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A/V Headphones

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by David, 30 Aug 2018.

  1. David

    David μoʍ ɼouმ qᴉq λon ƨbԍuq ϝʁλᴉuმ ϝo ʁԍɑq ϝμᴉƨ

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    That's right - Headphones. Not headsets, not earphones and definitely not wireless - the only wireless peripheral I have ever owned without regret is a Logitech K400 keyboard for sofa surfing and testing PCs.

    Circumaural only - none of that "on" or "in" ear malarkey

    Closed back only - not looking to share.

    Budget = less than £200

    Should I just grab a pair of M2s and leave you alone, or are there better alternatives? V Moda Crossfade M100s are apparently worth considering - even if they are pig ugly. Aesthetics aren't really an issue though.

    Thoughts?
     
    Last edited: 31 Aug 2018
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  2. hyperion

    hyperion Minimodder

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    The pads on the v-modas are very thin and would crush my ears. I would factor in another £20 for the XL pads and even then they're not the most comfortable. They're also quite bassy if that's your thing. Imo they sound great.
    The Sony MDR-1A is very comfortable and light. I could wear them all day. Sound is on the bassy side as well. They sound very nice but won't handle as much power as the m100.
    If you don't care about brand and want something cheaper there's the Takstar Pro 82. I haven't listened to this headphone but apparently it's a clone of the Sony MDR-1A. It has an adjustable bass port. Reviews that I've seen rate them highly but worth taking with a pinch of salt.

    I would go richer sounds and try a few headphones on.
     
  3. Kernel

    Kernel Likes cheese

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    I recently swapped out my PC's Fatality Headset I've had for year to a set of Audio-Technica ATH-M50X headphones and a FiiO - E10K DAC and I am in awe.
    There are probably better things out there but for £180ish for the pair I honestly feel I've discovered a new world of music.
     
  4. Ljs

    Ljs Modder

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    I'm not audiophile by far, but...

    As mentioned, ATH-M50X are highly regarded, and I personally don't think you can go wrong with a decent set of Sennhiesers; I've never been disappointed with any of mine.
     
  5. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    MDR-7506.

    You want to listen to stuff? Why not listen on the headphones that were likely used during capture, mixing and mastering that stuff? Cheap (well under 100 spuds), robust (and fold up into the band), copious spare parts available (the assembly diagram is right there in the packaging). No SUPER BASS though, which I hear the kids are into nowadays.
     
  6. jinq-sea

    jinq-sea 'write that down in your copy book' Super Moderator

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  7. David

    David μoʍ ɼouმ qᴉq λon ƨbԍuq ϝʁλᴉuმ ϝo ʁԍɑq ϝμᴉƨ

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    I'll check out the 7506s, thanks.

    Not touching Beyerdynamic - build quality has taken a dive. My son is on his third replacement set of the same model.
     
    Last edited: 31 Aug 2018
  8. jinq-sea

    jinq-sea 'write that down in your copy book' Super Moderator

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    Fair enough, I've only got old BD stuff now, some of which is beige. Still works like a charm though!
     
  9. David

    David μoʍ ɼouმ qᴉq λon ƨbԍuq ϝʁλᴉuმ ϝo ʁԍɑq ϝμᴉƨ

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    Their past record is why he owns a pair - it came as quite the shock. My 13 year old has a pair of £30 Sennheisers that are knocked, dropped and generally abused, yet they haven't skipped a beat. My eldest really looks after his BDs and they've averaged six months before something goes wrong that's serious enough to warrant a return.

    BTW I read a review on the 7506s that says thay aren't actually circumaural - they're kind of hybrid on ear/over ear. So they're out too, unfortunately.

    We don't have a Richer Sounds on the island, so I called in a Currys to see what they had on display. The only pair that rate highy and felt nice were some Bose QC25s but they don't sell them. That's right, they have them on display, you can pick them up and try them on but they don't sell them. Not even online. W T actual F?
     
  10. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    They fit around rather than on top of my own head-mounted canards, so YMMV I guess? Maybe that particular reviewer could achieve takeoff at a good run.
     
  11. David

    David μoʍ ɼouმ qᴉq λon ƨbԍuq ϝʁλᴉuმ ϝo ʁԍɑq ϝμᴉƨ

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    I absolutely loathe on ear phones - and even something that is partially on ear would drive me mad. Me no likey sweaty ear syndrome.

    If I can try on a pair somewhere and it isn't an issue, I may go for them, because they are obviously great quality headphones. But, as I said, the island is lacking a decent audio equipment shop. So, I either go in another direction or put this off until the next time I travel to Southampton, which could be a month or more.
     
  12. Chunkers

    Chunkers Meat Popsicle

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    I'm with you, "on-ear / in-ear" horrible, I like open back over-ear headphones preferably with nice plush velour cushions.

    Considered buying a second hand pair of audiophile headphones? You could probably get a pair of Sennheiser HD600's on evilbay for less than the cost of the new ones you are considering and new they are £300 plus .... sound gorgeous. You can always buy new pads and cable for them also ...
     
  13. LennyRhys

    LennyRhys Fan Fan

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    I was just in this situation a couple of weeks ago. I could not for the life of me decide what to buy, and like you I took a trip to Currys and there were some mighty fine Bose (and Sony) headphones on display. But the Bose ones were like £300ish, so no-go for me.

    In the end I decided to buy a cheap set from Tesco "for the time being" and I couldn't be happier. I ended up going for KitSound DJ2 which were on sale for £22, and I'm very pleased with my purchase (having tried them in-store). I had a checklist: comfort, decent audio quality, over-ear and wired (exactly the same as you on both counts), and as a plus I wanted my headphones to have a detachable cable. The DJ2s tick every box and seem thus far to be of decent enough build quality that they will do for now.

    Obviously if you want uber-quality audiophile phones then you'll need to look at Senns / Shure / Bose etc. but the KS are great for cheap tide overs.
     
  14. David

    David μoʍ ɼouმ qᴉq λon ƨbԍuq ϝʁλᴉuმ ϝo ʁԍɑq ϝμᴉƨ

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    I was speaking with my Brother in Law, who recommended the Bose QC-25s I tried on in Currys, and he's sending me his pair to try out for a couple of weeks. He got them for commuting on the train, but his job changed shortly afterwards, so they're practically new and unused. He has a crazy-expensive pair of something I've never heard of for home audio.

    If I like them, I can have them at a hefty discount too!
     
  15. GeorgeStorm

    GeorgeStorm Aggressive PC Builder

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    Was going to suggest the DT770s as well, sad to hear the quality has gone down as mine are still great (could do with a clean though haha)
     
  16. David

    David μoʍ ɼouმ qᴉq λon ƨbԍuq ϝʁλᴉuმ ϝo ʁԍɑq ϝμᴉƨ

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    I can't say if quality has dropped across all their range - I can only speak to our experience with them, but it's enough to put me off.
     
  17. Chunkers

    Chunkers Meat Popsicle

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    Just an observation on the Bose Range, I have a pair of QC35's which I use when I am travelling (something I do a lot for business). I also happen to be a bit of a headphone junky, my QC35's are nice to wear, very light and comfortable and sound pretty good, the noise cancellation is fantastic. The downside is there is no way they compete with other £330 headphones purely on a sound basis.

    My theory is you pay for the noise cancellation technology and all the electronic sound trickery that goes with it, so what you get (say) is a £100 pair of headphones with £100 worth of NC tech. For example, I would say my AKG Y50BT bluetooth headphones sound better than my QC35's, just have no NC (and are a bit less comfortable) - they are currently on discount at £80 (used to retail at £200 mind you)

    So if you can get the QC25's for massive cheaps, say £100, or need the NC then great.

    Another thought if you want a pair of really great sounding wireless headphones that are super comfortable for use at a computer then consider a pair of the Sennheiser RS series headphones. I bought a pair of 10 year old RS180's second hand on ebay for £60 and replaced the pads and the batterys, I use them for watching movies and playing games in my office and they sound fantastic (open backed) and they don't use BT so no nasty signal compression, have massive range, very comfortable over ear design and loads of spare parts.

    Chunks
     
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  18. Mr_Mistoffelees

    Mr_Mistoffelees The Bit-Tech Cat. New Improved Version.

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    That's sad. I bought a pair of DT880 Studios, in the mid 80s and used them for over 20 years before they finally gave up.

    BTW, AKG K550 Mkiiis are on Amazon at £150.
     
  19. David

    David μoʍ ɼouმ qᴉq λon ƨbԍuq ϝʁλᴉuმ ϝo ʁԍɑq ϝμᴉƨ

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    Well, I've been using the Bose QC-25s for about two weeks and I now own them. The active noise cancelling is impressive - far more effective than my old Asus Vulcans - but just using them without ANC is impressive. Very clear, neutral sound.

    They are incredibly light too. I'm struggling to find fault with them.
     

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