So, at work, they just moved us to an "Open layout" plan, where an entire floor of over 100 people has very few separating walls. I've been using a DT770m, which worked OK before when I was working in an open room with only a dozen people in it, but now I'm dealing with 100+. I'm sensitive to...

So, at work, they just moved us to an "Open layout" plan, where an entire floor of over 100 people has very few separating walls. I've been using a DT770m, which worked OK before when I was working in an open room with only a dozen people in it, but now I'm dealing with 100+. I'm sensitive to...

Budget: up to $400 used Main concerns: blocking sudden sharp noises; active noise cancelling is not very important, because the only constant noise is a fairly benign air conditioner, but there's lots of talking, coughing, typing, etc. I also need a set comfortable enough to wear for 4-8 hours...

I'm already using a dedicated headphone amplifier, and I'd like to use a dedicated stereo speaker amplifier as well, instead of a receiver (no real interest in surround). My TV does have optical audio out when using HDMI, which I can use with a normal DAC, but I'll be missing out on some of the...

I have some good IEMs (Triple-Fi 10), but when I'm exercising, they reflect my heartbeat too loudly to be usable and aggravate my tinnitus, so I'm looking for one that doesn't need to be placed in the ear canal.   My budget is around $200, and working well unamped with rock music and some...

I want to be able to hear my iems better in noisy environments without turning up the volume. Will a headset (like for shooting) work well over iems? I will be excercising, so heat is a concern.

I'm in a shared office environment now, and the person I'm sharing with coughs, a lot. So, the open cans I was using aren't a very good fit. The biggest concern is to block outside noise; I can always take them off if someone needs to talk to me. Also important are fairly deep cans that will...

I'm planning on keeping the SA5000, but will be replacing the Sennheisers in my collection because their sound signature isn't really to my liking.   I'd like something similar to the SA5000 in sound signature (fast, detailed, clear, somewhat bright) but more natural sounding. I'll be...

I like the form factor of this LOD cable a lot: http://www.aloaudio.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=475   but, I'm not exactly willing to pay that much. Can you guys recommend something similar, but closer to $30 in price? (or lower...)

I like the phones a lot, but the biggest weakness, IMO, is the headband. Stiff and metallic, it isn't very comfortable. What I'd like to do is replace it with a headband like the HD650, with padding on top. Is this possible? Do you have any recommendations for compatible headbands?

I've been a bit curious. Both of my main headphones (Sennheiser HD-650, Sony MDR-SA5000) are at about the $350 price point (they may be more or less depending on when and where you get them). I decided on these from the research I did on various cans, so I'm not very familiar with the...

My current setup is a Sony NS-975V DVD player and a DacMagic. I will be getting a Sony XA5400ES to replace the DVD player (and free up a connector on the DacMagic).   When doing comparisons, will the 5400's digital out -> DacMagic provide similar sound quality to the NS-975 digital out ->...

I'm interested in figuring out the volumes I set my headphones out as to not damage my hearing.   I bought a Scosche SPL1000 sound level meter, and I'm not having any luck with it. I can set the headphones to levels far exceeding what I would listen to, put one end of the meter in one cup...

I've seen a few articles about the XE800 that will be released next month, and the articles seemed to indicate that it would be based on the XA5400ES design.   Has anyone found detailed specifications for the XE800? How do they compare with the XA5400ES?   I'm interested in getting a...

  Looking at what I've got, a Sony NS975V and a DacMagic, I find the quality to be very close. I haven't A/B-ed the setup extensively, but from the testing I've done so far, I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. The DAC retails for about $100 more than the Sony did (the Sony has been...

I'm looking for something that can take maybe three RCA digital coaxial sources and switch them to my DAC. I'm looking for something that's compact and hopefully inexpensive. Auto-switching would be nice.

Apparently I'm a freak of nature or something, but there isn't quite enough clearance for my ears in the HD595s (lightly touching the back of the headphones). It's somewhat distracting and fatiguing over time.   Does anyone know of a place I could buy larger pads that will fit the phones, or...