[martiiin]

Oh. Well I guess that's my fault for jumping on the hype train without doing enough research first, haha. I could have bought the CAL!2 for the same price 680 is gonna cost me with the import duty and whatnot. Shame. The CAL!2's are definitely better in overall SQ right?
 
Anyway, so you're saying I should invest on a amp first and skip the DAC, even though the Galaxy S4 has a horrible DAC?
 
Thanks for your replies guys.

 

[theuprising]

  Oh. Well I guess that's my fault for jumping on the hype train without doing enough research first, haha. I could have bought the CAL!2 for the same price 680 is gonna cost me with the import duty and whatnot. Shame. The CAL!2's are definitely better in overall SQ right?
 
Anyway, so you're saying I should invest on a amp first and skip the DAC, even though the Galaxy S4 has a horrible DAC?
 
Thanks for your replies guys.

No no, many say the CAL 2 is worse than the CAL 1, or the very least not worth the price increase between the 2.
 
Most who have listened to both will say the the CAL! 1 is a straight upgrade from the JVS s680, other than in bass quantity.
 
About the DAC vs amp, both are fairly important imo, these headphones technically shouldn't be in dire need of an amp with its low impedance, though my isolated experience differs. 

 

[martiiin]

Alright. I guess I'll start with getting a DAC, as I wouldn't want the crappy built in one in my phone ruining the sound quality. Then down the line I'll invest in an amp (and maybe even a new better headphone further down the line). Thanks for your input.

 

[LaPierre]

I decided to use my HAS-680 for its drivers. I'm gonna put them in a 3D printed earcup once I finish designing it. The drivers have lots of ability, it's just the earcups + baffle they're in limit them a lot.

 

[theuprising]

Well I upgraded from the s680 to a mid-fi can. I'm selling my s680 deeply discounted if any one is interested, or has a cool trade.
 

  I decided to use my HAS-680 for its drivers. I'm gonna put them in a 3D printed earcup once I finish designing it. The drivers have lots of ability, it's just the earcups + baffle they're in limit them a lot.
 

Do you think the drivers are better than the CAL!'s? It might be possible. I wonder what the FR on these cans are. If I had to guess, 128Hz would have a +8dB boost, 256hz +3dB, and then its recessed until ~4kHz. So kindof a V-shape?

 

[dakanao]

  Well I upgraded from the s680 to a mid-fi can. I'm selling my s680 deeply discounted if any one is interested, or has a cool trade.
 
Do you think the drivers are better than the CAL!'s? It might be possible. I wonder what the FR on these cans are. If I had to guess, 128Hz would have a +8dB boost, 256hz +3dB, and then its recessed until ~4kHz. So kindof a V-shape?

I would say the CAL has slightly better drivers. But, of course sounds a lot better because of their design.
 
But when I EQ'ed the HA-S680 on windows media player, they sounded damn near as good as the CAL.
 
They have boosted midbass, recessed midrange and a smooth, dark treble. So I guess it's a ''^_-'' shape

 

[LaPierre]

  Well I upgraded from the s680 to a mid-fi can. I'm selling my s680 deeply discounted if any one is interested, or has a cool trade.
 
Do you think the drivers are better than the CAL!'s? It might be possible. I wonder what the FR on these cans are. If I had to guess, 128Hz would have a +8dB boost, 256hz +3dB, and then its recessed until ~4kHz. So kindof a V-shape?

I haven't heard the CAL, honestly. The S680 sucks at subbass, but open-air it's got amazing clarity and I bet it'd probably surpass the CAL with a better baffle design (at the cost of bass quantity) I'm guessing. Guessing frequency graphs is difficult, it's probably all over the place likes most headphones in this price range are but I'm sensing a good amount of mid and upper bass accentuation and some kind of upper mid recession. Your guess is as good as mine.

 

[theuprising]

   The S680 sucks at subbass,

Its got great and warm enveloping sub-bass, not sure what you're talking about. It may not be "amazing" in texture but gets the job done.
 
After moving up and trying different headphones, you always gain a new respect for your older headphones due to diminishing returns, and this is definitely the case with the 680. With amping the headphone sounds pretty great and gains clarity where it was once muffled. I would say its a side-grade to the Takstar Pro 80 which have been hailed as giant killers. It still needs EQ for the bass not to be overwhelming, but with EQ and amping it sounds absolutely excellent. If the CAL! is supposed to better all around than the S680, I'm excited to hear it!

 

[Lifted Andreas]

  Well I upgraded from the s680 to a mid-fi can. I'm selling my s680 deeply discounted if any one is interested, or has a cool trade.

 
How much mate?
 
I donated my S680 to my gf as she loves the comfort and lightness.
 
I'm thinking of whether to get the CAL or another pair of S680s, decisions decisions...

 

[dakanao]

   
How much mate?
 
I donated my S680 to my gf as she loves the comfort and lightness.
 
I'm thinking of whether to get the CAL or another pair of S680s, decisions decisions...

I definitely recommend the CAL over the S680s, unless you want that overwhelming boosted bass of the S680. The CAL is better in every way imo.

 

[Lifted Andreas]

I definitely recommend the CAL over the S680s, unless you want that overwhelming boosted bass of the S680. The CAL is better in every way imo.

Well I've had my pair of S680s for over a year and they don't have boosted bass at all. Plugged straight into my laptop they sound pretty balanced tbh. Saying that though they have had a LONG burn in time!! I mainly play games with them, I find their positional cues are really good.

 

[theuprising]

What in the world kind of burn in did you do? I think I burned mine in for ~60 hours before use and now they are about a year old, and are pretty damn bassy with a good amount of distortion. However they have a nice, wide soundstage for something so small and with EQ the sound you can get out of them is quite phenomenal for 35-50 dollars, as their bass goes very low and has this nice very liquid and enveloping quality. Without EQ or amping, imo they sound unbearably boomy. I think it was Dakanao who said they sound like the Momentums with that EQ setting he posted, and after listening to the Momentums, they really do!
 
I have the Momentum's now and previously had the Takstar Pro 80, and sometimes I go back to the S680 because I miss the enveloping bass I would get on some songs.

 

[Lifted Andreas]

What in the world kind of burn in did you do? I think I burned mine in for ~60 hours before use and now they are about a year old, and are pretty damn bassy with a good amount of distortion. However they have a nice, wide soundstage for something so small and with EQ the sound you can get out of them is quite phenomenal for 35-50 dollars, as their bass goes very low and has this nice very liquid and enveloping quality. Without EQ or amping, imo they sound unbearably boomy. I think it was Dakanao who said they sound like the Momentums with that EQ setting he posted, and after listening to the Momentums, they really do!

I have the Momentum's now and previously had the Takstar Pro 80, and sometimes I go back to the S680 because I miss the enveloping bass I would get on some songs.

I pounded them with lots and lots of Hard House/Hard Trance and drum & bass.

Good news, I've found the CAL for sale on a certain website for £48 with 4 year warranty. I'm buying them tonight I think.

The only thing that's putting me off is that they aren't foldable like the S680.

 

[Lifted Andreas]

Got them!

 

[dakanao]

Got them!

How do you like their sound?