Thread 107010057

dead general edition

request purchase advice
>location
>budget
>open/closed back
>sound signature (favorite music)
>previous equipment

hello, brothers. complicated ask:

location: us
budget: iem: <$100 | over-ear: <$100
sound: iem: black/power metal mostly but also some 80s 90s rap | over-ear: cs2 (surround? idk), streams/YT

i want to basically use the over-ears for when i'm mobile, and some over-ears for gaming/YT/streams

kinda would prefer something good on the over-ear if it could work well with plugging into my mixer when i'm playing guitar, but maybe the iems with an iem, but usually those types of headphones are annoying af when standing and playing guitar.

IEMs won

>>107010309
ya i made this thread cause i switched to iems and i kinda want some headphones for the winter for on the go, but i wouldnt even know what to buy

>>107010057 (OP)
The under $100 market for headphones is pretty horrific unfortunately. The best headphones your going to get are used, with little use, sometimes by failed podcasters, i see that a lot in my area. Warehouse deals from amazon, or ebay. The first two options are a lot better than the last for finding near prior error deals, usually even at $100 used your able to find a $200-300 pair, just factor in headphone pads if they are quite worn into the price.
Some common used models that go for cheap are the sennheiser hd 560,hd 599, audio technica m30x/m40x/50x, beyerdynamic dt 770/990, perhaps some lower akg models and a few others. Warehouse deals, dependant on country are the best for this, some models get such little traction and most people are phone fags so the used items rot and amazon puts them down endlessly till they sell.

>>107011301
he 400se? i dont have it, but i heard it was pretty good but shit qc

theres some decent condition looking grado s60es for 60 bucks on ebay is that a good deal or are those junk

>>107012015
treble rape, avoid

>>107012015
Grados are hit or miss, but mostly miss. Unless you try them out in person and like the sound for whatever reason, one (if not the only one) of the positive sound aspects are decent spatial qualities.
Also the distortion levels are so high and bad it kinda becomes their "feature".

What does /hpg/ think about Hifiman and their offerings?
I have a RNHP amp running off my audio interface so give it to me straight.

>>107012503
sound probably fine
build quality probably not fine

what ever happened to those verum planars
last i heard the guy was racist or something (he's ukrainian) and they had really bad qc issues

>>107012503
>What does /hpg/ think about Hifiman and their offerings?
worst quality control in all of audio probably, even by chink standards they are horrible. They are bought by people who can't afford planars from real companies to save money short term, and end up paying more longterm. It's the unfortunate reality of chinkfi in general, happens with amps and dacs all the time as well, from all the chink companies. But to be honest, in every product field there is a hifiman, a company everyone knows makes god awful products, but is discounted enough for people to gamble. There was an anon who use to post here that had like 4 chinkfiman headphones kill themselves and he still bought another pair, it's definitely an interesting thing
Other chink companies engage in similiar low quality, bad warranty practices, pretty much look into any chink companies audio gear and you are just flooded with snapping headbands, dying drivers, low quality materials and lack of warranty. Fucking even fiio's flagship amp/dac was $800 and had one year of warranty and would kill themselves after a year. There are loads of 'overpriced' gear that people on a budget usually seethe about, but at some point the peace of mind makes some of it worth the extra cost

>>107012552
>>107012629
Thanks lads, I figured that would be the case even though I've heard a lot of positives about the Sundara (though no one ever mentions the QC on them).

>>107012587
>what ever happened to those verum planars
He's still selling them but he's making them at a glacial pace so you can't even buy the 2nd one yet since he's not done sending all the orders he has right now.
>last i heard the guy was racist or something
Yeah but then he realized that's bad for business so he said he's sorry or something like that.
>and they had really bad qc issues
The first Verum did, yeah. Apparently the second one is better since it isn't hand made anymore but I'm not completely sure.

>>107011301
Used gear is the way to get good deals, especially if you know how to solder and look for things with failed cables

>>107012503
You can get a very good deal on refurbished Arya Stealths off their website. There's usually a coupon code and you get two years warranty. For around $500 that's a great deal.

That being said, their other offerings are garbage. The Edition XS and Ananda line are notorious for having issues, and the more expensive stuff in the Arya line (Organic, Unveiled) and the HE1000 line aren't worth the QC lottery at their price point.

>picrel arriving tomorrow
What am I in for, bros?

>>107012587
I don't care about racism but that guy sounds like a /pol/ schizo. Apparently, he was seething at blacks because the shipping company wasn't delivering his orders on time.

>>107010309
I just can't stand ear dildos.

To each their own, but over-ear headphones or speakers are the only thing for me.

>>107015329
You can get custom fit ear molds, but they'll run you several hundred bucks at a minimum.

>>107010309
IEMs on the go, headphones/speakers at home. Simple as. Only poorfags will disagree with this. I wish I could get good deals on studio monitors where I live but basically every used one is like 85% of the retail price and new units don't go on sale at all. It sucks.

>>107010057 (OP)
where's hi-fi general

>>107015370
no one has a house anymore to put hi-fi in

>>107015399
lol true that

Any good headphone yet

>>107016141
HD-600

>>107010309
Using IEM for anything other than portable use is literal retard behavior. IEM chinks will pretend a $20 sweatshop buds will trump any even halfway decent speaker setup because they won’t stfu about [insert flavor of the month frequency target here].

>>107016239
truest and realest

location: can
budget: same as dt770's, can be flexible

currently have beyer dt770 pros, 80 ohm, been solid for the last 12 years, looking at upgrades eventually - anything worth it? looking for same closed backs, preferably within beyer but open to alternatives.

or just keep the 770's?

>>107016380
>preferably within beyer
Nothing that would be much of an upgrade. Maybe the pricier models but even then it's not really worth it for whatever marginal improvements you'll get. Within this price range there's no real improvement so you can just keep the 770 pro. It's really only higher up in price that you'll get some better models. HD620S(though this might arguably not even be an upgrade), LCD-S20, Aeon RT etc. There's just less good options when it comes to closed back models. You might want to look into FiiO FT1 but if you don't like a lot of bass it might be a downgrade.

>>107016592
great to know, appreciate the insight

Any owners of the HDB 630 here? Wondering how much of an upgrade it is compared to the Momentum 3.

>>107012629
>planars from real companies
Audeze and DCA seem to fail fairly often as well
Even here we had reports from quite a few anons who bought Maxwell only for it to fail after less than a year, then they got a replacement unit only for the same to happen again
If you care about reliability, don't buy planars (or even worse, estats)

>>107015360
still ear dildo. and the sound is claustrophobic and screbled

>>107018616
Those Fostex RP planars seem to be pretty tough. Too small to give you that "wall of sound" though.

>>107018616
>Even here we had reports from quite a few anons who bought Maxwell only for it to fail after less than a year,
I've never heard of anyone having dan clark gear die, but loads of audezes lower end stuff is trash and always breaking yeah. They had issues in the past on higher end models with wood snapping as well. In general you have to be so cautious with audio these days, the amount of times i've searched up amps,dacs, headphones and the entire search query is just filled with failing or breaking product is just too much.

>>107018891
>>107018891
>I've never heard of anyone having dan clark gear die
Even Dan Clark had to admit their Aeon drivers were dying like flies:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/never-buy-trash-from-dan-clark-absolute-garbage-quality.64371/#post-2365276
Supposedly they implemented a fix but "it can still happen in 'rare' cases".
And I've seen reports of issues with their higher end models too:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/dan-clark-e3-headphone-review.50062/page-23#post-1900430
Unit variance might not be great either, even on their higher end models, pic related shows a broad ~3dB treble boost in one unit over another.
If you're not American, customer support can be problematic, too (depending on local distributor).

>>107019279
interesting, well i'm glad i know about that now. I never looked above the basic aeon, but i had heard of some unit variation in the past i just had hoped it was dealt with by now.
>If you're not American, customer support can be problematic, too (depending on local distributor).
I'm canadian and its just so tiresome dealing with anything from america. Shipping is just fucking absurd, i got a free magni because the ebay sellers mistake and forgot to include a psu and the shipping alone for the wall wort was 3 or 4x the cost of the wort. Replacement aeon pads would cost me $140 after fees/shipping as well

>>107019327
>Replacement aeon pads would cost me $140 after fees/shipping as well
I don't live in Canada but same. The Dekoni sheepskin ones are like half the price($60 vs $120) because Dekoni has a few distributors in Europe and original DCA pads I'd have to import from America kek.

>>107011301
>The under $100 market for headphones is pretty horrific unfortunately.
No it is not. KSC75 is all you need (and all I'd recommend) until you get to $100. And once you get to $100 you can simply buy a 400SE. That's it. Skip Senny shit, skip Beyer shit, skip Grado shit, skip "gaymer" shit, and of course skip IEMs unless you need them for outdoors.
And get a good fucking amp and dac when you have more cash.

>>107016239
Idk if you missed the part where the anon said "good"

>>107018193
Most definitely a huge upgrade and I don't like the HDB 630.

>>107012629
Maybe it's a rare case but my friend has the very first HE1000 (2015) and not only it sounds better than every other HE1000 that came out (IMO) it works just as fine as the first day. Super comfortable too. But it seems to be very rare as I can't find a single one for sale. Probably Hifiman's fault too for having like 6 diff headphones called HE1000

>>107020778
is this the new poor fag cope?

>>107019279
Wow that FR graph looks horrendous. People buy those?

>>107020808
do you think that particular model was better in general or it's more of a silicone lottery comparison? If it's the prior, sucks they didn't keep up with it. It's not like a lot of the more reliable brands are exactly killing it lately

>>107020811
Where's the cope? Anon said there's nothing good under $100, I said there is pretty much 1 option and then something else once you can spend $100. I genuinely don't recommend getting anything other than those for $20 and save the money for a big upgrade later on.

>>107020858
I liked the tuning of the original HE1000 much more than whatever they're doing with the new ones.

>>107020872
idk i think i overacted my bad. I still have ptsd from on ears when i used them like 15 years ago

>>107020782
yes, HD-600

>>107020912
They're total shit for the price mate.
I paid 130€ for mine some years back (original version that came out) and it was surprisingly shit. Yes, the pads were in good condition. I got rid of them very quickly. I was told they were shit but I didn't expect them to be so bad for something that retails for like 270€.

>Wanted to get some planars
>This thread has scared me
Damn.

Do you fags remember a couple of years back when the Topping shills were out in full force?
>exploding chinese dacs/amps
>killing your cans when powering off/on
>paying a premium for chi-fi
>asr autism

>>107021280
yes. I hope that sand nigger is happy now that no one with a brain takes him seriously aside from his retarded redditor fanbase.
Topping tried to charge me $20 for a terminal cap which probably costs 3 cents to make, claiming $20 was a shipping charge and i should donate it to their paypal address.
>>107021259
understandable, if i didn't already own two pairs i probably wouldn't bother, but i've been planning on selling them since i don't use them anymore.

>>107021330
>i've been planning on selling them since i don't use them anymore.
Upgraded to...?

>>107021393
hd 800, i had wanted to try them forever and finally found a pair locally for $800 cad in pretty good shape. I couldn't be happier with them, no clamp, i find them more comfortable than my aeons, and i pretty much just listen to ambient music anyways so the imaging and sound stage isn't really matched by anything else.
I own way too many pairs of headphones I bought on price errors and i've just been to lazy to deal with selling them

>>107021446
>the imaging and sound stage isn't really matched by anything else

Well... there is something else that surpasses it ez... But they're from 1989 and you're gonna have to wait for a good pair to show up with a low S/N. It's called the K1000. I'd never sell my pair.

>>107021579
I heard about those a few years back and there wasn't even any on the used market at the time
>you're gonna have to wait for a good pair to show up with a low S/N
were the earlier units better?

my cousin gave me his arctis pro with game dac a few years, it's started to fall apart and I'm looking at something on par with them at least.
budget is $150-200
I've been looking at the hd599 and the dt990 pros any suggestions are appreciated

>>107020854
Lol

Lmao even

Post your headphones kiddo.

>>107021330
>>107021259
Meanwhile I've had my audeze for a decade and never had any problems, just replaced ear cups 2-3 times in that 10 years.

>>107010057 (OP)
Looking for an amp/headphone combo for gayming and music on my desktop
>France
>Up to 400 yurobucks
>Preferably open
>Mostly dark synth and adjacents
>Philips Fidelio 2

>>107021734
>were the earlier units better?
They're the only good ones. Most of the ones you see on reviews are from the late serial numbers which mostly sound like treble rape and nothing else. So ideally one with an SN below 5000. However be aware that those have a HIGH tendency to have buzzing on bass notes, so you MUST ask the seller if it has that issue or not.
And I seriously hope you have a proper speaker amplifier cause those (ideally) plug in with bare wire on the back of an amp just like speakers.

>>107022999
Earspeakers like this literally can't NOT have severe bass clipping, unless your music has no bass. Sr1a is the same.

>>107022414
I'm a high end estat setup kind of guy. Have multiple headphones.

>>107023031
My unit has no bass clipping whatsoever (the previous one I had did distort badly) but I also don't listen to whatever modern niggabass is popular nowadays like trap or EDM or whatever so I guess if you wanted to blast your ears with that stuff you'd get them to clip, but the people that buy these tend to have a much more refined music taste. Personally even though I'm mostly an estat guy, these ear speakers are my favorite "headphones" for vinyl listening. Mesmerizing, really.

>>107023220
man, i wished they made the granvia cable but for single ended 3.5mm

>>107022450
i didn't mean to imply all planars are junk and won't last, i just meant the current state of things is rather depressing lately. I want to try out a pair of audeze lcd 2's some day, i've missed so many god damn sales because of living in fucking canuckland and no one ships to me
>>107022999
I'll keep that in mind, idk if i'll ever be able to find a pair of those but it would be cool if i ever get really lucky

Vmoda apparently rereleased their m100, which I had bought back in 2013 and love. Would recommend for anyone looking for bass without the planar spikes

talk me out of buying the hdb 630s

>>107023031
it's possible with a high pass filter

do you recommend schiit modi/magni for DT770 pro ?

>>107022325
>hd599
I'd get 6XX over those. Not because of better performance(in fact, 599 might distort less) but because it's far more comfortable than anything in in the 5x line. It's also easier to repair since you can take it apart easily and there are replacement parts everywhere.
>dt990 pro
If you don't like treble rape I wouldn't recommend them. Get 6XX or if you want something with less bass distortion there's HE400SE but it has the shittiest QC in all of audio so probably not worth the risk. Chinkfiman is chinkfiman for a reason, after all.
>>107022450
I've had my 2Cs since launch and they're still fine. I've heard Audeze's QC has gotten worse since they were acquired by Sony, though.
>>107023786
If it's not the 250 ohm version then a US apple dongle would be enough to drive them. If it is the 250 ohm version, yeah, sure. I feel like Schiit's products have become shittier(haha get it) in recent years but ignoring whatever potentiometer issues some of their stuff has, performance is very good. So yeah, a Schiit stack would be fine.

>>107024048
>because it's far more comfortable than anything in in the 5x line
most people find the 500 series a lot more comfortable than 600, if the 599 is available for less than $100 (frequently is), I'd take it over the 6XX any day

>>107024672
I hate the little bump 500 series Sennheisers have inside the cup. Makes them uncomfortable to wear for long. That's how it felt to me at least. 600's only problem is the initial clamp force and that can be fixed by either bending the metal part or putting them on a stack of books for a day or two.

>>107024048
>If it's not the 250 ohm version then a US apple dongle would be enough to drive them. If it is the 250 ohm version, yeah, sure. I feel like Schiit's products have become shittier(haha get it) in recent years but ignoring whatever potentiometer issues some of their stuff has, performance is very good. So yeah, a Schiit stack would be fine.

Thank you anon i have the 80 ohm version and a moondrop dawn pro, i don't know if the schiit is an upgrade for this

>>107010057 (OP)
Looking at an unboxing of these on Youtube and I'm amazed the foam pads hadn't fucking disintegrated as they tend to do over time.

>>107021259
Just buy a Sundara like everyone who's not willing to spend thousands on headphones but wants a planar. They will probably die eventually but they are relatively cheap

>>107015183
>just EQ bro
Unironically this.
I do not use IEMs because they are uncomfortable and produce earwax.

>>107024745
Dawn Pro has a SINAD of about 118 so there'll be no sound difference. If you want more power, go for it. But if they get loud enough off of that then there's no real reason to get a Schiit stack. Unless you want the volume knob, of course. A knob is pretty nice.

I have a really bad left right weakness (i cant tell them apart) and have now worn my over ear headphones the wrong way for the past 3 months of owning them, in the end it doesnt matter right? Its still the same audio, right??

>>107024810
Fiio FT1 Pro kinda replaced the Sundara as the go-to planar in that price range

>>107022325
Don't get the HD599, those suck and are a very noticeable downgrade from newer HD5** models. See if you can get a HD560S/505/550 for around $200.

>>107022325
Love my 990 pros but I picked up some hd6xx and now I'm starting to see what people mean with treble rape. I'll probably recommend them going forward, and no disclaimer about the plastic slider breaking.

>>107020778
>KSC75
what if you don't want wireless

>>107025956
>KSC75
>wireless

>>107020788
Any negative in the HDB 630 you would like to highlight?

>>107021280
Yeah, I still have my Topping D30 from 2018.

tried the HD 630 on e-Earphones, and honestly, I don’t feel the need to upgrade from my Momentum 4. It sounds good, but the Momentum 4 isn’t far behind. Maybe a little EQ tweaking could help, but I’m not sure it’s worth the switch.

>>107025746
The treble rape stops when the pads wear in a bit.

>>107028681
my dekoni elite velour pads are like 6 months old with 8+ hours of daily use. I like my 990 but there are definitely parts of songs where I've noticed that I would normally listen to at a lower volume. Outside of that and comfort, I don't think I could a/b test them. Will probably swap back in a month because of the comfort difference.

My DT 770 Pro is dying

Also I broke the actual audio port on my PC

These events might be related. What gives similar or better audio quality as it without costing substantially more than $200? Also how do I fix the audio jack on my PC.

>>107029067
>What gives similar or better audio quality as it without costing substantially more than $200?
HD6XX or FT1 Pro.
>Also how do I fix the audio jack on my PC
Just get an apple dongle or just a dongle DAC. External solutions are cleaner than onboard audio anyway.

>>107029133
>dongle DAC
What's the best one to get for a PC? I have no knowledge of this only that the top rated item on Amazon is usually botted likes and sucks ass.

>>107029133
What do the HD6XX or FT1 Pro do better?

The 770 Pro just sounds really great for listening to music, people, or game audio, and it's close backed with some noise cancelling and I also need to not be flooding audio out of them. I notice that the vast majority of base models of these two are open back, which I kinda don't want.

>>107029152
FiiO KA11, Sonata BHD(non Pro) or Moondrop Dawn Pro are all decent options. They use similar chips anyway and all measure pretty well so it doesn't matter much which you get. I guess KA11 had some weird issues at launch, not sure if those are still present but it has the smallest form factor out of all of those.
>>107029163
FT1 Pro in particular has lower distortion since it's a well tuned planar magnetic headphone. HD6XX is one of the most durable headphones I've ever seen and the stock tuning is also very good. Neither has the excessive treble Beyerdynamic cans usually have. If you absolutely need a closed back then the non pro FT1 or HD620 are decent. If you like the 770 Pro so much then you can just get the 770 Pro X. Slightly less annoying treble from what I've seen and a detachable cable.

>>107029219
Could you tell me what the real difference is between these two? The first is 20 Ohm but more expensive by a good margin.

>>107029290
The first one is the Pro, the second one is the non Pro. It's a retarded naming scheme since those are essentially two different headphones with different tuning. The Pro is an open back planar magnetic headphone with a neutral tuning and the non Pro is a cheaper, closed back dynamic driver headphone with a bass boost. The first one is better imo but if it's a closed back you need then the cheaper FT1 without the Pro is the one you're looking for.

>>107029300
Thanks for clearing that up.

Also everything I see here is USB-C. I don't think my PC has any USB-C ports on it. I do have a USB-C to standard/2.0 converter, but will that harm sound quality and defeat the point? Seems like if I want a Dongle, I need both a USB-C port and a different mate because they all seem to take a tri-striped audio adapter and mine only has two stripes.

>>107029305
A regular USB-C to USB-A converter will be fine. It won't affect the sound quality. Most of those are USB-C because they're often used with phones or laptops. Back when I didn't have a desktop amp I just used a Sonata HD Pro with a USB-A adapter(some of them even come with one) and there was no sound degradation.
>mine only has two stripes
You mean your audio jack has 2 rings? That's not an issue. 2 is usually just stereo, 3 is sometimes stereo + volume control or mic. As long as it's the right connector type then 2 or 3 rings won't make a difference.

>>107029330
Would you rec a desktop amp over a dongle? I mostly just play games and listen to metal, but I wouldn't call myself an audiophile in the sense I'm trying to spend less than 500 dollars total on an audio setup and am only even asking because I tripped like a retard on a cable and fucked up my audio port as a result. Otherwise I was pretty happy with how my 770 was doing.

>>107029356
>Would you rec a desktop amp over a dongle?
Unless you need more power or want the convenience of a volume knob then not really. There's no sound improvement anyway compared to a good dongle regardless of what some snake oil salesmen might say. I got a desktop amp since DCA planars are really power hungry and dongles wouldn't cut it.
>because I tripped like a retard on a cable and fucked up my audio port as a result.
Kek happens to the best of us. I remember fucking up my mic port that way once.
>Otherwise I was pretty happy with how my 770 was doing
If you liked the sound signature then you can consider just getting the 770 Pro X which is the same thing with some improvements. If someone's used to more treble like most Beyerdynamic headphones have, other headphones might sound dull. But it's mostly a case of getting used to one sound signature, really.

Wasn't there a speaker general at some point?
I want to buy a shitty ass soundbar for my shitty ass giant monitor so I can watch twitch streamers casually in the background while I do other more important things. I was looking at rhe yamaha sr-c20a for the sole reason that it runs off of a 20v power brick which I can throw in the ocean and replace it with a usbc cable powered off the usb hub that powers some of my other slop.
Does yamaha make good products or is it ass

>>107025320
It does matter. Every sound intended to be panned to the right will be panned to the left and viceversa. If you were to play FPS games like that you'd go insane.

I got a question. Will buying this make headphones sound better? By how much?

>>107031189
No.

>>107020788
Momentum 4 are 200 usd.
630 are 500 usd.
Difference isnt that much between the 2.

>>107031189
Maybe

>>107010057 (OP)
>Location: EU
>budget: 150€-ish?
>Open/closed back: indifferent but I believe closed would be better
>Sound signature: literally everything
>Previous equipment: HiFi Walker H2 for daily commute, a pair of Soundcore Q30 because I wanted to connect my phone via Bluetooth, some chink IEMs.
I am mainly searching for EU-made and was looking at Austrian Audio (since I have had a pair of wonderful AKG in the past). What might my other options be?

>>107031189
If your headphones support aptX Adaptive and lossless sure.

>>107031231
>I am mainly searching for EU-made and was looking at Austrian Audio
beyers are still made in germany, old akg k701's are made in austria but you'd have to overpay for an old pair because that was like 10 years ago, as far as i know 600 line is still made in parts of europe, ireland last i checked, but again used for ur range. lower end sen is made in china, idk i think that's all i can remember sadly. Of all those i listed only closed backs are dt 770 from beyer, i don't have any experience with austrian audio

>>107031353
and by 600 line i mean sennheiser hd 600/650/6xx, i probably should clarify that to anyone new here

If you EQ your headphones you're coping.

>>107025956
So KSC75.

>>107029067
>What gives similar or better audio quality as it without costing substantially more than $200?
Used hifiman edition XS from ebay. But also spend like 150 on a good dac/amp.

>>107031780
Yeah, if you're a real audiophile you'll get surgery on your skull to reshape it to match the engineer who tuned your headphones.

>>107032339
If your headphones don't sound good without EQ get better headphones. It really is that simple.
The only headphones I've heard that only become tolerable or decent with EQ were all low tier shit.

Got these for 9,99 euro. I'm pretty sure they were tuned by a deaf guy. They sound like you're listening to music underwater. But hey, I equalized them. I cut off lots of midbass and I boosted some treble. They're 9.99 euro, they're light, comfy, you forget you're wearing them and now they sound very good. I'm so excited about them

>>107032385
You're telling on yourself

I think this says more about your inability to EQ than it does about headphones.

>>107032388
>on-ear
>no headband cushion
>comfy
maybe for 30 minutes

Looking for some cheap headphones for casual use and these seem like the best option from what i've gathered.
any other recommendations?

>>107031231
>Austrian Audio
avoid, bizarre tuning and hinges are made to fail

>>107010057 (OP)
Any AKG K371 bros here? They sound great and I haven't had any build quality issues. I have Thomann 3 year warranty so if they break I'm not cooked.

>>107032403
>your inability to EQ
Inability to EQ? I used to EQ all the time when I started in the hobby and had cheap 100€ - 200€ shit. Used it all the time. Then I slowly got into better equipment with better headphones (and I tried a ton of things, very important) and I realized great headphones sound great and that's why they come at a price. And if they don't sound good without EQ they're just not that good then. If you have to EQ your headphones so they don't sound bad, you're coping (and probably also a poorfag).

>>107032749
What even the fuck is BERIBES.
No one has ever heard about that brand ever.
Do not buy chinese garbage. For the same price, I'd recommend a Koss KSC75 (yes, forget about bluetooth) and pair it with an Apple Dongle as your DAC and amp.

>>107032385
Not a single headphone sounds good without EQ. Sub-$500 stuff sounds bad even with EQ.

>>107032973
You should be EQing every headphones, even $50000 headphones or $1M+ speaker systems.

Sound is personal, everyone's ear is slightly different, and your perception of sound will differ from everyone else.

If you're NOT EQing, you're retarded.

Enjoy being retarded.

I changed earpads on my Sundaras after 4.5 years of owning them.

I bought the original ones on Amazon.de which was a total ripoff at 64€, but I have no clue if they really are the originals. They came in a clear plastic bag that says "Dynasty Consulting Limited" with a hotmail address on it. They do look and feel similar to the originals though.

Getting them in and out was very finnicky. The old ones were completely falling apart and so is the "leather" headband which I don't think can be changed.

It might be my idea but I think replacing them brought back the very low end of the bass (I use EQ).

>>107032686
They're so light you won't notice you have them on.
They arrived yesterday morning and I wore them all day with no issues at all.
I'm an IEM guy but it's flu season and I have lots of earwax and I didn't want all of my iems to fail.
I tried a pair of Grado SR60 in the past and this Sony pair is comfier for me

>>107032749
I wouldn't pay a no brand headphone that much.
Something similar from AliExpress would be 5 bucks.
I gave my gf a pair of Anker Q20i and she loves them.
I'd recommend looking at Anker if you want decent quality for casual use without spending too much

>>107031189
I'm considering getting one just so I can plug it into my phone when I'm not charging so dust getting into the USB-port.

>>107031189
No. Also sound "quality" doesn't exist. FR is what counts. You can eq a 10 dollar headphone to sound like a 500 dollar headphone. And price isn't related to audio quality

>>107033153
That pic looks practically identical to HE400se earpads. Same shape, same texture. Only difference I can see is a slight difference in the ejector pin marks, and that could be explained by mold wear.

>>107033274
Maybe it's the same. They are called "Palipads" for the Sundara.

>>107033138
You're supposed to get headphones with a curve that aligns to your preferences. If you're an audiophile hopefully that's neutral, but there's also V shape, warm, bright...

>>107033138
>If you're NOT EQing, you're retarded.
I've gone through plenty of headphones and found at least 4 that sound phenomenal to me without the need to apply any EQ. I believe anyone can do the same thing.
EQ works if you want to cheap out and think you can get away with getting some cheap $200 Sennheiser and EQ it to whatever Oratory on Reddit tells you makes the headphone sound like a TOTL headphone. But it really does not work that way.

>>107034006
You need EQ even if the headphone hits your personal curve perfectly due to positional variation, pad condition and good ol' QC.
>>107034024
>using presets
Bruh.

>>107034006
Again, you should be EQing EVERYTHING.

Nothing is going to be out of the box perfect for your preferences, even just doing micro adjustments for personal taste are better than no EQ at all.

>>107034024
Retard

What are some better alternatives to AirPods 4 with ANC at a similar price?

>>107010057 (OP)
India, 300$
Usecase is indoor gaming with ps5. Should be light and easy on ears. Not sure about open and closed back. ANC is not needed. Wireless is a must and wired when out of battery is a bonus. Reccs pweease

>>107033153
>It might be my idea but I think replacing them brought back the very low end of the bass (I use EQ).
it's possible

Why does no one make solid aluminum over ear headphones besides moondrop?
Might just buy the venus off ebay and use aluminum gun black to make them not a gay color.

>>107010057 (OP)
europe
~100-120 eur
n/a
rock
air pods

requ: over ears

My Fiio K7 seems to be dying, so I'm looking considering a new DAC/AMP. Right now, I'm looking at the Topping DS5 II. If anyone has one, how is it? I mainly use the HD600 and the Denon AH-D9200.

>>107034497
I saw a review on ASR of a Topping unit that had built in parametric EQ for each individual output, that seemed really interesting since I use headphones and IEMs.

>>107034336
wired or wireless?

>>107035338
Wireless, looking at the marshall major v currently selling for sub 100 eur at amazon

>>107034497
Looks good as far as DAC/Amps go, if the features like onboard PEQ and a screen are worth it to you. DX1 Pro+ is still decent if you don't need those, or something like a Moondrop Dawn Pro or Apple dongle if you don't want to overpay at all

>>107035359
do you want to primarily use it at home, or on the go?

>>107035387
on the go

>buy etymotic ER4SR
>never come back to this shitty general
>enjoy
Why aren't you guys doing this? I bought my pair of etys 10 years ago and I'm never looking back.

>>107035541
I prefer not to have my earholes sodomised

>>107035430
Just stick to your Air Pods and save up for something a little better, wireless ANC headphones in that price range aren't really worth it, unless you can find some used Sennheiser Momentums or Sony WHs or something like that anywhere.

>>107035359
>>107035430
acutally, just check the Sennheiser outlet for refurbished stuff, they have some cheap Accentum Plus headphones available where I'm at

>>107035587
Fine, get a pair of HD600s. They are the ER4SR of headphones and ER4SRs are the HD600s of IEMs. I used to own both.

>>107034497
Really well measuring unit. I remember there were some issues with the PEQ at launch but I'm pretty sure those are already fixed at this point. If my K7 ever kicks the bucket too I'll probably get this as well.
>>107034291
Aren't FT1 Pro and AR5000 both mostly aluminum? Actually, most FiiO and Aune headphones are aluminum now that I think about it.
>>107034024
There's no headphone with a perfect frequency response. That's what EQ is for.
t. tried multiple kilobuck headphones, every single one of them was better with EQ. DCA Expanse was the one exception since EQ was only a very minor improvement.
Even HE-1 uses a DSP built into the gear that comes with them to achieve a good bass response so the most expensive headphones in the world use a built in EQ preset for tuning. Pretty smart, that.
>>107034159
Audeze Maxwell. For gaming you need something wireless with a 2.4 dongle and Maxwell is the only option that has it and doesn't sound like shit.

What Hz settings should i be setting my Fiio to? I don't fully understand what the difference is between the normal 48000 Hz and higher or lower settings

>>107036444
>>107036444
48khz or 96khz unless you listen to CD audio exclusively, then set it to 44.1khz

>>107036459
Can i get a reason why those 2 and not higher. or just why youd pick any over the others? I mostly use my headphones for games but i swap this amp between outputting to headphone and speakers

>>107036317
>Maxwell is the only option that has it and doesn't sound like shit
There's the Hyper X Cloud III S for cheap niggas, and a lot of other gaming headsets come with real PEQ that can be saved to the device. Maxwell just needs a little less of it than most.

>>107036516
NTA but most games are encoded to 48khz, most music is 44.1. If you choose a higher sample rate Windows will automatically upsample audio that's a lower sample rate to the higher one you chose and that can lead to audio degradation since their algorithm is shit. A higher bitrate won't lead to upsampling so choose the highest bitrate you can(32 bit in this case) and imo 48khz. 96khz still means most audio will be upsampled to 96khz and that's not ideal. Somewhat unrelated but one nice improvement I've noticed since switching to Linux is you can set for the OS not to upsample but to dynamically switch the sample rate to whatever the audio file uses at the time. From what I know that isn't possible on Windows. Also, some games will have audio issues with higher sample rates. Some multiplayer games won't play audio over 192khz and from my own experience Saya no Uta will play no audio if your sample rate is above 48khz.
>>107036576
That may be but since the acquisition HyperX has had such awful QC I wouldn't be surprised if the headset fell apart shortly after buying. And there's no distortion measurements for most other gaming headsets so even if you fix the FR it's possible distortion will be so bad it'd sound like shit. But I haven't tried Cloud IIIs myself so I'm not 100% sure on whether they distort or not.

>>107036617
People say they don't like getting their bass boosted, which they don't need anyway. They mostly need reductive EQ in some areas, and the Maxwells aren't a good recommendation either if you're worried about QC or longevity.

>>107036696
>the Maxwells aren't a good recommendation either if you're worried about QC or longevity.
Touché. Well, that's most wireless headphones, really. I'd still trust Audeze more on QC than post acquisition HyperX. I remember buying a new Cloud Alpha to replace my old one, that was not long after they changed the build and tuning. The newer one was not only built like shit, it sounded worse too. So I'm pretty apprehensive towards that company. Not that I haven't heard a bunch of horror stories about Maxwells failing, but I've heard similar about most gaming headsets, sadly. I'm pretty sure Audeze's QC got worse since they were bought by Sony as well. I wonder if Beyers will start failing faster since they got acquired by chinks.

>>107036744
>I wonder if Beyers will start failing faster
even faster?

>>107036781
jej

>>107036261
wayyyyy ahead of you there buddy

>>107036781
Those fucking sliders are such a common failure point that I gave my friend a set of those beefed up 3D printed ones for his Tygr for when the inevitable happens.

>location
South America
>budget
~100
>open/closed back
Closed
>sound signature (favorite music)
Rock - Metal - 90s Rap - Podcasts
>previous equipment
I bought AKG K240 in July 2024 and the left channel doesn't work anymore.

>>107037383
discounted akg k361/k371 or sennheiser hd569, or rig r5 pro hs

>>107036444
In theory, setting it to the sample rate of whatever is being played back makes the most sense
In practice, windows resampling doesn't produce any audible artifacts (pic related) and you can't hear ultrasonics (https://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html), so it mostly doesn't actually matter
exceptions would be intersample overs (resampler not having enough headroom and clipping) and ultrasonic content causing intermodulation distortion products in the audible band somewhere down your playback chain (most likely transducer), though I haven't seen any demonstration of audibility of either outside of worst case test signals
for the former, you can use e.g. equalizer apo to apply some negative preamp gain (like -4dB)
for the latter, setting a lower sampling rate (44/48kHz) is actually better since downsampling gets rid of ultrasonic junk

>>107036617
>can lead to audio degradation since their algorithm is shit
source: your ass
it's completely inaudible, pic related
the only *potentially* audible issues are the limiter and intersample overs (the latter will also happen inside most DACs)
both of which can be avoided by applying a negative preamp gain, e.g. through equalizer apo

>bought a pair of HD600’s from Gumtree (Ausfag version of Craigslist)
>go to dude’s house to pick them up
>some old bloke empty nester
>”yeah my hearing is going so my wife said to sell the collection!”
>ended up buying super clean marble effect HD600’s and some AKG K712’s for AU$400 for both
Good haul, but it made me sad.
Also as an Aussie I got to audition a Schiit tube amp, was orite desu.

>>107037585
>it's completely inaudible, pic related
Okay, fair enough, I concur. I wasn't aware they improved their algorithm over time. Still, the issue with games not playing audio properly is still a thing with higher sample rates. This is something I noticed with some older games especially. I wish Windows could implement dynamic sample rate switching like Linux has since that completely eliminates the issue. Unless there's some particular driver that adds that functionality but I'm not aware of anything like that. As far as I know Windows only auto adjusts the bit depth.

>>107037591
>yeah my hearing is going so my wife said to sell the collection!
That's why you don't need an amp.

Are planar magnetics basically the oled to the dynamic driver's ips for headphones?

>>107038120
With monitors, you actually see a difference, whereas it'd be way harder or even impossible to notice a difference with planars and DDs EQed to the same target. It would just be somewhat easier to make the planar target compliant, and it would break shortly after.

>>107038120

auditorium used to have three way speakers with planar tweeters and i have had dynamic drivers but supposedly low moving mass is not magikal

>>107038120
no difference except for FR and distortion, and since there's no consistency in these two variables for planars, there is no difference with dynamic drivers

Well you fags made me buy a pair of FT1 Pros to see if there’s anything to Planars.
Wish me luck!

Is it safe to buy headphones off of ali express? I trialled fiio ft1 using Amazon and I'm happy with them but I can save a good amount returning then buying them from ali.

>>107039318
yes, wait for sales tho, the lowest i saw them for was around $120

>>107038945
But there's nothing to them in particular, open back planars maybe have slightly more extended bass than comparable open back DDs, and high-end planars sometimes have smoother treble than DDs in that price range, but >>107038752 is pretty much correct.

>>107039361
Thanks. How frequent are sales? If it means waiting 6 months then I'd consider keeping the Amazon ones despite the price difference

>>107039404
11.11 and bfcm are right around the corner
for reference, 11.11 is the biggest sales period in asia for the whole year, and is a holiday purely made for consumerism. prices get absurdly low because vendors can make profit through pure volume
i will say that the last two years of 11.11 sales on aliexpress have been disappointing, but it's still much cheaper than anything you could possibly buy off of amazon even during prime sales and bfcm

>>107039424
That's a no brainer then. Thanks again

Was itching for a new set, went into a store today looking to buy the ADX5000 - he recommended planar instead. Walked out with the HE1000SE after testing them instead. All i can say is, fucking amazing. Prefer them over my HD800S.

>>107010057 (OP)
>US
>~$2-300
>I don't know, I guess open
>Prog, need something with decent imaging to hear the drum panning better
>Panasonic- Rp-hs46e-k Slim

I have Stax Sigma. What is the progression from here if I still want the ultra-wide soundstage?

>>107033269
>Also sound "quality" doesn't exist. FR is what counts. You can eq a 10 dollar headphone to sound like a 500 dollar headphone.
lmao

>>107033269
>sound "quality" doesn't exist. FR is what counts
LOL, lmao even
>You can eq a 10 dollar headphone to sound like a 500 dollar headphone
XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Biggest poorfag cope I've read in a while holy shit

>>107040627
I also have it, in particular the original 1977 version with the cloth cable. It is an incredible, spectacular sounding headphone with the right material.
For an even bigger stage, I'd recommend the K1000, but keep in mind they're tuned very differently. The K1000 is much more neutral sounding, whereas the Sigma is pretty warm. And if you get that one make sure it's the low serial version (under 5000).
I own both and use each for different music and moods.

>>107034058
>You need EQ even if the headphone hits your personal curve perfectly due to positional variation, pad condition and good ol' QC.
I don't if I put them on and it sounds fantastic. Perks of buying great headphones. The only "tuning" I've done was pick the right sounding amp for it, one that compliments the sound of it.

>>107040817
Liking headphones without EQ is a skill issue.

>>107034066
>Nothing is going to be out of the box perfect for your preferences
Like I said, each headphone has its own character and specific sound. Get one that aligns with your preferences. I have multiple headphones, each with their own characteristic sound, which I pick depending on the kind of music I'm going to listen to. It really is the way.

>>107034532
>ASR and Topping
KEK, lmao even

>>107036261
We should stop recommending garbage headphones.

>>107036317
>There's no headphone with a perfect frequency response
Headphones have their own character, pick the one(s) that align the most with your preferences. If it sounds good out of the box, you keep it. If it sounds bad, you get rid of it. Preferably have multiple, each with a different sound for different genres of music or moods.
If a headphone requires EQ to sound good to me, it's not a good headphone.

>Even HE-1 uses a DSP
Yes, we know HE-1 is a meme. It's simply an all-in-one statement piece, that's why it's so expensive. It's also a worse sounding headphone than other comparable (older) estats that cost less, plus HE-1 is basically Harman tuned which is a recipe for failure. Friend of mine only lasted 1 minute listening to them before calling them shit lol.

>>107037591
>bought a pair of HD600
Sorry for your loss.

>>107038025
How are those two things related at all?

How likely are 125 euro Sony XM4's and 175 euro Sony XM5's to be fakes, respectively? I really want to replace my current Opus X headphones because the headband plastic is breaking apart and they might not last the year.
My other options in this price range are various low-end brand new shit like Edifier or another Razer (Barracuda X or X Chroma).

>>107041588
If something is too good to be true, it usually is. That said, Sony released the XM6 recently so maybe the seller just wants to get rid of new old stock

>>107041720
>released the XM6 recently
Shit, I'd get these, but 400+ euro for a pair of headphones is ridiculous. The seller is claiming they've used the XM4's for like 2 weeks and don't like how they feel, and that they won them in a raffle or something.
The shipping will definitely have view&test policy at the courier office, so I could potentially test their realness by using the Sony app and trying the features like auto stopping music when talking or taking them off.
Or maybe I should try to go up to the 175-200 euro XM5 listings I see? Tough choice.

My Ath-M50x died today after 10 years of service (busted joint)

I want to replace it with something more fancy, but either I have never heard about the companies (meaning they can fall apart in 1 week) or they have obscene pricing (>$1k) because cups are cocobolo wood o algo

The options I looked at
>austrian (not painter) sound hi-x65
Look robust enough and the sound isn't ass (or so they say o algo)
>Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO X
Supposed to sound good, but looks really flimsy, especially the pads and joints
>FiiO FT5
Planars, don't cost $2k
>audeze the ones with gold and wood
I heard that they are ok-ish and can be repaired easily

Which ones are better in your opinion and why and if you have recommendations please do recommend

Mainly I am going to use them for bindu gmaes and listening to music and watching movies.

>>107041810
>audeze
Meze

I am retarded

>>107041810
>>107041849
Out of these, specifically? Either FT5 or the Meze. Beyerdynamic is treble rape and I haven't tried anything from austrian audio so can't really comment on those. Heard some of their models are pretty good, though. FT5 have the lowest distortion out of those and are mostly metal so should be decently built. But DCA Aeon RT or X would be better desu. Better build quality and lighter.

>>107041289
>Preferably have multiple, each with a different sound for different genres of music or moods
yes, consooom dozens of shitphones instead of buying one good headphone and using eq to adjust to taste

-Dynamic Drivers:
The classic, can be very cheap or very expensive. Moderate distortion, but able to easily deliver plenty of impact, even though they tend to struggle with bass extension.

-Planar Magnetic Drivers:
A step up from dynamics. Less distortion, better detail, better extension and impactful yet quick bass.

-Electrostatic Drivers:
The cream of the crop. Extremely low distortion, tons of detail, super fast transients and the best extension on both ends of the frequency range, although usually less impactful than planars or dynamics. Get ready to pay a premium and I hope you have a really good amp.

Quick guide for everyone wondering about the differences between headphone driver types.

>>107040831
I don't see how it's a skill issue if they sound so good there's nothing I'd change about them. If I put on a pair of headphones and I think "hm, gotta add more bass" or "hm, treble too spicy, gotta bring it down" then it simply isn't a good headphone. Or your amp is not good enough.
Try everything that's out there, save up, upgrade, find your nirvana. I found mine already.

>>107042200
There is no single headphone on the planet that does absolutely everything with complete perfection. That's why you get multiple, to cover everything you listen to and / or all your moods.
Remember: Jack of all trades, master of none. EQ won't solve this.

>>107041810
>>107041849
Sennheiser HD 490 Pro
They're lightweight, comfortable, built solidly (despite the plastic), and arguably sound better than anything on your list.
>Austrian Audio
>Look robust enough
They only look that way, there are many reports of the hinges breaking after only a few months of light use.
>Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO X
Bright as fuck. Only for people with high frequency hearing loss and true trebleheads.
>Fiio FT5
Very warm/muddy and lacking in clarity.
>Meze the ones with gold and wood
99 Classics? Those sound comically bad, very muffled due to ridiculous amounts of bass and lower mids.

>>107042547
Does it need an amp?
It's 100Ohms

>>107042233
Cope lvl 100, it's okay to just admit that you have a hyperfixation on headphones and that's why you feel a need to collect them

EQ one headphone for all music vs juggle multiple headphones depending on the track. Hmmmm...
>>107042222
>if they sound so good there's nothing I'd change about them
That's the skill issue.

>>107042947
No, its sensitivity/efficiency is quite high (100 dB @ 1 mW, 109 dB @ 1 Vrms).

>>107043021
It isn't a need, but if you can have a stellar headphone for each kind of music you listen to or your mood, why not? Each one has a specific sound and you can't replicate them all with "EQ profiles" so it makes sense.
Don't worry, I also only had one headphone and used EQ when I started out in the hobby. You'll get there.

>>107043090
>depending on the track
Never said track, I said genres or moods.
If I'm listening to brutal death metal in the morning I pick one headphone, if it's 2am and I'm listening to 1960's jazz I'm picking another headphone. And it would be a worse experience if I used the same one for both genres.
>That's the skill issue.
Again, there's no issue whatsoever if I arrived to a combination of amp, dac and headphones that have perfect synergy for my tastes and everything sounds the way I want it to. And that includes each headphone sounding completely different from one another.

>>107043465
NTA but I have multiple and only really use one pair since I need one I can EQ to my preferred target and there's no need for me to use headphones with higher distortion. I have DCA Aeon X, LCD-2C, HD600, HD560s, Aune AR5000, Meze 105. Also used to have a Stax L300 Limited and a Hifiman Arya which I sold. I only really use the DCA. Every single one of those is better with EQ. Without EQ HD560s, HD600 and the Stax have no bass, LCD2 don't have enough treble, Arya has too much treble etc.

>>107043465
I know this is the HE-R9 shill trying to ragebait I just can't prove it yet.

What should one upgrade to from a HD650 (EQ'd), some DCA? I've tried a few planars and was pretty disappointed, or more-so unimpressed.

>>107043827
He hasn't started shilling yet so it might really be him.
>>107043836
>What should one upgrade to from a HD650 (EQ'd), some DCA?
Yeah, probably. His planars are usually lighter and better tuned than most from my experience.
>I've tried a few planars and was pretty disappointed, or more-so unimpressed.
Let me guess, Hifiman? I don't really like most of their lineup. They sell their best model for cheap and all the "better" ones are actually worse. Or it might be that you're just used to the EQ'd HD650 so you're not hearing much of a difference. The bass should be better, at least. But then again if a planar doesn't use glued on pads you probably won't get the benefit of a flat bass response down to or below 20hz. You can also try Audeze but their models are really heavy and kind of uncomfortable. You can also try HD490 but that's just more of the same.

>>107043524
Tracks within one genre have wildly different mastering. Another skill issue on your part. You only think it's perfect because you don't know any better. Nothing physically existing can beat EQ.

>>107042201
How is "impact" distinct from frequency response? How, in a sealed or infinite baffle system, can transients be "fast" in a way distinct from frequency response?

>can't decide between 770 pro x or 700 pro x
>now stores anywhere to try them out, all the tech stores have in house is JBL Apple and Sony dogshit
AAAAAHHHHH

>>107045778
should have gone for the 700 pro x

>>107045981
Why not just get an stereo or surround receiver from a thrift store? They are large boxes but i assume they are large because they separate the components . Mine sounds good

>>107046111
im gonna guess you meant to reply to someone else because i have no idea what youre talking about

>>107041188
No, that's called being an autistic retard, it's not "the way", you're just slightly mentally challenged in a way that doesn't majorly impact your life.

>>107045994
I don't think you quite understood the post you replied to.

>>107046179
Maybe he didn't, but he's right in that they're the better headphones.

>>107045778
Just get 700 pro x. Those are one of the only Beyer cans that don't have ear rape tier treble.
>>107045981
As long as there aren't any vents that you cover and the shell is metal it's ok to stack. And all of these have a metal shell I'm pretty sure. Even if they're stacked on top of each other the heat will get dissipated either way.

>>107024819
Having ears produces earwax.
>>107015362
I used to love my headphones but they're shit for listening to stuff in bed because they're open back and my wife would be kept awake.
They're really only suitable for listening on your own during the daytime.

>get new headphones with cables coming out of both cups
>cant hang them off my mic arm anymore
Into the trash they go

>>107010057 (OP)
>Don't click on the image unless you want to see a old pair of headphones abused beyond imagination.
JUST FUCKING PUNCHED A HOLE IN ONE OF MY MONOLITH M1060 DRIVERS.

Accidentally dropped them on a project and the fucking magnets sucked up a screw and fucked them.

>$200 (used preferably because I'm cheap)
>USA
>Very open, As open as possible.
>I want them only for directional sound in gaming
>Monolith m1060
>Comfort and build quality means nothing to me functionality is all the matters.

I used this old pair I have heavily abused and repaired them over and over for years, their directional sound was awesome, and I fear there is nothing better in the price range.
Those soft rubber foam blocks are what I added in place of ear pads to make them even more open sounding.

>>107047052
>>107047056
I'm both impressed and disgusted.

Also if they're so good, just buy them again.

And if you buy 10 at once, not only will you be set for life, but you'll hit your $200 target, it'll just be $2000 total for 10 of them.

>>107047052
Sennheiser HD490 Pro if you can find them for that price, but try them first since the potruding L/R imprints inside the earcups can be uncomfortable for some. Otherwise used/refurbished HD560s, ideally <$100, but up to $140 is an ok price

Sent my headphones in for a warranty repair and received this message from them - do I actually need an amp for DT700 Pro X? I've had them plugged into my computer's motherboard via Apple USB-C dongle. It's plenty loud, system volume is usually around 24/100. It was my understanding that if the sound is loud enough then an amp isn't needed, and that 48 ohm is relatively low impedance. I don't really feel like dropping another $100-$200, but if it's actually a problem for the headset I'll do it. What do?
>Your DT700 PRO X headset, L-20855 has been repaired. We replaced your connecting cable and head cushion. While testing, we found the right side driver was producing distortion on mids. We replaced the right side driver with a new one. To avoid the possibility of a repeat driver failure, we kindly ask that you check the equipment that you are connecting into for an adequate supply of power. Under powering is often the problem and literally destroyers the drivers. You should not be connecting to an interface or a computer/phone for your sound sources only a headphone amp that supplies 200mw of power into the rated impedance of your headphones which is 48 ohms. Not all headphone amps are capable of this so check the specs for future use. We recommend the Schiit Magni for cost effective, quality reliable power.

>>107047633
I'm gonna press X to doubt since their own specs sheet says 30mW continuous and 100mW peak.

>>107047689
>>107047633
That being said, the Apple USB-C dongle only provides ~21mW at 48ohms, so you're certainly underpowered with the dongle, but you sure as fuck don't need 200mW.

>>107047633
>>107047689
That's bullshit, and amp isn't needed for such a sensitive headphone. In fact, even the 100mW for peak might be too much if you turn up the volume too fast according to Solderdude. I guess you can buy a more powerful dongle if you want but you sure as shit don't need an amp.

$110 endgame is here
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005010252798108.html

>>107047082
lol 10 you say? hmmmm.
After some searching I'm gonna just take your advice and buy some used off ebay and give them a good disinfecting.

>>107047123
That sound like a good plan but looks like it's going to take a while to find them at that price.

>>107043836
Noire XO

I got some new earpads for my dt 990 pro and it sounds noticeably different. It's not bad just different and kind of muffled almost? The actual part that covers the speaker isnt any thicker than the previous ones so I dunno why its different. Is this just change sensitivity or is there something I can do about it?

>>107043836
I went from HD6XX to NoireX and couldn't be happier. But I was looking for something with a fair bit more bass, so maybe you'd want the NoireXO, but I can't speak to your personal tastes.

>>107047689
>>107047742
>>107047749
Thanks for the input, no amp then. Is the driver damage they describe likely caused by underpowering? I may look into a cheap, more powerful DAC to replace the Apple dongle with if so. Any recommendations on decent ones?

>>107010057 (OP)
are pic related good enough
considering replacing my cheapish jbl for it
or should i spend a bit more and go for anker q30
for pc usage

>>107049176
I personally like the Schitt Fulla, but it's a little bit pricey; but it's got a nice knob.

>>107049327
for bluetooth, stax s3 as the minimum. anything below is e-waste

What's the deal with these?
Any good like is being shilled?

>>107040802
thanks anon

>>107049396
The shills are because this is the first "audiophile"-oriented wireless headphones from Sennheiser. I also have been looking at them as a upgrade from my half-decade old Momentums but damn they are expensive.

>>107049379
way over my budget several times over (turkey)

seems both of my aeons have some obvious channel imbalance. Open x from drop and og aeon flow closed. Going to just sell both pairs because i stopped caring for them a long time ago anyways. Where can I start with stax realistically? Last time I looked into them i was considering an eha5 amp but that's not going to happen anymore and the l300 pads are suppose to be horrible. How is the X-1?

>>107049353
Been looking around for a bit and I've been seeing that FiiO is popular, or the Zen Air for $100. Think that's overkill?

>>107044355
Once you try high end planars and estats you can immediately hear it. Of course not all of them display such properties, there's crappy headphones that use those types of drivers
You can adjust dynamics and planars to deliver about the same bass response (provided the dynamic doesn't very quickly roll off) but you can hear how the planar delivers a more immediate impact (from a drum kit for example) while the dynamic seems to linger for a while or "blend in" with the rest of the sound. Planars tend to have faster rise and decay so that's mostly it. Estats are even faster, but they tend to move less air, so that's why even though they can extend aaall the way down and have mega quick transients, they can feel less impactful overall than the other two.

>>107043664
>closed backs and sennheisers
bro hates soundstage
Also that Stax is the worst Stax I ever heard and yet I think they have too much midbass, shit's muddy and bloaty. I sure hope you didn't EQ it to add even MORE.

>>107043827
I don't know who that is but I don't use closed backs and I don't have Hifiman headphones (though I used to before upgrading to estats)

just bought ATH-M50X.
what can i expect?

>>107043995
I only listen to music that has excellent mastering. I'm very particular about this. This often means I almost never listen to music made after the 80s (the golden age of music mastering) but there's so much good shit from that era that it doesn't really matter to me. But basically mastering is such an important matter to me that it's the main reason why I got in the hobby in the first place about 10y ago. Even tried my hand at some mixing / mastering myself to make justice because I hate how shit most music sounds nowadays.

>>107046156
I don't see how at all but go ahead and explain. I can assure you its physically impossible to fully replicate the sound of all my headphones by EQ'ing 1 of them.

>>107046368
>listening to stuff in bed
As much as I hate wireless and IEMs and modern day "muh bass" FR target curves, the new Airpods Pro 3 are the best I've ever used in bed. They even switch off when they notice you've fallen asleep. And with the weird DSP tricks they do in which they emulate "spatial" audio (you gotta enable it though) you can put on some ambiental vaporwave or similar and just fly away.

>>107046581
But they're superior because you can go balanced which provides better sound quality.

>>107047052
Heard these when I was just starting out in the hifi hobby and all I had were the Philips SHP95000 (remember that meme?) and I thought these were pretty shit ngl.

>>107051084
Solid headphones
Very neutral

Not $10k planars, but not some mystery nugget for $10

>>107051084
low quality chink plastic, known to snap, pleather lasts maybe a year before it will peel off the headband and earpads.even if it has no use it will start peeling after some time. no headband padding so it feels like your being skullfucked for eternity. Maybe you'll like how they sound but everything else about them is horrible. Normalfags like them being they see podcast faggots use them and are so use to anc trash that also has no padding that it's not even something they consider to be an issue. But then they ask questions like, "huh why does it feel like i have a migraine when i've been on my pc for over an hour?"
0/10, comfort is the most important thing
build quality also trash so into the bin they go

>>107051042
>closed backs
What??? None of these are closed back, I use the open Aeons if that's what you mean. And no, I didn't add midbass, mostly subbass. But since those don't have an airtight seal even with EQ it was basically impossible since after a ~15 dB boost they started to distort. I've heard the CRBN and X1 before and thought those were much better so you might be right that model is bad. The second CRBN is an abomination though, I legitimately thought the model I was auditioning was broken. Best headphones I've ever heard were DCA Expanse and Stealth but I really don't want to bother with such expensive models since Aeons sound very similar after EQ. The comfort was much better with the higher end DCA models, though, that's for sure.

>>107049176
A Moondrop Dawn Pro would be enough. I don't know which FiiO you mean exactly but if it's K11 make sure to get the regular version and not R2R since that one uses a pretty bad chip and has worse SINAD than some onboard audio.

>>107051341
>Aeons sound very similar after EQ. The comfort was much better with the higher end DCA models, though, that's for sure.
when i tried using my aeons after a few months of leaving them dormant i couldnt get over how clampy they were and how use to it i had gotten. I mean i guess I switched to a headphone with literally no clamp, hd 800. but i havnt noticed it as much before
my one pair has mint pads, others are really worn and the worn pads make them literally impossible to wear, but i cba spending $140 cad for pads atm

>>107047749
Even if an amp is not "needed" it's still very recommended to give them a proper amp and dac. I use my Koss KSC75 ($20) with my dac/amp from 1985 (paid around $800) and they sound so much better off of it compared to my Macbook's 3.5mm jack, even if they don't really need much amplification at all.

>>107047935
>Hi-Res Audio certified, a testament to its reliably great sound
XDDDDDDDDD
Man these chinks

>>107051411
Yeah, that clamp is definitely noticeable when switching from different headphones, I noticed that as well. The headband is nitinol which is a memory metal so it always returns to the original shape which means you can't break it in like you can with headphones that use plastic headbands like HD800. It's way worse with Audeze's carbon fiber headbands, though. Those clamp hard as fuck and since carbon fiber, unlike titanium, won't stretch at all almost the godawful clamp is permanent. Simply awful.
>>107051425
Not even the most retarded thing FiiO has tried to use as marketing. They tried to market the cable for the FT7 as being made with liquid nitrogen and that somehow improves the audio quality kek.

>>107048453
>But I was looking for something with a fair bit more bass
Oh just EQ it up like they say around here, I'm sure it's gonna be identical.

>>107051439
>It's way worse with Audeze's carbon fiber headbands, though. Those clamp hard as fuck and since carbon fiber, unlike titanium, won't stretch at all almost the godawful clamp is permanent. Simply awful.
they weigh a ton right? Those must be just pure skull rape to wear.

>>107049566
>eha5 amp
It's pretty bad.
>L300
Terrible headphone.
>X1
I auditioned it when it came out and was very disappointed. The midbass is boomy but without any actual punch like you'd hear from a planar, it's only a little bit better than an L300 so not much at all.
To start out with Stax, start looking at their actual good stuff from before they were owned by the Chinese. Maybe you can find an SR-404 Signature for roughly the same price as an L300 and it's a pretty good start, otherwise a Lambda Pro from 1982 is extremely good and for many people the one headphone to end the game with.
However, for Stax what matters the most is having a good amp and a good energizer, and that's where most of your money will go to. They're extremely revealing and every amp will make them sound slightly different, but at the very least get an actual AMP (for speakers) and not a modern, smol Stax "driver unit" (bad).
Look up which restored 1970s amps you can get within your budget and then to hook that up to the headphone you're gonna need to have patience and find an old SRD-7mk2, this is a passive energizer that allows you to use Stax headphones with a speaker amp, it's highly sought after and rare but it's really the best choice if its your first setup. Good luck and enjoy the journey.

>>107051444
Well, if HD6XX was low distortion in the bass then maybe. But since it isn't most planars will still have better bass since it should be cleaner due to no or just less distortion. And since headphones with glued on pads extend to even below 20hz which, while not audible, can definitely be "felt" most DCA or Audeze planars should still have bass with more impact.
>>107051458
They made the carbon fiber headbands to make them weigh less but since the rest of the headphones is still magnesium which is heavy as fuck they end up being heavy anyway. Yeah, it really is skull rape. If someone does neck exercises daily they might not mind the weight but it really gets to you after wearing them for longer. That's why they're quite a bit of used LCDs on the market, a lot of people can't stand the weight or the clamp.

>>107051084
Complete and utter garbage. Are you trolling? They're notoriously shit headphones. Did you even look at the FR graph? and the fact they're cheap closed back dynamics?

>>107051476
thanks, i saved all that so i can reference it again in the future.
Is the original srd-7 not very good? Seems to be incredibly cheap compared to the other model on ebay

>Yeah, it really is skull rape. If someone does neck exercises daily they might not mind the weight but it really gets to you after wearing them for longer. That's why they're quite a bit of used LCDs on the market, a lot of people can't stand the weight or the clamp.
that makes a lot of sense, probably why there is such an insane amount of schiit amps on ebay/used market as well, people just can't fucking handle the scratchy volume knob. Mine drives me fucking insane but i'm going to replace it soon

>>107010057 (OP)
Now that I've already bought with minimal research, let me know what a mistake I've made, or validate my purchase. I'm comming from hd6xx's, with a topping e70, and emotiva basx a100.

>>107051341
>None of these are closed back
My bad and also thank god.
>But since those don't have an airtight seal
I thought they fixed that with the Ltd version wtf. That brand has turned into a joke. I blame Edifier.
>DCA Stealth
Idk, I went to audition them when ASR called them "best headphones in the world" because they adhered almost perfectly to the Harman tuning, but I thought they sounded horrible. Extremely comfortable and great looks but I couldn't get behind the sound at all. Harsh but also bassy, dunno.

>>107051518
The one in the photo is also good but slightly inferior to the SRD7mk2.
Be VERY CAREFUL because a ton of the ones that are available are all 6 pin, not 5 pin (pro bias) plugs. If yuy buy a standard non-pro one and plug in your Stax in the 6 pin socket you'll end up breaking it because they operate at different voltages. Unless you want to use very old non-pro Stax headphones, of course, but I wouldn't recommend going there as your first one. They're great but highly niche.

So I just bought the Beyerdynamic 990 DT Pro because people love them and from what I've listened to so far over the past 30 minutes they sound great.
However, I've found that without making any changes to my audio interface they're about half the volume of the IEMs I have been using (Linsoul Simgot EA500) which I honestly found to be pretty fantastic too.
Can't get a fucking answer out of Google of course because its AI generated nonsense telling me to clean debris out of my fucking ports. I'm half deaf so I need to get as much volume as I can out of them. It feels like when I had my Simgots at 30 out of 100 max volume the Beyers need around 80/100 instead so it feels drastic.

>>107052762
It sounds like you bought the 250 ohm version.

>>107052762
Especially if you got the 250 Ohm version, that doesn't surprise me one bit.
IEMs are right next to your eardrums and their drivers are a fraction of the size of those in over-ear headphones, so it doesn't take much energy to get them moving and they transfer that energy very efficiently to your eardrums.
Your volume knob controls the voltage that goes to the output. Higher impedance cans draw less current, but need more voltage to get loud, so you need to turn the volume up.

>>107052810
>>107052820
I'm uneducated in audio so yeah those are the ones I purchased. The 250 ohm was completely lost on me but you know, 250 bigger than 80 hurr durr.
Haven't worn over ears in around two decades either so the squeeze on my head and ears is taking some getting used to.

>>107047633
>We replaced the right side driver with a new one.
Their drivers aren't matched pairs?
>Under powering literally destroyers the drivers
Complete and utter nonsense. The only thing that kills drivers is too much power, not too little.
>We recommend the Schiit Magni
Schiit shills infiltrated Beyerdynamic support?

>>107051117
Single entry can be wired balanced, too. For example, the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and the HD 500 series (including HD 620S) have a balanced 4 pin connector on the headphone side, all that's needed is a corresponding cable (not included, but sold separately by Sennheiser themselves and third parties).
>balanced provides better sound quality
Audiophoolery. Balanced only provides higher output voltage from the same power supply voltage, which is mainly useful if power supply voltage is for some reason limited (e.g. USB powered devices).

>>107052873
If they're too tight, you can always stretch them over a stack of books overnight or something. The headband is spring steel, shape it to fit your head.

>>107051697
A HE1K will destroy hd6xx very easily, but im sure you knew that. I don't think anyone would ever try to argue against it.

>>107052979
Oh thats a great suggestion, thank you.
At the very least I'm just happy to know that its not my audio setup and its just the fact the headphones are 250 ohm being the reason they're quieter. I'll get used to it no doubt.

>>107052762
That's normal. Over-ears in general are a lot less sensitive than in-ears. The DT 990 250 Ohm in particular are 96 dB @ 1 mW (102 dB @ 1 Vrms) according to their spec sheet and ASR measured 94 dB @ 0.704 Vrms @ 425 Hz. Idk about the Simgot EA500 in particular, but typical in-ears are about 20 dB more sensitive than that.

>>107053139
Meanwhile my K1000...74db/1mW 120ohm

nothing else matters
(poorfags cope)

>>107052994
I would hope so with the price differential.

nothing else matters
(poorfags cope)

>>107053465
>bluetooth sloppa
>no ldac or lhdc

>>107053465
>$550
That's a bit cheap. Idk if you really belong here friendo.

i have sennheiser hd600 and desperately looking for a hd800 i can mod resonators into it then i can probably exit from audio hellhole before reaching sperkers

>>107051421
idk about that statement
what all matters after all is an output impedance and headroom before distortion

>>107051019
How exactly is "faster rise and decay" in a system lacking bass reflex resonators different than frequency response?

>>107053971
literally nothing

>>107053465
Read those sound even worse than the Airpods Pro 2. Tuned like Beats.

>>107051090
>the 80s (the golden age of music mastering)
Based and correct.

>>107053534
Doesn't mean much, I'd take KSC75 ($20) over HD6XX any day.

>>107053545
These are actually quite mediocre.

>>107053654
what is this fucking nigger lover image?

>>107053654
cringe
>>107054461
based

Thread dying but I'll ask anyways
US
~$200
I've only used $30-50 GAMER HEADPHONES, just want something wireless to use for playing PC/VR games (so ideally has a decent mic on it), that isn't made of brittle chinesium plastic and the battery of which won't die in 1 years.

I'm having an OCD breakdown trying to figure out what to buy. My priorities
>passive sound isolation
I live in a noisy city with roommates and it's driving me crazy. Willing to buy aftermarket say lambskin pads if they exist for whatever headphones
>comfort
With glasses, sound quality doesn't matter if I have to take them off after a few hours
>sound quality
obviously

Are there any obvious recommendations? I'm thinking maybe the HD 620s, or getting some Beyerdynamic pair (not sure which, so many...) and swapping to lambskin pads if the stock aren't isolating enough

>>107056442
How noisy are we talking about here? Passive sound isolation helps for voice and conversation but is not enough for traffic noise and similar.
Anyway state budget, nigga.

>>107056544
I'd like to keep under 400 including a dac/amo, cables, and replacement pads if I need to buy any of those. Voice and conversion I guess is priority I hate the sound of TV or voices from other rooms

>>107056714
I'd say maybe consider an ANC headphone, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 is on sale on their website for 200 USD (buy the BTD 600 or 700 too if you are ever considering actually using them in bluetooth mode), AND does make a huge difference overall. Else, I think the HD 620s and the Beyerdynamic DT 770 pro are probably your best options.

>>107056822
For the 770 there are like 5 different version

>770 pro 32 ohm
>770 pro 80 ohm
>770 pro 250 ohm
>770 pro X
>700 pro X

I've heard some say the 770 pro X have horrible terrible, but I also heard the 700 pro X has a horrible headband. the older 770 pro versions I've heard good things about but no detachable cable seems like a failure point

>>107056851
The no detachable cable is definitely a failure point, it will break, no questions asked. According to the Rtings' noise isolation test, they also provide less passive sound isolation when compared to the 620s, so there's that.

>>107056851
770 Pro X is a normal 770 with a detachable cable and extra foam disc to tame the treble, 700 Pro X is an entirely new design that looks similar.
Detachable cable mod is easy enough if you have some basic soldering skills when it decides to break on a "normal" 770 too.

>>107057115
>770 Pro X is a normal 770 with a detachable cable and extra foam disc to tame the treble

So they have less treble than the old version? The beyerdynamic website says
>The DT 770 PRO X has the familiar sound tuning of the DT 770 PRO with a boost in the bass and treble frequencies. The sound tuning of the DT 700 PRO X can be described as more linear, especially in the high-frequency range.

Other reddit comments say the treble is spicy on the pro X but the old pro have worse treble spikes.

Guess it's just something I'll have to see if I like myself, thanks to those who responded though

I'm buying the HDB 630 anons, pray that I'm not just throwing 500 USD out of the window. I just want a good noise cancelling headphones for when I need the isolation without losing much sound quality man, fucking hell.

I bought a pair of shitty edifier MR4s and I've fallen in love with speakers. I mean, they have zero soundstage, but they just sound so much better than your average $100-300 headphone.
I dont think I will ever spend meaningful amounts of money in headphones anymore.
>>107029676
Yamaha is ass. Soundbars are ass, too. The poorfag solution are edifiers MR3/4 if you have a DAC to spare or R1280s (any of them) if you just want plug and play.