The All Purpose Advice Thread

Have you tried out the attenuation rings @cskippy ? I have the sheepskin pads on my Ebony and PH TH-X00s, but wasn't sure if the rings were worth it. Doesn't seem to have a huge impact on FR based on Dekoni's own measurements.

 

I know I already said this, but chase a used MDR-Z7 ($300 tops), and the Kimber cable ($150ish used), dampen the interior of the cups without blocking the bass ports and you're done.

Another option might be the ZMF Blackwoods, which is a closed T50RP mod. Very bass strong without too much sacrificing of the mids (HD650 is still king in that regard)

 

I did and the attenuation rings were the cause of the excess bass reverb or boominess. As soon as I took them out the boxy, typical closed headphone bass boom was gone. These sound seriously good now.

So no, don't bother with the attenuation rings. I also did some measurements but there was hardly a change, it was much more apparent in listening.

 

Awesome, thanks for saving me $15!

 

yeah, ill try yeah. First step, chase down $300.

 

What are you driving the TH-X00s with? Without the rings I'm getting a harsh sounding treble with the Alpha pads. I suppose much of it could be my amp, but I didn't get this with the stock pads. I'm using a Meier Corda Arietta.

As an FYI, the design for the attenuation rings is in Thingiverse; if you have access to a 3d printer you could just print them out and try them. This is my plan, anyway.

 

My experience is similar to @cskippy's. When I got my dekoni pads, I was worried that the lack of an attenuation ring would muddy stuff up, I even tried to make my own (this was before dekoni was making them) using milk carton plastic (it went poorly). To my delight, there was no such muddying, and I just sort of relaxed and listened. If I recall, that alpha pads have a larger opening than the th-x00 stock or the dekoni replacement. This could contribute to what you are hearing without the ring; I know that using th-900 pads on the -x00 messes things up, but I can't find the right link at the moment.

 

@elguapo I like the comfort of the Alpha pads but that's about it. Every headphone I've tried them on the sound has been less than stellar. They have a weird treble response that has peaks and valleys depending on the headphone. Not my cup of tea.

 

The Blackwood was my first "high end" headphone. I bought it based on HF reviews. It's not bad overall, with a (tunable) sub-bass tilt and smooth FR that drops off a bit at the high end. But I rarely use them now between my HD650Ms and Andromedas. Actually, I barely use my HD650Ms now, though I still love their mids.

The Blackwood is veiled compared to the HD650. And they're quite heavy and not suitable for longer listening sessions. Isolation in a library might be okay, but they don't do a good job blocking out my often noisy coworkers.

Sorry I don't have any suggestions, but I don't recommend the Blackwoods if detail is important to you.

 

A friend of mine asked me for some advice regarding over ear headphones.

His budget is ~$200. I've asked him what he listens to. According to him, he mostly listens to trance (specifically: uplifting, progressive and vocal), house and techno.
The artists he listens to are Armin van Buuren, Vini Vici, Paul van Dyke, Above and Beyond, RAM, Ferry Corsten, Dash Berlin, Andrew Rayel, Alexander Popov, Alex Morph and Jochen Miller.

He wants over ear headphones, which are bassy and preferably have detachable cables. As I don't listen to that kind of music, I wasn't sure what to recommend, and was hoping you guys could maybe help me out.

Thanks!

 

Good options for that type of music in that price range are the "monitoring" or "professional" headphones: Audio Technica ATH-M50x, Shure SRH840, and Sennheiser HD-25 (on-ear not over-ear). If he was willing to save up more funds, he could take a big step up with the Fostex TH-X00 (no detachable cables), Oppo PM-3, or Meze 99 Classics for $300-$400.

 

I really like the Sennheiser 598Cs, the closed back version. It meets his criteria: bassy, detachable cables, and comfortable. Significantly more fun to listen to than the M50x for me because the mids are more present. I liked them a lot for electronic music. I'd recommend he give them a try. Alternatively, perhaps the Noble X IEMs.

 

Agreed on the above HD598 closed for that type. I listen to similar artists at work and it does well with the Fulla 2. Pretty great budget option, imho.

 

I've been considering these for a while. How do they compare with the TH-X00?

 

The Fostex "TH-..." series digs deeper in bass and is slightly more controlled, and has more sparkly treble. It has a more aggressive sound.

The MDR-Z7 while having maybe as much bass as the Fostex, its more mid bass centric and "looser", maybe to a fault. But its big upside is its very decent mids, whereas the Fostex is very lacking in...

I was telling @spwath that the Z7 is eerily close to the $2200 Z1R. I won't by any means say the Z7 is better then the Z1R, but the price difference is ridiculous...

 

Has anybody tried the Dekoni fenestrated lamb skin pads on the Fostex TH-X00? I know they are expensive, but I wear my office headphones from two to eight hours a day.

 

I haven't, but I will be

 

Still buying a new DAC here, right now I've narrowed it down to two: Schiit Modi 2 4490 (cool size + price, all the ins & outs I need) and Bifrost 4490 (would stack nicely with my Lyr 2).

Since departing with the ModiBit I now know what I need - some slammin' and deep bass without smooth/rolled treble. Some slight nastiness up high isn't a huge deal for me, but extra warmth and lack of low-end punch most certainly are. To put put this in HP terms, the DAC shouldn't color the sound like a 650

I did notice the smoother & more realistic treble and soundstage of the ModiBit, but those weren't all that important for me in the end. The subs especially lacked impact. I need some rumble and sizzle for the music I mostly listen to (rock, metal, hip-hop, soul etc). The fat punch of a kick drum and the crack of a snare... Most of my headphones tilt warm already.

And yeah, I live in the EU - suggestions specific for the euro-market are most certainly welcome (Corda Daccord experiences etc)...

Cheers folks!

 

Often, minutes. Usually within an hour or so. Never not been the same-day.

Makes me think your message is winding up in a junk/spam folder for some reason.

Are you sending to "[email protected]"?