Headphone FAQ

Bozanimal · 2011-06-08 03:09:39

Selecting headphones is a combination of your:Price pointUsage preferences (running, gaming, etc.)Personal tasteand filtering out marketing hype from truthThe biggest challenge is determining at what price threshold you will be happy with your purchase. If you take nothing else away from the following, not this: Because headphone satisfaction is largely subjective, pay careful attention to the return policy of the retailer from whom you buy in the event you are dissatisfied with your purchase. HEADPHONE TYPES AND TERMSOver-ear - The cups are large enough to go around your earsOn-ear - The cups rest against your earsEarbuds and IEMs - These sit in the ear canal. In the case of in-ear monitors (IEMs), they create an airtight seal.Headsets - Headphones with a permanent attached microphoneOpen vs. Closed-Back - On- and over-ear headphones can either be sealed or open. Open-back headphones generally have a wider soundstage and better environmental positioning, closed-back headphones seal-out ambient noise and provide better bass response. These are rules of thumb; there may be exceptions by model.Noise Canceling vs. Noise Blocking - Noise-canceling headphones record incoming audio and produce a 'counter-wave,' effectively canceling out external noise. Noise-canceling headphones require a power source. Noise blocking headphones reduce external noise passively through a closed-back design, dampening, and/or airtight seal. Noise-canceling headphones typically sacrifice some sound quality to reduce overall noise.RECOMMENDATIONS - HEADPHONESApproximate prices are new from a reputable retailer$0 - $20 Over-the-ear - Koss UR 20 (~$17), Koss TD-61 (~$20) Earbuds - JVC HA-FX34P (~$15), Panasonic RP-HJE160-A (~$12) On-ear - Koss KSC 75 (~$14)$21 - $40 Over-the-ear - Sennheiser HD 202 MK II (~$30), JVC HARX700 (~$35) Earbuds - Denon AH-C360 (~$40), Sony MDR-EX57LP (~$27) On-ear - Sony MDR-Q68LW (~$22)$41 - $80 Over-the-ear - Creative Labs Aurvana Live! (~$70), Sony MDR-V6 (~$65), JVC HARX900 (~$60) Earbuds - Maximo iMetal iM590 (~$45), Etymotic MC5 (~$66), Sennheiser adidas PMX 680 (~$60) On-ear - Grado SR 60i (~$79), Beyerdynamic DTX 35 (~$43)$81 - $120 Over-the-ear - Sennheiser PX 200-II (~$86), AKG Acoustics K-240 (~$90), Audio Technica ATH-AD700 (~$100) Earbuds - Klipsch Image S4 (~$80), Yuin PK2 (~$80), Etymotic ER-6i (~$85), Shure SE115 (~$92) On-ear - Grado SR 80i (~$100), Sony MDR-7506 (~$85)$121 - $200 Over-the-ear - Audio-Technica ATH-M50 (~$150), Ultrasone HFI-780 (~$150) Earbuds - Etymotic HF3 (~$140), HiFiMan RE-262 (~$150) On-ear - Grado SR 125i (~$150), V-Moda M80 (~$200)$201 - up Over-the-ear - Sennheiser HD598 (~$250), Denon AH-D2000 (~$260), AKG Q701 (~$270), Sennheiser HD 800 (~$1,500) Earbuds - Klipsch X-10i (~$250), Grado GR10 (~$400), EArsonics SM3 (~$300) On-ear - Grado SR 225i (~$200), Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9A (~$270), Grado RS1i (~$600) CONSOLE MICROPHONE ADAPTORSConsider the following adaptors to allow use of a headphone/mic combo with your:XBox360 - You will need an inexpensive adaptor (Example 1, Example 2), but it should be fairly simple plug-and-play once you've acquired one.PS3 - You will need an inexpensive adaptor (Example 1, Example 2), but it should be fairly simple plug-and-play once you've acquired one.PC or Mac - All modern PC and Mac hardware will have both a headphone and mic option on their soundcard, be it an internal or external card, or motherboard audio.Alternatively, you can use a headphone amplifier like the Bravo V2 (see Headphone Amplifiers, below) with your analog audio output (the red/white RCAs) to your headphones, though this will prevent you from using that analog output to your display or home theater system.The best solution for console gamers in terms of both convenience and quality is the Astro Mixamp, which makes it very easy to connect your headphone and mic to your console of choice, includes all the required cables, provides a built-in headphone amplifier, and Dolby Headphone processing, if you prefer it. The Mixamp retails for about $130. RECOMMENDATIONS - MICROPHONESThere are two inexpensive microphone options:The Zalman ZM-Mic1, which is an inexpensive, high-quality, omnidirectional microphone you can easily pair with any set of headphonesYou can also use the Labtec LVA7330 Clearvoice Head Microphone, a slightly more expensive boom mic, which requires some minor modifications to attach to your headphones. The boom mic will give your receiver more isolated audio, and is more appropriate to noisy environments.If having a separate cord bothers you, some inexpensive split-loom or even simple bread-ties can help keep your cords organized. RECOMMENDATIONS - HEADSETSIt is usually preferable to use a separate headphone and mic from both an audio quality and value standpoint, but headsets do offer convenience in setup and build. If you musthave a headset with a boom mic, consider the following:Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset (~$40)Beyerdynamic MMX 2 (~$80)Sennheiser PC161 (~$120)Sennheiser PC360 (~$200)Beyerdynamic MMX300 (~$400)HEADPHONE 'SURROUND SOUND' EXPLAINEDHeadphones marketed as 'Dolby Headphones' are - except in very rare cases - nothing more than Dolby-licensed two-channel headphones. The use of 5.1 or 7.1 to describe these headphones is more than a little misleading. Dolby Headphone processing is not native to the headphone, but to its processor, which is included in most modern sound cards. But don't take it from me, take it from Dolby, who licenses the technology (and its logo):'All of this information is combined by the Dolby Headphone processor into two encoded channels that deliver the spatial properties of the original audio, with more natural sounds that actually seem to be 'out-of-head.'''...with Dolby Headphone no special headphones are required. The process works well with wired or wireless headphones ranging from inexpensive airline headsets to high-end electrostatic sets, although higher-quality headphones deliver a higher-quality listener experience.' (Source)To truly reproduce 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound your headphones need to have discrete drivers for each channel and native digital surround content. In a 7.1 setup this means four speakers in each ear (since the center channel is matrixed), three left for rear, side, and front, and three right for the same. You'll have a fourth driver on both sides for your subwoofer channel. The headphones would require seperate analog signals from your sound card or have their own digital DAC (digital to analog converter), DSP (digital signal processor), and decoder.Dolby Headphone does not necessarily reproduce 5.1 or 7.1 discrete channels. From their ...

silversix_

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#301 silversix_

Member since 2010 • 26347 Posts

BesBuy is selling Sennheiser HD439's for 100$ (normal price is 150$) is it worth it? Currently using Shure SRH440's. How do the HD439's fare against HD555 for gaming?

11 years ago

kraken2109

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#302 kraken2109

Member since 2009 • 13271 Posts

BesBuy is selling Sennheiser HD439's for 100$ (normal price is 150$) is it worth it? Currently using Shure SRH440's. How do the HD439's fare against HD555 for gaming?silversix_

HD555 are better, and open back. I doubt the 439s are worth buying if you already have SRH440s.

11 years ago

silversix_

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#303 silversix_

Member since 2010 • 26347 Posts

Oh that sucks.

11 years ago

silversix_

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#304 silversix_

Member since 2010 • 26347 Posts

How good would the sennheiser 598's be for gaming? Also, if im in canada, which store has them for good price? On amazon.ca they're 300$ -.- Never bought any headphones for over 150$ so i think its time and i want something hot!

11 years ago

kraken2109

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#305 kraken2109

Member since 2009 • 13271 Posts

How good would the sennheiser 598's be for gaming? Also, if im in canada, which store has them for good price? On amazon.ca they're 300$ -.- Never bought any headphones for over 150$ so i think its time and i want something hot!silversix_

I've only spent 5 minutes with 598s but they were very comfy. $300 seems a lot, in the UK they're £160.

11 years ago

silversix_

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#306 silversix_

Member since 2010 • 26347 Posts

What about the sennheiser 558? Would they be better for gaming (much cheaper too, 200$) than 598's? Do i need to buy a sound card or an amp if i'll be using them on my pc and soon on ps4?

11 years ago

Wolfetan

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#307 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

What about the sennheiser 558? Would they be better for gaming (much cheaper too, 200$) than 598's? Do i need to buy a sound card or an amp if i'll be using them on my pc and soon on ps4?silversix_

HD598 would be better.

11 years ago

kraken2109

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#308 kraken2109

Member since 2009 • 13271 Posts

What about the sennheiser 558? Would they be better for gaming (much cheaper too, 200$) than 598's? Do i need to buy a sound card or an amp if i'll be using them on my pc and soon on ps4?silversix_

Interesting, in the UK there's only a tiny price difference. The 558s should still be a good choice though for comfy open back cans. A sound card and/or an amp would help but isn't completely necessary for those headphones. You could buy them and then add one later on.

11 years ago

silversix_

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#309 silversix_

Member since 2010 • 26347 Posts

[QUOTE="silversix_"]What about the sennheiser 558? Would they be better for gaming (much cheaper too, 200$) than 598's? Do i need to buy a sound card or an amp if i'll be using them on my pc and soon on ps4?kraken2109

Interesting, in the UK there's only a tiny price difference. The 558s should still be a good choice though for comfy open back cans. A sound card and/or an amp would help but isn't completely necessary for those headphones. You could buy them and then add one later on.

Any suggestions for sound card/amp? Since i'll be using them for ps4 later this year its better to buy an amp, right? Also, if i wanna use them on my pc, an amp is all you need or a sound card is also needed?

11 years ago

Wolfetan

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#310 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

[QUOTE="kraken2109"][QUOTE="silversix_"]What about the sennheiser 558? Would they be better for gaming (much cheaper too, 200$) than 598's? Do i need to buy a sound card or an amp if i'll be using them on my pc and soon on ps4?silversix_

Interesting, in the UK there's only a tiny price difference. The 558s should still be a good choice though for comfy open back cans. A sound card and/or an amp would help but isn't completely necessary for those headphones. You could buy them and then add one later on.

Any suggestions for sound card/amp? Since i'll be using them for ps4 later this year its better to buy an amp, right? Also, if i wanna use them on my pc, an amp is all you need or a sound card is also needed?

Amp is all you need, and maybe with a DAC.

11 years ago

MonsieurX

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#312 MonsieurX

Member since 2008 • 39858 Posts

[QUOTE="MonsieurX"]Tempted to get DT880 600omh version for 200$ :|Wolfetan

Where? I love mine:D I highly recommend them. Anyways, I shall be getting a pair of HD650's around early May.

Head-fi But I think I'd need to get a separate amp...read that my Xonar Essence STX wouldn't do quite the job

And don't know if it's worth over me HD555's

11 years ago

MonsieurX

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#313 MonsieurX

Member since 2008 • 39858 Posts

Tempted to get DT880 600omh version for 200$ :|

11 years ago

Wolfetan

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#314 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

Tempted to get DT880 600omh version for 200$ :|MonsieurX

Where? I love mine:D I highly recommend them. Anyways, I shall be getting a pair of HD650's around early May.

11 years ago

Wolfetan

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#316 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

[QUOTE="Wolfetan"][QUOTE="MonsieurX"]Tempted to get DT880 600omh version for 200$ :|MonsieurX

Where? I love mine:D I highly recommend them. Anyways, I shall be getting a pair of HD650's around early May.

Head-fi But I think I'd need to get a separate amp...read that my Xonar Essence STX wouldn't do quite the job

And don't know if it's worth over me HD555's

It would be a large improvement over the DT880's I feel. Just get a Magni.

11 years ago

Wolfetan

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#317 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

Just bought a pair of Sennheiser HD650:D

11 years ago

fangsunflower

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#318 fangsunflower

Member since 2013 • 25 Posts

which one is the best?? thanks~~

11 years ago

Wolfetan

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#319 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

which one is the best?? thanks~~fangsunflower

Stax SR-009.

11 years ago

kraken2109

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#320 kraken2109

Member since 2009 • 13271 Posts

Just bought a pair of Sennheiser HD650:D
Wolfetan

You made of money? :P

11 years ago

Wolfetan

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#321 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

[QUOTE="Wolfetan"]
Just bought a pair of Sennheiser HD650:D
kraken2109

You made of money? :P

Nah, just deep into this addiction to audio.

11 years ago

kraken2109

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#322 kraken2109

Member since 2009 • 13271 Posts

[QUOTE="kraken2109"][QUOTE="Wolfetan"]
Just bought a pair of Sennheiser HD650:D
Wolfetan

You made of money? :P

Nah, just deep into this addiction to audio.

I'd be interested in how they compare to your DT880s

11 years ago

Wolfetan

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#323 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

[QUOTE="kraken2109"][QUOTE="Wolfetan"][QUOTE="kraken2109"] You made of money? :P

Nah, just deep into this addiction to audio.

I'd be interested in how they compare to your DT880s

I'll tell you on May 4th how they are(b-day present.)

11 years ago

MonsieurX

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#324 MonsieurX

Member since 2008 • 39858 Posts

Just bought a pair of DT990 600 omh :D

11 years ago

Wolfetan

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#325 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

Just bought a pair of DT990 600 omh :DMonsieurX

Nice!:D Enjoy! I know I enjoy my DT880/600's:)

11 years ago

MonsieurX

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#326 MonsieurX

Member since 2008 • 39858 Posts

[QUOTE="MonsieurX"]Just bought a pair of DT990 600 omh :DWolfetan

Nice!:D Enjoy! I know I enjoy my DT880/600's:)

For 200$,can't go wrong :)

11 years ago

Wolfetan

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#327 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

[QUOTE="Wolfetan"][QUOTE="MonsieurX"]Just bought a pair of DT990 600 omh :DMonsieurX

Nice!:D Enjoy! I know I enjoy my DT880/600's:)

For 200$,can't go wrong :)

When are they expected to arrive?:D

11 years ago

MonsieurX

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#328 MonsieurX

Member since 2008 • 39858 Posts

[QUOTE="MonsieurX"][QUOTE="Wolfetan"] Nice!:D Enjoy! I know I enjoy my DT880/600's:)Wolfetan

For 200$,can't go wrong :)

When are they expected to arrive?:D

The guy was supposed to ship them today...I guess I'll have them somewhere next week

11 years ago

Wolfetan

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#329 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

[QUOTE="MonsieurX"][QUOTE="Wolfetan"][QUOTE="MonsieurX"] For 200$,can't go wrong :)

When are they expected to arrive?:D

The guy was supposed to ship them today...I guess I'll have them somewhere next week

My HD650's were delivered today. I can't get them till Friday though:cry:

11 years ago

rocketsatdawn

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#330 rocketsatdawn

Member since 2012 • 25 Posts

I have two pairs of Gioteck EX05 multiplatform headset. I won one in a competition so it just forever hibernates. I actually really hate them. They sound fine but they get really uncomfortable when I wear them for ages. Also I look so stupid when I wear them cause they're massive and I have a tiny head.

11 years ago

Wolfetan

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#331 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

Just got a soldering iron to make some headphone cables:)

10 years ago

MonsieurX

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#332 MonsieurX

Member since 2008 • 39858 Posts

Wish I could get that and get into some DYI stuff :(

10 years ago

Wolfetan

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#333 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

Wish I could get that and get into some DYI stuff :(MonsieurX

Weller WLC-100, it was $40 and it was highly recommended by Steve Eddy of Q-Audio(I was talking with him about it, and he's sending me some of his spare stuff to practice with:D) Why not do it? Whats holding you back?

10 years ago

MonsieurX

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#334 MonsieurX

Member since 2008 • 39858 Posts

[QUOTE="MonsieurX"]Wish I could get that and get into some DYI stuff :(Wolfetan

Weller WLC-100, it was $40 and it was highly recommended by Steve Eddy of Q-Audio(I was talking with him about it, and he's sending me some of his spare stuff to practice with:D) Why not do it? Whats holding you back?

Time,money and room(still living in an appartment with roommates) and pretty much lack the knowledge

10 years ago

Wolfetan

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#335 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

[QUOTE="Wolfetan"][QUOTE="MonsieurX"]Wish I could get that and get into some DYI stuff :(MonsieurX

Weller WLC-100, it was $40 and it was highly recommended by Steve Eddy of Q-Audio(I was talking with him about it, and he's sending me some of his spare stuff to practice with:D) Why not do it? Whats holding you back?

Time,money and room(still living in an appartment with roommates) and pretty much lack the knowledge

Ah, that sucks. Maybe when you move out?:)

10 years ago

MonsieurX

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#336 MonsieurX

Member since 2008 • 39858 Posts

Awwwww yeah,received the headphones earlier :D

Currently listening to Dark Side Of The Moon and it's even more orgasmic than my previous HD555

10 years ago

Wolfetan

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#337 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

Nice! I'll post HD650 pictures tomorrow as I recieve them tomorrow. I love Dark Side of the Moon on my DT880's and I'm sure it sounds just as good on your DT990's:D

10 years ago

kraken2109

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#338 kraken2109

Member since 2009 • 13271 Posts

Nice! I'll post HD650 pictures tomorrow as I recieve them tomorrow. I love Dark Side of the Moon on my DT880's and I'm sure it sounds just as good on your DT990's:D
Wolfetan

Not as good as the original quadraphonic mix sounds on my speakers :D

10 years ago

Wolfetan

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#339 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

[QUOTE="Wolfetan"]
Nice! I'll post HD650 pictures tomorrow as I recieve them tomorrow. I love Dark Side of the Moon on my DT880's and I'm sure it sounds just as good on your DT990's:D
kraken2109

Not as good as the original quadraphonic mix sounds on my speakers :D

May be so, but the HD650's sound amazing right now. I can see why people rave about these headphones now. There extremely relaxing, one of the man reasons I bought them.

10 years ago

kraken2109

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#340 kraken2109

Member since 2009 • 13271 Posts

[QUOTE="kraken2109"][QUOTE="Wolfetan"]
Nice! I'll post HD650 pictures tomorrow as I recieve them tomorrow. I love Dark Side of the Moon on my DT880's and I'm sure it sounds just as good on your DT990's:D
Wolfetan

Not as good as the original quadraphonic mix sounds on my speakers :D

May be so, but the HD650's sound amazing right now. I can see why people rave about these headphones now. There extremely relaxing, one of the man reasons I bought them.

Yeah, they add a bit of warmth without masking the original sound much. Great listening 'phones. How do they compare with your DT880s?

10 years ago

Wolfetan

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#341 Wolfetan

Member since 2010 • 7522 Posts

[QUOTE="kraken2109"][QUOTE="Wolfetan"][QUOTE="kraken2109"] Not as good as the original quadraphonic mix sounds on my speakers :D

May be so, but the HD650's sound amazing right now. I can see why people rave about these headphones now. There extremely relaxing, one of the man reasons I bought them.

Yeah, they add a bit of warmth without masking the original sound much. Great listening 'phones. How do they compare with your DT880s?

Honestly, I haven't listened to them much(got them at about 7 last night, and had to wake up at 5:30 AM today to play 3 baseball games) So I have listened basically 3 hours. I can see where they both have their spots. DT880's for stuff like Animal Collective(basically anything with synth or electronic sounds) and the HD650's for stuff like Pink Floyd. I can see myself using the HD650's a bit more than the DT880's, but I will definately use the DT880. Also, HD650 for at night relaxing.

10 years ago

MonsieurX

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#342 MonsieurX