-|- Headphones -|- Buying, Help & Discussion
- Thread starter Anurin
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great work...So well, my prototype, fully modded (dubbed the #Open8) kind of... put my Sennheiser HD6XX to shame.
Oops... did I say that out too loud? Oh I did.
Here's my FB post... and for all good reason. I was at the headphone meet here in Dubai @DJ Corner with these.
Here's what's new:
- Weight is much less (about 300gms).
- Bass... like no other. Yup. No cans that I tried matched it. And I tried some good stuff, including MrSpeakers Ether C. And since the Fostex TH900 has arguably the best bass, these have similar if not more, so.
- Stage is huge... they're actually open backs.
- Fatigue is much much less than the Fostex TH dynamic line-up (they're all still semi-sealed).
- Highs tamed and not at all sibilant. Sig is dark.
- Instrument separation is better than many closed backs. Plus, there's much more layering... vocals or some center-stage sections for example still take the center stage, and the rest is layered out pretty well around.
When I put my Sennheiser HD6XX momentarily, it sounded like an ATH-M50x in comparison lol. I took it off in under a minute. Couldn't bear it. The 6XX though has maybe more resolution in the highs, it sounded like V can lol... compared to the Open8, and had some tightness, fatigue and a much, MUCH smaller stage in comparison. The Open8 are also more airy, and much more natural compared to the 6XX... and are defying their V curve sounding more neutral to me for some odd reason...
I'd take this even over my Hifiman He400i lol. Was watching movies with those before but now I guess... these will suffice lol.
ALSO... I am now working with E-MU Systems Singapore helping them do some things. They're already gonna put in mmcx connectors in their EMU Walnut lol, and they've asked me to share information on my open mod. Let's see how that rolls lol.
@mbk99 @opethian @Nomad @
i hope E-MU Systems also launch something like that
Thank you for the detailed reply.
Those suggestions are excellent - i saw Z reviews of the Monoprice M560 and absolutely fell in love with them! But if I stretch my budget to $200, it would end up costing me round about 25K to my home. That's going a little too high at the moment. Plus I doubt they would blow my socks off unless I pick an Amp too.
I may in the future pick these headphones up if the need arises for me to 100% depend on the headphones. For now they are backup to be used for late night gaming/music sessions.
For my iPhone I'm currently using Sennheiser Momentum M2 iei so I'm pretty happy with them as well. Just wanted bigger cans for more enjoyment at times.
I saw a deal for Fiio A3 + M50x for $150. What do you think about that? Do you think they both will do well? I saw reviews of the A3 and M50x, both of them look good and for that price, I think I'm getting a good deal (would cost around 20K to reach my doorstep here).
Also, this maybe a stupid question, but do I need an Amp or a DAC if my PC is connected to Onkyo Home Theater [https://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-S56...BLGUKFC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8]? I understand the need for one with the phone but PC, I'm trying to figure out why we would need one?
Well yes that M50x deal looks good. The ATH are good headphones... quite nice, considering. The build is solid. Sound is good. Great for monitoring. Maybe some EQ to tone them down but great cans. So you could go for it I think. They don't benefit a lot from ampin but you could have it there for you, no issues.
Well for a PC you just need good source to connect to the HT. An amp is an AMPLIFIER. So for the HT, you sure don't need that. a DAC is a digital audio converter. Let's say, you laptop, PC, phone already has a DAC cuz that converts audio for your speakers and headphones. If you have a 5.1 on-board or addin card on your PC, look no further. Just hook it up to it and you'll be fine. The amp that you get with the ATH is only for the cans so, don't worry about the speaker/HT system at this moment.
Thanks for the quick response! You're really starting to clear things up for me now.
So focusing on the headphones themselves, as a normal user, are studio headphones good for me? I maybe wrong on this, but when I hear the word 'studio headphones' I feel they are similar to RAW DSLR photos where all colors are neutral and the editor then makes them alive. Here is an image of what I'm trying to say.
I'm worried that studio headphones (M50x in this case) will be too flat and boring because their purpose is to provide accurate note, and not richness of sound. I hope you get what I'm trying to say here... and I hope I maybe wrong in this assumption and studio headphones really are the way to go when it comes to audio.
I am itching on the M560 and may actually pick them up sometime later in the year once and if I get tired of the M50x lol. So my second question would be, is the Fiio A3 good enough for the M560 or would I need to change that too? What are your thoughts about this portable Amp?
As for the PC, my computer is connected to the Home theater via HDMI that goes out of the GTX 970. If I ever use the headphones with the PC, it would be connected to the home theater's headphone out port and not directly to the PC. But guessing from your answer, connecting them to my PC should be fine as well and therefore the HT should be more than enough.
Now for my final question...DAC, why would anyone need one if your phone and PC can already convert audio for you? Maybe I'm missing their purpose here. I understand Amps are needed for more juice but not sure about DACs - maybe it's my laziness but I think I can get this answer on youtube too if I bother looking lol - you can skip on answering this if you're lazy too
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If you want to buy locally then Edifier H850 are available for around 4k. Annosaad is selling Superlux HD668b for 5.5k. I think he'll reduce price to 5k if you ask him. These are the ones available locally. If you can order from Aliexpress then there are a lot more options.
Fiio A3 + M50x for $149 is a really good deal. But you first have to access what your primary usage for these headphones will be. If you want headphones for music M50x are good (depending on type of music you listen to). But if your primary usage will be gaming then M50x are not very suitable in my opinion as they have a really narrow soundstage.
M50x is FAR from flat. Many audiophiles actually criticize them for their V shaped sound signature (accentuated bass and treble with recessed mids). M50x are fun cans which provide plenty of bass and are detailed. They are actually not very suitable as studio monitors.
The more important question that you should ask yourself is that can you use open back headphones in your environment or do you NEED closed back headphones? If you need closed back headphones then forget about M560. They are great open back headphones but are not as good in their closed form.
I looked at amazon user reviews and homepage of Onkyousa to look at specs of headphone out port of your home theater system. I could not find any mention of headphones in the official specs sheet which is not a good sign. Speaker amplifiers and headphone amplifiers are different things and your home theater might have really powerful amplifier for speakers but that won't effect headphone output unless it has headphone amplifier.As for the PC, my computer is connected to the Home theater via HDMI that goes out of the GTX 970. If I ever use the headphones with the PC, it would be connected to the home theater's headphone out port and not directly to the PC. But guessing from your answer, connecting them to my PC should be fine as well and therefore the HT should be more than enough.
Now for my final question...DAC, why would anyone need one if your phone and PC can already convert audio for you? Maybe I'm missing their purpose here. I understand Amps are needed for more juice but not sure about DACs - maybe it's my laziness but I think I can get this answer on youtube too if I bother looking lol - you can skip on answering this if you're lazy too
Regarding your question about why we need special purpose DAC when phones and PC's already have built-in DAC. Well, the built-in ones are not of very good quality. They do their job, but can't compete with special purpose DACs which produce cleaner output. However, getting a DAC is not as important as getting a good AMP. So if you have budget for only DAC or an AMP, get AMP first. Or you can get a DAC+AMP combo.
Well, I haven't used HD202 personally, but I don't like their looks and I think the ones I have recommended (H850, HD668b) are higher quality headphones. You should watch some reviews of these headphones on youtube.
Superlux HD668b
Z Review - $50 Headphones Part 1 (Superlux668b+Monoprice8323) - YouTube
Z Review - Superlux 668 & 669 (AKA Samson SR950) - YouTube
The Best Headphones Under $50: Superlux 681 & Superlux 668B - YouTube
Edifier H850
Edifier H850 Hi-fi Over-Ear Monitor Audiophile Headphones Review - YouTube
thank you, i just had a look at written review, will watch the videos too, making my mind up for hd668b and while looking at the thread of [MENTION=14276]annosaad[/MENTION] i found this one too
http://www.pakgamers.com/forums/red...z-HM5-Studio-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B006MA9XXM
hm5, what do you say about this one? its for 7k, out of my budget but looked good, i may try for this if worth spending 2k extra for it
please let me know, thanks.
HM5 are great value for money ...
Check in same thread u might find something good ... HM5 are highly recommended if you can stretch ur budget that much
Sent from my OnePlus 3T
Check in same thread u might find something good ... HM5 are highly recommended if you can stretch ur budget that much
Sent from my OnePlus 3T
HM5 are extremely comfortable. They are better built than many other more expensive headphones.
In addition to comfort and build quality, another positive of HM5 is that they have pretty flat sound signature. But the same can be a negative as well if you want more bass. I actually found them a bit lacking in that regard.
Another positive is that for a closed back headphone they have good soundstage.
Although I would recommend you to negotiate with annosaad a bit and try to get HM5 for around 6k.
Thanks for the quick response! You're really starting to clear things up for me now.
Lol you're welcome. Na I was just busy somewhere. Thanks to Nomad for taking on very nicely. Couldn't have said better myself on that Onkyo or the M50x part.
So humbly adding to the matter, yeah I do believe myself that the HM5 can be boring and not fun, though they're good for more critical listening. And yeah the M50x is more fun so I think that's a good thing for Mephisto.
And yes... good you asked him. Open or Closed is a major game changer here, and he would have to know what exactly he needs the cans for really. At home or on the go will certainly have different choices. And even then, for gaming yes, open backs will work better but that's only good if he has much silence at home and no one is bothered by the noise leaking from the cans, otherwise, won't go well for or the people around him lol.
And yes... Like Nomad said, don't expect the HT to power ur headphones. To be honest, I dont expect any HT to have good juice for headphones, and I would recommend everyone to treat the HT separately and only for the speakers. I too believe the headphone out on that HT would be more like a pre-amp (like just a line-out powered kind of thing) and not much powerful. You may again have to route that via an Amp but that's tricky. It's just too complicated. Maybe there is power or some extra power in the HT, but HTs have a lot of noise floor. I remember some HT that I heard a few times, and the noise they had at the knob turned all down was very annoying. Plus, using a headphone amp and adding more power in the middle of the HT will add much more distortion to the cans so may as well avoid using an amp with the HT too.
In the end, just use the headphones out a headphone amp and just play it by the book and treat the HT and cans separately. Also, you can get an amp later so don't worry.
And yes I should add, the Monoprice 560 may not be a good performer as a closed back, but then again, you'll have to see if at all you can do an open back pair of cans. Cuz for all practical purposes, I recommend the M560 as an OPEN back and not to rely on it's attempted CLOSED BACK mechanism as its very challenging, the way Monoprice designed it, to actually use those planar magnets closed in such a small setting and get optimal sound. Again the closed vs. open discussion. I actually tried a closed back mod on my Hifiman. They went so neutral, and the bass... just DIED and the cans became shit.
I blamed everything on air. Because of the seal, there was no room or air. So I lost stage, I lost bass, and I lost naturalism. I realized I wouldn't even STAND closed back planars.
So if you can do open backs, I suggest you get a rather good pair of headphones the first time rather than climb the stairs like us (lol) and then get to the same place eventually. We have wasted a lot of time (and even more money) to get there. You can learn from us lol. Those Monoprice cans are worthy contenders and hit much, much higher than their retail price.
So are you confused yet? Lol. You should be. This is what audio is all about. So many options, choices... confusion, confusion. But do what seems most feasible to you. Anyhow, it's all subjective. You're looking at good stuff. I don't think you'll make a bad choice going either way.
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thank you, i have talked to him, 3m cable isn't available but the 1.5m so he's giving male to female 3.5mm separately in 6.5k with shipping to isb
flat signature sound means less bass or no bass at all
[MENTION=11778]DJ80[/MENTION]
what do u mean they can b boring
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By boring I mean they will have a balanced sound. Too balanced. So bass will be a lot less. Less impact. Less hit. EDM may sound empty and plain. I for one can't enjoy that. They may be an all rounder for critical listening but not for fun.
I had a an M-Audio HDHM50, same as an AKAI MPC 50. They were good... but flat. Too damn flat. The bass was crap I mean it was there, but 0 impact. So boring. If you're anywhere near EDM... you'll be tending towards at least an M50x. Just saying...
Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk
i do like bass but i guess i can live with a balanced bass, rest i am not an advanced user so i may not feel the difference that much.
Rest if u wanna suggest me any headphones in range of hm5 available locally or on pg, I'd gladly go for those. i even shared the link of headphones that annosaad has in store a few posts back.
I think [MENTION=2290]Nomad[/MENTION] should step in again... I couldn't recommend it personally, but if Nomad understands the sound better than I do, and the value for money, you could choose it. If that's what's available, cuz I'm currently unaware of the local market/availability/pricing.
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Chandoo:
170 + countries where Steam sells but PSN doesn't will lose access unless they use VPNfaraany3k said: -
Chandoo:
It has a worst rating on Steam than last years MW3 now. Jeese Sony, how can you fuck it up THIS BAD
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faraany3k:
I have heard that it is now unplayable in countries which do not support handful of third world countries not recognized by Sony like Pakistan. Steam is a true global platform.Then they cry that console gaming is dying. -
Necrokiller:
Gaben ki reach hai, PSN ki nahi hai. Gaben ain't stressing over publishers who rush to his store in the first place
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Chandoo:
saeen I don't think the PSN teams are stressing over needing to offer hundreds of thousands of refunds lol
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Necrokiller:
You reap what you sow. This is what happens when you take away choice from consumers. Even with 88% split going to developers, they can't recoup costs. Meanwhile, Helldivers 2 is a massive hit for Sony thanks in big part to Steam.iampasha said: -
iampasha:
Alan wake 2 is yet to recover it's development costs. Due to no physical release and no steam launch.
