Headphones

[gazza1101]

Grado 60, great value.

 

[wiimamp user]

Koss ksc75..sounds also

 

[Danny Linguini]

Ok you guys, I’m taking a stab at the Koss Porta Pro (no mic or remote) - 40 clams on the ‘Zon, hard to go wrong there, plus a pair of Yaxi pads (is it just me, or does that sound like a feminine hygiene product???), just in case. The larger pads come highly recommended, so we’ll see if they’re needed or not. I don’t think I’ve ever had an open-back set, but I like what I’ve read about the improved soundstage with this design. Noise cancellation/isolation are of little concern right now. Due to arrive Sunday, so I’ll definitely be leaving my thoughts on Monday.

In the mean time, I dug up a pair of Sennheiser HD280 Pro phones I had gotten awhile back for my digital piano. They worked ok enough for non-disturbing practicing, but plugged into an iPad they’re absolute trash. The JBL Tune 660NC blows them away, which I found a bit surprising for Bluetooth vs wired. I’m hoping the Porta Pro fares much better - AI and a bunch of comparison articles suggest it very likely will.

Thank you for all the great suggestions!

 

[Machiavelli]

Ok you guys, I’m taking a stab at the Koss Porta Pro (no mic or remote) - 40 clams on the ‘Zon, hard to go wrong there, plus a pair of Yaxi pads (is it just me, or does that sound like a feminine hygiene product???), just in case. The larger pads come highly recommended, so we’ll see if they’re needed or not. I don’t think I’ve ever had an open-back set, but I like what I’ve read about the improved soundstage with this design. Noise cancellation/isolation are of little concern right now. Due to arrive Sunday, so I’ll definitely be leaving my thoughts on Monday.

In the mean time, I dug up a pair of Sennheiser HD280 Pro phones I had gotten awhile back for my digital piano. They worked ok enough for non-disturbing practicing, but plugged into an iPad they’re absolute trash. The JBL Tune 660NC blows them away, which I found a bit surprising for Bluetooth vs wired. I’m hoping the Porta Pro fares much better - AI and a bunch of comparison articles suggest it very likely will.

Thank you for all the great suggestions!

only problem with my old porta pro is that i constantly pinch my hair with the metal bracket . Otherwise it has been a faithful companion for ages. few euros and it is still outstanding. the yaxis are indeed worth a recommendation.

 

[Danny Linguini]

only problem with my old porta pro is that i constantly pinch my hair with the metal bracket . Otherwise it has been a faithful companion for ages. few euros and it is still outstanding. the yaxis are indeed worth a recommendation.

I saw that in a few reviews. I had a pair that did that many years ago - rather unpleasant. I’ll need to remember not to do any on-head adjusting.

Also, just for giggles, I grabbed a cheap USB-C DAC amp. No idea if it’ll be needed, or if it’s an improvement over the iPhone’s DAC, but it’ll be a fun experiment. If nothing else, it opens up other better headphone possibilities down the road.

 

[Machiavelli]

I saw that in a few reviews. I had a pair that did that many years ago - rather unpleasant. I’ll need to remember not to do any on-head adjusting.

Also, just for giggles, I grabbed a cheap USB-C DAC amp. No idea if it’ll be needed, or if it’s an improvement over the iPhone’s DAC, but it’ll be a fun experiment. If nothing else, it opens up other better headphone possibilities down the road.

if your iphone is one of the newer with usb-c there are a lot of cheap dongle dacs. most of them are better than the internal deliver resolution up to 192. internal dac of the iphone is still limited to 48. what i think nobody outside apple really knows.

 

[Danny Linguini]

if your iphone is one of the newer with usb-c there are a lot of cheap dongle dacs. most of them are better than the internal deliver resolution up to 192. internal dac of the iphone is still limited to 48. what i think nobody outside apple really knows.

I thought you could get 192 out of the iPhone using a wired connection? Maybe I’m thinking of what you can get using an external DAC? This is all new to me. Anyway, I got the Fiio KA11, which claims to deliver up to 32 bit/384khz. We’ll see if my old-ass ears can tell the difference.

 

[Machiavelli]

I thought you could get 192 out of the iPhone using a wired connection? Maybe I’m thinking of what you can get using an external DAC? This is all new to me. Anyway, I got the Fiio KA11, which claims to deliver up to 32 bit/384khz. We’ll see if my old-ass ears can tell the difference.

the ka11 is a very good choice. it does also not suck much power out of the phone battery. i really do not believe that iphones with hp socket ever delivered high resolution. this is one of the few stupid decisions from apple: to get the max f.e. of their lossless or higher quality even from their own streaming service you need third party stuff. anyway they build the best one can get as soon as it comes to computers, phones, tablets and anc headphones. they have their market. i belong to that.

 

[Danny Linguini]

the ka11 is a very good choice. it does also not suck much power out of the phone battery. i really do not believe that iphones with hp socket ever delivered high resolution. this is one of the few stupid decisions from apple: to get the max f.e. of their lossless or higher quality even from their own streaming service you need third party stuff. anyway they build the best one can get as soon as it comes to computers, phones, tablets and anc headphones. they have their market. i belong to that.

Yeah, I’m pretty much sucked all the way into their ecosystem too. The stuff mostly just works.

 

[Zap Rekowski]

... anyway they build the best one can get as soon as it comes to computers, phones, tablets and anc headphones...

Hmm, a prime example of a contradiction...How can they build the best when the HW/SW is so limited?

The best ANC headphones? That was probably more of a bad joke, wasn't it? It's common knowledge that Sony is the leader here. Every Android system from Ver. 8 also offers LDAC and there are more and more headphones on the market that support this codec. AAC cannot keep up with this.

Apple used to be innovative and advanced many things, undisputedly. But today they are just stylish and exclusive (or would like to be...). Airplay 2? What's that supposed to be? In my opinion, everything is close together, but in many respects they are now lagging behind or - as you have already noted - they have made a lot of bad decisions.

 

[WiiMer SJ]

Ok you guys, I’m taking a stab at the Koss Porta Pro (no mic or remote) - 40 clams on the ‘Zon, hard to go wrong there, plus a pair of Yaxi pads (is it just me, or does that sound like a feminine hygiene product???), just in case. The larger pads come highly recommended, so we’ll see if they’re needed or not. I don’t think I’ve ever had an open-back set, but I like what I’ve read about the improved soundstage with this design. Noise cancellation/isolation are of little concern right now. Due to arrive Sunday, so I’ll definitely be leaving my thoughts on Monday.

In the mean time, I dug up a pair of Sennheiser HD280 Pro phones I had gotten awhile back for my digital piano. They worked ok enough for non-disturbing practicing, but plugged into an iPad they’re absolute trash. The JBL Tune 660NC blows them away, which I found a bit surprising for Bluetooth vs wired. I’m hoping the Porta Pro fares much better - AI and a bunch of comparison articles suggest it very likely will.

Thank you for all the great suggestions!

The Yaxi Pads are an improvement over stock. Good choice IMO.
Hope you enjoy them.

I've heard about the Porta Pro's snagging hair, but mine is cropped short so not an issue for me.

 

[Machiavelli]

Hmm, a prime example of a contradiction...How can they build the best when the HW/SW is so limited?

The best ANC headphones? That was probably more of a bad joke, wasn't it? It's common knowledge that Sony is the leader here. Every Android system from Ver. 8 also offers LDAC and there are more and more headphones on the market that support this codec. AAC cannot keep up with this.

Apple used to be innovative and advanced many things, undisputedly. But today they are just stylish and exclusive (or would like to be...). Airplay 2? What's that supposed to be? In my opinion, everything is close together, but in many respects they are now lagging behind or - as you have already noted - they have made a lot of bad decisions.

its all about taste and personal wishes. what they do not offer i do not need. the anc of the airpods max is the best i have ever heard. and be confirmed i have heard a lot. in my opinion all these magic codecs are overrated. and everything but 'common knowledge' .
regarding lagging behind: tell me better phones than iphones, better tablets than ipads and better computers than the macs. the way they handle the music things is indeed sometimes weird. but i buy this stuff not for music but for working with it. for dedicated music listening there are other ways. i never wished to have more than the max when travelling or relaxing.

 

[Danny Linguini]

its all about taste and personal wishes. what they do not offer i do not need. the anc of the airpods max is the best i have ever heard. and be confirmed i have heard a lot. in my opinion all these magic codecs are overrated. and everything but 'common knowledge' .
regarding lagging behind: tell me better phones than iphones, better tablets than ipads and better computers than the macs. the way they handle the music things is indeed sometimes weird. but i buy this stuff not for music but for working with it. for dedicated music listening there are other ways. i never wished to have more than the max when travelling or relaxing.

I’m with you everywhere here except for the earbuds. While Apple’s ANC is very good, I find the sound quality for music to be terrible. I don’t know if Beats gear is any better, and it may just be a limitation of the in-ear buds form factor in general, but I just can’t use them because they sound so awful. Still never ceases to amaze me is that Air Pods are always among the top ranked earphones in any of the rankings, when they basically suck at the one thing I want them for: playing music. Hence my quest that led me to this wondrous thread. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Apple fan - between my wife and me, the house is full of Apple gear - iMac, Mac Mini. a brand new MacBook Air, two iPhones, two iPads, two Apple Watches, two Apple TV boxes, three sets of AirPod Pros (wife uses two pair for hearing aids and binging girlie-vision crap), and a pile of dead/obsolete iPods that I can’t bring myself to throw out. I just don’t like the AirPods.

 

[Machiavelli]

that is fine. mmv. listening seriously to music has it's dedicated time and devices for me. the airpods are only in use as 'background' music for me while doing other things. quite sure we have different ears and taste and moods and and and that is the point where every discussion about gear loses sense. your way. my way.

 

[Zap Rekowski]

.... I only object to subjective opinions that declare something to be “the best”. It is absolutely incomprehensible to me. And: I also use my tablets, PCs, phones etc. for more than just listening to music... Although the LG phones equipped with ESS chips are also very well suited for wired headphone use . I've also heard a lot in my life, good and bad. Apple users often look for excuses, such as the fact that the properties of the codecs are overrated... I ask myself, is this a protective claim and - since it affects you - closing your eyes to reality?
We won't come to a common denominator for sure, but no, Apple is not ‘the best’ per se (for me ).

 

[Machiavelli]

.... I only object to subjective opinions that declare something to be “the best”. It is absolutely incomprehensible to me. And: I also use my tablets, PCs, phones etc. for more than just listening to music... Although the LG phones equipped with ESS chips are also very well suited for wired headphone use . I've also heard a lot in my life, good and bad. Apple users often look for excuses, such as the fact that the properties of the codecs are overrated... I ask myself, is this a protective claim and - since it affects you - closing your eyes to reality?
We won't come to a common denominator for sure, but no, Apple is not ‘the best’ per se (for me ).

right. we should and will not start the next fruitless discussion about that already cannibalized question. your way. my way.