Headphones

This might be a dumb question, but does dirt/dust/pet hair/fabric, etc. between the driver and grille (on the fabric) affect sound quality? I have an HD560s and have been thinking about this for some time.

Just wanted to share my ordering and delivery experience importing a product (KZ AZ20) to India from Linsoul.

This is just to share ETA to expect when ordering for yourself.

Ordered on: 13 Oct
Shipped on: 13 Oct (roughly 13 hours later)
Entered India: 21 Oct
Shipped from India office: 23 Oct
Reached my home: 25 Oct

Total time from order to delivery: 12 days

So smooth experience getting it delivered in less than 2 weeks. The product box and the content was in perfect shape when I received it.

I did not have to pay any import duty when received.

I see a lot of different opinions on the IE200. I personally have found it to be an extremely enjoyable and competent set especially for $150. I think they're better than my P5 and my Kiwi Ears Quintet. The quintet definitely has better separation and imaging, but the IE200 has a way wider stage. The treble is so smooth to my ears too. With all that being said I love this set, but I want to hear other opinions as I feel some of the hate is unwarranted.

It's safe to say the people in here have experienced music at a high level of quality. If faced with the choice would you choose to give up your hearing and live without the joys of headphones or sacrifice your vision to continue in this hobby? Just something to think about. (Not trying to be offensive to the unfortunate ones who are blind or deaf.)

This is my opinion purely based off sound I will not get to into detail as I am no audiophile and I understand these are consumer headphones with that in mind I really wanted to love them they sounded better and way more comfortable than the Sony xm4 and the Bose 700, but I will be returning only because my Audeze maxwells blow all of these headphones away. The immersive feature is lame and I did think some songs sounded cool with it but the normal music sounds better. If you are expecting it to sound like a concert keep looking it just compresses the music and adds weird effects. Compared to the Bose 700 they are way better only because they are more comfortable the bass and sub bass is better and the Bose 700 is flat out uncomfortable and the cabin pressure is way worse on the 700. I can listen to the ultras for hours with no annoyance and they do sound great but not for the price. If I was to chose a Bose product again as my final choice I would probably go with the new QC because they are way cheaper then the ultras and sound great. you won’t be missing out on anything if you don’t get the ultras.

I'm currently listening to my HD6XX's with my Olympus 2 FIIO DAC and was wondering if I were to change it, would it impact the sound quality much? Or is volume the only real difference?

If you want to start EQing straight away Everything is on /r/oratory1990

The main idea is to tune it to Harman Target with the preset list then adjust certain frequencies according to YOUR preference (very easy to do from the info on the pdf). The EQ preset list

/u/oratory1990 is an absolute legend for creating the EQ list - literally made this job so much easier. If you're interested in trying yourself, read the oratory1990 wiki. Much of this post is just linking and paraphrasing /u/oratory1990 's wisdom.

Also, avoid using the autoEQ app - I never got good results from it but your mileage might vary. If your previous attempts were with the autoEQ, you MUST try doing it manually. It's a different world.

I think everyone should at least try the manual tuning process themselves.

Manually tuning your EQ*

*FOR APPLE SILICON MAC USERS - AU Lab didnt work for me so I opted for Hosting AU.

**More tips later on this post

WHY the Harman Target and WHY you should try it

why the Harman Target by oratory1990 (it's a great read)

TL;DR: the Harman Target is more than just what 'average people prefer'. It was also an attempt to simulate the sound an audio engineer would hear with two studio monitors in front of them in a treated room (the cliché ‘as the artist intended)

The reason why we should EQ our headphones is pretty clearly stated by /u/oratory1990 - there's only so much the manufacturer could do with physical component so some EQ will always make the sound better.

The goal of EQing does not necessarily have to be 'better than what it usually sounds'. It can also be creating a profile for different genres - just like how you might have multiple headphones for different genres of music. This is also cheaper and easier. No more splashing cash on side-grades.

Best case scenario, you got a new pair of headphones for free. Worst case scenario, you learn more about frequency response.

You can also discover sound signatures that you did not know you like by playing around with the EQ, not necessarily according to the Harmon Target since there are also diffuse field etc.

My experinece

I have a pretty diverse music taste - from Laufey to Meshuggah to Snarky Puppy. Whilst the HD600 does a great job with Laufey-type music, the three blob soundstage and lack of space makes the latter two less enjoyable. I was tempted to get a side-grade (ATH-R70X) with a better soundstage and imaging but decided to give EQ a go first.

By EQing it to the Harman Target, it gives me more bass, a wider soundstage (I was very suprised by this) and far better instrument separation. Pretty much a different pair of headphones at this point.

How I deviated from the target: the mid range becomes slightly under desired (I still want the HD600 signature mid) so I boosted that. I also like more airiness so boosted the higher frequencies. The method to achieve these is written on the EQ pdfs.

Now I have the signature intimate sound profile for Laufey, and an EQ profile for music with lots of instruments (the kick drum gets so much better) - effectively two pairs of headphones. I can switch between profiles depending on what I was feeling that day. I can even create another profile with a different target.

Here is also where I should emphasise to NEVER treat the preset as a holy grail that shouldn't be changed. We all have different heads and preferences, so you should really tweak the preset to suit your taste better.

Other tips on how you can tweak the headphones

These are things I learned during the process. Correct me if I'm wrong:

1. Say you want to add more spice to the bass, dial in slightly more than enough bass. Then, test it with different music and begin to dial it down (or even more) according to how your headphones perform in different mixes. This will take some time but you will evenutally end up with something that is almost universally good for all mixes.
2. Make a narrow parameter with a lot of gain and try moving it across the frequencies - you might find frequencies that you didn't know you hate/existed and can now use that as a reference point to dial it down further (usually between 3k-5k there is some noise)
3. You can even add an additional EQ curve for 'fringe cases' but that could be complicating things.

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again THANK YOU /u/oratory1990 for making my life better.

...is how my evening is going.

started with the big goofy he-r10d and currently rocking the 560s. the tor roger is an impressive amp that can surprisingly accommodate a wide range of impedances.

between the two cans above I've thrown 600 to 32ohm at it and it has yet to sound wrong like full tube amps normally do when you step below 80 or so Ohm.

the biggest difference seems to be the loving care the music gets now. meaning everything in the song is put on a shelf for you to enjoy at your leisure.

listening to Brubeck, take five reprise DSD512 so, about as clear as it can be offered. not that any of that jazz matters but just to say I'm feeding the amp the beans and it is replying in kind. in a word, the tor roger sounds perfect

Hey guys! Saturday night listenings at home. Wife and daughter gone to bed. I’m thinking if it’s possible to EQ my beloved but veiled HD650 into a clarity, airy and dynamism of a Focal Clear OG (with all the limitations that are). Have a good night.

Looking for a solid headphone to run with a Fiio K5 or K7 this Black Friday. I’ve never experienced Hifi before.

Here’s what I need:

-Instrument separation and high resolution -Good Imaging for occasional FPS -Extremely deep bass extension for car and flight simulators (I absolutely love the low roar of vehicle engines). I’m talking single digit Hz lol -Below 500

This is the second time in recent years (because I bought two pairs in that timespan) that my new Koss KSC 75 come with distinctly smelly rubber foam pads. It is unpleasant and rubs off on hands and other skin (although seemingly less so than last time), so I am uncomfortable with using them, since I don't know what chemicals are used there, but since it's a US brand that surely manufactures in China, I don't know whether chemical guidelines here in the EU are obeyed.

I cannot say for sure whether it is an identical smell to my last pair, but back then (three years ago) it was really strong and smelled like liquefied plastic or such, and it was difficult to get rid of the smell once it was on the skin. Last time I requested replacement pads from the retailer, it was feasible, and that's another issue I have with Koss: Their pads are a ripoff: The ones that come with the headphones are large-pore, harder type rubber foam, the type that when old and dirty tends to not just tear but also erode into fine plastic sand/dust (microplastic nightmare), but when you buy their pricey 3-pairs 'replacement' pack, those are fine, soft rubber foam, and when they get old, they only tear. That was the type I got as replacement last time. And those have zero smell!

I also remember that all the KSC 75 I got in the past, before 2020, and most if not all came with the low-quality pads, did not have a smell.

Well, it is not secret that the KSC 75 are in general a quantity-over-quality, low-durability scheme. Sadly they are still the best/only option for me, all factors considered, and I am taking measures to prolong their life. (I also sent one pair in in the past due to cable breakage, but it was a hassle, and I prefer to mod them so the cable doesn't break anymore. ... Only harden, hah.)

Hello,

hope I dont sound ignorant, but I was never really into understanding physics or history of music. I love music, have multiple audio devices, really enjoy them, but I just cant describe all the fancy terms around it (frequencies, ohms whatever). Same for classics, I am 4 times per year at opera / concert, but I know nothing about history, perhaps I remember who wrote La Boheme and Turandot and can name couple of my favourite Chopin/Tchaikovski pieces, you get my point. Pure enjoyer.

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Now, I have Audeze LCD-X (the older revision) connected to Schiit Modi Multibit -> Loki Mini -> Vali 2 . Read some theories and can confirm, they feel better when EQd. For that I am using Audeze Reveal plugin for Foobar, WET (full EQ preset), sounds better with it.

I want to EQ these cans with HW instead (to EQ different sources than Foobar, like youtube).

What should I simply do with my Loki to get close as possible to Reveal preset or famous Oratory EQ? Will Loki 4 bands be enough? (I dont want the bigger schiit amp, loki looks nice with my setup).

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Loki's possibilities are:

Measured: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/schiit-loki-eq-measurements.5153/

Specs: 20Hz (±12dB), 400Hz (±6dB), 2kHz (±6 dB), 20kHz (±12dB)

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Reading different peoples EQ, Oratory preset, there are just too more bands to EQ for Loki, or will I be able to do it? How? :)

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(I did something like +1/3 20Hz knob, sometimes I add more, +1/3 2Khz knob... Hurts me already to analyze and compare, I would rather sell the LCD-X and buy something that is ready to go from production :D )

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Much thanks!!

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Have you tried them? Do you like them?

just got my blessing 3 today, idk its feels like its suppose to be better but to me its almost miniscule compared to my daily driver the logitech g prox wireless. any thoughts on what im suppose to feel different and such. (new to the work of audiophiles and such please be nice QwQ)

Hello. A week ago I lost the case for my momentum 4 headphones. Does anyone know where I can buy another one? If not, is there an alternative to the original case?

what are some hmdi Earc to 3.5mm headphone jack cables that are 15 feet or longer, and offer the highest quality lossless dolby atmos dts sound performance and have hmdi 2.1 and 48 gbps

Ive been using the SPH9500 for many years now, however my current pair is in time to retire.

Through the years Ive tested many different headphones in the low to mid price range and for me nothing has come close the to quality and comfort of this model.

The current problem Im facing is that I cant find them available on Amazon EU (France) and Im kinda paranoid when purchasing online because of trust issues.

But if you guys could share resellers that I could trust I would be very happy thank you!

These have started to wear down after using the headset for a bit, is there a place where I can buy a replacement for these. Are there better foam pads then the ones that come with it? Thank you.

I recently bought a pair of iems. The detail in the top end is very nice, but the bass is very weak. this differs from reviews I have seen. I want to love these iems. I have cheaper iems with more balanced sound.

I heard the XS last week and thought. These sound fun. So I bought a pair. Read someone's comment the HE1000 Stealth is like the XS, but better all around. Fuck it. I bought both.

The Edition XS is like the guy who shows up at a party with a pocket full of fun pills. While the HE1000 Stealth is standing in the corner going tsk tsk.

The XS is built like it came as a free toy in a cereal box. I would also like to note that Kellogg's cereal boxes are better quality than the boxes both headphones came in. Comfort appears to be equally bad. Is there such a thing as comfortable planars?

I am not going to go into describing the sound since everyone and their moms have already done that. Both are bright headphones, but the HE1kSE reaches the highs and lows without effort and then some. The XS will distort at the extremes of both ends. However, the XS is much more fun to listen to. The HE1kSE is like a matured headphone, all refined and sophisticated, but also a dull conversationalist. While the XS will rock the house down. I actually prefer the cheaper XS. Especially without EQ.

Not sure if I will keep the HE1kSE. I already have the LCD-X21 which I feel is a better all rounder. Have you tried both the XS and HE1kSE? Which one do you prefer? Which one did you keep, or not?