[Change is Good]

Hey chico,
 
So I stopped procrastinating and did the bass test with the Annies. Let's just say I am very bummed...

. It is the left earcup this time. I really can't believe my luck...
 
It is obvious that I have to send these back (already adding to my high returns). This is really wrecking my nerves.

 

[pervysage]

Quote:

Hey chico,
 
So I stopped procrastinating and did the bass test with the Annies. Let's just say I am very bummed...

. It is the left earcup this time. I really can't believe my luck...
 
It is obvious that I have to send these back (already adding to my high returns). This is really wrecking my nerves.

 
Wow, another one. I returned mine for the same reason. But my rattling occurred in the everyday music that I listen to as well, not only just bass tests.
 
I remember saying a while back that this seemed to be a prevalent problem with some of the AKG's and someone made a comment saying I should go learn what prevalent means or something as there weren't many people claiming this problem. But I've seen lots of people bring up this issue now.

 

[Change is Good]

Quote:

 
Wow, another one. I returned mine for the same reason. But my rattling occurred in the everyday music that I listen to as well, not only just bass tests.
 
I remember saying a while back that this seemed to be a prevalent problem with some of the AKG's and someone made a comment saying I should go learn what prevalent means or something as there weren't many people claiming this problem. But I've seen lots of people bring up this issue now.

 
This is my second time. First time was with the Q701.
 
Edit: Now I need to find an alternative which is not what I wanted.

 

[pervysage]

Quote:

 
This is my second time. First time was with the Q701.
 
Edit: Now I need to find an alternative which is not what I wanted.

I just put in my order for the X1's. Hope they are everything the reviews have been saying they are.
 
Also ordered a V-Moda cable to go along with it for the so-called stock cable issue.

 

[Change is Good]

The X1s and He-400 are on my radar, for now...
 
Still bummed...

 

[kellte2]

The X1s and He-400 are on my radar, for now...

Still bummed...

Why not contact AKG support? They made it right for me when i experienced a defect out of the box with the Annie.

 

[Change is Good]

Quote:

Why not contact AKG support? They made it right for me when i experienced a defect out of the box with the Annie.

 
I am on the fence with that, too. I know AKG can make it right but the wait is what is deferring me from that route. Being that I ordered these from Amazon I'd rather just return it and not go through this hassle, anymore. Twice is enough for me...

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

Chico how does the X1 fare against the DT990? Also, I have to stretch the earpads at around the fifth/sixth notch...Would the X1 be too small for my head?

 
The DT990s have significantly hotter treble, have thinner recessed mids, and are thinner and colder in general.  The X1's are in the same warm camp as the HD650s and the Anniversaries but with a different tuning, and the treble is surprisingly close to the levels on the Anniversaries. I believe the X1 may have more bass than the DT990, but I'm not 100% positive going off memory. 
 
Unfortunately I don't know about the size comparison to the DT990s.  I didn't keep them around long enough to become familiar with the headband notch sizes :\
 
Quote:

Hey chico,
 
So I stopped procrastinating and did the bass test with the Annies. Let's just say I am very bummed...

. It is the left earcup this time. I really can't believe my luck...
It is obvious that I have to send these back (already adding to my high returns). This is really wrecking my nerves.

 
What a bummer

.  Sorry to hear that.
 
You got them from Amazon right?  Well, technically they are defective so I don't see the problem with pestering them for more returns/exchanges.  I would try for another.  They're expensive headphones after all damnit!  If it makes you feel better, keep in mind MLE is on his 4th laptop return.
 
Going through Amazon is undoubtedly faster than trying to go through AKG, which took a month turnaround for me (mainly because AKG just took the first pair I sent, decided to re-solder a perfectly good wire, then sent them back to me with the rattle issue completely ignored!)  IMO, dealing with AKG is something you do only after you're out of the convenient Amazon return window.

 

[Change is Good]

Quote:

 
What a bummer

.  Sorry to hear that.
 
You got them from Amazon right?  Well, technically they are defective so I don't see the problem with pestering them for more returns/exchanges.  I would try for another.  They're expensive headphones after all damnit!  If it makes you feel better, keep in mind MLE is on his 4th laptop return.
 
Going through Amazon is undoubtedly faster than trying to go through AKG, which took a month turnaround for me (mainly because AKG just took the first pair I sent, decided to re-solder a perfectly good wire, then sent them back to me with the rattle issue completely ignored!)

 
I don't know, man. I'm really unpleased and doubt I want to keep going through this. I am really thinking about the X1 but the non replaceable pads, jack issue, and possibly too much bass and recessed mids compared to the Annie are throwing me off.

 

[3X0]

Quote:

Part of it could also be that I'm also factoring in music performance (particularly vocal performance) when looking at headphones. I'm expecting a good all-rounder that does everything well, instead of being cripplingly overspecialized.
 
It's just like a high-end computer: I expect it to excel at everything it does, especially for the price tag.

A fair point, but given how disproportionately music and movies are tailored for sub-bass performance and how little I care for sub-bass in music, I prefer two separate sets to cater to music and media.
Quote:

Edit: Now I need to find an alternative which is not what I wanted.

I can't think of a better time to jump on the Fidelio X1 ship (short of hopeful further price reductions). Why settle for less than the best?

 

[Change is Good]

Quote:

I am really thinking about the X1 but the non replaceable pads, jack issue, and possibly too much bass and recessed mids compared to the Annie are throwing me off.

 
^^^ Because of this. But feel free to try and convince me!

 
Quote:

I can't think of a better time to jump on the Fidelio X1 ship (short of hopeful further price reductions). Why settle for less than the best?

 

[Nekrono]

Hey Head-Fi audiophiles.
 
I'm about to step into the audiophile world, probably at an entry level but still. The main use that I will give the Headphones will be gaming and especially virtual surround gaming which if I understand correctly the best choice would be going with Dolby Headphone technology.
 
Now, the Headphone that I've set my eyes on right now is the Sennheiser HD598 followed closely by the Audio Technica ATH AD9000, the reasons behind these models is audio positioning, I want to be able to tell where the enemies are in my surrounding with just audio and these two paired up with Dolby Headphone seem to be fantastic at it without giving up much of the Bass, Mids, etc, which is good because I will also use them for music and movie playback. Any recommendation/advice regarding these Headphones or this setup is well appreciated.
 
Now this is were I start getting lost and could really use some help
 
I hear all this talk about DAC's, AMP's, Sound Cards, etc, and I'm not sure what I need exactly for what I primarly want to do which is audio positioning and great surround sound during games mainly, not just shooters or competitive but single player experiences as well.
 
I've read a bit and this is what I've found so far, please correct me if I'm wrong:
 
1) -DAC's: Mainly used to "clean up" the original signal, especially useful when there is noise, etc, during playback.
 
From the sound of it seems like I don't really need this to accomplish my goal, I have this motherboard and most modern motherboards already have a pretty decent DAC and with the optical output that has I shouldn't have any problems getting a "clean" signal output. Correct, yes, no?
 
2) -AMP's: Used to "amplify" the signal, also provides more voltage to be delivered to the Headphone for those that have high impediance (80 ohms+ ?). That's the main use from what I read but I'm confused as to If I need one or not, I see a lot of comments saying that most people won't even benefit at all, or that it doesn't change the sound but then I read others say that It really changes the sound of the headphone for the better especially the HD 598, again, really confused here and I don't know If I should get one or not.
 
3) -Sound Cards: I guess this is my main question since it seems to be the defining factor to my ultimate goal... virtual surround. From what I understand most DAC's or AMP's are useless for this since they do not have a DPS, which is the "processor" that handles the signal and has the ability to modify or change it's properties like transforming it into Dolby Headphone (assuming the sound card is certified). Now I've read that some AMP's do offer this "feature" like the Astro Mixamp or the JVC SU-DH1 (which doesn't seem to be in stock anywhere now), the great thing from these AMP's is that they are compatible with consoles which even though I'm a PC gamer would be a great benefit to have I must admit.
 
I'm not sure if I should get one of these (maybe you guys can recommend a better AMP with these features) or if I should get a soundcard. I saw a lot of people recommending the ASUS Xonar Essence STX which at $179.99 is over my budget for a soundcard/amp. I did notice that ASUS has other sound cards like the Xonar D1 or the Xonar DG which come at a lower price.
 
My question is... would I be sacrificing a lot by going with these lower tier cards or will it not make a difference since my only interest is getting a device that's Dobly Headphone compatible and these cards all have it? Will I have the same virtual surround experience regarding the device as long as it's Dolby Headphone certified?
 
I know it's a long read but I tried to make it as clear as possible, again I'm new at this and this is what I've come up with before asking for help.
 
Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[daleb]

The HD 598 doesn't really need an amp from what I know. People use it with their phones and ipods all the time.
 

 

[HiFiGamer1995]

The HD598 is a much better all-rounder, the AD900 is a half headphone because of it's weaker bass and brighter treble. If you're gaming only on PC then a cheap Asus Xonar sound card should be good enough for the 598. If you're going to be console gaming at all then the Mixamp is the best option.

 

[Change is Good]

So... they gave me an advanced refund and I have 30 days to return the Annies. Screw it... I pulled the plug on the X1 cause I'm so damn impatient!!!

 
Oh well, I guess I will find out for myself what all this hype is about...