I want a different pair other than the M50s to watch movies at work. I'll be using either the Fiio E10 or E17.
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Best closed headphone for movies?
- MalVeauX
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Heya,
Not knowing a budget or any sort of preference or criteria, here's a short list that can all run fine from your equipment listed:
AudioTechnica A900X
Beyer DT770 PRO
Beyer Custom One Pro
Ultrasone PRO 750
Mr Speaker Mad Dog
Denon D600
AKG K267
Very best,
- kskwerl
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Thanks, I'll take a look at these
- Mani ATH 87
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What are you watching movies on? Computer? The Fiio's aren't the best options for movies. They provide 2 channel audio only, so any 5.1 surround will just distort through the Fiio's.
- MalVeauX
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Completely false.
I listen to lots of 5.1 encoded AC3 via VLC through my Fiio E10 and there's zero distortion.
Very best,
- Mani ATH 87
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Well, I don't see how a fiio E10 is providing you with clear 5.1 as it is a stereo device only.
5.1 simulation can be done software side. It doesn't require a special device.
- Mani ATH 87
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5.1 simulation isn't actual 5.1 though, and it sounds terrible coming through the Fiio in my opinion.
Want to explain to me how you're getting actual 5.1 through a pair of headphones? As far as I know most only have two drivers. The one's that have more drivers generally don't have an unbalanced amount and a subwoofer in one of them either, it's usually just 4 on each side. And that's mostly just a gimmick since all you need is two when they're that close.
It's all simulated with headphones. And it's done digitally, meaning before it goes through the DAC. You just need a media player that can do it, and these do exist for movies. Or you can just have the DSP encoded in the file itself.
It's games that you usually need a special 5/7.1 device for as this isn't generally available as part of the game's audio options.
Edited by chewy4 - 1/8/13 at 5:49pm
- Mani ATH 87
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Want to explain to me how you're getting actual 5.1 through a pair of headphones? As far as I know most only have two drivers. The one's that have more drivers generally don't have an unbalanced amount and a subwoofer in one of them either, it's usually just 4 on each side. And that's mostly just a gimmick since all you need is two when they're that close.
It's all simulated with headphones. And it's done digitally, meaning before it goes through the DAC. You just need a media player that can do it, and these do exist for movies. Or you can just have the DSP encoded in the file itself.
It's games that you usually need a special 5/7.1 device for as this isn't generally available as part of the game's audio options.
All I was saying is that the Fiio's were bad choices for movies. My on board Realtek audio sounds better when watching movies through VLC then my Fiio E17 does.
Maybe I'm missing something in VLC, but when I turn on "headphone virtualization" or whatever it is called, I hear no difference in the audio playing through my headphones as opposed to not using it. When I switch to the on board Realtek sound I can hear a clear difference in my headphones between a stereo track and a 5.1 track.
Please enlighten me if there is a specific way to fire up VLC with the E17 to get great sounding 5.1, because I can't figure it out .gif)
- MalVeauX
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All I was saying is that the Fiio's were bad choices for movies. My on board Realtek audio sounds better when watching movies through VLC then my Fiio E17 does.
Maybe I'm missing something in VLC, but when I turn on "headphone virtualization" or whatever it is called, I hear no difference in the audio playing through my headphones as opposed to not using it. When I switch to the on board Realtek sound I can hear a clear difference in my headphones between a stereo track and a 5.1 track.
Please enlighten me if there is a specific way to fire up VLC with the E17 to get great sounding 5.1, because I can't figure it out .gif)
I just tested it several different ways. No distortion on any of them. I can turn on dolby, virtualization for headphones, set device to 5.1, and there's no distortion any where. Sounds great.
Maybe it's just something in your circuit.
Very best,

All I was saying is that the Fiio's were bad choices for movies. My on board Realtek audio sounds better when watching movies through VLC then my Fiio E17 does.
Maybe I'm missing something in VLC, but when I turn on "headphone virtualization" or whatever it is called, I hear no difference in the audio playing through my headphones as opposed to not using it. When I switch to the on board Realtek sound I can hear a clear difference in my headphones between a stereo track and a 5.1 track.
Please enlighten me if there is a specific way to fire up VLC with the E17 to get great sounding 5.1, because I can't figure it out .gif)
I'm not familiar with the headphone virtualization of VLC, but I'm not sure why that wouldn't work through your Fiio as that sounds like a software effect, so it would be two channels by the time it gets to the FiiO.
For 5.1 sound without a special soundcard or mixamp you can either get a file that already has 5.1 DSP encoding in it, or use a movie player that can take a 5.1 signal and add Dolby Headphone(or some other surround simulation DSP) effects when playing. I think one is called PowerDVD(but maybe VLC can do this now?)
- Mani ATH 87
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How exactly do you have VLC set up for headphone use with the Fiio? Do you force detect the Dolby surround? Do you use the headphone virtualization filter? Does this only work when the movie file actually has a 5.1 encoded track? What happens when the movie only has a stereo encoded track and you try to use those settings?
Just curious because I haven't been able to get it working well, and I'm pretty sure there is nothing wrong with my "circuit" 
- MalVeauX
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How exactly do you have VLC set up for headphone use with the Fiio? Do you force detect the Dolby surround? Do you use the headphone virtualization filter? Does this only work when the movie file actually has a 5.1 encoded track? What happens when the movie only has a stereo encoded track and you try to use those settings?
Just curious because I haven't been able to get it working well, and I'm pretty sure there is nothing wrong with my "circuit" 
I rip my DVD's to AVI with encoded untouched AC3 5.1 only. When I play back the file, I can tell it to be stereo and it will down mix, or I can leave it at 5.1. I can force on/off dolby and virtualization for headphone filter. I have no problems with either of them. They all turn on/off fine. No distortion. Very clear, clean audio. It sounds like the problem is that you're taking a stereo file and trying to upmix to higher channel counts and the distortion is not your Fiio or headphone, but rather the software.
Very best,
- Mani ATH 87
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I rip my DVD's to AVI with encoded untouched AC3 5.1 only. When I play back the file, I can tell it to be stereo and it will down mix, or I can leave it at 5.1. I can force on/off dolby and virtualization for headphone filter. I have no problems with either of them. They all turn on/off fine. No distortion. Very clear, clean audio. It sounds like the problem is that you're taking a stereo file and trying to upmix to higher channel counts and the distortion is not your Fiio or headphone, but rather the software.
Very best,
Interesting, I guess I will play with it some more and see if I can get it working.
- Best closed headphone for movies?
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