Thread 106528310

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

>/iemg/ told me $20 IEMs sound better than any headphones
/iemg/ is a pedo furfag 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

Previous: >>106478735

3 threads, so proud

My headphone is the best

>>106528427
I had to jump in, I'm a big fan of ADX5000 guy. Old school schizo vibes.

It appears that the HE-R9's superiority has lead to some controversy.
https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/he-r9-refurbished.html

How much better are they compared to PortaPros?

>>106528581
The titanium-coated drivers in the KSC75 supposedly make it a bit less muddy, but if you've got access to a 3D printer, a soldering iron, and Digikey, I'd strongly consider these instead:
https://www.printables.com/model/910930-faunus-v11-diy-hifi-headphones

ADX5000 sounded inferior to the HD800S.

>>106528648
>instead
you can use his designs WITH the KSC75, he designed them to be interchangeable
https://www.printables.com/model/1405862-capra-micro-headband-v1
the digikey drivers are more like how the portapro handles, but with a vocal peak that'd be less cloudy. Considering butchering my bt portapros to get some clarity, but I think the shit codec is really holding it back.

>>106528841
Yeah, with the Faunus you get the same form factor and headband compatibility as the Koss stuff, with the bass extension of the Porta Pro and (most of) the clarity of the KSC75, and the option of dual MMCX or dual 3.5mm cables.
It's the best of both worlds.

>>106528865
huh interesting

>>106528841
>>106528865
on this note, has anyone modded the bt portapros to have male mmcx connectors? make the whole thing interchangeable with whatever

any opinions on the hp-100 grados?

>>106528879
Which variant, the original with the neckband cable or the new 2.0? I know the 2.0 comes with a 3.5mm to USB-C cable that bypasses all its internal electronics, so I was thinking of maybe getting a pair of those and slapping remixed Faunus capsules on there.

>>106528890
the new ones, the old ones are just the same portapro frame with a shitty cable connecting the left and right sizes
same reasons why I think the new frame could be used as a decent platform for driver swaps.
dont know if they sell small enough mmcx male connectors

>>106528908
To me it looks like the new ones just use the same old Porta Pro driver frame with a new cover plate where the cable enters. If you want MMCX connectors to swap driver capsules on the wireless headband, you could probably extend the internal wires and run some 90° MMCX connectors to MMCX-modded Porta Pro or KSC75, or Faunus capsules.

>>106528936
the question is trying to find these for sale, digikey only brings up bulky crimp connectors for coax cable

>>106528972
Are these the bulky type you're talking about? Because honestly MMCX is such a tiny standard that even relatively bulky connectors are still quite small.
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005001634117309.html

>>106529029
yea, those rf connectors are crimp connect and aren't designed for repeated insertions
not for soldering two wires.
>aliexpress
I dont want to spend 10 bucks in shipping plus de minimus tariffs, been looking on ebay or etsy for DIY cable options that are designed for soldered connections. Also you cant take them apart, and you'd have to bodge the wire in the case of your pic. Cheaper to just do that to a IEM cable.

are you an nomadic headphone chad, or a hiki headphone beta?

>>106529111
Apparently those pigtails are used in drones, so drone hobby stores might have them. Seems they're occasionally used in IEM cables too.
Although I did find this:
https://rfbat.com/products/1pair-blue-shell-mmcx-connector-right-angle-for-shure-se215-se315-ue900-earphone
https://www.ebay.com/itm/157080719715

For me? Ribbons

>>106529119
Is this real?

>>106529357
how else would a man listen to CDs on the go?

>>106529168
the $30 US shipping kills it
found a supplier for the base connector (they're sold as edge connectors, not free right-angle connectors), not that hard to 3d print a case around them
benefit of digikey is that this is all shipped together from the US too, gonna get some more items (they sell nice tweezers for work) but keeping this order sheet for the project
need to get some enameled mini wires too

>>106529472
You sure you want those edge mount female connectors too? I know the Faunus BOM and most Koss mods call for the screw-in type.

>>106529494
yeeh, they sell them, but for 9 bucks a pop. amazon seems to have his BOM connectors stocked so I can get those shipped cheaply.

are these any good? why arent they in the opening post

>>106530168
>are these any good?
No.
>why arent they in the opening post
They are, see
>Avoid all Chinese-brand headphones. Bad quality, waste of money.

>>106530168
Chinkfiman hate is entirely justified, every headphone I've ever bought from them was built and sounded like shit.
That being said moondrop/fiio have been pretty good in my experience so idk why the other guy hates the chinks so much, maybe they raped him.

>>106530240
>Moondrop
Their tuning target is shit and as a result all of their headphones are thin sounding. Better QC and build quality than chinkfiman for sure but that's not a very high bar.
>FiiO
Yeah, they're pretty good.

>>106529357
It is real, I'm in a Telegram group chat with that guy.

>>106529357
Yes

>>106529119
i'm an earspeaker GOD

Another perfect day for some good Stax listening.

>Location
SEA
>Budget
$100
>Intended use
Music
>Kind (open or closed, over-ear or on-ear)
Closed, preferably with a mic that'll do the job for voice calls in a pinch
>Preferred tonal balance (or genres you like)
I like jrpg music and etsuko yakushimaru
>Past headphones and your thoughts on them
HyperX Cloud Stinger 2. It sounded fine and wouldn't mind just rebuying it (right speaker stopped working after 4 years), but cleaning that thing was so annoying and the volume knob had to be taped so it wouldn't change by itself so preferably something higher build quality
>Source(s) (PC, interface, headphone amp, phone, ...)
PC

>cunt next door has bass speaker outside
what speakers to buy to blast some music at this cunt?

https://www.jarcomputers.com/tonkoloni-cat-204.html

>>106531470
ATH M20x + Fifine K668 or some other condenser mic
>>106532185
Hit him with picrel. 50 inch.

>>106532635
There's a K371 with damaged box for $50 on a clearance sale, should i go for that?

>>106532865
Yeah, that one is pretty good. Worth that much, definitely.

Hey anon, what’s listening today?

>>106533310
I'm wearing my ocees shirt today lol

>>106527031
distortion doesn't equal what beats did. distortion in that sense is literally flavor. by distortion you mean clipping or driver limitation or guitar distortion? adx5000 is definitely capable

>>106534447
>driver limitation or guitar distortion
the distortion petals literally are doing the same sort of distortion as overdriving a tube amp

>>106534447
>distortion in that sense is literally flavor
Bass distortion, maybe. The distortion between 2k and 3k shows on the group delay as well indicating it's a resonance. Resonances never sound good. A 2k headphone should be resonance free. If they want high 2nd harmonic distortion for flavor that's fine but there should be no audible distortion beyond the bass. There are $200 headphones with a more capable driver.

>>106535345
it's presence elevation that does that, it is flavor

Just got myself a Superlux HD-330, they look cool being an obvious Beyerdynamic design clone, but boy I did not expect them to be such mud cannons

>>106533310
fuck you tube audiophool loser and a normalnigger

kek at those adx5000 lets that never even heard those headphones and just assuming shit with fake science rather than believe in miracles

>lurk here a bit
>all those memes about the adx5000
>look up the response curve
>see the price
what

>>106536761
its just one white ass nigga going hard as fuck shilling that shit

>>106535909
They're cheap enough to just be a donor chassis for driver swap experimentation if you want less mud.

>>106534022
nice

>>106535924
sure why not

>>106537222
oops wrong pic

>>106537246
>>106537222
>>106537209
you got a brain seizure

>>106536761
>>106536851
samefagging staxloser
>white
thank you for that compliment

>>106537302
nigga i complement you and you call me a loser? forget it nigga you are dead to me

>>106537488
you compliment me but also call me a shill. adx5000 is not for everyone but it doesn't mean i cant brag about it. it worth all the pennies i spend on it

>>106537581
i said you were shilling not that you are a shill. apologize now

>>106537604
i reviewed your comment again and you're full of shit

>>106537623
fuck you bitch u lost the only ally u had now everyone is going to shit on u

>>106537282
nah, enjoying a set of he100se though

give me 3 pairs of stax please and one for my homie

Any mic recommendations? Would an XLR mic + a Focusrite Scarlett make much of a difference vs a regular USB condenser mic?

I got the AR5000 and they're really nice, but since very few people have them I'm trying my luck here: does anyone else notice a glare around the 4.5kHz area? It fatigues me after a while for some reason, and I can even take Beyer's treble just fine. Could it be HRTF?

>>106537860
ebay, get the vintage models and spend 5 minutes fixing them
>t. owns 2 Signatures and a NB

i will take 10 adx5000s, thanks

>>106531470 see >>106528569

>>106535958
The HE-R9 beats the adx5000 simply because I wrote and posted an in-depth review here without resorting to sinewave memes or chart fortuneteling. Saving $2150 and the pain of actually having to listen to them is just a bonus.

>>106538156
i heard he-r9, lifeless shit to ever exist
are you perhaps an ultra chinkfi man shill?

Why don't the Fidelio X3's get more love? Is it just because people like the X2's better? I bought mine for $100 and then added some velour Dekoni pads and I love these things.
Even if you pay 125 or 150 they just seem really high quality for the price. I'm not a regular in these communities or an "audiophile" though, so maybe I'm missing something.

>>106528429
no, mine is better

>>106538095
They have more treble in that area that some might find excessive but I've never seen anyone ever bothered by the treble on these headphones. Might be HRTF or if the seal is imperfect that might also cause that. Best to just apply a peak filter in that area.

>>106538095
I've since sold mine but looking at my old EQ preset I do have a local minimum there, but I have the entire treble boosted so its still above the 0dB mark.

>adx5000 complaining and bashing antis
>never heard how fucking open they're
you contradicting yourselves also if the peak around 2.5k to 4k bother you can just eq it out but you will ruin the air fundamentality of these phones. although the openness of these phones can turn off some people at least it's not as hollow as hd800 or 800s

>>106538211
They're nicely built and look very stylish, but there are so many neutral-bright open-backs already so they kinda get lost in the noise.
Meanwhile the X2 is pretty much your only option if you want V-shaped open-back fun times, unless you're open to hacking something together yourself.

>>106538021
If you want both USB and XLR you can consider a Shure MV7+ though it's rather expensive and there are probably better ones.

>>106538401
Thanks for the rec. I was actually considering this one or an AT2020 since I found one for a decent price. I'm hesitant to get a USB one again since my last one didn't last very long.

>>106538382
Ahh that makes sense. Really at this point the X2's connection would be more handy for me and, I guess, would have a lot of appeal with a boom mic to make a gaming headset... Hopefully I can get a DAC with a balanced output to take advantage of that at some point.

>>106538225
Yeah I never saw anyone bothered by it so I think it's either HRTF, or that I could be accidentally be listening to them too loud since they're more sensitive that any other pair I own.

>>106538259
Why did you sell them? But yeah compared to everything else I have the treble is definitely recessed so I can see why you raised it.

>>106538755
Balanced output to your headphones is meme-tier unless you got something insanely power-hungry. Fidelios are so efficient that running them off a balanced amp will only have drawbacks.

>>106538926
They just didn't really do anything special and I already have plenty of generic sounding DDs that play well with EQ - HD600 and HD490 to be specific. I don't consider either to be objectively better than the AR5000 but those two were more comfortable for my head so I kept them and sold the Aune.

best headphones for solo piano music?

For me, it’s Stax

>>106539532
why is that?

>>106538299
My SR-007 is literally see-through

>>106540291
your SR-007 is a fucking old gramps that needs to be fed up with an energizer that nearly draws all of your electricity bills. bill up faget.

>>106540392
he's not the only one
my class A amp is never not hot

>>106530168
Just get HE400SE. They are practically free and are very good.

>>106540392
sounds like skill issue on your part

>>106540955
im not even planning owning any of those in the begin with

>>106541162
I know, you're that much of a fucking poorfag turd worlder.

>>106539532
For me, it's Vali 2

>>106538299
>>never heard how fucking open they're
not as open as your anus when your shitcans are next to mine

>>106542612
go to bed the adults are talking

Chinesium headphones or Chinesium amp+dac?
[spoiler] You have to pick one. [/spoiler]

>>106539262
an actual piano with motors underneath every key controlled by a rpi and a midi program

>>106542914
does that exist?

>>106543045
yea, electric acoustic player pianos are made by the same companies that make symphonic pianos
range from 15k new to 250k for picrel

Okay, I've spent a little time with the SR-007S and I'm surprisingly not regretting getting them despite the tuning being mediocre at best. They sound sort of plasticky and hollow and the upper treble/air region is piercing, a total departure from the more warm/laid back/muffled sound of the 007MK2.9. Historically tuning and FR has never been STAX's forte, but this is probably tuned worse than every other STAX that I've heard and huge step back from the SR-X1 which is, in my opinion, one of the best tuned headphones out there. That being said, the DNA is still there - it still sounds like an electrostat for better or worse.
Some design things - the build is a massive improvement over the old 007s. No weird metal bar to retain the pads, no endlessly rotating cups for whatever reason, detachable cables, and a sane pad mounting system. The new headband provides pretty linear clamp and is far more comfortable. I remember when I got my 007s I had to bend the metal parts to get it to fit properly.

>>106543113
oh I found the video
https://youtu.be/BswLMDavu80

>>106543119
Graphs. I have a 711 clone coupler and 43 something or other chink clone silicone ear set. Amp is a KGSSHV Carbon, not the D10 in the pic. For anyone who doesn't know, the D10 adds 4-5dB of treble for whatever reason.

>>106543135
And some pad swaps. Changing the pads turns this from one of the worst tuned STAX headphones to one of the best. It's weird the stock pads are so shit and notably much worse than the original 007 pads. Something must have gone horribly wrong in the development process. Unfortunately I only have 1 pad for all of these except the Ori (?) pads, so I couldn't actually listen to them but the Ori (?) pads sound pretty good. It totally fixes the 1.5K suckout and smooths out the treble. There's still an 11K spike but one EQ filter is enough to get rid of that.

Can I get some reccs besides hd600/hd6xx?
>Location
EU
>Budget
$400, but obviously the less I can pay for a good pair the better
>Intended use
Everything. Music, yt, audio calls. I might even do some basic entry audio work.
>Kind (open or closed, over-ear or on-ear)
Open, over ear, wired
>Preferred tonal balance (or genres you like)
Neutral. Classical, jazz, experimental
>Past headphones and your thoughts on them
HD280 pro. I liked them, but the fit was never 100% great, kinda heavy and clampy.
>Source(s) (PC, interface, headphone amp, phone, ...)
CX31993

>>106543232
If $100 is not enough... You don't have ears.

>>106543232
something in the AKG pro line would work well, consult the graphs to choose to taste

>>106543277
and remember you can EQ down peaks but don't get something that has bad dips in the line (K712)

>>106543125
>>106543113
extremely cool

>>106543232
https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/he-r9-refurbished.html

the oocysts in my brain are hatching

>>106538211
The X2 sucks ass so I don't expect the X3 to be any better.

>>106543804
wow awesome playlist my fellow transgender!

>>106544340
I'm worse

>>106543163
I know a couple guys that bought the 007S and instead of pad rolling they're cable rolling it. One of em already has 4 custom order cables for these (the kilobuck kind) and he says they fix the treble and lower mids and whatever lol plus tube amp.
I haven't tried the headphone yet but I absolutely hated the 007mk2 and much preferred 009.

>>106543232
Just get a Hifiman edition XS second hand and a better amp/dac

>>106543762
closed back chinesium Sony R10 imitation garbo

>>106530240
>so idk why the other guy hates the chinks so much, maybe they raped him.
There's an endless amount of retards who get chinked hard in /csg/ and become actually mindbroken over it.

>>106545163
aren't they all about stuff that's too cheap to feel bad over even if you get scammed?

>>106545404
Hifiman isn't cheap.

Today is a good day to be an audiophile.
A Stax kind of audiophile.

>>106530240
v-moda (over a decade ago) and cheap amps from massdrop have been the only ones to fuck me, too proud to buy from a chinkshit brand
my problem is with this chinkfi jewery stinking up the thread >>106543762
They're not shilling just the cans, they're shilling manufacturer return "refurbished" headphones that are literally stuck in the US taking up warehouse space because they can't ship them back to China.

"reverse logistics" is in shambles right now, and the only way chinks can offload these things is to piss on your leg and pretend it's rain.

>>106545768
well the 3rd party logistics are making a ton of money, chinkfi manufacturers on rented space not so much
get ready for cheap, preowned amazon trash

>>106545404
damage to the wallet means nothing, damage to the ego of an anon on the other hand?
no recovery from that one

>>106543232
HE400SE

>>106544574
based

Get your MDR-R10 for only $53, free shipping and tax free.

>>106544549
I can say with some certainty that's a waste of time and money. I do want a replacement cable because the stock one is too long but there's no way I'm paying kilobuck prices.

>>106548042
I wonder how hard it'd be to replicate that cup shape with a 3D printer, so that everything can be turned into a MDR-R10 knockoff.

>>106548446
Whitoids used to whittle their own R10 earcups before random Chinese shops did.

>>106528429
>>106538217
you may both be right if your headphones are same as mine

>>106543762
>>106548042
>>106548528

But don't the HE-R9 suck?

>>106548680
Correct

>>106541604
damn you're poor, my adx crushes your sad pathetic life and phones

just got azurys and i am mindblown by them, these are closed backs right? they sounds so good and entirely flat in the midrange also treble is nice and smooth

I got new audiotechnica headphones :D

Can’t decide between Noire X or HD800S. I just want one good pair of headphones for music listening/movies/games.

>>106550856
Noire X is closed, are you sure you don't mean Noire XO?

>>106550595
adx10000s may be with you

>>106550876
Either version, I heard the regular Noire X had great soundstage for a closed back

>>106537653
>>106537623
keep going guys im almost there

alright i tested both azurys and hd620s and hd620s has a better soundstage response due to actual spacious sound effect and few peaks in the mids thus making it sound unique while azurys are kinda boring because of the flat sound nature but that's what you want right?

hd620s has better sonic characteristics and im not lying lmao. the previewed song is spending all my time by perfume

>lightweight
>spacious inside the cups
>no subbass distortion(will boost a lot)
How the fuck does this not exist.

>>106551462
>spacious inside the cups
>no subbass distortion(will boost a lot)
one or the other

>>106550595
What ones

>>106551462
How big of a boost? Try the DT 770 if you want closed backs. DT 990 are also light, drop the treble a bit and boost some more deep bass. Both lightweight headphones. Just make sure you have a powerful amp and you should be good to go.

poorfag here, need closed headphones, 3.5mm jack, under 40 bucks that I can buy on amerzon

>>106551761
are you sure you can't spend more

>>106543135
Why is it so hard for headphone manufacturers to get 1k-3k right?

>>106551768
i could spend more cold hard cash, like 100 bucks but then I'd need to ask what's good to buy in bestbuy.

>>106551761
Most closed headphones suck. Save until you can buy DT 770

>>106551776
For now I'll save up for this I guess

>>106551806
save up for K361 actually

>>106551806
>>106551823
I mean you could get the K361 if you don't mind your headphone falling apart, or get the DT 770 and have it for a lifetime

>>106551882
but then your headphones will sound like doo-doo
truly cheap closed-backs are doomed

>>106551882
>chink era Beyers
>lasting a lifetime
The headband sliders will explode which isn't a big deal if you can get beefier replacements 3D printed, but the thin voice coil wires breaking is not something you can fix unless you buy another driver assembly straight from them which will suffer the same fate in the same time

>>106551770
I think they actually did get it right, but then they changed the pads at the last minute and fucked everything up.

>>106550856
Noire XO. HD800S is physically unable of producing subbass stock and if you EQ more you'll end up with distortion. If you don't need a closed back better to get XO than X, doesn't have as much of a treble peak. The tuning is good enough to use without EQ if you were opposed to it.

>>106551684
idk some gaming branded ones. I'm not an audiophile but I know they're good quality and I didn't want to settle for *just gamerslop.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QNX1TMJ

>>106551775
go to best buy, buy 100 dollar amazon gift card, use 140 dollars on amazon to get https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Creators-Magnetic-Headphones-Audiophile/dp/B0CX6B6JNS/

>>106553027
>Blue (logitech)
>"""renewed""" in 2025
>obligitory battery powered planars with 250mw amp
lol what a piece of hot garbage
https://youtu.be/XLW3WXl820g

>>106550856
HD 800 S is really not so great, looks cool and has good instrument separation though.

>>106553027
>logitech

Will the airpod 3 pros sound much better than the 2 pros? All I see is noise cancelling and exercise shit. I’d post in the other thread but I still don’t know what an iem is

>>106554111
There's no measurements yet so it's impossible to be 100% certain but
>much better
Definitely not "much" better. Might sound better or worse but marginally at best.

>>106551693
DT 990 distorts like crazy if you give it any serious bass boost. Only option for good bass on headphones is planars and they're heavy.

>>106554376
It has great bass extension though. Use Oratory1990 EQ and it sounds perfect with deep sub-bass extension. Yes, the HE400SE does EQ deep bass boosts better though with much less distortion.

>>106554376
>>106555936
So yea, definitely don't completely write off the DT 990. With EQ they can be very very good.

>>106551761
takstar pro 70

>distortion
sad and deaf bassfags

I daily drive a pair of Fidelio X2HR, but before those I had an Fidelio X2 that was coming apart of so much use.
The headband's rubber bands got stretched after only a few months (maybe defective) and the faux leather started peeling. The X2HR seem to be resisting the test of time much better.

But anyway, what I wanted to ask you guys is if there should be a big difference in sound response in both.
I'm not an audiophile, but at the time, I felt the X2HR didn't sound as "fun" as the X2.
I wonder if it was my brain just getting adapted to the change, but now, after a few years I dusted off my old X2 and plugged it in and they sound better to me. What gives?

Did you guys get the same experience when comparing the X2 vs X2HR?
I've read that their response curve is not that dramatically different from each other, but they sound quite different to me.
Does this mean I am picky with sound signatures? If so, what signature does this comparison mean I like the most?

>>106556159
The X2 and X2HR sound pretty much the same. It may be the fit that is changing how you perceive the sound.

>Does this mean I am picky with sound signatures?

Everyone is. It's how you decipher if something sounds better or worse.

>>106556238
>It may be the fit
I have switched between them dozens of times, also readjusting position. My perception remains.
The difference between my X2 and X2HR is considerable. I can easily tell them apart blindly. They definitely sound considerably different. My original X2 has heavier bass but the rest of the sound feels a bit muffled. The X2HR has less punch but things are clearer.
That's the best I can describe it without audiophile wording.

If they are supposed to be almost the same, could I have a defective unit of either one or the other?

>>106556394
Nah, could just be unit variation. There is nothing wrong with either headphone. I'm sure they aren't supposed to sound exactly the same or Philips wouldn't have added the HR. Even a small change in frequency response can be noticeable. Don't worry about it, just use what you like, or use both of them.

>>106556460
Well, I guess I'm sensible to those small changes then.
If I ever need to buy new headphones, what do you guys say would be a good replacement for the X2, with a similar sound signature?

>or use both of them
Wish I could, but the original X2s are just falling apart.
I'm tempted to do a little experiment and transfer the X2 drivers into the X2HR case, but I would need to check if the casing is the exact same on both.

>>106556593
Don't change the drivers out. You'll just end up with two pairs of headphones that don't work. There's nothing with the exact same signature really. If you are interested in a great sound, I recommend HD 600 or 650. If you are in the US I would try HD 6XX from Drop.com. They are the same as HD 650 but much cheaper.

>>106556593
>>106556641
Also make sure you are using a good headphone amp. It really makes your headphones come to life. I'm not sure what you are using right now.

>>106556650
Just the output from the motherboard's ALC4080 codec. They are really good nowadays. I've checked comparisons with proper external DACs.
I've also used an ODAC/O2 with them, but there is no perceptible difference in the sound.

>It really makes your headphones come to life
The X2s are low amperage so they don't really need the extra power of a dedicated amp unless you want to purposely colour the sound with some specific DAC.

>>106556925
Any decent DAC won't colour the sound at all. It's not the DAC that drives headphones though, it's the amp. As long as what you are driving them with has an output impedance of at least less than 10 ohms, you should be fine. A high output impedance will in fact change your headphones frequency response, usually bumping the mid bass up a decibel or two (gives boomier bass that does not sound good).

>>106556962
My bad. I meant amp, not DAC.

>>106556925
>>106556962
>>106556975

If you could stick with the O2/ODAC I would highly recommend using that. The performance of even the best motherboard pales in comparison. It's not just about needing the power.

>>106556985
>The performance of even the best motherboard pales in comparison
Some benchmarks I've read a few years ago beg to differ. But if any new findings prove I'm wrong, I'll be happy to be corrected.

>>106556994
Not trying to argue with you, but what benchmarks? I doubt it's even possible to get 1 watt into 32 ohms with any motherboard audio, when many ~$99 dedicated headphone amps do it with no sweat these days. I just like the peace of mind of having the high performance amp. You can even use the motherboard audio and run it into the amp with a 3.5mm to RCA cable.

azurys is kinda not impressive
hd620s is the mind blowing cans

>>106556994
Would it even be possible to get decent SINAD, like 90+, out of onboard audio?

>>106556985
>>106557035
>>106557173
I cannot find the benchmarks I've read a few years ago, but here are some measurements on the very common ALC1220

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/realtek-alc1220-a-look-on-pc-sound.24019/
https://www.reddit.com/r/hardware/comments/b8p9l8/realtek_alc1220_vs_sound_blasterx_ae5_corrected/

It's not the freshest info, but I can't find anything on more recent motherboards.

>>106557342
Hey man, if you're happy with it that's great. But as you can see, when the GPU is under stress it negatively affects the audio distortion significantly because of the coil whine. Getting your audio equipment out of the computer case completely eliminates this so you maintain optimum performance.

>>106556159
Pad break in is a real thing

I've got a ka11 for my pixel 9 and it just doesn't want to fucking work. The dac is detected but there's just no audio. I could simply plug in and play on my laptop and an s23 but not on my old phone or my fucking pc?! I've literally tried everything that I could find but it seems that nobody's experienced this problem besides me, which is just fucking awesome. I'm using a 80ohm dt-770 if that helps.

OK I got now a pair of Noire X. Comparing them to my Shure SRH1540 listening on my Cambridge DAC Magic 200M I can hear some differences and all in all they are very pleasant to listen to. For me they are worth it but I think cheaper headphones can provide a similar quality if equalized correctly.

>>106557633
this explains why my first impression of HD600 was quite different from what people on the internet were saying
with a capra strap to fix comfort and worn pads, they're probably alright

>>106558256
The Noire X is a badass headphone. Enjoy.

Its LTA microZOTL, for me

>>106558743
that box doesn't look very micro at all

>>106558944
kinda, when David Berning originally made them back in late 90s I think the case was touch bigger

https://davidberning.com/images/microZOTL/microZOTL_Manual.pdf

I experienced the hd201 for the first time in years today
genuinely sounded like 2 phone speakers next to my ears with nothing in between
I cannot believe these were the recommended babbies first headphone when I was broke
It is mad to think that you can get iems for the same price these days that sound genuinely impressive

>>106558743
>>106559542
>>106558944
yeah keep replying yourself, that attention

>>106559659
I've never heard a single IEM
I wonder how they compare to kilobuck planar headphones

HD560S are so good, wish the price didn't shoot up.

adx
50
00

>>106559659
My dad's been using those for years, but the insulation on the cables is letting go in 3 different spots at this point so when they die he's getting an upgrade to one of my less-used headphones.

>>106559668
huh?

>>106559868
oops wrong pic

>>106559868
>>106559900
fucking plague

>>106559849
>dads
I gave my dad an AH-D5200 because the comfort was abysmal (he finds it fine but he has low standards) and because aftermarket headband replacement is insanely tricky on this particular model. D9200 driver swap shenanigans gave underwhelming results as well. in the end, I was had zero love left for that headphone
thank you for reading my blog

How come some headphones you can't disconect the 3.5mm cable from but others you can?

i have no idea what you're smoking but adx5000 never once distorted on me besides the quark that my hair gets stuck in their drivers which causes them to clip but issue is fixable with a thin layer audio foam

>>106559976
I don't know what the deal is with those headbands. Comfort was okay for me personally but they seem to degrade in weird ways, on mine the foam pad inside came loose and squished itself up to the other side.
At least on the older Fostex-made models, a ZMF Crescent strap is apparently the perfect size, but the modern Denons have a smaller and more curved headband so the fit is a bit awkward.

>>106560129
the jews

>>106560187
Ah.

>>106557633
does sheepskin pads have longer burn-in time, asking for my wife's boyfriend's son

>>106560210
Depends

at least i enjoy high volume music on my adx5000
sucks to be an adx5000 let
the only capable headphone with an actual smooth frequency that doesn't cause any fatigue and disturbance

>>106560210
Avoid anything other than official pads for Sennheiser headphones. Most pads completely change the frequency response.

>>106558743
Do you think amps change the sound? I mean I like amps but they don't really make a difference in what your headphone sounds like. They look cool though and I find myself always wanting to buy different ones.

>>106558743
>>106559542
Do you power any speakers with it?

>>106560261
he powers his ass prolapsed organ with it

>>106560270
Had me keking dawg.

>>106560261
not yet, but did own his 70 watt per channel zh270 for awhile before switching to more traditional otl Atma-sphere m60 mono blocks. have thought to grab something appropriate, say Zu Audio etc to try with it maybe some day

https://davidberning.com/products/zh270

>>106560244
sure, different circuits can sound different in my experience

>>106560238
yea it might actually give some bass

>>106560811
no changing their foam density alters their frequencies in a bad way.. sheepskin wont matter when it sounds completely like ass. just get beats

>>106560922
>just get beats
Alternatively get Porta Pros and enjoy something actually good

>>106560922
sennheiser literally sells headphones with multiple pad materials, no one is saying it won't change the sound
it is just an open-back pad swap tho

>>106560946
currently making the portapro wireless driver swap mod

>>106560946
Porta Pros are muddy and KSC75s are sharp, build a Capra Faunus instead

>>106558256
Enjoy your Noires, anon.
>I think cheaper headphones can provide a similar quality if equalized correctly
Yeah that's mostly true in my experience. You can get headphones with no audible distortion across the whole audio spectrum at ~500 USD or even less and then it's just a matter of applying a good EQ preset. At 1k+ you mostly pay for very good out of the box tuning + build quality. Unless you're buying from Abyss, then you're paying for both an awful frequency response and the shittiest THD known to man.
>>106560238
Dekoni measures the effect their pads have on the FR and sometimes the FR change is positive. Some of those pads improve the lackluster frequency response. I don't mean random chinese earpads with no measurements, mind you. Most planars I've used only benefited from sheepskin pads since those usually improve the bass response without altering treble too much. And last much longer. NEVER get fenestrated sheepskin pads for headphones that use glued on pads, like LCD-X. It will fucking annihilate the frequency response.

>>106561002
...or just buy the kph30s

>>106561002
settle on the KPH40i if the portapros are too muddy for you

>>106561019
kph30s are cursed for me, i have had 2 pairs go bad. Meanwhile my 10 year old portapros are still kicking

>>106561016
>NEVER get fenestrated sheepskin pads for headphones that use glued on pads, like LCD-X. It will fucking annihilate the frequency response.
this

>>106561019
>>106561033
The 30s seem to be tuned the best but they just had to fuck them over with that cheap failure prone headband

>>106561047
Jesus fucking Christ. So that's why they stopped selling the fenestrated Aeon pads and only sell the regular sheepskin now. That's a pretty startling difference.

>>106560968
i already see an issue in this graph, too boxing and warm. just stop. no breathability and soundstage will kill off your listening experience from an already soundstage let phone.

>>106561075
>no breathability
>fenestrated
you missed the point of the little holes, compare the graphs

>>106561072
yea noticed it last thread

>>106560968
This anon >>106561075 is right.

3db = 25% perceived increase in volume. It might not look like much, but when you see a difference of around 3db it is very audible. Look at 1.5k and 4.5k for example. And you are also losing upper treble detail.

>>106561016
How about "NEVER" get Audeze headphones in general.

I'm an audio dimwit. Got a presonus 24c for my mic and some beyerdynamics. I also inherited some ancient bose desktop speakers but would like to look into something that doesn't have dry-rotting cones (and is probably far better price per dollar wise). Does anyone here recommend the Kanto Ora? I like the look and reviews seem decent. Or is there another decent small-ish desktop speaker you like? I've been stuck with headphones for so long I'd like to do some more passive listening again.

Might also get a subwoofer for the fun of it, my dad had a gateway system that had one as a kid and playing mechwarrior 2 on that shit pissed my mom off to no end.

>>106561647
>Avoid anything other than official pads for Sennheiser headphones. Most pads completely change the frequency response.
>It might not look like much
you do see the difference in these two statements anon, right?
Not a single person in this entire thread has claimed that it wouldn't change the sound. The question is if you should padswap to sheepskin at all. Sennheiser isn't carefully designing their foam to sound like shit if you don't buy their specific pads.

>>106561711
I don't see why anyone would want to use sheepskin pads ever at all.

>>106561729
people dont eat vegan, deal with it

>>106561729
I hate vinyl flakes

>>106561744
Nothing to do with that, I just don't see the appeal. I've only ever liked velour and cloth pads. I hate the feeling of leathers/pleathers. Get too hot and closes the sound in more.

>>106561729
Far more long lasting than almost any other earpad material and improves the bass response since it seals best. And I fucking hate pleather. Flaking piece of shit. My Dekoni sheepskin pads always last five years at least and pleather flakes after a year or two at most if it's high quality pleather.