Since the boom of wireless earbuds with the AirPods, I kid you not I just thought they were the best AirPods, idk if i was drooling over aesthetics, but corporations like Apple have a way to make consumers forget that just because we have good marketing doesn't mean our product is the best what other examples of this in the audio industry? All know is I tried my mothers Bose ultra comfort earbuds and then it dawned on me, I think I've been lied to, deceived even. When I was looking for a new pair of headphones on Black Friday, AirPods didn't even grace my top 3 choices. Ended up going with Anker. Got these p40is 70 bucks, better than any AirPods l've tried

hi. I currently have a turntable, phono amp, tube speaker amp, that has two analog RCA inputs (no headphone jack of any kind) and a pair of speakers. I’m looking for DAC (to connect to a CD via digital output—not USB) and a headphone amp. I would like to be able to listen to my vinyl through the headphones and my CDs. Therefore I need a headphone amp that can accept 2 analog inputs, one from the phono amp output and one from the DAC.

I don’t care if it involves 2 pieces of equipment (a stack from one manufacturer or 2 separate pieces from 2 different manufacturers) or 1 DAC/headphone amp combo. In terms of the separates, the only headphone amp I could find that accepts 2 analog inputs and has an analog output to my Tube amp is the JDS labs Atom 2. It has a RCA and a 3.5mm in. I could pair it with the Atom 2 DAC or a Geshelli Labs DAC.

In terms of the combo piece of gear, the only thing I found was the XDuoo TA-22. It has a built in DAC that has a digital input and also has RCA inputs and has RCA outputs.

While I dig the fact that the JDS and Geshelli units are made in the U.S., I do like the balanced Pentaconn output on the TA-22, and thus I’m under the impression that the xduoo is a better headphone amp, maybe as good or a bit better than the Atom2 DAC and probably not as good as the geshelli DAC, correct?

Any advice on the JDS headphone amp or the TA-22? Are there any other headphone amps other that fit my needs? Keep in mind the ~$400 budget for headphone amps and DAC combined.

Got some new bits today and not sure exactly how to wire it up. Single PC with a GOXLR and trying to add in a topping DX3+ pro. Currently using DT990's until my Aretes and Yanyin Canon 2's arrive and decide which I like better. Would I have to go line out from the GoXLR to the Coax input on the topping or is there any other way to go? I really enjoy the features of the GOXLR and would like to be able to use them still.

https://preview.redd.it/adosbrkclr4e1.png?width=1023&format=png&auto=webp&s=5d5fb0b5da9deb42e02c9d9d57f1e82c4617ffeb

https://preview.redd.it/tkzj1f4dlr4e1.png?width=1090&format=png&auto=webp&s=815ca4e793096f32ab5669b488d7a4a76051a3e2

So I got my TH900 a couple of days ago and while they're absolutely phenomenal in the sub-bass and have crisp, clear highs, the 5.5kHz peak can be a bit overwhelming. As a result I’ve had to tame the peaks using the Harman target. However this does seem to affect the imaging/layering and the depth of the staging, making them sound far less 'holographic'.

It’s got me wondering whether the perceived technicalities (including the 'perceived' detail retrieval) mostly come from their boosted mid-treble. I'm also inclined to think this isn't just my ears adjusting to the V-shaped sound signature, as I’m used to the HD800 tuned to the Harman target, and their 'perceived' technicalities don’t suffer as much when the peaks are tamed.

TH900 FR by Oratorary1990

Z1R FR by Oratory1990

As for the Z1R's stock tuning, my impression has been that it is very holographic, with expansive staging and excellent layering, comparable to the pre-EQ TH900. However, since their treble (4kHz+) is generally below the Harman target to start with, I wonder if, due to the fundamental physical differences in the diaphragm technology (eg 70mm vs 50mm) and chamber housing (Mexican hat vs flat), the Z1Rs might just be 'naturally' better in these aspects than the TH900s, which rely on boosted highs to achieve the same effect.

These are just assumptions on my part and I might be oversimplifying things with the use of vague non-audiophile terms. There could be many factors I’ve not taken into account, given that these are two completely different headphones.

I should note that it’s impractical to EQ in an audition setting, which is why I’m asking for help here. I don’t own the Z1R, so I’m unable to make this comparison myself.

If anyone here has both the TH900 (or MKII) and the Z1R, could you please let me know which one has better layering, imaging, and staging when both are tuned to the Harman target (attached below)? I know this could be very subjective and heavily dependent on the music genre, but this would really help me (partially) test my hypothesis... . Thanks in advance!

(I'm having a hard time deciding if I should fork out another $1000 to buy the Z1R for the non-EQable differences between the TH900 and Z1R.)

TH900 Harman Target by Oratory 1990

TH900's Harman EQ Curve

Z1R Harman Target by Oratory1990

Z1R's Harman EQ Curve

Hello!

I was wondering if there was anyone in the Northern Virginia area with a Tungsten DS, or SS, that would be willing to let me demo their unit. I can bring a pair of Atriums if you’re interested, or some iems. (And some nice coffee haha)

Thanks to all!

I was searching for headphones for my daily commute and decided on the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100. I must say I stand by this headphone. I own a Sennheiser HD 6XX so, naturally, I compare the sound to each other. It sounds deadly similar to each other, the mid-range sounds like a one-to-one copy. The big difference comes in the bass and sub-bass. The bass and sub-bass are more pronounced in the Melomania P100 than in the HD 6XX. I could feel a bit of the sub-bass while listening to the Melomania P100 that I couldn't with the HD6XX.

The noise cancelling on the Melomania P100 affects the listening experience I notice that when I have my ANC turn off, the soundstage gets wider, a similar experience to the HD 6XX. The presence of the bass and sub-bass is reduced when the ANC is off. The opposite is true when I turn my ANC on, the soundstage gets noticeably tighter and more compact. The bass is also boosted, the thumps hit harder, and I could feel the vibration of the sub-bass. The ANC itself is impressive. I live in Cambridge (US) and since the MBTA just fixed the tracks, it screeches like a screaming banshee. The ANC on the Melomania P100 blocks it all out completely.

I think the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 should receive more recognition. It is highly underrated compared to other more popular noise-cancelling headphones. There were a lot of issues after the release, but the latest firmware 0.1.48 fixes all of those problems. It can easily be install in the Melomania app on IOS and Android.

https://preview.redd.it/0k829f12vq4e1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e6a83937d5ad82235feaf522c173f8957c2059d

TLDR: F HIFIMAN! Do not purchase/support this company. They are a shady company at best and don't care about their customers or reputation.

You've probably seen posts before regarding their bad QC, but after dealing with this company for the past 60 days I realize that it isn't just negligence, they are making conscious decisions to not care. Their customer service started off great, I had a pair of Edition XS for about 60 days, and they let me pay the difference to upgrade to the Arya V3. The edition XS headband is just awful and it was creaking, driving me insane. I decided to pay to get a better quality headphone and up until this point everything was great. It took them over 2 weeks to send me my Aryas after they received my XS due to a Chinese holiday/week that they didn't disclose anywhere (website/store/social media) that they would be closing.

Fast forward to me actually getting the headphones, and the box that the headphones are in is missing a label, its just a plain brown box. Inside is a pair of Arya's but the headband is damaged, the fabric is ripped in one spot. I decided to check the weight as well as there was no indication what version Arya this is, and to my surprise, based off of weight it was the V2. I emailed Hifiman right away to let them know of what's going on, and they want photos, they want the serial number, and they needed to conduct an internal investigation to find out whats going on. It takes several days and they let me know that they are at fault and that they will get what I ordered. I agree to exchange for the correct item, yet they refuse to send me my new pair until they receive this damaged/wrong one. After more complaining they finally agree to send it first.

Now this is not Hifimans fault but UPS looses my package after waiting 1.5 weeks, unfortunate but it must be a sign. I let Hifiman know and they once again have to conduct an investigation before they agree to finally send me out another one. Another week passes by and finally I get my headphones, until I realize that the box is labeled Edition XS. I hope it is a labeling error but inside I confirm that it is the edition XS.

Same ol same ol, I reach out to Hifiman and they once again tell me there was an error made but they will get it corrected. I am furious at this point that they just treat this like its no big deal so I demand a refund and they try to sway me with a $20 coupon first, after I turn that down they sweeten the deal with a free case. 60 days to be offered a coupon and case. I know this was a lengthy story but STAY AWAY FROM HIFIMAN. They are complete shit and I hope they go bankrupt with their shit service.

If you want the opposite experience of this, try to buy a ZMF headphone and see the difference of how well you are treated. Hifiman is a JOKE.

Hello everyone. I recently finally lost my right Raycon earbud from the original “everyday” model and I was going to the sub before ordering the 2nd edition. I guess to confirm the sound is up to quality to the first (im aware its nothing special) and the battery life is still as good as the first. Some people say they sucked but I have literally worked 12 hour shifts in the sun sweating to death with that thing playing podcasts and music the entire time with okayish sound quality and they have literally never been damaged. If the new ones aren’t as good I swear on my life ill hunt for the old edition.

I have the Sony WH 1000 N4 noise cancelling with Bluetooth and LDAC headphones. They were given to me new as a gift and I've had them since May. Over the past couple of months, I've noticed that there's a lot of weird sound interruption on busses, especially electric ones, where the sound cuts and echoes weirdly, it sounds almost like wind pressure. Has anyone else noticed this/ is it normal? I don't think I have a warranty.

I just got a momentum 4 and Tidal subscription. I’ve always wanted to enjoy a high quality audio experience, and even though my headphone choice isn’t the greatest, I believe this is a good first step into the world of high res music.

I know that the bluetooth connection causes some loss in the quality. My Asus laptop only supports DVD quality audio. So in order to push my tidal music to its best, do I need a dac?

Edit: I use the usb-c port on my laptop, however the system doesn’t allow me to pass DVD quality even with the cable. I’ll probably get a dongle for my iphone. If you guys have any recommendations for that, I’d appreciate it

Im not saying they sound bad, though the headphones doesnt sound as I was expecting. I dont know if it is because I am used to closed back headphones, but they feel good just wondering if I can make them sound good.

I got both at amazons black friday sale and have a tough time deciding, so I count your help!

First off, I have to say I greatly prefer the design of the XM5 along with their better mics, however I've ran into the issue that the bass greadually becomes really weak when going above like 60% in volume. As someone who frequently listens to hip hop it is kind of a bummer to lose out on pounding 808s when turning a track up. Is this something you experience as well?

When trying the XM4s in comparison, I feel like their soundstage is unfortunately a bit less clear and open, however the bass feels stronger and more present up to higher volumes.

Between the two, the XM5s are 80 bucks more expensive. What are your experiences with both headphones, what would you choose, and did you have a similar experience?

Just purchased this item from ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/365265798154?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=l5mwbemystc&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=uiJCvRN5RjG&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Hope it's legit!

I just ordered a pair of Grado Bluetooth headphones after reading very positive reviews (I wanted a pair of open back wireless headphones). I'm wondering what type of audio quality I should expect when streaming from my pixel 7 pro (supports all kinds of codecs) versus streaming from my wiim amp (which does not support aptx). On paper it looks like I will get better quality from my phone, but I find it hard to believe. I will test when I receive them but will value your thoughts.

Has anyone here tried both? Ive had the Pro X 2s for a while and have been using them for pc gaming, but they can be a little hit or miss depending on the game in terms of volume. Like for example the Batman Arkham games, Knight sounds alright. Perhaps a little low but its not that bad. But then Arkham Origins sound way low. Also Overwatch 2 sounds too quiet for my liking as well. Mind you these have been used without the Logitech Ghub drivers as they made the audio for everything sound even quieter. So id like to know if the Asus pair sounds louder while still competing with the Logitech pair in general sound quality.

Hi all,

I recently received a Hartaudio CST-HC-10: Dual [F] 4-pin mini-XLR Balanced cable to have a fully balanced connection chain but I noticed it makes the sound worse out of the box. With the stock cable the sound is rich, meaty, full of energy. With the balanced cable it removes all of that and makes the sound like 20% thinner, more dull, etc. and I have the feeling I threw $80 out of the window with this purchase.

I know there is burn in time but the difference is quite drastic and I am not enjoying this experience at all.

Can you change my mind why I should keep this cable or should I just sell it?

Here's my connection chain:
Audeze LCD-X headphones -> IFI ZEN CAN -> IFI ZEN DAC V2 -> PC

Edit: This is the cable I purchased.

Mine finally arrived today. I really don't get why the internet is going mad about these. Yeah they're not bad but they're not blowing my mind either like I was expecting them to do. Although I love my music I'm not some audiophile that's bought a thousand dollars worth of headsets. This is the most expensive one I've bought; before these I owned the Sony Platinum headset but that was a gaming one, not specifically for music, and really that sounded about the same, not hearing much difference.

Before the FT1, I was mainly using Final E4000 IEMs which are very good. Those seem about even with these in terms of sound quality even if the sound profile is obviously different because of form factor. When I first got the E4000s I remember enjoying them a lot. I guess since I already had a very nice piece of audio equipment it's perhaps taken the wow factor out of these but Idk.

You can crap on me now, all good. Just saying I don't get it. Oh well, at least I won't be able to hear my voice when streaming now like I could with my IEM E4000s 😆. Have a good day tc.

i'm not sure if this is the right place to ask but i've found these old headphones in a dumpster and thought i could fix them but it turns out i can't.

https://preview.redd.it/5sbbe30gxn4e1.png?width=2048&format=png&auto=webp&s=702666071ec4f2aad1e28599f6d2c40c6d8601f3

basically only the left speaker is working. i've taken apart the the right speaker and the jack to check the soldering but i can't see anything apparently wrong so i'm assuming the speaker is just broken but i have no idea how to check that.

but it could also be the wire running from the left side to the right speaker; i'm not sure how to check that either.

i have another pair of headphones that have decent speakers but broke in half cause they're made of plastic. i thought i could reuse those speakers but size aside, is there anything i should check?

i've looked for this model and it isn't very expensive (probably cause it's older than my father) but honestly these are probably the sturdiest headphones i've ever managed. if i can make them i'd be very happy

the rivets holding the plastic together kinda bother me; nothing that glue won't fix, still i wish there were screws

After using DT 900 PRO X for almost 2 years I decided that I miss an integrated microphone for gaming so after seeing so much praise for the Maxwells I decided I'll go with them...

Not only there's constant popping noise (That quick google search revealed to be something planars often suffer from called Planar Crincle) the sound quality in Music was barely better than a regular gaming headset and was not even close to DT 900 PRO X.

Is my Maxwell unit faulty?

Hey everyone, new to the audio game. Have never cared much other than having a headset that worked but after repeated fails on quality from previous headsets I decided to upgrade a bit.

Can anyone help me understand if an external DAC/AMP is helpful, how it connects and when I might benefit?

I do feel like I can tell a difference in audio quality pretty well and I like loud music often, but haven’t had the finances to be a stickler. Historically my most recent headset was the hyperX cloud orbit S, I have had this hooked up through just a USB port on the front of my computer and honestly it’s had great sound quality but the build quality of other parts is lacking.

Recently upgraded to the Sennheiser HD 600’s and have read that my motherboard may be capable enough at moderate volumes without degradation of audio quality but don’t honestly understand enough to know what’s what.

I have the ASRock Z390 phantom gaming 4S motherboard.

What are the key takeaways for whether I would benefit from a dedicated DAC/AMP, how does it connect and provide any benefit if it still runs through the motherboard sound tech? Do I have to somehow bypass it?

Any recommendations for solid options if I would benefit from one? Would prefer not to spend more than $100-150 unless there is significant benefit that’ll last years.

Thanks for your help guys, appreciate you helping with my ignorance and poor understanding. Happy to answer any other questions that may be necessary.

KSC75 just arrived and I immediately put them on the Porta Pro headband (the ear clips feels finicky to use). I gotta say, I prefer the KSC75 sound WAY more than the Porta Pros. The KSC75 sounds really natural to my ears as opposed to the darker sounding Porta Pros (with recess in upper mids and spiky presence region).

Sound impressions with the headband and yaxi pads, Mids: The body of vocals sounds slightly thin but other than that, I honestly think this is perfect the way it is. Bass: Looking at graphs, I wasn’t expecting much for the bass, but this is perfectly adequate for even hip hop/electronic (doesn’t reach super deep but it surprisingly rumbles and punches for most tracks I listen to). Treble: Smooth all the way, surprisingly not bright as opposed to how it graphs (treble elevation in some graphs look similar to hifiman treble, but I’m sure mine is less elevated than that)

It doesn’t fare as well as higher end stuff when it comes to busier passages and there’s nothing to write home about the staging/imaging, but the tuning is truly something else. An all time classic indeed.

basically what is says on the tin, they look fine but i just want to properly clean the bits that i’m going to stick into my ears.