Audiophilia

[Sforza]

I'm pretty sure if the HE-400 were able to do that, Hifiman would have taken the HE-5LE and HE6 off the market already because it would just hurt their reputation as they'd be selling grossly overpriced products Seriously though, if I had to guess, HE-400 would probably have airier sounding mids that don't have as much body, or less treble extension. Sacrifices have to be made somewhere with the much lighter drivers.

Re the DT990/HD650: Needless to say, we can never accurately judge how cans would sound like from their frequency response curves. Do you already own either or are you planning on getting one of them?

[TMRaven]

I already have the DT990 600Ω yes.

[cabs]

I'm planning on getting a wireless headphone for PS3 and PC use.
Does anyone here have any idea on which ones are good?

Btw, bluetooth headsets are out of the question since it can only output chat audio on the PS3 leaving the actual game audio on the TV. I own two of these and tested it many times with the same result.

I'm leaning towards getting the official PS3 headset but based on reviews, the sound quality is about average and the battery life is a bit short. They are cheaper than other headsets I've seen so far and seems to work with both the PS3 and PC by just plugging in the included usb receiver without any issues.

Any suggestion is greatly appreciated. Tnx.

[Sforza]

Took a while to respond because I wanted to do some research. I'm interested in having a similar wireless set-up. Anyway, I suggest getting one of these:

TDK:
WR700 (around PHP 2,500 locally)

Sennheiser:
RS220 -- the RS220 bridges the gap between wireless and wired headphones via DSSS. Able to work in crowded RF environments amongst Bluetooth, Kleer and Wi-Fi signals, the RS 220 delivers clear, clean, uncompressed audio without the need for tuning (US $600)

Cheaper RS180 -- $330

Sony:
DS7500 -- supports PCM 7.1, TrueHD, DTS-MA and decodes two channels to Pro-Logic II ($400)

Cheaper version is the DS7100

Pioneer:
SE-DRS3000C ($290)-- Also supports 5.1 surround


Of the options I listed, only the TDK one seems to be available locally. I suggest connecting the headphone using the PS3's digital out, and then to use a cheap bluetooth headset and a portable mixer/amp. Use double sided tape to stick to the sides of the headphone's cup.

[cabs]

tnx for the suggestions jake

I prefer around the ear types so that removes the TDK one from my selection.
The others look good but honestly they are a bit pricey for a set of headphones that I won't be using most of the time (getting them shipped over might also increase their prices further). I'll only need headphones during night gaming sessions so that I won't bother everyone else in the house, I have no need for them during daytime since I can raise the volume up without any problems

I've seen other gaming headphones like the astro a40 and turtle beach px5 which might be good ones based on reviews online. Does anyone here have first hand experience using them or might know someone who does? Are they any good?
I think they are both available locally so they are a much convenient choice.

[Sforza]

Hey guys, I'm selling my HD25 1-II for 8k I put them up here and on Headphiles before TPC next week. Look them up, they're among the best.

[NiX]

Why're you selling?

[Sforza]

Why're you selling?

I want to try some other heapdhones, and I got custom IEMs Oh and if an RR member buys them I'm willing to give a big discount.

[TMRaven]

I tried the famous and beloved HD650 out a couple weeks ago and compared it to my Denon D2000s. Overall it slightly edged it out in sound quality, but it wasn't enough of an upgrade and wasn't what I was looking for. It didn't have the raw bass extension and comfort of the Denons. So I returned them afterwards (I initially only 'bought' them to try out anyways)

Now I'm ordering an HE-400.

[Sforza]

Collection update:

Over the past month, I've sold a bunch of gear like CKM55 and 99, PX100-II, a Corda 2move dac/amp, Denon D5000 and a few others.

Bought a Grado PS500, ATH-AD900, and Senn HD598 (traded for the D5000). Also got a JVC FXT90, which sounds similar to the D5000 but without the recessed mids. I was also gifted with an SRH940. I probably won't be buying anything new soon, since the PS500 has the sound I'm looking for. Also got custom IEMs, a UE700x3.

Right now I'm looking to buy a quality dac and amp, and wrap up the audiophilia purchases. I don't want to turn into a box swapper

I tried the famous and beloved HD650 out a couple weeks ago and compared it to my Denon D2000s. Overall it slightly edged it out in sound quality, but it wasn't enough of an upgrade and wasn't what I was looking for. It didn't have the raw bass extension and comfort of the Denons. So I returned them afterwards (I initially only 'bought' them to try out anyways)

Now I'm ordering an HE-400.

The HD650 and D2000 are really pretty different aren't they?

The D2000 has a U-shaped (think V, but less) frequency response, so the treble can get a bit hot. A lot of people don't seem to like the bass either. I recently sold off my D5000, but I liked the bass a lot With the HD650, the only thing I have to say is that it's dark, and the sound can be a bit too smooth sometimes. Compared to bright-to-neutral headphones, one can even call the treble recessed. So the two of them are similar, except for the treble and the more foward HD650 mids.

I'd like to hear how the HE-400 compared to the both of them, or even just the D2000

[TMRaven]

That might've been a common generalization of the older HD650s, but I had a newer pair with silver damping. It actually made the D2000 look quite dark in comparison. The Denons still had brighter treble, but in no way was the HD650's treble rolled off, and an upper mids recession on the D2000 made the HD650 quite upfront in its upper-mids in comparison. Supposedly HE-400 is darker than the HD650 with its planar magnetic bass extension, so it will probably sound very similar to the Denons.

Sadly I won't be able to directly compare the he-400 to the HD650, which would probably be an extremely sought after comparison for head-fi'ers, but I will compare he-400 to D2000 in a long post just like I did with D2000 vs HD650.

[R.Leonhardt]

Didn't know we had a thread like this. I recently learned that there is more than one type of audiophiles out there.allow me to post my story =)

Among the cans i've owned,ATH-M50s are probably the best headphones when it comes to sound quality of its price range. It's also the most suggested pair in the audiophile community. Mine lasted half a year then I bought a pair of ATH-Pro700MKII. Was disapointed over the sound quality not justifying the price increase, especially that they're really uncomfortable compared to its predecessor. At that point, I started looking for a headphone that would suit my ears. Had a couple of Senns like HD600 and that DJ pair that can rotate to the back, BOSE Quiet comfort 15(2nd hand), skullcandy Aviator and that Klipsch Image one.

I wanted to avoid BEATS by dre as I heard they sounded pretty bad, but I bought an OEM one to try it out. They said it sound the same as the real one,IT WAS HORRIBLE so I literally threw it away, my Urbanears sounded better than that piece of shit. A month later, on my birthday, my mom bought me a pair of authentic BEATS Pro. I didn't want to disappoint her so I gave a huge smile =D

2 days later, I finally opened it and tested it out. To my surprise, I actually liked its sound quality a lot.(I listened to R&B,pop,Hiphop, mainstream music). Was really proud of it, but I still think they're overpriced here in the Philippines(php30k!! Wtf). Currently my favorite pair, I also bought 2nd hand authentic Beats Studios.

Just this week, my friend gave me his broken Beats Tour. I took it to BOSE service center in greenhills during my business trip and was overjoyed tohear that they'll replace the whole pair! It's like I won a lotto; 10k worth headphones for free!

I know everybody thinks Beats by dre suck, which is prolly the reason why I don't show how much I love these cans till now, But it just sounded good to my ears so sue me -__-

PS Justin Bieber sounds a lot better on these cans :-p

[NiX]

^End of the day, if you like how it sounds, that's all that matters.

edit: Not an audiophile. Nakikigulo lang.

[Sforza]

2 days later, I finally opened it and tested it out. To my surprise, I actually liked its sound quality a lot.(I listened to R&B,pop,Hiphop, mainstream music). Was really proud of it, but I still think they're overpriced here in the Philippines(php30k!! Wtf). Currently my favorite pair, I also bought 2nd hand authentic Beats Studios.

Just this week, my friend gave me his broken Beats Tour. I took it to BOSE service center in greenhills during my business trip and was overjoyed tohear that they'll replace the whole pair! It's like I won a lotto; 10k worth headphones for free!

I know everybody thinks Beats by dre suck, which is prolly the reason why I don't show how much I love these cans till now, But it just sounded good to my ears so sue me -__-

Have you been to our local headphone forum (www.headphiles.org)? The Beats line actually has a pretty okay reputation. I have a Beats Studio myself. Out of the entire line, the standout is of course the Beats Pro. It sounds a lot more balanced, like a proper studio monitoring headphone -- unlike the Beats Studios which has a V-shaped frequency response. I'm not really sure who said Beats suck; the general consensus for them is that they're pretty solid performers, just really overpriced. For their performance, they should cost around 1/3 of their current price.

By the way, do you still use your Aviators and the HD600? Is the "DJ headphone that rotates backwards" the HD25? You mentioned you got a PRO700 MkII, not surprised you didn't like them much since they're touted as bass cannons and not much else.

[R.Leonhardt]

^My aviators are in my closet, brother often uses it. HD600 not sure. It was somewhere in a box inside my room. I don't know what the name of that senn Dj headphones sorry. There are lot of people on the internet especially youtube said the beats line have too muddy sound where the bass overshadows the rest of the music. I'd say they probably haven't them yet or they have only tried the fake ones.