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Edit 9/21/2011 - Change it's gonna come. Not this weekend, though, my sister in law just had a baby and it is frowned upon to be overly concerned with the internet when visiting a new mother apparently, I don't know Link to IEM info, since I have no interest in them and they hurt my ears, kindly provided over and over by user Constellation I... And now, back to your regularly scheduled out of date OP. One of these days I'll fix it, really I will. More IEM info courtesy of retarded pimp, thank you mr. pimp Retarded Pimp posted:Take a look at these guys IEM reviews, there are a lot out now that would work for what you want, I just said the Turbines since that's one of the phones I have at the moment. No need to get fixated on one until you get a better idea of what's out there. Well, after 45 pages and a wealth of headphone discussion, the old NMD goliath of a thread was closed. Let's talk about headphones here! For the time being, the text of the old thread will be used with some minor changes, but I will soon update the entire guide as I now have significantly more free time than I did last time I promised to rewrite it. Honest. Again, the primary consideration will be listening from a computer or portable device. Prologue: Terminology
Section 1 - Upgrade Path: How should I go about this headphone business, anyway? This is meant to be taken rather loosely, but it is my opinion of the order of importance in upgrading if you want to get the best sound possible. 1. A good source --> 2A. A good amplifier (not always necessary)/2B. A good set of cans (always necessary) --> 3. X -1. Source From what does the sound originate? No matter how good the rest of your stuff is, if you're running off a 128CBR Mp3 through a terrible motherboard RealTek AC97 DAC, you're going to get terrible sound output quality. At the least, you owe it to your ears to get the Chaintech AV710 PCI sound card. Using "High Quality Mode" outputs the sound through the rear DACs, which have a SNR of 106dB and a very low THD figure. Let me be clear, here: a lovely source will RUIN your listening experience. You don't have to go absurdly all-out, but pay attention to the figures and get something that isn't going to suck the life out of the rest of your setup. --2A. Amplifier How is the sound getting to your speakers? Even the shittiest speakers can sound better with a quality amplifier than with a terrible one. Compare the output of a quality sound card, for example, to that of a portable CD player using exactly the same headphones. Both have similar power characteristics, likely enough, so you should easily be able to discern how the poor circuitry and bad shielding, combined with low-quality parts and DACs affects the sound. Most portable players output less than 20mW. Most sound cards output between 5mW and 30mW. These output levels are simply insufficient to properly drive a good set of headphones. A good starting amplifier with great portability is the Pocket Amp 2 for $50-$70, offering 200mW of output via two rechargable NiMH batteries (it features a recharging circuit within it, and it charges while plugged in and running off AC). It is able to operate at that output due to its efficient, modern op-amp, which utilizes a high-current/low-voltage design. Very good feature-to-price ratio, and an extremely solid amplifier. If you're a do-it-yourself'er (or don't mind hitting up EBay), I recommend making a Chu Moy circuit amp, or CMoy Amplifier. These are particularly cool because they fit in a mint tin and are very customizable. They have the advantage of socketable op-amps so you can tailor your response to your headphones if that's something you want to do. Additionally, these typically run off of one or more 9V batteries, so can manage higher voltage swings than the PA2V2, important for driving high impedance headphones to very high volumes accurately. (I can personally attest that the PA2V2 doesn't struggle with 300Ohm headphones like the Sennheiser HD580 at listening volumes, but would potentially begin to show its limitations as you approach very high volumes (say, 96dB+). You really shouldn't be listening to headphones that loudly, though. A new amp maker has entered the market: PenguinAmps. They make CMoy amplifiers in mint tins, a pretty standard practice, and have good prices with good features. These are starter amps, certainly, and better options exist for more money, but this will get you to the point where you will appreciate the difference between no-amp and an amp to see if you want to invest further. Diminishing returns sneaks up on you pretty quickly with hi-fi amplifiers of any kind, so be careful. --2B. Headphones The point of this thread. Headphones are the sonic medium I like best for many things. There are ups and downs, compared to loudspeakers: you will never get the same visceral sensation of body impact and vibration out of headphones, and there's nothing you can do about that, but headphones bring you more fidelity per dollar than loudspeakers ever could, and don't suffer from some of the really big problems that loudspeakers have with crossovers, group delay, and extension time. Headphones have the supreme advantage of acoustic simplicity: you will never have to build a room specifically for the purpose of minimizing standing waves, or put mattresses, foam, or expensive coatings on any surfaces to cut down on reflection and interference. Headphones are essentially plug-and-play. Further, they offer the best means by which to greatly change sounds quickly, as they all have their own sonic character and design philosophy (much like speakers) but require no setup or teardown time to change, just a quick switch. Headphones are also an area in audio where further investment yields tangible and immediately appreciable results. Going from a $20 pair of Radioshack cans to a $80 pair of HD-280pro is a real and appreciable upgrade; going from the $80 HD-280Pro to the Beyer DT-660 is another huge leap; going from the ~200 Beyer DT-660 to the $396.95 AKG K701 is another big jump that you can hear. The ratio may be similar to the jump from a pair of $800 loudspeakers to a set of $1600 ones, but it's a lot easier on the pocketbook, and in my opinion the resultant change in sound is quite a bit bigger. ---3. X X is a catch-all category for accessories. Room simulation, crossfeed DSP, equalization, etc.; these things all offer potentially euphonic changes to your listening experience, but aren't necessary to enjoy headphone audio. Crossfeed is probably the most common of these, and there are many solutions from free to the quite expensive. As you can see, X is pretty subjective, and you shouldn't even nod towards any of that vast realm without 1) a good understanding of what is bullshit and what isn't in the world of audio and 2) a fat, fat wallet, especially since with a computer sound source there are suitable DSP options available free-of-charge for nearly every function you'd want to have, if you're using Winamp or Foobar. The prior steps, however, aren't nearly as subjective, and offer measurable (and very audible) improvements to your sound. The difference between a RealtekAC97 on a low-end motherboard running 128kbps Mp3s through a pair of Radioshack $20 headphones is immensely different from LAME VBR -aps running through a Chaintech AV710 in HQ mode into even a $50 set of Koss Portapros. Section 2 - On the necessity of a headphone amp Headphone amplifiers offer a cost-effective way to bring a weak sound card (or portable) audio signal up to listening volumes. "But Agreed!" you say, "I can hear my headphones just fine with my sound card!" If you're pleased with your sound card's output, don't buy a headphone amp. Audio is extremely subjective, and if you like how it sounds, don't bother spending money to change it. Perhaps your headphones are of a low impedance (32ohms) and don't hunger for more voltage to drive them - even so, their current draw would be high enough that you'd likely benefit from an amplifier in order to accurately reproduce bass frequencies. However, if you're using higher impedance cans (120ohm and above), you're underpowering your headphones if you're running from a weak source. Transitory periods (literally how quickly - or, in the case of severely underpowered sources, whether - the transducer reaches and returns from full excursion) are optimum when the headphone is supplied adequately with current and voltage. If you're not giving them enough them in one area or another, your sound reproduction quality and accuracy will suffer. Section 3: Types of headphones There are four basic types of headphones: -1. Closed Circumaural Likely the type most commonly associated with headphone nerds, these are closed (meaning they have a solid enclosure that doesn't allow sound to escape or enter as easily) and encircle the entire ear, with a cushion surrounding the ear to block out sound and seal to the head more effectively. The primary benefit to this type of headphone is the passive noise attenuation; blocking out the sound of computer fans, air-conditioners, and angry girlfriends can often help to highten the listening experience. In order to create this seal, however, they do clamp comparatively tightly, and depending on the shape of your head and ears they might fit poorly (though this has never been a problem for me, despite the fact that I have a rather large cranium). The primary drawback is sound coloration and resonance. There is no escaping the distortion caused by having waves bounce around the enclosure, and while different manufacturers address this problem differently at various price points, the fact remains that no closed phone will have an entirely transparent reproduction. That is not necessarily a bad thing; this is one of the many elements of audio that is subjective. Expect slightly slurred bass and midbass by comparison to an open circumaural headphone - in the higher end closed phones, this becomes very slightly slurred. --2. Closed Supra-aural This is a fairly uncommon design, but has a following. This headphone is supra-aural, which means it rests directly on the ear, usually with some sort of foam or padding protecting the surface of the ear. Like #1, it also has a closed back; expect similar drawbacks and benefits, although to less of an extent on both ends, as it doesn't create as complete a seal. The primary sound difference here is that of immediacy; in other words, how close the sound is to your ears. Circumaural headphones present the sound slightly away, making for a more distant soundstage (many compare this to being in an audience), while supra-aural phones are much closer (commonly spoken of as being in the studio). This is one facet of the Sennheiser vs. Grado comparison; Sennheiser tends to have a farther soundstage than Grado, while Grado phones tend to present the sound as a very close mix, almost as if it were in the middle of your head. ---3.Open Circumaural This indicates the headphone has an open enclosure, which allows sound to escape and to enter, but also doesn't constrain the driver's movement, allowing for a more accurate reproduction. It also doesn't suffer from resonance problems. The best sounding headphones in the world in terms of accuracy of reproduction and lack of distortion are open headphones. Open, circumaural cans provide a very comfortable listening experience, especially if you are in a quiet environment. Sennheiser's higher end HD cans are all open circumaural headphones. ----4. Open Supra-aural Open headphones with a supra-aural design. These have presentation characteristics of supra-aural phones with the transparency of open enclosures. Aside from their unique sonic characteristics, there are some who find them to be very uncomfortable for extended use, as the foam-covered driver rests directly upon the ear (with only a minimal foam ring surrounding the driver for comfort) and tend to heat the ear as time goes on. After-market pads, for Grados and Sony headphones, can alleviate much of this discomfort. Grado's headphones are almost exclusively open, supra-aural headphones. Section 4. Smaller! Aside from the aforementioned options, there are also canalphones, earbuds, clip-on supra-aurals, and in-ear phones. Canalphones fit, as you might expect, in the ear canal. These typically provide extreme levels of noise isolation, and higher end ones can reproduce the entire spectrum of audible sound vividly and with clarity. Comfort can be a problem with mass-market sets, but there is also a subsection of the market specializing in custom-molded canalphones. Earbuds are small drivers that fit in the "cup" of the ear, but do not protrude into it. These tend to be lacking in frequency response, but their ease of use can make up for that in situations where that is an issue. Clip-on supra-aurals are pretty much universally bad headphones. They are simply a driver in a lightweight enclosure that clips to the ear. They tend to be uncomfortable, difficult to keep in a constant listening position, and as far as I know there aren't any high end ones around. These usually come with portable CD/Mp3CD players. There is only one exception that I can find to this general rule: Koss makes a clip-on supra-aural that uses the same driver as their Porta-Pro headphone, often regarded as one of the best values in consumer-level headphones around. In-ear phones are small drivers that slide inside the ear but do not enter the canal to any significant degree. These are mostly out of style, anymore, but essentially filled the same niche as clip-on supra-aurals do now: low-quality headphones that appear "stylish" and come packaged with low-quality portable CD players. 5. Enough about that, time to talk turkey! Since many people wonder which headphone type to buy at any given pricepoint, I'll throw a few options out there. Remember that audio is very subjective beyond the hard facts of reproduction capability, so what I like and what you like may very well differ. The best way to be sure about your purchase is to let your ears decide - go to a store that offers some different headphones for sale and test them out yourself with a recording with which you are intimately familiar. The reason for that is so that you have a ready basis of comparison, and won't get caught up in the marketing department's trap of "choosing songs which emphasize the good traits and minimize the bad." I'm going to recommend my own personal choice for each price range in terms of value. I'll add others' recommendations as they come in, and hopefully we'll get a pretty comprehensive list of cans by the end of this. 1. Under $20 You're looking at very cheap headphones. However, it's still possible to get a "decent" pair for this price: look towards the Koss KSC-75, clip-on supra-aurals using the highly-acclaimed (for the price) PortaPro drivers. Benefits include not needing an amplifier and portability; drawbacks include comfort issues with many people thanks to their clip-on nature. $20-$40 Here, the primary contenders are the Koss PortaPro, with an exceptionally nice response for the money you pay (though an emphasis on bass that might turn some off), and the lower end Sennheiser headphones (PX100, HD212, HD457) that introduce you to the "laid back" Sennheiser sound. Note that they aren't particularly fantastic examples of that sound, just the tip of the iceberg; at this price, you're not going to get great headphones. In fact, the HD212 are somewhat of an off-character headphone, as they emphasize bass heavily. $50-$100 You're opening up the playing field considerably. In this range, you're looking at Grado SR-60 and SR-80 for supra-aural headphones. They don't require an amp and have excellent sound reproduction for the price with a very punchy presentation, slightly emphasizing the bass and midbass. These are considered great headphones for rock and metal, but their presentation might be fatiguing for classical or other more laid-back styles of music. For that, you can look at the Sennheisers in this price range: HD485, HD497, HD515 for open circumaurals and the widely-respected HD-280 for closed phones. The previous three are more "Sennheiser-like" in sound reproduction, soundstaging more like the higher end Senns and offering similar sonic qualities (though not with a comparative level of fidelity). Other options enter here, as well, such as Audio Technica and AKG - Audio Technica are Japanese imports, and as such are difficult to demo unless you've got a friend with them, but they're all good-to-excellent quality headphones in their respective types (I am especially fond of their Art series "monitors," which are similar to HD-280 but with a more balanced response in the bass and midbass). AKG make excellent cans as well. This is where your wallet starts to hurt at the sheer number of options and potential directions you can go! $150ish Here, you've got a few different options: In the Grado camp, SR-125 fits this pricepoint. It is generally considered to have a less fatiguing presence than the SR-60 and SR-80, without sacrifing the punchy, dynamic output. This is also the last place you'll see a Grado for a long time, budget-wise. Sennheiser offers a couple of excellent cans here, the HD-580 which were once the top-of-the-line Sennheiser phones and sound like it, and the HD-550, a more modern design with a wider soundstage to emulate a theater- or concert-hall presentation. The Audio Technica A700 is a great Japan-imported headphone in the pricerange, as well, with a remarkably wide soundstage. It's a closed headphone, and as such does a fair job of blocking out most ambient noise. It, and all other Audio Technica headphones using the wing support system, has an extremely comfortable profile on your head, even for long periods of use. You can get it at http://www.audiocubes.com or http://www.bluetins.com prices change regularly, so check 'em both for a good buy. Do NOT buy it from Guitar Center or other places, as they charge over $200 for the same headphone. AKG, as well, contributes a set of cans to this bracket: AKG K 271. These are closed circumaurals, but they sound very different from the previously mentioned HD-280, and their build quality is higher. (Thanks user Gayfag!) Above that pricerange, you ought to check out a better, more complete resource. Speaking of which... What's a better resource for individual headphone properties? I highly recommend www.Headphone.com's by-budget guide as, aside from their snake-oil claim that even solid-state amplifiers and cables have a burn in period, they are a very good resource with informative descriptions of all of their products, including frequency graphs where available. They have a definite hard-on for Sennheiser, but they sell many headphones and provide accurate statistics about them all. 6. Okay, that music listening stuff is all well and good, but all I really do with my headphones is play games! What should I consider? Many of the same qualities to look for for music apply to games as well. However, as member RetardedPimp added, it's especially important for games with 2-speaker positional audio (FPS games, in particular) to have a soundstage wide enough to easily differentiate between the sources. Grado, with their inside-your-head presentation, are less effective than Sennheisers or Audio-Technicas (or, for that matter, any number of phones with a more distant driver) when it comes to stereo image differentiation. Other than that, the quality differences still apply - if you want to hear the gun report as crisply as possible and footsteps to be undistorted, you'll want more expensive headphones than $6 Wal-Mart plastics! 7. Viivac's Addendum: The High End What's all this about headphone amps? I got a great surround receiver with a headphone jack right here! The main reason headphone nerds buy headphone-only amps is because with a headphone amp, the focus is on the headphone jack, not the speaker outputs. By this I mean that you can buy a $2000 receiver and the sound output of the headphone jack could still sound like crap. Headphone jacks are usually an afterthought in any regular amplifier and therefore the electronics operating it is (sometimes very) sub-par. This is why there exist so many different headphone amplifiers and why there is a market for them. There's a huge range of headphone amplifiers, ranging from the CMoy costing $60 (see above) to amplifiers costing thousands of dollars. The basic things to remember is that the circuitry operating the headphone jack in these amps are usually vastly superior to regular amps and therefore yields much better and clearer sound. What's solid state? Lots of things can be said about this. I'll be brief. Solid state (or SS) is an amp which reproduces sound by the means of transistors. This usually makes the sound more balanced and neutral. The sound reproduction is more faithful to it's source (ie, the CD or vinyl) and by many enthusiasts considered rather sterile, "cold" and over-analytical. What people mean by this is usually very opinionated. The vast majority of headphone amps are solid state. What's a tube amp? The opposite of solid state is tubes. When purchasing a headphone tube amp, the first thing is so remember that this ain't neutral. If you like maximum details and as little fluff as possible in your sound, don't buy a tube amp. Tube amps colorizes sound quite a bit and gives it a "warmer", "fuller" edge, sacrificing some detail for a lush and fatter sound not too concerned with details but more with getting everything out in the open. Again, this is opinionated and will be discussed by audiophiles until the end of time. I will leave it at that. Sometimes I see pictures of headphones with funny colors on their cables. Is black passè now? What you are looking at is a recabled headphone. Many people choose to recable their headphones and cables they buy do not necessarily come in black. By recabling a headphone, I mean the cables which goes from the drivers at each side of the headphone (in most cases) running from the can to the amplifier. Why do people recable their cans? Usually people choose to recable their cans to get something better sounding than the stock cord. There are several cord manufacturers which claim their cables brings forth a new quality in headphones and some of them may be right. This subject is heavily debated by audiophile people as some feel cables make no difference whatsoever and those who believe cables are a large part of the picture. Most headphones are not made for recabling and as such you will need a soldering iron, a bit of patience, careful fingers and preferably soldering experience. Other cans, like some Sennheisers (the HD650, HD600 etc) are built for this purpose and if you own one of these cans, you can just pull the cord out of them with a simple grip. I'd like to close this question saying that recabling a headphone is not something you should try yourself if you have never touched a soldering iron. Also, people generally never recable low-end and mid-end cans. When you get a headphone above the $200 mark, then most people will start to talk about cables for them, but not before you reach that watermark. Some popular cables are the Equinox, Cardas Zu and Moon Audio types. As for if it makes any difference, that's up to you to decide. Interconnects? Is that like the Internets? Note from Agreed: I didn't write this. I don't "buy" interconnects. I am of the opinion that expensive cables in general are snakeoil, and that any sound differences are completely and absolutely explained by resistance changes due to impedance at different lengths and gauges. Silver and Copper and Gold all sound the same, because they're all just transmitting an electric signal. There are reasons to buy quality cables, primary among which is construction quality and sufficient shielding, but frankly you're as well off with an interconnect made out of $3 of Home Depot 12-gauge shielded wire as you are with a $4995 Music Interface Technologies Magnum series cable. Don't think that just because I disagree on this point that nothing Viivac says has any validity; he's a knowledgable guy. Some sound engineers swear by expensive cables. However, the majority - and especially those with any understanding of the physics of electrical transmission at audio frequencies - find the concept laughably absurd. Interconnects is the bullshit audiophile word for the cable which goes from your source to your amp. There exists so many interconnects (hereafter called IC) of different quality/build/cost it is mindboggling. Again, this is so heavily debated many audiophiles tend to ignore the question if cables make any difference outright. If you are still interested, I won't go into technical details, but will suffice to say that I at least hear a difference between some cables. IC's range from $2 a metre to tens of thousands of dollars a metre. Cables are however nothing you should concern yourself with first. Getting a decent set of cans is priority 1. After that, sources, amps and cables gains relevance. Some popular choices in the headphone world is the Grover UR series of IC's, Oritek X-1, the Cardas series of IC's and Meier Audio RCA-RCA. What are some high end choices when money concerns are (somewhat) optional? First of all you should decide whether you want to go dynamic or electrostatic. Some choices in the dynamic world are the Sennheiser HD650, Beyerdynamic DT880, Grado RS-1/PS-1, AKG K1000/K701. Just to give you some indications of price here, the DT880 I would guess is around $250 while the Grado PS-1 is $1400, so the range is rather large. Enough of the newbie stuff, let's talk about the heavies. In electrostatic is where it's at. The top high-end starts here and it's mostly led by Stax. An old Japanese headphone manufacturer of many years, they build pricey electrostatic headphone systems, usually matching both headphones and amp together. These are actually somewhat affordable if you are willing to spend a few thousand dollars. The Sony R10 is also kinda affordable, although it is not for general sale anymore. Same with the Sennheiser HE90, or "Orpheus" as it is called. This is a limited edition headphone system, including both cans and amp. To get these babies, you will want to shell out something between $6000 to $10000. As for amplifiers. You can get high end headphone amps for $800-$1000 although the fun doesn't really start before you get into the balanced amp market. You can get a nice balanced amp for $2-3000 stock. Then comes whatever upgrade you can order, which can usually amount to a few more thousands of dollars depending on your sonic needs. User Submitted Reviews: Therapy posted:Sony MDR-F1 - Probably the most comfortable set of headphones I've ever owned. They're open and circumaural, and I think are also well out of production. They are expensive, ~$200, and if you have roommates then these are not the headphones for you. Nonetheless, they are probably my favorite headphones of all time, with excellent highs, lows, and mids, far better than most other headphones I've had. Alright, I open the floor for discussion. I hope this can be an informative and useful resource. Feel free to ask about anything, and to talk about your own experiences with headphones. I am open for PMs, but I would prefer that this thread be the main place of discussion. I am not the only headphone hobbyist on the forums, and I imagine that you will find answers to any questions you should have here. And please, please, please: no bickering. Headphones are different, do not attach your ego to your brand name! Agreed fucked around with this message at Sep 23, 2011 around 15:01 |
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Reserved for new future use.
Agreed fucked around with this message at Sep 21, 2011 around 20:48 |
| # ? Mar 20, 2007 15:53 |
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Great post. Lots of good stuff in there. I picked up some Shure E3C's to replace my worn $50 Sony Circuit City specials (both in-ear). After 2 weeks of listening to the Shures I think I'm going back to the Sonys I know it sounds lame, but the Shures kick out some incredibly accurate sound whichis a big plus because I'm hearing things I never have heard before, but the Sonys have a really thumpy and exaggerated bass that I've grown to love. I'd actually rather have the thumpy bass than really accurate sound. My source is always an ipod with 256-320kpbs Mp3's and Itunes-purchased music. The shures make me realize what a lovely EQ is built into the ipod. Do I have any options to get the best of both worlds? Can someone recommend a good small amp / EQ for these? Also, portability is a primary concern which is why I don't go with over-the-ear phones.
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 16:01 |
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^^ It happens. sometimes you start to pick up on things you don't like, and other times you can't even listen to your favorite albums anymore if they're recorded poorly  Good writeup, as always agreed. Thanks for the levelheaded approach to cables. Personally, I make diy neutrick quarter -> mini with canare star quad cables and they're super durable and sexah looking. about 10$ for reasonable lengths. Agreed posted:1. A good source (ALWAYS NECESSARY, source first you nubs) --> 1a. A media player other than stock itunes 2A. A good amplifier (not always necessary)/2B. A good set of cans (always necessary) --> 3. X fixed 
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 16:21 |
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I'm leaning towards HD650s for my Transporter+Dynahi system; do you think there's a better option for progressive rock and metal? I like what I've read about the Grado GS1000, but really don't want to pay $1k for headphones.
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 16:53 |
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j4cbo posted:I'm leaning towards HD650s for my Transporter+Dynahi system; do you think there's a better option for progressive rock and metal? I like what I've read about the Grado GS1000, but really don't want to pay $1k for headphones. As you might imagine given my avatar, I'm a big fan of prog rock and metal. The AKG K701 and the Sennheiser HD650 are my two top picks for best sound with those two genres. Choosing between them is hard, but I love my HD650 for what it's worth.
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 17:05 |
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Here are some general reviews on various headphones I've owned, figured it might help out a bit. Sony MDR-F1 - Probably the most comfortable set of headphones I've ever owned. They're open and circumaural, and I think are also well out of production. They are expensive, ~$200, and if you have roommates then these are not the headphones for you. Nonetheless, they are probably my favorite headphones of all time, with excellent highs, lows, and mids, far better than most other headphones I've had. Sony MDR-V600 - I got these for $50 a couple of years ago from a friend. They were originally going to be for traveling headphones for me. Once my MDR-F1s broke (left speaker channel died after ~3 years of multi-hour use nightly), I used these for a few months. Not bad, and for the price I paid, I was extremely happy, but they don't really compare. The sound was overall very "warm" I guess, which felt slightly less sharp or clear. Pretty comfortable, but they get very hot since your ears can't breathe. More than an hour or two and you notice them significantly, they're pretty heavy. Sennheiser HD 280 PRO - I really don't like closed headphones much. It makes me feel like I have suction cups on my ears. However, these are some of the only ones I've tried that I enjoyed. I borrowed these from a friend for about a month a couple of years ago, they're nothing outrageously fantastic that will make you eargasm or something, but they do sound great, in my opinion, and the price is fairly reasonable. Especially if you catch them on Amazon when they're on sale. If you have a dorm room or roommates that complain about your loud headphones/music, this might be a good solution. Also, if you want to listen on a plane, I imagine these would work quite well. Usually around $100, but can be found for cheaper if you get lucky. Sennheiser HD 590 - I thought these things were the epitome of awesome at one time. So damned comfortable, a head above the Sony V600s, I believed. They did sound kind of muddled, though, and while they were fine for gaming like Counter-Strike and such, they just never felt quite as good listening to music. I think I paid ~$175 for these, in which case, I would have clearly bought the Sony MDR-F1s for $25 more if I'd known about them at the time. A waste, really, there are better headphones for the money, and these are probably discontinued anyway. Sennheiser HD 580 - These headphones are legendary and sound incredible. They're incredibly comfortable and sound great. However, they have high impedence and a small headphone amp made a night and day difference in the mid-bass and low-end when coming from my sound card, with a smaller difference (but still noticeable) when plugged into my old receiver. I don't know if these are worth the money, and they do sound best with classical music and jazz, but they are quite nice and I'd recommend them any day of the week. I think they're around $200-$250. Sennheiser HD 595 - My favorite headphones of all time. Very comfortable, relatively inexpensive, sound great with games and/or rock music, rap music, etc. They look cool, too, and are probably what most people want, since they are a good all around headphone and produce everything within reason. They're fairly expensive, about $150-200, but I think they're well worth it. I'm not really a fanboy, I've just had good luck with Sennheiser products, and since these are low enough impedence that they don't require an amp, and sound a bit better with the type of music I listen to, I'll give these the nod over the 580s. If you want to save some money, I hear the 555s are pretty close to the same with some minor differences. Sennheiser HD 497 - Feh. Average at best. I don't think these are worth $50. They feel cheap, they don't sit on the ears right. They sound okay, pretty good actually, but they're pretty uncomfortable and ridiculous looking. I think I'd rather use earbuds, quite honestly. Sennheiser HD 201 - If you want a cheap set of earphones, I recommend these. $20-$30, usually, good sound quality for the price, light, and transportable. They still aren't earbuds, but they're more comfortable than earbuds and if you don't mind looking like "that guy" then I recommend these wholeheartedly. They're not amazing, but they'll do in a pinch, and you won't flip the gently caress out if you sit on them or break them since they were only $20. I took these to Europe 2 years ago and listened to my iPod with them. For this purpose, they were highly recommended. Shure E2C earbuds - I love the sound of these, but even the smallest included covers hurt my ears. I guess I have very small ear canals or something, because these just got painful after about an hour. The sound is incredible, the price is about $100, and if you can fit these in without pain, I highly recommend them. I've heard good things about other earbud brands, but these easily kick the poo poo out of the stock Apple (or really, almost any stock earbuds I imagine) and I think they're pretty snazzy. I just can't get used to the lack of comfort.
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 17:10 |
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Oh, sweet, a new thread. I just picked up a pair of the older Beyer DT770's. I love the sound of them, more than my 595's in fact, although the 595's are a lot more comfortable for long use. Anyway, I see that Beyer redid the 770, and the newer version supposedly has better mids and not quite so sharp highs. Have you had any experience with these? I want to pick up a pair to try out, but not sure if that would be worth my time/money.
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 18:49 |
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thrawn86 posted:fixed
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 19:40 |
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mdk posted:Oh, sweet, a new thread. No, I haven't - lately I've been blowing all my free money on guitar stuff, and putting back nearly half my paycheck to save up for an upright bass for my fiancee. Those things are m-m-m-mega expensive, so headphones are on the back-burner until summer. I do intend to pick up a few pairs as the year goes on, though. Thinking about one of the new DT-990 for starters.
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 19:45 |
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quote:The Audio Technica A700 is a great Japan-imported headphone in the pricerange, as well, with a remarkably wide soundstage. It's a closed headphone, and as such does a fair job of blocking out most ambient noise. It, and all other Audio Technica headphones using the wing support system, has an extremely comfortable profile on your head, even for long periods of use. I really can't stress enough how awesome these things are. After scouring the last thread and doing quite a bit of research, I settled on the A700, and managed to find a pair for about $120. They are easily the most comfortable cans I have ever placed on my head (even for 2-3 hours at a stretch), and they sound loving great.
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 19:53 |
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Nice, I love these threads. My 880s you guys recommended in part 2 are still going strong, but I still don't have an amp for them yet. My non-goon buddy is a bit of an audiophile, and he brought his altoids-tin-enclosed homemade amp to my house, and I was pretty impressed.
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 20:46 |
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I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this, but I have a quick question about jacks and adapters. I had to get a 2.5mm->1/8" adapter so I could use headphones to listen to music on my phone, but if it's plugged in all the way, I only get audio in one channel. If I pull the headphones or the jack out partway, I get both channels, but it's really annoying to hold the "Cans(?)" partly in the phone. Is there a simple solution to make it work right, or do I have to get a new adapter?
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 22:09 |
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do the headphones work properly when using the 2.5mm jack? there might be a short in the termination of the wire. either the converter or the wire itself is broke and needs replaced
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 22:12 |
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Mermaid Autopsy posted:Eh, what's wrong with iTunes? I need to know what I'm doing wrong! For Mac it's fine I'm sure. I've seen other players mentioned but none that are clear cut better than iTunes. What can I expect out of my 580s when I upgrade my amp? I'm running it off of a PA2V2 because that's all I have right now; currently looking at grabbing a Gilmore Lite for when I get money. I'm slowly turning into somewhat of a basshead so I'm hoping it will push the bass to a better level.
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 22:44 |
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iPodschun posted:What can I expect out of my 580s when I upgrade my amp? I'm running it off of a PA2V2 because that's all I have right now; currently looking at grabbing a Gilmore Lite for when I get money. I'm slowly turning into somewhat of a basshead so I'm hoping it will push the bass to a better level. I've listened to my 580s for thousands of hours (amped and otherwise) and they must be the most neutral headphones I've ever owned. The upshot? I doubt the bass is ever gonna wow you on these things. I'm willing to bet you'll see some more bass with a better amp, but from what I understand the PA2V2 will get the job done on the 580s. 300 Ohms is definitely a lot of impedance, but from what I know you won't see that dramatic of a change in the bass, especially since you already have an amp. Thanks again Agreed and company, I just went out and bought some Audio Technica A700s to try them out. I've always wanted a better set of closed headphones, as I have long since outgrown my HD280s. Y'all say they're super comfortable, with a wide soundstage and great sound. Couldn't be a better fit for me.  Now, time to look jealously at a set of Beyerdynamic DT770s (or DT880s)...
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| # ? Mar 20, 2007 23:40 |
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Heres how I listen to music: Dell Laptop -> FB2K + ASIO + Advanced Limiter + Resampler (PPHS)[Ultra mode]-> Shure E4c or Sennheiser HD555. I have a Cmoy amp that I ocassionally use but I find the laptop is powerful enough to drive each.
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 00:02 |
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iPodschun posted:What can I expect out of my 580s when I upgrade my amp? I'm running it off of a PA2V2 because that's all I have right now; currently looking at grabbing a Gilmore Lite for when I get money. I'm slowly turning into somewhat of a basshead so I'm hoping it will push the bass to a better level. I bet you would love HD650s - they have enough bass available to wow any basshead, if you use a bit of EQ mid/high frequency attenuation (their non-EQ presentation does have a characteristically Sennheiser strong bass/midbass presence, but it is not to the detriment of other frequencies and is quite well balanced for my preferences). Really, you probably will get good results EQ attenuating the non-bass frequencies on your HD580s. If anything will improve with an upgrade to a more powerful amp, it will be the bass frequencies. I can't promise you that it will, except at higher volumes. At higher volumes, you should notice substantial improvement in the general sound, and likely better bass in particular. They are not terribly efficient headphones and like a good source of power at higher volumes (and we're not talking blasting, here, just normal energetic listening range). Give the EQ a shot first and see if it does anything - remember to attenuate, not amplify frequencies to avoid clipping. If it sounds farty, you might look into a new amp with a higher voltage. If not, well, EQ isn't the heresy that some audio circles would have you believe. If the goal is flat sound, or bassy sound, or trebly sound, or whatever you prefer - use whatever tools you have to get there. EQ is an excellent means by which to overcome design limitations to an extent, though it certainly isn't a cure-all and there are a lot of things it won't fix.
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 00:27 |
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I don't think I thanked you (and the others) in the last thread before it got closed down. So: thank you. I bought the PA2V2 amp and you are dead right: a) it's nicely made, b) adds to lot to the listening experience and c) Gary (the manufacturer) is indeed a nice guy. It adds just a little bit extra to my PX100s I am planning on getting some K701s when I can find a good retailer near me (though, I see some reviews that suggest they are a little light on the bass) and some ER6is for use on planes. Thanks again for all the help you guys gave me.
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 01:43 |
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With the HD580s, would I be better off with a Go-Vibe V5 than a PA2V2? It really looks like that would be the case, but y'know... audiophiles rarely have a clear consensus. And if so, do I really need to pay $32 for the 24V power adapter, or is that 12V one fine? Technically speaking, it logically makes little sense to me for this to matter much, but people seem to say it does; is that placebo or real?
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 04:31 |
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spog posted:I don't think I thanked you (and the others) in the last thread before it got closed down. So: thank you. Glad I could help Gary is supposedly working on the PA2V3 and PA3, so keep watching his site to see what comes of that in the next few months. Inside info is one might be a desktop amp, cross your fingers.Zoo posted:With the HD580s, would I be better off with a Go-Vibe V5 than a PA2V2? It really looks like that would be the case, but y'know... audiophiles rarely have a clear consensus. Yes, for their high impedance and low sensitivity you're going to want a 9V or greater amplifier. The PA2V2 does an admirable job considering its specs, but you will notice improvement with a more powerful amp. When I get a chance to revise the first post next, I'll clear up some things in the amplifier section to make it more intuitive.
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 12:59 |
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I'm certainly nothing like a headphones afficionado, but I do like to spend a little more money to buy headphones above plain earbuds. Based on reccomendations in this thread, my latest pair of headphones was Sennheiser's PX-100. They're light and portable, but with good sounds for what I use them for (5th gen iPod, Macbook Pro, sometimes a DS Lite. However, I've been thinking of upgrading them, or buying a pair of canalphones to go with them. I have a few requirements: 1. Lowish price. I'm a college student and not enough of an audiophile to warrant spending a huge amount on headphones. 2. Portability. For use walking around campus, taking the bus to/from campus, etc. 3. Durability. They go in my bag when I'm in class. A small, convenient carry case is a plus. I've lost many a pair of headphones (cheaper ones) to bad cables, and while I've somewhat reformed my ways, the carry case for the PX-100s was somewhat large and inconvenient, when I'm dashing into class. I know that my college's computer store has some Shure E2cs on sale for $80, and I might snap them up. However, I read some reviews comparing them unfavorably to the Etymotic ER6i headphones, though the latter are significantly more expensive. Also confusing to me are the ER6 headphones and Shure's E2g headphones. Both of the second models I've mentioned from each respective brand are similarly priced to the first ones I mentioned, and their feature differences are vague. Does anyone have words of wisdom or experience with any of the models I've mentioned?
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 17:31 |
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OK, Agreed, I'm ordering a Go-Vibe V5. This should do fine for me, it sounds like. I don't need anything super fancy to start with; I'd rather be able to appreciate the steps as I progress. Looking forward to your additions about amps; as always, this thread is one of the most informative threads in the forum. And my HD580s arrived today. They are currently being run straight from the Chaintech AV710, which is predictably crippling them pretty hard, but they still sound fantastic and were immediately recognizable as an upgrade from the 280s as soon as I put on Beethoven's 9th. The thin cord took me by surprise, having grown accustomed to the telephone wire cord, but it has turned out to be more convenient to deal with. Can't wait for the amp. I also went for the 12V power supply instead of the 24V, since they both seem like they'd do fine.
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 17:55 |
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Toph posted:
The ER-6is are not more expensive. Check here. Amazon is a reputable source, and they strangely seem to always have the best price, so I recommend 'em. As for experiences, I have none with the Shures, but my ER-6s (not ER-6i; I have the older version) are great. I have nothing bad to say about them, except that I lost a flange and it'll be $20 to get new ones. They have run with me and never fall out. They came to work with me every day for a long time. They have an incredibly low profile. The only thing is that some people hate the in-ear design, since it does feel strange, but you don't seem to be bothered by it, so I think you really should just go for it. You'll be happy. I think the Shure E2gs are for gaming, whatever they mean by that. The ER-6 model is the one I have and seems to just have a bit less bass than the ER-6i model. The ER-6i model wasn't out when I bought mine. Oh, and by the way, I've used mine on both an MBP and iPod 5th gen and found them to be great. I went to sleep with them occasionally, as well (big advantage to earphones). Edit: I did forget to mention the bit about portability, as caught by iPodschun. I brought them to work every day, but I also had to have people yell at me for me to hear them when I was needed. I also made sure to be careful when running outside, because it really does silence the world. Beware of this. Zoo fucked around with this message at Mar 21, 2007 around 18:10 |
| # ? Mar 21, 2007 18:06 |
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Agreed posted:I bet you would love HD650s - they have enough bass available to wow any basshead, if you use a bit of EQ mid/high frequency attenuation (their non-EQ presentation does have a characteristically Sennheiser strong bass/midbass presence, but it is not to the detriment of other frequencies and is quite well balanced for my preferences). Really, you probably will get good results EQ attenuating the non-bass frequencies on your HD580s. If anything will improve with an upgrade to a more powerful amp, it will be the bass frequencies. I can't promise you that it will, except at higher volumes. At higher volumes, you should notice substantial improvement in the general sound, and likely better bass in particular. They are not terribly efficient headphones and like a good source of power at higher volumes (and we're not talking blasting, here, just normal energetic listening range). I have the mids and highs dipped on my iTunes EQ now and it's good enough for me. Bass was boosted before, but I like this a lot more. Toph posted:However, I've been thinking of upgrading them, or buying a pair of canalphones to go with them. I have a few requirements: One thing to remember in regards to your criteria you gave is the portability factor - The ones you mentioned are indeed small, but they block off quite a bit of outside sound. With the E2c, I could barely hear a car honking at me, if at all. I didn't enjoy that isolation when walking around my campus, so I moved to less isolating headphones: The JBL Reference 220. Compares similarly/favorably to the very-hyped V-Moda Vibes. It's found at $80 retail, but Staples puts them on sale occasionally for $50, and with a coupon the price can be brought down to $30. Gives decent isolation; with music off I can hear things at 70-80% volume, and with music on I can't hear much besides exceptionally loud noises (to go with the car horn example, I can hear that fine with music on). Not sure about how well it'd do on a bus for blocking out engine noise, though. Comes with a nice little case that can hold a smallish mp3 player as well. I've never had a cord problem, but if it helps any the cord on these looks nice as it's covered in cloth. If you don't want the huge amount of isolation given by the ER6i/E2c, these are a good alternative.
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 18:08 |
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Toph posted:I know that my college's computer store has some Shure E2cs on sale for $80, and I might snap them up. However, I read some reviews comparing them unfavorably to the Etymotic ER6i headphones, though the latter are significantly more expensive. Also confusing to me are the ER6 headphones and Shure's E2g headphones. Both of the second models I've mentioned from each respective brand are similarly priced to the first ones I mentioned, and their feature differences are vague. Does anyone have words of wisdom or experience with any of the models I've mentioned? I bought my ER-6i's from here: http://www.provantage.com/etymotic-er6i-blk~7ETYM008.htm Slightly cheaper than amazon.com, and didn't have any problems in terms of shipment. As for the differences between the ER6 and the 6is, from what I've read the 6i are designed with portable audio players in mind and so have a significantly lower impedance. It also supposedly has better bass response, but I've never tried ER6's so I can't say for sure. As far as I know, the "g" series of Shures are simply a different colour (black) and are marketed as gaming-oriented. I don't think there's any difference beyond that. The ER6i's are awesome for the price, and should suit your needs well. The only thing I can think of that might be a concern to you is that the cables are quite thin compared to the Shures (I've recently picked up a pair of E4c's and the cables are much thicker). That being said, I have yet to damage my ER-6i's and I tend to be pretty rough with my equipment. It comes with a small soft case for storage so that helps.
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 18:35 |
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I can't speak to the audio comparisons between the E2C and the ER6i but I'll give you my experience with the Etymotics. The sound is very good in the mids and highs and the bass is maybe a bit lacking but not too much so. The big trick, as with any in-ear phones is to get a good tight seal. As to durability, I accidentally dropped my ER6is in my driveway one winter day without realizing it. A month passed and once the snow melted I found them laying there. I figured they were toast but upon plugging them in they worked as well as the day they were new. I also toss them around and never really case them. Usually they are thrown into the front pouch of my laptop bag and I've never had any durability problems. They do come with a nice pouch carry case that is small. I highly recommend them for the money. It looks like Ebay has them for around $75 shipped now if you wanted to go that route. Someone else will have to speak to the Shures as I have no experience with them.
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 18:35 |
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I'll add a recommendation for a pair of In-Ear Monitors (Canalphones): Etymotic Research - ER-6i $70 from Amazon: These are my favorite headphones I've owned. They're tiny, light, and sound fantastic (though, my one beef is that they're a little light on the bass). Cost varies between that $75 I paid (about the cheapest I've seen) and $150 if you get them from somewhere like http://www.headphone.com. They're very crisp sounding, excellent mids and highs, and they block out a considerable amount of outside noise. When I'm wearing them at my desk, I can't hear my phone ring from two feet away, when I recently had them on a plane, you could just barely make out the flight noise. They come with 3 types of rubber ear pieces, as well as a little carrying case, and instructions on how to change the little speaker pieces (comes with one spare set) for when your ear goobers inevitably clog them up. I have, however, had them for 5 months or so and they still sound perfect. A disclaimer for IEM's though.. they will likely cause you a little pain until you get used to them. These I could initially wear for about 2 hours, then up to 3 or 4, and now if I get the perfect seal, I can pretty much wear them indefinitely. edit: and the vast majority of my listening is electronic music, off of a 5th gen 60gig iPod, which they sound great on, no sort of amp is necessary, in my opinion. Fantastipotamus fucked around with this message at Mar 21, 2007 around 18:43 |
| # ? Mar 21, 2007 18:40 |
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I haven't tried the ER6i, but I'm a fan of my E2c's. They sound great, fit in my ears well, are durable, and come with a carrying case. I'm not sure if other companies do this, but Shure has a great 2-year warranty where they'll replace/fix the phones if anything goes wrong. I somehow managed to both rip the wire casing and crack the plastic headphone casing of mine over about a year of me having them, and I sent them into Shure and about a week later I had a brand new, retail packaged set of E2c's (which might not be the norm, but either way they replaced them no questions asked at their expense, and I didn't even have a receipt).
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 21:45 |
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j4cbo posted:I'm leaning towards HD650s for my Transporter+Dynahi system; do you think there's a better option for progressive rock and metal? I like what I've read about the Grado GS1000, but really don't want to pay $1k for headphones. You can't go wrong with a HD650 for whatever genre really. It's a lovely all-round pair of cans, if a bit dark. I listen to my prog rock with them most of the time, although I may switch over to my Grados if listening to prog metal. But if I had to choose, I'd choose the HD650. quote:As far as I know, the "g" series of Shures are simply a different colour (black) and are marketed as gaming-oriented. I don't think there's any difference beyond that. There is no difference, apart from the colour. Oh and if anyone got questions about Shure IEM's, I can probably give a fair answer as I've owned them all except the e5c's. Viivac fucked around with this message at Mar 21, 2007 around 23:01 |
| # ? Mar 21, 2007 22:55 |
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Fantastipotamus posted:I'll add a recommendation for a pair of In-Ear Monitors (Canalphones): First, I'm a basshead, so take that into account when you read what I think about my headphones. I've owned or currently own: Etymotic ER-6i, Sennheiser 212 Pro, Sony MDR-EX90s, Sony MDR-EX-71s, and Ultimate Ear super fi. 5Pros. In my opinion the ER-6is just don't have enough bass. I use them when I listen to instrumental or vocal music, but nothing with bass. I upgraded to the Ultimate Ears Super fi 5 Pros, which I like much better. You can find them online for about 160, even though they retail for 250. They do cost double, but for me the much improved bass response was well worth it. As you mentioned, the seal is really important to get the best sound and the ER-6s are much more comfortable and easier to get a good seal. That said, the Ultimat Ears are by no means uncomfortable. If anyone wants, I guess I could go into more detail about any of the pairs I own, but I'm not all that great at reviewing headphones. Specific questions might help. Edit: I've also used the E2c, but didn't personally own a pair. I'd say that between the three headphones, it depends on what you want to listen to. The E2c's have significantly more bass than the er-6s, but not nearly as much as the 5pros. If I don't see the response in this thread, feel free to talk to me on AIM. Chanley fucked around with this message at Mar 21, 2007 around 23:09 |
| # ? Mar 21, 2007 23:01 |
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Chanley posted:First, I'm a basshead, so take that into account when you read what I think about my headphones. I don't think it's fair to match headphones in a completely different price point to the Etymotics. The OPs question of E2C vs ER6i is really much more relevant than comparing to a set that costs twice as much.
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 23:09 |
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Oh sorry, I wasn't exactly responding to that post, I just used yours to start of my own. I did not meant to make a direct comparison between the two because the 5Pros are at least twice as much.
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 23:33 |
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I want to try my hand at building an amplifier again (I actually have a workspace to do it in this time) and I want to try the PIMETA (http://tangentsoft.net/audio/pimeta/). Does anyone have any idea on the average cost of these things?
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| # ? Mar 21, 2007 23:59 |
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I just ordered a Go-Vibe V5 (V6 is a bit too pricy for me right now) from Norman Dalgarno for my HD580s. This is my first headphone amp; hopefully it's satisfactory!
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| # ? Mar 22, 2007 00:40 |
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Thanks for your advice, everyone. I've made my decision: I'm going with the ER6is. I hadn't realized they could be found for only $70 on Amazon, and that price reduction cinched the deal for me. The consensus seems to be that they're somewhat better than the E2cs, and quite sturdy to boot. I discovered today that my PX-100s have a slight rattle in the left ear, so my decisions is timely. Although I'm gonna have a go at fixing the PX-100s for a more disposable pair of headphones, it'll be nice to have the new ones. I'm excited to have IEMs again—I had a pair of cheapo Sony ones that were pretty satisfying until the cord shredded from regular use. So again, thanks, all.
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| # ? Mar 22, 2007 03:18 |
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I've used the Sony MDR-V150s, and they're a really awesome pair of headphones. It's $19.99 from Musician's Friend but there are probably places you can get it for cheaper. Very durable, very powerful, and very comfortable. An all-around great pair of headphones for out-and-about listening (on an iPod or something). It's more expensive cousin (MDR-7509) is almost industry-standard for studio monitoring, as it's one of about 3 other headphones I've seen in studios in my time.
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| # ? Mar 22, 2007 03:20 |
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I bought a couple pairs of Sennheiser HD201s when they were on sale on Amazon and ended up giving a pair to my sister. She seems to enjoy them but I took them on the bus with me to work yesterday and I wasn't that impressed with them. I am thinking of getting a headphone amp for my iPod and that might change my impression. I also had a pair of HD 202s but I didn't listen to them much. I think I left them at my old job. My usual headphones are a pair of AKG K26Ps. They are compact and fold up to be pretty small, but they are by no means tiny. They are quite good for bass heavy music. I ride the bus/subway for about 2 hours each day and I also listen to them if I am walking around alone and I think they are pretty comfortable. They were uncomfortable at first but I guess after wearing them for a while I got used to the pressure. The K-27i seems to be a slightly better version of what I have. The K24P don't have the funky ear cushions and use foam instead. The yellow seems pretty funky. The cable around the headphone jack is a messed up though. I taped it up but I manage to mess up the tape and I see the copper wire and it makes me sad.
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| # ? Mar 22, 2007 04:22 |
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Ned posted:My usual headphones are a pair of AKG K26Ps. They are compact and fold up to be pretty small, but they are by no means tiny. They are quite good for bass heavy music. I ride the bus/subway for about 2 hours each day and I also listen to them if I am walking around alone and I think they are pretty comfortable. They were uncomfortable at first but I guess after wearing them for a while I got used to the pressure. These are the ones I got due to the last thread, and I must say they're very nice apart from the fact that they've broken in two places. They clamp your head like a vice, and the little plastic hinge isn't particularly solid, but it wasn't hard to fix. The sound is pretty loving good - though keep in mind though that I don't consider myself anywhere near an audiophile and pretty much bought them because the $15 Sony around-the-back headphones I had weren't drowning out background noise well enough. Hooray for the opportunity to further kill my eardrums!
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| # ? Mar 22, 2007 04:50 |
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| # ? May 22, 2013 05:00 |
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Gaming headphones, despite what many people think, are not the same as music/quality headphones. This is not to say that nice Sennheisers etc. won't be good for gaming, but for "serious" or competitive gaming most people are looking for very good positional audio and not such good quality. Figuring out where your enemies are is definitely important, as is communicating with teammates. The general consensus seems to be away from really expensive audiophile phones, though I honestly don't know whether gaming is better on specialized gaming headphones... The USB cards on the nicer (although still very cheap) gaming headphones are usually important, as they allow for the full virtual surround sound which helps when locating sounds. Stuff I would recommend from looking around Gotfrag and other sites (I only have experience with Icemats): SteelSound 5H with USB Icemat Siberia (white or black) with USB: I have these, and while I still have trouble with sound locations (help anyone?) being confused, I certainly enjoy decent music quality and very good positional. The mic is NOT on a boom, which kinda sucks as you have to clip it to your shirt or make your own boom, but it is pretty good. Overall I'd say these headphones are good, but I'm not completely satisfied. Sennheiser PC 150/5: Cheaper than most, no USB or surround, but reliable according to most people. The Pink Ninja fucked around with this message at Mar 22, 2007 around 06:52 |
| # ? Mar 22, 2007 06:50 |
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