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Which Headphones?

I'm pretty much completely new to the world of headphones.

I've only owned cheap sets that came with a portable player or a cheap replacement for broken ones... I think the nicest set I've ever owned are the Sony MDR-NC6 :p

I have < $150 and figured I'd give the world of headphones a try.

I just bought some Insignia speakers that sound amazing and I was hoping to be able to get great sound through some headphones for music/movies at night.

I'm using onboard audio :rolleyes:

I've been looking into picking up some Audio Technica A700's because I've heard great things about them for under $150.
I was wondering if I should pick up a cheap cmoy headphone amp also... like this one...

I wish I could afford something like this, so I wouldn't need to worry about poor audio from onboard... but ya... can't exactly go down that road right now..

But again, I am completely new to all this stuff, so I have no idea what I would need... but I can't spend more than $150...

How are the Denon AH-D1000's?

Thanks for helpin out a newbie ;)
 
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CountChoculaBot said:
A Cmoy's not going to do much. You should put the money towards buying a better sound card.
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=SB0670-BULK&cpc=SCH&AID=10440852&CJPID=1225267
Much better DAC section on that, and you can improve the amp section by soldering on a LME49720 (like, $7 shipped) if you can. Plus you get all that fancy X-Fi crap :)
Click to expand...

Looks like a great/solid card, I'll probably go with that then.
Is the opamp upgrade really worth the effort?

Audio Technica A700 or Denon AH-D1000 with the Creative SB0670?
Or should I invest my $150 in something else, like upgrading my plastic lawn chair in front of my computer to an actual computer chair, or picking up a recertified Denon DRA-397 Stereo Receiver I've been eyeballing for a while now... and of course still buy the sound card.. my Insignia's need something decent to power them..

Thanks for the help!
 
Yes, the upgrade is very much worth the effort. Makes it almost on par with budget home setups, which is saying a lot considering the feature set (X-Fi) you get.

Also, I do believe I've seen someone solder on a DIP socket where the original OpAmp was instead of just straight soldering a SOIC OpAmp. Basically, this makes OpAmp swapping incredibly easy, since instead of having to solder each new OpAmp, you just take out the old with your fingers/pliers and drop in the new one, letting you pick what OpAmp you like best. I would've done this if I'dve thought of it.
 
Ya that socket idea would be great!

Well, I just ordered the Denon DRA-395 that I've been looking at for a while now.
I also ordered the Creative SB0670 card. Kinda funny though... I ordered it using Google Checkout through Buy.com, and Buy.com orders it from Geeks.com lol all to get $10 off :p

What do you think about upgrading the OpAmp for the rear channel output, that way if I don't like the sound I can just use the front channel output. Because I will only ever be using stereo output. And most driver software for soundcards let you swap outputs for each jack right? so you can pump your stereo through your rear channel?
If not, I'll probably wait and see how it sounds without the upgrade, and if I feel like I'm missing out on something I'll try the DIP socket and a couple new opamps.

So, it'll probably be a month or two till I pick up some headphones, but when I do, should I connect them straight to the card, or to the headphone output on my denon receiver?

I'm still stuck between the Audio Technica A700's and the Denon AH-D1000's. I like the idea of pairing Denon products.
 
I know you can swap outputs on onboard audio, probably because it's all through software, but on these soundcards I'm pretty sure you can't swap jacks. But if you're willing to do the soldering, I'm sure the better OpAmp will give a decent sound quality increase, you won't be disappointed ;)
 
Ya, I don't have a problem with the soldering at all, it's just that I've read that some of the opamps have a burn-in period, where they should be playing music for a hundred hours or something until they settle in with their sound output... and I've noticed that a few people have been unhappy with the highs or mids of their new opamp even after letting it get used for a while...
I'd just be paranoid that it's gonna sound like ass after 50 hours of playing music or something lol
I've also seen a couple different recommendations on opamps for the SB0670, so I'm unsure which one I should go with...
 
OpAmps don't take that long to burn in, maybe 24hrs at the most I'd think.

Believe me, the default OpAmp on the X-Fi is incredibly bad. The LM4562 can do nothing but improve. If you're worried about not liking the LM4562, then I'd suggest soldering a DIP Socket on, so you can easily change out different OpAmps until you find one you like.
 
Damn, I feel like a tool. I bought the xtremegamer for $51 befor MIR, when I could have bought the mod-able extrememusic for $37.
 
i just got some ath-ad700s and they sound almost identical to the ath-ad500s. so if you have a slight budget concern the ad500 can be had for 40.00 less
 
I've been thinking.. should we change the name of this thread? I was thinking "What headphones are right for me?" sounds a lot better. anyone?
 
CountChoculaBot, could you point me in the right direction for where I should purchase the LM4562 along with a DIP Socket that'll work with it?

ourfpshero, thanks for that info! I'll go with the 500's then.

I'm still kinda lost as to whether I should get the open air (ad500) or the closed back (a500) headphones... I've read up on it, and it seems I might prefer the closed back. With the headphones I'll be mainly listening to slower music (Coldplay, Death Cab, Keane, Barcelona, newer John Mayer blues stuff, etc.) with the ocasional quicker punchier stuff (Cartel, 30 Seconds to Mars, Anberlin, etc.)
I kinda like the idea of having the isolated sound with a slightly higher bass level.

Anyone know of a reputable shop that I could get the ath-a500's from for a decent price?

Also, after going through the 300 pages of a DIY Cable Gallery thread over at Head-Fi and ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the amazing looking custom cables, I'm pretty inspired and would like to make a few cables of my own. But would there be any real audible benefit to re-cabling the ath-a500's aside from aesthetics and the simple coolness factor? lol

Thanks for the help so far guys! I really appreciate it.
 
http://www.national.com/order/sampl...e=gO.JYtZn7to&qty=3&back=/pf/LM/LME49720.html

For the DIP version LM4562. LME49720 is the exact same as the LM4562, except they arbitrarily decided to give it a higher model number, so that you know it's better :)

I'm having trouble finding the DIP Socket the guy used =\

Edit

Oh yes, don't recable your A500's. Recabling provides the least amount of improvement, and IMO there's no point unless the headphone is mid-hi end, where it's all about different tastes instead of distinct upgrades (>$200ish range). The money spent on recabling is better spent on getting better headphones.

Edit 2

I *think* this is the DIP Socket adapter?
http://www.cimarrontechnology.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=20
 
Alright, well I'll pass on the re-cabling.
Thanks for the links, I'll order the opamp after I get the soundcard, I wanna get a first hand view of this little thing, and I also need to get a new tip for my soldering iron and find my soldering wick before I dive into it. I think I may do without the socket adapter though, I'll just stick with the LM4562.

Based off of the results from Froogle, the ATH-A500 can be had for $110 at the lowest, and the ATH-A700 can be had for about $115...

If those prices are legit, I'd rather go for the 700, even if it's only a slight audible difference...
 
the closed audio technica cans generally have slightly better bass and seal u off sound-wise from the world. the open cans do not block any noise at all- very light and airy. i prefer the open ones myself.
one concern the open air ad series- ath-ad500, ath-ad700, etc- are very fragile!!! those honeycomb cups are like tin foil!! u will get dents unless u r extremely careful- this is a possible concern if are not very gentle with ur stuff

ath-ad500 for 62.99 w/google checkout
http://www.buy.com/prod/audio-techn...amic-headphone-cable/q/loc/111/202091765.html
 
I think I'd prefer to be sealed off from the rest of the world sound-wise lol
I live close to some train tracks so the mood of my movie/music is kinda ruined every 15 minutes haha
So being able to seal out some sound would be nice. I also tend to like most music with a little more oomph/bass/kick to it.
and ya, I'd rather they be a little bulkier/sturdier than tin-foil haha
So I still think I'll go for the A500 or A700's.

I was planning on buying these in a few months when I get some extra cash since I just blew all my money on a bunch of other stuff, but then I realized that my birthday is in 12 days, so I might as well tell one of my brothers to pick me up a set of them for the occasion. Which means an extra $50 or so for the 700 over the 500 isn't too big of an issue :p lol

After searching around and reading god knows how many reviews on both the ATH-A500 and ATH-A700 headphones, it seems like half of them say that there isn't much of a difference, and the other half say that the 700's really improve on the mids and highs over the 500's.
I also read on one forum that the difference between the AD500 and AD700 were little, but between the A500 and A700 (closed back versions) was a pretty big difference and well worth the extra $$$.
 
I got my SB40s a while ago, and the whole time, the mic has been super soft. I guess I have to buy that zalman mic attachment.
 
I was just looking at the specs of the Koss SB-40's. They have an impediance of 120 ohms?? Wouldn't it work better with an amp?
 
Which cans would be good for the 360? I'm leaning towards the ATH-A700 or ATH-AD700. Right now the 360 is connected to the Z5500 optical. Can I use the headphone out from the Z5500 or do I need an amp? Say CMoy, Pimeta or such.
 
Citizen86 said:
I was just looking at the specs of the Koss SB-40's. They have an impediance of 120 ohms?? Wouldn't it work better with an amp?
Click to expand...

MAybe. Diff would be slight really. I use a Trends Audio usb to coax into my Sony digital pre amp for some stunning SQ w/ the sb40s. Very good sound for some cheapy cans.

Now my Stax just bitch slap the sb40s but that is true for every dynamic headphone to me lol.
 
A little random, but my local department store has the Audio-Technica ATH-T22's in stock, albeit for almost double the MSRP's price (damn Mexico). Think they could be any good?

They also had KOSS UR18's and Sennheiser HD210's.... haven't really heard of either of them :( I have a feeling none of them are worth even trying.
 
Well. I decided that I should focus on either the Audio-Technica ATH-A700, Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 or the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro-80 for gaming. My thing is that I'm using the Z5500 for sounds and amplification. Which one would sound better using the Z5500 control?
 
Citizen86 said:
Koss Sb40's. No more than $35. I assume you're asking for gaming
Click to expand...

Yes, they're for my girlfriend and she's on ventrilo a lot.

I did more searching after I posted here and it seems the Koss SB40's do not have the greatest mic. That would definitely be a concern. Comfort too, not so much quality.
 
You can always buy a regular pair of headphones and just stick a cheap mic on it. I believe the Zalman mic is pretty high quality and only $9 bucks.
 
Citizen86 said:
You can always buy a regular pair of headphones and just stick a cheap mic on it. I believe the Zalman mic is pretty high quality and only $9 bucks.
Click to expand...

Yup. The sb40 is comfortable enough but the mic suxor big time. The sb45 has a better mic but shitty sound lol.

How BOUT an SB50 that combines the best of both Koss?

duh. small wonder I try not to think much.
 
deeplove said:
does anyone know of a good solution for the ps3?
Click to expand...

for headphones? get a receiver/pre-amp with hdmi or optical and a rca output for a headphone amp or use the headphone out.

I use a digital pre-amp for my 360.
 
How about a mic? I see that know one makes a headphone/mic combo for the PS3. One thing, everyone on PS3 sound like robots. I guess I'm spoiled silly with Live. I really don't want to deal with a Bluetooth mic, any other suggestions?
 
I can't find anything yet on that. Sorry but the PS3 is still developing.

Added the Sennheiser PC350 to the list now that it is under $200.
 
As a point of interest, I'm still a complete noob with this audio stuff... especially headphones. Anyways, I wasn't completely impressed after a while with my SB45's, especially one day when I was playing CS:S and some guy ran up behind me and knifed me :mad: Now I know I'm not all that good, but still, I was like WTF damn headphones....

Just yesterday I decided to play around with them. Figured out that they sound a lot better with better positioning on my head... figured out I had them too high and a little too far back on my ears. Now I have them pushed down farther and they cover my ears much better. I turned CMSS-3D back on in Headphone mode on my X-Fi and it sounded more 3D, especially the behind and in front sounded better.

I have the Koss SB40's on the way (hopefully), so I should hopefully be able to do a direct comparison and find out exactly how much better they are.

I might also play around with the KSC75's I have ordered. I bought them for work since I want something decent but not obtrusive so I can't hear anyone around me. But from reading around on head-fi they apparently have pretty good sound stage so I'll give them a whirl while I'm at it. Go Koss!
 
Also, I had a treat this weekend. I was in Guadalajara this weekend (2nd or 3rd biggest city in Mexico), and walked by a Music City store... walked in and went right to the headphones and :eek: OMG they had AKG 701's and Senn HD595's!!! Unfortunately they didn't have an amp really...

I tried the Sennheiser 595's first. They sounded nice, but another unfortunate was the only thing I had to test was techno music from an Ipod into a receiver and turntable deal :confused: They sounded good, but not great. Got to play with a turntable though which was kind of fun.

Then I tried the AKG 701's, they had a 1/4 inch plug on top the the regular plug and the worker there was about to take it off and plug it directly into the Ipod! I said nononono señor, uso en el AMP por favor! Anyways... they sounded better, but wasn't the huge soundstage, imaging, and clarity I was expecting. But of course, it could have been the MP3's, or the lack of an amp, etc. I could tell they would have been awesome with the right equipment, and comfy as anything I've tried on.

Anyways that was fun. Unfortunately the 701's also cost $4,500 pesos (More than $400 bucks :eek: :rolleyes:)
 
Hello, I've got a question on choosing headphones. Basically, to keep it short and simple, I'm looking for a good quality set of over-the-ear head phones that have really nice SQ, that won't cost me much more than 50 bucks or so, and that my X-Fi Platinum breakout box will drive with no problem. Also, the primary use is music, so I don't want anything with a mic attached or anything like that. I've been recently becoming more and more interested in headphones, and I've done some research, but there are a lot out there to pick from, haha. I have a set of sony's entry level studio monitor headphones right now, and they're alright, but for one they don't cover my whole ear, and they become uncomfortable after wearing them for a while. I also create my own music, and I listen to music all the time which is why I want really good SQ. I think that covers everything, haha. Sorry for so much text. Thanks in advance for any help though.
 
CLock3 said:
Hello, I've got a question on choosing headphones. Basically, to keep it short and simple, I'm looking for a good quality set of over-the-ear head phones that have really nice SQ, that won't cost me much more than 50 bucks or so, and that my X-Fi Platinum breakout box will drive with no problem. Also, the primary use is music, so I don't want anything with a mic attached or anything like that. I've been recently becoming more and more interested in headphones, and I've done some research, but there are a lot out there to pick from, haha. I have a set of sony's entry level studio monitor headphones right now, and they're alright, but for one they don't cover my whole ear, and they become uncomfortable after wearing them for a while. I also create my own music, and I listen to music all the time which is why I want really good SQ. I think that covers everything, haha. Sorry for so much text. Thanks in advance for any help though.
Click to expand...

This is a good place to start: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f4/headphone-buyers-guide-271258/
That'll give you an idea of what's out there. A LOT of it depends on what you listen to. For rock, apparently Grado is great, but for classical/jazz/acoustic, you may want to take a look at Audio-Technica or Sennheiser.

I have my KSC75's ordered, should be here tomorrow. Apparently great headphones for ~$15, I can't wait to try them out. Maybe if you want to try some entry-type headphones with some good quality, but don't mind the clip-on type, maybe you should give those a try. They're so cheap anyways :D
 
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