The headphone thread.

[idc]

So, what have you got? How often do you use headphones? What do you use them for?

I have three setups and have been all head-fi for a few years now.

The main one is in the living room where I sit in a corner tapping away on a laptop on a clever little Ikea table. My Firestone Fubar DAC and The Supplier PSU are on the cupboard next to me with the Musical Fidelity X-CANV8P headphone amp on a stand I made myself. My main cans are AKG K271MkII as they do not leak and disturb the others as they watch TV.

Upstairs at a desk is my ipod Classic connected by a Russ Andrews GQ-24 cable to a Musical Fidelity X-CANS modified by Rock Grotto.

For trips out I take the ipod and connect it to a FiiO E5 amp with a LOD cable and either use Sennheiser PX200s or Goldring NS1000 cans.

I have some JVC Marshmallows for use on my motorbike, but rarely use them as I find in ear uncomfortable and the sound in a helmet is pretty rubbish.

[Barry]

An ancient pair of Koss ESP 6 electrostatic headphones. Big, heavy and uncomfortable. No longer servicable and no longer used. :(

In general I find I can only put up listening with headphones for, at most, a half hour at a time. I don't like the sound being 'inside' my head, nor do I like it when the whole sound stage moves when I move my head. :(

They are useful however to listen 'into' the music, to follow all the tunes and get a better idea of how the musicians respond to one another.

Regards

[idc]

It is that level of detail and clarity you get being so close to the music that I love.

[nat8808]

I picked up some Shure SE530s on Ebay before a holiday earlier this year. £170 hardly used.

My very first posh headphones ( I wanted in-ear ones to cut out noise and also to be descrete ).

First thing noticed was the extra detail, dynamics, bass that's 'there' but not at the expense of everything else or being boomy and much better stereo. The blocking out of background noise also means you can play at a much lower level and so save your hearing.

They also seem to be much more sensitive than others and so even the lowest setting on my ipod isn't always low enough when dozing (Shure supply an inline attenuator control though although it seems cheap and might effect sound quality though, especially with the extra plug and socket).

I'm yet to actually use them though with a proper headphone amp and have only used them with my phone or iPod touch.. They should be much better I would guess than so far experienced.

[idc]

I was lucky enough to get onto a trial/test of the Radius HP-TWF11 IEMs. But, along with the other IEMs and buds I have tried I just don't get comfortable with things in my ears.

For a bit of fun I did try the Radius out of my X-CANV8P and they are totally over amped, I had to be very careful with the volume. It is like trying to nail a tack with a sledgehammer.

[Elvis's last movement]

Denon headphones....AH-D5000 very nice with my Beresford jobby source music is on my laptop.

[Fi-Wi]

I own 3 pairs that I use regularly:
1) Superlux HD 668D;
2) Sennheiser HD 570;
3) Pioneer SE-A4.

Ad 1.
My current primary headphones that I use with my Squeezebox/Gatorized Caiman setup. They feel as cheap as the cost (30 euro) but they amaze me every time I put them on! A standing ovation for Taiwanese craftmanship! Fair to say though that I upgraded the standard pleather ear pads for velours AKG-240 ones. They make difference.

Ad 2.
My former primary headphones. Yes indeed, before the Superlux and I got acquainted. Although they are much more comfortable than the Superlux they lack the 'musical presence' that the Superlux makes you experience. With the Senn the sound is there but it's like you are between 2 speakers that are both positioned 2 meters from your ears. You never get 'intimate' with the music. I use them with a my attic desktop feeding a Beresford 7510.

Ad 3.
These headphones I bought exactly 20(!) years ago while on army practise in Germany (I was a gunner in a Leopard 1-V tank :eyebrows: ). They ended up in some drawer until I bought an iBasso D2+ Boa DAC/headamp for my current laptop. Because of the size (and performance) of these cans I still use them to listen to music/films from my Vaio laptop. They still perform very well.

Well, so far for introducing my headphones.

Next!

[Pete The Cat]

Creek OBH11 + Sennheiser HD600s off my main system, HD410SLs off my spare rig.

I have them for late at night when the household doesn't want disturbing. Once you can accept that phones will always be a different experience (ie you live with the fact that you won't feel the music) then they can be great in their own right.

Pete

[Werner Berghofer]

So, what have you got?

Beyerdynamic DT 990/600 Ω, AKG K701 and AKG K271.


How often do you use headphones?

More or less daily, if I’m lucky.


What do you use them for?

For listening to music. Haven’t yet tried drinking coffee from the earpieces :-)

No, seriously now: I wrote a lot about headphones on this forum during the last weeks. In case you’re interested here are some links:

http://www.theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=11869&page=2
http://www.theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?p=222633#post222633

Werner.

[Yoga]

Started with HD595s a few years ago, and was blown away.

Got some HD650s and they made the 595s sound like stock Apple iPod buds; anemic and metallic.

Got some Audeze LCD-2s and they made the 650s sound like stock Apple iPod buds; anemic and metallic.

Headphone upgrades: complete.

Headphone situation: audio bliss :¬)

[Thing Fish]

I don't personally like the closed in feeling you get from headphones. That said I do listen to a few talking books on my IPhone when going to work on the train.

[technobear]

I'm sitting up in bed with the laptop in front of me and the Audio Technica ATH-M50's sitting securely about my ears. A NuForce uDAC-2 (and Kimber USB) is providing the sound.

My eyes tell me I'm in my bedroom but actually I'm at a blues concert and sitting right in front of the performers. Magic.

One day I think I will go head-fi only (Beyerdynamic T1 and SPL Phonitor together with the Audiolab 8200CDQ) but for now I have the luxury of a detached house and the Zu Druids are such a fine loudspeaker so I don't generally use the phones in the living room.

[Marco]

Hi Chris,

Have you noticed that Simon, from Zu Audio, has joined AoS? Check out the Welcome area...

Just thought you might be interested, matey! :)

Marco.

[aBe]

I put on the Audio Technica ATH M50 whenever I feel like rocking in the wee hours of the morning !

Demm..lately people has been praising the Superlux.
Time to pay a visit to the friendly Audio corner in town and check out what the fuss this Taiwanese offering is all about. Hope my AT will not be relegated..

[colinB]

Audeze have caused a stir with the headphone forums. They look very nice.

[idc]

Headphones for me were initially a better compromise than badly placed speakers in oddly shaped livingrooms. Now, I would need some convincing to go back to speakers.

The ATH M50s in particular have been raved about for a long time. Shame it is hard to audition headphones.

[Yoga]

Audeze have caused a stir with the headphone forums. They look very nice.

They sound fantastic.

(Unfortunately, they're £££.)

:cool:

[Rare Bird]

2 pair Ross 'RE272'..What goes in comes out..brilliant

[Yoga]

2 pair Ross 'RE272'..What goes in comes out..brilliant

Do you own these IEMs Andre? Never considered them for some reason.

[Rare Bird]

Whats an IEM?

My AKG's have been redundant for ages now.I tried a few Ross around this period, find these Studio Monitor Series 'RE272' best imho, ooh those Samarium Cobalt Supermagnets are yum yum..If there's any thing i don't like about them is the heavy cable, but i'll probably try rewiring the other pair at some point..

[goraman]

I am working on a super secret headphone project that will make you all drool.
Give me time.

[Epiphany Acoustics]

Headphones:
Alessandro MS1 (modded with spacers and GS1000 cushions)
Sennheiser HD650 (I use these on my electronic drum kit)
Audeze LCD-2 (my main headphones. They sound quite fantastic)

Amp:
Beta 22 DIY fully discrete 3 channel behemoth with external Sigma 22 power supply
Some other DIY amps which I don't use for regular listening
Soon to add my own EHP-1!

Source:
DVD player through a Gamma 2 DAC.

[technobear]

Whats an IEM?


In Ear Monitor

The type with rubber buds that go into your ear canal.

[Rare Bird]

In Ear Monitor

The type with rubber buds that go into your ear canal.

Well then no, this are vintage cans not new ones

[Yoga]

Whats an IEM?

My AKG's have been redundant for ages now.I tried a few Ross around this period, find these Studio Monitor Series 'RE272' best imho, ooh those Samarium Cobalt Supermagnets are yum yum..If there's any thing i don't like about them is the heavy cable, but i'll probably try rewiring the other pair at some point..

Ah! I thought you were calling me Ross, then mentioning RE272, hence these:

http://www.inearmatters.net/2011/02/hifiman-re272-first-look.html

IEM = In-Ear Monitor :¬)

[Rare Bird]

Ah! I thought you were calling me Ross, then mentioning RE272, hence these:

http://www.inearmatters.net/2011/02/hifiman-re272-first-look.html

IEM = In-Ear Monitor :¬)

Na these are proper earphones around the late 70's/Early 80's

[idc]

My favourites from the 1970s

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4820857618_07ddb3172b_b.jpg

[Rare Bird]

What type of sound do they give?

[idc]

Typical of the time a full midrange, but because of the enclosed, closed back design, more bass. They still leak a surprising amount of sound.

[Werner Berghofer]

My favourites from the 1970s

My favourites from 2011.

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/gear/dac_amp_cans.jpg

Werner.

[idc]

I am no photographer, but this is a bit of fun. From the 1980s....


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/4774250908_5fe252fc51_z.jpg

[Werner Berghofer]

From the 1980s

From the 1970s:

http://www.berghofer.com/photos/gear/sennheiser_hd_414.gif

Werner.