I've never really understood the difference between the terms dark/warm and imaging/soundstage. As someone who hasn't english as first language, this video really helped me
@@JamieVatarga hey your "lack of a life" helps the community tremendously with your well thought out reviews that obviously come from a place of experience. So there's that
This video could not have possibly been more efficient at introducing me to the deeper side of audio and headphones. Incredible video, incredible presentation, thank you!
I have a pair of nice(ish) planar open backs for analytical at home time when I can't or shouldn't use my stereo - a set of bluetooth, over ear, closed backs for travelling - and a couple sets of good IEM's for a more discreet option on the go. In short: use case is a big deal, if not the biggest deal, so figure out what your most pressing needs are first to whittle down the field of options.
Frankly, the first 4 minutes of this headphone introduction video is as close to perfect that I've seen! Nothing on UA-cam comes even close to explaining the complex essentials, in simple terms, without having to resort to reading up. Amazing communication skills! Thank you!
This hobby is quite simple actually; the more money it costs, the better it is. Throw money at it. If you are poor, you cannot be an audiophile. Simple. Proven. Audiophile quality starts at $3000 for headphones. My $4500 LCD-5 is $1500 past the audiophile threshold. So I am awesome. Also, lurk around audiophile forums. Peruse. If the number of people who say a product is good does not reach at least 85%, it is not a good product, no matter what your opinion is. Your opinion is wrong. Also, make sure your headphone amp costs at least 120% of the cost of the headphone, and cables that cost at least 30-35% of the amp. This is the way.
Well done! I like the suggestions throughout the entire video, just a bunch of common sense and even some advanced ways of getting into this insane hobby of ours, thanks for doing it 👍👍
I always wondered what audiophiles/reviewers that listen to a lot of headphones, listen to have a point of reference. Do you listen to a sweep or do you have a couple of songs that you know will tell you everything you need to know? Thanks!
It's the wrong approach IMO. Listen to your music; what you're in the mood to listen to at that moment. Does it sound good? If yes, why yes? If not, why not? That's the most reflective of the actual experience of using them.
Planars need high current because of the voltage sag due to having low impedance, but also low efficiency. For higher end planars, spending more to get an amp with a proper power supply is a must. Low end Chinese amps from the likes of topping and smsl will make them sound loud, but suffer from heavy compression due to not having the capacitance to offset the voltage sag. Dont listen to anyone with a high end planar like an ayra, telling you it runs great on small amps under $500 amps, it doesn't, unless all you want is it to get loud, which almost any modern desktop amp can do.
@@jondough7823 not true for planars. Dynamics sure. Planars are designed to run on high current amps. The ceo of audeze and hifman have talked at length about this. Its not up to discussion.
@@wahyurifo5450 i should of preferenced planars that ONLY have low impedance and sensitivity. The ananda has high sensitivity, so doesnt need the current offset.
A better description of amplification would be helpful, especially terms like impedance and sensitivity. I am an amp skeptic, having tried the same headphones (MDR-Z1R, HE-400se, and Aeon Closed X) on different amps - I found that when I volume matched with a db meter, the perceived gains with more powerful amps disappeared. But I am open to a reasonable scientific explanation for how and why "power hungry planars" need more powerful amplifiers, despite only being run at 30-40% of the volume knob. Can you offer it? The best possible video you could do would include a double blind test of amplifiers vs phones vs DAPs vs desktops vs laptops.
Well definitely there is a difference between a phone and an amp, as when I try to drive a super cheap HE-4X off of my phone, it sounds awful at max volume cuz it’s 10 decibels less than my preferred listening level
What "different amps" have you tried? Of course a £100 class D low-SINAD Chinese amp will sound the same as a £600 class D low-SINAD Chinese amp. Tubes? Class A? Power amps, even? Different impedances?
good video....suggestion: take each headphone brand, review each headphone from each brand in a series of videos, to show the differences, negatives and positives of each particular headphone....you've an excellent channel, glad I found it
A video about how someone should start listening - meaning how to teach your ears in listening some frequencies, how to learn to differentiate the small nuances of the sound
Awesome vid. Hi guys do you know what it is called when I hear a metallic type harmonic "layer" to your voice when I listen to it using certain headphones and earbuds? Almost like a second copy of your voice in a metallic optive?
The only word I've ever had a problem with? The over used word of.... Audiophile! Like my father always said... An audiophile? Is an individual who built...every piece of equipment in their system. Period! The rest of us?? We are audio... Afecianados! Because anybody can go in a buy any system! Is a guy/gal who spends a million dollars, an audiophile? Compared to someone who can only spend 50 thousand dollars? That's why the audiophile is the one who builds every piece in their system... period! Thanks for the vid!
Love that picture at 7:31 Basically says:"Hmm lets smell those amazing freshly baked headphones" (Amazing how there are like 10 grand worth of headphones on this baking sheet) I laughed really hard on this one
Don't know about others, but I simply can't afford to drop hundreds of coins buying more and more headphones/ IEMs hoping to find that golden nugget. I bought Shure 315s years ago and now these are tired, where do I go? They need to fit closely, not wiggle about on their stalks in my ears, good soundstage essential, maybe nudging a V off the flat response to reinforce bass and add detail to the treble. They'd be fed from a budget DAC/ amp (FiiO currently) with Qobuz Studio, and Pete Townshend's Rough Mix as an example "good album". Where on earth do I start at around 200 coins (USD/ GBP doesn't seem to matter much these days 🤷🏻♂️)?
I'm a newbie to the hobby, and still exploring my sound. Currently, i have a Bose 700NC & Sennheiser PC38X. I'm interested in acquiring an amp/planar setup for the first time to try out. My question is, is the Hifiman Sundara worth the purchase? My reprehension is due to often quoted QC issues from that brand :/
I’d say it’s a pretty safe purchase. I’ve not owned them personally, but do own the HE400se, as well as the Edition XS, and I have not had any problems with either headphone. Both Hifiman headphones.
did he say Sundara? Like Hifiman Sundara? 7:00 ? I am just testing them and I am looking for a headphones to replace my old 100 bucks audiotechnica headphones. And Sundara sounds way better.
Buy cheap with all sound sigs and see which don't ring your endorphins if that is correct. My headphones have to have big base lucid sound very transparent not to the point where it sounds artificial but you can clearly hear everything that's on the track The timber doesn't have to be correct as I don't have an ear for instruments other than what they sound like from how I was raised. So I'm not a musician so there's many aspects that don't pertain to me I don't go to orchestra's I listen to strictly electronic music and what I found the top of the line headphones they are not all for me I get more attracted to the low to mid-fi Good example the only top of the line headphone I love actually there's two elite and 1266 TC but when it came to the Diana I found the V2 for me was better over the TC I know that sounds funny but that's just how my ears are. I spent the number I don't want to say cuz it's embarrassing chasing the eargasm and we all want that eargasm all the time listening to music but it sucks when you put something on or you put a set of speakers on and it doesn't happen It may have happened where you listen to them but not when you get home. Be good to have a set of products sold through the classifieds that basically becomes testers for each person so like this broken can amp that you got to use the the high current and XLR input only because the RCA and low current is stored on certain headphones but for $250 at least you can test the amp and then just sell to the next person to test it out that way you can be like I want to buy a new one. Sorry for the run-on sentences I am not typing this I am speaking Just didn't want you to think my grammar is s*** but it's easier to get my point of view across when I am speaking. Factor is my ears are different than zio's DMS and everyone else I do not know who has my same likes might find some people that like certain things I like. That's why DMS doesn't like the TH 909 from fostech but zio's loves the TH 909. So if you don't want to end up like me all right I spent a half a million dollars take it slow find the signatures discover what triggers the eargasm look at comparisons of other headphones within that model that you like cuz at some point you are going to have to take a chance but at least purchase the used item at a low price with the intention to sell it if it's a crappy unit in order to purchase a brand fresh new unit.
Can you guys give computations with headphones specs on why amplifiers (Pout) are needed with a certain impedance and sensitivity? This will be appreciated by your target audience. It has been always been dramatic and subjective reviews of a particular headphone/iem. Time for a change.
I use my headphones with my stereo amplifier . Maybe you could do a video on how to buy a separates system for headphones, or how to hook up some of these systems should you like to experiment in that direction vs going with a all in one like the R8 all in one .
Sometimes I am curious how much soundstage affect gamings. I think most people are talking about it in first person shooters. Don't people know the map well enough is the key, so the imaging is way more important than soundstage? (which means knowing sound direction instead of sound distance) I guess you can tell where the enemies are with good imaging and guns shoot straight, which means when you face to a direction, you can cover up all distance in that direction. I haven't play fps for a long period of time. Maybe soundstage is important in battle royale, it is good in terms of impersive, but kind of doubt about advantages in fps.
Can we have distortion measurements as well as FR. I'm sure REW can do distortion sweeps. Distortion measurements at bass frequencies might be able to give an indication of how much you can boost sub bass without it sounding crap.
A video that focuses on technicalities and what "technicalities" are exactly, and whether caring about it is worth it for the general populous would be nice. There are pieces of audio gear like the Isine series which seem to excel at technicalities which being lackluster in other aspects, or amps like a thx789 which is technically excellent almost to a fault. "Detail" is heavily influenced by more than just the baseline technical ability, and sometimes is even less important than the frequency response after a certain point.
I’m mostly wondering when do I actually need an amp… Any indicators I should follow or rules of thumb? My background is mostly wireless stuff…but would be cool to learn more. Hey. How about making video series or a course and calling it Audio Academy or Academy of Sound.
Just like you first buy a grinder when getting into coffee, buy an amp/dac that lets you EQ before you buy a headphone! It will teach you so much about what your preferences are, and instead of being stuck with what the design engineer decided the headphone should sound like, you can actually tweak to taste (within the limits of the hardware of course).
Qudelix 5k alone is as expensive as many entry-level headphones. I would rather suggest using free EQ software (Equalizer APO + Peace on Windows, Wavelet on Android, don't know about Mac/iOS).
Disagree, awful advice for a new hobbyist only because EQ's on the amp/dac are usually a premium you pay for. Plus, software EQ is more flexible, easier to import profiles, more educational about frequencies, and as mentioned, way cheaper (free). That extra money (hundreds) you'd have to shell out for a good dac/amp that can EQ would be better spent on nicer headphones. In the meantime, you can just buy a schiit stack or equivalent and then resell it when you're ready to upgrade. A nicer dac/amp is better for the long run but if you're new there's no telling whether you'll even want to move past the $200 mark of headphones. Not to mention the importances of dac/amps are not even close to the importances of a grinder in coffee.
@@AsianBM55 it actually is. But most dacs are good enough now. Its more a testament that most coffee grinders are pretty poor at the same end of the scale. But a mediocre dac can destroy your system depending on your preferences.
Thanks DMS! You and Resolve should do more videos together. BTW: If you were really a psychopath you would mount the headphones on your head collection, all of which could then be mounted on your wall. So I’ve read anyways. 😇
@The Headphone Show So when ARE you guys going to review the following Japanese headphones: Fostex TH900 MK2 Stax SR-X9000 Denon AH-D9200 Audio Technica ATH-AWKT Sony MDR-Z1R
When are we going to get another live stream. If Andrew is too busy I'm sure DMS would do a great job. Andrew doesn't like to talk about amps and DACs. I'm sure DMS would do a great job answering amp and DAC questions. DMS could explain the benefits of the A90 over other inferior amps.
Hi! Thanks for this. I have Grado Reference series RS2e's. $500...Beautiful sounding open back but quite uncomfortable except in short uses. As you say have become used to them and watching this interested in something new same approx price def not more. The inclusion of audio details to know is great to have while researching. I mostly use mine into my yamaha digital piano while playing. Looking for something now similarly great sounding but also comfortable over time. Any opinions?
Buy some second-hand Sennheiser PX 100 MKII off eBay - Then compare to Sennheiser HD650 or the massdrop version - Most other headphones have a very wonky frequency response and aren't worth bothering with.
If you know you're going to get the Arya stealth at some point because you think it might be your end game is there really any point in getting lesser headphones. I'm considering getting some T60 Argons but once I get the Arya maybe all the other headphones will just sit in a box somewhere losing burn-in.
I want to enter the audiophile headphone community, I own couple of IEMs(moondrop & Sennheiser) but I never had to use DACs or Amps. Could you explain the differences and use cases for DACs and Amps and their actually necessity for a desktop/laptop usage.
Allow me to help if I may. A Dac/amp isn't a necessity, but it will most assuredly improve the sound quality of your headphones. I mean by a lot. There are so many choices out there, and DAC/amps range in price from less than a hundred dollars up into the thousands. But remember, more money does not ensure that a device will be better. You can buy a excellent portable DAC/amp called a "dongle" that you can use for either your phone or your laptop. I found the iBasso DC04 to be a fantastic device. It allows you to take your best sound with you via your phone, but it also works nicely on a laptop or desktop. If that is a bit more than you want to spend, you can look at the AkLIAM PD4 at half the price. I found the PD4 to be a better value. If you want a solid desktop device, I would recommend the IFI Zen Dac II. It has fantastic reviews and I own this one myself and it’s actually a lot better than offerings costing twice as much. So no, it is not a necessity, but it really, really makes your music sound fuller, louder and increases your soundstage and imaging. I hope this helped
The IEM show. Ft. Zeos & DMS. Gueststar any tech from a great company. Example Sennheiser. Going into the reserch of the design and drivers used. Just a idea.
Maybe there are even a few sentences from Norbert Lehmann (from Lehmannaudio) that could be added here: "There are even headphones for different kinds of music. Therefore it's possible to have 6 different headphones for different kinds of music (what isn't that easy with loudspeakers)!" 😍 Thanks for this video!
I"d like a headphone that sounds like the Sennheiser Orpheus Set the original one but I'd like to keep my body parts in order to pay for it lol. I was lucky enough to hear them at a hifi show many years ago and perhaps my memory of it is skewed by time. I now own focal clear mgs and arche which are fantastic but still never quite lives up to the memory of those amazing headphones.
2:29 Frequency has nothing to do with pitch. A bass guitar can have more high frequency content than a lead guitar playing the same note in the same octave for instance. Same pitch, but different frequency content.
got a samson sr850 due to dankpods to start my journey, now i also got the dt700 pro x, and i want to go through more, where i am in africa its hard to get any good ones or for the right or retail price, everything is imported and so double the price, luckily i have relatives in other countries.
wow this is so well done the explanation is so easily to picture especially for a beginner. It makes the world of headphones and audio in general a lot less daunting! Bravo! this video should be shared way more!
Is it me or resolves mic is sensitive to treble that u hear a tss at the end of each word...maybe I have high treble on my iem.....but really good to have refresher and reviewers definition of terminology and perspective
I'd like you to go more into detail of what those terms are with samples of real sounds if possible and what to hear in those sounds. Example, tamber, take extreme examples of good n bad tamber and play 2 audio signals to explain what is tamber in those. You can create a series out of this and each video can just talk about one term at a time with sound samples.
Bad stuff about headphones is that only shop with listening room basically cheased to exist and turned into yet another eshop two years ago for reason which is not hard to guess. I was there twice and always went away with something different than I wanted based on reviews. I went to buy ATH M40x, got Grado SR80e sounding so much better and clear and after replacing headband by real leather, i'm happy with them even after 7 years and I use them all the time with computer. I wanted Bose QC35 with ANC, ended buying Senn PXC550 which does not have so clear sound (they are a bit muffled actually) and now I want to replace them for that reason and because they need service anyways (all faux leather is disintegrating) and reason against Bose was that I could not stand them with sound off. It felt like I had some weird pressure in my ears or maybe being under water. Now I'm thinking about Focal Bathys, due to inflation they are not so much expensive then PXC550 were 5 years ago, but I can't decide ... too neutral sound is boring, sound of Grado is fine, but listening heavy metal or whatever with electric guitars is fatiguing after 15 minutes. Worst part of it that PXC550 sounded fine 5 years ago. Now I repeated hearing tests and realized I can barely hear 14kHz at age of 43 while I could hear 16-17kHz at 35 and I'm sure frequencies below 10kHz are affected as well 😞
Tip for beginners: don't begin. 👍🏻
Or buy one or two decent headphones and call it quits 😂. Sadly this is one of my hobbies so it's too late for me.
@@WyattOShea that never ends well. 🤣
@@iknowyounot88 Yeah.. I'll just buy one and then be out of the hobby forever he says.... Then many headphones later...
just joined in the budget section, and I can see why people say this already...
Lateralus huh
I've never really understood the difference between the terms dark/warm and imaging/soundstage.
As someone who hasn't english as first language, this video really helped me
Bright = Tinny
Warm = Honky
Dark = Muffled
dark/warm = wife/lover 😉
Dark is lacking treble. Warm is lacking treble and upper mids.
Oh god what havee i goteen ionto!!!!!!!!!!
Andrew said I'm unique. I feel special now
You're definitely always present
@@metal571 Only I'm not unique...
Who's Andrew and who are you?
@@metal571 too much. I need a life
@@JamieVatarga hey your "lack of a life" helps the community tremendously with your well thought out reviews that obviously come from a place of experience. So there's that
Headphones idubbbz
This video could not have possibly been more efficient at introducing me to the deeper side of audio and headphones. Incredible video, incredible presentation, thank you!
I have a pair of nice(ish) planar open backs for analytical at home time when I can't or shouldn't use my stereo - a set of bluetooth, over ear, closed backs for travelling - and a couple sets of good IEM's for a more discreet option on the go. In short: use case is a big deal, if not the biggest deal, so figure out what your most pressing needs are first to whittle down the field of options.
Frankly, the first 4 minutes of this headphone introduction video is as close to perfect that I've seen! Nothing on UA-cam comes even close to explaining the complex essentials, in simple terms, without having to resort to reading up. Amazing communication skills!
Thank you!
This hobby is quite simple actually; the more money it costs, the better it is. Throw money at it. If you are poor, you cannot be an audiophile. Simple. Proven. Audiophile quality starts at $3000 for headphones. My $4500 LCD-5 is $1500 past the audiophile threshold. So I am awesome.
Also, lurk around audiophile forums. Peruse. If the number of people who say a product is good does not reach at least 85%, it is not a good product, no matter what your opinion is. Your opinion is wrong.
Also, make sure your headphone amp costs at least 120% of the cost of the headphone, and cables that cost at least 30-35% of the amp. This is the way.
"There are some hobbies on the internet that are full of strange, obsessive people..."
...Some? 🤨
The real endgame: buy Koss Porta Pro for 35 bucks and settle forever
Well done! I like the suggestions throughout the entire video, just a bunch of common sense and even some advanced ways of getting into this insane hobby of ours, thanks for doing it 👍👍
A topic could be the differences between amps and dacs. ABCD, discrete, tubes, sound signature, connections, hi-res, MQA, balanced, filters, etc...
I always wondered what audiophiles/reviewers that listen to a lot of headphones, listen to have a point of reference. Do you listen to a sweep or do you have a couple of songs that you know will tell you everything you need to know? Thanks!
For me, songs I’m most familiar with. Makes it easier to notice anything weird or different from what you’ve always heard it sound like 👍🏽
It's the wrong approach IMO. Listen to your music; what you're in the mood to listen to at that moment. Does it sound good? If yes, why yes? If not, why not? That's the most reflective of the actual experience of using them.
Always good to remind new viewers of the basics. Nice vid.
i feel like power requirements for headphones is a bit confusing, some say you need a lot while others say you don't need as much as you think...
I think power requirements are over exaggerated much of the time. Most dedicated amps will power like 99% of headphones on the market just fine.
Planars need high current because of the voltage sag due to having low impedance, but also low efficiency. For higher end planars, spending more to get an amp with a proper power supply is a must. Low end Chinese amps from the likes of topping and smsl will make them sound loud, but suffer from heavy compression due to not having the capacitance to offset the voltage sag. Dont listen to anyone with a high end planar like an ayra, telling you it runs great on small amps under $500 amps, it doesn't, unless all you want is it to get loud, which almost any modern desktop amp can do.
@@jondough7823 not true for planars. Dynamics sure. Planars are designed to run on high current amps. The ceo of audeze and hifman have talked at length about this. Its not up to discussion.
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 how about the ananda cuz the cost is $699 it runs great on portable amp/dac under $500 like Ifi zen dac/hip dac?
@@wahyurifo5450 i should of preferenced planars that ONLY have low impedance and sensitivity. The ananda has high sensitivity, so doesnt need the current offset.
A better description of amplification would be helpful, especially terms like impedance and sensitivity.
I am an amp skeptic, having tried the same headphones (MDR-Z1R, HE-400se, and Aeon Closed X) on different amps - I found that when I volume matched with a db meter, the perceived gains with more powerful amps disappeared. But I am open to a reasonable scientific explanation for how and why "power hungry planars" need more powerful amplifiers, despite only being run at 30-40% of the volume knob. Can you offer it?
The best possible video you could do would include a double blind test of amplifiers vs phones vs DAPs vs desktops vs laptops.
Well definitely there is a difference between a phone and an amp, as when I try to drive a super cheap HE-4X off of my phone, it sounds awful at max volume cuz it’s 10 decibels less than my preferred listening level
What "different amps" have you tried? Of course a £100 class D low-SINAD Chinese amp will sound the same as a £600 class D low-SINAD Chinese amp. Tubes? Class A? Power amps, even? Different impedances?
good video....suggestion: take each headphone brand, review each headphone from each brand in a series of videos, to show the differences, negatives and positives of each particular headphone....you've an excellent channel, glad I found it
My guy looks so baked on the right side of that thumbnail
A video about how someone should start listening - meaning how to teach your ears in listening some frequencies, how to learn to differentiate the small nuances of the sound
Awesome vid. Hi guys do you know what it is called when I hear a metallic type harmonic "layer" to your voice when I listen to it using certain headphones and earbuds? Almost like a second copy of your voice in a metallic optive?
The only word I've ever had a problem with? The over used word of.... Audiophile! Like my father always said... An audiophile? Is an individual who built...every piece of equipment in their system. Period! The rest of us?? We are audio... Afecianados! Because anybody can go in a buy any system! Is a guy/gal who spends a million dollars, an audiophile? Compared to someone who can only spend 50 thousand dollars? That's why the audiophile is the one who builds every piece in their system... period! Thanks for the vid!
Love that picture at 7:31 Basically says:"Hmm lets smell those amazing freshly baked headphones" (Amazing how there are like 10 grand worth of headphones on this baking sheet) I laughed really hard on this one
Don't know about others, but I simply can't afford to drop hundreds of coins buying more and more headphones/ IEMs hoping to find that golden nugget. I bought Shure 315s years ago and now these are tired, where do I go? They need to fit closely, not wiggle about on their stalks in my ears, good soundstage essential, maybe nudging a V off the flat response to reinforce bass and add detail to the treble. They'd be fed from a budget DAC/ amp (FiiO currently) with Qobuz Studio, and Pete Townshend's Rough Mix as an example "good album". Where on earth do I start at around 200 coins (USD/ GBP doesn't seem to matter much these days 🤷🏻♂️)?
I'm a newbie to the hobby, and still exploring my sound. Currently, i have a Bose 700NC & Sennheiser PC38X. I'm interested in acquiring an amp/planar setup for the first time to try out. My question is, is the Hifiman Sundara worth the purchase? My reprehension is due to often quoted QC issues from that brand :/
I’d say it’s a pretty safe purchase. I’ve not owned them personally, but do own the HE400se, as well as the Edition XS, and I have not had any problems with either headphone. Both Hifiman headphones.
@@LorenzoFrausto the qc issue were on the orginal ananda. They have been addressed in the xs.
My Aarya Stealths are tanks but they are much more expensive so you’d hope as much.
did he say Sundara? Like Hifiman Sundara? 7:00 ? I am just testing them and I am looking for a headphones to replace my old 100 bucks audiotechnica headphones. And Sundara sounds way better.
Have a buddy who's curious about entering the hobby. This is a perfect video to refer him to.
Hi! I'm late but can anyone suggest me a super budget cheap good (balanced) headphones?
Buy cheap with all sound sigs and see which don't ring your endorphins if that is correct.
My headphones have to have big base lucid sound very transparent not to the point where it sounds artificial but you can clearly hear everything that's on the track The timber doesn't have to be correct as I don't have an ear for instruments other than what they sound like from how I was raised. So I'm not a musician so there's many aspects that don't pertain to me I don't go to orchestra's I listen to strictly electronic music and what I found the top of the line headphones they are not all for me I get more attracted to the low to mid-fi Good example the only top of the line headphone I love actually there's two elite and 1266 TC but when it came to the Diana I found the V2 for me was better over the TC I know that sounds funny but that's just how my ears are. I spent the number I don't want to say cuz it's embarrassing chasing the eargasm and we all want that eargasm all the time listening to music but it sucks when you put something on or you put a set of speakers on and it doesn't happen It may have happened where you listen to them but not when you get home. Be good to have a set of products sold through the classifieds that basically becomes testers for each person so like this broken can amp that you got to use the the high current and XLR input only because the RCA and low current is stored on certain headphones but for $250 at least you can test the amp and then just sell to the next person to test it out that way you can be like I want to buy a new one.
Sorry for the run-on sentences I am not typing this I am speaking Just didn't want you to think my grammar is s*** but it's easier to get my point of view across when I am speaking.
Factor is my ears are different than zio's DMS and everyone else I do not know who has my same likes might find some people that like certain things I like. That's why DMS doesn't like the TH 909 from fostech but zio's loves the TH 909. So if you don't want to end up like me all right I spent a half a million dollars take it slow find the signatures discover what triggers the eargasm look at comparisons of other headphones within that model that you like cuz at some point you are going to have to take a chance but at least purchase the used item at a low price with the intention to sell it if it's a crappy unit in order to purchase a brand fresh new unit.
Yes, if you are brand new and just thinking about it, RUN AWAY, this will take over your life lol
what is your favorite headphone for beginners and why is it the Hifiman XS?
I am pretty sure DMS would answer the 6XX.
3:29 This was a really nice touch
Can you guys give computations with headphones specs on why amplifiers (Pout) are needed with a certain impedance and sensitivity? This will be appreciated by your target audience.
It has been always been dramatic and subjective reviews of a particular headphone/iem. Time for a change.
One more advice; stay away from the youtuber named "sharur" whether you're a user or a manufacturer who wants feedback.
Gosh that guy is obnoxious
I use my headphones with my stereo amplifier . Maybe you could do a video on how to buy a separates system for headphones, or how to hook up some of these systems should you like to experiment in that direction vs going with a all in one like the R8 all in one .
Warm, dark, with Soundstage and resolve sounds like a headphone for me.
Help me. I need hi fi warm mass heavy clear nice build headphones. Simple is that. For house music.
IEMs open my doors 🚪 blessings 2 Brt7 THX ❤ DAC
Thank you for explaining the terms like bright and warm etc.
Is when is the hifiman Ananda stealth magnet vision Review coming
Whats the difference between that an the xs?
Yes DMS here!!!! Are you enjoying king's fall? :)
You're really handsome. And thank you for this video I learned a lot more about the terminologies.
Sometimes I am curious how much soundstage affect gamings. I think most people are talking about it in first person shooters.
Don't people know the map well enough is the key, so the imaging is way more important than soundstage? (which means knowing sound direction instead of sound distance)
I guess you can tell where the enemies are with good imaging and guns shoot straight, which means when you face to a direction, you can cover up all distance in that direction.
I haven't play fps for a long period of time. Maybe soundstage is important in battle royale, it is good in terms of impersive, but kind of doubt about advantages in fps.
there is no such thing as “soundstage” in headphones.
No I have the abyss headphones sounds worse than my skull candy wireless crushers just get them
I like the tes tes sss explaining, this is how I introduced eq to my brother.
Hello, i just like to know your Opinion on Philps SHP 9500 ?
How would you feel if I told you that I listened to this video on my phone’s speaker?
Can we have distortion measurements as well as FR. I'm sure REW can do distortion sweeps. Distortion measurements at bass frequencies might be able to give an indication of how much you can boost sub bass without it sounding crap.
@@ugur3527 yep anyone who doesn't care about distortion isn't it true Audiophile.
A video that focuses on technicalities and what "technicalities" are exactly, and whether caring about it is worth it for the general populous would be nice. There are pieces of audio gear like the Isine series which seem to excel at technicalities which being lackluster in other aspects, or amps like a thx789 which is technically excellent almost to a fault. "Detail" is heavily influenced by more than just the baseline technical ability, and sometimes is even less important than the frequency response after a certain point.
What a good entry level tube Amp?
I’m mostly wondering when do I actually need an amp… Any indicators I should follow or rules of thumb? My background is mostly wireless stuff…but would be cool to learn more. Hey. How about making video series or a course and calling it Audio Academy or Academy of Sound.
It is less likely you need an amplifier when your headphones have high sensitivity (>100dB) and low impedance (
Just like you first buy a grinder when getting into coffee, buy an amp/dac that lets you EQ before you buy a headphone! It will teach you so much about what your preferences are, and instead of being stuck with what the design engineer decided the headphone should sound like, you can actually tweak to taste (within the limits of the hardware of course).
Qudelix 5k alone is as expensive as many entry-level headphones. I would rather suggest using free EQ software (Equalizer APO + Peace on Windows, Wavelet on Android, don't know about Mac/iOS).
Disagree, awful advice for a new hobbyist only because EQ's on the amp/dac are usually a premium you pay for. Plus, software EQ is more flexible, easier to import profiles, more educational about frequencies, and as mentioned, way cheaper (free). That extra money (hundreds) you'd have to shell out for a good dac/amp that can EQ would be better spent on nicer headphones. In the meantime, you can just buy a schiit stack or equivalent and then resell it when you're ready to upgrade. A nicer dac/amp is better for the long run but if you're new there's no telling whether you'll even want to move past the $200 mark of headphones. Not to mention the importances of dac/amps are not even close to the importances of a grinder in coffee.
@@AsianBM55 it actually is. But most dacs are good enough now. Its more a testament that most coffee grinders are pretty poor at the same end of the scale. But a mediocre dac can destroy your system depending on your preferences.
Perfect
Love the info and great advice! Thanks man
Would love to get your feedback and opinion on using the hd600 and the fiio btr5 dac amp, using a mobile device, phone and A7 tablet, cheers David
Thanks DMS! You and Resolve should do more videos together. BTW: If you were really a psychopath you would mount the headphones on your head collection, all of which could then be mounted on your wall. So I’ve read anyways. 😇
I went back to old headphones it sounded worse lol.
@The Headphone Show
So when ARE you guys going to review the following Japanese headphones:
Fostex TH900 MK2
Stax SR-X9000
Denon AH-D9200
Audio Technica ATH-AWKT
Sony MDR-Z1R
"Hedonic treadmill" aka "burn in"
Love this video and how it makes headphones and the audiophile world more accessible. Thanks
When are we going to get another live stream. If Andrew is too busy I'm sure DMS would do a great job. Andrew doesn't like to talk about amps and DACs. I'm sure DMS would do a great job answering amp and DAC questions. DMS could explain the benefits of the A90 over other inferior amps.
Hi! Thanks for this. I have Grado Reference series RS2e's. $500...Beautiful sounding open back but quite uncomfortable except in short uses. As you say have become used to them and watching this interested in something new same approx price def not more. The inclusion of audio details to know is great to have while researching. I mostly use mine into my yamaha digital piano while playing. Looking for something now similarly great sounding but also comfortable over time. Any opinions?
Yeah, wireless sucks.
I do everything with good in ear monitors there never out.
Yeah, yeah, but where are those fantastic beasts?
Buy some second-hand Sennheiser PX 100 MKII off eBay - Then compare to Sennheiser HD650 or the massdrop version - Most other headphones have a very wonky frequency response and aren't worth bothering with.
Nice introduction. I understood everything you said, and I'm pretty slow.
00:30 ❤ Hitachi 😂
The Sennheiser HD-600 and the Hifiman Sundara should be a perfect combination for most headphone enthusiasts.
If you know you're going to get the Arya stealth at some point because you think it might be your end game is there really any point in getting lesser headphones. I'm considering getting some T60 Argons but once I get the Arya maybe all the other headphones will just sit in a box somewhere losing burn-in.
PLEASE: Make a comparison between 6XX and Grado sr325x🙏🏻
I want to enter the audiophile headphone community, I own couple of IEMs(moondrop & Sennheiser) but I never had to use DACs or Amps. Could you explain the differences and use cases for DACs and Amps and their actually necessity for a desktop/laptop usage.
Allow me to help if I may.
A Dac/amp isn't a necessity, but it will most assuredly improve the sound quality of your headphones. I mean by a lot. There are so many choices out there, and DAC/amps range in price from less than a hundred dollars up into the thousands. But remember, more money does not ensure that a device will be better.
You can buy a excellent portable DAC/amp called a "dongle" that you can use for either your phone or your laptop. I found the iBasso DC04 to be a fantastic device. It allows you to take your best sound with you via your phone, but it also works nicely on a laptop or desktop. If that is a bit more than you want to spend, you can look at the AkLIAM PD4 at half the price. I found the PD4 to be a better value.
If you want a solid desktop device, I would recommend the IFI Zen Dac II. It has fantastic reviews and I own this one myself and it’s actually a lot better than offerings costing twice as much.
So no, it is not a necessity, but it really, really makes your music sound fuller, louder and increases your soundstage and imaging. I hope this helped
@@texasbassranger Thanks for your suggestions mate
I just bought the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 and I'm pretty impressed by it. But I'd like to know what are your thoughts about it.
The IEM show. Ft. Zeos & DMS. Gueststar any tech from a great company. Example Sennheiser. Going into the reserch of the design and drivers used. Just a idea.
Maybe there are even a few sentences from Norbert Lehmann (from Lehmannaudio) that could be added here: "There are even headphones for different kinds of music. Therefore it's possible to have 6 different headphones for different kinds of music (what isn't that easy with loudspeakers)!" 😍
Thanks for this video!
I"d like a headphone that sounds like the Sennheiser Orpheus Set the original one but I'd like to keep my body parts in order to pay for it lol. I was lucky enough to hear them at a hifi show many years ago and perhaps my memory of it is skewed by time. I now own focal clear mgs and arche which are fantastic but still never quite lives up to the memory of those amazing headphones.
As an addicted hobbiest myself, the intro sentence while sitting infront of a 3D printer made me chuckle😅
2:29 Frequency has nothing to do with pitch. A bass guitar can have more high frequency content than a lead guitar playing the same note in the same octave for instance. Same pitch, but different frequency content.
My man DMS! He will always give it to you straight with no chaser ( a little bartender humor) lol.
got a samson sr850 due to dankpods to start my journey, now i also got the dt700 pro x, and i want to go through more, where i am in africa its hard to get any good ones or for the right or retail price, everything is imported and so double the price, luckily i have relatives in other countries.
I love rounded out which my old Woo 300b amps produced. My favorite amp is WA5 LE with upgraded pRts directly from Woo.
Outro song?
wow this is so well done the explanation is so easily to picture especially for a beginner. It makes the world of headphones and audio in general a lot less daunting! Bravo! this video should be shared way more!
Is it me or resolves mic is sensitive to treble that u hear a tss at the end of each word...maybe I have high treble on my iem.....but really good to have refresher and reviewers definition of terminology and perspective
oooooh god what have I gotten into... this is going to be an amazing adventure!! thanks for doing this
Thanks Much!
MB court tweeters in the car sounded like frying pans but then when focals came out those are like beautiful both made it titanium
I'd love to see your take on the Avantone Planar. Not many reviews on that particular headphone
I'd like you to go more into detail of what those terms are with samples of real sounds if possible and what to hear in those sounds. Example, tamber, take extreme examples of good n bad tamber and play 2 audio signals to explain what is tamber in those. You can create a series out of this and each video can just talk about one term at a time with sound samples.
thanks for the great reviews as always please review the Neumann NDH 30 if you can .
Not a beginner but loved the vid, folks! Just the video I'd want if I was beginning my audio journey
Icon is goot touch for planar reference as well as "H"
Sundara closed back review??
Bad stuff about headphones is that only shop with listening room basically cheased to exist and turned into yet another eshop two years ago for reason which is not hard to guess.
I was there twice and always went away with something different than I wanted based on reviews. I went to buy ATH M40x, got Grado SR80e sounding so much better and clear and after replacing headband by real leather, i'm happy with them even after 7 years and I use them all the time with computer. I wanted Bose QC35 with ANC, ended buying Senn PXC550 which does not have so clear sound (they are a bit muffled actually) and now I want to replace them for that reason and because they need service anyways (all faux leather is disintegrating) and reason against Bose was that I could not stand them with sound off. It felt like I had some weird pressure in my ears or maybe being under water. Now I'm thinking about Focal Bathys, due to inflation they are not so much expensive then PXC550 were 5 years ago, but I can't decide ... too neutral sound is boring, sound of Grado is fine, but listening heavy metal or whatever with electric guitars is fatiguing after 15 minutes. Worst part of it that PXC550 sounded fine 5 years ago. Now I repeated hearing tests and realized I can barely hear 14kHz at age of 43 while I could hear 16-17kHz at 35 and I'm sure frequencies below 10kHz are affected as well 😞
Really good vid for beginners. This will hatch at least a few budding audiophiles. Good work.
awesome, simple to understand. I always like your style when sharing information...
Tips such as How to choose headphones based on amp/dac and vice versa..??
I use open back headphones when I go on walks so I can hear my surroundings not a fan of ambient sound modes
Fancy new logo btw. Whats the reason for swithcing it out with the old one?
Very well explained..love from Kerala India