Headphones

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501
 
 

Just to preface, but this is my first time really reviewing a pair of headphones, but I felt that these warranted me typing up some of my thoughts.

Electrostats, I'd always been interested in picking some up, but had heard a ton about how expensive and finicky they could be. Needing a specialized amplifier to drive them, issues with dust and moisture, and the price kept me from taking the plunge for the longest time. Despite these concerns however, I finally chose to dive headfirst into the world of estats, grabbing a used SR-Λ Pro and SRM-006t off yahoo.jp.

Not going to go too far into the shipping and unboxing for these, since these were bought used and it'll be different for everyone, but both units arrived incredibly well padded and quickly. I used Buyee as my forwarder, and had a good overall experience.

https://i.imgur.com/xPKoJl1.jpg

The first thing to arrive was the 006t. This is an old Stax tube amplifier from the late 90's, and it's pretty long, so finding a spot on my desk for it was a bit of a hassle. It has 2 RCA inputs, 1 balanced XLR input, 2 580V pro bias outputs, and 1 230V normal bias output.

My first order of business was to get the thing working properly on 120V AC. This was a JP model, and so from the factory it only supported 100V AC. Luckily, it's old enough that Stax had not yet started to cut the windings on their power transformers, so all I had to do was remove the stock voltage jumpers and solder new ones on the blue and purple wires. I made no other adjustments to the amp, although I might install a CCS mod at some point to increase headroom.

https://i.imgur.com/wRU3mEM.jpg

Onto the headphones themselves, they arrived in very good condition. The SR-Λ Pros were initially released in the early 80's, and are 580V pro biased. I had heard a ton about the poor build quality of the Lambdas, and these definitely don't have the same bulletproof feeling of my DT1990s for instance, but they don't feel like they'll fall apart if you look at them wrong either. As long as you're careful taking them on and off, I don't imagine that durability is a major concern with them. Putting them on, they immediately felt very comfortable, with very little clamp force, and deep enough earcups for my ears to not touch the drivers. The headphones themselves are quite light, and the cable, despite all I had read about the weight, is quite manageable, particularly when you can rest the majority of it on a desk or table. Sound isolation is completely nonexistent, it's as if there's nothing there.

The first time I listened with these, I smiled more than I think any other pair of headphones or IEMs had ever made me smile before. The detail retrieval on these blows anything I've ever listened to out of the water, and it does it without needing to sacrifice tonality by boosting the treble (ahem Beyerdynamic). I've mainly been listening to a mix of rock, metal, and electronic music through these, and no matter what I throw at them they just sound fantastic.

The bass probably won't satisfy true bassheads, but extension is decent and what it lacks in pure punchiness it more than makes up for in control. Electronic music in particular sounds crisp and tight in the bass, and works quite well with these headphones.

Mids and treble are where these truly shine in my opinion. The midrange is very natural sounding, and the treble has all the detail and sparkle that I tend to prefer, without being harsh and fatiguing. Coming from my 1990s, these immediately sounded far more natural, while also managing to be more detailed. Other than a bit of a bump in the 1-2k range, they sound pretty flat, and even that slight bump doesn't sound unnatural, it just sounds slightly more forward compared to the rest of the midrange. Going back to the 1990s after a couple weeks with the Λ's just sounds muddy and unrefined. However, these do lack the bass impact which the 1990s have, which could prove a dealbreaker for those into more bass quantity. Songs which on my 1990s either ended up sounding like a wall of sound, or which had a tad too much spice in the highs, sounded much more natural, and were much easier to pick apart and hear individual instruments.

Soundstage and imaging are both very good as well. Playing games with these, there were some times where I heard quiet ambient sounds in the background and physically turned my head to look for the source of the sound, thinking that they were coming from something in my room. Coupled with the extremely good detail retrieval these have, I imagine that these would be quite good for more competitive gaming if you were so inclined to use them for such. I mostly play rhythm games and Genshin though, so I can't really speak much to that. For most music though, I would compare the soundstage to that of a well treated recording studio. It's certainly much more intimate than proper speakers, but instruments still clearly sound like they are coming from outside your head, and the separation is very good as previously stated.

One thing I noticed immediately was that this setup with the Λ's and the 006t requires about an hour to really warm up and start sounding its best. Whether that's mainly due to the diaphragm on the headphones needing time to charge fully, the tubes needing time to warm up, or a mix of both, I am not sure, but before these are fully warmed up the sound is much thinner and more airy.

Overall I'm extremely impressed with this setup. It's honestly somewhat ruined my other headphones for me, since none of them can really match these in terms of both detail retrieval and tone. If you can live with some of the tradeoffs which come with electrostats, I would wholeheartedly recommend that you go and try to put together even a "cheap" used setup. These truly do knock the doors off of anything else I've listened to, and now that I've gotten my foot in the door with estats, I do kind of want to try my hand at DIYing an amp, or even headphones if I ever decide to really read through that one HeadFi thread to learn how to make the drivers. There's no way that you could make these your only headphones, but they certainly have become my main headphones.

502
 
 

I am specifically looking for closed back circumaural headphones with comfort and lack of squeaky plastic sounds being the main concerns

503
 
 

I have a Sennheiser Momentum 4, and it has an app with a 5 band equalizer, but I feel its not enough for me, I would like to have more control over especially the low end, as there is just a bass boost toggle and a 60hz slider, so everything around 100-150 hz doesn't get affected at all. Are there apps or programs that have more bands and are able to save the settings inside the headphones or is that only available in the sennheiser app itself?

504
 
 

I've been trying to find good headphones for a while and found some nice looking ones, however I cannot for the life of me figure out what a microphone sensitivity of -113 dB listed on the site means, google is of no help.

505
 
 

I recently bought some dt 1990 pro b stock and there good but vocals sound a bit recessed when bass kicks in in certain songs and I just saw the 660s2 for sale on Amazon should I return the dt 1990 pro and get the sennheisers or keep them idk how beyer is on b stock returns would it give me a headache?

506
 
 

Is there a clear distinction on sounds, clarity or in other aspects over this two technology on IEMs?

507
 
 

i just learnt about the existence of IEM. So I did a bit of research on these 2 options.

What I heard is that, chu has more treble while aria has more base.

I was using a jabra elite 65t before and I really like to tune up the base part of the Equalizer. So I assume aria will fit what I am looker for if I am understanding the stuff people are talking about

I have never experienced IEM so idk what I am expecting honestly. I really like to blast music full volume all the time so I assumed getting an IEM would be nice since it is made to listen to music.

I am still very new to these stuff so I just wanted to post this and ask for clarification to see whether it is worth to drop more money for aria to fit my “taste”. Thanks

508
 
 

Dumb question but looking at the compatible models with dekoni sheepskin cups it lists most models besides the 900 pro x's, but they look the to be the same tbh. they should work right? am i stupid?

509
 
 

Hey guys, I have been trying to find the answer to this but have not found a clear cut answer that I am looking for. I have been back and forth on these two headphones, I bought the sennheiser momentum’s last night and they sound pretty great but the bass and quietness leaves more to be desired.

I only listen to dubstep, bass, free form bass, experimental bass music. these will be used at the gym daily. How does the bass compare on these two? I am looking for very deep bass with a strong presence. I like the M4’s but it is concerning how much I have to crank them to get acceptable bass and kick out of them. I thought I was going deaf but my girlfriend who has very sensitive ears agreed they are not very loud unless they are turned way up. Bass boost is off, I set my own custom eq and they are up to date on software.

Thanks in advance!

510
 
 

I've had an HD 6XX with a Schitt Magni + Modi for quite some time. I just wanted better sounding audio. Eventually I fell out of being into good sounds and I'm not even sure what's what anymore because I barely had a clue then. So, I've been listening to music on Youtube for free and just now realized wtf am I doing...there must be a better quality place to listen to music. So, I'm here asking for your assistance. Also, maybe my setup isn't good so I'd be curious to see what anyone has to say about that if you have input on it as well.

511
 
 

I don’t know if there’s something wrong with me or what but for the life of me I have never been able to find ear buds that stay in my ears- until the Bose SoundSport. Now though I’d really like a wireless pair as I’ve taken up running and it would be much easier to have something wireless and I’ve tried AirPods, a couple different Bose earbuds, different sizes and fits and such and nothing seems to fit and stay in my ears. I was wondering if anyone knew of any wireless headphones that has a similar structure to the SoundSport’s because they’re really a godsend for me but I’d love something wireless. Thank you everyone!!! :)

512
 
 

This is UK...

513
 
 

I've started using some in-ear monitors, and I'm not sure if they are high resistance or low resistance, but they are very sensitive to volume. The lowest volume setting on my phone is plenty of volume, and three notches is the most that I ever need, I have turned on the volume limiter on my phone but it's still goes up to like 7 out of 10 which is way too much. If the volume is ever inadvertently pressed and held down, it could blow out my ears and the idea of that freaks me out. As far as I can find, there aren't any further options in my phone that would solve the problem, all I get is that limiter which is way too much. It works well for normal headphones and IEMs but not something as sensitive as these are.

With headphone amps as I know that they generally work, the best I can think of is to 3D print a cover that would go around the volume knob so that it cannot be altered unless the cover is removed, but surely there must be something with a built-in locking mechanism like a switch or some such thing that will do this easier than having to create a cover to physically prevent the knob from being able to be turned unless I mean to do it.

If I can lock it in place, then I could turn the volume all the way up on my phone, and then set the amp to the loudest that I would ever want to listen to it, and then permanently lock the volume in place and never touch it again, and then that would be my volume limiter. I could do all of my actual volume adjustment with the phone

514
 
 

so i have steel series artics 1 wireless and i have been using it for a while and than i thought why not go for an upgrade and Got some dt 770 pros 80 ohms (got an sound amp) and i really dont notice a difference, has anyone noticed a difference from switching headphones?

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I have tried several headphones in that range (HD599, HD58x, HD6xx, HD560s, SHP9500/9600, Fidelio X2HR, PC38x, G4ME ONE, AKG K712 Pro) some of them I used exclusively for months like the SHP9600, HD6xx and HD58x.

Somehow I still find the HD599 SE to be the most enjoyable headphones in this category. They’re like the perfect balance of fun, detail, soundstage and clarity. They’re not too fun like the X2HR, not too detailed, but just perfect for me. I compared them against the HD560s and honestly the 560s were almost my least favorite headphones but I’d choose them over SHP9500 and the gaming headsets (PC38x and G4ME ONE). The HD560s had more clarity but the soundstage was noticeably narrower than the HD599 SE and I think they had no slam to them or fun factor. They’re like HD6xx but slightly worse and barely have a wide soundstage but that’s just my casual opinion. I know they’re quite loved headphones. I don’t know how but the HD599’s have magic to them lol or I’m brainwashed at this point.

519
 
 

Tempting for me. I could sell my Focal Clears to justify it. HD600 is what I make music with and my reference point / what I’m really used to. 660S2 should be ‘useful’ than the Clear, similar to HD600 but extended bass. Hmm…

Anyways, heads up on what seems like a good deal.

520
 
 
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Just ordered a headset from Thomann de It’s open backorder wtf does he that mean

522
 
 

Hey folks! So I've decided to upgrade my desktop DAC/amp stack.

I've been using Schiit; a Modi going into a switch to drive either a Vali or a Magni+. I feel like the Vali distorts too much at high volumes - needed because I like loud music but also I have those hard to drive Aeons.

The Magni+ seems to have a clearer sound and better headroom - high gain still sounds a little 'stressed' to my ears but I feel like overall it's got the resolving capacity to make my treble-heavy cans maintain the clarity I like.

A few weeks ago I bought one of the open box EF400 amp/DAC combo. I think it sounds amazing, though I can't say it completely changes the sound, the Aeons act almost completely differently. Less sibilance and it feels like the already smooth response is even smoother. The Aryas always sounds amazing but it feels like they have more 'life' on the EF400 vs the Magni. My feeling is that I'm hearing a different amplitude curve combined with too much available power increasing the headroom on the amp.

Speaking of too much power: this thing is BEAST. Aryas can't get much over 1/4 turn before it sounds really, painfully, loud. Aeons handle the power much better but still can't get to halfway. I have to reduce my output volume on my PC just so I can actually turn the knob without carefully using micron-precision to prevent blowing up my cans or my ears!

I'm not sure I like the oversampling mode, but no oversampling really sounds amazing and natural.

So: general thoughts out of the way, now for my complaints and questions.

The biggest thing I don't like about either the Vali or Magni+ is the noisy pot. It's not THAT noisy, but all my cans have aggressive treble and it is irritating to hear the subtle fizz and crackle when adjusting the volume. Also because the pot covers a wide range of signal, you always have to turn the knob a lot, which makes even more noise. It just sounds like a dirty pot but it won't get clean by working it back and forth like my Marantz pots do. Next would be the lack of perceived headroom at high volume. It starts to sound compressed on the Aeons. High gain always sounds compressed.

Does anyone have measurements or experience comparing the R2R Himalaya DAC to the Modi? I personally am in the camp that believes DACs all sound 95% or 99% the same, but I've read that the R2R uses some quirky methodology that might not sound the most "natural". Otherwise, I have zero complaints about the Modi.

The EF400 has a lot to dislike, if I'm honest. It's relatively huge at 9" square. The rotary gain switch makes it difficult to A/B the settings. The volume pot is very smooth in feel and sound (none of the noise that afflicts the Schiit amps I mentioned) - but it is sunk into the faceplate and tends to rub on the edges of the socket. Just a silly engineering choice.

Also, the volume control doesn't control the line out. I have powered desktop monitors but they have terrible volume control and I loved using my Magni+ to control them. I can't do that with the EF400 and it's line out is full power so I'm back to a) tweaking two sets of volume and b) using my rotary selector to turn the speaker out on and off. On the Magni it automatically switches based on whether headphones are plugged in.

And finally: I just don't like the bright metal faceplate on the EF400, so all Schiit products have an advantage in this regard.

So: I'm 99% sure I want to send the EF400 back, $200 discount be damned. I'm thinking about two options for replacing it: A) use my current Modi and add a Midgard amp. Does anyone have experience with this? Does it use the same noisy pot from the Magni? B) get an Asgard. I can save some money by reusing the Modi or save desk space by getting the ES9028 DAC. I'm assuming the cost and target market for the Asgard means the pot is higher quality. Can anyone talk about owning the Asgard with DAC?

Alternatively, I'm still tube-curious, so what about the Valhalla with the Modi? I think ultimately I might be annoyed by the differently sized items and have to get a Modius, so I'm kinda leaning towards the all-in-one.

I'm also interested in other DAC/amp combos if there are any recommendations. The combo needs to stay under $400. Features:

  • Relatively compact and in black/dark colors to match my desk
  • Volume knob controls RCA out
  • Analog, not stepped volume (this excludes Fiio entirely and the Topping units I've used)
  • Balanced if lower power, but 6.35mm is fine if the SE output is over a couple watts. I'm not really considering the Schiit balanced units because I feel like both Asgard and Midgard have plenty of SE power.

Anyway, if you sat through this rambling post, I really appreciate it!

523
524
 
 

Hi, I'm looking to buy bluetooth headphones, which are able to give a high quality playback, when the audio signal is bad, due to a super low bitrate SBC codec. I have a smartwatch (fenix 7), which unfortunately has a terrible music playback. So the sound files are high quality, the loss happpens due to the low bitrate and sbc codec, which is impossible to change on the watch.

Are there any wireless headphones, which can "fix" the signal they receive? I have just purchased the sony 1000xm5 headphones, which have DSEE. I thought they would fix upscale the low bitrate SBC audio, but they dont. The music still sounds awful on my smartwatch... To be honest, I'm not even sure if what I'm asking for even exists.

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