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The Official Headphone Thread 2.5: We're Making WAVs and Catching FLAC

Ashhong

Member
currently under NDA on a pair of wireless headphones I'm testing out, but they'll be in the market soon and they're pretty darn good.

I'm hoping they are the Zolo kickstarter since I picked myself up a pair of those.

The HD6XX coming early means I need to buy a DAC/AMP soon. Is the Fulla 2 still the best for the price? I really don't want to spend more than $100 on one. Most of my usage will be on my computer, bed, and light travel
 

faint.

Member
Sup HeadphoneGAF. I'm looking for a new pair of IEMs after my Etymonic HF5s shit the bed today. They lasted me a good 3.5 years so I can't complain. I've been out of the earbud game for a while now so I'm hoping people can recommend me some solid options.

Here are some things I look for. The buds don't need to meet every req:

- <$200, but I could probably stretch to $250 if they were amazing
- Flat wire or tanglefree cable
- Inline mic and volume controls for Android
- Good warranty

Thanks!
 

Blam

Member
I'm looking for earbuds in the same style as the Apple Earpods. Since in ear just doesn't work for me regardless it's always way too big for my ears and these apple ones fit perfectly.

Now I hate the sound quality on them obviously, but is there a better solution?
 
Sup HeadphoneGAF. I'm looking for a new pair of earbuds after my Etymonic HF5s shit the bed today. They lasted me a good 3.5 years so I can't complain. I've been out of the earbud game for a while now so I'm hoping people can recommend me some solid options.

Here are some things I look for. The buds don't need to meet every req:

- <$200, but I could probably stretch to $250 if they were amazing
- Flat wire or tanglefree cable
- Inline mic and volume controls for Android
- Good warranty

Thanks!

Earbuds or in-ear monitors?

DDlw8Nl.jpg

I'm looking for earbuds in the same style as the Apple Earpods. Since in ear just doesn't work for me regardless it's always way too big for my ears and these apple ones fit perfectly.

Now I hate the sound quality on them obviously, but is there a better solution?

Budget?
Same design as earpods or just earbuds in general?
 

HiResDes

Member
Brainwavz iems meet your requirements but don't sound that great to me. RHA as well, I like their sound but it's much warmer than any etymotic
 

LQX

Member
What are the best headphones for PC gaming? Price 300 or less.

Not gaming brand.

I play shooters.

The Sennheiser HD 598 are great for shooters. Very wide sound-stage.

There is also the AKG K7XX. Ridiculously comfortable, wide sound-stage and decent bass. Only sold on Massdrop though.
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-akg-k7xx-red-edition?mode=guest_open

Your budget is $300 so I would also consider the Sennheiser HD 600/650. Massdrop might have the 6XX(HD650) on sale again for $200 which are more than worth it as that extra $100 can maybe go to an Amp/DAC if needed.

There is also the Monoprice Monolith M1060. Seemingly has shoddy build quality but has a 5 year warranty.
 

Blam

Member
Budget?
Same design as earpods or just earbuds in general?

Budget doesn't really matter. I've spent a fucking while looking for something and I couldn't find anything like the earpods/earbuds that weren't shit.

I also don't want anything in-ear.
 

Compsiox

Banned
The Sennheiser HD 598 are great for shooters. Very wide sound-stage.

There is also the AKG K7XX. Ridiculously comfortable, wide sound-stage and decent bass. Only sold on Massdrop though.
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-akg-k7xx-red-edition?mode=guest_open

Your budget is $300 so I would also consider the Sennheiser HD 600/650. Massdrop might have the 6XX(HD650) on sale again for $200 which are more than worth it as that extra $100 can maybe go to an Amp/DAC if needed.

There is also the Monoprice Monolith M1060. Seemingly has shoddy build quality but has a 5 year warranty.

I got the 598. Great suggestion. I don't like open back thanks though.
 

e90Mark

Member
I'm hoping they are the Zolo kickstarter since I picked myself up a pair of those.

The HD6XX coming early means I need to buy a DAC/AMP soon. Is the Fulla 2 still the best for the price? I really don't want to spend more than $100 on one. Most of my usage will be on my computer, bed, and light travel

Since you said bed and light travel, Fulla 2 probably best for your $100.
 

Sapiens

Member
Any hands on opinions on the Sony wf-1000x earbuds?

Have a pair in shipping but already planning on sending back based on a lot of the recent reviews.
 

sun-drop

Member
Any hands on opinions on the Sony wf-1000x earbuds?

Have a pair in shipping but already planning on sending back based on a lot of the recent reviews.

my partner just returned her's and picked up instead the 2018 iconX's

the sony one's look great, and have noise canceling ..but if you have that feature on, you struggle to get even 1.5 hours out of them :(

the iconX's are way better. better fit, touch controls, and the option for on board playback ..and yeh twice the battery life even if you turn NC off on the sony's
 

Fledz

Member
Just grabbed a pair of PXC 550s for 32% off on Amazon. An absolute steal :D

Wasn't a fan of the QC35 overall sound and I like the fact that the Sennies have a dynamic ANC, as well as on/off.

Almost went with the MDR1000 but read way too many reviews of poor build quality which doesn't surprise me with Sony headphones. If they couldn't get DJ headphones right for durability, then that says it all.
 

JP

Member
I thought I'd post this for anybody looking for a cheap way into the HD600 range from Sennheiser.

These are a bit different to previous MassDrop collaborations as they're essentially a brand new headset which is the first time they've used this specific driver.



MassDrop said:
Note: The HD 58X Jubilee will launch December 22 for $149.99 with free US shipping. Quantities will be limited to 5,000 units. All units will be serialized and the first 500 purchases are guaranteed a serial number under 550.

Obviously, because they're completely new there isn't a great deal of information out here about how they sound but, as always, HeadFi receive an early review pair for review and measurements. Massdrop x Sennheiser HD58X Jubilee Review & Measurements (YouTube)

Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee Headphones MassDrop
 
Hi,

I'm looking for some recommendations.

I'm not an audiophile by any means and have been using a Sony MDR-XB950BT mostly hooked up via a cable for the last 2 years. The sound quality was, for my ears, very pleasing but the build quality left a lot to be desired. Yesterday I noticed that the right hanger broke (the left one has been broken since months) and since I'm tired of using glue and tape to hold the whole thing together, I decided to buy a new pair.

My budget is roughly $150-200, I don't want to use an amplifier. In regards of open-back or closed-back I'm not really sure what to get. Reading different opinions online makes me think that closed-back is the way to go and open-back is a total no-go at loud places e.g. on a plane.

What's the best bang for the buck?
 
Hi hopefully somebody can give me a recommendation as I am a complete noob when it comes to audio.

I am looking for:
- wireless (for use with my LG C7 OLED TV via Bluetooth directly without any AV receiver/amplifier in between)
- over-ear headphones
- and I do not care about noise cancelling (purpose is to be able to game late at night without waking the family sleeping next room)
- nor do I play online (no mic needed)
- In terms of sound my only requirement is nice bass
- Budget: Up to 300$ (Japanese brands preferred as they are cheaper here)

Thanks in advance!
 
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manfestival

Member
just picked up a pair of sennheiser game one's for $50 thanks to some old guy on craigslist. my first gaming pair of headphones. the first 10 hours were kinda meh but now its sounding really nice. pretty nice having a gaming headset though my dt990s sound better all sound
 

Chittagong

Member
index.php
Gonna bump this thread as Schiit just announced Ragnarok 2, probably their biggest new intro in years.

An integrated amp, not just headphones but also speakers. Integrated multibit DAC and phono cards optional.

Very cool product.

index.php

10241335.jpeg

10241334.jpeg
 

kingbean

Member
I don't have anything to amazing, but I've got an FX-Audio DAC and some Beyerdynamic DT770 pros. I just ordered some AKG K612Pros because I've never had any open cans before.

There are some pretty crazy set ups in this thread.

tvkEjo1.jpg


9JEYPMF.jpg
OkdF0yC.jpg
aZ7UHa8.jpg
 
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mekes

Member
I’ve got Audio Technica M70x and the Sony 1000xm2. My M70x are awaiting a few spare parts after the Bassett had a chew when he was teething last year :/
 

lupi900

Neophyte
Sup HeadphoneGAF. I'm looking for a new pair of IEMs after my Etymonic HF5s shit the bed today. They lasted me a good 3.5 years so I can't complain. I've been out of the earbud game for a while now so I'm hoping people can recommend me some solid options.

Here are some things I look for. The buds don't need to meet every req:

- <$200, but I could probably stretch to $250 if they were amazing
- Flat wire or tanglefree cable
- Inline mic and volume controls for Android
- Good warranty

Thanks!

I know this is pretty late, But get the ER3XR if you go etymotic again.
 

Chittagong

Member
A heads up, Massdrop is selling what looks like pretty damn close to $3,000 headphones for $600 with immediate shipment.


For context, I have listened to LCD3s, HD800s, E-MU Teaks and many more, and I think the HE-1000s are the best headphones I have heard.

- Massive soundstage
- Precise localisation
- Potent bass
- Crystal clear
- Yet velvety smooth

They are an absolute pleasure to listen. When you put them on you are transported to another world. They are the perfect headphones to sit down with a glass of whisky. I am doing just so right now, in fact.

53bd2831-b98b-42e7-9mckec.jpeg
 

Celcius

°Temp. member
I have a headphone/PS4 question (wasn't sure where else to post this) - I have 2 dualshock 4 controllers but I've only ever used them on my PC.
If I get a PS4 but my monitor doesn't have speakers, can I just plug my headphones directly into the port on the bottom of the controller and get the game audio out of there?
And if so, how do you adjust the volume?
 
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Could use some help for some recommendation on some wired over-ear headphones with superb noise cancellation. Any takers? Budget around 300 for anything that can give sound protection.
 

Chittagong

Member
Schiit just announced some phenomenal products.

New Asgard 3 single-ended amp at a crazy price point of $199. A truly mindblowing price for a great desktop amp.

asgard%203%20insitu-1.jpg


Asgard 3 is a highly powerful, highly affordable, modular headphone amp and preamp that gives you a complete, single-box solution for all your desktop needs. It’s a re-thinking of the headphone amp that started it all (for Schiit, anyway—the original Asgard, introduced in June 2010, was our first product.) Asgard 3 features our unique Continuity™ topology that extends the benefits of Class A output, and accepts all the same modules as Jotunheim and Lyr 3.

The Strong, Silent Type
Asgard 3’s all-new Continuity output stage delivers 3.5W into 32 ohms—a whopping 3.5X more than any previous Asgard—while also running 500mW of Class A bias. What this means is you have tons of power for virtually any headphone—and, since full power is delivered to the ¼” jack, you don’t need balanced headphone cables to take advantage of it. At the same time, Asgard 3’s low noise floor means you are ready for the most sensitive IEMs.

A Complete Desktop Control Center
Select from the internal card or rear-panel analog input, and pick high or low gain with convenient front switches. Connect the preamp output to your powered monitors for a complete desktop system—or use it as a front end to your speaker power amplifier. Asgard 3 provides all the flexibility you need.


New Bifrost 2 balanced DAC packing, according to Purrin at SBAF, a huge amount of the performance of Schiit Yggdrasil ($2,399) into a smaller desktop form for $699 / $599 for current owners. First Schiit DAC at this size to have balanced XLR outs. Also first Schiit product with user upgradeable firmware via SD

bifrost%202%20remote%201920.jpg


bifrost%202%20rear%201920.jpg


A huge improvement in upgradability, both analog and USB stages are user replaceable, without the need to send the unit back to Schiit.

Schiit said:
Bifrost 2 is nothing less than a complete re-thinking of what an affordable DAC should be. Now with balanced output and remote control, and featuring Schiit’s unique True Multibit™ architecture with a time-and frequency-domain optimized digital filter, plus our own Unison USB™ input and easy-to-upgrade Autonomy™ platform, Bifrost delivers higher performance and greater convenience than ever before.

Balanced Output and Remote Control, Standard
Yes. Bifrost 2 now includes XLR balanced output, as well as RCA single-ended output, so it works seamlessly with your system—and with virtually the same performance from either output. You can also sit back and select inputs, mute, and change phase with the included milled aluminum remote control.

Completely Unique: Schiit's True Multibit™
Like all Schiit True Multibit products, Bifrost 2 uses completely unique D/A converters and our proprietary time- and frequency-domain optimized digital filter. In the case of Bifrost 2, two AD5781 converters—the same basic chip used in Gungnir Multibit—do the conversion, while the digital filter is implemented on an Analog Devices SHARC DSP.

USB, Elevated: Introducing Unison USB™
Bifrost 2 introduces our all-new Unison USB, our own USB input based on a general-purpose PIC32 microprocessor, using precision local clocks and complete electromagnetic and electrostatic isolation. No more off-the-shelf USB for us—this unique, UAC2-compliant input provides the highest performance and lowest power draw of any USB input we’ve offered to date.

Autonomy™ Architecture: Easy Street to the Future
Turn Bifrost 2 around, and you’ll see that this DAC is completely modular. Not only that, the modules are designed to slide in from the back of the chassis, meaning this DAC will never have to come back to Schiit for upgrades—you can do it yourself. Firmware updates? Sure, if there are firmware updates, just use the external MicroSD card slot—again, no need for it to come home. Compare this to other DACs, even DACs costing many times more. Only Bifrost 2 provides complete hardware and firmware upgradability, without sending the product in for service.

This is by far the best upgrade cycle Schiit has done I think. Ordered the new Bifrost along with a Jotunheim, so I can have a fully balanced desktop setup (!!!). Jotunheim has got awesome reviews but I didn’t like the sound of its optional internal DAC card, so pairing with a Bifrost should be awesome.

Going to be a lovely stack

asgard%203%20bifrost%202%20insitu-2.jpg
 
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