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Surefire
151
Feb 1, 2017
Wow, I know nothing about audio but these headphones are loved, very loved. One question though, is it really a night-and-day difference between my phone's earpods and these gigantic headphones? Suppose that I purchase one of these, will it change my life forever XD? No, I'm serious :D
ADCBot
54
Feb 1, 2017
SurefireYes in a way. The difference is massive, it's a little hard to explain but when most people upgrade to audiophile headphones they normally hear more, you will be able to some sounds in songs you've never heard before. Vocals will be crystal clear, and some other things. Will it change your life? Probably not, but you may enjoy your music a little more.
If you only listen YouTube to MP3 conversions then it may not be a huge upgrade. But if you buy your music form iTunes , or use something Spotify's high quality streaming then you will notice a difference.
Mind you these are open back headphones, meaning almost anyone in the room can hear what you are listening to. If you want something portable like in ear headphones I would recommend the Shure SE 215.
Len11
82
Feb 2, 2017
SurefireYou will need an amp to get the most out of them but yes, night and day may be an understatement.
Surefire
151
Feb 2, 2017
ADCBotThank you! I'm looking to upgrade from my usual earphones.
If memory serves me right, when I was a kid, headphones were hot, cheap and they pinched my head like crazy. It didn't help when I wore glasses either, so I'm pretty hesitant to get into the game again.
I'm looking for a main driver, something that I could bring with me everywhere, home or uni, and lasts well into the future. There are simply too many headphones on offer lol.
Surefire
151
Feb 2, 2017
Len11Is there any portable amp? Thanks.
Len11
82
Feb 2, 2017
SurefireYou can start out with a sub $100 FiiO amp/DAC combo. If you're up to spending a bit more, the OPPO HA2SE is terrific. Check eBay or head-fi forums for used units as there are often people rotating through gear to play with. Nothing wrong with a used DAC or amp.
chrispz
25
Feb 2, 2017
SurefireComing from someone in similar circumstances who purchased these, the HD 6XX isn't where you want to start. The reason they aren't portable is because even with a portable amp, the open-back nature means you'll only be able to enjoy them in quiet environments. But if you get IEMs (earphones) instead, they're more likely to have lower impedance/higher sensitivity and won't require an amp. They won't get in the way of glasses or mess up your hair, can be used anywhere, and provide some of the best isolation so you won't need to worry about sound leaking in or out.
I recommend doing some research on IEMs like the Shure 215 (as recommended above), Sennheiser IE80 (same company that made the HD 6XX), MEE Pinnacle P1 (my personal favorite as I was able to snag them for $110 and find their soundstage comparable to open-back headphones), and anything else that catches your eye. Once you find a daily driver, only then should you decide if a pair of endgame headphones you'll only use at home is worthwhile. I use my P1s at home, work, the gym, during class, whenever I get the chance. I only use the HD 6XX at home. I consider them both worthwhile but given the choice of only one, quality IEMs are the most versatile.
DJ2nd
15
Feb 2, 2017
SurefireIf you love music your life will never be the same.
SurefireI did a review of them. I'm not an audiophile so the review is from the perspective of somebody that understand audio more than the average person.
Bjord
135
Feb 3, 2017
SurefireIt depends on you, ultimately. I know a person who has a pair of ATH-M50's but regularly listens to music out of his shitty laptop speakers even though he's had a side by side comparison between a good pair of headphones and tinny diarrhoea. Some people just don't care about sound quality when they're listening to music.
My suggestion would be to maybe borrow a pair of "audiophile" headphones from someone or hit up a music store with a headphone demo station and try some yourself. You'll probably notice a significant difference between earpods and a good pair of headphones but you might not care.
Surefire
151
Feb 3, 2017
BjordHa ha, that's a good example lol. Yeah, I should go and have a listen. Thanks.
CasualSin
114
Feb 3, 2017
SurefireWhat are you using to listen to music now? That would tell us how much of a "upgrade" it would be for you. BTW if you are indeed using low impedance earbuds, you need to also take into account that the HD600/650/6XX scales really well with better gear you get.
Surefire
151
Feb 4, 2017
CasualSinI've been using the bundled earphones that you get for free with my HTC M8. I miss my old iPod, for some reasons, music always sounded better on them. Anyone knows why? Thanks.
SomeTechNoob
466
Feb 4, 2017
SurefireI always found the sound out of the HTC One M8 pretty good. I've got a M9 now, but the M9 was only a minor increase.
The sound from the M8's stock earbuds are kinda meh from what I remember. Grabbing better earbuds or headphones would improve the sound drastically.
CasualSin
114
Feb 5, 2017
SurefireI used to have HTC M8 and stock they sound pretty good. However the stock earbuds that it comes with was just okay. Which also says something about you, as you don't like the sound signature of thos earbuds and the "Beats" tuned EQ. As far as the upgrade yeah the HD600/650 is a huge upgrade but they'll sound meh on your phone. You'll need to get a AMP that can drive them well if you want to still use it as a portable set up... but I really don't recommend that.
Surefire
151
Feb 5, 2017
CasualSinI'm actually using the HTC's earbuds on my desktop now as my main driver since I don't have anything better. Tbh, it's looks out of place next to all the Razer stuffs on the table lol. I'm thinking about getting a really good setup for my desktop at home where I spend most of my time at, and something I could bring to uni and listen to on the computers there. The old earbuds won't probably last much longer.
How do most of you solve the problem of a home setup vs commuting vs uni/work?
Thanks.
CasualSin
114
Feb 5, 2017
SurefireOn the go I have my Sony MDR XB50 because I hate wires on the move. Also being in ear buds I don't bother anyone and its got a good seal. The HD600 series are open back headphones and are kind of big... IE they are going to leak sound, its big so you might have issues if you move around way to fast, and you have to worry about theft since your advertising such a big headphones on your head.
You could, you know just skip the HD6XX and go for some IEM's like the Shure SE215 that Massdrop has for sale and also pick up the CEntrance DACport Slim for your desktop use. https://www.massdrop.com/buy/shure-se215-earphones https://www.massdrop.com/buy/centrance-dacport-slim-amp-dac-combo Don't have to go with any of them but just saying good IEM's can give you great sound too and takes nothing to drive them.
Surefire
151
Feb 5, 2017
CasualSinThanks!
Wait, using a DAC with a pair of IEM? I've never tried that tbh, since I've never had a DAC. I thought DACs are there to drive big headphones?
There's a blue box going on, the Thinksound IEM. I don't know if I should go with those or the Shure SE215... Has anyone got any experience with Thinksound IEMs?
Thank you!
CasualSin
114
Feb 5, 2017
SurefireAsk about the Thinksound IEM in the Thinksound drop as you'll get more people to answer you. DAC = Digital to Analog Converter. Anything you plug your headphones into has a "DAC." It allows the digital files to be ... converted into analog so you can hear the sound. Amplifiers at its core and simplest term is what boost your sound, amplifies it to be "louder." These are the simplest terms BTW.
So yes you can always use a DAC with any listening device IEM/Over The ears etc etc. Just realize that some AMPs don't have the lower enough floor that you might get some buzzing with sensitive IEM's on powerful AMPs.
Good luck to you and your search for what will make you happy at listening to whatever you do:D
Surefire
151
Feb 5, 2017
CasualSinThanks!
tessierpg
Feb 6, 2017
SurefireNight and day isn't enough to represent the difference, believe me. Does a Mercedes sports coupe compare to a golf cart ?
CasualSin
114
Feb 7, 2017
tessierpgYeah the Golf Cart is far more fun than most Mercedes :p
Hellreaver
570
Feb 15, 2017
SurefireI don't know what your usual earphones are, but I'd recommend something like the brainwavz delta iems. $20 for some good sound. And if you don't like them, you can always return them to amazon.
Surefire
151
Feb 15, 2017
HellreaverThanks.
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