The headphone thread formely ripped off thread...

[IEC]

As for me, I'm satisfied with my low end Audio-Technicas for gaming/computer usage. I can tell what I'm missing in the dynamic range of both my headphones and my Onkyo HTIB, but it doesn't bother me too much because I don't have the money for a *proper* sound setup.

 

[sutahz]

Gold plated jacks? Why would good earphones have such a thing. It's not like gold is one of the best if not the best metals to use for fidelity.

 

[Captante]

Originally posted by: Spartan Niner

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: DVad3r
Im an audio noob. Advice on amps/sound cars is appriciated, what should I be looking for? I noticed that they arent that loud and I am almost running at max volume to get them going loud.

Do you just have them plugged into your soundcard?

What's wrong with that?

It's high-impedance. 300 Ohms. Not going to be done properly except through an amp.

I'm not sure what the impedence of my HD-490's is but I have them plugged into 5.25 inch bay headphone port of my X-Fi & they not only sound pretty good but get plenty loud enough for me.

 

[rockyct]

Originally posted by: UncleWai
No don't buy into the hype of amp, the so called improvement are not worth the money. Source is a worthwhile upgrade though, but diminishing return sets it quite quickly. I will spend my money on good recordings instead. A good recording will sound good on a crap system.

You need an amp with these headphones because of their impedance. Even a relatively cheap Mini3 will make a huge improvement in sound quality. You've got an argument when talking about expensive interconnects and especially power cables, but not amps and especially not amps under $250.

 

[sswingle]

Seeing as how that ebay page is talking about earbuds, and even that is incorrect based off the earbuds I own, I would say you can safely ignore anything it says.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: DVad3r
I bought a pair of Sennheiser HD600 headphones off ebay. Product was supposed to be NIB. I have a guide here http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to...ugidZ10000000001458264 that says how u can spot fake headphones. Mine have a gold plated jack. How can I check if my headphones are original and legit? Anyone please help!

Umm, buy new and buy from a reputable online source? You spent how much on those and tried saving $10 by using EBay?

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS
I had a pair of Senheiser headphones before. Cost me $400.

IMO whether they are fake or not, and no matter how much you payed, you did get ripped off.

A non-audiophile angry at the world much?

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: buck
Looks normal to me, how do they sound?

That is really the point isn't it. Listen to them and if they sound like crap, they are fake.

Do these headphones require a headphone amplifier? more expensive headphones usually do.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

If you buy headphones, I highly recommend this place:
http://www.headphone.com/guide/by-headphone-type/

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

300 ohm impedence. If you have no headphone amp, you'll never hear what these are capable of.

http://www.headphone.com/guide.../sennheiser-hd-600.php

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

The HD 600s are best suited for superb headphone choice for modern jazz and well-produced rock music.

I hope that is what you listen to.

 

[tfinch2]

6 replies in a row?

 

[sswingle]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
6 replies in a row?

Gotta get the postcount up somehow.
Either that or he keeps thinking of new things and his edit button is broken.

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: Captante
I'm not sure what the impedence of my HD-490's is but I have them plugged into 5.25 inch bay headphone port of my X-Fi & they not only sound pretty good but get plenty loud enough for me.

Your 490 cans have an impedance of only 32 ohms....that's quite a bit of difference. There's also the difference of turning up the headphones and having them sound 'good' and having them sound 'spectacular', too, regardless of the volume. Speakers included, proper power sources are needed for the full range of sound to be accurately reproduced through the audio system, whether it's a nice pair of B&W speakers or a $500 set of headphones.

 

[edro]

I think you just have buyer's remorse because these $260 headphones sound exactly the same as $10 Sony ones.
You aren't going to hear a difference from a shitty source.

 

[xboxist]

noob question:

When you "amp" a pair of headphones, what effect does that exactly produce? I assume you're not talking about volume, because mine get pretty loud just being plugged directly into my soundcard. Does it just make it sound beefier or something?

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: xboxist
noob question:

When you "amp" a pair of headphones, what effect does that exactly produce? I assume you're not talking about volume, because mine get pretty loud just being plugged directly into my soundcard. Does it just make it sound beefier or something?

You're giving the headphones sufficient power so that they can perform optimally at all volume levels. The highs can sound crisper and the bass can become more responsive, but that is all dependent on the source, EQ settings, and of course the headphones used.

One of the things I noticed with my HD590s being powered by a cMoy amp is that there seemed to be better dynamic range. I can't tell you if this was something I just didn't notice before, but a good way to put it is that the sound did become beefy if there was a dramatic change in volume. (quiet intro progressing into the song: Evanescence - Bring Me to Life)

As stated above, the source makes a HUGE difference. Your average soundcard from Creative may not be adequate to give you the full experience of quality cans on a nice amp. Many advocates look at $700-$1000+ external DACs that hook up to the computer via USB. This eliminates any kind of internal interference that may be introduced when the soundcard is on the inside of the computer.

Despite my love for 'true' sound and audio accuracy, I can't honestly justify the external DAC stuff. I'm moving up to a Mini3 headphone amp soon and am swapping my Audigy 2 ZS with an Auzentech X-Fi soundcard. NewEgg has it for about $180 if I remember right and it gives you the quality of the X-Fi chips, EAX stuff for games, and no restrictions on digital inputs and outputs, which Creative implements to limit some setups to requiring the use of their own brand of speakers. I bought my HD590 new for $100 at my university on clearance about a year ago. SIMPLY amazing sound! I can't justify spending several hundred on the HD650 or anything higher.

Simply put, if you enjoy what you have, don't let anyone else dictate your purchases. Everyone enjoys a different type of sound and some people drop thousands just to sway their e-penises. To each their own!

 

[KeithTalent]

I'm using 555s directly through my soundcard and they sound better than anything I've had previously. I see no reason to add an amp just for the 555s, but maybe the higher ones (600s, etc) need it.

KT

 

[Viper GTS]

Anybody who claims that HD600's sound the same as $10 Sony crap is either outright trolling, has never actually listened to a pair of decent headphones, or thinks plugging 300 ohm cans into his ipod and playing files downloaded from itunes constitutes a sufficient test.

I am envious though that anyone can be happy with $10 headphones, I'm up to well over $300 on my last pair. That's a lot of money for headphones even if it is worth it.

Viper GTS

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004
The HD 600s are best suited for superb headphone choice for modern jazz and well-produced rock music.

I hope that is what you listen to.

God you're annoying.

 

[Raduque]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Anybody who claims that HD600's sound the same as $10 Sony crap is either outright trolling, has never actually listened to a pair of decent headphones, or thinks plugging 300 ohm cans into his ipod and playing files downloaded from itunes constitutes a sufficient test.

I am envious though that anyone can be happy with $10 headphones, I'm up to well over $300 on my last pair. That's a lot of money for headphones even if it is worth it.

Viper GTS

I buy $10 headphones because I break them. A lot.

I would never spend more then probably $40 on headphones, because I know that sometime in the future, they're going to get broken. I have no doubt they sound better, but they're not worth it for me, because of what'll happen to them.

 

[DVad3r]

Hmm the mini3 looks interesting. What about plugging in my Pioneer reciever into my comp and running the headphones through it? Good idea? Bad idea?

 

[TwiceOver]

I would go as high as $80 for a decent pair of closed ear headphones. Over that and I personally couldn't justify the expense.

Bet they sound nice though...

 

[dbk]

I <3 my HD580..I paid $125 from Newegg and it came with a $20 rebate or something. That was about 6 years ago. Btw, mine's hooked up to a meta42 amp and av710

 

[DVad3r]

Originally posted by: dbk
I <3 my HD580..I paid $125 from Newegg and it came with a $20 rebate or something. That was about 6 years ago. Btw, mine's hooked up to a meta42 amp and av710

Wow wtf are all these gadgets? Help me Im a total noob. What about my reciever idea?