Three more AFFORDABLE kick-ass headphones 📝 ('Dear John')
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- 👉🏻 This video is brought to you by Roon:
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🎥 Camera: Olaf von Voss
🎬 Editor: John Darko
🕺🏻 Motion GFX: John Darko
💰 Ad segment: Jana Dagdagan
🛋 My listening room in 2022:
darko.audio/darkos-listening-...
🎵 Song IDs? Playlists of all music heard in this video - and other videos - can be found on PATREON: / johndarko
0:00 Intro
2:10 Max Cooper
3:06 Virtual Dreams
4:35 DT770 Pro
5:32 Psalm 69
7:02 Apple Music
7:54 iFi Zen DAC
9:16 More knob feel
10:04 Headband
12:12 Learning to solder
13:36 Sundara
14:59 K712 Pro
15:49 560S
16:18 Further ruminations...
👉🏻 As seen in this video...
A short film about a kick-ass $500 headphone system
📺 darko.audio/2022/09/a-short-f...
HiFiMAN Sundara
🛒 (US) amzn.to/3RUU4qA
🛒 (UK) amzn.to/3BuAuMg
AKG K712 Pro
🛒 (US) amzn.to/3x9TuNy
🛒 (UK) amzn.to/3DfyM2w
Sennheiser 560S
🛒 (US) amzn.to/3B0xt4W
🛒 (UK) amzn.to/3DftgNr
Max Cooper - 3D Reworks 001
🛒 maxcooper.bandcamp.com/album/...
Virtual Dreams: Ambient Explorations In The House & Techno Age, 1993-1997
🛒 music-from-memory.bandcamp.co...
Ministry - Psalm 69
🛒 (US) amzn.to/3d56IV8
🛒 (UK) amzn.to/3L75e9y
Wiim Mini
🛒 (US) amzn.to/3TI6XWn
🛒 (UK) amzn.to/3KL1lql
Topping DX3 Pro+
🛒 (US) amzn.to/3CWA3vf
🛒 (UK) amzn.to/3CTi0pN
#headphones #hifi #audiophile
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Развлечения
I value your reviews BECAUSE you are slow, thoughtful and methodical. I hope you don't ever change that.
I really like how your are developing the chanel like a community. Great job John!
Thank you for these follow up videos, it’s just great and gives us more depth. It’s a brilliant concept and much appreciated.
Really nice video John. It's like you are in a better mood the last couple of months. Making these video's must be a lot of work. My wife just asked me, "how can you keep watching this kind of stuff" ☺️ But it's entertaining, interesting and fun!
Still the best hi-fi related channel on YT. Superb quality vids, informative & educational content, usually with a breadcrumb trail to other aspects of the hobby, John is respectful and seems very honest, a pleasure to watch and doesn't fill his vids with distracting non topic adds. 10/10.👍
Thank you for the chapters. Nicely done.
I love your idea of comparison reviews at different price points for headphone setups - great idea….. and your first 2 videos have been well worth watching, so thank you.
Thanks for this follow up! I’m a beginner in hifi listening and yes, I prefer headphones just because they sound great in the small, untreated room where I listen to music. Can’t wait to see your next headphones videos.
Thanks for putting this video out, great to see the communities input being commented on.
I've got to admit, it was IEMs that got me into audio stuff around ten years ago. I ended up going for more expensive ones as the cheap ones kept breaking and I wanted ones with a better warranty but ended up exploring better sounding ones too. I agree that headphones are defintely are great way to get into audio gear and offer a great value. That said, speaker set ups have quite a few factors that add to the value proposition to me. Despite what is typically a higher upfront cost, speakers tend to be built quite well for their price and as you don't wear them like with headphones they will see much less physical wear over the years. I'd add that I don't think I've heard (or felt) proper bass like you get with a good subwoofer in headphones or IEMs and crucially, this listening experience can be shared with others if you have people over or live with others who like listening to music. Out of all the audio equipment I've invested in over the years, the best investment feels like my current speaker set up due the versatility it offers - currently a desktop set up but can easily be transfered to other rooms for a listening set up or paired with a TV down the line. In my mid 20s, my speaker set up feels like the best over value I've gotten out of spending money on audio equipment despite it being the most money I've put into audio stuff. Maybe that's what others are thinking.
Love the headphone content John, so would welcome more of it. My main listening system is a fully analogue headphone setup and I love it, and my living room setup is a pair of active speakers, so your content is very relevant and up to date, and I’m sure that will be reflected in your audience demographics too.
Working in hifi retail, we definitely still get a lot of younger customers who buy headphones, but I would say that turntables and active speakers are eating into this too, with vinyl becoming increasingly popular with students, and often, consequently, their parents too :)
I have the K712 pro and can get behind them a lot! Easygoing sound, huge soundstage and incredible comfort. They are also fairly cheaper in Europe than US.
I love mine. If they broke I'd buy them again without thinking.
Ive owned he-400i, Denon ah-d600, Fidelio X2, still have Sony mdr-z7 & Fidelio X3
@@craigroberts5965 nice, how do you feel about the 712 vs the x3 ?
I got my K712 on US Amazon for $180 USD.
@@t.7527 Different creatures entirely. If you want more bass, go X3. The 712pro have a unique voicing, superb treble, the sparkly. But they've only a slight bass bump. Enough for me but I know it wouldn't be for everyone
I have had them. I really liked them a lot, but I prefer more warmth and prescence in the depth.
Switched to an Audeze LCD-X with a Decware Taboo MK III tube amp.
Thanks for all the hard work you put in,it’s appreciated.
Thank you so much for your videos! It is because of you I chose the RME ADI-2 Dac Fs together with the Meze Empyrean & Liric Headphones. I am truly in Hi-Fi Enthousiast Heaven 🙂 And Bandcamp is one if not the platform, that gives the artist the most payment percentage I think! Thank you again for that!
I too will never give up my AKG 712 Pros - simply awesome!
always watch your videos and keep up the good work.
loving this new video format; reading comments from previous videos John [Gone are the days when you turned off comments]. It's a much more engaging way to communicate with your audience. Also, as an audiophile i'm completely new to the headphone world so this video is a great way to get started with a desktop set-up. Keep them coming.
Love this video! Your increased (#) and qualitative improvement on audience interaction is really appealing and helpful. I really enjoy it! I know it must be time consuming to sort of herd all the most helpful comments… like herding cats 🐱 maybe… but truly worth it! Thank you! PS, I own two separate audio systems (both with powered sealed subs). I also own about 12 sets of affordable headphones. My faves are the 6XX, newly purchased 560 S, 58XX & polarizing Audio Technica ATH M50X. Shout out to my insanely cheap Phillips SHP 9500, my guilty pleasures! 😄
Thank you Mr. Darko for considering and showcasing my comment from the previous video. I really got a kick out of that!
Awesome video, keep up the good work!!!
AKG K702 was a keeper for me over 6xx when I started getting nicer cans. It is magical for under $180 now on Amazon (regularly around $300).
John Darko = Captain Slow 😎 Love your approach into this amazing hobby… This has been very useful as always and has really reinforced my interest in Headphone listening.. Thanx for the great content.. Wayne from South Africa 🇿🇦
Speakers vs headphones: I've always had both, but I've always preferred listening to speakers. For some reason it seems like more fun. Headphones were always the compromise option, i.e. what I had to use to not annoy my parents and/or siblings with my music. Now, I got my own space and I can crank my speakers without risk of annoying anyone (except maybe my wife, but she is a good egg about it.) Another factor is I wear a headset several hours a day at work which makes wearing headphones not the most attractive option.
Hi John, enjoyed this video about headphones. Your channel inspired me to invest in a proper system where I get an immersive experience every time I use it. One of the best arguments I heard was that if you choose good quality closed headfi, you can enjoy music (even loud) while being in the same room with your partner who is watching TV. My system is made of the Denon AH-D9200, Feliks Echo mk2, Bluesound Node and the dac function of the Earman TrAmp. All cables are by Audioquest.
You couldn’t be surprised by the success of your previous video, you make an excellent video on the snobisme in audiophily
Really enjoyed this video John; perfect format for discussing extra options in a very crowded market. Maybe the reason headfi content doesn't always do as well is because the extra variables in the speaker market demand more discussion and encourage people to watch content to help them decide how to handle those variables!
Thanks for all the advice folks. I've been using some Senn 515 and the 518's for years. Here to learn about DAC's and other phones and general tech. Liking Johns advice. 518's on eBay great for a very budget option imho.
I recently enjoyed your podcast on the Levinson headphones, Bluetooth and more and found many of the questions explored quite fascinating. As one who enjoys wired headphones in my home, I find it terribly inconvenient and not practical while traveling so I am looking into new over the ear wireless / noise canceling options that deliver great sound but also don’t look an inflight mag / lsharper image product. So looking forward to your next video you’ve mentioned here.
I think you do well as a kind of music sommelier, and think that your hardware reviews are really complemented well by music choice. It'd be nice to see some videos about music, maybe good music / hardware pairings. Might be fun.
One great on-ear alternative that can be used on the go as in house too is the Sennheiser HD25 I-II (for sure they fit in the 500$ budget) and even more the Aluminum version if someone can find it (unfortunately it is discontinued). Their punchy, fast and somehow in your face sound is addictive to me, even though I’m not so much in the music you like, which I guess will benefit very much from the 25s. They are very easy to drive despite their high-ish impedance so a dongle would drive them very well and they scale up very well when used with a desktop dac/amp. I have HD600, DT770/250, Audeze Sine but my 25Alum are my precious…
Thanks!
I've owned the AKG 712 Pro (209€)! They were my first hi-fi headphones. Running them from a gaming dac/amp, I think I didn't squeeze out their full potential. That said, when I upgraded to the Sundara (350€), even on that basic gaming dac/amp, the improvement was huge. Today, I run the Sundara balanced from the Ifi Zen Dac V2 (199€, used to be less): the balanced cable really made them favour. The bass boost of the Zen 2 fills the bass lack they have nicely, and the balanced cable make them sound like a velvet cushion! Super clean sound, great dinamics, solid bass, nice details.
It's a great topic for videos :-) My personal headphone journey went from AKG K550 II and some wireless Teufel Mute BT to Audio Technica ATH R70X, since then open back headphones only for me. I drive them off a RHA Dacamp L1 and a Pioneer XDP 100R player. And not that many people like the quite analytical or boring tuning of these headphones. Then I loaned a pair of Grado Labs SR80e and Hifiman Sundara for testing. The Sundara really has proper imaging which I liked the most about them and differentiated them a lot from my Audio Technica. But I felt there's some room left for vocals, that's why I didn't buy them. I'm very tempted to try some Audeze models in the future. Regarding the Grado Labs: I ended up buying the successor on my trip back to the shop, the SR80X. Lightweight, compact, inexpensive - and as I don't like noise cancelling while walking around I much prefer these outside.
I love your headphone reviews.
John, great video, when you get to talk about less expensive hi fi you will attract more views. I use the AKG K92 phones and they are great for what I need. Most people these days can’t afford to spend over £500 on a pair of phones, so decent hi fi at lower prices will always be popular.
I think it is the *low* budget that also made that video so popular just more of us who can play in that field. keep up the good content i enjoy every video i see from you
John, good to see a follow up incorporating viewer feedback and now providing 6 options. I do like your approach to music, equipment, the technical aspects of streaming. You have helped me a lot in understanding the whole streaming/digital game.
It appears in your videos that your listening position is further from the amp/DAC than the length of headphone cables so I am curious (1) if you use an extension cable, (2) is there a particular brand or specs of the cable you prefer, and (3) do you think adding an extension cable or perhaps the quality of the cable affects the sound of the headphones? In my configuration I need an extension cable and want to make sure I am doing the best to impact sound quality as little as possible.
Keep doing what you are doing!
Great video as always John.
My take on 'Headphone videos'
I just started getting into headphones (I'm a 2.2 channel guy daily) The thing for me with YT videos, most seem to review the more expensive cans. When you think about the price (let's say $2K USD) you then need a headphone amp and possibility a DAC to go with it. In turn that can get the price between $5 and $10K so to speak.
For me, I now own 8 sets of headphones (from the old Sony MDR-XB700's to Focal MG Pro/Audeze LCD-3's) The main issue for me is, the amp/DAC combo. I have 4 DAC's and 7 Amp's (some with a DAC) With a 2 channel system, you find the speakers you love and then the amp. Pre-amp/DAC/Streamer and so on get swapped out more than others and for me, finding the right headphone amp/DAC combo is a task within itself for multiple headphones.
I've watched a LOT of videos on what I 'think' I want to hear.
For me, the $500 video you posted reaches people that have a kick ass 2 channel system and want to venture into head-fi but don't want to spend a lot (until they hear a killer setup)
I love my LCD-3's but I recently bought a near new set of hifiman 400i (older version) and I must say I really like the sound from them. But depends on what I want to listen to on the day. I was able to borrow some Sennheiser HD800S that were broken in. I must say they didn't really 'wow' me like I was expecting (for my ears)
So PLEASE keep the videos coming. Perhaps a $1000/$2000/$3000 type kit. I just wish I could find the best amp for the headphone. But here in Australia at the moment the price of gear is crazy.
I have the Sennheiser 560S and can confirm they are most excellent.
I found Virtual Dreams couple of years ago and i've listend to 'Sergio Leone's Wet dream countless times. Totally my alley! Thans for telling your subscribers about that album :)
Btw. If i'm not totally wrong David Moufang have the alias Move D, and i recommend you tu listen on that stuff too :)
JD, thanks for your videos amongst a few content creators. Have helped greatly for a quick education re: following planned upgrade.
I wanted to spend more than 'those' referenced in the video and get a Hifiman. LOL. So just bought Hifiman He6SE v2 for $599. (Adorama NY) . NOW I realize I have to get a high power balanced headphone amp to drive these ..and throw in a DAC too. Target cost for combo DAC / headphone amp $800 (limit to $1200). Combo more than a stack as space and electric outlets are limited.
The connections I have are to a CD player (Toslink & coax) ,a CD recorder (has Tos. in and out), a turntable (with TOSlink + USB out), and a DAP. I would like a line-out to vintage integrated amp.
Your previous video prompted me to take a new look at the affordable over the ear headphones currently on the market (made a last minute change from AKG and went with the Shure SRH840A. $149) to combine; for now with some not in use existing equipment for a Frankenstein budget friendly system
I've got the newest edition of the HiFiMan HE400SE. Got em for $109 (USD). After 150 hours of "burn-in" I found they need a bit of low bass boost and some attenuation in the 2K and 4K bands. I run them through my old Gilmore Lite off of a Marantz CD5001 and through a Behringer Mini FBQ. Works extremely well, especially for the cost.
One thing I like about them is how inert the chassis is. There's no flex, squeaks, tweaking noises, and the cord is not microphonic. I've had lots of headphones that had a lot of issues on this front.
Great stuff, thank you. I've been a Max Cooper listener for a while. May I suggest additional test tracks for spatial testing: Rone's "Bye Bye Macadam" or the Floating Points' "Reflections- Mojave Desert" album.
Hey John,another very interesting and informative vid.Have you considered the Meze 99Neo at £200.00,will fit in your price range nicely.
I was lucky to be given a set of these by Melco audio as a "prize".I use them mainly for computer audio,but they are portable and come with a nice hard case.They are super comfortable and have a nice sound,if a tad bassey.
Also somebody that owns some K712 Pros. They’re absolutely fantastic. They’re a very neutral headphone which is what I was after and they’re slowly falling apart as I’ve had them for 7 years! Have been thinking about replacing them but I don’t want to let go of old and faithful!
Still watching the video, but great to see comments about my combination of the iFi Zen DAC and Sennheiser HD560S in the list 🤗
A balanced cable makes a HUGE difference to the 560S
Do you think the HD560s benefits from an amp/dac ?
Thanks for answering my question John.
You can also use Apple Music on an Apple TV connected to a headphone amp: older models had optical audio out; and on newer models you can use a HDMI splitter to output audio using an optical cable. I have mine hooked up to my Yamaha DSP-A2 (older but really great pre-HDMI amp) and it works great.
You’re limited to 48kHz - hard ceiling with the Apple TV 4K. I just stream the music off the Apple TV via Bluetooth to my Topping DX3 Pro + when I’m in the mood. Really no point of trying to hard wire to the AppleTV 4K.
@@TKim103 Yes, you're limited to 24 bits / 48 Khz, which I think is absolutely good enough. Moreover, using the optical cable I can output Dolby Digital (or Atmos) to the amplifier, which sounds amazing on my 5.1 Bowers & Wilkins setup. Apple Music has many true surround mixes that are very enjoyable to listen to. I only use Bluetooth on the go on my Sony's XM4, really.
But the question was related specifically to HiRes, wasn‘t it? So an Apple TV won‘t do the trick. No way around a Mac or iPad.
Virtual Dreams is a great compilation, all that like that will also enjoy IDMEMO: A future of Nostalgia as well.
The Sundara was the first nice piece of gear I got and they made me realize my appreciation for good sound. I still use them and when i do I often end up listening for hours. I got them at a discount as open-box from Hifiman and the experience was perfect, but I guess since they were my gateway drug in a way they have cost me a lot more since then.
Hi there, i chose the Sundara first too, and that is what i am currently listening to. What did you go to next? I would love to get some new headphones in the next couple of years and am wondering what your takes are if you have time to type your thought. Thanks!
For the reasons you discussed in your recent podcast with Srajan, I'd love to see you include a similarly priced Bluetooth headphone in any future "$XXX headphone system" review. I wonder how the Airpods Max, for example, would compare against your $500 headphone system.
I'm surprised that no one suggests the Meze 99 classic or Neo, which you covered already. How do they compare? Appreciate the headphone content. Keep up the good work.
Love the work as always. I wonder if you've ever had the opportunity to test out any cans from Grado?
I bought 2 different usb cables. USB-B to USB-C for iPad Pro and a USB-B to lighting for my iPhone to connect to the Topping. (I just purchased after watching the previous video to drive my Sennheiser HD 660’s) I am liking this setup as it beats just listening to the ‘660 s connected directly to the iPad.
Great info 👍🏻
I bought the John B Visions album after your last recommendation. Thank you
Great video again. I have the Sundaras and like them a lot. As you are in Germany have you considered reviewing Lindemann Limetree range? Always like your music as well
Another DT770 Pro user here too. I bought them from a pro-audio dealer not a hifi shop. Ten years old now and no cable dramas. I have listened to and owned much more expensive cans and still go back to them. My Android phone with Tidal hifi, Earmen Sparrow dongle dac and Beyers is also a sub £/€500 kick-ass combination. Great videos about the headphone options. I do prefer a speaker based system (I have an active and passive set up) but there is something more intimate with IEMs or over ear headphones.
One thing about headphone systems is typically one person can listen to them at a time whereas a speaker set can allow for shared listening even at lower quality-per-dollar.
Great video and followup.
I would also urge you strongly to look at the Audio Technica ATH-R70X it might be slightly too expensive depending on deals, but its exceptionally good.
Dear John, my go to headphones are Sennheiser HD 800s coupled to the Sennheiser HDV 820 amp/DAC I mainly listen to Tidal masters and this system, for my taste is excellent. However, I recently got a set of Sennheiser ie900 single driver in-ears (you can see I like Sennheiser). Whilst not cheap at £1200 they are staggeringly good, the most comfortable in-ears I’ve ever tried and that includes my custom fit Ultimate ears. The bass extension for something so small is amazing, and I don’t get any fatigue over extended listening. I mainly use them with my Astell&Kern SE 180, again this combo isn’t cheap but it’s a a good as anything I’ve heard and I been around this HiFi lark for close to 50 years. Try and blag a set, I’d be surprised if you’re not impressed.
I own the HiFiMan Sundara and I love them!
Thank you for answering my question. You are always very kind.
I imagined it was possible to play Apple Music with the USB port, but at the time of the question I did not know there were Lightning-USB Type B cables yet.
I've got a pair of Sundara's purchased recently (in a sale for a bit of ££ off), and I'm very pleased with them. Agree with the slight limitation on the low-end oomph - but I've heard that playing around with EQ settings can help there (a project for me in the near future).
EQing the Sundara on a PC is a 5 minute process, lol, install Equalizer APO, set the three filters from Audiosciencereview... Done. :)
@@MyouKyuubi Can this also be done on an Apple Mac?
🤗😎👍MAX COOPER , VIRTUAL DREAMS 💚😎👍😁THANKS FOR SUGGESTING BOTH 💚💚💚
Interesting, I was in NY earlier this week looking for headphones. Initially tried a couple of Grados and the Meze Neo, but came back home with the amazing Sundara. Great soundstage, neutral sounding yet quite detailed and dynamic. Only remark, needs an amp or a dongle to deliver its full potential.
The Sundara are def on my radar. I already have the Helm Audio Bolt dongle DAC.
It’s interesting that you mention the industry belief of headphones being a gateway to 2 channel stereo. For me it was the opposite. I love my stereo system, but after spending gobs of money on a full separates system, and chasing an impossible ideal, I finally learned enough to understand how complex my room reflections and modes issues were. Not to mention the limitations of my setup due to general aesthetics and WAF. Next thing you know you’re down the rabbit hole of room treatments, multi sub, room correction software… and realizing no matter what you do, it will never sound as good as a great pair of headphones.
That’s why I bought my first pair of headphones, Final d8000 pros, and am now anxiously awaiting my ZMF Atriums and Decware Zen Taboo.
In other words, 2 channel was my gateway to headphones.
Just a thought regarding headphone vs. speakers: headphone listening (unless you have a splitter of some sort I suppose) is generally a solitary experience, whereas speaker systems allow for multiple listeners in the same room, giving them to potential to foster a more communal experience. I am interested in getting an affordable headphone rig, but I don’t want to sacrifice the ability to easily share the music-listening experience with my friends and family. Even if the room messes up the sound as you’ve often noted, that fact is somewhat made up for by the ability for multiple people to stand inside the sound together.
I am slow tooo!! it comes with age... Thank you ever so much for the great work.
love my new to me grado 325e phones and schiit magni2 setup ,endless joy...dont feel old feel privileged to be in this age...
try the AKG K52. I was blown away when I bought one pair, they are cheap, but confortable, and the sound is amazing.
I own this HiFi Man Sundara.
I love it.
Hi John it’s great to see you are considering an expanded range of headphones within your system cost remit. I good while ago I bought the Meze 99 classics following a your very favourable review. They are still available in the UK at £260 ish or I believe the Neo version without the wooden cups are only £170ish. Has bang for buck moved on since I.e should I be venturing into alternative sweet spot cost headphones? Stream Spotify through Raspberry Pie and just boom hat. Thank for the informative reviews. John
Thanks Darko Audio. I've had Sennheiser and Sony (in leather) headphones in the past, but my current experience with headphones is tainted by work, ie. Microsoft Teams and Logitech headphones of poor fit. So now, at home, I have gone back to a boom box with satellite speakers.
When my nephew was growing up, and borrowing my headphones, and displaying an interest in music, I suggested he try live music because of the directionality of a live performance as well as the room being part of the sound. But you know that. But is that a luxury or what!
Keep up the good works.
I went the headphones route as it was ideal for my use case. Only really get the chance to listen to music when the wife and kids have gone to bed so no point getting speakers. Headphones also remove one of the biggest negative impacts on sound quality....your room!
I also think you get better sound for your money. How much would a genuinely world class two channel setup cost? For £2k-£3k you can easily put together a truly outstanding headphone setup.
AKG k712 pro can be found used for way under retail. Just keep looking around for a good deal, I got mine about 2 years back for 120€.
Audeze Mobius could be an option. Very versatile and really good sounding. It was my first step into more serious audio and planars. :)
Now on LCD-X with ifi dacamp starting to build up speaker system as well... its addictive.
I enjoy my Stax Lamba PROs for electronic, my Audio Technica ??s for rock - and my much beloved Precide Ergo II for just about everything else
I have an idea for a dual mono rig that I got from Z Reviews, ideally with dual Xduoo TA26, which when used as I have planned will get full output from both sides of the tubes of each amp, to respectively power each side of any particular headphone, like each amp will be bridged mono essentially.
Hi john, I listened to the track and yea very good in checking my selection of headphones. I found the hd560s petty good also ministry of sound dj1001 sound good on my ifi zen dac v2 . I am streaming from iPhone I. High res, I do agree with lack of inputs on the zen. Am using rotel A11 cd11 and t11 set up , the hd560 s is comfortable but my hd575 is even more comfortable . I have been looking at dt1900 pro . Great video regards mark
Nice video,although in terms of headphones i tend to lean on the monitor - studio side of things.
I own a pair of AKG 271 MKII Studio bought back in 2006,if i remember correctly,for 150 euros and although i've listened to a fair amount of headphones (and way more expensive) during all that time till now,i have to say that they are still the go to headphones that i use.I can play them even directly from a laptop but they sure benefit from a good headphone amp.
The only other pair of headphones that i own and stick to them all these years,are SONY MDR 7506 which are also studio oriented.
Guess i'm a fan of the professional sound...
Thanks for the video John.
Good video, John. I have a twenty year-old pair of AKG K240F 600 ohm that still sound great, but need some power; I use an xDuoo MT-602 headphone amp with two tubes in the preamp stage, and they sound great! They both cost $198.00 altogether...........
A huge thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences and a bigger thank you for reinvigorating my ears and listening!!
The Best "Hifi" for 300$ - for me 😉
As an ex sound and recording engineer with ageing ears, but still with my trusty thirty year old sennheiser hd 25's and a rambling way, there are no speakers in my life except a pair of JBL flip 3, no music except my phone and Spotify... happy man.
Then in your 500$ headphone hifi video you mention an ifi go blu for headphones.... a little research and a few days later it arrived. Incredible how fantastic music now sounded in the hd25's. But a pair of LetShuoer S12's were also on their way by now and a few days later.... Kaboom!!! What an experience, music and sound like I remember it 😁🎶💖
It only took another couple of days to remember your comments about Tidal and the switch from Spotify was done!!
So very grateful for your comments and where they have brought my ears to.
Almost the best portable hifi I could imagine.
Tidal
ifi go blu
LetShuoer S12's
....perfection for 300$/£
I love your headphone content which I will lump IEM's into - I bought MEZE Rai Solo based on yours and other reviewers.
I have a headphone setup since people like to complain that I listen to my device too loud but they also then complain about headphones.
Atom DAC > Audio Quest Sydney> Valhalla2 > Plexton Cable > DT1990
In my Home office, I use Roon (I-Mac) ifi X DSD GRYPHON DAC and Active PSB ALPHA 1 desktop speakers, and an Energy subwoofer + Sennheiser 660 s. Agree the DAC is a bit more expensive but worthwhile. To avoid too many cables I prefer Active speakers in a smaller space. Bottom line what is your budget and listen to HP, and Dac within your Budget, and today they are many choices.
Your observation regarding 2ch vs headfi views is really interesting. I'm much more of a 2ch person, although I live in 2022, so I also use headphones quite a bit. Consequently, I dip into both communities. It feels like, based on casual observation (not data), that the headfi community is mostly outside the YT sphere in text-based forums, or Discord chat servers. Perhaps it's because headfi is a less visual medium? Because it's futile to attempt to translate the headfi experience to the YT viewer (also futile for 2ch, but people do it)? I'm curious as well! Cheers!
If you do a follow up video with more headphones, please include ifi products as the xbass can be a deciding factor for some as headphones such as the sundara and some sennheiser lack bass
I think headphones are generally more affordable and come with a lot more personal preference. Speakers need more study before spending 1-5k on them.
@@Audiorevue
I agree, these are two different ways of listening to / enjoying music. Speakers don't make you feel detached from the space/room you're in: you hear the room. That's both an advantage as a disadvantage, depending on how you want to engage the sound.
Headphones don't have to deal with room reflections, etc, but they create a head-centered 'image'. Which is both more intimate, but also kind of unnatural: listening to live artists/music, you almost never sit in between them, but look/listen at them from a certain distance in front of you.
@@Wuppie62 people always say headphones aren't affected by the room, but in fact they are affected by the ear/head they are on. Certain frequencies will sound different on one person's hear compared to another. So we actually won't all hear the same headphone the same
great video! I would appreciate some occasional headphone videos please.
I listen via Apple TV via an HDMI 2.0b Audio Converter (set to Stereo) to TOS Link it to my DAC to enjoy high res audio from Apple Music. It works perfectly well and gives me also a solution to watch the movies through my DAC. Just another solution to mention.
iPhone, or iPad Apple Music into a camera adapter (and a lightning charger) into a usb dac is how I get hi-res on my headphones. iPhone to topping d10s to heresy to hd6xx. Like any hi-res listener, I like to see the numbers on the dac so I know it’s hi-res!😬
Waiting for your akg 712pro review!!!
I am just so tempted to get them… but still hesitating with akg 702 (to pair w/ fiio k5 pro ess). Thanks ☺️
Thanks for your video. You should try the iFi Zen One Signature, it has Bluetooth and Toslink inouts ;)
I have em three! YEY!!
John ,yup could be a bit left field this but loved the Videos on headphones, what’s you’re opinion on Bose700? and yes old but cutting edge in its day the Technics SL-P1200 professional CD player.
Keep up the excellent work 👍👍
It is Psalm 69. With Just One Fix on it. Great album.
Just to complement, you can wirelly connect an iPhone the an USB input for Hi-Res audio. I do it on my Cambridge Audio amp.
love it
Could you do a comparison for the same headphone but for each ohmage? So for instance, beyerdynamic 770 32/80/250 and give us a breakdown on sound differences.
Sharing help/improvement, just... Because...
For those that (STILL) have a set of Sony MDR-XB950 (or equivalent/variants) either cabled or BT, and, can't yet afford to upgrade. And find, like I did, that they were just too Bass heavy/boomy. Quick mod tip...
Up where the head band meets each cup (at the top of each cup) you will find a small rectangular cutout. If you get some tape (I used black gaffa tape) and cut a small piece to shape, and cover that rectangular cutout on both cups making sure a good seal is had, then the headphones WILL transform. Gone is the 'Boomyness' (YES you will still have Bass and Yes still the very low frequencies these Sony's can deliver), but a more 'Balanced' frequency response will be had. So, if you have pretty much any set of the MDR-XB series (again will work for BT models too), it's only a couple of pieces of tape, try it and see what you think. It really does improve the sound to these headphones. Basically, what you are doing is sealing the Bass vent port, turning them into more of a 'Sealed enclosure type' of headphone and thus tightens up the low end while allowing the mids and high end to come forth more, again, more balanced.
I tend to use these XB's for 'Every day out and about' use with a Fiio BTR5 (turning any cabled headphones into a DAC'd BT set up... NOICE! 😏👌 but also have a set of Meze Neo's and my old Sennheiser HD600's (or as 'Dankpods' calls them "Huh duh six hungeos" Hahaha for everything else home based.
Quick note, yes, I agree with you on your description of he Senn's 'Feel of sound' so to speak... And although a many years Sony and Technics -amps fan and Sennheiser headphone fan, I was quite surprised with what the Meze Neo's gave me in quality of listening 👍 😎🇬🇧