On August 05 2012 06:35 Djzapz wrote: Strongly considering upgrading my Sennheiser HD650 to HD800 (or maybe Audeze LCD2's).
A friend brought his HD800 over to my place for me to listen to with my own DAC and amp. Wow do they make a world of difference - which I guess you'd expect it, for 3-4x the price. I won't even bother trying to describe the sound with bullshit terms, plus I'm not qualified to do so - the HD800 just sounds even more awesome.
They make most of the low bitrate stuff sound like absolutely garbage, which is a downside I'm willing to accept. With them I've been able to do much (much) better with double blinds when comparing FLACs to 256-320kbps. They weren't kidding when they said those aren't forgiving. No bullshit, I love that.
-> My current stuff, because it looks pretty
(Also that's Jaedong's autograph above my Samsung monitor, one of my most prized possessions )
¨
How much of a difference would you say the HD800s make in the double blinds test? In percentages right/wrong? I guess the overall sound improves too much to say anything about the "audio quality difference). And do you have a common source from where the formats (converted with LAME etc)?
Im only asking because Im starting to rebuild my library from scratch and i havent decided if im gonna get it in FLAC, 320 or v0 (~245). It would be a bitch to rebuilding my entire library yet another again in four or so years, just because I've skimped on the format. Now I dont have the phones to discern it, but im looking to get something in the pricerange of the HD800s (or build my own) some time in the future. (When i finish my studies and get a better job, whenever that is). Then again you can fit over three times as much music on your HD with v0.
Nice autograph btw
Well before I start I want to say that even though I have a pretty good set of gear going on, I have trouble calling myself an audiophile because I'm not really analytic or whatever. I just like good sound and I did double blind tests essentially just for fun. My ears are not trained - I'm as amateur-ish as can be.
To do my double blinds, I take FLAC files and I used "Audiochecker" to see if they're healthy, and then I use LAME in Audacity to convert them to mp3 in various bitrates. I use foobar2000 with ABX comparator to perform the double blind test itself. I also try to pick fairly "active" parts of the songs I'm trying out, so my success rates could be lower if I didn't do that. So keep all that in mind! My sample size is about 10-15 tries per song (and sometimes more when I was doing well ;P).
With my HD650, I'd say I had a 60%-ish overall success rate in double blinds with various music from FLAC to 256/320kbps. It was higher with electronic music and well recorded metal music (around 70-75%), and basically 50% (so chance) with classical, pop and some random stuff I happen to have.
With the HD800, I got 75%-ish overall success rate with everything, and up to 90% on some songs (ex: Deadmau5 - Brazil). Same as before, I perceive the difference more easily with electro and metal. The difference is mostly recognizable when there's a lot of stuff going on. Even with the HD800's, there are some songs which are presumably recorded professionally, but I really couldn't hear the difference, even from 192kbps to FLAC (ex: Coldplay - Yellow).
Hmmm. That seem like a legit way to check it.. It definitely gave me something to think about, even though getting the cash for such a set up is a long ways away. Anyway, thanks for your response!
You're welcome! I suggest that you read professional reviews from people who know more about this than I do, of course. And if you can find a way to try the headphones, that's also good.
As you know it's not a small purchase, and I don't know how to say this but essentially my mother would probably prefer Beats headphones over the Sennheiser HD800. The HD800 is objectively more accurate but listening is all subjective of course, and the enjoyment you get out of $1600 headphones may not be worth $1600 to you.
Edit: But then again I don't know you so perhaps you already know what you're about. ^^
Yeah I know. It's a hard process, but Im postponing it to the future. My "audio fidelity level" is now on phones between $200-300. I dont dare to listen to cans that are way better, because that would lead me to wanting them and put me down a hefty sum which I cant really afford.
I doubt I would like Beats or anything of the sort. Clarity/resolution is most important to me, not "fullness"
Ive got a pair of Shure 840's and they came with noise cancelling earcups. I was wondering how easy it is to switch out the earcups for a pair that isnt soundproof? The reason i want to be able to switch easily is so that i can use these headphones with a mic, its really hard to talk with noise cancelling headphones on.
Hey guys I have a few questions about buying earbuds. I currently listen to music almost all day at work via Spotify with apple stock headphones. Given that Spotify doesn't have the greatest sound quality (~320kb/s), is it worth buying new earbuds? I have no objection to buying ~$150 but only if I'll get some benefit out of it.
If I did, what would you recommend? I'm looking mainly for comfort for wearing for a few hours. I honestly don't know how great the sound quality needs to be (know nothing about headphones). Three I were considering are Klipsch IMAGE S4, Bose IE2, or Shure SE215 K. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
edit: Also while I understand over the ear headphones are probably (defiantly?) better sound quality, I'd still prefer staying with earbuds. Sorry.
I cant speak for everyone, but i can speak for myself;
I remember when i started caring about sound. It was kinda random, it was arbitrarily decided by type, product, source and mood. The reason i started caring about it was because i thought the apple buds were really shitty. I messed around with some cheap buds for a while and enjoyed it, until i tried the Sennheisser CX300. They were $~50 and sounded really neat. In Norway you have a 2 year unlimited warranty, so i think i bought 4 pairs or so. I still think they play well. But if you want some good in-ear buds I would spend more to improve the overall quality. Now I use Shure SE425's and they are really good. They are accurate, pure and precise. Their noise reduction is also amazing. Their bass on the other hand is lacking.
I think you need to decide if you want something thats "good", in which i would recommend the CX300 over the SE215s, simply because of price and punch. Its either about: "I want the best experience out of the music Ive downloaded over time" or "Ive bought these new phones to enjoy my music even more". The former doesnt really require much, but I would go for overall feel rather than purity for such in ear phones.
On August 11 2012 06:54 teamamerica wrote: Hey guys I have a few questions about buying earbuds. I currently listen to music almost all day at work via Spotify with apple stock headphones. Given that Spotify doesn't have the greatest sound quality (~320kb/s), is it worth buying new earbuds? I have no objection to buying ~$150 but only if I'll get some benefit out of it.
If I did, what would you recommend? I'm looking mainly for comfort for wearing for a few hours. I honestly don't know how great the sound quality needs to be (know nothing about headphones). Three I were considering are Klipsch IMAGE S4, Bose IE2, or Shure SE215 K. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
edit: Also while I understand over the ear headphones are probably (defiantly?) better sound quality, I'd still prefer staying with earbuds. Sorry.
The S4's are absolutely brutal imo. Consider the Audeo Phonak PFE series (0xx or 1xx). The Shures are a good choice but i had a hard time fitting them in.
On August 12 2012 13:38 ellipsis_sc wrote: Would the ATH M-50 be good for gaming and music? Any thoughts on them?
thanks.
Good for music? Subjective, but they are quite decent, depends on what sound signature you want. Good for gaming? The only games that require any sort of sound fidelity are fps'. If you actually care about positional audio for an fps, you'll need a sound card with dolby headphone or creative's equivalent (the difference is night and day for me), as well as a pair of open headphones, the AD 700s are cheap and about as good as it gets for a gaming oriented soundstage.
I only mention this breakdown because you mention "games" as a requirement, which I presume meant the only genre of games that has specific requirements. If you don't play fps' there is no need to factor in gaming as a requirement at all.
On August 11 2012 06:54 teamamerica wrote: Hey guys I have a few questions about buying earbuds. I currently listen to music almost all day at work via Spotify with apple stock headphones. Given that Spotify doesn't have the greatest sound quality (~320kb/s), is it worth buying new earbuds? I have no objection to buying ~$150 but only if I'll get some benefit out of it.
If I did, what would you recommend? I'm looking mainly for comfort for wearing for a few hours. I honestly don't know how great the sound quality needs to be (know nothing about headphones). Three I were considering are Klipsch IMAGE S4, Bose IE2, or Shure SE215 K. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
edit: Also while I understand over the ear headphones are probably (defiantly?) better sound quality, I'd still prefer staying with earbuds. Sorry.
The S4's are absolutely brutal imo. Consider the Audeo Phonak PFE series (0xx or 1xx). The Shures are a good choice but i had a hard time fitting them in.
I cant speak for everyone, but i can speak for myself;
I remember when i started caring about sound. It was kinda random, it was arbitrarily decided by type, product, source and mood. The reason i started caring about it was because i thought the apple buds were really shitty. I messed around with some cheap buds for a while and enjoyed it, until i tried the Sennheisser CX300. They were $~50 and sounded really neat. In Norway you have a 2 year unlimited warranty, so i think i bought 4 pairs or so. I still think they play well. But if you want some good in-ear buds I would spend more to improve the overall quality. Now I use Shure SE425's and they are really good. They are accurate, pure and precise. Their noise reduction is also amazing. Their bass on the other hand is lacking.
I think you need to decide if you want something thats "good", in which i would recommend the CX300 over the SE215s, simply because of price and punch. Its either about: "I want the best experience out of the music Ive downloaded over time" or "Ive bought these new phones to enjoy my music even more". The former doesnt really require much, but I would go for overall feel rather than purity for such in ear phones.
Thanks for both your input guys. I decided to try the Audeo 112s - they were only marginally more expensive than the 012 considering the cost of the foam tips and ear guides. I went with them because mainly because (don't kill me) the reviews I read all spoke to how comfortably they fit. I was really considering the CX300 because of their price but I thought with the money back promise from Audeo it would be safe to try them out at least. I've tried the Kispitch, Bose in ear, and some Shures (friends) and had trouble fitting in Shures and Bose (Bose were super loose). The Kispitch were better than my stock earbuds of course but I'm hoping the Audeos really impress me (again considering my default headphone exp. is stock earbuds). I'm hoping I can keep this pair for a while. The only other thing I need to make my programming life bliss is to invest in a good chair now ^^
On August 11 2012 06:54 teamamerica wrote: Hey guys I have a few questions about buying earbuds. I currently listen to music almost all day at work via Spotify with apple stock headphones. Given that Spotify doesn't have the greatest sound quality (~320kb/s), is it worth buying new earbuds? I have no objection to buying ~$150 but only if I'll get some benefit out of it.
If I did, what would you recommend? I'm looking mainly for comfort for wearing for a few hours. I honestly don't know how great the sound quality needs to be (know nothing about headphones). Three I were considering are Klipsch IMAGE S4, Bose IE2, or Shure SE215 K. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
edit: Also while I understand over the ear headphones are probably (defiantly?) better sound quality, I'd still prefer staying with earbuds. Sorry.
The S4's are absolutely brutal imo. Consider the Audeo Phonak PFE series (0xx or 1xx). The Shures are a good choice but i had a hard time fitting them in.
On August 11 2012 06:54 teamamerica wrote: Hey guys I have a few questions about buying earbuds. I currently listen to music almost all day at work via Spotify with apple stock headphones. Given that Spotify doesn't have the greatest sound quality (~320kb/s), is it worth buying new earbuds? I have no objection to buying ~$150 but only if I'll get some benefit out of it.
If I did, what would you recommend? I'm looking mainly for comfort for wearing for a few hours. I honestly don't know how great the sound quality needs to be (know nothing about headphones). Three I were considering are Klipsch IMAGE S4, Bose IE2, or Shure SE215 K. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
edit: Also while I understand over the ear headphones are probably (defiantly?) better sound quality, I'd still prefer staying with earbuds. Sorry.
The S4's are absolutely brutal imo. Consider the Audeo Phonak PFE series (0xx or 1xx). The Shures are a good choice but i had a hard time fitting them in.
i loved my s4s until they broke
Sounds like something I can say about every single Razer product I've ever owned ;(
On August 11 2012 06:54 teamamerica wrote: Hey guys I have a few questions about buying earbuds. I currently listen to music almost all day at work via Spotify with apple stock headphones. Given that Spotify doesn't have the greatest sound quality (~320kb/s), is it worth buying new earbuds? I have no objection to buying ~$150 but only if I'll get some benefit out of it.
If I did, what would you recommend? I'm looking mainly for comfort for wearing for a few hours. I honestly don't know how great the sound quality needs to be (know nothing about headphones). Three I were considering are Klipsch IMAGE S4, Bose IE2, or Shure SE215 K. Any thoughts?
Thanks!
edit: Also while I understand over the ear headphones are probably (defiantly?) better sound quality, I'd still prefer staying with earbuds. Sorry.
Do an A/B test between 320Kbps and 16/48 FLAC and if you can get more than half I'd be surprised.
For 150USD I would suggest the VSonic GR07 MK II. Best all rounder in the price range, honestly.
Indeed. 320 kbps mp3 is very very good and you likely won't be able to hear the difference between that and FLAC without a phenomenal setup and/or a good ear for sound quality/bitrate.
I just got HiFiMan Re-262 and a FiiO E6 amp. Good thing I got the amp too--my computer and cell phone can't really push the signal well enough or something, and I end up essentially only getting sound in my left ear without an amp. Fantastic improvement over my crappy sony sport earbuds. Oh man oh man I'm just loving the sound quality.
At first I was a bit turned off by how cheap the cables appeared to be, but they're really not bad at all and the music has sounded so much better it's not even better. Lows, mids and highs are all essentially balanced. Not too bassy nor too piercing of highs. Beautiful pair
Another reason the amp is amazing is that I can tune lower the hiss/buzz from my crappy laptop. My next computer will have to have a pretty good sound card >.<
On August 15 2012 09:59 Aerisky wrote: Indeed. 320 kbps mp3 is very very good and you likely won't be able to hear the difference between that and FLAC without a phenomenal setup and/or a good ear for sound quality/bitrate.
I just got HiFiMan Re-262 and a FiiO E6 amp. Good thing I got the amp too--my computer and cell phone can't really push the signal well enough or something, and I end up essentially only getting sound in my left ear without an amp. Fantastic improvement over my crappy sony sport earbuds. Oh man oh man I'm just loving the sound quality.
At first I was a bit turned off by how cheap the cables appeared to be, but they're really not bad at all and the music has sounded so much better it's not even better. Lows, mids and highs are all essentially balanced. Not too bassy nor too piercing of highs. Beautiful pair
If you think that you definitely have to get a better amplifier. Especially considering, although I haven't tried the E6 (tried the E17 though), that it probably doesn't have enough juice to drive something over 100 ohms.
On August 15 2012 09:59 Aerisky wrote: Indeed. 320 kbps mp3 is very very good and you likely won't be able to hear the difference between that and FLAC without a phenomenal setup and/or a good ear for sound quality/bitrate.
I just got HiFiMan Re-262 and a FiiO E6 amp. Good thing I got the amp too--my computer and cell phone can't really push the signal well enough or something, and I end up essentially only getting sound in my left ear without an amp. Fantastic improvement over my crappy sony sport earbuds. Oh man oh man I'm just loving the sound quality.
At first I was a bit turned off by how cheap the cables appeared to be, but they're really not bad at all and the music has sounded so much better it's not even better. Lows, mids and highs are all essentially balanced. Not too bassy nor too piercing of highs. Beautiful pair
If you think that you definitely have to get a better amplifier. Especially considering, although I haven't tried the E6 (tried the E17 though), that it probably doesn't have enough juice to drive something over 100 ohms.
The E6 is plenty capable of handling 150 ohm earbuds. Fiio's products may be cheap, but they're quite impressive for the price.
On August 15 2012 09:59 Aerisky wrote: Indeed. 320 kbps mp3 is very very good and you likely won't be able to hear the difference between that and FLAC without a phenomenal setup and/or a good ear for sound quality/bitrate.
I just got HiFiMan Re-262 and a FiiO E6 amp. Good thing I got the amp too--my computer and cell phone can't really push the signal well enough or something, and I end up essentially only getting sound in my left ear without an amp. Fantastic improvement over my crappy sony sport earbuds. Oh man oh man I'm just loving the sound quality.
At first I was a bit turned off by how cheap the cables appeared to be, but they're really not bad at all and the music has sounded so much better it's not even better. Lows, mids and highs are all essentially balanced. Not too bassy nor too piercing of highs. Beautiful pair
If you think that you definitely have to get a better amplifier. Especially considering, although I haven't tried the E6 (tried the E17 though), that it probably doesn't have enough juice to drive something over 100 ohms.
The E6 is plenty capable of handling 150 ohm earbuds. Fiio's products may be cheap, but they're quite impressive for the price.
There may be an issue though, although it may just be the fact that his description of the sound is subjective. Almost all reviews on the RE262 state that it is mid emphasized with lush mids and I'm worried that the fact that he called it balanced all around may be due to improperly driven headphones.
EPT
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