Headphone Buying Megathread/Guide V4 - Come here for all your audio needs! (New Threads are not need
4,875 replies, posted
just got a pair of Audiotechnica ATH-MX30's. Pretty solid for the price of $70USD.
[QUOTE=Zekkei;52729220]im not looking for a "gaming headset" perse i just want a decent sounding headset with white theme that has "7.1" surround. Also there is a significant difference when playing on 7.1 and just stereo headsets on games where spacial awareness is needed like CS:GO i have a plantronics gamecom 780 atm which is on the verge of breaking. So i tried to use my seinheiser in ears and the sound feels too 2d i cant distinguish where the sounds are coming from that well.[/QUOTE]
A pair of stereo headphones with good soundstage will outperform any physical 7.1 headset in terms of picking up where sounds are coming from.
You should take a read through this: [url]https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-3-18-2016-mrspeakers-ether-c-1-1-added.534479/[/url]
It's a little out-dated but has excellent suggestions, and most of them can be found a fair bit cheaper than listed in the thread.
how important is SNR when it comes to sound cards? I have a soundblaster G5 and a ZXR. the ZXR has the higher SNR. I have HD 700s which are 150 ohm. the G5 has a 2.2 ohm amp and the ZXR has 39 ohm. which sound card should I use?
[QUOTE=milktree;52731051]how important is SNR when it comes to sound cards? I have a soundblaster G5 and a ZXR. the ZXR has the higher SNR. I have HD 700s which are 150 ohm. the G5 has a 2.2 ohm amp and the ZXR has 39 ohm. which sound card should I use?[/QUOTE]
You usually want an amp with as low an output impedance as possible, because OI affects bass quantity among other things. One rule you can follow; the rule of 1/8th's; states that if an amp's OI is more than 1/8th of your headphone's impedance, it will have a noticeable affect on the headphone's sound signature. (Partly why some people lean towards high OI OTL tube amps to color a headphone's signature)
The G5 will probably provide more bass for the hd700's if you wanted that. There are few that don't follow the rule of 1/8th's (Campfire Audio Andromeda's 12.8 ohm impedance sounds real tubby and bloated as the amp's OI approaches 0. The sweet spot is .9-2.2 ohms OI)
[editline]when[/editline]
Any particular reason you're picking a sound card over a standard dac/amp combo?
i've had these for a while. guess i never took the time to really find a proper dac/amp combo for hd 700s. if you have any suggestions, i'm all ears.
-snip-
I need IEM's that stay in my ear when doing warehouse stuff, offer decent isolation from noise and cost less than a 100 euros or dollars.
Thank you in advance for advice.
My current headphones are dying and I am currently using a shitty clip-on mic
I am looking to buy a decent headset as I have limited desk space (can't really place a desk-mic w/o it being inconveniently in the way)
I found the Corsair Raptor HS30 which fits my price range quite well (around €40), would anyone recommend it? or are there better things I can buy with €40?
[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;52731327]You usually want an amp with as low an output impedance as possible, because OI affects bass quantity among other things. One rule you can follow; the rule of 1/8th's; states that if an amp's OI is more than 1/8th of your headphone's impedance, it will have a noticeable affect on the headphone's sound signature. (Partly why some people lean towards high OI OTL tube amps to color a headphone's signature)
The G5 will probably provide more bass for the hd700's if you wanted that. There are few that don't follow the rule of 1/8th's (Campfire Audio Andromeda's 12.8 ohm impedance sounds real tubby and bloated as the amp's OI approaches 0. The sweet spot is .9-2.2 ohms OI)
[editline]when[/editline]
Any particular reason you're picking a sound card over a standard dac/amp combo?[/QUOTE]
Thanks for this! I decided to go for the Sennheiser HD598
[QUOTE=milktree;52731392]i've had these for a while. guess i never took the time to really find a proper dac/amp combo for hd 700s. if you have any suggestions, i'm all ears.[/QUOTE]
Sure, but first you need to ask yourself what your tonal preferences are and compare that to the hd700. Did you want more bass? Do they get sound fatiguing after long listening sessions? Did you want to change the soundstage or depth?
If you wanted to smooth of the hd700's treble on a budget, the newly released magni 3; based off the Asgard 3 prototype; has a warmer signature than its predecessor and a ton of voltage swing at higher impedances for a tighter bass impulse.
As for dacs, the Grace Sdac's new ak4552 chipset is also on the romantic side, and would provide the hd700 with a subtle, smoother tone. Or you can go full nutso and grab the modi multibit as it's tonality is also on the darker side, with a more concise layering and soundstage.
[editline]1st October 2017[/editline]
[QUOTE=Uberpro;52731476]-snip-
I need IEM's that stay in my ear when doing warehouse stuff, offer decent isolation from noise and cost less than a 100 euros or dollars.
Thank you in advance for advice.[/QUOTE]
The Shure 215/315 are a safe pick and they're over-ear instead of straight down. I'd recommend swapping out the tips if they sound congested, but you'll need to experiment if you want solid results. I've had good success with the spiral dots for the CA Orion, but you might have to do some research to see which tips would fit correctly.
Another good choice are the zero audio carbo tenores, but the cable can be a little fragile, so it's harder to recommend as your line of work might more-easily break the undetachable cable.
Seconding the Shures, just make sure you buy them from an reputable store since there's lots of fakes around.
[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;52735286]The Shure 215/315 are a safe pick and they're over-ear instead of straight down, and I'd recommend swapping out the tips if they sound congested. I've had good success with the spiral dots for the CA Orion, but you might have to do some research to see which tips would fit correctly.
Another good choice are the zero audio carbo tenores, but the cable can be a little fragile, so it's harder to recommend as your line of work might more-easily break the undetachable cable.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=SataniX;52735342]Seconding the Shures, just make sure you buy them from an reputable store since there's lots of fakes around.[/QUOTE]
The shure's do seem great but they're still 100€ here which is pretty expensive considering their age. They're also primarily for live mixing or whatever it's called in english, not for casual listeners to plug in their phones. The cable is really long.
I might go for the Shure's regardless of their high pricetag, but what about the RHA MA750's, which gor for 75€? They can be worn over-ear as well. They look huge though and I'm worried they'll stick out and fit badly since my ears and ear canals are ridiculously small.
Carbo Tenor's are not available at all here sadly.
[QUOTE=Uberpro;52735364]The shure's do seem great but they're still 100€ here which is pretty expensive considering their age. They're also primarily for live mixing or whatever it's called in english, not for casual listeners to plug in their phones. The cable is really long.
I might go for the Shure's regardless of their high pricetag, but what about the RHA MA750's, which gor for 75€? They can be worn over-ear as well. They look huge though and I'm worried they'll stick out and fit badly since my ears and ear canals are ridiculously small.[/QUOTE]
The rha 750's have a fat addicting bass I really enjoyed last I used them. Comfort was decent for me, but I only tried them for about an hour and I don't remember any negative things about it other than the tips where stiff. But that would be remedied over time. (Or swap the tips out for softer ones)
[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;52735374]The rha 750's have a fat addicting bass I really enjoyed last I used them. Comfort was decent for me, but I only tried them for about an hour and I don't remember any negative things about it other than the tips where stiff. But that would be remedied over time. (Or swap the tips out for softer ones)[/QUOTE]
They're the comfiest IEMs I've worn. Before I got my current cans I wore them from 7 to 8, then just the left so I could hear until 5 then wore both until bed at 10. Now I wear the cans at home instead but still have the RHAs in most of the day.
I recently got my Massdrop minimic and it's pretty damn good for 20 bucks if you can catch it. It sounds super sharp and clean.
thanks for the info, I ended up getting a modi 2 multibit and vali 2 for my hd700s
Budget: ~$300 CAD
Country:Canada
Isolation: I am not sure probably open?
Purpose:Games, Music
Music Tastes: Progressive Metal
Previous Experiences: G930/Cloud II
Comments: I also need a microphone, so ideally I would want to get both for 300 or less but my budget is flexible.
I'm thinking of upgrading from my current headset that has some problems (due to being a headset mostly) and going back to a nice pair of actual headphones as part of my upgrading of my peripherals I am doing for the holiday season.
I do quite a bit of video and audio editing, lots of gaming, and I listen to tons of Metal, especially the heavier stuff like Death Metal and Deathcore, just to put that into perspective, so I was looking at the Audio Technica M70x's. Any opinions on those? I've heard the M50's have more of a V style EQ curve which is kinda nice for metal and exaggerated highs and lows, but for the comfort, build, and everything else I am going to be doing, the 70's are still great. Was wondering if anyone had some hands on to help with the distinction.
OK, so DACs... I've been considering grabbing one.
Is it really necessary? This is solely for use with my PC. Will purchasing one really improve audio quality? Or rather, is such a thing only necessary when there are blaring, evident issues with the motherboard's DAC.
[QUOTE=Zzztops;52748493]OK, so DACs... I've been considering grabbing one.
Is it really necessary? This is solely for use with my PC. Will purchasing one really improve audio quality? Or rather, is such a thing only necessary when there are blaring, evident issues with the motherboard's DAC.[/QUOTE]
Depends heavily on your motherboard DAC and the rest of your setup.
With a modern motherboard, DAC is usually not the weakest link until you've spent at least a few hundred $ on headphones/amp.
Budget: < €100
Country: Portugal
Isolation: Maybe closed? I actually don't know
Purpose: Gaming and listening to music, but gaming mainly
Music Tastes: A little bit of everything, but if you find a pair of headphones that go perfect with gaming and Cubanate, then I'd say you are the sound god
Previous Experiences: Some shitty Plantronics that were smaller than my ears, N0X Krom headset that is, wait for it... [B]7.1 with a usb connection[/B] which is my current device (broken mic so I use a cheap desktop Trust mic that apparently works really well, and a friend's Siberia Icemat that were pretty good, except really flimsy
Comments: Something that sounds really good and manages to close you off from the outside world, that can make a deaf man hear footsteps on Long all the way from B, and hopefully confortable, but performance over design and useability. No need for a mic.
PS: [URL="http://www.pcdiga.com"]www.pcdiga.com[/URL] or [URL="http://www.f13pc.pt"]www.f13pc.pt[/URL] are good places for me to look around, but the websites are in portuguese so, might be a small issue.
[QUOTE=Rocâ„¢;52750118]Budget: < €100
Country: Portugal
Isolation: Maybe closed? I actually don't know
Purpose: Gaming and listening to music, but gaming mainly
Music Tastes: A little bit of everything, but if you find a pair of headphones that go perfect with gaming and Cubanate, then I'd say you are the sound god
Previous Experiences: Some shitty Plantronics that were smaller than my ears, N0X Krom headset that is, wait for it... [B]7.1 with a usb connection[/B] which is my current device (broken mic so I use a cheap desktop Trust mic that apparently works really well, and a friend's Siberia Icemat that were pretty good, except really flimsy
Comments: Something that sounds really good and manages to close you off from the outside world, that can make a deaf man hear footsteps on Long all the way from B, and hopefully confortable, but performance over design and useability. No need for a mic.
PS: [URL="http://www.pcdiga.com"]www.pcdiga.com[/URL] or [URL="http://www.f13pc.pt"]www.f13pc.pt[/URL] are good places for me to look around, but the websites are in portuguese so, might be a small issue.[/QUOTE]
How about the audio technica M40x? Closed, nice balanced sound, detachable cables that are easy to replace if they get damaged. And the pads can be swapped for more comfort or if they get old.
[url]https://www.woodbrass.com/pt-pt/auscultadores-fechados-closed-audio-technica-ath-m40x-p167955.html[/url]
Brainwavz HM5 pads on M40x is night and day.
Basically I'm considering buying a Pixel 2 and if so I would need some wireless headphones. I'd prefer larger ones i.e. not in ear because otherwise I'd lose them far too easily. Largely for listening to music/podcasts while around the house (I have housemates) or walking to uni.
Budget: Up to £100 (preferably less)
Country: UK
Music taste: pop punk/some slightly heavier stuff sometimes (The Wonder Years, Neck Deep, The Story So Far, for instance)
Previous experience: Largely £10-20 in ear headphones.
[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;52750353]How about the audio technica M40x? Closed, nice balanced sound, detachable cables that are easy to replace if they get damaged. And the pads can be swapped for more comfort or if they get old.
[URL]https://www.woodbrass.com/pt-pt/auscultadores-fechados-closed-audio-technica-ath-m40x-p167955.html[/URL][/QUOTE]
I don't know if I want closed or open, its really more up to you guys wether which one of the two would be a better idea to have for gaming, but these are really great apparently so...
Would I benefit way more of them if I had a sound card? As they will be connected straight to the usual mobo connection.
maybe also a bit too expensive? Isn't there something a little cheaper for a bit less?
[QUOTE=Rocâ„¢;52750955]I don't know if I want closed or open, its really more up to you guys wether which one of the two would be a better idea to have for gaming, but these are really great apparently so...
Would I benefit way more of them if I had a sound card? As they will be connected straight to the usual mobo connection.
maybe also a bit too expensive? Isn't there something a little cheaper for a bit less?[/QUOTE]
You don't need to worry about a sound card if you're just pushing the M40x or other high-efficiency drivers. As far as open/closed, open cans tend to have a more natural sound-stage at the cost of isolation. My recommendation for an open-back near the same price is the Senn Hd558, warmer compared to the m40x, but cozy rather than bloated. Another choice for closed is the Brainwavz Hm5 or NVX XPT100, both have a little wonky treble like the m50x, but they're ultra comfy. Mainly for mixing/mastering, so bass takes a back seat to the rest of the spectrum. You'll have to snoop around for those though.
Though it's hard to find the hd558 as it's been discontinued for the 59X series. (which isn't worth because the price competes with the superior hd6XX series)
Now that I think about it, a lot of the closed headphones I've recommended in the past have been discontinued, AKG, takstar, Hd5xx series. The Creative Aurvana live! is still kicking but that's more an semi-over-ear rather than over ear. Still an excellent can for what it does though.
Recently bought the Sony MDR100ABN. Its noise cancelling isn't as good as the MDR1000x's, but it's pretty damn close. They sound amazing, and they. look. so. damn. good.
[img_thumb]https://i.imgur.com/PqN6nDa.jpg[/img_thumb]
[QUOTE=LurkietheLurker;52740417]Budget: ~$300 CAD
Country:Canada
Isolation: I am not sure probably open?
Purpose:Games, Music
Music Tastes: Progressive Metal
Previous Experiences: G930/Cloud II
Comments: I also need a microphone, so ideally I would want to get both for 300 or less but my budget is flexible.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Novangel;52639417]Budget: $350?
eBay: Sure
Country: Australia
Isolation: Open/Semi-Open preferred but can do with closed
Purpose: Gaming, music, YouTube/Netflix, all purpose I guess
Previous Experiences: Sennheisers, a few others
For usage on the PC, so looks and stuff aren't too important, would rather go for comfort.[/QUOTE]
I could recommend Beyerdynamic DT 990 600Ω to both of you. Can probably get a pair cheap in great shape on Head-Fi's buy/sell
How to remove static/buzzing noise when using IEM's with an Android phone? I think the Shure SE215 is a bit too sensitive for my Moto G 3 phone. There's a buzzing/static every time there's sound.
[QUOTE=s53;52754832]I could recommend Beyerdynamic DT 990 600Ω to both of you. Can probably get a pair cheap in great shape on Head-Fi's buy/sell[/QUOTE]
The Dt990 600Ω is a terrible recommendation if you don't already have an amplifier. You won't get any usable volume and it's going to sound like ass.
[QUOTE=Uberpro;52755522]How to remove static/buzzing noise when using IEM's with an Android phone? I think the Shure SE215 is a bit too sensitive for my Moto G 3 phone. There's a buzzing/static every time there's sound.[/QUOTE]
Grab one of [URL="http://pro.ultimateears.com/adjustable-ambient-filters-242"]these[/URL].
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