Author Topic: Headphone Thread. (Read 1312295 times)

alaricljs · « **Reply #1350 on:** Thu, 29 November 2012, 12:40:14 »

You are better off getting good headphones that suit you and a separate mic, such as the modmic.

thegunner100 · « **Reply #1351 on:** Thu, 29 November 2012, 12:52:33 »

Guys, vote for the Little Dot MK IV at massdrop! I have the MK III and it is a wonderful tube amp paired with the M8161 tubes and the dt880/600.

https://www.massdrop.com/poll

bavman · « **Reply #1352 on:** Thu, 29 November 2012, 13:06:29 »

Quick question guys. I've decided to go with the NwAvGuy Objective2 amp since I can build it myself for around $40-50 (diy pcb + ac power adapter + my own custom enclosure) vs premade which is ~$150ish, but I'd like a DAC to go alone with it. I can get the objectiveDAC preassembled pcb for $100 (since theres no DIY options for it) which can be soldered to the O2 amp to create a DAC/AMP combo. I feel like its a good deal since JDS sells the amp/dac combo for $295 and I'd only be paying ~$150 or so. Do I have a better option at that price point (either $150 combo or a $100 DAC to pair with the amp)?

timofonic · « **Reply #1353 on:** Thu, 29 November 2012, 14:10:20 »

Quote from: alaricljs on Thu, 29 November 2012, 12:40:14

You are better off getting good headphones that suit you and a separate mic, such as the modmic.

Are there distributors in Europe?

rknize · « **Reply #1354 on:** Thu, 29 November 2012, 14:14:54 »

Quote from: bavman on Thu, 29 November 2012, 13:06:29

Quick question guys. I've decided to go with the NwAvGuy Objective2 amp since I can build it myself for around $40-50 (diy pcb + ac power adapter + my own custom enclosure) vs premade which is ~$150ish, but I'd like a DAC to go alone with it. I can get the objectiveDAC preassembled pcb for $100 (since theres no DIY options for it) which can be soldered to the O2 amp to create a DAC/AMP combo. I feel like its a good deal since JDS sells the amp/dac combo for $295 and I'd only be paying ~$150 or so. Do I have a better option at that price point (either $150 combo or a $100 DAC to pair with the amp)?

At that price, it will be hard to find a combo that specs as well as the ODAC. I have the Matrix Mini-i myself, but considered the ODAC. i don't have any personal experience with it, but it gets good reviews in DIY circles.

Alessandro · « **Reply #1355 on:** Thu, 29 November 2012, 14:37:40 »

Anyone else going to give some love to the HD598s?

Kabuks · « **Reply #1356 on:** Thu, 29 November 2012, 17:15:20 »

I swap my Astro a40's between my pc and ps3 for gaming.

bace · « **Reply #1357 on:** Fri, 30 November 2012, 22:37:59 »

Quote from: Alessandro on Thu, 29 November 2012, 14:37:40

Anyone else going to give some love to the HD598s?

I'm thinking of getting a set of HD 598s. I'm looking for a good all rounder for music, movies/shows, and gaming. I currently have a set of Q701 that might give to a friend so I'm looking for a replacement.

davkol · « **Reply #1358 on:** Sat, 01 December 2012, 04:30:46 »

Rocking Grados SR60i with bowls ("comfort" pads were just ridiculous).

Makeo · « **Reply #1359 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 05:14:52 »

Had my A700 for a few years now, and I must say they have been amazing. But it's getting about that time to upgrade, so i'm looking for a new pair soon. Looking for a mid-high(ish) cans with an amp. Think I have it narrowed to the DT880's or 990's, or the HD600/650's and possibly the Lil dot MK III for the amp. But not too sure yet as i'm still doing research. Anyone have any other inputs on the DT's or HD's?

Here's my a700's with a lil stand i made for them and my future cans too!

thegunner100 · « **Reply #1360 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 06:41:41 »

Makeo, I can recommend you the Dt880/600 or the dt990/600 with the little dot mkIII as that is my current setup. I do prefer the dt880 over the 990 though, because I bought the 990 once and I felt the treble was too much for me, and i preferred the neutrality of the dt880. The dt880's sound signature works for just about any genre. As for the little dot, try to get the mullard m8161 tubes for them because those tubes really bring out the details and soundstage, and simply makes the mids come alive.

Be sure to check up on massdrop within the next week or so, they might have a groupbuy on the little dot mk iv. I hope that this helped!

durainello · « **Reply #1361 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 09:04:28 »

Ah...a familiar place

codymaust · « **Reply #1362 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 10:41:31 »

Just throwing this out there... If any of you guys are looking custom mods or custom cabling, Brian Goto at http://btg-audio.webs.com is worth consideration.

I had my DT770's modded by him and his work really is exceptional. He's very well known over at the Head-Fi forums.

In other news, I'm in the market for a pair of openback cans.. I love my 770s but I just hate the isolation sometimes. I was thinking Grados, but I have no way of testing anything, unfortunately.

bace · « **Reply #1363 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 10:52:09 »

I'm getting my HD 598s in today! can't wait!

thegunner100 · « **Reply #1364 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 11:19:16 »

Quote from: codymaust on Tue, 04 December 2012, 10:41:31

Just throwing this out there... If any of you guys are looking custom mods or custom cabling, Brian Goto at http://btg-audio.webs.com is worth consideration.

I had my DT770's modded by him and his work really is exceptional. He's very well known over at the Head-Fi forums.

In other news, I'm in the market for a pair of openback cans.. I love my 770s but I just hate the isolation sometimes. I was thinking Grados, but I have no way of testing anything, unfortunately.

Thanks for the link! I'm gonna consider getting my dt880 recabled or detachable cable modded. You should really get the dt880 if you love your 770.

Alessandro · « **Reply #1365 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 11:23:12 »

Quote from: bace on Tue, 04 December 2012, 10:52:09

I'm getting my HD 598s in today! can't wait!

You're going to love them!

Test out the amazing soundstage, the first thing you need to watch is the Virtual Barber Shop video.

bace · « **Reply #1366 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 11:31:57 »

Quote from: Alessandro on Tue, 04 December 2012, 11:23:12

Quote from: bace on Tue, 04 December 2012, 10:52:09
I'm getting my HD 598s in today! can't wait!

You're going to love them!

Test out the amazing soundstage, the first thing you need to watch is the Virtual Barber Shop video.

roger!

thegunner100 · « **Reply #1367 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 15:50:51 »

Selling my dt770/250 if anyone is interested, check out my classifieds thread.

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=29455.0

Makeo · « **Reply #1368 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 16:23:49 »

Quote from: thegunner100 on Tue, 04 December 2012, 06:41:41

Makeo, I can recommend you the Dt880/600 or the dt990/600 with the little dot mkIII as that is my current setup. I do prefer the dt880 over the 990 though, because I bought the 990 once and I felt the treble was too much for me, and i preferred the neutrality of the dt880. The dt880's sound signature works for just about any genre. As for the little dot, try to get the mullard m8161 tubes for them because those tubes really bring out the details and soundstage, and simply makes the mids come alive.

Be sure to check up on massdrop within the next week or so, they might have a groupbuy on the little dot mk iv. I hope that this helped!

Thanks for the reply! How comfortable would you say the DT's are? I can seriously wear my a700 for 24hrs+ and not have the slightest fatigue. And I will def keep an eye out on massdrop. That site is pretty awesome lol.

aggiejy · « **Reply #1369 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 16:29:02 »

I'm the most picky comfort guy ever, and I can couldn't stand my DT770s for very long. They're comfortable pads, but lots of clamping force. You can stretch them out a bit though. Anyway, I've tried a700s before, and they're way more comfortable in every measure IMO. BUT, DT770s sound amazing.

(I recently got some Senn HD598 though, and they are really comfortable!)

Makeo · « **Reply #1370 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 16:57:47 »

Arggg that's what kinda has me waiting to pull the trigger on a new set. If they sound that good, I might just live with the tightness. But if it is a problem I might venture out to the HD's or possibly some other cans. Need to find a store around me that might have some I can try on.

codymaust · « **Reply #1371 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 17:02:20 »

Quote from: thegunner100 on Tue, 04 December 2012, 11:19:16

Quote from: codymaust on Tue, 04 December 2012, 10:41:31
Just throwing this out there... If any of you guys are looking custom mods or custom cabling, Brian Goto at http://btg-audio.webs.com is worth consideration.

I had my DT770's modded by him and his work really is exceptional. He's very well known over at the Head-Fi forums.

In other news, I'm in the market for a pair of openback cans.. I love my 770s but I just hate the isolation sometimes. I was thinking Grados, but I have no way of testing anything, unfortunately.

Thanks for the link! I'm gonna consider getting my dt880 recabled or detachable cable modded. You should really get the dt880 if you love your 770.

Yeah man, I can't recommend him enough.

How would you describe the 880s sound? I'm assuming it's not exactly like the 770s, but I do love the sound and the comfort of my Beyers.. I was really only leaning towards Grado because even their cheaper options are well revered (60i/80i)

thegunner100 · « **Reply #1372 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 18:45:18 »

Quote from: aggiejy on Tue, 04 December 2012, 16:29:02

I'm the most picky comfort guy ever, and I can couldn't stand my DT770s for very long. They're comfortable pads, but lots of clamping force. You can stretch them out a bit though. Anyway, I've tried a700s before, and they're way more comfortable in every measure IMO. BUT, DT770s sound amazing.

(I recently got some Senn HD598 though, and they are really comfortable!)

Did you try the pro version? Because the premium version barely clamps once you stretch out the headband. They just sit snugly on my head, and are very comfortable for hours even though I wear plastic frame glasses. I've tried the HD600 in store before, and they are similiarly comfortable, except with an oval shape that might fit some ears better. So you won't go wrong with the premium beyers or with the HD600/650, just depends on your sound preference.

Quote from: codymaust on Tue, 04 December 2012, 17:02:20

How would you describe the 880s sound? I'm assuming it's not exactly like the 770s, but I do love the sound and the comfort of my Beyers.. I was really only leaning towards Grado because even their cheaper options are well revered (60i/80i)

The dt880 sounds very similiar to the 770, but superior in almost every day. Since the dt880's are open, they will have a bigger soundstage and better seperation. They are also much more airy, with a very smooth treble with great extension. The dt770's treble is more peaky and is more prone to sibilance. The mids on the dt880's are also less recessed than on the dt770. As for the bass, the dt880 has less quantity, but more quality; it is very tight and clean, there is more texture to the bass, and you can hear the layering of it. The overall sound signature is very natural and linear, with a little bit of brightness. The brightness though, to me, is non-fatiguing and really brings out the details in my music. As such, the dt880 is great for pretty much every genre unless you listen to really bass-heavy music.

If you have a dedicated desktop amp, I highly recommend getting the 600ohm version. It isn't significantly different from the 250 and 32 ohm versions, but it has the smoothest treble and the best bass texturing as long as it is powered properly. What are you driving your headphones with?

aggiejy · « **Reply #1373 on:** Tue, 04 December 2012, 23:21:11 »

Quote from: thegunner100 on Tue, 04 December 2012, 18:45:18

Quote from: aggiejy on Tue, 04 December 2012, 16:29:02
I'm the most picky comfort guy ever, and I can couldn't stand my DT770s for very long. They're comfortable pads, but lots of clamping force. You can stretch them out a bit though. Anyway, I've tried a700s before, and they're way more comfortable in every measure IMO. BUT, DT770s sound amazing.

(I recently got some Senn HD598 though, and they are really comfortable!)

Did you try the pro version? Because the premium version barely clamps once you stretch out the headband. They just sit snugly on my head, and are very comfortable for hours even though I wear plastic frame glasses. I've tried the HD600 in store before, and they are similiarly comfortable, except with an oval shape that might fit some ears better. So you won't go wrong with the premium beyers or with the HD600/650, just depends on your sound preference.

Yeah, I had the DT770 Pro 80s. I bought them because a friend said they were super comfortable, and they felt comfortable when I tried his. But after getting them, I guess they just never loosened up like I had hoped. (Even after some stretching of the metal band.) However, I'm not saying they were super uncomfortable, they just weren't comfortable over long periods for me when compared to the suspended types like the a700... which is hard to beat for comfort.

Regardless, one thing I've learned from trying so many cans... no one agrees exactly on what is comfortable. Head shapes, head sensitivities, preferences, etc. My head is like a whiny ***** though, so I'm sure 95% of people would find them comfortable.

bace · « **Reply #1374 on:** Wed, 05 December 2012, 11:09:01 »

I spent some time with my new HD 598s last night and I can say they are amazing! Great warm, fun sound and extremely comfortable and light. Hits the low end a lot better than my Q701s. They are definitely a great pair of headphones for my genres of music which needs some bass for a great listen. Also works great for movies and gaming. I'm currently using them through a fiio e10. Now I need to add some more hours to them.

aggiejy · « **Reply #1375 on:** Wed, 05 December 2012, 11:27:06 »

Quote from: bace on Wed, 05 December 2012, 11:09:01

I spent some time with my new HD 598s last night and I can say they are amazing! Great warm, fun sound and extremely comfortable and light. Hits the low end a lot better than my Q701s. They are definitely a great pair of headphones for my genres of music which needs some bass for a great listen. Also works great for movies and gaming. I'm currently using them through a fiio e10. Now I need to add some more hours to them.

Nice, congratulations! I have the exact same setup, e10 too. They've gotten better with ~40-50 hours, or else I'm just falling further in love with them. Either way, they sound better that I remember on day one.

davkol · « **Reply #1376 on:** Wed, 05 December 2012, 12:09:45 »

Comfort depends on head size a lot. I have very small head (S/M (55cm) hat size), and grados (which are usually considered uncomfortable) are surprisingly OK for me. On the other hand, ATH-AD500 (same as AD700s) fall of my head and feel a bit weird, even though they're praised for comfort.

bace · « **Reply #1377 on:** Wed, 05 December 2012, 12:12:10 »

Quote from: aggiejy on Wed, 05 December 2012, 11:27:06

Quote from: bace on Wed, 05 December 2012, 11:09:01
I spent some time with my new HD 598s last night and I can say they are amazing! Great warm, fun sound and extremely comfortable and light. Hits the low end a lot better than my Q701s. They are definitely a great pair of headphones for my genres of music which needs some bass for a great listen. Also works great for movies and gaming. I'm currently using them through a fiio e10. Now I need to add some more hours to them.

Nice, congratulations! I have the exact same setup, e10 too. They've gotten better with ~40-50 hours, or else I'm just falling further in love with them. Either way, they sound better that I remember on day one.

Thanks! That's great to hear. I'm looking forward to adding some hours to this baby.

Alessandro · « **Reply #1378 on:** Wed, 05 December 2012, 12:13:33 »

Yep! Got about 30 hours on mine now and they're much better! Solid all round headphones and great value!

alaricljs · « **Reply #1379 on:** Fri, 07 December 2012, 10:54:49 »

So I was listening to a track on my DT770 Pro 250s that had a nifty bass line and I was thinking... maybe a little more bass?

I don't know if it's WinAmp or what, but attempting to futz with the EQ just made things sound like crap. I'm wondering however if that track will sound stronger with my Pimeta v2, seriously need to finish that. Currently running on a crap Behringer headphone distro amp. Better than not having it, I did check that much at least

thegunner100 · « **Reply #1380 on:** Fri, 07 December 2012, 11:14:06 »

The gel pads will increase the bass response and isolation for the dt770.

rknize · « **Reply #1381 on:** Fri, 07 December 2012, 12:10:39 »

I'd say either your sound card was clipping when you futzed with the eq or the amp doesn't have enough drive.

alaricljs · « **Reply #1382 on:** Fri, 07 December 2012, 12:16:56 »

As far as I can tell, it's a combination of the amp not having enough and the EQ presets I tried having a major deleterious effect on the mix: BAD mid/high changes such that the atmosphere really got squelched...

I should start reviewing audio stuff... better yet I should sell it. I think I've got this indecipherable descriptive language thing down.

thegunner100 · « **Reply #1383 on:** Fri, 07 December 2012, 19:24:56 »

So I went out to the apple store today and bought the Philips Fidelio L1. Not impressed with it so far. It's dark sounding and warm. The vocals and treble just sounds really unnatural. Been using it with my e17 as a dac/amp. Guess I won't really know how I'll really feel til I bring it back to school to try with my decco2 and little dot.

laffindude · « **Reply #1384 on:** Sat, 08 December 2012, 01:49:39 »

Ha @ L1. I had my eyes on them too. Listened to them and was like ehhhhh. I almost bought them for the built quality alone. X1 looks nice too. If that has a more balanced sound, I may buy them.

thegunner100 · « **Reply #1385 on:** Mon, 10 December 2012, 11:55:02 »

I managed to try out the L1 with my desktop setup... and I have to say that I'm not impressed with them at all. Maybe I like the beyer house sound too much >~<

www.sonicelectronix.com authorized retailer for beyerdynamic

EDIT: coupon code no longer works.
EDIT2: OVEREAR10 for 10% off any over-ear headphone.

I managed to get myself the last pair of beyerdynamic t70 for $303 shipped! ~~For other people, the t70p is still available for $320, dt880/600 for $224, dt990/600 for $223.20.~~

Can't wait to get them! ^^

Makeo · « **Reply #1386 on:** Mon, 10 December 2012, 13:58:42 »

Quote from: thegunner100 on Mon, 10 December 2012, 11:55:02

I managed to try out the L1 with my desktop setup... and I have to say that I'm not impressed with them at all. Maybe I like the beyer house sound too much >~<

20% off when using the coupon FALLHP www.sonicelectronix.com. (Seems to only work on beyer headphones)

I managed to get myself the last pair of beyerdynamic t70 for $303 shipped! For other people, the t70p is still available for $320, dt880/600 for $224, dt990/600 for $223.20.

Can't wait to get them! ^^

wow thanks for the heads up! I cant pick which one i want to buy tho 880/990? even heard great things about the a900x ffuuuuu $:-\$

thegunner100 · « **Reply #1387 on:** Mon, 10 December 2012, 14:08:21 »

Quote

DT880: Has a very linear sound that is incredibly neutral. Still has the strong treble but also has more midrange and bass with an improved soundstage. The most neutral of the DT770-DT990 series line up.

DT990: Has a very strong treble emphasis with shallower sounding mids and more prominent bass. It could be said that this is the beyerdynamics' "fun" headphone. The soundstage is also the biggest of the DT770-DT990 series line up.

Quote

DT880 VS DT990
The DT880 and DT990 have a very similar sound, but the DT990 is noticeably brighter and has much more bass to it.

The DT990's treble is much more pronounced than the DT880 and can be called strident by those who are not used to so much treble energy. I find the DT880 and DT990 to have nearly the same detail in the treble, though the DT990is slightly more detailed. Also th DT990's treble does not sound as refined as the previous two models.

The midrange on the DT990 has a dip to it, this means it has less mids than the DT880. I think a lot of the mids get drowned out by the treble/bass to be honest. From what mids are there, they sound very nice and are quite resolving, even though they are thin. The DT880's mids have more body to them and can portray string instruments and vocals better. On the DT990 the guitars can sound thin and the vocal sound unconvincing. The DT880's mids have almost as much detail as the DT990 while retaining more body with equal amounts of transparency.

Bass on both models is excellent. They both go quite low and extend do depths that human ears cannot hear. The DT990 has far more bass than it's counterpart while keeping it tight and controlled. The one thing I noticed is that the DT990's bass does not have the same texturing to it as the DT880. The DT880's bass is more natural sounding with more definition to it while the DT990's is a fuller sounding bass with more thump.

The soundstage on the DT990 is bigger than the DT880's and has more air to it, though the imaging seems to be nearly identical. The DT880's soundstage has a "in your head" sound while the DT990's seems to go beyond your ears and around your head.

Source: http://www.head-fi.org/t/513393/guide-sonic-differences-between-dt770-dt990-models-more

I used to own the dt990/600 and the bass is ridiculous for open headphones! Though there's lots of bass, it's still very detailed, but probably not as detailed or refined as the dt880's. The treble on the dt990 was a little bit too much for me, even though i'm used to the dt880's treble and even with a tube amp. If you like your bass, go for the dt990 otherwise the dt880 will be good for just about any genre. I prefer the dt880's sound signature much more than the dt990's.

jwaz · « **Reply #1388 on:** Mon, 10 December 2012, 14:46:46 »

Is there some sort of audiophile dictionary somewhere?

The vocabulary makes shopping for high end audio gear... interesting, to say the least.

thegunner100 · « **Reply #1389 on:** Mon, 10 December 2012, 14:53:58 »

Here you go:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/220770/describing-sound-a-glossary
http://www.head-fi.org/a/glossary-of-terms

You won't really fully "understand" the sound describes until you've tried out multiple headphones and compared them side to side, but it's a start!

rknize · « **Reply #1390 on:** Mon, 10 December 2012, 15:10:53 »

It's all so very subjective, you really have to try it for yourself. The resale on the more popular headphone is pretty decent, so it's not *too* risky to try a few sets out. If you find that you have a lot of keyboards, you risk becoming ensnared in owning lots of headphones, too.

I use my DT880Pros daily at work. Other than the weight, which I have mentioned a few times now, they are a really well-rounded set of headphones for all types of music. The partially-open design masks-out enough background noise to cover distractions without isolating me completely from what is going on around me. The sound isn't as airy as a true "open" pair, but it's a nice compromise without anything offensive in the response.

Makeo · « **Reply #1391 on:** Tue, 11 December 2012, 20:01:51 »

Jumped on the 990's just need to find a good amp now. Reading up on them over at head-fi has my brain on the verge of exploding lol.

thegunner100 · « **Reply #1392 on:** Tue, 11 December 2012, 20:22:06 »

I'd recommend an OTL amp to roll off the dt990's treble. A little dot work work pretty well.

jwaz · « **Reply #1393 on:** Sun, 16 December 2012, 11:31:27 »

I have Beyer-DT770 and Grado's 80i, think I prefer the open design but not sure where to go from here, I kind of want to try another brand.

wetto · « **Reply #1394 on:** Sun, 16 December 2012, 11:48:51 »

At least AKG knows how to put beauty and sound quality into one single package:

Just wish the price were lower...

thegunner100 · « **Reply #1395 on:** Sun, 16 December 2012, 12:30:49 »

Quote from: JesuswasaZombie on Sun, 16 December 2012, 11:31:27

I have Beyer-DT770 and Grado's 80i, think I prefer the open design but not sure where to go from here, I kind of want to try another brand.

Do you like the "beyer house" sound? If so, the dt880 is a pretty significant upgrade from the dt770 especially the 600ohm version if you can power properly. The AKG k701/702 or q701 is another choice; it's brighter and more mid forward but with less bass and an unnaturally large soundstage. Atleast that's what my impressions are based on reading comparisons between the AKGs and the beyers.

IPT · « **Reply #1396 on:** Sun, 16 December 2012, 17:16:05 »

as a previous owner of the K701, they're nice, but honestly i wouldn't say they're worth the huge premium that they charge tbh.

bavman · « **Reply #1397 on:** Sun, 16 December 2012, 22:33:42 »

Hows the 990 pro compare to the premium one? Theres about a $100 difference.

Now that i've finished building my O2 amp I need to get some headphones to drive, preferably less than $200 but still strong bass. I only intend these for inside use next to my amp so open is preferred.

modulor · « **Reply #1398 on:** Sun, 16 December 2012, 22:36:22 »

I tried my good friends K701s and while they were nice, I was left wanting one of my beyers...

modulor · « **Reply #1399 on:** Sun, 16 December 2012, 22:39:47 »

Quote from: bavman on Sun, 16 December 2012, 22:33:42

Hows the 990 pro compare to the premium one? Theres about a $100 difference.

Now that i've finished building my O2 amp I need to get some headphones to drive, preferably less than $200 but still strong bass. I only intend these for inside use next to my amp so open is preferred.

This sums up the comparison between the two version quite nicely:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/597760/dt-990-pro-vs-premium#post_8179594

News:

Author Topic: Headphone Thread. (Read 1312295 times)