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Samurai Sanders posted:I'm getting into headphone amps so I decided to try the smorgasbord option of a Soundblaster E3 so I can figure out what features I will use of something like this and what I won't. I use it with my PC, PS4 and iDevices but my question is, should there be any difference in sound quality between connecting it to the PS4 via USB or optical? USB would be the most convenient since it would power it too and could make use of the mic if I ever wanted to, but part of my brain thinks optical sounds better when I switch them back and forth. I don't know why that would be since they're both digital and transmitting uncompressed audio data, right? I've been using Audiotechnica Air 700 and Sennheiser 558 headphones. The big secret is that while your headphone, amplifier and source quality are a big deal your actual cables are not. Other than length I guess but extension cables are cheap as chips. If you wanted to go full ghetto you could wire it all with old rusty coat hangers if you really wanted to. Nice cables are just a convenience thing (also nicer ones are less prone to kinks & twists but that's about it). First thing (which is vaguely free?) is to get/rip your music in FLAC format from now on because that definitely ups the quality at the cost of storage space. Not a big deal unless you like filling your pocket sized mobile devices. Anything MP320 or whatever will still sound good mind you, just the lossless part of FLAC is a thing. This is also dependant on the mastering quality of the album which is a thing you'll eventually care about but that's more late stage addiction. DancingShade fucked around with this message at 05:14 on Mar 19, 2017 |
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Mar 19, 2017 05:11
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Dr. Fishopolis posted:Haha good lord I somehow got the circuit flipped. Neeeevermind. Samurai Sanders fucked around with this message at 11:17 on Mar 20, 2017 |
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Mar 19, 2017 11:17
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I just wanted to pop in and mention that I'm no audiophile, but for mainly listening to podcasts I freaking love the wireless bluedio headphones I bought, and I don't think they even sound bad for music either, though I acknowledge my ignorance. They were the best bang for the buck imaginable.
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Mar 19, 2017 16:31
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I'm still no closer to discovering why the Soundblaster E5 sounds better to me being connected to the PS4 by optical. It's certainly good when connected to my PC or iDevice by USB. Would other optical/USB DACs be the same, I wonder? Today I almost bought another one to test against it but realized I am not insane yet. Meanwhile, I wanted to ask if there are other headphones like my Audiotechnica Airs, or whether they are unique among open over ear headphones. Samurai Sanders fucked around with this message at 11:38 on Mar 20, 2017 |
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Mar 20, 2017 10:46
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PS4 outputting different formats over different interfaces, maybe?
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Mar 20, 2017 13:21
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Dogen posted:PS4 outputting different formats over different interfaces, maybe? edit: the floor by my sofa is now completely strewn with wires coming and going from the E5 to and from various other things. Good thing I don't need the floor for walking on or anything. Samurai Sanders fucked around with this message at 15:32 on Mar 20, 2017 |
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Mar 20, 2017 13:24
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Got my expensive dumb snake oil cable for idiot suckers in the mail today. Specifically a garish braided orange and yellow custom made balanced 4-pin XLR cable for my HD600s. It's uh... very noticeable going A/B with the old cable. In short same volume level gets you more output with less interference so you can go higher (perhaps dangerously higher) without the slightest background hiss if you kill the volume. It could be positive bias but I'd swear imaging per channel is better too. Fun fact: ordering this bling hand made cable from the UK and importing to Australia was still cheaper than buying the official Sennheiser branded one locally because of our national retail distribution markups. Kind of like how it's notoriously cheaper to fly overseas to the USA and buy a copy of [high end Adobe product] off the shelf, stay overnight and fly back than it is to just buy a copy locally.
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Mar 22, 2017 07:42
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grack posted:Burn in is 100% psychological. not empty quoting
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Mar 25, 2017 08:54
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Hey thread. I've done quite a bit of head-fi lurking and YouTube review watching because I recently got the urge to replace the Astro A40's that were given to me as a gift. I've had them for two years now and they're not the most comfortable set and the audio connector on the actual headphones is incredibly touchy, leading to the classic wiggling of the aux cable to get audio not to sound like garbage. I know this is inexpensive to fix but I'm kind of exhausted by these. They're pretty much just going to be for desktop entertainment with some light video editing, but I usually try multiple sound sources when doing that anyway. I've listened to some HD 598's, I like how they sound but honestly can't use open backs. I can't have sound leaks in my environment. I'm seriously considering the M50x. The most important factors are closed back and comfort. I have the Astro amp which I still plan on using. The only thing giving me pause is the Monolith M560, but outside of some glowingly positive YouTube video reviews there are cheerleaders on head-fi and people who think they're pretty lovely. Is the HD 598 good while trying to use a basic bitch Yeti Blue in front of me? Would the the m560 closed still be loud? I'm assuming I can put Over-ear pads on the 'on-ear' m560's. Does everyone overthink purchases this much? I would hate to know about more than three different brands
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Mar 25, 2017 20:04
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Obviously comfort/fit is a subjective thing, but I got rid of my M50xs after a year because they were terribly uncomfortable. No amount of stretching out the headband or trying different pads made any difference, the top of my head and my ears would be miserable before finishing a single album.
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Mar 25, 2017 20:33
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Thanks, that and some other opinions (mostly the youtube video reviews talking about it) made me decide on the wildcard Monolith m560's. Now to find the another thread for talking about headphone amps
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Mar 26, 2017 01:20
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trem_two posted:Obviously comfort/fit is a subjective thing, but I got rid of my M50xs after a year because they were terribly uncomfortable. No amount of stretching out the headband or trying different pads made any difference, the top of my head and my ears would be miserable before finishing a single album. Top of my head gets a little achy, but I usually need to extend the headband so it's not resting on there. Keeps me going for multiple hours more, but agreed: it's not as comfortable as my Sennheiser 518 or AKG 7XX.
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Mar 26, 2017 04:48
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I read the op and the last page of the thread. I want a recommendation for rechargeable non-audiophile (I normally buy the cheapest earbuds possible) bluetooth headphones please. edit: Budget - 20-60 US dollars Source - moto g5+ Isolation Requirements - IDGAF Preferred Type of Headphone - Bluetooth Preferred Tonal Balance - IDGAF Past Headphones - nothing of note Preferred Music - podcasts redreader fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Mar 28, 2017 |
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Mar 28, 2017 20:19
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Recently got the Sony MDR-1000x in anticipation for a cross-atlantic flight. Their noise canceling is really really good, though couple of issues. You can't seem to pair it with two devices at once (my 25 dollar bluetooth earbuds can do this, it was kinda of mind blowing that they can't do it) and their cushions are a little stiff. If you try walking around with them they'll constantly break their seal and you get outside noise leakage in. I'm kinda torn on whether I should keep them or return them. Touch controls are really nice and the sound is fantastic (and they should only get better when the next android version supports Sony's LDAC encoder), but they really just don't work well unless you are sitting down thanks to the sound leakage you get if your head shakes even a moderate amount. Has anyone else tried both the MDR-1000x's and Bose's headphones? Which would you prefer?
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Mar 29, 2017 01:58
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Hi I currently have the Sennheiser HD 800s with a DAC/Amplifier that does the headphones justice. That being said I feel like trying out/auditioning a couple of other headphones around the same price range. Does anybody have any recommendations? I already have the Audeze LCD-3s on my list. Preferred Music: classical, ambient, instrumentals, sometimes electronica, basically the usual stuff.
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Mar 29, 2017 02:05
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ntan1 posted:Hi I have no suggestions in that range, but I am curious as to what DAC/Amplifier you use.
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Mar 29, 2017 02:43
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Schiit Ragnarok/Gungnir
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Mar 29, 2017 06:55
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ntan1 posted:Hi Time for you to hit the big (expensive) league and investigate electrostatics.
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Mar 30, 2017 12:32
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DancingShade posted:Time for you to hit the big (expensive) league and investigate electrostatics. I think he's on the right track and should get through a couple of planar magnetic headphones first.
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Apr 1, 2017 06:13
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:I think he's on the right track and should get through a couple of planar magnetic headphones first. He needs to learn the following terms first: "Burn-in" "PRAT" "Grip" "Holographic" "Black background" and most important of all; "Airiness". Can't forget the airiness.
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Apr 1, 2017 06:48
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Mmm yes this headphone is very warm and liquid, it makes the music velvety plush and rounds off all the sharp edges. "What makes it sound so good?" Well it could be the endangered african hardwood, the genuine rare turtle leather padding, the extremely shiny silver wire mined from underneath antarctica by a mole miner but mostly it's the price. The price makes it sound that good. "What's the price?" I'm sorry I was writing it down but my pen ran out of ink. http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary  Some of these terms might mean a thing but you should endeavour to string together as many at once regardless of what they actually mean when describing how awesome your new skullcandy headphones are. DancingShade fucked around with this message at 13:57 on Apr 1, 2017 |
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Apr 1, 2017 13:54
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DancingShade posted:Mmm yes this headphone is very warm and liquid, it makes the music velvety plush and rounds off all the sharp edges. Just as with anything, there are people who take things too far. Are there differences in the sound quality between a pair of Apple EarPods and a pair of $4K Audeze LCD-4s? Absolutely. Head-Fi users have their own "glossary" of terminology to try to explain the differences in sound quality, which can be a very difficult thing to do verbally. Is there a great deal of snake oil over there? Absolutely. And there are imbeciles who genuinely believe their $700 USB cable sounds different (and significantly better) than one from Monoprice. I'm pretty sure you will find those people in any niche industry, and fools and their money are always soon parted. There is also the principle of diminishing returns to take into consideration. Will those Focal Utopia headphones sound $3,700 better than my $299 Hifiman HE400i cans? Not to my wallet. But I also don't drive a Porsche or live in a mansion. Nor do I begrudge the recent poster who stated that he had a pair of Sennheiser HD800s and wanted to know what other high-ticket headphones he should be looking at. To each their own. I guess just try not to sound too much like a prat when talking about your interests is the applicable advice.
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Apr 1, 2017 19:58
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I read a thread on Head-Fi that was 100% about burn in. Not burning in headphones, mind you, but burning in replacement headphone cables. There are some very decent threads there, like the Chinese headphones thread, the budget thread, Joker's review thread etc. but my god, there is so much absolute poo poo it's almost breathtaking. The last thing I ever did on Head-Fi was hype up, like seriously hyped up, an incredibly lovely set of headphones that I returned almost immediately after I got them. I think I got at least 10 other people to buy them, then randomized my log-in details and never signed in again.
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Apr 1, 2017 23:35
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unorthodox question: where can I get the inner breathable foam sheets that headphone pads use? Talking about these things here: The ones that came with these pads work fine for the time being but there's something distracting about having them just completely flush with the aperture so any amount of give causes them to buckle. I could have sworn I saw some aftermarket items for this kinda stuff when I was searching for the pads in the past, but now I can't seem to find anything. Either individual already cut pads or just a sheet that I can cut out properly sized circles would be fine. Either that or if someone could help me out with getting my hands on proper replacement pads for full size audio technicas for the US then that'd also be real fine.
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Apr 2, 2017 01:11
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Futaba Anzu posted:unorthodox question: where can I get the inner breathable foam sheets that headphone pads use? Talking about these things here: Unless you want to muck about with foam thickness and density from an unknown source I'd just buy from the manufacturer. I'd imagine they would include it with replacement ear cushions. That being said no harm in just substituting a circle of felt or some similar cloth instead if you wanted to try.
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Apr 2, 2017 04:07
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Budget - $200 max Source - Nexus 5X Isolation Requirements - As much as possible Preferred Type of Headphone - IEM or over-ear Preferred Tonal Balance - Neutral or close to Past Headphones - Granvela UrbanFun, Meelectronics A161p, Hifiman etc. Preferred Music - Punk, Indie, Rock, Podcasts, Metal etc. I feel like I go through a new pair of headphones every yer to 18 months, which seems high. I do use them almost everyday and at the gym. This is why I'm thinking about going over-ear, thoughts? I feel I'm dropping a lot of money on IEMs all the time. Would be keen on Bluetooth but it just seems like there aren't any really good options out there yet. What about the Bluetooth dongles you can add to normal headphones?
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Apr 2, 2017 04:22
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Red_Fred posted:Budget - $200 max There are more affordable IEM options that sound just fine: KZ ATE copper https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Y0F6IBG/ref=ox_sc_mini_detail?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A241XYSH0WLI7M Tenmak Pro - Some people prefer their other models but these are the only ones I've tried. They're similar to the Shure 215SE https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DEHWPMG/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 As for Over ear - the Sennheiser 598c's are great and even come with a build in mic/media control cable https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JP436TS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I snagged a pair from an Amazon lightning deal for $99 They fit quite a bit more snugly than the open backed 598's do. So maybe buy them from a place where you can return them if your head is not small. The ATH M70x are also very excellent headphones. I've had no complaints about them and they've flown all over (and out of) the country with me and managed to survive airport security just fine. Also they sound really good and aren't fatiguing like other headphones are (I'm looking at you Fidelio X2's).
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Apr 2, 2017 05:03
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DancingShade posted:Unless you want to muck about with foam thickness and density from an unknown source I'd just buy from the manufacturer. I'd imagine they would include it with replacement ear cushions. the manufacturer no longer sells this line of headphones in america, nor its replacements parts. that second part of your post is what I was looking for, if there was any sort of bulk sheet of felt i could buy and cut out of.
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Apr 2, 2017 07:42
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:There are more affordable IEM options that sound just fine: Thanks. Would you say general use and gym use is possible with those over the ear options?
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Apr 2, 2017 07:51
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Futaba Anzu posted:the manufacturer no longer sells this line of headphones in america, nor its replacements parts. that second part of your post is what I was looking for, if there was any sort of bulk sheet of felt i could buy and cut out of. You should be able to just walk into any shop that sells sewing supplies & fabric and buy whatever you're after by the metre. Dunno what part of the world you're in so I can't recommend any particular store.
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Apr 2, 2017 08:53
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holy poo poo Sennheiser are amazing people. I bought a set of rather basic headphones (U 320) from amazon warehouse in summer 2015 and recently the right ear went dead in them. I sent them in for warranty repair and they just sent me a brand new set of PC 373D headphones!
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Apr 3, 2017 18:07
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I've got to give a shout out to the Mono Price Large-Drive BT headphones. I picked them up because I wanted a cheap set I could leave at work and not worry about. I have to say for 11.99 they are pretty drat awesome. They are for sure the best "cheapie" BT phones I've used. https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=120&cp_id=12001&cs_id=1082710&p_id=15274&seq=1&format=2 Shipping makes them a little too expensive but if you are ordering other stuff from MP. I'd throw them in and give them a chance. Easily worth the 11.99.
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Apr 3, 2017 18:13
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Red_Fred posted:Thanks. Would you say general use and gym use is possible with those over the ear options? No. The only one that's gonna stay on your head is the Sennheiser but those have velvet pads and are going to create a steamy rain-forest biome in and around your ears.
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Apr 3, 2017 19:39
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ntan1 posted:Hi I assume you are already familiar with the open/closed distinction and based on your selection of the HD800s prefer the former. The Ragnarok is a great amp, but remember that some headphones/speakers will sound better with certain amps than others. Your best bet is to go to a shop that has headphones in this price range and bring your current HD800s and the Schiit, and try out a bunch of different combos until you find what it is you're looking for. That said, here are a few recs. Audeze LCD-2. Audezes are neutral as sweet gently caress, and are still considered the go-to top-of-the-line headphone. From what I've heard there isn't much of a difference between these and the LCD-3s, but with high end amps YMMV. For what it's worth, the LCD-2s have more of a "dark" / "laid-back" sound, but many prefer this to the sibilance found in some cans by other manufacturers in this range (myself included.) HIFIMAN HE-XXX or Edition. These are rivals to the Audeze series. I recommend an A/B with them to see which you prefer. Grado GS1000e. Grados tend to have a very specific love-it-or-hate-it sound signature, so demoing these prior to purchasing will be especially important. Fostex TH-900 MK2. I don't know much about these other than that they cosmetically resemble the Denon AH-D7000s. MrSpeakers. These guys are new on the scene but are much talked about, worth checking out. OPPO PM-1. Oppo makes good amps and this is their take on a $1k planar magnetic headphone. AKG K812. AKG's flagship headphone. I am a huge fan of AKG's studio cans (K 240S / K 271S), but just have no idea how well these hold up against the very stiff competition. Beyerdynamic T5p Tesla. A second generation of these recently came out. Similar deal as with AKG, I love their lower end stuff like the DT 880 but don't have experience with these. Ultrasone Signature Pro. Kind of a weird option. Closed-back. Might tempt you anyway. DENON AH-D7200. I owned the predecessors to these, the AH-D7000s. They had tremendous resolution and soundstage, especially for a closed-back headphone, but I couldn't put up with the sibilance and eventually sold them. Haven't tried this new generation though. Sony MDR-Z1R. Sony are famous for the MDR-R10, super rare and considered by some to be the best closed dynamic headphone ever. These are another stab at that title. Focal Elar. Don't know much about these. Abyss AB-1266. Super expensive. Don't know much about these. STAX. If you are interested in electrostatics, as a previous poster mentioned, check out this brand. They are expensive and rather different from standard dynamic or planar magnetic headphones, however you do have the power to drive them already. You would need a dynamic to electrostatic converter. Have fun! KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD fucked around with this message at 06:06 on Apr 4, 2017 |
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Apr 3, 2017 21:23
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:No. The only one that's gonna stay on your head is the Sennheiser but those have velvet pads and are going to create a steamy rain-forest biome in and around your ears. drat, so it's IEMs again. I see alot of people at the gym with on ear but i hate those.
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Apr 4, 2017 00:42
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Red_Fred posted:drat, so it's IEMs again. I see alot of people at the gym with on ear but i hate those. Yeah I really don't know how people work out with those.
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Apr 4, 2017 00:45
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I have a pair of Sennheiser HD 380s that I really like, but they're pretty worn out and starting to smell nasty. I'd happily replace them with another pair of 380s, but I'm also thinking about spending a little more and getting an upgrade. I'd be using the headphones as studio monitors and for general listening. I don't need wireless or bluetooth or anything crazy. Any tips?
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Apr 4, 2017 19:54
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What's your budget?
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Apr 4, 2017 20:49
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KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD posted:What's your budget? $250ish
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Apr 4, 2017 21:00
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Sound is complicated; I need help. I'm in the market for a new headset after my last pair of G930's broke. I'm not getting the same thing again because Logitech's quality control on them is infuriating. My circumstances have also changed enough that wireless isn't necessary. I've read a lot of argument about stereo versus surround versus simulated surround, but have frankly come away more confused than I went in. Still, I did feel like the G930's 7.1 made a noticeable difference in gaming applications (which are still potentially relevant, though the older I get the more I listen to music and the less I play FPSes). There's also the headset vs headphones + independent mic question; I have little experience with this aside from hearing an awful lot of horrible audio from other people when they cheap out on their mic. Since I use my headset for communication several orders of magnitude more than my phone, mic quality is also important. Yet there's so many options that it feels impossible trying to distinguish between useful information and pure marketing. What do people who know about audio actually use for gaming? Even a solid starting point for research would help right now.
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Apr 4, 2017 21:05
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