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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 01 May 2019, 21:30 
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I don't use headphones at home much but I do at work. I bought Audioquest Nightowl Carbons because they sound very good for the money, they are perhaps the most comfortable headphones to listen all day, and they are closed back design (good for not distracting others at work). I also own Audioquest Nighhawk Carbons which are semi-open back. The obvious applies to these, open back has better staging and the closed back has tighter bass.

I use my iPhone 256GB as my portable transport. I have my CD rips and HD downloads (up to 24bit 192kHz) all in ALAC (Apple version of FLAC). I also use Tidal for streaming (Hi-Fi subscription for lossless files). I initially bought Audioquest DragonFly Red for DAC. Later I upgraded to McIntosh MHA50 DAC. What a night and day difference. MHA50 absolutely slaughters DragonFly Red. Dead quiet noise floor and very tight bass.

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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 01 May 2019, 22:22 
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I might be cheap on my headphones but I really like my Monoprice ones which they don't sell anymore it seems. They have been the best ones I've had.
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 05 May 2019, 17:49 
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My vote: Sennheiser HD 380 Pro. I can't say I have the best ears - but to me the Senn's create a sound stage that is amazing for both music and movies.
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 05 Sep 2019, 14:37 
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i've had these for over a decade now, 1972 PIONEER SE-305;

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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 05 Sep 2019, 22:02 
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Real nice Tasuke, can't get more complete than that!. I'm partial to classic headphones as well. Keep it simple. Good sound is good sound. By the way, how is the sound on them and what else have you heard to compare them to?
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 06 Sep 2019, 00:46 
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We are a pretty f***ed up forum, aren’t we?
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 17 Sep 2019, 17:16 
Young Padawan
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I found a good deal on these McIntosh MPH 1000 headphones. I am going to need a week to break them in before I can do any critical listening. I have a pair of AudioQuest NightHawk Carbon and NightOwl Carbon headphones. Also McIntosh MHA50 and AudioQuest DragonFly Red headphone amps. I am going to write a nice review and comparison of these in a couple of weeks.


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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 17 Sep 2019, 18:27 
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Very nice. Those are some very high-end cans. Congrats on the purchase and look forward to hearing about your comparison and review.
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 17 Sep 2019, 20:10 
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invenio wrote:
Very nice. Those are some very high-end cans. Congrats on the purchase and look forward to hearing about your comparison and review.



Thanks. From what I can find out the drivers are german made beyerdynamics teslas. The can and band is also heavily influenced from Beyerdynamic t1s. They definitely sound different than typical Beyerdynamic headphones. It is too early to tell without a proper brake in but they have much better staging than the AudioQuests. AudioQuests sound good but the sound is in your ears whereas in Macs they are in your head and ahead of you. AudioQuest NightOwls have more bass but I anticipate Macs will match them once broken in.
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 17 Sep 2019, 21:37 
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I'm sure they will sound great once broken in. Considering the price difference, they should outperform the AudioQuests by a fair margin. Very nice.

Have you looked at Schiit Audio's headphone lineup? They specialize in high quality but reasonably priced hardware. I use one of their headphone DAC/amp combo's at work but I'm more of a speaker guy and not so much headphone oriented. Nothing on the level of the McIntosh cans, just some lower tier Grado's.
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 18 Sep 2019, 14:38 
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forper wrote:
Real nice Tasuke, can't get more complete than that!. I'm partial to classic headphones as well. Keep it simple. Good sound is good sound. By the way, how is the sound on them and what else have you heard to compare them to?



i've also some modern reproduction AKG K-340s, and both sound great...
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 15 Feb 2020, 11:51 
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I've been using a pair of Ultrasone Edition 11 for a couple of months now.

Just to listen in comfort/relax the Edition 11 is great. Prior to those i was running Sennheiser HD-600 since 2004; whilst they were an excellent headphone I always missed the low end with some music (they're great for classical/synth-pop type music). Ultrasone encompass pretty much everything.

HD-600 sounds hyped a little in comparison if I think about it now (sold them a few months back).
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 05 Apr 2020, 20:37 
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Fellow headphone sad act here! :wave:

One of my absolute favourites right now is the Sony WH-1000XM3. I got them at launch in silver (why do people buy boring black all the time when there are colourful options?) and I use them pretty much daily.

For the commute they cancel out train noise. For work, they shut eejits out so I can work in peace. For the home, they connect to the soundbar so I can watch films late night and not disturb the wife and little ones. For music, they pair beautifully with my Pioneer XDP-300R DAP, especially for Hi Res, Atmos and 360 Audio stuff.

They are the most versatile and some of the best sounding cans I've ever owned. I love them.

Another favourite I keep at work are a pair of KOSS Portapro's. Iconic design, dirt cheap and a whopper sound from them, especially if you chuck 'em in to a headphone amp they absolutely SING! You know the best thing about them though? The KOSS lifetime guarantee.

Over time, the pads disintegrate so you need new ones. I've emailed KOSS twice now in the years I've owned these. Please can I have some replacement pads? No quibbles at all from them. Free shipping, direct from the USA. Exceptional customer service.

Legendary earphones that I will NEVER get rid of. They are that good and they are backed up with an amazing warranty. LOVE these.

Others in my collection include Sennheiiser HD598's in cream and walnut. These sound so good I can't bring myself to part with them. I have to use them sparingly though as they are open cups. I had a set of Grado's a few years back. Wish I kept them to couple with these. I'm semi-looking for a pair of Grado's...

Next is a pair of AKG 510's. They're like satellite dishes on your ears but they weigh very little yet sound absolutely substantial as heck! I really should wear them more than I do as the sound from these is absolutely BIBLICAL.

I have some Shure e3c and e4c IEM's. Never bothered to upgrade them because IMHO these were made when Shure IEM's were top dog only to perhaps Etymotic. Again, I should use them more often but I won't part with them, they are beautiful IEM's and both sound different enough to keep.

For running I use Aftershokz Titanium. Crap sound but they are perfect for long runs or those long 16 to 18 mile marathon training runs. Stick on an audiobook or podcast and enjoy while still being able to hear everything around you. Safety first!

I have a set of Jaybird Tarah Pro's too. These are alright but I stopped using them for marathon training as my ears sweat like f**king BATHROOM TAPS and you end up forever twisting them about to reseat them. It gets on your t**s so I went for the Aftershokz and keep the Jaybirds for 10km or shorter runs, or Summer railway and/or running commutes.

I have the Jabra Elite 65 thingies. They're alright but feel uncomfortable after a while. Again, more for Summer use on the railway commute. Nice sound from these though, if only they were more comfortable for prolonged use.

Toying with getting a pair of Campfire Audio Polaris II's or perhaps the Andromeda's but I dunno, are they snake oil?

Failing that, the next pair I'd go for would be the WH-1000XM4's, but only IF they are a significant improvement on the XM3's. Which I doubt will happen because they are astonishingly good cans.

I'm probably more in the market for another headphone amp if anything these days as my one at work is knackered.

EDIT: Forgot to add two other pairs of cans in my collection. A set of AKG 518 LE's. I upgraded these to velour pads. The sound is nice from them, but you have to be one of The Borrower's in order to wear them as the headband is tiny! I live with it, even though I look like an idiot wearing them because they sound great.

Also have a set of Ultimate Ears cans. I forget what model they are but they sound whopper and I've kept them for years. They're white with a blue cord if that helps anyone ID them.
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 19 Sep 2021, 12:17 
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I would stay away from wireless headphones unless sound quality is not at all important to you. Bluetooth still can't do even CD quality transmission (much less the higher quality data streams that are now common with streaming services).
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 19 Sep 2021, 18:00 
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That’s not true. Sony has had HD wireless for years and I’m pretty sure even Beats do it now.

I stay away from wireless because I hate pairing stuff, charging batteries, updating firmware, or anything digital whatsoever in what should be a straightforward connection. If I can “pair” it with a cable it works every time and faster than anything. I refuse to give up one annoyance (a cable) while picking up four more. That kind of crap accumulates in ones life and you end up wasting ages on it. It’s all great when it’s brand new and working perfectly but when something goes wrong it drives me NUTS.
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 19 Sep 2021, 20:31 
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Correct me if I am wrong but I thought bluetooth protocols reduce lossless CD PCM to lower bitrates for transmission? I thought 1,411-kilobits-per-second data rate of CD is above bluetooth spec in real world conditions. And I am sure that it certainly does not have the capability for a 9..2 MB/sec transmission of 24 bit/192khz audio that the "high def" audio services now offer. Perhaps I am wrong and welcome an education.

The other issue is that you need a DAC in the headphone. Using cheap DACs in these headphones will also limit the audio quality considerably compared to a dedicated external DAC.

Not knocking bluetooth headphones. Clearly the convenience of not having a wire is substantial, but I think the vast majority of serious listeners are using corded headphones.
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 19 Sep 2021, 23:32 
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mainly using a monoprice cheapie https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=8324 and a random Sony ear buds. I would like a more expensive one than Monoprice but its been robust and nice to use so far. Had to replace my older Monoprice ones that just worn out and they didn't have anymore. I don't know what I want exactly other than old style wired headphones and not terribly expensive.
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 20 Sep 2021, 01:04 
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invenio wrote:
Correct me if I am wrong but I thought bluetooth protocols reduce lossless CD PCM to lower bitrates for transmission? I thought 1,411-kilobits-per-second data rate of CD is above bluetooth spec in real world conditions. And I am sure that it certainly does not have the capability for a 9..2 MB/sec transmission of 24 bit/192khz audio that the "high def" audio services now offer. Perhaps I am wrong and welcome an education.

The other issue is that you need a DAC in the headphone. Using cheap DACs in these headphones will also limit the audio quality considerably compared to a dedicated external DAC.

Not knocking bluetooth headphones. Clearly the convenience of not having a wire is substantial, but I think the vast majority of serious listeners are using corded headphones.


You are correct. All wireless headphones apply a compression to reduce the data rates. The most standard BT uses AAC compression but later so called “HD” BT or aptX etc.. use higher bit rates but still far from the lossless CD quality bitrates. Anything beyond 16bit 44.1kHz is not even in the possibilities in the near future.

You are also correct on the DACs. Any digital signal needs to be converted to analog before the physical drivers. On wireless headphones, this obviously happens in the headphones themselves. Furthermore, you need amplification after the DACs. This also happens in the headphones if wireless. You are unlikely to find good DACs and headphones amplification inside those tiny circuits in the headphones.

Short answer, if you want good sound good quality, plug the s**t in.
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 20 Sep 2021, 09:43 
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Zeta wheres that old thread where someone was trying to convice us his headphones would be able to decode AC-3RF?
That was a good and im sure we all agree would like a set.
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 Post subject: Re: Headphones
PostPosted: 20 Sep 2021, 13:04 
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substance wrote:
if you want good sound good quality, plug the s**t in.


That was my understanding as well and a great summation of the answer! :)
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