Board 8 > My new headphone setup is going to cost around $1100

(+) Yeah! (+)

From: GaryOak151 | #050
i have beat solos and they are actually really nice

i mean i got them for free but i really enjoy them

sound quality is good and they are super comfortable on my ears

Sound quality is good if you don't know any better! Which, actually, is totally fine. Part one of my headphone buying guide started out with "if you're happy with your headphones and somebody else isn't, who gives a rat's ass?"

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

Just out of curiosity, how significant is the difference between $50-$100 headphones and this 1k setup? You can obviously hear the difference between very cheap and moderately priced headphones - I just wonder how sound quality compares to the price jump.

of all the things you could do with $1100

Like?

feed starving africans

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i have never paid more than 10 bucks for headphones so this pair works just fine for me, even if it is overpriced! I mean i didn't pay for it.

plus in addition to being comfortable they look cool imo

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From: AdditionalPylon | #052
Just out of curiosity, how significant is the difference between $50-$100 headphones and this 1k setup? You can obviously hear the difference between very cheap and moderately priced headphones - I just wonder how sound quality compares to the price jump.

I think right about $120ish or so you start getting into "wow, so this is how good music can sound?" with music you've been listening to for years. When you hit $400, you hear stuff you've never heard before in those same songs. My setup is amped (that's more than half the cost right now) and amping boosts that by a ton. It starts to sound breathtaking. You'll never want to listen to speakers again.

With something like the Sennheiser HD800 or the Audeze LCD-3 it's absolutely breathtaking. Those headphones are both more than $1000 on their own, with no amps. That being said, the jump from, say, $400-$500 (somethin slightly above mid-fi, but not yet hi-fi) to hi-fi ($1000) is smaller than the jump from lo-fi to mid-fi, in my opinion. At least in regards to wow factor.

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

From: DigitalIncision | #055

I think right about $120ish or so you start getting into "wow, so this is how good music can sound?" with music you've been listening to for years. When you hit $400, you hear stuff you've never heard before in those same songs.

Does this happen with the typical 192 kbps mp3s? Or even the 320 kbps?

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_foolmo_
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Oh man, think how good ABBA must sound with those on.

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Digi, I need to come over to your house and listen to Diorama.

Also, I answered your Friends question.

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From: foolm0ron | #056
From: DigitalIncision | #055

I think right about $120ish or so you start getting into "wow, so this is how good music can sound?" with music you've been listening to for years. When you hit $400, you hear stuff you've never heard before in those same songs.

Does this happen with the typical 192 kbps mp3s? Or even the 320 kbps?

If you have a crappy source then it's going to sound crappy. BUT crappy MP3s don't necessarily totally eliminate things you wouldn't have heard with worse headphones. You definitely hear it but it's wasted on anything below 320 or V0 MP3s. I use mostly FLAC and V0 mp3s. For instance, some of the best headphones out there are praised because of their wide soundstage and how accurate they are. That accuracy is lost with 192 and below, ya know?

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

From: Princess Anri | #058
Digi, I need to come over to your house and listen to Diorama.

Also, I answered your Friends question.

FLAC Diorama sounds amazing, especially out of my AD700, which people generally buy and mod into gaming headsets because the soundstage is so wide and everything feels like it's "around" you. I personally feel that's perfect for Diorama. Like you're just surrounded by the music.

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

Seriously where do you live now?

I have the whole summer off.

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From: Princess Anri | #061
Seriously where do you live now?

I have the whole summer off.

Dayton, OH. Feels bad man.

Anyway, the new headphones and amp I'm getting should accent Diorama very, very well. With the tube amps, you get this classic ... "dark and warm" feel. I think that'll mix very well with some of the more open and expansive tracks.

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

God, I can only imgine Across the Night and Tuna in the Brine.

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From: Princess Anri | #063
God, I can only imgine Across the Night and Tuna in the Brine.

There's like, whole new sounds on the really high end of Without You I'd never even heard before. It sounds angelical.

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

foolm0ron posted...

From: SantaRPG | #038

if I had 1000k....


I'd probably just use it to cover first and last months rent on my new apartment

and it wouldn't be enough

man what a depressing topic

Wow, 1000K won't cover 2 months of rent? Where the hell do you live?

Here, it's like 700-800 for a studio or crappy one bedroom. Two bedrooms are easily over 1k.

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"One of these days, I'm gonna find a loophole my friend." - Man in Black

Yes, you have a problem! At least you didn't make the noob move of buying really expensive headphones and then playing your songs from mp3.

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Without You is probably my favorite song of all time.

I'm jelly.

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From: Seginustemple | #066
Yes, you have a problem! At least you didn't make the noob move of buying really expensive headphones and then playing your songs from mp3.

Yeah I still haven't got everything I wanted in FLAC yet but a good 80 percent of my library is FLAC now. MP3s still sound amazing (providing I have sufficiently powered headphones) but yeah. And I fully admit I have a problem ... my problem is also the fact that I want to collect them. I obsess over hearing different sound signatures. So it's not just "hey I'm gonna spend $1000 on a pair of headphones" it's "I'm gonna spend $1000 on a pair of headphones and then .. OHH those look cool .. another $200 .. AND THOSE .. $50 ..."

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

From: Princess Anri | #067
Without You is probably my favorite song of all time.

I'm jelly.

Without You is definitely my favorite Silverchair song, followed by Tuna In The Brine and Anthem For The Year 2000.

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

Damn, you do have a problem.

But I am the same with comics.

If you ever want to discard pair...

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From: Princess Anri | #070
Damn, you do have a problem.

But I am the same with comics.

If you ever want to discard pair...

I was planning on buying all my good friends and family headphones or IEMs for Christmas depending on their listening tastes. Right now I have well over the $1100 in this topic in various cheaper headphones. I have one specifically for each genre and others that I just wanted to collect.

This is the amp I'm getting. God I love tubes.

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

Hey Digi this is way late but those earbud headphones that were on sale on amazon a week ago for like 70% off, I bought some and am using them right now and want to thank you for pointing them out

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ONLY FIVE CAN LADDER.
Sushi, kamikaze, fujiyama, nippon-ichi...

I bought some too then I f***ing buttered them because I hate Digi.

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Burned*

Lol swype

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I'd prefer to think you buttered them.

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From: TheKnightOfNee | #072
Hey Digi this is way late but those earbud headphones that were on sale on amazon a week ago for like 70% off, I bought some and am using them right now and want to thank you for pointing them out
Ditto, though actually theyve been crackling on me and making me noticethe poor quality of my sound files. Damn you digi.

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From: DigitalIncision | #001

Do I have a problem?

If you can afford it I think you don't have many problems at all.

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Mo money mo problems.

That's why I immediately put all money I earn into upgrading my sex dungeon.

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I've got Sennheiser HD 448 Headphones, not the most expensive thing in the world but it's not cheap either. I love them. I feel like if I'd go in a higher price range I'd only end up being disappointed with how much money I've spent, but that's just me!

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$20 JVC Xtreme Xplosives FTW.

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your headphone fetish is among the more strange that I've seen.

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seems like a huge waste of money..

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From: VincentLauw | #079
I've got Sennheiser HD 448 Headphones, not the most expensive thing in the world but it's not cheap either. I love them. I feel like if I'd go in a higher price range I'd only end up being disappointed with how much money I've spent, but that's just me!

If you're happy then you're happy, but right around that price range you can get some killer, killer sound (of similar style to those) that I know you wouldn't be disappointed in.

From: SnoicFactor | #082
seems like a huge waste of money..

What are your hobbies that might cost money?

From: RySenkari | #080
$20 JVC Xtreme Xplosives FTW.

Those are actually not terrible, which is unique among that style of marketing! Well, the first revision wasn't terrible, I haven't heard them in over a year but I assume not much changed.

From: ExThaNemesis | #081
your headphone fetish is among the more strange that I've seen.

Someday you will hear Machinae Supremacy with a wide soundstage and an intensely accurate and pure punch that they always intended you to hear. A band with so much intricacy and speed ... when you hear a truly fast headphone + Machinae Supremacy, you'll just die happy.

From: edwardsdv | #076
From: TheKnightOfNee | #072
Hey Digi this is way late but those earbud headphones that were on sale on amazon a week ago for like 70% off, I bought some and am using them right now and want to thank you for pointing them out
Ditto, though actually theyve been crackling on me and making me noticethe poor quality of my sound files. Damn you digi.

The Betas or the M4? And yeah, that's one of the biggest issues with people who make the jump. Even when the sound file is quality, people notice issues in the actual recordings that they've never heard before.

Hey Digi this is way late but those earbud headphones that were on sale on amazon a week ago for like 70% off, I bought some and am using them right now and want to thank you for pointing them out

Awesome, the Betas or the M4?

From: Princess Anri | #073
I bought some too then I f***ing buttered them because I hate Digi.

I love you Anri. <3

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

The betas

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From: edwardsdv | #084
The betas

The Betas really caught me in on the Brainwavz sound. I now own the M2 and the M4 and on the 15th, I'm buying their top-of-the-line earbuds since there's a huge sale, the B2. Usually they're $180 and the next batch of them is on pre-order for $109. Obviously most here wouldn't be interested so I haven't posted that yet. I'm excited.

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

The M4

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ONLY FIVE CAN LADDER.
Sushi, kamikaze, fujiyama, nippon-ichi...

As it turns out, my setup is going to come in a bit cheaper! I'll be getting the Little Dot MKIII tube amp instead of the Schiit Lyr ... but then again, I'll also be buying an extra pair of headphones. So yeah.

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

once again, I need some new overears that are stylish and effective. Got about $100 to spend. What do you have for me?

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From: ExThaNemesis | #088
once again, I need some new overears that are stylish and effective. Got about $100 to spend. What do you have for me?

Completely over the ears? (circumaural) or ones that sit on your ears (supraaural)? They're both plenty comfortable if you get the right one, but it's still something that needs to be asked. Also, for what kind of music predominantly?

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

Since you're such a headphone enthusiast, you must like to also clean your ears out, yes?

Ear cleaning tips, please?

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From: shadosneko | #090
Since you're such a headphone enthusiast, you must like to also clean your ears out, yes?

Ear cleaning tips, please?

That's actually not something I'm very helpful with. My ears don't get particularly dirty - I've been told I just don't produce earwax. That being said, I do wash with peroxide somewhat frequently and still attack them with q-tips ... I go in with a little peroxide, then with the q-tip, making sure to "mop" and not "push".

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

From: DigitalIncision | #089
Completely over the ears? (circumaural) or ones that sit on your ears (supraaural)? They're both plenty comfortable if you get the right one, but it's still something that needs to be asked. Also, for what kind of music predominantly?
uhhh I listen to everything but country, really.

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We can't stop here. This is bat country.
Brace for the G's, and fast heel-toe work.

From: Princess Anri | #078

Mo money mo problems.

That's why I immediately put all money I earn into upgrading my sex dungeon.

This is a man who knows how to spend $1100.

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Hey Digi do you have a rating for Phillips/Oneill Stretch Headphones? My friend and I each got a pair for 70$ off (50$) a while ago and you probably know something about them since you breathe headphones

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From: ExThaNemesis | #092
From: DigitalIncision | #089
Completely over the ears? (circumaural) or ones that sit on your ears (supraaural)? They're both plenty comfortable if you get the right one, but it's still something that needs to be asked. Also, for what kind of music predominantly?
uhhh I listen to everything but country, really.

These are around-the-ears for most people, and they were my first "real" headphone purchase: the Creative Aurvana Live! http://www.amazon.com/Creative-EF0060-Aurvana-Live-Headphones/dp/B000ZJZ7OA?tag=duckduckgo-d-20 ... They've got very clear sound, pretty accurate, solid punch in the bass without it being muddy. Good soundstage for a closed set ... I also think they look great. They were recently on sale for $60 - which is $40 off, but not anymore. If you're interested, they might go back on sale again.

Then there's these: http://www.jaycar.us/productView.asp?ID=AA2065&keywords=monitor+headphones&form=KEYWORD ... they don't look like much because those are the OEM version. A couple big brands - Fischer Audio and Brainwavz - re-brands these as their own (as the FA-003 and HM5, respectively) and sells them for 140+. Most people don't know they can get these for $70 shipped. At any rate, it's a very NEUTRAL sound. It's super accurate - they really are studio quality, but they'll point out flaws in your music and they are not bass-heavy, so if you're a bass-head, you'll find them lacking.

Or perhaps a Grado headphone ... these are considered by most to be the gateway to becoming an audiophile, but they are on-ear as opposed to over-ear. These are the SR80i http://www.amazon.com/Grado-Prestige-Series-Stereo-Headphone/dp/B000G3LCQC/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1339396150&sr=1-1 .. though if you want, the SR60i looks the same, they just don't sound as good, but they're cheaper and a safer buy to see if you like the Grado sound. These are definitely good though, especially for fast music.

...Here's just a couple more .. if you have any questions, or if none of these do it for you, let me know:

http://www.amazon.com/KRK-KNS6400-Studio-Headphones/dp/B004ARSMXQ?tag=duckduckgo-d-20
http://www.amazon.com/Ultrasone-DJ1-Surround-Professional-Headphones/dp/B000GU77SC?tag=duckduckgo-d-20
http://www.amazon.com/Ultrasone-HFI-580-Surround-Professional-Headphones/dp/B00101UHS8?tag=duckduckgo-d-20

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

From: WaIker | #094
Hey Digi do you have a rating for Phillips/Oneill Stretch Headphones? My friend and I each got a pair for 70$ off (50$) a while ago and you probably know something about them since you breathe headphones

I just bought the Stretch for $30 on sale from Amazon like two weeks ago. They have excellent build quality - I get the feeling I could be really rough on them (that was the intention, as I understand it) and they're comfortable. The sound isn't the best but damn I did not anticipate the bass being as clear as it is. Given the target demographic, I expected the bass to be really heavy and muddy, but in reality, it's fairly punchy and hits very well with a lot of hip-hop. It's not the best for your slower genres but hey, I cannot even begin to complain at $30. They out-performed my expectations several times over with their clarity.

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

Sweet! And yeah I love their durability. I don't feel horrible shoving them in my backpack because I know they're designed to last. Cool to hear you recently got a pair of em' ha

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~Justin_Crossing

From: WaIker | #097
Sweet! And yeah I love their durability. I don't feel horrible shoving them in my backpack because I know they're designed to last. Cool to hear you recently got a pair of em' ha

Yeah, when you touch that outside band you think "wont this break?" and then you slam it around a little and you realize nope. just odd to the touch. Kinda like a samsung phone. Cheap-feeling plastic but the damn things are usually really durable. I can't say I'll use The Stretch that much but if I'm reaching for my headphone stands and I'm listening to hip-hop or even some more fast-paced rock, I wouldn't be disappointed to put 'em back on.

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.

I suppose it's somewhat ironic then that most of the music I listen to is video game music and like softer alt rock stuff. Very little hip hop and virtually no rap. They make epic orchestral scores brilliant though (at least from my perspective! I'm listening to Dragonborn with them right now (which I haven't done since my brother keeps stealing the pair jeesh) and it's pretty incredible as far as my meager standards go!

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~Justin_Crossing

From: WaIker | #099
I suppose it's somewhat ironic then that most of the music I listen to is video game music and like softer alt rock stuff. Very little hip hop and virtually no rap. They make epic orchestral scores brilliant though (at least from my perspective! I'm listening to Dragonborn with them right now (which I haven't done since my brother keeps stealing the pair jeesh) and it's pretty incredible as far as my meager standards go!

Ah but that music is still "punchy" There are more to the lows than the bass. They're very punchy, and the highs really aren't harsh, which is important. Vocals are pretty substandard - that's where most of the flack comes from, but that doesn't sound like it's a huge issue for you.

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Digi
White boards are remarkable.