EPTI dont have any audio splitters or anything, so i cant test =/.
The Ultimate Headphone/Audio Thread. Seriously - Page 39
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issh
Netherlands96 Posts
I dont have any audio splitters or anything, so i cant test =/. | ||
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
It's more like $190 on Amazon, which is much lower than it used to be and certainly much lower than what the similar and related K701 model was years ago. I guess the price delta isn't huge, but the gradual lowering of the price and now this make it a pretty good deal. | ||
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teamamerica
United States958 Posts
Willing to spend up to $250, give or take some. Thanks for any advice you guys give! | ||
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IMoperator
4476 Posts
edit: i guess ill put some more information. I play a lot of games, mostly fps games like BF4 and Counter Strike:GO. I also listen to a lot of metal music, specifically deathcore-ish bands, so a lot of double bass drums and fast, rhythmic guitar playing. I like some bass, but not like ridiculously bass heavy headphones like beats (my friend let me try his and the bass was just too strong). I would prefer close-eared headphones too. | ||
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Thalandros
Netherlands1151 Posts
On June 23 2014 03:44 IMoperator wrote: hey im looking for a new pair of headphones, around the ~$100 range. I've been using gaming headsets or random earbuds for my whole life, but i'd like to get some good quality headphones now. Any suggestions? I'm willing to go like ~$30 more/less than my budget. edit: i guess ill put some more information. I play a lot of games, mostly fps games like BF4 and Counter Strike:GO. I also listen to a lot of metal music, specifically deathcore-ish bands, so a lot of double bass drums and fast, rhythmic guitar playing. I like some bass, but not like ridiculously bass heavy headphones like beats (my friend let me try his and the bass was just too strong). I would prefer close-eared headphones too. The thing about beats is they drown out everything that's not bass. So some dubstep will seem like it's good, but the headphones are actually complete shite if you listen to anything but a select few tracks. I'm here to recommend Sennheiser, but they're open and not very bass heavy at all. Should you still wish to go that route (Great build quality, looks good, sounds great for the price, can't go wrong on that) I recommend the http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-504631-HD-558-Headphones/dp/B004FEEY9A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403477670&sr=8-1&keywords=Sennheiser HD 558 Slightly lower end but still good for the price are these: http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AH-D1100-Advanced-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0042ETXRQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=aht&srs=2529260011&ie=UTF8&qid=1403477689&sr=1-3&keywords=Denon Closed, quite a bit of focus on bass (not drowning out other sound too much however) although they are closed and you will get your ears sweaty. They ''clamp'' to your head a bit more, which is what the Sennheiser's excel in. I don't have any experience with other headphones than these even though I hear the http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B000ULAP4U/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1403477780&sr=1-1&keywords=audio technica ath-m50 is a VERY good competitor for the Sennheiser's I linked. Anyhow, these are three good brands you should always keep an eye out for. The Sennheiser's are without a doubt the best for open-headphones, ATH-M50's are a good closed competitor (with I assume more bass than the HD 5XX series) and slightly lower-end are the Denon's I linked which I've tried myself and are actually quite good, but clamp more to my head and aren't open which is why I love my Sennheiser's so much. Edit: Another thing to note: The Sennheiser's do have ''E.A.R. technology'', which is something a lot of high end headphones have to boost your experience: ''Eargonomic Acoustic Refinement (E.A.R.) for High Performance These high-end open circumaural headphones use E.A.R. technology for outstanding sonic accuracy and clarity. Sennheiser's innovative "Eargonomic Acoustic Refinement" (E.A.R.) design channels audio signals directly into your ears. State-of-the-art, advanced Duofol diaphragms deliver transparency and minimal distortion, while highly optimized, field-strengthened neodymium ferrous magnet systems yield an excellent dynamic response. A surround reflector creates an extended spatial sound field for the lightweight aluminum voice coils chosen for high efficiency and excellent dynamics. The special diaphragm geometry reduces intermodulation distortion, while highly constant, compressed cellulose fleece reduces total harmonic distortion.'' Hope I helped you out! I can give more in depth info about the Sennheiser pair if you want, just ask!  | ||
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Firkraag8
Sweden1006 Posts
On June 23 2014 03:44 IMoperator wrote: hey im looking for a new pair of headphones, around the ~$100 range. I've been using gaming headsets or random earbuds for my whole life, but i'd like to get some good quality headphones now. Any suggestions? I'm willing to go like ~$30 more/less than my budget. edit: i guess ill put some more information. I play a lot of games, mostly fps games like BF4 and Counter Strike:GO. I also listen to a lot of metal music, specifically deathcore-ish bands, so a lot of double bass drums and fast, rhythmic guitar playing. I like some bass, but not like ridiculously bass heavy headphones like beats (my friend let me try his and the bass was just too strong). I would prefer close-eared headphones too. I used Sennheiser HD598 for a long time, they're similar just slightly higher end than the Sennheiser HD558 previous poster recommended and they're absolutely amazing for Metal the sound signature really fits the genre well, in my case being a lot of Melodic Death Metal. They're open but they're worth it if this is what you listen to. So out of the 3 he recommended I would probably go for the 558, the light bass, forward mids and bright treeble is tailored for what you want. | ||
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IMoperator
4476 Posts
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Thalandros
Netherlands1151 Posts
On June 23 2014 09:56 Firkraag8 wrote: I used Sennheiser HD598 for a long time, they're similar just slightly higher end than the Sennheiser HD558 previous poster recommended and they're absolutely amazing for Metal the sound signature really fits the genre well, in my case being a lot of Melodic Death Metal. They're open but they're worth it if this is what you listen to. So out of the 3 he recommended I would probably go for the 558, the light bass, forward mids and bright treeble is tailored for what you want. I'm using the 598, but considering you can mod the 558 if really wanted to ''upgrade'' it to the 598, it's close to the same. I listen to a bit of metal as well and I find the bass a bit weak at times, a bit blurry, which is why I don't recommend this for pure heavy music but more for soundtrack, general usage, or otherwise calm or classic music. One thing I actually LOVE listening to with these cans is the Game of Thrones soundtrack. It just sounds SO WONDERFUL. (Listen to Dracarys specifically.) On June 23 2014 09:58 IMoperator wrote: thanks for the help guys, i decided to buy the ath-m50's cause i got a pretty good deal on amazon for them. Nice, be sure to post your experience, I wanna read more about em from people!  | ||
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WindWolf
Sweden11767 Posts
1) Max 1000 SEK (~150 USD) Budget 2) Closed, Cirumaural Headphones good for a wide range of different music genres 3) Has enough room for a bit bigger head (my head is a bit bigger than average) Big bonus if the cable/connectors/whatever is a bit better, as these will be used when I'm taking walks or are otherwise on the go | ||
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Firkraag8
Sweden1006 Posts
On June 28 2014 04:21 WindWolf wrote: I need some help choosing new Headphones primarily for music listening since my other pair broke a while back. Some requirements and such 1) Max 1000 SEK (~150 USD) Budget 2) Closed, Cirumaural Headphones good for a wide range of different music genres 3) Has enough room for a bit bigger head (my head is a bit bigger than average) Big bonus if the cable/connectors/whatever is a bit better, as these will be used when I'm taking walks or are otherwise on the go ATH-M50, 899kr hos Dustin. You won't find better value if it has to be closed, these headphones usually go for quite a bit over 1000kr. | ||
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WindWolf
Sweden11767 Posts
On June 28 2014 04:24 Firkraag8 wrote: ATH-M50, 899kr hos Dustin. You won't find better value if it has to be closed, these headphones usually go for quite a bit over 1000kr. Closed is strongly preferred, as my traveling distance to my parent are +5 hours (and I do visited them from time to time) | ||
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Firkraag8
Sweden1006 Posts
On June 28 2014 04:32 WindWolf wrote: Closed is strongly preferred, as my traveling distance to my parent are +5 hours (and I do visited them from time to time) Then get the ATH-M50 I linked, they're closed. | ||
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DefMatrixUltra
Canada1992 Posts
On June 28 2014 04:24 Firkraag8 wrote: ATH-M50, 899kr hos Dustin. You won't find better value if it has to be closed, these headphones usually go for quite a bit over 1000kr. Why suggest monitoring headphones for music listening? I'm legitimately asking. Monitoring headphones are (usually) extremely "accurate" which means they reproduce the frequencies and imaging of the digital signal without "color" or any other kind of artistry. To put that another way, they sound very "dead" or dull. The second good trait they have is noise blocking or cancellation. It's very important when trying to get an accurate reading to remove the color that the room adds to the sound. These traits are highly desirable when mixing. After getting everything sounding right over speakers, you can plug in the phones to remove the room bias and get highly accurate imaging. But they sound pretty awful (imo) when listening to music. If you're getting phones for listening, I'd get something with some color and "feel" behind it. There is a raw soul-sucking sterility that good monitoring phones have that makes them great for mixing but poor for listening. In this price range, the absolute best monitoring headphones are (imo) the KRK KNS8400. They'll make your lively, bumping mix sound like cheap shit (which is exactly what you want but only when mixing or mastering). I understand this is a very subjective topic, but I thought I'd ask to get your insight. | ||
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Firkraag8
Sweden1006 Posts
2. As far as closed headphones go I see the M50 recommended all the time for music listening, and you'll be hard pressed to find a better one sub-1k here. | ||
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DefMatrixUltra
Canada1992 Posts
On June 28 2014 17:57 Firkraag8 wrote: 1. KNS8400 is out of his price range, you're not accounting for the Swedish taxes. The M50 was way discounted to go under 1k. 2. As far as closed headphones go I see the M50 recommended all the time for music listening, and you'll be hard pressed to find a better one sub-1k here. For 1, you're right that I don't have a good grasp on international prices (I just looked up the phones on local Amazon and saw they were similarly priced). Just to be clear, I would definitely not recommend getting KNS8400 ever for music listening because they are some of the deadest phones that I've ever tried - it was an example of what not to get. They are incredible if you're mixing or if you're using them to monitor playback for tracking. If it sounds energetic and bright in those phones, it will sound incredible on other sound systems - that's the idea. As for 2, the word "better" here is misplaced, I feel - or at least not very clear. Monitoring headphones are often described as "professional quality" and "high-end" etc. because they serve a very specific function (sounding as dead and flat as possible) very well. Their technical specs are very impressive, but the truth of the matter is that they don't sound very good compared to other headphones. In my view, a headphone manufacturer has to choose between a) being good at monitoring and b) sounding good. The two concepts are fundamentally at odds. If you color the sound to make it sound good, a mix engineer will be fooled into thinking their mix sounds better than it really would on a multitude of sound systems, for example. Similarly, if you're a music listener, you want as rich a sound as possible. Really good-sounding headphones might output a bit more bass (humans perceive bass frequencies as quieter than other frequencies at the same dB) and might have a slight color on middle frequencies to make them stand out more (humans perceive these frequencies as the loudest of all the frequencies at the same dB). There are, of course, many many other and more fancy things a good set of listening phones could do to enhance the digital signal, but those are some basic examples. Having a totally flat frequency response (i.e. frequency dB in = frequency dB out) is kind of intriguing as a listener because you get to hear whatever the mix engineer and the mastering engineer were hearing, but it's not the best listening experience. Given two sets of sound systems, a monitoring system and a more highly colored system, people will describe the monitoring system as "flat" or "dull" and the other system as "energetic" or "bright" or "lively". From this perspective, advising listeners to get monitoring headphones could be likened to telling people to get | ||
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Firkraag8
Sweden1006 Posts
Fact is that this exact thread but in Swedish I see plenty of people both suggesting and enjoying the ATH-M50 for music listening as a entry-level audiophile headphone, especially over the other crap you would get for 900kr in this instance. For reference the M50 usually costs 1300 (~$200), that would give you a good idea of how much we have to overpay for shit. PS. I agree with the i5 > i7 for gaming. | ||
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WindWolf
Sweden11767 Posts
On June 28 2014 18:48 DefMatrixUltra wrote: an i7 instead of an i5 even if they only play games. The i7 might be a "better" processor, but unless you are encoding video or doing some other highly technical work, the technology put into an i7 is a waste. It's not a great analogy, but I hope that clarifies what I'm trying to get across. As someone who's on his way to building a PC, I have to say this. Yes an i5 would be enough for games (and I play lots of PC games), but my reason for going with an i7 is because some of the software I'm using for game development (Like Visual Studio) takes use of the extra threads, meaning that the hyper-threading technology in the i7 is certainly not waste. And even then, I'm sure that there is some niche game out there that uses more than 4 threads. | ||
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DefMatrixUltra
Canada1992 Posts
On June 28 2014 19:06 WindWolf wrote: DefMatrixUltra: Do you (or anyone else) have a better suggestion for another pair of headphones? As someone who's on his way to building a PC, I have to say this. Yes an i5 would be enough for games (and I play lots of PC games), but my reason for going with an i7 is because some of the software I'm using for game development (Like Visual Studio) takes use of the extra threads, meaning that the hyper-threading technology in the i7 is certainly not waste. And even then, I'm sure that there is some niche game out there that uses more than 4 threads. The i7/i5 analogy was very bad anyway, the Quadro/Geforce analogy is much better. In your price range, I don't think I have a suggestion. I'm not that familiar with cheaper high-end phones, and I don't want to endorse anything that I haven't listened to myself. You're going to be buying phones with kr so I'd advise to listen to those who know the local prices better than I do because that's ultimately going to be the deciding factor. Those headphones will sound better than a lot of things (e.g. any headset on the planet), I was just being a bit pedantic and pointing out the (imo) strangeness that I see all the time with people recommending monitoring phones for listening (or much worse, listening phones for monitoring). If you're new to high quality audio (i.e. not earbuds and gaming headsets), then these will be a comfortable introduction which you'll probably be quite pleased with. Just keep in mind the difference in the future between monitoring vs. listening. There is a huge array of phones available, but most of the big differences between them are a) ergonomics and b) monitoring vs. listening. Everything else is really just subjective/based on taste. | ||
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z0rz
United States350 Posts
It's funny that you mention KNS-8400s though. I managed to snag the last pair at the local Guitar Center, on clearance (brand new) for $100. :D | ||
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DefMatrixUltra
Canada1992 Posts
On June 29 2014 10:48 z0rz wrote: The M50s aren't exactly the most sterile monitoring headphones. I haven't personally tried them, but everything I've read suggests that they do, in fact, add some color to the sound. Lots of notes about it being a little heavy on bass. They are VERY popular headphones amongst the consumer/audiophile community, not just producers/engineers. It's probably pretty hard to beat them in the price range, which I'm sure is why they've been so wildly popular. It's funny that you mention KNS-8400s though. I managed to snag the last pair at the local Guitar Center, on clearance (brand new) for $100. :D If the M50s color the sound, why are they sold as monitoring phones? That's the thing I don't get. It's like trying to paint with sunglasses on. Honestly, it's hard to beat the KNS8400 for monitoring, even if you have a huge budget. The only thing they could do better is noise attenuation as the frequency response and the imaging are about as dead on as you can get. Very good deal you got there. | ||
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