Headphones/speakers bread

I have experience with a few headphones.

the generic choice of sennheiser hd 598, at around 150usd, leaks sound because it's an open headphone, so if you want a mic it can leak a bit of sound in. the difference between the normal one and the special edition is colour scheme and the special edition has a spare 1m cord. If you're also blind there's a L braille letter on the left side of the headphones too,
with some $$$, you could get a bose quietcomfort 25/35 sponsored by this board's board owner, if you have around 300-400 usd, which depending on which model has a detachable cable and batteries too.
for 100 usd you can get a sennheiser hd 280 pro although can be uncomfortable after use but no detachable cables.

There's also a long lasting old /g/ / Holla Forums guides that still hold truth to this day. Like these:
pastebin.com/CCQCUv5e
jii.moe/E1UWXwM0l.png

You can also try actually trying the headphones before buying them, that works too.

just use software eq :^))

My ears.

$200+ in Canada because headphones are much more expensive up here for some retarded reason

Because Canada's dollar value is going down, I recall microsoft adjusted the price for their Xbox crap subscription service up by an additional 10 Canadian dollars.

ayy

AKG K701
I'm a big fan of open-back headphones in general, for how natural they can make sounds, well, sound. I'll often confuse audio from a game with someone trying to talk to me irl.

On a more serious note how do i equalize my sheit?

What do you guys recommend for those with glasses.
All the headphones I've gotten are terrible with them and I end up just dropping them and going back to ear buds disappointed.

rx700
ugly as sin but cheap and sturdy

Budget?

I recommend you stop being a nu-male and wear some thin frames instead of problem glasses.
I use glasses too and I never had an issue with headphones.

Fidelio X2 and Sennheiser HD25-1 II. I use the Fidelio for general entertainment and the Sennheiser when I use a mic. I've been meaning to pick up some planar headphones.

Anything under 400 ameribux, I've got some spending money and nothing else to get for now computer-wise.

My frames are actually quite thin, I like my minimalist style with them.

Shit, for 400 USD you could get a pair of HD600s and pair it with whatever the current line of FiiO DAC/Amps are.

ebay.com/itm/Sennheiser-HD600-Open-Dynamic-Hi-Fi-Professional-Stereo-Headphones-Brand-New-/252537096972?hash=item3acc624b0c:g:kUkAAOSwdIFX1x~y

Samson SR850s are one of the best pairs of headphones I've ever used and they're under $50. Unrivaled comfort, velour earpads standard, incredible audio for the price. The only issue is that the cord is not detachable. There is a similar pair in the same price range with the same drivers if that's a deal breaker for you but I can't remember the name. They remind me of but not fucking gigantic.

Also since nobody responded to , I would like to point out that this is awful advice and he should be ashamed of having made this post.

You mean the 668B?

amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8

Also, if you are willing to wait a bit Massdrop had a groupbuy of HD6xx a few months ago, basically HD650s with a different name and color scheme.

they were only like 200 USD too i think.

massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-sennheiser-hd6xx

Have to make an account to view the drop page though, which is shitty.

Those are excellent budget headphones. They're what introduced me to higher-quality headphones in the first place. Absolutely recommend 100%.

Yes, exactly those.

Actually they are running a drop right now for K7XXs, which are just AKGK702s under a different name.

they are only 200 dollars right now too, I bought a pair in the first run of drops, and they are just as good as HD600s imo.

massdrop.com/buy/akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-headphones

misquote

My Koss' broke the other week. Not the speakers themselves, but the casing and shit keeping the cans intact. Repeated stress just warped and eventually snapped the plastic. I'm not really good with my hands so I can't really think of a method to fix it. In the meantime as I ruminate upon it, I'm using my Superlux HD660's, but they're not quite big enough for my bigass head, so they end up squeezing and hurting my ears.

I need to buy some headphones of a decent quality that are made of adamantium or something. I listen to music more than 10 hours a day, every single day, and eventually everything just breaks on me.

Don't get something low quality user, looking at where it snapped it was only bound to. Get something out of metal, even a shitty malleable one like aluminum which if it snaps you can just solder back.

(heiled)
Sound advice, and something I'll need to implement in the future. Since this is the second pair of headphones I've broken in the last half year, in much the same way, I have no more excuses.

I'll simply have to practice due diligence from now. Any relatively cheap ($50-200) ones you can recommend off the top of your head?

HD 558 is literally HD 598 drivers with a piece of foam intentionally glued to the cups which you can remove in about 10 minutes, then bam HD 598.

Get that + Panasonic $10 earbuds on Amazon. Seriously, try them OP. They are fucking great for the price/comfort/performance. You will be surprised.

Also schiit fulla 2 is bretty gud for price/functionality. Made my 558s sound way cleaner/better soundstage than my ASUS Xonar card. Something about the DAC in it being very good for being placed in a product priced so low.

Foam modded 558s are better but they still aren't 598s.

I know I sound like a fucking shill, but seriously, look up the 558s. Somebody post that pic of the 558 cup twisted 180 degrees around.

I know there are slight geometric/body/finish changes, but I'd still not recommend them for OP if he is being budget minded (which I assumed was the case because he was looking at superlux's)

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I live in too busy a place to have open ear. I'm not rude enough to subject them to my denpa and anison.

I recently purchased these two and I'm enjoying them both

Whether you notice these things or not, they are affecting your "listening experience." When I went from closed back to open back, it was a huge change. Velour pads are also much quieter (no crinkle!!) more breathable and softer than imitation leather or plastic. You have no idea what you're missing out on.

Your concern about sound bleed is understandable.

In my experience, unless you're like one of those niggers who is blasting music so loudly through earbuds that you can hear from 10 feet away on a noisy bus (which means you're doing damage to your ears) then noise bleed is really not that big a deal when it comes to these. They are semi-open, not fully open.

The thing is that you don't need to have your music set that loudly in order to hear it clearly, especially with a set of headphones with large drivers that is designed very asymmetrically, with the purpose of each cup focusing sound reflection into each ear rather than just throwing it out into space to do whatever it wants.

It's sort of like how a well-designed system of gusseting/cross-bracing (see: Gothic architecture) can perform equal or better than if it were simply a solid block of said material. Or how using a hand tool that is properly designed for the task at hand may not only be lighter and more convenient in and of itself, but make the work that you are doing much easier. Product design matters.

i have this one since winter so far i liked it.

I'm not worried about my "listening experience" right now. I'm chiefly concerned with build quality. No matter how they sound, if the headphones fucking snap in half within half a year, then it's all pointless.

Besides, I've got some ATH-AD700s if I want the open headphone experience. They're pretty good and the comfiest headphones I've every worn, though they leak sound like a motherfucker so I don't use them much.

Any idea whether you got the Woox or the Gibson Fidelios? I was in the market for a pair of good open headphones, but keep hearing really bad things about the cans which have been Gibson manufactured.

Thought about the HD600 or HD650, but the detachable cables drive me fucking nuts. Why the fuck would you not use a 3.5mm jack or…

…even a mini-XLR with the AKGs? Granted, it's still less than optimal, but at least it isn't proprietary bullshit. Currently leaning towards the AKG 712s in pic attached. They're no longer made in Austria unfortunately, but in Slovakia, though the reviews about them seem to be positive nonetheless.

I recently moved from headphones to speakers, feels pretty good.

IEM ubermensch

I have some Corsair H2100 ones, the sound quality is fairly nice for 'gaming' headphones, they're wireless, the microphone sounds okay, they have fairly decent wireless range and some good battery life, however the plastic that holds the screws in that holds the right cup in at its joint has a habit of snapping, I'm on my second pair of these headphones as of right now, thankfully this is an easy fix with some superglue or some tape.
Also the microUSB charging cable that comes with it seems low quality and has a habit of falling out over time or simply not charging the headset.

If you're handy with superglue or tape and don't mind replacing the microUSB cable then it's not an issue, but otherwise I would not recommend at $100

Had a couple of those with the same problem myself, tape never worked for shit, didn't really try superglue but I doubt it would have done me any better.

Upgraded to the Corsair Void, much sturdier. The only way I managed to break the previous Wired pair was by bending the USB connection when the cable snagged on my chair.

Just got a pair of MDR-MA300s. The cups are really comfy, but the band gets painful after a while. It also seems to contribute to a growing neckpain. Do I need to get some padding for the band or is it just misadjusted or something?

I currently own the beyerdynamic dt-1770 pro and they are insanely good. They are not perfect, I don't like everything about them but they are pretty close to it. Regarding bass they are the best headphones I tried yet. You see, when people normally say that a headphones has good bass they mean loader bass. But these headphones have hard hitting bass. It's hard to explain, you have to listen to it yourself.

what's wrong with open headphones? I used to own the Sennheiser HD 598 and they were definitely very decent. I'd say they were better than the new semi open HD 599.

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Nothing wrong with open headphones, I just make the case that 558s are the best bang-for-buck for comfort, sound reproduction, and build quality. Had mine for 3 years now and they've only gotten more comfortable - no tearing of the velour pads, no cracks, and I can still contort/drop/hit walls with these things and they still sound great.

Mine are Woox. I like them quite a bit, and I got them years ago. What's up with the Gibson stuff?

Agree with this user. Open headphones suck the fun out of everything and every shitty sound around you is further annoyancea. Don't fucking fall for the open headphones meme or enjoy wasting years of your life on them. I wasted 5.

Phillips shifted over manufacturing of these cans to Gibson (of guitar fame) in SE Asia a few years back and quality control has been pretty terrible since.

That's a shame. They're really comfortable headphones. Great for things like movies.

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The cord is also garbage quality and will fall apart by itself; when it does, you might as well replace it with a socket.

Seinnheiser HD800s with a cheap generic unbranded lapel mic that works well. I don't have any others since I'm not an audio(phile)autist and it was the best one I auditioned years ago. Might get a headphone amp but so far it feels unnecessary.

Fuck Trudeau and his retarded liberal fanboys. I'm sick of these wimpy city dwellers and their imported sandniggers running our country into the ground and ruining our reputation.

I use a superlux hd-681 EVO, they sound very good for their price, but they aren't the most solid headphones construction wise.
Fortunately, if it's only the cable, it can be easily fixed if you have a soldering iron.

Currently using the DT770 pro. I'm pretty happy with them. I think it's gonna be a long while before I make an upgrade.

How are the 1770 compared to the 770? It's kinda rare to see someone who owns them, since at that range of price people usually go for other brands.

I found these Sony MDR-XB950APB pretty cheap for only half the original asking price so I thought I might as well get them

Superlux headphones have the shittiest cables there are.

Can anyone recommend headphones that can mute themselves? I have social anxiety and am self conscious so they really help

i got 7.1 surround sound set up. kind of sucks for gaming since you can easily tell which games phone in the audio.

Looking to buy closed headphones at cheap, preferably around $40, with neutral or slight v profile. How is akg 518 or something similar? I couldn't find them in recommended.

A button that allows you to mute it sorry I should have been more specific since a majority of hedphones are always on unless you enable push to talk

What, you mean a headphone with a mic you can mute? In general headsets with built-in mics are pretty shite. You'd probably be better off with a good pair of headphones and a cheap desk mic. Most of them should have off-switches. Either that or make an AHK script for mic mute if there's no Windows hotkey.

ATH-M50x and a FiiO Q1. It's nice. I tried out a bunch of very expensive headphones but I still liked the M50x better.

Mute button for microphones you mean? I don't know any headsets for that but almost all stand-in microphones have an on/off button.

I have the ATH-M40x and they get uncomfortable fast. Now I use the Cloud II even though the sound quality isn't quite as good.

been using dt990's for a few years. i'd probably end up buying them again when these need to be replaced. sounds great and comfy as fuck

Yeah, the M50x are pushing my glasses into my skin, it can get bad. Quality tho…

If your headphones aren't cans then you're doing something wrong.

Anyone has experience with superlux 662 or monoprice 8323? Need a slight v, close to neutral but a bit bass closed headphones. Any thing similar at price range?

Would it be a terrible idea to swap out the Superlux HD681 EVO for an HD681, EQ the treble to make it a little less harsh, and keep the e10s if I really need some isolation or extra bass? I don't know how the build quality between the two compare but the HD681 is supposedly more neutral than its EVO cousin and that might be a little better for working on tracker music.

yes. it's literally the worst idea i've ever heard

Philips A3Pro
Pioneer S-DJ05

Both sound amazing.

Even worse than that user from last night who jammed his foreskin in a meat grinder?

probably not. i didn't see that thread

Closed kill your eardrums.

See

I've used these for 4 or 5 years. They're way way better than I could've hoped for. I broke my old pair of nice earbuds and needed something cheap so I picked these up for like $15 and they're great. I'm sure they're not nearly as good as $300 sets and shit like that, but they're easily as good as $100 pairs I've used in the past. Durable as hell too, I've dropped them decent distances and crushed them pretty good a few times with no issues. The plastic cushions around the ear pieces have started to crack a bit, but nothing major and they're still comfy. Not bad at all for such cheap headphones that have been in all kinds of climates and cramped bags.

monoprice.com/product?p_id=8323

Also, what's wrong with the idea? I don't have much experience with this shit so it would be nice to know how I'm fucking up.

i was just joking. i don't know if its a good idea or not, i was just being an asshole because it was funny

There is a huge difference between them. Here in Germany you can return everything you buy within a week and my original plan was to buy them, see if they are worth the money and then either stick to them or return them and keep the dt 770 instead.

Bass is definitely better. It plays deeper sounds and overall the bass hits harder. Normally bass heavy headphones have this wet sounding bass. This weird blobish sound as if you would throw a wet towel against a wall, but the dt 1770 has a very tight and hard hitting bass. Also the soundstage is wider. It feels like the sound comes from a distance.

The only thing that would make these perfect is if I didn't notice the slightly distorted bass from the headphones.

The only downside to the thing is that it requires the "Logitech gaming software" program for surround sound to function properly, but it has a good equalizer and white noise canceller on the mic. Other than that there's literally nothing wrong with them.

Software that doesn't work on Linux and shitty surround that's outdone by setting up HRTF in OpenAL.

confirmed for doing it wrong
HRTF on the g430 is fine, it feels a little buzzy after extended use but it gets the job done.

There's games that use OpenAL exclusively in the Linux build, so if you swap out the bundled libs you can get HRTF effects and neat shit like ambisonics support not in the Windows version.

I know that feeling. Buying a simple DAC/Amp combo blew my fucking mind the first time I connected it up. Then, you're in danger of becoming obssessed over sound and spending increasingly ridiculous amounts of money on DACs, amps, and headphones for ever smaller changes. But no matter how much money you put into it, it'll never be as mind-blowing as that first experience.

Moral of the story: Cheap DAC/Amps are a gateway drug. Don't do it.

anyone tried Philips SHP9500S? i have been reading many great reviews about it but most(all really) of them were about music how is it for gaming?

how do i delete a picture from a post?

I've been using a Panasonic RP-HTX7 for the past 6~ years. I gotta say, though the sound quality has been slowly going down, this thing is built like a fucking tank. I've dropped, stepped on, and even spilled shit on these and they keep on working. Best $20 I've spent.

fugg

Yep, don't buy into the "number" game bullshit. All you need are a good pair of headphones, are a really good choice if you're on a budget,
and an adequate DAC/Amp.

ordered these today :^)

Don't you start to get seriously diminishing returns at the ~$80 point until the top-dollar recording studio thousand dollar shit?

Beyerdynamic T1. For the first two years I was a little annoyed at the sibilants being slightly shaprer than I thought that they should be, but I havent noticed it for some time now so Im perfectly happy with them. Still thinking of getting another pair in the same price range, because why not. Should probably invest in a better dac and amp before that, but I find that part so boring so I have a hard time getting around to it.

thanks for the indirect answer :)

absolutely not.
diminishing returns start to show up around 3-400 dollars.

As long as you don't think "price = quality" and buy some shitty $800 namebrand like Beats, it's hard to go wrong.

Consider durability and comfortability as top priorities, since the point is to wear them, sometimes for long periods. If you're on the go a lot, consider wearability as well, since you don't want them falling off the second you tilt your head down the, or bouncing around while you're walking.

Stuff like the ultra "HD" fully immersive surround sound headphones are cool, but just like 4k TVs, that sort of shit isn't used by the vast majority of media.

They're really good for what they are. The only real issue I had with the pair I borrowed was that the ear-pads can get so goddamn sweaty. It's got nothing to do with the fact that they are open, it's the weird material that they use. You can't easily change them either; they're stuck to some plastic ring that locks to the cup.

Other than that, just make sure to buy it from a place that has an easy return policy and a good warranty.

All these headphone fags and very few actual speakers.

Sennheiser HD598, SHP 9500, and Fostex T50rp mk3
Elac Unifi UB5 rears and Monitor Audio Silver 1 and center

Good headphones and positional audio/HRTF are objectively superior for first-person games unless the game supports Ambisonics, and fucking nothing uses it except Codemasters' racing games or games using OpenAL Soft 1.17.x.

Can one of you recommend me a good dac/amp combo? And how are soundcards compared to them? On headfi they say that schiit products are good, but they are expensive outside of the usa. Here in germany the jotunheim is 550€ while it is 399$ in the usa. Same with the magni/modi stack, in the usa 200$, here in Germany 250€.

I will probably end up paying 200€ anyway, so I might as well consider a soundcard. But the thing is they usually come with gimmicks I don't need, and if a product is gimmicky, they usually suck at something. I don't need 7.1 or all the other gaming trash.

I was considering the Creative Sound BlasterX G5, at 125€ it's a decent price and it's external. But I get cancer just by looking at the screenshots, it has a button for scout mode and sbx, whatever the fuck those are. And in my experience those extra options are usually trash. Now you may say "you don't have to use those options" but the problem here is when they made this piece of plastic trash they had to invest money into those features meaning something else has to suck too.

Other than that there are internal soundcards. I am not sure if I want those because I have to build these in. You see in Germany you can return everything within a week, meaning I can order whatever the fuck I want, compare it to what I currently have and then send it back if it's not worth the money. External devices are easy to test, but this internet soundcard is just a pain in the ass.

Anyway, I have really no idea what the hell to buy, classic dac/amp combo or one of those soundcards.

what headphones are you using?

Using the beyerdynamic 1770. I am this user The thing is in Germany we get a new IP every 24 hours, which causes my id to change.

They are only 250 ohm so pretty much any ~100 USD amp should drive them fine.

Id just get a FiiO E10 and be done with it. Right now I use a Schiit Stack with HD650s, K7XXs and DT880s, and the E10 drove them all fine, and DT880s are the same impedance as 1770s.

It should be fine.

I've been using some razer chaikatits I got as a gift for the past ten years. Aside from having to re-solder the cable once, these things are still holding up fine. Sound quality is better than all the shit I've experienced before, and since I don't know any better, I am happy with them. Most important thing is that they are comfy and easy to wear. I've also got this audio mixer set up to mix my PC, PS4, and a spare (usually for Vita), all into my one set of headphones. Its all some casual-ass audio hardware, but it does exactly what I want it to do as well as I need it to.

They are loud enough on my current system, the thing is I want clearer sound. The thing, when I listen to the same cd on my Pioneer soundsystem it sounds a lot clearer than it does on my computer. I will try a few things these days, someone recommended me the SMSL SANSKRIT 6, I will compare it to a few other devices and then settle for one, if they are worth the money.

I personally hate Philips. In my experience they are basically like Beats but without the premium feel. Every Philips product I had so far was total trash, and their audio products are usually bass boosted crap.

Was a little worried to pay 300 bucks for such small things.since I went through earphones so quick so I cheaped out on the 215s.

Fuckin love these things though. Used them for a few years now without any problem. Great for riding motorcycles too. Didn't know such small things sounded so nice.

HyperX Cloud. Metal connections. Longest lasting and best sounding pair I've ever had. Took it on a few flights too, and it's still going good.

Was about to post this, I've got Cloud II's

Logitech desktop speakers are trash. 5 small speaker set with a subwoofer, entire thing is a cuntrag. HAve to fuck with it this weekend and see what's wrong with the sound level or where a wire is loose.
Also, got $100 bose blue headphones to use with Vive. Would not recommend. Felt nigger tier to spend more than $100 on headphones, but in retrospect maybe should have done it.

They actually make headphones specifically to go with VR. I forget how much more they are but thinking about sending these bose back to amazon and trying those out.

i've got a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M40X's and a cheapo Sound Blaster Audigy fx and they sound pretty good. The headphones themselves reproduce pretty flat so you can equalize it to your taste pretty easily, and the surround from the sound card actually sounds really good for a 30$ card. System volume is only at 25% and its plenty loud for siege and everything else i do. Plus the headphones come with a 3.5mm to 1/4 inch jack which comes in handy if you have and old amplifier and turntable

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Try something from pics related or 's chart and you're less likely to get burned on overpriced bullshit.

Great headphones, but their small soundstage means there's much better options for vidya.

Mein Nigger

Using mainly speakers for my PC which are Dayton Audio B652 bookshelf speakers along with a Lepy LP-2020A Class-D audio amplifier since I heard they are decent level-entry choices and so far i've been pretty satisfied with it, audio is decent, a little heavy on the bass side in my opinion though. As for headphones I'm using Superlux HD 668B without the pleather earpads, I love em and they're pretty decent for the price.

I use Logitech g933s

I can't stand headphones that sit on my ears. Talk about comfort issues.

People seem to love Takstars and their rebrands (Kingston HyperX) to a lesser extent.

The Takstar label is inexpensive and people on headphone forums constantly compare them favorably to higher end stuff.

I have Gemini HSR-1000s (Takstar 80s) and they are pretty amazing for what they cost.

I have Harmon Kardon speakers not sure what model, they're pretty good but I'd like to upgrade to something. Is there a guide or reading on finding the objectively best speakers? Usually when one recommends stuff they just recommend a product without backing up why it's better than X. I like data to show why Y is better than X.

I use Bose QC25s at home and some affordable Ausdom bluetooth something somethings for the gym.

That's your problem right from the start. Depending on your setup and what you want, you have to figure that out. Obviously if you spend more money probably going to be better.
For my Electric Synagogue I have Sony that run from the receiver and came with 2 mini "speaker towers" to put behind sofa. It works and good sound but not the type of thing you'd want a piece of snatch to see, at least not right away.
You haven't even seen said computer or electric synagogue and if you watch DVDs, or solely vidya, etc… Stay from logitech, even if you don't much care about sound and want to throw $100 at something to do a halfway decent job.
Only advice I can give for sure.