General Headphone Thread

[AlvaroF]

I'm only starting to go down that rabbit hole. I'm working on modifying my HyperX Cloud Stingers beyond recognition because the mic broke. Also I'm looking to add some small-ish headphones to the collection, most likely the Koss Porta Pros, but I haven't conviced my self to spend the money yet. And then add an amp/dac. but we'll see in the next 3 months how stuff goes.

 

[Brett]

A Schiit Fulla 3 arrived in the mail today:

 

[ionstriker]

So I just ordered the Logitech g Pro X headphones. Still haven't received the headset as of this writing but I wanted to know, if I make certain changes to the EQ or any other settings through the software on a PC, save the changes, then connect to a PS4, will these settings still remain on the console?

 

[TB]

A Schiit Fulla 3

👍

 

[Brett]

👍

The computer recognizes the device as "I'm Fulla Schiit". I will have to grab a screenshot later.

 

[Brett]

The computer recognizes the device as "I'm Fulla Schiit". I will have to grab a screenshot later.

And here is the screenshot:

 

[Terronium-12]

So I just ordered the Logitech g Pro X headphones. Still haven't received the headset as of this writing but I wanted to know, if I make certain changes to the EQ or any other settings through the software on a PC, save the changes, then connect to a PS4, will these settings still remain on the console?

Unless there's onboard memory somewhere, no.

 

[MrCrynox]

I'm looking at buying some new headphones to replace my well used/worn out sennheiser HD201's. I wouldn't mind spending a bit more so does anyone have any suggestions ? It's just for playing games, (mainly racing games), budget wise upto £150.

I have my eye on a pair of Grado SR80e's at £83, does anyone have any experience of these ? One other thing to mention is that I don't want a mic, I don't play online or if I do, I don't want to speak to people !

Any suggestions would be welcome

 

[coryclifford]

Buy a Sennheiser 559. 👍

 

[AlvaroF]

You have a lot of option in that sub-150£ budget: Sennheiser HD559, as said above (the HD599 is a bit over budget), Audio-Technica M50x, Philips Fidelio X2hr, Beyerdynamic DT770 or DT990, but they usually require an amplifier. Now it's up to your preference on configuration to help you decide.

---------------------------

I've bought some new headphones! I've order the Koss Portapro, they sould arrive early next week, so excited!

 

[MrCrynox]

@coryclifford @AlvaroF thanks for your suggestions, if it helps I plug into an AV receiver, a Denon AVRX550. I've read the the sennheiser HD559 might be too bassy ? I certainly like a bit of bass especially because of playing car games, (like to feel the engine etc), but not if it's over powering..?

 

[AlvaroF]

@coryclifford @AlvaroF thanks for your suggestions, if it helps I plug into an AV receiver, a Denon AVRX550. I've read the the sennheiser HD559 might be too bassy ? I certainly like a bit of bass especially because of playing car games, (like to feel the engine etc), but not if it's over powering..?

I guess so, because it's somewhat of an amp, so it should drive the Beyerdynamics that are super power hungry. The others should be powered fine out of normal jack.

 

[Terronium-12]

I'm looking at buying some new headphones to replace my well used/worn out sennheiser HD201's. I wouldn't mind spending a bit more so does anyone have any suggestions ? It's just for playing games, (mainly racing games), budget wise upto £150.

I have my eye on a pair of Grado SR80e's at £83, does anyone have any experience of these ? One other thing to mention is that I don't want a mic, I don't play online or if I do, I don't want to speak to people !

Any suggestions would be welcome

Too many options in the price range. Other than what's already been mentioned by @coryclifford and @AlvaroF, you also have the HiFiMan HE4XX, Sennheiser HD58X Jubilee (both are Drop exclusives, though the HE4XX are on Amazon), Audio Technica ATH-AD 500X and 700X.

Then you have the Philips SHP9500. I'm inclined to say buy these because the bang for buck is out of this world stupid, but everything here is of value. You can spend a little bit more and pick up the HD6XX...

This is why I have a problem with headphones. Too many varieties and I'M NOT MADE OF MONEY.

 

[MrCrynox]

Too many options in the price range. Other than what's already been mentioned by @coryclifford and @AlvaroF, you also have the HiFiMan HE4XX, Sennheiser HD58X Jubilee (both are Drop exclusives, though the HE4XX are on Amazon), Audio Technica ATH-AD 500X and 700X.

Then you have the Philips SHP9500. I'm inclined to say buy these because the bang for buck is out of this world stupid, but everything here is of value. You can spend a little bit more and pick up the HD6XX...

This is why I have a problem with headphones. Too many varieties and I'M NOT MADE OF MONEY.

Based on the info given by @AlvaroF & @coryclifford I spent a couple of days reading many reviews, opinions and lots of info. I ended up with a shortlist of three:

Beyerdynamic Custom Studio

Sennheiser HD599

Phillips Fidelio X2HR

I've ordered the Custom Studio as I like the idea of adjustable bass levels & currently a good price on Amazon of £148 so within my budget.

I'm also close to buying a pair of Sen HD599 as they are around £120-£130 on eBay. I understand that these will sound different being open backed, I'm so curious to compare the two.

Thanks guys.

 

[Brett]

I have the Philips X2HR that I recently paired with the Schiit Fulla 3. I would guess the Philips SHP9500 are pretty nice also and are $62ish on Amazon.

 

[Terronium-12]

The X2's were, and still are, on my list, and since they're so much cheaper now (I remember they were ~$300 at one point) I can just pick them up and focus on other cans to add to the collection.

Oh my god, I have a problem. No, I don't want your help.

Put down that phone.

 

[MrCrynox]

I have the Philips X2HR that I recently paired with the Schiit Fulla 3. I would guess the Philips SHP9500 are pretty nice also and are $62ish on Amazon.

What do you think of the X2 ?
What do you listen to/play ?

 

[coryclifford]

In all honesty, Sennheiser HD600, and an amp of your choice, you're done for life.

Been down the rabbit hole for a long, long fall.

 

[AlvaroF]

I don't have the cash to splash on such hobby yet, but I would love to have the Sennheiser HD6XX connected to a valve amp for a warm sound with the open back sound stage

 

[Brett]

The X2's were, and still are, on my list, and since they're so much cheaper now (I remember they were ~$300 at one point) I can just pick them up and focus on other cans to add to the collection.

Oh my god, I have a problem. No, I don't want your help.

Put down that phone.

What do you think of the X2 ?
What do you listen to/play ?

I like the X2s quite a bit so far. I have only listened to a little Beastie Boys and Led Zeppelin with them so far and only played Modern Warfare with them. The purchase was somewhat impulsive because I knew the headphones were good, would be an upgrade from what I had, and the price was right for me to pull the trigger on them, especially since I was able to pick up a V-Moda BoomPro microphone to go with them.

 

[VFOURMAX1]

Sennheiser fanboy here. One thing you will notice is I prefer the open back design over a closed back design. The only closed back design headset I own is my Sound Blaster X pro gaming h7 tournament edition set which I use for gaming only.

Have a set of,
very ancient hd518's
hd6xx's from Drop (formally Mass Drop)
hd700's

The HD518's are pretty much great with anything and require the least amount of power to run at good listening volumes due to their 50 ohm impedance. These to me were a very good entry level level headset. This is the set I grab if I just want to plug into the computer onboard sound and not use an amp.

The HD 6XX is a good affordable entry into a lower mid range headset. Produced in partnership with Sennheiser these are basically a more affordable version of their HD650's which many consider to be one of the best headsets on the market for bang per buck cost wise. Due to their 300 ohm impedance rating these cans do benefit and really need an amp to shine and get to higher listening levels. I do have these running a balanced input cable. I like the headset and for the dollars spent you will be hard pressed to do better.

The HD700's were my entry into upper mid range levels and this set hit the spot for me and checks all the boxes I was searching for. The HD 700's were initially offered at a 1000.00 price point but after some time became available on the market at a sub 500.00 price point which is where I jumped in. These cans at 150 ohms impedance can be used without an amp. These I do also have set up using a balanced input cable.

Personally I find though that a good amp really makes these cans shine. Reviews for these were all over the board with many saying the treble was harsh but they had a great soundstage. Personally I like everything about the headphones and I see no need to keep buying when these satisfy my wants and desires and give me total enjoyment. These headphones have been discontinued and are no longer offered and have been replaced with the 8-- series.

I currently run a Schitt DAC and Amp. I like their products and quality and for the money I think they offer a good value.
DAC is a Gungnir multibit and Amp is a Mjolner 2 tube amp. I do use these taking advantage of the balanced inputs and outputs and find using the low gain settings will easily surpass the listening volume I prefer or use.

I listen to mainly Blues, Southern and Classic Rock and my choices in gear work extremely well for me and personally all are end game and I no longer feel a need to chase further down the rabbit hole. Everyone's ears are different and really you need to listen to a product to see if it fits your desires and/or wants.

Below are some examples of music I prefer these days.

 

[Greycap]

I've bought some new headphones! I've order the Koss Portapro, they sould arrive early next week, so excited!

It'll be interesting to hear a new user's opinion about the old zombie model - it just refuses to die! Nearly forty years with the same design... not the best headphones out there of course, being so extremely affordable, but you can't get much more good sound per dollar/euro than what the Porta Pro delivers. At one point it seemed that everyone had a pair, my working team of four people had three of them. Or actually four, because I have two sets.

 

[AlvaroF]

It'll be interesting to hear a new user's opinion about the old zombie model - it just refuses to die! Nearly forty years with the same design... not the best headphones out there of course, being so extremely affordable, but you can't get much more good sound per dollar/euro than what the Porta Pro delivers. At one point it seemed that everyone had a pair, my working team of four people had three of them. Or actually four, because I have two sets.

Me too, I'll be testing them this friday and I also ordered some YAXI pads because most Koss users say it's a must have upgrade. These are getting into fashion again, more and more, they say price to performance is steller and since I needed somtehing to replace my AKG Y40's, well, let's see what the fuss is about! I'll have you know my thoughts

 

[AlvaroF]

Little bump.

After a week on the Porta Pros and they're brilliant. By far the most detailed headphone I've had. I was very surprised to see that they were very warm sounding, as I expected them to be neutral. The only thing that left me slightly disappointed was the treble, it rolled off too soon. I noticed it on Oblivion by Mastodon, where the intro sounded a bit to dissonant because the high pitch of the guitars wasn't properly displayed. Since I listen mainly to metal drums are amazing fun to listen because it feels like an unrelentless wall of sound coming from everywhere. I love the imaging and separation that I get on these.

And there's another thing I love about them: nobody expects what they're capable of. People always end up saying "wtf? No way..." I immediately converted my brother to buy a pair of these.

Now, this week I recieved the Yaxi Pads on the mail. I changed the pads and they actually changed the sound more than I expected. Treble improved a bit, atenuated some of the lower frequencies and comfort improved ten-fold,but kept the mids as clean as ever.

I paid 38€ for the headphones and ~11€ for the pads. For around 50€ this must be some of the best value propositions out there. And it's possible to get the combo for even cheaper.

 

[kikie]

Did anyone try the Nuraphone? Looks very promising.

https://www.nuraphone.com/

 

[Rallywagon]

I have the Philips X2HR that I recently paired with the Schiit Fulla 3. I would guess the Philips SHP9500 are pretty nice also and are $62ish on Amazon.

What do you think of the fulla 3? I am looking at getting a DAC to use for my gaming PC. I have it narrowed down to either the Fulla 3 or the Sound Blaster X3. I have DTS Headphone X installed on my PC, so I was thinking the Fulla would be a better option, as it's that much cheaper. That said, do you use it for gaming? How does it sound? Most importantly, does it do mic pass through to the headset without delay? This honestly is the main reason I am looking into a gaming DAC. I am sick of waking up my son because I talk so loud. I mean, I am loud as a general rule, but when I cant hear my own voice with headphones on. Well, I am not sure my wife will put up with me waking our son up during late night gaming session for much longer.

 

[Brett]

What do you think of the fulla 3? I am looking at getting a DAC to use for my gaming PC. I have it narrowed down to either the Fulla 3 or the Sound Blaster X3. I have DTS Headphone X installed on my PC, so I was thinking the Fulla would be a better option, as it's that much cheaper. That said, do you use it for gaming? How does it sound? Most importantly, does it do mic pass through to the headset without delay? This honestly is the main reason I am looking into a gaming DAC. I am sick of waking up my son because I talk so loud. I mean, I am loud as a general rule, but when I cant hear my own voice with headphones on. Well, I am not sure my wife will put up with me waking our son up during late night gaming session for much longer.

First off, I have not been happy with Discord and my own incompetence since getting the Fulla 3. Discord messes with the volume mixer and fails to reset correctly, which is incredibly annoying when I cannot hear the people I am playing with because it has basically muted itself. I have also clicked the mute on my VModa Boom Pro multiple times, failed to notice, had to troubleshoot a really simple problem, and failed to recognize my simple mistake. I have also had a few other weird issues, but I believe they were a combination of me looking at the wrong place to troubleshoot and a Windows update.

Now that I am past complaining about my issues with Discord and my own ineptitude, I have been happy with the Fulla 3, use it for gaming, and it has served the purposes I have wanted it to serve. It has installed drivers itself multiple times after trying to troubleshoot the wrong problem by uninstalling the drivers, which was convenient. After adjusting the boost on the mic, the VModa sounds pretty good. The volume control knob is super slick looking. After getting it set to a good volume, I have not really touched it and mostly just adjust with the wheel on the VModa if I need to decrease the volume slightly. I am happy with the purchase and the ability to push the X2HRs more than the motherboard is very nice.

When it comes to the mic, I am looking more into going to a separate mic from the VModa and would no longer make use of the Fulla 3 for that. My reason for that is the VModa is not working as well as I would like. It works, but I think a separate one on an arm in front of my face would be better.

When you are talking about mic pass through, are you talking about having Windows set to repeat your voice in the headphones?

Lastly, I should have prefaced all of this with I am not necessarily the best person to talk to when it comes to audio stuff. I have done just enough research to be dangerous, but not enough to be any kind of authority on the matter.

 

[Rallywagon]

First off, I have not been happy with Discord and my own incompetence since getting the Fulla 3. Discord messes with the volume mixer and fails to reset correctly, which is incredibly annoying when I cannot hear the people I am playing with because it has basically muted itself. I have also clicked the mute on my VModa Boom Pro multiple times, failed to notice, had to troubleshoot a really simple problem, and failed to recognize my simple mistake. I have also had a few other weird issues, but I believe they were a combination of me looking at the wrong place to troubleshoot and a Windows update.

Now that I am past complaining about my issues with Discord and my own ineptitude, I have been happy with the Fulla 3, use it for gaming, and it has served the purposes I have wanted it to serve. It has installed drivers itself multiple times after trying to troubleshoot the wrong problem by uninstalling the drivers, which was convenient. After adjusting the boost on the mic, the VModa sounds pretty good. The volume control knob is super slick looking. After getting it set to a good volume, I have not really touched it and mostly just adjust with the wheel on the VModa if I need to decrease the volume slightly. I am happy with the purchase and the ability to push the X2HRs more than the motherboard is very nice.

When it comes to the mic, I am looking more into going to a separate mic from the VModa and would no longer make use of the Fulla 3 for that. My reason for that is the VModa is not working as well as I would like. It works, but I think a separate one on an arm in front of my face would be better.

When you are talking about mic pass through, are you talking about having Windows set to repeat your voice in the headphones?

Lastly, I should have prefaced all of this with I am not necessarily the best person to talk to when it comes to audio stuff. I have done just enough research to be dangerous, but not enough to be any kind of authority on the matter.

Yeah, in the mic properties you can set it the listen mode.which passes through to the headphones. At least, there is a half second delay, at worse, and more typical, I get a near second lag and a another second later an echo. I am hoping to find a DAC that does a hardware pass through like the DAC for the Tritton 720s I had did.

 

[Brett]

Yeah, in the mic properties you can set it the listen mode.which passes through to the headphones. At least, there is a half second delay, at worse, and more typical, I get a near second lag and a another second later an echo. I am hoping to find a DAC that does a hardware pass through like the DAC for the Tritton 720s I had did.

I believe there is a delay. How much? I have no idea. I have only used that to set the volume level on the mic to eliminate static. Listening to myself is not something I like to do. I would also have no idea how to go about reducing it within software either.

 

[Rallywagon]

To be fair. Its not so I can listen to myself. It's so I modulate my volume. When you have headphone on, you tend to talk much louder because you cant hear your voice as well. This is a problem when I am racing or playing an FPS, or really any game where I am playing and talking to others. My son's room is right off our living room. I have woken him up a time or 3 or 10, much to my wife's chagrin because of it. I mean, the better sound is definitely a plus, dont get me wrong. But hearing myself in my head as I should is the most important part. I think I may go with the x3 or maybe the astro premix.