[haedfix]

Hi,

I need your advice.

I am looking forward to buy a headphone for mixdown my tracks. I want to choose from different headphones (ranging between 1000-2000€). I never bought headphones in this price range before.

I need to buy an external usb soundcard. I am also thinking about buying a preamp (for example the SPL Phonitor 2, ranging around 1700€). I would also calibrate the chosen headphones.

My questions are:

- Which price range should the external usb soundcard be in? (I thought buying one somewhere around 200€?)
- I never saw a external usb soundcard without headphone preamps... do I need a preamp for such high priced headphones? Is it worth it?

 

[msing539]

Hi, most people use a DAC, for example:

Computer > DAC > Amplifier > Headphones

I would start with choosing headphones.

 

[sajesak]

Hi,

I need your advice.

I am looking forward to buy a headphone for mixdown my tracks. I want to choose from different headphones (ranging between 1000-2000€). I never bought headphones in this price range before.

I need to buy an external usb soundcard. I am also thinking about buying a preamp (for example the SPL Phonitor 2, ranging around 1700€). I would also calibrate the chosen headphones.

My questions are:

- Which price range should the external usb soundcard be in https://blocalseocompany.com/? (I thought buying one somewhere around 200€?)
- I never saw a external usb soundcard without headphone preamps... do I need a preamp for such high priced headphones? Is it worth it?

Hello!! I would like some help with choosing a pair of headphones for myself. Let me elaborate, i am specifically in need of a set of headphones that can totally block outside noise, if this is achievable at all. I am sadly sat next to a woman at work that has crowns for teeth and has a very strong liking for eating pumpkin seeds, this gnawing goes on for hours, i have acquired a pair of headphones to dry and dampen this and other irritating noises, but alas, the headphones i own don't do a very good job of removing outside noise at all, i have no idea as to the model of the headphones, they are made by genius and are green. To make this farcical situation even more incredible, my wife also likes pumpkin seeds, so i would indeed very much benefit from owning a set of headphones that can totally shield me from this and other protruding, unnecessary and disturbing outside noises. With this premise in mind i set about to inform myself some. The main qualm i have, with my layman understanding of headphones is will ANC actually be any good at shielding me from the specific sounds described above or is sound isolation the alley to go down for this particular need? From what i've gathered, the pick of the crop ANC wise would be the SONY XM4 or Bose 700 while the noise isolation route would suggest various models by Audiotechnica and Beyerdynamic. I would really appreciate any and all feedback/knowledge regarding my conundrum as i have tried to described above.

 

[Thomasr]

I am sadly sat next to a woman at work that has crowns for teeth and has a very strong liking for eating pumpkin seeds, this gnawing goes on for hours,

A couple thoughts:

1. You could certainly go for a class-leading ANC headphone like the Sony XM5, but there's no guarantee they'll be highly effective at filtering that specific noise. You might want to start with a cheaper option like the Anker Soundcore Q35 to test for effectiveness
2. It's entirely rational for you to talk (or send a note) to your manager and simply say "I seem to have a sensitivity to the chewing noises Griselda makes all day. I'd like to find a new place to sit ."

 

[earmonger]

@sajesak
"I am sadly sat next to a woman at work that has crowns for teeth and has a very strong liking for eating pumpkin seeds, this gnawing goes on for hours."

Noise cancellation is good for steady sounds: air conditioner hums, train engines, airplane roar.

It sounds like you need something that can block changeable sounds like crunching. For that you need passive isolation - a physical barrier between you and the pumpkin seeds.

You can get IEMs that seal off your ears. Try Etymotic ER2XR or ER3XR. They insert deep into your ears like earplugs -- a little strange at first but you can get used to them, especially if you use the foam eartips instead of the triple-flange shown in the photos.

If you really need headphones rather than IEMs, I get a lot of isolation from my Beyerdynamic DT700 Pro X, and I like the sound, but a little of the outside world still gets through.

 

[haedfix]

Hi, most people use a DAC, for example:

Computer > DAC > Amplifier > Headphones

I would start with choosing headphones.

But a DAC does not replace an external usb soundcard which I need to record into the computer and also plays the music I've written inside the computer? I am confused

Or do you mean Computer > USB soundcard with amp > additional headphone amp > headphones

And you suggest me to start with USB soundcard and headphones?

 

[msing539]

But a DAC does not replace an external usb soundcard which I need to record into the computer and also plays the music I've written inside the computer? I am confused

For recording into the computer, I think many use an audio interface like a Focusrite Scarlett. I don't have any experience with devices like these.

 

[earmonger]

Although there are some musicians on here, there are better forums to learn about computer recording equipment, like https://gearspace.com/

You might also talk to a pro-audio store, like Thomann.de .

With a good computer sound interface, you probably don't need a second amp

But a DAC does not replace an external usb soundcard which I need to record into the computer and also plays the music I've written inside the computer? I am confused

Or do you mean Computer > USB soundcard with amp > additional headphone amp > headphones

And you suggest me to start with USB soundcard and headphones?

 

[Thomasr]

But a DAC does not replace an external usb soundcard which I need to record into the computer and also plays the music I've written inside the computer? I am confused

If your requirement is to play music from your computer, then a DAC does the exact same thing as an external sound card, but with (potentially) higher quality (you can spend thousands of dollars on a top-end DAC). If your requirement includes an input source into the computer, then you're looking either for a USB sound card or an audio interface.

 

[sajesak]

@sajesak
"I am sadly sat next to a woman at work that has crowns for teeth and has a very strong liking for eating pumpkin seeds, this gnawing goes on for hours."

Noise cancellation is good for steady sounds: air conditioner hums, train engines, airplane roar.

It sounds like you need something that can block changeable sounds like crunching. For that you need passive isolation - a physical barrier between you and the pumpkin seeds.

You can get IEMs that seal off your ears. Try Etymotic ER2XR or ER3XR. They insert deep into your ears like earplugs -- a little strange at first but you can get used to them, especially if you use the foam eartips instead of the triple-flange shown in the photos.

If you really need headphones rather than IEMs of tensile testing machine, I get a lot of isolation from my Beyerdynamic DT700 Pro X, and I like the sound, but a little of the outside world still gets through.

thank you so much for your suggestion. appreciate that