Headphone Buying Megathread/Guide V4 - Come here for all your audio needs! (New Threads are not need
4,875 replies, posted
Been using a semi-budget gaming headset for a while now but I'm looking at buying some proper headphones and then probably a ModMic to accompany them when I'm at home.
Heard good things about the ATH-M50x's, gonna use them both for gaming and music listening at home aswell as listening to music when I'm out or travelling.
I listen mainly to Metal and Rock, do they fair well when listening to those genres?
Otherwise, anyone got any tips? Budget would be about $50 - $150, should not remove bass completely but should not be overpowering either. Over-ear only.
I tried the foam removal mod on my HD558s and tbh I didn't like it at all. It's supposed to be subtle, and an improvement, but it was neither. It killed the dreamy, encapsulating, deep qualities was that I liked about them. Supposedly it opens the sound stage and "improves" (vague) the mids, which would be relevant for my music tastes, but instead the sound felt stabby and shallow without the foam. What little bass the set had was completely gone, even if it may have been "clearer", whatever that means.
Readded it after 15 minutes. Would not recommend. Fully willing to accept that the reason is: I'm just used to hearing music this way.
I kinda want to buy the Brainwavz HM5 to see what's the big deal about this headphone...
(snip)
[QUOTE=Rusty100;47561250]tried these on as well as a whole bunch of others in the same price range at a store
i ended up getting some momentum in-ears. they are what sounded the best imo. the ma750's sounded way too bass heavy, to the point where the music just felt damp and with no mid-high tones. the rest were also either too tinny or too bassy. the momentum's were the best balance
[editline]20th April 2015[/editline]
sennheiser wins once again[/QUOTE]
That just means you like flat frequency response headphones. [URL="http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/ReadHeathAcousticsMA750.pdf"]The ones that listed are all 'colored' headphones.[/URL] Personally i think the sennheiser sound signature is too boring for anything but professional monitor work but different strokes for different folks i suppose.
i don't get why you'd want anything other than 'what the actual music is meant to sound like'
[editline]23rd April 2015[/editline]
i can use an eq if i want 'colourful' music. id rather the headphones themselves were delivering accurate sound
[QUOTE=Havolis;47569275]I kinda want to buy the Brainwavz HM5 to see what's the big deal about this headphone...[/QUOTE]
Get the NVX-XPT100. Same headphone but cheaper, more flexible at the headband, and comes with angled pads that put a lot of other pads to shame. Also a little less clamping force than the HM5, if you feel too much pressure may be a problem.
I am aware of the NVX XPT100, I consider them as well, but the HM5's look better IMO and have the better carrying case. But I guess the XPT100 is the better bang for your buck since it's cheaper and has those damn angled pads.....
[editline]23rd April 2015[/editline]
also, apparently the brainwavz have a better seal, which is cool. Damn I don't know what to get now...
[QUOTE=Rusty100;47581065]i don't get why you'd want anything other than 'what the actual music is meant to sound like'
[editline]23rd April 2015[/editline]
i can use an eq if i want 'colourful' music. id rather the headphones themselves were delivering accurate sound[/QUOTE]
Basically if the transient response isn't fast enough, you'll always have a resonance at some frequencies that you can't EQ out. You can try but the headphone will always maintain it's overall signature. Also, using software EQ introduces potential distortion and amplifies any existing noise in the frequency band you're targeting since it can't recover list frequencies your driver couldn't produce anyway.
Also, some of the best headphones aren't completely flat either, Audeze LCD-X ($1.7k), Stax SR-009 ($5.2k), Oppo PM-2 ($700), Philips Fidelio X2 ($300), Shure SRH1540 ($500), etc.
[QUOTE=aydin690;47586736]Basically if the transient response isn't fast enough, you'll always have a resonance at some frequencies that you can't EQ out. You can try but the headphone will always maintain it's overall signature. Also, using software EQ introduces potential distortion and amplifies any existing noise in the frequency band you're targeting since it can't recover list frequencies your driver couldn't produce anyway.
Also, some of the best headphones aren't completely flat either, Audeze LCD-X ($1.7k), Stax SR-009 ($5.2k), Oppo PM-2 ($700), Philips Fidelio X2 ($300), Shure SRH1540 ($500), etc.[/QUOTE]
You do realize that it's all preference. There isn't an objectively better sound dispersion, it's subjective.
[QUOTE=Levelog;47588104]You do realize that it's all preference. There isn't an objectively better sound dispersion, it's subjective.[/QUOTE]
And that's what i said:
[QUOTE=aydin690;47580844]but different strokes for different folks i suppose.[/QUOTE]
[B]Budget:[/B] 200-300 AUD (155 - 235 USD, £100 - 155)
[B]eBay:[/B] No
[B]Country:[/B] Australia
[B]Isolation: [/B] Circumaural, closed air.
[B]Purpose:[/B] All day listening. I listen to music on the commute to and from university (don't want to be a cunt and be blasting my music out loud for everyone else, so good isolation is key), while I'm there working (same as before: good isolation is key), while I'm at home.
[B]Music Tastes:[/B] All over the shop. A lot of instrumental stuff; classical music, general 'ambient' music, sound tracks, psychedelic rock, alternative rock. Also enjoy some heavier, bassy stuff too; some good stoner rock never goes amiss.
[B]Previous Experiences:[/B] Have good experiences with Sennheiser in general, but never had a closed ear model Sennheiser headphone. I currently have one of their cheaper lines of on ear headphones which sounds fairly decent, but it's falling apart. My current earphones are Sennheiser too and they're quite decent.
[B]Comments:[/B]
[B]1) Comfort is a must:[/B] I'm going to want to wear these things for a good portion of a working day (longer even) so this is my primary concern (only just, as close second is...)
[B]2) Sound quality: [/B]I'm a bit of a snob - albeit not openly just to myself - when it comes to this; I want my music to sound good! If I'm in the mood for it I want to be able to lay down, close my eyes, and be completely immersed in a song (or even an entire album) and get to experience all of its nuances. That said I realise that I have to be realistic in my expectations, so while I want them to sound quite good, I'm not exactly gong to get strung up on if it's not 100% perfect.
[B]3) Build quality:[/B] indestructible headphones would be great, but if they have replaceable components I'm not so fussed; in any case I would like a pair that has a replaceable jack, although from what I gather this is a pretty standard feature on any higher end headphones.
[B]Important (?):[/B] My ears are fairly big (not dumbo levels of big, but I imagine they're bigger than average) so small cups would probably be a no-go for extended periods of time. I tried on some Sennheiser momentum headphones yesterday because I've been hearing good things about them (and indeed they sounded quite good!) and they're on sale at the moment, but while my initial thoughts were not ones of discomfort, they also weren't ones of comfort either. I'm not 100% sure how I'd deal with extended use of them (which is a shame, because if it weren't for that lingering doubt in my mind I'd probably have bought a pair).
[editline]25th April 2015[/editline]
And by replaceable jack what I meant was replaceable audio cable.
Sennheisers are your best bet for comfort over big ears, as well as durability. I've had my 598's for 5 years now and I'm always throwing them down onto the floor (carpet mind you) and they don't have one sign of breakage. The only closed ones I've owned though were Momentums, and they were too small, pinching my ears and head and were very uncomfortable. So don't make that mistake. Get a big pair
[editline]25th April 2015[/editline]
[url]https://www.addictedtoaudio.com.au/product/sennheiser-hd6-mix-dj-headphones[/url] these get very good reviews though
[QUOTE=Rusty100;47595561]Sennheisers are your best bet for comfort over big ears, as well as durability. I've had my 598's for 5 years now and I'm always throwing them down onto the floor (carpet mind you) and they don't have one sign of breakage. The only closed ones I've owned though were Momentums, and they were too small, pinching my ears and head and were very uncomfortable. So don't make that mistake. Get a big pair
[editline]25th April 2015[/editline]
[URL]https://www.addictedtoaudio.com.au/product/sennheiser-hd6-mix-dj-headphones[/URL] these get very good reviews though[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the tips! They look good, but they really are on the upper end of what I'm willing to spend unfortunately! I've heard some decent things about some Audio Technica headphones too, so they're on my list next to Sennheisers at the moment, too. They're also a little pricey, though.
Don't DJ headphones usually require a decent amp?
[QUOTE=sltungle;47595585]Thanks for the tips! They look good, but they really are on the upper end of what I'm willing to spend unfortunately! I've heard some decent things about some Audio Technica headphones too, so they're on my list next to Sennheisers at the moment, too. They're also a little pricey, though.[/QUOTE]
The 518's, 558's, and 598's all use the same driver iirc. The 518's are considered to be a fantastic price/performance over on headfi.
[QUOTE=Levelog;47595599]The 518's, 558's, and 598's all use the same driver iirc. The 518's are considered to be a fantastic price/performance over on headfi.[/QUOTE]
I'll have a look at their prices now! One of the Audio-Technica headphones I read good things about was,
[url]https://www.addictedtoaudio.com.au/product/audio-technica-ath-m50x-professional-m-series-headphones-blue[/url]
Does anyone have any experience with them? How comfortable are they?
I've used them very briefly, I feel my 518's are more comfortable.
[QUOTE=Levelog;47595625]I've used them very briefly, I feel my 518's are more comfortable.[/QUOTE]
All of those 500 series ones appear to be open backed from the seems of things! Wouldn't work so well for the commute to and from university, unfortunately.
[QUOTE=sltungle;47595681]All of those 500 series ones appear to be open backed from the seems of things! Wouldn't work so well for the commute to and from university, unfortunately.[/QUOTE]
Ah yes, I forgot you had said that. They leak quite a bit, not a good choice.
Do you have any other recommendations at all? You mentioned that the Sennheisers were more comfortable than the ATH-M50x; was it a major difference, or was it only slight?
I've got above average ears for how far they stick out. The Sennheisers were more forgiving with that. As far as the actual pad material goes they were both fantastic though. I had a limited time with them so I can't really comment on sound.
Those Philips X2s look AMAZING. I'm going to get them.
[QUOTE=Lurklet;47596425]Those Philips X2s look AMAZING. I'm going to get them.[/QUOTE]
They're also pretty much the best pair of headphones for that price, so you made a good choice.
[QUOTE=sltungle;47595724]Do you have any other recommendations at all? You mentioned that the Sennheisers were more comfortable than the ATH-M50x; was it a major difference, or was it only slight?[/QUOTE]
My ears are about average size and the M50x do hurt them a little after a few hours - not a major problem for me but if you care about comfort, they're not for you.
Sennheiser 5x8 are very comfortable - they're incredibly lightweight and, well, airy, so they don't feel tight or make you sweat at all. But, like all open-backs, they're completely unusable for commuting.
Closed-back headphones are gonna clamp tightly and get hot, there's no way around that. But they don't have to have small cups. My other pair of closed cans, Shure SRH840, don't get cramped at all.
So for closed cans, just look at how big they are. If they're as small as the M50x, they're probably not for you.
[QUOTE=dividedz;47596542]They're also pretty much the best pair of headphones for that price, so you made a good choice.[/QUOTE]
dont forget the sennheiser hd 650
[QUOTE=DrTaxi;47597522]My ears are about average size and the M50x do hurt them a little after a few hours - not a major problem for me but if you care about comfort, they're not for you.
[/QUOTE]
I had to buy extra large aftermarket pads so that they stopped scraping my ears.
I got these: [url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MFDX4YO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/url]
Very comfortable, but also a hair-magnet and you lose any sound isolation.
Not the biggest Audiophile and i need some advice, I don't want to be spending money on a pair that is actually overpriced due to my lack of knowledge.
Just looking for some headphones in the $80 - $100(AUD) prefer bud style headphones,
Music variety ranges from 90s rap too deep house and whatever else you can fit in between,
The main use would be catching a train to and from work.
Cheers for the help and suggestions
[QUOTE=G...;47601689]Not the biggest Audiophile and i need some advice, I don't want to be spending money on a pair that is actually overpriced due to my lack of knowledge.
Just looking for some headphones in the $80 - $100(AUD) prefer bud style headphones,
Music variety ranges from 90s rap too deep house and whatever else you can fit in between,
The main use would be catching a train to and from work.
Cheers for the help and suggestions[/QUOTE]
Bud headphones as in earphones?
[QUOTE=sltungle;47602084]Bud headphones as in earphones?[/QUOTE]
Yeah sorry
I hate you all.
[img]http://s.duck.me.uk/2015-04-27_18-10-55.png[/img]
(and a modmic from OCUK for another £45 what am I doing)
By the way, I read around that the 770's do well after being broken in for a day or two, any specific tips regarding this?
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