The All Purpose Advice Thread

@jowls They don't make 'em like that any more, you need to break into @zerodeefex secret gear bunker

 

Hi guys i'm new to the forum and i need an advice if possible.

I'm planning on buy a new pair of headphones that i will mainly use for gaming, right now i have a pair of Kingston HyperX Cloud II (Takstar Pro 80) that i use with my onboard audio.

I was planning on buy either a pair of new Sennheiser HD660S or the new Audeze LCD2-C along with an amp/dac combo to drive them

I need to wear them for atleast 5 hours everyday so prob the Audeze are not a good idea since as a planar magnetic they are pretty heavy, my budget anyway is 600 euro at best for headphones and the cheapest possible amp/dac deskptop combo to drive them properly (300 euro if possible). I live in EU so i would like to avoid Schiit if is possible even if they are a nice option. I'm open to any suggestion anyway

 

I already have HD600, HD800 and LCD-2.1 - what benefits might an HE-500 bring to the table?

I'm basically interested, but not sure if they'd get any use. Cheers!

 

In no particular order:

1. They are classic Hifiman so you can adopt a grouchy voice and proclaim "they don't make headphones like this anymore" while shaking the headphones at some pesky kids;
2. Pad rolling will have more of an effect on these headphones than the ones you have so could be fun;
3. You get to upgrade the awful stock cable to something fancy;
4. They are, in my opinion, more comfortable and more fun to listen to than your other planar but not as good as your dynamic headphones;
5. They are, in my opinion, more forward with more treble energy than the Audeze;
6. They are really fun for watching films if you are in to that sort of thing.
7. They look really cool - not enough all black headphones in my opinion.

But, I mean, no real reason to own them as well unless you are a collector of headphones. I owned the HE-400s and HE-500s and sold the later because they did not get much headtime.

 

They would fit somewhere in between your HD600 and LCD.

Dark, romantic, and atmospheric with shimmery treble that can be awesome or fatiguing depending on the person.

They struggle with detail...a little blurry. But they excel in terms of immersion.

And, while this is debated, I think they need some juice. The Vali 2 does them justice, but detail suffers a hair. The Ember II drove them with more authority.

 

Oh my, thanks a lot for the very detailed & thought out responses, guys!

I'm leaning towards what @Robert777 said, I don't really see a reason to get them, especially when my HD800 is still kind of new to me.

Edit: the pair I'm looking at has a Canare cable and Focus pads. And they look dark grey to me, not black.

 

Hi all. I'm looking to inch my way back toward a decent sounding desktop system and am stuck deciding on a headphone. Based largely on the good things I've heard here, I went ahead and purchased a Modi Multibit, a Magni 3, and Massdrop LSR30Xs for near field listening, which I plan to augment with an LSR310S.

What I can't seem to pull the trigger on is a headphone. The ZMF Auteur sounds and looks wonderful, but I'm not ready to drop over a grand on a headphone just yet. I've been focused on 2-channel analog systems for the last few years and have sort of lost touch with where mid-to-higher end headphones are at, but am working on coming up to speed. For awhile I was leaning toward a Focal Elear, either used or open box, but I've heard terrible things lately about drivers popping during bassy tracks and general shittiness from Focal support. I've also been intrigued by the modding potential of the Monoprice M1060. (I owned a first generation LCD-2 back in the day, and a Hifiman HE-500 and enjoyed them both) Then there's the updated HD660S which I'm sort of following, and Fostex TH-X00s sound interesting but I don't want a heavily V-shape sound signature.
I suppose what I'd like is the best headphone I can get for under a grand with a mostly neutral sound signature but deep bass extension and sub-bass quantity (when the music demands it) with good imaging and soundstage. Closed, open, semi-open, matters not at all. I'm happy to mod myself or seek out mods for the right cans.

My music tastes vary widely. Indie, electronic, experimental, jazz, world. I'm all over the place.

So, suggestions?

Also want to mention I think this board is fantastic, and the more time I spend here, the more I really appreciate the level of intelligence and quality of content displayed regularly as opposed to the more mass-market type resources. Thanks!

 

Yes, you are right. Memory is a funny thing.

FWIW I regret selling my HE-6.

Not because they got lots of headtime but they are unobtainium now and I miss having them around for when the mood took me.

 

Looking for a sub $200 IEM that I can use while working out. Mostly running, cycling and rowing. Phone as source. Don't need monster bass.

Thoughts?

 

If I were to exercise, which is a big if, I would use my fairly non-insulting SE215. It's sturdy and has replaceable cables and while v-shaped curve, the mids are not missing and the treble not too sharp. It's great for outdoors w/ the overemphasized - though by no means monster - bass, though be careful, because it does insulate well from oncoming cars. (I prefer the Westone star tips.)

 

Pinnacle P1. Good isolation with comply tips or spiral dots. Pretty rugged construction, fits snugly, and has stood up well in use while mowing the yard and traveling.

Fun sound that wouldn't satisfy me in critical listening, but is just fine while on the go.

Massdrop has a cheaper version if you can find any on the used market.

As stated above, the isolation could be a problem if you run near traffic. Other possible quibble is that they need a little juice. If your phone has a strong amp (V30, etc.), then you'll be fine. If you're listening out of something like a Google Pixel, then you'll want to look elsewhere.

 

Received my CFA Orion a few days ago, but it came with the Tinsel cable, which is a tangling nightmare.

Can anyone recommend a replacement cable that's less tangle-prone and is cheaper than the Litz cable? The Litz cable costs about as much as I paid for the Orion, so it doesn't make sense for me to purchase one. Thanks!

 

This might seem backwards but I would suggest looking for a used HE-500. They can be had really cheap now. The old generation Hifiman headphones IMO had superior sonic potential than the newer ones. The M1060 is okay, but I think there is too much quality control variation that you might get a bad unit and be out $300, plus my recommended mods used the Vegan pads which are harder to find now.

Another option is the AR-H1. It's a great headphone, close to an LCD 2 in bass but with better treble and excellent imaging. I have a couple issues with it. The ear pads are a little to shallow for me so my ears just barely touch the drivers. It's not really a problem but it's there. The other issue is the 4 foot shitty phone cable. It has memory, feels like shit, and is too short. You can get an aftermarket cable rather easily though as it uses 2.5mm connectors.

Lastly, the obvious choice, HD650. Don't bother with the HD660S. It's just the new thing. HD650 is still technically superior and can be had for under $300 used and just over new. It's a classic and will help you relate to other users on the forum.

Good choices on amp and DAC.

 

So I'm having a love affair with this isine 20. It's truly impressive on my desktop amp with the Audeze EQ plugin, but the magic is really contingent on the presence of the EQ. Can't do this on android. And I would like to be portable with this iem.

So I'm thinking of picking up an Apple product to use with the cipher cable (which I now have). I'm thinking a used ipod touch or maybe an ipad mini. Looking for both deals and advice on this one.

 

I am curious about the Massdrop UE900s IEMs at $175. Anyone familiar with these? Are they any good in this price bracket?

 

I'm far from a gamer, but do you want open headphones?

 

660S isn't great for gaming, other than it is efficient enough to plug into basically anything, it's too intimate and positional location isn't great (same for any Sennheiser HD600 series headphone).

Honestly for gaming, HD500 series (HD598 or whatever replaced it) is great, as is the AKG K7 series, and the Audio Technica AD series (altho the AD500 is shit, go at least AD700x if not AD900x).

These are all great, efficient headphones with wonderful and wide staging, all comfortable, perfect for gaming. I have a ridiculous setup of Gungnir Multibit > Eddie Current ZDS > HD800, which is WAY OVERKILL for gaming, and honestly when I switch to one of the above simply using my onboard, or plugging into a game console, I feel like it's 93% as good for the priorities that matter for gaming. Really.

So unless music is going to be a priority its hard to recommend anything other than one of the great $100-$200 headphones above and an entry level amp/DAC (or even just onboard audio).

Edit: If you need closed, what you have many not be improved upon too much really. Unless you want something really nice for immersion instead of positional location, then something really bassy like a TH-x00 can be fun.

 

+1 on any available feedback on the UE900s.

 

I never tried TH-X00 for gaming. But TH900 is really great for gaming positional cues. It rivals HD800. Soundstage is smaller, but it has much better bass. I prefer it to HD800 for gaming.

One way to test positional cues is using Dark Soul 3 where there is a blacksmith hammering at your home base. Close your eyes and turn around the camera around him and guess where he is at. TH900 performs this the best. Planars dont do so well in my experience.

 

Got a Gungnir Multibit + BHA-1. Totally happy with them. Thanks for the recs.