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poppingseagull
Apr 12, 2004

Lowness 72 posted:

HD650 is the only pair of cans I own where I switch to high gain on my Magni. No way the phone has enough juice.

I driven mine from both a desktop dac/amp and the iPhoneX with dongle. I haven't done a side-by-side comparison but the iPhone still sounded really good. I did have to go to 80%+ volume though.

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GnarlyCharlie4u
Sep 23, 2007

I have an unhealthy obsession with motorcycles.

Proof

jisforjosh posted:

I could see on the Pixel 2 but the S7? My S8 doesn't drive them enough.

:shrug: yeah. I haven't tried the HD6xx on the S8, but the S7 and Pixel 2 are pretty much neck and neck in terms of volume.
Granted, I listen with the volume all the way up or at like 90%, but it's enough to enjoy them. Much louder than that and I'd say you're risking hearing loss anyway.

On the other hand my HE-4xx are not sufficiently powered by either phone despite having a much lower impedance. They're apparently meant to be driven by a cell phone but I don't buy it. They've got to be the least efficient headphones I've ever adorned.

Tactical Lesbian
Mar 31, 2012

MrBond posted:

I haven’t tried a QC35 original or II but the impression I get from the reviews is whatever hiss the Bose has is probably nearly nothing compared to what every other brand has right now.

i have the qc35ii and there is a slight hiss, i hear it more in the right channel. compared to other ANC it's definitely less intrusive and if there's any actual noise, music or outside sound you definitely will not notice it.

redeyes
Sep 14, 2002

by Fluffdaddy

VelociBacon posted:

I was gifted some Jaybird X3s for xmas and I'm surprised how awful they sound - even with good fit and messing with the EQ in the associated app. Do these take a few hours to burn in before they're decent?

For context since this stuff is relative, I'm not an over-the-top audiophile, but I normally listen to music via Shure SRH1540s or the upgraded sound system in my car (a modern car with a decent surround system and I've added an aftermarket deck, subwoofer). I've also had like $20 skullcandy IEMs and they sounded much better than these jaybirds. The consensus online seems to be that they're fine - did I get a dud pair? They just have no low end and the midrange is really muddy.

No, its because people that are used to bluetooth stuff have way lower expectations.

OnceIWasAnOstrich
Jul 22, 2006

I spent a few hours on a plane recently and my wife and we switched back and forth between the QC35 and the WH1000MX2. The noise cancelling is good on both but different. The Bose does seem to have more of a white noise background, and the Sony has a more...whirring noise? The Sony blocks slightly less noise but the background is quieter while the Bose blocks slightly more sound but that noise background is louder.

Dominoes
Sep 20, 2007

Got the Bose QC35 and put it to use. Rough comparison between it, Senn HD1, and Senn 598

Comfort
Senn 598 > Bose>>>> Senn HD1

Sound quality
Senn 598 >> Senn HD1 >> Bose

Noise blocking
Bose QC35 > Senn HD1 >>>>> Senn 598


Overall: Outstanding for doing work / watching lectures in a noisy setting.

Fender Anarchist
May 20, 2009

Fender Anarchist

So last year I picked up a set of HyperX Clouds. They've been great, but something happened in the last week and now the left ear doesn't work. I tried wiggling the wire and got it to work again for a few seconds, but it went away and I haven't gotten it to work again since. I've also found that it's kind of annoying in voice chat; the sound isolation is so good I can't hear my own voice, and apparently live monitor has to be a built-in feature of the headphones, which these don't have.

So, what's a good over-ear headset, with built-in monitor, for under, say, $100?

Edit for info from the OP:

Budget - $100, maybe up to 150 if needed.
Source - Desktop, current headphones are USB. I don't have a fancy sound card or anything.
Isolation Requirements - Not really needed, whatever sounds good.
Preferred Type of Headphone - Circum-aural 1st, super-aural 2nd.
Preferred Tonal Balance - No idea. I kinda listen to a mix of everything, so neutral I guess?
Past Headphones - HyperX Cloud 2. Very comfortable, good sound quality. Cord sheath makes it a bit stiff and awkward to maneuver.
Preferred Music - Heavy metal, electronic. Also do a lot of gaming, youtube/podcasts, and voice chat.

Fender Anarchist fucked around with this message at 21:46 on Jan 1, 2018

underage at the vape shop
May 11, 2011

by Cyrano4747
Can anyone recomend me a good standalone desk mic? I know the snowball is supposed to be good but I'd like something cheaper, its for gaming with my friends and light video work (I'm not trying to make a career out of it, just goofing off with my friends)


For reference the snowball is 99 + shipping on AU amazon

Klyith
Aug 3, 2007

GBS Pledge Week
Hello headphone thread. I have a pair of HD555s that aren't working. Since they're like 12 years old that's not crazy, but I can't figure out why they're not working.

First of all, they're not my main headphones anymore and haven't been for several years. They mostly sit on a shelf, I think I last used them like 9 months or a year ago. Don't really remember, but I don't remember them being broken. Though maybe they were, I might have just blamed the 3.5-1/4" adapter and put them back with a "I'll get around to buying a new adapter later".


Anyways, adapter is fine. And I took them apart, the cable wiring is all fine. I don't really know enough about headphones to diagnose anything but a broken connection -- and that's how 100% of my headphones have always gone bad in the past. So continuity testing with a multimeter is green all the way to the driver. Everything that I know what it is looks ok.

And they're completely dead, no sound whatsoever, both ears. So I'm kinda mystified.

Elentor
Dec 14, 2004

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Man I'm almost always exchanging my cans with my friends, trying new things, and no matter how much time goes by and how many sets I test the Koss PortaPro never stops being just downright enjoyable to listen. A bit of a random praise but it never ceases to amaze me just how much I enjoy it.

VelociBacon
Dec 8, 2009

underage at the vape shop posted:

Can anyone recomend me a good standalone desk mic? I know the snowball is supposed to be good but I'd like something cheaper, its for gaming with my friends and light video work (I'm not trying to make a career out of it, just goofing off with my friends)


For reference the snowball is 99 + shipping on AU amazon

I actually find that the position of the mic is much more important than how much you spend on the mic. A cheap mic can't stretch it's legs as well with gain to pick up your voice from 4' away but positioned right in front of you it'll sound just fine for gaming. I use a cheap 10 year old mic on a boom stand with pop filter that's right in front of my mouth and it sounds extremely good.

I'd look at the Antlion Modmic as a solution otherwise.

Rosalind
Apr 30, 2013

When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.

Budget: <$200
Source: Phone (Galaxy S7)
Isolation Requirements: Important. I take the subway and the bus. I'm frequently in noisy areas
Preferred Type of Headphone: Bluetooth earbuds
Past Headphones: Symphonized NRG 3.0 Earbuds
Preferred Music: Indie

I care wayyyyyyyy more about comfort and ease of use over sound quality. As I'm sure you can all tell from my past earbuds, quality has not been a priority for me. I was looking at the Gear Icon X or something along those lines.

DancingShade
Jul 26, 2007

by Fluffdaddy

(and can't post for 26 days!)

Klyith posted:

Hello headphone thread. I have a pair of HD555s that aren't working. Since they're like 12 years old that's not crazy, but I can't figure out why they're not working.

First of all, they're not my main headphones anymore and haven't been for several years. They mostly sit on a shelf, I think I last used them like 9 months or a year ago. Don't really remember, but I don't remember them being broken. Though maybe they were, I might have just blamed the 3.5-1/4" adapter and put them back with a "I'll get around to buying a new adapter later".


Anyways, adapter is fine. And I took them apart, the cable wiring is all fine. I don't really know enough about headphones to diagnose anything but a broken connection -- and that's how 100% of my headphones have always gone bad in the past. So continuity testing with a multimeter is green all the way to the driver. Everything that I know what it is looks ok.

And they're completely dead, no sound whatsoever, both ears. So I'm kinda mystified.

No definite answer for you but check that the jack on whatever you're plugging them into is still working too. Even ports can wear out eventually.

emdash
Oct 19, 2003

and?

VelociBacon posted:

I was gifted some Jaybird X3s for xmas and I'm surprised how awful they sound - even with good fit and messing with the EQ in the associated app. Do these take a few hours to burn in before they're decent?

For context since this stuff is relative, I'm not an over-the-top audiophile, but I normally listen to music via Shure SRH1540s or the upgraded sound system in my car (a modern car with a decent surround system and I've added an aftermarket deck, subwoofer). I've also had like $20 skullcandy IEMs and they sounded much better than these jaybirds. The consensus online seems to be that they're fine - did I get a dud pair? They just have no low end and the midrange is really muddy.

i have X2s and they're tolerable at the gym, but i've used MDR-1000X as well and there's a world of difference. It's not clear to me what the differences are--seems like it might be Sony's LDAC thing--but there has to be something very different going on between what the X2 and the MDR-1000X end up playing

point being, not all Bluetooth headphones are created equal

Constellation I
Apr 3, 2005
I'm a sucker, a little fucker.

VelociBacon posted:

I was gifted some Jaybird X3s for xmas and I'm surprised how awful they sound - even with good fit and messing with the EQ in the associated app. Do these take a few hours to burn in before they're decent?

For context since this stuff is relative, I'm not an over-the-top audiophile, but I normally listen to music via Shure SRH1540s or the upgraded sound system in my car (a modern car with a decent surround system and I've added an aftermarket deck, subwoofer). I've also had like $20 skullcandy IEMs and they sounded much better than these jaybirds. The consensus online seems to be that they're fine - did I get a dud pair? They just have no low end and the midrange is really muddy.

I own the X3's and I'd say they're quite good for what they are and not even close to being terrible. Not sure if the app is causing any EQ weirdness (I don't use the app) or if you got a dud.

VelociBacon
Dec 8, 2009

Constellation I posted:

I own the X3's and I'd say they're quite good for what they are and not even close to being terrible. Not sure if the app is causing any EQ weirdness (I don't use the app) or if you got a dud.

I was having issues pre-app, the app actually helped a bit but it's still quite poor. I'm going to let them burn in for 10 or so hours and see what they sound like then. I'm also not so hot on the stock silicone eartips, they seem far too thin/deformable.

Klyith
Aug 3, 2007

GBS Pledge Week

DancingShade posted:

No definite answer for you but check that the jack on whatever you're plugging them into is still working too. Even ports can wear out eventually.

jack is fine, and I tried them in multiple devices

what happens to headphones when they're "blown out"? would that be the symptom of complete failure like this?

I don't listed to loud music at all, but more than once I accidentally plugged them into the mic port on my laptop, which they did not seem happy with. Makes a loud popping sound, and I guess it would be feeding them DC current? Maybe I did that the last time I used them and it was the last straw?

emdash
Oct 19, 2003

and?

VelociBacon posted:

I was having issues pre-app, the app actually helped a bit but it's still quite poor. I'm going to let them burn in for 10 or so hours and see what they sound like then. I'm also not so hot on the stock silicone eartips, they seem far too thin/deformable.

definitely try the foam ones that hopefully came with it; if not you can get replacement/better foam ones from Comply. I hated the X2s until I got the Comply Comfort tips for them

Constellation I
Apr 3, 2005
I'm a sucker, a little fucker.

VelociBacon posted:

I was having issues pre-app, the app actually helped a bit but it's still quite poor. I'm going to let them burn in for 10 or so hours and see what they sound like then. I'm also not so hot on the stock silicone eartips, they seem far too thin/deformable.

Burning them in isn't going to do anything, but I do second using the foam tips. It'll change the sound a bit (maybe for the better for you? I dunno, never used the silicone tips tbh) but will definitely be a lot more comfortable.

Virtue
Jan 7, 2009

This probably is the wrong thread but yall might have the answer anyway. I recently purchased a Micca OriGen G2 for my desktop and notice the default sampling rate is 48kHz 16bit but I can mess with in the windows sound settings. Assuming most of my audio is coming off youtube or itunes, what settings should I be using? The max in the manual says 24 bit 192kHz.

Virtue fucked around with this message at 05:26 on Jan 4, 2018

Passburger
May 4, 2013

Virtue posted:

This probably is the wrong thread but yall might have the answer anyway. I recently purchased a Micca OriGen G2 for my desktop and notice the default sampling rate is 48kHz 16bit but I can mess with in the windows sound settings. Assuming most of my audio is coming off youtube or itunes, what settings should I be using? The max in the manual says 24 bit 192kHz.

I'd say just have it at the highest and forget about it. It's better than fixing it at a lower sample rate and missing out on the quality should you ever hear something higher than itunes/youtube 48kHz.

Llamadeus
Dec 20, 2005

Passburger posted:

I'd say just have it at the highest and forget about it. It's better than fixing it at a lower sample rate and missing out on the quality should you ever hear something higher than itunes/youtube 48kHz.
There's no extra quality to be had from a sample rate above 48kHz as 24kHz is already well beyond the range of human hearing. You could argue that it's better to set it at 44.1 to avoid a resampling step and a potential source of aliasing: http://archimago.blogspot.com/2015/11/measurements-windows-10-audio-stack.html

The MSJ
May 17, 2010

Looking for a cheap (around $30) wireless earbuds/headsets for listening to music and watching Youtube on my phone and tablet. Needs to be easily carried around, so nothing big. Not looking for anything fancy, just that it has decent sound and maybe battery life too.

The MSJ fucked around with this message at 04:03 on Jan 6, 2018

redeyes
Sep 14, 2002

by Fluffdaddy

The MSJ posted:

Looking for a cheap (around $30) wireless earbuds/headsets for listening to music and watching Youtube on my phone and tablet. Needs to be easily carried around, so nothing big. Not looking for anything fancy, just that it has decent sound and maybe battery life too.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=18516

Those ROCK. spend the extra 5 bux. They sound like $100 IEMs no joke.

MarcusSA
Sep 23, 2007

redeyes posted:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=18516

Those ROCK. spend the extra 5 bux. They sound like $100 IEMs no joke.

Yeah these are really good for the $30 ish range.

Dr. Fishopolis
Aug 31, 2004

ROBOT

redeyes posted:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=18516

Those ROCK. spend the extra 5 bux. They sound like $100 IEMs no joke.

that is some extremely irresponsible marketing.

Moatman
Mar 21, 2014

Because the goof is all mine.

Dr. Fishopolis posted:

that is some extremely irresponsible marketing.

So is Triple XXX nine Xs or what?

redeyes
Sep 14, 2002

by Fluffdaddy

MarcusSA posted:

Yeah these are really good for the $30 ish range.

I've heard quite a few pairs of IEMs under a 100 bux and these are my favorites. Easy to drive, the bass is outstanding. Mids are clear as heck, treble as well. One 10mm dynamic driver for bass and 2 balanced armatures for mids and treble. Great value.

Fender Anarchist
May 20, 2009

Fender Anarchist

Enourmo posted:

So last year I picked up a set of HyperX Clouds. They've been great, but something happened in the last week and now the left ear doesn't work. I tried wiggling the wire and got it to work again for a few seconds, but it went away and I haven't gotten it to work again since. I've also found that it's kind of annoying in voice chat; the sound isolation is so good I can't hear my own voice, and apparently live monitor has to be a built-in feature of the headphones, which these don't have.

So, what's a good over-ear headset, with built-in monitor, for under, say, $100?

Edit for info from the OP:

Budget - $100, maybe up to 150 if needed.
Source - Desktop, current headphones are USB. I don't have a fancy sound card or anything.
Isolation Requirements - Not really needed, whatever sounds good.
Preferred Type of Headphone - Circum-aural 1st, super-aural 2nd.
Preferred Tonal Balance - No idea. I kinda listen to a mix of everything, so neutral I guess?
Past Headphones - HyperX Cloud 2. Very comfortable, good sound quality. Cord sheath makes it a bit stiff and awkward to maneuver.
Preferred Music - Heavy metal, electronic. Also do a lot of gaming, youtube/podcasts, and voice chat.

Any recs on this? I got a pair of Beats headphones for christmas and they're tiding me over, but if I wear them for more than an hour they start crushing the outside of my ears which kinda hurts.

VelociBacon
Dec 8, 2009

Enourmo posted:

Any recs on this? I got a pair of Beats headphones for christmas and they're tiding me over, but if I wear them for more than an hour they start crushing the outside of my ears which kinda hurts.

If you can stretch your budget a little bit the AKG 271 mk2 headphones are $144 on amazon right now and they’re very good.

Fender Anarchist
May 20, 2009

Fender Anarchist

Those look real nice, but I should have specified I'm looking for something with a built-in microphone.

MarcusSA
Sep 23, 2007

Enourmo posted:

Those look real nice, but I should have specified I'm looking for something with a built-in microphone.

Is this for PC use or also your phone?

If it’s just for PC the almost universal opinion will be get the best pair of cans and a mic attachment.

mariooncrack
Dec 27, 2008
M40x and modmic? Might be at the upper end of what you're willing to spend. I think you can save some cash by getting the headphones refurbished.

Dosan Yvormes
Jan 6, 2018

Enourmo posted:

So last year I picked up a set of HyperX Clouds. They've been great, but something happened in the last week and now the left ear doesn't work. I tried wiggling the wire and got it to work again for a few seconds, but it went away and I haven't gotten it to work again since. I've also found that it's kind of annoying in voice chat; the sound isolation is so good I can't hear my own voice, and apparently live monitor has to be a built-in feature of the headphones, which these don't have.

So, what's a good over-ear headset, with built-in monitor, for under, say, $100?

Edit for info from the OP:

Budget - $100, maybe up to 150 if needed.
Source - Desktop, current headphones are USB. I don't have a fancy sound card or anything.
Isolation Requirements - Not really needed, whatever sounds good.
Preferred Type of Headphone - Circum-aural 1st, super-aural 2nd.
Preferred Tonal Balance - No idea. I kinda listen to a mix of everything, so neutral I guess?
Past Headphones - HyperX Cloud 2. Very comfortable, good sound quality. Cord sheath makes it a bit stiff and awkward to maneuver.
Preferred Music - Heavy metal, electronic. Also do a lot of gaming, youtube/podcasts, and voice chat.

I have found that the best way to approach headphones or headsets in this case is to spend big and be happy with them. I got the Astro A40's with mix amp and they have served me really well. I went through countless turtle beach (crapola) headsets and razer ones also, but they never seemed to go the distance, especially for the price that I would pay for them.

Constellation I
Apr 3, 2005
I'm a sucker, a little fucker.

Enourmo posted:

Any recs on this? I got a pair of Beats headphones for christmas and they're tiding me over, but if I wear them for more than an hour they start crushing the outside of my ears which kinda hurts.

There aren't really any good headsets in your budget with sidetone built-in (i.e. hearing yourself). It's something that requires a dedicated hardware or software solution and those are usually found in lovely gaming headsets or dedicated headsets for work in an office, or through an audio interface or mixer. Though you can work around this by using virtual audio cables and virtual mixers via software, but you may experience delay. Usually, the HyperX Clouds are the go-to reccomendation because they're based on a pretty good set of headphones (Takstar Pro 80s) and come with a mic.

Since you're looking to replace it and for your budget I'd say:
- Philips SHP9500 + V-Moda BoomPro
- Status Audio CB-1 + V-Moda BoomPro

Maybe lean towards the SHP9500's since they're open back so you can hear yourself better.

Note that the reason those 2 headphones work well is because they have a removable cable with a 3.5mm jack, which allows you to use the V-Moda BoomPro. If you can stretch your budget a little bit, you can also find slightly better headphones with a 3.5mm jack as well.

I own a ModMic and I actually don't recommend one due to the mess of having 2 cables involved. I mostly just stick with a dedicated mic now or use whatever can plug into a BoomPro.

Constellation I fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Jan 8, 2018

VelociBacon
Dec 8, 2009

I use a mic stand and pop filter that clamps to the edge of my desk and it was cheap on amazon. Just another option.

Ofecks
May 4, 2009

A portly feline wizard waddles forth, muttering something about conjured food.

Budget - $100+
Source - DIY desktop PC (onboard sound) & android phone, both mid-level
Isolation Requirements - Medium
Preferred Type of Headphone - Supa-Aural
Preferred Tonal Balance - Bass
Past Headphones - Using Sony ZX310s currently. They can tolerate an impressive amount of bass for 30-dollar headphones, but they're shoddily-made and don't seem to handle high treble very well
Preferred Music - Rock, Metal, 80's Pop, Shoegaze, retro game OSTs

I'm mostly happy with the ZX310s minus the treble issue but I'd rather pay $$$$ for a pair that will be comfortable and won't disintegrate if I breathe on them. No ear-squeezing, though. The ones I have are a loose fit and I can't wear them more than 4 hours or so, to give you an idea of my sensitivity.

Lily Catts
Oct 17, 2012

Show me the way to you
(Heavy Metal)
I'm thinking about upgrading my audio setup. I'm using SoundMonkey E10S IEMs ($40) on my Samsung J7 Pro phone. The quality is good enough--I don't really know what makes a "good" setup because I haven't experienced one.

At what price range (both earphones and DAC) does having a DAC give noticeable improvement?

Budget - not sure, just asking but if I'm to give a ceiling it would be $200
Source - Samsung J7 Pro and MSI gaming laptop
Isolation Requirements - medium
Preferred Type of Headphone - IEM
Preferred Tonal Balance - Balanced or w/ a bit more on the Bass side
Past Headphones - I had a pair of $60 open Sennheisers a few years back, they were okay.
Preferred Music - literally anything and everything, though I might give special consideration to metal, electronic (house, trance), and classical/orchestral music

Knifegrab
Jul 30, 2014

Gadzooks! I'm terrified of this little child who is going to stab me with a knife. I must wrest the knife away from his control and therefore gain the upperhand.
Howdy ya'll. I was wondering if anyone had an experience with bedphones or similar headphones designed to be worn in bed, specifically for a side sleeper (My ear is always down pressed against my pillow).

I know quality probably isn't the best, but that is a tradeoff I am willing to take, as long as it is comfortable.

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MarcusSA
Sep 23, 2007

Knifegrab posted:

Howdy ya'll. I was wondering if anyone had an experience with bedphones or similar headphones designed to be worn in bed, specifically for a side sleeper (My ear is always down pressed against my pillow).

I know quality probably isn't the best, but that is a tradeoff I am willing to take, as long as it is comfortable.

I feel like IEMs might be the best for this but even then they will probably press into your skull.

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