9 Volt power vs. USB input, use optical or coax in from your audio source, nice clean signal, no noise and the headphone amp is robust. Has line RCA pre outs on the back for a set of powered speakers or an amp. I'm sure you could spend more and get something more refined, but my ears say this is pretty darn good and the price can't be beat.
@Cliff_Forster the SHP9500's are amazing for their price. Very good but if it's swingable price wise there are definitely better cans out there. They are on par with the HD 558s he already has.
I have been investigating options in the semi open variety of headphones. I love the open sound stage of my 558s, but I would like a little more punch in the low end. I'm not a bass head by any means, but I have always thought that Senns lack the low end punch of the closed ear world. So hit me with a solid recommendation in the $200-$300 range of semi open cans.
Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pro? Some reviews say they are a little harsh in the upper frequencys. Anyone ever give these a serious listen?
I'm so pleased with the shp9500s it's hard for me to justify paying more for open cans. I'm definitely more of an open sound guy, I like that feeling of listening out in space rather than beaming the song directly into my skull.
My favorite closed set at home is my Koss pro4s, I have tried Sony and AudioTech reference studio cans bit for me the Koss Pro4s felt line it had the most even and comfortable sound. When I don't want the sound to leak and bother my wife that's what I wear.
@Sonorous said:
I have been investigating options in the semi open variety of headphones. I love the open sound stage of my 558s, but I would like a little more punch in the low end. I'm not a bass head by any means, but I have always thought that Senns lack the low end punch of the closed ear world. So hit me with a solid recommendation in the $200-$300 range of semi open cans.
Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pro? Some reviews say they are a little harsh in the upper frequencys. Anyone ever give these a serious listen?
I am not a closed ear guy as in I only use open ears. Beyers definitely have a unique sound signature. I generally don't listen to that much music with a lot of bass kick so I generally look for good mids.
and the Mad Dog Mr. Speakers are good in that range. You just don't want to get stuck in Mid-Range hell. In that range you aren't likely to get to significant of an upgrade over the 558s.
Headphones have been such a boom market due to so many portable devices. It's not too hard to find excellent stuff for less now. I think the only people that buy $500+ headphones are people that want you to know that they had the scratch to buy $500+ headphones. If you can't find something that sounds amazing for sub $200 you are just trying really hard to convince yourself that you have some super refined hearing. It's a marketing trap driven by that desire to have "the best". There are some exceptions, a few things that are actually manufactured in the US or Japan, and you pay a premium for that, and that I can understand from a quality standpoint, but if you are paying $500 for headphones made in China, you don't have to. It's a phenomenal time for headphone enthusiasts. There has never been so many phenomenal deals. Don't fall into that marketing trap where you are convinced you have the magic audiophile golden ears... blind tests will show you that you don't.... snake oil is all over the audio buisness. Just get something comfortable that sounds the way you want for your application. Don't box yourself into this idea that you have to spend X dollars to get "transparency" or some other BS sound marketing jargon.
I will agree there is an absurd amount of "snake oil" in the audio world. There are definitely significant gains to be made in the 500+ range of headphones. It isn't just about showing off. Shit you can even tell a major difference between Senn's HD 700s and HD 800s. Also At this range most of the headphones are produced in the countries the company is based in. Fostex Japan, AT (mid to high range Japan, low in Taiwan), Sennheiser is all produced in Germany, Grados in Brooklyn, Audeze in USA, so and so forth. Granted country where it is produced should mean literally nothing. China consistently puts out some of Excellent audio products and a lot of the stuff being made and designed there are on the cutting edge.
@Cliff_Forster said:
If you can't find something that sounds amazing for sub $200 you are just trying really hard to convince yourself that you have some super refined hearing.
While I think that all industries in audio pander to this, I do believe that there are people with a better comprehension of what they prefer things to sound like. As a professional, I listen to sound systems every day. I can identify feedback within a 100 hertz range and can tell you when a system or room has an errant frequency response. I know how I like things to sound. From the smallest of bluetooth speakers to the largest concert arrays. I'm not trying to convince myself that I have superior hearing, but I have a refined preference of tonality. Just like there are people with ultra refined taste buds or sense of smell. Now this all seems awful haughty of me, and that's not my true intension, but discounting all headphones over $200 may prevent a guy like me from possibly getting the product I actually wanted to use for something that I really enjoy as a hobby. Now, please don't think that I am saying that all headphones under $200 are utter crap. My 558s as a daily driver for the last 4 years is a testament to my understanding that higher cost doesn't not mean better sound. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, whatever the cost.
Room acoustics don't matter when you are listening to headphones.
That aside, I'm not saying it to be purely argumentative, I'm just saying the perception of "high resolution" audio, and "Audiophile Grade" products has been grossly oversold. The reality in modern music is it is all compressed so much and mixed so hot for radio that it is rare that a recording has the dynamics necessary to get the most out of these products. As much as I appreciate Vinyl making a comeback, it's not an "audiophile" format. It's retro, it's fun, it sounds different, but it isn't necessarily better from a purely scientific and statistical point of view, but kids are buying it because they have had so many poorly compressed MP3 files crammed down their throats that they don't know what good sounds like. Even then, once you reach a 256 kbps file, as much as I'd like to think my flac rips are better sounding, I can't tell, you can't tell, nobody really can... It's been tested over and over. It's a kind of placebo when listening to audio gear, this is at a higher bit rate playing back on really expensive cans, it must sound better?
I'm not saying there are some really exceptional items. I'd like the Foxtex TH-500RP. I have given them a listen, they are a little hard to drive, so when you consider the amp and headphone combo you are well over $500 for that piece of kit, and it is certainly premium. That said, would I rather have that or a headphone for every application? I have four pairs that I pretty constantly rotate, one for open listening at home, one closed for privacy, one for working out, one for open but portable listening (when I want to walk around without getting run over by a bus)... I didn't pay over $100 for any of them, and every set I have sounds fantastic.
There is exceptional product, and how you use your budget is up to you. I'm simply saying we have never lived in a time where your headphone dollar traveled as far as it does now. Mid-Fi isn't a thing, it's a marketing term used to degrade people who are cool with their $80 headphones. I guarantee, given a range of product blind, we would all have a lot of trouble picking out what pairs are the most expensive based on their sound. The headphone market is incredible right now, just loaded with great product, and a lot of that product sounds incredible without shelling out a ton of cash.
@primesuspect said:
Not sure if you guys knew this but Alex Rosson, the founder of Audeze, has joined my team in Detroit to launch our own in-house headphone business.
Buy Prime's shit.
(I see Shinola billboards in Madison now. Thanks for that.)
@Cliff_Forster, I think I burried my point and it didn't come across. Apologies. I know that after a certain point, quality of sound is indistinguishable. I am looking for representation of sound, as in the irrefutable difference between closed and open back headphones. I may have to open the taps on my budget to find a pair of headphones that suit my ears, not improve musical quality. That's all I'm saying.
So after some reading it seems that the DT-990 Pros might be a good choice for me. Similar sound stage to the HD5x8 with a little more punch in the low end. Seeing a price of $138.99 on Amazon currently. I hope they don't rip my head off in the highs though. I can always return them if I don't like them.
Bompzing this thread.
Just got some Hifiman HE-4xx cans off Drop because planarmagnetic intrigues me and so far they're great for me. Also got a Bravo Ocean mini-tube amp coming in the next few weeks for grins.
I'd like to rip all my old CDs with EAC and setup some sort of streaming media system long-term, but in the interim does it make sense to get a DAC or DAC/AMP combo, or is that really only necessary once I'm further down the road and have a large library of lossless files?
Sometimes just getting the AMP outside of the PC is enough to isolate the noise coming from the components in the PC. Most modern motherboards have a decent DAC that will decode up to 24 bit / 192khz audio, it's just a matter of getting that circuit isolated so it's not picking up a bunch of undesireable electronic noise from other components. If you are just ripping CD's and not buying high res audio files from another source any modern DAC is going to decode perfectly. If you listen and you feel like you are getting noise from the PC, a Schiit Modi desktop DAC is $100 and it is pretty nice, I have one and it's been my go to for a couple years now.
Comments
I hate the taste of my own words.
TIME TO FIND A BETTER PAIR
I just picked this up and for $65 it is silly good. -http://www.amazon.com/SMSL-Sd-793-II-silver-Headphone/dp/B017VXQSNG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1457793150&sr=1-1&keywords=SMSL+Audio+Sd-793+II
9 Volt power vs. USB input, use optical or coax in from your audio source, nice clean signal, no noise and the headphone amp is robust. Has line RCA pre outs on the back for a set of powered speakers or an amp. I'm sure you could spend more and get something more refined, but my ears say this is pretty darn good and the price can't be beat.
SMSL SD 793 II
@Sonorous You update yet?
Sure did. Upgraded to a Polk CSi A6 center channel speaker to finish up the home theater.
I'm eyeballing a few cans though. Still in the works.
go big Sennheiser's HD 800s.
@Cliff_Forster the SHP9500's are amazing for their price. Very good but if it's swingable price wise there are definitely better cans out there. They are on par with the HD 558s he already has.
I have been investigating options in the semi open variety of headphones. I love the open sound stage of my 558s, but I would like a little more punch in the low end. I'm not a bass head by any means, but I have always thought that Senns lack the low end punch of the closed ear world. So hit me with a solid recommendation in the $200-$300 range of semi open cans.
Beyerdynamic DT-880 Pro? Some reviews say they are a little harsh in the upper frequencys. Anyone ever give these a serious listen?
I'm so pleased with the shp9500s it's hard for me to justify paying more for open cans. I'm definitely more of an open sound guy, I like that feeling of listening out in space rather than beaming the song directly into my skull.
My favorite closed set at home is my Koss pro4s, I have tried Sony and AudioTech reference studio cans bit for me the Koss Pro4s felt line it had the most even and comfortable sound. When I don't want the sound to leak and bother my wife that's what I wear.
I am not a closed ear guy as in I only use open ears. Beyers definitely have a unique sound signature. I generally don't listen to that much music with a lot of bass kick so I generally look for good mids.
But from what I can gather the ATH-ES10s
and the Mad Dog Mr. Speakers are good in that range. You just don't want to get stuck in Mid-Range hell. In that range you aren't likely to get to significant of an upgrade over the 558s.
Headphones have been such a boom market due to so many portable devices. It's not too hard to find excellent stuff for less now. I think the only people that buy $500+ headphones are people that want you to know that they had the scratch to buy $500+ headphones. If you can't find something that sounds amazing for sub $200 you are just trying really hard to convince yourself that you have some super refined hearing. It's a marketing trap driven by that desire to have "the best". There are some exceptions, a few things that are actually manufactured in the US or Japan, and you pay a premium for that, and that I can understand from a quality standpoint, but if you are paying $500 for headphones made in China, you don't have to. It's a phenomenal time for headphone enthusiasts. There has never been so many phenomenal deals. Don't fall into that marketing trap where you are convinced you have the magic audiophile golden ears... blind tests will show you that you don't.... snake oil is all over the audio buisness. Just get something comfortable that sounds the way you want for your application. Don't box yourself into this idea that you have to spend X dollars to get "transparency" or some other BS sound marketing jargon.
I will agree there is an absurd amount of "snake oil" in the audio world. There are definitely significant gains to be made in the 500+ range of headphones. It isn't just about showing off. Shit you can even tell a major difference between Senn's HD 700s and HD 800s. Also At this range most of the headphones are produced in the countries the company is based in. Fostex Japan, AT (mid to high range Japan, low in Taiwan), Sennheiser is all produced in Germany, Grados in Brooklyn, Audeze in USA, so and so forth. Granted country where it is produced should mean literally nothing. China consistently puts out some of Excellent audio products and a lot of the stuff being made and designed there are on the cutting edge.
While I think that all industries in audio pander to this, I do believe that there are people with a better comprehension of what they prefer things to sound like. As a professional, I listen to sound systems every day. I can identify feedback within a 100 hertz range and can tell you when a system or room has an errant frequency response. I know how I like things to sound. From the smallest of bluetooth speakers to the largest concert arrays. I'm not trying to convince myself that I have superior hearing, but I have a refined preference of tonality. Just like there are people with ultra refined taste buds or sense of smell. Now this all seems awful haughty of me, and that's not my true intension, but discounting all headphones over $200 may prevent a guy like me from possibly getting the product I actually wanted to use for something that I really enjoy as a hobby. Now, please don't think that I am saying that all headphones under $200 are utter crap. My 558s as a daily driver for the last 4 years is a testament to my understanding that higher cost doesn't not mean better sound. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, whatever the cost.
Not sure if you guys knew this but Alex Rosson, the founder of Audeze, has joined my team in Detroit to launch our own in-house headphone business.
Room acoustics don't matter when you are listening to headphones.
That aside, I'm not saying it to be purely argumentative, I'm just saying the perception of "high resolution" audio, and "Audiophile Grade" products has been grossly oversold. The reality in modern music is it is all compressed so much and mixed so hot for radio that it is rare that a recording has the dynamics necessary to get the most out of these products. As much as I appreciate Vinyl making a comeback, it's not an "audiophile" format. It's retro, it's fun, it sounds different, but it isn't necessarily better from a purely scientific and statistical point of view, but kids are buying it because they have had so many poorly compressed MP3 files crammed down their throats that they don't know what good sounds like. Even then, once you reach a 256 kbps file, as much as I'd like to think my flac rips are better sounding, I can't tell, you can't tell, nobody really can... It's been tested over and over. It's a kind of placebo when listening to audio gear, this is at a higher bit rate playing back on really expensive cans, it must sound better?
I'm not saying there are some really exceptional items. I'd like the Foxtex TH-500RP. I have given them a listen, they are a little hard to drive, so when you consider the amp and headphone combo you are well over $500 for that piece of kit, and it is certainly premium. That said, would I rather have that or a headphone for every application? I have four pairs that I pretty constantly rotate, one for open listening at home, one closed for privacy, one for working out, one for open but portable listening (when I want to walk around without getting run over by a bus)... I didn't pay over $100 for any of them, and every set I have sounds fantastic.
There is exceptional product, and how you use your budget is up to you. I'm simply saying we have never lived in a time where your headphone dollar traveled as far as it does now. Mid-Fi isn't a thing, it's a marketing term used to degrade people who are cool with their $80 headphones. I guarantee, given a range of product blind, we would all have a lot of trouble picking out what pairs are the most expensive based on their sound. The headphone market is incredible right now, just loaded with great product, and a lot of that product sounds incredible without shelling out a ton of cash.
Buy Prime's shit.
(I see Shinola billboards in Madison now. Thanks for that.)
@Cliff_Forster, I think I burried my point and it didn't come across. Apologies. I know that after a certain point, quality of sound is indistinguishable. I am looking for representation of sound, as in the irrefutable difference between closed and open back headphones. I may have to open the taps on my budget to find a pair of headphones that suit my ears, not improve musical quality. That's all I'm saying.
So after some reading it seems that the DT-990 Pros might be a good choice for me. Similar sound stage to the HD5x8 with a little more punch in the low end. Seeing a price of $138.99 on Amazon currently. I hope they don't rip my head off in the highs though. I can always return them if I don't like them.
Bompzing this thread.
Just got some Hifiman HE-4xx cans off Drop because planarmagnetic intrigues me and so far they're great for me. Also got a Bravo Ocean mini-tube amp coming in the next few weeks for grins.
I'd like to rip all my old CDs with EAC and setup some sort of streaming media system long-term, but in the interim does it make sense to get a DAC or DAC/AMP combo, or is that really only necessary once I'm further down the road and have a large library of lossless files?
It really depends on how you are currently using the cans. The sound card on my old mobo was absolute trash, so an external DAC was 100%.
Sometimes just getting the AMP outside of the PC is enough to isolate the noise coming from the components in the PC. Most modern motherboards have a decent DAC that will decode up to 24 bit / 192khz audio, it's just a matter of getting that circuit isolated so it's not picking up a bunch of undesireable electronic noise from other components. If you are just ripping CD's and not buying high res audio files from another source any modern DAC is going to decode perfectly. If you listen and you feel like you are getting noise from the PC, a Schiit Modi desktop DAC is $100 and it is pretty nice, I have one and it's been my go to for a couple years now.