/hpg/ - Headphone General

How to request purchase advice: pastebin.com/fYZLW7Ub

For sub-$50 headphones and IEMs, check out the infographic in Sup Forums wiki headphone FAQ: wiki.installgentoo.com/index.php?title=Headphones

Headphone guide: canpicker.com/

Previous thread:

Other urls found in this thread:

staxaudio.com/earspeaker/sr-l300limited
j-mag.org/2018/02/02/lovelive_solocd_jacket/
youtube.com/watch?v=R869ABpfdaM
youtube.com/watch?v=YB48jsRxpTY
youtube.com/watch?v=1l0EtAF_lEk
kopfhoerer.de/test/superlux-hd681-evo/
ebay.com/itm/NEW-STAX-SRS-3100-Ear-Speaker-System-201604-EMS-Speedpost-From-Japan-/173090165420?hash=item284cfa52ac
twitter.com/SFWRedditImages

a-user, have you bought your STAX yet?

Anyone else have the Beyerdynamics DT series?

The cable keeps rubbing on my shoulder / clothes and because the cord is rubber, the sound is transported into the cup which is FUCKING ANNOYING JESUS CHRIST I CAN'T STOP HEARING IT... I can't even breathe without it making a noise

I might unironically just buy some wireless headset to ease my suffering.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I wanna lick her feet

Yes, I did.

...

do any of you knows about speaker amps?
is Vincent a good manufacturer?, i'm considering buying the vincent SP-997 amps

What are you going to power with them? Looks good for a monoblock, just keep in mind that you'll need two of them. I kind of doubt that anyone here has had experience with Vincent amps, let alone most of us.

Reposting from last thread.

How are the Nuforce EDC IEMs from massdrop? I know they're dark but would they be good to go to the gym? I'm tired of takin eytmotics and having to adjust them while working out

Hi Tyll from InnerFidelity here

Just here to remind you that the HiFiMAN HE400S is the best headphone in its price range and that Stax headphones don't deserve a place in my hall of fame.

i plan to use them with my ascend acoustics CBM-170SE
> just keep in mind that you'll need two of them
i know, they're sold in pairs anyway

>You will not post any of the following outside of Sup Forums: ...uncalled for catchphrases...

I use sennheiser game ones... should i kill my self? Ive had them for a few years.. Where should i start on the road to good headphones? Currently using on board audio as well. Help me out /hpg/ i want to experience true audio

Will use them only at the PC for extended amounts of time. I listen to weeb shit & classical/piano/violin and occasional electronic.

>Help me out /hpg/ i want to experience true audio
leave while you still can

>weeb shit
>classical
>electronic
STAX time my nib

Sennheiser Game One are pretty good, the only real upgrade would be something in the mid-fi range like the HD600/650 or the K702.
Even then the difference isn't mind-blowing, though if you don't have much audio experience you may think otherwise.

unironically this

staxaudio.com/earspeaker/sr-l300limited

My brother uses HD599 , How do HD600/650 compare to those? i know the hd599 are comfortable when i used them for like 10 minutes.

Im audio retarded. You say stax , but where do i even begin?

Anyone tried the xiaomi headphones 2nd gen? They're said to have graphene drivers and ever since the superlux, i have a bit more respect for chinese audio products and would like to know how they are compared to others.

let's say I have a bunch of random USB sound devices, dac+amp etc ranging in quality and type and I want to compare them, obviously you can listen to them all, look at specs, but let's say I just want some software to test them and spit out graphs and numbers, is RightMark Audio Analyzer a good starting place? I don't want to bother setting it all up and figuring it out if there's something much better.

RMAA is just the first free one that came up, GSMArena uses it to test audio from phones.

Look for a pro bias STAX amp on ebay. Wikipedia has a list of them. Then buy this

Is the limited edition any better performance wise? or could i got for regular srl300? If i am paying 300$ for the cool factor only ill pass.

the limited edition is the L700 driver in the L300 housing. the L700 is $1400. it's basically a 50% off STAX

Idol trash here.
Are you ready for the Love Live Memorial Box III, user?
j-mag.org/2018/02/02/lovelive_solocd_jacket/

Read OP on how to format your asking for advice. You haven't even stated a budget so how can we recommend stuff to you? If we told you to buy $4000 headphones would you do it?

The HD599 isn't really good, so the HD600 would probably be immensely better.
The Game One being based on the HD558/598 is much closer to the 600 series.
The other STAX posters are kinda memeing you though (unless you have a huge budget), they're unironically the best thing out there, but a decent setup will cost you $700 at best.
The limited edition has the L700 stators, which means it'll sound much different than the standard L300.
L700 is in the kilobuck range, this is a pretty huge discount since the L300 LE will be very close sound-wise. It might even be better.
I'll buy that box.

>pro bias STAX amp on ebay
Are there any new amps for it that you would recommend or is the only way to get one secondhand?

New amps cost a shit ton. Save yourself some money and buy a used one. They sound the same anyways. SRM1-mk2 is a good one to look for

don't buy new. any pro bias amp will do, the L300/L700 are not picky. get the cheapest (SRM-252, SRM-1/mk2) you can find on ebay

also, I hate to link a newcomer to zeos because he's basically an audio peddler at this point but I wanted to show you that we're not just dicking around and trolling you into buying an expensive purchase. STAX is legit and well known.

youtube.com/watch?v=R869ABpfdaM
youtube.com/watch?v=YB48jsRxpTY
youtube.com/watch?v=1l0EtAF_lEk

>Where should I start on the road to good headphones?
Get HD600.
>weeb shit
See Idol voices sound good and detailed beyond ridiculous.
>classical
They're excellent at classical.
>piano
They're good at piano.
>violin
You can actually hear the texture of the strings in these. The midrange is godlike.
Seriously, get HD600, you can't go wrong with these, and they'll last you forever. Any cheaper and it'll be a shitty, temp compromise of a headphone.

You're going from rash to kino. But you won;t even be impressed, because it's kino, and you're a pleb.

These things take time. You WILL be disappointed initially.

STAX is a little excessive price wise for me i would rather put that money elsewhere.

If i got the HD600 would i need anything else? I'm sure on board audio isn't going to do it justice.. I am not even sure if it does the game ones justice.

I'm aware of STAX i just cant bring my self to spend that much of headphones/amp. Not yet at least.

sell them for exactly the same price you bought them for on /r/avexchange. there's no risk that way

If you watch movies you almost certainly need it. My experience trying to use a HD650 on the headphone out of a laptop because of sheer curiosity, you can get an acceptable volume and performance for music with low amount of dynamics (anything modern, pop, rock, metal, electro) but the headphone out starts crapping out and putting distortion at higher than 70% volume, and even used at 100% it wouldn't be enough decibels for recordings with lots of dynamics (classical music) or for watching movies.
If you want a very cheap combo get the FiiO E10K. It's not the best thing, but it performs well with the HD600. If you want the absolute best performance spec for spec get a dac like the OLDAC and pair it to an amp like the O2, Magni 3 or FiiO K5. You could also always get the E10K as a started dac/amp and then use it as a dac when you decide to buy an amp.

What would be the best choice, SRM-252S or SRM-1 non-MK2 ?
I can get any of these for pretty much the same price, so I'm unsure.

SRM-1 mk2 is basically the srm-353

>My brother uses HD599 , How do HD600/650 compare to those?
HD600 is an order of magnitude better than HD5xx. There's quite the jump in sound quality. I moved from 598 to 600 myself.

oh sorry, non mk2, I don't know. someone else might be able to help you. either way 252S is bottom barrel and enough for the L300/500/700

Indeed, anyone stating that the difference is minor is lying to themselves or deaf. HD5xx are grainy headphones with kinda muddy bass lines. Any of the midfi cans (HD600, HD650, K702, K712, DT880..) will be a very noticeable improvement over these.

>If i got the HD600 would i need anything else?
They're high impedance and low sensitivity, which in layman words means they'll sound decent out of any output.
To get 100% out of them, you'll need an external dac like uae23, OL-DAC or topping D30, and an external amp, like Magni3 or O2. But it's a minor difference. In terms of enjoyment, let's say going from HD599 to HD600 is a +70%, whereas getting amp/dac for the HD600 is a +20%.

So Magni3 & Modi2. Any notable pros cons of hd600 vs 650?

>Any notable pros cons of hd600 vs 650?
you asked the question which should NOT have been asked

see

Why not user?

Get the HD600. If you get the 650 like I did you will probably end up using EQs to make it sound more like the HD600. The differences between the two is that the HD650 tones down the treble even more than the HD600 (and the 600 are known as 'polite' headphones) and they boost the midbass, which doesn't actually improve the bass at all because the subbass is still just as lacking as the HD600 so you still won't get the full bass body you'd expect.

Don't buy the modi 2, it can suffer from USB interference. Get the powered modi 2 uber if you really have to buy a modi, but you are better off buying an OLDAC. Just because you want the magni doesn't mean you can't pair it with another DAC.

How do i know if my phone has a decent audio chip or not?

HD600 has a better tone overall, more neutral.
HD650 has a slight mid-bass hump.
Both will sound unimpressive and relatively crappy unless you EQ them, so get whichever's cheaper.
HD6XX (rebranded HD650) can be found for $190-200 brand new or barely used on eBay and /r/avexchange, so that would be my pick.
I suggest getting the OL DAC instead of the Modi and O2 instead of the Magni, though it doesn't really matter much for the amp.

because the hd600/650 is the autist's headphone and they come out of the woodworks to squabble endlessly over which is better. not even 50 posts in and you've ruined it, what have you done?

You google it if your phone is popular enough there might be someone who has tested its spec and qualities. If it's not popular enough then you are on your own and can only try to compare by ear by using a known good source and comparing it to your phone.

>Magni3
Yes.
>Modi2
There's much better in DACs at that price, such as the ones the other user suggested.
If you still want one anyway because it looks good @ stack, get the uber version. Avoid the basic USB powered version like the plague.
>HD650 vs HD600
They're almost the same thing, but HD600 sounds good by default, whereas HD650 does need EQ.
HD600 is generally considered better by reviewers that tested both, and is better from an strictly objective standpoint (HD600 is less neutral).
Both are excellent headphones, but HD600 is the magical one that's just right.

>Get the HD600

>Get the HD600
About the best advice I've seen in this place.

So

HD600 , OLDAC , MAGNI? or is their a better option?

for someone who can't afford stax which is superior in every way, sure

>all these HD600 soyboys thinking there headphone is 200% better than any alternative headphone

Whats it like being an audiofool?

For anyone out there lurking these threads trying to get an understanding of this hobby. This pretty much sums it up.

These are very safe picks. The only thing I might add is that if you enjoy bass a lot, you might honestly prefer the less natural sounding DT880 or K712. But if you felt your brother's HD599 sounded very good, you probably won't be yearning for dat bass much and the HD600 does sound very natural.

it could be worse
they could own hifimans

>The only thing I might add is that if you enjoy bass a lot, you might honestly prefer the less natural sounding DT880 or K712
weird, i heard people complaining about lack of bass on K712

Yes, but it's missing something key here. You don't -need- the amp to get great enjoyment of a can like the HD600 and it still sounds better than lower end headphones even on your computer headphone out but.. your computer headphone out is not capable of making it sound loud enough for some specific things. Like movies, or very dynamic classical recordings. You'll be fine for general modern music consumption though.

>All these delusional dyanmicucks
100% Lmao

Whats it like to not own headphones?

Those people probably came from closed headphones before buying the K712. If you complain about lack of bass on a K712 and then jump on a HD600 or K702 you will complain EVEN MORE about their lack of bass. The Sennheiser, and the AKG 702, are the cans with the least bass of all mid-fi open headphones.
I've heard people complain about the AD700X bass all the time and those phones have more bass than an HD600 too.

>HD600
>OL-DAC
>Magni3
That's very good
>is there a better option
Not unless your budget goes up considerably, to $1k+.
There, options appear such as HD800, focal clear, some planars like the LCD-2c and electrostats like the STAX stuff people do keep mentioning.
Even if you got one of those down the road, you'd still find yourself often going back to your HD600 for the just right balance they have overall.

GREAT op

why do the Focal Elears have a reputation for having a huge hole in their mids but not the Clears and Utopias ?

This is a problem on tighter ones like DT770s. My DT880s are great, but I have a separate issue..the velour earcups rub on my glasses and make awful noises. Other than that I love them, but it's still really annoying.
I have Bose qc35s as well, but wireless is a pain. Sound lag and shitty bluetooth range (as in, so bad that I turn my head away from my computer and the sound cuts out) make them terrible for anything other than listening to music while sitting/standing at my desk. Very good for that though, I was pleasantly surprised by the ANC and decent sound.

My biggest concern is it will ship with UPS

What is it like posting this same image towards any kind of 600 discussion ever?

I've only been here a day and a half in the last 3 weeks and you're here nonstop. Sort your fucking life out you freak lmao

>There, options appear such as HD800
my dad won't give my ma900 back that I let him borrow so now I need to buy an hd800. just when you think you are done buying stuff

Because very few own an Utopia ($4000 headphones) and the Clear is still a bit new.

Answer that yourself, fagboi

>he thinks STAX are unattainable kilobuck tier
L300 is only $100 more than the HD600, what's your excuse for not owning an Electrochad ?
>b-but user the a-amp...
Only $100 more than a Schiit Stack/O2 setup. For an electrostatic.
Why do people even advice getting low-fi garbage like AKG or Sennheiser ?

Really makes you think.

>L300 is only $100 more than the HD600, what's your excuse for not owning an Electrochad ?
Stax is only more attainable if you buy used and some people just don't want to buy used gear.
Heck, I find the thought of using used headphones icky even with changing pads. I wouldn't mind buying used amps though.

That's what 500usd gets you

You don't need anything. Just turn your brain off user.

Seriously, if you're willing to spend this kind of money on a headphone then you might as well get a decent amp as well. Get a dac later on if you care enough.

So, Scarlett 18i is enough for K712pro, right?
I don't need to buy anything else, right?

I'm surprised people aren't more attuned to the budget amp/DAC combos on the market. I'm using this one (had to import to get a decent price) but it's an amazing piece of hardware for beginners and one of the most convenient things to use. Runs solely off of USB power, and can drive 600ohm impedance cans just fine.

Are there any other amps like the Topping TP30 that can support speakers and have two inputs? I hear mixed reviews but the USB DAC and RCA switch would be really useful for my set up.

kopfhoerer.de/test/superlux-hd681-evo/

Superlux hd681 evo.

Just ordered for 29,95 euros.

Who can confirm the test?

ebay.com/itm/NEW-STAX-SRS-3100-Ear-Speaker-System-201604-EMS-Speedpost-From-Japan-/173090165420?hash=item284cfa52ac
Brand new and clearly attainable if you can afford an HD600 + x Stack combo (~$500).
STAX are endgame tier, low-fi garbage like the HD600s are not.

What a coincidence. I guess I should mention I'd like to keep it under $150. Was did it cost when you imported?

Ah, okay, I was hoping there would be a database or list or something.

12300 yen shipped to the proxy warehouse, which is an absolute steal given people are still trying to sell these for $300-400 in the western market. I'm sure you can pick them up for cheap in Japanese markets still.

the price is intimidating to newfags because they just see $700 whereas they see $200-300 for the 600/650 and $200 for the stack. it doesn't matter that they'll probably end up spending more in the long run going the hd600 route

I need headphone amp as far as i understand. What kind of i can get if i'm planning to use it with 18i8?

Was it auction? It's 20,000 yen on Amazon which isn't bad but a little more than what I want to spend after proxy fees.

Secondhand website like Rakuten called Mercari, if you're using a good service (I use Japonica) they allow you to send offers. I used to use YJP almost exclusively but despite its good selection it's too unreliable and generally stressful to use. There are a lot of Japanese websites to explore outside of that.

$678 if you want to buy from ebay for something whose warranty is "in japan" and only one year of it and it's probably a major pain to deal with if there's any defect with the product and shipping is probably on you.
That same Stax combo is more like 1k € if bought locally here, but with our local 2 year warranties where the seller has full responsibility and has to refund you or replace the unit if it breaks and he can't repair it or if the manufacturer is unwilling to.

>budget
75-100
>location
USA
>source
my computer
>type
full size
>comfort
preferably more comfortable, in terms of desire, comfort > sound
>sound signature
don't care
>past headphones
cheap ipod headphones, some turtle beach headsets from years back

do I really need an amp with the hd6xx?

>need
No.
>worth having
Yes.

Meanwhile HD600 is 300 euros on thomann and if you aren't going for pure end game dynamic amping it does fine on a FiiO e10k.

>see new /hpg/ op anime footpussy pic
>unzip pants

I've got an E10/E8 DAC/AMP and a pair of HD650's
Will I notice a difference if I listen to FLAC?

Thanks. Seems like there's nothing there now but I'll check it out later.

I still don't get if it will make them sound better overall or just louder (still need to receive the headphones).
what would be a cheap amp, considering that I am in europe

I mean e7/e9, my bad