What headphones are you using?

[Guest Kloaked]

Just now, SSL said:

These headphones need top-quality material to show what they are capable of, meaning well-mastered music with tons of detail. Highly processed, dynamically compressed music is enjoyable, but clearly not taking advantage of the resolving capabilities of the headphone.

 

This might go without saying, but ever since I've been getting more and more expensive headphones I've been enjoying less and less music since I'm starting to hear inconsistencies that throws off the mix. I mostly listen to heavier music which is probably the problem since a lot of these bands won't spend the extra money on proper mixes, or just get bad deals in general.

 

I'm also on the same page with you with everything you said. I especially keep finding myself turning the volume up louder than I need to just because it's so pleasant

[spwath]

14 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

-.

 

My only real complaints are again the amount of mid-bass - moving the resonant frequency of the driver down on octave would probably be perfect - .

 

.

kiss mod will fix that and takes about 10 min

 

14 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

Pretty positive. The dynamics and impact are on another level. Amazingly cohesive sound signature; maybe a tad much mid-bass but that's recording dependent. No veil whatsoever; these are probably the most revealing headphones I've had yet and that's without a stupid amount of treble. Tons of top-end extension, though. At some point I'll need to do another mp3 vs flac comparison to see if I can pick out differences beyond 224 kbps. These headphones need top-quality material to show what they are capable of, meaning well-mastered music with tons of detail. Highly processed, dynamically compressed music is enjoyable, but clearly not taking advantage of the resolving capabilities of the headphone.

 

My only real complaints are again the amount of mid-bass - moving the resonant frequency of the driver down on octave would probably be perfect - and the relative lack of soundstage. Imaging is pretty good, but even the HE-560 feels more spacious. If I'm being really picky, there is a slight emphasis, maybe in the 5-6 kHz range, that could be toned down like a decibel or two.

 

The best thing about them is how dynamic they are, though. The smooth signature and low distortion means it's possible to crank the volume without listening fatigue or having the drivers shit the bed, and then OH BOY. I'm veeery interested to try these with an upgraded amp.

kiss mod will fix that and takes about 10 min

[SSL]

3 minutes ago, Kloaked said:

I'm also on the same page with you with everything you said. I especially keep finding myself turning the volume up louder than I need to just because it's so pleasant

 

Yeah, it's a welcome change from HE-560 and DT 880 where I was always turning the volume down so as not to destroy my ears. The irony is that turning things down means you hear less detail, even if the headphones are equally resolving. This is why headphones with boosted treble are actually lo-fi. *shakes stick at $1200 Beyerdynamic flagship*

 

Just now, spwath said:

kiss mod will fix that and takes about 10 min

 

The bass amount? The thing is, I'm cool with the amount of bass, which is usually benign if not fucking awesome. I just wish it were lower in the overall spectrum.

[Blade of Grass]

B&W P7  

[spwath]

9 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

Yeah, it's a welcome change from HE-560 and DT 880 where I was always turning the volume down so as not to destroy my ears. The irony is that turning things down means you hear less detail, even if the headphones are equally resolving. This is why headphones with boosted treble are actually lo-fi. *shakes stick at $1200 Beyerdynamic flagship*

 

 

The bass amount? The thing is, I'm cool with the amount of bass, which is usually benign if not fucking awesome. I just wish it were lower in the overall spectrum.

yeah, I guess it just removes it all together.

[revl8er]

Using AKG K712 Pros.

[Pomfinator]

2 hours ago, SSL said:

I'm veeery interested to try these with an upgraded amp.

I love them with my Asgard 2.  Something about that amp brings out a sweetness to the vocal section that I never could get with the O2.  Granted, I haven't done a blind test, but the O2 with my 650 just sounds lifeless, my 2000x and my IEMs don't do this, they sound just fine with the O2.

 

Then again what do I know.  I listen to trash by most audiopheel standards, #animusongs.

 

Any ideas on what amp you're going to go for?

[SSL]

1 minute ago, Pomfinator said:

I love them with my Asgard 2.  Something about that amp brings out a sweetness to the vocal section that I never could get with the O2.  Granted, I haven't done a blind test, but the O2 with my 650 just sounds lifeless, my 2000x and my IEMs don't do this, they sound just fine with the O2.

 

Then again what do I know.  I listen to trash by most audiopheel standards, #animusongs.

 

Any ideas on what amp you're going to go for?

 

I'm actually considering AssGuard 2. Class A, zero feedback goodness. Also, Vali 2. Maybe even Mjolnir 2 later on. Yes, all Schiit.

[JorenBus]

Sennheiser HD 598's. Really happy with them and much more comfortable than the DT770's. 

[aithos]

17 hours ago, Craftsman_2222 said:

I'm researching headphones and I'm curious at what the LTT community uses for their headphones and what you think of them. Also,what recommendations for closed back headphone with mic for around 200. 

Headsets - the only ones I would even consider at this point are the Sennheiser PC350SE and newer versions (the absurdly spelled game zero and game one).  The PC350SE can be found for $80~ on sale and is virtually identical to the newer models, frankly I don't think it's worth spending more than double for the updated versions, Sennheiser isn't innovating their headsets much these days because IMO no one else is even close to their performance for the money.

 

Headphones - my recommendation largely depends on what you're going to use them for, whether you're willing to run a dedicated amp/dac, and how much of a budget you are working with.  The two "reasonable" pairs I recommend are the Sennheiser HD598s and the AKG K7XX that you can find on Massdrop.  The former is less expensive and can be run without an amp/dac, and the latter is a bit more but really needs an amp/dac to shine.

 

As for what I currently run...

 

Sennheiser HD650

Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart

Fostex TH-X00 Ebony

AKG K7XX

 

Those are being powered by a Grace Design M9XX, which is a FANTASTIC amp/dac but costs more than double what an o2+odac or Schitt stack would cost.  I wanted the features (especially the dual 1/4" front input and their crossfeed) and Grace Design is a really good brand (and awesome to deal with) so I didn't mind spending more. 

 

Oh... quick impressions:

- HD650 - This was my first pair of "real" headphones and they are great.  They are an open design with a very pleasing warm sound that does well with all kinds of music and doesn't have piercing treble.  They are my vote for best "all-around" if you're going to have a single pair of HD headphones.

- K7XX - This was my second pair of headphones and I got them due to AKG's excellent reputation for gaming.  Their positional audio and soundstage are excellent and they are a very neutral sound that is well-suited for gaming.  My only complaint is that the way the band rests on your head and adjusts doesn't hold a position and so it puts pressure in a weird spot on top of my head and starts hurting after a while.  I've been meaning to look for a mod to fix it but haven't gotten around to it.

- TH-X00 PH - These are a closed back design that come with some absolutely STUNNING purpleheart wood earcups.  They sound incredible, honestly I was floored by the sound quality considering they are closed back which traditionally means a smaller soundstage.  They have a LOT of bass, and they are VERY loud.  Seriously, at the same volume on my amp/dac I'll listen at like 30% vs my HD650s because I can feel my hearing dying.  They are very comfortable to wear, but they are also very heavy due to the wood earcups so for extended periods of time they do fatigue your neck a little.

- TH-X00 Ebony - Slightly less bass and a fix for the issue the PH had at the 6k~ range, they are a bit smoother on their curve and I find them slightly better for all-around use but for music with a lot of bass the PH model is more fun.  Overall I like both pairs, and if you get lucky (like I did) and get a nearly black pair of ebony they are a statement pair of headphones.  Some of the best sounding headphones I've heard under $2000.

[Techicolors]

5 hours ago, SSL said:

 

Pretty positive. The dynamics and impact are on another level. Amazingly cohesive sound signature; maybe a tad much mid-bass but that's recording dependent. No veil whatsoever; these are probably the most revealing headphones I've had yet and that's without a stupid amount of treble. Tons of top-end extension, though. At some point I'll need to do another mp3 vs flac comparison to see if I can pick out differences beyond 224 kbps. These headphones need top-quality material to show what they are capable of, meaning well-mastered music with tons of detail. Highly processed, dynamically compressed music is enjoyable, but clearly not taking advantage of the resolving capabilities of the headphone.

 

My only real complaints are again the amount of mid-bass - moving the resonant frequency of the driver down on octave would probably be perfect - and the relative lack of soundstage. Imaging is pretty good, but even the HE-560 feels more spacious. If I'm being really picky, there is a slight emphasis, maybe in the 5-6 kHz range, that could be toned down like a decibel or two.

 

The best thing about them is how dynamic they are, though. The smooth signature and low distortion means it's possible to crank the volume without listening fatigue or having the drivers shit the bed, and then OH BOY. I'm veeery interested to try these with an upgraded amp.

how would the 650s perform if you listen to GPM and Spotify? 

[Princess Luna]

Sony Pulse Headset 7.1 Wireless

[SSL]

1 minute ago, Technicolors said:

how would the 650s perform if you listen to GPM and Spotify? 

 

They're worth using regardless; ogg sounds better than mp3 at the same bitrate. The difference from lossless will be noticeable in some tracks, less so in others.

[KaminKevCrew]

31 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

They're worth using regardless; ogg sounds better than mp3 at the same bitrate. The difference from lossless will be noticeable in some tracks, less so in others.

Google Play Music, in some cases, has better masters of the same music though. (From what I hear, it's because google also has a sales license, while Spotify only has a streaming license.)

[spwath]

2 minutes ago, KaminKevCrew said:

Google Play Music, in some cases, has better masters of the same music though. (From what I hear, it's because google also has a sales license, while Spotify only has a streaming license.)

or just buy cds to get lossless and good masters (mostly)

[SSL]

3 minutes ago, KaminKevCrew said:

Google Play Music, in some cases, has better masters of the same music though. (From what I hear, it's because google also has a sales license, while Spotify only has a streaming license.)

 

Does it really? Interesting.

[KaminKevCrew]

5 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

Does it really? Interesting.

A few people were talking about a couple of specific songs a while ago on /r/headphones. I decided to give it a go, since I had both, and there was definitely a difference (I don't remember what songs they were though). Also, GPM has better music selection for some obscure stuff (The Eleanor Rigby cover by Ferruccio Spinetti on Musica Nuda, to be specific.) and a better algorithm for doing music radio. Spotify definitely has a better playlist setup though, since people can make and share their own playlists pretty easily.

[kol]

Philips Fidelio X2

Sony MDR MA-900

VSONIC VSD3S

 

Looking at maybe grabbing a pair of Hifiman HE400i's, was outbid on a pair yesterday that went for £255 :(.

[LordWaffleGoblin]

Marshall over ear monitor (M-ACCS-00152 is the model I think)

[Jacona]

VE Monks 95% of the time

[Deli]

Sennheiser  HD600

[CoolDud1515]

Audio Technica M40x

[Techicolors]

3 hours ago, KaminKevCrew said:

A few people were talking about a couple of specific songs a while ago on /r/headphones. I decided to give it a go, since I had both, and there was definitely a difference (I don't remember what songs they were though). Also, GPM has better music selection for some obscure stuff (The Eleanor Rigby cover by Ferruccio Spinetti on Musica Nuda, to be specific.) and a better algorithm for doing music radio. Spotify definitely has a better playlist setup though, since people can make and share their own playlists pretty easily.

yeah that is why i switched to GPM, at least for a little while as i have a stacked Trial along with Youtube Red. 

i also found that Spotify will make some tracks louder, least in certain frequencies. just something i have heard, and maybe i can hear the difference with the same track between GPM and spotify. 

 

3 hours ago, SSL said:

 

They're worth using regardless; ogg sounds better than mp3 at the same bitrate. The difference from lossless will be noticeable in some tracks, less so in others.

do you need an AMP and dac to power the 650? also needed for mobile phone? 

[Pomfinator]

35 minutes ago, Technicolors said:

do you need an AMP and dac to power the 650? also needed for mobile phone? 

They will get loud enough, I wouldn't recommend it though.

[Guest Kloaked]

9 hours ago, Blade of Grass said:

B&W P7  

Do those make you want to touch yourself or are they just alright?