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On January 06 2014 14:19 Blisse wrote:
I didn't actually get to demo them, just from reading all the reviews on Head-Fi and other reviewers. Toronto doesn't really have that much headphone/speaker presence from what I've looked around downtown at. At least, none that are up to date with recent trends.
I did get to demo some speakers that I forgot the name of in Hong Kong once. They sounded absolutely ridiculous for two floor speakers. Forgot the name because the tag was in Chinese and I got confused :D
If I'm ever aware of a Head-fi meet around Toronto, I'll definitely go.
What kind of dac/amps were you looking at? Class D integrated amps seem like an interesting choice.
oh you're on headfi lol
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haha :D
still a student so i personally limit myself to looking at things below the 1k line (damn you hd800). that's the first thing i've read a bunch of reviews from that was above 1k.
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I own a pair of Razer Electras and I am quite satisfied with them. I use them for gaming and everyday use, I.E going to and from college. Only thing I dont like is they are on the big side.
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So I'm looking to listen different mid-fi (sub 250) headphones and just refine my listening. I own HD 598s right now, looking to pick up DT 880s, Q701s, and maybe AD900s. Any suggestions on anything else to pick up? I'm interested in LCD2s, anything in a lower price point that'll sound similar to them?
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Romania5359 Posts
Meh, I haven't listened to a LOT of headphones, but what impressed me the most about the LCD2s was that they were pretty unique in terms of sound signature. Nothing I listened too came even close (even though I liked for example the Denon D7000 more). I listened to the Q701 but did not like them a lot, though that's probably because it was at an event where I spent most of the time on D7000/LCD2/HD800, so it's not a very fair comparison.
Given that you come from the 598s you might want to try the HD 650s tho, you'll be more familiar with the sound.
Still, if you're going for LCD2s, wouldn't it be better to save up instead of getting AD900s or w/e?
Also, I heard good things about the DT880 but there are several models (at least 3 from what I can see on Amazon), and I doubt they all sound the same. I remember someone mentioning the 600ohm version and how nice they sounded on the FiiO E09K recently, but don't remember anyone having the 250pro or 32ohm version.
Do you have a headphone amp/dac?
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I'm trying all these random headphones just so I'll have more experience with different sounds, the way I phrased it made it seem like I was trying to buy all these right now but It's going to be a bit of a slow journey aha. No idea what my future end game is but I know it's pretty much going to be just one flagship. I'm not too worried about that, just trying to explore and experiment. Sounds like I'll have to somehow track down a pair of LCD2s and give them a listen in person. No biggies there.
Lmao I can definitely see why you would not like Q701s after listening to those other sets. I may or may not like them but I have a few friends who aren't shy about picking up my used gear aha so pretty much no matter what I can break even.
Before I invest into a 350+ pair I want to just listen to a bunch of different sounds and see what I truly enjoy. Right now I love my HD 598s but I have no idea if it's because they're my first pair of good open headphones or I just really enjoy this sound.
I've heard the 250 and 600 ohms are pretty much comparable while the 32 ohms are left behind. No biggie cause these are solely for use at home.
I'm using an Audioengine D1 at the moment. I'll probably step up to an Asgard 2/Unchosen DAC in the future but for now I'm good with my D1.
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Romania5359 Posts
I was mostly asking because you'll hear a lot of people say that you need a pretty high-end headphone amp to get the best out of the LCD2s, and while I don't necessarily agree that you have to spend as much on the amp as you do on the headphones, I must say that I would get AT LEAST a burson HA-160/Soloist SL for them (or equivalent, I'm talking about what I listened to only), which will probably mean another $500ish.
But yeah I think it's best to go through a bunch of other headphones in the process if it's not a big deal money-wise, that way you'll know what you expect and maybe decide that the LCD2s are not for you. God knows there's a lot to choose from.
Other models that I've heard great things about in your price range (more or less):
- Philips Fidelio L1
- Sony MDR-1R
- V-Moda M-100
- NAD VISO HP50 (these overthroned the Sennheiser Momentums on innerfidelity's wall of fame)
- Creative Aurvana Live! (not even kidding, I have these, they are like $80 and on my amp/dac they don't sound all that far from the HD600s I'm currently using - which cost like 4-5 times as much. If you have a chance to give them a listen, please do!)
Last 4 are closed but then again so are some high-end models, so might as well give them a try too.
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I feel like a $500 amp would be end game type stuff for me, for now is just searching for that desired sound aha. I think an Asgard 2 would be a strong all rounder while I test and then specifically pair up my amp with the flagship I want in the future.
As for your list, I don't think I'm particularly interested in any of those besides the CAL!. I remember that was on my to be considered list a while ago. I have access to some V-Moda Crossfade LPs, are those similar at all to the M-100s? Oh maybe I should try the Mad Dogs. I do have some experience with closed, I have a pair of ATH-M50s that see absolutely no use and a pair of Monprice 8323s that pretty much live permanently in my backpack. I feel like they're not really for me but I'm definitely down to give them another try. I should convince my friend to get the VISO HP50s so I can give them a shot without shelling anything out aha.
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Romania5359 Posts
I have not listened to the V-Moda's, so I can't say, I just gathered some info based on other people's experience with them, but most of the reviews I read were pretty impressive. I know that they are bass-heavy, but not over the top. Very popular for most popular music, easy to drive, but not very "accurate" in reproduction.
I know the sony MDR are one of the most comfortable headphones you can buy, and the sound is really not that bad, and I know that the NAD VISO HP50 took the world by storm when they came out, and people claim they're the best headphone under $500 you could possibly buy (closed or not). So yeah if you can convince someone to get them I'm sure they won't be disappointed. 
I heard the ATH-M50s but still prefer the CAL! over them, even though the build quality is not as good. Sound signature is more to my liking on the Aurvanas, more... liniar I would say, but less punchy in the lows. Depends how much bass you want, really.
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Last friday my headphones went out of order, exactly after two years. Their price/performance ratio was pretty good, although they could´ve been a little bit bigger.
Now I´m looking for some headphones to replace them, I was thinking about the Beats (by Dre, and Yes I´m a marketing victim) but a friend of mine told me that there are better headphones for the same price plus they are too expensive anyway...
Are there some good alternatives you guys could recommend? They should not be more expensive than ~80€ and robust because I will use them while I´m jogging.
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Romania5359 Posts
Ok first of all I think it's a challenge to find WORSE headphones than Beats at that price range.
Second of all, ~80eur is not really beats money. They start at ~130eur or so new. Not that it matters much.
Third of all, if you'd just read the last 1-2 pages, you'll see that for that money there are quite some suggestions, such as Creative Aurvana Live and ATH-M50.
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Is this an alright place to ask about in-ear headphones?
I want a pair that's durable. I've gone through 2 Apple earphones and 2 Bose earphones (http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/audio_headphones/in_ear_headphones/index.jsp) that all broke at the wire just above connector in the last 2 years. My pockets aren't big enough to fit a headphone case, and the wear and tear has destroyed all of these in no time.
Any ideas on what I should buy/do?
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On January 14 2014 00:57 Mavvie wrote:
Is this an alright place to ask about in-ear headphones?
I want a pair that's durable. I've gone through 2 Apple earphones and 2 Bose earphones (http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/audio_headphones/in_ear_headphones/index.jsp) that all broke at the wire just above connector in the last 2 years. My pockets aren't big enough to fit a headphone case, and the wear and tear has destroyed all of these in no time.
Any ideas on what I should buy/do?
Bose headphones are notorious in terms of build quality.
I have the same problem you do, ended up going through so many pairs of expensive IEMs that sound quality is no longer the top criteria for me. I've been using Klipsch S4s since they're decent (both in terms of sound and durability) for the money. That being said, a pair broke just a few months after warranty expired. I have another pair of these things but I have yet to find the hd-25, i.e. indestructible, equivalent of the IEM world.
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On January 14 2014 00:48 CubEdIn wrote:
Ok first of all I think it's a challenge to find WORSE headphones than Beats at that price range.
Second of all, ~80eur is not really beats money. They start at ~130eur or so new. Not that it matters much.
Third of all, if you'd just read the last 1-2 pages, you'll see that for that money there are quite some suggestions, such as Creative Aurvana Live and ATH-M50.
One comment regarding the ATH-50 - I've been using them more often, doubling as ear muffs, recently.
I used to think they don't need an amp but now I realize that their SQ drops off significantly when not adequately powered.
Also the isolation level is really quite marginal.
I don't think I can readily recommend them to friends for portable use anymore.
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On January 08 2014 08:11 Blisse wrote:
haha :D
still a student so i personally limit myself to looking at things below the 1k line (damn you hd800). that's the first thing i've read a bunch of reviews from that was above 1k.
btw, anyone else notice that strifecro is rocking the HD800 on his stream?
I wonder what the rest of his setup looks like.
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Romania5359 Posts
I just took a peak now out of curiosity, and I must say, I never thought I'd see someone make the HD800s look SMALL. That is one weird head shape.
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On January 14 2014 01:09 c0ldfusion wrote:Show nested quote +On January 14 2014 00:57 Mavvie wrote:
Is this an alright place to ask about in-ear headphones?
I want a pair that's durable. I've gone through 2 Apple earphones and 2 Bose earphones (http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/audio_headphones/in_ear_headphones/index.jsp) that all broke at the wire just above connector in the last 2 years. My pockets aren't big enough to fit a headphone case, and the wear and tear has destroyed all of these in no time.
Any ideas on what I should buy/do? Bose headphones are notorious in terms of build quality. I have the same problem you do, ended up going through so many pairs of expensive IEMs that sound quality is no longer the top criteria for me. I've been using Klipsch S4s since they're decent (both in terms of sound and durability) for the money. That being said, a pair broke just a few months after warranty expired. I have another pair of these things but I have yet to find the hd-25, i.e. indestructible, equivalent of the IEM world.
Yeah i like my s4s too but definitely don't expect them to last more than a year or two. The Shure se215s i got seem pretty fucking solid, cable is solid and replaceable, hook seems very sturdy, and the actual monitors are solid.
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On January 14 2014 00:57 Mavvie wrote:
Is this an alright place to ask about in-ear headphones?
I want a pair that's durable. I've gone through 2 Apple earphones and 2 Bose earphones (http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/audio_headphones/in_ear_headphones/index.jsp) that all broke at the wire just above connector in the last 2 years. My pockets aren't big enough to fit a headphone case, and the wear and tear has destroyed all of these in no time.
Any ideas on what I should buy/do?
IEM cables are thin and delicate, and need to be treated as such. They're never going to make them thick and durable because that would also make them heavy, but certainly some have slightly thicker cables than others.
Don't bend the cable, don't have OCD about making sure the jack is plugged in, don't stuff it in a place where the cable is likely to get pressure on it.
Things people do to ruin their cables: wrap them around their mp3 player when not in use, play with the cable and wrap it around their finger while listening to music, obsessively push the jack in when it's already plugged in.
My IEM cables (and all my other possessions) last for years. It's just a matter of being gentle. Cable is flexible, but you shouldn't really think of it as malleable. Any time you make a hard bend with the cable, the wiring will weaken and you will get problems like one of the channels cutting in and out. Depending on where it gets weak and how handy you are with a soldering iron, you can fix it, but best to just avoid having to do that in the first place. It's easy to find a guide on the internet if you want to practice on your broken earphones.
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I bought a pair of UE Triple.fi 10 3 years ago, specifically because the cables are replaceable. During this time I've probably gone through 3 or 4 cables, recently switching to the Fiio ones. For me the most problematic part was the plug. Especially cables with a straight plug all broke just above the strain relief, where the friction is the highes during walking and sitting, amplified by the fact that they were plugged in in a relatively long phone.
Sometimes I squeezed a few more months of life out of them by cutting a bit off and soldering a new plug on. For the current Fiio RC-UE2 I've used a high quality Neutrik plug and it's been holding up longer than any of the standard ones before. I think the cable breaking just around the plug is probably the most common fault with headphones. Often soldering a new plug on is enough to repair them. 15 min of work plus 5€ for a new plug.
But yeah, replaceable cables are a must for me when buying new headphones. Thankfully they are getting more and more common. 3 years ago I decided against the Shure SE 530 exactly because of that reason, losing 300€ when the cable breaks / hoping customer service will replace them + waiting time vs. 25€ for a new cable.
Though you will probably have to spend a bit more than the Apple IEM or Bose. Shure's SE 215 start at 100$, otherwise look into brands like Etymotic or Ultimate Ears (although they only offer the UE900 after being bought by Logitech - which costs 350€. Maybe look out for used super.fi 5 pro or triple.fi)
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On January 14 2014 00:42 JoeCool wrote:Last friday my headphones went out of order, exactly after two years. Their price/performance ratio was pretty good, although they could´ve been a little bit bigger. Now I´m looking for some headphones to replace them, I was thinking about the Beats (by Dre, and Yes I´m a marketing victim) but a friend of mine told me that there are better headphones for the same price plus they are too expensive anyway... Are there some good alternatives you guys could recommend? They should not be more expensive than ~80€ and robust because I will use them while I´m jogging.
Since you specifically mentioned you wanted something to use while exercising as well I wouldn't spend more than like 30 euros. You'd probably be plugging them directly into your phone or an mp3 player or something of that sort so you'd get great sound quality even from like a Koss KSC-75 or their Porta Pros. They're also a lot lighter than full size headphones and have an open design which makes them a better choice for using while exercising. Also sweat mixing in with electronics=bad time. It's less important when you're using less expensive equipment though.
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EPT
