I get it now....

I got the kz zsm pro x, and man, shit is life changing after using only free iems that suck. I just listened to maps by maroon 5 after a few others, and that song really hooked me. May be time to change my computer headphones too...

I was looking for an upgrade to my good old M50x's. I am not an audiophile and after watching tonns of reviews and reading tonns of posts on the topic my brain began to melt because different people often give opposite opinions about the same headphones. So I decided to just listen to a few of them that caught my attention. This post may be helpful to non-experienced people like myself who are looking for an upgrade.
I don't know what a lot of terminology like "imaging" or "speed" really means but I think that intuitively I got some concepts like brihgt/dark sound, soundstage, resolution, so I will be using those words, but this review won't be very detailed or technical. I'll try to describe the sound, but trust me, you better once hear it than read 1000 times what it sounds like.

Audeze LCD-2C - I am starting from the best I've tried so far. These cans do really feel like an upgrade to my M50x, and that comparison may sound funny, but some of the others I've tried - it's debateful if there's too much of an upgrade. And I mean a difference that really sets them on another level, so you won't have to cope with something like: "well they sound dull but that guy in the video said they have outstanding characteristics and that they are really well balanced, so I must just not understand something". You'll actually hear the positive difference. However even these are not for everyone.
So for the sound, a lot of people call them "dark", but actually, after trying some other headphones, I wouldn't call LCD-2C too dark. I definitely understand what those people talk about and I'd also appreciate some more "opennes" (not a lot though) in certain areas (can't really tell in which). But they're not "too dark", I'd say rather "darkish". Which a lot of people will actually like. And I know that these aren't considered "balanced" in terms of studio monitoring capabilities, but as an average listener this sound is actually quite close to what I'd call balanced. Voices in a song actually sound quite balanced, not too dark, not too bright, makes them good for hip-hop. In contrary, with cans like 660 S2 voices sound more like they're covered with a towel or under water (I overexaggerate a bit of course). Again I saw that some people say the same aboud LCD-2C, but it's much worse with Sennheisers I think.
Bass on these is present, more than enough bass. Although I realized that I had more than enough bass on pretty much every headphone I've tried. And that there are other things which are much more important to me.
They sound crystal clear, spacious, intense, fun, amazing soundstage, I mean it's just a really good sound. It's not ideal, like I said I'd appreciate a bit more brightnes mentioned earlier, but I certainly wouldn't regret if I bought them even at that price. At least you'll have something really good If you buy it.
In terms of build quality they're just good, solid feeling headphones, rather heavy. One downside is that they're not headbanging friendly, the clamp force isn't enough to fixate them while you're jumping around your room shaking your head. I'd actually appreciate some more clamp force, but most people just always want less from what I see lol. Because of that I'd call the comfort average, but for my own reasons I just described. I also found a lot of people mention some plastic parts, but on the ones I've had I am pretty sure everything was metal, I mean everything.
I don't like the included cable, just for the looks of it - not a fan of glossy plasticky looking things. But in general I really like the designs of the headphones, definitely one of the best to me.
So this is my top pick, I'll be referencing them a lot.
One thing I still want to mention is that after listening to LCD-2C for some period of time and then switching back to M50x I don't find myself screaming "omg these are so bad I can't use it". There is a big difference in sound, and I understand that in general M50x are worse, especially from audiophile perspective, however after some period of time my ears adapt to it. And I suspect that a lot of people will just prefer M50x more because it's much more open sounding (too much as I understand now) although lacks clarity. Just keep in mind how subjective these things are.
Fiio FT-5 - I really wanted to love these. The looks are among the best l've seen, best packaging out of the bunch, well built, mostly metal. Reasonably comfortable, although the earcups are a bit too small, but acceptable. Stay on the head better than Audeze, but still far from ideal. Price is not too bad compared to Audeze. What could go wrong? At first I thought that they sound very similar to LCD-2C. And again, I am not an audiophile, my ear wasn't trained enough to capture the difference immediately. But as I was listening more to it, I started to understand what people meant by "warm", "dark" sound. Reviews are mostly negative on these, and I have to agree. Indeed, they are too dark, darker than Audeze, but at the same time I feel like some frequencies are too "open" or "trebbly" or something. I don't know how to describe it but there is some contrast in these which I don't like. Maybe it's even fatiguing. That said, I probably could imagine a person who would like them, especially given the benefits. They're certainly not unusable, but if I had to choose between Fiio FT-5 and Audeze? Audeze.
Fostex TH610 - I was adviced to try these because they have amazing bass and in general they're just something from a different side of the spectrum. I didn't like almost anything about them. I didn't even spend too much time with TH610, returned it. The idea that this can be my next "upgrade" headhones just wasn't something I could imagine as a reality. I don't like the looks, earcups are small and uncomfortable, clamp feels really thin, cheap, lose and like it can break when you grab it not perfectly in the center.
In terms of sound, as I didn't spend much time with them, I won't speak too much about the details, I don't think it was horrible, but all of the headphones I tried weren't horrible. There was probably a bit more bass, but so what? I wouldn't say it blew my mind though, but also do you really need it? Why do you actually think that you need an especially bassy headphones? My guess it just a thing that most non-experienced people can easily evaluate: this is more bassy, it shakes my skull, and this doesn't. But as you listen more to it you realize that there are other frequencies, which create an overall tuning of the headphones. Anyways, returning back to the Foxtex TH610, I'd also say that the sound is V-shaped as trebble is elevated as well.
To summarize: I wasn't amazed by the sound and I didn't like almost everything else about these headphones.
Sennheiser 660 S2 - There is something really appealing about them. They are all plastic, but they don't feel cheap. All black with mutted gold accents, combined with 90's-00's somewhat retro-ish look they just felt so close to my heart. I dislike the looks of most 6xx headphones, but these ones are good. In terms of fit and comfort - man to me they are the best! Light as air, snug fit, tight clamp. They just bond with your head and won't go anywhere no matter how hard you shake it. In terms of sound, to me they sound worse than Audeze LCD-2C. I think they're too closed in certain areas, the soundstage is smaller, sound is not as spacious and fun. In particular, I didn't like how voice sounds on these, there's definitely that veil effect mentioned earlier. I'd say they are at warm and dark side. Although I am not sure abouit it as people are referring to 6xx headphones as super-balanced. If they just add 15% of opennes, let it breathe then it would become so much better. Bass... There is a good amounf of bass, it can even shake your skull a bit if you crank the volume really high. In general they're good sounding headphones and I can definitely see someone absolutely loving them. I just prefered a different tuning as I had a chance to compare. If I had to pick a second pair, maybe it would be them just for the nostalgia and the comfort. Oh and the price is definitely way too high for 660 S2 I must say.
Sennheiser 490PRO - I tried this in hope to find a brighter alternative for 660 S2. I like the looks, but they feal cheaper than 660 S2. The plastic feels like a cheaper one. The packaging btw on both of these is poor, I mean it's worse than for some 30$ headphones. Is it brighter? Well maybe a bit, I already returned 660 S2, so can't make a direct comparison. But I still don't like how voice sounds on these, still too muffled. They're not on par with LCD-2C. The sound is jut lesser, flatter, not as spacious. But not too bad, really. I am still testing these. The comfort is good, clamp force is less than 600 S2, but still enough to hold in place. Try em out if you have a chance, you may like them. Given that they are marketed as "studio" headphones, maybe that can be an argument to keep them as 2nd pair to have more balanced sound for reference.
Hifiman Sundara - I am a big fan of things that offer a good value at a fair price. And I really like when some cheapo thing beats huge name brands by offering comparable quality at much lower price. Sundara is not one of such things in my oppinion. Seeing how praised it is, some reviewers even included it in their A-tear list (what?!) among most expensive and legendary headphones, I decided to try it to maybe find a cheaper alternative to LCD-2C. I was disappointed by the sound: too much trebble, too bright, thin, flat. Again, I overexaggerate a bit, they're not really bad in general, but I am comparing to the other headphones I tried. I wouldn't say there's not enough bass but compared to others there's definitely less of it. Personally, I wouldn't recommend these. And they aren't exactly cheap. Comfort and build quality are fine.

That's all I have to say. I am really surprised that I wasn't able to find a cheaper headphone that would sound comparable to LCD-2C. They're all just either bit dull (especially apparent on a voice) or too bright and flat.

There are a few things I would like to try, if some of you guys could point in the right direction I'd really appreciate it:
LCD-X - hearing that they are a bit more open than 2C, but still "dark and bright at the same time", don't know if worse spending time on these, the price is much higher. Or maybe it could be an absolute endgame for me?
Hifiman Ananda Nano - I don't have an opportunity to try these right now (can order though), but would really like to compare to 2C
Hifiman Arya Organic/Stealth - Organic is praised a lot, altohugh some people say it may be a disappointment to someone expecting wow-effect as a regular listener
Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro - some people say it's good, but I have no idea what that is, I like the aesthetics of beyer headphones though

Hello everyone! I am writing this because i wonder to what extent a codec matters or if it even matters at all for the average user of headphones. I plan on buying a more premium anc headphone soon..most of them If not all have support for higher codecs like aptx,ldac etc. My current phone only supports sbc as a codec... question is how much am i missing?, or even: does it sound insane to buy a premium anc headphone if you do not have access to usage of the higher codecs's? My current phone works just fine...to invest 400+ € for a new one feels like a huge investment "just for a better codec"

I told him that he's wearing hus headphones way wrong... He said that this is how everyone is wearing them... 🤮

Almost every year around fall-winter when it starts getting cold I notice a channel imbalance in my ears where my right ear has a sort of blocked/volume imbalance thing going, I have tried changing L/R balance to offset this change but it seems to change so often that I find myself constantly changing the values where it isn't even worth messing with anymore. I have tried going multiple times to the doctors to address this problem but all they do is chalk it up to sinus issues (which I also believe it is as I have had problems with it my whole life) without offering any real resolutions. I feel like I'm going crazy at this point. Has anyone else experienced something similar? Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Always wanted to convert my old 58X to wireless. Wear it like a necklace, Qudelix is like a pendant. Even better on jackets with chest pockets.

I tested it on Monster Hunter Wilds beta in bluetooth mode and I don’t notice any audio lag at all. Pretty good for casual play. Only downfall is it’s another thing to charge.

So a couple years ago I replace my denon d2000 drivers with th900 drivers. Definitely sounds great and I've been using them daily. I feel like they may be lacking a little bit and not reaching their potential. Is there any mods you recommend I do inside the cups? I assume the major difference would be the d2000 are plastic cups VS the wood that's in the th900. Appreciate the input.

are there any alternatives to the seq-50? I'd like a portable equalizer but, the seq-50 is super expensive. I already have a fiio a3 amplifier. So i'd like a device similar to the seq-50 for when I use a portable cd player aka my Panasonic sl-s200 I can get more out of my headphones when listening to my CDs portably.

If there's nothing that accomplishes this goal I guess I can just eventually shell out for an seq-50

Hey everyone.

I have a pair of Grado SR225 headphones that I got about 15 years ago and never really used. I always hated the cable.
I dug them up and replaced the cups as they disintegrated... But I still hate the cable... It's too stiff, thick and overall just a pain to use.

I have a bunch of decent Bluetooth headphones, but none of them sounds as good as these.

But I still hate the cable.

Is there any nice braided cable kits I can buy and easily replace?

Anyone else use the Momentum 4’s. I know their ANC are not as good but I rarely use that feature. I find I have to EQ the XM4’s to stop the bass bloat and I enjoy my HD599’s, HD 6XX and HD569’s. Figured the Momentum 4’s might be similar (obviously not open back).

I had recently come across the Hifiman Sundara headphones online and started doing some research on the topic of headphones. They seemed like and excellent option given they did not need an amp given their low impedance value.

However, most people who had a pair reported that without an amp they fell a bit flat and given I play videogames on a laptop, it's piercing fan noise would render the audio, most likely, terrible.

Therefore I have landed on the beyerdynamics Dt 700 pro X, they seem to have as flat an audio signature as possible (which is good, I want that) and are closed back, cutting out the laptop fans. Thinking of pairing these with the fiio btr5 or the IFI can (I think that is the name).

Does anyone find themselves in a similar situation have I come up with a good solution or are there better options with just as few compromises.

Using the Evo with the Mega5Est. Sitting outside drinking beer on a perfect Saturday afternoon. Really can’t go wrong with that! And you know what? I’m pairing them with my iPhone and I really can’t tell that they are on Bluetooth with AAC codec. Sometimes I think people make much ado about compression but I really can’t tell unless I really focus with back to back testing. But sometimes it’s just good to enjoy music without worse!

So I got my first pair of ANC earbuds, QCY Melobuds Pro, because it looked like it checked all of the boxes, but to my dismay ANC only works when both buds are out of the case.

Because of my disability I physically cannot wear the other earbud, so I'm left with the other bud just loose in my pocket. It works fine but I like to be able to use one bud in my ear with the other chargin so I can swap if one dies, and also so I don't lose them.

Are there any sub $100 buds that offer ANC when using only one earbud? Even better if it's $50 or less. I otherwise really like the Melobuds but this just feels like it will be a big inconvenience over time. TIA!

https://preview.redd.it/l2ibhobwziyd1.png?width=1934&format=png&auto=webp&s=388c6355494cf2444ec9b36249302acef107ccef

https://preview.redd.it/3nqhe6vwziyd1.png?width=1936&format=png&auto=webp&s=d413b5c2fede4c20fed1b87782d9ec105ff1c0c1

I just stumbled across those graphs on squiglink, they look very promising, but i have never heard anything about 3Estast and couldn't find anything via google/duckduckgo/bing. has anyone ever heard of those?

I grew up with a portable CD player. I know cables. But I guess I've been wildly spoiled by wireless buds. Any tips? How are you managing?

Hey guys,

Less than 2 years of daily use - Any idea to how replace this left ear pad ? (or both).

It opens right on the stitch, and just afterwards I realised that pads on the Marleys are not detachable at all, they're actually glued to the drivers.

Cheers.

https://preview.redd.it/9j2zy47ysiyd1.jpg?width=3468&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cb17ec3c6cea9d65fc809a4a911f20ebd4237941

From what I've seen people said that the sound leakage is almost non existent, but my 80 ohm leak too much sound even at half volume on my phone.

Even if i press the ear cups against each other you can still hear what is being played, am i missing something?????

Did they change something over the years?

i dont mean reccomending well known products to beginners, i mean people who say this headphone/iem/whatever is incredible/bad/mid/whatever without even listening to the sound at all. can you imagine someone reccomending/critisizing a restaurant that they have never eaten at?

Edit: graphs aren't the entire headphone. You can't drive a Bugatti by reading the specs.

I own regular Apple EarPods and I'm subscribed to Spotify's Premium Plan. I was wondering if they can play the 320kbps very high sound quality setting I've set, and if so can AirPods play the sound better or are they just more expensive because they're wireless?

I made a post in here within the last week or two, asking for advice in my plight. I was seeking headphones that would give me that same easygoing feeling that I got as a teenager from whatever pair would come with my discman. Not over-ear, not in-ear, but on-ear… and relatively inexpensive.

Y’all gave me several suggestions. I did a bit of research, and ultimately found that there were multiple YouTube videos proclaiming how good, and how comfortable, the Koss kph40 have been. My pair arrived two days ago, and last night was the first night I didn’t have to set an alarm for work. I knocked out with these guys on my head, and a favorite song on repeat… and I slept like a baby.

They didn’t make my ears ache, or itch. They sound great. And, I like that they don’t look like much.

The other kicker was that when I pulled out my father’s revived iPod to plug these in, I found that the headphones he’d been using (before he passed in 2018) were Koss, as well. 😂 his were in-ear, but it still felt like validation that I’d been steered right.

For the past several years I've used Open Moves on the occasion that I use headphones because I need to be able to hear my surroundings.

I think I had a set of airpods at the beginning of covid but that's it.

I wanted something that I could listen to while sleeping so I picked up these Miniso-X10s.

I didn't expect the sound quality to be this good! I don't know if they actually have good sound quality or if I just haven't tried "modern" earbuds before but I'm impressed.

There's actually bass!

Way better than the headphones that came with my Gameboy back in the day :-P

Its urgent mine broke so considering buying a set of iems I saved up enough money the options are too many yelp i listen to songs where the bass should be proper And high frequency songs