Headphones/ Earphones Recomendation Corner V7

This thread serves as a Q&A section for all new/existing audiophiles seeking advice on their next headphone purchase!

The rules are simple, no flaming/bashing and try not to spam (posting irrelevant post).
You may ask us any headphone/earphone related question, and we will gladly assist you. Don't be shy!

When asking, please remember to STATE YOUR BUDGET. Better if you give exact numbers... "not so expensive la" is not considered a budget

Other info such as the following will also be helpful to get faster and more accurate responses:
- Your rig (mp3 players, amps, soundcard etc)
- What type of usage (movies/ gaming/ music etc)
- File format used in your source (i.e. flac, mp3 etc)
- Genre of music you listen to (classical, jazz, metal, etc)
- Headphone/ earphone type (closed, open, cirumaural, IEM etc)
- Other requirements (if any) (mic, volume control, 5.1ch, 7.1ch etc)

...or you can just copy and paste the following format when posting:


Best of luck on your headphone/ earphone purchase!

Useful links:
Multi IEM review - 214 IEMs reviewed (ljokerl @ Head-Fi)
Shootout - 82 portable headphones reviewed (ljokerl @ Head-Fi)
How to choose the perfect pair of headphones/earphones (lifehacker.com)
To Amp, Or Not to Amp? (inearmatters.net)
Portable amp roundup! 56 portable amps reviewed and compared (Skylab @ Head-fi)
Custom IEM Resource Thread - Summary Reviews, Info, Custom IEM Manufacturers (average_joe @ Head-Fi)
Multiple IEM shootout v3 (ClieOS - Head-Fi)
Earbuds Guide - 12 Earbuds Compared (swbf2cheater @ Head-Fi)
Glossary of terms for the audiophile (audiolinks.com)

Previous threads for reference:
Recommendation Thread V1
Recommendation Thread V2
Recommendation Thread V3
Recommendation Thread V4
Recommendation Thread V5
Recommendation Thread V6

Some audio terms used in this thread and their meaning:

Circumaural headphones:
Sometimes called full size headphones, these are made in a circular fashion that surround the ear completely.

Closed back:
Closed back (or sealed) headphones are designed to reduce the effect of external noise on your listening and also to keep the noise made by the headphone drivers from leaking out and disturbing people around you.

Ear Bud:
Ear bud headphones are small in size and are placed directly outside the ear canal.

In Ear Monitors (IEM):
In Ear Monitors (IEM) also known as Ear Canal Headphones (ECH's). These earphones are placed into the ear canal and effectively seal your ear with their small rubberised ear-tip sleeve (can also come with various tips). They are small, lightweight and very portable.

Noise cancelling headphones:
Noise cancelling headphones reduce the perceived noise from outside with the clever use of small microphones located inside the earpiece and active electronics within the headset. The basic principle is that the noise signal for the outside world is inverted and then summed with the signal from the audio source. The result is that the ambient noise from outside is effectively cancelled out, which lets you enjoy your music.

Open back headphones:
Open back headphones (sometimes referred to as vented) are designed to allow sound out through the back of the earcup. This design gives a character to the sound that is often described as having an open soundstage, or natural. One reason for this is that there are less reflections than a closed back (or sealed) design.

Supra aural:
Supra aural headphones have pads that sit on top of the ears, rather than around them.

Source:
http://www.headphone.com/headphones/
http://www.wirelessrfheadphones.com/guides...uld-you-choose/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headphones
http://reviews.cnet.com/2719-7612_7-382-1.html?tag=page;page
http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/headphone-...de-by-type.html
http://www.headphonereviews.org/glossary.php

Note: If there's anything you think I should add, send me a PM.

This post has been edited by MrJinggles: Jan 13 2012, 11:41 PM

I'm 1st
Guys, need some suggestion here. Thx in advance
- My Rig: HTC Evo 3D
- Type of usage: Music
- File format: MP3
- Music genre: Jpop
- Budget: RM200 + -
- Headphone/ earphone type: IEM
- Other requirements (if any): mic & volume control

Congrats on V7 !

Wow 100% that sure is loud for me even with a 250ohm headphone. Don't worry too much about amp first. They will still run fine without one with the bad effect that I have written for HD668B in my previous post. With a proper amplifier/ desktop amp they are not just only bringing a bit of potential, they might actually bring out their full potential depending on the match between the amp and the headphone. Try to avoid portable or battery power amp instead. If you do I find the minimum standard will be JDSLabs CMOY BB stock configuration for a high ohm headphone.

Try not to listen too loud especially from a headphone out from your pc. You might damage your ear instead. I've been living for about a year +- without a proper/ using portable, battery power amp for my 250ohm headphone and I find it to damage a bit of my hearing already. Try to listen softer and only blast them after you get an amplifier. I hope here you can find a bit information about the amplification. There are some information might have mistakes because it is too hard to find a proper and correct information in an audiophile world. Too much misconception that I'm trying to correct. Here's the link http://audioreviews-akuma.blogspot.com/201...-headphone.html

Basically headphone amp is unlike most speaker amp/ budget speaker amp, their main purpose is not to increase the volume though increased volume is one of the side effect you get from proper amplification. They are meant for improving the controls on the drivers/speaker instead thus increasing the amount of details, bass punch and certain matching can increase the speed/PRAT as well. In other words, headphone amp helps you reduce the your listening volume instead because you are hearing more details than not having a proper amplifier.

Sorry for bringing this old post from previous thread. But I think this is something that is important and should take note of.

[/quote]


oh , so if i wanna get a HD660 i dun need to get an amp first , since u mentioned its needs power supply somemore , must be expensive keke .
And i dun think i can hear the difference just yet hehe .
btw sifu , pls help advise , thanks ! from previous post.

[quote=pcm123,Nov 26 2011, 09:05 PM]
Hi sifus

- My Rig: iphone 4 , pc
- Type of usage: mostly music
- File format: mp3
- Music genre: mostly pop, like tvxq, boa , snsd , celine dion, adele , muse , mj .
- Budget: less than 200
- Headphone/ earphone type: full headset , close or semi open i dunno the pros n cons , pls advice.
- Other requirements (if any): i m aiming for superlux 660d , wonder is there smth similar in performance n price n more suitable for my music type . Previously only owned a koss kcs 75.

Thanks for the help !


just need some assurance keke . btw is this headset available at jalan pasar ? What area to pay attention while checking new product? and anyone know the warranty for hd660 ?

big thanks !

oh , so if i wanna get a HD660 i dun need to get an amp first , since u mentioned its needs power supply somemore , must be expensive keke .
And i dun think i can hear the difference just yet hehe .
btw sifu , pls help advise , thanks ! from previous post.

Ya HD660 requires amplifier but you can get it later on. They are not necessary that expensive at all. On the lower end you can even get a dac amp combo from the fiio E10. On the mid range you have uber muzik TTD, audinst hud mx1 and many more.
It is hard to match the performance of superlux because they are probably one of the best budget performer out there. They don't put much money on looks or smoothing out the design. Most of their money went to sound improvement and speaker design. Yes they looks like cheap chinese stuffs, but their plastic is much harder than those known brand and can withstand more torture than most headphone.
You can go pasar road intrasco to test them out. But for purchase I think finding Trio is better as they are a bit cheaper.

V7, congrats!

Review of earphone

anyone have suggestion please

- My Rig: PC,Samsung Galaxy Tab
- Type of usage: Mp3,gaming
- File format: mp3,mkv
- Music genre: bass,pop,hip hop
- Budget: less RM300 or -+
- Headphone/ earphone type: looking for headphone
- Other requirements (if any): brand shure,sennheiser

try srh440 from shure

This post has been edited by noobandroid: Nov 27 2011, 10:34 PM

how about headphone with great bass? im targeting good quality bass sound headphone

well srh440 has a decent amount of bass, should be enough for quality bass sound u seek, but not the OGRE bass from Beats type

so compared with SRH440 and Beats Solo HD...Beats better bass? does all beats product have OGRE Bass?

oh hell yeah they do, it's their signature, "nothing but the bass" instead of "nothing but the best" lol

and never aim for fake beats, because they got none of this bass
seriously i wonder why can people said its 90% same with ori

it depends on the grades. Fake Beats have different grades with different price.

and where to find a "good" grade?

big and heavy packaging, with "limited edition" wordings, and pretty big price-tag perhaps?

- My Rig: Laptop, iPod
- Type of usage: MP3, Movies
- Music genre: Rock, Metal, Alternative
- Budget: Below RM700
- Headphone/ earphone type: Headphone
- Other requirements (if any): NONE

The high acclaimed AiAiAi TMA-1

- My Rig: Roland MicroCube / Any electric guitar amplifier
- Type of usage: Headphone for electric guitar amplifier
- Music genre: Rock, Metal
- Budget: Below RM150
- Headphone/ earphone type: Headphone
- Other requirements (if any): none

I was looking into Sennheiser HD 201, Philips SHP2700, Edifier Coolware Music 800 and Sony MDR-XD200 but could not decide which one to buy. Can anyone please suggest me some headphone models suitable for electric guitar amplifiers. Thank you.

This post has been edited by neo_himura: Nov 28 2011, 05:06 AM

Your wish list ath-m50, rite? Why not get that one. Else, fa-003 oso should be fine

Is that so? Hmm....will definitely look into it.
Any thoughts where I might get it?

Yeah it's in my wishlist, but there's just nowhere I can get it. Or test it. I tried asking around in Garage Sales, nobody's carrying it.

Did u try jaben audio malaysia? They have all the headphones u need

The one in Subang Jaya right? No, not yet, since it's a bit too far. But I'll try calling them up and ask.
But then, which is better? The M50 or the TMA-1?

didnt reserved 1-2 more posts in case you need for extra info?

anyways reported so mod may pin it (and remove old thread)

i think it's because you dont judge headphones on the amount of bass it can put out.

---

Added on November 28, 2011, 11:32 ami think m50 is clearer

This post has been edited by spacelion: Nov 28 2011, 11:32 AM

Probably M50 is clearer. But for your genre I think TMA-1 is more suitable

anything better than Solo HD sound and bass quality with same/-+ price?

Built specifically for your application, the AKG K44

not sure if trolling

This review answers your question

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/e...g-on-ear-wangs/

Really? For rock, alternative and metal the tma-1 is better? How so? I thought m50 sounds clearer? Meh I'll try them both to decide. What about some old songs? Like 80s songs such as one night in bangkok, take on me, and new songs like paradise by coldplay? I've been listening to a few headphones with paradise. Not all of them deliver the perfect sound balance for the song.

The TMA-1 does have an aggressive sound signature great for genres you had mentioned. If a more balanced sound is preferred, do check out the AKG Q460s.

Besides Jaben, you can try out both the M50 and the TMA-1 at Tong Lee Co. as well, ground floor of Low Yat Plaza.





This post has been edited by E1 - AKG: Nov 28 2011, 02:09 PM

Ground floor eh? Alright will do. They are a store like jaben is it?

Which IEM come closet to Fischer Audio Eterna V1 in term of bass quality and amount?

its the one with tube amps outside, and a lot of foreigners walking in and asking stupid questions.

For your budget do check out Superlux HD660, if sound quality is what you're looking for.

Do try the Denon AH-D1100 and Beyer DT770 too.

---

Added on November 28, 2011, 10:13 pmI'm afraid the list is too long It's better to state your preferred genre and sound signature

Sadly in the same price bracket... none. Hippo VB should sound the closest.

However, if price is not an issue

Monster Turbine Pro Gold and Sennheiser IE8 are what you need to look into.

This post has been edited by JustForFun: Nov 28 2011, 10:13 PM

so conclusion fanny wang better eh?
a bit cheaper than beats solo..fenny wang 3001 is better than 2001?

Hi Sirs

- My Rig: Sony Vaio F series (Intel high definition audio)
- Type of usage: music only (when i listen to music, i really only listen and do nothing else)
- File format: large mp3s / flac (very high quality)
- Music genre: all types
- Budget: max RM1200
- Headphone/ earphone type: currently HD380
- Other requirements (if any): prefer not to have an external amp, but also please recommend an external usb sound card to go with the headphones


thanks people!

hmm.. easy to drive, ATH-AD900

means something tat doesnt need amp? ATH M50/AD900/A900, Shure SRH840/srh940, Fanny Wang 3001, Senn HD598/HD600, Beyerdynamic DT770/DT880

Hi guys,, im back
i am very happy with mr.avatars ifrogz nervepipes.. using them nao

im now looking for over ear headphones...(those that cover the whole ear)
or IEM's
budget 100-150
songs that i listen...high bass, techno... and heavy metal...

THX agn

iem, perhaps Creative EP-630, very high bass, epic for techno

It really depends on your needs. The 1001 is the model mentioned in the review comparing with the Solo HD. The 3001 is up against the Studio while the 2001 is in between the 1001 and 2001.

---

Added on November 29, 2011, 1:14 amThe high revered FiiO E10 (24bits/96kHz) and the award winning AKG K242HD (or its studio legend twin the K240mkII)

Review: http://www.compudio.ca/2010/08/joyride-on-akg-k242hd.html





This post has been edited by E1 - AKG: Nov 29 2011, 01:15 AM

hmm.... price?? any other suggestions?

just RM100, available locally (last time i bought at Lowyat plaza)

liddat i need postage adi.. cuz i live at alor star~

Any advise , brand or location to buy in butterworth/Penang...

- What type of usage (movies)
- File format used in your source (main on movie)
- Headphone/ earphone type (closed)
- Other requirements ( 5.1ch, noise canceling)
- Budget RM 500-1000
- Wireless or non wireless also can

Dear Sir / Madam,

- My Rig: Itouch, mp3, phone, laptop
- Type of usage: Mostly music and slight of video
- File format: Normal/ high definition
- Music genre: All types (Would love clarity for both treble and bass, Bass is good but does not completely cover the treble sound)
- Budget: below RM 100
- Headphone/ earphone type: Earphones
- Other requirements (if any): Better if it's simple as I use it very frequently. Would love the bass to be slightly over the treble but there are clear clarity between both.
- Was thinking of Sennheiser, Philips, Creative, etc...

Sorry if I asked too much since my budget is low...

Thanks

Fanny Wang Over Ear ANC 3001



This post has been edited by E1 - AKG: Nov 29 2011, 10:54 PM

Superlux HD381F or Creative EP-630 for more bass

Thanks, around how much? haha! I love bass but not too much until it completely overwhelm the treble (until unheard)

You are the bomb!

i believe its still not too overwhelm, a slight muddy thumpy bass

for the superlux, try look around the garage sales thread,
as for the creative, last time i get it at lowyat plaza, not sure if they still got though

wow
Thanks guys!

Thanks so much for the help! will check it out soon enough

any over ear headphones
within 100-150 price range?
ima bass head

- Your rig :Samsung wave s8500
- What type of usage :Mainly music
- File format used in your source:320kbs mp3 and losless files
- Genre of music you listen to :EVERY kind of song from rock to jazz
- Headphone/ earphone type :Closed can.No IEM please...full or semi will do just fine
- Other requirements :Hmmh....emphasise on the mid and high .Low shouldn't be too bad..It should be better than shure 750dj and goldring dr150..Thankyou
Budget :Rm700-rm800


This post has been edited by D-Frog: Nov 30 2011, 02:12 AM

DUNU Trident.

RM 300~400 sennheiser HD 518 or HD 558?? which 1 better for movies?

nice... would maybe get that.... but prefer headphones... suggestions?

AKG K99

u sure this price can get HD518? 2nd hand is it?

---

Added on November 30, 2011, 1:06 pmbetter than SRH750? try ATH M50/AD700/A500, Sennheiser HD518/HD558, Beyerdynamic DT770

This post has been edited by MrAvatar: Nov 30 2011, 01:06 PM

Close canned ah bro , Currently have an eye on aiaiai-tma1...what do you think about it?..

This post has been edited by D-Frog: Nov 30 2011, 03:02 PM

About Tma-1, it has Solo HD feel..which means it has strong bass..suitable for rock and dubstep..for vocal i dont think it is a good idea..maybe u can look at fanny wang 1001, quite same price but more balance than tma1

Rig - Xonar DG, supports up to 150ohm
Usage - Mostly games, some movies/series and music as well
File format - For music, mp3
Genre - Music - all types, from jazz to electronic to rap etc. Games - currently, BF3, Witcher2, MW3 soon along with Skyrim. Loads of racing games too like SHIFT and DiRT.
Type - I want big, comfortable circumaurals that won't touch my ears. Must also be closed.

Budget about S$200+. Right now my main choice and almost decided are the DT770Pro/80 which are just slightly over budget. But when I tried these on in Jaben, I liked the sound and especially the comfort.

Anyway, the main point of my questions is, for my budget, are there other headphones suitable for my needs which I should consider?

FYI, my current headphones are the SHP2700, so although I'm no audiophile, pretty much anything else is gonna sound like an upgrade lol.

This post has been edited by evilnickwong: Nov 30 2011, 03:45 PM

headphones at that price point, i'm not too familiar.

Can try shures srh-240 and AT - A300. If you are in Singapore, can try out German Mastero at Stereo, can't remember which model though. but if you can, the beyers dt770/80 is your best bet.

Oh..Okay..I shal go to jaben and give it a try..thanks

you guys are dam good

last time i started with Philips. Then went to Sennheiser HD280pro, now HD380. i became a sort of Sennheiser loyalist.
just now i was recommended by you guys to get the AKG 240mkII

and for the source, at first i just used my Acer laptop, then i went for a Soundblaster USB 5.1. now i am recommended an Fii0 E10.

I read the reviews and i can't wait to get these babies!!!!

but i'm wondering, what if money is not an issue? what is the ultimate combination?

For me,should be akg k550 (haven't release) with a fiio e11 amp My source should be ipad..since it has the best sound on the market.. But me no expert..ask those sifu's on top

This post has been edited by D-Frog: Nov 30 2011, 05:59 PM

Currently using FiiO E7/E9 combo to drive AKG Q701. Waiting for the new E17 to replace the E7

havent tried srh-240, but tried the srh-840 for kicks. didn't find them as comfy as beyers and altho the srh-840 were more pricey, i found the dt770 more to my liking

a300s are open it seems, so i'll not consider those.

ultimate combination? you want a USD10K + setup?

since you seem to prefer Senn, a possible setup will be:

Audio-GD DAC Ref 7.1 USD1900 http://www.audio-gd.com/PriceList.htm
Liquid Fire Amplifer USD3250 http://www.cavalliaudio.com/products/liquid-fire-amp/
Senn HD800 USD 1499 http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD800-Ove...e/dp/B001OTZ8DA
HD800 Upgrade Cable USD3000 http://doublehelixcables.com/store/index.p...&products_id=49

this is still exclusive of shipping costs and tuning / tweaks that can be done.

---

Added on November 30, 2011, 7:39 pmthe AD-300 are open, A-300 are closed.


This post has been edited by hongrui: Nov 30 2011, 07:39 PM

hey i don't mind that
but tuning / tweaks? i'm no expert, so maybe it will be a waste on me

maybe even without tweaks it will make ur ears go OMG leh

I guess you should remove both the HD800 and amplifier out of it. The Ultimate combo currently needs to have Stax SR009 and third party electrostatic Amp that can match their performance. If you want to take it even further, you have to get the Take T H-2+ headphone and their transformer box and a good speaker amp. Yes, you read it right, they requires a speaker amplifier feed to their transformer box to power the headphones. Some said Take T H2 is one of the best headphone currently have aside from the Sennheiser legendary Orpheus, and they have a physicality in it that is so good that it even exceed the level of Stax. Try to imagine that.

Take T h2: http://www.taket.jp/h2/h2.html

This post has been edited by Akuma no Hana: Dec 1 2011, 02:22 AM

HD 518 - 85 euro / HD 558 - 116 euro

Stax SR009, Impedance: 145k Ohms. Really? wow.

T h2. mmmmmm...... ugly

By placing games in front of your usage do you mean it will be mainly used for gaming? Anyway, I think your choice was spot on for the DT770 because it suits your needs very well. The sound stage is quite decent for a closed can and is actually a bass heavy headphones (at least for me). It should perform very well for gaming/movies.

I couldn't think of any other headphones at that budget that suits you better because you are fussy very firm on your requirements Well most importantly, you tried the DT770 80ohm and you like it and the other headphones at that range are either open/have smaller earcups/possess different sound signature/simply doesn't perform as good as the 770 pro.

By this do you mean you are buying in EU or you got the price from the Internet then converted them into RM, thinking that they would be around that price too in Malaysia?

Stax Signature isn't for everyone. i tried a pretty good SR007 setup before, but it wasn't to my liking. anyway, it was just a theoretical exercise just to show how far along you can really go, if you want to spend. for me personally, if you give me that particular setup i proposed, i still would have sold away the HD800 in favor of a T1 or LCD-3.

each to his own poison, as i like to say.

Ya, the funny think is that many high end stuffs looks ugly. Maybe they said Audiophiles prefer sound quality over fashion are true.

Ya of course. He did said assuming that budget is of no constraint what is the Ultimate Combo. Aside from sound preference the stax should be one of the few ultimate combo currently have to offered. Anyway man now you prefer your T1 more or LCD2?

Ah didn't realize that. Google only seems to give me back results on the AD-300. I might check them out if I can find them at the shops.


Yes mainly games, because I don't listen to music that much at home. I've heard that the DT770 is bass heavy, but I guess I liked it when I tried it at Jaben (playing some deadmau5 and Black Kids from my Omnia 7 paired with a Hippo amp borrowed from them).

Yes I'm quite firm on the need for comfy fit.

I mainly listen to music only at work and when on the MRT/bus, and for that I'm not too fussy at the moment. Just using the IEMs that came with my phone as I like having the in-line mic and controls.

i would love to have stax headphone if my budget permits me... but now i have to satisfy with my baby stax....

and yeap... not everyone will appreciated the electrostatic sound....

This was the output from my thread Superlux VS Shure
SHURE SRH440- better sound clarity, smooth sound, lack of bass.
Superlux HD660- the best of all, superlux model stated, good bass, not so smooth sound, the sound tends to mix the high, and mid. but still better than mixstyle dj headphone that costs rm10.
ok, i thought the result was predictable.

Let me try to describe more music preference. I like bass, and if the bass is BOOM it should sounds BOOM not BUUM or BUU or BOOB.
However, i also like rock music that really need to have better soundstage bcause i want to hear and differentiate all the instruments in it, the guitar, drums, bass, violin and bla bla..
I tried monster beat solo HD and studio. I kinda like the sound, but from reading, some people said can get better cans with lower price range.
So, can anybody recommend me a Monster Beats Sudio-like sound headphone, but of course better. mybe with preamp. Thank you.
Btw price range is below 400. Thank you

money no constrain i also wouldn't recommend Stax. Unless you tried and really liked the signature. i had friends who tried to go Stax, spent and sold and finally came back to Dynamics, while others stay on with Stax.

T1 vs LCD-2 i've got no opinion yet. i'm just burning in the LCD-2 now, slight changes here and there but gotta wait till the xmas weekend when i get back home to my home rig and spend some quality time with them both together.