General Headphone Advice

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by Walderstorn, Mar 20, 2016.

  1. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    What do you feed your phones? Music, source, amp ?
     
  2. tdockweiler

    tdockweiler New

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    I know you listed the headphones you've had, but maybe that's not all of them?
    Have you tried any of the AKG headphones? The K702 was known for being uncomfortable for some due to the bumps on the headband, but that doesn't bother me too much. It's also known for being too treble happy.

    Except for the headband, all my complaints were fixed when I got the AKG Q701. I find it balanced sounding and has comparable amounts of bass as my HD-650. The HD-650 I have has no real mid-bass hump and slightly better low bass extension. The Q701 doesn't have the treble of the K702 (IMO), Grado SR-325 or DT-990.

    The main problem with the Q701 is that it's even more picky with amps (IMO) than the HD-650. It generally won't sound too great on a Magni or O2.

    If these two are not an option, the AKG K601/602 is similar but does NOT have the bumps. It's also cheaper and the pads are not angled. It's probably warmer sounding than the K702, but not the Q701.

    With the Q701 you can even bass mod it easily. There are graphs of it on HF.

    The ONE headphone that stuck out for me first that I thought you would love is the AKG K501. It's soundstage is one of the biggest (possibly matching that of the HD-800?) i've heard. Of course this doesn't match up to your requirements, but I still wanted to mention it. It would take you a year to probably track one down.

    People who like the AD700 might love it. It does have rolled off bass, but maybe a little more bass than the AD700.
    It's not really anything like the Q701 or K702 and much smoother sounding.

    The K400 is similar, but a small soundstage. It really doesn't do anything better than the Q701 though, but it has less treble.

    PS Q701 to my ears on the right amp never sounds cold or analytical. Even the K712 is closer to that description.

    The Audio Technica ATH-AD2000 would have been perfect for you except for those pads that go flat.
    Who puts such terrible pads on a $600 retail headphone...
     
  3. Zed Bopp

    Zed Bopp Friend

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    Anyhoo, K701 at least had a ridiculous valley in the lows.... It had a serious lack of Bass. There's no way around it, that AKG lacked them lows.

    That hp is way off of neutral, imo.
     
  4. Muse Wanderer

    Muse Wanderer Friend

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    You're more than welcome @Kattefjaes! :D
    Whooaa.. Geezees... what was that thrown at me!!

    DId you like Bruckner 5th BTW?
    On HD650 it should surely sound glorious!
     
  5. tdockweiler

    tdockweiler New

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    Yes, you are exactly right and I agree.
    I'm referring to (and suggesting) the AKG Q701. Most find it to be similar to the K702 but it seems to fix nearly everything that was wrong with the K702.

    Some people have always hated the K702 and found out they actually like the Q701.
    I had a love/hate thing for the K702 for a long time, but absolutely love the Q701, especially when bass modded.

    The q701 to me is sort of like a more fun sounding K702. Perhaps less analytical and slightly warmer. Yep, the Q701 is slightly warm sounding to me!

    I actually find the Q701 quite neutral/balanced. Nothing at all ever sticks out for me. I'm sure people can point them out in graphs, but I don't hear it.
    Q701 even without bass mod is nowhere near bass light to me. The K400 and K501 are though.

    Similar amounts of bass between my Q701 and HD-650. Slightly more low bass presence on the HD-650 though.
     
  6. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    So far so good with it- I feel I need to live with it for a while, before really making an emotional connection. The world that springs to mind so far is "magnificent". Thanks for the recommendation of the recording, too, it's always tricky to find a good one right away. Oh, and the HE-560 does nearly lose the violins towards the end.. it clings on by its fingertips for a while, but the brass is just too much :)
     
  7. Muse Wanderer

    Muse Wanderer Friend

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    The brass sound is a headphone killer in the finale. Even my speakers couldn't catch up with the neutral tone of the Andromeda as it rendered such clarity and vitality to the subdued violins during the last 6 minutes.

    I listened to Bruckner 5th with the Andros and then with the HD800S few weeks ago. I threw the HD800S away in disgust soon after. No imaging prowess, soundstage or transient response can make up for how it messes with the high mids.

    Repeated listens are key with Bruckner. He will eventually click and you'll seek that magnifecence in the rest of his symphonies. A Bruckner symphony feels to me like a hike up to the highest peak of a mountain enjoying the views and the scenery all the way with the majestic climax at the end.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2016
  8. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    Anytime I see people nosing around with the million different AKG 7## iterations, I just say ditch them all and get the K612.
     
  9. TMRaven

    TMRaven Friend

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    Right now they go straight through my computer's onboard. I did try the Jotunheim temporarily as part of the loaner program, but didn't find it to be enough of a sonic upgrade to warrant the cost. I used to have an Asgard2/Uberfrost when I had the HE-560 and HD800, but tbh they weren't that large of upgrades either compared to my onboard sound. I'm at a point in the hobby where I don't feel like spending lots of money on diminishing returns, because I don't feel as though high-end headphones are there yet in terms of performance per their asking price. I do believe that Schiit makes price-competitive products, but the improvements that upstream gear gives is subtle at best to begin with.

    As far a music I mostly listen to instrumental stuff nowdays-- soundtracks, orchestral music and the like. It's because when I'm listening to music I'm at the computer doing long sessions of photoshop, hence my number 1 desire being comfort. The balanced sound and good extension priorities in the headphone's sonics is just because I don't want fucked up sounding headphones-- which, unfortunately-- nearly all headphones are.

    Either way, the sonics of the Elear I can easily live with, but the long term comfort is more of an issue.



    I've only tried the Q701 and K550, both of which I wasn't fans of. I'd say my number 1 most hated type of coloration in a headphone is an upper-midrange shout ie honkiness. Both headphones were the ideal embodiment of that for me. I've not heard the 601 or the massdrop stuff though.
     
  10. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    I have not tried these particular Schiits, but computer soundcard and HD800 sounds like ass to me.
    To my ears modded HD800 + Jotunheim even with it's inner dac is really hard to call a minor upgrade vs a mobo soundcard. I'd say for the music and purpose HD800M (recommended are Serious' mods) is still the way to go, but in your case with some dsp, like Sonarworks.
    You could try to eq your Focals to more your liking. I don't know if SW support Focal at this point.
     
  11. TMRaven

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    I am an avid fan of EQ, and I use it as much as I can while listening to music, but I can't use it during games. The Elear sounds slightly muffled as a result while playing games. EQ also can't fix the long term comfort.

    The HD800 retained nearly all of its magic even with onboard audio for me. Its sound signature was nearly the same, and its soundstage was still huge. I honestly tend to find most claims about upstream equipment and changing sound to be exaggerated, but that's only to my ears. I respect people who are willing to pay for the small improvements an amp and dac can make, and eventually I'll probably buy some again, but I'm not at that point right now.
     
  12. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    If it's only a small improvement, there's something very wrong somewhere.
     
  13. TMRaven

    TMRaven Friend

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    No I think it's just a difference in how we view small vs large improvements.
     
  14. Klasse

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    Maybe you could try the K712 since it's warmer and less shouty than previous K7-family iterations, while retaining a neutralish character.

    Beyerdynamic T90 might be other good headphone to consider. Neutralish, uncoloured response with an upper treble boost that can bring up lots of details when playing games and can be EQed quite easily when listening to music. This headphone has capable drivers and its succesor (Amiron) is coming so you might find a good deal.
     
  15. tdockweiler

    tdockweiler New

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    I actually found a very well used bass modded Q701 smoother in the treble and upper-mids than the K712.
    The K712 though does have fuller low mids and seemed perhaps a tad better with male vocals.
    Q701 can sound much more shouty and annoying on something like an O2, Bravo 2 or Magni.

    K712 also seems much less forgiving (and more revealing) of harsh/annoying tracks. K712 doesn't smooth over anything. The Q701 does this a little, but it's very minor. I compared them side by side, but I only had the K712 on loan for a few days. K712 is a really good headphone though! If I was in a studio I'd probably pick the K712 over the Q701.

    Not likely he could find a pair, but the K702 65th Anniversary is the warmest and bassiest variation IMO. On every setup I tried it was too warm. Kind of congested sounding. I don't know why I got this result, but I really didn't like that headphones. It's not a clone of the K712 at all.

    Similar to what a Q701 is like if you did the bass mod AND installed memory foam pads. The result is NOT good!
     
  16. Klasse

    Klasse Friend

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    Thanks for your comparative impressions.
    I think K7XX is closest (if not the same as) K702 65th Anniversary
     
  17. The Life

    The Life Facebook Friend

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    I've heard contrasting advice on these throughout the interwebs about this so I thought I'd throw this up here: for the sake of protecting headphones from current spikes, should one plug headphones into/out of amps BEFORE turning the amp on or off or AFTER turning the amp on or off?
     
  18. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    I'll just present the arguments for both sides:

    1) Amps sometimes have "thump" when you turn them on (typically a current rush kind of thing). People worry that this might potentially damage headphone. Typically a headphone amp won't really have enough juice to do anything, though if you're plugging headphones directly into speaker amps without resistor pads, you might have issues.
    1b) If you don't hear a thump, you're probably fine.

    2) Plugging in a headphone after the amp is turned on might potentially cause an electrical short because TRS plugs are crap. Shorts are potentially a nono for the amp, but most will have some moderate form of protection built in.
    2b) If you plug/unplug relatively quickly like a normal human being and don't see sparks, you're probably fine
    2c) If you like to plug/unplug slowly while whispering sweet nothings to your amp's jack hole, please reevaluate your life choices.
     
  19. Invalid

    Invalid New

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    Hi! Can't decide which to get. It would be for portable and home use.
    Audeze Sine
    Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H6 2nd Gen.
    Meze 99 Classics
    Oppo PM-3

    I listen to a lot of different genres. Not into country or heavy metal though.

    Original list included Bowers & Wilkins P7, Master & Dynamic MH40 and Sennheiser Momentum 2.0
    Read that the P7 and Momentums are dark sounding and the MH40 were not really neutral and more of a vshape sound.

    Anyone here who had experience with the headphones mentioned? Need your input on which to get.

    Thanks!
     
  20. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    HD598 and a decent portable headphone that is affordable.
     

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