How to request advice:>Location (since pricing and availability may vary)>Budget>What exactly you're looking for (be as detailed as possible)>Previous gear and your thoughts on it>Open back wired headphones• Hifiman HE400se• Sennheiser HD 560S• Sennheiser HD 6XX (US)• FiiO FT1 Pro>Closed back wired headphones• Shure SRH440A/SRH840A• AKG K361/K371• FiiO FT1>Wireless Bluetooth headphoneshttps://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/best/by-feature/wireless-bluetooth>Wireless Gaming headphoneshttps://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/best/wireless-gaming-headsets>Cheap Headphone amp/DAC combos• JDS Atom2 Stack• Schiit Magni Unity + Mesh• Apos Gremlin/Merlin• Dongles (Fiio, Crinacle)• Took out the DX5II in the wake of it now blowing up headphones L30 style: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-dx5-ii.60996/page-127#post-2492199>Active desktop/bookshelf speakers• Edifier R1280/MR3/MR4• iLoud Micro• Kali LP-6 v2• Neumann KH 80• KEF Coda W>Passive desktop/bookshelf speakers• KEF Q1/Q3 Meta• Ascilab F6B>Interfaces• Steinberg IXO22• Topping E1x2• Motu M2>Speaker amps• Loxjie A30• Yamaha R-S202• WiiM Amp>EQ/DSP software• Equalizer APO (Windows)• EasyEffects (Linux)• Wavelet / RootlessJamesDSP (Android)• PEQdb (browser)>EQ/DSP hardware• Qudelix 5K• Neutron DAC V1• miniDSP>Useful resourceshttps://xiph.org/video/https://harmanhowtolisten.blogspot.com/https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.phphttps://superbestaudiofriends.org/index.phphttps://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/https://peqdb.com/
>>108214793gay diddy foids
2nd for Uli
Need me a portable CD player.
>Harman target
>>108214569>Not 100% on whats psychoacoustics and what isn't, but the XLR feels cleaner which lines up with what people said the Jot 2 did.well you're being honest about it. expectation bias, a louder signal and confirmation bias all add up and make for a pretty convincing experience. just hard to separate circuit differences from level differences and psychoacoustics without super strict matching.
Why is the Sennheiser HD800/HD800S + PEQ still the best dynamic driver headphone? Why is the Hifiman HE-6 still the best planar magnetic headphone? Why does the HD600 still have the best out of the box tuning? Why is the Koss KSC75 still the best value headphone? What have the jews running the headphone industry been doing for the past 15 years?
>>108215117mogged by $100 MR3s
>>108215117>Sennheiser HD800/HD800S + PEQ still the best dynamic driver headphoneUli mogs it apparently, based on everyone who has heard it since CJ SoCal>Hifiman HE-6 still the best planar magnetic headphoneVerum 2 mogs it, costs much less, but has an infinitely more schizo manufacturer so maybe the HE-6 wins from that alone.>Why does the HD600 still have the best out of the box tuningMaybe, lots of ok options here especially with Final headphones. Value for money out the box though, easily.>Why is the Koss KSC75 still the best value headphoneNo debate.>What have the jews running the headphone industry been doing for the past 15 yearsSennheiser keeps shitting out garbage. New AT is good but grossly overpriced. DCA is ok but lolHarman and channel imbalances. Never owned a ZMF but they're borderline funko pop tier at this point, Zack makes good pads at least.Only stuff I like rn is ETA, ES Lab and Final. Apparently Sony have stuff coming this year, but we'll see if it's real audiophile stuff or not. They were shopping around blueprints back in 2024 and they're EoLing the Z1R in Japan.
>>108215182>Uli mogs it apparently, based on everyone who has heard it since CJ SoCalThat's what they said about the Utopia which was a $4000 disaster. Doubt. >Verum 2 mogs it, costs much less, but has an infinitely more schizo manufacturer so maybe the HE-6 wins from that alone.The schizo manufacturer is a plus not a minus, I do actually want to try them despite them being horribly ugly. >Maybe, lots of ok options here especially with Final headphones.Which ones? The ones I found look horrible.>Only stuff I like rn is ETA, ES Lab and Final. ESLab is good but they're just rehashing a 30 year old stax design, ETA seems like a giant meme that will fade into obscurity after the hype cycle ends and Final has never been good.
>>108215117Spending more than $200 on open-back headphones is retarded when iLoud Micros exist
>>108215182Sad how there's literally not a single good headphone anymore. Did everyone move to IEMs?
>>108215224I prefer headphones.
>>108215233Decent speakers are so cheap now that openbacks are obsolete and IEMs are so good now that closedbacks are obsolete
>>108215221>ETA seems like a giant meme that will fade into obscurity after the hype cycle endsWas willing to gamble on the Uli when it was cheaper because all their other projects have been received really well and they're good CS wise. They're still repairing shit they sold forever ago and take care of people who buy from them, and from what I've seen none of the O2s or Adas have had issues. $3500 is a big ask though, which is why I got in at $2500.>>108215233IEMs are more overpriced lmao. $500 for shitty Moondrops which shatter at the slightest force. I like my XBA-Z5s but I really can't fathom buying modern IEMs in their current state. The old Sonys are tanks compared to them.
>>108215253>IEMs are so good now that closedbacks are obsoleteHonestly true, whenever I consider closed backs I just remember I like my Sony IEMs and never pull the trigger.
>>108215239anything other than speakers is cope
>>108215281I'll wait until I can actually buy them, most likely at a steep discount. The whole trend of preordering 6 months in advance in the audio space is extremely gay and retarded. Don't disrespect me by trying to FOMO me into your bullshit.
>>108215289Not really because IEMs can't do sub-bass at all. They made cheap studio monitors obsolete for people who don't have to share.
>>108215412Should be easy to grab on Head-Fi honestly, dudes flip stuff like crazy on there. There wouldn't be an easy resale market/pipeline to Australia here, so it was pretty much grab it cheaper or grab it never and it ticked my boxes.
>>108215224I can't blast shitty sci-fi movies at 4am on cheap speakers
>>108215182>Uli mogs it apparently>50mm 7 micron biocellulose dome with 5 micron ribbed PET suspensionThat's a very posh way to say "50mm paper dome dynamic driver" >Final headphonesFinal has some good IEMs, but most of their headphones are pretty bad. Except for D8000 Pro, the sound is quite good, but they are designed for tiny japanese ears, so I am out. >>108215221>Utopia which was a $4000 disasterI quite liked the Utopia, but 4000$ is def too much for what I would call a "dry HD600 Senny". > I do actually want to try them despite them being horribly uglySince it is a small DIY manufacturer, you could probably order your own design for like extra 50-100$ >ESLab is good but they're just rehashing a 30 year old stax designI didn't listen to ESLab stuff but the SR-Omega they are trying to copy is still the best sounding round STAX headphone I have heard so far. Although I prefer SR-L700mk2 over them lmao.
>>108215479>i can't be a loser with speakers, though!really tone deaf
>>108215487>Except for D8000 ProThis was what I was talking about fwiw, the DX3000CL is good too. Agreed about ear size though.>I quite liked the Utopia, but 4000$ is def too muchUtopia price points are insane to me, the transients can't be worth that much even if they sound great. Only money I'd spend at that tier is like, nice STAX stats or the SR-1a.
>>108215479Maybe blast your shitty sci-fi movies at a more Christian time?
>>108214793Well last time i asked for help it actually was a decent recomendation so:Last time i posted i had 40 yuros budget, the sugestion was the Philips SHP9500 Which i loved however due to the plastic frame and me not being a carefull owner they broke after 3-4 years>I dont listen to a lot of music>Open back, they just feel more natural+ i like to hear my surroundings > budget is 150 yuros can be bought from anywhere as long as its available on yurope> detachable wire/s is a must>I have an M-AUDIO M-TRACK duo
>>108215495Enjoy having your kids dump you in a Haitian nursing home I guess
>>108215516>DX3000CL is good tooNever bothered to demo them given the legacy of Final "budget" options like Sonorous being very bad. >Utopia price points are insane to meI strugged to distinguish their models, they all look the same, sound similarish yet are priced so differently. Can't really tell whats so premium about Utopias compared to Clear or even Hadenys. I have heard a very similar sound signature while modding HD600 by putting some foam behind the driver as it decreases the bass. Also HD545 is kinda similar and is one of the most underrated headphones to ever exist (but needs some basic mods to bring up the bass). >nice STAX statsGot a favorite? >SR-1a Did you demo it? This one is on my bucket list together with Immanis
>>108215730>STAXNever heard the X9000s unfortunately. Really liked the 009S, thats what sold me on knowing I'd like ES-2as since they're a bassier 009S. Really would love to do an Omega one day. Haven't tried Lambdas but on the list too.>SR1aI actually have, there's one place down here which still has them on demo I believe. Pretty much everything I was told they would be re-staging, I just listen to too much bass-centric music that I probably couldn't justify them since they are the definition of nobass. Overall worth trying to demo at the least if you get the chance.Haven't heard great things about the Immanis from anywhere other than Head-Fi boomers (who are justifying their purchase ofc), definitely want to try them one day but they seem like a step back from the SR1as and the CA1as (which I haven't tried either).>DX3000CLSeems to be a big step up in terms of their budget shit. The thing which scares me about Final is how cancerous replacement parts are to get, which put me off buying them ultimately.
>>108215727what does that even mean
>>108215838You'll find out
>>108215961is that an /hpg/ meme
>>108215982lurk another 5 years and find out
>>108216002no
Is there anything I can do to control a very annoying peak I'm getting at exactly 129 Hz? Apparently, it's a very typical resonant frequency in small rooms. My speakers are currently in a room measuring 384 x 340 cm (12.60 ft x 11.15 ft). I've tried lowering the frequency to -3.85 dB with a Q of 5, but it's still very noticeable. The room has a bed, thick curtains, a rug on the wall, and the speakers are on a stand at the same height as my PC monitor and about 60 cm (2 ft) away from the listener.I don't quite understand how this resonance occurs and how I could minimize it. Does anyone know any tricks to avoid it?My equipment is:DAC: Soundblaster AE-9 (ESS SABRE 9038)AMP: RCA - Aiyima A80 (TPA3255D2)Speakers: Polk Signature ES-15
>>108216371Upgrade to headphones.
>>108216383I don't want to deform my head with over-ear headphones. I have some FH7s that I use when I'm out and about, but I can't wear them for long periods of time; my inner ear sweats and itches (plus the sound space is very narrow). I've already tried several ear tips, but the same shit happens with all of them. A pair of speakers is more convenient. Except for that damned frequency from hell
>>108216445Koss KSC75 or PEQ your hairline with finasteride.
>>108216454No, man. Thanks for the headphone suggestion, but I'm not going to throw my audio system out the window just to use headphones at home. I just want to know if anyone has a solution to this particular problem, although I must say those Koss KSC75s you mentioned look pretty comfortable. How good do they sound compared to my Fiio FH7s? I'm very happy with the sound of these.
>>108216383headphones are cope
>>108216371literally your room is too small for how much bass you're putting into it. either LF shelf to stop resonating the room as much, or add big bass traps, or do soffit mounting. you have no other option. you can't EQ SBIR like that.
>>108216371you can't EQ the room reflections. you're just messing with the source for no reason. pic related.
Yeah
>>108216962Finally, an answer to the actual topic of the question. Thanks, anon, at least now I know it's something that can't be fixed with some trick. The fundamental frequency for these dimensions should be approximately 344, its triple harmonic is 134.4 Hz; that must be where the problem lies. But the left wall only has a poster. I'll try to put something there, but a bass trap will surely be too thick to fit in my room.Otherwise, they're very reliable speakers, and I think they sound great, except for that one frequency, which is quite harsh.
>>108217016Thanks to you too
>>108217016Do you think that if I put a subwoofer with a crossover point above 129Hz, and invert the phase, I could cancel out that frequency a little? Or is that a really stupid idea?
>>108217074one option that may work is to just move the speakers to difference distances from the front wall and see if it cancels it out that way. IDK.
>>108216371>with a Q of 5,That's not enough. I have one with Q=20. It works.
>>108217016Reflections are above room transition frequency. Room modes can and should be EQd.
>>108214793
What do I need to consider when picking headphones to wear over the top of glasses?
>>108218664the only headphones I've ever had that have been comfortable over my glasses have been a pair of sennheisers (hd 518) I've had the m40x and that was bad and currently own the Fiio Jt1 and some Koss KPH40 which are better but still a bit uncomfortable.I always just assumed it was the headphones that were the issue but one day discovered that it's specifically the thick arms of the frames that I wear because I have a pair of prescription sunglasses that have very thin arms and found out that they cause no discomfort whatsoever compared to my regular glassesuntil I realised that I've always just contemplated pad swaps or different headphones entirely but all I need to do it buy some new frames with thinner arms it seems
>>108218964If that's the case then I shouldn't have any issues, my frames are pretty thin.Audio-Technica ATH-M20x (AUD$89), Sennheiser HD 400S (AUD$159), or Sennheiser HD 450BT (AUD$159)?
>>108216371It's a room mode, and of course it can be fixed with EQ, your poorly guesstimated filter just doesn't do it. Get a UMIK-1, do a proper measurement with REW, and use the AutoEQ feature in REW.
>>10821909299% of people aren't doing that and no you aren't supposed to. you are destroying the room response. i can't believe people even say this.what he should be doing is buying bass traps or moving to a better spot. that's the way to actually solve the problem.
>>108219542Everyone with a home theater does this.
>>108219092You can't fix a room mode with EQ. You're coloring the source and that then changes the off-axis response, causes smearing and ruins the soundstage/imaging. The room mode is still there.
>>108219709>off-axis response and imaging in subbassRetard.
>>108219816130Hz is not sub-bass.
>>108219816the room modes don't go away just because you killed a part of the FR
>>108219832Speakers are omnidirectional below 200Hz.>>108219842They go away.
>>108219542>>108219709I can't believe how full of mentally ill shitposters these threads are, but I'll bite in case the anon who originally asked the question is curious...>bass trapsFor peaks (constructive interference), bass traps and EQ do the same thing, but EQ is much cheaper and doesn't take up any space. Bass traps can help with cancellations (destructive interference), which EQ can't, but that's not the issue at hand.>different positionMany positions aren't practical, especially not with stereo speakers where you also have the stereo triangle to consider. And there's not just one room mode, in small rooms it's typically one issue or another. A peak is easily taken care of with EQ, unlike other issues like cancellations.>off-axis responseSpeakers are omnidirectional in bass, i.e. on- and off-axis response are the same.
>>108219888>"wow i EQ'd it away! :D"Now move your head off-center and you'll see that you didn't EQ anything away.
>>108220173Wavelength of 129 Hz is 2.7 m (8.7 ft), moving your head a little won't make a difference.
>>108220343...but you concede that your EQ solution only works for that one spot though, right?I pre-accept your concession.
>>108218664One of those things you have to approach case by case. Generally it's a larger bass mallus with closed back than open. Like other Anon said you'll do better picking glasses that play well with headphones than trying to find headphones that play well with thick plastic eyeglass frames.
about last toxic headphones revelations, do you thing its good idea to ditch cheapo aliexpress pads (that seller says are sheep skin but feels and smells like cheap fake leather) and spend big money on zmf lambskin pads?
>>108220791What's the point of this dogshit setup? A desktop setup is better and this shit isn't really portable.
>>108220912>all listening MUST be done at a desktop or on the move
>>108220934No, asshole, but do you need this shit to listen to music while taking a shit or some shit?
>>108220954if you can't work out at least two use cases your IQ range might be close to sub-saharan
>>108220791headphones are cope but:1. that article was clickbait. IIRC they found substances in some headphones, which is irrelevent because of the next points2. a lot of plastics have plasticizers to make them flexible and this isn't something you can easily avoid or even know if you're being exposed or not3. basically every country has regulations that *limit* certain substances to safe levels before they can even be imported to sell in their country(CE, RoHS is part of CE, TUV, UKCA, et cetera) and those regulations become more strict every several years.4. there are, IIRC, a lot of substances that aren't regulated at all for one reason or another. outright banning substances is probably not feasible a lot of the time.
>>108220961I have 147 IQ. I'm just here to hate on your xduoo + asscheeks DAP toilet combo.
>>108220912its makes sense for me, m21 for iems and music library, m21 with xduoo and full size headhpones around my house, place downstairs with my pc for work, place upstairs where i like drawing, and now on battery power in my bed. I like it but xduoo could be smaller. Yeah i think it is dogshit setup for 99% od people. M21 is newest one, i used xduoo same way in 3-4 places around my house but with usbc to macbook or pc or bt with my phone, now m21 took that music player role
>>108220791I fail to get in this rating why if the part touching the skin is green but the one not touching the skin is red, the overall rating is red. Like literally why the fuck am I supposed to care if there is no contact even.
>>108220463Yeah, sure. But it's not worth worrying about how your speakers sound in positions where you don't sit. He probably doesn't move around by a lot when sitting in front of his PC, and anyway, we're talking about a nearfield setup with a small acoustic sweetspot, so if he moves around by a lot, there'll be other detrimental effects, too (collapse of stereo soundstage, changes to higher frequencies depending on speaker directivity).
>>108221029sometimes you shift in your seat, lean over, maybe even get up and walk around the room or lay in bed or something.this is also why smaller speakers are better. they give you a bigger sweetspot but the person we're talking about of course had to buy some 5.25" speakers for his like 10sqft bedroom. :|
>>108220791My cheapo aliexpress pads look and feel like real leather, but even for that exact model there seem to be many fakes of questionable quality so ymmv.Smelled like chinese factory air though, but only for the first couple days. Now they smell like my shampoo, which is probably a good sign - real leather absorbs moisture better than fake.
>>108221187it's not real leather lol, just so you are aware. like, it's 99.99% chance not real leather, just plastic.
Thoughts on Dan?
>>108221263My Aeon RT experience was mostly positive. Sound delivered as advertised. Not the greatest for larger heads. Headband can't be bent to reduce pressure because memory metal, and the ear cups are a little shallow.
>>108221006So you just walk around your house with your gay little xduoo all day long? Kinda jelly. My dogshit dogwater garbage xduoo is a desktop amp.
>>108221213I'm not going to cut, burn or dissolve it unless you buy me another pair, but like I said it looks and feels real when compared to other fake and real leather earpads and accessories I have. Also it absorbed a drop of water, and it's not sweaty or stuffy at all.I do not recommend buying it now though, at least not on aliexpress, since literally all currently available items look very fake.
>>108217586gay diddy foids
>>108221345no, im not walking with it around my house, im just taking it between 3 or 4 spots to sit down and listen to music doing something else, i would have to have 3 desktop amps at these spots or move 1 amp with power supply, unplug it, plug it and so on. So its better for me to have 1 amp with built in battery that i can easly move without cables and power supply than normal desktop one. Smaller portable amp could do just fine but that xduoo brick is something else, really like it despite their retarded firmware and few other issues. And i bought it used for pretty cheap so it stays with me.>>108221187looks like mine, i dont think its real leather, mine was like 15usd for 105mm round perforated leather with vat tax (22%) and shipping to EU. if it real leather it was dyed with something smelly but as u said, after while they smell like my hair, didnt notice any grease despite having sebderm. For that money i could destroy one just to find out. if its real leather ZMF is charging 100USD for pair in EU from local retailer
>>108221187>>108221584It's not leather. It's just plastic that's stamped with a leather pattern. A real top grain leather would be thicker, have a higher quality stitch, and likely the pattern would be less uniform. The leather itself would cost more just as a material, no labor or shipping involved.
>>108221101>this is also why smaller speakers are betterNo, it's just a question of directivity. Ideally, you want it to be wide and constant. A good coax (like Genelec The Ones or KEF) comes closest to this ideal. A good waveguide design (like Ascilab) can also perform well. Even then, you can only move so much before it ruins the stereo effect, that's stereo for you.The only advantage of smaller woofers is that they start beaming at higher frequencies, which generally makes it easier to match directivity with a tweeter. But it's not a guarantee of anything, because implementation matters so much. And a two-way with a tiny 3" woofer simply won't play deep, or loud, pic related.
>>108220791>he doesn't know about all the toxic chemicals used in tanning
>>108221584>>108221662Okay faggots I will buy it as soon as it is available again and I will destroy it to find out the truth.I don't trust other stores, not unless they explicitly list fiio as manufacturer (not as compatibility) and have user review photos showing stamped logo on the inside (fakes don't have logo)>real top grain leather would be thickerFalse, lambskin can be very very thin. Never seen real leather gloves?>have a higher quality stitchHow is that related at all?>likely the pattern would be less uniformThere is no uniform pattern.>The leather itself would cost more just as a materialBullshit, mid-low quality lambskin costs like $30 per square meter (that's 10-20 earpads) in consumer retail, wholesale manufacturer domestic prices are likely a lot lower.
>>108221769yeah but why would you go past 86db in a bedroom. that's pretty loud. you have to take care of your hearing. pic related>>108221784not really related but that's just chromium tanning which is for like colored leathers. vegetable tanning is pretty safe stuff IIRC.
>>108221885and btw vegetable tanning costs much more. chrome tanning is good because it takes much less time and costs less. but yeah it's literally chromium or something lol
>>108220981>I have 147 IQlying ass motherfucker what a crock of shit
thoughts on the thieaudio cypher thats coming out soon ??
>>108222066But I'm not.
>>108222146Looks okay, at least it probably won't have the ear rape treble issue the last "HD600 killer" had. Really hinges on the price, if its more than $5-600, there's zero reason to pick it over HD600 + EQ.
Ok I am done with my Chifi-free setup. However I still had to use TOSLINK to electrically decouple the DAC from chinese-made DDC.
Anyone who uses open back headphones clearly doesn’t live in a diverse community.
>>108222756So what's your setup lil bro?
>>108214793is there an anime like this that maintains a high degree of excitement, no filler shit (attack on Titan was awful for filler), and has a lot of items in it / no barren floors and walls?Maid dragon was close, but boring as shit
>>108222964Bocchi?
>>108222964Boku no pico
>>108222959Wonder if I should upgrade the amp, as I recapped and readjusted it last month and now it sings. Tested it against modern SRM-700S and could not hear any difference except when pushing way beyond my listening volumes, the 700S stays dead silent when there is no input, while mine starts to show some background white noise.
>>108215649No tips for me
>>108223111Dacs and amps make no difference beyond the point of basic signal reproduction (like apple dongle). This is true for electrostatic amps too, only the extremely shit ones like EHA5 and D10 sound different.
>>108223317>Dacs and amps make no difference In my case it did make a difference, because the Topping E70 I was using before gave out exactly 2V as it should be, while this naughty Parasound DAC pumps out 2.6V which gives me quite a bit more headroom. Also it has a polarity inversion function (all STAX are inverted by default for whatever reason) which I can correct on the go. Also I tried out a few tube amps, and some of them were more mellow and muffled in the treble and had some comical squirms if touched so I might get one in the future. Whats so wrong with EHA5? Heard that its bad but why
>>108223375Very smeared and dull sounding, probably from rolled off highs if I remember correctly. Exact opposite of D10 which boosts treble.
>>108223317>Dacs and amps make no differencepower requirements are a reality.
>>108223619For maybe like 1% of headphones if you're not interested in going deaf.
>>108215649>>108223263Sennheiser HD560SOr buy another SHP9500 if you don't feel adventurous.
Bay Area meet notes from a dude there
>>108223045first 2 minutes are relatable, except I'm not in middle schoolman, I wish there were adult animes
>>108224063>spiritual successor to older audeze tuningi. e. dogshitthis nigga deaf
What do we think of the KEF Q Concerto Meta?
Soon.
>>108224873A 3-way speaker system employs dedicated drivers to handle high frequencies, mid-range tones, and bass/low frequencies. By dividing the audio spectrum into these three distinct bands, each driver can be optimised for its specific role. This allows 3-way speakers to deliver a more refined, balanced, and immersive sound qualityits nice but drivers arent of silk and paper
>>108224873Why would you buy those pos when these cost the same, have built-in amplification, and are a whopping 20 dB i.e. ten times better?
>>108224994>its nice but drivers arent of silk and paperwhat does this mean. I kind of agree with that statement above...>>108224997Is this bait, lol.
>>108224994>>108225035oh, you're saying the drivers aren't great. Okay, that makes sense because for the same price point in a 2-way you'd get 2 drivers? Unless you think 2-ways are better value if you're going to get an subwoofer anyways, but I still feel like the 3-way probably does the job bridging that gap better/.
>>108224666what if i told you it's neurological not audiological