The Audiophiles' Lounge

marko93

ebjarrell wrote: »

Check head-fi dot org. It's an audiophile forum and it has classifieds. You can get some pretty great deals but what you get will be used. I got my Westone IEMs and Fischer Amp IEMs and Momentums from there.

Also, check out the Audio Technica ATR-MSR7 and the Soundmagic HP150.

I always forget about the classifieds there! I'll have a good look tomorrow. Thanks again for the advice

Gheadphone

Tried the Hifiman HE 4400s, HE 400i and HE 560s today in HifiHut on the Red cow.

The 400s was decent, the 400i was fantastic and the 560 blew my mind.

I cant get the sound of the HE560s out of my head, they were amazing (and i already own quite a few pairs of headphones), i just need to rob a small bank now (or save).

Anybody else tried these?

Morf

My AT AD ATH 700s have seen better days and quite a few less dings.

Looking for a set of open or semi open cans as opposed to AT M50s which I find the clamping force a bit too uncomfortable on my jaw under ear to wear as often as I like. Will be worn mostly at a pc.

Any suggests in €100-€150 ballpark.

Am happy enough with analytical Audio Technicas but would be happy enough to try something new too.

Ta.

Gheadphone

Try the Hifiman He 400s. they are 299 though so may stretch the budget.

Otherwise Grado SR 80s are 126 at Hifihut. I have the 225s (Euro 250) which are pretty good but you should try them out first.

Boom_Bap

Just an update, I picked up a pair of Monster iSports the other day as I seen they were reduced in price, they are pretty great.
Sound is excellent although there'll be another few hours of use before they finally settle.
They aren't ear buds, so you don't get that inner ear uncomfort after a while. They are a bit strange to put on the first couple of time as you wonder if they are actually on properly. But once they are on properly, they dont move, i've done loads of jiggling and bouncing to try get them to move from my ear but no movement yet.
Very happy with these so far.

Bluefoam

Boom_Bap wrote: »

Just an update, I picked up a pair of Monster iSports the other day as I seen they were reduced in price, they are pretty great.
Sound is excellent although there'll be another few hours of use before they finally settle.
They aren't ear buds, so you don't get that inner ear uncomfort after a while. They are a bit strange to put on the first couple of time as you wonder if they are actually on properly. But once they are on properly, they dont move, i've done loads of jiggling and bouncing to try get them to move from my ear but no movement yet.
Very happy with these so far.

I find some of these uncomfortable and the tiny in ear ones that go into your earhole always fall out (i think I might have big earholes)... Do you think the fitting mechanism might suit me?

Boom_Bap

Bluefoam wrote: »

I find some of these uncomfortable and the tiny in ear ones that go into your earhole always fall out (i think I might have big earholes)... Do you think the fitting mechanism might suit me?

It should, there are 3 different sizes that you get with the headphones, and i think the guide says that they will fit all ears.
I thought at first they didn't fit me after trying them all out, but they are nice and snug after settling on the correct size.

Boom_Bap

I've got a complaint against the iSports. Cable is too short :mad:

Zapp Brannigan

HD600 or HE400s? Any opinions?

deano77777

Thinking of getting started on vinyl and getting a decent turntable and speakers.
Would the Rega RP1 and Audioengine A5+ speakers be a good choice.

Also what phono should I get and would I need a amp where these speakers.

Custardpi

Rega is a great turntable make but I'd be inclined to go for passive i.e. not powered speakers & a good amp. Plenty of decent integrated ones have a built in phono stage but if not Nad do well regarded separate ones for about €100 or so. Not exactly sure what to recommend after that as I haven't really looked too closely at the market for a few years. Do you have a budget in mind?

deano77777

Custardpi wrote: »

Rega is a great turntable make but I'd be inclined to go for passive i.e. not powered speakers & a good amp. Plenty of decent integrated ones have a built in phono stage but if not Nad do well regarded separate ones for about €100 or so. Not exactly sure what to recommend after that as I haven't really looked too closely at the market for a few years. Do you have a budget in mind?

Why do you think passive ones would be better. I keep hear really good reviews on these Audioengine speakers.
I think I'll be spending around €700.
But I might also get a cd receiver and go to €900

PPC

deano77777 wrote: »

Why do you think passive ones would be better. I keep hear really good reviews on these Audioengine speakers.
I think I'll be spending around €700.
But I might also get a cd receiver and go to €900

I have the A2 and was ready to buy the A5+ and was put off after reading some reviews.
Rokit and Yamaha had better quality speakers in the same range, just not as nice looking.

Gheadphone

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

HD600 or HE400s? Any opinions?

No comparison in my opinion. The HD600 should be compared to the HE400s which are more expensive.

i've just bought the HE560s and they are fantastic.

However you should try the Hifimans before you buy (if you are close to Dublin), they are planar dynamic and sound a little different.

dxhound2005

The Listening Suite in Dublin, which will be familiar to some here, have some deals on ex demo and trade in items. If anyone wants Sennheiser HD800 headphones, €700 is a good price. I bought mine there a couple of years back at €1199 if memory serves.

The matching amplifier, also a trade in is there at €1199 at present. I would be tempted by that if I had the funds to hand.

http://thelisteningsuite.ie/special-offers/

grumpynerd

Im looking for some decent noise cancelling headphones. Can someone suggest some options? Just for music, not games or anything else.

Nidom

I don't know if this is the right place to ask but I've a pair of bose soundtrue ultra earphones that have finally broken on me. Is anyone familiar with Bose's warranty?

See I used to go through a pair of earphones every month or two so I decided to splurge and go for ones that would last. I've had them about 11 months now. Does anyone know if Bose will replace earphones damaged by general wear and tear? Thanks!

K.O.Kiki

Bought these myself:
Sony h.ear MDR100ABN
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-MDR100ABN-Resolution-Cancelling-Headphones/dp/B01EANK8EA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1480088666&sr=8-2&keywords=sony+h.ear+on+wireless

Some of the colours are down to €200 in Black Friday sale.

BelovedAunt

Lads I think I've gotten the bug. My first good headphones were the Sennheiser On Ear Momentums and they blew my mind. I just got a pair of HD598 C's and while they're good, they didn't give me the wow factor that the Momentum's did. Any ideas what headphones would be a measurable upgrade from the Momentums?

PPC

BelovedAunt wrote: »

Lads I think I've gotten the bug. My first good headphones were the Sennheiser On Ear Momentums and they blew my mind. I just got a pair of HD598 C's and while they're good, they didn't give me the wow factor that the Momentum's did. Any ideas what headphones would be a measurable upgrade from the Momentums?

HD600/650 then HD800.
The latter cured my upgraditis a few years ago.

limnam

PPC wrote: »

HD600/650 then HD800.
The latter cured my upgraditis a few years ago.

As above HD800 should cure any future pangs. The problem is the layout for the phones and they can be very picky on amp pairing. So you will most likely have to fork out big for this too.

You can pick up a pair of HD600's for decent enough price now and plenty second hand. You're still going to need a fair bit of power to amp them though.

BelovedAunt

limnam wrote: »

As above HD800 should cure any future pangs. The problem is the layout for the phones and they can be very picky on amp pairing. So you will most likely have to fork out big for this too.

You can pick up a pair of HD600's for decent enough price now and plenty second hand. You're still going to need a fair bit of power to amp them though.

I've never used an amp before. Does it make a big difference?

limnam

BelovedAunt wrote: »

I've never used an amp before. Does it make a big difference?

For cans like the hd600/800 there's no point using them without an amp.

A world of difference.

If you go for something like a Grado in the similar price bracket you'll get away without an amp but they're a completely different sound.

marko93

limnam wrote: »

For cans like the hd600/800 there's no point using them without an amp.

A world of difference.

If you go for something like a Grado in the similar price bracket you'll get away without an amp but they're a completely different sound.

A fair warning, Momentums and Grados are on verrrrry different spectrum's. Both have their strengths though.

Flaccus

What would be a good set of on ear headphones to pair with a HTC 10 ?. I currently listen indoors on a pair of hd800's connected to a graham slee solo srgii which gets its input from an oppo ha1. So I know with the dac on the htc 10, I'm not going to get compatible sound quality but not willing just yet to go through the inconvenience of a separate usb-c external dac (although considering the dragonfly red ). However I can't stand earbuds so I really need a pair of undorky looking on ears I can wear outside and committing which will improve on the stock phones (although I have to say the included high-res buds with the 10 'aint bad). Budget up to 400 euro. Noise cancellation optional. I listen to uncompressed tracks off the microsd card and occasionally stream from tidal. Ta.

K.O.Kiki

I finally got a set of Venture Electronics Monk Plus earbuds.

Holy crap, they do not sound like they cost $5 - maybe 10x that!

marko93

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

I finally got a set of Venture Electronics Monk Plus earbuds.

Holy crap, they do not sound like they cost $5 - maybe 10x that!

I thought they were pretty great, that is for the 15 minutes I could keep them in my ear before they started to hurt

K.O.Kiki

marko93 wrote: »

I thought they were pretty great, that is for the 15 minutes I could keep them in my ear before they started to hurt

I got the Extra bits pack, fits me well with ear fins + foam.

Maybe you could try Fiio EM3?

marko93

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

I got the Extra bits pack, fits me well with ear fins + foam.

Maybe you could try Fiio EM3?

I think I'll re-order but this time with the extras pack. Out of my amp at the time, they were far better than they had right to be :pac:

Phil.x

I've just bought the audioquest dragonfly red.

marko93

Phil.x wrote: »

I've just bought the audioquest dragonfly red.

What headphones will you be using with it?

Phil.x

marko93 wrote: »

What headphones will you be using with it?

Mainly Xiaomi piston 3 on my commute to work. Very good and excellent value.

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2016/06/10-bargains-for-the-wannabe-audiophile/

micks_address

Hi folks,
I picked up a pair of bowers and wilkins p7 today and paired with my HTC 10 they sound great.. I was wondering if there's a high quality sound Bluetooth adapter that would make the phones wireless? I'm aware there's a wireless version but didn't want to buy new.
Thanks,
Mick

docentore

I've received Thinksound ON2 from recent drop on Massdrop. These are sick looking headphones and they sound even better. Delighted that I've got them.

Grahamer666

My favourite set of headphones i have bar none.

docentore

Grahamer666 wrote: »

My favourite set of headphones i have bar none.

The day I'm getting those is close

Grahamer666

You will not be disappointed. Makes listening to music even more of a pleasure.

tedpan

Grahamer666 wrote:

My favourite set of headphones i have bar none.

Have had my 650's for years, since I got married 6 years ago they've only left the attic once. Miss them, incredible headphones. Plus, they're made in Ireland

Grahamer666

Indeed they are. How come you don't use them?

tedpan

Grahamer666 wrote:

Indeed they are. How come you don't use them?

The headphone amp and cables are just too much mess for my wife to deal with, I already have enough tech surrounding me I could never part with them either. I think I will bring them down this weekend for a treat..

Grahamer666

Shame they are going to waste. I know what i'd do if i was in your situation. :pac::D

BelovedAunt

Lads would there be any benefit in upgrading to HD650's when I'm just using them for Spotify on an iPhone 6s? I currently use a pair of HD 598's.

marko93

BelovedAunt wrote: »

Lads would there be any benefit in upgrading to HD650's when I'm just using them for Spotify on an iPhone 6s? I currently use a pair of HD 598's.

Not really (AFAIK) as the 6s may not be able to drive the 650s to their fullest.

limnam

BelovedAunt wrote: »

Lads would there be any benefit in upgrading to HD650's when I'm just using them for Spotify on an iPhone 6s? I currently use a pair of HD 598's.

Complete waste of money.

Something like a Grado SR60/80 Would be much cheaper and could be driven from an iPhone. If you like metal/rock/SS They're an amazing pair of headphones.

Grahamer666

Yup. No point upgrading if you're just going to use them with your phone. I sometimes use mine with my Samsung Tab but hook an amp up to them when listening that way. Usually they are hooked up to my Marantz separates.

BelovedAunt

Thanks lads, in that case I'll have to do some research on amps, as getting a €100 pair of headphones has been a transformative experience, so I'm hoping that taking the next step again will be just as good.

tedpan

Grahamer666 wrote:

Yup. No point upgrading if you're just going to use them with your phone. I sometimes use mine with my Samsung Tab but hook an amp up to them when listening that way. Usually they are hooked up to my Marantz separates.

Yep, I have a hifiman headphone tube amp or also works great with my Yamaha separate. So weak with just the phone

Grahamer666

BelovedAunt wrote: »

Thanks lads, in that case I'll have to do some research on amps, as getting a €100 pair of headphones has been a transformative experience, so I'm hoping that taking the next step again will be just as good.

This is the one i have. Great yoke.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01C2OAANI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

BelovedAunt

Grahamer666 wrote: »

This is the one i have. Great yoke.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01C2OAANI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for that man. So could I plug my iPhone into it and then play spotify through it or would that still be suboptimal? Sorry for all the questions as I'm very new to audio equipment.

Grahamer666

The way i work it when i'm using the tab is power the amp through a usb cable and attach the tab through the supplied usb cable. You can still power them through just the phone but the amp makes all the difference. The lead that comes with the HD650's is very long so i can have the tablet a good bit away from me while listening.