HeaDphone Discussions. (Audiophile and Gaming)

[goldfritter]

Yeah I was considering that, but placement is an issue. I can’t help thinking that simply sitting it on my desk would lead to weird reflect-off-the-desk sound, and getting it up at ear level is impossible.
Or am I over-thinking it again?

You can use something to make feet to angle the bar up towards ear level. I did this with my centre speaker. Should mitigate the desk reflection issue.

For interest, if you did get speakers, how would you mount them?

Ah man I missed out on a deal for a 3020i on AVF a month or two back. Still kicking myself.
The Bentleys are reportedly great too! There’s just something about the aesthetics that’s a letdown though. When you look at something like the Jamos it’s tough to support local.

You get the FR100s in white too, if that is the factor holding you back. I'm no expert but I reckon those in the know will argue the Bentleys are quite a step above the Jamos in sound quality. I heard them live in Home Cinema King's audition room and they are shockingly good.

 

[WhoIsJOB]

Yeah I was considering that, but placement is an issue. I can’t help thinking that simply sitting it on my desk would lead to weird reflect-off-the-desk sound, and getting it up at ear level is impossible.
Or am I over-thinking it again?

Placement is quite important, yes, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. My friend moves everything based around placement of the speakers to get it sounding great, no matter the looks or setup in the room

Ah man I missed out on a deal for a 3020i on AVF a month or two back. Still kicking myself.
The Bentleys are reportedly great too! There’s just something about the aesthetics that’s a letdown though. When you look at something like the Jamos it’s tough to support local.

I'll keep a lookout as well.
Have a look at the white ones - they really are great sounding for the price and everyone on AVForum will tell you they compete with R10-12k speakers.

Otherwise, Morne from HomeCinemaKing recommended the Definitive Technology D7 and D9 to me for desktop use and they are on special, but quite a bit more than the FR100s.

 

[WhoIsJOB]

Wait for Black Friday.
I always wait for everyone else to upgrade and start selling their stuff for cheap so I can eat the crumbs

 

[Edelweiss]

In your guys' opinion are the wh-1000xm4's better than a decked out m40x? (has thick earwavz pads + blueooth adapter). The neutral sound profile has grown on me so much with the crisp/bright high and balanced mids/bass although I'd a little more bass...

Or is the m50xbt2 better than the xm4's?

My gripe is the pads make this phones look HUGE on my head so it's not really portable.

 

[naughty]

out of all bluetooth headphones the Sony ones have the best noise cancelling - not sure what else they would be better at but they also have better features in some instances than most other bluetooth headphones as an example just touching the ear cups on the sony allows you to listen to outside sounds so you can for example hear an air steward talking to you on a flight etc

the Audio Technica may have better sound quality than the Sony ..... i wouldnt know since i havent heard the Audio Technica's - so if Sound Quality is your primary requirement i would have to suggest that you need to listen to both

but if features and noise cancelling are your primary requirement i would give the Sony some serious thought but given the Sony's reputation in the bluetooh arena i would personally be looking at the Sony's first and foremost - not sure if the XM5 has smaller pads and earcups than the XM4 but again given the reviews between those two i'm still more of a fan of the XM4

 

[WhoIsJOB]

So I hooked up the iFi this afternoon and I can immediately say there is more detail than with my Audient iD4.
Give me a couple of days of usage and I'll write a review on the Zen DAC as a preamp and as a headphone amp

 

[goldfritter]

Calling all headphone nuts.

I am looking for the holy grail:

- Must be open back
- Must have either a built in boom mic OR the cable must be detachable with a 3.5mm TRS jack for compatibility with a V-Moda BoomPro
- Must have hifi quality sound with at least an approximation of a neutral response
- Ideally should have a suspension-type headband, but this is not a must-have.
- Ideally less than around R 3-4k

I know the obvious answer is the one already in my sig, and that is a definite option for import from Amazon. The PC38X also. If I can't come right locally, I will import one of these. I'm also aware of the SHP9500/9600 but I think this won't quite have the sound quality I am after.

An alternative question. Has anyone used the EPOS H6Pro open-back for music? Specifically the open-back variant. And if so, how are they? Neutralish or the usual drastic V-shape of gaming headphones? I have tried to look at reviews, but since they are gaming headphones, only gaming sites seem to review them, and not actual hifi reviewers.

 

[Fluke]

Just get a stand-alone mic on a mic stand? I have been using a Samson C01UPro I picked up for ~R750 and a cheap mic stand (~R250) for years now.

 

[goldfritter]

Just get a stand-alone mic on a mic stand? I have been using a Samson C01UPro I picked up for ~R750 and a cheap mic stand (~R250) for years now.

Not an option, two gamers in the same room, condenser mics will pick up each other's voices. The only standalone mic that would work would be a dynamic mic on a boom arm, which is an enormous amount of extra cost and effort, so at that point I'd rather just import another Fidelio X2.

 

[dash09]

- Must be open back
- Must have hifi quality sound with at least an approximation of a neutral response

Apart from Sennheiser/Epos I dont know of anything in the gaming space that will meet these requirements, so its back to the old recommendation of get an entry level audiophile set and separate mic.
Epos gaming range will probably be the best bet, they look atrocious though

 

[Chevez]

Apart from Sennheiser/Epos I dont know of anything in the gaming space that will meet these requirements, so its back to the old recommendation of get an entry level audiophile set and separate mic.
Epos gaming range will probably be the best bet, they look atrocious though

I agree. Get Sennheiser HD58x (2nd hand if possible) and get a modmic.

If you're lucky you should get close to your budget. I spent R3k for headies and R1k for modmic from Amazon.

 

[EliteOp]

Calling all headphone nuts.

I am looking for the holy grail:

- Must be open back
- Must have either a built in boom mic OR the cable must be detachable with a 3.5mm TRS jack for compatibility with a V-Moda BoomPro
- Must have hifi quality sound with at least an approximation of a neutral response
- Ideally should have a suspension-type headband, but this is not a must-have.
- Ideally less than around R 3-4k

I know the obvious answer is the one already in my sig, and that is a definite option for import from Amazon. The PC38X also. If I can't come right locally, I will import one of these. I'm also aware of the SHP9500/9600 but I think this won't quite have the sound quality I am after.

An alternative question. Has anyone used the EPOS H6Pro open-back for music? Specifically the open-back variant. And if so, how are they? Neutralish or the usual drastic V-shape of gaming headphones? I have tried to look at reviews, but since they are gaming headphones, only gaming sites seem to review them, and not actual hifi reviewers.

Yeah PC 38x you should be able to get at that price landed from Amazon and that should meet all your needs - they had it at a good price over the Black Friday weekend.

 

[goldfritter]

Apart from Sennheiser/Epos I dont know of anything in the gaming space that will meet these requirements, so its back to the old recommendation of get an entry level audiophile set and separate mic.
Epos gaming range will probably be the best bet, they look atrocious though

Yes, I want to get an entry level audiophile set and a separate mic, as is described in my post. I am looking for an entry level audiophile set that is open back with a detachable 3.5mm TRS cable so that I can use a BoomPro style mic. Besides for the Philips, do you know of any such headphones?

I agree. Get Sennheiser HD58x (2nd hand if possible) and get a modmic.

If you're lucky you should get close to your budget. I spent R3k for headies and R1k for modmic from Amazon.

HD58X does not meet the requirement of using a single 3.5mm TRS connector. I want to use a BoomPro style mic and not a Modmic style mic to avoid having two cables dangling from my head.

 

[Chevez]

HD58X does not meet the requirement of using a single 3.5mm TRS connector. I want to use a BoomPro style mic and not a Modmic style mic to avoid having two cables dangling from my head.

Yeah man. I get that. I felt the same. Now I have 2 running down and in all honesty, I don't even notice it. One cable or 2 running down, it feels exactly the same.

 

[dash09]

Yes, I want to get an entry level audiophile set and a separate mic, as is described in my post. I am looking for an entry level audiophile set that is open back with a detachable 3.5mm TRS cable so that I can use a BoomPro style mic. Besides for the Philips, do you know of any such headphones?


HD58X does not meet the requirement of using a single 3.5mm TRS connector. I want to use a BoomPro style mic and not a Modmic style mic to avoid having two cables dangling from my head.

Yeah nah I dont know of anything that can do the sound profile plus support the boompro, tough 1. Suppose something has to be sacrificed for the desired result.
58x has been doing the most for me for like 4 years now, I'm content with cables because audio quality is exactly where I need it to be

 

[goldfritter]

Yeah man. I get that. I felt the same. Now I have 2 running down and in all honesty, I don't even notice it. One cable or 2 running down, it feels exactly the same.

I had two for years. Now I have one. Night and day for me. Worth spending a bit extra.

Yeah nah I dont know of anything that can do the sound profile plus support the boompro, tough 1. Suppose something has to be sacrificed for the desired result.
58x has been doing the most for me for like 4 years now, I'm content with cables because audio quality is exactly where I need it to be

Well there are, both the Fidelio X2HR + BoomPro and the PC38X would tick all the boxes. I'm just trying to see if I can avoid having to import. I've scoured all the local sites for an alternative, I just wanted to see if the Carb headphone gurus knew of something I'd missed.

 

[Chevez]

I had two for years. Now I have one. Night and day for me. Worth spending a bit extra.


Well there are, both the Fidelio X2HR + BoomPro and the PC38X would tick all the boxes. I'm just trying to see if I can avoid having to import. I've scoured all the local sites for an alternative, I just wanted to see if the Carb headphone gurus knew of something I'd missed.

For what you're looking for, I reckon your 2 choices are fantastic.

Just make sure your BoomPro mic is proper, some of those types of mics are horrible at best. I had one where the arm wasn't stiff enough, so it would start sagging...annoyed me to no end.

 

[Sageofchaos]

@goldfritter I had my eye on a AKG K240 Studio, as well as a Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3 for a long time, then found an SHP 9500 here on Carb last week, jumped on it very quickly.

I'm not sure how OPEN of an Open Back you want?

 

[goldfritter]

@goldfritter I had my eye on a AKG K240 Studio, as well as a Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3 for a long time, then found an SHP 9500 here on Carb last week, jumped on it very quickly.

I'm not sure how OPEN of an Open Back you want?

Thanks, I'm aware of the SHP9500 as well, also an option, although I think the SQ might be a slight downgrade from the X2. And unfortunately not really available in SA unless you're lucky on a 2nd hand deal. So if I'm importing I might as well get another X2 or the PC38X.

As for how open - the openest But if there are semi-opens that tick the other boxes I'll give them a look too.

 

[Sageofchaos]

@D3TTOL What I noticed immediately when switching to a DAC is layers and layers of audio, it just opens up a lot of the frequencies, bass, mid, high/treble, it all sounded very flat with a generic/built in sound chip, when listening to music on a DAC, a lot of the "unpacking" of audio is noticeable, you can hear individual sounds of drums, guitars, vocals etc. I had a Corsair HS70 before, and switched to an SHP9500 and a small Fiio Bluetooth receiver/DAC and it's a world of difference.

To add to that, open back headphones made this frequency spectrum even wider/bigger. I've even noticed the open back headphones sounding different in different rooms in my flat. The open back headphones make use of the acoustic properties of the room you're sitting in too, which is quite nice for watching things on the TV as well.

 

[Fluke]

Depends on the DAC too, wasn't expecting much of an upgrade going from the AK4490 (SINAD 96dB) in my old Schiit Jot to the Topping DX7 Pro's ES9038PRO (SINAD 120dB) however, it was pretty noticeable. I think this is probably where I would stop with intentially upgrading my DAC - but I do want to get a dedicated DAC and amp (always gone with combo units) so I will probably end up upgrading the DAC in the future and I am excited to see if I can hear the difference beyond this ES9038PRO.

I definitely noticed the difference a *lot* more on my HD800S for what it's worth.

 

[goldfritter]

I did find these, which do seem compelling. High-Fidelity Open-Back Gaming Headset Archives - ProAudio

The store is, as far as I can tell, reliable, as it was mentioned by someone I've dealt with before. But I can't find a lot of info on the headphones themselves. I guess since they're AT they are unlikely to be rubbish. They look like existing open-back hi-fi models with mics attached, like the PC38X. Tempting...

 

[Sageofchaos]

@goldfritter I read this article, mentioning this:

Q: Is the Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3's cable easily replaceable?

A: The Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3 comes with two different cables that you can use to connect it to different 3.5mm headphone jacks. However, the end of this cable that connects to the headset is slightly larger than the standard 3.5mm jack, which means it’s unique to the ATH-GDL3. If you need a replacement cable a generic one won’t do, you’ll have to acquire it from the manufacturer.

Pretty B.S. imo... 😥

 

[goldfritter]

@goldfritter I read this article, mentioning this:

Q: Is the Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3's cable easily replaceable?

A: The Audio-Technica ATH-GDL3 comes with two different cables that you can use to connect it to different 3.5mm headphone jacks. However, the end of this cable that connects to the headset is slightly larger than the standard 3.5mm jack, which means it’s unique to the ATH-GDL3. If you need a replacement cable a generic one won’t do, you’ll have to acquire it from the manufacturer.

Pretty B.S. imo... 😥

It is a bit of a pain, but at least it comes with a built-in mic, so it's not that important that it isn't compatible with the TRS connector on the BoomPro.

 

[goldfritter]

It is a bit of a pain, but at least it comes with a built-in mic, so it's not that important that it isn't compatible with the TRS connector on the BoomPro.

Small update on this.

I have found this thingie: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z2MPW61/

This should allow the use of Sennheisers with detachable 2.5mm-ended cables like the HD599 with a V-Moda style mic.

Another compelling option, I'd say.

 

[Nikkel]

Depends on the DAC too, wasn't expecting much of an upgrade going from the AK4490 (SINAD 96dB) in my old Schiit Jot to the Topping DX7 Pro's ES9038PRO (SINAD 120dB) however, it was pretty noticeable. I think this is probably where I would stop with intentially upgrading my DAC - but I do want to get a dedicated DAC and amp (always gone with combo units) so I will probably end up upgrading the DAC in the future and I am excited to see if I can hear the difference beyond this ES9038PRO.

I definitely noticed the difference a *lot* more on my HD800S for what it's worth.

Any DAC's output stage is what makes more of a difference than the DAC chip itself couple it with a good power supply and you're golden!

 

[JollyJamma]

out of all bluetooth headphones the Sony ones have the best noise cancelling - not sure what else they would be better at but they also have better features in some instances than most other bluetooth headphones as an example just touching the ear cups on the sony allows you to listen to outside sounds so you can for example hear an air steward talking to you on a flight etc

the Audio Technica may have better sound quality than the Sony ..... i wouldnt know since i havent heard the Audio Technica's - so if Sound Quality is your primary requirement i would have to suggest that you need to listen to both

but if features and noise cancelling are your primary requirement i would give the Sony some serious thought but given the Sony's reputation in the bluetooh arena i would personally be looking at the Sony's first and foremost - not sure if the XM5 has smaller pads and earcups than the XM4 but again given the reviews between those two i'm still more of a fan of the XM4

I’ve got the XM5 and my friend has the XM4.

We like both. The sound from the XM5 is better but I wouldn’t say many miles better and if I had the XM4, I wouldn’t automatically upgrade to the XM5.

Both are comfy.
Sound quality of both are excellent - my brother had a listen to the XM5 in store and loved it (we compared it to the Sennheiser momentum 4.0 wireless).
The active noise cancellation on both is fantastic.

Audio Technica do make very very good headphones aimed at audio quality so you could just get them. I haven’t listened to them but if all you care about is audio quality then 100% go for them.

The one big thing about the Sony though is that they know that they are a lifestyle headphone so they are designed for travel and as a headset.

The ANC actively adjusts to your environment and when you take them off your ears they pause the music and resume automatically. The audio quality is very very good making the XM4/5 very compelling at the price.

I love the Apple AirPods Max and wanted them initially but I’m not shelling out £500 for a bit of a better audio product - my XM5 were £285 for comparison.

 

[naughty]

I’ve got the XM5 and my friend has the XM4.

We like both. The sound from the XM5 is better but I wouldn’t say many miles better and if I had the XM4, I wouldn’t automatically upgrade to the XM5.

Both are comfy.
Sound quality of both are excellent - my brother had a listen to the XM5 in store and loved it (we compared it to the Sennheiser momentum 4.0 wireless).
The active noise cancellation on both is fantastic.

Audio Technica do make very very good headphones aimed at audio quality so you could just get them. I haven’t listened to them but if all you care about is audio quality then 100% go for them.

The one big thing about the Sony though is that they know that they are a lifestyle headphone so they are designed for travel and as a headset.

The ANC actively adjusts to your environment and when you take them off your ears they pause the music and resume automatically. The audio quality is very very good making the XM4/5 very compelling at the price.

I love the Apple AirPods Max and wanted them initially but I’m not shelling out £500 for a bit of a better audio product - my XM5 were £285 for comparison.

the other thing that i like about the Sony headphones is the flexility in terms of the formats - they allow you to listen to all of the bluetooth formats including LDAC which has the highest resolution of all the bluetooth formats - and they include all the aptx formats too

there are many headphones that are ostensibly good like the Jabra Elites that are cheaper but they don't allow for the higher resolution formats so IMHO the Sony are worth the price premium

the Apple stuff ..... i.m not really convinced that its a better audio product compared to the Sony - Sony has actually hit a home-run with those XM series bluetooh headphones and i reckon that to get a better product you will spend in excess of two times more and Apple is definitely not in that superior bracket

 

[∀Z‾soʇɐuɐɥ┴]

Question for you audiophiles, have any of you tried out the ROG Clavis type-c dac?
What headset have you tested it with, and what was the improvement like?

 

[JollyJamma]

the other thing that i like about the Sony headphones is the flexility in terms of the formats - they allow you to listen to all of the bluetooth formats including LDAC which has the highest resolution of all the bluetooth formats - and they include all the aptx formats too

there are many headphones that are ostensibly good like the Jabra Elites that are cheaper but they don't allow for the higher resolution formats so IMHO the Sony are worth the price premium

the Apple stuff ..... i.m not really convinced that its a better audio product compared to the Sony - Sony has actually hit a home-run with those XM series bluetooh headphones and i reckon that to get a better product you will spend in excess of two times more and Apple is definitely not in that superior bracket

Saw a review where the guy said that the Apple AirPod max is better audio wise then the XM5 but he can’t justify the price difference.

I was also considering the Focal Bathys that is said to have an amazing audio quality but they are even more expensive than the Apple Max.