HeaDphone Discussions. (Audiophile and Gaming)

[lil_nap]

Do you mean Edifier speakers? Yeah they have a range of quite nice ones, and they might be better suited for your use-case, as their input will be more straightforward (I think it's usually 3.5mm AUX in, so you'd use an RCA-to-3.5mm cable from the line out on the K5) and they also have their volume knobs on the front (and I think they come with actual remotes).

You might find their sound quality doesn't quite match the monitors. But that depends on how picky you are about such things.

Thanks, yeah sorry I was typing like a monkey last night. OKay great yeah I think it would actually be better for my usecase.
I'm not too picky as I never really heard monitors in person, just reviews etc.
I think I might have to go to a store to test and hear examples first before I spend a lot of money and might not necessarily enjoy them.
Thanks again!

 

[lil_nap]

Quick update, might have been an impulsive purchase, but I managed to pickup a pair of Edifier R2000DB for R2,779.00 over at Hifi corp.
Will post an update once I received them and played around with it.

 

[goldfritter]

Quick update, might have been an impulsive purchase, but I managed to pickup a pair of Edifier R2000DB for R2,779.00 over at Hifi corp.
Will post an update once I received them and played around with it.

Noice. Doubt you'd get better performance at that price point. I have the E25 and they punch above their weight.

 

[lil_nap]

Noice. Doubt you'd get better performance at that price point. I have the E25 and they punch above their weight.

The E25 looks damn nice! I've seen a lot of people say what you are saying and also on a monetary level where they (subjectively) say some systems sound way better compared to more expensive alternatives.

 

[Andrew_Smith]

Hey audiophiles,

Helping a friend with new headphones. Should be over-ear headphones. Can either be wireless or cabled, she already has a good-quality mic, so no built-in mic is needed. Also, something that won't require an external DAC to power/drive.

The budget is R3000 and comfort is key.

I was hoping to find old new stock of the Sony XM3s online but no luck.

Audio Technica ATH-M50x seems to be in the budget:

Audio Technica ATH M50x Professional Closed Monitor Headphones| Soundselect

Professional Monitor Headphones - Closed

soundselect.co.za

Any suggestions? TIA.

 

[goldfritter]

Hey audiophiles,

Helping a friend with new headphones. Should be over-ear headphones. Can either be wireless or cabled, she already has a good-quality mic, so no built-in mic is needed. Also, something that won't require an external DAC to power/drive.

The budget is R3000 and comfort is key.

I was hoping to find old new stock of the Sony XM3s online but no luck.

Audio Technica ATH-M50x seems to be in the budget:

Audio Technica ATH M50x Professional Closed Monitor Headphones| Soundselect

Professional Monitor Headphones - Closed

soundselect.co.za

Any suggestions? TIA.

The most comfortable headphones I have used in that category are the Fidelio X2s. The earpads are very plush and the cups are deep so your ears don't touch the driver grilles. The auto-adjusting suspension headband is also very good. They are however not available locally (last I checked) and are a bit out of budget at USD 200ish on Amazon including shipping and duties.

 

[goblinm]

Recently ordered a set of 7hz timeless AE from amazon.
Well, it arrived within about 3 weeks but when I opened the Amazon package, I was dismayed to find that the earbuds had already been opened and one of the plugs for the cable as well as one set of tips was missing.

So logged a ticket with them complaining that the buds they shipped me where not new, they requested I send them back.

Now here is where the sob story takes an upswing, I said sure, but I'm based in SA how do they want me to send it back.
To which they replied, never mind , keep them. We will send another set to you. (US customer service is in another league)

So have been using my 2nd hand set for the past few weeks and they are absolutely bloody amazing, today my 2nd pair landed (this time the box was sealed).

Now trying to decide , do I gift this to my better half or sell as the open box one works perfectly and the only issue is the the stock cable only has plugs for balanced inputs (driving with a quadelix, so not really impacting me)

 

[JollyJamma]

Hey audiophiles,

Helping a friend with new headphones. Should be over-ear headphones. Can either be wireless or cabled, she already has a good-quality mic, so no built-in mic is needed. Also, something that won't require an external DAC to power/drive.

The budget is R3000 and comfort is key.

I was hoping to find old new stock of the Sony XM3s online but no luck.

Audio Technica ATH-M50x seems to be in the budget:

Audio Technica ATH M50x Professional Closed Monitor Headphones| Soundselect

Professional Monitor Headphones - Closed

soundselect.co.za

Any suggestions? TIA.

Read these two roundups from whatHifi and go with what you like the look of

Best wireless headphones 2023: Bluetooth headphones for every budget

The best wireless headphones for every head, taste and budget – all tried and tested by yours truly

www.whathifi.com

Best wired headphones 2023: budget to premium

Not bothered by Bluetooth? These are the headphones for you...

www.whathifi.com

Grado SR80X or something like ti would be great

Also look at second hand deals

 

[lil_nap]

Good day all, quick question is there a way for SA residents to order and ship from Drop? They have a nice sale going on and I want the 7hz timeless

 

[CptGopher]

Good day all, quick question is there a way for SA residents to order and ship from Drop? They have a nice sale going on and I want the 7hz timeless

Not directly. Will need to go through a forwarding service like Aramex Global Shopper

HifiGo is where I got mine. Ships direct to ZA using couriers (with tracking).

7HZ Timeless 14.2mm Planar In-Ear Monitor

【14.2mm Planar Driver】 7HZ Timeless is truly living up to its name with its ultra-thin diaphragm and lightweight body. Everything feels nothing but everything. Time is within reach here. Selected 14.2mm planar driver and unique structure provide fast response, excellent dynamic range and...

hifigo.com

 

[lil_nap]

Not directly. Will need to go through a forwarding service like Aramex Global Shopper

HifiGo is where I got mine. Ships direct to ZA using couriers (with tracking).

7HZ Timeless 14.2mm Planar In-Ear Monitor

【14.2mm Planar Driver】 7HZ Timeless is truly living up to its name with its ultra-thin diaphragm and lightweight body. Everything feels nothing but everything. Time is within reach here. Selected 14.2mm planar driver and unique structure provide fast response, excellent dynamic range and...

hifigo.com

Ooh awesome, thank you very much!

 

[ghostR]

Hey audiophiles,

Helping a friend with new headphones. Should be over-ear headphones. Can either be wireless or cabled, she already has a good-quality mic, so no built-in mic is needed. Also, something that won't require an external DAC to power/drive.

The budget is R3000 and comfort is key.

I was hoping to find old new stock of the Sony XM3s online but no luck.

Audio Technica ATH-M50x seems to be in the budget:

Audio Technica ATH M50x Professional Closed Monitor Headphones| Soundselect

Professional Monitor Headphones - Closed

soundselect.co.za

Any suggestions? TIA.

I have the M50x and while I have used them daily for 7 years, I recommend against it. Just too many better options now.

Would they be looking for open or closed backs?

 

[goblinm]

Anyone know where I can get Sony earbuds fixed.
Had the WF100XM4 for about 1 1/2 years and now the batteries started acting up (from 4-5 hours on both to 30 minutes on left earbud, right earbud still at 80%)
Its a known issue with them and international people have been taking them to Sony stores and getting them repaired/replaced but I cannot find the equivalent of a Sony store in SA.
All the listed service centers for SA on the Sony site do not do earbuds.

 

[Andrew_Smith]

Will follow this, also have a pair of WF1000XM4 still less than a year old and working fine. But will use the service centre as a future reference if I experience the same issue.

 

[Andrew_Smith]

I have the M50x and while I have used them daily for 7 years, I recommend against it. Just too many better options now.

Would they be looking for open or closed backs?

Thanks man. In the end, she went with something cheaper [ATH-M30x] but still loves it a lot! Big upgrade from her previous set of cans.

 

[goblinm]

Will follow this, also have a pair of WF1000XM4 still less than a year old and working fine. But will use the service centre as a future reference if I experience the same issue.

Got feedback from Sony Dubai pointing me to their website wrt local service center, I asked for clarity as the 6 I phoned don't do earphones.
Haven't got a response yet but will update here if I actually get somewhere locally to repair / replace.
Failing that I will send to a friend in Ireland and get it done internationally, but to be honest, if I cannot get local support will be the last Sony I buy.
The WF-1000XM5 is supposed to be coming out soon but I for one will definitely not be a early adopter.

 

[DrNoSkill]

Hi Guys,

I am looking to buy a sennheiser HD58x from massdrop but figuring out the shipping and customs is becoming a pain, i was looking to use aramex global shopper but the site is down.

Has anyone here ever ordered from there and can you please tell me how much it did cost you for reference?

 

[TRINITRON]

Hi Guys,

I am looking to buy a sennheiser HD58x from massdrop but figuring out the shipping and customs is becoming a pain, i was looking to use aramex global shopper but the site is down.

Has anyone here ever ordered from there and can you please tell me how much it did cost you for reference?

I did, used AGS via a friend

I believe it ended up costing an extra R5 per usd to get to me
I will double check later but using current exchange rate I wager R3600 is a reasonable expectation

But for what its worth I didnt keep them for long and bought something of carb (but this was before i got a proper dac)

 

[DrNoSkill]

I did, used AGS via a friend

I believe it ended up costing an extra R5 per usd to get to me
I will double check later but using current exchange rate I wager R3600 is a reasonable expectation

But for what its worth I didnt keep them for long and bought something of carb (but this was before i got a proper dac)

Thanks for the info, i am struggling to choose between the new razer blackshark v2 pro and the HD58x, i am hoping the sound quality of the HD58x is worth the extra effort and i have been wanting to buy it for years, if it ends up being under R4k i would be pleasantly surprised.

 

[TRINITRON]

Thanks for the info, i am struggling to choose between the new razer blackshark v2 pro and the HD58x, i am hoping the sound quality of the HD58x is worth the extra effort and i have been wanting to buy it for years, if it ends up being under R4k i would be pleasantly surprised.

[For Sale] - Sennheiser/Massdrop HD6xx | Headphones | Carbonite

You could also buy these?

And if needed new pads

 

[DrNoSkill]

[For Sale] - Sennheiser/Massdrop HD6xx | Headphones | Carbonite

You could also buy these?

And if needed new pads

I don't really have a dac for the HD6xx, currently using a samson SR850 with an apple usb c dongle XD which sound good to me still but they can run on anything, not sure if the apple dongle can run a 300 ohm headphone

 

[TRINITRON]

I don't really have a dac for the HD6xx, currently using a samson SR850 with an apple usb c dongle XD which sound good to me still but they can run on anything, not sure if the apple dongle can run a 300 ohm headphone

I get you, he said some things on the thread but im also not sure

What I do know is that I didnt really enjoy the HD58x much when I had them and I tried it on an audio interface as well.

For reference I have a DT990, HE400i and a ATH-AD700X all which I like more

Could be just personal taste sure, but maybe worth the drive to hear his in person. (I assume the HD6xx > HD58x)

 

[PandaAttack1]

So my 30th birthday is coming up, and I want to treat myself to a wireless headphone that will last me awhile.

Looking for something colourful and fun. I'm not too concerned about active noise canceling. I am going to use them in an open plan office environment often, so I am a bit concerned about bleed. Should stay fairly stable while walking around etc, but not required to be an active headphone at all.

Any recommendations?

 

[DrNoSkill]

I get you, he said some things on the thread but im also not sure

What I do know is that I didnt really enjoy the HD58x much when I had them and I tried it on an audio interface as well.

For reference I have a DT990, HE400i and a ATH-AD700X all which I like more

Could be just personal taste sure

I appreciate the feedback on headsets, i have so little experience when it comes to actually good headphones i have no clue what to buy, the jubilee's were getting great reviews all over the place but i was looking at the HE400se this morning and it would technically be cheaper than the HD58x but i have no clue if it would actually be better as i am not sure what exactly i want. I do everything with my current headset, games and music so i want something that would do everything but better than my samsons.

 

[TRINITRON]

I appreciate the feedback on headsets, i have so little experience when it comes to actually good headphones i have no clue what to buy, the jubilee's were getting great reviews all over the place but i was looking at the HE400se this morning and it would technically be cheaper than the HD58x but i have no clue if it would actually be better as i am not sure what exactly i want. I do everything with my current headset, games and music so i want something that would do everything but better than my samsons.

I had those very same samsons, ended up going to a friend.

While they are very good for the price, anything else would be better

Personally id invest in a good dac / amp as well

 

[DrNoSkill]

I had those very same samsons, ended up going to a friend.

While they are very good for the price, anything else would be better

Personally id invest in a good dac / amp as well

DAC/amp is on the list as well, got recommended a Fiio E10K and its going for a great price at the moment but not sure it they would improve the sound of my samsons

 

[PandaAttack1]

DAC/amp is on the list as well, got recommended a Fiio E10K and its going for a great price at the moment but not sure it they would improve the sound of my samsons

Maybe not your Samsons, but probably anything that comes after.

Personally I would go for anything from the HD58x/HD600/HD650 series. They are great reference headphones and tick all the boxes. The HE400se and family can become heavy and uncomfortable if you wear them for extended periods of time. I've never had an issue with comfort on my HD600, and I wear them 4-10 hours every day.

The HD600 is also a benchmark for many reviewers. So whenever you read a review on new headphones and you read they are 'warmer' than a HD600, you can kind of start to figure out if you will like them or not. You can almost always ask someone with experience how a headphone compares to an HD600.

 

[goldfritter]

I appreciate the feedback on headsets, i have so little experience when it comes to actually good headphones i have no clue what to buy, the jubilee's were getting great reviews all over the place but i was looking at the HE400se this morning and it would technically be cheaper than the HD58x but i have no clue if it would actually be better as i am not sure what exactly i want. I do everything with my current headset, games and music so i want something that would do everything but better than my samsons.

Like @PandaAttack1 says, you can get the non-Massdrop branded Sennheisers in SA without fighting over duties etc. Wootware has a pretty good selection. And if you're not super experienced in headphones then I doubt you'd find the local offerings worse than the equivalent Massrop collab.

 

[DrNoSkill]

Like @PandaAttack1 says, you can get the non-Massdrop branded Sennheisers in SA without fighting over duties etc. Wootware has a pretty good selection. And if you're not super experienced in headphones then I doubt you'd find the local offerings worse than the equivalent Massrop collab.

The only issue with local offerings is that they are exceptionally expensive, the HD600 sells for R8k on wootware which is double my current budget, why are nice things so expensive?

 

[goldfritter]

The only issue with local offerings is that they are exceptionally expensive, the HD600 sells for R8k on wootware which is double my current budget, why are nice things so expensive?

Even the HD 500-series models are probably going to be quite a big upgrade for you.

Also consider the Beyer DT 770/880/990 (closed/semi-open/open respectively). They are locally available and of high quality, and come in 32-ohm variants. AKG and Audio-Technica also have local offerings in that price range.