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SSL

I have literally a dozen or so cans, but I'm still on the lookout for a reasonably priced (aka cheap) closed back. I already have a MrSpeakers Alpha Dog (a modded T50RP which is.....semi closed/open) and Audio Technica ATH-A900X LTD, but I'd not mind another good closed back. I just found a used, but in very good condition, DT770 Pro for 74USD (local currency converted to USD).....I don't think it matters what impedence it is although I've yet to hear from the seller with regard to this.

 

Only thing that annoys me about the can is that it has this coiled cable which doesn't look good. I may have it modded with appropriate sockets so I can swap cables. A great deal, perhaps not as good as the previously mentioned HD600, but still pretty good I think. Since it's one of the recommended cans here, I figured for 74USD, it's worth a try....

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I'm looking to get a pre-owned HE-400i as a gift for my dad, and was deciding what amp to pair them with. I've heard the Magni 2 should be fine, but are there any other good options in the <$100 range? Or is there any budget DAC/amp combo (FiiO E10k, SMSL SD793-II, Schiit Fulla, etc.) that might be enough?

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4 hours ago, Pankaic said:

I'm looking to get a pre-owned HE-400i as a gift for my dad, and was deciding what amp to pair them with. I've heard the Magni 2 should be fine, but are there any other good options in the <$100 range? Or is there any budget DAC/amp combo (FiiO E10k, SMSL SD793-II, Schiit Fulla, etc.) that might be enough?

Not recommending any amp/DAC, bear in mind the Magni 2 is a dedicated amp with no DAC section, but as long as you feel you want an amp to drive the HE400i (assuming you're using a mobo onboard DAC, then the Magni 2 is more than sufficient. The HE400i doesn't really need an amp to drive it as it's a pretty efficient can....now, whether onboard audio is able to drive it loud enough for you is another question since our idea of what exactly is 'loud enough' differ from person to person.

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This is a great resource for people inexperienced with audio, it at least helps put them in the right direction of what headphones to look up so they can search reviews on their own.. however I don't see my favourite set of headphones to date; my beloved Fostex t50rp mk3's <3

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12 hours ago, Artemiis said:

This is a great resource for people inexperienced with audio, it at least helps put them in the right direction of what headphones to look up so they can search reviews on their own.. however I don't see my favourite set of headphones to date; my beloved Fostex t50rp mk3's <3

 

The list isn't exhaustive. Give me a quick blurb on what it sounds like and I'll add it.

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On 7/24/2016 at 10:37 PM, SSL said:

The list isn't exhaustive. Give me a quick blurb on what it sounds like and I'll add it.

Id love to since they've been all I've been listening to lately! I've never really given a proper review of a headphone before but here's a little min-review based off of my experience with them being my daily driver for the past month. I'd say its an all around balanced headphone that is dynamic, accurate and full of body without over emphasizing any part be it bass, mid or treble. The bass is tight and fast which I love, although Innerfidelity says it is missing some of its sub-bass which they say rolls off under 100hz, but for someone who listens to a lot of bassy EDM tracks I don't find that I'm missing anything. To me, the  bass sounds perfect, I like that tight fast and detailed bass without it being over exaggerated, muddled and sloppy or bleeding into the lower mids. Speaking of mids, they aren't veiled or laidback like some headphones, they are smooth and sweet sounding and just always there, vocals sound great on them. Treble is good, not sibilant in any way nor recessed imo, just light and airy as it should be. Soundstage is pretty good, its not as open or deep as some open headphones but it is detailed and there's this presence and imagery where you can pinpoint individual sounds and instruments with accuracy, every sound seems like it has its own perfect little spot in the space if that makes any sense? So pretty much if you want a fast, detailed, energized and fully balanced headphone these are the ones, a great start for me into planar and I was more impressed than I thought I would be by them. Soon as I tried them my M50X's went up for sale the same day. I heard the mk2 model was quite mid-emphasized compared to the newer mk3 but I haven't had a chance to try it myself so I can't do a comparison unfortunately. I've also read/heard the open model the T20 has more bass but again I haven't tried it myself so this is second hand info. You should probably also add that they are extremely inefficient and you will almost certainly need a dedicated amp to drive them, where I have my Magni 2 Uber set on High Gain at 10 o'clock with my K7XX to achieve the same volume level with the T50rp's I have the knob turned to 2:30 - 3 o'clock. It's quite a noticeable difference, and on my Samsung Galazy S5, Ipad Mini or laptop I can barely make out what is being played and even when I can on louder sounding tracks it sounds very lackluster and unfulfilled. Tbh though I find them quite bulky and unattractive so I probably wouldn't wear them out in public anyways so i don't mind using them for home use with a dedicated amp/dac setup. 

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@SSL I notice you recommend the MSR7 from Audio Technica but there is no mention of the Sony's that are clearly a direct competitor (MDR-1).  Have you just not tried them, or was this intentional?

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Just now, Ryan_Vickers said:

@SSL I notice you recommend the MSR7 from Audio Technica but there is no mention of the Sony's that are clearly a direct competitor (MDR-1).  Have you just not tried them, or was this intentional?

 

My assessment is that the Sony's are somewhat less refined various ways, particularly the mids as I recall. I went through quite a few reviews and impressions back when I compiled the first version of the list.

 

$200-300 is a tricky price point in any case; hard to call anything in the range a great value imo.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Now what about the headphones sr80e.

I quite liked them, but I know many people don't. I thought they were great, I liked them better than the psb ones on the list.

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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So what do you think @SSL, add the SR80e's to the list if I write a short thing on them?
I like them, but I guess a lot of people doont, so IDK.

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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1 hour ago, spwath said:

So what do you think @SSL, add the SR80e's to the list if I write a short thing on them?
I like them, but I guess a lot of people doont, so IDK.

 

Well, technically we don't have much of an on-ear section at this point. If they're regularly under $100 they may be worth recommending in general, though.

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12 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

Well, technically we don't have much of an on-ear section at this point. If they're regularly under $100 they may be worth recommending in general, though.

They are always 99.90.

Right now 75 though

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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Well @SSL here is a blurb about them anyway, as they are always 99.90 or cheaper

 

On ear headphones. They have nice, tight, punchy bass, but it rolls off at around 50 Hz. Clear highs, though some find them to sparkly and fatiguing. Decent soundstage, but nothing special for on ears. Non removable 2 sided cable, 3.5mm with 1/4" adapter.

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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@Artemiis et al: I've elected not to include the Fostex T50RP on the list (which, again, is non-exhaustive) for a few reaspons: these headphones are inefficient, which pretty much requires the use of a dedicated amp. It's also worth noting that these have a fair amount of roll-off in the bass below 100Hz. At the price point, something like even the M50X probably makes more sense. My sense is that these fill more of a niche for enthusiasts/DIYers/modders and are less appropriate for someone who is still early on in exploring audio.

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  • 1 month later...

I think its time to update the 100 dollar in ear subsection. Replace the se215 with the audio technica ath-e40 or put it on the same catagory as them.

 

They are almost the exactly the same price, and from what i hear, they have some good sound to boot.

 

dont you think @SSL ?

 

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/904bd369d3159bf2/index.html#BVRRWidgetID

 

Here is a discussion on reddit on the E40 vs se215 : https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/4q1uk2/shure_se215_vs_athe40/

(⌐■_■) 

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On 9/19/2016 at 1:29 AM, Ridska said:

I think its time to update the 100 dollar in ear subsection. Replace the se215 with the audio technica ath-e40 or put it on the same catagory as them.

 

They are almost the exactly the same price, and from what i hear, they have some good sound to boot.

 

dont you think @SSL ?

 

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/headphones/904bd369d3159bf2/index.html#BVRRWidgetID

 

Here is a discussion on reddit on the E40 vs se215 : https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/4q1uk2/shure_se215_vs_athe40/

 

I'll look into it.

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14 hours ago, SSL said:

 

I'll look into it.

Best part is that i brought it today :D.

At fist , it seems sharp and crystal clear.

im not planning on coming up with a review cuz i kinda dont know how to do proper reviews.

(⌐■_■) 

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On 8/17/2016 at 1:51 AM, SSL said:

@Artemiis et al: I've elected not to include the Fostex T50RP on the list (which, again, is non-exhaustive) for a few reaspons: these headphones are inefficient, which pretty much requires the use of a dedicated amp. It's also worth noting that these have a fair amount of roll-off in the bass below 100Hz. At the price point, something like even the M50X probably makes more sense. My sense is that these fill more of a niche for enthusiasts/DIYers/modders and are less appropriate for someone who is still early on in exploring audio.

I have a pair, I wouldent say they need a dedicated amp.

They get loud enough on my phone as long as im not on a car or plane.

They get more than loud enough from my chepa $50 motherboard.

And they are very versitile for their modding abilities.

And the MkIII should be better.

 

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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  • 3 weeks later...

@SSL Not sure if it was mentioned already but I just bought the Audio-Technica ATH M40X's and they have a removable proprietary 2.5 mm connector so they will not work with the boompro mic. I'm not sure if this was a change they did over time but this is the case now. Least I bought them on amazon so I can return them.

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I'm looking for a pair of wire free earbuds, under $100, is this a place where I could get a recommendation or should I make my own thread?

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On 10/10/2016 at 0:28 PM, Sportsman225 said:

@SSL Not sure if it was mentioned already but I just bought the Audio-Technica ATH M40X's and they have a removable proprietary 2.5 mm connector so they will not work with the boompro mic. I'm not sure if this was a change they did over time but this is the case now. Least I bought them on amazon so I can return them.

 

Thanks, updated. Sorry about the confusion.

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Now what about some of the newer things, like focal elear and utopia?

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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3 hours ago, spwath said:

Now what about some of the newer things, like focal elear and utopia?

 

Utopia is too expensive for me to recommend here. People need to discover and try it for themselves.

 

The consensus on the Elear is mixed at this point, so I'll reserve judgement for now.

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1 hour ago, SSL said:

 

Utopia is too expensive for me to recommend here. People need to discover and try it for themselves.

 

The consensus on the Elear is mixed at this point, so I'll reserve judgement for now.

Good points.

I guess this is a more beginner recomendation thread, so nothing too crazy.

 

 

n0ah1897, on 05 Mar 2014 - 2:08 PM, said:  "Computers are like girls. It's whats in the inside that matters.  I don't know about you, but I like my girls like I like my cases. Just as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/20/2016 at 6:01 PM, SSL said:

Philips SHP9500
Open-back, similar to HD 558 with slightly brighter treble. Lacks removable pads. Good $100 alternative for those who want something with a less laid-back sound. Removable 3.5mm cables, compatible with boompro mic.

Mine just came in the mail today, and I couldn't be happier with them. Picked them up for 56.99 on Newegg, Glad I took the recommendation.  They are so lightweight and comfy I forget I am wearing them. Good balance on the mids. Still gets a good enough lows where you can tell they are there, but aren't predominate. Anyways 10/10 for the price.

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