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My HD-555 just broke and I'm two weeks past the 2 year warranty =/
I have no idea how much it will cost to fix it, and I was going to get new ones anyway, giving my 555 to someone else.
I don't know much about headphones, etc so I need your advice.
I loved how the 555 sounded (I used some crappy $10 in-ear headphone before) and I'm looking to either upgrade to 595 or above, and not just limited to Sennheiser. I also read some nice reviews on in-ear headphones (by Shure). I don't know what to get out of the circumaural or in-ear ones.
Are in-ear headphones comparable to circumaural ones? Also,are headphone amplifiers necessary? I don't understand the concept of one, but I heard they are good for something.
Thanks.
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I'm not really an expert on the subject, but this (headphones.com.au) is an Australian headphone shop/site with lots of reviews/recommendations etc. that might be worth taking a look at. I don't think they do international shipping, but regardless there's a wealth of information there. For example, about your amp question, they've posted a blog post about it here.
Personally my next pair will probably be Audio Technica ATH-AD700. :>
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Those lasted you 2 years!? Either you are really good to your headphones or their durability is incredible. I've never had a headset last more than 8 months.
Anyways, if you are interested in a competitor to the 555's, check out the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700. I have heard great things about these headphones (except the way they look) and they are worth checking out.
edit: lol, ninja'd
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On February 15 2009 03:13 Fr33t wrote:Those lasted you 2 years!? Either you are really good to your headphones or their durability is incredible. I've never had a headset last more than 8 months. Anyways, if you are interested in a competitor to the 555's, check out the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700. I have heard great things about these headphones (except the way they look) and they are worth checking out. edit: lol, ninja'd
Yeah this one only broke because my fingers slipped and dropped. Only about 3/4 of a meter though, and on carpet. Man headphones are fragile.
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See if you can get HD 580's or 600's used on ebay. They were the old professional line of Sennheiser cans and are absolutely awesome. I love my 580's.
Also, do you have an amp? If you're just plugging into your sound card you won't want to spend very much and should try to get a pair that sound decently unamped. It's not really worth it to get a decent set if your source is unamplified.
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On February 15 2009 03:36 Ingenol wrote:
See if you can get HD 580's or 600's used on ebay. They were the old professional line of Sennheiser cans and are absolutely awesome. I love my 580's.
Also, do you have an amp? If you're just plugging into your sound card you won't want to spend very much and should try to get a pair that sound decently unamped. It's not really worth it to get a decent set if your source is unamplified.
Do you have any recommendations for a headphone amp?
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my pc151s lasted over a year and i drop and stomp on them almost every day , i also accidentally yank on the cord all the time as im walking away, they are still going strong
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I've been using UltimateEars Super.fi 5 Pro for about 2 or more years now.
Let me tell you... they are the most wonderful things I have ever heard. I have used many different types of headphones, and these are just above and beyond any others I've ever heard in my life. I use them every single day to my delight, and every time I marvel at how much I can hear in songs.
I don't know what your price range is, as these are expensive, but if you can afford them I strongly recommend you get them. They are freaking amazing.
http://www.ultimateears.com/_ultimateears/store/products/superfi5pro.php
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You should really go to www.head-fi.org and read up about all the different headphones for the different price segments.
Yes, it's alot of work. But it's well worth the time invested.
An advice : don't rush it. I know sometimes you read a review and you're like damn, that's exactly what I want, and then later or after you buy it there'll be people with negative experiences and you'll feel buyers remorse.
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grado sr 325i is really good
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Finally, good headphone suggestions in a headphone thread. So tired of people randomly popping in and saying how good their Bose or Skullcandies are to them.
Right now I use AKG K240S', but I got them for a great price and I needed studio headphones. They've lasted me for about 7 months now with almost no wear and I wear them outside all the time, so they're durability is good. For being big as hell, they're comfortable enough to sleep in. I like it for the good midtones and good treble (I play electric violin over them), but at this point I'm talkin outta my ass.
For my headphone amp, I just use an M-Audio mobile pre to smooth out any shrill notes that get through my computer. I have both a Razer Barracuda AC-1 and the mobile pre as sound cards and they both put out decent sound, but the Barracuda is pretty bass heavy so I use it only for FPS gaming, but I got it for free. I can't see myself burning so much money on something so unnecessary. I got the mobile-pre cause I really needed the recording jacks for my computer.
Anyways, you can't go wrong with the most popular Sennheiser, Audio Technicas, or AKGs, but you probably already knew that :[
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51513 Posts
On February 15 2009 03:13 theKnife wrote:I'm not really an expert on the subject, but this (headphones.com.au) is an Australian headphone shop/site with lots of reviews/recommendations etc. that might be worth taking a look at. I don't think they do international shipping, but regardless there's a wealth of information there. For example, about your amp question, they've posted a blog post about it here. Personally my next pair will probably be Audio Technica ATH-AD700. :>
I got a DT234 from there in September and my mic started acting up on me about 3 weeks ago.
Not happy 
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Huh, that's unlucky. I have 4 year old HD555s that I've thrown across a room and dropped numerous times that still haven't broken. If anything, I think they are some of the most indestructible headphones out there. I would recommend the same ones again. Anything beyond HD555s enters the dangerous world of hi-fi audio, one you and your bank account don't want to be in. I have Shure E3Cs for in-ear headphones which sound really, really great but I had to stop using them with my ipod because they block out EVERYTHING around you. Seriously. I'd be walking to campus and not hear cars whizzing past me or people yelling my name. They sound great, but they completely isolate you.
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On February 15 2009 04:17 Wala.Revolution wrote:
Do you have any recommendations for a headphone amp?
I'd try to get something cheap on eBay. Generally new ones are pretty expensive (just like all audio stuff, sadly). You can also build your own (google "altoid headphone amp") pretty easily and cheaply, or there are a lot of people on various forums, head-fi and otherwise, who will build one for you for <$100.
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United States22883 Posts
On February 15 2009 05:05 -orb- wrote:I've been using UltimateEars Super.fi 5 Pro for about 2 or more years now. Let me tell you... they are the most wonderful things I have ever heard. I have used many different types of headphones, and these are just above and beyond any others I've ever heard in my life. I use them every single day to my delight, and every time I marvel at how much I can hear in songs. I don't know what your price range is, as these are expensive, but if you can afford them I strongly recommend you get them. They are freaking amazing. http://www.ultimateears.com/_ultimateears/store/products/superfi5pro.php
Mine broke fairly easily. I actually like my v-moda earbuds for my mp3 player more.
For a set of cans, by far the two best I've owned are Audio Technica ATHM40FS and Sennheiser HD-280 Pro. I'd probably give a nod to my current HD-280s because these things are nearly indestructible.
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Amp: Harmony 'Ear 90'.
Headphones: Senn 650.
What's REALLY strange though is that my 2.1 speaker setup, the Harman Kardon "Sound Sticks II" sounds better. They're incredible - like, by far the best you can get sub 1k or even more tbh.
Don't get me wrong, the Senn 650's pack a spectacular sound, especially amped and re-corded, but WOW the soundsticks are good. I used to wear headphones pretty much all the time spent in front of the comp, but umm - listening to something in the Senn's is like watching this awesome HD wildlife documentary whereas the soundsticks actually take you "there" - you draw a deep breath, rub your ears and almost can't believe the experience.
Won't turn this into a headphones vs. speakers thread though - headphones obviously have their uses - however i think i'll recommend getting a pair of used Senn 600's as previously suggested and look at a 2.1 speaker system aswell (and/or amp if you lack one) if your living situation permits it.
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EPT
