Earphones/Headphones

[Zeus 7997]

Just an interesting thing i found.

http://llnw.libsyn.com/p/9/f/f/9ffab659 ... 895de46e45

[Ito 2438]

We have an initial impression yet, Zess?

[Zeus 7997]

Yeah. My phone got disconnected so I wasn't able to send the pics and do the write-up when I originally planned to. I'll do it later today.

[Zeus 7997]

Initial impressions: OHMYGERD

I'm running the HiFiMAN HE-400's through a FiiO E10 DAC. Impressions are coming after 20 to 30 hours of burn in because yes, this headphone does benefit from burn-in.

When matched up with the right music, I can hear everything so clearly. I can hear the strings being plucked when a guitarist is shredding. I can hear the spit in the back of someone's throat. Bass pedal clicks which were once just deep thumps are now distinct. Imaging is amazing and it really shows off with cymbals and hi-hats. Even small things like whispered lines that don't come through well on cheaper headphones are audible here. In terms of synth, this thing sings. Ilaria Graziano's CHRisTmas in the SiLenT ForeSt sounds like a totally different song because there's so much beeping, buzzing, haunting violins and harrowing reverb that's totally lost on anything else I've ever listened to this song on.

When matched up with crappy rips or poor mastering, it's your worst nightmare. 128 kbps rips don't do it justice. Hell, 256 kbps is barely adequate. You put crap in and the 400's spit crap right back out. I'm still contemplating whether or not I want to prune everything that isn't 256 kbps or higher from my library because these headphones really do bring out the minute differences.

In terms of subbass/midbass/midrange/treble, it all comes through evenly. Treble is a bit sharper than the rest but it's not so bad as to be noticeable. I do want to note that the bass extends much more than open-back headphones usually do, although they don't have the "kick" like Denons do. It's a very refined and sharp sound, full of detail and not muddy. To give you an idea of how detailed and well separated the bass is, I can hear both Jasmine You (Versailles) and ZERO's (D'espairsRay) basslines in its entirety. Subbass is there for the songs that need it and if it's the appropriate genre, you can even massage your ears with it!

Only thing I have an issue with is comfort. The damn thing is 90% metal so it's a tad heavier than most headphones. I also have large ears and these are large cups but there's little space between my head and the drivers, so I have a hard time getting a nice fit. Other than that, I like.

[bukimi_heishi 62]

ok guys I need your help! I am wanting to invest in a decent pair of headphones for home use. I am a complete noob to this kind of stuff and I am not even sure if I will be able to hear the difference they make since I have some hearing damagethanks for my stupidity with a firecracker >_<. So that being said, I would prefer not to spend a whole lot of money. I might be able to bring myself to spend $300 but that is the absolute max that I am wanting to spend at this point.

So, like I said they would be for home use and I was thinking about open-back and I would prefer something that would cover my ears. I listen to all sorts of music but rock music is what I mainly listen to with Uroboros and Dum Spiro Spero probably being the two most listened to albums.

I was reading through some of the headfi guide that Zess posted and a couple of headphones on there caught my eye:

Grado SR-80i- even though they are on ear instead of over like I was looking for, the guide was saying that they are good heads for beginner audiophiles, so that is why they caught my eye.

Sennheiser HD 558/598- I don't remember why these caught my eye but I think it was decent review and within my price range.

Any suggestions from you guys? either from these two or anything else that think would be a nice fit for what I am looking for?

[WhirlingBlack 1043]

I would strongly advice you against buying Sennheiser headphones based on the kind of music you listen to. They are great headphones but NOT optimal for any kind of rock music.

With the budget you're looking at, my top recommendation would be the Shure SRH840, I enjoyed those for several years before upgrading and they're really A quality for anything rock with one of the best midranges I've heard which is very important for fast paced rock music, the bass is good too, they're not open back though but, with open backs at the price range below 900-1000USD you're going to get a loss in bass quality which is vital to rock and metal music, so I couldn't with a good conscience recommend any of those. One of the albums I listen to the most myself is Dum Spiro Spero too and I can confirm it really shines on those headphones.

Hope that helps.

[Zeus 7997]

I would strongly advice you against buying Sennheiser headphones based on the kind of music you listen to. They are great headphones but NOT optimal for any kind of rock music.

I agree. I bought the HD518 as my first pair of headphones (and I've heard everything up to the 600 range sounds extremely similar, probably because they all use the same driver). Virtually all the bass is muddy and plodding. Do not recommend.

[bonsaijodelfisch 328]

....

Grado SR-80i- even though they are on ear instead of over like I was looking for, the guide was saying that they are good heads for beginner audiophiles, so that is why they caught my eye.

thumbs up for those, DumSpiroSpero is one of my most listened albums of the recent past aswell and i use those heads. sounds great.

the headphones-guide of zess seems like a good source afaik and as for selecting in general i would refer to an earlier post in this thread and/or the music-player-thread by myself as how to find heads that suit you & your tastes best.

[Valicious 572]

I bought a pair of Grado 325is last week used for $211 after shipping. I am absolutely loving them so far. Ever guitar chord and note seems alive and to flow around me. They seem to be a bit high on the treble though, sometimes a guitar chord will be so shrill as to almost be painful. Venting the drivers should help fix that problem though.

I'm using a pair of TTVJ flats right now, but they right bother my cartilage piercing after a while. I have a pair of jumbo G-Cush pads arriving in the mail today, so hopefully that will help.

I'd love to get these woodied someday.

[Zeus 7997]

Bumping this topic for great justice because I want to flood you all with pictures of my gear!

A few developments have happened since I last posted my set-up. I've upgraded my amp/DAC combo to the Schiit Magni/Modi. This is such an improvement over the FiiO E10 it isn't a joke. If there's anyone out there interested in budget audiophilia you can get each for $99 a pop. Considering what you get, this is a bargain. It's only for people in North America at the moment since the power adapter is only meant for our kind of outlets. But here come the pictures!

 

 

 

I've also upgraded to my dream set of headphones - the Sennheiser HD600's. I was going to get the 650's but after reading about how they sound I decided I liked the sound of the 600's more. They also pair well with the M/M, feel like nothing on my head, and they're really comfortable with the velour pads. Definitely worth the $400!

 

 

 

[JukaForever 758]

Bumping this topic for great justice because I want to flood you all with pictures of my gear!

A few developments have happened since I last posted my set-up. I've upgraded my amp/DAC combo to the Schiit Magni/Modi. This is such an improvement over the FiiO E10 it isn't a joke. If there's anyone out there interested in budget audiophilia you can get each for $99 a pop. Considering what you get, this is a bargain. It's only for people in North America at the moment since the power adapter is only meant for our kind of outlets. But here come the pictures!

 

 

 

 

I've also upgraded to my dream set of headphones - the Sennheiser HD600's. I was going to get the 650's but after reading about how they sound I decided I liked the sound of the 600's more. They also pair well with the M/M, feel like nothing on my head, and they're really comfortable with the velour pads. Definitely worth the $400!

 

 

It seems like you have a perfect spot for your schiit, I used to have those too.

 

My set up home set-up is Laptop->Foobar->Audio GD Compass 384-> HE-500/Shure 1840

 

For portable iPod classic->GR07 MKII and I keep an FiiO E07K in my bag.

[WhirlingBlack 1043]

You switched from orthodynamics to dynamics, Zess? How come? Comfort? I mean, I only use my dynamics when I'm watching series and playing games for comfort in terms of weight, but the sound quality can to my ears not really match my LCD-2s. 

 

Still struggling to save up for the burson amp, not getting any closer due to travelling expenses lately, but I hope to get there at some point and when I do I'll certainly post pictures too.

[Zeus 7997]

Mostly comfort, although I got fed up with the way my HE400's kept having to be sent back every few months for some small problem that kept multiplying. They're around and I occasionally use them but my main ones are the 600's for now.

[RoseOfHizaki 131]

I use some imported Hi-Fi man RE-400's with my SGS3 sound pretty decent. quite a balanced set of headphones though the highs might be slightly lacking. Mids are great and the bass is pretty tight and packs enough punch, my EQ is tweaked a little to balance out the mids and highs otherwise it just sounds wrong.

 

Prior to the RE-400's I was using a set of RHA MA-350's which were a replacement for some original old skool Sennheiser CX300s, the MA-350's are similar to the CX300s in the fact that they are complete bass monsters. MA-350s can produce some powerful bass but it can be extremely overpowering and come out very muddy with a little break up. It lacks highs but the mids are pretty sweet once everything is balanced out. I found it difficult to EQ the right balance between bass a highs for these headphones as the overall bassy sound doesnt respond well. you can either have it bassy or not bassy at all, there is no middle ground for adjustment.

 

For pc use i run everything through an old set of Logitech Z5500's which have been connected to quite a few Asus Xonar's in the past. Im more of a gamer though so i switched back to using creative audio cards.

 

Eventually im gonna ditch the Z5500's and soundcards for Onkyo amp and some bookshelf speakers (need a subwoofer too - If i cant feel the bass shaking my soul then Im not alive)

[orangetarts 249]

I am a total cheap ass and end up having to buy new earphones like once every couple months.

for a while now ive been using the JVC marshmallow brand, and theyre pretty decent considering the price of them.

I should eventually invest in some nice ones. but for now these do the job.

 

also i agree with everyone who said skullcandy essentially blows.

They never last me very long... even tho my cats do tend to chew them up on occasion lol.

but the sound quality of them isnt too horrible they just arent durable for shit.

[Ito 2438]

Not headphones, but I am really due for a speaker upgrade here soon. I have been rocking my Monitor Audio BR1's for a while now, and they are really a fantastic speakers, I know I can step up the game a little bit in the area of clarity and bass extension (to help smooth our the range low end range where my sub picks up the duties). Not sure what I want to upgrade to, but I think I might drop a grand on a new pair of bookshelves

[Seimeisen 4406]

also i agree with everyone who said skullcandy essentially blows.

They never last me very long... even tho my cats do tend to chew them up on occasion lol.

but the sound quality of them isnt too horrible they just arent durable for shit.

 

I have a freakshow pair of Skullcandy buds (the $50 ones). I've had them for about 2 and a half years, and both sides still work perfectly. o_O

I mean, for all I know, they could bite the dust in 2 minutes from now, but the fact that they've made it this far without either side dying out will always amaze me. Before, I've never had a single pair of earbuds to last more than 5 months.

 

Also, do not get MUNITIO Billets!!! They're about as durable as Skullcandy. Got a pair last fall, one side died after two months.

[Zeus 7997]

I can beat two months. How about "I didn't even leave the store"?

I walked into Radioshack and Grandma decided to buy me new headphones. She got the Rasta Skullcandies because she thought they looked cool, and I remember this so vividly because I took the left earbud out of the packaging and the wire slipped loose. Of course I immediately exchanged it for another one, except this time the left ear had no sound. I went through about three or four different earbuds before I switched companies and got one that worked.

I'm glad yours still work but I will never, ever, ever buy Skullcandies again. If they disintegrate on touch then they are truly shitty. Any company who makes such crap, overcharges the consumer for it and then says "buy our higher quality stuff if you want it to last" deserves to be kicked by a horse.

[Zeus 7997]

I found this Google Doc presentation measuring different types of headphones and the author giving his opinions. It's really cool if you know how to read those charts/own one of those headphones that he talks about.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1wi8M-HSeK0JF33P-5ypydQjQ4OshRQhvWM0IX2h0NQ8/preview?usp=sharing&sle=true#slide=id.p

[sai 868]

I wonder why the Audio Technica M50s got such a low rating. I've read nothing but praise about them (after about 800 ratings on Amazon their average score is 4.6/5, which is really good imo). I actually own a pair myself and tbqh I feel like they're amazing headphones for their price quality.

 

Then again, only one of the headphones he reviews receives a mark above C+ so idk, lol.

[Ito 2438]

That was an interesting read, but at the end of the day it really was only an analysis for flagship headphones and I really wouldn't use it as advice for buying headphones in the under $(way to expensive) range. Makes me really want to try some of the A+'s, though.

[Wicked Teletubby 528]

may I please take a moment of your lives to let you know that I'm totally happy with my iPhone 5 Earpods. thank you.

[Original Saku 1593]

are you crazy? them things are hella uncomfortable...

[Wicked Teletubby 528]

nope. they fit, they sound, they're good. I love them. I'm being serious.

[Ito 2438]

I mean, I will give you that they sound better than older ipod ear buds...but really? Can we just assume that this is because you have yet to listen to any other much better headphones? XD