Every conceivable hobby has a rabbit hole to go down, I love it. I thought I was hot s#%t with my Sony XM3s lol 
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Audio headphones - Down the rabbit hole I go
- Thread starter Pew
- Start date
Yea, it was a hard choice of going with the dynamic drivers but awesome sound stage of the HD800s or go more towards planar driver headphones. In the end, since these headphones were going to be used more as an all-around type deal and the soundstage couldn't be beat, especially for games. I'm really tempted to buy some planar headphones for music now.
I'm honestly not sure if I'll keep these HD800s. It's too annoying trying to EQ them for different genres. The HD598se didn't require this much amount of EQs. The -6.6@4k kHz works for electronic, the Oratory1990 EQ works for modern pop, and a -4.3 @ 4kHz and +2 2K kHz is needed for Rock. Why couldn't I just be happy with normal!?!?!
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I've had a pair of HD580 since 1999. Of course I've changed the pads & cable a few times over the years but everything else is original. They still sound great, and I recently had them on a test rig and discovered that they still perform like new - the smooth midrange response and low distortion that made them famous as the first true audiophile headphone. They can sound "boring" because while the midrange is near perfect, the bass, and to a lesser extent the very highest frequencies, are attenutated.
I also have a pair of Audeze LCD-2 Fazors (2016 drivers). Their bass response is among the best of any headphone at any price. Not elevated but perfectly linear and super low distortion. Their high frequency response is also excellent. They have a noticeable dip in response in the upper mids / lower treble. If you don't EQ for this, they still sound great, yet with a soft mid-hall perspective. If you correct it (roughly +6 dB @ 3500, Q=0.8, plus or minus to taste) they are near perfect.
The thing about headphones, unlike speakers, is everyone has a different HRTF, so we literally do hear differently. So what sounds most natural or lifelike to me, may not be for you or other people.
I remember the HD580s that I got maybe 25 years ago. I thought it was a pretty steep price I paid for them - maybe $180 back then, which was a killer price. The weak point was always the weird connection with their proprietary dual plug. I'm not one to make a big deal about cable design (the BS is strong out there) but with that connector design it was a pretty basic issue of the plugs not staying connected. Sometimes I would need to wiggle the connector until it worked again.
My dad borrowed them and he said they stopped working after a while. They're also that open air design that allows a ton of sound to leak out, and they're not the most efficient. But man I could wear those for hours with no audio fatigue and my ears didn't hurt from the pressure.
Right now I just needed a pair of decent headphones for all-around stuff. I can live with less than perfect. I ended up getting a pair of Sony WH-CH710N Bluetooth headphones from Amazon for less than $70. They do all sorts of things though, including working passively if plugged into an audio jack with their supplied 3.5m/3.5mm cable, and that works will with a separate microphone for teleconferences. But it's charged via USB-C. With Bluetooth it's got three modes including noise-cancelling and two ambient modes. It supposedly has a microphone too, although it's not a headset. I think it's got a microphone (for noise reduction) at each can and they might be able to be used like a headset, but I haven't tried that out. It comes in other colors, but black seemed right for me.
electronics.sony.com
My dad borrowed them and he said they stopped working after a while. They're also that open air design that allows a ton of sound to leak out, and they're not the most efficient. But man I could wear those for hours with no audio fatigue and my ears didn't hurt from the pressure.
Right now I just needed a pair of decent headphones for all-around stuff. I can live with less than perfect. I ended up getting a pair of Sony WH-CH710N Bluetooth headphones from Amazon for less than $70. They do all sorts of things though, including working passively if plugged into an audio jack with their supplied 3.5m/3.5mm cable, and that works will with a separate microphone for teleconferences. But it's charged via USB-C. With Bluetooth it's got three modes including noise-cancelling and two ambient modes. It supposedly has a microphone too, although it's not a headset. I think it's got a microphone (for noise reduction) at each can and they might be able to be used like a headset, but I haven't tried that out. It comes in other colors, but black seemed right for me.
Sony WH-CH710N Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones | WHCH710N/B
Explore Sony WH-CH710N Wireless Over-ear Noise Canceling Headphones with 35H of battery life and Bluetooth® streaming. Find out more at Sony.
electronics.sony.com
and
what amp?
tubes have higher impedance, allowing drivers to do its thing. transistors are too strict with their feedback loop.
hi-z drivers are good for cathode followers, otl amps.
directly heated triodes are considered as near best amplifying device. (it´s possible to have no feedback loop at all)
what amp?
tubes have higher impedance, allowing drivers to do its thing. transistors are too strict with their feedback loop.
hi-z drivers are good for cathode followers, otl amps.
directly heated triodes are considered as near best amplifying device. (it´s possible to have no feedback loop at all)
Just the Sound Blaster AE-9 with it's desktop audio control unit.
I have the Drop.com version of the Sennheiser HD650. Nice headphone. Also have a Fostex RP50 that I modded a bit. Closed back, with good bass, and smooth mids. Planer. Also have a couple of open back AudioTechnica, the 700 and 900. Don't get those out much, but they are pretty good stuff. Not as good as the Sennheiser. A good headphone amp makes a world of difference. The Schiit Asgard 3 is good with all of them, and the modded Fostex like the power.
I'm pretty happy with Senn's 599, minus the color 
My hearing isn't at its best anymore so the headphones work very well for me sound wise and comfort wise. I listen to CDs, LPs and tapes.
My hearing isn't at its best anymore so the headphones work very well for me sound wise and comfort wise. I listen to CDs, LPs and tapes.I messed up, I looked at drop.com. I did not realize they had the 6xx on sale.
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- Sep 10, 2021
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Sony MDR7506....if you wanna hear exactly what the sound engineer heard. They are the industry standard for about 80 bucks.
I saw a youtube video of someone asking five "headphone experts" what they recommend for gaming headphones. I used to watch one of the "expert's" videos and think he may as well be deaf, but he does have a lot of audio equipment for comparisons. One of the people said if you suck at games then headphones won't help you, so just get comfortable ones you enjoy, and that professional gamers use their crappy sponsored headphones even during tournaments.
The big-budget choice of the other four is the HD800S. Not just for its big soundstage but because it emphasizes important sounds in competitive games such as footsteps. Kind of interesting, and it made me think of this thread. I don't think any of them recommended it for music.
The $150 or so choice for three of them is the Sennheiser I forget but it's somewhat new and has a built-in mic. I think the PC38x. They said it's a good headphone for competitive gaming as well as for music.
The big-budget choice of the other four is the HD800S. Not just for its big soundstage but because it emphasizes important sounds in competitive games such as footsteps. Kind of interesting, and it made me think of this thread. I don't think any of them recommended it for music.
The $150 or so choice for three of them is the Sennheiser I forget but it's somewhat new and has a built-in mic. I think the PC38x. They said it's a good headphone for competitive gaming as well as for music.
I have the Monoprice LCD-2 knockoff. Some people with both say they prefer the Mono, though most of the many comments I've seen say the Mono is close but not quite as good -- which is as it should be based on price. And the Mono is built well but the LCD-2 uses even fancier materials.
Overall, the Mono is probably my best headphone. But despite plushy leather pads, it's big, heavy, and clunky. And it, similar to every other planar I have, sort of sounds like if a robot played a piano -- it could play a song perfectly, but it's lacking a naturalness that can be hard to put into words.
And so I'm currently wearing my modded Beyer DT990 instead haha, and those are very enjoyable too and the pads are soft and fluffy like having a bear hug your ears.