Headphones? Really? Thats the craze?

halo

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

Personally I couldn't image living without BOTH a higher end speaker setup AND a good 2 channel rig, as each offers things the others cannot.

I live in an apartment so I cannot have both a super 2-channel rig and a nice headphone set up. I had to go with the latter as I have no desire to disturb my neighbors nor do I want to attract unnecessary attention to myself or my apartment, if you catch my drift. A headphone set up allows me the freedom to listen at home and on the go, but when I'm on the go, the good stuff stays home because there are too many distractions and too much ambient noise outside that completely and totally get in the way of my listening experience, especially a critical listening experience. Does that make sense to you?

AsSiMiLaTeD

halo wrote: »

Hi Assimilated,

Did you read my entire post? I clearly stated why I find it humorous to try and have a portable rig of uber high fidelity. If the sound from your environment is leaking in all around you, you aren't in an ideal environment for critical listening, IMHO. You should be aware of your surroundings when you are out and about, don't you agree? How / why would you try to elicit every subtle nuance out of your music in a very distracting an noisy environment? When you listen to your 2-channel gear, do you invite the neighborhood kids over and feed them a bunch of sugar so they are bouncing off the walls, making a ton of noise, while you are listening to your rig? I don't know about you, but I like my listening environment to be as quiet as possible and free from distractions. That isn't what you get in a portable headphone set up, unless you go to a quiet park to listen?

I don't have sound leaking in from all over my environment, my portable rig is fairly good at noise canceling and I have good isolation. Being aware of my surroundings makes sense in some circumstances but not all the time, so no I guess I don't completely agree there. I have my portable setup to and from work and wear it while at the office. In those scenarios I'm fine with the aural world around me being completely blocked out and in those cases I like getting the best sound possible. I'm about to spend around $1k on a portable music player, so clearly I place more importance on mobile fidelity...

cnh

I think Assimilated points above are well taken. And like anything, once "you" get involved in it, dip your foot in the water, you soon learn how to swim and want to swim farther from the shoreline.

That said. I have to "revise" some of my opinions above. After spending most of 2013 exploring the HeadFi community (I still consider myself a novice, though I have now heard most of the top phones in that magic 300-500 dollar range) I don't really think everyone needs to spend a 1000 or more on cans and an amp.

If you go used you can get something like a set of K701s for 150 and a small tube headphone amp for 130-200. Or some Sennheiser HD600s for 200-250. DT880s for a little over 200 new (if you buy the Pro/250s). And so on.

The cheapest decent system I can think of would be a set of Jaycar Digitech Pro Monitors ($70) and a Bravo Audio Ocean (tube H-amp: $129).

That's only $219 new. I have a Bravo (and while there are certainly "better", NOTHING is better at 129, IMO). And the Brainwavz HM5s, Fischer 003, and Jaycars--all the SAME phone have been compared to the Sennheisers above? The Bravo to amps in the 300-400 range? So there's your 1000 at, maybe a much much lower price.
I work a lot at night, so being able to listen to some reasonable quality through a H-phone system is a PLUS. And I find myself running through the various sets of phones I have depending on their strengths and weaknesses with musical genres. Open back, closed back. Aggressive Beyers, or more polite and refined Senns, or the analytic and HUGE soundstage AKGs.

But I'm also certain, that it is the ipod, mp3 players, tablets, ipads, etc. that are largely responsible for the surge in sales. Even a relatively uninformed teenager realizes that the Beats by Dre (though not a great can, necessarily compared to most of the above) sound better than a cheap set of computer speakers or the driver in an ipod. And then there is the status and the styling (fashion), etc. While most of "us" are not moved by such things, we also agree with Assimilated that we want our portable gear to sound as good as it can.

BTW, I'll soon be testing the claim that Jaycar phones sound, a bit like Sennheisers. I have a set coming from Down-under, and already own a set of Senn HD600 (which I do like quite a bit for most purposes--though when I want to drive some DEEP BASS, I get the Beyer DT990s out). BTW, Sennheisers seem to like MOST amps, whereas the Beyer DT990s have a spectacular synergy with the Bravo, or so my ears tell me!

cnh

halo

Well, as with anything, YMMV. During my commute, I have a ton of noise around me. I don't like noise cancelling headphones, myself. Even if yours aren't noise cancelling, they must do a better job than mine at blocking out ambient noise from your surroundings, or, you listen at a higher volume level than I do, or both? I live in the city. It's a noisy commute for me and I don't listen at high levels so, ambient noise leaks in, and my listening experience isn't the same as when I'm at home.

Either way, my experiences have led to my opinions. Simple. Where I live, and the fact that I'm rolling around where I need to be aware of my surroundings may not be your situation. My destination, post commute, is either a classroom or my apartment, so I'm not listening to any music in class this semester (last semester included a voice class).

Maybe my observations apply more to the people I see on my commute, but, if your commute is anything like mine, how can you hear what your listening to with any sense of isolation? My analogy of a quiet listening environment for my 2 channel listening still applies. I prefer for it to be a quiet environment, free from distractions. I would want the same for my portable headphone set up, but it just ins't possible. I'll agree to disagree with you for the time being.

sucks2beme

Headphones don't work for everybody, just the same as speaker rigs.
I listen at times that the Mrs would kill me if speakers were going.
My setup sounds pretty good(yes, I have three headphone setups)
and rotate them sometimes. I of course use the two channel rig about
half the time. Keep in mind how many here think having a separate 2
channel rig from the HT is a bit much. Each to there own.
My commute consists of walking across the house. So my needs
are different than most.

Habanero Monk

I have a pair of AKG Q 701's. They have much better resolution than my LSi 9's. For me they are better for critical listening.

george daniel

I listen to alot of my vinyl with headphones-- I have an old Singlepower PPX 3 with PTP wiring that is really sweet.

Face

For those looking for a really good pair of headphones that don't cost a fortune: https://www.mrspeakers.com/Audiophile-fostex-t50rp-upgrades-mrspeakers-mad-dog

I compared these to the Hifiman HE-6, Senn HD-800, and Beyer T1, they fared well in comparison. Very clean and open for a closed back.

As for those who claim a much cheaper headphone rig will sound better than a hifi setup, it's indeed possible since you're taking the most detrimental link out of the chain, the room.

halo

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

I have my portable setup to and from work and wear it while at the office. In those scenarios I'm fine with the aural world around me being completely blocked out and in those cases I like getting the best sound possible.

So your "portable" set up is actually your OFFICE set up. To me, that's a different scenario. Hi fidelity at the office, and it serves a different purpose on the commute.

george daniel

Face wrote: »

For those looking for a really good pair of headphones that don't cost a fortune: https://www.mrspeakers.com/Audiophile-fostex-t50rp-upgrades-mrspeakers-mad-dog

I compared these to the Hifiman HE-6, Senn HD-800, and Beyer T1, they fared well in comparison. Very clean and open for a closed back.

As for those who claim a much cheaper headphone rig will sound better than a hifi setup, it's indeed possible since you're taking the most detrimental link out of the chain, the room.

Hey Mike-- how would you rate them vs the Senn 600's or 650's

Face

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the 600/650.

cnh

Face wrote: »

For those looking for a really good pair of headphones that don't cost a fortune: https://www.mrspeakers.com/Audiophile-fostex-t50rp-upgrades-mrspeakers-mad-dog

I compared these to the Hifiman HE-6, Senn HD-800, and Beyer T1, they fared well in comparison. Very clean and open for a closed back.

As for those who claim a much cheaper headphone rig will sound better than a hifi setup, it's indeed possible since you're taking the most detrimental link out of the chain, the room.

I think I've been reading TOO many H-phone threads because I have come across the Mad Dog mods of the Fostex T50RP orthodynamic phones. No first hand experience, though. The reviews are mixed. Some people think the mods are fantastic, others don't even think they compare to the old HD600s. Probably another case of needing to hear them?

cnh

AsSiMiLaTeD

I've got a pair of those in the closet, they weren't for me.

tonyb

I hope Dan got a good set of cans for his recent birthday. Seriously, you haven't heard music until you've heard it on a decent system with good cans. Trust us on this one Dan, you just discovered what a decent dac can do for you, now discover what taking the room out of the equation will sound like. BTW, ear buds are not the same thing.

Ern,

You may also be interested in cans as you say your room is horrible no matter what you do. Now, I don't pay attention to the latest and greatest in the headphone world, but I'm wondering if they make something that allows 2 or 3 people to listen on cans at the same time.

EndersShadow

tonyb wrote: »

I hope Dan got a good set of cans for his recent birthday. Seriously, you haven't heard music until you've heard it on a decent system with good cans. Trust us on this one Dan, you just discovered what a decent dac can do for you, now discover what taking the room out of the equation will sound like. BTW, ear buds are not the same thing.

Ern,

You may also be interested in cans as you say your room is horrible no matter what you do. Now, I don't pay attention to the latest and greatest in the headphone world, but I'm wondering if they make something that allows 2 or 3 people to listen on cans at the same time.

Yup they have those items.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/HB415ZM/A/belkin-rockstar-multi-headphone-splitter-aux-cable?afid=p219|GOUS&cid=AOS-US-KWG-PLA

This is a cheapy. They make higher end ones that have built in amps with them but I cant find one off the top of my headhea

tonyb

Neat man, never seen one before. Which they had those back in the day. Ernie has had problems with sound in his room no matter what he does. So to skin that cat, a suggestion of getting rid of the room. Maybe he'll chime in to see if he's open to that, I dunno. Some of you guys can help him better than me since my can days are long gone.

halo

Food for thought: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdf3VA06iSA

He starts to talk about headphones at 1:49

Cheers!

halo

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

critical listening is nice, but not something I ever do on the go

There you have it, hopefully someone will find this useful

LOL. That was my whole point from the beginning Danny.

nguyendot

Habanero Monk wrote: »

I have a pair of AKG Q 701's. They have much better resolution than my LSi 9's. For me they are better for critical listening.

I have a pair of these - need to listen more critically to see how they fare. Also AKG 271MKII and BeyerDynamic DT770 80

nspindel

I'm one of the people who have gone crazy over the edge with headphones. I own a pair of Audez'e LCD-3's. Cost more than my SDA's after I modded them. Then I have a balanced headphone amp to go with them. And I wouldn't part with them, no way. I love my 2-channel SDA rig, and it is definitely where I do most of my listening. But I keep my headphones in my office, use them all the time when I'm at my desk, and I also usually go to sleep later than my wife and son, so when I can't go blasting loudspeakers my headphone setup gets a good workout. Next year we're selling our house and downsizing into an apartment, where my ability to kick up the SDA's will be even more difficult.

I can't even begin to describe how great a high-end headphone setup can sound. My LCD-3's would blow your mind....

sucks2beme

I was just at the Dallas head-fi meet.
They had both the Senn he60 and he90.
There was also a Stax sr007, Beyers of all types, Senn hd600, 650 and 800.
Mad dogs, Koss esp's, and lots of others. Just about everything but AKG1000's.
The mad dogs didn't do anything for me, neither did the Beyer T1's.
There's something about putting on a pair of $5k headphones that makes
the meet worthwhile!. Stax makes one fine set of cans. The hexx series Senns were good , too.
But at this point I'd go with the hd-800's.