[CJ68SFG]

Hey everyone, new to the forum and high quality audio equipment. Having had no experience in this subject I did my best to figure everything out on my own before asking questions.  I have a decent understanding of what I need but want to make sure that what I have purchased/am about to purchase will be the best fit for each other. I decided on the Ultrasone Pro 900s and they should arrive within a week. I am going to be using them mostly at work and to/from work so I need a good portable setup. I already own a 5th gen iPod but was thinking of getting a Cowon J3 due to iPods not being able to play .flac files. I have seen that apple has .alac but could not figure out how to convert to this format from .flac. I was also close to buying an ibasso d12 anaconda amp/dac and a LOD cable but wanted to ask for some advice from knowledgeable people before I potentially wasted money.
 
1) Am I missing anything or is this everything I need to experience the highest quality music?
     lossless music (.flac/.alac)--->Media player(iPod/Cowon)-->LOD--->amp/dac--->headphones  
 
2) Will my iPod be good enough or should I get a Cowon J3? (best deal I could find, 16 gb for $180)
 
3) Is the the ibasso d12 the best choice for me and worth the extra money or would something like the fiio e11 be a better fit?
 
4) Does it matter what LOD cable you use? I've seen them as low as $5-$15, around $150, and up to the $250-$350 range.
 
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[tricksya555HD]

 
Quote:

 
I wanted to get a gaming headset, under $100, around $90 preferable.
I was looking at onda 3hx but some ppl said onda's noise isolation is bad.
I prefer headset which is closed, big and comfort enough to cover all my ears, good noise isolation is a must, decent audio (all-around), but doesn't want either to get shot in the back or flanked and dead.
And Detachable USB soundcard (can used with 3.5mm port) since my soundcard is entry class one (realtek) and installing x-fi mod makes sound sometimes crackles.
Any recomendations?
 
 
Things to note:
I live in Indonesia, i haven't seen anyone selling corsair gears, amazon discount doesn't apply.
I don't want worldwide shipping either, if it hit the custom, I'm dead.
Seller in IND usually, their price is +$4-$7.
 
So, anything else to mention? 

if you can stretch your budget buy $10 try these
 
http://ap.razerzone.com/gaming-audio/razer-tiamat-2-2/
 
i don know if you can find them in Indonesia but your in Asia right?

 

[zzffnn]

@ Love Music
 
I suggest looking into:
1) V-MODA M80/V80
2) Creative Aurvana Live
3) Philips Citiscape Downtown
 
Quote:

Hi,
 
I am looking for an portable headphone that excell in jpop and jrock genres. Vocals are the most important factor for me.
 
 
My budget is around $200 or more. I will be playing it straight out from my cowon j3 without an amp.
 
 
I like a closed headphone that is quite small in size. I like headphones that are engaging with good soundstage, mids and treble. Also i am not much of a basshead.
 
 
Any help will be appreciated.
 
 

 
 

 

[bixby]

Quote:

Hey everyone, new to the forum and high quality audio equipment. Having had no experience in this subject I did my best to figure everything out on my own before asking questions.  I have a decent understanding of what I need but want to make sure that what I have purchased/am about to purchase will be the best fit for each other. I decided on the Ultrasone Pro 900s and they should arrive within a week. I am going to be using them mostly at work and to/from work so I need a good portable setup. I already own a 5th gen iPod but was thinking of getting a Cowon J3 due to iPods not being able to play .flac files. I have seen that apple has .alac but could not figure out how to convert to this format from .flac. I was also close to buying an ibasso d12 anaconda amp/dac and a LOD cable but wanted to ask for some advice from knowledgeable people before I potentially wasted money.
 
1) Am I missing anything or is this everything I need to experience the highest quality music?
     lossless music (.flac/.alac)--->Media player(iPod/Cowon)-->LOD--->amp/dac--->headphones  
 
2) Will my iPod be good enough or should I get a Cowon J3? (best deal I could find, 16 gb for $180)
 
3) Is the the ibasso d12 the best choice for me and worth the extra money or would something like the fiio e11 be a better fit?
 
4) Does it matter what LOD cable you use? I've seen them as low as $5-$15, around $150, and up to the $250-$350 range.
 
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

#1 You are correct!

#2 - The ipod will be fine but if you want the best sounding ipod you have to spring for the Touch.  I like the older 2nd gen which can be found cheap.  Look for a quick comparison soon of the old 2nd gen vs the latest.
 
#3  The Fiios E11 is decent although I like my JDS cmoy a bit better with some rolled opamps
 
#4  The Fiio lod cables sound very good especially for the price.  I have used the megabuck ones and would not pay the high premium for a small difference.
 
EDIT:  The Ibasso you mention is a usb dac and amp and not really suitable for an ipod.  

 

[zzffnn]

^ Agree with: 5th gen iPod -> Fiio LOD -> Fiio E11.
5th gen iPod has a very good dac chip already. Spending too much on portables does not really make sense because full size rigs are better and cause less sometimes.

 

[LazBro123]

Quote:

hi!
i want to buy headphones, max price = 50$
the kind of music that i listen is electro/trance and i want some headphones that i can listen loud, priority is volume then sound quality.
im looking to philips shl5003, panasonic rp-htx7e, pioneer se-mj31, they are in the rang$ that im looking, any advice?any other sugestion?
thanks!

Get the panasonic rp-htx7. Those were my first pair of headphones. They broke after five years of use, but still, they sound really good for the money.

 

[LazBro123]

Quote:

Hi,
 
I am looking for an portable headphone that excell in jpop and jrock genres. Vocals are the most important factor for me.
 
 
My budget is around $200 or more. I will be playing it straight out from my cowon j3 without an amp.
 
 
I like a closed headphone that is quite small in size. I like headphones that are engaging with good soundstage, mids and treble. Also i am not much of a basshead.
 
 
Any help will be appreciated.
 
 

Sennheiser HD 25. Based on your description, they are MADE for you 

 Seriously. 
 

 

[50an6xy06r6n]

Quote:

I've got a friend that is willing to spend less than 80€ for headphones. He showed me these headphones on the web, the Zomo HD-1200 which he could get for 69.90€. Since I never heard that headphone before and my experience with headphones are the ones that cost a lot more, what's your opinion on this?
Here's a pic of the Zomo HD-1200

 
I also want to give him alternatives too than this. Like the Shure SRH-440 or the SRH-550 DJ which costs 79.90€. Any other alternatives? Like the Denon HP500?
He'll buy it here so please take a look:
http://www.friendlyhouse.at/geraete/dj-equipment/headphones/
He mainly listens to electronic music.
Edit: He mostly listens to classical, progressive rock and rock but sometimes Drum n Bass too. I think he wants a Grado type sound but since Grados aren't available where I live, what are the choices? 

No clue about those Zomos, but if he wants the Grado sound, maybe he could look into the Alessandros, which are made by Grado for international distribution.
 


Quote:

Hi,
 
I am looking for an portable headphone that excell in jpop and jrock genres. Vocals are the most important factor for me.
 
 
My budget is around $200 or more. I will be playing it straight out from my cowon j3 without an amp.
 
 
I like a closed headphone that is quite small in size. I like headphones that are engaging with good soundstage, mids and treble. Also i am not much of a basshead.
 
 
Any help will be appreciated.
 

Second the M80 suggestion, though they're a bit laid back treble-wise. Also, I think the HD25s will probably be too bassy for you.
 


Quote:

I want to get a good-sounding pair of portable headphones for a friend. Was looking at the sennheiser HD 202 as a pretty decent entry level headphone... also they have other one which looks to be made just for ipods, the 228. Is that a good bet?

The 202s are decent entry-level cans, but if you want portability, keep in mind the cord is 10 feet long. The 228s are more portable, but aren't the best bang-for-your-buck portables. I highly recommend you go check out ljokerl's portable reviews thread, which should give you a better idea of what your options are.
 


Quote:

hi!
i want to buy headphones, max price = 50$
the kind of music that i listen is electro/trance and i want some headphones that i can listen loud, priority is volume then sound quality.
im looking to philips shl5003, panasonic rp-htx7e, pioneer se-mj31, they are in the rang$ that im looking, any advice?any other sugestion?
thanks!

AKG K81DJ/518LE? Also look at ljokerl's portables review thread.
 
 

 

[bowei006]

Quote:

Hey everyone, new to the forum and high quality audio equipment. Having had no experience in this subject I did my best to figure everything out on my own before asking questions.  I have a decent understanding of what I need but want to make sure that what I have purchased/am about to purchase will be the best fit for each other. I decided on the Ultrasone Pro 900s and they should arrive within a week. I am going to be using them mostly at work and to/from work so I need a good portable setup. I already own a 5th gen iPod but was thinking of getting a Cowon J3 due to iPods not being able to play .flac files. I have seen that apple has .alac but could not figure out how to convert to this format from .flac. I was also close to buying an ibasso d12 anaconda amp/dac and a LOD cable but wanted to ask for some advice from knowledgeable people before I potentially wasted money.
 
1) Am I missing anything or is this everything I need to experience the highest quality music?
     lossless music (.flac/.alac)--->Media player(iPod/Cowon)-->LOD--->amp/dac--->headphones  
 
2) Will my iPod be good enough or should I get a Cowon J3? (best deal I could find, 16 gb for $180)
 
3) Is the the ibasso d12 the best choice for me and worth the extra money or would something like the fiio e11 be a better fit?
 
4) Does it matter what LOD cable you use? I've seen them as low as $5-$15, around $150, and up to the $250-$350 range.
 
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

....please don't buy another player just because you didn't know how to convert files. (read this in a fun tone, some people say i sound comfronting, im not  
1:That's all you really need, but please remember, audiophile music is baiscally listening to music with studio professional heapdhones..heck most major mainstream recording artists use headphones that are in the range below the Pro 900's(Think  HFI580/780, ATHM50 range)
 
2:,...yes your ipod is good enough. i personally like line out option. i don't care if some say the direct out of the J3 is good enough to dual amp or what...i don't care, half the time they can't support it or just say they prefer it.. the ipod have a high quality DAC that is already good and you can line out.
 
3: it depends...if you personally think it's worht it, after a certain point the improvements get smaller and smaller until the improvements are just making that part better or whatever. the E11 and D12 can not be compared. you are comparing a Toyota Prius(bang for buck in a sense)  to a Camaro SS.
 
4:some say yes..i say that.. depending on the cable..you will get some minor cables but don't spend more than $50 on a cable for an LOD.
 
REMEMBER the DAC on the D12 CANNOT be used with the ipod. you will only be using the devices amp section with your ipod and LOD. the DAC and amp wil activeate when in use with computer. please note that you COULD use a DAC with an ipad through the CKK but only if the USB draw power is less than 100mah to 150mah(forgot whichone) otherwise you need to use a powered usb hub in between..but then..that would be stupid..very stupid and ..big.
 

 

[CJ68SFG]

Thanks for the advice bixby, zzffnn, and bowei006,
 
I ordered a $10 fiio DOC and after a few hours of deliberating went with the cMoyBB 2.03 over the E11. If I end up not liking it at least the two amps combined are cheaper than what I was prepared to spend on the D12. I guess I was a little confused about the D12 because I read it was a good match with the Ultrasones but they were probably not talking about using it with an iPod. I'm gonna stick with the iPod for now and hopefully I can figure out how to get lossless music on it. I've read some threads about Max and it seems to work well. Is that the best route or is there an easier option?

 

[bowei006]

Quote:

Thanks for the advice bixby, zzffnn, and bowei006,
 
I ordered a $10 fiio DOC and after a few hours of deliberating went with the cMoyBB 2.03 over the E11. If I end up not liking it at least the two amps combined are cheaper than what I was prepared to spend on the D12. I guess I was a little confused about the D12 because I read it was a good match with the Ultrasones but they were probably not talking about using it with an iPod. I'm gonna stick with the iPod for now and hopefully I can figure out how to get lossless music on it. I've read some threads about Max and it seems to work well. Is that the best route or is there an easier option?

 FiiO pairs very very well with Ultrasone as it has good power..and more importantly better bass boost.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/596482/the-sub-100-portable-amps-shootout-7-1-amps-compared
 
well that's just me, i personaly prefer a FiiO, I would go to the ultrasone club and ask them if they like FiiO or Cmoy's. 
 
$10 DOC? i think you mean LOD
 

 

[The8thst]

Goal: The sound signature of B&W 804/802s driven by McIntosh components.

To me this combo has perfect synergy and provides a very smooth, very detailed, very musical tube like sound. I can listen to this setup for hours without any type of ear fatigue, and that is what I am looking for in a headphone setup for work.


I think I was too excited to get into the hifi headphone world when I jumped on a great deal on a pair of Grado SR225i and then bought a Topping D2 (an AD1852/PCM2704 DAC with pre-outs and an OPA2134 headphone amp) to try to smooth them out and gain some low-mid/upper bass presence.


I am discovering that the headphones are probably almost polar opposites from the sound I really want, so I wondering if I should spend money on a Little Dot I+ to try to smooth out the Grados or look at a new pair of phones. The Grados are just too forward and too aggressive for all day listening.


I really like open ear headphones and nice clear chimey highs, but I might be willing to forego the open back as long add the headphones don't get much bigger. I am completely willing to take any of these 3 roads:

1. Swap op-amps in the DAC+Head Amp (I can't get rid of it because I NEED an external DAC for my computer)

2. Add a Little Dot I+ to the DAC pre-outs on the DAC.

3. Trade the 225s for a different pair of headphones.

4. Anything I haven't thought of...


Thanks for the guidance and suggestions.


Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

 

[zzffnn]

^ go #3 and change to Sennheiser HD600 or 650. Transducers always affect sound the most. Grados are well known to be aggressive.

 

[enormo]

Quote:

Great impressions enormo and kudos for posting in this thread to help others.
 
The Lyr + HD650 combo is a very good pairing imo. The great thing about the Lyr is that you can shape its sound (sometimes significantly) through tube rolling. This allows you to dial in the sound to better match your preferences. Based on your impressions I get the sense you may like the balanced signature of vintage Amperex Bugle Boy tubes. With these tubes in place there's a distinct sense of air and separation between instruments, smooth treble and clear mids. Bass bloom is restrained, but the lower frequencies are not rolled off and will hit with weight and authority if in the recording. The Bugles don't quite convey the same holographic imaging as the often raved about Lorenz Stuttgart tubes (good luck sourcing these), but they are more common, cheaper and very close in sound signature imo.

Thanks, man.
 
Just got the Lyr in tonight. Gave it a quick listen. I liked what I heard but the base bloom was still present. Need to dive a little deeper. I'll drop back in when I have further impressions. The Bugle Boy tubes def. sound interesting.

 

[Love Music]

Thanks for the suggestions bixby, zzffnn, LazBro 123 and 50an6xy06r6n.
 
I am leaning towards the M-80's since they have good mids, soundstage and they look cool too.