-- PLEASE USE THIS FORM TO GET PURCHASE ADVICE --
>Headphone purchase advice
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Wireless is frowned upon.
Headset requests are frowned upon.
Noise isolation ≠ Noise cancellation
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>Sup Forums wiki headphone FAQ:
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old thread expired
or is about to expire, I should say.
Might as well post this now. I posted this in the last thread, but no one was much help.
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>Budget
~250-350 USD, $350 is probably the most I am willing to spend.
>Location
Western United states.
>Source
I am also looking for a $100-200 DAC/Amp to go along with my first real headphone purchase because my motherboard has an incredibly shitty internal one. Help very much appreciated. I am thinking about getting the O2s on Massdrop, thoughts?
>Preferred type of headphone
Full-sized over ears,
>Open or closed
I am fine either way but i prefer the soundstage open headphones offer. Keep in mind I don't want them to be as open as something like Grados because I sit right next to my door and I don't want my roommates hearing my tentacle rape hentai.
>Comfort level
I want headphones that I can wear for 24 hours in 115° F weather without noticing they are on. Keep in mind I am a VERY sweaty person with long hair.
>Preferred tonal balance
As neutral as you can get.
>Preferred music
I listen to podcasts, movies, videos, TV shows, anime, and my friends more than I do music. As for music I listen to almost everything equally with a slight preference for hip-hop, female vocals, and bassy electronic.
>Past headphones
Shitty apple EarPods.
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I have been eyeing the Sennheiser HD 598 SEs they are only $150 on amazon right now so they are probably what I am going to pick up.
Many thanks in advance.
Literally the best software I have ever used.
Reposting from last thread.
>Budget
$60, flexible
>Location
U.S.
>Source
PC, Keyboard, digital modeling amplifier taking both bass and guitar.
>Preferred type of headphone
Full size
>Open or closed
Closed
>Comfort level
The important thing to me is that they stay put while I move around the studio playing various instruments, and especially just when looking down at what I'm doing. I don't really mind if my ears hurt after a while. I will generally be using them for up to 5 hours at a time though.
>Preferred tonal balance
Flat.
>Preferred music
I guess punk, but I play in cover bands sometimes and will be listening to pretty much everything, if not for pleasure.
>Past headphones
Sony MDR-V150
Skull candy ink'd 1 & 2
As a musician I am always tempted by "industry standards," in particular the AKG K240 caught my attention. But I'm cheap and I want to be saved by this general. One additional feature I would really like is a replaceable chord. I move when I play, operate a pedalboard, etc. I don't want headphones that will force me to dial in my instrument all over again when I'm recording, so I hope for a very flat sound, I wouldn't say "reference," though.
K240 are great but they aren't closed. You probably want MDR-7506/V6
Forgot to include mixer and audio interface as sources.
the 598 is very open, as in completely, so they leak as much as anything can. also, how experienced are you as a listener, like, what have you owned and are you confident in your preferred tonal balance. I say this because some people are put off right away by the 598 having light bass, without eq it can sound a bit cold and hollow, and most people don't actually listen to music that shows off the 598's biggest strength: the mids. I love the 598 but with your budget and wanting "neutral" there are other things you could try, akg and beyer for one.
also, get an e10k if you're getting anything, there really isn't a need, especially for a newbie, to have a dedicated amp/dac unless you have sound issues currently.
598 does fit your comfort preference well though, only other headphone I can think of that's as comfortable is the ma900. but $150 is too much. I got mine for $99. you can usually get a 558 for around that much and do the foam mod to make it a 598.
...
HD650 + Schiit Magni + Schiit Modi
Should be able to source all of that for $550. Your comfort requirements are unrealistic, no headphone on God's green earth will be un-noticeable in humid environments, and this is exacerbated by having long hair and sweating.
k240 is open and not that great anyways imo. v6/7506 sounds perfect for you. do replaceable cable though, for that an m40x or an xpt-100 is going to be the best thing you can maybe afford, but they're both $100.
PortaPros, with your budget.
k712 vs. k7xx
I should add now that I look at your music, 598 is amazing for vocals, bass quantity and impact not so much. it works really well with vocal-centric stuff, including electronic that isn't bass-heavy. but if you want the "club sound", look elsewhere.
Thanks for all of the input, I think I am going to go with the 598s and use the extra money i saved for the e10k.
my max was $350
Magni a shit. Modi 2 Uber is okay and gud. Schiit now ships Modi 2 Ubers with AK4490 chips.
Fixed it for that user.
>HD650 + JDS Labs Objective 2 + Modi 2 Uber
You clearly said you had an extra $100-200 for an amplifier and DAC. Learn to write.
The E10K will not do anything for you over your onboard audio with the 598s unless your onboard audio is really fucking bad. A cheap soundcard would prove a better choice.
if you don't like the 598 return them and try the k612, if for no other reason that it's one of the few headphones that really requires a dedicated amp to get loud enough, and it is very neutral.
I would argue with you but it's pointless since he can't afford it anyway.
I don't even like the Magni but it slaps the shit out of the O2.
What's the best budget earphones you can get? I don't want the in-ear ones.
Pic related
...
what is your budget?
the 712 is more balanced. the bass rise is not as much, and the dip in the upper mids is not as severe, and the upper mids/highs response is not as spiky generally. they're both less even in that region though than the 701, 702, and 612. that's what you sacrifice for the elevated bass I guess.
>You clearly said you had an extra $100-200 for an amplifier and DAC. Learn to write.
oops.
>The E10K will not do anything for you over your onboard audio with the 598s unless your onboard audio is really fucking bad. A cheap soundcard would prove a better choice.
My onboard audio is really fucking bad. Any reccomendations for soundcards?
those pieces of wood look WAY too loose to hold those drivers.
Something like a Xonar DG is dirt cheap and will get the job done in terms of providing a hiss & EMI free source.
Look good, thanks. Will definitely keep this in mind. Can you really return headphones just because you don't like them?
About £50 I'd say.
Used HD600 and this
hifimediy.com
>Accepts all sample rates up to 384kHz/32bit
>Asynchronous
>It can drive most 16-300ohm headphones.
on amazon yes, it's very simple. I don't think you have to state a reason and if you do just say there was a better price elsewhere, returning a gift, ordered by accident, something like that. just make sure it's sold by amazon. they'll usually pay return shipping too. if you buy elsewhere (new) worst you'll have to put up with is return shipping. maybe a restocking fee but that isn't likely.
These 5706s look great. I've seen them in a few studios. $80, on the other hand, is a lot more than $30.
I am a cheap guy, so I find these attractive. One concern with these is having a wire to each cup instead of a single wire. This is kinda annoying for playing guitar and bass, but not a deal breaker. Do you think these headphones would stay on okay while playing? They are ugly but so am I, not an issue(well, maybe the later is).
Because I'm cheap sturdiness is an important factor that I wasn't really worrying about for $60+ headphones, but I think it's worth bringing up now. I won't be too nice with these headphones and they'll be yanked a few times a day, most likely. I'd like the headphones to last a long time. It seems like replaceable cables aren't that common or cheap of a feature, but I guess soldering is an option too, though one I'd rather avoid.
shure SE-112 hopefully the pound is more than the dollar
>I don't want the in-ear ones.
>he doesn't want the in-ear ones
portapro is great, but it is not a studio/workhorse headphone. it's open for one thing, the response it tilted towards dark/warm, and it's not that sturdy. the cable will probably fail if you use it for your uses. it's more of a lightweight, walking around home or just listening at your desk headphone.
The portapros are snug on me but my mother had to have a c section due to my enormous skull. The wires haven't caused me any trouble at all and i move around with them a lot. They are VERY well built and sturdy even for headphones quintuple their price (in my experience). Also they extremely compact. If anything breaks and is irreplaceable, hey they were only $40.
the new piston air is the most shallow-fit IEM I have seen, to the point where it's a semi-eabud. initial impressions are good plus it's cheap as hell, like the piston 3.
the reality is that earbuds suck for sound by design, they can't form a proper seal with your ear canal so you get jank response. some do a bit better by getting a half-assed seal in the outer ear using plastic or silicone like the earpods, but they still suck.
maybe as /csg/? they know about the latest chink buds.
They're just extremely uncomfy for me.
then use headphones or on-ears.
if size is an issue try the ksc-75
he asked for earphones...
I don't want to buy used and I wanted an Amp not a DAC. Also, that DAC looks sketchy anyways.
Thanks for the input, I've decided against the portapros, in part because I've realized suddenly they're on-ear. I think I'd prefer over-ear for staying put. It bugs me when I didn't realize one ear was slipping down while I was playing and I wasn't hearing my keyboard right. Is there anything else on the lower end of price that could work for studio? I've heard the skull candy hesh 2 recommended on talkbass, despite skull candy in general being overwhelmingly recommended against.. Well, they have bassists over there, after all, who might be a bit less concerned with relaxed mids, but I've heard conflicting reports on the mids of these cans. In any case they're circumaural and have a detachable chord.
...
If I suggested a Audioquest Dragonfly. I bet you'd choose that for its looks. The Dragonfly has a ES9016 DAC chip.
Look up Sennheiser HE-1's DAC chip. HiFime ES9018K2M is like it.
honestly the best closed, circumaural headphone below the v6 is the CAL. amazing sound, decent build but v6 is in another league. the sig is also different, CAL leans towards the bass and lower mids with highs a bit rolled off, classic warm sig. v6 has an upper mids emphasis which is one of the reason people use it for audio work, it's very detailed and clear sounding so you can pick out things easier, it's also very lean and tight in the bass, where the CAL is a bit loose. CAL is a great listening headphone, for pro work no so much but you are an amateur so they wold probably do fine.
pic is cal next to a protapro
head-fi.org
these seem pretty good.
681 is the best of those, but it is pretty bright and open besides. pro80 is good but prices are unreliable, often it's just as much as a v6.
>no one was much help.
No. There was one autist memeing you, the rest was people trying to help.
Yeah, he just was stuck in my mind longer.
oh hai there Sup Forums
:)
how much was the display price?
>Budget
about 100€
>Location
germanyland
>Source
onboard audio
>Preferred type of headphone
full size
>Open or closed
closed
>Comfort level
meh
>Preferred tonal balance
flat
>Preferred music
indie, deep house
>Past headphones
fucking razer electra
it was one of those things you just didnt ask.
i believe 'arround 65k' is what we were told... the cabling alone they had was like 7 grand.... that parts fucking stupid, but... i have to say, i never smiled that hard listening to music.
i also have some pictures of speakers i made if Sup Forums wants to get a bit /diy/
fitting OP pic
poorfag
M40X
hey are the dt880s as comfy as they look? holy fuck
post the pics
>are the dt880s as comfy as they look
yes, more so
glorious.
are they really as precise as the k702?
i think i need these..
No
Ignore the memer, yes they're great headphones. Look at the alternatives but if you buy them you won't be disappointed.
Why (other than ComfyGrados) is /hpg/ the only forum to realize how bad Grado phones are? They make sacrifices to portability, comfort, isolation and looks in pursuit of sound quality that stopped being impressive 20 years ago. They're for people who like the idea of a headphone that's 100% about the sound, but don't actually care what it sounds like.
>tfw ljokerl hasn't updated his guides in years
>forum
It's a imageboard.
Anyhow they hit the target good but so do Apple Earpods.
en.goldenears.net
en.goldenears.net
en.goldenears.net
Why can't you just take any cheap pair of headphones, and EQ them so they have the proper frequency response?
did I do good?
I have a akg k7xx and I thought about buying an x2 but then I remember about the portapros and decided to get them.
Turns out i'm keeping the hd600's and selling my k712's. Goodbye akg, it was good while it lasted ;)
Why dont you try it out? You can also make your own pads, to get more bass, i dont know why but i feel the R&D for the headphones is pretty lacking, i guess is not much profitable
>are they really as precise as the k702?
Precise on what?
Does that DAC show that red optical light on yours? Or is that just a stock photo.
I got my pair recently. You did pretty well, godspeed.
>tfw I probably wouldn't hear a difference between the Orpheus and the HD600
better than grado, you did good.
Think I'm going to pull the trigger on some HD668Bs for $41
Should I? They seem the best for under $50, does anyone have a strong opinion that something else is better?
You obviously can but sometimes you want to pay more for other factors than just the stock frequency response. Headphones which get the response right or at least closely so out of the box saves you the hassle of creating an equalization profile for it or at least eases the job. It's also nice to have a good pair if you are using them with multiple devices, some of which might not allow you to use proper EQ. And while this isn't exclusive to cheap headphones, some models are limited in bandwidth and could have notably high levels of nonlinear artifacts such as harmonic distortion which you can't fix by equalization. Even if distortion is very hard to hear in a lot of cases, it's something to consider when making a purchase. A very important thing for me personally was comfort and durability, warranty, second hand value etc.
A bad response is unrelated to the price. You can pay thousands for complete garbage or spend thirty bucks on something which sounds excellent. Only exception to this rule are the absolute cheapest options on the market where you are basically limited by basic material costs and QC. Beyond that the products are all over the place. I'd recommend learning and using parametric EQ on basically every headphone and in-ear.
I remember seeing a FR plot of the original Orpheus which had a very good bass extension and DF equalized response. In a lot of ways similar to the HD 600 minus the sub bass extension which, depending on the content, is hard to hear. I'm fairly sure you would notice a difference even if you were untrained in listening however. Frequency response is what defines the sound and while the target response for both is similar, there are very likely differences easily above audible thresholds. Pic related lets you test your hearing and train it.
As for the new Orpheus, I'd be interested to see a plot.
I'm fairly sure that's an analog output. If it glows, there's an LED inside to light it up.
>that stopped being impressive 20 years ago
The models made now are probably worse than they were back then.
Because there are limits to how hard you can run a transducer until non-linearity is significant. This complicates attempting to EQ out rolloff.
Because some headphones are design with high leak sensitivity or strong acoustic modes that change each time you put it on.
Otherwise, it works. This is the situation with in ears, where very inexpensive sets have good extension and linearity. Damping is not always done, you may need to do it yourself.
Yeah mine glows exactly the same as the picture.
amazon.com
these are cheap right now, is this a good purchase for a poorfag like me?
Someone in the last thread said the AKG K702 are better than the K712.
Is this true? Is this due to the break-in period or what?
Also, is there any reason as to why I shouldn't go with the DT770? They're the best closed-back I've seen in that price range.
Can someone recommend me a pair of in earphones for less than £75?
Thinking of getting the momentums by Sennheiser or the RHA 600
Preference over different frequency response. I'd personally agree that K702 is better than K712. I find the upper midrange coloration in K712 more problematic and the response too warm. While K702 has problems in that same area as well as tends to be too bright, it's the better option out of the two imo.
DT 770 is a headphone with a V-shaped response, plenty of bass and treble and less emphasized mids. It's a closed back headphone. Pretty nice if that's what you are looking for. Quite dissimilar to the open back AKGs you mentioned.
Because your autism won't let you.
So what are my options if I only have $10? Isolation doesn't matter, but I'd like to find one that's less uncomfortable than the Monoprice 8320.
I've been looking through this guide, but there could be something good that's not on the list. head-fi.org
>that 5khz peak
If you really need a wireless headset and you can only pay $30, forget about sound quality and just get something that people rate as comfortable.
Well, I want some closed-back headphones for studio monitoring, that's why I asked about the DT770. Now I'm kinda worried that it's V-shaped, since I'm looking for flat response (obviously). Are all the headphones in this price range like this? I know the M50X aren't neutral either.
About the K702 and K712, which one would you recommend for monitoring? Thanks.
>Are all the headphones in this price range like this?
No, they vary quite a bit. Sony MDR-7506 would be my choice of monitors here or alternatively the Beyerdynamic DT 250 80 Ohm. M50X have boomy bass and a peaky treble. I personally didn't like them at all sound or comfort-wise but I know people who enjoy them immensely. Not something I'd pick for monitoring considering the response.
>About the K702 and K712, which one would you recommend for monitoring?
K702
I was actually looking a the MDR-7506 before going for the DT770, lol. I guess I'll just compare frequency responses and shit. I often fall for the more expensive = better meme.
Thanks a lot, user.
Why didn't anyone tell me that these rings rotate independently and rip out whatever was connected to them? Now I can't hear sound out of one ear.
What's the proper way to open these anyway? Are you even able to open the ones that come with your headphones? Are my dreams to cannibalize one set to fix another as dead as my cans?
>I often fall for the more expensive = better meme.
In rapidly evolving and highly competitive market such as microprocessors this often holds true but not at all in consumer audio.
headphone gore?
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I own a pair of Shure SE215's, and I friggin love em, but I find the bass to be a bit lacking.
Is there a bassier version/equivalent?
>tfw still have my DT770's
I never want to replace them. I love the sound so much.
good for you
>Budget
$200
>Location
USA
>Source
iPhone and Galaxy
>Preferred type of headphone
IEM
>Comfort level
No behind the ear shit
>Preferred music
Sup Forumscore
>Past headphones
Sennheiser CX 985 loved them, I want something metal with a cool rotating jack, but it seems like that is only the last generation of Sennheiser IEMs which are now hella expensive.