Headphone Buying Megathread/Guide V4 - Come here for all your audio needs! (New Threads are not need
4,875 replies, posted
[QUOTE=Levelog;49111748]Sennheiser HD 518[/QUOTE]
I didn't realize you're Canadian. The 518's are out of your budget.
[QUOTE=Havolis;49114507]I have them in my ears as I type this (my friend is borrowing me his pair)
It has a very balanced signature, but I would never call them "fun". I wouldn't say they're for everyone but then I can't think of any other IEM for $38 that technically sounds better.[/QUOTE]
Don't know about that man. I thought my old 10 dollar sony buds sounded better than these and also i can't listen to the tenores for more than an hour. They just hurt my ears.
[QUOTE=Havolis;49114507]As for alternatives to the SHP9500, Audio-Technica AD500x/700x/900x.[/QUOTE]
Canadian prices:
AD500x $128+ 20 shipping
AD700x $195+ 20 shipping
AD900x $256+ 22 shipping
Nice alternatives to the 60-70 dollar shp9500 bro. ;^)
[editline]14th November 2015[/editline]
[QUOTE=Levelog;49114673]I didn't realize you're Canadian. The 518's are out of your budget.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, they're like 140 bucks here. Thanks harper.
[editline]14th November 2015[/editline]
I don't actually want them for myself. I already have a pair of X2's. A friend of mine has been using a pair of beats for HOME LISTENING and i wanted to get him a pair of open headphones for his birthday but don't want to spend more than 60-70 bucks.
[QUOTE=aydin690;49117287]Don't know about that man. I thought my old 10 dollar sony buds sounded better than these and also i can't listen to the tenores for more than an hour. They just hurt my ears.[/QUOTE]
This is a very, very subjective hobby. Even though I don't agree, I respect your opinion.
[editline]15th November 2015[/editline]
[QUOTE=aydin690;49117287]Canadian prices:
AD500x $128+ 20 shipping
AD700x $195+ 20 shipping
AD900x $256+ 22 shipping
Nice alternatives to the 60-70 dollar shp9500 bro. ;^)[/QUOTE]
Calm down.
Other than that, there's the Koss PortaPro and the Takstar HI2050.
[QUOTE=Havolis;49119638]This is a very, very subjective hobby. Even though I don't agree, I respect your opinion.[/QUOTE]
I always thought the tenores were too punchy that's why they were tiring me which is weird because they aren't base heavy or overly bright. Today, i noticed the tips that come with them are unusually narrow (the channel). So, i swapped the tips with some normal looking ones and even though they sound a bit muffled now, i can listen to them for hours.
Looking for a set of earbuds around the $50 range, give or take $25. Located in the US.
Amazon / Newegg is preferred, but can order from elsewhere if I need to.
The kind of sound I'm looking for is a v shape to bass oriented IEMs. Previous experiences are the brainwavz m2 and the audio technica CKS77. I very much liked the sound and the comfort of the CKS, but just want to try something else after my dog carried them off somewhere (rip).
These are going to be used for listening outside while i'm walking/running, so having it be comfortable would be a big plus.
Thanks!
[QUOTE=Jaehead;49144655]Looking for a set of earbuds around the $50 range, give or take $25. Located in the US.
Amazon / Newegg is preferred, but can order from elsewhere if I need to.
The kind of sound I'm looking for is a v shape to bass oriented IEMs. Previous experiences are the brainwavz m2 and the audio technica CKS77. I very much liked the sound and the comfort of the CKS, but just want to try something else after my dog carried them off somewhere (rip).
These are going to be used for listening outside while i'm walking/running, so having it be comfortable would be a big plus.
Thanks![/QUOTE]
Audio-Technica ATH-IM50
So cause I'm stupid, this January I bought a pair of Beats Solo HDs, sounded meh but than lo and behold, the fucking top band fell off 8 months after I bought them, I know, real good build quality for $200 headphones, right? anyway, I'm looking for headphones with sound more directed towards more "Urban" genres (EDM, Rap, Hip-Hop) while being under $150, and right now I'm looking at the Sennheiser Urbanite XLs due to their apparently excellent build and sound quality at a good price (like $80 on Amazon if you buy used), but I want to hear your guys' input on this.
If you can get away with it (if you primarily use them in private like all the time) I'd recommend getting open cans just because they're awesome.
I don't like prefer listening to my ATH-M50x anymore because I'm too used to the clarity and sound stage of my AD900x.
Don't buy things from retail unless you can't find it cheaper online and know they're what you want*****
*****Don't buy shit from best buy like ever.
[QUOTE=soulharvester;49155668]If you can get away with it (if you primarily use them in private like all the time) I'd recommend getting open cans just because they're awesome.
I don't like prefer listening to my ATH-M50x anymore because I'm too used to the clarity and sound stage of my AD900x.
Don't buy things from retail unless you can't find it cheaper online and know they're what you want*****
*****Don't buy shit from best buy like ever.[/QUOTE]
I will be primarily using them in public, so I need closed back headphones.
I bought some AKG M220s on massdrop and got them this last Tuesday. Haven't had a chance to use them much until today, but it sounds like the right speaker is fucking blown. Sounds a little crackly, don't know if it's my computer or not. Didn't notice it when I plugged it in to my OPO the night I got home from work and opened the box.
[editline]20th November 2015[/editline]
Tried it plugged into my phone and it sounds fine, guess its just something with my on board audio. :\
[editline]20th November 2015[/editline]
Nope, I can still hear the crackle when I turn it up. :(
[QUOTE=Toro;49153987]So cause I'm stupid, this January I bought a pair of Beats Solo HDs, sounded meh but than lo and behold, the fucking top band fell off 8 months after I bought them, I know, real good build quality for $200 headphones, right? anyway, I'm looking for headphones with sound more directed towards more "Urban" genres (EDM, Rap, Hip-Hop) while being under $150, and right now I'm looking at the Sennheiser Urbanite XLs due to their apparently excellent build and sound quality at a good price (like $80 on Amazon if you buy used), but I want to hear your guys' input on this.[/QUOTE]
AKG K181 DJ UE. They measure really well, isolate, and even have a bass switch to change the quantity of bass. Just note that they clamp pretty hard on your head and you will probably need to stretch it.
[editline]21st November 2015[/editline]
If you want more comfort (not every one thinks the K181 is too comfortable), you can get the Brainwavz HM9
[QUOTE=Havolis;49156247]AKG K181 DJ UE. They measure really well, isolate, and even have a bass switch to change the quantity of bass. Just note that they clamp pretty hard on your head and you will probably need to stretch it.
[editline]21st November 2015[/editline]
If you want more comfort (not every one thinks the K181 is too comfortable), you can get the Brainwavz HM9[/QUOTE]
Thanks, the only thing about those headphones that worries me is that the impedance is 42 ohms, which imo is super high (at least compared to the urbanites, which are 18 ohms), will these sound accurate without an amp? or will I have to lug around an amp in my pocket if I want these headphones?
[QUOTE=Del91;49155833]I bought some AKG M220s on massdrop and got them this last Tuesday. Haven't had a chance to use them much until today, but it sounds like the right speaker is fucking blown. Sounds a little crackly, don't know if it's my computer or not. Didn't notice it when I plugged it in to my OPO the night I got home from work and opened the box.
[editline]20th November 2015[/editline]
Tried it plugged into my phone and it sounds fine, guess its just something with my on board audio. :\
[editline]20th November 2015[/editline]
Nope, I can still hear the crackle when I turn it up. :([/QUOTE]
And today....they're fine?
I'm looking for some IEMs that are comfortable, have a decent mic and good isolation in the $50-80 CAD range. They'll mostly be used for phone calls and podcasts, though I also listen to rock and electronic. I'd take durability over sound quality, since they'll be used while I'm working and be stored in an outer pocket of a laptop bag or my pockets.
Their main use is to make phone calls when I'm working near noisy networking equipment, though also to listen to music. I currently use the headphones that came with my Galaxy Note 3 and they work well for calls, though use my Meelectronics SP51 for music. The SP51s are at least 5 years old at this point, have no mic because they were a shitty weak point on the cable back then (Not sure if they still are) and are getting a bit muffled due to the lovely mix of pocket lint and earwax that has probably accumulated over the years.
[QUOTE=Toro;49158250]Thanks, the only thing about those headphones that worries me is that the impedance is 42 ohms, which imo is super high (at least compared to the urbanites, which are 18 ohms), will these sound accurate without an amp? or will I have to lug around an amp in my pocket if I want these headphones?[/QUOTE]
Ohms =/= Sensivity
Having a higher ohm rating doesn't mean it will be harder to drive. It also depends on the sensivity, which is 112 dB SPL/V in the K181, meaning it's going to be an easy to drive headphone. 42 ohms isn't super high either, super high is something like the Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohms. And no, you will not need an amp for these.
[editline]22nd November 2015[/editline]
[QUOTE=benjgvps;49159770]I'm looking for some IEMs that are comfortable, have a decent mic and good isolation in the $50-80 CAD range. They'll mostly be used for phone calls and podcasts, though I also listen to rock and electronic. I'd take durability over sound quality, since they'll be used while I'm working and be stored in an outer pocket of a laptop bag or my pockets.
Their main use is to make phone calls when I'm working near noisy networking equipment, though also to listen to music. I currently use the headphones that came with my Galaxy Note 3 and they work well for calls, though use my Meelectronics SP51 for music. The SP51s are at least 5 years old at this point, have no mic because they were a shitty weak point on the cable back then (Not sure if they still are) and are getting a bit muffled due to the lovely mix of pocket lint and earwax that has probably accumulated over the years.[/QUOTE]
I'm not sure how much they isolate, but the RHA S500[b]i[/b] is pretty good.
Thanks, I'll look over them again.
SHP9500's for 60 bucks on newegg.
[QUOTE=aydin690;49169591]SHP9500's for 60 bucks on newegg.[/QUOTE]
And sold out.
Opinions on ATH-M30x vs ATH-M40x? I was looking at the SPH9500 but it's $155 on ebay compared to $90 and $140 from an actual retailer for the Audio Technica ones and honestly I think I'd rather have closed anyway.
Surprised you can get the [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-ZM-RS6F-headphones-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B0001OYMFO"]first 5.1 headphones circa 2004[/URL] for only $13. They appeared on some search site as related and I don't really understand why or how.
Heyo, It's time I got a new pair of headphones, feeling a bit lost so I figured I'd ask in here for some guidance.
Budget: £40ish, willing to stretch if needed
eBay: Sure?
Country: UK
Isolation: Not too fussed, but would appreciate decent isolation.
Purpose: Home computer, so gaming, movies, music, skype ect.
Music Tastes: Rock/Metal mainly.
Previous Experiences: Sennheiser HD 201 (sat on them, rip.)
Comments: I've already been looking around a bit and I've come to like the look of [url]http://www.amazon.co.uk/JVC-HARX700-Precision-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B005QN7I7O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1448384934&sr=8-3&keywords=JVC+HARX700] JVC HARX700s [/url] but apart from that I'm not sure. Thoughts?
For anyone in USA, huge price drop on the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x on Amazon.
[url]http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448395464&sr=8-1&keywords=m50x[/url]
[QUOTE=Burnyhands;49178564]Heyo, It's time I got a new pair of headphones, feeling a bit lost so I figured I'd ask in here for some guidance.
Budget: £40ish, willing to stretch if needed
eBay: Sure?
Country: UK
Isolation: Not too fussed, but would appreciate decent isolation.
Purpose: Home computer, so gaming, movies, music, skype ect.
Music Tastes: Rock/Metal mainly.
Previous Experiences: Sennheiser HD 201 (sat on them, rip.)
Comments: I've already been looking around a bit and I've come to like the look of [url]http://www.amazon.co.uk/JVC-HARX700-Precision-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B005QN7I7O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1448384934&sr=8-3&keywords=JVC+HARX700] JVC HARX700s [/url] but apart from that I'm not sure. Thoughts?[/QUOTE]
The HARX700's are definitely solid budget headphones. You can do a foam mod on them to improve the soundstage too.
[QUOTE=Levelog;49180409]The HARX700's are definitely solid budget headphones. You can do a foam mod on them to improve the soundstage too.[/QUOTE]
Is there a huge difference between the 700's and the 900's? The 700's are more comfy, I hear, and that's one thing I love about these HD 201's, I think they are comfy as hell.
This foam mod - I'm interested, as long as it isn't too difficult/expensive.
[QUOTE=aydin690;49169591]SHP9500's for 60 bucks on newegg.[/QUOTE]
K, got the SHP9500's today. Overall very good headphones but definitely way overhyped and not as good as HD600's or anything like that. Compared to my X2's, the bass is pretty much not there, mids not as clear as the X2's and highs are a bit more bright and not as refined. I would describe them as less refined X2's but then again you can buy 5 SHP9500's for the price of 1 X2. I'd say the SHP's are more comfortable than the X2's but they do get hot.
I posted in here a while ago but shit got broken and I had to fix my 3D printer instead. Now, my birthday is tomorrow and convienently it falls near black friday so i already have dosh coming in
[QUOTE][B]Budget:[/B] $150. Less would be preferable too, if there are diminishing returns in this price range.
[B]eBay:[/B] Prefer not, have a couple amazon gift cards coming for sure so I'd rather use those for the headphones than pay the stupid pro-audio markup price on amazon
[B]Country:[/B] US
[B]Isolation:[/B] Closed Circumaural
[B]Purpose:[/B] Monitoring, Mixdown work, Music Production
[B]Music Tastes:[/B] Damn near everything. In terms of what I produce and will really use the headphones for, here's a link to my latest track and something from this morning, if it helps the context:
[video]https://soundcloud.com/nofuchsgiven/subtlecue[/video]
[video]https://soundcloud.com/nofuchsgiven/liquefaction[/video]
They cover what I like to produce most- Liquid DnB and cinematic/ambient stuff. While I like bass and warm mid-lows, I also know that having balanced monitors just sorta makes sense. And the mastering/mixing on these is probably meh at best so sorry about that.
[B]Previous Headphones:[/B] Sony MDR XB500's. I used to be all about that wub, or rather I wanted to really feel the rumble. I've had them since middle school and they broke about a year ago. Been putting off replacement since. I do [I]really[/I] like the comfort of the ear cups though, but the headband sorta sucks
[/QUOTE]
So yeah, I'm going to be listening through a Scarlett Focusrite series interface's trs out, instead of my "interesting" behringer mixer. Which is 16 bit. And 44.1kHz. But also the only way I can actually hear my computer and my synths at the same time, so yeah. It records like shit though, crackles, and makes fuckloads of noise so getting new headphones and a new interface all at once is gonna be glorious.
Also my track should come back from professional mixing/mastering (agreed to give audio engineer rights to use my song for tutorials and promos and got a free master) right as this gear arrives mid next week sometime. So thats gonna be fun. Thanks for the help <3
[editline]edited[/editline]
okay now seeing the frequency response curve for the xb500's has me giggling and explains why a friend of mine who usually hears my new shit first always has to remind me to up the sub-bass- i'm trying so much to make sure its not muddy or obnoxious that I usually neuter it since its already obnoxious on my headphones :v:
After much money savings and some peculiar timing, I ended up ordering a pair of Zebra cupped ZMF Omni's that launched today. It's only been a few hours and I'm already tired of waiting for them! (time till shipping is 6-8 weeks)
I'll see if I can give a quick rundown when I finally get a pair within my hands!
From the website:
[img]http://static1.squarespace.com/static/533ddd72e4b07d027eb4a2c0/533de604e4b0e432fe855052/56549525e4b0ae6889080a88/1448385869001/IMG_0523.JPG?format=500w[/img]
[QUOTE=paindoc;49181967]I posted in here a while ago but shit got broken and I had to fix my 3D printer instead. Now, my birthday is tomorrow and convienently it falls near black friday so i already have dosh coming in
So yeah, I'm going to be listening through a Scarlett Focusrite series interface's trs out, instead of my "interesting" behringer mixer. Which is 16 bit. And 44.1kHz. But also the only way I can actually hear my computer and my synths at the same time, so yeah. It records like shit though, crackles, and makes fuckloads of noise so getting new headphones and a new interface all at once is gonna be glorious.
Also my track should come back from professional mixing/mastering (agreed to give audio engineer rights to use my song for tutorials and promos and got a free master) right as this gear arrives mid next week sometime. So thats gonna be fun. Thanks for the help <3
[editline]edited[/editline]
okay now seeing the frequency response curve for the xb500's has me giggling and explains why a friend of mine who usually hears my new shit first always has to remind me to up the sub-bass- i'm trying so much to make sure its not muddy or obnoxious that I usually neuter it since its already obnoxious on my headphones :v:[/QUOTE]
Audio technica M40x or sennheiser 280/380.
[editline]24th November 2015[/editline]
Actual monitor headphones ^
[editline]24th November 2015[/editline]
Or audio technica m70x (closed) or r70x (open) if you feel like splurging.
Are the M50's/M50X's very bassy?
[QUOTE=Luxuria;49182818]Are the M50's/M50X's very bassy?[/QUOTE]
Compared to what exactly? Compared to mainstream beats/gaming headphones? Fuck no. Compared to sennheiser 598/600, beyerdynamic, grado, akg neutral headphones? Yes.
I don't really have much to compare to honestly, just in the market at the moment for new cans and I'd like a good mix between good sound and bass, if that's even putting it right.
[QUOTE=Luxuria;49182843]I don't really have much to compare to honestly, just in the market at the moment for new cans and I'd like a good mix between good sound and bass, if that's even putting it right.[/QUOTE]
M50x headphones have incredible detail and are well balanced. Tight bass, clear mids and highs. However, they have zero sound stage. They basically play the music in your brain with crazy detail. It depends on what you're looking for.
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