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

[QUOTE=Mr. Agree;43043747]How do the M50s compare to the modded fostex's that DT was selling? I was thinking of getting a second set of headphones, but not wanting to spend as much and one that would be good when editing, etc out of the house. My modded fostex are something I'm not willing to stick in a bag in case they are thrown about, but wondering how the quality in sound would compare?[/QUOTE] The modded fostex from DT, if they're anywhere near as good as mine, are miles above them in terms of straight up audio reproduction with a good amp - but how good something sounds is of course subjective, and it's possible you'd enjoy the M50s more.

Can anyone recommend a good headset for gaming with a good microphone for around 50eur? I live in estonia and cant order from ebay etc. The Steelseries siberia V2 would be the perfect example what Id like but I cant buy them because its out of my price range.

Budget: $130/99€, preferably less. eBay: Nope. Country: Poland Isolation: Circumaural Purpose: Gaming and music Music Tastes: Pretty much everything besides dubstep and similar genres. Previous Experiences: JVC HA-G101, Sennheiser HD201 Comments: I don't mind if it's a headset. But now for the tricky part: I'm looking for wireless headphones, and the problem is that I have no knowledge about such type of connection, this kind of connection comes with a price and people in Poland avoid pricey stuff. In general I would like to know if there are any headphones which connect via wireless adapter, but which also come with a 3,5mm minijack cable, which would allow me to connect them to my phone. I'm also wondering if it's possible to charge the them via that cable. A friend of mine recommended Sony Pulse Wireless Stereo Headset, but the price seems to be repulsive and as a PC gamer I probably wouldn't be able to completely make use of its features.

[QUOTE=SataniX;43044247]The modded fostex from DT, if they're anywhere near as good as mine, are miles above them in terms of straight up audio reproduction with a good amp - but how good something sounds is of course subjective, and it's possible you'd enjoy the M50s more.[/QUOTE] Just wondering. In the future when these headphones at some point break (I doubt they'll last forever, nothing does), what kind of headphones would the equivalent be or perhaps slightly better?

Oh by the way, thanks to erryone in here, I ordered the HD558s!

I upped my budget to $300, pretty sure I'm going to order the NAD Viso HP50 soon. They seem like the best closed all-rounders with most people saying they're better than the $400 B&W P7.

Budget: ~$80-100 eBay: No Country: USA Isolation: Circumaural Purpose: Gaming Music Tastes: Just about everything Previous Experiences: Sony MDR-XB500's. Which were alright but I need something new. edit: almost ALMOST bought a logitech g930 headset before checking this thread and remembering the old adage about headsets

[QUOTE=Daniellynet;43060108]Just wondering. In the future when these headphones at some point break (I doubt they'll last forever, nothing does), what kind of headphones would the equivalent be or perhaps slightly better?[/QUOTE] Very few options will give you better straight up quality - again, I stress, enjoyment is subjective. It's also hard to compare them because there are multiple different styles of modded TR50s, but on Head-Fi and other review sites I've seen them described as better than [url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/HiFiMAN-Orthodynamic-Magnetic-Sensitivity-Headphones/dp/B007OLPR9W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386164363&sr=8-1&keywords=HE-500]HiFiMAN HE-500s[/url] and [url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyerdynamic-T1-Headphones-Tesla-Technology/dp/B0031RD3YY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386164523&sr=8-1&keywords=Beyer+T1]Beyer T1s[/url] and comparable to the [url=http://www.audeze.com/products/headphones/lcd-2]Audeze LCD-2s[/url].

yo, need some headphones at work, 8 hours a day more specifically they need to be light on the ears, minimal noise escap-ion(?) and around $150 max on-ear/over-ear most likely would be neat

Christmas is coming up, and I want to get a new desktop microphone. I want a decent one for about ~20-40 USD, and I am going to be using it for some amateur voice recording for YouTube. My friend and I want to do some game Let's Plays strictly as a hobby. We have everything else down from [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ahznUZqTUs]video quality to editing[/url] and we just need to do some commentary. After playing around with my normal $5 clip-on mic I came to the conclusion that while it's fine for conversation and gaming, it won't cut it for legible and clean sounding YouTube recordings without being either noisy or muddy sounding. [editline]4th December 2013[/editline] In other words: Microphone Budget: $40 Max eBay: No Country: USA Isolation: N/A Purpose: Amateur voice recording Music Tastes: N/A Previous Experiences: [url]http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ[/url]

Budget: $80-$120 eBay: Yep Country: USA Isolation: No preference Purpose: Music and Gaming Music Tastes: Metal, Rock, Trance, Dubstep Previous Experiences: "Gamer" Headsets, Koss Portapro, Grado SR-60i, ATH-M50s

[B]Budget:[/B] Not more then $175CAD [B]eBay:[/B] Yes [B]County: [/B]Canada [B]Isolation: [/B]Circumaural [B]Purpose: [/B]Mainly Gaming, but for music(listening and creating) and guitar as well [B]Music Taste: [/B]For all purposes anything [B]Previous Experience: [/B]Audio-Technica ATH-A700 (Ear piece is falling off, if there's any way to fix it I'd rather do that) [B]Comments: [/B]Microphone would be nice but not needed, was looking at the sennheiser PC 323D, MUST be around ear, none of that on ear or in ear bullshit

Budget: Around £150 GBP to £200 eBay: Yea Country: UK Isolation: Circumaural Purpose: Gaming, Music, in the house Music Tastes: Anything really although I do enjoy good Bass in my Headphones Previous Experiences: Panasonic RP-HT225 headphones they're not too bad but I'm looking to upgrade Comments: Really just want a pair of good surround sound headphones which aren't a rip off

my friend needs headphones, he is on integrated sound card. Budget: whatever seems reasonable for a not pure garbage Walmart set made for $1 but sold for like $30

[QUOTE=SataniX;43066124]Very few options will give you better straight up quality - again, I stress, enjoyment is subjective. It's also hard to compare them because there are multiple different styles of modded TR50s, but on Head-Fi and other review sites I've seen them described as better than [url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/HiFiMAN-Orthodynamic-Magnetic-Sensitivity-Headphones/dp/B007OLPR9W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386164363&sr=8-1&keywords=HE-500]HiFiMAN HE-500s[/url] and [url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyerdynamic-T1-Headphones-Tesla-Technology/dp/B0031RD3YY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386164523&sr=8-1&keywords=Beyer+T1]Beyer T1s[/url] and comparable to the [url=http://www.audeze.com/products/headphones/lcd-2]Audeze LCD-2s[/url].[/QUOTE] That's quite nice. I'm wondering. Why doesn't anyone make a business off of selling the modded versions then? (I know Tennant had one but it seems to be gone now?) Considering the much lower cost for the same or better audio quality would make it a no-brainer (unless you go for brand and design I guess). [editline]6th December 2013[/editline] Hm, seems it's still up. Nevermind. [url]https://audiblebond.wordpress.com/[/url] Doesn't seem to be selling, though.

Budget: Around $30, this will be a Christmas present. eBay: New only please. Country: USA Isolation: Earbuds or similar portable headphones Purpose: Computer audio output, I don't care about quality as much as durability. I want something that will last a long time (I often find myself accidentally running the wires over with my office chair). Music Tastes: Mostly VGM, and instrumental. Previous Experiences: I mostly use cheap $10 headphones (mainly Sony MDR-J10 since I like the exercise clips). I am satisfied with the audio quality, but what I really want is, like I said, durability. If I can get better audio quality without sacrificing durability within my price range that would be great. I also really like the exercise clips, but it seems the only cheap crappy headphones have these.

Its that time again, I need a new headset for PC gaming: Budget: < £80 eBay: New only County: UK Isolation: Circumural Purpose: Mainly Gaming, Music, Films Music Taste: Pretty much everything, mostly metal/rock though. Previous Experience: Some expensive-yet-shitty turtle beach, Plantronics GameCom 780 (which was good, but broke due to the plastic build. Comments: I'm looking for a GOOD headset that should last me a while. I've bought 2 in the last few years and each one has had problems. I'm looking at the Corsair Vengeance 2000 at the moment. I have one of their keyboards and I like their stuff, generally seems to be good quality. I was looking at the Vengeance 1500 V2 which is wired and actually a little more expensive. I found the vengeance 2000 for £75 which seems like a pretty good deal. But yeah. Can anyone tell me anything about these Corsair headsets or recommend anything else good?

[QUOTE=Daniellynet;43085400]That's quite nice. I'm wondering. Why doesn't anyone make a business off of selling the modded versions then? (I know Tennant had one but it seems to be gone now?) Considering the much lower cost for the same or better audio quality would make it a no-brainer (unless you go for brand and design I guess). [editline]6th December 2013[/editline] Hm, seems it's still up. Nevermind. [url]https://audiblebond.wordpress.com/[/url] Doesn't seem to be selling, though.[/QUOTE] As a single modder, I imagine it's very hard to sell. Not only are you managing everything yourself, but people in general should be more reluctant to buy than from a known brand.

[B]Budget:[/B] £160 [B]eBay:[/B] New Only [B]Country:[/B] Jersey - Channel Islands (Effectively the United Kingdom) [B]Isolation:[/B] Circumaural [B]Purpose:[/B] Listening to music. I will use for gaming and music creation but those are completely secondary [B]Music Tastes:[/B] Mainly Death Metal, but I love everything. [B]Previous Experiences:[/B]Bose ([URL="http://goo.gl/6MfQn7"]These ones[/URL]) [B]Comments:[/B] I am mostly looking for long-use comfort to be honest. I kind of want on-ears like the above mentioned Bose because they didn't hurt my ears, but I think I want circumaural this time around. If there is a really recommended pair for clarity/bass response a bit above my budget I'll take them but this is my realistic budget.

[QUOTE=whatthe;43123130][B]Budget:[/B] £160 [B]eBay:[/B] New Only [B]Country:[/B] Jersey - Channel Islands (Effectively the United Kingdom) [B]Isolation:[/B] Circumaural [B]Purpose:[/B] Listening to music. I will use for gaming and music creation but those are completely secondary [B]Music Tastes:[/B] Mainly Death Metal, but I love everything. [B]Previous Experiences:[/B]Bose ([URL="http://goo.gl/6MfQn7"]These ones[/URL]) [B]Comments:[/B] I am mostly looking for long-use comfort to be honest. I kind of want on-ears like the above mentioned Bose because they didn't hurt my ears, but I think I want circumaural this time around. If there is a really recommended pair for clarity/bass response a bit above my budget I'll take them but this is my realistic budget.[/QUOTE] If you want comfort, I really can't recommend the DT-770 PRO enough, they're incredibly comfy. They're also great headphones - you should aware of that they're biased towards bass, so if you're not into that kind of thing, you might not like them.

[QUOTE=GoDong-DK;43124949]If you want comfort, I really can't recommend the DT-770 PRO enough, they're incredibly comfy. They're also great headphones - you should aware of that they're biased towards bass, so if you're not into that kind of thing, you might not like them.[/QUOTE] You saying they're too bassy, or the opposite? I have looked around and I found the Grado SR80i to be around the same price and have great reviews. The ones you recommend look really fucking chunky and I actually wouldn't mind some portability without feeling like I've got a watermelon around my head. I really wish I had more experience with headphones but I want the highest quality bass I can afford really. I'm really torn between Circumaral and on ear.

[QUOTE=whatthe;43125645]You saying they're too bassy, or the opposite? I have looked around and I found the Grado SR80i to be around the same price and have great reviews. The ones you recommend look really fucking chunky and I actually wouldn't mind some portability without feeling like I've got a watermelon around my head. I really wish I had more experience with headphones but I want the highest quality bass I can afford really. I'm really torn between Circumaral and on ear.[/QUOTE] They're big, but they're "portable". A plus on the portable side is that they [I]a lot[/I] of sound, so when you're in public you should an easier time enjoying the music. In my opinion they have great bass, but some people may think it's a bit much. I haven't had an experience with Grado, but people say they're great overall.

[B]Budget:[/B] £200~ total - see comments. [B]eBay:[/B] New Only [B]Country:[/B] United Kingdom [B]Isolation:[/B] Circumaural [B]Purpose:[/B] Gaming, music, skype/voip. [B]Music Tastes:[/B] Rock, Metal, some electronic stuff. [B]Previous Experiences: [/B]N/A [B]Comments:[/B] A little different than the usual requests here, I'm looking for more of a 'full setup' as opposed to just headphones - what I want is a good sound card, headphones appropriate for the card and a decent desk stand or clip-on microphone. I don't mind headphones that are quite 'clampy' around your head either, so long as it's not stupidly excessive.

The pads on my Fostex are super dense now, they give me the worst headphone hair and it doesn't go away unless I scrub at it for an hour in the shower ;) . So I need some IEM's, but I have a lot of stuff to pay for in the next couple of years so I wan't something as cheap as possible. What are the cheapest IEM's with a bearable sound quality? Sub $50 if possible. If all of the budget IEM's suck then then fuck it I'll buy an expensive pair.

[QUOTE=reevezy67;43132845]The pads on my Fostex are super dense now, they give me the worst headphone hair and it doesn't go away unless I scrub at it for an hour in the shower ;) . So I need some IEM's, but I have a lot of stuff to pay for in the next couple of years so I wan't something as cheap as possible. What are the cheapest IEM's with a bearable sound quality? Sub $50 if possible. If all of the budget IEM's suck then then fuck it I'll buy an expensive pair.[/QUOTE] I'd suggest [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA09M0C59019]these[/url] if you can find them - I don't know if you can find them in Aussieland. Otherwise, most of the Sennheiser CX300 type stuff are good.

Anything a bit steeper? Sub $70. [editline]10th December 2013[/editline] Actually never mind, I'll just get the CX300's.

Budget: £40-£55 eBay: wherever is cheap Country: uk Isolation: not required but would be good Purpose: listening to music either on the pc or through iphone Music Tastes: most things Previous Experiences: apple headphones lmao i spotted some sennheisers on amazon for £40, they were the HD 419s, are they worth it for that price range or is there a better one for maybe £10 more ect. would appreciate some help as i have no clue about headphones ty

[b]Budget:[/b] $60-125ish [b]eBay:[/b] New only [b]Country:[/b] US [b]Isolation:[/b] Circumaural, Open [b]Purpose:[/b] Gaming, Music, ect. Moving away from gaming headsets. [b]Music Tastes:[/b] Drum and Bass, Rap, Rock, Hip Hop, Country, Pop or really whatever. [b]Previous Experiences:[/b] Turtle Beach X1, Gamecom 777, Corsair 1500, Logitech G35 ear buds. [b]Comments:[/b] I can't do anything noise canceling/isolating, it makes me incredibly claustrophobic, nauseous and nervous. I had Logitech G35's for a day and had to return them after an hour of desperate use wanting to like them but ending in headaches and nauseousness. I really like my Corsair Vengance 1500's but they suck for music. I also really liked my Turtle Beach X1's but I put them through 4+ years of abuse and gave them away. I'm looking for some nice headphones which will play music good and will be comfortable on my head which can be rather difficult since I wear a size 8 hat and my head is pretty big. I'm posting this more because I don't feel like reading through the whole thread like an idiot and because I figured the OP is outdated somewhat.

What is your opinion on the Harman/Kardon CLs? I'm contemplating buying a pair to complement my ATH m50s

[QUOTE=Anglor;43145191]What is your opinion on the Harman/Kardon CLs? I'm contemplating buying a pair to complement my ATH m50s[/QUOTE] The Harman Kardon Sound stick speakers are quite good, but I've never heard about those.