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Dr. Fishopolis posted:the short version: This thread already helped me get the headphone part down pat, ended up with the LCD-X which I am extraordinarily happy with, they have pretty drat low impedance but are planar magnetic, no idea if that means it still benefits from a stronger amp, but it does more than fine on low gain with my Fiio as far as volume is concerned. In any case I probably won't be upgrading for a long while, if at all, I am fairly interested about trying or buying other headphones down the line just to experience music differently. 5-HT posted:regardless, khadas tone board w/ vims + vims case seems to be the cheapest and best option around if you don't mind a small amt of diy. i'll have one in hand myself soon, along w/ the jds labs atom amp too. put in orders for them earlier this week. I decided to build my own little case from scratch, I don't know much about audio just yet but luckily I'm a huge PC building nerd so I'm gonna give that Khadas a handmade home. EDIT: Forgot to ask, the Tone Board uses RCA outputs. Now the LCD-Xs already have detachable cables so you can swap them out, which cables should I buy to give them access to that DAC. Do I actually need different cables if I'm going to run the JDS Atom amp alongside it? I'm not 100% sure how the daisy chain goes in this case, it's source to DAC to Amp I'm assuming. Lil Swamp Booger Baby fucked around with this message at 20:01 on Dec 29, 2018 |
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Dec 29, 2018 19:19
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JebanyPedal posted:EDIT: Forgot to ask, the Tone Board uses RCA outputs. Now the LCD-Xs already have detachable cables so you can swap them out, which cables should I buy to give them access to that DAC. None, a DAC is line level. Run the RCA outputs to whatever amp you're using, plug your headphones into that. Again, you really don't need a discrete DAC.
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Dec 29, 2018 23:04
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Dr. Fishopolis posted:None, a DAC is line level. Run the RCA outputs to whatever amp you're using, plug your headphones into that. Again, you really don't need a discrete DAC. depends on what the setup running right now in all honesty. running off, god forbid, a Realtek dac which in a PC or Laptop, or even the output on the iMac, and he's relying on a 3.5mm out as as his line level out to an amp? not so good. yes you can crank the digital volume to 100 and have it operate in a similar fashion, but very few of those jacks can push 2vrms. and almost every single one I've run into has been super noisy due to mains hum or any other number of factors in the case (ie super strong power draws from a GPU). the MacBook pro's headphone jack is one of the few rated @ 2VRMS, and Apple gear generally speaking does measure better (re: iPhone and iPad DAC Dongles w/ nice cirrus logic dacs). still the cleanest laptop or PC based jack I've ever messed with. honestly the lcd-x don't need any strong amplification at all. it's really primarily built for content creators who want a quick reference point that will work in almost anything w/ a 1/4 inch jack. they only really require just around 1 vrms to actually drive them to deafening levels (120 dB), just 51mW.... but an amplifier is fun for them, and the combo will give you a ton of headroom to mess w/ other headphones as time goes along. should last you for years if not over a decade as the usb-c implementation on the DAC means it's pretty well future proofed whenever USB-A does finally die off. and the amplifier is clean enough that the only limiting factor, period, are the transducers/heaphones themselves. JebanyPedal posted:EDIT: Forgot to ask, the Tone Board uses RCA outputs. Now the LCD-Xs already have detachable cables so you can swap them out, which cables should I buy to give them access to that DAC. just regular RCA's are fine. and there are tons of places to get shortened RCA cables so you don't have to deal w/ stupid long runs to connect a portable sized amp and dac. 5-HT fucked around with this message at 00:12 on Dec 30, 2018 |
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Dec 30, 2018 00:08
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5-HT posted:depends on what the setup running right now in all honesty. running off, god forbid, a Realtek dac which in a PC or Laptop, or even the output on the iMac, and he's relying on a 3.5mm out as as his line level out to an amp? not so good. Plugging my headphones directly into the jack on my PC immediately causes noticeable noise, and yes it's Realtek so it's awful. I bought the RCA cables just in case, regardless if I end up needing them they can still go in my cable drawer for any potential future necessity so it's not a big loss.
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Dec 30, 2018 00:12
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JebanyPedal posted:Plugging my headphones directly into the jack on my PC immediately causes noticeable noise, and yes it's Realtek so it's awful. biggest issue w/ Realtek isn't necessarily the hardware, it's more like they can't write windows drivers to save their lives, and PC manufacturers add lots of extra "processing" effects to their mainline PC's and laptops. so the result beyond just the hardware noise is poor interpretation at a driver level of what the DAC is supposed to be producing sound wise. it's a complete mess. I really wish the industry would just leave Realtek to die already and let AKM, SABRE, and Cirrus take over the space.
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Dec 30, 2018 01:56
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I have a goon-friend wanting to sell a mint Stax Omega 2 setup, but I’m pretty content not to go down the e-stat rabbit hole.
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Dec 30, 2018 02:05
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eddiewalker posted:I have a goon-friend wanting to sell a mint Stax Omega 2 setup, but I’m pretty content not to go down the e-stat rabbit hole. consider me interested.... do you happen to know what energizer? have him reach out to me, I'm curious.
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Dec 30, 2018 09:58
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So, I finally unwrapped my BGVP DM6 for xmas and have been listening to a lot of my library. These IEMs are legit f'n badass. They are for sure the best sound I have ever heard on any setup. Review: Fit/Comfort: These are slightly large IEMs. They are 3D printed and are very comfortable. The included tips should fit anyone but I use my standard Compy foam tips which work for my ears. They do come with some foam ones as well. The cable is very high quality but I prefer something thinner since I am active. Rated 9 of 10 Sound Bass: I come from the basshead tree of audio but very much enjoy reference sound, these IEMs scratch my basshead itch yet are reference quality in tonal ability. They go down to say 35 or 40hz with authority. This is pretty amazing for an all-BA IEM. I have heard deeper IEMs but not as accurate. Rated 9.5 of 10 Mids: Sweet mids, male and female vocals are perfect. Not 'shouty' either. I sometimes bump the mids up a hair with my DSP because I like that full sound for some tracks. Rated 9.5 of 10. Treble: 10 of 10 right away. Really good definition, sound stage, and sparkle. Not piercing but resolving. Perfect tuning. I can pick out detail in tracks I've never heard before easily. Instrument separation is absolutely outstanding and these IEMs would work well for music production or stage monitoring. No joke. The DM6 responds extremely well to EQ adjustments, you can alter the sound signature a lot if you desire. I like this. What really excites me about the DM6 is they are neutral yet fun. In other words, a slamming EDM track sounds super slammin with huge bass and texture. A Classic track sounds ethereal, spacious, and sweet with no bass bloat of any kind. Grindcore metal sounds dense and dark. Every other IEM I personally have tried does better on certain genres than others, generally dependent on bass content and such. The DM6 can do anything. Value: 10 of 10. $200 is a drat steal for these IEMs. They compete with anything I have ever tried and beat most of them.  Word is since these are custom hand made they are sold out for 4-6 months. For sure they are harder to get right now.
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Dec 30, 2018 18:02
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My jaybird X2s are finally looking a bit knackered and I imagine they're going to be out of action relatively soon so it's headphone upgrade time. Budget - £100-£200 Source - Bluetooth off my Pixel 2. Isolation Requirements - Yes Preferred Type of Headphone - IEM. I'd rather a bluetooth solution with a wire between the two as I'm going to lose completely wireless headphones inside a couple of days. Preferred Tonal Balance - Literally no idea Past Headphones - Honestly the Jaybird X2s have been perfect for the past 2 years so broadly speaking more of the same but better is what I'm going for. Preferred Music - Really really angry DMX when I'm at the gym. A hodgepodge of terrible music when I'm not.
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Dec 30, 2018 22:19
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Just got my JVC HARX900’s in the mail! They’re my first Big Boy Headphones, and even though I was still on a pretty tight budget I’m really happy with them. I’ve been mostly listening to bass-heavy EDM lately and they have a good thump to the bass while still keeping clarity with the other parts of the track. They’re also huge but I don’t mind that too much. The cord is hella long but I found a solution to that involving coiling up a large section of the cord and putting in an old circular headphone case with a key ring  I guess my one thing to point out would be that the sound as a whole sounds “darker”? than previous headphones I’ve used. It might just be the fact that these are better quality than anything I’ve used in the past, or that they’re completely over ear, but it was just something I noticed.
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Dec 31, 2018 00:39
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Natural 20 posted:My jaybird X2s are finally looking a bit knackered and I imagine they're going to be out of action relatively soon so it's headphone upgrade time. Advanced Evo X or JBL Endurance Sprint. they both measure really well, but I think the Advanced Evo X sounds better to me personally due to a dip in 10k, and stupid resolving compared to bluetooth iem's that cost significantly more.
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Dec 31, 2018 05:03
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Bone posted:Just got my JVC HARX900’s in the mail! They’re my first Big Boy Headphones, and even though I was still on a pretty tight budget I’m really happy with them. I’ve been mostly listening to bass-heavy EDM lately and they have a good thump to the bass while still keeping clarity with the other parts of the track. Hey these days in the audio world cheap doesn't mean bad at all. It simply means you can't tilt your head back with a glass of red and talk about the acoustics of your Japanese wooded ear cups while adjusting your monocle. In the olden days before 6000 dollarbucks headphones were considered normal people used to top out around five hundred buckaroos for "high end" outside of very low production fancy pants stuff. Looked up them up on Amazon since I don't know JVC well and for the price they seem intriguing. Are the ear pads removable/replaceable? Also holy poo poo a 3.5m non-removable cable.  Is it soft & manageable or something or something more akin to a possessed vacuum cleaner cable that coils up when you don't want it & actively fights any sort of cable management?
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Dec 31, 2018 05:59
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1More Quad Drivers kinda suck. Kef M200s pretty damned good once you saw off parts with a hacksaw. Bone posted:I guess my one thing to point out would be that the sound as a whole sounds “darker”? than previous headphones I’ve used. It might just be the fact that these are better quality than anything I’ve used in the past, or that they’re completely over ear, but it was just something I noticed. The "dark" description (and it's pretty commonly used, don't worry) is normally because headphones have more bass than treble or high midrange. The HARX900s are very decent for the price. If someone is looking for alternatives around the same price, the Status Audio CB-1s are excellent. If you want to go cheaper, the Monoprice Retros are pretty good as well. If you want to go *really* cheap, the Koss KSC75s are still real good headphones for their frankly absurdly low price.
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Dec 31, 2018 06:57
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DancingShade posted:Hey these days in the audio world cheap doesn't mean bad at all. It simply means you can't tilt your head back with a glass of red and talk about the acoustics of your Japanese wooded ear cups while adjusting your monocle. regarding headphones and price, if we're talking about the 90's, yes. and the Sony mdr-7506 and v6 were the gold monitor reference standard of that time. that's change significantly since then though. it was one company that moved that goalpost, twice, Sennheiser. with the release of the HD600 they moved it to $500, and with the release of the HD800 they finally moved the price into the $1k+ territory. new companies at the time when the HD800 came out, like Audeze and Hifiman, just took what they saw and ran w/ it. and Focal copied Audeze's price scheme from the look of it by releasing a $4000 headphone. stax and electrostatic headphones, and by that I mean full systems w/ energizer, have always been in that 1k+ territory since the 80's. but that's due to the fact that stax energizers are expensive asf to make and they are much more of a niche product. current standard seems now to be that "pro grade" hifi gear is going to usually run around the $1.5K to $2K mark (re: LCD-X, Focal Clear, HD800S) and it's really the only "end-game" that 99.9% of people should ever want. going outside of this bracket is insanity unless you're a Stax fan, arguably. and personally I don't like bagging on people getting new gear, but let's call this an example of what not to do when buying headphones. getting new gear is always fun, but there's a lot things to consider especially if you're just starting to get into it. from what he stated he's caught off guard about the "dark" nature of the cans.... here's the deal, they actually are "dark" and honestly they look like a really bad V-Shaped headphone response wise.  https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/report/hp/jvc-ha-rx900.php it's pretty clear cut that these cans aren't linear at all. I can see however that there are tons of reviews from "experts" back in 2014 when these cans came out about great hey are... again, never listen to "hifi experts" who can't back up what they say w/ measurements to show. it's good for getting generalized impressions, but it's no better than a bunch of testimonials you'd see for an infomercial product. really, nothing beats raw measurements when it comes to predicting how a headphone will behave on your head or how it will sound, save for literally going in a store and trying them out yourself. for higher end gear it's certainly more difficult as the stores are boutiques and not super common. but for headphones around the $50 to $500 price point, it's stupid easy. almost every single guitar center or music store like it has a headphone section setup w/ great reference grade cans whether they're Pioneer, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, you name it. for the genre of music he's listening to, Beyerdynamic DT770's, DT990's, or an ATH-M50X's would work best, be more neutral, have more energy and be in the same price bracket. and they're all easily available to demo. at this point I'm about to just write-up a headphone buying guide that almost anyone can follow. I'll post it up later, but it goes through my process of determining what cans I'm wanting to get, and what's possible w/ my budget at any given point. surprisingly enough, I actually haven't spent a huge amount of $ on the hobby, and there are some really good reason behind that. (ie: like flipping an HD800S for more than purchase price.)
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Dec 31, 2018 07:17
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If I came across as bagging on people for shiny things I apologize, that wasn't the intent at all. God knows I've spent enough on headphones & amps to buy a second hand car so I'd be a hell of a hypocrite to say that. What I meant was more that just because something is on the cheaper end of the scale doesn't mean it can't be a fantastic listen. When I bought my (long since dead/broken) AGK701s as a first serious headphone purchase they were pretty up there. Funny how standards move over time. I loved those things. Don't know why I have never ordered the current Massdrop variant. Maybe I'm afraid I'll regret all my purchases since lol. DancingShade fucked around with this message at 07:49 on Dec 31, 2018 |
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Dec 31, 2018 07:46
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Raw frequency charts don't really tell you much. They are one piece of information among many, and their value is difficult to determine because of the sheer number variables involved. What measuring rig is being used? Does it use a molded ear canal or a basic pickup? What is the quality of the mics being used? How are the mics calibrated? Are the mics set up properly? What capture software is being used? What source tones are being used? Is there octave smoothing? What's the scale of the graphs being used? Does the person doing the measuring actually have any clue what they're doing? I fully agree that frequency response charts are a useful tool, but in many cases they can only really be compared to other charts produced by the same person/group. Also, no frequency chart on the planet is going to answer any other questions like build quality, comfort, isolation or power requirements. grack fucked around with this message at 08:25 on Dec 31, 2018 |
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Dec 31, 2018 08:23
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While sound quality is obviously important, comfort has increasingly become the thing I'm willing to pay more for.
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Dec 31, 2018 09:52
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DancingShade posted:If I came across as bagging on people for shiny things I apologize, that wasn't the intent at all. God knows I've spent enough on headphones & amps to buy a second hand car so I'd be a hell of a hypocrite to say that. was referring to the poster you were quoting, not you, no worries. but to me it's a clear cut example of what not to do and it's given me enough of a kick in the pants to write-up a decent guide that will break down everything in very easy to understand and clear language. grack posted:Raw frequency charts don't really tell you much. They are one piece of information among many, and their value is difficult to determine because of the sheer number variables involved. totally agree, and that's why I prefer measurements from rtings.com, because sam et al have put in a huge amount of work trying to fix common issues that come w/ measurement. "raw" was a misstatement on my part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNEI3qLZEKo this whole video is very very very good at going into detail on the issues of measurement. what's funny is amateur measuring is becoming more common now since MiniDSP released this a couple of years ago.  Mini DSP EARS so now anybody and their mother can do basic "raw" measurements now w/ a standardized calibrated system. yours for $199. though I shouldn't bag on it too much because I own one of these too.... Lowness 72 posted:While sound quality is obviously important, comfort has increasingly become the thing I'm willing to pay more for. true, but most cans now, even super hifi cans, are finally starting to get cozy now. Focal significantly upped the game on headband comfort w/ their luxurious headbands and Hifiman stopped making those really bad torture rack headbands years ago. and even on cheaper stuff, save for clamping force, the HD600 series is actually super cozy and light now that I think back at it. with the HD600 being the most comfortable because of the better weight distribution.
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Dec 31, 2018 11:25
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Thinking about buying a decent pair of headphones for working/gaming on my PC at home or on one of my laptops. I have IEMs which have been good but they block out too much of my surroundings, and I've had issues where someone (my wife or a co-worker) will be calling for me and I just won't hear them. Budget - Up to $100. Source - PCs, mostly. Bluetooth capability would be nice to have. Isolation Requirements - I need to be aware of my surroundings while I'm working or gaming. Preferred Type of Headphone - Supra-aural. Preferred Tonal Balance - Balanced. Past Headphones - I have a couple pairs of these Panasonic IEMs which have been excellent for the price. Preferred Music - It varies a lot, but primarily electronic music. DizzyBum fucked around with this message at 21:16 on Dec 31, 2018 |
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Dec 31, 2018 21:14
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DizzyBum posted:Thinking about buying a decent pair of headphones for working/gaming on my PC at home or on one of my laptops. I have IEMs which have been good but they block out too much of my surroundings, and I've had issues where someone (my wife or a co-worker) will be calling for me and I just won't hear them. can't have one without the other I'm afraid. what makes it even more difficult is that you're wanting to use the cans for edm and bass heavy music, open backs that are close to the price range don't have that great of bass response. and the one universal recommendation that people used to throw out (SHP9500) are long gone and only exist @ $200 instead of the $100 because Phillips discontinued them. your best bet honestly are going to be a pair of used Hifiman HE-400I/HE4xx's or Sennheiser HD598's. if you need something that's almost transparent in openness, HE400I/HE4XX, if not, HD598. 400I is a much better performing can though and it'll add some nice treble response to your tracks. you'll need to go used too so eBay is gonna be your best friend here. here's a good listing for a 400i right here https://www.ebay.com/itm/HIFIMAN-HE...b-slt:rk:7:pf:0 or just go with the better build quality of the HE4XX, same drivers, same housing, just a more stable headband https://www.ebay.com/p/Massdrop%2DHIFIMAN%2DHe%2D4xx%2DPlanar%2DMagnetic%2DHeadphones%2DHe4xx/12021938815?iid=283321652309&opts=opick also, my JDS Labs Atom and Hifiman Arya came in, will be posting pics and impressions later.
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Jan 1, 2019 00:40
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HE-4XX is a good recommend for a first planar. It responds well to various types of frontal dampening & pad rolling if you're into that sort of thing. I only got rid of mine after getting my LCD-X and the person I gave them away to hadn't owned planars before and loved them. My recommended tuning would be to swap the stock pads for Brainwavz HM5 sheepskin angled and add a 2 ply layer of tissue paper between the driver and under the pads.
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Jan 1, 2019 01:32
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5-HT posted:also, my JDS Labs Atom and Hifiman Arya came in, will be posting pics and impressions later. My Khadas Tone Board arrived but unfortunately the JDS Labs Atom only just shipped for me today, will hopefully be here by the end of the week. Curious about what your impression of the Atom will be.
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Jan 1, 2019 01:35
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I appreciate this post, it was very informative! I admit it was a bit of an impulse purchase after quickly googling some reviews. The good news is I got them through Amazon so I may look into the ones you suggested instead! I’d also be really interested in that headphone buying guide.
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Jan 1, 2019 03:38
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The JDS Labs Atom has arrived! I'm excited to try it out after work with the Tone Board. I'm pretty blown away by how the LCD-Xs are allowing me to enjoy music I either was only passingly interested in or even outright disliked before. I only passively enjoyed Radiohead growing up, but now suddenly I can't keep Hail to the Thief off my playlist. Near the end of Sit Down. Stand Up. it ramps up into this odd procession of electronic percussion and digitally manipulated vocals that just sound nuts on these headphones. Bands that sounded "noisy," (not necessarily a bad thing) to me before suddenly sound extremely clear and well defined without losing that immense wall of sound quality. This is especially great on this Radiohead album since there quite a few sonically dense songs with a lot of different elements overlapping, I no longer feel overwhelmed or that I'm missing out on adequeatly being able to enjoy the instrumentation. I never cared about LCD Soundsystem in the slightest, but here I am genuinely finding myself enamored with them, especially bass heavy songs. The bass on these things are fantastic, they've got oomph to them but don't draw out needlessly or seep into the rest of the track. Even in film and games I'm pretty stunned. Gunshots in RDR2 have this visceral thump to them that I can feel in my throat, even without the bass necessarily pushing out too much volume, hearing the crack of a gunshot combined with that sub-aural frequency pump gives gunfights some serious weight. And of course ambient sound is utterly amazing, it's clear how having a decent soundstage and the clarity to easily distinguish between instruments lends itself well to positional and ambient audio in games and film. In RDR2 the rustling of leaves, snapping of twigs, the hoof beats of horses, the blowing of wind in the trees, the sound of running water, voices in the distance, incredible. I was able to avoid a snake simply because of how easily I was able to pick up on what is a relatively quiet sound in a busy soundscape. I've found myself closing my eyes in certain areas and just soaking in the ambiance. Also, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice with its binaural audio is brilliantly anxiety inducing. It's with sound design of that caliber and headphones of this capability when it feels the most that the headphones aren't even there and you're simply hearing the game. Very high pitched sounds do somewhat seem to blow out into indistinct noise sometimes, but this isn't the fault of the headphones, just the prosthetic in my right ear canal that doesn't like high frequency noise, but it's also a testament to the LCD-X's ability to belay this kind of harshness since it's no longer excruciating to experience nor does it obfuscate the rest of the music. This could potentially be one of the biggest pluses for me, my ability to enjoy music outside of speakers and live concerts has always been somewhat limited by the fact that my prosthetic does not like sound hollering at it that closely. This could also have something to do with the X's prodigious leather padding which leave more distance from hear to headphone than other pairs I have. Speaking off, these things are amazingly comfortable, they're huge and heavy for headphones, but I have zero issues wearing them for hours at a time. They're not quite on the level of my DT990 Pros in that regard, but those are also super light and have some of the softest padding I've ever felt on quite literally anything (they are also great headphones that I would recommend to anyone shopping in that price range). All in all I'm incredibly happy with these and somehow the $1,000+ I spent on them doesn't feel excessive in the slightest for what I got here. The LCD-Xs, given that I don't do anything clumsy, will guarantee what is close to the best possible listening experience for any audio I might partake in for years. It's been a few weeks since I've had them and consistently with each new album, movie or game I am blown away. I have to thank everyone again for steering me in this direction.
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Jan 2, 2019 21:42
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EDIT: I got advice from elsewhere, going with these and this. Will give trip report once they get here. I am looking for recommendations for a headset/microphone combo, either integrated or separate, under about $100 total, for my desktop. I've got a big dome and a lot of headsets don't quite adjust big enough to be comfortable, so that's a driving factor. Pretty much looking for an all-round setup. My ancient logitech desk mic finally died and I'm sick of the Beats I've been using, so here I am. Budget $100-$120 total Source Desktop PC. Isolation Requirements Don't need it, and I think I'd like being able to hear myself during voice chat. Preferred Type of Headphone Over-ear. On-ear would be a fairly distant second but if fellow big-heads have a set they like I'd consider it. Preferred Tonal Balance Probably balanced, but a little extra bass wouldn't hurt. Past Headphones -HyperX Cloud II: Favorite headphones ever. Comfortable, good sound, dulled outside sound but not a hermetic seal. They got damaged during a move a while back and I haven't had the spare change to replace them til now. Only real complaint is that the cords had this real stiff wrapping around them; durable for sure, but it occasionally made for some awkward pulling and twisting as I moved my head around. -Beats Solo 2: These were a gift last Christmas, started using them after the Clouds broke..... hate them. Uncomfortable for more than an hour, sound not as good, manages to be fairly isolating but not quite loud enough at the same time? It's Beats, I assume you know the deal. Preferred Music Voice chats, youtubers, rock/metal stuff, video games obviously have widely varying genres (think Doom 2016) Basically I'd be happy with another set of Cloud IIs, but I know a lot of people suggest separate mic and headphones over a headset like that, and they're not currently on sale like the last time. They're within my budget, but if there's a significant upgrade I can get, let me know. RE the microphone, primarily voice chat, but I'm also a musician (electric guitar) and I've been dabbling in recording; I don't know if I'll end up sticking with recording over a mic like I did with the Logitech, or end up going to a line-in type setup, but either way the versatility would be nice. I've heard good things about the Blue Yeti but it's probably too expensive at $100 to also get a decent set of headphones in my budget, right? Fender Anarchist fucked around with this message at 07:57 on Jan 3, 2019 |
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Jan 3, 2019 01:36
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Fender Anarchist posted:EDIT: I got advice from elsewhere, going with these and this. Will give trip report once they get here. Sennheiser Game One. the boom mic on it is about as good as it gets w/o being a separate dedicated mic, it has a huge amount of adjustment, uses the Sennheiser HD598 driver, basically the best cheap headset you can get, period. still working on my hifiman arya and jds labs atom impressions. past few days have been super busy, but I will say my impressions of the arya as of this point in time aren't super great.. more details coming in today or tomorrow after I get more time to listen to them.
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Jan 3, 2019 15:55
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Thinking of getting Sennheiser 569s. Maybe 598cs. My priorities are: 1 - comfort 2 - closed 3 - sound 4 - $150 or less I had a pair of sony MDR-7506 but quickly sent them back because they were uncomfortable. They sounded great, though.
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Jan 3, 2019 17:32
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Left my Shure SE535LTD and Radsone EarStudio ES100 in my pants which went through the washer but not the dryer. I gave them 3 days to dry out and they are working fine. I thought for sure that I would have to replace them and wanted to share this info in case anyone else is ever in the same position.
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Jan 3, 2019 19:09
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Waltzing Along posted:Thinking of getting Sennheiser 569s. Maybe 598cs. audio technica m40x, m50x, or beyerdynamic dt770. go w/ the beyers if you liked the sony's.
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Jan 3, 2019 20:15
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Those are more comfortable than Sennheisers? Is there a chain that carries them? I'm kicking myself for not doing this when I was in Japan. Yodobashi camera pretty much has every pair on the market.
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Jan 3, 2019 21:55
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Waltzing Along posted:Those are more comfortable than Sennheisers? literally any guitar center or other "pro gear" music store will have them.
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Jan 3, 2019 22:10
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Waltzing Along posted:Those are more comfortable than Sennheisers? I find dt770s to be extremely comfy. That grey velour is magical, and the earcups are huge but not so huge as to cause seal issues. 7506 are not comfy stock, they need bigger pads.
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Jan 3, 2019 22:38
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5-HT posted:literally any guitar center or other "pro gear" music store will have them. Ah. Didn't think to look at guitar center. I'll check there. Thanks.
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Jan 4, 2019 00:24
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alright, time to post up my impressions. coming away from this feeling incredibly mixed overall and really on the border as to whether I want to keep my Arya's or not or maybe even selling my LCD-X's. that said, I did systematically A/B both my LCD-X and my Arya against my cheaper monitors (lsr 305) for reference. took the better part of 3 hours doing this today since it's the first free day I've had time to do so in a while. here are my impressions. first off, basics like build quality and pics. here's the Arya unboxing experience.        Build Quality: LCD-X hands down. the build quality on the Arya feels incredibly cheap and tin like, and not in a good way. reminds me of the Hifiman Edition X V2 significantly, in fact I'm sure it's the same enclosure. the plastic doesn't feel like it'll fall apart in your hands (eg 400i/560/etc) but metal in place of plastic would give it a significantly better feel. the pads also feel super cheap too, like something I'd expect on something that was sub $300. even the pads on the Sundara feel premium compared to the Arya. felt that if I were to drop these they'd survive, but I'd worry about the drivers getting material (ie dust, cat hair, dog hair, etc) on them and shorting them. LCD-X by contrast has premium materials, good leather for the pads, all metal build save for the cups, and the cups themselves have a very firm/hard diamond like plastic that feels like it could take a beating several times over. drivers feel sturdy and protected in their shell. Comfort: giving this to the Arya. Arya because it uses a strongly plastic build is also significantly lighter. suspension strap isn't premium feeling, but it's comfy, and after hours of wear I don't notice any hot spots. easily wore these for several hours w/o any issues. LCD-X by contrast has a big sturdy build like a tank, but it's also its downfall. the headphone actually is pretty well distributed with the weight. but, even with the newer suspension headstrap it still feels a bit cumbersome at times. worse yet, even w/ decent distribution of the weight I still get a hot spot on the crown of my head around after wearing them for an hour. this can be avoided if you spend an extra $200 for the carbon fiber headstrap, but again $200 to fix something that should be basic to the can doesn't feel right. Listening Tests all testing was done as follows. listened to all tracks in a treated space w/ no ventilation or central air to cut down on any potential external noise. first listens were done w/ speakers. specifically JBL LSR 305’s. Calibrated and EQ’d. all comparisons are done w/ the headphones relative to my speakers which I consider to be neutral. these are a random selection of various test tracks on what I use as a torture rack for gear. all of these songs have different complex passages or layering in their mixes that reveal deficiencies in the chain. my impressions are as follows. I intentionally try to avoid stereotypical “audiophile” tracks, jazz, prog rock, and “easy listening” because it isn’t that great at assessing gear versus more modern music. notes and impressions were made as I listened on either/or headphone as they were listened to relative to my studio monitors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9ZpoOCfwy0 Byetone - Golden Elegy (Arya) this track will bring any system to its knees. almost all bass/subbass w/ sprinklings of some treble thrown in. even better yet, fantastic for image checking because the treble based noise travels linearly between left and right channels. - bass mf’ing slam (LCD-X) - recessed treble (LCD-X) - cups so long that I feel the bass slam in my jaw (Arya) - bass, not as impacting, but super super clean (Arya) - strong balanced imaging (Arya) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=974TXFKtyls JPEGMafia - Baby I’m Bleeding (Arya) - vocals are clear, bass doesn’t overpower, controlled and tight sub bass (Arya) - Crispy Crispy Crispy (LCD-X) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI1Bgs2fx88 Tim Hecker - Keyed Out (tie) - synth notes sound fuller (Arya) - more detail (Arya) - synth notes sound more synth like(?) (LCD-X) - meatier tones (LCD-X) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmt9Bzrf29k Keshi - 2 Soon (LCD-X) newer band, to trained ears it's pretty obv that he has a way to go for his mixes. tends to mix brightly, but he has great vocals generally. - vocals are smooth and realistic, not forward, feels like details are being smoothed over (Arya) - sibilance and grain on vocals, faults in mix apparent, compression heard (LCD-X) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDvu5OaJiHM Boy Pablo - tkm (LCD-X) - tonally realistic guitar (Arya) - more apparent detail, can hear string plucking strongly, can tell it’s a recording (LCD-X) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laARcJVr_ro Thorsten Quaeschning and Ulrich Schnauss - Main Theme (LCD-X) - linear Bass (LCD-X) 3:40 Subtle Vocals (very noticeable on good studio monitors) - barely audible (Arya) - more presence (LCD-X) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My4j3vgFxbE Fazerdaze - Lucky Girl (Arya) - holy crap this is well mixed for a bedroom recording (seriously) - graininess in vocals (Arya) - treble sounds almost hyped, not super smooth (Arya) - this sounds like my monitors (LCD-X) - more bass presence (LCD-X) - less grain (LCD-X) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdfBJixxwgA Cocaine Jesus - Lowkey Suffering (Tie) - treble more apparent, deficiencies in compression in mix apparent (Arya) - more bass slam, felt impact (LCD-X) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTp5PH8ot6Q Night Lovell - Dark Light (Arya) - sounds dark (LCD-X) - bass impact very present (LCD-X) - subtle aspects of the mix are lost (LCD-X) - better detail retrieval, but it sounds smoothed (?)(Arya) - bass not slamming, but linear and present (Arya) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0p647mDqT0 Ryuichi Sakamoto - Andata (Oneohtrix Point Never Rework) (Arya) Sakamoto is stupidly underrated outside of professional music circles. OPN's rework is haunting in nature, and it adds a lot to the original track. - piano sounds like a piano, sounds tonally correct (Arya) - the highs are super present, but they don't sound sibilant (Arya) - getting chills again over the presence of highs (Arya) - this f'ing rework... - highs sound washed out (LCD-X) - notes that should be pitching higher sound dull/one note instead of bright (LCD-X) - slight buzz/air heard in the background from the mic indicating it's a live recording (LCD-X) Oneohtrix Point Never - Same (Arya) I'd link a youtube vid, but WARP Records is terrible about takedown requests. It's available on Spotify however. - shimmery highs (Arya) - giving me chills w/ the vocals (Arya) - can hear clipping on the mic in a couple of spots (Arya) - initial bass crunch, wtf (Arya) - idk, bass slam I guess? (LCD-X) Sound Quality/Staging/Voicing/etc based on my listening tests this is honestly a toss up and more towards preference. my personal tastes lend themselves to a cooler response from headphones primarily. that said I'm deeply conflicted about these cans now. neither are truly linear, as linearity is almost impossible in headphones. however I spent a huge amount of time A/B testing them and they're both incredibly complimentary to each other. the Arya sounds more neutral to my ears overall and in presentation. although that LCD-X can have voicing similar to my monitors at times due to its fullness of tone, the Arya keeps pulling me back in w/ it's relatively linear mid and treble response, which is incredibly difficult to emulate. my biggest issue w/ the Arya is that even though it's great in detail retrieval, it sounds to me like it's applying a light layer of oil to the sound and smoothing things over that should be more present (guess this is what audiophiles mean by smearing(?)). the LCD-X is a bit harsher and more honest in presentation. that said when the music is well mixed, it's nothing short of amazing on the Arya. on the LCD-X you can still nitpick details if you truly desire to do so, especially so in live music and orchestral recordings. soundstage is the only thing separating them at this point. w/ Arya it's super open and wide. it's not HD800S wide, but it's still wider than Audeze or Focal or w/e flavor of the month company is dominant as of the moment. finally that "airy" sound that people talk about w/ Hifiman, it's apparent to me what it is. it's not just the treble response, the driver is so transparent and thin that you physically can hear everything in the room environment around you. this is why I opted to test these in the most silent and treated area of my house. in person you can look through the cans save for a very light layer of dampening material that was applied as can be seen in the pics. Final thoughts: all in all it comes down to preference, and right now, I see the LCD-X and Arya as being complementary cans if anything. but if I was forced to choose at gunpoint, I'd pick the Arya.... why you might ask? because it is quite literally the best value right now in all of Hifi especially when we're talking about HifiMan gear. this is literally an HE1000 V2 driver in another housing. the sound wasn't affected, and as long as you aren't stupid about it, you can get what are basically $3K cans new or $2.2K cans used for $1.6k.... it's incredibly hard to beat. and the quality is there to justify the price. these cans are solidly $1.6k cans, no more, no less... the drawback w/ Arya? you need an amp, thankfully the JDS Labs Atom amp should provide more than enough horsepower at $100 and even running it from a MacBook Pro 3.5mm out it gets enough juice to do its thing. so expect to at least spend $ to drive the thing because holy hell it's stupid hard to drive, but if you can drive it w/ that unit or an objective 2 amp, you're set. 5-HT fucked around with this message at 05:37 on Jan 4, 2019 |
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Jan 4, 2019 05:35
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5-HT posted:if I was forced to choose at gunpoint, I'd pick the Arya.... Thanks, I had been looking forward to your comparison of these. Sounds like value on par with the LCD-MX4 selling for $1,500 2 weeks ago. I think the MX4 are great but have a philosophical issue with headphones in the $1,000+ range being anything more than anchoring/focalism gone wrong. Tangent because you mentioned JBL monitors: With the MX4 I now know what $3,000 headphones sound like, but have never heard a great or even really good pair of speakers. Is it true that a good $1,500 set of speakers should beat out a similarly priced set of headphones for sound quality (ignoring other factors like portability/not bothering neighbors/etc. that are advantages of headphones)? Basically, I have been spending a lot of time alone in my basement listening to expensive headphones and wondering if I would have been better off overall with $1,000 worth of speakers and $150-200 headphones (HD 58X/6XX) instead of $1,500 headphones and my lovely old Polk speakers. Like, do the LCD-X or Arya sound better than your JBL speakers? Parker Lewis fucked around with this message at 05:58 on Jan 4, 2019 |
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Jan 4, 2019 05:53
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Parker Lewis posted:Sounds like value on par with the LCD-MX4 selling for $1,500 2 weeks ago. if you have the space and the ability to treat a room, speakers are always better. w/ headphones you'll get better "micro-detail" retrieval and portability, basically being able to take the "room" with you anywhere. and some cans like the HD800S can sound very good and speaker like. however, headphones are really best suited if you live in an environment that doesn't allow you to use speakers regularly..... speaking of which, what kicked off my drive to look into headphones was realizing that I wouldn't be able to take any nice big speakers w/ me where I end up moving (NYC or LA) in another year or two w/ my fiancee. I play music way too loudly to not have a strong risk of getting my fiancee kicked out of wherever we'd rent....so headphones it is. that said, the best speakers are studio monitors which have their own amps. one's who have a mid-field focus are ideal. the lsr 305 is probably the best value in speakers even still today. however I'm planning on upgrading to some KEF LS50 Wireless as my speakers for my entertainment center and a pair of Focal Shape 40's or 50's for my desktop and production area. but again, long term goals here. as it stands I'm on the cusp of deciding one of three things this month: (Sell my LCD-X, Keep Arya, Buy Stax Omega 007 Mk 2's + Kevin Gilmore Solid State Energizer all @ $2500), (Keep LCD-X, Return Arya, Buy Stax Omega 007 Mk 2's + KGSS), (Keep LCD-X, Keep Arya, don't buy Stax). the offer for the Stax is stupidly good, and I get the sense that it would more than make up for the loss of the LCD-X tonally speaking. but I love the fact I can use the LCD-X on anything and not have to have it sitting on dedicated gear. decisions decisions.
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Jan 4, 2019 06:10
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5-HT posted:if you have the space and the ability to treat a room, speakers are always better. w/ headphones you'll get better "micro-detail" retrieval and portability, basically being able to take the "room" with you anywhere. and some cans like the HD800S can sound very good and speaker like. however, headphones are really best suited if you live in an environment that doesn't allow you to use speakers regularly..... I am in a house with a mixed-use basement that is half “home theater” but somehow ended up going down a headphone rabbit hole that started with PC gaming with the Fidelio X1 and ended up with me buying the LCD-MX4 without thinking first of just putting less money into better speakers for my projector/tv area. For some reason I got into a mindset of “headphones are for music/gaming, speakers are for tv/movies” that got worse as the quality of my headphones increased beyond the quality of my speakers, to the point where I had a Topping DX3 plugged into the optical out of my TV so I could use headphones for all my PC/console gaming. After further consideration it probably does make more sense to put the $ into speakers that I can use for all of my TV/movie watching, plus gaming, plus music, and have that be my main audio source while keeping a ‘decent’ set of headphones around for things like late nights when the family’s asleep or when I am playing my Switch in portable mode but want better sound than the onboard speakers. In an ideal world I would have both but gotta draw the budget line somewhere and I think the opportunity cost of $1.5k headphones is too high for me right now when I am using an 8-year-old set of Polk speakers that originally cost $500 total. In theory I should be able to spend something like $1k on new speakers and get something that sounds better than the headphones and can be shared with the rest of the family on movie/TV nights. Parker Lewis fucked around with this message at 06:28 on Jan 4, 2019 |
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Jan 4, 2019 06:25
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Parker Lewis posted:I am in a house with a mixed-use basement that is half “home theater” but somehow ended up going down a headphone rabbit hole that started with PC gaming with the Fidelio X1 and ended up with me buying the LCD-MX4 without thinking first of just putting less money into better speakers for my projector/tv area. get a solid amplifier like the Emotiva A-100 and a pair of either KEF Q350's or LS50's. use your topping as the dac. you can thank me later. best part, you get a stupidly overpowered headphone amp and speaker amp for less than $250. you literally will not need anything else for years to come unless you get a bug for surround sound or something. any spare cash, literally just spend it on room treatments like bass traps and other sound dampening. treating the room is honestly the cheapest part, and significantly improves response in any system. sad thing is that almost everyone is too lazy to put up some stick on foam wedges. did I mention how stupid cheap sound dampening and room treatment is? and yes that's including bass traps. 5-HT fucked around with this message at 06:51 on Jan 4, 2019 |
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Jan 4, 2019 06:46
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Waltzing Along posted:Thinking of getting Sennheiser 569s. Maybe 598cs. Sony MDR-1A are the most loving comfortable headphones I've ever used. They're closed, don't need an amp at all, and sound loving nice. You can get them on eBay for <$150 no problem. I got mine for maybe $120 brand new. fake edit: I have DT770s, have for like a decade, these are much loving more comfortable.
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Jan 4, 2019 18:16
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Parker Lewis posted:For some reason I got into a mindset of “headphones are for music/gaming, speakers are for tv/movies” that got worse as the quality of my headphones increased beyond the quality of my speakers, to the point where I had a Topping DX3 plugged into the optical out of my TV so I could use headphones for all my PC/console gaming. Most music is mixed/mastered by engineers who sit in fancy mixing rooms with the speakers being a few meters in front of them with them in the sweet spot creating a nice equilateral triangle - this is to say that if you want to get the original soundstage as intended by the mixing engineer you'll want to go for that. If your room is large enough and you're seated close enough to the speakers you can be within the 'critical range' where all reflections are going to be considerably lower then direct source so that the room treatment is not that important, 5-8 inch studio monitors are indeed a good choice if that's the case. Prolonged listening over speakers is generally considered to be less fatiguing and safer for the ears at equivalent SPLs, but I'm not sure how must research there is to back that up. I think it's better to listen with speakers unless the content is specifically binaural (i.e gaming).
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Jan 4, 2019 20:14
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