The All Purpose Advice Thread

Resident DT150 shill chiming in! I think I am the only asshole that uses this as my reference closed can, but it is really excellent. Good detail, minimal bass mud, actually closed (no leakage in either direction), has cavernous earcups / pads. It is indestructible but fugly. You can service or replace every single part for pretty cheap, but you may think twice about wearing in public. Also, the price is pretty stable in the USD 250-300 range since the primary market audience is studio and field producers, not audio nerds.

 

I just looked up the beyer dt150 because I was unfamiliar with it - and good god - a face even the engineer couldn't love. Kinda like a girl that a 10 in bed but 3 in looks and you are ashamed to bring out to meet your friends (no personal judgements, please)

Would love to hear for above mentioned qualities, sounds like a winner in all aspects other than looks.

 

Cool aside: I was going through some Queen archival photos the other day (one of the cool perks of doing library work) and I ran into a pretty cool photo series from late 1976. Since my library doesn't have distribution or circulation rights on the photos, I can't post any of them - Peter Hince still owns the rights to all the shots - but I did find this one from that series posted on his medium post....



They're DT100's - DT150's earlier 1970's predecessor. Still just as ugly, but somehow 100x more awesome due to Roger Taylor.

 

Topeka some images of dt100 (its predecessor with exact same chassis in white). There are some classics of Roger Waters, Jack White, and I think Bob Dylan wearing them in studio. These and some wayfarers, you could be the ultima-hipster of 10 yrs ago.

EDIT: once again, AV beating me to the punch.

 

Can anyone recommend a good pair of RCA Interconnects to go /connect from my DAC to amp?

 

Blue Jeans LC-1 are quality, reasonably priced, any length you want, and quick to ship.


http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/audio/index.htm

 

I have the Blue Jeans Belden 1694A and it's worked pretty well so far.

 

DO you recommend the BJC LC-1 Stereo Audio Cables or the Belden 1694A Stereo Audio Cables

 

Wow. The dt150 is ugly... But is it comfortable?

 

I have only used the LC-1 cable, because I originally wanted the low capacitance for my turntable. Now my whole system is rigged with various length LC-1 cables. I even have some of their 4 pin XLR cables.

The LC-1's are fairly thick, and I recommend the tech flex option to hold the two channels together.

 

Agreed. Check their main Stereo Audio page and their LC-1 Design Notes. You cannot do better for the price for RCA interconnects, and their Canare starquad XLRs are a good deal too (though I would probably just buy Benchmarks as they seem to use slightly better Neutrik connectors).

I don't know why anyone would shop at Monoprice considering Blue Jeans' quality and pricing. They also offer quality HDMI and ethernet cables (guaranteed to meet the CAT spec they are rated for and including the test result to show it).

 

Yup. The only comfort problem is the same that every true closed design has: ear hotness. But they are pretty light, the headband is well padded, not too much clamping force, and the gigantic ear pads make for soft contact against the head. I can go about an hour and a half before I need to take them off for heat reasons, but I don't leave any headphones on that long anymore. It's no worse than any other true closed design I've used. You can get optional cloth covered pads. If donunus reads this he will say "get the cloth pads!" but I find they affect seal and bass, and don't help too much with over heating.

 

I've had the same set of monoprice RCA cables for like 8 years. They work.

 

My audioengine a2 are crapping out on me--rattle at higher volume. Just passed the 3 year mark too, so I think that's outside of warranty.
Is there any way I can fix it, or would you guys recommend replacing it?

 

Hey guys. I’m having a lot of difficulty finding the right pair of Headphones to buy. I have done a lot of research, youtube reviews, etc on the headphones that I feel are right for me. And just when I think I have the answer, I come across another headphone and have to start all over again. I think I have been hesitant to pull the trigger for a month now, in fear of making the wrong choice.

Biggest problem is that I don't have enough money to constantly upgrade to the next level of headphone bliss every year or two. The Headphones have to last a while (5+ years). If I have the opportunity to upgrade sooner then great.

I have a budget of max. $500CAN for Headphones. Because I have also budgeted for an AMP/DAC. (JDS Labs: 02+ODAC REV B)

I'm looking for:

• Lightest / most comfortable headphones available within this class/price range. 6+ hours with no headaches or pain on ears.
• Most Accurate sound reproduction in this price range
• A neutral sound with an emphasis on mids ( a 'W' wave on the sound signature would also work so long as mids are vivid)
• Preferably open, with a sound stage present. But not required.

Things that I don't like:

• Bass that bleeds into the mids, or hurts the mids
• Noticeable clamp: tension on the head really makes it hard to enjoy headphones even if they are amazing.
• Hifiman or Audeze, for example has a lot of headphones that always look like they clamp a lot, but Planar Magnetic headphones are generally highly desired. The Ear cups look amazing, but the natural clamp looks like it would squeeze the blood out of your head. I am not able to test these headphones in person.

There are so many headphones that I have looked at that have left me just lost...

Philips SHP9500
Philips X2/27 Fidelio
Fostex TH-X00
AKG K712/K702 pro
Sennheiser HD600
Sennheiser HD650

Audeze LCD-X (*I wish)
Audeze EL-8
HiFiman HE-500
HiFiman HE-400i

Really hope somebody can help me out with this. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

 

Of the headphones in your list I can only comment on the HD 650. They will work with an O2 driving them but they'll be very from their potential. They do clamp a bit but thant can be alleviated with some careful bending of the metal arms. The HD 600 will also suffer from pretty much the same problems.

 

As someone who foremost values microdynamics and imaging, within your list and for that AMP/DAC, I recommend considering the K712 or TH-X00; the former is certainly more neutral than the latter. The clamping on the former leaves a bit to be desired (tight for my smaller frame), though you could stretch the band(s) prior to use. Both are plenty light and non-fatiguing (mass-wise) for prolonged use (8+ hrs). I found the K712 a marked step-up in microdynamics vice the X2/27 with the TH-X00 slightly edging out the K712.

Both Audeze models will have lush mids with the LCD-X sounding more neutral than the EL-8. On the other hand, I would recommend against the EL-8 (have listening time with both open & closed) until others can confirm that the QC issues seem resolved. Having owned a couple pairs of EL-8C and having time with the EL-8, all three left drivers simply gave up the ghost after <100 hrs of initial use. Utterly astonishing (in a filmy goo way). I was told the drivers had been prone to tearing during shipping but that the situation had been rectified; however, I did not exchange for a third pair of EL-8C to confirm.

General lack of listening time precludes commenting on the K702, SHP9500, HE-500, or HE-400i.

Outside your stated AMP/DAC, the HD6x0 sound better with more powerful and resolving amps, e.g., a stock 650 has more mid-bass heft and sounds more dynamic out of the GOV2/Infinity at highest gain.

 

If you're near Toronto, you're welcome to get in touch and try out the HD-650's and some others at my place. I'm just west of there 30 mins.

 

I'd usually recommend HD600. But with that DAC (f you must), get HD650 because it has safer upper-mids whilst maintaining tonal balance. Do the dynamat mod but not the quarter mod. HD6x0 is a good long-term investment. The others, except maybe HE500, aren't. Best luck!

 

Trust your ears when possible. If you prefer a safe option, go HD600 or HD650 and on a budget HD598.

Audition when possible because you sometimes find great headphones with small issues that can drive you nuts. In my case the DT1350 was slightly to annoying even after getting used to it. The DT1350 was close to perfect in sound but some design elements just no.