[Bioxed]

JUMP TO "Anyways," IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE READING A STORY


I'm an owner of Superlux HD681 EVO's which I bought in march this year.
First the headband broke on the inside but I could live with it, then the little dangling headphone jack became loose and the plastic pretty much broke. They worked for a while but then the audio got all messed up and they only worked if you held the cable in one place... all that good stuff.

So I went to the store where I got them to have them replaced but it turns out they won't replace them after all so I had to fix them myself.

I ended up modding the 3.5mm jack so that it doesn't move around anymore, it's nice and solid now and they work.
Also "fixed" the rubber band that broke which was holding the headband.

My plan was to fix them and sell them at a discount, add some money and get the Superlux HD330's.
Now that I've put a lot of work into fixing these I don't know if I want to change them or not because I'm slightly emotionally attached to them and they sound good ( I guess I've burned them in).

Anyways, the question is: Is it a good idea or not, to change my 681EVO for HD330.

I've read some GREAT reviews(on this forum actually) about the HD330's especially after they've been burned in, but I've also read some mediocre reviews (maybe people didn't burn them in? or some of them are slightly worse than others, is it a lottery?).

Thank you

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I've read some GREAT reviews(on this forum actually) about the HD330's especially after they've been burned in, but I've also read some mediocre reviews (maybe people didn't burn them in? or some of them are slightly worse than others, is it a lottery?).

Objectively speaking, they suck. The measurements are far from flat.

Subjectively:

1. Some people want a response like that, and in some ways, they almost mimic the SR60 but with bass as far as subjectie impressions go (just that they'll have that "oomph" sound to the upper bass with more power than what you'd need if you were using the SR60, but again, you get more bass).

2. They're cheap. I got them since they cost less than original HD600 earpads from Sennheiser, and I use it for my desktop PC for gaming (not the best for wide positional audio, but half of the precision directionality wise would come from your soundcard's or game's virtualized surround anyway) and for casual listening when I'm working on that desktop PC. Note: apart from being cheaper than Sennheiser earpads, as far as gaming is concerned it's not like the HD600 is considerably better once virtual surround is running anyway.

If you're coming from the HD681 though it might be more worthwhile to just get a Philips SHP9500S. You're going to trade monstrous bass and ease of earpad replacement (I'm using third party earpads for the DT770 on it) for something less focused on bass and slightly flatter everywhere (the treble peaks on that isn't going to get covered up by prodigious bass so if you crank it up the treble gets perceptively louder faster than the low end will though) and spare parts for the SHP9500S aren't as easy to get (earpad hacks are relatively common though). So unless you need a lot of bass, if you want something that tilts more towards hi-fi, the Philips is worth considering.

 

[Bioxed]

Objectively speaking, they suck. The measurements are far from flat.

Subjectively:

1. Some people want a response like that, and in some ways, they almost mimic the SR60 but with bass as far as subjectie impressions go (just that they'll have that "oomph" sound to the upper bass with more power than what you'd need if you were using the SR60, but again, you get more bass).

2. They're cheap. I got them since they cost less than original HD600 earpads from Sennheiser, and I use it for my desktop PC for gaming (not the best for wide positional audio, but half of the precision directionality wise would come from your soundcard's or game's virtualized surround anyway) and for casual listening when I'm working on that desktop PC. Note: apart from being cheaper than Sennheiser earpads, as far as gaming is concerned it's not like the HD600 is considerably better once virtual surround is running anyway.

If you're coming from the HD681 though it might be more worthwhile to just get a Philips SHP9500S. You're going to trade monstrous bass and ease of earpad replacement (I'm using third party earpads for the DT770 on it) for something less focused on bass and slightly flatter everywhere (the treble peaks on that isn't going to get covered up by prodigious bass so if you crank it up the treble gets perceptively louder faster than the low end will though) and spare parts for the SHP9500S aren't as easy to get (earpad hacks are relatively common though). So unless you need a lot of bass, if you want something that tilts more towards hi-fi, the Philips is worth considering.

Thank you for such a detailed take.
I think I'd love the Philips but I'm not looking to spend more money. The 681EVO and 330 are around the same price which is why I'm even considering them.
I wouldn't be using my headphones for gaming, I just really like music and have headphones on my head more than I don't which is why I want a good sounding headphone.

If they objectively suck, how can they have such good reviews, especially on this forum, 2 5stars and 2 4,5stars ? :/
Also people make claims for quite a few superlux headphones, including 330 and mine, that they sound as good as some 10 times more expensive headphones ?

Not trying to argue with you, just trying to understand. I guess what I want is a headphone at this price point that produces the most accurate sound. I'm happy with my 681EVO but if the HD330's (or another headphone) produce more accurate sound then I want them.

Thank you !

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I think I'd love the Philips but I'm not looking to spend more money. The 681EVO and 330 are around the same price which is why I'm even considering them.
I wouldn't be using my headphones for gaming, I just really like music and have headphones on my head more than I don't which is why I want a good sounding headphone.

If you don't want to spend more might as well not spend any if you've already fixed your HD681.

If they objectively suck, how can they have such good reviews, especially on this forum, 2 5stars and 2 4,5stars ? :/
Also people make claims for quite a few superlux headphones, including 330 and mine, that they sound as good as some 10 times more expensive headphones ?

Not trying to argue with you, just trying to understand. I guess what I want is a headphone at this price point that produces the most accurate sound. I'm happy with my 681EVO but if the HD330's (or another headphone) produce more accurate sound then I want them.

I literally explained that.

Objectively they suck, just look up the measurements.

Superlux HD330

Sennheiser HD600 for comparison - note the smoother graph

Then I laid out the subjective reasons for why people don't hate them if not like them.

Some prefer that kind of response, ie, lots of bass without drowning everything out the way the old Beats did. Some can tolerate that kind of response for $50.

It kinda works like thiese:

1. Subjectively somebody can look at the test results for handling and acceleration on an old Camaro or Mustang vs a 911 Carrera and subjectively choose the Mustang or Corvette because they like shifting down only one gear when overtaking or because they're more likely to race on a drag strip than a road course.

2. Objectively I can make an analysis for what works out for most people but subjectively some people will whine about how much it impacts them, whether too negatively as far as they're concerned or insufficiently in a positive way.

3. A professional chef can objectively consider that in the course of doing his job the hassles of maintaining zero chromium carbon steel while doing his job offsets the 10mins he would save when he needs to sharpen it now that there are decent stainless alloys that can hold their edge as well if not better than carbon steel without having to worry about keeping it dry all the time, more so if he can send it out to the knife dealer to get it sharpened every other week. I can subjectively choose to continue using carbon steel in my own kitchen since I can wipe it dry between each vegetable or each slice of raw fish then wash it while I warm the skillet, because I don't have to crunch the numbers on how much time I would actually waste keeping it dry and since my cooking means one meal at a time the 10mins to 15mins less I would spend sharpening it every month which is offset by the additional time I would spend polishing it anyway so it resists corrosion a bit better, and the number that actually matters is "$350 Miyabi SG2 stainless alloy vs $80 Tojiro carbon steel."

 

[Bioxed]

Alright, thanks for your time

 

[Bioxed]

Does the 681evo objectively suck less than the hd330 according to the graphs ?

(Last question)

EDIT: "Suck less" in a sense that they objectively produce sound better, have a more neutral/real audio reproduction

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Does the 681evo objectively suck less than the hd330 according to the graphs ?

EDIT: "Suck less" in a sense that they objectively produce sound better, have a more neutral/real audio reproduction

Other way around. The HD330 sucks less given the response is closer to flat for most of the range.

Subjectively, for overall sound, the HD330 can make the upper midrange and lower treble sharper when you crank it up far enough.