The headphones thread! [Sorry about your wallet]

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › The headphones thread! [Sorry about your wallet]

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6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1267707 25-Mar-2015 15:51

NZtechfreak: Definitely check out Computer Lounge, they will have most of the those to audition (they did stock HiFiMan previously, but last I checked they weren't listed on their site any longer). Also, there will be a headphones meet later in the year where I would hope almost everything will be available for auditioning.

For the HD800 you will certainly want an amp upgrade, and even the others (including your HE-500) will sound better from a more powerful amp.

As an aside, I have some PM-3 coming to me now to compare to the Senn Momentum 2.0, they are basically the same price so a good head to head comparison is needed!

Thanks. I'll contact Computer Lounge and ask them about this. Where is this headphones meet?

As for the amp upgrade, that is something I've researched this a lot and I get a lot of mixed responses about this. I've heard and read a lot of criticism about tube amplifiers and how they add distortion and color to the sound. I've asked the guys at the audio forum on linustechtips.com and most of them have told me that an amp upgrade isn't necessary for these headphones.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. Maybe an amp upgrade is something I'll consider later down the line. Any you can recommend?

networkn

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#1267709 25-Mar-2015 15:54

BenTan:
NZtechfreak: Definitely check out Computer Lounge, they will have most of the those to audition (they did stock HiFiMan previously, but last I checked they weren't listed on their site any longer). Also, there will be a headphones meet later in the year where I would hope almost everything will be available for auditioning.

For the HD800 you will certainly want an amp upgrade, and even the others (including your HE-500) will sound better from a more powerful amp.

As an aside, I have some PM-3 coming to me now to compare to the Senn Momentum 2.0, they are basically the same price so a good head to head comparison is needed!

Thanks. I'll contact Computer Lounge and ask them about this. Where is this headphones meet?

As for the amp upgrade, that is something I've researched this a lot and I get a lot of mixed responses about this. I've heard and read a lot of criticism about tube amplifiers and how they add distortion and color to the sound. I've asked the guys at the audio forum on linustechtips.com and most of them have told me that an amp upgrade isn't necessary for these headphones.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. Maybe an amp upgrade is something I'll consider later down the line. Any you can recommend?

CL have AMP's too, Tube and Solid State. I recommend taking the he-500's there with your favourite music and trying them side by side.

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#1267716 25-Mar-2015 16:05

networkn: Anyone heard of or tried these: MrSpeakers Alpha Dog?

Certainly heard of them, as well as the rest of their range, which have a good reputation at Head-Fi. I briefly heard their Alpha Dog at Addicted to Audio in Melbourne in February, but not enough to get a feel for them - particularly as that was towards the end of about 5 hours of trying gear so capacity for critical listening very fatigued by that time.

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hamstring

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#1267734 25-Mar-2015 16:24

I was at Computer Lounge yesterday and they had Audeze LCD-X and LCD-XCs on demo as well as the PM-1 and the HD-800s. They may also have other headphones that you can test but that was all that was out.

They had a few Amps as well (Woo, McIntosh etc) but I only listened through the Sennheiser amp as I was more interested in comparing the cans. One observation I have is that due to the Audezes having an XLR connector and the HD-800 and the PM-1 having RCA plugs it is difficult to do a good A/B test. The LCD-X using the XLR connector sounded so much more full with a far wider soundstage than the HD-800s with the RCA connector. I know they used to have an XLR cable for the HD-800s but it was back to a stock cable yesterday.

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#1267774 25-Mar-2015 16:41

hamstring: I was at Computer Lounge yesterday and they had Audeze LCD-X and LCD-XCs on demo as well as the PM-1 and the HD-800s. They may also have other headphones that you can test but that was all that was out.

They had a few Amps as well (Woo, McIntosh etc) but I only listened through the Sennheiser amp as I was more interested in comparing the cans. One observation I have is that due to the Audezes having an XLR connector and the HD-800 and the PM-1 having RCA plugs it is difficult to do a good A/B test. The LCD-X using the XLR connector sounded so much more full with a far wider soundstage than the HD-800s with the RCA connector. I know they used to have an XLR cable for the HD-800s but it was back to a stock cable yesterday.

The LCD will certainly sound more full than the HD800, however even with the HD800 being on a stock cable the soundstage should be considerably bigger than the LCD-X (I used to own the HD800 with stock cable, and had the X at home for one or two weeks, so have had ample time to compare).

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hamstring

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#1267907 25-Mar-2015 21:03

I think part of the issue was that the signal was significantly greater through the XLR connector so I had to increase the volume to compensate. I'd really love to hear them both on similar connections and cables. I did like seeing how I preferred certain music on one over the other and it wasn't what I was expecting. An example was that Dark Side of the Moon was way better through the HD-800s to my ears where as I enjoyed Miles Davis on the LCD-Xs. I'd have loved to hear some HE-560s but they didn't have them. There were a pair of HE-6s in a box behind the counter.

As it looks like I'll need closed cans it is fortunate that I really liked the LCD-XCs even though the price is 0.o . I also look forward to hearing the EL-8s when those are in country.

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#1267933 25-Mar-2015 21:29

hamstring: I think part of the issue was that the signal was significantly greater through the XLR connector so I had to increase the volume to compensate. I'd really love to hear them both on similar connections and cables. I did like seeing how I preferred certain music on one over the other and it wasn't what I was expecting. An example was that Dark Side of the Moon was way better through the HD-800s to my ears where as I enjoyed Miles Davis on the LCD-Xs. I'd have loved to hear some HE-560s but they didn't have them. There were a pair of HE-6s in a box behind the counter.

As it looks like I'll need closed cans it is fortunate that I really liked the LCD-XCs even though the price is 0.o . I also look forward to hearing the EL-8s when those are in country.

The only definite benefit of balanced cabling in the headphone realm is the doubled power output per channel when being fed from a balanced amp (and only then when the cans will benefit from more power, which would apply to both of the cans in question here). That may well have made a difference in this comparison.

Dark Side of the Moon has a lot of ambience, not surprising to me that it'd be more enjoyable on the HD800. Ditto the Miles Davis, can sometimes be a little strident on cans with a bit more treble emphasis, the Audeze sound would likely have suited that better (the increased power output may have helped a wide dynamic range recording too in this case).

I heard the proto EL8 open cans a little over a month ago, they didn't do much for me, although they were not the final tuning. Sounds like the closed ones are generally reviewing worse than the open. If you're in for that kind of money on a closed can the Final Audio Design Pandora Hope VI (yeesh, that's a mouthful) are worth looking at. I might have some of those soon too.

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hamstring

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#1267950 25-Mar-2015 21:43

That makes sense. Those IVs (I had to shorten down 'Final Audio Design Pandora Hope VI') look like something outta the '70's! It would be really interesting to hear them.

networkn

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#1282922 14-Apr-2015 13:27

HD650's are $287 on AMAZON today. Amazing Value, great HP's.

NZtechfreak

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#1282923 14-Apr-2015 13:31

networkn: HD650's are $287 on AMAZON today. Amazing Value, great HP's.

Definitely a sharp price!

In my own headphone related news - got the Sennheiser Momentum second gen recently, the Oppo PM-3, the Geek Out 450 and the Oppo HA-2.

Have a spare Geek Out if someone wants to buy it :)

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networkn

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#1282924 14-Apr-2015 13:33

NZtechfreak:
networkn: HD650's are $287 on AMAZON today. Amazing Value, great HP's.

Definitely a sharp price!

In my own headphone related news - got the Sennheiser Momentum second gen recently, the Oppo PM-3, the Geek Out 450 and the Oppo HA-2.

Have a spare Geek Out if someone wants to buy it :)

Hi,

That's basically a USB Powered DAC/AMP for notebooks right? How much?

Those PM-3's look very very nice. Maybe the most attractive HP's I've seen in a long while.

Massdrop has the LCD's and a Violectric HPA V200 for $1750 USD right now .

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networkn

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#1282925 14-Apr-2015 13:36

I am hoping after the weekend my Crack Amp will finally be at 100% instead of 95%. Then I can speedball it, and then I'll rest :)

NZtechfreak

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#1282928 14-Apr-2015 13:44

networkn: I am hoping after the weekend my Crack Amp will finally be at 100% instead of 95%. Then I can speedball it, and then I'll rest :)

Nice! I think the Crack with speedball is a very respectable place to rest :)

$200 for the Geek Out, it's brand new in box still ($299 AUD at Addicted to Audio, on a brief search it seems nobody is selling it here). Oh, and yes, USB powerered DAC/amp that does pure class A 450mA into 16ohm.

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networkn

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#1282934 14-Apr-2015 13:45

NZtechfreak:
networkn: I am hoping after the weekend my Crack Amp will finally be at 100% instead of 95%. Then I can speedball it, and then I'll rest :)

Nice! I think the Crack with speedball is a very respectable place to rest :)

$200 for the Geek Out, it's brand new in box still ($299 AUD at Addicted to Audio, on a brief search it seems nobody is selling it here). Oh, and yes, USB powerered DAC/amp that does pure class A 450mA into 16ohm.

Tempting. I'll have a think about it. I don't really use my HP's mobile that much. Even on Holiday I find it hard to find time to just listen to music :)

Stu

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#1282952 14-Apr-2015 14:17

networkn: Even on Holiday I find it hard to find time to just listen to music :)

Even being confined to bed for the past ~3 months I haven't listened to much music. Plenty of Netflix etc has kind of taken up a fair few hours. Now it's school holidays and Miss14 wants to watch Doctor Who with Dad. Still fit in music occasionally. Headphones (and pretty much everything else) are within arms length away.

Still after a DAC/Amp. Just haven't found the time to sort it out!

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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