Headphones threaf

it’s real velour

I’ve been listening to this xDuoo TA-03s all day. It’s a DAC / Class-A Tube Amp Combo. They say it puts out like 300mw at 300ohm, and the DAC handles 192/32 or DSD128 over USB-C; I think its a few years old. It’ll take line-level inputs over RCA if you just want to use the amp section, or will also output line-level out of those same jacks if you just want to use the DAC section and a separate amp. ~$270.

I’ve been listening through my HD580 which I’ve had for probably around 15 years now? Listening to the 192/24 files of Bill Evans Some Other Time lost album released a couple years ago, FLAC CD rips of Tats Yamashita’s recordings via Foobar + JRiver, and some fun binaural Chesky recordings via Spotify.

It sounds real good to me. I’d bet it would measure poorly like seemingly every other tube amp. The whole chassis gets hot enough to burn you.

I will probably return it, anyway, but it will be fun to listen to for a couple weeks before then. My current hifi’s amp doesn’t have a headphone output, and I’ve been shlepping my UR22 audio interface to use as a DAC over from the computer room when necessary; solves both of those but I’ll probably just sell my current amp and get one with a headphone jack.

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I am resurrecting this thread to see if anyone has had luck looking for what I want. I have found what I’m looking for on Amazon and also more or less in my price range, so I’ll post an example just to see if anyone has a particular brand/model they suggest:

https://www.amazon.com/SoundBot¨-SB221-Bluetooth-Sports-Active-Secure-Fit/dp/B01AKSJUH0

My use case is music listening/gaming/video streaming on my laptop, and I’m interested in using bluetooth now because my JVC flats are falling apart and the wire somehow always gets hopelessly tangled/twisted, and I’m also tired of accidentally doing the “dog forgets it’s on a leash and starts running” thing when I go to walk away from my desk.

Specifically the on-ear pad design and not bud or in-war design?

I like the Koss Portapro for those and it looks like there’s a relatively inexpensive Bluetooth version:

Koss BT221i Wireless Bluetooth Ear Clips, in-Line Microphone, Volume Control and Touch Remote, Sweat Resistant, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FDHM1N7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_EGBoEbM9E0CAA

If bud-style works, I’ve used Plantronics’ waterproof neckband style for years.

I feel like earbuds are hit-or-miss for me in terms of fit/comfort. I’ll check those Koss ones out

yeah i’m feeling like it’s time for me to try the Koss at last

So I wound up getting these, because they were a little cheaper and I liked the design a bit better. So far no complaints. Sound quality is pretty good, comparing fairly well to the JVC flats I was using. The JVC’s might be a little more rich/warmer/bassy, but it’s most apparent doing side by side comparison. I’ll probably stop noticing the difference after a while. Should hopefully relieve some of the petty annoyances I’ve been putting up with using my ratty old headphones.

Over all for $20 I’m satisfied.

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i got the PortaPros and they sound amazing at low volume but they keep giving me headaches. calling large-skulled PortaPro enthusiast @Tulpa for advice

all headphones give me headaches so its never factored into which headphones I like. The metal becomes less stiff with time, though. That helped me a little bit. the ‘comfort’ slider over each ear piece should be set to as much looseness as possible

yeah i tried them at max looseness and it didn’t really help! medium seems okay though. at least there’s lots of options

have you ever tried headphones that look like image ?
definitely more comfortable than anything with a rigid headband for me

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yeah I have, those tend to be way more vice like on my particular head shape

I’m just cursed to not be a regular headphones wearer

oh no! those ones are the only ones that really work for me coz i have a weird ridge on stop of my skull that presses against circular bands. hope you have some good earbuds or smth!!

damn

Suddenly the price of JVC flats has jumped up about $8 and I’m mad at myself for not just buying a replacement pair a while ago. The bluetooth headphones I bought ultimately didn’t convince me to switch to them full time, and my flats are falling apart. And my teleconferencing headphones have no bass.

I might just have to suck it up and buy some expensive flats I guess.

The Superlux 661s have the same drivers so really you’re trading folding cups for detachable cord & plastic body. Both have the pleather pads that flake. Clamp force is ok but recently I’ve noticed more ear squish than I remember, tho that’s probably my ears getting bigger. Sony for work, Superlux for bed for the last 6 years.

I got these as I couldn’t get any more 661s easily in the UK. Clamp force is horrendous, I have a giant head

The most comfortable cans I’ve had are Sennheiser open backs, HD 570s. Like wearing nothing at all

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had to do it

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that’s the Sennheiser life exactly

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Oh I see, here is the audiophile nonsense thread… I can stop shitting up the music technology thread now.

I’m going to post a bit about my experiences and then ask whether I should return my new DT 770 Pro’s for something better. So stick with me, or skip to the end and let me know.

Listening Setup

My headphone amp is through my audio interface - PreSonus Audiobox USB (max output rated at 60 mW/Ch @ 60Ω Load). I’ll also occasionally drive my cans using my MSI laptop or iPhone 6.

I use Sonarworks Reference 4 Headphone Edition with my headphones to EQ/calibrate them. I’m a believer in EQ in general and SW is well worth it to have confidence in your gear. SW puts out a Headphone Buyers Guide that’s worth checking out, I trust these folks with audio. see conversation in the other thread.

I’m also trying out a couple of crossfeed algorithms to improve the feel - I have Goodhertz CanOpener Studio on my DAW monitoring chain, and I’m trying to figure out what’s the best equivalent to use with my media player (foobar2k).

I use headphones for (in order of commonality) 1) Critical listening; 2) General ‘fun’ music / background listening; 3) Music production (arrangement); 4) Mixing. I always try to play my music with low volume - when I’ve measured SPL with speakers in the past, I start to get a little nervous around 60-ish DB (C-weighted). So anyways, good tonality and clarity at low volume is important to me.

The Gear

Philips UpBeat SHE2305 earbuds (bought 2020 for $15)

They’re earbuds. In-ears were never comfy for me but these are. This model was recommended by some website? IDR. I use these for general listening and sometimes when I’m walking around in the street. moving on.

Superlux HD 681 EVO (2014, ~$40)

After some WESC on-ears that I bought as a teen, these were my first “real” headphone. Not much to look at, eh? But the internet was abuzz about them back in 2014. Semi-open cans with a relatively neutral response for under $50, what! Here’s a review. A relatively V-shaped headphone with recessed mids, an even bass boost, and some peaky treble.

(and here is the sonically similar HD 681:)

  • My Thoughts: These are my walking-around-outside-bopping-my-head cans. The build quality is jank, but the 681 EVO’s are fun headphones for under $50. Yes they’re plastick-y and squeaky, but the comfort is great with the velour pads. Yes when you compare the EQ on/off you realize that the default sound is much tinnier and bass+treble-ier than you thought. But when you’re just listening to them for extended periods, you don’t really think about it, you just bop your head to the warm and fat sound. Just be careful they don’t fall off, the clamp pressure is really low (comfort!).

  • They don’t do super super well with Sonarworks EQ compared to flatter headphones, in that you can feel the heavy hand of correction being applied across the spectrum, but you do get a much fuller midrange. But what else can you get in this price range?

Suggestion: If you buy them, use the velour pads and do the foam mod (expose the driver for clearer bass response). Or buy their siblings - the normal HD 681, the HD 668B, the Samson SR 850 etc. The other Superluxes have a reputation for being less “fun” and more “clinical” whatever that means. You can also go up to $70 where you have a bunch more options.

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 Ohm (2020, ~$160)

I juuust got these in so I don’t have good thoughts on them yet. I know these are seen as studio staples, but my initial impressions are that they feel like an upgraded Superlux. You have a similar sound signature: bass boost and peaky treble with lighter mids. The difference is improved overall flatness, much more isolation due to the closed back nature, and WAY better build quality (these things feel rock solid). Review.
(A note on impedance: The 770s 80 Ohm drive fine with plenty of headroom on my PC and interface. We start to get up to 60% volume with my iPhone, but even then doable.)

  • My Thoughts: I was hoping these would wow me, and they haven’t. :frowning: Part of it is the similarity to the Superluxes I own. But I think another part of it is … maybe I just don’t like closed back headphones? It may b e my imagination, but I feel like I get ear fatigue after really short bursts of playing music on these. I was trying to figure out what it was - is it the sub-bass? is it the peaks in the treble? But my Superluxes should be worse on both accounts. Is it bad harmonics created by the EQ? Is it the clamp pressure? (These headphones are WAY clampier than my 681 EVO’s, so this might actually have a lot to do with it.)

  • I’m gonna try and break them in and keep listening. But I have a pet theory… I have big ears (pinnae) that provide a lot of angles for high frequencies to bounce around. I wonder if closed-back headphones just end up creating bad resonances for my head/ear shape that makes my ears fatigue easier?

  • I’m also affected by the Sonarworks review of these vs the (semi open back) DT 880 Pro’s, which basically state that the latter are leaps and bounds ahead with EQ.

I’m really trying to decide what to do here. My goal with these was a do-it-all mixing and critical listening headphone suitable for home studio, going on walks listening to music (this one is actually more important than I thought), and anything else I get up to. But obviously I can’t do that if it’s not comfortable to listen on them for extended periods. I appreciate the ‘intimacy’ some have described about the soundstage, but I think my ideal soundstage is more airy and open. I want to be able to pick out the positioning of each instrument clearly and cleanly.

Question: At the 150-200 price range there’s several strong open-back competitors to the 770 Pro, most notably the Drop/Sennheiser HD 58X (150 Ohm) and Beyer’s own DT 880 Pro (250 Ohm), and if you jump up to $220 the HD 6XX (300 Ohm woof).
For closed-back versatility, maybe something less V-shaped would be a better contrast to the Superlux - say an ATH-M50X, or dropping a price bracket and going with one of the many studio staples (DT 240 Pro, M40X, etc etc).

Should I return the DT 770 Pros, and if so, for what? And why?

sorry for wall’o’text this is how i procrastinate on my actual job

heck yeah I always SelectButton during work

I can’t speak to Beyerdynamic headphones, but I can speak on Sennheisers. I’ve moved from HD280s (my first good headphones, but hard to imagine how I put them on my head now), HD598s (lovely open design but weak bass and sub-bass), to the 6XX.

I love my Sennheiser 6XX (rebadged 650). Very neutral, very open, which gives a more speaker-like soundstage, very comfortable (I have a big head and pretty big ears and I wear these 8+ hours a day). More neutral profile than the bass-heavy 58X.

I drive them with a Schiit Magni amp & Modi Multibit DAC. The amp can clear the impedance; the DAC isn’t very neutral but adds a very pleasing room-sound distortion before it passes it on.

Using these high-impedance headphones with a phone or Switch is still much, much better than using my 598s. It can reach very comfortable volumes. When properly amplified, the bass and sub-bass becomes less muffled and more distinct, and everything opens up just a bit – but they’re still very good headphones otherwise.

Your Beyerdynamics are also high-impedance, so I wonder if the best route forward is to try a stronger amp? But I guess you also need to make a decision within your return window, right?

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