoNaut, in this same vein, my go to pair for absolute isolation is the 3M isolating earmuffs, and Shure se215 with the medium/large olive tips. I have an extremely loud tractor and chainsaw and find that with music on everything on the outside is almost vibration only.
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Feb 13, 2015 00:35
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Hello all! I'm trying to decide between two headphones: the KAM HP1 and the Brainwavz HM5. I'm going to be listening to music pretty much exclusively, but my music taste is really varied: classical, oldies, 80s, some 90s stuff like BNL, and then prog metal like Blind Guardian. Can anyone offer up any reason to go with one vs the other?
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Feb 13, 2015 01:01
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KernelFailure posted:KozmoNaut, in this same vein, my go to pair for absolute isolation is the 3M isolating earmuffs, and Shure se215 with the medium/large olive tips. I have an extremely loud tractor and chainsaw and find that with music on everything on the outside is almost vibration only. Earmuffs and IEMs work well in combination, but it'll still look kinda silly in public.
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Feb 13, 2015 09:41
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