Headphone Buying Megathread/Guide V4 - Come here for all your audio needs! (New Threads are not need - Hardware & Software

Schiit stack just showed up, going to take the HD6XXs out for a spin later.

e10k arrived (technically a few days ago but Christmas present), amazing how premium some Chinese stuff feels these days. With Windows volume at 100%, AIMP at 100% and gain on low I still have to turn it down to about 0.5, nice to know there's that much headroom for higher resistance headphones there. But bass doesn't cause volume to drop by 20% and the port isn't flaky as fuck any more so that's great, no longer have to use my phone's DAC.

Ordered a pair of ATH WS1100iS, got an ATH WS99BT. Not sure if I'm willing to rectify the problem or not lol (especially because I saved $20ish because of price difference), the bluetooth audio sounds just as great as it does when plugged in.

HD 598 SEs are ~41% off on Amazon Canada for $149.99, would they be any good to replace/upgrade from the 515s I have at the moment that are falling apart? Mostly just use them for the computer with no need for Isolation and mostly listening to stuff like Bonobo and some other electronic music.

Their sound signature is a little laid back for EDM, but they're good all around in general. 149 CAD is a great deal though.

With a very heavy amount of anxiety and anticipation, I just bought the Fostex TH-X00 Ebony. Maybe I could have waited for something like the E-MU Teak Ebony, which should be dropping some time after Xmas, but I know Fostex by name and I find that assuring and I don't really care about detachable cables. The TH-X00 Ebony look fucking beautiful too and I like aesthetics because I'm a fucking retard. I also expect the Teak's to be around in the future and the TH-X00 Ebony to maybe not be because when they originally dropped they were limited to 1000 units, 2000 at most because of where they were getting the material from. I dunno. I just hope I like them. I heard they were less insane on the bass than the Mahogs and Purples and did highs less abrasively and are a 100% music headphone. That is why I'm buying them. I have the 7XX's, awesome soundstage, neutrality, great for gaming, but I'd like a [I]music[/I] headphone and hopefully, geezus fuck hopefully, this will do it for me.

[QUOTE=Banned?;51588116]With a very heavy amount of anxiety and anticipation, I just bought the Fostex TH-X00 Ebony. Maybe I could have waited for something like the E-MU Teak Ebony, which should be dropping some time after Xmas, but I know Fostex by name and I find that assuring and I don't really care about detachable cables. The TH-X00 Ebony look fucking beautiful too and I like aesthetics because I'm a fucking retard. I also expect the Teak's to be around in the future and the TH-X00 Ebony to maybe not be because when they originally dropped they were limited to 1000 units, 2000 at most because of where they were getting the material from. I dunno. I just hope I like them. I heard they were less insane on the bass than the Mahogs and Purples and did highs less abrasively and are a 100% music headphone. That is why I'm buying them. I have the 7XX's, awesome soundstage, neutrality, great for gaming, but I'd like a [I]music[/I] headphone and hopefully, geezus fuck hopefully, this will do it for me.[/QUOTE] Having demo'd the Mahogany Th-X00's a number of times, the line-up is fun in general, though I'd imagine the ebony would lean towards a more neutral sound because the denser wood helps even out mid-treble peaks (dat sub-bass tho). Still fantastic none-the-less.

So my POS gaming headset is dying with sound randomly cutting out and stuff, so I need to replace it. Budget: Let's say up to 50€, could stretch it a bit further if it's really worth the price. eBay: nope Country: Slovenia Isolation: Over-ear, but blocking out outside noise isn't necessary since I'll be using these at home. Purpose: mostly gaming, voice chat, maybe watching films etc. Music Tastes: all sorts of rock and metal, from mellower stuff to really heavy doom/sludge. Won't be listening to music much with these, I mostly use speakers or earbuds for that. Previous Experiences: crappy gaming headsets, in-ear earbuds in the ~30€ range. Currently using Sennheiser CX300-II and I'm pretty satisfied with the sound quality. Comments: I'm far from being an audiophile, so my demands aren't really high. I just want decently clear and balanced sound, as long as it doesn't sound tinny or have overpowered bass I'm fine with it. I also have free shipping from this store, so please let me know if anything on this list looks worth it: [url]https://www.mimovrste.com/naglavne-slusalke-brez-mikrofona?o=_price[/url]

Hey guys, Looking for something comfy and possibly wireless to wear all day long. I love my V-Moda M-100s for their wonderful V-shaped sound, but they aren't [I]quite[/I] comfy enough after an hour or two (and they've seen enough wear that they're starting to break apart). I have the big earpads, I just think I have big ears. Bose QC35s seemed comfy enough (I used to own AE2s and those definitely were), but they're a bit pricy. Budget: $40-300 (cheaper is better, sound quality not too much a concern) eBay: yes Country: USA Isolation: doesn't matter Purpose: comfy, big, light, low clamp force, over-ear, possibly wireless Music Tastes: V-shaped sound, emphasis on clear bass Previous Experiences: V-moda M-100s (great sound), Bose AE2 (comfy, but flimsy and sound quality rivaling $20 earbuds), V-moda M-80s (horrible comfiness), Panasonic RP-HTF600-S (OK comfy with velour pads, a bit too high of a clamp force)

[QUOTE=fishyfish777;51589147]Hey guys, Looking for something comfy and possibly wireless to wear all day long. I love my V-Moda M-100s for their wonderful V-shaped sound, but they aren't [I]quite[/I] comfy enough after an hour or two (and they've seen enough wear that they're starting to break apart). I have the big earpads, I just think I have big ears. Bose QC35s seemed comfy enough (I used to own AE2s and those definitely were), but they're a bit pricy. Budget: $40-300 (cheaper is better, sound quality not too much a concern) eBay: yes Country: USA Isolation: doesn't matter Purpose: comfy, big, light, low clamp force, over-ear, possibly wireless Music Tastes: V-shaped sound, emphasis on clear bass Previous Experiences: V-moda M-100s (great sound), Bose AE2 (comfy, but flimsy and sound quality rivaling $20 earbuds), V-moda M-80s (horrible comfiness), Panasonic RP-HTF600-S (OK comfy with velour pads, a bit too high of a clamp force)[/QUOTE] Backbeat Pro 2 is nice, the price is 200$, all the tones are more or less balanced, bass is not killing everything and is clear. They also have plenty of options like noise cancelling, Bluetooth with big range, controls and some stuff like when you take them off, music stops etc. They are more or less small, over ea, and isolating.

I'm thinking of just getting the Sennheiser HD201, they're cheap AF and have generally good reviews. Probably can't go wrong with that, eh?

[QUOTE=Sumap;51587087]HD 598 SEs are ~41% off on Amazon Canada for $149.99, would they be any good to replace/upgrade from the 515s I have at the moment that are falling apart? Mostly just use them for the computer with no need for Isolation and mostly listening to stuff like Bonobo and some other electronic music.[/QUOTE] I just go the 598CS myself to replace my dying Logitech G930 for gaming. Current blasting Vicarious by Tool and it sounds amazing. The cable they come with for 3.5mm is only like 4 feet long though. The larger plug cable is like 10 feet long, but I can't plug that into my PC, so I'll need to find a cable extension at some point too. The 3.5mm cable it comes with has a set of phone controls, and I think a phone mic too.

[QUOTE=DaCommie1;51591610]I just go the 598CS myself to replace my dying Logitech G930 for gaming. Current blasting Vicarious by Tool and it sounds amazing. The cable they come with for 3.5mm is only like 4 feet long though. The larger plug cable is like 10 feet long, but I can't plug that into my PC, so I'll need to find a cable extension at some point too. The 3.5mm cable it comes with has a set of phone controls, and I think a phone mic too.[/QUOTE] Sennheiser sells a really nice 1/4th to 3.5mm adapter if you wanted to hook up the long cable to your computer. Albeit it's a bit pricey. [url]https://www.amazon.ca/Adapter-SENNHEISER-Female-Mini-plug-Headphones/dp/B008JGWY2Y[/url]

So with these Shures it's really nice having something with some isolation at times. After my HD 518's, Momentum On-Ears, DT880 Pro's, and my ksc75's it's been a while since I've had isolation.

[QUOTE=Xanoxis;51589865]Backbeat Pro 2 is nice, the price is 200$, all the tones are more or less balanced, bass is not killing everything and is clear. They also have plenty of options like noise cancelling, Bluetooth with big range, controls and some stuff like when you take them off, music stops etc. They are more or less small, over ea, and isolating.[/QUOTE] Thanks m8. Now I just have to find them in stock...

I'll give a shout-out to the Meze 99 classic as a good portable pair. Warm/lush sounding with some excitement in the upper mid treble region. Mild sound isolation and light clamp w/ fairly decently sized over-ear cups that will fit most ear sizes except the largest ones. They're a little pricey at $309 new, but you can find pairs used between $200-220. Visually a little gaudy in picture, but they're fantastic to look and hold in person.

So my Logitech G35 headset just died, and I now need something new. A friend recommended switching to genuine headphones + seperate mic. On the mic side, I'm thinking of the Antlion ModMic 4. For headphones, I'm not so sure yet. I think around 100 $ is a nice budget for this. It'll be used for gaming, so closed-air, over-ear is my preferred type. In terms of sound signature; since I'm using it for gaming, a neutral, true sound is probably what I need, but I do enjoy cranking up some bass for certain types of music. Any thoughts or recommendations?

Out of curiosity, is there any software that one would recommend for listening to audio and calibrating headphones/EQ curve or whatever? I'm really enjoying these HD6XX's with the Schiit Stack so far but want to see how far I can go without physically modding them.

[QUOTE=Steven :D;51595258]Out of curiosity, is there any software that one would recommend for listening to audio and calibrating headphones/EQ curve or whatever? I'm really enjoying these HD6XX's with the Schiit Stack so far but want to see how far I can go without physically modding them.[/QUOTE] I have an answer to this, I just can't fucking find it right now because I guess I looked it up on my work computer. :/

Also I had my Magni on Low instead of High for the entire time so that may explain some things as well :v:

So, I replaced my [url=https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Sound-Blaster-System-Preamp/dp/B004275EO4]Creative Soundblaster X-FI dac/amp[/url] with an [url=https://www.amazon.com/xDuoo-384KHz-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B019SM6JUU]XDuoo XD-05[/url] Sounds nice, cool little amp actually.

[QUOTE=Steven :D;51595258]Out of curiosity, is there any software that one would recommend for listening to audio and calibrating headphones/EQ curve or whatever? I'm really enjoying these HD6XX's with the Schiit Stack so far but want to see how far I can go without physically modding them.[/QUOTE] I personally use foobar2000 for all my eq'ing needs (just on my speakers thou) and another system-wide eq thrown around is Equalizer APO + Peace GUI or Sonarworks. Here's a thread talking all kinds of EQ software, plenty to choose from: [url]http://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/eq-software.286/[/url] And also dedicated EQ hardware Project Kameleon, but that costs money: [url]http://www.garage1217.com/garage1217_diy_tube_headphone_amplifiers_019.htm[/url] [QUOTE=Steven :D;51595331]Also I had my Magni on Low instead of High for the entire time so that may explain some things as well :v:[/QUOTE] I always use low gain when I can, lower gain means lower noise floor-- which is always a plus. (Also helps when your listening volume is 8 o'clock low gain on an amp with infinite headroom <3 schiit Jotunheim) [QUOTE=Haribo112;51595157]So my Logitech G35 headset just died, and I now need something new. A friend recommended switching to genuine headphones + seperate mic. On the mic side, I'm thinking of the Antlion ModMic 4. For headphones, I'm not so sure yet. I think around 100 $ is a nice budget for this. It'll be used for gaming, so closed-air, over-ear is my preferred type. In terms of sound signature; since I'm using it for gaming, a neutral, true sound is probably what I need, but I do enjoy cranking up some bass for certain types of music. Any thoughts or recommendations?[/QUOTE] There's not too many $100 tier closed backs in the market because of open-back saturation. But I'd recommend the Hd598CS if you can get it on sale, (Which it goes on frequently) or the dt770/880 32/80 ohms (brighter signature overall) There's also the ATH M40/50x, but those have ultra high clamp that I personally don't find comfortable, so they're kinda meh to me. Sound is a solid V though.

So, I recently got the G930S and I'm pretty disappointed in them. I don't know if I'm gonna return them or not, but it's obvious to me that wireless headsets just aren't really gonna deliver much and that wired is really the only way to go. These just aren't loud enough (and while the H2100 was loud enough, it started breaking and Corsair also no longer manufactures it which means I can only buy used ones.) So... I find myself here again. Need something primarily for music, and I need it really, really loud. I guess the sound quality for gaming doesn't matter much, I'm not very good anyways. Within the range of 80 to 140 USD would be nice, but at this point I just need suggestions.

Obligatory "don't listen so loud or you'll ruin your hearing even more", but take a look at the HyperX cloud 1/2 for warm/dark gaming lean, the Hd598/558/598CS + modmic (Or if you're handy with a screwdriver, Hd558/598(CS) + vmoda boom pro) for warmish jack-of-all-trades. Or Audio technica Ad900x + modmic for brilliant upper frequency + lush female vocals + light punchy bass (big, but shallow pads). There's also the dt770/880 32|80 ohm + modmic for closed V-shape, but it can get pretty hot in upper treble frequencies. And if you want serious power to drive these headphones to ludicrous (not really, but damn loud) levels, check out the Fiio E10k or the Schiit Fulla 2 dac/amp. It provides extra juice to crank up the volume. (Your ears will probably implode before the amp maxes out)

Yeah my E17/E09K combo powers my dt990 Pro 250ohms just fine. 12o'clock on low is my comfort level.

[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;51595633] There's not too many $100 tier closed backs in the market because of open-back saturation. But I'd recommend the Hd598CS if you can get it on sale, (Which it goes on frequently) or the dt770/880 32/80 ohms (brighter signature overall) There's also the ATH M40/50x, but those have ultra high clamp that I personally don't find comfortable, so they're kinda meh to me. Sound is a solid V though.[/QUOTE] And what about AKG K182? Is it any good?

I haven't heard the akg k182's before, so I can't really say anything about them.. sorry!

[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;51597669]I haven't heard the akg k182's before, so I can't really say anything about them.. sorry![/QUOTE] Okay. I went ahead and purchased the Beyerdynamic DT 770 pro 32 ohms and the modmic 4.

Well that was fucking quick. My X00's already shipped. Still not coming until next week but at least it will come early.

All of my Christmas refunds have gone through and I'm back on the prowl. Planning on a used Schiit Gungnir Multibit for the desktop and/or the Sony Zx2 for portable before the next Headfi Socal Canjam in April.. Here's to the end-game!