Beatz by skezzer. The Proper good audio thread. Headphones, amps, dacs, etc. - The Bear and Badger

Unlikely

Also, open or closed? They also do closed versions.

Waht

Yossarian

https://www.howtogeek.com/191416/ask-htg-whats-the-difference-between-open-back-and-closed-back-headphones-and-which-should-i-get/

Unlikely

Thanks Yoss.

Subbax

I picked up some Audio Technical M40s a while back. They're pretty good.

I haven't even read the thread. I'm just bored.

Nina

@Skerret and Gurt, thanks, I'll have a look at it. So I don't need an amplifier? Got confused when I did a quick search myself last night.

Does any of you know how quickly it drains the battery of a ps4 controller?

Skerret

If the DT 880s are the 32Ohm version then nope.

Skerret

Subbax wrote:

I picked up some Audio Technical M40s a while back. They're pretty good.

I haven't even read the thread. I'm just bored.

thx

Skerret

Thanks Yoss. All the best headphones you can get are open btw, with one or two top end closed, but not top top.

Moot_Geeza

I knew this would happen eventually - I'm absolutely gutted I didn't order those Massdrop HiFimans.

Skerret

dw they will be back, the brand x md drops always come around. Give it a month.

The Daddy

@unlikely these seem a decent option:

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/6197278

The Daddy

Or not. Comments on here are mixed:

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/sennheiser-pc-350-se-headset-5299-free-5-gift-voucher-argos-2888867

Unlikely

Those look OK. Anyone know of a site that does sensible comparisons and recommendations based on budget and intended usage?

Skerret

Hallo am I invisible.

Unlikely, old chap, what is your budget.

If you want isolation from outside noise or want to limit any noise leakage (which is going to be minimal for people of they aren't in the room), you want closed headphones. If this is not a problem, I recommend open headphones as they will generally sound better.

Second, do you want impactful bass or a more detail oriented sound? You won't get both in gaming cans, they will likely be bass heavy and not very resolving.

Gaming cans generally have cheap drivers in them with a fancy looking exterior. Sennheiser make some very good headphones though, just not those ones.

In answer to your question, not really. You're in heavily subjective territory and any site that claims to provide objective "this one is good and this one isn't" reviews are lying (unless there is something fundamentally wrong with one of he headphones). There's the versus site which will give you technical specifics of one pair vs another but it's not a review.

There are places that review regular headphones that will have the odd comparison thrown in, r/headphones subreddit isn't too bad. Generally avoid HeadFi. Superbestaudiofriends is cliquey but they do measurements and frequency graphs for lots of headphones.

Gimme a budget, open/closed and a sound signature preference (bass heavy, balanced, bright/trebley) if you have one.

GurtTractor

I have a pair of HD555 headphones that I will be selling for not very much.

Skerret

Ok now we're talking.

Unlikely

They're good? How much is not very much? Do they have a microphone?

Sorry Skerret, too many questions I don't know the answer to up there. As I mentioned, I'm not really a fan of headphones but accept that if I'm going to get to listen to games or TV/films after 19:00 at any reasonable volume I'm going to need some. In terms of quality I'd just like something not shit that I can also use for FNF.

GurtTractor

About... £35 much, including shipping? I'll be putting some new earpads on them too, these look like they should be fine - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Geekria-Earpads-Sennheiser-Headphones-Replacement/dp/B0759ZH83K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517851969&sr=8-1&keywords=hd+555+pads

They're very decent, pretty much equivalent with the HD 558, or whatever the latest iteration of the same design is right now. Open backed, super comfortable (well they will be once these squished pads have been replaced), pretty good for playing over long periods. There's no microphone, I used them with a Modmic which worked very well.

I've used them for ten years I think, music, games, audio editing and production.

GurtTractor

Actually I might just chuck these on there, the black ones are backordered so might arrive later this week -https://www.amazon.co.uk/Geekria-Earpads-Sennheiser-Headphones-Replacement-Brown/dp/B0761L7C8B/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1517853164&sr=1-4&keywords=hd+555+pads&dpID=51sT2NjJyYL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

But if the idea of brown earpads makes you die inside I can hold off. Let me know anyways.

Unlikely

OK, I appreciate this but

1) suspect you may be undervaluing the headphones
2) have no idea what a Modmic is

so if you can bear with me while I try to figure out whether these will work that'd be great.

Oh, and if they're open backed, how audible is the sound to people elsewhere in the room or house? Primary reason for getting headphones is so I don't disturb the wife/child when they're trying to sleep.

Yossarian

Open backed headphones will annoy someone in the same room as you, but shouldn’t be an issue if you have doors.

Unlikely

That's probably OK then. I can install doors.

GurtTractor

Ah na I would say that's a solid price TBH, considering that they've been heavily used for over ten years, and a bit beat up. Sennys are typically built like tanks though, no real damage to these other than two identical fine cracks on both sides where the cup armatures attach to the headband. They haven't widened in 5 years though

And probably wont unless your head is somehow wider than mine (doubtful). So yeah just cosmetic stuff really apart from the earpads which definitely need chucking. I'll order those new ones shortly anyway, could get the official ones for a few quid more, but not really sure what the point is.

As for sound bleeding out, that depends on the proximity of people while you're wearing them, and how loud you've got them. If it's in the same room then it would probably be just audible, not enough to wake a baby I'd wager, but enough to annoy a spouse perhaps. If you are a room or two away then you should be golden. EDIT: What Yoss said.

No worries, I'm in no mad rush. Have a think and get what's going to be best for you.

Skerret

No probs U, it's a weird old hobby. I posted a link to Modmics up there somewhere, essentially just a separate mic on an arm that adheres to the outside of one of the cups, just like a regular built in mic but better quality. Get the Y splitter to plug in both headphone jack and Modmic jack and pop the output into your controller, or possibly run the headphones out of a nice amp thing or virtual surround sound box (i.e. turtle beach DSS2) for dat spatial audio. A pair of regular cans like the Sennheiser HD5XX or the Audio Technica A/AD series (700X 900X) with a modmic will wee all over any dedicated gaming cans bar silly money ones which are hyped up versions of those cans anyway.

Sound leakage might be an issue if you listen ear splittingly loud and have no doors installed.

GurtTractor

Just popped the new earpads on to the HD 555s, not bad at all.

My offer still stands. They haven't got the greatest sub bass response, and they're certainly not the most detailed or open, not a patch on the HD 600s I'm using now (expected considering the cost difference). But they are dead comfortable, and have a good non-fatiguing sound, great for long sessions. Modmic magnet socket thing adheres very well also, still have one on there atm. Fairly long straight cable too.

One thing to consider if using a PS4 though is what the audio source is, most TV headphone sockets I've encountered have been noisy as heck. Maybe they're better now. If you're using a nice audio receiver that has a headphone jack on the front though it should be just fine.

GurtTractor

Hmm apparently this is one of the ways of connecting a headset and modmic - https://antlionaudio.com/blogs/faqs/how-do-i-use-my-modmic-with-a-ps4-or-xbox-1

Not sure how good the quality with that method, comes down to the DAC/ADCs (digi/analogue converters) in the controller. Bluetooth compression is a factor too, a cursory look at some forum posts suggests that it doesn't sound super grand. Would drain the battery a little faster also. You should be able to select the audio output to be from the HDMI/optical/whatever to the reciever/TV, and mic input from the controller, I don't have a PS4 though so I don't know for sure if that's how it works.

GurtTractor

Oooh, I just remembered I have a Turtle Beach DSS2 5.1 wotsit sitting around somewhere gathering dust.....

Will sell that plus a little optical cable for a tenner. Don't know if the PS4 has some kind of built in HRTF surround sound output thing (I think I recall the XB1/XB1X having maybe having an audio output agnostic surround mode), if it does that would be better probably.

Skerret

I use a DSS2 wth PS4 via optical and it's perfectly good for spatial audio in FPS. If you don't need positional audio a wee amp to output to from the PS and thence unto headphones sounds great, I played through Faaaaark Souls using headphones and an amp and its that much more immersive.

Skerret

Good deal Gurt is offering Unlikely, contact that man.

Unlikely

I don't really understand what he's offering to be honest. Also I don't have a PS4.

In simpleton terms, will I be able to connect the headphones to the XBone pad and hear the films and be able to shout abuse at people on FNF?

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