Headphones

[bluemeanies]

I am thinking about the purchase of a pair of headphones in the next month or so and I was wondering how many people on the Emotiva forum have headphones, use them regularly and if they have a headphone amplifier. Also is a headphone amp really that useful?
I am thinking of Grado headphones.

Thanks

[hemster]

I would strongly recommend V-moda headphones. Built to last and superb quality. v-moda.com/headphones

[DYohn]

I use headphones in my office all day long some days. My current rig is Foobar2000 in my PC to a Wavelength Proton USB DAC, Schiit Lyr amplifier and a pair of MrSpeakers Alpha Dogs. I love it.

[Boomzilla]

I don't like headphones. I've never found any pair that was comfortable on my ears for more than about 15 minutes. I've tried in-ear, on-ear, and over-ear; I liked none. I have a Musical Fidelity headphone amp that sounds pretty good, but I'm still not spending any time listening to phones. Just me...

[restless]

WOOT currently has V-Moda headphones on sale.

Personally, I like B&W P5 headphone or Senn 650. Have both and use both for different reasons.

[kazoo]

I use my headphones all day long. Gets the work done faster. I listen to most of my music at work so I thought it made sense to create a good setup to enjoy.
Headphone amps are very useful for hard to drive headphones, I think that is for headphones less than 300 ohms. If you have the money I would invest in one. This way it also opens up the world of trying different headphones to see which ones you will like without the worry that they don't sound good because you can't drive them properly. Also I am going to guess you are looking into full size headphones. There are two types, open and closed. I think most Grado are open headphones. They will let some sound out. So if you are at work, others around you will hear what you are listening to. Closed have a solid cup on the outside and keep the music just to you. Something to keep in mind when looking at them.
My setup is in the sig below.

[GreenKiwi]

bluemeanies My two questions are:

1. what budget?
2. Do you need to have a closed back pair? (i.e. is there going to be anyone else in the room while you are listening.)

If you have a budget of $400 and can have open backed headphones, I'd say get the HD650s (or HE500). I find them amazingly comfortable and the sound is great, I can happily listen for hours and hours.

If you have to go closed back, I'd really look at the Mr Speakers Alpha Dogs, mentioned above. I haven't heard them directly, but they are apparently very similar to the LCD-XC, for $600 they are a very good set of headphones.

[ludi]

I use a Beyerdynamic headphone, powered by the XDA-2. A flat response, no bass boost at all, very comfortable even for a couple of hours. See their site: Beyerdynamic

[Dark Ranger]

bluemeanies, I've recently upgraded my headphone system over the past several weeks. Here are a few thoughts to get you started.


1) Define a budget. There are TONS of headphones out there and it can be overwhelming at times. Having a budget is a great thing because it will keep you from overspending, something easily done with headphones. You can also focus on what you CAN afford, rather than what you cannot.

2) Try to determine what kind of sonic signature you prefer. For example, I strive for a balanced, neutral sound; as much accuracy as possible within my budget. Headphones with a boosted bass or treble response don't fit my preference, so I did not consider those headphones. Some folks like a "V" or "U" curve, I don't. If you know what you like, it makes it easier to decide.

3) Determine the application. Are these HPs going to be used for working out at the gym, traveling on the bus or plane, or used only for home Hi-Fi? Choosing the right headphone for the application is important. For example, open-back headphones are great for high-quality reproduction of music, but aren't the smartest choice for the office, bus, or plane. They leak sound more than closed-back headphones. Figure out how you want to use the HPs and it will make it easier to narrow down a final choice.

4) Check out HeadRoom's Build A Graph tool. This provides some insight into the headphone's characteristics in several areas and allows up to four headphones to be compared. I found this tool invaluable during my searching. I also found it pretty accurate once I actually listened to the headphones I selected.

5) Read as many reviews as possible about the headphone(s) you're considering. Not just "pro" reviews, but regular Joe Schmoe's feedback as well. However, as you read, remember that audio is very subjective. One person might find a pair of HPs too bright and fatiguing, while another person finds that same pair to be just right or even dark/veiled.

6) This is the most important step of all: when you narrow down your candidates (say two or three cans), find a way to listen to all of your potential headphones. Let me repeat that for emphasis. You might be lucky to evaluate headphones in a store. If not, you may need to purchase your two or three candidates and listen to them yourself. This is what I had to do, and let me tell you, I am VERY glad I did. Yes, it was a hassle to purchase 3 headphones and send back two, but I am completely satisfied with what I kept and have no regrets. You really need to hear the 'phones with your own ears and with your own system.


Headphone amplifiers are not always needed. If your headphones have a fairly low impedance (say less than 40 ohms), have fairly decent sensitivity (around 100db/mW), or you don't listen very loudly, than a HP amp might not be needed. As with traditional amplifiers for speakers, it's not just about power, it's about headroom and dynamics. An iPod or PC sound card might drive your headphones loud enough for your enjoyment, but might do it with more distortion because the amp is being driven harder than it should. And the amp won't have the reserve power for transients.

Honestly, this can seem like the chicken vs egg conundrum: if one's headphones are sensitive enough and/or easy to drive, one might not need an amp. However, if I don't get an amp, then am I really hearing the true sound of the headphones enough to make an accurate decision on which pair I prefer? Then again, if you don't have a way to drive headphones at the moment, you'll definitely need an amp of some sort for the evaluation.

[Dark Ranger]

Just to follow-up on BM's original question in specific detail...

I've found myself resorting to headphones more frequently over the past few months. Not just for late night spirited listening sessions, but for every day use. I enjoy background music while I'm working or browsing the web. My headphone system uses less power and generates less heat than my main system. I've started watching more movies as well as PC gaming with headphones, too. I think every audio enthusiast should have a good pair of headphones.

The nice thing about a headphone system is that you can invest in a decent setup for (generally) less money than an equivalent speaker/amp system.

Here are some popular brands to get you started (listed alphabetically):

AKG
AUDEZE
beyerdynamic
Denon
Grado
HiFiMAN
MrSpeakers
Sennheiser
Shure
Sony
V-Moda

[garbulky]

My answer is it depends on the headphones and how picky you are. Some people are picky about speakers but barely picky about headphones and some are the other way. Rarely have I seen somebody equally picky - including me.

[Shaker]

Jun 11, 2014 16:40:30 GMT -5 Dark Ranger said:

bluemeanies, I've recently upgraded my headphone system over the past several weeks. Here are a few thoughts to get you started.


1) Define a budget. There are TONS of headphones out there and it can be overwhelming at times. Having a budget is a great thing because it will keep you from overspending, something easily done with headphones. You can also focus on what you CAN afford, rather than what you cannot.

2) Try to determine what kind of sonic signature you prefer. For example, I strive for a balanced, neutral sound; as much accuracy as possible within my budget. Headphones with a boosted bass or treble response don't fit my preference, so I did not consider those headphones. Some folks like a "V" or "U" curve, I don't. If you know what you like, it makes it easier to decide.

3) Determine the application. Are these HPs going to be used for working out at the gym, traveling on the bus or plane, or used only for home Hi-Fi? Choosing the right headphone for the application is important. For example, open-back headphones are great for high-quality reproduction of music, but aren't the smartest choice for the office, bus, or plane. They leak sound more than closed-back headphones. Figure out how you want to use the HPs and it will make it easier to narrow down a final choice.

4) Check out HeadRoom's Build A Graph tool. This provides some insight into the headphone's characteristics in several areas and allows up to four headphones to be compared. I found this tool invaluable during my searching. I also found it pretty accurate once I actually listened to the headphones I selected.

5) Read as many reviews as possible about the headphone(s) you're considering. Not just "pro" reviews, but regular Joe Schmoe's feedback as well. However, as you read, remember that audio is very subjective. One person might find a pair of HPs too bright and fatiguing, while another person finds that same pair to be just right or even dark/veiled.

6) This is the most important step of all: when you narrow down your candidates (say two or three cans), find a way to listen to all of your potential headphones. Let me repeat that for emphasis. You might be lucky to evaluate headphones in a store. If not, you may need to purchase your two or three candidates and listen to them yourself. This is what I had to do, and let me tell you, I am VERY glad I did. Yes, it was a hassle to purchase 3 headphones and send back two, but I am completely satisfied with what I kept and have no regrets. You really need to hear the 'phones with your own ears and with your own system.


Headphone amplifiers are not always needed. If your headphones have a fairly low impedance (say less than 40 ohms), have fairly decent sensitivity (around 100db/mW), or you don't listen very loudly, than a HP amp might not be needed. As with traditional amplifiers for speakers, it's not just about power, it's about headroom and dynamics. An iPod or PC sound card might drive your headphones loud enough for your enjoyment, but might do it with more distortion because the amp is being driven harder than it should. And the amp won't have the reserve power for transients.

Honestly, this can seem like the chicken vs egg conundrum: if one's headphones are sensitive enough and/or easy to drive, one might not need an amp. However, if I don't get an amp, then am I really hearing the true sound of the headphones enough to make an accurate decision on which pair I prefer? Then again, if you don't have a way to drive headphones at the moment, you'll definitely need an amp of some sort for the evaluation.

Lots of good advice here.

I just picked up the CEntrance HiFi-M8 (Headphone DAC/AMP) combo which I am enjoying, and I'm in the midst of comparing 5 headphones. Also waiting on my SPL Phonitor-2 that should arrive next week, so I will use that to finish my comparison of the headphones. 

One problem with the audition approach: while I am not a believer of "burn in" when it comes to cables and electronics, there is most definitely "burn in" or "break in" of headphones, so comparing them straight out of the box is a flawed process. Happy to share some thoughts once I'm finished comparing/contrasting.

[Shaker]

Jun 11, 2014 18:09:11 GMT -5 garbulky said:

My answer is it depends on the headphones and how picky you are. Some people are picky about speakers but barely picky about headphones and some are the other way. Rarely have I seen somebody equally picky - including me.

there are the Type A's in the crowd 

[bluemeanies]

A lot information from this forum and I do appreciate everyone's input.
It's funny to hear that a lot of people use their HP's at work to make the day go by a bit faster and making work more enjoyable or should I say bearable depending whether or not you like your job. I think in either case it is a good thing.
In my first post I did not mention the main venue that I would be using these cans. It happens that I would be using them strictly in my dedicated room where I watch movies and listen to my sounds. Most of my listening pleasure comes from the stereo mode while I do have a few SACD's I easily have gotten out of the multi channel listening experience for music. Recently I was considering purchasing the Moody Blues Timeless Flight box set in SACD and I still am pondering the decision because of two things. SACD or STEREO and the price.
But I digress.
My interests in HP's are Grado headphones which for my comfort they sit are my big nogin comfortably. A lot of good information from Dark Ranger that I will pay more attention too. It will make the process longer but I do not want to purchase headphones only to realize I am not enjoying them to there full potential headphone amp or not. Of course havering to purchase a headphone amp will push back my buying a couple of more months but if it makes a noticeable difference and knowing how particular I am in my listening habits it will be worth the wait.

Before I forget thanks to all for giving me insight on how to buy and what to look for.

[DYohn]

A lot of people like Grado. Me, I find them too lacking in low end and just never enjoyed listening to them. What is your budget, by the way, and how do you plan to drive them?

[GreenKiwi]

There are lots of reasonably priced HP amps. The Schiit Mangi and Vali come to mind, at $100 and $120 respectively.

I think that comfort is the most important factor. If they aren't comfortable, no matter how good they sound, you won't want to wear them.

And depending on your budget you might not really need a hp amp. A lot of the < $300 headphones are designed to work well from standard headphone outputs.

[GreenKiwi]

My issue when I've tried grado headphones is that they sit on my ears and I like headphones that don't actually touch my ears... But that is just personal preference that you only find out by trying them on.

[Nodscene]

I found that for the price there was nothing close to the quality of sound from the Grado's. That being said I only have the Alessandro Music Series which equates to the SR125i's I think. I checked out the headphone wall at Bay and Bloor radio and they sounded better than almost everything there and that included some $300 ones (I must add that the were the only open cans so that made a big difference). As DYohn mentioned though they do lack a bit in the bottom end. As I have them hooked up to my computer (Asus STX) I can bump up the bass to make up for it a bit. I do find them a bit uncomfortable for long listening sessions but I hear that you can improve that drastically by purchasing the L-Cush pads for them.

[bluemeanies]

My budget is between $300-$400. That being said I am open to headphones that are at a lower price.
At this point without going over Dark Rangers tips the things that are important to me are a neutral headphones, comfort and of course staying within my budget or spending less. I also will need an extension cable since my comfort chair is approximately 13' away.
I am NOT a fan of cordless HP's.

[GreenKiwi]

There is a used pair of HD600s in the emporium that could be attractive. (even if just one option to try out.)

One note on being 13' away, I don't know if it's an option or not, but you might think about having your headphone amp near the chair, for easy volume control and run RCAs to the source rather than a long HP cable.

Do you have any stores near by that have some headphones? I have noticed that some BestBuy's have some headphones in this price range. (And by price range I mean they have them at regular price and you can often get them to match reasonable internet prices)