Ryan's Headphone Review Thread

Ryanr1987 said:
The HXC is better for gaming with the velour pads which leak a lot more. The leTher pads seal better and leak very little but are more suited for music. I prefer the Aviators sound overall. It's tone, vocals and overall balance is more pleasing. You can't go wrong with either. The HXC has better accessories so that's something to think about. If you don't min upping your budget to about £95 the AKG K271 is excellent. Really good mids, vocals are really good and a nicely balanced sound.
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Pay day today, I'm edging towards going for the AKG K271 but need advice on an attachable mic. I'm a bit wary of spending as much as the ModMic since I probably won't be using it a lot.
Any other option that won't just fall apart a couple of months after I buy it?

Edit: If there is no reasonable alternative to the ModMic, would it make more sense to put the cost (£40) towards the headset and get one with a built in mic?

(It also seems to be out of stock on the UK seller's site)

Edit again: Never mind, just going to go for the HXC, don't have to think about the mic then. Thanks for the above advice :).
 
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Hi guys

Have not had a lot of time to update as work has been a nightmare. Had to deal with the FIFA 15 launch and a lot of extra hours at work! Only have 1 day off per week now.

I've added the LCD2 review and also have the Silverstone amp & DAC to add. The HD 598 is also coming up.

Speaking of the HD598 I recently had a good demo of some and after previously not liking them, found them rather pleasant. Before I found them too dry and analytical kind of like the old 701s but they now sound kind of warm in the mids with a nice out of head soundstage.

Technically it's the same when it comes to imaging but found them a nice listen. I've bought a set and will fire them up. This is my 2nd pair but after enjoying their sound this time around hopefully my impressions stay the same!
 
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Jasseh said:
Pay day today, I'm edging towards going for the AKG K271 but need advice on an attachable mic. I'm a bit wary of spending as much as the ModMic since I probably won't be using it a lot.
Any other option that won't just fall apart a couple of months after I buy it?

Edit: If there is no reasonable alternative to the ModMic, would it make more sense to put the cost (£40) towards the headset and get one with a built in mic?

(It also seems to be out of stock on the UK seller's site)

Edit again: Never mind, just going to go for the HXC, don't have to think about the mic then. Thanks for the above advice :).
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HXC's are a good choice. I do think the K271 is the better headphone though. Really good mids. You can get clip on mics for under £10.
 
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Ryanr1987 said:
HXC's are a good choice. I do think the K271 is the better headphone though. Really good mids. You can get clip on mics for under £10.
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They should be arriving today, hopefully I won't regret my decision.

I chose to go for the cheaper set and put the difference towards the savings for my wedding next August.


Edit: Got them now and they already seem a lot better than the Plantronics 780s. They fit my ears much better and I'm shocked at how little the audio leaks, my partner can just barely hear the music if I turn it up to full (compared to her hearing it even on quiet with the 780s).
 
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Jasseh said:
They should be arriving today, hopefully I won't regret my decision.

I chose to go for the cheaper set and put the difference towards the savings for my wedding next August.


Edit: Got them now and they already seem a lot better than the Plantronics 780s. They fit my ears much better and I'm shocked at how little the audio leaks, my partner can just barely hear the music if I turn it up to full (compared to her hearing it even on quiet with the 780s).
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With the pleather pads they are almost dead silent. The velour pads leak like mad.
 
Been listening to my new pair of LCD-3 for a few hours now powered only by my MBP as I have no DAC or AMP with me and praise to Audeze they are worth every cent!
No issues with the weight or clamp pressure, mine seem just right. When off my head the pads touch but don't compress at all to give an idea of the band pressure.
I don't want my holiday to end too soon but I can't wait to get them plugged into my new Schiit when I get home at the end of the month :D
Going to have to balance cable mod my Q701s to keep using them also and will have a Schiit Lyr and Bifrost up for sale when I get home ;)

Thanks for the recommendations!
 
What do you think of the HE400?

Mine arrived a couple of days ago and they don't really feel as special as their price tag suggests.

They were from amazon warehouse, is there a chance someone could have swapped out the drivers?
 
Psycho Sonny said:
What do you think of the HE400?

Mine arrived a couple of days ago and they don't really feel as special as their price tag suggests.

They were from amazon warehouse, is there a chance someone could have swapped out the drivers?
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You're probably just not a fan of the sound. I owned a pair for just under a year and I can safely say it was one of my least favourite headphones (right down there with the DT 990's). The only decent thing about them was the bass, it had a nice amount of punch without being overly bloated. Mids sound a bit sucked out and the treble needs some serious EQ to tame the sibilance.

RavenXXX2 said:
According to the below review they sound **** with stock pads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6isiDsiMHQ&list=UU3XdYJjWliOdKuZMNaTiP8Q
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I pretty much don't agree with most of Zeos' assessment. The velour pads make the treble worse (i.e. more harsh and at least imo take away the one good thing about this headphone, the bass response.

As for recommended pads I would say the Focus Pad A would be my current overall pick for stock HiFiMan pads: https://head-direct.com/Products/?act=detail&id=203

They are based on the some of the principles of the Jerg pads (which I have on my HE-500) and are both more comfortable and will generally give you a warmer tone than the velour pads.
 
I think the HE400 are good for certain types of music. The bass is really good like most high end planars. Treble is quite tizzy and unnatural sounding and the mids are quite balanced and well integrated but not as engaging as I like. The HE400 I would put at the top of it's class but behind the HD650/600. Since you are used to the HD600 you may find them a bit odd sounding, the HD600 is so well balanced that you will pick up if something's not quite right in other phones.
The issue you find with the mids is the treble is boosted and the bass is almost flat leaving the mids behind a bit! They also have a bit of a peak up top. For lively tracks they are really fun though.
 
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Well, I went for a set of K712 Pro. Wow! They owned my external soundcard, sounded a bit limp plugged into that. I dragged my NAD C372 upstairs though and I was blown away, I didn't realise headphones could sound so good. I thought my HD 595s were as good as it got!
 
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