So, I just ran into this pair of refurbished XM4 from Secondipity (EBAY), and I am wondering if anyone here has bought from this seller. Anyone has used it for over a year? any problem?

Sorry for the multiple questions.

i have long hair and at work i get really sweaty, so obviously i get nasty ears. i use q-tips for the inside and clean the outsides with a wet cloth or something. i feel like theres a better way to clean them though.

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ive been getting back into iems and dont want them to get all earwaxy.

Hello all. I have near zero experience with tubes but I’m curious and I’d like to ask a couple of questions of you fine tube connoisseurs here before I jump in (if I do). I say “near zero” and not zero because I got to spend a precious 30 mins or so with an LTA Velo paired with a Meze Empyrean 2 and a 109 Pro at CAF this year. I’ve read that tube amps have two particular qualities that people love:

1. a certain midrange warmth that seems to be caused by certain pleasant harmonic distortion and/or a measurable midrange hump in the FR (still not fully clear on this FR theory). 2) a holographic or 3D nature to the presentation. I have never seen any explanation or speculation on what causes this but it seems like not all tubes have this quality and it may be somewhat rare? My questions:

A) are these two effects always linked? As in tube amps that have one will always have the other? Or are they independent of each other? B) in my audition of the Velo, I’m not sure I got effect 1 (warmth) since I didn’t have a baseline solid state amp to compare to. But I DEFINITELY heard effect 2. It was kinda weird (at first) but also lovely. It made me feel like I was with the artist in studio as they played. It’s almost like a tight reverb which gives a sense of “in-room” dimensionality. Is it a literal reverb / delay that causes this or something else? Since it is pretty easy to EQ headphones for “warmth” to taste, I feel like this 3D presentation would be the most desirable aspect of tube amps but usually people actually tend to focus on effect 1 instead. I find this interesting and would like to hear from people on why this is. C) For people who have tube amps for speakers or have used a tube amp as a pre into a SS amp, does the holographic presentation carry over to speakers? How does it sound? Thanks all!

Hi I got a pair of ss-100s from work (Someone recycled there to be destroyed) and I found out they're incredibly rare. Sounds dumb but what makes up they hype of them? Is it because they have a flat sound with no bass boosting that modern headphones do?

so i have a pair of sennheiser HD 559's that i use for my headphones and they are nice apart from the fact that over time there has been lots of dry skin that has built up on the ear pads making them looks discusting and have white bits, is there any type of comfortable fabric that doesnt do this?

https://preview.redd.it/8g7jjay90ysc1.png?width=2202&format=png&auto=webp&s=09a59edc6edb1ea9119022832ad6f936107fb91d

from here https://stevenslateaudio.com/vsx

personally I don't think it's legit but who want that anyway.

https://preview.redd.it/7d549q2nuxsc1.jpg?width=2481&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a32bd94f4d312df1ee55270bbd92dcc974e50dd2

Got bored and wanted to test them so snatched one.

Clear MG has a lot going on when music is playing.

Thumpy mid-bass, intimate vocals and dynamic punch.

Treble is dark according to measurements but might sound more lively than measures but not a bright headphone.

Instrument separation, imaging are top notch, nothing to complain about

But I think Clear MG with stocks pads is somewhat shouty or honky, after a while of listening i kinda feel bombarded by the music to the point of being overwhelmed.

I happened to have pair of used Utopia pads and snapped them on

Ooof! they are good. Literally everything takes step or two back in soundstage and stop being as shouty.

What sucks is that.

1. My Utopia pads show signs of glue leaking, so they are unsafe to leave on for a long time.

2. New Utopia pads cost $250

3. After using Utopias pads i don't want to listen to stock pads, tried few times back and forth... Geez.

I’ve been doing a lot of research on what to buy for my first set of audiophile quality cans, and I kept upselling myself. I kept telling myself that anything I’d get below $500 would sound like shit, so I had a $1600 setup dream list before I ever even listened to anything.

Because of that, it was months after I decided I want to get anything before I made any moves, and I made myself start with a budget oriented option to dip my toes in.

I’m really glad I did. I ordered a schiit stack to start off but I’ve been listening with an apple dongle until it comes in. So far I’m very impressed with this set. It is a tad too bassy for me but I’m sure I can EQ this down the line when my gear comes in.

u/LincolnPark0212 did you experiment as said in a post 1 year ago about listening in mono?

u/LincolnPark0212 did you experiment as said in a post 1 year ago?

I've had Jabra Evolve 20 for years, but I've decided to replace them, and these Marshall Major IV interested me. Do you think it's a great idea?

Also, can they be used with a guitar amp?

Hi, was wondering what are some of the heaviest headphones for each price segment

I am puzzled over the purpose of bands 1 and 2 in the presets for a Sennheiser ie200 (see below). I understand what a low shelf does, but why are there two, one with a positive gain and the other with a negative gain? Wouldn't these nearly cancel each other out?

It's entirely possible that my understanding of EQ is faulty, but any help would be appreciated.

https://preview.redd.it/gcggiu3v6ysc1.png?width=722&format=png&auto=webp&s=ee5f98f621e535a1e086f2d87d65fa63dbd3bf7e

I’m getting a pair of 599s and the only thing that concerns me about them is the pleather headband pad you can’t remove, so I’d like to just protect that from wear from the start. I’ve looked around on Amazon and found one by a brand called Geekaria that says it should fit, but the only review that mentions the 599 says it’s a tight fit and “destroys the arc” whatever that means.

Hello, I'm a newbie. (Below is my perception, from my own ears, so if there are any mistakes, please overlook them due to my lack of experience in the audio field.)

I've recently stepped into the audio world, and it's truly been challenging, at least for me. Let me introduce myself first: I'm someone who "love listening to music, and I listen a lot," so as an ordinary person, I've tried out a few mainstream headphones like XM5 or Airpods Max (I've sold both), and currently, I'm using Airpods Pro 2 - which I feel closest to my taste.

The first-generation Airpods Pro is the first thing I spent a considerable amount of money on (which could be said to be not little) for an audio device, but honestly, it's not that great.

Then came the XM5, which I bought when it was just released and it was reviewed quite well. However, I sold it after two weeks because the bass was too overwhelming; I could hardly hear anything else.

Next was the Airpods Max, with a more neutral sound (compared to the XM5), and I really liked it, for my ears. It has bass, it also has clarity..?, I would that describe it? However, the size and weight are what made me give them up because I couldn't accept spending $700 to listen for a few hours a week.

After that, I did some research and started looking into wired headphones, starting with IEMs (for convenience), hmm, I must say they didn't impress me much. I didn't feel much of a difference (I bought the Starfield 2+Ru6 combo), plus, in songs with the presence of drums and bass, I was quite disappointed compared to the Airpods Max I used to have or currently the Airpods Pro 2. I know that comparing is wrong, because no headphone or iem is perfect; on the other hand, songs with vocals sound really good, but the difference is only about 15% if I were to evaluate it, and then I participated in some listening sessions and had the opportunity to hear HD600, HD650, SONY MDR-MV, SONY MDR-7506, and the feeling was similar, they are accurate but very bland , they lack what I want, something musically rich that immerses me more, then I got to experience the Sony Z7M2, which was quite impressive and close to what I wanted, however, what really impressed me was the MDR-Z1R, it's truly the sound I desire, they may not be accurate, but they are truly emotionally rich. So what really is "good" sound for everyone? And are my ears a problem?

(and is there any headphones with a sound similar to the Z1R but cheaper? Please suggest to me)

Appreciate you've read this.

I've been finding I really like the sound of Harman IE. I usually lower the treble by 1db, but I love it. I find there's great clarity in the vocals. Is there anyone else out there that likes it? If not, what do you prefer?

Am I the only person like this when i get a headphone I enjoy it the first day. Later on the second day, it doesn't sound impressive at all, and later, when i get another headphone, it doesn't sound nice at all, but after a week of use, it becomes quite nice to listen to.

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I’m hoping someone can help me out. I figured this would be the best place to ask this but I’m not sure I’ll get an unbiased answer (lol). I have a Soundblaster Z card in my PC which has a built in amp/dac up to 600ohms. Even in my loudest gaming sessions, my volume never leaves 40% because it’s loud. I’ve kept this card and moved it from new build to new build for 10+ years with my Sennheiser G4me Ones (these are the original version of the Game One which was a HD550 with a mic). I’ve loved this combo for over a decade but I’ve decided to branch out and try higher end headphones.

I recently tried the R70X and really liked them but I feel like they’re made for children because they are tiny and don’t fit my head. I’m currently testing HD660S2 and the Hifiman Edition XS should deliver tomorrow. However, I’m wondering if there would be any difference going to an external dedicated amp/dac like a Fiio over keeping my Soundblaster Z card. I don’t see much information online comparing the two setups since the sound card is so old but I also know audio equipment doesn’t “go bad” or get very outdated. Does anyone have any experience with this?

I recently ordered a pair of ray on earbuds and I found a bunch of what looks like fingernail clippings in my order. I’m not sure if it’s something that just fell off of the line maybe but there were even more in the box that fell out when I opened them. I just wanted some peace and mind to see if anyone else knew what these were.

Posted on the Walkman sub but didn't get any replies so I figure it makes more sense to ask here.

Recently got the Sony NWA 306 DAP the Japanese version and after pairing it with the Sony WFXM5 I decided to try IEMs and got the Hidiz MP145 based on some recommendations here. I stream music on Qobuz and have a few FLAC files of my own but after spending the day with the MP145 I have to say I'm not sure they sound better than the Bluetooth buds. I've tried different nozzles and tips but nothing really makes the IEM stand out over the buds. Anyone here that owns a pair of MP145 have the same experience?

Currently have these two iems in my rotation.

Dunu zen with rhapsodio golden mk4 cable

• Primary use this with jazz and female vocals. Absolutely amazing for those genres. Not so good with heavy metal or electronic due to missing upper treble extension.
• I got the zen for 350 usd (it’s a local store demo unit) plus 120 usd for the cable.
• The cable is much better than the stock ones, no microphonic, extremely soft and supple and does not tangle at all plus it looks absolutely gorgeous.

Campfire holocene with GCM x ME nightblood cable

• Mostly use these to complement the zen in genres where it’s lacking.
• Pretty good all-arounder, nothing too wrong about it IMO.
• Got it for 300 usd new from my local shop (definitely worth it at that price) plus 120 usd for the cable.
• The cable is kinda meh. Tbh I kinda like the stock smoky litz cable more for ergonomics reason but want balanced connection so I use it. At least it looks cool tho.

I filed for warranty claim and got this replacement 5 minutes ago. Buttons on the right are non-responsive. Cracks on the left side as shown in photo. I’m not even mad, just disappointed