[tjkohli]

Hi guys, I have been reading the forum for some time now, I decided to register and from time to time share with you my experiences in the audio world

Welcome! What kind of equipment do you have (or want)?

 

[bobchennan]

Hi guys I was using reddit for a long time but read a lot of reviews here. Currently I have a HE560 v4/VE Asura 3.0 FE and I used to have a HD6xx. Want to learn more things about EQ/frequency curve and try new things.

 

[Vamp898]

Hi guys I was using reddit for a long time but read a lot of reviews here. Currently I have a HE560 v4/VE Asura 3.0 FE and I used to have a HD6xx. Want to learn more things about EQ/frequency curve and try new things.

It is way more in depth here than Reddit. Positive and negative

 

[GMate]

Hi,
just got a somewhat "proper" rig and might need advice in setting and tweaking it, or even expanding at a later stage, so registered to the forum.

Playing with stereo speaker systems multiple times, I always ended with the conclusion I prefer to listen to even mediocre headphones, mostly because they inherently solve all those pesky room issues, I never really liked speakers without heavy studio-level room treatment that is out of the question for home use. Got me a HD650 years ago, but just now upgraded to HD800s and a schiit amplification system. Listen to a lot of classical which makes it an obvious choice, but even with the complement of the 650 not necessarily an all-rounder set that would cover every genre of music, so keeping things open to some additions later. Hopefully something from the senn/bayer/zmf or similar high-impedance stock to keep with the same amplification (Valhalla 2 amp), Would like me some planars, but that definitively asks for an additional amp. Maybe something closed and bassy from the high imp. lot, if it manages to keep it tight, clear, and without distortions?

Will see, but for now I have some months to play around with new toys

 

[Neoxas]

Hello I've been a long time lurker. Started off my interest in headphones with "gaming headsets" from various prices from cheap to expensive. Stepped into the world of IEM recently with a pair of Yanyin Cannon II's and loved the difference. Just recently upgraded to a pair of 64 audio Nios and am now in love with those and already looking forward to whats next lol. I figured since I always check this site along with reddit and youtube i'd finally make a post to introduce myself and start asking questions.

 

[BigJim13]

Hello everyone. I have been into the low end of this hobby for almost 4 years. I have the Schiit stack (Magni and Modi), Massdrop x Sennheiser 58X Jubilee, Hifiman Sundara and Modhouse Argon Mk3. I bought the Argons about 2 1/2 years ago and that was my last purchase. I have been happy with the Argons for hard rock and the Sundaras for everything else. The 58X are there to remind me that my other headphones are better. Now I have a little extra money to spend and an urge to upgrade. I will be posting some questions about upgrades in this forum soon.

 

[xerodinx]

Hi all,

I'm just getting into the hobby. It started as a search for a great gaming headset, which led me to borrowing a pair of Sennheiser 660s headphones from a buddy. A month has passed, and I'm now set up with a three-piece Magni+, Loki+ and Modi+ Schiit stack. I went with the popular Sennheiser HD6xx as my first proper set of headphones. I couldn't believe the difference in sound going from on-board computer sound and a gaming headset. Needless to say, I have caught the bug and am eyeing a Vali 2++ next!

 

[sc00ter]

Hi,
just got a somewhat "proper" rig and might need advice in setting and tweaking it, or even expanding at a later stage, so registered to the forum.

Playing with stereo speaker systems multiple times, I always ended with the conclusion I prefer to listen to even mediocre headphones, mostly because they inherently solve all those pesky room issues, I never really liked speakers without heavy studio-level room treatment that is out of the question for home use. Got me a HD650 years ago, but just now upgraded to HD800s and a schiit amplification system. Listen to a lot of classical which makes it an obvious choice, but even with the complement of the 650 not necessarily an all-rounder set that would cover every genre of music, so keeping things open to some additions later. Hopefully something from the senn/bayer/zmf or similar high-impedance stock to keep with the same amplification (Valhalla 2 amp), Would like me some planars, but that definitively asks for an additional amp. Maybe something closed and bassy from the high imp. lot, if it manages to keep it tight, clear, and without distortions?

Will see, but for now I have some months to play around with new toys

You might want to look into some used first-gen GoldenEar Triton Twos… they’re full range with built-in powered subwoofers, which means they don’t require a lot of power, and they sound absolutely amazing. I picked up a used pair for $1,400 bucks a few years ago, and never looked back.
Check out the reviews on Stereophile (and TheAbsoluteSound), and also have a look at the GoldenEar web forums to see if anyone has a used pair for sale.

 

[pavel93]

Hello everyone,

I got into this hobby less than a year ago by wanting to experience better sound than what my AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) can deliver. Back then thought that spending $480 on AirPods Max was a lot of money. Never tried out the Max, but went down a furious deep rabbit hole and have tried the Focal bathys, Hifiman Ananda nano, Arya organic and have settled on my beloved he1000se. Had no clue what was waiting for me.

Look forward to exploring the plethora of content this site has to offer, and glad to be here.

 

[MountainMotor]

It is way more in depth here than Reddit. Positive and negative

100% agree

 

[GMate]

You might want to look into some used first-gen GoldenEar Triton Twos… they’re full range with built-in powered subwoofers, which means they don’t require a lot of power, and they sound absolutely amazing. I picked up a used pair for $1,400 bucks a few years ago, and never looked back.
Check out the reviews on Stereophile (and TheAbsoluteSound), and also have a look at the GoldenEar web forums to see if anyone has a used pair for sale.

Thnx for the advice, but no interest in a speaker system in the foreseeable future. I had some KEF towers (can't remember the model any more) and other decent passive and powered, audiophile and pro-audio speakers/monitors. Never found them nearly as pleasant as headphones and there is always a lot of wrestling with room acoustics, specially if it is not a separate dedicated space focused primarily on sound treatment and there are other people and priorities to balance in regular living space. No plans to go for anything above casual movie audio with is done through a Sonos wireless system (bar, sub, 2 satellites and virtual atmos) at present. Even if upgrading it will still be just for movies because watching is sometimes a social experience, but active music listening is always individual this days and I prefer headphones anyway.
So I would probably better spend that money on another set of headphones, some tubes etc. than speakers that I would probably get rid off in a couple of months

 

[WishmastR]

Hi all
New joiner to the community, leaving in France near Paris, I come with a light experience on audio stuff.
Owned many wireless headphone (few Sennheiser, Sony & Jabra) and earbuds (Sony, Apple, Samsung) and for the past 3 years I started using wired devices.
Today I own :

• Headphones : Focal Clear Mg (which I will put on sale over the next few week), soon a Hifiman HE1000SE
• IEMs : Thieaudio Prestige LTD, 7Hz Timeless
• DAC/amplifiers : RME ADI-2 DAC FS, Fiio Q3
• Bluetooth Headphones : Sennheiser Mommentum Over Ears Wireless 2, Sony WH-1000XM3, Jabra Evolve2 85
• Bluetooth IEMs : Apple AirPods Pro 2, Samsung Buds 2 Pro, Sony WF-1000XM4

Looking forward to be part of all those interesting discussions I spot on a daily basis in the forum

 

[sc00ter]

Thnx for the advice, but no interest in a speaker system in the foreseeable future. I had some KEF towers (can't remember the model any more) and other decent passive and powered, audiophile and pro-audio speakers/monitors. Never found them nearly as pleasant as headphones and there is always a lot of wrestling with room acoustics, specially if it is not a separate dedicated space focused primarily on sound treatment and there are other people and priorities to balance in regular living space. No plans to go for anything above casual movie audio with is done through a Sonos wireless system (bar, sub, 2 satellites and virtual atmos) at present. Even if upgrading it will still be just for movies because watching is sometimes a social experience, but active music listening is always individual this days and I prefer headphones anyway.
So I would probably better spend that money on another set of headphones, some tubes etc. than speakers that I would probably get rid off in a couple of months

Makes sense - the easiest (and least expensive) way to own your listening space is headphones.

 

[GMate]

Makes sense - the easiest (and least expensive) way to own your listening space is headphones.

I "discovered" them because on the move a lot for a couple of years. Was used to closed monitoring/mixing headphones before that which are not that good for prolonged listening for pleasure, not eve top shelf ones that manage to control low frequencies.

But once I found good sounding ones that can be used for long, like open cans with good pads and IEMs, I don't feel much need to go back to speaker systems at all, even now when not travelling.
I sort of like the intimacy, clarity unaffected by room treatment, and easy separation that headphones bring. If it is not a social event I don't think I even care about speakers at the moment, at any budget.

It seems individual though, as all things hifi. Many audiophiles feel headphones to be too "artificial" and in the head compared to traditional speaker stereo imaging. Though one might argue everything and nothing is equally "artificial". After all even in a live acoustic concert different instruments, arrangements/positioning of instrument players, of listeners, venue acoustics etc will change things, there is always an imperfect chain of physical transmission of acoustic info influenced by a lot of factors. Let alone when recording and reproducing something, and that something is often also not analog at the source but either completely "programmed" or heavily tweaked by various processors, filters and what not. Not sure what is natural supposed to even be.

So not buying into the "natural" argument, but certainly do into "preference" argument and feel lucky to actually prefer the intimacy and clarity of headphones to the physical presence of any speaker system ever listened too, makes life much easier.

 

[sc00ter]

My first “good” headphones were Grado GR60s, and I still use them. It probably costs $20,000-$30,000 to get a stereo that even gets close to sounding as good as a decent pair of headphones. I’m starting to get close, though