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On October 25 2012 21:21 Zzoram wrote:
Is there a way to adjust the Steelseries Siberia V2 headset to be less tight? The headphones clamp just a tad too tight for someone wearing glasses and after a couple hours it gets a bit uncomfortable because my ears get pushed into my glasses.
Put them on a bucket or tissue box overnight.
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My current system is foobar2000k-> KECES DA-151 -> Little Dot mk iii -> sennheiser 650
What would be the most logical upgrade from this? My source is probably the weakest but I am leaning towards a new headphone since my 650 is getting pretty worn out and I believe that transducers make the most difference in SQ. HD650 is pretty flawless but I'd like some thing with more "wow" factor, even at the cost of fidelity.
Any suggestions?
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5930 Posts
To be honest, you're not going to find anything that is a logical upgrade. The main thing you're going to do is get stuff that "sounds different" and not "better".
Edit:
Wow factor doesn't even mean anything. Do you mean a more "forward" presentation? With such high end hardware I don't think there is any point "upgrading" for the sake of "upgrading" unless there's a very particular sound you're looking for.
Anyway, you're right that the source (i.e. the music itself) is probably the most important thing here. If you mean the DAC, I don't really agree: the differences between good DACs are really small, with loudspeaker systems anyway. But the problem is that often the source is terrible and you can't do anything about it.
I mean you can spend a billion bucks on top of the line audiophile hardware but it isn't going to make badly mastered music have a good soundstage or clear vocals. A lot of music is mastered terribly and there, frankly, isn't anything hardware can really do to really solve this problem. At times, you literally can't follow the vocals from a song without a lyrics sheet because the instrumentals are overpowering them.
Do a look up on Metallica and loudness for a premiere example. Kind of ironic that they want fans to buy CDs, because CDs are lossless, yet internationally put out songs that are nothing but loud and distorted. Here is an example of what I mean: top is a song from the CD; bottom is the better version in some video game (Guitar Hero IIRC).
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The XB500s just came in today. I can say that I've missed out on A LOT. This is definitely an upgrade over my earbuds and was worth every penny  Hopefully the clip-on microphone, when it arrives, will impress me as well.
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On October 27 2012 12:03 Sovano wrote:The XB500s just came in today. I can say that I've missed out on A LOT. This is definitely an upgrade over my earbuds and was worth every penny Hopefully the clip-on microphone, when it arrives, will impress me as well.
Glad you like them
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On October 26 2012 15:08 Womwomwom wrote:To be honest, you're not going to find anything that is a logical upgrade. The main thing you're going to do is get stuff that "sounds different" and not "better". Edit: Wow factor doesn't even mean anything. Do you mean a more "forward" presentation? With such high end hardware I don't think there is any point "upgrading" for the sake of "upgrading" unless there's a very particular sound you're looking for. Anyway, you're right that the source (i.e. the music itself) is probably the most important thing here. If you mean the DAC, I don't really agree: the differences between good DACs are really small, with loudspeaker systems anyway. But the problem is that often the source is terrible and you can't do anything about it. I mean you can spend a billion bucks on top of the line audiophile hardware but it isn't going to make badly mastered music have a good soundstage or clear vocals. A lot of music is mastered terribly and there, frankly, isn't anything hardware can really do to really solve this problem. At times, you literally can't follow the vocals from a song without a lyrics sheet because the instrumentals are overpowering them. Do a look up on Metallica and loudness for a premiere example. Kind of ironic that they want fans to buy CDs, because CDs are lossless, yet internationally put out songs that are nothing but loud and distorted. Here is an example of what I mean: top is a song from the CD; bottom is the better version in some video game (Guitar Hero IIRC).
Nicely said. Even if there is a wow factor, it'll be from you being shocked by a new audio signature rather than a tangible improvement in the sound. Eventually you'll adjust to the new sound and the "wow" will become shortlived.
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I'm gonna get Sennheiser HD650 and I need an amplifier. Anyone recommend me one, preferably one that's under 200 dollars?
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5930 Posts
Go to an audiophile store, try them out, pick one that you like and agrees with your tastes. Its kind of a bad answer but just about all people on Head Fi will say the same shit like "increase bass depth", "opened up the sound stage", "beats $1,000 amplifiers!", etc. no matter what the amplifier is so how much is their opinion really worth?
The only opinion worth anything is your own. For instance, I hate Arcam amplifiers (boring as sin) but many people seem to like their sound for legitimate reasons (or I hope!). To give you a first step, apparently the Nuforce uDAC2 is a decent unit. Has an internal DAC, is fairly small, and looks pretty slick too.
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I'm currently using a Turtle Beach x12 headset, for both PC/Xbox.
+ Show Spoiler +
Perfectly happy with the sound/mic quality, but they make my ears bleed... literally.
I'm not sure what it is about the fabric, but it rubs against the outside of my ears until they go raw. It's now so agonizing that I have to put tissues between my ears and the headset if I want to wear it.
So, obviously, I'm after a new headset. All I'm looking for is something that's comfortable and has a decent mic, something I can wear for hours at a time without hurting myself, I'm not fussy about sound quality.
Preferably in the <$100 price range.
A few friends recommended the Steel-series Siberia V2, but the OP doesn't seem a fan.
Do you have any recommendations, TL?
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edit: nm - I bought Blueball for now, though I might return it and go for PC360 or A40 Wired Headset. I'll use my ultrasones for gigs
If I'm getting the message correctly this thread (OP) would not recommend any gaming headset because sound/music quality will be sub-par compared to similarly priced headphones. So I'd guess they would recommend a headphone + separate mic combination. If you do want a gaming headset no matter what than Steel-Series is a good option from what I've read.
One of the reasons that people say gaming headphones are bad is that they are not produced by companies that specialize in sound. Bypassing that problem - found the following set by Sennheiser, which obviously specializes in sound. Also I read decent things about it, but it's pricey ($200):
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-360-Headset-Gaming/dp/B003DA4D2U
For that price might want to consider A40s, as they feature 7.1 surround sound (read some that compare them to PC360, but didnt read too much)
http://www.amazon.com/ASTRO-Gaming-Audio-System-xbox-360/dp/B004N7HSGU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351790407&sr=8-1&keywords=A40
Opps forgot about your range, also heard corsair vengeance isn't bad for it's price. ($60 wired, $100 wireless)
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On November 02 2012 02:09 iokke wrote:edit: nm - I bought Blueball for now, though I might return it and go for PC360 or A40 Wired Headset. I'll use my ultrasones for gigs If I'm getting the message correctly this thread (OP) would not recommend any gaming headset because sound/music quality will be sub-par compared to similarly priced headphones. So I'd guess they would recommend a headphone + separate mic combination. If you do want a gaming headset no matter what than Steel-Series is a good option from what I've read. One of the reasons that people say gaming headphones are bad is that they are not produced by companies that specialize in sound. Bypassing that problem - found the following set by Sennheiser, which obviously specializes in sound. Also I read decent things about it, but it's pricey ($200): http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-360-Headset-Gaming/dp/B003DA4D2UFor that price might want to consider A40s, as they feature 7.1 surround sound (read some that compare them to PC360, but didnt read too much) http://www.amazon.com/ASTRO-Gaming-Audio-System-xbox-360/dp/B004N7HSGU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351790407&sr=8-1&keywords=A40Opps forgot about your range, also heard corsair vengeance isn't bad for it's price. ($60 wired, $100 wireless)
I personally use a M50 and zalman mic1 combo and beats my Siberia V2s by far. After I bought the two, the V2s felt really cheap and obviously had worse sound quality. Same goes for the mic. I've read that the M50's are pretty bad for the $150 price range though. Any headphones from a company that actually specializes in headphones over $100 would be a lot better than most of those "gaming headsets".
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On November 02 2012 07:48 JosephAM wrote:Show nested quote +On November 02 2012 02:09 iokke wrote:edit: nm - I bought Blueball for now, though I might return it and go for PC360 or A40 Wired Headset. I'll use my ultrasones for gigs If I'm getting the message correctly this thread (OP) would not recommend any gaming headset because sound/music quality will be sub-par compared to similarly priced headphones. So I'd guess they would recommend a headphone + separate mic combination. If you do want a gaming headset no matter what than Steel-Series is a good option from what I've read. One of the reasons that people say gaming headphones are bad is that they are not produced by companies that specialize in sound. Bypassing that problem - found the following set by Sennheiser, which obviously specializes in sound. Also I read decent things about it, but it's pricey ($200): http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-360-Headset-Gaming/dp/B003DA4D2UFor that price might want to consider A40s, as they feature 7.1 surround sound (read some that compare them to PC360, but didnt read too much) http://www.amazon.com/ASTRO-Gaming-Audio-System-xbox-360/dp/B004N7HSGU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351790407&sr=8-1&keywords=A40Opps forgot about your range, also heard corsair vengeance isn't bad for it's price. ($60 wired, $100 wireless) I personally use a M50 and zalman mic1 combo and beats my Siberia V2s by far. After I bought the two, the V2s felt really cheap and obviously had worse sound quality. Same goes for the mic. I've read that the M50's are pretty bad for the $150 price range though. Any headphones from a company that actually specializes in headphones over $100 would be a lot better than most of those "gaming headsets".
They aren't bad per say for $150, there are just newer options around that may be preferred by some. Certainly though, you can commonly get them for ~$120, so there isn't much point paying $150. Also, there are really bad headphones from some companies for over $100, but in general, you are correct there is a huge difference.
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Hi, im looking to upgrade my current sennheiser HD 555's to something a little more high end.
I've been looking through a lot of different headphones and amps, where I've decided that the amp should be one of Little Dot's. Nothing like supporting the little companies instead of the big corporations
I haven't decided on headphones though, as it seems to be like a damn jungle out there. I've been looking at the Sennheiser HD 600, which is also the highest price im willing to dish out for a pair of cans.
If there is anything besides the HD 600's that will fit my need (Its going to be used primarily for listening to music and playing games from my PC and listening to my vinyl collection) then please tell.
I have around 600$ (+/- a hundred) to use on headphones, amp and maybe a soundcard or DAC for my PC.
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Just got HD650 and Icon HDP DAC/Amp. First time buying audiophile equipment. I think it sounds fairly great! Worth 1000 bucks in my opinion!
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5930 Posts
On November 02 2012 16:21 Aleteh wrote:Hi, im looking to upgrade my current sennheiser HD 555's to something a little more high end. I've been looking through a lot of different headphones and amps, where I've decided that the amp should be one of Little Dot's. Nothing like supporting the little companies instead of the big corporations I haven't decided on headphones though, as it seems to be like a damn jungle out there. I've been looking at the Sennheiser HD 600, which is also the highest price im willing to dish out for a pair of cans. If there is anything besides the HD 600's that will fit my need (Its going to be used primarily for listening to music and playing games from my PC and listening to my vinyl collection) then please tell. I have around 600$ (+/- a hundred) to use on headphones, amp and maybe a soundcard or DAC for my PC.
The more you spend, the less you should buy blind. In the lower end, there are standout headphones that are just better than other headphones. In the high end, everything is "good" at the very worst and the real difference is that they all sound different.
Also, audio is very subjective so trust what you actually hear. So what I recommend is going into a dedicated audio store, setting a budget, and trying out every single headphone around that budget.
Most proper audio stores that dabble in headphones will have lots of options for you to play with. They will be more than willing to let you bring some CDs/records and your Little Dot amp into the store and play around with their gear. There are infinite options in the $300-500 region from companies like Denon, Audio Technica, Ultrasone, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, etc. so this is basically a must. It'll give you a better impression of each headphone than any Head Fi "flavour of the month impression" will give you.
This also allows you to compare your HD555s with higher end headphones. If its not a lot, then you've saved yourself a lot of money and you won't suffer from buyer's remorse.
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In general, avoid OTL (output transformerless) vacuum tube-based output amplifiers if you want to use any lower-impedance headphones, probably some models like HD 555 as well (mid impedance but widely varying). There may be other suitable alternatives for amplifiers, but if you like how it looks, that should be okay, usually. These days, there isn't much to distinguish audio electronics except form factor and looks (excepting output power levels, to some degree), unless you want to design your stuff to sound intentionally different.
There are some mostly-accepted exceptions to everything at high end being good, but definitely it's true that it's mostly a matter of different rather than better. Trying headphones or speakers out for yourself is key.
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I'm in need of some purchase consultation. The on-board sound has stopped working so I'm in the market for a new sound card.
Up until now I have not been much of an audiophile at all but I have become somewhat tired of using low budget parts so now I want to experience high quality sound (if nothing but to be able to fully enjoy this .flac music that I bought).
I have a gaming headset that I want to eventually upgrade into a mid, mid-high end one, and I also have 2.1 speakers that I may want to upgrade to better 2.1 or 2.0 ones (speakers are less urgent than sound card and headphones at the moment).
For gaming I would use my headset, movies I would use speakers and for music I would use either. In terms of quantity of time spent it would probably look something like:
music > movies > gaming
Music genres are death metal and melodic death metal.
I've been researching sound cards and asked a friend for advice on the xonar essense stx but he said it is overkill for me, that it has too many features I won't use and that it is inferior to its competitors when it comes to speakers. This led me to look at the xonar dsx for its phenomenal price and I've been thinking to spend the money on speakers/headphones instead, if that makes more of a difference considering sound quality. Other cards that interest me thus far are xonar xense, xonar DX and creative x-fi titanium HD.
On speakers, the closest to winning are the Audioengine A5+
Regarding headphones, I am at a complete loss but I would say my budget is in the $200-250 range.
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The one thing that I'm just a little irked by, is the over-usage of the word "junk".
"gaming" headset? junk.
mp3 files? junk.
This and that, all "junk". I need to ask...how many of us out there, listen to FLAC files for our music? how many of us have our computers in a completely silent room devoid of any other sound? Probably the most important of all - how many of us have good enough ears to pick up all that sound, never mind appreciate all the little details in the music(or even have experience in a musical course in school)? There's an elitist attitude that really doesn't need to be there. IMO some of us here are seeking the "sweet spot" - the right price point which nails all the right things.
All that said, looks like Sennheiser PC350 seems to be the good, all-around headset for our gaming needs.
Question: Which sound card to buy? If I'm not supposed to buy a "gaming" headset - then does that also apply to a soundcard? I notice that a lot of soundcards I've used in the past pick up noise from inside the case and just amplify all that stuff to the headset/speakers. You hear that "hummm" or the "pszzzzz" sound the more you crank the volume up.
*EDIT
I missed the OCN section for sound cards earlier. But suffice to say, this combo appears to be the all-around, good combination for gaming and music:
Sound card: Creative Titanium HD
Headset: Sennheiser PC350
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EPT![[image loading]](http://www.turtlebeach.com/Portals/0/Products/Xbox/X12/Tabs_Html/images/beauty01.jpg)
