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I'm looking for a new pair of headphones with the following criteria. - Closed - Under ~$200 - Can be powered by my phone - Good bass - Not overly bulky, I want to use them at the gym I was going to go with these but I'd like a second opinion or some alternative suggestions. http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50WH-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B007GC4L7S/ref=cm_cd_ql_qh_dp_t
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Jul 1, 2014 23:48
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Anyone have any experience with the new Shure SE846's? Just curious, they are ludicrously expensive.
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Jul 2, 2014 00:15
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MaxxBot posted:I'm looking for a new pair of headphones with the following criteria. Those would be bad for the gym with the coiled long cable and how much heat they trap from your ears. I'd suggest logitech ue 6000 although they're not ideal either. They have a short cable so that's better, but it detaches too easily and it's not as isolating since there seems to be some venting going on. On the other hand your head won't heat up as much and they have better bass than m50, which is too boomy for me and they're much more comfortable in general.
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Jul 2, 2014 00:19
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I would suggest the Meelectronics M6 for the gym and a different pair for home.
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Jul 2, 2014 01:14
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Midorka posted:I would suggest the Meelectronics M6 for the gym and a different pair for home. Yeah I might just go this route, I've had a lot of issues with earbuds eventually dying over time from the cable being tugged on over and over but these ones look a lot more durable.
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Jul 2, 2014 02:59
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MaxxBot posted:Yeah I might just go this route, I've had a lot of issues with earbuds eventually dying over time from the cable being tugged on over and over but these ones look a lot more durable. I have a pair of M50x's as well as a set of Klipsch S4i rugged IEM. While the sound quality is no where close to the ATH set, I've accidentally washed them, have them yanked out multiple times per bike ride by wind, wheel and crank, and have generally abused the poo poo out of them and they just keep tanking on. If you want something durable and decent I'd recommend them.
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Jul 2, 2014 03:22
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MaxxBot posted:Yeah I might just go this route, I've had a lot of issues with earbuds eventually dying over time from the cable being tugged on over and over but these ones look a lot more durable. If you want to wait another 2-3 weeks I'm putting my M6 through a rigorous test by basically treating them like crap at the gym/etc. They've been in my car for the past 3 days where it's definitely been over 100F for the past two days.
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Jul 2, 2014 03:38
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So I have Bose QC 15 and while I do like them I realize I wasted a bit of many by going with brand. Also noise cancelling is stupid and I don't need it. So: - Full Size, Circumaural - No more than $400 - To be used for all things computer (gaming, music, movies and some audio composing) What seems to be the consensus here?
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Jul 2, 2014 22:09
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ScienceAndMusic posted:So I have Bose QC 15 and while I do like them I realize I wasted a bit of many by going with brand. Also noise cancelling is stupid and I don't need it. So: I don't know if there's going to be a consensus, as there are a lot of very good choices in that price range. Whether you will be using an amp, and if you prefer open vs closed would help narrow it down though.
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Jul 2, 2014 22:33
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GokieKS posted:I don't know if there's going to be a consensus, as there are a lot of very good choices in that price range. Whether you will be using an amp, and if you prefer open vs closed would help narrow it down though. I would like closed ideally, as I imagine that will isolate noise more correct? The source will be my computer so I would assume I wouldn't need an AMP as it works fine with all my other audio equipment. Edit: If there is some amazing headphone but I would need an AMP for I would be more than willing to consider. ScienceAndMusic fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Jul 2, 2014 |
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Jul 2, 2014 22:39
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Been using Sennheiser HD 201/2s for years as my standards. Came to this thread and saw that there was no reason I shouldn't be switching to Monoprice 8323s...  So many wasted years! Thanks thread!
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Jul 2, 2014 23:35
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ScienceAndMusic posted:I would like closed ideally, as I imagine that will isolate noise more correct? The source will be my computer so I would assume I wouldn't need an AMP as it works fine with all my other audio equipment. Closed would offer more isolation, while open generally offers reduced resonance and better soundstage. Some people also consider it more comfortable due to it allowing for airflow to your ears. At any rate, open is generally more popular among high-end headphones. Whether you need an amp depends on the quality of your computer soundcard and the impedance of the headphones - a > 300ohm headphone would almost certainly require an amp to sound their best unless your source is something like the Asus Xonar soundcards that include built-in headphone amp. Honestly, for computer-based audio at this point I would say a good USB DAC/headphone amp would probably be the best option. They're not terribly expensive (a lot of very good options at the <$200 range such as Audio Engine D1, FiiO E17+E09K, Schiit Magni+Modi, etc.), and will offer better audio quality and convenience compared to onboard audio and most soundcards, and will allow for driving more demanding high-impedance headphones.
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Jul 2, 2014 23:38
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GokieKS posted:Closed would offer more isolation, while open generally offers reduced resonance and better soundstage. Some people also consider it more comfortable due to it allowing for airflow to your ears. At any rate, open is generally more popular among high-end headphones. So I have been looking into it and I mostly want the headphones for gaming and comfort and isolation are most important to me. So closed seems to be the way to go. I am looking at the AKG K712 Pro and I have heard nothing but great things, I have a question though, it says over-ear design, does this mean it sits on the ear or does it go around the ear?
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Jul 2, 2014 23:58
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ScienceAndMusic posted:So I have been looking into it and I mostly want the headphones for gaming and comfort and isolation are most important to me. So closed seems to be the way to go. Those look big enough that I'm pretty sure they would be circumaural (around the ear).
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Jul 3, 2014 00:11
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GokieKS posted:Those look big enough that I'm pretty sure they would be circumaural (around the ear). Awesome I think I'm gonna bite the bullet. edit: SHould I get an AMP with these headphones? Also I don't think I understand when and why I would also need a DAC. If my understanding is correct I would want an AMP if my headphones impedence is high (correct?) but when would I want a DAC? ScienceAndMusic fucked around with this message at 00:34 on Jul 3, 2014 |
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Jul 3, 2014 00:13
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You don't need an external DAC unless your're picking up interference in the sound caused by other components in the computer. AKG headphones are particularly hungry. The 712 shares drivers with all the other 7xx and they are all power hungry. Probably more so than any other headphone in their class.
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Jul 3, 2014 01:01
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Leaf Lock posted:You don't need an external DAC unless your're picking up interference in the sound caused by other components in the computer. So what kind of an amplifier would I want to get? I just ran some numbers and here is what I got for the K712: Desired loudness (dBSPL) 110 Required power (milliwatts) 3 Required voltage (volts RMS) 0.44 Required current (millamps RMS) 7.1 So it would appear that I wouldn't actually need an AMP because I thought most computers output at ~1 V. ScienceAndMusic fucked around with this message at 02:17 on Jul 3, 2014 |
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Jul 3, 2014 02:04
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Well, an external DAC will also be a better DAC than onboard audio and (most) sound cards. But really a DAC being the recommendation is because DAC + headphone amp is commonly found in one package at the lower end and represents an easy and affordable way to improve the quality of both the source and the headphone amp. The ones I mentioned earlier (FiiO E17 + E09K, Schiit Magni + Modi, Audio Engine D1) along with some others like the HiFiMan EF-2A, Audio Quest DragonFly, and O2 + ODAC are all generally pretty well regarded. The FiiO is actually a small DAC/amp (E17) that turns into just a DAC when plugged into a more powerful amp (E09K), and it's what I use with my Sennheiser HD600s, which are 300ohm. The Schiit units are separate, with one being the DAC and one the amp. The O2 + ODAC is an open source design that you can buy as a PCB, as a stand-alone unit DAC, or as a combination DAC+amp. The others are all-in-one units with both DAC and amp.
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Jul 3, 2014 02:25
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GokieKS posted:Well, an external DAC will also be a better DAC than onboard audio and (most) sound cards. But really a DAC being the recommendation is because DAC + headphone amp is commonly found in one package at the lower end and represents an easy and affordable way to improve the quality of both the source and the headphone amp. But the headphones I just ordered are: Headphone sensitivity (dBSPL @ 1 milliwat) 105 Headphone impedance (ohms) 62 Nowhere near the resistance of the headphones you're talking about. I understand the quality issue of getting a dedicated DAC -> AMP but assuming the quality is sufficient I don't think I will need to AMP the sound coming out of my PC, since my headphones don't seem that power hungry. Or am I misinterpreting something here? (Super new to this stuff)
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Jul 3, 2014 03:39
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ScienceAndMusic posted:But the headphones I just ordered are: First, you should note that AKG's website lists the K712 PRO at 105 dB SPL/V rather than dB SPL/mW, which means it's calculated slightly differently. Also, for a proper calculation you will need to know the output voltage of the source at the impedance of the load (headphones being used), which can be hard to find especially for PC components. NwAvGuy had a very in-depth post on the calculations for determining power levels and volumes for headphone amps: http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-power.html Anyway, if you're sold on the AKGs, then there's no harm in trying it with the equipment you already have and see if you're satisfied with it. And then if you find that it can't drive them to the volumes you want (without hissing or distortion), then you can look into getting a DAC/amp.
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Jul 3, 2014 04:48
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GokieKS posted:First, you should note that AKG's website lists the K712 PRO at 105 dB SPL/V rather than dB SPL/mW, which means it's calculated slightly differently. Also, for a proper calculation you will need to know the output voltage of the source at the impedance of the load (headphones being used), which can be hard to find especially for PC components. NwAvGuy had a very in-depth post on the calculations for determining power levels and volumes for headphone amps: http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-power.html Yeah you were right I was misreading the value, the actual calculation is: Headphone sensitivity (dBSPL @ 1 volt RMS) 105 Headphone impedance (ohms) 62 Desired loudness (dBSPL) 110 Required power (milliwatts) 51 Required voltage (volts RMS) 1.78 Required current (millamps RMS) 28.7 So I will take your advice and wait and see how it is, and if it isn't up to spec I'll check out a DAC/AMP combo. Probably a FiiO of some kind since I have heard good things. edit: Any experience with the Magni/Modi? ScienceAndMusic fucked around with this message at 05:05 on Jul 3, 2014 |
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Jul 3, 2014 05:00
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Pistons just came in from boat2014. After three weeks in the post, they're worth the wait.
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Jul 3, 2014 22:59
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ScienceAndMusic posted:edit: Any experience with the Magni/Modi? I have not. I did hear the Bifrost paired with the... Asgard, I think it was, once, and they worked quite well with the headphones I heard them with (HD650, AD700), but I really don't know that would translate in any meaningful way. The reviews and impressions for the Magni+Modi combo generally seem very positive though. E: It does kind of lack for features compared to some other choices in the same price range - no gain control, no optical input, no additional line-out to drive speakers in addition to headphones, etc. GokieKS fucked around with this message at 01:41 on Jul 4, 2014 |
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Jul 4, 2014 01:25
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GokieKS posted:E: It does kind of lack for features compared to some other choices in the same price range - no gain control, no optical input, no additional line-out to drive speakers in addition to headphones, etc. I don't know of any worthwhile headphone amps+DACs in the same price bracket that offer any of those things other than the O2 and FiiO E09k and that's the gain control.
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Jul 4, 2014 04:14
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I have a Magni/Modi stack and I really love it. Nice and simple, and a really really clean aesthetic. My headphones were always easy to drive (AD900x), but getting away from all the crazy interference and freezing/crashing issues with my onboard was fantastic. Noticeably better sound quality really, and I like the headroom to get higher ohm headphones in future.
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Jul 4, 2014 04:34
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Midorka posted:I don't know of any worthwhile headphone amps+DACs in the same price bracket that offer any of those things other than the O2 and FiiO E09k and that's the gain control. E09K also offers line-out/pre-out and the E17 that you would use with the E09K offers optical input. The Audio Engine D1 accepts optical input and has line-out. The O2+ODAC offers gain control as you mentioned, and can include line-out. The NuForce uDAC 2/3 both includes line-out. All of them are quite good for their prices, and they all offer features that the Schiit combo does not. The lack of line-out is my biggest issue with the Schiit Magni - being able to use the same DAC for both headphones and speakers is something that I consider to be a no-brainer feature. Admittedly you do have the option of getting that from Schiit if you pay an extra $50 for the Loki instead of Modi, but with that 25% cost increase the value proposition of the combo compared to the competitors start looking rather worse.
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Jul 4, 2014 07:49
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GokieKS posted:E09K also offers line-out/pre-out and the E17 that you would use with the E09K offers optical input. The Audio Engine D1 accepts optical input and has line-out. The O2+ODAC offers gain control as you mentioned, and can include line-out. The NuForce uDAC 2/3 both includes line-out. All of them are quite good for their prices, and they all offer features that the Schiit combo does not. The lack of line-out is my biggest issue with the Schiit Magni - being able to use the same DAC for both headphones and speakers is something that I consider to be a no-brainer feature. Admittedly you do have the option of getting that from Schiit if you pay an extra $50 for the Loki instead of Modi, but with that 25% cost increase the value proposition of the combo compared to the competitors start looking rather worse. I wouldn't buy any NuForce product. The uDAC is known for bad channel imbalance issues and measured distortion far above acceptable levels. The Audioengine D1 has far too high of an output impedance to be useful for anything under 80ohms. The Ostack is pretty ugly looking, while only offering customizable gain while costing more than the MM stack. The FiiO stack is solid, but lacks the power the Magni has. You're right there are other options, but I'd take the sound quality, power and aesthetics over the minior pros of the others.
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Jul 4, 2014 14:48
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Midorka posted:I wouldn't buy any NuForce product. The uDAC is known for bad channel imbalance issues and measured distortion far above acceptable levels. The uDAC 3 has been mentioned as no longer having any serious channel imbalance issues, though I haven't seen any quite as rigorous measurement testing of it as NwAvGuy did on the uDAC 2. To be fair, that is true of most of the DACs available on the market. The Schiit Modi + Magni stack is a fine option by all accounts, which was why I mentioned it. But while it does look fairly nice (especially if paired with a Mac other than Trashcan Pro), I don't find that enough to outweigh the lack of features, particularly line-out, which I consider a requirement in my DAC rather than a "minor pro". Same goes for the higher power output - I've used HD600s and DT880 600s with my E17+E09K, and I've never thought that it lacked for power. To be honest, I can't imagine that at sane listening volumes anybody short of someone using K1000s is going to find it underpowered. In other news, I found a pair of new Audio Technica ATH-W1000s on eBay. While I really have no need for another pair of headphones at the point, it's something that I've been lusting after ever since hearing it once something like 8 years ago (it is thin on bass as is well known, but that's not a big deal for me, and for vocals it sounded fantastic), and they are probably the prettiest headphones I've ever seen (the lacquered wood finish is absolutely gorgeous), so I went ahead and pulled the $500 trigger (actually not a bad price, but still a little more than I can normally justify as an impulse purchase).
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Jul 4, 2014 16:21
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Fair points on the Amp/DAC. As for the W1000x, I'd cancel that if you can still. I saw two on Head-Fi near $400. I bought one for $405 shipped actually. That is unless the W1000 is not the same as the W1000x. Let me know what you think of it when you get it though. I fell in love instantly despite it's flaws. Edit: Just saw you said they were new W1000x, nice find for sure.
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Jul 4, 2014 16:56
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Midorka posted:Fair points on the Amp/DAC. The W1000 is a different model from and the predecessor to the W1000X, and is quite a lot rarer these days. And while I haven't heard the W1000X, the impressions I've read comparing the two make it seem like they tried to address the lack of bass on the W1000, but may have also adversely affected the sound in other ways (I've heard people say it made the female vocals sound more "metallic", but it's hard to tell where the audiophile psychoacoustics end and where the truth begins with a statement like that). At any rate, I've heard the W1000 and loved them, and I also think the Asada Cherry Wood of the W1000, which has a brighter color, looks better than the American Black Cherry Wood of the W1000X. Yeah, that's just complete vanity (and the W1000X is a very nice looking headphone in its own right) but I really love the way the W1000 looks. 
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Jul 4, 2014 17:18
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Wellp, looks like another headphone to add to my "must buy list" after I re-buy some Ad2000.
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Jul 4, 2014 17:22
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I bought some a Jay Fives, which fit great and sound drat good but I'd prefer something with less treble and more bass. Anyone have any suggestions in the same price range as the Fives? Edit: how about the Philips Fidelio S2BK/00 has anyone tried them? Red Rox fucked around with this message at 18:51 on Jul 4, 2014 |
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Jul 4, 2014 18:40
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Disco De Soto posted:I bought some a Jay Fives, which fit great and sound drat good but I'd prefer something with less treble and more bass. Anyone have any suggestions in the same price range as the Fives? Uhh maybe the Audio Technica CKM500? I found them to be dark sounding, but others have found them to sound a bit v-shaped. You could buy some Monster Turbines.
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Jul 4, 2014 18:51
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MaxxBot posted:I'm looking for a new pair of headphones with the following criteria. Ok I've decided to drop the requirements of being powered by my phone, closed, and not too bulky since I'm just going to use these at home. They're going to be used mainly for listening to EDM, metal, and classical and also gaming so I'd like something with some really good bass. I'm ok with buying a separate DAC/Amp too and I'd be willing to pay up to $300 if that opens up more options.
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Jul 4, 2014 22:12
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MaxxBot posted:Ok I've decided to drop the requirements of being powered by my phone, closed, and not too bulky since I'm just going to use these at home. They're going to be used mainly for listening to EDM, metal, and classical and also gaming so I'd like something with some really good bass. I'm ok with buying a separate DAC/Amp too and I'd be willing to pay up to $300 if that opens up more options. Philips Fidelio X1. Best combination of an open soundstage and bass you're going to find for vidya gaming/music at that price point. You don't need an amp. Equilibrium fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Jul 4, 2014 |
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Jul 4, 2014 23:19
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Segmentation Fault posted:Pistons just came in from boat2014. After three weeks in the post, they're worth the wait. Three weeks? Jesus. FYI they're now in stock and fulfilled by Amazon so I bought a pair, estimated delivery is Monday.
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Jul 4, 2014 23:46
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NOTinuyasha posted:Three weeks? Jesus. Delivery times from him seem to be all over the place, which is probably just overseas shipping at work. Some people are getting it in five days, others for almost a month. I really loving hope the estimated date for mine is overshooting it: July 28 - August 13! I could fly to China and pick some up myself in that time.
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Jul 5, 2014 00:02
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Rollofthedice posted:Delivery times from him seem to be all over the place, which is probably just overseas shipping at work. Some people are getting it in five days, others for almost a month. When it's 'fulfilled by Amazon' it means he shipped a few pallets to Amazon's warehouses and they're the ones distributing orders, so you get fast, consistent shipping rather than 'sometime in the next month'. Looks like the price went up a little though.
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Jul 5, 2014 00:15
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I got mine in about a week. Anyway, I can't recommend the Pistons to anyone needing isolation, I used them on a 300 mile bike ride today and my ears are ringing like I didn't use any earplugs at all. Back to the X10's.
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Jul 5, 2014 03:29
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NOTinuyasha posted:Three weeks? Jesus. Do you have a link? I'm not finding it.
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Jul 6, 2014 17:34
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