IdiotInCharge
NVIDIA SHILL
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2003
- Messages
- 14,675
They have / had? the HD700, and I've seen some recommend it over the HD800 with EQ, but it seems mostly forgotten and I haven't seen any real news on it.
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They have / had? the HD700, and I've seen some recommend it over the HD800 with EQ, but it seems mostly forgotten and I haven't seen any real news on it.
I have a LCD GX myself. The main reason I bought it was because it's actually good 'value' considering everything you're getting. For the most part it's a LCD-2, but you get the travel case ($150 value) and the boom-mic/cable ($60 value) for only $100 more than the LCD-2.
So you could just as easily buy any LCD and just buy the boom-mic Audeze cable as well. You don't have to buy the LCD-GX. This means you could turn a LCD-4, if you wanted to, into a headset.
You can always just get something like the HD-6XX or HE-400i and just slap a modmic on it. That's what I did before getting the LCD-GX.
The Audeze boom-mic works great, but you have to have something with the power to drive it properly. Same goes with the modmic. If you just plug it into a normal sound card/onboard input they just don't push enough power for these microphones to sound good. Of course, if you're buying a LCD or something like a 6xx/HE400i you really ought to have something like a Schiit Hel anyways.
Get a Philips SHP9500 or SHP9500S (same thing different cord) $70 + a V-Moda Boom Pro mic $30. Done.
Yes, when I said LCD-2 I was referring to 'classic' without the Phazer technology. Not the more expensive one with it.
I don't have LCD-2 'classic' to compare my GX to, but i'm pretty confident they likely are almost exactly the same. Could be wrong, but from everything I read I can't find anything objectively different besides the housing.
The only real difference is that the LCD-GX comes with a magnesium housing, versus the fiberglass/nylon housing that the LCD-2 comes in.
So all around, I believe the LCD-GX is a better 'deal' compared to the LCD-2 because you get the mic cable, travel case, and a bit better housing quality compared to the LCD-2.
That being said, you could save $100 and just get the LCD-2 and slap a modmic on it as well, or use a stand-alone mic.
I wouldn't recommend that combo for several reasons:
Here is the Philips Fidelio X3 page.
- Z Reviews is basically an influencer/entertainer channel, just like Instagram influencing -- he talks some about cable/comfort (perfectly OK) but then rambles on for quite some time, never mentioning the fact that his playlist changes (so how can we even do a "decently" subjective analysis, track by track; you can't, since he's using different headphones on different tracks). Also, he doesn't seem to get much use out of his testing rig for measurements ... so take Z with a MOUNTAIN of salt re: sound quality (his hype of the Monolith M1060, amongst other infamous reviews, is hilarious, in retrospect). Seems like 98.7% of his reviews are positive, even overwhelmingly positive (so how can you compare, if everything is great, and even their price/performance are almost all great? simple -- you can't). Check out metal751, Joshua Valour, or DIY Audio Heaven for good headphone reviews (metal751 is "retired" from full-time reviewing, but is still active in the community). The "retired giant" of headphone reviews, is (of course) the great Tyll Hertsens.
- 3-4 years ago, I would've recommended the SHP9500 + V-Moda BoomPro mic combo (as I used it myself, and even bought 2 SHP9500s + DAC/AMPs for my cousin and his fiance as wedding gifts 3 years ago), but right now, the $50-$300 headphone price range is really, really competitive -- to the point where there are already better (even much better) options to be had in that price range.
- From all reports, the SHP9600 & the Fidelio X3 are due to come out later this year (Fidelio X3 page is already up on Philips' website) -- depending on how they sound, they may well obsolete the SHP9500/X3 in price/performance (Philips would be fools not to do this, especially in the light of serious competition).
- As a result, both the SHP9500 & the X2 are no longer being manufactured and inventory is being cleared out (hence the big discounts on the 9500/X2 during Black Friday -- SHP9500 was going for $50, and X2 was going for just under $100 brand new, which would make it well worth it over the SHP9500 in price/performance/build quality). Now I see that the SHP9500 is $75 on Amazon, and X2 is $144 -- neither are worth it at those prices (most I'd even pay for a SHP9500 is $65, and $100 for the X2).
- Both SHP9500 & X2 are open-back (as per OP's original desire for closed-back).
- The headphone industry is shifting a lot, lot faster than the "gaming video card" industry -- no surprise, since there's a ton more competition there than in gaming GPUs (AMD, NVIDIA, maybe Intel in some years?). I seriously think that the HD600/650/6xx line will be replaced as "baseline headphones" for audiophiles within the next 5-10 years, given this rate (they are already too expensive for what they are asking). As I speak, the Hifiman Sundara (initial batch build quality issues aside) seems to be doing just that, and it's on my short list for purchase.
- So, if OP wants to "future-proof" by spending a bit more cash on a good mid-fi headphone in the $300-$500 range, there's nothing wrong with that, IMHO ...
There's lots more I can say here, but I think that's enough
So your rebuttal is you don’t like Z (snip)
Looking at the Sennnheiser GSP 600 and the reviews say that things break on them and the ear pads come un-stitched.
https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-GSP-600-Professional-Headset/dp/B078VM929R
These just kind of look like a DT880-based version of the same thing; kind of wish Beyer would take that space by storm. At the very least, they can provide a better set with bass and soundstage at the same time, something Sennheiser seems incapable of doing...They're good, but the new one called the Tyger or whatever that is open back is better if you're in an environment without noise pollution issues. Closed back is fundamentally going to lack the sound stage.
These just kind of look like a DT880-based version of the same thing; kind of wish Beyer would take that space by storm. At the very least, they can provide a better set with bass and soundstage at the same time, something Sennheiser seems incapable of doing...
My 177X Go is the last Beyer I'm really interested in. I'd be interested in the HD660s if it were to hit US$200 -- and that's the last Sennheiser I'm interested in.
Honestly if it's open, it's competing with my Focal Elex, and well, that's rough competition. Would need to be lighter, bassier, more detailed and more open and not be less comfortable all at the same time. I'm not sure such headphones actually exist .
They probably do, from my understanding (some of Zack's offerings from ZMF -- like the Aeolus, etc.), but the cost would be prohibitive for most ($1200+) -- that's endgame/end-fi/final-fi. I do know there's some more high-end headphones due to come out over the next two years, but not much else.
It's actually getting to the point where there's like 20-30 different endgame headphones nowadays; and that's great! Definitely wasn't the case even 5-6 years ago.
They're good, but the new one called the Tyger or whatever that is open back is better if you're in an environment without noise pollution issues. Closed back is fundamentally going to lack the sound stage.
Shoot, I'd just like to see more 'mid-fi' competition. Think Sundara to LCD-2C range, more or less. That's the space that the traditional vendors appear to not be targeting for some reason.
And do let us know how the LCD-GX turn out for you! I have my wife's tuition to pay for, on the occasion that I would still prefer to wake up everyday with my manhood still attached...
Two options for 'audiophile' headsets:
Beyerdynamic MMX-300:
https://north-america.beyerdynamic.com/mmx-300.html
Audeze LCD-GX:
https://www.audeze.com/products/lcd-gx
Be careful when looking up the price of the second one...
Honestly, after the HD600 pair I own -- which I ain't giving up! -- I'm not in a hurry to run up Sennheiser's chain. My Focal Elex really do what I want there if I want something a little more open, while retaining the low end that the HD800 just outright ignores. I'd likely push higher up Focal's range if not Audeze's or Hifiman's.
That's not to knock the HD800 for what they do well, and in that facet they really do stand alone, but it's not something that I'm honestly finding myself in need of .
Even with my closed DT177X GO set, I have no problem locating people. Those and the Elex live at my gaming desktop powered by the Topping DX7s, and while 'better' solutions have since been released, it's still honestly overkill for what I need too.
[I'd upgrade the Topping if they ever decided to allow the current line outputs to be run as preamps, as apparently almost no one has thought that might be useful!]
Yeah... I almost pulled the trigger on a Motu M2 (better headphone output than most, and better than the Scarlett series by far), when it was briefly in stock yesterday. The Rode Pod Mic looks good; already have a mic arm and cans, of course .If you want something fully worth your 500 bucks I would go Rode Pod Mic, desk arm for mic, 100 dollar audio interface, with a decent set of cans.
When the Beyer's are considered the 'less bright' alternative...I recently got a pair of Beyerdynamic T1.2s which I have been extremely happy with. Like you said the HD800/HD800S probably have the best imaging/soundstage, but the 1.2s get really close without the brightness fatigue.
Get a ModMic and any Senn.'s - better quality than 99% of the "gaming" headsets out there..
It's why I got an arm for my mic. Swing it over when needed, swing it out of the way when it's not.I was 100% this guy for a few years. ModMic + HD650's and my Magni/Modi for gaming. It just became too tiresome. The cable mess, the delicate microphone solution that gets knocked around.. Sure it sounded great but man, i'm so much happier that I just went to a USB Logitech Pro X headset for gaming and I leave the Senn's for music and movies.