Thread 106478735

How to request advice:
https://rentry.org/hpgdoc

>/iemg/ told me $20 IEMs sound better than any headphones
/iemg/ is a chinese shill zone. Do not take anything they say seriously.

>Headphone Power Calculator
https://www.headphonesty.com/headphone-power-calculator/

>Sub-$99
• Philips SHP9500 / SHP9600
• Audio-Technica ATH-M40x
• Shure SRH440
• Fostex TH7
• Used Sony MDR-7506

>$150~$250
• AKG K371
• AKG K612 Pro
• Phillips Fidelio X2HR
• Sennheiser HD6XX (amp required)
• Shure SRH840
• Fostex T50RP MK3 (remember to mod)

>$300-$500
• Audio Technica ATH-R70x (amp required)
• Drop + Dan Clark Audio Aeon Closed/Open
• Audeze Maxwell (Gaming Headset, but unironically good)
• Used/Discounted Focal Clear OG (not Mg)
• Sennheiser HD600 (amp required)
• Fostex T60RP (mod-friendly) (amp required)

Avoid all Chinese-brand headphones. Bad quality, waste of money.

>Recommended DAC/amp:
• JCally JM20 / Any dongle/miniDAC with an AK4377 or CS43131 chip
• JDS Atom - $99
• RME ADI-2 (many DSP features) - $1200

Measurements and recommended information(tentative)
https://pastebin.com/iteNDhcn

If you have anything besides hemp grados, you're a faggot

we fucking made it
2 threads in a row
tears of joy, ropes of relief

bros...

is this the sexiest headphone or what?

how is it so sexy?

this guy is pretty hot too...

dang these are beautiful too

What are the comfiest good headphones under $300? They should be lightweight, not crush ears, not dent head.

I have had these Sony headphones for over a decade, I'm tired of it. They hurt.

>>106478987
You know the headband is spring steel, right? Bend it to fit your head. Also get some comfy pads that fit your ears.
Worked great on my Alpha-modded T50RPs.

kinda sexy but more luxurious

>>106479031
>You know the headband is spring steel, right? Bend it to fit your head
bruh wtaf, this is blowing my mind. I can't believe I was suffering like this for a decade not knowing I could bend the fucking headband. this is better, thank you based anon.

still, aren't there comfier headphones?

>>106479053
looks uncomfortable if used for longer than 30 minutes at a time

>>106479054
>still, aren't there comfier headphones?
Yeah, I'd look for something open back with velour pads. More comfortable in the summers.

lol

>>106479054
Ideally you want something that distributes its weight and clamp as evenly as possible over your head and around your ears. Lightness helps too.
Maybe a HD600 or one of its relatives, with the headband bent to suit your head or a suspension strap mod.
For me deep pads are a requirement too, but I seem to have massive Dumbo ears that still manage to touch the driver grilles even in my ZMF Ori pads, so your mileage may vary.

>>106479107
>ears that still manage to touch the driver grilles even in my ZMF Ori pads
jesus christ
I happen to have those in my pads collection and they're pretty much as deep as pads reasonably get
>Maybe a HD600 or one of its relatives, with the headband bent to suit your head or a suspension strap mod.
HD600 is plain uncomfortable without a suspension strap IMO, regardless of clamping force

>>106479151
Yeah, the ones I have are a few years old and see pretty much daily use so maybe they've compressed a bit, but no matter what pads I try something always ends up touching my ears.
Also a possible underrated comfort pick: Grados that are fully bent to suit your head with some thick foam pads. Or hell, go all the way with the lightness and low clamp obsession and get a Koss KPH40, maybe swap to KSC75 or Capra Faunus driver assemblies if that's more your taste.

>>106479171
>KPH40
yeah, those are great for when you don't particularly need to have crazy sound quality and your neck could use a break from planars
you can even afford to retain some clamping force with good old yaxi pads
>Capra Faunus
very interesting

>>106479199
>very interesting
That's what I'm thinking. Small portable (semi-)open biodynas? Sign me up.

>>106478880
star wars fan detected

>>106479263
look at those pristine metal cups, how it contrasts with the black. the pads...the tasteful thickness of it. it looks so hifi it will laser etch songs into your brain

>>106479266
polyester mouse pads truly cannot look clean

For me, it’s Stax

No fucking way this OP actually put a gram of fucking effort into the OP instead of spamming f5 f5 f5 f5 while looking for the perfect stock image of xer's favourite headpohone

>>106479702
What?

Chinkfiman is turning this hobby into a subscription service by combining shitty QC and yearly updates to the same headphone line. It's gross.

>>106478880
>>106478896
HD800/S/20 are by far the most aesthetic headphones ever. So fucking cool.

>>106480376
I think TH900/TH909 are pretty up there too
on the other hand, generally considered to be beautiful headphones like the ones from Meze look quite gaudy IMO

wow guys, spending time on audio science and headfi to a lesser extent i suppose is undoing all the damage from reddit and 4chan from the past 9 years. damn. real human responses. actual intelligent people, talking. its amazing

Kinda surprised that DT770 Pro are not recommended, I unironically love my pair, especially with the replaceable top cushion. I am sick of headphones wearing out and being designed in a way where replacing the wear parts is obnoxious.

>>106478896
Might be cool looking but it's one of the worst hifi headphones I've ever heard by far. Complete disaster.

>>106478735 (OP)
want closer balanced headphones in 200-300€ range
ive been eyeing these models:
>fiio ft1
>Sennheiser HD 620S
>Austrian Audio Hi-X60
>Sony MDR-M1
what would you recommend?

>>106480841
>want closer balanced headphones in 200-300€ range
*closed

For me, it's Stax. With a custom passive energizer. And a full on Class A speaker amplifier setup powering it. Truly the only way.
PS: Sennheiser sucks. Except for their attempts at being Stax.

>>106481128
stax is the final destination in the audiophile journey. some dare not tread there, because once they tread there, wonder is forever gone from their lives. even the man tyll himself kept stax under wraps for fear of this

>>106481178
I've been extremely impressed with SR-007 and 009 earpads compared to literally all other premium pads on the market
based on that experience, owning the rest of those two headphones must be pretty crazy

>>106481337
you've woken up, the dream is over. there is no more journey for you, you are at the destination

>>106481347
a-anon, I don't actually own SR-007 or 009, just the pads

>>106481337
Don't bother with 007, at least if it's the 007mk2, it's actual garbage. I hate the way it sounds, it's dark, muddy, boomy and devoid of life. The 009 is ok but overpriced unless sub 2K second hand. Good looking though.

>>106481469
>gets filtered by dark headphones
worthless opinion detected

>>106480841
>>106480939
>balanced
You probably want HD620S, then. FT1 is warm, M1 is v shaped and Hi-X60 has some resonances and some tuning weirdness, probably because of said resonances.

>>106482271
Those headphones are the complete opposite of Stax's sound philosophy. It's supposed to be a precision instrument of extreme detail and accuracy, not mud city. So it's a crappy headphone. They did way better in the 80's. Enjoy your lifeless mud though.

>>106482290
mostly balanced
im not super anal about it

Just got my ft1 pros
..ngl these don’t sound much, much better than the airpods pro2 i have. Am i doing something wrong? I’m listening to the exact same lossless/ALAC music from the music app but it sounds pretty much the same. I’m a little underwhelmed unless i am doing something wrong

>>106483085
That's because they have similar sound profiles and those fiio are budget chinese headphones anyway. You might find some aspects are better and some could be worse. My suggestion is to try and only listen to music through the ft1 pro's (or any headphones) for a week straight and then switch to the airpods again, that's where you'll notice the most differences.
FWIW I think the airpods pro2 are worth about $30-$40 maximum in terms of sound quality. You're paying for the convenience, software, battery life, superb ANC etc not just the sound.

>>106482941
Well, HD620S are still probably the best in that list since the build quality is pretty good as well.
>>106483085
You're probably used to the sound signature of the airpods. Give it a day or two and then compare them. Or EQ if you want to tweak the sound. If they're missing treble/bass to you then add more. But it's probably psychoacoustics since you're used to the airpods' frequency response.

Are there any alternatives to Koss KSC75?

Specifically with the exact same wearing style.

Alternatively, tell me they're worth 30 eurobucks

>>106479054
lmao

>>106483391
>Are there any alternatives to Koss KSC75?
Porta Pro if you mod the headband
>Alternatively, tell me they're worth 30 eurobucks
They are, but you should get Yaxi pads for them. Then they'll be more comfortable and sound better than $150 headphones.

>>106483179
>>106483205
tried with a flac file on my pc and the difference is farr more noticable
i can actually pick up on the small background tunes like i hoped to when i listen on pc.

maybe the music app/iphone is the issue

Hey anon, what’s listening today?

>>106483517
Chevelle, Christian McBride, Polyphia, and the Protomen so far

>>106478735 (OP)
would you trust koss to make a decent $350 pair?
>it's just going to be the same driver with another coating
yeah. and they're going to charge though the nose for it.

Not sure if this is the right place to ask but does anyone know if the FiiO K15 or 17 DACs have popping issues on USB-C like the K19 does once playback stops? The last time I asked I also got a recommendation for Dan Clark Audio Noire X. Is this still a valid recommendation or are there better planar magnetic headphones in the same price class at this point?

>>106483517
June of 44, Engine takes to the water.
Do you find these CDs "out in the wild" in stores or just buy them online? If online, do you just buy them used or new?

>>106484694
>Not sure if this is the right place to ask but does anyone know if the FiiO K15 or 17 DACs have popping issues on USB-C like the K19 does once playback stops?
That's some sleep mode feature FiiO puts on some of their stuff. Happens on Windows, didn't seem to happen on Android or Linux, though. Use SoundKeeper to get around that. It'll fool the system into thinking there's audio playing at all times and prevent it from going to sleep mode. Just set it to launch on boot as well.
>The last time I asked I also got a recommendation for Dan Clark Audio Noire X. Is this still a valid recommendation or are there better planar magnetic headphones in the same price class at this point?
DCA recently released Noire XO which is better if you want an open back but it's also 200 dollars more expensive. If you want a closed back then there's nothing better than Noire X at that price point, not even close.

>>106484845
And to add to that, yes they have that popping issue. Pretty much all of their portable dacs have that issue. I'm not sure if their desktop models also have that feature since I don't use Windows anymore so I have no way to check.

Headphones recommendations for music producers? Budget is under 300 Canadian pesos. I'll buy the first thing you suggest.

>>106484845
>>106484861
Kinda sucks I wanted to upgrade my Cambridge Dac Magic 200m and the k15/17 receive all in all good ratings but the popping is a deal breaker.

>>106484863
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkEseNXzBLw

>>106484878
I think it depends on system settings whether the sleep mode activates and the popping happens or not since some Windows users report that it doesn't occur. Probably some power saving setting. I messed around in the BIOS and system settings but couldn't find a workaround other than SoundKeeper. Doesn't happen on Linux for whatever reason.
>>106484863
HD6XX is based on 650 and it's the industry standard. Not ideal if you want to mix something with a lot of bass but pretty good otherwise. HD600 is better so if you can get that, even better.

>>106484897
Windows has some power saving options related to USB but even disabling them never fixed it for me when I tested a K19. FiiO mentioned on their firmware update page that this is hardware related. I don't think the RME ADI-2 has bluetooth which I'd need right now for console. The reason why I'd want to upgrade is cause of the newer bluetooth codecs (though I'm not sure if they do anything) and onboard DSP so I can switch between different headphones and speakers via the DAC directly but otherwise the DAC Magic does a decent job so the upgrade isn't exactly needed. I'm also wondering if I could use the second LAN port on my PC for connection to a DAC that has a port but I doubt it.

How bad is the bass, really?

>>106485089
about HD600-level

>>106485089
Better than you'd expect for a little semi-open on-ear. If you want more there's this:
https://www.printables.com/model/910930-faunus-v11-audiophile-on-ear-headphones

>>106481178
not necessairly; luv me t50rpmk2 luv me chink mdr-r10 luv me sr-007 'ate me sennies simple as

>>106485320
My SR-007 is mk1 with 72xxx serial number if anyone cares, bright < dark

>>106484746
new direct from labels or new/used at local stores, typically

>>106485320
I see the tape on that T50RP vent, what mods you running?

>>106484863
HD560S if you can find it under $200

>>106484863
akg

>Visit multiple audiophile communities
>None of them have good guides on how to clean your ears
Justify this.

>>106485484
Ngl I gotta buy a proper mod kit and do it. I just sealed gaps in the earcups and baffle.

>>106486726
Just scoop out your ears with an ear pick. I used to do it with worse options as a kid.

>>106486726
get one of those plastic injector needles/syringes for water blasting your ears. at the tip of the needle they have angled holes so the water doesnt directly blast your ear drum. make sure the water is like a lukewarm temperature so it doesnt damage or shock the delicate blood vessels etc in your ear, sort of around body temp. before you blast your ears you can soften up the wax inside with various oils so it comes out easier. i personally find just doing it try works best, having the wax in dry clumps makes it just fall out with a few blasts

>>106486869
>i personally find just doing it try works
dry*

>>106486869

this thing. i used to have to go to the doctor like every year to get my ears unclogged until i bought this

>>106486790
>>106486869
I know, I just think its dumb to waste $500 on headphones and then not clean your ears.

Ok, I'm between these:
>Sennheiser 490 Pro
>HD6XX
>Aune AR5000

My budget is $300, I want a good bass and I will use them mainly for listening to orchestral music, video games and movies. I don't really care about comfort.

Too many people saying that the HIFIMAN Edition XS fall apart within months, so I'm not considering them.

>>106487034
HE-R9, TA-66 and K11 R2R costs around $300 just sayin

>>106486726
after I caught one too many hairs in my ears I bought one of these
tried earwax removal fluid (glycerol mix of some sort) with a turkey baster style blaster, doesn't get rid of long-ish hair
not a recommendation tho, it's irritating and has a non-zero chance of permanent damage
the little silicone scoops can get rid of most of the wax and the black tips can clean up anything that's wet (although some wet wax keeps away irritation imo)
can send pics of my drums as proof.

>>106487034
Aune AR5000 and apply a low shelf filter to get as much bass as you want.

>>106486770
For what it's worth I can really recommend the Open Alpha mods if you have access to a 3D printer, the extra cup volume smooths out the midbass hump and there's a remixed version that uses a set screw as an adjustable bass vent just like the original Alpha Dogs.

>>106486726
>Justify this.
ears are self cleaning and q-tips or anything like that is placebo shit that does more harm than good.
just wash away the excess ear wax with water in the shower, nothing else is required.
only exception might be if you have some sort of strange condition and your doctor prescribes you to use such shit, but 99% of the population doesn't need any of that stuff.

>>106487604
I pick my ears after showers lol

networked amps are a thing, why not a networked mixer for residential use?
I've got a record player and a TV I want connected to the same system. And who knows what else, I guess. People's phones?

>>106487960
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>>106478735 (OP)
Hello /hpg/ I am rather new to any higher quality audio equipment, so I came here for some advice. I got a VZR Model One mk2 for free, and I had a few questions I was hoping some anons could answer. I've had little issue the headphones and mic, but there were some things I wanted to fine tune. For lower latency, should I use an Amp/DAC, or download an EQ program?
>what amp?
I was looking at the Gunnr by Schiit and their SYS to switch between headphones and speakers.

>>106489211
toob

>>106489016
should have gotten the syn when they were offloading them for cheap
best combo preamp with remote volume
might be in some closeouts

>>106487034
6XX, 490 is overpriced and AR5K sounded pretty bad to me.

adx5000
is literally better than any stax out there
wish i could take photos of it and post them in here but my phone's camera is taped for maximum privacy

azurys vs hd620
well

>>106478896
>>106480376
fucking kek
i'd rather you give me them for free instead of buying these lowfis lol

>>106493656
sounded like a worse hd800s to me

>>106493687
hd800s sounded so thin, like a baby

>>106493687
Could buy a used HD700 and save the $2000 over wasting it on a adx5000

>>106493776
still fills the same niche as the adx (kinda treble rapey brightish dynamic), but the adx had inferior soundstage and treble detail so i ended up selling it
still a good headphone just overpriced, for $800-900 it would be great

>>106493823
>>106493786
hd800s made for aliens with that large driver and weird structure while adx5000 is your typical local friendly headphones that were made for pure performance. although expensive but familiar. with laidback mids and cutting edge treble but not fatiguing as those beyers can get. get better ears and love

>>106493849
this reads like a chatgpt post if chatgpt had downs syndrome

>>106493857
you have no integrity and passion get lost

>>106493861
why are you so upset

>>106493875
adx5000

>>106493881
ok

>>106493881
only adx5000 get those clean transparent pngs

god made angel

melty

Stax for me

>>106495665
why havent you killed yourself yet floornigger

>>106495665
brutally outmatched by adx10000, in few more years

>>106495890
too busy enjoying Stax I suppose

>>106478735 (OP)
>DT 900 Pro X
Why should I not buy them?

higher multibit DACs use motor drive controller chips, but there's a shit ton of variety in the space
why hasn't anyone used optoisolated DS DACs yet?

>>106495967
huh?

Sorry guys but really, could someone provide more casual advice? I want a headset, not headphones. I want a nice microphone. What headset are we all rocking? The microphone has to be good but I also want to listen to music. Don't make me ask reddit

>>106496022
*voice coil breaks*

>>106496091
The peak is a good pair of headphones with a detachable cable, combined with a cable with integrated mic. Philips SHP9500 + V-Moda BoomPro is a pretty common combo.

>>106496091
modmic, buy some better vhb tape tho

>>106491408
those look like they succ

>>106496381
like they need dolby atomos to even sound good

>>106496094
What does that mean? I play Genshin Impact and I want to hear Yelan's moans in my head~

>>106496390
atmos for headphones sucks, shit mastered for atmos has a nice DR, but it's not made for anything but 5.2.2ch+ systems

the solution for t1.3 without removing the disc absorber is swapping its stock pads with dt990 pads revealing a far superior sound quality

>>106496431
Sexo

>>106497008
>>106496431
normalnigger sex having tumornigger

>>106496947
female vocals sound extremely shouty with this and full wtf

Portable tube amp

>>106496091
See >>106496119 or get PC38X.
>>106496022
Depends if you want tinnitus or not.

>>106497567
Didn't they tone down the highs with the X revisions?

>>106497654
They have but the treble is still excessive.

Bitches love grills
Niggas love grills
Hank Hill loves grills

>>106493881
Even the AD500x is pretty good. They should have made the cups more adjustable though for a better fit.

>>106498496
cheap ether flow clone?

>>106478735 (OP)
/hpg/ bros, /iemg/ made fun of my HD600’s… I unironically surrendered and bought a fosi DAC and some chink neutral iem on ChinkExpress. I don’t think I will handle it well if the chink iems sound better

>>106500264
https://github.com/Shadlock0133/music-vibes

>>106500334
There is no way anyone would actually run that, right?

>>106500355
/diy/ would

>Sennheiser designs their headphones for OTL
>Sennfags are afraid of OTL
Tragic.

>>106478735 (OP)
Thoughts on Avantone planars?
How do they compare to the XS?

>>106478735 (OP)
Got my 29€ cheap ass Superlux HD668B today. Put velvet pads (10€) on it.
For 39€, I cannot complain at all. Going to go to the gym with these.

Anything else that I can do with these while keeping it below 50€ total?

Msr7b plus adx5000
You dont need anything else

>>106478735 (OP)
Figured I'd come in here for some advice. I've been shopping for the right pair of headphones recently, and something I care about a lot is COMFORT. I have an oddly shaped, large head, and I struggle to fit into certain headphones. I'm currently rocking the HyperX Cloud Stinger's because they are the only ones I could find that fit me. I have a pair of wireless Sony CH-720n headphones and I had to give them to my brother because I get an intense migraine after even a few seconds of wearing them. I tried stretching them out, but no luck.

I think the HyperX's I have just have a large headband. When at rest, the earcups don't come together, they are separated
>picrel

Are there any high-end wireless headphones like the HyperX ones I have? I can't really handle the high clamp force. I also don't like to wear earbuds for long periods of time.

senny six hunno fiddy

>>106478735 (OP)
are there any good headphones with the form factor of the audio technica ath-eq500? or anything close to iems?
I know everyone here is bald or norwod 6 but I recently recovered my hair and I dont want to fuck it up with fuck-huge headphones and most dont fit me since I have a big head

>>106502647
>are there any good headphones
No.

>>106502647
Aune AC55

>>106502018
>Are there any high-end wireless headphones
No. Audeze Maxwell is decent but it does clamp. You can stretch it by placing something between the earcups for a few days but I don't know how much it'll help. Maybe try clip on headphones like KSC75 instead.

>>106503303
I see. I found something on RTINGs that looked at clamp force. It seems my current ones have a 0.5lbs. Thing is, I've also had the Logitech G432 in the past (ew I know), and that has a clamp force of 1.2lbs. My current Sony ones have a clamp force of 0.8lbs. So perhaps I was mistaken. I think the real issue is form factor. My Sony headphones can fit entirely inside of my Hyperx ones with a little room to spare. I can actually hear my pulse when I wear my Sony ones as well.

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tests/design/comfort

>>106503187
how/where do i buy them? they look just about perfect

>>106478735 (OP)
are these worth it?

Really want to get myself something nice in the $500 range. Currently alternating between the K701s and Fii0 FT1s.
Love the k701s for general use like watching youtube and browsing/gaming. And listening to more acoustic music when bass isn't really an issue (zero bass on these things)
FT1s when I really want go deep on music, bass on them is amazing.
Also own DT770s and 599 SEs, but I used the DT770s for years and have kind of retired them as I've sort of grown tired of their sound, hardly ever used the 599s desu

What should I aim for in that price range? I wouldn't mind open or closed, but I definitely want something with decent bass as alot of the music I like to enjoy in headphones has it.

>>106478735 (OP)
I love X2HR design but are they comfortable to wear? My main concern with headphones vs iems is that I get tired of wearing headphones much faster, especially the heat.

>>106501890
>Anything else that I can do with these
You can just hope that little jack dingus doesn't break. I have HD669 which is the same headband design but with closed back cups and the little jack thing got torn off after a month. It's not very durable.

what's anons take on focal azurys?

for me? Stax

>>106503562
DCA Aeon Open. Either RT or X. X is cheaper but you'll dealing with Drop then, not DCA. They're very good but you need a capable amplifier that can supply at least 700 mv of power for 94dB SPL.
>>106503620
>are they comfortable to wear?
Yeah

>>106503717
Noted. I'll 3d print a better housing when it breaks.

t. DIY autismo

t1.3 with those pads are truly great

>>106504159
not owning true endgame adx KING 5 times the thousand

>>106479053
This is peak for me. Really hits the y2k-futurism aesthetic where everything is silver and chrome.

>>106504564
>but you'll dealing with Drop then
drop wont even replace the pot on my amplifier, you also want 1.2w if you EQ, 1w schiit just barely supply enough with a -6db (which you can get away with -4 without considering the bass).
eq is very good with the aeons compared to senns which need 8-12+ (but the variable impedance does weird shit, you could use 250mW OTLs without headroom problems)