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On November 14 2010 09:46 Dont Panic wrote:I was thinking about getting some sennheiser hd5xxs to use with my computer. Are they even for the computer lol? I was going to buy them off a friend. Do i also need to buy a soundcard? Sorry, i am clueless! 
Using the 555's on a computer without a soundcard is like filling up a ferrari with regular gas. So yeah, almost a complete waste if you don't get a decent soundcard to go with it.
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I recently bought westone 2 ear buds. Seriously the best two hundred dollars I've every spent
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Grado 60s and moved up to 80s. I've tried some of the senns mentioned on this thread and stopped using them after a month. I agree with others in that the comfort level of the grados are not the best, but i loved the sound so much, and i wore them so often, that they became my most comfortable after 3 years.
If i had to give a semi-technical description, grados give the best mids out of anything i've head.
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On November 14 2010 09:49 motus wrote:Show nested quote +On November 14 2010 09:46 Dont Panic wrote:I was thinking about getting some sennheiser hd5xxs to use with my computer. Are they even for the computer lol? I was going to buy them off a friend. Do i also need to buy a soundcard? Sorry, i am clueless! Using the 555's on a computer without a soundcard is like filling up a ferrari with regular gas. So yeah, almost a complete waste if you don't get a decent soundcard to go with it.
I just want to listen to some high quality music lol  Preferably on my PC. Are the hds meant for the computer though like i went to the store and this fat italian guy said no lol. I thought they were meant for a computer with a good soundcard.
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On November 14 2010 09:33 OmasN wrote:Sorry if this is hijacking this thread but it seems like a reasonable enough place to ask. I'm looking into buying a pair of headphones for ~ £40-£50. Is it a possibility to get some decent ones in this price-range and if so is there anywhere you would suggest for me to look/brands you would suggest?
Not sure what the exchange rate is, but Grado 60's are probably the best value for open headphones. I think you can find them for around $60. I have a pair of Audio Technica ATH M50's, which you can normally find for about $100 or so and they're pretty good closed headphones. Of course those are just general prices and you can find better deals, but those are 2 off the top of my head that are pretty good values.
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Grado SR125i
They are amazing. Not the most attractive, nor the most comfortable, but the *quality* of them will blow you away.
EDIT: As you use them more and more, they *do* become more comfortable, but they will never feel like weightless satin on your ears like some will.
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On November 13 2010 12:09 Fyodor wrote:Show nested quote +On November 13 2010 11:05 Chef wrote:
I own Senn 650, AKG K319, and Senn MX560.
I believe buying a special headphone amp is pretty stupid in 99% of cases. The 1% where it's not is because your headphones were so stupidly designed they hiss with all but the kindest of amps. Investing in a special DAC is also pretty retarded.
Take that, audiophools! So you buy headphones worth of hundreds of dollars but don't bother hooking them up to suitable equipment?
So you spend 100s of dollars on equipment you don't understand? ^^
Check all that apply:
[ ] You've used the phrase "pulled the trigger" to describe an audio purchase you just made.
[ ] You use FLAC or other lossless formats on a portable device.
[ ] You've used the word "soundgasm" or something similar.
[ ] You're on an endless quest for audio nirvana.
[ ] You've written a full length review based only on A/B testing.
[ ] You've never abx'd before.
[ ] You don't know how to volume match components.
[ ] You frequently use Head-Fi as your source of audio information.
[ ] You've used the phrase 'sorry about your wallet' and laughed hardily in relation to audio equipment.
+ Show Spoiler +If you checked one or more, you're probably highly susceptible to rumours and 'common knowledge' trends in audio.
The truth is that an amp or a dac can make your headphones sound different... But if they do, then that means they were badly designed.
The other disturbing truth of headphones is that no matter what, you are searching for a sound that doesn't exist. Recordings will never be like live performances. Different headphones seem to have different sounds (especially different styles/acoustic arrangements), but short of owning the same headphones as the person who mastered the recording, fidelity is kind of a pipe dream. If you want to screw around with the sound, it's better to use equalizers than to spend 100s of dollars on what is essentially one very poor equalizer.
I just want to listen to some high quality music lol Preferably on my PC. Are the hds meant for the computer though like i went to the store and this fat italian guy said no lol. I thought they were meant for a computer with a good soundcard.
The fat Italian guy is kind of right. the 1/4 to 1/8 adapter that comes with the HD555 is not convenient to use with a computer. You would probably want to invest in a better adapter to use it with a computer... Otherwise it's fine lol.
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Owing the Bowers&wilkins right now
![[image loading]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2694/4503972266_d2cd6de350_z.jpg)
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On November 14 2010 10:47 Chef wrote:
The truth is that an amp or a dac can make your headphones sound different... But if they do, then that means they were badly designed.
The other disturbing truth of headphones is that no matter what, you are searching for a sound that doesn't exist. Recordings will never be like live performances. Different headphones seem to have different sounds (especially different styles/acoustic arrangements), but short of owning the same headphones as the person who mastered the recording, fidelity is kind of a pipe dream. If you want to screw around with the sound, it's better to use equalizers than to spend 100s of dollars on what is essentially one very poor equalizer.
LOL what. You think your computer can output enough power to drive high end headphones? Oh god. Too many contradictions to even begin.
And yes, sound is preference. We've figured that out years ago. And everyone has different preferences. People may enjoy headphones. Others may prefer speakers. Even others may prefer live concerts. Will they sound exactly like each other? No. Can they come close? Yes. The producer may hear the music differently from the consumer. The important thing is that the consumer is enjoying the sound to the best. If that means changing from 320kbps to FLAC, then so be it.
But by underdriving your headphones, you are not getting the best out of the headphones, or the most preferable sound. It is blatantly obvious when headphones aren't getting enough power, and it is blatantly obvious there is a difference. And the majority of the time, it is a huge difference. If you don't like the sound, then don't like it. But stop spreading lies.
Some headphones were designed for use with an amplifier. As in they were released along with a suiting amplifier. Is the amplifier wrong then?
You seem like one of those who would argue that because the 192kbps file isn't played well on the headphones, the headphones are bad.
On November 14 2010 10:10 Dont Panic wrote:Show nested quote +On November 14 2010 09:49 motus wrote:On November 14 2010 09:46 Dont Panic wrote:I was thinking about getting some sennheiser hd5xxs to use with my computer. Are they even for the computer lol? I was going to buy them off a friend. Do i also need to buy a soundcard? Sorry, i am clueless! Using the 555's on a computer without a soundcard is like filling up a ferrari with regular gas. So yeah, almost a complete waste if you don't get a decent soundcard to go with it. I just want to listen to some high quality music lol Preferably on my PC. Are the hds meant for the computer though like i went to the store and this fat italian guy said no lol. I thought they were meant for a computer with a good soundcard.
Every computer has a soundcard... whether it's good or not is a different question. The HD555s are fine with any regular computer. They'll improve a bit, but not by much. The HD595s definitely require a better sound card, but preferably an amplifier and dac. The HD580 and HD6XX absolutely need one to reach their fullest potential.
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I just got the JVC Flats today :>
If anyone needs a cheap portable headphone, I should say to give it a try
They are really light and semi-foldable
At prices under $20 (even under $10), these are really good
Plenty of bass and decent clarity overall
and no you don't need an amp to drive these~
Works fine on any mp3 player
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On November 14 2010 11:11 JSH wrote:
I just got the JVC Flats today :>
If anyone needs a cheap portable headphone, I should say to give it a try
At prices under $20 (even under $10), these are really good
Plenty of bass and decent clarity overall
and no you don't need an amp to drive these~
If I need a $150 amplifier to drive $20 dollar headphones... that'd be kind of wrong, no? 
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+ Show Spoiler +On November 13 2010 12:21 ffdestiny wrote:![[image loading]](http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k191/rkemery/AH-D7000-1.jpg)
You prefer those for Starcraft?
Maybe it's my amp, but when I'm gaming I like to put on something open for the added soundstage (though the D7000 doesn't sound all that closed).
Plus, that much bass doesn't help with concentrating on the game.
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On November 14 2010 11:13 c0ldfusion wrote:+ Show Spoiler +On November 13 2010 12:21 ffdestiny wrote: You prefer those for Starcraft? Maybe it's my amp, but when I'm gaming I like to put on something open for the added soundstage (though the D7000 doesn't sound all that closed). Plus, that much bass doesn't help with concentrating on the game.
Oh my friend, these are like having golden big-breasted angels hovering around your ears. The thing about the open class of headphones, is not entirely the reason that they are open. Most, again most, of the "quality" headphones out there are open, so that it's easier to design an amazing sound-stage on such a little surface area, i.e. your head. What Denon did is noticed that in actuality a semi-closed, or closed for all purposes, driver is the maximum amount of response in the best "cabinet" so-to-speak, they were able to spend some money, time and effort to make this an enigma; for example, it's neither open or closed, you can hear "some" outside noise.
As far as the bass comment. These headphones are spectacular in their frequency response, you're not going to get an extremely colored sound out of them, i.e. too much treble or lower-end. You're going to get a flat response. I know, from personal experience, that most headphones tend to emphasize either the lower-end (Grado I'm looking at you) or the high-end (Sennheiser I'm staring right at you). But these, these, are like Venus de Milo whispering sweet nothings in your ear, whilst feeding you cave-aged cheese and 1982 Margaux.
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Turtle Beach PX21's. Entry level headphones
![[image loading]](http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2010/03/01/657004/PX21andAmp.jpg)
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So I'm actually curious. Reading the thread, I saw people mention modding headphones, and my first thought was, 'whoa, you can do that?'
Not trying to derail a thread, but I'm wondering about generalities involved in that. I don't know anything about the inside of headphones, but it seems like there can't be that many parts you can alter/upgrade in a pair?
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On November 14 2010 11:49 Niarro wrote:
So I'm actually curious. Reading the thread, I saw people mention modding headphones, and my first thought was, 'whoa, you can do that?'
Not trying to derail a thread, but I'm wondering about generalities involved in that. I don't know anything about the inside of headphones, but it seems like there can't be that many parts you can alter/upgrade in a pair?
Well I've done some simple modding on my JVC HA-RX900
Some of the simple mods you can do is to remove some felt or covering off the drivers and or add some padding or other materials to the headphones.
Also you can change the earcup pads to alter sound and comfort
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You can theoretically modify anything. It can be something as simple as customizing the ear pads to something as extreme as changing the drivers. Because headphones are all designed differently the same components in one pair will sound different from the same components in another pair. Most people just find a pair that suits them and use it, but there will always be a small group of people that are obsessive enough to tear everything apart and mod things until they're "just right", which they usually never are, causing them to continue with their never ending quest. It's actually pretty interesting to see the things they do and no matter how insignificant it may seem to the average person, they'll swear by it.
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On November 14 2010 11:31 ffdestiny wrote:Show nested quote +On November 14 2010 11:13 c0ldfusion wrote:+ Show Spoiler +On November 13 2010 12:21 ffdestiny wrote: You prefer those for Starcraft? Maybe it's my amp, but when I'm gaming I like to put on something open for the added soundstage (though the D7000 doesn't sound all that closed). Plus, that much bass doesn't help with concentrating on the game. Oh my friend, these are like having golden big-breasted angels hovering around your ears. The thing about the open class of headphones, is not entirely the reason that they are open. Most, again most, of the "quality" headphones out there are open, so that it's easier to design an amazing sound-stage on such a little surface area, i.e. your head. What Denon did is noticed that in actuality a semi-closed, or closed for all purposes, driver is the maximum amount of response in the best "cabinet" so-to-speak, they were able to spend some money, time and effort to make this an enigma; for example, it's neither open or closed, you can hear "some" outside noise. As far as the bass comment. These headphones are spectacular in their frequency response, you're not going to get an extremely colored sound out of them, i.e. too much treble or lower-end. You're going to get a flat response. I know, from personal experience, that most headphones tend to emphasize either the lower-end (Grado I'm looking at you) or the high-end (Sennheiser I'm staring right at you). But these, these, are like Venus de Milo whispering sweet nothings in your ear, whilst feeding you cave-aged cheese and 1982 Margaux.
Right, I agree that those are some valid points regarding the semi-open design, hence my noting that they don't actually sound closed.
But in my setup, they do sound a tad bassy (to my ears at least) which is great for the kind of music I listen to but not so much for SC. I usually swap them out for K701s when laddering.
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Not to troll or anything, but it sounds to me like you are all finding ways to just spend money. After spending 100-150$ headphones I think that's all the quality you need, anything above that is just not cost efficient.
Sure if you get a pair that's worth 300$ and compare it to a 150$ set you'll notice a difference, but both have great quality, and the only way you can really tell is because you are comparing them one after the other.
IMO.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k191/rkemery/toneport-ux2.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k191/rkemery/Woo-Audio-Tube-Amplifier-8.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k191/rkemery/Woo-Audio-Tube-Amplifier-7.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k191/rkemery/Woo-Audio-Tube-Amplifier-6.jpg)
