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

[Curls]

still using my audio technica ath-ad500x and still loving it

they work insanely well in games and music

anyone who isn't using open air headphones for games are insane

buy them with money or stop talking to me

[Levelog]

Oh wait I just realized I use my Momentum On-Ears 40 hours a week at my desk at work. Nevermind, they'd still do the job for that. The cable is a bit short though.

[Curls]

[QUOTE=Ganerumo;47163792]Some braindead shitter broke my expensive headphones in the bus today (thought it'd be a good idea to yank it away from my ear to ask me a question, broke the whole right part, dislocated it from the rest and broke it further when trying to put it back together).

Going to get earbuds instead, the kind you stuck in your ear, at least people won't fucking destroy my belongings if it's earphones. Any advice on ~100 euros sturdy earphones ?[/QUOTE]

I would actively remind the person that they are a complete shit head and that they should pay me back in full for being a complete shit head

[Sax]

Budget: $250ish
eBay: Nope
Country: Sweden
Isolation(?): Ear covering
Purpose: To be comfortable, good sound and fit both with music and whatever I play. Surround is a plus. I talk a lot on voice, and stream a lot so that's why I am also looking for an good mic.
Music Tastes: Just about anything.
Previous Experiences: Two different Seinnheisers, one a more expensive headset that I can't remember and a simpler headphones for laptop.
Comments: I am not sure if I should get a headset or a microphone and headphones seperate. So far I've been looking at these two, but the mic is a bit expensive:

Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80
Microphone: Blue Microphone Yeti(a bit too expensive imo, want an easy one to put on my desk, but still delivers mic quality.)

[patches]

[QUOTE=J!NX;47240258]still using my audio technica ath-ad500x and still loving it

they work insanely well in games and music

anyone who isn't using open air headphones for games are insane

buy them with money or stop talking to me[/QUOTE]

I'm glad you're still enjoying them dude. Also I really want to get an open back headphone but I have no money :(

[/B/rother]

Budget: 75-130 $
eBay: whatever
Country: Denmark
Isolation:Closed over ear
Purpose: listening to music and podcast during my long travel for school, and very importantly also for gaming (csgo, gta and such)
Music Tastes: Metal, grunge, rap and maybe the occasional techno track.
Previous Experiences: i've used a sennheiser pc 360 g4me, and i would like to think it sounded nice and allowed me to soundwhore my enemies in counter strike. i don't wish to get anything below this standard.

[cecilbdemodded]

I believe the Senn 360 uses the same drivers as the 5xx series headphones, so that gives you an idea of the equivalent level of replacement(price range) it'll take to make you happy. Don't settle for anything less!

[patches]

[QUOTE=/B/rother;47243229]Budget: 75-130 $
eBay: whatever
Country: Denmark
Isolation:Closed over ear
Purpose: listening to music and podcast during my long travel for school, and very importantly also for gaming (csgo, gta and such)
Music Tastes: Metal, grunge, rap and maybe the occasional techno track.
Previous Experiences: i've used a sennheiser pc 360 g4me, and i would like to think it sounded nice and allowed me to soundwhore my enemies in counter strike. i don't wish to get anything below this standard.[/QUOTE]

NVX XPT100, they have a bigger than normal soundstage compared to other closed headphones, so they are going to be really good for gaming. They are also very good with music.

[/B/rother]

thank you both, now i've got an idea about what i'm looking to get! the NVX XPT100 looks really nice. :smile:

[/B/rother]

i can't seem a place to buy them that ships from within eu, any help?

[patches]

[QUOTE=/B/rother;47248810]i can't seem a place to buy them that ships from within eu, any help?[/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_46586_NVX-Audio-XPT100.html[/url]
[url]http://www.amazon.com/NVX-Over-Ear-Headphones-ComfortMax-Cushions/dp/B0093PVTPS[/url]
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0ZA-005V-00031[/url]

none of these ship to eu??
if not, use a parcel forwarding service.

[/B/rother]

they do but if they're bought outside of the eu i would have to pay customs duties/import fees and that will almost double the price.

[.Lain]

[QUOTE=Havolis;47249535][URL]http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_46586_NVX-Audio-XPT100.html[/URL]
[URL]http://www.amazon.com/NVX-Over-Ear-Headphones-ComfortMax-Cushions/dp/B0093PVTPS[/URL]
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0ZA-005V-00031[/URL]

none of these ship to eu??
if not, use a parcel forwarding service.[/QUOTE]
do you know how much that could cost someone in the EU

[editline]3rd March 2015[/editline]

i have been charged upwards of 30 quid on customs fees for objects less than 60. if norway has similar import duty laws then it could land someone with pretty hefty duties to pay.

[Dizzeh]

My headset just died on left, I'm lookin for a new headset.
So, i looked around an asked around an what not. Astro A40's, are they good an worth the money or should I go cheap an use the spare steel series sibera v2 w/ usb sound card i have.
Was also told to get Sanheiser for a headset.

[Bioking]

the only headset I see recommended is the cloudx
its more recommended to get a pair of headphones and a separate mic, such as a clip-on or modmic

[buttsexv3]

[QUOTE=Bioking;47252923]the only headset I see recommended is the cloudx
its more recommended to get a pair of headphones and a separate mic, such as a clip-on or modmic[/QUOTE]

I've always just used a Sure SM58 on a little desktop stand. headsets generally don't have very good audio quality so I stay away from them.

for a while I had a koss pro-4aa that I did this to [url]http://lifehacker.com/5992642/add-a-detachable-microphone-to-your-over-the-ear-headphones[/url] and that was a really good solution but my current headphones cost 4 times more than a set of pro-4aas and I can't bring myself to take a drill to them.

[cecilbdemodded]

Here's why I think headsets usually suck: If I'm selling headsets I already know my customers don't care about having the best quality sound, otherwise they wouldn't be buying a headset. I do know my customers care about cost. So this encourages me to pair a low cost headphone with a low cost mic, and pass the savings on to my customer. Result? A mediocre sounding but low cost headset.

There are exceptions. The Hyperx Cloud Kingston sells is actually a Takstar Pro80 combined with a mic that I don't know who makes. That headphone is pretty well regarded for the price, so that's why so many reviews on the Hyperx Cloud are favorable.

[dividedz]

[QUOTE=Dizzeh;47252488]My headset just died on left, I'm lookin for a new headset.
So, i looked around an asked around an what not. Astro A40's, are they good an worth the money or should I go cheap an use the spare steel series sibera v2 w/ usb sound card i have.
Was also told to get Sanheiser for a headset.[/QUOTE]

You really shouldn't buy a headset, they're almost always are overpriced and bad sounding.

I'm assuming you need it for gaming? Then I'll recommend something like [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATH-AD900X-Open-Back-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B009S331VU"]audio technica ad-900x[/URL] or [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-558-Headphones/dp/B004FEEY9A"]sennheiser hd 558[/URL] (very good price in amazon right now), and if you need a microphone either go with [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ECMCS3-Omnidirectional-Stereo-Microphone/dp/B0058MJX4O"]this[/URL] as the cheap solution, or with [URL="http://www.modmic.com/"]modmic[/URL] / [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Aluminum/dp/B002OO333Q"]blue snowball[/URL] as the better and more quality solution.

All of these should easily beat A40 both sound quality and mic quality, and hilariously are cheaper.

[patches]

[QUOTE=.Lain;47251360]do you know how much that could cost someone in the EU

[editline]3rd March 2015[/editline]

i have been charged upwards of 30 quid on customs fees for objects less than 60. if norway has similar import duty laws then it could land someone with pretty hefty duties to pay.[/QUOTE]

srry I don't live in the EU.

Just made more research; since you're in the EU, get the Jaycar pro monitors. From what I've read they're basically the same thing as the NVX's but getting it in the EU is going to be cheaper and easier.

[Pepsi-cola]

Budget:£60 (May go above that if the headphones impress me enough.)
eBay: Sure
Country: England
Isolation: Whatever
Purpose: General PC use / Bit of a gamer
Music Tastes: None of your buisness

I'm using Microsoft LifeChat LX 3000 right now and they're not too bad, audio quality is fine for me(partially deaf in my left ear if that matters at all.)

I'm fairly happy with the headset but I'm looking for something a bit more comfortable that doesn't leave my head with a giant dent or hot ears after a few hours of use.

But as I say audio quality isn't the most important thing as I've been fine with these £15 headphones for about 2 years now.

[DrTaxi]

[QUOTE=dividedz;47255038]You really shouldn't buy a headset, they're almost always are overpriced and bad sounding.

I'm assuming you need it for gaming? Then I'll recommend something like [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATH-AD900X-Open-Back-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B009S331VU"]audio technica ad-900x[/URL] or [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-558-Headphones/dp/B004FEEY9A"]sennheiser hd 558[/URL] (very good price in amazon right now), and if you need a microphone either go with [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ECMCS3-Omnidirectional-Stereo-Microphone/dp/B0058MJX4O"]this[/URL] as the cheap solution, or with [URL="http://www.modmic.com/"]modmic[/URL] / [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Aluminum/dp/B002OO333Q"]blue snowball[/URL] as the better and more quality solution.

All of these should easily beat A40 both sound quality and mic quality, and hilariously are cheaper.[/QUOTE]

Sennheiser's more expensive headsets do sound good, as they're based on their midrange headphones, but they're still overpriced vs. headphones + ModMic.

Both headphones you mentioned are open, so they leak sound that may be picked up by the microphone, creating feedback.

[dividedz]

[QUOTE=DrTaxi;47256779]
Both headphones you mentioned are open, so they leak sound that may be picked up by the microphone, creating feedback.[/QUOTE]

You're right, but the leak should be pretty minimal and not a big deal if he doesn't use too much high of a sound.

I chose open headphones since they're better than the exact same closed headphones in sound quality, and the main difference is in the soundstage which is actually pretty important for gaming (again, I will assume he's buying it for mainly gaming).

[cecilbdemodded]

My Gemini DJ HSR-1000 got delivered today. These are really nice, both in build and sound. I got the Gemini since I didn't need the mic or accessories the Kingston comes with.With cord, not including the larger plug adapter, they weigh 367 grams according to my scale. The Panasonics weigh 270 with cord. The coil in the cord of the Gemini does pull, in my case I have an extension running from the back of my computer to the front base of my desk. So these headphones only have to reach from my head to my feet while I'm sitting and yet they still tug a bit. That's kind of annoying. They don't feel heavy though, they sit nicely on my head without any pain or hard clamping. Isolation is great. My cat was meowing loudly next to me and I put them on- no more meowing. Fuck you Mr Whiskers.

Sound, OMG the sound! I never really understood what people meant by saying the bass was 'flabby' or 'bloated' on headphones. Now I know. On the Panasonics medium bass would be 'boom'. Every time a track called for medium bass you get the same 'boom'. The deep bass would be 'BOOM', every time a track called for deep bass you got that same boom. On the Gemini the bass actually has character. There is a different sound for different bass notes. In the same way a guitar player can hit a chord and you can hear the different sounds in it, this Gemini lets you hear the elements in bass.

The other thing is clarity. Compared to the Panasonics, every sound has a place of its own in the mix. Imagine you had a line of people standing in front of you, left to right. The Gemini is like everyone is standing equally far away and shoulder to shoulder so you can see everyone. The Panasonic is like they are standing in a bunch, with some people behind other people so they are partially obscured.

The soundstage is bigger too. It's not huge but it's definitely wider and has a better sense of depth. I listened to that Virtual barbershop thing and when he put the bag over my head that was so much more realistic than the Panasonic it was almost scary. I haven't gamed using these yet.

I watched a bit of a couple of movies but didn't notice much difference, the Panasonic is pretty good for tv and movies imo.

Finally, my Droid Maxx can't drive this headphone loud. At two thirds maximum volume it's barely what I'd call medium/low. It sounds excellent, no distortion or anything, it just doesn't get loud enough. On my onboard sound(Via 1708s no amp) it sounds excellent, better than the Panasonic. I was surprised since the Panasonic is supposed to be easier to drive and the Panasonic does play very loud off the Droid. I plan to try the Gemini with my Xonar DG tomorrow.

Just under 50 dollars, including tax and w/free shipping, vs 30 for the Panasonic. The extra $20 is well worth it. It's a completely different class of headphone, I can't believe I suffered when something so much better is not that much more.

[Dizzeh]

[QUOTE=dividedz;47255038]You really shouldn't buy a headset, they're almost always are overpriced and bad sounding.

I'm assuming you need it for gaming? Then I'll recommend something like [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATH-AD900X-Open-Back-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B009S331VU"]audio technica ad-900x[/URL] or [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-558-Headphones/dp/B004FEEY9A"]sennheiser hd 558[/URL] (very good price in amazon right now), and if you need a microphone either go with [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ECMCS3-Omnidirectional-Stereo-Microphone/dp/B0058MJX4O"]this[/URL] as the cheap solution, or with [URL="http://www.modmic.com/"]modmic[/URL] / [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Aluminum/dp/B002OO333Q"]blue snowball[/URL] as the better and more quality solution.

All of these should easily beat A40 both sound quality and mic quality, and hilariously are cheaper.[/QUOTE]

Ordered the Audio Technica AD900x. I've had good experience with their headsets so its another up for me.

Thank you though.

[Lordgeorge16]

I got a pair of NVX XPT100s for Christmas, and while I'm very much satisfied with their sound quality, I'm curious to know - do I really need an amp or a DAC or whatever with these headphones? The impedance is 64 ohms if memory serves. I don't know if that means I need something extra to get the best out of these headphones or not. Like I said, I like the way they sound right now a lot. I just don't know if I'm using them to their full potential or not without an amp.

[editline]6th March 2015[/editline]

Also, software equalizers. Yay or nay? What's the general consensus on audio-enhancing equalizers like Dolby Home Theater or... actually, I can't think of any others. That's the only one that comes to mind because it's been installed on my laptop forever. I used to use it a lot until recently because some people say that they can screw with the sound output or the burning-in of your headphones or something, which sounds a little silly, but I haven't seen anyone challenge this notion yet.

[DrTaxi]

If you can get them loud enough without introducing noise, your setup's fine.

If not, buy a cheap sound card (internal or external). An expensive DAC/Amp combo makes little, if any, difference.

As for DSP: I personally quite like Dolby Headphone for movies or recordings with a lot of voice (such as podcasts) as I find it reduces listening fatigue. The massive reverb might sound nasty to you though (I wouldn't use it for most kinds of music), and the virtual surround effect doesn't work on me - but that varies from person to person, it depends on how well the software matches your hearing.

Software equalisation (as in a 10-band graphical equaliser): That is entirely down to personal preference, some people like to use it for getting a specific sound signature, others don't. Just try it out, it's not like it costs anything or takes up your time or is in any way difficult.

[cecilbdemodded]

I haven't bothered to reinstall my Xonar DG yet because my Gemini HSR-1000 sound great with onboard. I had uninstalled my DG so I could first compare all my headphones with onboard sound, off my phone, and finally with the DG. Every time I think of using the DG now I feel like "meh, why bother?".

As for equalizers, I feel the best approach is to use a sine sweep tool to listen to the full range of frequencies. This way you will hear, with your own ears on your own system, which specific frequencies are too high. EQ them down. Which ones are too low? EQ them up. This should get you a flat frequency response starting point. Now you can listen to your music(or movies/games) and adjust to taste.

I don't use any virtual surround or any other software created effect.

[dividedz]

[QUOTE=Lordgeorge16;47270605]I got a pair of NVX XPT100s for Christmas, and while I'm very much satisfied with their sound quality, I'm curious to know - do I really need an amp or a DAC or whatever with these headphones? The impedance is 64 ohms if memory serves. I don't know if that means I need something extra to get the best out of these headphones or not. Like I said, I like the way they sound right now a lot. I just don't know if I'm using them to their full potential or not without an amp.

[editline]6th March 2015[/editline]

Also, software equalizers. Yay or nay? What's the general consensus on audio-enhancing equalizers like Dolby Home Theater or... actually, I can't think of any others. That's the only one that comes to mind because it's been installed on my laptop forever. I used to use it a lot until recently because some people say that they can screw with the sound output or the burning-in of your headphones or something, which sounds a little silly, but I haven't seen anyone challenge this notion yet.[/QUOTE]

You don't need a better DAC if you can't hear noise and the sound volume can get to a good level. As it comes to amplifier.. eh they're honestly just not worth it for headphones like these, the improvement will be small at best, since its an entry headphone that got a reasonably low impedance, and they usually cost like the headphone itself and more, if you're unsatisfied with your headphone its better to just upgrade it at this level.

Software equalizer is perfectly fine, it can change the sound of the headphone to the sound you like more, and "fix" some headphone issues. There is honestly no reason to not use it if you want your sound changed a bit, don't see why some people are against it.

P.s - burning in is the "theory" that your headphone sound changes to better after X hours of use.. in reality the change is either the one you can't hear or a minimal one (for some specific headphones), don't take it too seriously.

[cecilbdemodded]

One thing I want to tell people who are like me, always buying $20-$30 headphones like the Panasonic, it's amazing when you hear something better. This current headphone I'm using is leaps and bounds better than the HTF600-S. I watched The Hobbit last night and no comparison. The soundstage is far larger and the detail level is much higher. Smaug talking sounds like a whole different thing on the Gemini vs the Panasonic...and I had thought the Panasonic was pretty good for movies and tv. My point? Wait till you can buy something just a notch higher in quality than those $30 headphones, it IS worth it.

It boggles my mind to imagine what you guys with the high end headphones are hearing. I want to go audition something REALLY good but I'm afraid if I do I'll cry.

edit: One other amusing thing I've noticed is on Youtube videos(in HD). Some channels I watch that I thought had good sound do in fact sound good with these better headphones. Other channels sound like crap now, I can hear all sorts of small issues in the sound. Yet, if I put on the Panasonics although I can sort of barely make out some problems, only because I now know what to listen for, it still sounds 'good' on the Panasonic. I realize this means some channels are either not monitoring their audio or are using crappy speakers/headphones to do the monitoring. It impresses me to know some people take their channel seriously enough to do the best audio work they can, when so many apparently don't bother.

[.Lain]

[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;47271043]I haven't bothered to reinstall my Xonar DG yet because my Gemini HSR-1000 sound great with onboard. I had uninstalled my DG so I could first compare all my headphones with onboard sound, off my phone, and finally with the DG. Every time I think of using the DG now I feel like "meh, why bother?".

As for equalizers, I feel the best approach is to use a sine sweep tool to listen to the full range of frequencies. This way you will hear, with your own ears on your own system, which specific frequencies are too high. EQ them down. Which ones are too low? EQ them up. This should get you a flat frequency response starting point. Now you can listen to your music(or movies/games) and adjust to taste.

I don't use any virtual surround or any other software created effect.[/QUOTE]
the obstruction of airflow from putting that card in your computer is probably doing more damage than what using it is worth while there's more than suitable onboard sound

[editline]6th March 2015[/editline]

that said, i had to go get an e10 because my onboard can't even power my measly 40ohm ad900x' without distorting sound severely. otherwise it's okay.
the little 'bass' switch equalizer on the e10k is actually kind of nice with these headphones. obviously going against the whole neutral sound being wonderful thing but the amplification in that range of sound is actually quite subtle and nice for bassy tracks.
i'm pretty sure it has changed since with my old e10. before it was very overpowering and made the whole song really muddy because it amplified too large of a range. this feels like a good compromise in that regard