Earphones/Headphones

[YuyoDrift 1540]

Mine came in too! @Original Saku

Now I'm waiting on the Massdrop HD58x's to come in sometime in June lol

 

 

[ahnchc 309]

I use a pair of PHIATON MS-530 headphones and have been since 2015 and they work so well. They have a noise-cancelling feature on the left side that glows green when the NC is on. They're wireless but do come with a wire also. The microphone works well too in my experience. Depending on your budget, they could be considered a bit pricey, but I think it's definitely worth it! I can take some pictures if requested to do so.

 

Before that, I used to use a pair of Beats headphones from around 2013 (cost around 300 USD at the time I purchased), but they broke when I dropped them. They still work, but they just don't look good at all LOL

[kukew 87]

On 21/12/2017 at 12:16 PM, YuyoDrift said:

Off the top of my head, I can think of 3 different Earbuds (in no order) from 3 different companies for recommendation.

I've used these personally, and I can attest to their sound quality for the price.

These are common finds, so you should be able to find these even at your local electronics store.

 

1. Klipsch R6 II

2. Sony MDRXB50AP

3. Sennheiser CX 5.00G

 

I'm taking these recommendations of yours myself because lately I've been looking for some nice in-ear headphones(?), but I'm limited to get mine at my local electronic store (Best Buy and the like) I couldn't find that model of Sennheiser but found the Momentum ones. Would you recommend me something nice from stores like those ones? I don't mind spending for prices around the momentum ones. ;-; ... I don't wanna end buying Beats

Edited April 13, 2018 by kukew

[YuyoDrift 1540]

9 hours ago, kukew said:

Would you recommend me something nice from stores like those ones? I don't mind spending for prices around the momentum ones.

Sure thing. Since It's been a few months, I wouldn't be surprised if they introduced updated/new headphones (maybe they have the old ones on clearance?).

 

For the price, I can recommend the Klipsch R6 (99% positive they should be there at your best buy lol)

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/klipsch-reference-r6-earbud-headphones-black/4946038.p?skuId=4946038

 

Do you have a Guitar Center around you? If you are willing to spend near $100, they offer higher quality earbuds there too.

My personal pick (if you don't mind a longer cord) is the Shure SE215.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Shure/SE215-Dynamic-Microdriver-Earphones.gc

The highs and the mids are well worth the price, and the lows are acceptable (but poor to those who listen to Hip-Hop/EDM) for rock music.

 

NOTE: You can find a special edition (from Japan Ooooh) of these for the same price on AMAZON.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Shure/SE215-Dynamic-Microdriver-Earphones.gc

(These have a bit more bass, and are the much more preferred version of the 2)

 

Where do you reside? It can help with locating stores near you for audio.

 

[YuyoDrift 1540]

Who else here ordered the Massdrop HD58X Headphones?

Mine just came in after more than 1/2 a year haha. Gonna break them in with some light listening tonight.

[YuyoDrift 1540]

Update after 2 weeks: 

These are fucking amazing. 

I don't even know where to begin describing how these babies sound. 

 

Using audiophile jargon, if I were to compare them to the HD600s, I'd say they are less "bright", and more "full". Compared to my HD6XXs, it's definitely a more wild child as the upper mids are strong as hell, and let loose the more you drive them, probably due to the low impedance. It's got a fresh sound, with like a "grip" on the bass, and so it doesn't sound like it spills over. Defintely not as smooth as the HD650/HD6XX in terms of sound, as it's very lively, which is definitely good for rock music. I wish I had a pair of HD660S' to try out but I don't  . I have heard that is sound just like it, and that the only major difference is that the HD660S is smoother and more true to sound.

 

In any case, I'd definitely say I scored big time for these with the price of $150, and I even got a low serial number from the first production run lol.

 

[lichtlune 915]

I tried the HE 400i's and was very dissapointed with them. They are heavy, uncomfortable, and look goofy as fuck on my head. The cords are also cheap shit that started breaking and losing connection in like a couple months. Went back to my HD 25-1-II's instead with the FiiO amp and haven't looked back. Never go for these supposedly "better sounding" heavy, clunky, clampy headphones they're not worth it IMO. 

Edited July 18, 2018 by lichtlune

[Original Saku 1593]

On 7/17/2018 at 10:23 PM, YuyoDrift said:

Update after 2 weeks: 

These are fucking amazing. 

I don't even know where to begin describing how these babies sound. 

 

Using audiophile jargon, if I were to compare them to the HD600s, I'd say they are less "bright", and more "full". Compared to my HD6XXs, it's definitely a more wild child as the upper mids are strong as hell, and let loose the more you drive them, probably due to the low impedance. It's got a fresh sound, with like a "grip" on the bass, and so it doesn't sound like it spills over. Defintely not as smooth as the HD650/HD6XX in terms of sound, as it's very lively, which is definitely good for rock music. I wish I had a pair of HD660S' to try out but I don't  . I have heard that is sound just like it, and that the only major difference is that the HD660S is smoother and more true to sound.

 

In any case, I'd definitely say I scored big time for these with the price of $150, and I even got a low serial number from the first production run lol.

 

 

I was actually thinking about snagging a pair of these the last time they were up on massdrop but I couldn't justify it considering I have like 6 pairs of headphones already lol. with that said, would you recommend these to someone who already owns HD 579 and HD6XX?

 

 

[YuyoDrift 1540]

7 hours ago, Original Saku said:

 

I was actually thinking about snagging a pair of these the last time they were up on massdrop but I couldn't justify it considering I have like 6 pairs of headphones already lol. with that said, would you recommend these to someone who already owns HD 579 and HD6XX?

 

 

Hmm. It would have to depend on the genre of music you want to use them for specifically.

Like I said, the HD58X is perfect for rock music, something that Sennheiser really sucked at (kind of the deal-breaker for me before) with the HD600/650.

The problem with the 600 series was that they felt very "distant"(if that makes sense) because of their dynamics, and with the HD58X you finally getting something more of "it's right there" type of listening experience.

 

Never heard the 500 series from sennheiser, so I can't compare it.

[colorful人生 2777]

Current Collection:

Spoiler

• MrSpeakers Mad Dogs [Over-ear | Planar Magentic | Closed] (Got one of the last 5 pairs before he discontinued the mod. My favorite by far)
  • Advantages: Phenomenal detail w/ nice soundstage. They color the sound to my tastes (warm and bassy, with a bit of sibilance) without compromising midrange.
  • Disadvantages: They do color the sound a bit, so some might take issue. They're a bit bulky/heavy.
• Philips SHP9500 [Over-ear | Open] (I got them for $50 and they're a bit Frankenstein-ish w/ my old Alpha Pads and a Bluetooth adapter)
  • Advantages: They're cheap for how they perform. The alpha pads add even more bass and seem to open the space more than before. They don't run on a lot of power, so a bluetooth adapter can drive them just fine.
  • Disadvantages: Not as detailed as the others. The alpha pads further muddle the upper range.
• Audio Technica ATH-M50 [Over-ear On-ear| Closed] (They're nice esp. w/ velour pads, but I'm probably going to let them go soon)
  • Advantages: A lot of detail, especially with the high-end. They're the most portable of the three (-sans the cord.)
  • Disadvantages: ...The V shaped signature is nice, but it loses quite a bit of midrange. The soundstage is really "tight", it's too "up-front" for my tastes.

 

• LG Tone Platinum [IEM | Bluetooth | Closed] (Got a refurbished pair of these, they're pretty good for a headset)
• Jaybird X3's [IEM | Bluetooth | Closed] (I love...d these...The right side popped off a week ago, so I need to get them repaired)
• Then I have some cheap sony wired buds for my Vita... I might replace them with some T2's b/c they're detachable. 

 

Need some advice. I'm using my planar magnetics (Mad Dogs) with a Schiit Stack (Magni2/Modi2), but they weren't cutting it for some reason. I ended up using my Magni as a pre-amp for an 80's Optonica SM-3300 amplifier (which my speakers are hooked up to as well), and I immediately heard a difference. Everything sounds much fuller & dynamic, but the SM-3300 is huuuge.

 

TL;DR does anybody have any suggestions for (or experience with) more "modern", regular-sized amps that would give me the same vintage sound that can replace my Magni2 -> Optonica solution?  (Perhaps some sort of tube amp?)

 

 

Edited August 6, 2018 by colorfuljinsei

[Original Saku 1593]

On 8/5/2018 at 5:26 PM, colorfuljinsei said:

Current Collection:

  Reveal hidden contents

• MrSpeakers Mad Dogs [Over-ear | Planar Magentic | Closed] (Got one of the last 5 pairs before he discontinued the mod. My favorite by far)
  • Advantages: Phenomenal detail w/ nice soundstage. They color the sound to my tastes (warm and bassy, with a bit of sibilance) without compromising midrange.
  • Disadvantages: They do color the sound a bit, so some might take issue. They're a bit bulky/heavy.
• Philips SHP9500 [Over-ear | Open] (I got them for $50 and they're a bit Frankenstein-ish w/ my old Alpha Pads and a Bluetooth adapter)
  • Advantages: They're cheap for how they perform. The alpha pads add even more bass and seem to open the space more than before. They don't run on a lot of power, so a bluetooth adapter can drive them just fine.
  • Disadvantages: Not as detailed as the others. The alpha pads further muddle the upper range.
• Audio Technica ATH-M50 [Over-ear On-ear| Closed] (They're nice esp. w/ velour pads, but I'm probably going to let them go soon)
  • Advantages: A lot of detail, especially with the high-end. They're the most portable of the three (-sans the cord.)
  • Disadvantages: ...The V shaped signature is nice, but it loses quite a bit of midrange. The soundstage is really "tight", it's too "up-front" for my tastes.

 

• LG Tone Platinum [IEM | Bluetooth | Closed] (Got a refurbished pair of these, they're pretty good for a headset)
• Jaybird X3's [IEM | Bluetooth | Closed] (I love...d these...The right side popped off a week ago, so I need to get them repaired)
• Then I have some cheap sony wired buds for my Vita... I might replace them with some T2's b/c they're detachable. 

 

Need some advice. I'm using my planar magnetics (Mad Dogs) with a Schiit Stack (Magni2/Modi2), but they weren't cutting it for some reason. I ended up using my Magni as a pre-amp for an 80's Optonica SM-3300 amplifier (which my speakers are hooked up to as well), and I immediately heard a difference. Everything sounds much fuller & dynamic, but the SM-3300 is huuuge.

 

TL;DR does anybody have any suggestions for (or experience with) more "modern", regular-sized amps that would give me the same vintage sound that can replace my Magni2 -> Optonica solution?  (Perhaps some sort of tube amp?) 

 

 

Take this with a grain of salt because I've never owned a tube amp or used one for that matter, but what I hear around the web is that THIS is supposed to be a very good entry into the tube amp space. I always see people recommending the Crack 1.1 if you want to go this route. Might need to do some more research on it before deciding, but I hope this helps you.

Edited August 12, 2018 by Original Saku

[Original Saku 1593]

Welp I caved and joined in on the 58X master race. I gotta stop buying headphones, it is starting to get out of hand (I'm up to 7 pairs now)

 

 

 

 

Edited October 30, 2018 by Original Saku

[YuyoDrift 1540]

Eyyy let me know how those sound.

 

On a different note, I bought Apple Airpods for work because they don't allow headsets (yes I know I could have bought something else, but then this next sentence wont make sense) and for some reason they DO sound different to their cabled counterpart. Idk if its because I haven't used Apple Earbuds for a long time, but my music has an acute change in sound reproduced that makes them an actual new experience to me. Huh.

 

Anybody else vouch for this nuance? I have listened to others note this in the past with reviews of the product, and I thought they were nuts lol.

[colorful人生 2777]

Black Friday deal Tin T2 Pros came in the mail. I've gone through two pairs of Klipsch S4s, budget Sennheiser IEMs, Bluetooth Sets (Jaybird x2s, x3s, and LG Tone Platinums), and other "Chi-Fi" offerings... This is my favorite pair to date.

 

Soundstage is great, every sound is separable and textured, and the bass is where I like it. Also, with all the wired headsets I've broken, I refuse to get headphones without detachable cables. Since I'm not someone who buys high-end IEMs (more so over-ear pairs), I'll probably be sticking to Laosoft's products for a while. 

 

Edited November 25, 2018 by colorfuljinsei

[Ito 2438]

On 11/25/2018 at 1:58 PM, colorfuljinsei said:

Black Friday deal Tin T2 Pros came in the mail. I've gone through two pairs of Klipsch S4s, budget Sennheiser IEMs, Bluetooth Sets (Jaybird x2s, x3s, and LG Tone Platinums), and other "Chi-Fi" offerings... This is my favorite pair to date.

 

Soundstage is great, every sound is separable and textured, and the bass is where I like it. Also, with all the wired headsets I've broken, I refuse to get headphones without detachable cables. Since I'm not someone who buys high-end IEMs (more so over-ear pairs), I'll probably be sticking to Laosoft's products for a while. 

 

 

I recently got the same IEMs (via massdrop). They were cheap enough that I was willing to give them a try. I continue to find IEMs uncomfortable, but I have super tiny ear holes, so even with the smallest tips that they come with, they still are a bit bigger than I would like. I think I need to try some 3rd party foam tips. The sound is good, not great - about what I expected for the money. The bass feels a bit muddy - it feels pretty decent for electronic music and has a decent punch, but for rock it is a bit muddled and quieter than I would like. Overall really not bad for the price I paid ($40 shipped).  My least favorite thing is the cable - I kind of hate it. I may look for a replacement, but I am not sure I use these enough to justify buying a new cable.

[sleepy coffee 1476]

Got some 58x that are finally gonna arrive tmrw, sadly because of my vk purchases and holiday shopping these were the best I could afford but I'm still super excited to try them out 

[YuyoDrift 1540]

50 minutes ago, chipathy said:

Got some 58x that are finally gonna arrive tmrw, sadly because of my vk purchases and holiday shopping these were the best I could afford but I'm still super excited to try them out 

Ohhhh you will. Definitely worth their price. You using any amplification for them or?

[sleepy coffee 1476]

Not atm, at least not until I recover from the holidays, is there any youd recommend 

[YuyoDrift 1540]

Sure. You wanna be able to carry it around or have it kept at home?

[sleepy coffee 1476]

3 minutes ago, YuyoDrift said:

Sure. You wanna be able to carry it around or have it kept at home?

Carrying around is more convenient for me but if theres a drastic difference I'm fine with just keeping at home

[YuyoDrift 1540]

14 minutes ago, chipathy said:

Carrying around is more convenient for me but if theres a drastic difference I'm fine with just keeping at home

Well the good thing is that they don't need much power to drive them (only 150ohms) so anything from Fii0 (E10K, A3/5) is fine.

If you want like a nice intro to something for the desk then Schiit is usually a nice option with their Fulla model (Amp and a DAC).

[sleepy coffee 1476]

9 minutes ago, YuyoDrift said:

Well the good thing is that they don't need much power to drive them (only 150ohms) so anything from Fii0 (E10K, A3/5) is fine.

If you want like a nice intro to something for the desk then Schiit is usually a nice option with their Fulla model (Amp and a DAC).

Thank you so much!

[Paraph 826]

To be honest I'm not sure what the best pair would have been and I would like to get noise cancelling in the future, but I recently received the Bose SoundLink II as a gift and I really like them. Sure beats the crappy Sony earbuds I'd have to replace every few months.

Edited January 16, 2019 by Paraph

[chocobuzz 752]

I got Sennheiser HD599 today. They're super comfortable and I'm overall really happy and satisfied with them. The only thing is that I've only used closed-back headphones before so getting used to open-backs will probably take some time.

[Gesu 1537]

I just use plain old Sony earphones from HMV. They cost £7.99 (I think?), they're hot pink, the sound quality's good and they last a long time. What more could I ask for? I don't like anything all fancy-schmancy when it comes to stuff like this. Also, they have the silicone buds which I need, because the ones without them just hurt my ears and are too big for them, anyways. I've never understood how people can find them comfortable without the buds.

I never use headphones because I always wear a bow and flowers in my hair, so headphones would just be awkward. Earphones all the way! Besides, you can just put earphones in your pocket.