[s311]

i juz went to a headphone store.....i found some headphones under my budget(audio technica ath m-30,audio technica tad 300,).....i tried all of them using my phone....i felt the sound quality were juz normal....after that,i found another green headphone,razer kraken(under my budget)....i loved the sound quality....the headphone also was really comfortable.....so,now im nt sure which headphone to get....im not sure whether i juz dun know how to compare sound quality between headphones cuz i thought razer headphones are gaming headphones not specialised for listening musics like audio technica.....btw,i set my phone volume to the max and listened to a song using an audio technica headphone,it was low......i used the razer headphone,it was quite loud.....is it because of the headphone jack?????now im really confused....

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

i juz went to a headphone store.....i found some headphones under my budget(audio technica ath m-30,audio technica tad 300,).....i tried all of them using my phone....i felt the sound quality were juz normal....after that,i found another green headphone,razer kraken(under my budget)....i loved the sound quality....the headphone also was really comfortable.....so,now im nt sure which headphone to get....im not sure whether i juz dun know how to compare sound quality between headphones cuz i thought razer headphones are gaming headphones not specialised for listening musics like audio technica.....btw,i set my phone volume to the max and listened to a song using an audio technica headphone,it was low......i used the razer headphone,it was quite loud.....is it because of the headphone jack?????now im really confused....

Volume is affected by impedance and efficiancy.  The ATH cans may have more impedance, meaning they require more power to get them loud, where as the Razer are most likely low impedance, meaning that with very little power [like what's coming out from your phone] they get very loud,
 
Efficancy is how well that headphone uses that power. I would think both the ATH and Razer headphones have simmilar efficancy, leaving impedance or resistance to the flow of electricity, to be the reason each was heard at a different volume
 
Razer are gaming headphone, but they still play music as you heard. SO if you liked how the Razer's sound [and you phone can power them] your free to jump on them... OR stick around and help us spend more of your money for you as the sound quality of a phone is pretty poor in most cases  

 

[jaddie]

Quote:

Volume is affected by impedance and efficiancy.  The ATH cans may have more impedance, meaning they require more power to get them loud, where as the Razer are most likely low impedance, meaning that with very little power [like what's coming out from your phone] they get very loud,

Actually, the ATH cans have slightly above average impedance: 38 ohms, the Razer Kraken are 32 ohms, not too different. The ATH efficiency is good at 99dB/1mW.  The Razer's published specs make them difficult to compare (they publish "sensitivity" not "efficiency"), but clearly their efficiency must be higher, because their impedance is fairly close to the ATH.  
 
Quote:

 
Efficancy is how well that headphone uses that power. I would think both the ATH and Razer headphones have simmilar efficancy, leaving impedance or resistance to the flow of electricity, to be the reason each was heard at a different volume

Efficiency is a measure of how much power is required to reach a specific volume.  Most headphones are rated at a power of 1mW (1 thousandth of a Watt).  And yes, higher impedance makes it harder to get 1mW into a set of headphones, but what's needed to do that is higher Voltage.  One requires more Voltage to reach a given Power, and thus volume.
 
In this case, though, the OP has observed what is primarily an efficiency difference.  

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

Efficiency is a measure of how much power is required to reach a specific volume.  Most headphones are rated at a power of 1mW (1 thousandth of a Watt).  And yes, higher impedance makes it harder to get 1mW into a set of headphones, but what's needed to do that is higher Voltage.  One requires more Voltage to reach a given Power, and thus volume.
 
In this case, though, the OP has observed what is primarily an efficiency difference.  

There you go, that's a better way to explain it. Granted, a headphone with 114 effciency [and sensitivity is used by a number of headphone compainies] and one with 98, the headphone with 114 would use the power supplied to it more efficently lol
 
But yea, what he said is a little simple'r an technically correct 
 
Good to know the Impedance are roughly equal as well, and again OP this hobby is subjective. You can spend as little or as much as you want [although please pay your bills on time and eat at least 3 square meals a day if you can q.q] 

 

[s311]

So,if a phone's sound quality is poor,do you recommend me 2 get a mp3 player like ipod shuffle????btw,i juz wants 2 make sure dat is the razor kraken's headphone sound quality up to par wif the ATH headphone if both of them powered by a good mp3 player?????My friend told me that a gaming headphone doesnt gives priority to the sound quality of a song but juz makes sure the bass is high while an entertainment headphone like ATH gives impotance to the sound quality of a song....is that correct????Gaming headphones are not good 4 listening 2 songs????BTW,i will have my meals on time.....

 

[s311]

one more question....does all the ATH headphones needs more power 2 produce more volume or juz some of them????
 

 

[jaddie]

I dunno from quality wit Razor or ATH, but you can't go to wrong by getting a good player.  

 

[jaddie]

Quote:

one more question....does all the ATH headphones needs more power 2 produce more volume or juz some of them????
 

The ones you were trying need a bit more power to be as loud.

 

[s311]

is it true that the razor headphone is a gaming headphone which will cause the headphone to reduce the vocal or music quality n juz raise the volume????
 

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

is it true that the razor headphone is a gaming headphone which will cause the headphone to reduce the vocal or music quality n juz raise the volume????
 

... gaming is just a buzz word that advertisers use to sell products. Some of the best actual gaming headphones are not even sold with that label [ATH AD700 We mean you]
 
So no, now the headphone might have a muddy over bassy sound to it, but again if you like how it sounds then BUY it, in addition since it's labled "gaming" it might have a mike attached, but that's about all that the word "gaming" indicates 
 
But the headphone may have "quiet" mids or vocals, meaning the bass and the Highs [like cymbals] will sound much louder and closer than the voices, which imo takes away the "musical" quality of well music
 
But the quality depends on the hard ware or the mechnical design and specs of the headphone it self, I'm sure it sounds just as good [or bad] as an equally price Sony Headphone [just the Sony won't have a mic] 

 

[jaddie]

Quote:

is it true that the razor headphone is a gaming headphone which will cause the headphone to reduce the vocal or music quality n juz raise the volume????
 

Could be.  Neither of the main headphone review sites even list them at all.  That should tell you something.  
 
I don't know why someone would design headphone for a specific type of use, like gaming, classical music, rock, etc.  Good headphones are good headphones, good for everything.  And if they're not good for everything, my bet is they aren't good for anything.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

Could be.  Neither of the main headphone review sites even list them at all.  That should tell you something.  
 
I don't know why someone would design headphone for a specific type of use, like gaming, classical music, rock, etc.  Good headphones are good headphones, good for everything.  And if they're not good for everything, my bet is they aren't good for anything.

Not always true,
 
Grados are great for rock [they are not advertised that way though]
And Denon cans are know for how well they pair with EDM and other Bass heavy music
 
but you do have a point, even my w1000x is good with really everything, it's just EXTRA special with a few genres. But if It was the ONLY can I had it would still be an excellent can 

 

[jaddie]

Not always true,

Grados are great for rock [they are not advertised that way though]

My SR80s are great for everything, even better with Audyssey. Got them in the mid 1990s when the HiFi crowd was going nuts for them. But the SR60s aren't very good for anything, IMHO.

And Denon cans are know for how well they pair with EDM and other Bass heavy music

I've heard the entire Denon line, cared not for any of them.

I think you got my point though. Ever hear somebody say K701s were good for one type of music or other?

Me neither.

 

[Makiah S]

Quote:

My SR80s are great for everything, even better with Audyssey. Got them in the mid 1990s when the HiFi crowd was going nuts for them. But the SR60s aren't very good for anything, IMHO.
I've heard the entire Denon line, cared not for any of them.

I think you got my point though. Ever hear somebody say K701s were good for one type of music or other?

Me neither.

Indeed, although I found the Denons on the Bass head thread, and my beloved jack of all master of all Beyer Dt 880 was a recommendation for Orchestral from MadLustEnvy
 
Still, honestly is depends on what you like out of your music. Some people ENJOY the K550 [I appreciate it and tolerate it] I feel it does good with all genres, but lacks any kind of MAGIC or intamicy or anything special with said music. Yea it's a great can but it is bit dull, since it's SO Neutral [the differance between it an a Beyer Dt 880 imo was the treble, the touch of bright sparkle and air the Beyer has makes it magical with a good bit of music UNLIKE the K550, and my [Closed] w1000x also has the treble air and sparkle]
 
Point being every one likes something different, but Jaddie made that point already I think 

 

[jaddie]

Quote:

Point being every one likes something different, but Jaddie made that point already I think 

 
 
Actually, my point was going more in the opposite direction.  The idea that everyone likes something different, or that a particular sound quality is best for a particular music genre is popular, but the reality is that listeners prefer accurate and neutral spectral balance, as shown in this article which summarizes an AES paper.  I've always suspected that to be true from the logic that our "reference" for all audio reproduction is "life", sounds we hear around us, in particular human speech, which we hear a lot of, and always without spectral alteration.  The likelihood is that the brain has accumulated a large average impression of the spectral balance of sound over our entire lives.  When a reproduction system significantly alters that balance (like headphones marketed for rock music or gaming), that alteration is perceived as a "mask" or "signature", which some may like for their genre, but the average listener would prefer a more accurate spectral balance, which would then work for everything.  
 
Additionally, independent research done at Audyssey has resulted in a precision headphone equalizer app that effectively neutralizes much of the balance issues specific headphones have.  Their research began with precision response measurements, then statistically developing a preferred target curve that is then applied as the result of the built-in settings for specific models in their "amp" app.  My own admittedly anecdotal experience with several headphone models was quite consistent in that Audyssey Amp corrected the things I never liked about a particular headphone while retaining the things I liked.  The afore mentioned Grado SR80s went from good, but slightly light on the sub-bass, and with a slightly annoying mid range edge, to having a smooth deep bass end and completely neutral mid and high end.  
 
If two independent research teams are ending up with the same general conclusion, I'd have to agree that the day of genre-targeted headphones and speakers has drawn to a close.