Simple. Different target audience. I find that even a low end one but once you started enter into audiophile headphone/IEM the sound definitely improve alot over mainstream product. The tuning,clarity, definition and overall sound sounded much much better. Audiophile IEM/Headphone carry audiophile sound while mainstream carry terrible mainstream sound even when you buy expensive one. (I'm not just talking about monster, basically all other brand also same including Audio Technica itself and other big brand)

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Added on October 13, 2011, 10:04 pmLast time before i enter audiophile i find that the Siberia Neckband Headset sounded very good. So long never tested it already so i really won't comment much about it. But the sound quality are definitely above V1 and possibly the best sound in Siberia headset. But if you really wanted to use headset for VOIP/Gaming don't expect much in sound quality. They always sucks.

This post has been edited by Akuma no Hana: Oct 13 2011, 10:11 PM

Passive noise isolation are better than noise cancelling. Try look at this site for some that are within your budget. Link http://www.lelong.com.my/Merchant/JabenNetwork.htm
They have a physical store if you need one. And also can test the earphone.

Oh sorry didn't notice that you want on ear. Would you consider for IEM as well. They isolate much better than on ear.

Well now the easiest term is to differentiate mainstream (fashion minded) to audiophile quality headphone (Sound quality matter more than fashion). If you like mainstream then it is your choice as long as it satisfy you even if you overspent it. But if you ask on this thread you will surely get no for an answer. This is because not only they are mainstream their quality just like other have stated only worth lower few hundred ringgit/entry level price and not thousands and can be easily beaten.

We are not bashing it because we heard it from someone or we don't like it, but it is the truth with the headphone. Just simply ask Jaben for beat solo and beat studio and test it against a cheaper audio technica M50. You will know what we meant as being a terrible headphone.

Well i won't say like that also because SQ5 are still considered as mainstream. I did test my friends audio technica T500 also suffer from poor sound quality and equivalent to mainstream products. But then an almost similar price AD300 sound like you are entering the audiophile market because they do sound better. Sometime it has to depends on which audience the headphone maker targets. If sound quality is your concern look for true audiophile headphone (not marketed as audiophile). Price is not really a concern here as long as it is true audiophile quality/ acknowledge by many audiophile.

Since you are not limiting yourself to single genre you can try to increase your budget and get one of the superlux range. Thought they may not be as comfortable or look poorly built (very good rigid hard plastic just not as smooth looking) when compared to well known brand, but their internal speaker are well design. They are one of the best sounding headphone in that range and can challenge the big boys up to 10X it's price. (Giving the high end headphone a scare but still not yet there to defeat them. What do you expect from a headphone that only cost 1/10 of it's price.) Definitely far ahead of HD201.

Try to ask some forumer that is kind enough to let you try them. I've poison quite a few people with them.

Besides creative EP630 and Hippo Groove (Highly recomended. Can be found in Jaben) it is hard to find anything in that range.

yup I have to agree with the 10x a big word to use but that is what I felt from my HD668B. It will give them a scare only, not really pulling them down because in the end they still don't have the refinement and smoothness from them. But musicality wise, yes it is better from superlux.

You can try out F1pro also. I've never try it personally but have heard good things about it.

This post has been edited by Akuma no Hana: Nov 22 2011, 03:08 PM

The sound quality is definitely a strong point of superlux. Smoothness or refinement may not there. But compare to other similar price one they are still ahead of them.

You definitely should look at superlux if you want long lasting headphone. It is built like a tank and looks like a tank. They won't give you the sportscar look. The plastic looks cheap but it can withstand torture.

However I suggest you look into hd681 if you want HD668B because the HD668B requires amplification to properly control the speaker and give a better bass punch.

M50 definitely a good buy. At that range you can also look at Shure SRH440 and Shure SRH840. They all have different sound so find the one that suits you most.

Yup hopefully he have access to Jaben. Hehehehe

Without proper amplification AKA onboard sound card, they sounded very thin, bass punch is lighter and lack control and also lack of a proper control on the speaker drivers. Basically, the timing, phase and many things sounded wrong and not in tune. (Not slow, just can't get the right timing on starting and ending of a note)

For gaming so far I found no headphone able to satisfy my needs for First Person Shooter. The sound are wayyy too off and fake. However, online games, RPG, RTS still sound fine especially when their BGM kicks in. Sound effect from those source is still fine.

Genre I'm not sure, but I find that the HD668B has the widest genre bandwidth/ very universal sounding which is able to sit next to JH16PRO. Both are my everyday use headphone. A brief sound intro. HD668B has a more foward mids, the soundstage although is available but not wide enough (Many headphone in this range fail in soundstage), I find it to be the most ideal frequency response where the amount of high, mids and bass is very balanced and at the right amount. The sound is more clinical/ studio like and very revealing of your sound system. The only complain is that I wish it has slightly more lower bass so it can vibrate more and not just giving you midbass punch.

HD681 (RED) has a more laid back sound in the mids, able to reach lower bass notes (Some people think the amount of bass on this is higher but to me I think it has the same midbass punch just only it has the ablity to hit the lower notes so it gives an impression of better bass) It is more warmer than HD668B but is not as revealing as HD668B. This headphone emphasis on treble and bass with more laid back mids and also more comfortable to wear. Besides those differences both the HD668B and HD681 are interchangeable and you won't notice it at all when you switch them unless you AB both of it at the same time. The only thing that is noticeable of HD668B is the requirement for a better amplification.

So it all boils down to whether if you want to get an amplifier or not in the future. The HD668B can scale up so well that it can benefit from a high end amp while HD681 does not have that ability to scale up to high end amp though still will improve from an amplification. If you do choose to get an amp for HD668B look for amp that can supply more current than voltage because they are current sensitive and not voltage. In other words, look for amplifier with higher Mw/ Miliwatt ratings instead of how much voltage they can suppy.

So far the only place I know that can try some of the superlux is in Intrasco in pasar road or you can give Trio a pm and see if he has any of his own unit for you to test. All his headphone are ship directly so only ask for his one, don't ask for demo unit.

If you don't mind poor look or copycat look you can go for Superlux. Better than all you have suggested. If you do compare HD201 to HD202 my suggestion is don't get HD201. Way too entry level sound. Besides HD201, you should try all to get a headphone that suits your sound signature.

That is impossible because even now I've reach JH16PRO level still does not found that thing is possible. It's just only an overexagerating of their sound system or misunderstanding of the words. The only way to hear them I think is to hear their raw files. CDs already have brought in some form of compression as well as loudness war.

This part you are wrong. Basically even I'm using HM602 as DAC and compare to a Govibe the HM602 definitely is higher in quality. However, the changes is not really that big at all. I find that headphone give the biggest changes, then amplifier only last is DAC. Of course it is best to upgrade all together if you have the money because somehow you will still hear the lower quality from the lack of a dac for a while until you can upgrade. But again the changes the DAC makes are the smallest especially you use lower end headphones. So please get a headphone first then suffer a while then upgrade amp and lastly get a high end DAC to support your system. The lack of a DAC is just only temporary, if the lack of a headphone you just can't see the benefit of upgrading a DAC first.

So don't worry bout sound card or onboard. Straight away go for a DAC instead if your main purpose is music. The dolby effect or cretive effect or any other digital effect sounds very terrible and can't match a the natural soundstage of a proper setup. As for the G35 I do suggest get a proper headphone because in the end, once you purchase an audiophile level headphone (even entry level one) you wont even go back to those gaming or other mainstream headphone anymore. I've killed some people with my entry level audiophile quality heaphone/IEM. Now I still enjoy them as much as my higher end system.

If you are looking at heartbeat/boom bass then you can opt out superlux. Though the Superlux midbass punch does give a good heartbeat feel but not booming coz not enough low frequency enhancement. So far I only have HD668B and HD681. You can look into this site instead for more info bout other superlux range. http://www.headfonia.com/?s=superlux
There is also a comparison of SJ11 and SJ33 in this site.

T500 is a useless piece of junk. I have put it in amplifier ranging from entry level, to JDSLabs CMOY and to a high end amp. All stilll shows that this T500 is useless even when properly amp. I have not tried any other headphone you speak of yet. However my philosophy is still buy audiophile level headphone (Even cheap entry level) will be better than buying mainstream headphone where all the headphone you stated is mainstream level.

You have to be very careful in reading any reviews including head fi. Not all reviewer will take a neutral point of view. There are biasness and overhyping over a product in lots of audiophile review including head fi forum. Try to judge them by yourself.

This post has been edited by Akuma no Hana: Nov 26 2011, 03:09 AM

[quote=SimpleasABC,Nov 26 2011, 05:17 PM]

Thanks for the extreamly loooooonngggg replyyy..... i hope that i can reply u back that long.
from your reply, that makes me think that HD668B is not my type of headphone that ive been searchin for. and yet its true, after researchinng all the reviews.
i also got the idea which headphone should i look through, its HD660 or HD440. but im not sure about HD681 and HD330. both of the headphones is sumthing good for rock genre (just refer on reviews)
i think i already made my decision. im going for HD660, as review from headfonia "Say hello to the best Rock headphones under $100"
Once again thanks for your reply, and others

[/quote]
Yup I'm also thinking of recomending you HD660 based on review by him. It is both suitable for rock and also much higher sound quality than an already so great HD668B. But the problem is that this headphone requires more amping power than HD668B because it is rated at 150ohm. (He make a mistake claiming it is 300ohm) The most stable amplifier for this type is via power supply type and not portable type because it is more voltage hungry than current.

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Added on November 26, 2011, 9:00 pm[quote=power911,Nov 26 2011, 09:16 AM]
should've asked in the headphone section but whatever~

many of them had said that surround headphones or virtual surround headphones sucks.
you have to pay a huge sum of money if you want good ones.
you either wait or buy normal stereo headphones with huge soundstage

because normal stereo is good enough to act like a surround headphone if you buy decent ones

[/quote]


[quote=dasherzx,Nov 26 2011, 11:26 AM]
Unless you've external GCs, I don't see any problem.

[/quote]
Oops i did not see external i kept on thinking about xonar dg then can recommend good and cheap ones for me?

[/quote]
Save your money and get a DAC instead.

This post has been edited by Akuma no Hana: Nov 26 2011, 09:00 PM