AudioNoob
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2004
- Posts
- 1,341
- Likes
- 211
These are the UK/Germany versions of the popular phones found on the board under fischer/brainwavz/yoga/jaycar. I wrote parts of this as an amazon review so it will have some introductory stuff that will sound pedantic here
Ask away with any questions. I moved to the UK, hence the UK brand. Things are quite a bit more expensive here so take the price in respect to that.
Head-fi zone
*added some comparisons as a response a couple posts down.
These have a resolution in the mid/hi region that is reminiscent of hd5** series while the mids are a bit recessed in comparison but only in a tight region around 1k, so a lot of vocals sound pretty full where some singers that happen to fall in that region take a small step back. It can be eq'ed in that matter without much problem. They do lose a tad bit of sparkle moving to portable sources from the Dragonfly dac but that is an obvious truism that would apply to any headphone, they are still easy to drive and more than usable with most sources.
My long loved earphones are er-4ps, now replaced by custom monitor iems, so that also puts things in some perspective regarding my love of detailed and relatively flat sound. My second favs are alessandro ms-1s with yellow foamie mods, a rather forward and detailed pair.
//TL;DR//
If you are looking to get a feel about what higher end headphones are supposed to sound like without breaking the bank or compromising much in the bass department, this should be in your top list under £100. These headphones are unique in the price range, delivering very detailed and fairly accurate sound while still sounding full and retaining the bass that a lot of people prefer these days without needing an amplifier or special equipment. Though being a relatively warm phone, the treble extends far and crisply, which I was surprised by. Its sound signature works with a wide variety of genres and it is versatile enough to be used for gaming as well. Easy suggestion for everyone but those looking for a bright rather than warm sound under £100.
If you need isolation or need ones where sound does not escape out of the headphones, see the sister model hf-100 that delivers a surprisingly large sound for a closed headphone, pretty much the top for closed over the ear headphone under 75£, a category with even less options in that range.
One strange thing of note is that these sound relatively closed for a fully open headphone, though with a decent soundstage, while the closed model sounded open for a closed headphone
//Build Quality//
It is a super well built headphone, if not a bit tanky, that comes in a padded storage case with extra pads and an equally sturdy detachable cable.
The headphones come packaged in a carry bag with a foam inser especially cut out for the phones, a nice touch if you ever need to put them away, though not something you'd carry in a bag as these are quite large for that purpose. Upon first opening them, you will see that they come with a spare set of pads and the detachable cable coiled in the middle of the headphone cavity. Plug the cable in the respective sockets and you are good to go, these will work with anything from your phone to your TV set -the cable ends are regular mono jacks both terminating at the other end of the cable in a stereo 3.5mm with a 6.5mm screw on adapter, making repairs and replacements easy as well recabling it for balanced amplifiers-
The headphones are largely made of beefy plastic and feel well put together, most parts are painted with a soft-touch paint that doesn't pick up fingerprints and seems fairly robust. The replacable pads are very soft and contain a pleasant density foam that make the headphones rather comfortable. It is worth mentioning that these are circum-aural (as in, go over and around your ear like a cup) and as with all other such headphones, will not work for long sessions if you have thick rimmed glasses that don't sit flush with your head as they will probably give you an eventual headache, but are fine for an hour or so at a time.
With a larger name like Lindy behind them having a local warranty, I would venture that they will offer better value over time compared to some other sub 100 headphones of lesser known manufacture.
//Fit//
You might find the clamping force to be a bit much the first few days, extend the cups to your headsize and put the headphone on a few books that roughly match your headsize when you are not using them for a week or so. Do NOT try to bend the middle part up, you will snap it in half! If you have an enormous head like me (you statistically don't, I'm talking large for a person 6'4" here), this will take a little more time as the design that makes these headphones rather secure and comfortable is not built to handle feast sized watermelons.
The pads are one of the nicest I have had, they have nicely filled and the pleather is very soft to touch and not super sweaty like glossy vinyls
//Sound//
If you are new to hi-fi headphones (beats don't count), you will probably find the level of newfound detail in your music rather novel. It is a bit like wearing glasses, or wielding a magnifying glass and going Dora the Explorer in your music. What used to be a rough impression of bumps and grooves that make up songs and symphonies suddenly open up to valleys and hills that you can poke in and move around. Most headphones at this price range that resolve this sort of detail often do it at the expense of bass, which, to me, is ok.. BUT, these actually retain quite a bit of boom, stretching the zone between the extreme lows to the middle, though lacking slightly in the lowermost thump. This makes them very listenable as the sound signature is not tiring and can accommodate a variety of genres.
I am going to turn on anal mode and note two weaknesses while reminding you that I perhaps should not at this price. These are a)slightly boomy low mids/upper bass that hides the deep end b)a slight drop around 512/1k that makes the higher mids slightly veiled. B) can easily be addressed by a slight equalizer nudge, A) I happen to prefer less bass in that region and instead have the very-very low end come forward a little more. Again, this is being anal but should be noted in case you want a really vibrant and forward sounding headphone regardless of loss in bass, it clears up a little as you turn the volume up Only other instance that I could see this being a hindrance is the more alto range of deathcore as they sound a lot of notes in that register and the double kick drum and the growl might all become soup, this is not the case for most grindcore and more melodic stuff as the resolution of detail really brings those tracks (assuming well recorder) to a new level. Ok, too much talk of music I don't really listen to.
These are open headphones, so they will leak some sounds, and you will still hear the door if it rings while you are listening to music. This type of design tends to mean wider soundstage as well, and while I know the HF100(sister model) is exceptionally open sounding for a closed phone, the HF110 has a decent/slightly above average soundstage for it's size. It does however still sound very full and facilitates distinct stereo imaging, meaning it will be good for games and funky tracks like Pink Floyd's Money or Coltrane's Love Supreme that use channels exclusively for different sounds and instruments.
I threw a wide range of music at it, Piano, Orchestra, Blues(female vocal), Vocal-centric French Rock, Psychedelic Rock and it did well in all of them. As mentioned in the summary, this all-rounder quality makes them very good for most things, but if you wanted a headphone that excelled in one thing in the expense of others, there might be another option though it will be very hard to find without sampling all the models. The Bonzo Dog Band Cosmology sounds really huge and clear with these, kind of random reference I know but I just turned it on accidentally and was like ha look at that.
They pair particularly well with the Audioquest dragonfly DAC that I have which boosts the detail and clarity beyond what my phone and tablet devices achieve, having said that, it was was great with either device and being easy to drive, got more than loud enough before I could max the volume control. This makes them fine for listening while traveling to an from work and such, though the cable is a bit long and will have to be coiled in your pocket or something
//Areas for improvement//
-they have a slight muddiness in the lower mid / higher bass registers and a slight dip in the higher mid makes it sound slightly recessed at times
-doesn't do great in the sub-bass (32hz) even equalized, which is typical for open phones at this range. It's getting better with burn-in but still a touch sloppy, again, pretty good for the price.
-the sister model hf100 is truly exceptional in its price range (under 75), and sounds exceptionally clear and large for a closed headphone. The hf110 on the other hand, has tougher competition amongst open headphones under 85 these days from some of the larger names in the market. This is not to say it does not make it to the top 5, maybe the top 3 even depending ony your sound preferences
-They are a tad bulky and plastic, however well finished
//Recommendations to manufacturer//
Option of velour pads would be great for the summer
Supply a shorter 'portable' cable made of thinnner material, maybe with a mic(gamers would use that)
*Disclaimer: This product has been provided to me as a sample in a review program upon my request*
Head-fi zone
*added some comparisons as a response a couple posts down.
These have a resolution in the mid/hi region that is reminiscent of hd5** series while the mids are a bit recessed in comparison but only in a tight region around 1k, so a lot of vocals sound pretty full where some singers that happen to fall in that region take a small step back. It can be eq'ed in that matter without much problem. They do lose a tad bit of sparkle moving to portable sources from the Dragonfly dac but that is an obvious truism that would apply to any headphone, they are still easy to drive and more than usable with most sources.
My long loved earphones are er-4ps, now replaced by custom monitor iems, so that also puts things in some perspective regarding my love of detailed and relatively flat sound. My second favs are alessandro ms-1s with yellow foamie mods, a rather forward and detailed pair.
//TL;DR//
If you are looking to get a feel about what higher end headphones are supposed to sound like without breaking the bank or compromising much in the bass department, this should be in your top list under £100. These headphones are unique in the price range, delivering very detailed and fairly accurate sound while still sounding full and retaining the bass that a lot of people prefer these days without needing an amplifier or special equipment. Though being a relatively warm phone, the treble extends far and crisply, which I was surprised by. Its sound signature works with a wide variety of genres and it is versatile enough to be used for gaming as well. Easy suggestion for everyone but those looking for a bright rather than warm sound under £100.
If you need isolation or need ones where sound does not escape out of the headphones, see the sister model hf-100 that delivers a surprisingly large sound for a closed headphone, pretty much the top for closed over the ear headphone under 75£, a category with even less options in that range.
One strange thing of note is that these sound relatively closed for a fully open headphone, though with a decent soundstage, while the closed model sounded open for a closed headphone
//Build Quality//
It is a super well built headphone, if not a bit tanky, that comes in a padded storage case with extra pads and an equally sturdy detachable cable.
The headphones come packaged in a carry bag with a foam inser especially cut out for the phones, a nice touch if you ever need to put them away, though not something you'd carry in a bag as these are quite large for that purpose. Upon first opening them, you will see that they come with a spare set of pads and the detachable cable coiled in the middle of the headphone cavity. Plug the cable in the respective sockets and you are good to go, these will work with anything from your phone to your TV set -the cable ends are regular mono jacks both terminating at the other end of the cable in a stereo 3.5mm with a 6.5mm screw on adapter, making repairs and replacements easy as well recabling it for balanced amplifiers-
The headphones are largely made of beefy plastic and feel well put together, most parts are painted with a soft-touch paint that doesn't pick up fingerprints and seems fairly robust. The replacable pads are very soft and contain a pleasant density foam that make the headphones rather comfortable. It is worth mentioning that these are circum-aural (as in, go over and around your ear like a cup) and as with all other such headphones, will not work for long sessions if you have thick rimmed glasses that don't sit flush with your head as they will probably give you an eventual headache, but are fine for an hour or so at a time.
With a larger name like Lindy behind them having a local warranty, I would venture that they will offer better value over time compared to some other sub 100 headphones of lesser known manufacture.
//Fit//
You might find the clamping force to be a bit much the first few days, extend the cups to your headsize and put the headphone on a few books that roughly match your headsize when you are not using them for a week or so. Do NOT try to bend the middle part up, you will snap it in half! If you have an enormous head like me (you statistically don't, I'm talking large for a person 6'4" here), this will take a little more time as the design that makes these headphones rather secure and comfortable is not built to handle feast sized watermelons.
The pads are one of the nicest I have had, they have nicely filled and the pleather is very soft to touch and not super sweaty like glossy vinyls
//Sound//
If you are new to hi-fi headphones (beats don't count), you will probably find the level of newfound detail in your music rather novel. It is a bit like wearing glasses, or wielding a magnifying glass and going Dora the Explorer in your music. What used to be a rough impression of bumps and grooves that make up songs and symphonies suddenly open up to valleys and hills that you can poke in and move around. Most headphones at this price range that resolve this sort of detail often do it at the expense of bass, which, to me, is ok.. BUT, these actually retain quite a bit of boom, stretching the zone between the extreme lows to the middle, though lacking slightly in the lowermost thump. This makes them very listenable as the sound signature is not tiring and can accommodate a variety of genres.
I am going to turn on anal mode and note two weaknesses while reminding you that I perhaps should not at this price. These are a)slightly boomy low mids/upper bass that hides the deep end b)a slight drop around 512/1k that makes the higher mids slightly veiled. B) can easily be addressed by a slight equalizer nudge, A) I happen to prefer less bass in that region and instead have the very-very low end come forward a little more. Again, this is being anal but should be noted in case you want a really vibrant and forward sounding headphone regardless of loss in bass, it clears up a little as you turn the volume up Only other instance that I could see this being a hindrance is the more alto range of deathcore as they sound a lot of notes in that register and the double kick drum and the growl might all become soup, this is not the case for most grindcore and more melodic stuff as the resolution of detail really brings those tracks (assuming well recorder) to a new level. Ok, too much talk of music I don't really listen to.
These are open headphones, so they will leak some sounds, and you will still hear the door if it rings while you are listening to music. This type of design tends to mean wider soundstage as well, and while I know the HF100(sister model) is exceptionally open sounding for a closed phone, the HF110 has a decent/slightly above average soundstage for it's size. It does however still sound very full and facilitates distinct stereo imaging, meaning it will be good for games and funky tracks like Pink Floyd's Money or Coltrane's Love Supreme that use channels exclusively for different sounds and instruments.
I threw a wide range of music at it, Piano, Orchestra, Blues(female vocal), Vocal-centric French Rock, Psychedelic Rock and it did well in all of them. As mentioned in the summary, this all-rounder quality makes them very good for most things, but if you wanted a headphone that excelled in one thing in the expense of others, there might be another option though it will be very hard to find without sampling all the models. The Bonzo Dog Band Cosmology sounds really huge and clear with these, kind of random reference I know but I just turned it on accidentally and was like ha look at that.
They pair particularly well with the Audioquest dragonfly DAC that I have which boosts the detail and clarity beyond what my phone and tablet devices achieve, having said that, it was was great with either device and being easy to drive, got more than loud enough before I could max the volume control. This makes them fine for listening while traveling to an from work and such, though the cable is a bit long and will have to be coiled in your pocket or something
//Areas for improvement//
-they have a slight muddiness in the lower mid / higher bass registers and a slight dip in the higher mid makes it sound slightly recessed at times
-doesn't do great in the sub-bass (32hz) even equalized, which is typical for open phones at this range. It's getting better with burn-in but still a touch sloppy, again, pretty good for the price.
-the sister model hf100 is truly exceptional in its price range (under 75), and sounds exceptionally clear and large for a closed headphone. The hf110 on the other hand, has tougher competition amongst open headphones under 85 these days from some of the larger names in the market. This is not to say it does not make it to the top 5, maybe the top 3 even depending ony your sound preferences
-They are a tad bulky and plastic, however well finished
//Recommendations to manufacturer//
Option of velour pads would be great for the summer
Supply a shorter 'portable' cable made of thinnner material, maybe with a mic(gamers would use that)
*Disclaimer: This product has been provided to me as a sample in a review program upon my request*
