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Me? It’s Stax

>>107462724
I think those tube things look so cool but what do they actually do? I heard someone say they make the sennheiser hd600 sound much better for some reason.

>>107461287
>>107462040
>Compared with dB, A-weighted measurements underestimate the perceived loudness, annoyance factor, and stress-inducing capability of noises with low frequency components, especially at moderate and high volumes of noise.
https://www.softdb.com/blog/difference-between-db-dba/

>>107462707
>if /g/ designed headphones

>>107462747
They're an old-fashioned method of amplifying a signal, usually noisier and with more distortion than solid-state circuits, but the specific kind of distortion they add can add a certain character that some people like.
The reason people like HD600s on tubes, or specifically output-transformerless tube amps, is because those amps have a relatively high output impedance, which combined with the HD600's own frequency-impedance curve gives them a bit of a midbass boost.

You can get almost the same effect by adding a 100 Ohm impedance adapter to your existing source, if you're using HD600s.

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these audophiles looking cute tho

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I fear I may have cucked myself out of any sort of reasonable upgrade path
These are unironically endgame tier with EQ
I've never tried planars and want to consoom but I literally have no reason to, and I don't think I can even achieve a real upgrade without spending 2-3x what I paid for these

for me, it's quad era-1 with stax sr-009 pads very specifically
>>107463151
yeah, in my experience once you have something alright in the $500-$1000 range, it's just different flavors of sidegrades until you're ready to go for totl

I'm looking for some new headphones. Budget's $50, I live in America, and I prefer buying online. Gotta be something durable and good for gaming. Ideally one that uses the typical 3.5mm jack to plug in. Previous gear was a Hyperx Cloud II gaming headset, and I think the sound quality was good enough for me. I'd like something with equal or greater sound quality.

>>107462707
has anyone here tried the dt 270 pro yet

>>107463603
porta pros are the best youre gonna do at that budget.

Is the Philips SHP9500 good for gaming and listening to music?

>>107463864
yes
they're very, very good for the price

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dumb question but never used a dac/amp before and reading that you should set your windows volume to max and control output volume with the amp
but when i do that i see picrel on the display, which makes it seem like i need to reduce the volume in
is this an issue or all good

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>MID and HII-FI PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Open Backs: HD598, HD6xx, HD800, Focal Utopias, ZMF Atrium, STAX SR-L700, ETA Uli

Closed Backs: ZMF Ori 3.0, Sony MDR-Z1R, Dan Clark E3, Fostex TH900, LCD-XC

AMP: Magni Unity, NITSCH Pietus Maximus, JDS Labs Atom2, XDuoo TA-66, DSHA3F/N, Apos Gremlin

DAC: Schiit Modi 5, Mimir, Byggy, Gungnir 2, JDS Atom 2 DAC, Soekris dac1221, 1421, 2541, Apos Merlin

AMP/DAC combo: JDS Ele 4, Jot 3/PMax with Mesh cards, TA-ZH1ES (for Z1R/Sony only)

Portable: Fiio BTR15, BTR17, XDuoo XD-05 PLUS2

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>OPEN BACKS
HD598 - Almost everyone has owned a pair of these, or started here. Still the best entry-levels you'll find.

HD6xx - Anything from the 600s, drops, 650s, 660s - these are all good and everyone has a rite of passage here. Super EQ dependent, and great under different amps. Not the most comfortable though, made me want to use speakers for years. Can be modded (JAR600/6XX).

HD800 - TOTL reference for most, same comfort issues but almost unmatched sound (until recently). Scales absurdly well with gear or tuning. Most redditors run these through entry level stacks or cheap Chifi and absolutely don't get anything out of them. Also has a JAR mod.

Focal Utopias - Scale extremely well like the HD800s. The transient response is what separates these from HD800s and gives the Focals their own identity, also more comfortable. Pair this with a DSHA3F/N and you're in heaven, honestly. OG2020s more neutral, 2022s warmer and bit more bassier.

ZMF Atrium - Zach rules, love his tuning and builds. Low-ends are great for an open back, boutique as fuck though so pricy. Zach seems to have solved earpad science too, a lot of other brands are coming to him to manufacture theirs. ASR fags will screech at you for enjoying his stuff since it's nowhere close to Harman targets.

STAX SR-L700 - Electrostatics require ecosystem investment with specific amps, but outside of the sub-bass roll off these are amazing. Most audiofags claim sub-bass sucks anyway, so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. Fatigue-free and comfy for something so bright.

ETA Uli - new boutique coming out, has been getting rave reviews at recent CanJams in NY, SoCal and Dallas. Uses Alnico speaker tech, hence the giant can size, to improve sub-bass and lows in an open-back. Super comfortable, uses ZMF custom pads. Most people say this blows the HD800s out completely. 16 ohm impedance and extremely sensitive, meaning these will suck to drive properly for most systems.

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>CLOSED BACKS
ZMF Ori 3.0 - probably the TOTL bass cannon, with actual good tuning and comfort. Zach's magnum opus, came about when he was modding Fostex closed backs. Comfy as fuck.

Sony MDR-Z1R - super controversial, the bad reception was a big part of why Sony seem to have fucked off from the audiophile space. Most liquid bass out of everything, if you know Sony house sound then you know what I mean. Everything else needs insane tuning to be quality (10k treble peak murders people's ears). Probably the comfiest headphone on my list, next to the Ori and the Ulis. If you can match it with a TA-ZH1ES you're probably set for life. Gonna be expensive to self-repair though as Sony have unofficially discontinued these.

Dan Clark E3 - Better than DC Stealths for half the price. Best Harmon target closed back if that's your sound preference. Would recommend Stealths too but these are honestly much better value, easier to drive and genuinely sound better.

Fostex TH900 - Infamous for their hard bass. Better tuning than Z1Rs, but way less comfortable.

LCD-XC - Same sort of vibe as the Fostexs, just really depends on your brand loyalty and what's comfortable to you at this point.

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>AMPS/DACS
Atom2/Magni/Modi5 stack - Can't go wrong with either of these - clear, transparent, great build quality and CS. Magni or the Heresy are fine.

JDS Element 4 - Big improvements on the shortcomings of the pretty lackluster Ele series. You're paying for convenience, build quality and the best customer service here. They're building an ecosystem around their Core app here which gives you a 10-band PEQ with a preset database, sharable profiles, artificial soundstage sliders etc. Bit overpriced, but worth it as a simple plug-and-play if you're not going above 650s or equivalents.

Schiit Mimir - ESS DAC with newer technology, tuning digital pre-amp tech you can bluetooth. Has solved issues previous ESS DACs have with soundstaging.

Schiit Gungnir 2/Byggy - Most people will tell you DACs are all the same, that typically runs true. Jason from Schiit recently forced a bunch of redactions on posts about CanJam Socal this year when a SBAF poster started sharing stuff said in confidence on how they're experimenting with DAC technology to try and produce different sound results. If you've ever had either of these, you'll know they have characteristics you usually wouldn't expect from a DAC, more muscular and slam across the sound. Is that worth the price point for something a lot will tell you is magic in a solved system? For me after hearing them, yeah, but I wouldn't spend on them unless you can try them first. the Byggy is probably as far as anyone should go on DAC spending, beyond that its fugazi.

NITSCH Pietus Maximus - CEE TEE of Massdrop fame's baby. It's basically a pimped out Asgard using experimental Schiit tech Jason passed him. This thing rules, can be fitted with a Mesh or ESS dac to be a standalone. Sounds like wet/bloomy tube noise, but in a SS amp. Also drives planars extremely well. Covers 16 ohm range too, this is probably your 'afforadble' go to for low impedance stuff.

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>CONT. AMPS/DACS
DSHA3F/N - Balanced-only amp designed to power Focals, will work with anything though. This is your endgame if you're in the Focal club. Neutral sounding with a deep headstage, looks to enhance the Focal properties rather than add warmth. Doesn't compromise bass or slam like cheaper """neutral""" products. Another tube sound in a SS amp.

Apos Gremlin/Merlin stack - cute tube project a bunch of audiophiles and engineers took on. Balanced outputs only. Good competition in the entry-level space vs Atom2/Schiit stacks. Soft and smooth tube sound. Great for planars. Does have issues with the left tube LED and sometimes will get quiet and require a full reset at the power source.

XDuoo TA-66 - XDuoo are the Chifi GOATs imo. Layers and separates soundscape well in HD650s and HD800s. Good mid-bass but weak sub-bass, so you want to EQ 650s for the shelf if you miss it. Really good for high impedance headphones. Competes with big tube setups (EC, DNA) on soundstage.

Soekris DAC range - just super high quality shit. 1221's are dirt cheap for the quality of the build. If you don't believe in DAC sound, just grab this over whatever Topping you think is worth the price and enjoy it not breaking in a year.

Sony TA-ZH1ES - only use with Sony stuff, it's too weak to power even 600s well. Pretty much built to compliment Sony house sound. When you listen to DnB on a MDR-Z1R/ZH1ES combo you feel like you're in those y2k pictures you always see, great liquidity.

>>107463151
Those Koss punch up like crazy, it's a shame CEE TEE isn't around to curate Massdrop products anymore but his stuff with NITSCH is super cool

Am I crazy or do M50Xs sound more true than the so-called flat/neutral/reference headphones

>>107464436
I don't know but I keep mine maxed and it seems fine. the peace eq thing never peaks.

>>107464566
a lot of DJs I like use them as their go-tos, wouldn't be surprised if this is true

>>107464611
was doing a free trial of qobuz and it was taking exclusive control of my amp (bypassing windows shit and equilizerAPO/peace) so I was using the onboard pEQ which works well but that -9dB preamp headroom from my eq was no longer being applied on the front end before feeding the signal to my amp but on the backend by the oonboard eq on amp itself so i changed the settings and according to peace it was coming dangerously close to clipping
all is good now though

Best headphones for someone with tinnitus?

>>107462707
is this steve jobs?

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so /g/, why do (You) follow the word of Amir?
>claimed to be a Microsoft sound genius, was just middle management ordering around far more talented engineers
>fired from Microsoft by Bill Gates himself for fucking up so badly, he's the reason you need ASIO bullshit for bitperfect sound
>banned from science forums for failing, then modifying, ABX tests. Still claims he passed those ABX tests to this day.
>going deaf (admits he cant hear a sine higher than 16)
>shilled Harman because they gave him hi-fi to sell at his home audio business
>turned on Harman products after they stopped and Olive told ASR that Amir could never be a trained listener
>now shills Topping because they give him free samples and bought his APx555B for him
>believes if anyone enjoys anything outside of Harman targets, they are lying to themselves
>pushes SINAD as a single performance focus (more =/= better, it's about tuning) because his ears are so bad he can't enjoy music anymore
>still doesn't realise you can't hear SINAD differences past a point, and Chinese progress on higher numbers means nothing to anyone who listens to music
>deliberately fucks with testing on brands he dislikes to generate distortion, still can't seal headphones on EARS correctly
>shitskin

>>107466300
It's Pud 'Fuckedco' Kaplan, as I live and breathe.

>>107466313
>thinks DACs have a tuning
Opinion discarded.

>>107462707
>omelette du fromage

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>>107466383
>this is what chinkfi regret buyers really think

>>107466383
You know something with a SINAD of 80 can sound good as long as it's accounted for, right anon? I'm sorry you fell for the 120+ SINAD meme like every other ASR retard.

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>>107462707
>currynigger dongle

>>107466457
>>107466464
>he spent over $10 on a DAC
Suicide watch.

>>107464500
>>107464502
>>107464510
>>107464521
most of those recs are garbage
HD6XX is fine, HD598 is EOL, ETA Uli isn't even released and preordering is for retards, rest of headphones is way expensive and, except for maybe the DCA E3, "unique" sounding (i.e. extremely hit-or-miss without EQ)
DAC/amp sound is almost completely a meme, and if anything, the expensive R2R/tube shit is worse
entry-level JDS and Schiit stuff already has vanishingly low (non)linear distortion and ample power, there's little reason to get something more expensive other than needing/wanting some particular feature (like built-in PEQ)
>same comfort issues
HD800 comfort is very different from HD6XX due to far more spacious pads and much less clamp
>16 ohm impedance and extremely sensitive, meaning these will suck to drive properly for most systems
lolwut
if those specs are true, it's extremely easy to drive and even Apple dongle would easily suffice
>it's too weak to power even 600s well
it will drive them to at least 114/120 dB (unbalanced/balanced)

>>107466464
typically, 80 SINAD sounds the exact same as 120 SINAD

>>107468588
trvke

>>107468588
>ETA Uli isn't even released and preordering is for retards
what is CanJam listening for $500
>rest of headphones is way expensive
stop being broke, not everyone wants to listen to Chinkfi planars that will break by the hinge in a year
>there's little reason to get something more expensive other than needing/wanting some particular feature
fell for it again award, >>>ASR

>>107468588
see >>107466562

>>107468588
>if those specs are true, it's extremely easy to drive and even Apple dongle would easily suffice
Are you a bad enough dude to post this take in the SBAF or Headphones.com thread and defend it? Pointless to post this on a board where people aren't buying it.

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>>107468588
>80 SINAD sounds the exact same as 120 SINAD
Let's say... you have a source with a SINAD of 80dB, would that result in an audible noise floor if you set the output volume above 80dB?

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For me? It’s Stax

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>>107469572

>>107466510
>audio quality tanks hard if not used with iShit
...source?

Daily reminder that if your favorite audiofool grifter is reviewing ANY piece of audio equipment and is not A/B testing it against AT LEAST two other pieces of comparable equipment you're not getting a review but a sales pitch

>>107466510
chifi TOPPING the charts
ayy lmao
thank you based chinks

>>107470158
Wording hard. Marv has his faves but he at least tests multiple things through the same setups when he writes up reviews.
Not sure why Amir doesn't do it, Running the same can through several different amps/dacs at different price points would SURELY solidify his arguments, r-right?
>>107470179
>paying $100 extra for 0.0000000000% SINAD increases and NO build quality increases
this is what blind buying chinkfi and apeing arguments from shitskins does to the average /g/ user

>>107466313
What is SINAD?

>>107470213
Signal to Noise and Distortion ratio

does anyone with speakers want to test out my snakeoil plugin

>>107470200
>paying $100 extra
compared to what? certainly not the competition

>>107470213
https://headphones.com/blogs/features/evaluating-sinad-why-its-not-important

>>107470265
for every new Topping release which is totally better than the last one with the noticeable 0.000000000000000000000000001% SINAD improvement
you understand SINAD is chinkfi snake oil to push new products over ones which "already solved" the market, right? or does your IQ match your shitskin?

>>107470315
>you understand SINAD is chinkfi snake oil to push new products over ones which "already solved" the market, right?
ok so show me the topping product and it's competition at the same price point

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>claim to be an audio scientist
>fucked up Windows sound encoding so bad we're forced to use ASIO decades later because Microsoft can't unfuck your mistakes
>open a forum to shill cheap Chinese snake oil products which explode in a year while trying to ruin other brands with provably false reviews
>4chan worships you despite being brown

>>107470340
Not defending Topping but to be fair in the limited amount of research I did I never even saw this SINAD thing mentioned. Didn't seem like it was that important, I feel like 4chan exaggerates most things. Sure it's probably snake oil but I doubt it's some be all end all boogeyman.

>>107470389
The only part of SINAD being snake oil is shilling high SINAD as some sort of breakthrough you can notice, when in reality the measurement is relative to the rest of the equipment. See>>107470268

>>107470389
i'm not arguing SINAD at all, i'm just asking for this retard to show me why i should buy something else with the same specs over a topping for cheaper

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Reminder if you do not enjoy headphones tuned to the Harman target, plugged into Topping gear which will explode within a year, your ears are lying to you and you're enjoying music wrong. (people like>>107470340 believe this)

>>107470422
Presumably because chinese built products have a higher rate of failure and shorter warranties.

>overpaying for good-measuring DACs bad
>overpaying for bad-measuring DACs good
Mental illness, amps and DACs are a solved technology worth exactly 0 seconds talking about.

>>107470422
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/topping-l30-xploding-and-taking-headphones-out.10422/
Not the first time, wasn't the last time. Look at any ASR/Reddit thread for Topping gear they got shilled on and you'll see people reporting catastrophic failure (either the equipment actually exploding, or the infamous '-5' error) within a year or two.
There's a reason this shit only has a one year warranty. it's worth the extra $20 bucks JDS/Schiit ask for to get competent warranty that lasts longer than a year and doesn't involve you paying the cost of the amp/DAC to ship it to China.

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>>107470454
>this is what blind buyers who have never owned gear other than a cheap Topping really believe

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>>107470437
>harman target
BTFO
using my topping btw :^)

>>107470481
>wasting money on topping/boutique amps
SURELY you hear a difference.

>>107470475
>it's worth the extra $20 bucks JDS/Schiit ask
except the element 4 is almost double to price of the dx5 ii

>>107470484
>IE and OE in one test
What the fuck

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American amps are fucking expensive.

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>>107470484
Even more brown than Amir. His target sounds better than Harman by a mile though, I actually agree - I hope he bothers to keep working on his white paper because the Harman target does need academic challenges at this stage.
>>107470508
The shootout is broken for whatever reason, it used to have a wide range of shit including Crinacle's target and some other youtuber slop. Think it's just filler for now until he runs it again for research.
>>107470501
Sir the Atom is dirt cheap and more reliable than Topping shit 4x its price. They both do the same thing.

>>107470566
>dirt cheap
>300 dollars
>same price you can get a dx5 for which is multiple tiers higher
No

>>107470596
>multiple tiers higher
>both are 'perfectly transparent'
I thought you couldn't hear the difference, anon?

>>107470596
"muh features" oh you're the retard who can't use anything without a remote right? opinion disregarded

>>107470608
There is more to a dac/amp than transparency. Stop being obtuse, the dx5 does a lot of things, it has a screen and onboard peq for one. The atom has none of that it's as basic as it gets.

>>107470623
>onboard PEQ
>too brownskin to just use PEACE
>Needs a screen
So you're just low IQ, ok thanks for confirming.

>>107470623
post your personal EQ profiles to the board, if you don't do anything other than pre-load Harman/oratory shit this feature is meaningless

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>600mW
>10 band on-board PEQ
>$90
You DO NOT need more.

>>107470630
NTA but onboard peq is useful if you're connecting the DAC to sources other than your PC like the TV or a turntable. You can't apply a preset to those and some headphones are basically unlistenable without EQ.

>>107470652
if you're buying headphones just to EQ them to Harman, just buy fucking DCA's instead.

>>107470642
people like >>107470623 would lose their minds at the lack of screen, sorry bud it's a flop in the eyes of Chinkfi buyers

>>107464492
>Apos Gremlin
what topology is that? how are they using the tubes? output stage? OTL?

>>107470673
https://apos.audio/products/apos-x-community-gremlin-diy-tube-amp
>>107470642
people buy stuff like this and wonder why their high end headphones they plug them into sound quiet

List of reviewers to take seriously:
Tyll (rest in peace)
Marv
Atomicbob
Solderdude

Anyone else is trying to shill you fucking cables or Chinkfi which will die within a year.

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>>107470685
>600mW
>sound quiet

>>107470664
DCA's models rely on a perfect seal, if you're wearing glasses the bass and the mids will both be messed up. Additionally, per the step resonance graphs solderdude posted, some of his open back models will have subdued treble. I don't think you're wrong per se but Audeze planars retain the deep bass response even with glasses because they seal so well. I do own some DCA fyi. And I EQ all of my headphones, just not to harman. Even DCA's 'phones don't have a perfect frequency response. The treble in particular can be improved with tone controls anyway.
>>107470713
Some headphones need more than that if you factor in the preamp from EQ.

>>107470685
>diy
fucking gypsies, DIY usually implies open. there's nothing open about that nonsense, apart from their stacking adapter, where YOU are doing it for them lmao. this is one of those "throw in diy and tubes, they'll fall for it" nonsense.
also there's zero mentions about its topology other than "class-A". can't find anything about it online, regarding how they use the tubes in it.
I hate these shitdevices so fucking much it's unreal

>>107470741
Yeah I was being a dick with that response mostly because most redditors just plug and play oratory Harman targets. DCA open-backs seem pretty awful compared to their closed counterparts. I got nothing against Audeze planars either, you got this shit worked out.
>>107470746
fwiw Marv wrote some impressions on it: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/apos-gremlin-tube-amp-aint-nothing-like-the-real-thing.15256/ - he does ultimately conclude that it's an entry level, balanced option to cheap alternatives at that price point. Apos marketing is cringe, but it does seem solid performance wise.

>>107470780
>The design appears to use 12AU7/6922 as the driver and a very simple transistor buffer
yeah so they aren't using them as output tubes, they're there for some tube character to the sound, headphones are still driven by transistors.

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I decided to try out a pair of these soulwit cooling gel pads for my 6XX after the recent DMS comparison video, and they honestly change the sound a lot more than I expected. Now, my old pads were pretty worn down so even new stock pads would have taken some adjusting, but these really add a lot of punch especially when paired with my little dot mkIII running voshkod tubes. To the point where there's so much bass presence that strong percussive music sounds a bit more stuffy and gooey. Perhaps it's just shoving the tube sound more in my face, but even on a schiit heresy it has some of that punch. It's like a different headphone now, with slightly less natural timbre but more detail and separation in the soundstage. But I am kind of missing the less detailed, more casual sound of the stock pads.
I'm starting to think the reason the midrange/timbre of the 600 line have never been beaten is that their lack of bass is actually a necessary feature, and that with more bass, a dynamic driver headphone can never sound as effortless and smooth as them.
I'd like to try out the ZMF suede pads as a more stock-like durable option, but shipping them to europe is pretty expensive. Has anyone here used those?

>>107470620
Don't know how I got pulled into this argument. I don't know nearly enough about any of this stuff to have an opinion. I stayed away from topping because of the warnings that came from here. Yes I want a remote but I'm not going to risk a bunch of money just to get one. It sucks that american companies don't make them with remotes at any reasonable price. I don't have two thousand dollars to spend.

>>107471216
I like the shopped headphones and the farting animation.

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>>107469676
Nice

so this general turned into a headphone general only? why remove the speaker section and discussion?

>>107471519
Sorry I just copied the previous OP, if you want something added to the next one please feel free I don't usually make OP's.

Are the Beyerdynamic 990s actually torture devices?
That's the point of this absolutely insane sharp highs peak?

>>107471602
when I read about them and people suggest slipping one sheet of toilet paper each between the speaker and cups to fix it made me lol

>>107471626
People say you should line hifimans with cotton. Seems like there are a lot of homebrew hacks involving sticking things in your headphones.

>>107471540
just check desuarchive for the op with the speaker section. one anon removed it for some reason, probably because he wanted more discussion for headphones only but there's no reason the split the discussion and congest the board even more. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the anti topping and/or the anti asr schizo.

>>107463146
mouth breathing autist lmao

>>107471519
took it out last thread because speakers were running a separate general, can throw it back in

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>>107471662
>noooooo you're a schizo because you're informing people of terrible Chinkfi quality control and customer service
the lack of information in this general about the negatives of Chifi are more concerning than anything else. I don't think it's that surprising considering how infested the boards are with jeets these days, but people absolutely should be informed on why chinkfi is cheap with one year of warranty and hyperfocused on a metric which doesn't remotely matter outside of marketing

>tfw can only hear up to 14 kHz
it's so over for me

>>107472227
Isn't that normal for anyone over the age of 30?

>headphone review
>doesn't wear headphones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvZKMRstaks
every fucking time lol

>>107472239
32 and can hear up to 18, you're ngmi

>>107472339
He wears them in 2:43
Made me watch

>>107469195
>you must consooom expensive shit that's actually worse than cheaper stuff or you're... le poor!
So you're completely retarded? Gotcha.

>>107469280
The burden is on you retards to proof you can hear a difference. And no, "it's true because I say I can hear it" isn't good enough. But you retards never own up and when somebody else does and administers yet another blind test in which people can't tell different amps or DACs apart, you of course refuse to believe it, but of course without providing any proof to the contrary. This has been going on for more than 50 years, which is why everyone stopped taking you seriously.

>>107471957
>Chi-Fi is terrible!
>Please consooom xDuoo and Fiio!
yeah, not schizo at all

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>>107472467
>The burden is on you retards to proof you can hear a difference
>proof
ESL detected, opinion disregarded.
>but of course without providing any proof to the contrary.
Schiit did multiple blinds where people could tell the difference accurately between two of their DACs. Amir moved the goal posts after them, despite being invited to participate and observe the testing himself. Sorry jeeto.

>>107472496
Please point out the examples of xDuoo products exploding the way Topping stuff has

>>107472516
They're obviously both Shenzhen products, but beyond that the build quality couldn't be more different lmao.

>>107472467
>>you must consooom expensive shit that's actually worse than cheaper stuff or you're... le poor!
According to who? Some shitskin who gets paid to shill SINAD as some sort of metric that should matter beyond 80?

>tfw used to never cover my ears passing by the fire alarm when I was in grade school cause i thought i was a badass
>probably cucked my hearing

>>107472537
If it does affect the noise floor then I want it as high as possible.

>>107472634
That's not how SINAD works, are you retarded?

>>107472537
the only things important for audio reproduction are
>noise
>distortion
>imaging
>soundstage
>comfort
headphones with the best imaging, soundstage and comfort, paired with any amp capable of driving your cans with the lowest noise and distortion is objectively the correct purchase

>>107472634
this is the reverse level of schizo that people claim amp/DAC fags have, there is no discernible difference past a certain point.

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>>107472669
>audio reproduction
>comfort
90 per cent of headphones people would describe as comfortable usually have tuning that would defy what "science" fags consider acceptable reproduction (see: Z1R, every ZMF can)

>>107472687
Tuning is literally free so it doesn't matter.

>>107472687
>tuning
literally not important at all
as long as if can produce all the frequencies in the range of human perception, it can be EQ'd to your liking

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Is it worth getting an IEM cable with a USB-C end instead of the standard 3.5mm and getting a dongle along with it? I mainly use my IEMs with my phone.

>>107472700
>>107472704
EQ absolutely fucks with cans especially if you're adjusting every band. Insane self reporting going on.

>>107472723
all i care about is what i hear

>>107472723
Skill issue.

>>107472719
plug the 3.5 into the dongle, usb-c the dongle to the phone. don't overpay for cables, they're snake oil.

>>107472731
So the science doesn't matter?

>>107472752
Science says you need EQ.

>>107472752
nobody reviewing or recommending headphones is doing anything remotely close to science
t. literal research physicist at a U.S. national lab

>>107472758
post creds + hand color or none of what you just said matters
>>107472757
Harman target was commercial research to sell speakers, packaged as science to sell the product better lmao.

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So, lets say I want to enjoy some classical music, and the recording goes really quiet with signal levels down to -40dB.
I also want to use EQ on my openbacks to get a proper sub-bass extension, lets say good old school HD600s, so I would get my preamp down to -15dB, totalling up to -55dB.
How competent my source should be in this scenario? Output wattage, SINAD, anything else?

>>107472516
>https://www.headphonesty.com/2023/07/review-xduoo-ta-22/
>Two defective review units
They can't even send functioning units to reviewers.

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>>107472810
not a serious review, wouldn't be shocked if this retard fucked something up if he's complaining about remotes.

>>107472723
Headphones are minimum phase so there's no difference between headphones having a certain tuning out of the box or different headphones achieving that tuning out of the box. Case in point: audeze.

>>107472834
*achieving that tuning with EQ

>>107472834
if this was remotely true the market would be dead and this would be plastered over every 'Science' blog.
Same with the 2Amps1Headphone test.

>>107472858
lol
lmao even
the market has never been driven by truth, facts, data, etc.
the market is driven by marketing, superstition, praying on retards' insecurities, etc.

>>107472832
>how dare he mention there's no remote!
lol
lmao

>>107472858
Pull your head out of your ass and realize every modern device comes pre-EQd and/or with built-in tools to EQ. Headphones lag behind as usual.

>>107472790
Buy Imersiv D-1, 168dB of dynamic range should be enough.

>>107472790
your source should be, at minimum, as good in terms of sinad to the limiting component in your chain (ie your headphones)
you do not need -15 dB pregain if you're listening to classical music, you can arguably have 0 dB since you'll never encounter clipping
in general, you should aim for a SINAD of around 80 dB

>>107472899
Remotes are a meme, the only one I've seen that's remotely competent is the TA-ZH1ES one and that thing is a can of worms because it can't power anything other than Snoy shit. The Topping ones you need to stand close enough to use to the point that you may as well not use it.
>>107472894
More my point about the SINAD shilling, it's just the other end of the spectrum for redditors who need to cope about using eWaste-tier gear. Nobody is doing this shit in good faith, it's just a certain sector is trying to brand it as 'science' to make money upselling their latest DAC for $200 more and arguing the 0.00000000001% SINAD improvement is totally worth it.
If clean reproduction matters to you then that's totally fine, but projecting it onto tubefags and telling them they're enjoying it wrong is the gayest shit ASR/Reddit/g/ fags have done.

>>107472858
>Same with the 2Amps1Headphone test.
Only when an amp has high output impedance and a headphone has non-linear impedance can something happen in such a test.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/bottlehead-crack-headphone-amplifier-kit-review.15714/
It's like testing cables. There's nothing to test unless it's broken.

>anons still think that the market is rational and logical
my sides

>>107472790
SINAD of 80-85 minimum usually unless you know what you're specifically looking for. You won't need -15db pregain imo. Most products should run what you have fine, HD600s aren't really demanding.

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>>107472990
IIRC what I'm talking about is pretty identical testing conditions with gear and amps/DACs, not something like the Crack which is absolutely doing it's own thing.
Think like a Jot3 vs Topping A90D with the same impedance headphones and same DAC, surely if it's a slam dunk Amir would plaster that shit over ASR and call out the Schiit grift (right?)

>>107473050
Jot 3 has less than 1 Ohm output impedance so nothing can change with it, no reason to test.

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>>107472772
kek the only "credentials" i have are my HSPD-12 PIV card and i'm sure as shit not posting that on a laotian underground SINAD appreciation forum
nothing any audiophile grifter has ever reported, published on any forum, made a video about, or shamelessly shilled to retards has ever followed the scientific method

>>107473071
Why wouldn't you though? Especially if you're trying to prove the argument that it's all the same.
This is the problem with ASR fags, conclusions from numbers instead of actual testing to really nail in their argument. Terrified of testing the science they preach.

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>solderdude saying the quiet part out loud
absolutely based, apparently he's invited to the SBAF cookouts every year too.

>>107473086
For the same reason we don't re-measure headphones with pebbles and acoustic dots. If you believe in magic that's your problem.

>>107473100
could literally do all of this through free vst plugins and dsp

>>107473112
It just comes off as jeeto cope, and is the reason nothing has progressed for years. Amir keeps ducking meets IRL because he knows he'll get challenged on stuff like this, you're actively holding back slam dunks out of fear you might be wrong.

SINAD combines numbers that shouldn't be combined so there's no SINAD that is "good enough" to be transparent with everything. Chord products hiss with IEMs despite 110dB SINAD.
Actually useful tests:
SINAD at 50mV, for IEMs.
Output impedance.
Load dependence, for speakers
Power, for headphones and speakers.
Distortion is almost never useful, even on something as "bad" as tube amps, if you fix all their non-distortion problems you can have a fully transparent amp with like 50dB SINAD.

>>107473217
Trvke nuke

>>107473217
trvke

how reliable are decibel meter apps
if i use one on my phone and give myself say a 10 dBA buffer to make sure I'm under 85 dBA will that reliably work to make sure I'm not listening too loudly?

>>107473260
for headphones? no that will not work

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>you can't refute it

>>107473217
Btw amir's load dependence test is not good enough. Erin's test with a real speaker shows differences all the way in the audible band, but he hasn't tested an amp with PFFB yet. Of course with speakers you're expected to measure your own setup but still.

>>107472858
Based retard. Most audiophools don't care about buying good gear but look at marketing. If that wasn't the case then Abyss would have no customers and all the companies selling gold cables and other snake oil would go out of business. The fact most people who buy high end Audeze cans listen to them without EQ despite that being against what fucking Audeze recommends should tell you all you need to know. Look at hifi headphone reviews and filter out every single reviewer that claims switching cables completely changes the sound signature. You've now filtered out 80% of "reviewers".

>>107473370
Yeah like I said before, I basically take what Marv, Solderdude and Bob say and make decisions based off that, I don't think anyone else is worth the time. I think ASR would get challenged more if it wasn't for the snake oil retards on Head-Fi trying to flip you $2k cables aft every turn - at least ASR have the decency to shill you cheap eWaste that will do something.

If you're poor you don't have the option of buying none chinkshit. ASR exists to help those people.

>>107473435
JDS and Schiit have identical options with real warranty duration. You're going to be paying the price of your amp/DAC to send it back to China for a repair job. Any collateral damage? Enjoy John Yang telling you that you did something wrong and his products are perfect.
Schiit still offer to replace your headphone in full if it's determined their gear fried it, btw. Hasn't happened since their OG gear did it wayyy back in the day, but they still maintain that.

>>107473472
How does a dac explode in the first place? It's such simple tech compared to computers.

>>107473481
L30 was the amp which exploded, their all-in-one's have done it too.
The DACs are notorious for the -5 error message. Pretty much the RROD 360's would get back in the day.

Actual problems with Harman target:
Harman measured their own headphones. If you don't you can be off by 10dB. Even if it's correct today it will be off when pads compress.
Harman measured seal quality and position with in-ear mics. If you don't you can be off by 10dB.
Harman identified different classes of listeners. If you're class 3 you should know your place instead of getting angry at bass.
Harman used a custom pinna that measures differently from GRAS. Epic fail.

Why does no one talk about Fosi? Why is it only Topping or smsl or fiio?

>>107473578
people on here only parrot what ASR shills as cost-effective. Which is Topping and SMSL. I doubt most people in this thread have even tested gear in stores, it's just blind buy chinkfi cheapshit and ape shitskin arguments.

>>107470152
Only does 0.5Vrms on Android phones (or at all if you get the Euro-market version)

>>107473593
Let me guess.

>>107472975
>Remotes are a meme
That's your opinion. Somebody else out there might want a remote, for whatever reason. That reviewer doesn't even make a big deal out of it, he just mentions it, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
>arguing the 0.00000000001% SINAD improvement is totally worth it
Nobody ever said that, you're just blatantly lying.
>they're enjoying it wrong
People can run whatever gear they want, but claims of sonic superiority will be rightfully scrutinized. Tube amps are generally more expensive and less reliable than solid state amps, so they'd better sound much better to compensate, but there's zero evidence for that.

>>107473086
>conclusions from numbers instead of actual testing
The numbers come from actual testing, if you don't understand them, that's your problem. People have better things to do than running superfluous measurements with completely predictable outcomes at the behest of retards who don't understand the measurements anyway and refuse to learn. Should every amp be measured with every headphone in existence, and every headphone with every amp in existence? That's completely impractical. Luckily, it's also completely unnecessary, and thus nobody bothers.

>>107473148
>nothing has progressed for years
There's been plenty of progress, audiophools just keep their heads in the sand.

>>107473362
>Erin's test with a real speaker shows differences all the way in the audible band, but he hasn't tested an amp with PFFB yet.
He has (Wiim Amp Ultra), the result:
>There is some mild deviation due to the complex load, but it’s no more than about 0.10 dB. No one is going to hear that.

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>plush comfy headband and earpads
>metal parts won't fall apart
>mic to talk to your long distance gf
>cool lights to set the mood
>surround sound so you feel like are in the middle of a concert
>doesn't make you take out a second mortgage just to use it
You really don't need more.

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>>107473651
>mic to talk to your long distance gf
she's busy rn lil bro

>>107473667
It was just a silly joke, why did you have to go and make it weird.

>>107466300
No, it's Abdul Lateef Jandali.

>>107472990
This review always gets me because it's the most honest Amir has been in his life
>concedes specific amp/headphone pairings are real
>concedes non-transparent sound can be positive in such pairings
>used measurements to evaluate what he actually heard, rather than biasing his brief listening segment
>gets tsundere and immediately starts trying to walk it back the second he realises he came to the same conclusions Marv did, through the same methodology
You just know John Yang sperged on him for this one, don't think there has ever been a review like it since on ASR.

>>107473783
When a headphone has no bass and you add bass it's good. Amazing. We can close headfi now.

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>>107473801
>blocks ur path

>>107473783
You can get the same result with a simple and dirt cheap impedance adapter and any amp that has essentially zero output impedance. Or even better, use EQ. Nothing of this is in any way an argument in favor of haphazardly trying dozens of amps, trying to find the "right" one.

>>107473435
I get it only because most people on here/ASR/Reddit seemingly use their setups to listen to youtube rips and low-quality spotify audio and don't even understand what exclusive mode is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6D2fTrSLPc
shut up and listen, the GOAT is speaking...

>>107473964
periodt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnUjYCUzGkA

>>107473810
>oh my god is that a headphone with no bass and a huge treble peak?!
>best headphone ever made!!1!
What the fuck is his problem?
>>107473964
>>107473996
>Joshua Shillour
I seriously hope you're not actually listening to his opinions

>>107474007
I'll put my reddit /s next to the post next time just for you
>>107473996
I'd say this is more evidence not to take Topping seriously but he's done this for every brand ever so the same would apply across the board. Maybe this hobby is a joke.

>>107473964
why the fuck is that low level music playing through the fucking video
it's so distracting

>>107473964
Time to take ZMFs out of the gear recs, I gotta do it.

>>107473964
>We need to talk about ZMF
No. We don't.

>>107474023
>I'll put my reddit /s next to the post next time just for you
Some people actually do take that faggot's content seriously, believe it or not. It is rather sad. At least Zeos is funny even if he's also a shill.

>>107474052
Zman seems to do it for the love of the game at least. Joshua Valour is just an affiliate link farm from what I've gathered

>>107473810
>>107474007
Ok which review did you get triggered by when all his IEM collabs have massive bass boosts and he spent $50k on a headphone with Harman bass shelf EQ.

>>107474283
His headphone list is shit, his tuning target is shit, his taste is shit. And he bought the HE-1 for the bragging rights and because Sennheiser fucking sponsored him at one point. Adding "technical grade" as an evaluation category is retarded. What does that even mean? Distortion? Then why not call it distortion? Soundstage? Impossible to grade. Detail? Depends on the frequency response. And surprise, surprise, nearly all of his top picks are treble rape tier like chinkfimans or the HEDDphone which isn't bright, but is a piece of shit. I don't mind any of his collabs and do own the Zero Red and Blue as well as Zero 2 but
1. I don't like IEMs all that much and
2. all of those measure worse than a 20 buck Truthear Gate anyway
He doesn't peddle snake oil unlike most of those "reviewers" and has a pretty expansive collection of measurements on his site so I'll give him credit where credit is due, at least. Like with Amir, I don't trust his opinions but I appreciate the data he provides.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfLf-APjvOE
>he transcended audio
the true winner

>>107474500
Transcended toilets as well.

>>107474500
He finally redeemed shoes? I kneel...

>>107473593
...that doesn't mean that audio quality tanks
volume and audio quality are two separate things

>>107475060
Amp enjoyers in shambles.

>>107475147
What is an amp? A miserable little pile of transistors.

>>107475060
He just saw that lower volume = lower SINAD. Which is technically not wrong but extremely brown way of thinking. Some speaker amps can get 140dB SINAD if you measure them at max volume. Perfect for IEMs no doubt.

>>107475224
>max volume
>pos
the deafening thickens kek

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I bought some speaker stands for my desktop bookshelf speakers to bring them up to ear level and they sound atrocious and thin now. What causes this

>>107476660
you need to measure and do some basic room acoustic compensation
otherwise speakers sound absolute shit with literal zero regard of their price

>>107476660
This >>107476760 but also make sure it's the tweeters that are at ear level.

>>107476660
Lower end of the response is mostly defined by the room itself.
>>107476760
>otherwise speakers sound absolute shit with literal zero regard of their price
Thats not true, you can also get good results just by proper speaker placement and listening position choice.

>>107477060
>good result just by proper speaker placement and listening position choice
well that's fair but the problem is you can't do anything about room modes and stuff with that besides moving around/modify the room elements themselves