Headphones..
 

So this being the music section I was wondering what kind of headphones everyone uses. I'm actually into the audiophile scene so I was wondering if anyone else was! :) Also after I got into this hobby I had to start listening to FLAC/ALAC files (Free Lossless Audio Codec/Apple Lossless Audio Codec) Also "burn in" or "Break in" for higher end headphones also makes them sound way better but varies on the headphones.. For instance the SRH440, MDR-V6, M50 took about 100 hours. The DT990 took about 200 hours, STill burning in the HD598 (only 2 hours).. but The K701 (Mio's headphones) took 500 hours.. Basic burning in is playing music on them at moderate to moderate high volumes or you can run pink noise on them...
BTW most of us who listen to Audiophile grade headphones do not consider "Beats" or "Bose" High end stuff.. I have a pair of Bose that I bought before i got into the real high end stuff..

My set ups:
Headphone amps: Audio-gd Sparrow (desktop Amp/DAC), FiiO E7(portable Amp/DAC), FiiO E9 (Desktop Amp)

Earphones: V-Moda Vibe, Sony MDR-EX90LP, Bose in-ear

Headphones: AKG K701, Beyerdynamic DT990 (600 ohm), Audio Technica ATH-M-50, Shure SRH440, Sony MDR-V6, Sennheiser HD 598

I made that headphone stand cuz they were cluttering my desk... :P

I don't know anything about nice headphones, but I also have the ATH-M50s, and I was wondering how you liked them.

Also, when you mentioned headphones that audiophiles don't consider high end stuff, I was reminded of Skullcandy. They're popular at my college, but I tried one at a store and it wasn't that great...

I like the m50's alot. They are very detailed and the bass has a good punch with nice extension.. Many people actuay think the m50 has one of the beat values.. Only being $100 for the quality and sound you get it's a steal.. You should listen to the m50 on an amp.. They sound great w/o one since they are low ohm's but with an amp they are incredible more impactful bass and super crisp highs.. But that would also depend on the amp you use too..

I had a pair of Shure SRH440s and I liked them...until they snapped. Not quite durable, are they? All they did was catch on a computer chair arm as I pulled, and goodbye headphones. I didn't like the discomfort they brought either.

Anyways, I replaced them with a pair of AKG K701s, which are taking their sweet time getting to me.:heh: They'll take a while to break in but it'll give me good durability and sound in the end;) For earphones, I have a pair of cheaper Skullcandy buds that actually output good bass.

I was on my second pair of Sennheiser hd 218 until they broke on me about a month ago. Same problem as the first funny enough. For now i'm just using the box standard Apple ones until i can decide what my next pair should be. It won't be anything Sennheiser though, i can say that much.

It's funny how fragile expensive stereo headphones are compared to standard computer ones. Actually no, it's not funny; it's quite annoying. :heh:

Anyways, I don't suggest the Shure SRH series either, because they broke so easily after a couple months of using them. Hope you find something though, the Apple earbuds are horrendous.

Thanks, i'll stay away from them.

Yeah Apple headphones aren't decent at all, though they'll do me for now.

you use your guitar amp as a headphone amp?

Also I have SRH440 and mine seem durable enough.. I wear them outside alot.
being one of the only headphones I don't need amped...
Also I don't think a guitar amp will properly power the K701.
The K701 are considered VERY hard to properly drive..
I have two desktop amps capable of powering up to 600 OHM
Although they say they are only 62 OHMs people say they need
a headphone amp with a minimum of 200 OHMs to power them.
Most Amps that aren't dedicated to be only for headphones
don't have enough OHM's even home theater recievers..
You are probably going to invest in a proper "headphone amp"
to take full advantage of the K701's also K701 are very harsh
with music quality as I run FLAC/ALACs now.. Hopefully you
listen to Classical, Jazz, Blues, acoustics, and female vocals alot as
they sound amazing on these cans. I listen to alot of genres but
the K701 are to harsh with alot of them. That would be the reason
why I have so many headphones.. Rock sounds horrible and so does
bassy songs since the bass in the K701 aren't that great..

Yeah, I do. The Marshall MA100 can connect with my Mustang as a combo, and you should hear how nicely it can play music.

I just received my K701s yesterday; I estimate it'll take about 250-300 hours to break in a set of cans like these. The tone isn't too harsh right now at the moment, but once they're broken in they'll be even better. I listen to a TON of jazz and rock as well; I know my way around an equalizer and mixing board so I work around the K701's blind spot for rock music. I don't like to play around with FLAC/ALAC files as I often use iTunes and it can be picky, but mp3 files sound pretty decent as well.

I'm just waiting for them to break in and kick off~

ok so your going with a pre amp to amp setup..

The headphones are very picky.. and even with equalizers you won't get rock to sound as great as the classical will sound.. lol another reason I ended up with so many pairs.. but originally I started with just the K701.. Rock isn't that bad but depends on what the amp can dish out and all you really need is to turn up the bass part of the equalizer.. I prefer to listen to all my headphones with the equalizer flat... hope your burn in goes well! BTW Burning them in on an amp helps a great deal! :)

Audeze LCD-2 on the stereo
Sony MDR-SA5000 on the desktop
AKG K702 at work

+ a UE Triple-Fi 10vi with the ipod.

One big thing I like about the LCD-2 is that the treble isn't harsh like the others, and the bass is worlds better.

Audio-Technica ATH-AD900 which are lovely, but they are open so often I don't have a chance to use them.
I've got q-JAYS which I use otherwise and when I'm out.

I'd probably look into getting a pair of white AKG K702s if that were ever possible. (I'll hold onto my dear money for now)


edit: I was using RE0 IEMs until one side broke. Sent it in for RMA and recently got it back. Haven't touched it though since it's sealed 'new' again.
Have 2 pairs of PortaPros which I use less since I got the q-JAYS (not that they sound similar at all), and Fischer Audio Eterna and Silver Bullet which rarely use due to comfort.

mmm, i wish i could buy an electrostatic setup. i'd probably go for the HE-6 though, rather than the LCD2.

I saw your photos on Head-Fi. Haha...

How are the 598s compared to the K701s?

Well, I'm hopelessly Old Hat, but my views on digital music are strictly utilitarian--as long as it's good enough, I don't mind, so I just have a decent pair of Bose--not terrible, but certainly nothing to write home about. If I want to listen to high quality music, I'll listen to it on Vinyl. Not that I actually think its objectively better, but it's what I have the good stuff for, and prefer the deliberateness of the LP. We live in musically supersaturated culture, and I feel like it's lost so much of its meaning, so I savor the act of simply sitting down and listening to an album, as a sort of act in and of itself.

I'm not quite that deliberate--I like to read a book or peruse the liner notes while listening, but that's sort of the idea. I'm also not necessarily such a slave to the track-listing either (I think it really depends, sometimes, for example, I might skip a track I don't particularly love, or even listen to *ghasp* a Greatest Hits album for a singles artist like Elton John). He's totally right about Blood on the Tracks, though, and that Peter Robinson fellow is a prick who can go throw himself off a cliff. I'm not fundamentally opposed to the flexibility of digital culture, but that's someone who needs to learn a little respect.

While I do tend to listen to music as albums rather than on shuffle, I have fallen into the trap of background noise.

When I have albums which I know and love playing at work, I notice them just going by without truly appreciating them, due to the background noise nature, and even at home, I'm usually reading, gaming, or browsing the internet while listening to music.

K701 have a bigger soundstage
HD598 have more bass

I can't really compare them cuz they have there highs for different genres of music
HD598 are better for rock than the K701 But I still like classical/jazz on the K701

i would say if you're looking for bass, sens are the way to go. but pretty much everything else is better on the k701. just in terms of tier, the k701 is simply better than the hd595.

Lenne, i just noticed you listed your audio gear in your sig. wrong forum for that :p