Audiophilia: Headphones, Amps, DAPs, and Empty Wallets

Burtletoy

It'll mostly be out of the Onkyo TX SR-608 that I mentioned one post above, my PC's motherboards sound, or I guess maybe my Zune, but that is mostly for my car.

Antihippy

I'd say spend more on the headphone then. Dunno about your PC motherboard, but mine is decent for now.

Burtletoy

Thanks!

chrishallett83

Burtletoy wrote: »

I'm planning to go check out some headphones at the high end audio place here in town after work today.

I'm thinking of spending on the order of $100-200

What way would be best to spend approximately that amount?

$100 headphones and no amp?

Sennheiser HD448

Burtletoy wrote: »

$100 headphones and an amp?

Sennheiser HD448 + Fiio E7

Burtletoy wrote: »

$200 headphones and no amp?

Sennheiser HD558

Antihippy

Or if you want something more energetic/"fun" get an Alessandro MS1i or a Grado equivalent.

SilkyNumNuts

I ordered the E7, but now the LP2s seem like a bad choice because I specifically got them because they shouldn't have needed to be amplified. Ah well, they're good enough.

b1u35

Okay, advice needed.

I'm planning to pick up an astro mixamp, but I can't decide which headphones to pair with it. A part of me really wants to go with a headset (since I need a mic of some sort), but I know I can get better quality for the same amount of money or less with standard headphones. Any recommendations for a headset or headphones + clip-on mic? I'm looking for circumaural headphones.

Things I've considered (definitely not limited to this list, please feel free to suggested others):

Headsets:

Astro A40 (to purchase with mixamp)

Sennheiser PC 360

currently have a Razer Carcharias, which has been fine except build quality wasn't stellar and they broke.

Headphones:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50

Sennheiser HD 558 Headphones

Clip-On Mics:

No idea

Edit: Should add that my budget (not including mixamp) is probably about $200. Somewhat flexible if there's a really good option outside of that range.

chrishallett83

Does it have to be a clip-on mic?

What about one of these?

This is also on sale right now.

Oh, and get the Senny 558s. I am a huge whore for Sennheiser.

b1u35

chrishallett83 wrote:

Does it have to be a clip-on mic?

What about one of these?

This is also on sale right now.

Oh, and get the Senny 558s. I am a huge whore for Sennheiser.

Eh, I'd prefer something that clips on because I'm not super excited about having one of those on my desk. But I will look into them.

Thanks for the vote on the 558s. I was leaning towards those!

Burtletoy

b1u35 wrote:

chrishallett83 wrote:

Does it have to be a clip-on mic?

What about one of these?

This is also on sale right now.

Oh, and get the Senny 558s. I am a huge whore for Sennheiser.

Eh, I'd prefer something that clips on because I'm not super excited about having one of those on my desk. But I will look into them.

Thanks for the vote on the 558s. I was leaning towards those!

This is the go-to option by people in the CoD thread.

http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ

Cormac

@chrishallett83 I had the Logitech USB and found it to be terrible. Granted part of that may have been the acoustics in my computer room, but everyone told me I sounded awful and very echoey. I am now using the Zalman linked by Burtletoy and it's fantastic. I now sound like a person speaking normally instead of sounding like a person trapped in a very small shower.

b1u35

Cormac wrote:

@chrishallett83 I had the Logitech USB and found it to be terrible. Granted part of that may have been the acoustics in my computer room, but everyone told me I sounded awful and very echoey. I am now using the Zalmin linked by Burtletoy and it's fantastic. I now sound like a person speaking normally instead of sounding like a person trapped in a very small shower.

Thanks for the input. You and Burtletoy convinced me--at $9 for the mic, it's a no-brainer for me to give it a shot at least.

Edit: Oh, and an update: ordered the Sennheiser 558s and the mixamp this afternoon. Thanks everyone for the input!

Handgimp

b1u35 wrote:

Cormac wrote:

@chrishallett83 I had the Logitech USB and found it to be terrible. Granted part of that may have been the acoustics in my computer room, but everyone told me I sounded awful and very echoey. I am now using the Zalmin linked by Burtletoy and it's fantastic. I now sound like a person speaking normally instead of sounding like a person trapped in a very small shower.

Thanks for the input. You and Burtletoy convinced me--at $9 for the mic, it's a no-brainer for me to give it a shot at least.

Edit: Oh, and an update: ordered the Sennheiser 558s and the mixamp this afternoon. Thanks everyone for the input!

Good choice; I'm rocking the 598s and astro mixamp with the above Zalman mic, and it's amazing.

b1u35

Handgimp wrote:

b1u35 wrote:

Cormac wrote:

@chrishallett83 I had the Logitech USB and found it to be terrible. Granted part of that may have been the acoustics in my computer room, but everyone told me I sounded awful and very echoey. I am now using the Zalmin linked by Burtletoy and it's fantastic. I now sound like a person speaking normally instead of sounding like a person trapped in a very small shower.

Thanks for the input. You and Burtletoy convinced me--at $9 for the mic, it's a no-brainer for me to give it a shot at least.

Edit: Oh, and an update: ordered the Sennheiser 558s and the mixamp this afternoon. Thanks everyone for the input!

Good choice; I'm rocking the 598s and astro mixamp with the above Zalman mic, and it's amazing.

Glad to hear it! I just got my headphones today and I'm really liking them so far. Mixamp and mic should be here in the next few days!

GPIA7R

Good thread. Been looking to start a home audio project, so input would be great. I'm fine on the headphones for now, but I feel there are a lot of areas that can be improved. I'm going to touch on a few different things here, so feel free to get lost in the confusion.

I've got some Sennheiser HD-449 for typical audio. I'm just looking for any way to optimize my listening experience. These are for my mobile music players and occasional PC playing - Are there any Audio Cards that will make it better? I've got a Logitech 5.1 system for the PC, which isn't all that amazing, but it's not the top priority for upgrading. But how do you use the "Digital outputs"? Do I need special hardware for this?

Home entertainment - I've just got a Sony speaker system in the living room right now, and it's connected with basic AV cables and speaker wire. I'm looking to start an aactual entertainment system here. What do I need for this to make it optimal? My TV is a 40" Sony Bravia, but I'm willing to upgrade that sometime soon. I'll be purchasing a turntable here soon, as well. Would Klipsch speakers be acceptable for the home system? What would a "Receiver" be for? I usually just plug the devices directly to the speakers.... do receivers make it better? Are there higher quality versions of audio that I should be aiming for, such as digital or something?

Thanks for tips/input...

Adam

Kadoken

Hey, I'm new to this thread, but I have a problem with my headphones.
On my old motherboard, this headset used 7.1 surround sound, but since I bought my new one, it only does stereo. Perhaps there's a sound driver online and maybe a CD that came with the headset. The sound card might be the problem.

Handgimp

Kadoken wrote:

Hey, I'm new to this thread, but I have a problem with my headphones.
On my old motherboard, this headset used 7.1 surround sound, but since I bought my new one, it only does stereo. Perhaps there's a sound driver online and maybe a CD that came with the headset. The sound card might be the problem.

Are you using a separate soundcard or onboard sound? What operating system? Details, man.

minor incident

Robes wrote:

What are your thoughts on the Razer Tiamat 7.1 coming out this month? http://www.razerzone.com/tiamat/en

Goddamnit, no.

I'll preface this by saying that I (obviously) haven't heard the Tiamats, but I have tried out quite a few sets of 5/7.1 headphones, including Razer's previous attempt, the Barracuda.

Headphones with multiple drivers per ear are a stupid gimmick.

The drivers are too close together, and too close to your ear to manage any real surround sound. All you'll get is audible drop-off from one speaker to the next as the sound "moves." It won't sound like surround sound, it'll sound like your speakers are cutting in and out. If it's done WELL, you won't hear the transitions too much, and it will just sound like any old non-surround sound headphones. Only 4 times as expensive.

You will get infinintely better surround sound (and audio in general) by using a good set of headphones (preferably something open, like the Razer Carcharias, or something from the Sennheiser HD 5xx series) and a surround sound mixer, like the Turtle Beach DSS or (my favorite) the Astro Mixamp. Simulated surround sound with headphones sounds damn fantastic when properly mixed. The best mixers, like the DSS and the Mixamp use Dolby Headphone technology, which is as good as it gets.

minor incident

b1u35 wrote:

Okay, advice needed.

I'm planning to pick up an astro mixamp, but I can't decide which headphones to pair with it. A part of me really wants to go with a headset (since I need a mic of some sort), but I know I can get better quality for the same amount of money or less with standard headphones. Any recommendations for a headset or headphones + clip-on mic? I'm looking for circumaural headphones.

Things I've considered (definitely not limited to this list, please feel free to suggested others):

Headsets:

Astro A40 (to purchase with mixamp)

Sennheiser PC 360

currently have a Razer Carcharias, which has been fine except build quality wasn't stellar and they broke.

Headphones:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50

Sennheiser HD 558 Headphones

Clip-On Mics:

No idea

Edit: Should add that my budget (not including mixamp) is probably about $200. Somewhat flexible if there's a really good option outside of that range.

You want the PC360s. Such amazing headphones. And there is no better pairing with the Mixamp for under $400. You won't regret it, I promise. I love mine to death. Amazing soundstage that allows for perfect surround sound simulation. They're insanely comfy, and the mic is fantastic. Probably the best headset mic I've ever used.

Edit: Just saw you already ordered the 558s. I'm a little behind. Also a great choice. They're basically the exact same headphones as the PC360s, sans-mic. I also dearly love my 558s.

Kadoken

Handgimp wrote:

Kadoken wrote:

Hey, I'm new to this thread, but I have a problem with my headphones.
On my old motherboard, this headset used 7.1 surround sound, but since I bought my new one, it only does stereo. Perhaps there's a sound driver online and maybe a CD that came with the headset. The sound card might be the problem.

Are you using a separate soundcard or onboard sound? What operating system? Details, man.

Windows 7, onboard, plantronics headset, this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826265064.

Handgimp

Kadoken wrote:

Handgimp wrote:

Kadoken wrote:

Hey, I'm new to this thread, but I have a problem with my headphones.
On my old motherboard, this headset used 7.1 surround sound, but since I bought my new one, it only does stereo. Perhaps there's a sound driver online and maybe a CD that came with the headset. The sound card might be the problem.

Are you using a separate soundcard or onboard sound? What operating system? Details, man.

Windows 7, onboard, plantronics headset, this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826265064.

My only idea is that the old motherboard/driver was pushing Dolby Headphone to simulate 7.1 and the new one doesn't, but I don't recall seeing that feature on any motherboards. Sorry.

Yall

I just bought the Turtle Beach MW3 Deltas (which I think are the same as the XP500s) and I'm pretty impressed so far.

Antihippy

With the clip zip arriving, my exercise/ultra-portable setup is complete.

Hopefully the headphone jack doesn't crap out like the clip+ did.

Tom819

Two questions:

Which earbuds are those?

Looking for a nicer pair than my Apple ones.

How are those MP3 players?

Looking for something that isn't my iPhone and can stick in my pocket when doing crap.

Antihippy

Brainwavz M3. $100 or so. Really great sound for the price and comes with that sweet case. You can look into the M1 or the M2 as cheaper alternatives. I'd say look into brainwavz in general. They are known for great quality for a low price.

The clip zip is pretty good so far. My old Clip+'s (the older model) headphone jack died but that's mostly because I treated it like crap. They are really cheap too, 4GB for $40, and you can expand that with a microSD slot. Plus not having to go through iTunes for windows makes it worth all the money in the world.

Tom819

Cool, I'll check all that out.

I have a Mac so I may have issues. Not sure though.

PolloDiablo

Does anyone here know if Astro ever fixed whatever it was that made the mic on the mixamp not work for pc? I'm gonna try to get this piece of shit working once and for all, but I'm not sure where to start. The sound is real bouncy and choppy, apparently because of some noise gate technology or something.

edit: And would this be the best place to ask about DPC latency? I don't know what that means but it's something to do with sound stuff.

Tef

So, I managed to nab a Xonar DX for $65, which is a steal in my opinion. I am feeling a bit of buyer's remorse though, because I really liked the look of that Astro Mixamp; does anyone have experience with both?

I've got a pair of Razer Characias which I'm happy with for the time being and I'm mainly using them for gaming (<90% of the time). Positional audio isn't a massive deal as I don't play CS/BF3/COD:MW3 or any other games of that ilk and I would say the more bass, the better.

One of the big selling points of the mixamp, to be honest, was the on-the-fly mixing of game audio and VoIP on the bezel. It would come in handy on the very rare occasion where I'm gaming on the xbox.

Failing everything else, if I could get some reassurance that a mixamp purchase is pointless with a Xonar DX card already in the system, that'd be great

Cormac

You're actually going to get better sound using the Xonar DX and the Mixamp together because the Xonar can output a Dolby Digital Live signal to the Mixamp. If you thought the Mixamp's surround sound mode sounded good wait until you hear how much better it sounds with a DDL signal.

Tef

nonononono! Don't say that!

Shit!

*Your order will be shipped within the next 24 hours*

But to be serious, I've been reading mixed things and I don't have a method of testing it out myself. There's a [H]ard|OCP review that mentioned they noticed an improvement in quality, but there was also stuff from a few forums who's opinions I generally respect, saying it was redundant

I will have to give it some more thought, thanks for the input Cormac

Oghulk

Ahoy! I was wondering if it'd be possible to get a good pair of headphones for around 80 bucks, and if so does anyone have some recommendations?

minor incident

Oghulk wrote:

Ahoy! I was wondering if it'd be possible to get a good pair of headphones for around 80 bucks, and if so does anyone have some recommendations?

Absolutely! What would you be using them for (music, movies, gaming)? And do you prefer in-ear, on-ear, or circumaural/around-the-ear headphones?

Oghulk

It would mostly be used for music and vidyagames (and some movies seeing as how I've been watching them more and more with netflix), and I've mostly only used on-ear headphones for the computer and in-ear buds for the ipod, but would really like a pair of around the ear headphones that would fit but not be painful.

Oghulk

Oh and another thing, I'm not sure about the jacks for electronic pianos, but I may be getting an electric piano in the near future and I would very much like for the headphones to be used with the piano. I know I can use adapters and such, but I'm not sure as to what the standard jacks are for headphones as compared to pianos.

minor incident

-Circumaural-


Sennheiser HD428 - $90
http://amzn.com/B002DGTGNG

Fantastic all around headphones and (like all Senns) are extremely comfortable. Amazing sound quality, rich bass, and very nice tone. Very good for movies, music, and games.


Razer Carcharias - $70
http://amzn.com/B001PTH0VW

Solid quality around-the-ear phones. Surprisingly good quality for a video game company. Has a very good mic, if video games are a big priority. Perfect for games. Decent for movies and music.


AKG K240 - $94
http://amzn.com/B0001ARCFA

Another fantastic pair that's on par with many $200 sets. It's also a tad over budget, but it's a solid choice. Great for music, but it might not have the impact you'd want for movies an games.

Oghulk

Thank you very much! I'm probably gonna grab the Sennheiser HD428s up there and possibly get a clip-on mic that I noticed back in the thread a little bit. Any tips for picking one of those out?

Antihippy

I heard zalman clip-ons reccomended all the time as far as cheap+good goes.

minor incident

Antihippy wrote:

I heard zalman clip-ons reccomended all the time as far as cheap+good goes.

I don't have any experience with clip-on mics, but I've seen plenty of recommendations for zalman, too.

Cormac

I may have mentioned the Zalman mic earlier, and yes it's excellent for the price ($10'ish). It sounds far better than a $40 Logitech table mic I was using for far too long.

Tef

@Minor Incident do you have any thoughts on my Xonar DX + mixamp plan? I may be misremembering but aren't you running a similar setup?