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On August 14 2011 20:18 rebdomine wrote:Show nested quote +On August 14 2011 03:59 Tryon wrote:![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/4iUzT.jpg) Just bought this last night, waiting for it in the mail! I also already have HD555 modded into HD595, and Bose IE2 =) Hoping that little amp boost my power to my liking. This seems interesting, how small is it? From the looks of the pic, it looks a lot like an ipod shuffle in terms of size. And for how much did you buy it? If it's cheap enough, I might look into getting one just to get that small boost. 
It's a decent product and a pretty sweet deal under $20, but don't expect much gain, much larger max power output than what you're currently using (depending), and so on. I wouldn't expect a big improvement, depending on what you currently have. I'm not sure what you mean by "boost...power" but those words tend to be misused by audiophiles that may have written a review about the device or others. I wouldn't expect what you're using now to not have enough power (in the proper electrical sense) for the HD 555 or IE2, so the E5 will also have enough power. Just the E5 may have lower distortion, better channel balance, lower output impedance, better transient response, flatter frequency response, and so on.
I have one plugged into my TV (which has no headphones out), perpetually charging off of the USB port of a nearby Xbox 360.
http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/2011/03/fiio-e5-headphone-amp.html
Also the E6 should be released in a few weeks, at about the same price.
Asus DG just uses a PCI slot. There are many PCIe sound cards too. DG is pretty good for the price if you're looking for a budget DAC+headphone amplifier. Maybe it's the best at that price point--not that there's much competition at that price? You also get Dolby Headphone (virtual surround for headphones) processing as an option in software with the DG if you're interested in that.
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Hey guys :D
I am currently using Sennheiser HD595s with an Audio-gd FUN for my desktop setup. However as I am headed back to college in a few weeks, I am looking for a decently priced IEM ($100-125) for on-the-go listening as well. I really don't know anything about "portable" audio or IEMs.
Any recommendations?
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I have a pair of Razer Orcas. Sexiest Headphones ever made!
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United States924 Posts
So I just recently saw this: http://www.razerzone.com/tiamat/en/features
Apparently razer is claiming this is the new boss set of cans for gamers. I'm a pretty big noob with headphones, and wanted to ask what you guys thought of the specs. Hard to make an overall value judgment without knowing the price for these features, but I'll admit I don't even understand the features to begin with.
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On August 18 2011 03:41 Misanthrope wrote:So I just recently saw this: http://www.razerzone.com/tiamat/en/featuresApparently razer is claiming this is the new boss set of cans for gamers. I'm a pretty big noob with headphones, and wanted to ask what you guys thought of the specs. Hard to make an overall value judgment without knowing the price for these features, but I'll admit I don't even understand the features to begin with.
Generally headphones that have multiple transducers in each cup in an attempt to create a surround sound effect, are gimmicky and overpriced. You only have two ears, so most everything that can be done by putting multiple transducers there can be done by a single driver. Different channels could instead be mixed in software if you really wanted that. A small caveat is that directional info differs from person to person a bit since our heads and ears are shaped differently, so if software is doing some kind of HRTF, it may not apply perfectly to you.
They don't show the plugs, so I'm not sure if it just takes stereo input (and then upmixes to more channels to get center, back, etc.) or really has all the inputs for those extra channels.
As for listed specs, frequency response given is always pretty meaningless. The frequency response tells you the relative magnitude of signals coming through at different frequencies, like below:
+ Show Spoiler [FR graph for 3 headphones] +
Since they don't specify any levels, you can't tell anything. This is typical. They list two values on the x axis and nothing about the y axis. I can pick out two random values on the x axis too! Also the ranges just seem weird. I've never seen a "subwoofer" (for a headphone? lol) listed all the way up to 20 kHz? Nothing given about phase response, but that's typical. Relative phase of frequencies passing through has a big impact (I think) on how directional information is interpreted.
Sensitivity is given usually in dB SPL / 1 mW input, or other times by dB SPL / 1 V input. That makes a difference, and they don't say which it is. Regardless, this just gives you an idea of how loud they are. If it's referenced to 1 mW input, they're pretty loud. If it's referenced to 1 V input, they're still loud enough out of a computer. Nothing notable here.
There's nothing about distortion levels, which again can be misinterpreted or misleading. Different distortion sounds different.
There's an SNR quoted for the microphone, and...likewise it's really meaningless without context. Probably it's a best-case scenario kind of thing, like you can get 50 dB SNR by speaking into the microphone in an anechoic chamber at the max possible volume before getting it to clip. Who knows how it performs in the real world, the directionality, and so on.
edit: short story is that reading a list of specs gives you very little information about a headset.
edit2: added a couple more thoughts.
In most cases, a less expensive music headphone will produce better sound (in some sense, and while there are objective measures of sound quality, it's mostly a subjective thing), which in turn makes them better for positional audio in games.
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does anyone know of good headphones to use for my mp3 player ???
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United States924 Posts
Awesomely informative post Myrmidon. About what I expected coming from a company that's appealing to a niche like the gaming community. I have read before that simulated surround sound in headphones does in fact end up being much more valuable, since like you said our ears are different shapes and sizes. Clearly they're being a bit sensationalistic emphasizing parts like the sub woofer, and trying to sell 'true surround sound'.
I'm sure that in the end people will pay upwards of 150% of what the parts are actually worth. No surprise that the high-end gamers these are marketed toward are willing to shell out the extra money for some hype and an attached microphone. Since I'm just starting to break into this demographic with access to financial aid, the cautions of a low-budget lifestyle led me here. Welfare teaches the lessons of personal finance well to those who are willing to learn.
I'll be sticking to the recommendations of fellow music-enthusiasts and TL, thanks again!
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Hi I'm looking to buy a new pair of headphones. I've read a couple pages before but not too much and I don't really know what's my best route.
I wanna buy Grado sr80i. Just off of reading reviews they seem to be in my price range/what I want. I'm basically just gonna use them at my computer mostly. Maybe plugging them into a my phone (Samsung Galaxy S2 if it matters) but not too often.
If I buy these headphones, would buying that little FiiO E5 amp benefit me? Would I need to buy a sound card for my computer? It's obviously got on board but I don't know if something dedicated is needed. Motherboard is Asus p8p67-PRO.
And of course if the Grado sr80i isn't a good choice if anyone could recommend anything else?
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On August 19 2011 14:08 TeaGreen wrote:
Hi I'm looking to buy a new pair of headphones. I've read a couple pages before but not too much and I don't really know what's my best route.
I wanna buy Grado sr80i. Just off of reading reviews they seem to be in my price range/what I want. I'm basically just gonna use them at my computer mostly. Maybe plugging them into a my phone (Samsung Galaxy S2 if it matters) but not too often.
If I buy these headphones, would buying that little FiiO E5 amp benefit me? Would I need to buy a sound card for my computer? It's obviously got on board but I don't know if something dedicated is needed. Motherboard is Asus p8p67-PRO.
And of course if the Grado sr80i isn't a good choice if anyone could recommend anything else?
Lower end Grado is hit or miss for most people. I recommend trying them out once to see if they're for you. For metal, apparently there's nothing better.
FiiO E5 is useless.
On August 19 2011 06:21 Misanthrope wrote:
Awesomely informative post Myrmidon. About what I expected coming from a company that's appealing to a niche like the gaming community. I have read before that simulated surround sound in headphones does in fact end up being much more valuable, since like you said our ears are different shapes and sizes. Clearly they're being a bit sensationalistic emphasizing parts like the sub woofer, and trying to sell 'true surround sound'.
I'm sure that in the end people will pay upwards of 150% of what the parts are actually worth. No surprise that the high-end gamers these are marketed toward are willing to shell out the extra money for some hype and an attached microphone. Since I'm just starting to break into this demographic with access to financial aid, the cautions of a low-budget lifestyle led me here. Welfare teaches the lessons of personal finance well to those who are willing to learn.
I'll be sticking to the recommendations of fellow music-enthusiasts and TL, thanks again!
Surround sound headphones are brilliant for gaming, not for music. Most of them will have better positioning for games than low and mid tier audiophile headphones. They're not very good for music however, because the quality of their multiple drivers can't possibly match any serious headphone company.
Some mid tier headphones absolute trash all 'surround sound' headphones, and all high end headphones should destroy everything out there, but you should look at the pricing as well.
Obviously, the microphone and the name adds to the price, but that applies everywhere, and honestly it's around the same. Paying 30 more for the microphone means you don't have to go out and look for a 30 dollar microphone of the same quality. Some of the gaming headset microphones are actually pretty nice and it's convenient to have it attached to the cup instead of clip on.
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i have some decent headphones for skype etc. and for my i-pod i still use the old earbuds
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On August 19 2011 17:34 sVnteen wrote:
i have some decent headphones for skype etc. and for my i-pod i still use the old earbuds
I honestly recommend moving away from the iBuds by just buying some $20 in ears. They're lower quality too, but you'll finally hear the bass. Watch out for the traffic though cause they also isolate a ton more.
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I just bought a xonar stx for my PC. Hopefully it sounds better than my onboard. I'm currently using HD555's with the retarding strip removed, I'm tossing up getting ER-4PT's however, as there is a really good deal on amazon for for $210~. I know they price hiked and where available for for much cheaper back in the day and was wondering if they are still a good purchase seeing I will have a decent sound card?
Thanks in advance
Almost certainly been posted but here is the guide to making your HD555s sound like HD595s with some basic tinkering. Do at your own risk etc.
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What Myrmidon said about surround sound headphones, I want to add something: I believe I heard, the brain's calculations about surround sound do not simply involve what you hear with your two ears, but also whatever tiny head movements the vestibular system detects. This would mean headphones could never be as good as a room with a surround sound setup. Perhaps an accelerometer in the headphones and some math could simulate something that really is better than stereo headphones, but there is no accelerometer in any surround sound headphone (or is there?).
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Hey guys, for a long time (3 years) I used my apple headphones which came along with the ipod because i've never been a sound enthusiast and they were fine, but now they broke and I bought some 10€ philips in ear on amazon just to have some during workouts.
I'm really interested in big headphones which seem to the trend lately again.
Are Monster beats worth the hype/money and if yes, solo HD or Studio ones.
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On August 19 2011 20:57 Ropid wrote:
What Myrmidon said about surround sound headphones, I want to add something: I believe I heard, the brain's calculations about surround sound do not simply involve what you hear with your two ears, but also whatever tiny head movements the vestibular system detects. This would mean headphones could never be as good as a room with a surround sound setup. Perhaps an accelerometer in the headphones and some math could simulate something that really is better than stereo headphones, but there is no accelerometer in any surround sound headphone (or is there?).
A well done surround sound set up always beats headphones because they're in the actual direction of the sound. A sound behind you is behind you, a sound on top of you will come from on top of you. Headphones have to adjust for the echoes off your ear and ear canal as well as off the cup itself. Plus, you get the clamping and music in your head sensation, while speakers make it feel as if the music is around you. Some say preferences, but being around you is how it's supposed to sound.
That said, the positional and sound difference between the good headphones and well done surround sound setups would be very minute.
The 'whatever tiny head movements' would also cause very minute differences.
In comparing headphones and speakers, good headphones will always be worse than good speaker setups because the sound isn't isolated in your head. Good headphones may sound very realistic, but good speakers will sound like the real thing.
However, the benefits of headphones are many, including price, convenience and isolation.
To have a good speaker setup, you really need sound dampening foam (the name escapes me at the moment), a dedicated room, amazing positioning, and of course, expensive components. The end goal for all audiophiles should be a dedicated sound room, but that's not possible for everyone.
On August 19 2011 22:25 AsnSensation wrote:
Hey guys, for a long time (3 years) I used my apple headphones which came along with the ipod because i've never been a sound enthusiast and they were fine, but now they broke and I bought some 10€ philips in ear on amazon just to have some during workouts.
I'm really interested in big headphones which seem to the trend lately again.
Are Monster beats worth the hype/money and if yes, solo HD or Studio ones.
The iBuds would be considered some of the worst headphones out there.
Not everyone likes headphones. Many people prefer in-ears or earbuds. Headphones have headbands that rest on your head, in-ears and earbuds simply attach to your ear.
Monster Beats Studio have decent sound isolation, good comfort and noise cancelling. They're competitive with the Audio-Technica M50s, but at about twice or three times the pricing, so really not worth the money if you want to save. Solos should not be considered at all.
The Audio-Technica M50s are one of the budding audiophile's headphones next to the Sennheiser HD 555s.
Post some more information about your listening preferences, such as what types of music, what songs, what you want to use them for, your budget and you'll be pointed the right way.
I'm actually beginning to wonder if people post these just to troll others. They've been brought up so many times already.
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On August 19 2011 22:25 AsnSensation wrote:
Hey guys, for a long time (3 years) I used my apple headphones which came along with the ipod because i've never been a sound enthusiast and they were fine, but now they broke and I bought some 10€ philips in ear on amazon just to have some during workouts.
I'm really interested in big headphones which seem to the trend lately again.
Are Monster beats worth the hype/money and if yes, solo HD or Studio ones.
No, you are just buying into the brand. Don't buy Bose either. Like the poster above me said, ATH-M50 are the most well regarded heaphones for around $100 (and way better than Beats). They do not need amping which is a plus and are great for videogames, movies, and music. The are more for songs with good amounts of bass but do other genres well. Sennheisers are also a good headphone company that are well regarded and seems like many of the kids at my college are going for those (if they havn't gone for Beats or Bose). Grados are also good but mostly for rock genre. You should start researching at heaphone forums like headfi since there is so much information out there to learn.
Anyways, main reason why I came here is because after working all summer I decided to treat myself and upgrade my setup from ATH-M50 + Fiio e7 to the Ultrasone Pro 900 with Fiio e7+e9 combo. Hopefully they exceed my expectations since it will be the hugest upgrade I made so far in my audiophile journey
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Ultrasone Pro 900 are 40 ohms, 96 dB SPL / 1 mW, so not that tough to drive in terms of volume. E7 can put like 75 mW into 40 ohms for an ear-splitting 115 dB SPL. E9's only real advantage over the E7 is having more output power, which you won't need unless you want to blow your eardrums and/or the headphones out. (I'm guessing that an ATH-M50 / Ultrasone Pro 900 user probably doesn't listen to a lot of classical music mastered like 20 dB quieter than it should be, below the average classical recording.)
Seriously, the performance is not any better on the E9, at least by traditional benchmarks--it's actually arguably slightly worse because of the 10 ohms output impedance. Unlike lots of other audiophile gear, neither tries to color the sound much, so you're not missing out on anything. If you don't already have the E9 or can return it, I'd recommend not bothering with it, if those are the headphones you're using. You can always get something else later, be it the E9 or something else, if you ever want to drive other headphones.
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Yo, any musical producer like me, please PM me with theyre own opinions about the BEST headphone out there, im thinking about the sennheizer HD 800, please send something if you know about what youre talking, id appreciate!
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On August 20 2011 13:05 Myrmidon wrote:
Ultrasone Pro 900 are 40 ohms, 96 dB SPL / 1 mW, so not that tough to drive in terms of volume. E7 can put like 75 mW into 40 ohms for an ear-splitting 115 dB SPL. E9's only real advantage over the E7 is having more output power, which you won't need unless you want to blow your eardrums and/or the headphones out. (I'm guessing that an ATH-M50 / Ultrasone Pro 900 user probably doesn't listen to a lot of classical music mastered like 20 dB quieter than it should be, below the average classical recording.)
Seriously, the performance is not any better on the E9, at least by traditional benchmarks--it's actually arguably slightly worse because of the 10 ohms output impedance. Unlike lots of other audiophile gear, neither tries to color the sound much, so you're not missing out on anything. If you don't already have the E9 or can return it, I'd recommend not bothering with it, if those are the headphones you're using. You can always get something else later, be it the E9 or something else, if you ever want to drive other headphones.
I figured I would buy it now since I would most likely try out new headphones later in the year or early next year that need the extra power to be driven
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EPT
