Headphone lovers, what do you love, what do you have, Head-Fi fans 2016 edition.

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Dr Tone, Jan 9, 2016.

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  1. ukrules

    ukrules Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kentucky
    I have two pairs of Sennheiser PX-100 (first generation). Great iDevice headphones for portable use...very natural, accurate sound.

    I'd like to get some real cans to use with my NAD 316 amp.
     
    Galley likes this.
  2. billnunan

    billnunan Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire
    Both. I bought a pair of GE NOS from 1966. They are good, but , mostly, I go with the LISST's solid state.
     
    ti-triodes likes this.
  3. Litejazz53

    Litejazz53 Perfect Sound Through Crystal Clear Digital

    Already posted the new, now I will post the vintage! Still works like a charm!

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
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  4. ti-triodes

    ti-triodes Senior Member

    Location:
    Paz Chin-in
    Just got a ZMF Ori (Omni).
     
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  5. ti-triodes

    ti-triodes Senior Member

    Location:
    Paz Chin-in
    Did you do a lot of burn in with the LISST "tubes"? I'm trying to figure out why I never liked the sound when they were in my Lyr 2.
     
  6. John Buchanan

    John Buchanan I'm just a headphone kind of fellow. Stax Sigma

    Update regarding the Beyerdynamic T1 Gen. 2 and Phonitor combination.
    This combination sounds wonderful - not far removed from the Stax Lambda Nova Signature/SRM Monitor with Diffuse Field Equalisation, but with slightly better dynamics. The Beyerdynamics are slightly brighter, but not annoyingly so. Good enough to make me consider selling the Stax. The main advantage of the new gear is the reduction of external sound spillage from the phones, which allows me to listen to music without waking the fabulous Diane. An alternate endgame for headphones.
     
    JakeMcD likes this.
  7. Phasecorrect

    Phasecorrect Forum Resident

    Location:
    WI
    Sennheiser HD 558 ....Believe these are a BB exclusive...Often on sale $75-99...Almost unbeatable at that price...Not in love with them...But they do have a nice Soundstage and very good bass...A touch dark sounding for my tastes....But im nitpicking...They are an incredible value
     
  8. billnunan

    billnunan Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire
    No, i just turn it on and put the 'phones on. Same as first day with the LISSTs.

    I like detail and clarity in my music. I like the warmth of tubes as well, just not as much.

    It's fun to alternate.
     
  9. ti-triodes

    ti-triodes Senior Member

    Location:
    Paz Chin-in

    Thanks. I guess I lean towards tubes. What else would you expect from some whose name is triodes. :D
     
    billnunan likes this.
  10. billnunan

    billnunan Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire
    Ha Ha!

    BTW, I popped the GE tubes into the Moljnir2 last night just for fun.

    Man, they really do sound good. I think I will leave 'em in for a while. :agree:
     
  11. ti-triodes

    ti-triodes Senior Member

    Location:
    Paz Chin-in
    Feel the warmth, brother. :D
     
    billnunan likes this.
  12. Uri Cohen

    Uri Cohen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Jacksonville, FL
    Currently using the Grado GH2. I just ordered a pair of the Grado GH1 with G Pads. Last week I ordered the new Audio-GD 29.28 DAC/Amp and a Marantz HD-CD1 CD player (goal is to run Coax from CD player to Audio-GD, then use a long USB cable from Thinkpad to Audio-GD). I prefer spinning CDs, and yes I could go for a better CD player and etc. But I really like the form factor of the HD-CD1 and I think using that as a transport and the Audio-GD as a DAC/Amp will be a winner. I never heard of anything bad from Audio-GD (from the cheap $300 DAC Dual-WM8741 setup to the $2000+ Reference DACs).

    Looking for a compact sound that sounds more than what my setup is worth.
     
  13. npc210

    npc210 Forum Resident

    Recently got a pair of Auzede Sines with the lightning cable for iOS devices at a great price on eBay.

    I may try the regular cable with a DAC/amp like the Chord Mojo eventually, but this might be my portable end game after trying out a number of models over the past six months. I'm loving the Sine's bass presence, build quality and portability so far, and they're comfortable enough (for me at least) to wear for several hours at a time. The Audeze EQ app is pretty cool too. :)
     
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  14. BejittoSSJ5

    BejittoSSJ5 Forum Resident

    Just got my first pair of open-back headphones for 56$, the Philips SHP9500. And holy mother of god these are the best headphones I've ever heard, I don't have much experience in the way of hearing very expensive hi-fi (haven't heard HD600s, 650s etc. for example) equipment but I have heard the Sennheiser HD 449s, ATH-M40X etc. but the amount of clarity, precision and punch in these headphones is unbelievable.

    The only, ONLY thing I may be able to complain about is that it can get a little sibilant, but it's extremely comfortable, it has the best sound out of any headphones I've heard, it's easy to drive, it's sound signature is perfect to me with it's rich and punchy mids, it's tight, detailed and composed bass (though it's not for bassheads, this is a tauter, drier bass as opposed to the more fluid, head rattling kind) and composed extended and airy highs.
     
    billnunan likes this.
  15. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    I am totally loving my Taboo Mk III with my Oppo PM-1 and Audeze LCD-2 headphones (both run with balanced cabling and connections.)

    Steve introduced the Taboo UFO headphone amp after mine was made and now has introduced design changes to that and is now building the Taboo Mk IV headphone amp and speaker amp. Using the new UFO transformers major changes are: only one (balanced) headphone output, one volume control per channel, high and low output selector switch, totally adjustable Lucid Mode that can be bypassed by a switch.

    I couldn't resist it and ordered one a month ago. . .should have it in a month or so.

    DECWARE Planar Tube Headphone Amplifier model TABOO MK4

    http://www.decware.com/newsite/Taboo4manual.pdf
     
    Ham Sandwich likes this.
  16. Boomy

    Boomy Senior Member

    Location:
    Indiana
    So do you like it? :D
     
  17. timind

    timind phorum rezident

    After using the Sennheiser HD-650s for a couple years I've switched (some might say downgraded) to a pair of Beyerdynamic DT-990 250 ohm Premiums. This came about after a friend loaned me a pair of Beyerdynamic T1s for a couple weeks. The T1s were very impressive at first, but soon became fatiguing.
    Still not sure why I tried the DT-990s, might've been something I read on Head-fi. It took me one night of listening to the DT-990s to put the DH-650s in the closet. If you believe the DT-990s are excessively bright, I'm betting you listened to the pro version. I bought a pair of those and darn near blew my tinnitus threw the roof.

    Also switched to a Bottlehead Crack amp. When I built it I went with an Alps pot instead of the volume control that came with it.
     
  18. schugh

    schugh Forum Resident

    I absolutely love it. I like the sound much better then the Chord Hugo it replaced. I suppose the Hugo has the better DAC. But the sound from the WA8 is more pleasing to my ears. Must be the tubes. :D
     
  19. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    My Taboo Mk IV is in "Quality Control" . . . will probably have it next week! :)
     
    Ham Sandwich likes this.
  20. Boomy

    Boomy Senior Member

    Location:
    Indiana
    Nice!

    What cans do you typically like to use with it? I hear the Sennheiser 800's are pretty great with it.
     
  21. schugh

    schugh Forum Resident

    Yes, I have the 800S and they are indeed quite wonderful with it.
    My Grado PS1000 also match very well.
    At work I use the Audeze El8 Closed with them and they are also very good with it.
    Haven't tried my Audeze LCD4 with them yet. Maybe I should sometime.
     
    Boomy likes this.
  22. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    I'm visiting Georgia. Here's a picture of my transportable setup that I packed in my carry on luggage. Apologies for the low quality phone pictures. I'm too lazy to set up a tripod and get better lighting in the room just for a picture.

    Gear is:
    Cavalli Liquid Carbon balanced amp
    Schiit Modi Multibit DAC
    PonoPlayer
    Senn HD650 with balanced cable
    Audeze SINE On Ear with balanced cable for the Pono
    Laptop running JRiver Media Center
    Tablet running JRiver Gizmo​

    The Liquid Carbon with balanced HD650 and a Modi Multibit is a very nice sounding travel rig. Crazy good headphone sound.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  23. DirkGentlyUK

    DirkGentlyUK Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I won't listen to music unless it's with my HD650s. Taking them to the grave!
     
    billnunan likes this.
  24. Spsesq

    Spsesq Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Just joined this party but was reading it because I was in the market for new headphones.

    I was replacing my Beyerdynamics Custom Studio headphones because although at first they were good sounding, after long periods I found them fatiguing and clinical. I wanted more warmth and comfort so I needed a change. After reading this thread that goes back months, the one constant is "headphones are an extremely personal choice and no one is right or wrong".

    That being said, I researched and read review after review and these threads, narrowed my initial search to the Sennheiser and the Audeze. I auditioned a pair of Sennheiser 700 f rind had and found them to bright for my music tastes. I then went to audition headphones at a nearby brick and mortar high end retailer in my area and spent about an hour and a half with the salesman demoing head phones. They didn't carry sennhieser so I focused on the Audeze. I tried the LCD-2 and although they had a nice warm sound, they were heavy, too expensive and uncomfortable, so out they went.

    The salesman brought me over the Grado RS1e ( new brown leather updated version) and I compared them to the Audeze Sine, El-8 and LCD-2's. Wow! I never considered Grado until I walked into the store. Hence the reason that, at least for speakers and headphones, YOU MUST auditon them and NOT ONLY RELY on Internet forum advice or your friend's examples alone!

    The RS1e's blew me away. (Grado fixed the driver/ earcup issue). We compared the Grado Pro series which I found way to clinical, I tried the rs2's ( one step below the RS1e's) and found them less precise, and less warm. I tried the Audeze EL-8 and nothing beat my feeling for the Grado RS1e. Of all the headphones I tried the RS1e beat them all.

    I tested all the phones on the following tracks (hence the hour and a half) switching back and forth during each song:

    Beethoven's Fifth-listening for orchestral separation, detail on wooden instruments and piano notes

    U2- Where The Streets Have No Name and Sunday Bloody Sunday -listening for vocal, guitar echo, bass, drum and cymbals accuracy

    Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue- focus on sustained piano notes, clarinet highs and soundstage.

    Pink Floyd-Money, Time and Breathe-listen for detail in non musical area like clocks, coins, footsteps, bass line in Money and that "surround sound like movement through your head"

    Springsteen -Born to Run- listen for thundering the rock and roll and focusing on the highs (glockenspiel) and mids with the saxophone and then lower range vocals, bass and drums

    Steely Dan-Aja- again, focusing on the midrange but this time on the jazzy aspects of the song.

    None of the tested headphones surpassed the RS1e in warmth, detail, clarity, naturalization of the sound and overall comfort ( although the rs2 were the same yet a smaller driver and a little heavier in the bass response) the only thing the RS1e's don't have is a booming over the top bass. But I don't listen to base heavy music anyway. They are 32 ohms so they are easy to drive and since I have a Schiit Vali 2, I have more than enough power to drive them to their fullest potential. Another major factor, the RS1e's only weigh 9 oz!

    I found that the Audeze were all too clinical and sterile sounding except the LDC-2's but at $1,100, they were too heavy, too bulky and not comfortable for long listening sessions.

    So,thanks too all the posters on this thread and all the advice, suggestions and comments!

    I got the RS1e's and very happy I did..now to break them in on my Schiit Vali 2!
     
    White_Noise likes this.
  25. MikaelaArsenault

    MikaelaArsenault Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire
    I just got something called Freedom Sprint as a gift from my parents for my high school graduation. They are these tiny little wireless earbuds that you put in your ears without having to hook up your iPhone or iPod Touch. They are actually really neat and are similar to AirPods by Apple.
     
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