Help with considering a new system?

[Phantomlord9925]

Hi guys, I posted on Reddit with no luck so I thought I'd try here! I'm considering upgrading, but I need as much advice as possible. Below you'll find all relevant information, I just used the template from Reddit, I hope that's alright!
 
* Budget: Anywhere from $100-$300

* Source: Source will be my iPhone, Macbook Air

* Requirements for Isolation: I'm not picky about this, some or a lot is of course fantastic but not a necessity. I will most likely use it primarily at home but sometimes in the car, on flights, on the porch etc. It is not a deal-breaker either way though

* Using in public: Not always but I do want the option to

* Type needed: Again not picky, but whatever type are best for staying on your head with few if any adjustments needed often

* Preferred tonal balance: I love me some bass, however I think I want the best balance as well, the overall best sound

* Past Headphones: Skull Candy Aviators, I love them but I'm a bit concerned about durability, they're starting to wear down (leather is peeling off the cups)

* Preferred Music: I listen to a wide variety of music, anything from pop-punk to metal, classic rock, some country, some hip hop, some dubstep, etc

* What I would like to improve, overall sound quality, durability, and more bass if possible

* Other Considerations: I have a physical disability that prevents me from raising my arms, I currently put on my Aviators by laying them on my bed, laying on my back and essentially laying my head between the phones and tweaking until they're on snug. It is imperative I can do that with my new setup and if at all possible, without damaging or wearing on the system.
 
I don't know much of anything about headphones or audio, the Aviators were my first nice set (nice to me, I'm sure some of you shudder at the thought of them) so please bear with me and my lack of knowledge!
Also if you think I'd be better off sticking with my current setup, please say so! I just don't know if I could improve or not with my budget...

 

[buke9]

Hi guys, I posted on Reddit with no luck so I thought I'd try here! I'm considering upgrading, but I need as much advice as possible. Below you'll find all relevant information, I just used the template from Reddit, I hope that's alright!

* Budget: Anywhere from $100-$300


* Source: Source will be my iPhone, Macbook Air


* Requirements for Isolation: I'm not picky about this, some or a lot is of course fantastic but not a necessity. I will most likely use it primarily at home but sometimes in the car, on flights, on the porch etc. It is not a deal-breaker either way though


* Using in public: Not always but I do want the option to


* Type needed: Again not picky, but whatever type are best for staying on your head with few if any adjustments needed often


* Preferred tonal balance: I love me some bass, however I think I want the best balance as well, the overall best sound


* Past Headphones: Skull Candy Aviators, I love them but I'm a bit concerned about durability, they're starting to wear down (leather is peeling off the cups)


* Preferred Music: I listen to a wide variety of music, anything from pop-punk to metal, classic rock, some country, some hip hop, some dubstep, etc


* What I would like to improve, overall sound quality, durability, and more bass if possible


* Other Considerations: I have a physical disability that prevents me from raising my arms, I currently put on my Aviators by laying them on my bed, laying on my back and essentially laying my head between the phones and tweaking until they're on snug. It is imperative I can do that with my new setup and if at all possible, without damaging or wearing on the system.

I don't know much of anything about headphones or audio, the Aviators were my first nice set (nice to me, I'm sure some of you shudder at the thought of them) so please bear with me and my lack of knowledge!
Also if you think I'd be better off sticking with my current setup, please say so! I just don't know if I could improve or not with my budget...

There are for sure better headphones than those in your budget I'm sure even though I haven't heard those. If you want a lot of bass there are threads here that can point you in that direction. For $300 you can find some very good headphones. Most of my cans the ear cups tend to come together at rest so they might not work for you. I'm not a big Basshead so I can't help you too much there. I haven't tried to put on headphones the way you need to but I would think something that the cups are spread apart at rest would be your best bet. You have to decide if you want closed or open backs for others to give you a options on headphones though. Most of the headphones I like aren't real bass heavy.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Soundmagic HP150 (closed) headphones or HP200 (open) headphones.
 
The HP200 are technically open headphones, are not that open.

 

[Phantomlord9925]

I appreciate the response but those do look like they come together at rest, I may not be able to get those on myself. Do you have any other thoughts where the cups are apart at rest?

 

[Phantomlord9925]

Would you mind explaining the difference between closed and open backs? I doubt I know enough to say either way.
 
I think your note about headphone cups that are apart at rest is very helpful, good thinking, thanks! 
 
Once I understand the difference I can say what I need!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantomlord9925 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

* Requirements for Isolation: I'm not picky about this, some or a lot is of course fantastic but not a necessity. I will most likely use it primarily at home but sometimes in the car, on flights, on the porch etc. It is not a deal-breaker either way though

* Using in public: Not always but I do want the option to

 

If you'll use it "in public," and that includes an airplane cabin ("flights" - unless you rent private jets or chartered prop planes), you cannot afford to not be picky about isolation. It's what keeps your music separate from the noise outside, and your face from a knuckle sandwich delivered by an irate jet traveler who has to listen to your music that he already doesn't like, let alone have to deal with it while jetlagged and probably going through meetings and such.

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantomlord9925 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

* Type needed: Again not picky, but whatever type are best for staying on your head with few if any adjustments needed often

 

That's highly relative. Some headphones might need initial adjustments but none after you have them dialed in to your liking, but if it's hot you'd have to take them off at some point. Ditto IEMs - they might fit snugly in your ear canals but many have to take them out and mildly scratch and air their ear canals long before others do.

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantomlord9925 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

* Other Considerations: I have a physical disability that prevents me from raising my arms, I currently put on my Aviators by laying them on my bed, laying on my back and essentially laying my head between the phones and tweaking until they're on snug. It is imperative I can do that with my new setup and if at all possible, without damaging or wearing on the system.

 

Just how far up can your arms still get? Ex what if at some point while outside you had to take them off, how do you get them back on? 

 

At the same time, if the lying down and wiggling is the preferred procedure, most portable headphones that are meant to be easily driven by many devices are problematic as they tend to have mechanisms that allow them to fold flat. You'd have to set them a little loose so your head has a lot of space to move between the cups instead of closing them, and if you can't move your hands up to touch at ear level, you won't be able to swing them to position, much less readjust the headband tightness. If you can at least reach up to ear level you can just have the headband on the preferred listening setting, swing the cups back, then once on, swing them forward into proper position.

 

* Past Headphones: Skull Candy Aviators, I love them but I'm a bit concerned about durability, they're starting to wear down (leather is peeling off the cups)

* Preferred Music: I listen to a wide variety of music, anything from pop-punk to metal, classic rock, some country, some hip hop, some dubstep, etc

 
There's the Focal Spirit Classic, but I'm not sure how you'd put them on as they fit a little bit tighter and therefore need to be spread out when putting them on.

 

[Phantomlord9925]

I understand your notion about isolation, is that an issue for nicer headphones? I've never had people complain about hearing music from my headphones before. At any rate, for that specific template I assumed it meant noise-cancelling rather than other properties. High isolation is totally fine then. 
 
I should've worded that adjustments one differently, I essentially meant a set that isn't likely to fall off without constant adjustment. Adjustments for comfort and the like are different altogether. 
 
I can't reach up at all, as in well below my shoulders even. That said, in the public situation you can assume I'll have assistance one way or another. It's only at home when I need to use the "wiggle" technique. The Aviators are foldable but not particularly snug which I think is why they seem to work for me. I should also note I can make adjustments once they're on my head by other means. I always readjust (gently) after getting my Aviators on, usually by nudging a wall or the bed to get the right position, etc. It's hard to describe unless you could see me do it. I feel fairly confident that so long as I can get my head between the cups, I could make it work.
 
I looked at the Focal Spirit Classic and it does look possible to me. Given my clarifications, do you have any other thoughts? I really appreciate you taking the time to respond.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantomlord9925 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I understand your notion about isolation, is that an issue for nicer headphones? I've never had people complain about hearing music from my headphones before. At any rate, for that specific template I assumed it meant noise-cancelling rather than other properties. High isolation is totally fine then. 

 

That's because the Aviators are still closed back headphones. Not the best kind of isolation, but it's not horrible. By contrast those who have headphones that can't isolate well do not use them outside either. My point basically was to make you aware that this is necessary in case anyone recommends something like an HD600 based on how you phrased it as "not a necessity." If you're on a computer with a large enough screen (vs a tablet or phone), you can look at my avatar - those round shapes in the center are the driver mounts, and those white strips are foam pieces covering the rear section of the drivers. Even with those on (ie in case you buy used some users remove those to free up the treble), at my listening level at home with just the A/C running, I can hear the output from the rear of the driver from 1m away. It's faint, but if I was playing louder to compensate for a lot of ambient noise outside, it's like a desktop speaker already.

 

At my listening level right now I can hear the rain falling on my tin roof, plus thunder and lightning (very very frightening). If I set it loud enough to muffle those out, I can set the headphones on my desk and use them as casual listening ambient speakers. I won't understand the lyrics at all thanks to the thunderstorm, but the thing is that if that was the ambient noise of clanging carts and crying babies on a plane, some stressed out guy will do something about it. And if it's a flight with a US Air Marshall on it, he'll end up in the brig, but would you risk the chance that the Marshall gets to him before he gives lands a punch? Not worth it.

 

 

The thing is that "nicer" headphones are designed for different levels of isolation, same as every other price point. It's just that many "nicer" headphones were designed for max performance, so they leave them open so there won't be any backwaves to deal with (a speaker has sound coming out of both sides of the diaphragm,and you have to deal with what comes out the back of it and then bounces off a closed back earcup, which means acoustic filling to tune it). Others don't even care that much about all factors that contribute to long-wearing comfort, like very heavy planar driver headphones. It's kind of like the same with speakers when there are less constraints to practicality and they end up taller than point guards.

 

 

 

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Originally Posted by Phantomlord9925 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I should've worded that adjustments one differently, I essentially meant a set that isn't likely to fall off without constant adjustment. Adjustments for comfort and the like are different altogether. 

 

I actually hit on that point - some headphones have to be spread out when putting them on, which means that given your method for doing so, their headbands would have to be set looser so get your head in without swinging the earcups all over the place. Once they're in position that way you'd then have to adjust the headband back, otherwise they'd fall off your head from time to time.

 

 

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Originally Posted by Phantomlord9925 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I can't reach up at all, as in well below my shoulders even. 

 

In-ears are out of the question then.

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantomlord9925 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

The Aviators are foldable but not particularly snug which I think is why they seem to work for me. I should also note I can make adjustments once they're on my head by other means. I always readjust (gently) after getting my Aviators on, usually by nudging a wall or the bed to get the right position, etc...I feel fairly confident that so long as I can get my head between the cups, I could make it work.

 

The problem really is how each headphone is designed in terms of what the default shape is and where the movable parts are (and how easy it is to move them). There is no way to directly compare them without trying them out, so if you can't try them in stores, just get them from online dealers that have low repacking fees and are easy to deal with. Still, don't just try them out willy nilly and try to narrow down your choices with this thread - some guy before tried 22 headphones and after the last return he got banned by Amazon.

 

 

 

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Originally Posted by Phantomlord9925 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

It's hard to describe unless you could see me do it.

 

I get debilitating gout, especially when I eat enough tofu (I'm an omnivore and they go with my meat; at minimum, there's soy sauce, or gochujang). So when it's in my elbows, I get nearly as creative, except of course I haven't had it in both elbows. Two ankles and one elbow, but not both elbows at once. Still, imagine attending a wedding and shooting with your left hand when all cameras have the shutter, grip, exposure compensation and shutter speed dial, thumb navigation, etc, on the right side (if some are on the left the right needs to hold the camera).

 

 

 

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Originally Posted by Phantomlord9925 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

I looked at the Focal Spirit Classic and it does look possible to me. Given my clarifications, do you have any other thoughts? I really appreciate you taking the time to respond.

 

Just try to get it from a dealer that is easy to deal with when it comes to returns. Also, you might want to look into the Spirit Pro if you use walls to adjust the earcups - the Classic's earcup material is a shiny aluminum-like finish that will take and show scratches. The rough, dull plastic on the Pro version will take more physical abuse. However, the overall sound is a bit more balanced between the bass and treble.

 

[Phantomlord9925]

I see what you mean. Thanks for making me aware!
 
I'm sorry about your gout, I'm fortunate in that my condition is not painful, so I can't even pretend to understand, but I do know the struggles in not having full functionality.
 
So, both Focal Spirit Classic & Pro are two options I'm thinking about. Do you have any other suggestions? I see the newest Focal Spirit Classic S is around $180, my Aviators were $150, will sound quality really be a noticeable, worthwhile improvement? If it is, for that price obviously that's fantastic. I just want to make sure it will be a substantial improvement! 
 
You mentioned dealers where I could test out different systems, what retailers are fairly common? I live in Bloomington, IN, I have no idea if there are any around here!
 
Again, thank you for the insights thus far. Anybody else reading this, given my circumstances, tell me your thoughts and recommendations! 

 

[Phantomlord9925]

Scratch that, it's the One S I was looking at, not the Classic. 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantomlord9925 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

So, both Focal Spirit Classic & Pro are two options I'm thinking about. Do you have any other suggestions? I see the newest Focal Spirit Classic S is around $180, my Aviators were $150, will sound quality really be a noticeable, worthwhile improvement? If it is, for that price obviously that's fantastic. I just want to make sure it will be a substantial improvement! 

 

EDIT: Spirit One S

 

I'm not enough of a fan of the entry level Focal headphone - the treble is just too rolled off on that one. It's like it goes up to around 2000hz, then starts trailing off gradually, then it's all gone after 10000hz.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantomlord9925 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

 

You mentioned dealers where I could test out different systems, what retailers are fairly common? I live in Bloomington, IN, I have no idea if there are any around here!

 

I wouldn't really know off the bat, I live in Manila which is a giant, high density metro region, so over here I either just find out via local forums, I run into some while driving somewhere, etc. However when my brother in SoCal was thinking of getting headphones what I did was check Grado's website and I found one right behind his college.

 

You can go to Focal's website, see if there's a North American regional site, and then see if they have a similar site where you just input your postal code and they'll look for any dealers within a given radius. Grado's website had that.

 

[Phantomlord9925]

No that's fine, I'm not interested in the One S, I was just looking at it by mistake.
 
The Classic is just a little out of my price range unfortunately, do you know of any other comparable systems for $300 or less? Worst case scenario I save up the extra $100 for the Classic but I'd like to cover all options!
 
Thanks for the tip, I searched, there are no dealers nearby.

 

[buke9]

No that's fine, I'm not interested in the One S, I was just looking at it by mistake.

The Classic is just a little out of my price range unfortunately, do you know of any other comparable systems for $300 or less? Worst case scenario I save up the extra $100 for the Classic but I'd like to cover all options!

Thanks for the tip, I searched, there are no dealers nearby.

It is hard to find a place that has a lot of headphones anywhere. You would have to find a BestBuy with a Magnolia store in it to find more than just beats and the like. Indy or Louisville probably the the only ones close to you. Not for sure Indy has one but Louisville does. I live just south of Louisville just down the road from you.

 

[Phantomlord9925]

Thanks for the tips!
 
Does anybody have any other suggestions or should I just save up for the classics and call it a day?