/hpg/ - Headphone General

You know Stax is a Japanese company, right?

Not any longer

unintelligible

Taking care of your headphones is the last implicit stand of White identity.

How loud does /hpg/ listen to their music? For me, just loud enough to hear nothing but my music.

i'm either unlucky or i'm getting my due for purchasing budget headphones, initially i just had to solder but then they broke for real afterwards

Were you/that person implying that a sampling engineer found a way to do what I said in my post?

I get buzzing/crackling at high volume, is this shitty headphones or something else I can fix?

Whats a cheap portable dac/amp that will drive 250ohms?

What headphones are you trying to power?

dt990 pros

Fiio E10k
Micca Origen+

Get a parametric EQ (Equalizer APO for windows users).
Use a sine sweep to find objectionable peaks and dips.
Use the parametric EQ to generate filters to counteract these dips and peaks.
Make adjustments according to taste. Be careful to lower digital gain/pre-amp (distinct from usual digital volume controls) to avoid digital overload.

>sampling engineer
Really just about any electrical engineer, but signal processing in particular.

Is it normal to get crackling at high volume? Could an amp turn up the power without crackling?

I'm about to get my first """audiophile""" approved headphones which is a sennheiser HD558

is that ok? is the volume loud enough that I'd never set it at 100%? are they comfy? how bad is the CLAMP?

Yeah, it's by far the best value in headphones.

Can be powered by anything.

The clamp is adequate, not uncomfortable, it stays on your head.

I bought a HD558 for my kid and I'm shocked at how great a headphone it is for only $100. There are headphones costing in the thousands that doesn't sound this good.

Crackling is distortion, could be from a ton of things.

Material that gets jammed in the driver, badly made voice coils, amplifier overloading/clipping, digital artifacts...
A new amplifier in the chain deals with the overloading, but that leaves other potential sources of crap. It is one of the more likely suspects, but hardly the only one.

>is that ok?
I suppose so. People like it, I dislike like it without EQ. Opinions.
>is the volume loud enough that I'd never set it at 100%?
Passive headphones don't have volume. It's also impossible to know what you think is loud.
They do have fairly high sensitivity.
>are they comfy?
Acceptable. Less pressure than the other popular medium-high clamp headphones Sennheiser makes.
>how bad is the CLAMP?
No mangaka were involved in the production of this headphone.

Based on that debate yesterday, is the AKG K612 PRO more neutral than the Sennheiser HD600?

If I only have to spend $150 instead of $300 for monitoring headphones I'd be fine with that, else I'll just end up getting the HD600s.

I am considering Senn 558 but I've read about 'sennheiser veil', what does it mean, what is it?

>Budget
Preferably under $300.
>Location
United States
>Source
A newer release Gigabyte Z170X Mobo that I'm getting in a new build, which is supposed to be able to drive up to 600 ohms. If I don't end up liking that I'll probably buy either a Schiit Stack or a FiiO E10k depending on how much I feel like spending.
>Preferred type of headphone
Full circumaural
>Open or Closed
I would vastly prefer open, but would settle for semi-open if I had to.
>Comfort level
Comfort is absolutely critical for me. I often times find myself putting on my headphones even when I'm not listening to something because I enjoy the feel. I would be perfectly fine in buying headphones with slightly less sound quality but better comfort for the same price. I dislike leather cuffs, and I don't really want something with a strong clamp either.
>Preferred tonal balance
Neutral to warm, but neutral preferred. Also looking for something with an excellent soundstage for gaming.
>Past headphones
Old style purple ATH-AD700's. I loved these phones to death, but they're really starting to show wear and tear after five years. Plus I've been noticing more and more lately that the bass really is shit on them.

I am thinking about hd600
do not care about bass but I do care about sound stage
how are they compared to hd598 in that aspect
I'd get ad2000x but it's out of my range where I live, senheisers are not that expensive

hd600 = no sound stage

HD600 has a small soundstage due to it's frequency response having more energy in the upper mids than, say, the HD800 which is known to have a large soundstage as a result of the upper mid recession.
Basically, it will have just as much or less soundstage than the HD598.

but they are open, it can't be worse than 598s?
I really want completely neutral headphones with tiny bit of sound stage for games

any other similar options? can't go higher in price though

Just get them. If you're satisfied with the HD598, it's the logical step up.

portapro yo

What's a good amp for the HD668Bs? Do they even need an amp?

Somebody please explain the point of 7.1 headphones

easy money

no headphone is actually 7.1
its just some shitty marketing name for surround sound
which you can just use drivers or a dongle for anyway

...

Can anyone explain the hype around MrSpeakers and ZMF? How the fuck can a couple of guys in their garage make a product that stands up to the production tolerances, economies of scale and R&D capabilities of a huge firm like Sennheiser, Focal or Harman?

Had my HD650s for half a decade now, what's a worthy replacement? I'll keep using them for quite some time but they're starting to show their age.

Just buy replacement parts for whatever is worn out.

Yeah, my cable died in May this year so I bought a replacement for it, which got me thinking about an eventual replacement. I mean I love the sound and feel of these headphones, but it might be nice to move on to something new after all these years. And since they're "breaking down", was there ever a better time?

MrSpeakers is founded by Dan Clark who has been an audio engineer for decades working on speakers, he modded Fostex headphones until designing his own drivers and making his own headphones. They specifically use 3D printing for a lot of development which sped things up considerably. I'd say the hype around their products is justified.

Don't know much about ZMF but it looks like they're mainly just modding Fostex headphones so that will be much easier than making your own headphones. The ZMF headphones I've heard sounded good but I can't say if they're overrated or not, I don't have a sense of the buzz there.

For all the R&D capability of those large companies, they haven't really pushed the envelope with flagships for a long time (until Focal very recently, not to mention they mainly produce speakers). I think that speaks more to their shifting focus to other markets like wireless and portable gear. Although notably Sony just released a new flagship closed headphone at $2300.

The HD600 is more neutral, there is not enough data for the K612 argument that it is neutral.

>soundstage
>real

HD598 has less upper mid response than HD600 so it should sound more distant in comparison.

Fill out the form, it's the best thing you can do instead of receiving random responses.

>haven't really pushed the envelope with flagships

I'd argue nobody has really. Incremental improvements or even sidegrades are where we're at for headphone design. The next step is DSP and only Harman has come close to picking that up. There is only so much transducers can do by themselves. These tiny firms sure as hell don't have the capability to be mass-producing DSP solutions or licensing/designing algorithms.

I mean they haven't even tried to do anything new. Sennheiser just fucked around with the 800S, at least Focal did something cool with the Utopia. We'll see where DSPs end up, it'll take a while to convince audiophiles to go that route I imagine.

Guess you have a point.

>Budget
$400, not a hard limit.
>Location
Sweden
>Source
Asus Xonar Essence STX
>Preferred type of headphone
Full-sized
>Open or closed
Open
>Comfort level
High
>Preferred tonal balance
Neutral or warm
>Past headphones
HD650, others irrelevant

Are the HD800s worth it?

>Are the HD800s worth it?
Try it first, the treble is quite boosted.

Focal Elear not joking

nvm saw wasted my time reading the thread from top to bottom

Fill out the form first time

>800S

Sennheiser bought into the >muh warm 2nd harmonic meme with that and created an over-complicated solution to the peak using a Heimholtz resonator. I find the SBAF crowd quite insufferable, but at least they discovered simple, effective mods that had a measurable effect for the better (though I'd argue EQ does just as well depending on the head placement variation of the peak). Agree that headphone development is largely stagnant but circlejerking niche cottage industries isn't going to help progress. Not as if MrSpeaker/ZMF/Audeze stuff is vastly superior. Indeed, there seem to be numerous accounts of gross production inconsistency, which is shocking.

>mfw Smyth gets the hype train it deserves

>Budget
Around the $1000 mark
>Location
UK
>Source
PC/O2 amp
>Preferred type of headphone
Full-sized
>Open or closed
Open
>Comfort level
Comfy, but not at the cost of sound quality
>Preferred tonal balance
Neutral to warm (I want a pair that works well with synthwave and jazz)
>Past headphones
HD650

I've tried the HD800's and found them a little clinical for my taste.

Hi /hpg/
I want comfy, open, light headphones for desktop usage. What would you recomand?
Preferably under 40€, i'm a bit broke.

ESP/950, or lambda nova signature probably.

Out of curiosity, what do you dislike in the HD 558's sound? Or in alternatively what would you fix with EQ?

Anyone tried the Somic MH463 or V2?

Heard they made the V2 more comfortable, seems like it would be a good headphone, at least as good as the 2050.

MH463/V2

V2 is the upgraded model

No point really. The home theater loudspeaker channel number + sub abbreviation "7.1" has been taken in as a marketing term to headphones. There are two channels in headphones, always, and with those two channels you can simulate any kind of sound field without restraining yourself into an arbitrary amount of channels like "5.1" or "7.1". The term in headphones refers to surround sound processing which is mostly head related transfer function and reverb by using DSP. Usually headphones which are marketed as "surround sound" are connected digitally via USB in order to do the signal processing either with an included desktop unit/dongle or sometimes inside the headphones themselves. There are exceptions though and some even try to use multiple drivers inside a single earcup to(extremely) crudely approximate the direction of sound.

The thing is if you like the simulated surround sound, you can always do it with any pair of headphones. Software like Razer Surround does it well and a lot of sound cards offer a selection of presets for it. Sadly a lot of them just to overboard with reverb and the magnitude of processing to the point the result is a horrible echo chamber.

I would love to see more game engines doing the processing right and baking it right into the headphone -setting sometimes selectable from the audio menu. Maybe VR will push this forward as binaural sound through headphones is utterly amazing, imo.

Would tell you to get the Takstar 2050 but they seem to be out of stock everywhere now.

Can't really recommend Superlux products at that price because they aren't comfortable.

Get the Somic V2 from gearbest or go up in price and get the Philips SHP9500.

>Budget
50$-100$, flexible
>Location
Turkey
>Source
Pc
>Preferred type of headphone
Don't care
>Open or closed
Closed
>Comfort level
I don't care that much about comfort, but it is better if it is also comfortable.
>Past headphones
Logitech g230.It was decent, i don't have much experience with headphones tho

NVX XPT100, DT770, AKG K553, MDR 7506/V6

If you need a headset get the Hyper X Cloud.

>Budget
Fiddy dollars
>Location
US
>Source
Mp3 player and phone
>Preferred type of headphone
IEM
>Comfort level
Important
>Past Headphones
Piston 3's that are having problems sealing in one ear
Panasonic earbuds from amazon (the most popular ones on there I think)

I prefer balanced headphones

Thank you very much.Others are harder to find here so i will probably check hyper x cloud.

Soundmagic E10

>hyper x cloud

The Hyper X Cloud Core does not come with the velour earpads but if you don't need them then its usually cheaper. Get just the Hyper X Cloud 1/2 if you want the velour earpads.

Also look at the Brainwavz HM-5 if you can't find the NVX XPT100, as the NVX XPT100 is only located in the USA.

Thanks for the advices.Is the hyper x cloud good if i don't care about gayming?I want it for mainly music.

I know this might sound dumb, but are there any ear buds that give at least somewhat decent sound quality and are less than 50$? I know about the xiaomi piston 3 but those are somewhat uncomfortable after few hours of listening

It's a re-branded Takstar Pro-80 (out of stock now) which typically went for around the same price as the Hyper X Cloud does.

So yeah it's good for music or gaming.

>Up to £150 or so
>UK
>PC
>full-sized
>closed
>value quality over comfort, unless very heavy
>any tonal balance other than bassy

Anything that fits these criteria of a good quality? Plan on using them for games & music (pop & café chill)

HyperX Cloud I or II?

>Budget
$300, can go higher but would prefer not to
>Location
Czech Republic
>Source
FIIO E10k
>Preferred type of headphone
Full sized
>Open or closed
Open
>Comfort level
Light and comfortable
>Preferred tonal balance
Neutral
>Past headphones
Nothing worth mentioning

Can't decide between HD558s (~$145) and HD600s (~$290). I can't see myself upgrading to anything >$300 for the foreseeable future, should I just go "big" right off the bat and get the 600s? Are they noticeably better?

Open to other suggestions in that price range too, thanks in advance

HyperX Cloud or AG1, if price isn't an issue?

after hd600 you either go full retard with audze lcd x,hd 800 or buy stax something-something20

i'd try 558s and see if it's your cup of tea, not everyone likes senheiser neutral sound
600 is the same but much better

I've been using HD 668b at work for like 3 years now, they're still just fine and I use them for at least 4-5h a day, 5 days a week. Take care of your shit, I can't even imagine how you could break them.

>all these stories about terrible 558/598 build quality
>using 558 for 2 years 12 horus a day, and 2 years of 598s - no issues

some people are just that bad at handling things

Are the DT770s a meme?

i use mine 16+ hours a day 7 days a week, but after thinking more carefully about it i do realize that sometimes i extend the cord to maximum length and that's probably bad

is it worth paying 40€ more to get the 598 instead of the 558?

no, I only got 598s because they were same price here for some magical reason
some would even argue that 558s are better

they are closed - so yes
only reason you'd want closed is if you live in train depot

So what do you recommend, instead?

thanks! 558s it is

Philips SHP9500 for cheap
or hd5xx for similar price

Do they insulate well, i.e. keep the sound from leaking?

do you have a roomate that hates sound or very nervous dog to justify closed headphones? just curious

Worried about workplace, actually. In the worst case scenario, I could just use them at home, but I'd like to be able to use them at work, as well.

What's the comfiest closed headphones for $130 with a removable cable? Should I just get a ATH-M50x? I want to use it with a V-MODA BoomPro and some Brainwavz velour pads. I was going for the DT770, but then I'd need to get a ModMic, which is more expensive while also looking less practical, and also I guess a less 'elegant' solution compared to the BoomPro.

m40x is better than 50s

try ATH-M40x then

What's better about the M40x compared to the 50x? Also why would an M40x be better than a DT 770?

I can't find the M40x in my country, and Amazon doesn't sell them directly, only through third parties, so no international shipping, which is what I was planning on using to buy one.

sph9500?

are HD 598s good?

What exactly are the advantages of open ear to closed? I'm usually using my headphones in the living room, and it's annoying hearing everyone else's stuff with my current open ear headphones.

Does anyone own an O2 amp? if so, does the LED only light up if it's on, and not when it charges?

Open cans usually have a wider sound stage

>Budget
$800
>Source
O2/Modi
>Preferred type of headphone
Over-ear
>Open or closed
Open
>Comfort level
something I can wear for 5+ hours without feeling the clamp pain
>Preferred tonal balance
Flat is justice
>Past headphones
MDR CD900ST
MDR V6
HD600
M50

The soundstage isn't big but the positional accuracy is perfect. They're very good for gaming.

Can't find those locally or with international shipping on Amazon either.

I did find some M40x priced very similarly to Amazon on a local store. Thinking about either getting it plus the BoomPros, or considering the DT770s with a ModMic, even though it's a lot more expensive and there are more wires. I'm also willing to try an open pair, as long as it doesn't leak too much.

>Budet
100$, slightly flexible
>Location
Sweden
>Source
PC
>Preferred
Full-sized
>Open or closed
Doesn't matter
>Comfort level
I'd like for it to press on my head a little bit. I hate headphones that are way too loose. Also, the cord needs to be longer than 1 and a half metre. These are the only things I'm not willing to compromise on when it comes to comfort.
>Tonal balance
Somewhere between neutral and bassy.
>Past headphones
Currently got an AKG K518LE. Good fit and size. Sound doesn't blow my mind but is balanced with a nice ability to register bass notes. Would like for my purchase to be a bit like it, but clearer and louder and leaning a bit towards a bassy sound. Cord is extremely short though.

>M40x be better than a DT 770?
cheaper and doesn't sound worse

Really? I'll look into it, then.

Sennheiser hd 598 on amazon.fr for 100€

I have a problem with crackling/distortion, I am hoping someone can help me diagnose it and tell me if an amplifier would help.

-crackling only appears at very high volume (maxed out)
-it happens in windows media player, foobar2000, and youtube
-it does NOT happen on my Walkman mp3 player, which gets even louder
-it is not constant; it starts at the same point and follows the same pattern every time

DT770 Pro 250 Ohm Master Race incoming

Also, what's a good amp for someone who just wants to crank up the volume with no disturbance?

Phones under 200€: German Maestro GMP 400 b-stock (surface defects, do not affect sound) from manufacturer. Sound very similar to Senn HD580/600, but more detailed in mids and highs.

user you're a fucking legend. Thanks.

looks like akg tier desu

How are the senngheiser hd 598s for a first time buyer?

Anything /hpg/ doesn't call absolute shit is fine for a first timer buyer honestly. As someone who hasn't breached the $400 mark, 598s are a really good pair.

558 are the better buy. there is no reason to buy the 598.

Im thinking those or the m50 or m40

whys that?

because with the removal of foam behind the drivers they are identical to the 598 and $50 less. plus they don't have the hideous 70's volvo interior color scheme.

70's Volvos didn't have an interior that fancy but my -98 V70 sure does.

man I like the cream palette

Was the superflux 668 any good? I'm a poorfag thinking about getting one.

Does spending more than 50 dollars on high class headphones even matter if all you listen to music with is your phone?

So do we all agree that a well extended frequency response with no large dips and peaks are preferable?

>Budget
$20 am poorfag
>location
U.S.
>Source
Phone mainly, Honor 8 if it matters
>Preferred type
In ear
>Open or closed
Either way is fine
>Comfort level
The comfier the better I usually wear them for long periods of time
>Preferred tonal balance
Neutral to warm
>Past headphones
Nothing big really, just usual Skullcandy and Panasonic that you can find at a Walgreen's/Walmart

m40>m50

pls halp

Welp, I've ordered me some Fidelio X2's. Time to see if they're the cans for me or if I fell for a big meme.

I'm no audiophile, but I listen to music hours every day. Classic rock, metal, few house remixes here and there, movie soundtracks. I had some usb wireless $100 headset but they broke and I'm contemplating getting bose quietcomfort 35's. I want wireless as I work at home, but I'm not sold on bluetooth headsets. Doesnt all bluetooth headsets lag due to buffering? And this would make them useless for watching movies?

Do you plug it in a computer?

I've used some nakamichi Bluetooth headphones as my daily drivers for everything on my last phone, I can tell you I never experienced lag as in audio and video not being synced. If there was it was most likely very miniscule, the only problem with Bluetooth is that it compresses audio which is why they're frowned upon for the most part

>MrSpeakers

Isn't that the company that fucked up their electrostat prototype despite e-stat driver design having been solved and optimised 40 odd years ago?

There are spreadsheets available on the net for stat panel development that allow you to solve the sensitivity and max spl for given parameters, and yet their demo was reportedly terribly optimised.

Are you using atx tower's audio out jack? You can get a usb audio card for $2 off ebay, trying that you can make sure that the fault is not on mainboard etc

>Budget
About $100USD - flexible

>Location
UK

>Source
Korg Digital Piano

>Preferred type of headphone
Full-sized

>Open or closed
Closed

>Comfort level
Couldn't care

>Preferred tonal balance
As neutral as can be

>Past headphones
Sennheiser HD201 - Cheap, decent sound
RHA MA350 - In-ear, so not my thing, but good sound.
Phillips SHB4000 - Terrible sound, shitty build quality

Anything considered.

>Nakamichi, the once producer of best-in-class power amps and best-in-the-market cassette decks
>Having bluetooth headphones
What the hell.

Times change, grandpa. Its like 30 years since Home Alone. 20 years from Jumanji.

Not him, but either are fine. Two just comes with upgraded mic, additional velour earpads, a shitty [as in you never want to use it] 7.1 USB dongle, and different colours.

That said, youre not using it as a headset, so the only thing that applies to you is earpads. Youre essentially paying ~30 dollars for earpads if you get the Cloud II's. You can actually fit Brainwavz pads on them. You could just get the Cloud I's, and then buy some nice HM5 pads such as the velour hybrid pads, and have a comfy as fuck headphone.

Wider soundstage, better imaging, less congested of a sound.

No. Movies are fine. Your television would likely have a larger delay than your headphones.
CQ do have the best ANC on the market, if thats what youre after.

MDR 7506. Considered the standard for monitoring headphones at that price.

Yup. How do I make sure that the fault isn't on the mainboard?
Yes.

Those look like an excellent recommendation, and comes in within budget.

Many thanks to you, internet friend.

Plug it into a phone or mp3 player. If it still makes noise something is wrong with your headphones, if not just get a cheap DAC.

Yup, on my Walkman it goes way louder with less problems. Guess I'll go look for that sound card

I have a pair of the Westone Betas, which came placed high on this list:
cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1140/4626/files/S015567.pdf?588774706172739029

They're great, but they do need a ton of burn in, but fantastically built and replaceable cables are really the only logical way to go with any IEM imo.
$45 on buydig: buydig.com/shop/product/WST78401/Westone-Adventure-Series-Beta-High-Performance-Earphones-w-Inline-Mic-Volume-Controls

Same driver as the Alpha. Of note, the trip,e drivers at the top of the list, deserve to be there. I use them at work. Betas are for the gym

Any iems similar to kz ates but with better build quality and comfort? I fucking love these iems for their flattish frequency response but they are just a bit uncomfortable for extended listening sessions. Budget is 100 USD.

>spent 300 bucks on audio hardware
>still can't fucking understand where my high DPC latency is coming from
I tried everything

nvidia gpu

I've been using my 770 for almost 3 years and been having this latency problem for only a few months, updated the driver then installed older drivers, didn't change shit
I got 6k peaks every 30 seconds and I'm at 300 average when idle

SoundMagic E10 or SoundMagic E50 for the same price?

Is there really that big of a difference between the K702 and the K712 to justify $100 more?

I've heard burn in is a major meme, do you have any evidence that it isn't just snake oil?

>Budget
~400$
>Location
Canada
>Source
PC
>Preferred type of headphone
Full-sized
>Open or closed
Closed
>Comfort level
Comfy is important
>Preferred tonal balance
Neutral
>Past headphones
M-Audio HDH-50 - Dropped on floor, parts knocked out of place and broke when I tried to put it back together.
They were good headphones, but I'm looking to try something new now that they're gone.

obviously with neutrality and quality and etc etc in mind, what's the most durable IEMs you've guys used?

My go to is the ME Electronic M6s, fuckers endured a lot of abuse, but what's something else? Budget up to $50 (which is pushing it, preferably ~$35)

What would the differences be between the Xiaomi Piston's 3 versus Hybrid?
Which one is better?

hybrids are more v-shaped and bassy, it's a matter of personal opinion

Oppo PM-3

Could you tell me more about your experience with the HDH50? What are your thoughts on the sound quality? How was the comfort? Did you have any problems getting a good seal? How many times did you drop them before they broke and what went wrong when you tried to put them back together?

AKG K7xx
Little Dot 1+ with 2x Voshkod 6ZH1P-EV bulbs.
Did i do good? and should i invest in a dac? My mobo has a pretty decent sound though.

What is the general opinion on the shp9500s? I can sleep with them on how comfortable they are and the sound great for the price.

Sound quality and comfort were both good for the price, I could listen with them all day without any fatigue or discomfort.
The only time I noticed a sealing issue was actually when I broke them, since it dislodged one of the ear cups from its intended position.

They've probably been dropped by accident several times over about 5-7 months.
The ear cup was knocked out of one of its slots, and I wasn't able to get it inserted back in. I also screwed up the wiring in the process of trying to fit both sides back in the holes which are now too loose to fit back together.

That hole you see the wire coming from is where one of the pegs is supposed to go back into.

Waiting for mine, should arrive on Monday. Really hope they aren't a meme.

k712 is worse

Thank you.

SERIOUS question that needs answering here: What's a WASAPI alternative for mac users. My friend is not a Windows OS user. So what would they use?

>using WASAPI
nice meme

What's an alternative? If it is shit.

not being retarded with DS

>DS
Direct Sound?
But if I were to use that. It's not the highest one.
>Direct Sound
>This is Windows default and the most compatible output method. It plays through the system mixer. This means all formats will be converted by Windows to the native format of the card. It is highly compatible, but it is not the highest quality method.
>but it is not the highest quality method.
>not the highest
wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Audio_Output_Modes

DS is the stock audio configuration right?

>Budget
~$50
>Location
United States
>Source
Phone
>Preferred type of headphone
IEM
>Open or closed
N/A
>Comfort level
As comfortable as possible without loss of sound quality
>Preferred tonal balance
Any is fine so long as it isn't v-shaped or mid-centric
>Past headphones
Sony MDR-7506. I still use them. I just need something more portable.

it just has a bad reputation because people don't know how to prevent it resampling sound so they automatically assume it's bad.

but enjoy having no other computer audio while listening to music and having to restart programs with audio after listening to music to get audio back on them with that wasapi meme

Soundmagic E10

Im going to try and get botb my IEMs and headphones to work from the same source.

Maybe even my speakers too.

I really wonder what its like to use all at once.

TTPOD T1

Kz ate

Make low-Q cut around 150-200 Hz or so, roughly -5 dB. 518/558/598 have excess gain here that very negatively impacts clarity.
Add some level below 50 Hz to counteract roll off, boost from 2 kHz up to counteract dullness.

>WASAPI exclusive
I'm sure that's what you really meant to say.
Core Audio something something exclusive. Not that It really matters. Arguably worse for audio as well.

>Budget
~$120-150
>Location
burgerland
>Source
Computer/motherboard (will purchase amp if I must)
>Preferred type of headphone
Full size
>Open or closed
Preferably open but either is fine
>Comfort level
comfy™
>Preferred tonal balance
bassy/neutral
>Past headphones
Takstar hi 2050 - Current headphones but would like something better. The highs? with these bother me
Sony MDR-XB300
Plantronics Gamecom 780
Sennheiser CX200

I've been wanting a good pair of headphones for a long time, but anytime I try some it starts to make me feel nauseous. Anybody have any suggestions on something that might work, or am I just doomed to speakers and earbuds forever?

HD 558 are probably the best you're gonna do in that budget. Warm with good highs. might not have the bass level you're looking for, but it'll be on the same level has 2050's. there aren't any open headphones with decent bass in your range, really. 558's are incredibly comfy too.

You've got tons of options for closed. Best closed neutral headphones with tons of comfort are the Brainwavz HM5/NVX-XPT 100 [theyre both essentially the same. HM5 are maybe like 2-5% better for some reason]
Amazing thick comfy pads, neutral, but responds very well to EQ, very good soundstage for closed headphones.

M40X with a pad change could do well too, but won't be as comfortable, or have as good of a soundstage. Better bass without EQing though.

I'll definitely consider these, I'll probably go closed this time around. Thanks!

Is Sennheiser PXC450 good? Anyone had any experience with noise cancelling headphones before? What to expect?

Post your headphone bro /hpg/. These bad boys have never failed me and they sound balanced as hell with an ear pad swap. Lifetime warranty is a nice plus too.

> Wanting a lifetime warranty on headphones
I get bored of them in six fucking months and start considering alternatives.

I picked up a pair of old looking headphones at a garage sale for $20. It comes with 5 pins for a synth or something. Do you know what connector this is and where I can get an adapter?

DIN?

I don't think so as I can't see the metal pin cover

They are a circle with a mesh back, brownish ribbon cable and a very cheap looking headband

dw i've decided to tip them and finally order k612 isntead of wasting time on second hands

Link to pads?

Bass is a little loose and highs are fairly grainy but it is a pretty laid back warm sound signature I don't mind it.

The mids are a little laid back as the bass is elevated around 60hz or so but they still sound clear. Treble is in line with the mids so I don't consider them V shaped.

I wouldn't consider them bass heads either as the bass bump is moderate.

Build quality is fucking fantastic, I am only worried about the elastic part of the headband degrading. Comfy set of headphones but I find them to be fairly heavy.

First time I got them I was irritated by the 9~10KHz peak until I got used to the sound signature.

Only thing I can think of is the Stax connector.

>Stupid asshole with a two thousand dollar STAX flagship doesn't know what he has
This is bait right?

Does your headphone happen to be either of these?

What's a good DAC/amp for under 50 bucks?

Maybe you haven't found the right pair yet! Keep searching my man.

monoprice.com/product?p_id=15494
This thing is the exact same circuitry as the Audiofly 1.2, which I've read is good.
I also own a Fiio Q1 which is pretty good.
At 50 bucks for a DAC/amp combo you should consider just staying with the onboard, unless your soundcard is truly shit or has some technical failures like mine which had a buzzing sound.
Really the benefits of a 50$ combo will be minimal or unnoticeable.

amazon.com/Replacement-Cushions-Sennheiser-HD414-headphones/dp/B002B4OEZ0
These pads makes a huge difference. Makes the porta pros sound really open and more balanced. Really recommend them.

if you don't own VE monks and only use earbuds in TYOOL 2016 you're a dumb dumb dummy

>Budget
Up to the $300 USD area
>Location
USA
>Source
Computer/motherboard
>Preferred type of headphone
Full size
>Open or closed
No preference
>Comfort level
As comfortable as possible.
>Preferred tonal balance
Neutral
>Past headphones
Sennheiser HD428

amazon.com/Replacement-Cushions-Sennheiser-HD414-headphones/dp/B002B4OEZ0
Meant to quote you. Make sure to cut out the center of the pads with a quarter though. Not too big.

> More Reddit and headif meme headphones
No thanks.
I've read of faggots claiming these sound as good as the 598

chances are many cheap iems sound better than the 598

Is going from a 598 to a 600 worth the $140?

>muh warm 2nd harmonic meme
It's not "merely" harmonic distortion, but the second order non-linearity.

>created an over-complicated solution to the peak using a Heimholtz resonator
Tuned Helmholtz cavity is a common method of treating or creating acoustic modes, even if it is not practical to install for most circumaural headphones. It can be thought of like an acoustic counterpart to a tuned RLC peaking filter (or digital biquad filter).
>Agree that headphone development is largely stagnant
>but circlejerking niche cottage industries isn't going to help progress
Serious interest in headphones is a new phenomenon, and I'm not really convinced that most of the established players have seriously tried to design the best set of headphones they could have.
My issue with the small businesses is that they don't always seem to have basic awareness of engineering design. It's useless clutter in a market that already desperately needed pruning.

>but the second order non-linearity.
what is meant by this?

i thought the S corrected the 2nd harmonic in the 800, which had a higher 3rd harmonic than it did a 2nd harmonic, while naturally you'd want each new harmonic/octave to be half the previous in amplitude?

Somewhat. The 598's are a bit warmer, but the 600's are a decent bit more clear and flat.You can always sell your 598's as well.
You also have to factor in needing an amp for them, if you don't already.

>You also have to factor in needing an amp for them, if you don't already.
To be honest, I haven't ever bought/used an amp before. Well, maybe I'll go for the 598 for now and then tackle that sort of stuff when I have more spare cash to throw around.

Thanks.

I've got a buzzing sound, so yeah. You notice any sound quality loss using a cheap DAC?

>monoprice.com/product?p_id=15494
Oh, this thing doesn't have a microphone slot of my headset. I might just get a new headset or headphones/mic combo.

Just bought these for my new iPhone 7.
They are lit as fuck!!

Changed my mind.
Would like closed.

Oh, you haven't got either.
Be aware that you can get HD 558's for a fair bit cheaper and modify them to sound the same as 598's if you'd like.
I personally like the 558 sound more, but if you want a little more of a colder sterile sound, then you might want to mod them. Both are very similar anyway.
Most people like the headband on the 558's more too. I personally don't, but it's up to the person.

You can just plug the audio jack into the external DAC and the mic jack into your motherboard.

That said, unless youre using good headphones [youre using a headset, so it's safe to assume you're not] you really won't notice any difference between a cheapo $1-2 dollar USB soundcard, [talk to /csg/ about that] and a $50+ external DAC.

thanks. I'm thinking about getting the portapro when the new colors come out but I don't like the stock pads. Only thing is I don't wanna sacrifice the folding function

Yeah thats the only thing that sucks. But if you take the pads off then you can fold them just fine. The pads aren't that big really.

I know very little about headphones. I assume open-back headphones would be a poor choice for watching porn at home in a non-empty house?

Get a load of this goy

Yes. Very bad.

>Budget
$200-$400.
>Location
US
>Source
Plugging into my computer
>Preferred type of headphone
Full sized
>Open or closed
Closed
>Comfort level
To some extent. I want to be able to wear them for hours.
>Preferred tonal balance
Neutral
>Past headphones
ATH-M50x. I had it for some time and now its starting to hurt.

HD 600 + an amp

Wait nvm you wanted closed
sorry

>closed

Do HD668Bs require an amp?

No. They're 32 ohms.

Ok thanks. What's the point of an amp, anyways? Is it just volume?

That and powering headphones properly.

>They're 32 ohms.
if anything this would point to requiring discrete amplification.
>powering headphones properly.
what does this mean?

is right in defining the HD800S problem more accurately. Some sort of asymmetric nonlinearity was introduced by Senn to the 800S driver assembly, increasing the 2nd-order nonlinear distortion. Could be some change in the soft parts of the driver assembly.

>issue with the small businesses is that they don't always seem to have basic awareness of engineering design. It's useless clutter in a market that already desperately needed pruning.

Sums up my opinion too. The fact that the likes of ZMF/MrSpeakers/Audeze still can't keep tolerances is telling of their incompetence and I'm not convinced they have the scale to rectify such issues.

>Tuned Helmholtz cavity is a common method of treating or creating acoustic modes, even if it is not practical to install for most circumaural headphones. It can be thought of like an acoustic counterpart to a tuned RLC peaking filter (or digital biquad filter).

Yes it is, but rare in the headphone world as you said. I'd rather they implemented it either as an in-line adapter (think Etymotic, but more complex) or people should just use PEQ. I shudder to think of the cost to retool the line for a new internal assembly to kill the peak. Having said that, I can understand why they would not want to take the additive approach modders use; there is the risk of material migrating through the enclosure over time.

>Some sort of asymmetric nonlinearity was introduced by Senn
again, what is this?

also can you address what i said in the previous post?

What's the best online service for buying music as mp3 or FLAC etc? Something that will let me buy albums and have the raw files to put on any device?

Sennheiser 598's have been "on sale" on amazon.ca for a really long time now, I've been eyeballing them for a bit
They aren't closed which i would prefer, but I've tried other sennheisers and the shape fits my ears very well.
I'd also like to buy a cable with an inline mic for skype on my phone/tablet rather than the cheap headset/mic with cut headphone cable into a splitter then into single jack on phone that the wiki suggests

>Budget
150-250 USD
>Location
canada
>Source
laptop, galaxy s5, would like a detachable cable
>Preferred type of headphone
over ear
>Open or closed
closed prefered but not a dealbreaker
>Comfort level
very comfortable if possible, will use them for 3 - 6 hours per day listening to music/videos, on the phone/skype and white noise for studying
>Preferred tonal balance
even, no real preference. crisp, punchy bass if possible.
>Past headphones
razr krakens that I bought because of the retractable mic. the circle shape of the earcups doesn't fit my ear and gets shitty quickly

558's are cheaper
unless you're okay with paying 11 dollars for the colour, the 558's are better
slightly warmer and the headband is better for most people

HDtracks is one

Haven't seen any indications of issues with consistency or tolerances with ZMF and MrSpeakers. Audeze is fairly infamous for inconsistency which they haven't helped to remedy with their overzealous revision schemes.

If youre looking for closed, neutral, comfy
get Brainwavz HM5
though you might not be able to get an inline cable. a desk mic would work just as well desu.

Are there any good audio brands from the UK?

cambridge audio, linn, monitor audio, pmc, proac.

i would like to say KEF, but KEF are garbage.

>what does this mean?
not everything moves as it should in the drive if not enough signal is boosted
don't know how much would it lose in frequency but there is some loss

so how stupid would I be if i get fiio k5 or schiit magni 2 and connect them to asus xonar u7 signal RCA outs(no amp) for hd600s or hd598s?

DT990 Pro or SHP9500?

you'd need an amp for dts , or are there low ohm versions?
shp9500 is low impedance

990's if you can afford them.

Not that user, but I looked at the Brainwavz HM5 and I am thinking about buying it.
I saw someone say that you'd need an amp for it. If so, what do you recommend? Amazon buyers purchased the FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier with it.

There are lower impedance versions of the 990's. No idea what they sound like in comparison tho.

You shouldn't need an amp unless your onboard doesn't power them well, or they arent loud enough, but if you want there are quite a few ~60 USD DAC/amp/combos that work well. E10k is well known and would be fine, but IMO you can get some nicer options for a similar price.

Here are some nicer options:
amazon.com/SMSL-SD793II/dp/B01BUW1MW6/
amazon.com/SMSL-M3/dp/B019Y5TR6O/
amazon.com/Micca-OriGen/dp/B01BURJVOC/
Micca is more expensive but has some nice features.
I personally have the M3, but if I were to buy again, I might go for the SD793II

Also, the bass boost switch on the Fiio E10k sucks ass, so don't consider it a feature if you're buying the e10k

You don't need an amp for those. Buy the NVX XPT100 as it tends to be 30 dollars cheaper and more comfortable. Though you won't get the compact case with them like you get with the Brainwavz. You do get a case with them though.

Thank you very much for the advice.
I'll wait and see if the amp is needed before purchasing.

I've read that even amps rated for max 150ohms can power the dt990... is this true? Or are there drawbacks?

How is it that the people in /hpg/ are so polite and civil when the rest of Cred Forums is such a shitfest?

Haha, oh user, you don't have a clue...

>polite and civil
Shitposting occurs just based on what's in the OP.

Let me rephrase that: Why is this specific thread relatively civil while the rest of the board is NIGGER NIGGER POO IN LOO GOOGLE IS OUT TO GET US FUCK YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

anyone?

Because audio technology is slow as fuck and there's pretty much nothing new to talk about with the exception of "new" products, which ultimately does the same thing as the products before it.

Anyone have an "Idiot's Guide to Repairing Old Headphones"? Link or title are fine.

I got some heavy cans from occupied Japan inherited from my passed-on Grandfather. I bought a 6.35mm to 3.5mm adapter and there's very faint sound discernible as music coming through.

The band of my HD681 Evo ripped.

Is there any good way to repair it?
Can you buy replacement bands somewhere?

What type of sound? As in a buzzing/white noise? It might be the noise floor being picked up from your DAC. Especially if you're just using your motherboard's built in sound. What headphones are they?

I doubt a company would make replacement bands for a specific chink knockoff of an audiophile headphone. See if it uses the same band as any AKG headbands, or if it can be attached in the same way. You can get replacements for those.

Is there something that sound like the HD598 but with more bass & more engaging treble?

Because I'm sitting here with a pair of HD598SE (120€) and these have less bass than my $5 VE Monk earbuds and the treble is boring as fuck. These are basically only good for gaming and classical, everything else sounds boring as fuck.

So yeah, can you recommend me something with the same level of comfort, same sound signature but improved with more bass and more forward and engaging treble? Budget is 200€. Open headphones are a must for me.

You must really not like flat-ish responses if you don't like 598. They have pretty great highs. Bass I can understand though.

The highs are detailed as fuck and I love that but they sound distant, that is my main problem. Makes my female vocal weeb music sound boring.

Maybe I should get the 558 instead?

>more bass and more forward and engaging treble
So a completely opposite headphone? Try DT990. Just be warned you might get absolutely fucked by the treble.

You can usually EQ down pretty effectively, EQ'ing up can be trickier due to either distortion or other artifacts that become accentuated in the driver.

558 is pretty similar to 598 to be honest. Just slightly more present low-mids, and slightly less clear highs.

I can hear music (from phone) and keys (from piano) faintly

Says SKH-50 Japan

Too much impedance... Getting an amp as well will fuck my wallet more than the treble ever will.

That being said, I am used to earbud sound. I have a few bass head closed cans but I never use them anymore because I prefer regular old school earbuds actually. I thought the best step up from earbud sound would be open back headphones, but this huge driver having less bass than earbuds? That's bullshit.

Opinions on Philips Fidelio S2?

32 ohm versions exist.

Not in my country apparently...

Anyway, I'm accepting suggestions for the best headphones that will let me listen to a wide variety of genres ranging from trance to japanese anime&idol garbage to instrumental and vidya. I listen to a ton of genres but these are the most important, the rest I can make work with EQ. The thing I really can't stand in headphones is when they have no bass (and the 598 classifies as no bass whatsoever in my opinion).

My headphones just died and im stuck with my £10 backup Sony IEM's

could anyone recommend some for me

Budget: £70-£120 id say 120 is the most i really want to go
Location: UK
Source: Mainly using them on my phone and desktop and sometimes laptop so the I'm not looking for audiophile quality
Preferred Type: I don't mind IEM's as long as they sound good and don't have bass boost shit, but i would prefer over-ear headphones but no by much
Open or Closed: closed
Comfort Level: gotta be comfortable as ill be wearing them 8am-6pm Monday and Tuesdays and a lot of the time on other days
Preferred tonal Balance: want a flat response if that's the right phrasing, no bass boost, or treble boost, want it to sound like it was meant to as i listen to different types of music and will be using them to watch films as well
Past Headphones: Motorhead Iron Fist Headphones and some crappy in ear Sony cheap ones

thanks

Xiaomi Piston 4 or VSONIC VSD3S?

What's a higher quality headphone that sounds similar to the Sony MDR 7506 but doesn't have those disgusting highs that destroys my ears.

Speaking of 7506 it's funny how almost all japanese recordings are done with them. which might explain why my weeb music doesn't sound as bad as western lel

hello headhpone fanbois

where do you buy these cushions?

Which one of the following earphones would be best assuming they all cost the same?

>HiFiMan RE-400
>Brainwavz S1
>Fidue A31s
>SoundMagic E10

There are thousands of reviews on the internet about them, go look out for them.

Which one of the following earphones would be best assuming they all cost the same?

>HiFiMan RE-400
>Brainwavz S1
>Fidue A31s
>SoundMagic E10
>Xiaomi Hybrids

If Xiaomi is the best option, which one would be the second best option? I have my doubts about the shop I would be buying those from sells original ones.

There are thousands of reviews on the internet about them, go look out for them.

guys i have a condenser mic with an audio interface, should i set the software volume to 100% and control the rest with the interface, or vice versa? or should i find a balance? i dont really know how this works

Which one of the following earphones would be best assuming they all cost the same?

>HiFiMan RE-300h
>Brainwavz S1
>Fidue A31s
>SoundMagic E10
>Xiaomi Hybrids

If Xiaomi is the best option, which one would be the second best option? I have my doubts about the shop I would be buying those from sells original ones.

There are thousands of reviews on the internet about them, go look out for them.

What are you doing?

piston 3 are better than hybrids

S-sorry ;_;

I know, but I don't have access to them, and don't want to bother with buying them online.

Software volume to 100% and control volume with the interface.

Which?

>$210 DT 880 on Massdrop
>mfw they're $160 on Amazon

AKG

Those are the 32 ohm, the ones on massdrop are 600 ohm.

That just makes the Massdrop deal worse since the 600 ohm model needs an amp.

thanks mate

The 32 ohm and 600 ohm sound different. It's a deal if you already have an amp or plan on getting one, although saving $20 in exchange for waiting a month and a half for shipping is pretty terrible.

at 100% software volume, theres pretty awful noise regardless what volume the interface is at... think i got a bad interface? its connected to a windows machine with usb, xlr from mic to int

>The 32 ohm and 600 ohm sound different.
No, not really.

Do you like Hifumi, /hpg/?

>desk mic
I work in remote locations in summer, so a lot of fly-in/out where baggage weight is a big deal. A pound or half pound desk mic is a pound less of other stuff I could bring. Plus I'd worry about it getting damaged easier than a cable mic. Also a desk mic would be less than ideal for skype using my phone

can somebody please give me a damn recommendation?

Read the thread since that post.
Several headphones that fit that description have been recommended.

really wanna get some akg 7xx headphones but the open back is stopping me, does anyone know if they make a closed back model?

she's my wife

Someone suggested SHP9500 with a mod mic for video gaymen. Anyother suggestions before i purchase this? Budget is $150

You've got a $150 budget and want to spend $40-50 on a mic to use for video game voice chat? That's stupid, buy a $5 clip-on mic or some shit and either spend more on your headphones or buy something else for the money.

are the akg k72 similar to the k92?

i wanna get the k72 cause i prefer the look but i can afford the k92, im not worried about budget just want the most neutral sound with good quality

not headphones, but are there any decent Bluetooth DACs out there in the $20 range?
I just want something that I can use to connect my phone to my stereo system for when I have people over
I guess I could also just set up my HTPC to play audio files from a network share, but I have more control this way, plus I might have some other uses for it

get a boompro instead of a modmic

No.

No.

Thinking of replacing my SR 850s.

I have 50-100 to spend on a new head set.

Looking at AKG, but idk if they're just a meme or not. Might not even be worth it to replace my SR 850s, but these thinks are cheap and plastic, and sort of falling apart.

What do you think. Are Grados a meme too?

Hey /hpg/.

I'm looking for a good desktop DAC. Portability is not a concern, but I'm looking to maximize sound quality for a 150$ maximum budget.

What would you suggest?

>considering pic related for my amp

ODAC + Lake People G103

Thanks pham

The modi 2 uber and odac are recommended very often for that price range. Depending on what you're trying to drive you could get an e10k, schiit magni 2, or o2. The amp in the picture is a hybrid tube amp, so only part of the amping process is affected by the tube, so the sound won't change that much compared to a solid state if I'm not mistaken.

Hi since you guys are audiophiles you might know. What is a software that supports editing midi files with multiple channels?
Bonus points if its FOSS

Looking for some good travel ones with ANC.

Bose QC 35 were good, but didn't have the kick of MDR1A. Tested my own music and they were a little underwhelming.
MDR1A had no ANC, but sounded great.
Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 has no bass at all and makes the metal I listen to sound really fucking compressed.

Is my best bet to wait for the new Sony set coming out the 16th? Getting good reviews from what I'm hearing.

well youre still not going to get quality anywhere near what the chip promises over USB. are you connecting it via optical or coax?

Why is Tyll calling headphones bright that according to his correction curve are bass-tilted with their entire treble spectrum -4 dB below 1 kHz?

Pisses me off. It's like there's a war of treble cancellation on between record production and headphone makers.

>I'm looking to maximize sound quality
You won't even need to spend that much to do that with a DAC. Modi 2 fits the budget and does what you need.

If you want to maximize your sound quality for the amplifier, don't even consider that one. Get the O2 or Magni if that's your budget.

His subjective take on it, shouldn't put much emphasis on anyone's opinion outright. He always prefers a warm sound signature.

Hahahahahahahaha How The Fuck Is Soundstage Real Hahahaha Nigga Just Compile bs2b Like Nigga Buy Near-Fields Haha

Thanks for all of your input. I'll do some research on this before making a final decision.

Most likely gonna ask for this for kurisumasu or something

The coloured graphs are ID compensated but the raw measurements are also shown in grey.

Neither music producers nor headphone manufacturers think ID compensation is accurate and they primarily use speakers for the production process.

Xiaomi Pistons

Do the corrections have any validity at all? How is it appropriate to apply the curve equally to an IEM and a circumaural?

>Do the corrections have any validity at all?
They're closer to what you're going to hear than the raw measurements, that's for sure.
>How is it appropriate to apply the curve equally to an IEM and a circumaural?
It's not. They need different compensation curves as Sean Olive recently demonstrated through similar experiments with both types.

I'm playing back a 30, 33kHz two tone sample through ODAC s24le 96 kHz into an SRM-323s to SR-307 and I don't hear anything except when the dial is at 12 o'clock which produces what must be IMD.

The amp "puking" as someone here put it.

They basically identical, but both sound quite bad. The mids are muffled, the bass is loose and there's general lack of clarity.

Is there a better IEM than the HiFiMan RE400 in the same price range? Doesn't seem like it.

New thread:

managed to find the 558s pretty cheap so I went with them, I can always upgrade to 600s later

Whats your opinion on the Marshall Monitor, theyre curently 80 punds on amazon? Is there anything better at that price range?

do you know how they sound compared to Motorheadphones iron fist?

that was my last pair and my only real decent pair in terms of sound quality

PROPER NEW THREAD: