The Audio Board's Recommended Gear

[circle]

Hey, I was looking at the Ath-ad2000x, is it really in the 300-500$ bracket? Prices here in Europe seem to be around 900€ (~960$).

[SSL]

45 minutes ago, circle said:

Hey, I was looking at the Ath-ad2000x, is it really in the 300-500$ bracket? Prices here in Europe seem to be around 900€ (~960$).

 

All prices are based on US Amazon, although it does seem to have gone up even there. Thanks for reporting. The AD1000X is undoubtedly a better value.

[Dackzy]

55 minutes ago, circle said:

Hey, I was looking at the Ath-ad2000x, is it really in the 300-500$ bracket? Prices here in Europe seem to be around 900€ (~960$).

well all the AD headphones are basically twice the price in EU.

[circle]

Seems so. Unfortunately, since they have the sound signature I was looking for and I like their aesthetic. I can probably get a better value elsewhere.

[SSL]

14 minutes ago, circle said:

Seems so. Unfortunately, since they have the sound signature I was looking for and I like their aesthetic. I can probably get a better value elsewhere.

 

Again, AD1000X is probably close enough, no?

[circle]

Not for 550€, when US amazon sells them for 275$.

[Dackzy]

11 minutes ago, circle said:

Not for 550€, when US amazon sells them for 275$.

import them? You might be lucky to find them for 300€ on black friday.

You can be that way about everything m8. Everything is simply cheaper over there

[vanished]

https://www.amazon.ca/Sennheiser-HD-598-Cs-Headphone/dp/B01JP436TS/

 

For $100 these are quite good, right?

[GamerDude]

12 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

https://www.amazon.ca/Sennheiser-HD-598-Cs-Headphone/dp/B01JP436TS/

 

For $100 these are quite good, right?

For a 100CDN$, I don't think there's anyone who'd say it's a bad deal....

[Pomfinator]

Would like to add an IEM to the $100-300 category.

 

Audio Technica ATH-IM02

 

Rich detailed mids, combined with fast, punchy bass, and sparkly treble.  High vocal clarity and instrument separation.  Very picky with amp choice, higher output impedance will raise the treble levels past comfortable, <5 ohms recommended, and extremely sensitive to hiss.  Isolation is very good due to a sealed design, but if the stock tips don't work, Spin-Fits/Spiral Dots/Comply will work easily with them. IMO the best bang for your buck if you're looking for a slightly brighter than neutral earphone.  

 

I don't really know what happens with non-stock tips, though I have heard that the Spin-Fits make them brighter and reduce the richness of the mids slightly.

[Phate.exe]

Sub-$100 IEM's that rock:

 

Fidue A65.

 

I picked up mine for $50-ish? off amazon along with a set of DUNU DN-12 Trident's (my other go-to cheap IEM's).

 

My review below, although you could also just look them up on Head-Fi (where I found out about them), and read reviews written by people that know far more of what they are talking about than I do.

 

Fantastic build quality:

The cable feels thicker and more solid than most headphones I've used.  It's a bit rubbery (feels like silicone), and doesn't seem to be as prone to holding its shape and kinking as many other headphones.  The straight plug, the Y-splitter, and inline mic/remote are made of metal with a grooved texture.  The earbuds themselves are full-metal, with 8mm titanium drivers.

 

 

Sound-wise, they're very flat.  I can see them working very well for pretty much any genre of music.

 

Highs are smooth without being overly bright.  I don't think there's any real worry about these causing listener fatigue.  The detail is there, but it's more in the background.  They don't beat you over the head with it like many IEMs.

 

Mids are detailed and natural.

 

Lows are strong without being overpowering.

 

 

Overall, just an extremely balanced, comfortable IEM with great detail.  They remind me of a punchier version of my old V-Moda Vibe's.

[Ridska]

http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/collections/balanced-armature-series/products/b150-balanced-armature-in-ear-earphone 

@SSL 

 

Balanced Armature iems for 100. 

 

Dont you update these ? Just asking. 

[SSL]

4 minutes ago, Ridska said:

http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/collections/balanced-armature-series/products/b150-balanced-armature-in-ear-earphone 

@SSL 

 

Balanced Armature iems for 100. 

 

Dont you update these ? Just asking. 

 

I didn't write the IEM section and since they are not on my radar much I don't update. I'd say posting recommendations in the thread is a good way forward for now.

 

Remember, the guide is just a starting point for people, not a be-all end-all exhaustive list. I also want to avoid hype-train or FOTM products making it in there.

[Mr.Meerkat]

On 20/01/2016 at 11:01 PM, SSL said:

compatible with boompro mic

Ah, time to buy a boompro mic for my custom one pros it seems  (couldn't find an answer to this and since they're half the price of the mod mic and Beryerdynamic's version of it, it's good to know that my cloud 2s in pink can go to rest).

[Ridska]

37 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

I didn't write the IEM section and since they are not on my radar much I don't update. I'd say posting recommendations in the thread is a good way forward for now.

 

Remember, the guide is just a starting point for people, not a be-all end-all exhaustive list. I also want to avoid hype-train or FOTM products making it in there.

But what happens if a IEM is discontinued ? 

[SSL]

24 minutes ago, Ridska said:

But what happens if a IEM is discontinued ? 

 

Someone can post in the thread that it is discontinued and I'll update it, time permitting.

[ivanrcks95]

Might be an unpopular opinion, but ive been using Skullcandy Hesh 2s as my main over ears for a while now, and tbh for 50$ theyre pretty good, really good actually, then again i only ever use them through either my gaming laptop with a proper sound card in it, or through the amp that is connected to my rig, so that might be more the amps/sound cards help than the headphones, but im curious whether anyone else has had the opportunity to try them out too.

[vanished]

Has anyone looked into a company called "Bluedio"?  They offer things on Amazon ranging from $50 to $250 (maybe wider but those are a few I saw) and the styling resembles other headphones available currently (but different enough that I wouldn't call it a ripoff or anything).

[AstroBenny]

On 12/7/2016 at 11:26 PM, SSL said:

 

Someone can post in the thread that it is discontinued and I'll update it, time permitting.

Can you explain what you mean regarding the HD650s having "matched drivers"?

Under the $300-$500 tab. Cheers

[Dackzy]

1 hour ago, AstroBenny said:

Can you explain what you mean regarding the HD650s having "matched drivers"?

Under the $300-$500 tab. Cheers

Sennheiser matches the drivers that are most alike, that way you don't get maybe 2dB less bass on the left ear or something like that.

[AstroBenny]

4 hours ago, Dackzy said:

Sennheiser matches the drivers that are most alike, that way you don't get maybe 2dB less bass on the left ear or something like that.

So to clarify most headphone brands don't bother checking that each driver on a set is as close to identical as possible?

[Pomfinator]

1 minute ago, AstroBenny said:

So to clarify most headphone brands don't bother checking that each driver on a set is as close to identical as possible?

Yes, usually the manufacturer will just grab two transducers off the shelf, smack them together, and sell it as a finished product.  Don't get the wrong idea though, all the transducers are similar, just some are more similar to a certain subset than others.

[SSL]

1 hour ago, AstroBenny said:

So to clarify most headphone brands don't bother checking that each driver on a set is as close to identical as possible?

 

Yes. Cheap headphones can have up to 5dB of mismatch which is audible. Even expensive headphones can be pretty bad in this regard; one of the worst offenders for awhile (and maybe still) was Beyerdynamic, who shipped even their $1200 flagship with abysmal driver matching.

 

Sennheiser has some of the best in the industry - HD 650 and HD 800 commonly measure with under 1dB of mismatch across the frequency range.

[vanished]

32 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

Yes. Cheap headphones can have up to 5dB of mismatch which is audible. Even expensive headphones can be pretty bad in this regard; one of the worst offenders for awhile (and maybe still) was Beyerdynamic, who shipped even their $1200 flagship with abysmal driver matching.

 

Sennheiser has some of the best in the industry - HD 650 and HD 800 commonly measure with under 1dB of mismatch across the frequency range.

What I find most interesting about this is the fact that matching vs. not can make such a difference.  It means that each driver off the line varies quite a bit, which is surprising to me, especially in high-end headphones.  We all like to look up frequency response curves but by the sounds of it, there could be more variance between two drivers of the same model than there might be between two different headphones  

[kokakolia]

And....the sub $50 category is brought to you by Superlux! 

 

- I haven't tried the 668b, so I cannot comment on them.

- The 681 has wonderful bass and detail but the highs are so abrasive and sibilant that I can't recommend them with a straight face. I threw mine in the garbage because giving them away would be a sin. I would use air plane earbuds over the Superlux 681 because it's less painful. They're that bad. 

- The 681 EVO is not a bad headphone, but they have overwhelming bass that make them sound muddy. If it weren't for the horrible ergonomics (i.e. ear-pulling self adjusting headband) I wouldn't mind recommending them for bassheads. 

 

A noteworthy alternative is the Beyerdynamic DTX 910 for under $50. It's easy on the ears and comfy. It's everything you want from an open-back headphone. If you would just add this headphone to the list, I would shut my pie hole.