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

[QUOTE=SataniX;52935744]Not headphones but closest thread I guess? My [url=https://www.whathifi.com/jamo/c103/review]Jamo C103s[/url] just arrived, bought on BF. Awesome deal at just under £200 pair even after US -> UK shipping and import tax. Feels like I'm almost at (student-budget) end game audio wise. Stack is Modi 2 Multibit (Have a thrifted Bimby coming soon) -> Lyr 2. Headphones HD650, Oppo PM-3, HE-400S modded. Lyr pre-amp connects to my studio monitors (Elevate 6s) or now Jamos depending on what I'm doing. Just need to find myself a nice pair of IEMs, my FiiOs are good but a lack a little compared to my home setup. Would appreciate £200-350 suggestions there, second-hand acceptable to me. Mixture of music - 75% electronic, 10% rock 10% pop 5% OST.[/QUOTE] If you can get it across the pond, the Campfire Audio Orion, decent bass slam, they sound pretty much like hd600's with more soundstage. They're ultra sensitive so don't expect the lyr to be able to run them well. [editline]1st December 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=Cree8ive;52938038]Just received my new Sennheiser HD6XX from Massdrop 2 months [B]ahead[/B] of schedule. Any veterans with general tips/guidance for use would be greatly appreciated! :smile:[/QUOTE] If you needed an amp the schiit magni 3 will do a good job pushing them, if you feel adventurous you can look up the KISS mod on sbaf and mod them. I might have some extra dynamat and damplifier pro if anyone was interested in trying it btw.

I wouldn't mod brand new headphones just yet. Use them stock for a while, enjoy the sound as is, if you feel like you can benefit from the mod, then go for it. imo I ordered the SMSL IDEA, should be here tomorrow. The noise on the Andros is really the worst thing about them. If I could tame it to even half of what is it now, they'd be completely ace.

[QUOTE=Cree8ive;52938038]Just received my new Sennheiser HD6XX from Massdrop 2 months [B]ahead[/B] of schedule. Any veterans with general tips/guidance for use would be greatly appreciated! :smile:[/QUOTE] mine's on it's way too, but has to get to australia. incredibly pleased, didn't think i'd be getting it before christmas. i'll be using a schiit stack to drive them for my turntable, but is there any recommendation for when using them with a pc? i still have an old sound blaster x-fi from back in the day. is that worth upgrading?

Alright, the SMSL IDEA is legit. I need firmware from SMSL for it to run on my phone but coming out of my computer off the crappier front USB ports, there is maybe ZERO noise coming from the Andros. Little thing does get pretty hot though. Can't wait to run it from my phone. [B]E:[/B] Yeah, no noise with this thing. Pretty awesome for $85. [B]EE:[/B] Found the firmware online, can use on phone now. I'm set. Work is gonna be nice.

[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;52939156]If you can get it across the pond, the Campfire Audio Orion, decent bass slam, they sound pretty much like hd600's with more soundstage. They're ultra sensitive so don't expect the lyr to be able to run them well.[/quote] Looks like getting close to £400 after shipping, taxes etc. - reason there's no UK Resellers. I could wait a few weeks and I'll have the budget for that but I still hate purchasing anything 100 from outside th EU. We'll see. The OTHER option is I'll just have a short holiday in the US next Black Fidday and pick some up then :v: [My current ones aren't bad though, FiiO E9s are really solif for their price tag. Me and a friend where comparing to his Shure SE535s and we both agreed that they werne't far off.. Pretty impressive for £100 vs £350. I think. And priase the lord for Amazon Vine

[B]Budget:[/B] ~$70, maybe ~$90 if it makes that much of a difference. [B]eBay:[/B] I get free shipping with Amazon. [B]Country:[/B] US [B]Isolation:[/B] Semi-Open, but I'm really not too terribly picky. [B]Purpose:[/B] Games, and music. [B]Music Tastes:[/B] Varied, but mostly psych, prog, or classic rock. [B]Previous Experiences:[/B] I've had this pair of Sony MDR-ZX100 headphones for [I]years[/I] and they're finally starting to wear out. They've served me well, but it's about time I upgrade to something better.

-merge broke so editing this into one post-

[QUOTE=SataniX;52942905]Looks like getting close to £400 after shipping, taxes etc. - reason there's no UK Resellers. I could wait a few weeks and I'll have the budget for that but I still hate purchasing anything 100 from outside th EU. We'll see. The OTHER option is I'll just have a short holiday in the US next Black Fidday and pick some up then :v: [My current ones aren't bad though, FiiO E9s are really solif for their price tag. Me and a friend where comparing to his Shure SE535s and we both agreed that they werne't far off.. Pretty impressive for £100 vs £350. I think. And priase the lord for Amazon Vine[/QUOTE] Be sure to check aloaudio.deals next year too. They always sell off campfire audio B-stock during black Friday at a discount. (Last year it was CA Orion for me and this year is CA Andromeda) [editline]3rd December 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=Rusty100;52940671]mine's on it's way too, but has to get to australia. incredibly pleased, didn't think i'd be getting it before christmas. i'll be using a schiit stack to drive them for my turntable, but is there any recommendation for when using them with a pc? i still have an old sound blaster x-fi from back in the day. is that worth upgrading?[/QUOTE] What parts of the schiit stack are you using for your turntable? Just the schiit Mani phono-pre and one of the amps? As far as the sound blaster x-fi, they hd6x0's is decently easy to push with a dedicated soundcard and you should be fine. But if you wanted to get really fancy, magni 3 is a good choice,.

[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;52943384]Be sure to check aloaudio.deals next year too. They always sell off campfire audio B-stock during black Friday at a discount. (Last year it was CA Orion for me and this year is CA Andromeda) [editline]3rd December 2017[/editline] What parts of the schiit stack are you using for your turntable? Just the schiit Mani phono-pre and one of the amps? As far as the sound blaster x-fi, they hd6x0's is decently easy to push with a dedicated soundcard and you should be fine. But if you wanted to get really fancy, magni 3 is a good choice,.[/QUOTE] I've got a Schiit Mani and a Magni 2 Uber. Is the Magni 3 something you can just hook up to a PC?

[QUOTE=Rusty100;52944805]I've got a Schiit Mani and a Magni 2 Uber. Is the Magni 3 something you can just hook up to a PC?[/QUOTE] Magni 3 is just an amp, so you can do a 3.5mm aux from your computer to RCA. The magni 2u had the same i/o as the magni 3 as well. If you don't mind hotswapping the cable between your turntable and computer, you don't really need to buy a new piece of kit. But I guess the schiit sys or just a regular switcher would work too. Like [url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YEFLGQ/ref=asc_df_B004YEFLGQ5290164/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395033&creativeASIN=B004YEFLGQ&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167122786755&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7260498286207787875&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031292&hvtargid=pla-307978979729]this[/url]

I've got a few (old) cables like that, and I've been meaning to ask if you can have good and bad quality ones, and what difference they make on the sound quality.

[QUOTE=Rusty100;52945196]I've got a few (old) cables like that, and I've been meaning to ask if you can have good and bad quality ones, and what difference they make on the sound quality.[/QUOTE] I personally use Media Bridge if I'm feeling lazy. Otherwise I use canare starquad as a base and solder custom cables myself. It's pretty easy to work with and not that expensive so it's my go-to cable. As far as my stance on cables affecting sound quality. I'd say yes cables can impart their own tonality. Not that expensive cables sound better, but as far as my experiences,the silver cables that came with my CA Orion and Andromeda are slightly brighter than a copper backup. Probably due to their sensitivity. As far as other cables go, if they're durable and flexible, then I'm happy. [editline]3rd December 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=Zatch;52942914][B]Budget:[/B] ~$70, maybe ~$90 if it makes that much of a difference. [B]eBay:[/B] I get free shipping with Amazon. [B]Country:[/B] US [B]Isolation:[/B] Semi-Open, but I'm really not too terribly picky. [B]Purpose:[/B] Games, and music. [B]Music Tastes:[/B] Varied, but mostly psych, prog, or classic rock. [B]Previous Experiences:[/B] I've had this pair of Sony MDR-ZX100 headphones for [I]years[/I] and they're finally starting to wear out. They've served me well, but it's about time I upgrade to something better.[/QUOTE] A used pair of sennheiser hd558's fits right between that on Amazon. But they're open, so you won't get too much sound isolation.

[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;52939156]If you needed an amp the schiit magni 3 will do a good job pushing them, if you feel adventurous you can look up the KISS mod on sbaf and mod them. I might have some extra dynamat and damplifier pro if anyone was interested in trying it btw.[/QUOTE] I don't have any amps/DAC's yet so that'd be great to keep in mind as my next piece to purchase. First upgrade from my ATH-M50 which I've had for about 4-5 years, still consider myself inexperienced so probably sticking to stock as Banned? mentioned for now just to enjoy the experience. Appreciate the suggestions though, any and all advice is welcome!

I got my 6XX's as well and they're fantastic. I'm using them with my Schiit Magni 2 Uber, but it's obviously not super portable. Are there any good, more portable headphone DACs people can recommend?

[QUOTE=Rusty100;52966473]I got my 6XX's as well and they're fantastic. I'm using them with my Schiit Magni 2 Uber, but it's obviously not super portable. Are there any good, more portable headphone DACs people can recommend?[/QUOTE] What kind of sources are you using? Portable to use from a laptop or similar, or do you want iPhone/Android support? Overall your general best options are the Audioquest Dragonfly Red or Geek Out V2+ Could get a Cyrus Soundkey at a lower budget but there's a definite jump in quality from that.

[QUOTE=SataniX;52966528]What kind of sources are you using? Portable to use from a laptop or similar, or do you want iPhone/Android support? Overall your general best options are the Audioquest Dragonfly Red or Geek Out V2+ Could get a Cyrus Soundkey at a lower budget but there's a definite jump in quality from that.[/QUOTE] desktop, phone (oneplus 3t) mostly. i don't mind paying bit more for quality (but not an enormous amount)

[QUOTE=Rusty100;52966575]desktop, phone (oneplus 3t) mostly. i don't mind paying bit more for quality (but not an enormous amount)[/QUOTE] Taking the hd6x0 to the streets? I don't know how well you'd be able to hear music since they're open, but yeah, a used dragonfly red or geek out v2 will get you a long ways.

[QUOTE=Rusty100;52966575]oneplus 3t[/QUOTE] Most portable DACs that support Android don't support type-C yet so for either of those suggestions you'll probably need a type-C -> micro-B adaptor too unfortunately. Sadly a bit of a hassle.

[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;52966708]Taking the hd6x0 to the streets? I don't know how well you'd be able to hear music since they're open, but yeah, a used dragonfly red or geek out v2 will get you a long ways.[/QUOTE] i already wore open out and about, i don't find it's an issue. i also like to stay aware of my surroundings. but this won't be for going out and about, but swapping between sources in different rooms at home without having to move a stationary amp around. but maybe it's just worth getting one for each computer what's the consensus on the [url=https://www.pccasegear.com/products/19169?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz936sf6C2AIVGSQrCh1MjgQAEAQYASABEgI9cfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds]audioengine d1?[/url]

I think I already know the answer to this, but I'd figure I'd just check anyway. About $60, headset with integrated mic. I understand that the quality is going to suck, but I'm just looking for something more convenient and maybe a bit better than my $10 headphones and my 10 year-old webcam's microphone that can pick up the sound of my typing from across the room at 120 dB making everyone in my call's ears bleed. Is there anything out there that's [I]not completely terrible[/I]? Also, that little $5 Zalman mic was garbage and everybody always complained to me about how bad I sounded with it. I join the same voice chat with a phone and people tell me it's a night and day difference in quality so I'm not taking out the duct tape and coat hanger wire and attaching that piece of shit to any pair of headphones. I'm convinced that practically anything will be better than that.

[QUOTE=SGTNAPALM;52967634]I think I already know the answer to this, but I'd figure I'd just check anyway. About $60, headset with integrated mic. I understand that the quality is going to suck, but I'm just looking for something more convenient and maybe a bit better than my $10 headphones and my 10 year-old webcam's microphone that can pick up the sound of my typing from across the room at 120 dB making everyone in my call's ears bleed. Is there anything out there that's [I]not completely terrible[/I]? Also, that little $5 Zalman mic was garbage and everybody always complained to me about how bad I sounded with it. I join the same voice chat with a phone and people tell me it's a night and day difference in quality so I'm not taking out the duct tape and coat hanger wire and attaching that piece of shit to any pair of headphones. I'm convinced that practically anything will be better than that.[/QUOTE] Hyperx Cloud 2 is the only "decent" headset I'm aware of since it's based on solid headphones as a starting point.

[QUOTE=KangarooSteak;52945278] A used pair of sennheiser hd558's fits right between that on Amazon. But they're open, so you won't get too much sound isolation.[/QUOTE] Hey, thanks for the recommendation, but I also forgot to mention that I don't have an amplifier. Thankfully between the time I posted that and now, I can push to <$130. I found this ebay listing for a new pair of sennheiser hd 558's [URL="https://www.ebay.com/itm/SENNHEISER-HD-558-Audiophile-High-End-Over-Ear-Headphones-w-Strong-Bass-HD558/162572763233"]here[/URL] for $70. I'm a bit skeptical of its legitimacy being on ebay and all, but the seller seems to have good ratings. That would leave me with $60 to work with. Are there any decent amps you'd recommend for ~$60?

last i checked ebay was flooded with fake sennheiser's at low price points

Yeah I figured as much... Those Sennheisers look nice and all, but they seem to be out of my budget. Are Audio Technica ATH-AD700X headphones any good?

Ordered a Pioneer XDP-300R-B and a 200 GB micro SD since I've realised that I was far too dependant on my phone for too many things. Would've preferred it to be cheaper instead of having DSD, Meme Quality Authenticated, and 384 KHz but I can't argue with that battery life. Found out about the XDP-30R shortly after ordering but honestly that 320x240 screen looks like cancer, and being able to switch to Power Amp if I don't like the stock player is a nice option.

My boyfriend ordered a pair of Sennheiser 598 CSs (closed-back) for his daily drivers based on this thread. Did he make a good choice?

man going back to my hd 598's (using them at work) after getting the 6XX's is rough. these bad boys were great but now I notice how small the sound stage is, and when all the sounds are competing and hitting a cap so to speak, getting kind of mushed together. now i can only imagine what 800's and higher sound like. this is a dangerous game

[QUOTE=Rusty100;52975148]man going back to my hd 598's (using them at work) after getting the 6XX's is rough. these bad boys were great but now I notice how small the sound stage is, and when all the sounds are competing and hitting a cap so to speak, getting kind of mushed together. now i can only imagine what 800's and higher sound like. this is a dangerous game[/QUOTE] The only headphone that has the same sound signature to the hd6x0 with absolute better techicalities is the Audio Zenith Pmx2. Hd800 with the super Dupont resonator certainly has great imaging and a wide soundstage, but it's not as mid forward and in-your-face like what the he6x0 can do (they're great in their own way though, I wouldn't mind having these around). The Focal Utopia just didn't click for me. (Too splashy? Might have been bad amp synergy) Good news is that unless you're itching to drop nearly 2-4k on headphones alone, welcome to the endgame. Everything past this point is just different flavors. Now what's left is to work on amp and DAC synergy, then finally speakers.

is there any particular reason my 6xx's sound better directly connected to my pc's front aux jack, than through the same jack, or the back jack, routed through my magni 2 uber? is it the shitty aux to rca cable connected to the magni? i'm trying to figure out if i should get a fulla 2 or if it's worth just taking the magni 2 uber from my turntable setup and pairing it with a modi 2 for my pc. hence i was trying just the magni before i buy anything and was surprised when it sounded worse.

-snip nvm-