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On August 10 2011 02:14 Myrmidon wrote:Show nested quote +On August 10 2011 01:47 Gandalf wrote:
Any recommendations for a headphone amp under $150? I will be purchasing them online via someone in the USA, so links will be appreciated.
I use a pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 headphones. Thanks!
EDIT: Forget to mention I'll be using them via USB with my desktop computer. Portability is not an issue, since they're going to stay put. I guess I need a DAC+Amp combo?
Right now I'm looking at the Fiio E9 and NuForce Icon uDAC-2. Any idea how these are? Which DT770? There are like 6 versions at least. What's the impedance? How loud do you listen? Do you listen to any music with a very wide dynamic range (mostly just classical and jazz these days)? Depending on the answers, a lower-power device like the FiiO E7 may be just fine. E9 is an amp only. If you want USB, you need a DAC that gets its data through USB, and then an amplifier that takes in the DAC's signal and outputs it to the headphones. uDAC-2 is a DAC+amp. FiiO E7 is another. Many more traditional sound cards do the same as well, like the Asus Xonar U3 (USB). The only difference is that a sound card may also have mic inputs or ports other than stereo out. uDAC-2 has a few issues, including clipping 0 dBFS signals and often having poor channel balance at lower volumes, depending on the sample you get. There's a pretty good audio blog that has caught the ire of the establishment and its trusty fanboys. It does technical reviews of headphone-related audio products. There's one for the uDAC-2, E9, E7, and DT770 Pro 80, among others. Many people don't agree with the tone and agenda (vigilante exposing bad products and fraudulent claims), but the technical analysis and measurements are solid. See here: http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/nuforce-udac-2-drama.html
I'm using a pair of Beyer Dynamic DT770 premium 32ohm headphones. I listen to mostly rock and pop, no classical or jazz at all.
I'm on windows7 with an integrated sound card, and I feel both the bass and max volume are a bit low. I googled some and learned even the 32ohm version of my heapdhones can use an amp.
Right now I'm looking through the link you provided me with and googling reviews, but do you feel the FiiO E7 will be enough for me?
Thanks!
EDIT: What do you think of this btw: http://www.amazon.com/Headroom-Corp-HeadRoom-Total-Bithead/dp/B003WXBFS8/ref=sr_1_33?ie=UTF8&qid=1312911243&sr=8-33
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Those prices look a little higher than typical for the Bithead I think. I have no idea how good it is though. You can always find customer testimonials and reviews, but I wouldn't trust them too much. I'm kind of wary of smaller companies producing audio products though, especially DACs. Granted, the Bithead is by HeadRoom aka headphones.com--which may or may not count as small/untested, depending on your perspective. There is a lot that can go wrong, and the probability of somebody doing something stupid is higher than you might expect.
E7 and most anything should have way enough power for those headphones with that kind of music. Unless Beyer's published 96 dB SPL / mW are way off, you should be able to get like 115 dB on the E7. Above 80 dB or so for long-term listening is supposed to be potentially harmful. I'm not going to guarantee it'll be a huge upgrade, but certainly it's going to be better than what you're currently using.
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![[image loading]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b388/pug45678/DSC00052-1.jpg?t=1312946550)
Audio-GD Dac-19 and Audio-GD C-2. Headphones are Denon D-5000's (Markl Modded)
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That looks sweet^. What's the advantage of a 300$ amp?
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Honestly the DAC makes the biggest difference. But the headphones definitely sound better with the amp. Is it worth 300$?, eh idk. The main advantage to the amp is driving the headphones correctly.
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Hey guys i am in the market for a new headset. My price range is around 200$. I would appreciate some suggestions.
I am looking for a "gaming" headset. The headset doesnt have to be a true gaming headset. I am looking for positional audio. I play a lot of Black Ops for the PC, so I want to hear exactly where my enemy is firing from and i want to hear that bastard crouching from across the map. These headphones are going to be used for fps games, so I am not worried about music. The headset is going to stay at the house. It does not have to have a mic on it but that would be a plus. If I have to buy a external sound card (I use onboard audio, a Gigabyte mobo) to make it better, that is fine.
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Nice setup Bizong.
On August 10 2011 12:56 Twistacles wrote:
That looks sweet^. What's the advantage of a 300$ amp?
+ Show Spoiler [another longer-winded response] +I think of the whole setup this way:
You have music stored in digital format (let's just ignore vinyl and other analog setups lol), whether it be on the CD or a lossy representation of what's on the CD like an mp3, or something like that. The music file stores information about the signal level on each channel, with one new data point (signal level) every 1/44,100 of a second, for the typical 44.1 kHz sampling rate.
The whole job of the sound system (file -> DAC -> amp -> headphones) is to convert what's on the CD to an electrical voltage that appears across your headphones. The voltage changes over time, inducing movement of the headphone driver, producing vibrations/sound.
Optionally you may want to add an equalizer setting to boost certain frequencies, add crossfeed, add distortions to make it sound warmer or something else, and so on. These things deviate from the original signal stored on the CD, and they can be done in software (changing the bits before they get to the DAC) or by the hardware.
Actually, adding some distortions of some kind is unavoidable, since driving a headphone load without the signal deviating at all, is difficult. It's also impossible to do the digital-to-analog conversion perfectly. In addition to being able to drive things louder, a more expensive amplifier may be more accurate in driving different kinds of headphones at all kinds of volumes. (Some headphones are more difficult to drive accurately than others, or maybe require more voltage, and so on.)
Other expensive amplifiers may add some kinds of distortions that some people think enriches the sound or makes it more exciting/mellow/whatever. Some expensive amplifiers just plain suck and clearly aren't worth the price.
Personally I'm not a fan of hardware that adds stuff to the music, but there are a lot of products that intentionally do so, and many others that unintentionally do so because the designers are incompetent or don't care. At least on the computer you can add stuff in software, so I'd prefer the straight-shooting hardware even if I did want things changed.
Buckus, the definition of what you're looking for is the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700, about $90. They're very popular for that application. It has a huge wide-open soundstage and lacks bass, both of which are helpful for locating sounds (bass doesn't give directional info).
It doesn't really need special amplification. However, you may want to try Dolby Headphone or some other type of stereophonic -> binaural conversion to see if that will help you. Some people think it helps; others don't. If you have a spare PCI slot, an Asus Xonar DG for about $30 has that as an option. Xonar U3 is a small external USB sound card for about $40 that has Dolby Headphone as well. There are others too.
head-fi is full of dumb and BS posts, but there's a lot of good info as well. This thread is probably for you:
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/534479/mad-lust-envy-aka-shin-cz-s-guide-to-headphone-gaming-particularly-with-dolby-headphone
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Hi, I really have zero background with headphones and the like.
I have a pair of Meelec M31 IEMs that I got when they had one of their 75% off sales but I find the isolation lacking, still quite a lot of background noise.
I live in a noisy area, in a residential dorm, so headphones are pretty much a neccessity, and noise isolation is also important.
I mainly use them for listening to podcasts/audiobooks and playing SC2 (while listening to podcasts/audiobooks). Other than that it's watching movies.
What's the minimum I need to spend to get a decent pair of headphones that's comfortable? I mean that I won't get painful ears after putting them on for a while.
Don't care that much about sound quality tbh.
tldr;
1) minimum outlay
2) good noise isolation
3) comfortable
4) audio quality not so important
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I'm a previous owner of a Audio Technica AD700 headset but sold it and got a Sennheiser PC360 (because I wanted the mic). BIG mistake!
Though the Sennheiser's aren't bad at all, I've never really been 100% satisfied with the sound compared to the Technica's, and I'm looking for a new setup again now. I could go for another pair of Audio Technica's but would like to try something new.
I've been looking at Beyerdynamic DT770/880/990 (haven't decided yet) and the AKG K702/701, but I've heard the latter really required an amp which I'm not sure I'm ready to buy at this point. Instead I would exchange my Creative X-fi XtremeGamer soundcard for an Auzentech X-fi Forte that card's DAC should be more than enough. I'm REALLY leaning towards one of those Beyerdynamics but do anyone in here have experiences with them in a similar setup?
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@johanngrunt:
Typical IEMs like the Meelectronics tend to have about as good isolation as the better-isolating closed headphones, maybe slightly worse. The deep-insertion triple-flange types like the Etymotics have much much better isolation than any headphones. A quick check of a review or two says that the M31 is about average in terms of IEMs for isolation. Maybe the fit is not right for you? Try different tips. Or maybe you should just get earmuffs or other shooting range / airport runway-style headgear to use on top of the IEMs.
Closed headphones, particularly cheap ones, tend to be sweaty and less comfortable on the ears. The ones that isolate well generally do so by clamping down hard. Cheapest headphones that isolate well and are actually comfortable is the Beyerdynamic DT770 (there are many versions, but cheapest is usually a bit under $200, to give you an idea).
@Left4Cookies:
Uh, a sound card has an amp in my books, just not necessarily a great one. Anyway, the DT880 would be closer to the AD700 than the other Beyerdynamics. But if you really want to make sure you get something closer to the AD700, then maybe you should just get the AD900.
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i got tritton ax pros and some beats by dre!
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On August 11 2011 13:24 Myrmidon wrote:
@johanngrunt:
Typical IEMs like the Meelectronics tend to have about as good isolation as the better-isolating closed headphones, maybe slightly worse. The deep-insertion triple-flange types like the Etymotics have much much better isolation than any headphones. A quick check of a review or two says that the M31 is about average in terms of IEMs for isolation. Maybe the fit is not right for you? Try different tips. Or maybe you should just get earmuffs or other shooting range / airport runway-style headgear to use on top of the IEMs.
Closed headphones, particularly cheap ones, tend to be sweaty and less comfortable on the ears. The ones that isolate well generally do so by clamping down hard. Cheapest headphones that isolate well and are actually comfortable is the Beyerdynamic DT770 (there are many versions, but cheapest is usually a bit under $200, to give you an idea).
@Left4Cookies:
Uh, a sound card has an amp in my books, just not necessarily a great one. Anyway, the DT880 would be closer to the AD700 than the other Beyerdynamics. But if you really want to make sure you get something closer to the AD700, then maybe you should just get the AD900.
Thanks myr, i'll look into getting the earmuffs =)
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51710 Posts
can anyone recommend some IEM's that can be doubled up as a headset for a phone?
getting my galaxy s2 soon and looking for a nice pair of iem's that can double up as a communication device (have a roccat vire but they aren't iem's so)
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For just phone usage, or including music or something else? Price?
I know Meelectronics has a ton of IEMs with an inline microphone: all the M__P models I think. Etymotic has one, if you want super-duper isolation. It's the MC3, like $60 or so. I have no clue how all these are though.
Or were you looking for one of those stage headsets where the earpiece is an IEM but there's a flexible mic that goes all the way up to the mouth?
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51710 Posts
looking for something primarily for listening to music on the phone, communication effectiveness is an added perk i'd like.
and for the mic, i'm talking about the one that just hangs near your mouth on the cord.
something like this
![[image loading]](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tuaw.com/media/2008/01/hf2sbm1172008.jpg)
price isn't too much of a concern.
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I dont know if they used a different configuration for the GS2 but for the galaxy s 1 the microphone and ground connectors in the jack are actually switched around. So if you have any headphones with a microphone the sound output will be weird and incomplete and you need get make/buy an adaptor.
A quick google search though and i couldnt find anything on the GS2 like the GS1 issue but just giving a heads up.
EDIT: Ok apparently the issue isnt in the GS2 don't mind me Link
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Hi.
I got a pair of UE 700's, but I'm starting to really wear them out due to heavy usage (mostly @ the gym). I'm looking for something that I can abuse harder (gym, snowboarding trips, etc.). Can you guys recommend something at about $100 (I may go up to $150 but I'd rather stick to a lower price) that can handle the task? In-ear only pls.
I was looking at the Sennheiser CX380, as I had the Sennheiser CX400II but I gave them away.
Any other suggestions?
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On August 11 2011 02:37 Left4Cookies wrote:
I'm a previous owner of a Audio Technica AD700 headset but sold it and got a Sennheiser PC360 (because I wanted the mic). BIG mistake!
Though the Sennheiser's aren't bad at all, I've never really been 100% satisfied with the sound compared to the Technica's, and I'm looking for a new setup again now. I could go for another pair of Audio Technica's but would like to try something new.
I've been looking at Beyer dynamic DT770/880/990 (haven't decided yet) and the AKG K702/701, but I've heard the latter really required an amp which I'm not sure I'm ready to buy at this point. Instead I would exchange my Creative X-fi XtremeGamer soundcard for an Auzentech X-fi Forte that card's DAC should be more than enough. I'm REALLY leaning towards one of those Beyerdynamics but do anyone in here have experiences with them in a similar setup?
lol I sent my AD700s back a couple of days ago and I miss them too <3
I personally have the K702s (unamped, sadly) right now but I heard that the AD900s work just fine without amplification.
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![[image loading]](http://merlin.pl/Sluchawki-Creative-Fatal1ty-Gamer-Headset_Creative,images_big,31,CREATIVE-FATALITY-GAME-HEADSET.jpg)
Using it for over a year and it's an awesome headset :D
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On August 11 2011 13:24 Myrmidon wrote:
@Left4Cookies:
Uh, a sound card has an amp in my books, just not necessarily a great one. Anyway, the DT880 would be closer to the AD700 than the other Beyerdynamics. But if you really want to make sure you get something closer to the AD700, then maybe you should just get the AD900.
Well I've been looking at the AD900, but some people haven't been quite as impressed as with the AD700 (taking the price in comparison).
I do have my sight narrowed down to the DT880 though, but I'm wondering what version to get. The 600Ohm version superior sound as far as I've read, but can anyone tell me about what kind of amplification you'd need for one of those plugged into your PC? Would a Fiio E9 do the trick?
Oh, and a side question. How come the 600Ohm versions of those Beyerdynamic headphones are THAT much more expensive than the, say, 250Ohms? Is the sound difference really that big?
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EPT
