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I realize I was the last poster and double posting is in bad taste but that was yesterday. The Monolith M560s got in today (I'm quickly turning into a Monoprice junkie because the things I order from them get to me less than 24 hours after I order). E: New page snipe, nobody would have known. My first impressions are that I'm ruined for my other headphones and I'm afraid of what's going to happen when I get home and listen to these compared to the AKG 7XXs. For constructive feedback for the portable cans use case:
I think burn in/break in is pretty woo-y stuff, but we'll see if it's sadbrain audiophiles or if these genuinely get better over time. Either way, out of the box I'm super happy with how they sound and am extremely impressed with build quality. They have replaced my ATH M40X and HD 518 cans for travel purposes (and with the cases and everything, that amounted to $200 anyway). The HD 518 are a bit more comfy than these ones, but I've had these on for about an hour and a half now and haven't had anything more than a little warmth in the ears. Definitely solid for long listening sessions, much moreso than the ATH M40X. Other things include them being a bit loose on my enormous head (working out because my glasses are kind of acting like shims), they have a pleasant "new-car" smell, and there are lots and lots of coupons in the box for other services like Blue Apron and Sling TV. Hopefully some of you folks find that useful/enjoyable.
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May 12, 2017 19:16
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Regarding the Dolby headphone thing earlier, has the whole concept just fallen by the wayside? There are so few products that do that and almost all are game related, i.e. attached to gaming headsets I don't want anyway (and usually for the PC). Is almost no one interested in watching movies in surround sound with headphones, as to not bother the neighbors? edit: unrelated (other than both being about headphones) but the first non-cheap pair of headphones I bought was Sennheiser 558s, which are sitting in my closet right now. I know I like the fit and the 500 series all fit about the same, but is it worth looking into upgrading if I'm still just listening to Spotify etc? What do you get different at the $200/$220/$250 price points? Samurai Sanders fucked around with this message at 13:03 on May 13, 2017 |
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May 13, 2017 12:56
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I mean, what you get depends on the model you pick up. Spotify goes up to 320kbps for paid subscriptions, so assuming the master they have is good quality, then you have a pretty good amount of upward mobility on headphone quality that may not be a waste. Might be hard to get something more comfortable than a Sennheiser 500 series, but closed back cans for travel, or ones that need more oomph from an amp for home usually get you an upgrade in most directions. It's kind of hard to describe how things sound better until you try a new thing against your old thing and hear it for yourself. And if you don't like the thing, you can return it or usually sell them for about what you got them for.
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May 13, 2017 16:44
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Samurai Sanders posted:Regarding the Dolby headphone thing earlier, has the whole concept just fallen by the wayside? There are so few products that do that and almost all are game related, i.e. attached to gaming headsets I don't want anyway (and usually for the PC). Is almost no one interested in watching movies in surround sound with headphones, as to not bother the neighbors? It's not worth it. Dolby headphone uses phase tricks to "simulate" surround sound, it's generally terribly implemented and not worth dealing with. If you're interested in a virtual surround setup, the only software trick I've found that's worth it is Out Of Your Head: https://fongaudio.com/out-of-your-head-software/ You still can't get around the fact that you're simulating a room and multiple speakers with only two stuck to your head, but that software gets close enough to have fun with. To do it right, you'd need head tracking, but I don't know that anyone cares enough to bother for this use case. anyway tl;dr: forget about dolby headphone it's stupid.
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May 13, 2017 18:00
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Update: the PSBs are really good, looking forward to trying the noise cancelling on a flight in a couple of days
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May 13, 2017 18:03
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Dr. Fishopolis posted:It's not worth it. Dolby headphone uses phase tricks to "simulate" surround sound, it's generally terribly implemented and not worth dealing with. If you're interested in a virtual surround setup, the only software trick I've found that's worth it is Out Of Your Head: https://fongaudio.com/out-of-your-head-software/ Think Tobi or whatever they're called eye trackers might be able to give you the data needed to do enough head tracking to do that?
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May 13, 2017 19:47
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I didn't specifically ask for advice but I've bought headphones twice based on SA threads (AD700 the first time and M40x this time) and been very happy with both purchases, so thank you thread.
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May 13, 2017 20:37
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All right, I haven't gotten a new set of headphones since the Audio Technica AD-900s a few years ago so I guess I'll try out the M1060s
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May 14, 2017 02:53
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NewFatMike posted:Think Tobi or whatever they're called eye trackers might be able to give you the data needed to do enough head tracking to do that? No. You need at least two room sensors to do it properly. The Vive is the only popular platform I think that really does it, and even then the effect wouldn't be very strong unless you moved your head. Positional headphone audio simulation is super impractical with the tech we have now, and anything that promises to do it in software alone is pretty much lying.
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May 14, 2017 17:48
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Dr. Fishopolis posted:It's not worth it. Dolby headphone uses phase tricks to "simulate" surround sound, it's generally terribly implemented and not worth dealing with. If you're interested in a virtual surround setup, the only software trick I've found that's worth it is Out Of Your Head: https://fongaudio.com/out-of-your-head-software/ Eh, I disagree. They're both using the same techniques to simulate surround sound. OOYH just has more presets that have been obsessively tweaked by Darin Fong. Dolby Headphone only has 3 baked in presets. Can't really praise one while trashing another. I honestly wouldn't bother with either for movies though. For the 2, I'd recommend Dolby Headphone for competitive advantage for games without their own HRTF audio implementation. Then OOYH for fun listening to songs and poo poo.
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May 14, 2017 18:04
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Ok, I'm ready for some recommendations because the choice out there is overwhelming and confusing. Budget - I don't really know. Ideally multiple price point suggestions? If that's unpractical, let's say $200. Source - Original iPod or Nexus phone. Sometimes laptop. Isolation Requirements - As much as possible, I'm trying to find something for intercontinental flights/long train journeys. I've tried the Bose noise-cancelling IEMs but the first post says to avoid both Bose and noise cancelling... Preferred Type of Headphone - Definitely IEM. Preferred Tonal Balance - I prefer bass-ier to treble-ier but otherwise don't really care. Past Headphones - I've had cheapo Sennheiser and Philips IEMs, which were fine, but I always manage to ruin the cord. Sturdy or replaceable cords a plus. Preferred Music - metal, drone, industrial, electronic music, but also podcasts. Thanks in advance!
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May 14, 2017 19:06
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Constellation I posted:Eh, I disagree. They're both using the same techniques to simulate surround sound. OOYH just has more presets that have been obsessively tweaked by Darin Fong. Dolby Headphone only has 3 baked in presets. Can't really praise one while trashing another. Yeah I'm not claiming it does anything more than the Dolby stuff does, really. It's just a better version of the same trick. I didn't buy OOYH after the trial, it's really a novelty more than anything, but in my experience it's at least better than the Dolby implementation. Best thing to do is just enjoy headphones for what they are, and get a real surround setup for when you want surround.
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May 14, 2017 20:01
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gschmidl posted:Ok, I'm ready for some recommendations because the choice out there is overwhelming and confusing. Shure SE215 (bassier) Westone W20 (more neutral) Both good for travel.
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May 14, 2017 20:53
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Lowness 72 posted:Shure SE215 (bassier) The Shure kept coming up in various lists, I'll check them out. Thanks!
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May 14, 2017 21:45
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Budget - $200-$300 Source - PC. I usually use a little USB sound DAC but I can use my motherboard, which I think has a good DAC, or an external DAC if that is better bang for the buck. Isolation Requirements - No, although if it doesn't impact the decision much it wouldn't hurt as my wife sometimes watches TV and our computer room and living room are open and adjacent. Preferred Type of Headphone - Over-ear, I guess specifically Full Size, Circumaural. Preferred Tonal Balance - Mostly for gaming, so I assume balanced or slightly bass heavy? Past Headphones - Currently Sennheiser PC 320 "G4ME". I like them quite a bit. Not too heavy, very comfortable and I think they have good sound quality but wanted to see what else is out there. Previous Sennheriser PC 151, which were decent but not as good. If I'm listening to music out and about I usually prefer IEMs like Sennheiser CX 300B MK II, Sennheiser CX 2(or 3?) or Symphonized NRG. Preferred Music - Not really for music, but when it is usually some flavor of rock or electronic. I'm really not super disappointed by my current Sennheiser PC 320 "G4ME" headphones but I have some spending money and was wondering what else was out there. I'd like to separate out my mic and my headset as it sounds like I can get better quality headphones that way, so if anyone has mic suggestions as well I'd love to hear them. I do use a mechanical keyboard at home so it would have to be something close to my mouth or something that has good directional pickup or whatever fanciness. Thanks goons!
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May 15, 2017 02:08
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Does anyone have recommendations for a reasonable but reasonably inexpensive amp? I think one might be useful for me. I got a pair of HD598s about a month ago and I love the sound quality on them, but other people listening to the same things as me are literally hearing things I'm not hearing. Specifically in games, other people are picking up incidental noises (footsteps, etc) I'm not, from further away. Combined with the first time I've really used open back headphones and now I'm hearing the room, the dogs downstairs, the wind outside, et al, that's an issue. I swapped back to the old closed headset and I could concentrate more and heard a higher number of sounds at the cost of fidelity and hearing literally anything that wasn't 5 feet away from me, which is the reason I got open back. Been trying to do my due diligence in the thread, but I didn't see any amp recommendations, only what amping does and if it might be worth using. I'm also open to suggestions about balancing the sound better without buying anything; I literally just plugged them in and set the volume without tweaking anything else. I'm trying to figure out what might be causing that to happen, up to and including that my ears might just suck. Additionally, I saw a page or two back that someone suggested the ATH-M40x headphones are better in every way than the M50x. I was thinking about getting a pair of reference closed back headphones for the times when I don't need to hear the rest of the house. Why are the 40s so much better?
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May 15, 2017 17:50
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The 50X have bass boost, which is fine if you prefer bass, but it kind of pulls them out of reference territory. I believe build and quality are all the same, but the 50X charges you $30+ for the bass boost. Have only had the 40X, so that's just what I've learned from reading around, someone here may have more experience.
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May 15, 2017 18:10
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Badfinger posted:Does anyone have recommendations for a reasonable but reasonably inexpensive amp? I think one might be useful for me. I got a pair of HD598s about a month ago and I love the sound quality on them, but other people listening to the same things as me are literally hearing things I'm not hearing. Specifically in games, other people are picking up incidental noises (footsteps, etc) I'm not, from further away. Combined with the first time I've really used open back headphones and now I'm hearing the room, the dogs downstairs, the wind outside, et al, that's an issue. I swapped back to the old closed headset and I could concentrate more and heard a higher number of sounds at the cost of fidelity and hearing literally anything that wasn't 5 feet away from me, which is the reason I got open back. http://schiit.com/products/fulla-2 I hear very good things about this
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May 15, 2017 18:47
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What's a nice pair of office-friendly (closed I guess?) headphones for like... sub-$150? They're gonna be plugged into a Lenovo laptop, so I guess maybe I'll need a USB DAC as well?
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May 16, 2017 14:06
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Instant Grat posted:What's a nice pair of office-friendly (closed I guess?) headphones for like... sub-$150? They're gonna be plugged into a Lenovo laptop, so I guess maybe I'll need a USB DAC as well? Probably a few options but unless you can see another reason you're likely getting an Audio Technica M40X. If you find them uncomfortable spend the savings on a pair of brainwavz HM5 earpads for them. Leather or protein leather for the isolation. Or you could probably get some IEMs and a sub ten dollar 3.5mm extension cable so the portable cord isn't an issue for desk use.
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May 16, 2017 14:12
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What is protein leather?
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May 16, 2017 14:36
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Lowness 72 posted:What is protein leather? The fake stuff. Not lambskin or cowhide. The material affects sound signatures in different ways but ultimately the fake stuff is cheaper so that's what you get most of the time unless you go aftermarket or get something sufficiently fancy stock.
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May 16, 2017 14:37
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chippy posted:Do we talk about completely wireless, AirPod style headphones in here, or is there a separate dedicated thread that I'm missing? I will take that as a no then.
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May 16, 2017 16:13
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We do talk about them. This is the thread. Are there many phones out there that are completely wireless though?
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May 16, 2017 17:46
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Lowness 72 posted:We do talk about them. This is the thread. Are there many phones out there that are completely wireless though? There are yes but most of them are garbage. There are quite a few different ones on amazon.
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May 16, 2017 18:28
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Lowness 72 posted:We do talk about them. This is the thread. Are there many phones out there that are completely wireless though? A few. I'm looking to get some for exercise because any form of wire when cycling or lifting really annoys me, between the wire noise and catching it on stuff. I'm looking at some around the 150 mark: Bragi The Headphone (were 150 but jumped to 170 for some reason, putting them out of my budget ceiling (150) which is annoying) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N30U9LT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494955495&sr=8-1&keywords=bragi+the+headphone SOL Republic Amps - https://www.amazon.co.uk/SOL-Republic-AMPS-Wireless-Buds/dp/B01N6FX5M2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494955531&sr=8-1&keywords=sol+amps Earins - https://www.amazon.co.uk/EARIN-True...s=kanoa+earbuds Then there's some around the 80 mark: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SAVFY-Head...ireless+earbuds Then there's a bunch of sub-50 models which mostly seem to be names I haven't heard of (chinese clones maybe?) and I'm guessing are probably lovely. There are quite a few, basically. I was hoping to find a thread where people have actually tried some as I'm finding it hard to select a pair. I'm willing to go up to 150 (if it's worth it). My main priority is sound quality, as well as actually staying in my ears of course. I know it's not going to be amazing by their very nature, but I'd like to get something reasonable at least. My everyday listening phones are HD 280 Pros. It's obvious that completely wireless earbuds are going to be nowhere near that, but non-lovely would be nice. I'm looking at the SOL Republic amps since the Headphone went up to 170, but if there's not much difference in quality between that and the SFVY's I'd go for those. All the reviews I've read so far have been pretty inconsistent when it comes to what they say the sound quality is like. Amazon reviews are a pain because the more expensive ones tend to actually get reviewed worse than the cheaper ones sometimes - I'm guessing that's because the sort of person that would spend more on this sort of device is then going to be a lot pickier about reviewing it. chippy fucked around with this message at 18:37 on May 16, 2017 |
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May 16, 2017 18:31
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Centzon Totochtin posted:http://schiit.com/products/fulla-2 I hear very good things about this This looks intriguing enough to give it a try, and surprise I learned that amps and dacs literally do the thing I need. Looks like they had some manufacturing issues ~6 months ago per reviews, hopefully that's more ironed out. Badfinger fucked around with this message at 19:13 on May 16, 2017 |
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May 16, 2017 19:10
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Badfinger posted:This looks intriguing enough to give it a try, and surprise I learned that amps and dacs literally do the thing I need. Looks like they had some manufacturing issues ~6 months ago per reviews, hopefully that's more ironed out. I've got one of these on my desk at work. It probably sounds marginally better than the soundcard on my work issue 2016 MBP. My Oppo-3 headphones aren't all that hard to drive though. Having a volume knob is cool though, and it is handsome ~desk fashion~
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May 16, 2017 20:16
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Centzon Totochtin posted:http://schiit.com/products/fulla-2 I hear very good things about this How about this one? https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494963205&sr=8-2&keywords=FULLA+2 FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier
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May 16, 2017 20:38
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Get this one https://www.amazon.com/Micca-OriGen-High-Resolution-Preamplifier/dp/B01BURJVOC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494965990&sr=8-1&keywords=origin+dac
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May 16, 2017 21:20
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Don Lapre posted:Get this one Besides the Selectable USB or Optical S/PDIF digital input for flexible source connection why is it better?
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May 16, 2017 21:33
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MarcusSA posted:Besides the Selectable USB or Optical S/PDIF digital input for flexible source connection why is it better? Selectable OUTPUT as well. on the front panel. Never unplug your headphones.
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May 16, 2017 22:03
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Budget - <£100 (~$130) Source - PC/phone Isolation Requirements - I need something that will block out the sounds of the traffic on my walk to work Preferred Type of Headphone - Over-ear supa aural Preferred Tonal Balance - Fairly balanced/flat Past Headphones - Currently use ATH M50 which are too bulky for portable usage and JVC HAFX1X in ears which aren't too great and let in too much noise in outdoor environments, I need something in the middle portability wise and an in-line mic button thing is pretty necessary for calls because my phone speaker is dead Preferred Music - Mixture of electronic and rock with a bit of jazz Was considering akg y50
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May 17, 2017 13:25
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Anyone have a recommendation for a shure se215 cable that's shorter than the stock one? iPhone compatible controls would be a plus but by no means necessary
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May 17, 2017 19:37
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The pads on my MDR-V6s started coming apart so I bought a replacement set off Amazon for 2€. Finally put them on and they just feel terrible and the sound is way off. I bought mine second hand so I don't know what types of pads were on there but the guy had replaced them just before I got it. Any have a suggestion on some nice soft pads that keep the neutral sound of the headphones?
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May 17, 2017 22:26
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Ashex posted:The pads on my MDR-V6s started coming apart so I bought a replacement set off Amazon for 2€. Finally put them on and they just feel terrible and the sound is way off. Email Sony and see if they still stock replacement parts since it's a professional line product. I could suggest plenty of alternate ear pads but they're all going to alter the sound signature and cost more. A lot more.
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May 17, 2017 22:50
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Ashex posted:The pads on my MDR-V6s started coming apart so I bought a replacement set off Amazon for 2€. Finally put them on and they just feel terrible and the sound is way off. https://www.amazon.com/Meijunter-Re...words=msr7+pads Get third party MSR7 pads. There are a bunch of different chinese manufacturers, but they're all the same pad as far as I can tell. They are cheap, and a *gigantic* upgrade to the stock pads for pretty much anything that's too small for HM5 pads. I've used them with great success on my V6/7506, M40 or M50s, anything around that size should work. Since they're properly circumaural, they keep your ears close to the drivers as well, so they don't change the sound signature much if at all. I stocked up as soon as I figured this out, they're really that good.
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May 17, 2017 23:03
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DancingShade posted:Email Sony and see if they still stock replacement parts since it's a professional line product. and incidentally, fuuuuuuuuuck the stock sony pads for the V6/7506. They are hilariously bad. They're made of some godawful crinkly garbage bag plastic that flakes everywhere after a couple months.
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May 17, 2017 23:05
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I've been reading a bit more about Chi-Fi Headphones and the three that are standing out for me right now are Shockwave III ($230) LZ-A4 ($195) Magaosi K3 Pro ($110) Does anyone have any thoughts on those three? The Head-fi threads can be a bit hypey.
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May 18, 2017 06:27
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Dr. Fishopolis posted:https://www.amazon.com/Meijunter-Re...words=msr7+pads Thanks for the tip, just ordered a pair and will see how they feel. DancingShade posted:Email Sony and see if they still stock replacement parts since it's a professional line product. I'm 100% certain they're not the stock pads as the guy told me he had changed them but I can't remember the name (I got these 5 years ago). If the MSR7 pads don't work out (which I hope they will) I may just jump for Beyerdynamic pads as I've heard about people using those.
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May 18, 2017 09:06
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