General vinyl talk here.

Moderators: lazyben, static14, texasvinyl

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By Mateo Sanboval
#98318
Does anybody here listen to their vinyl (or tapes, or CDs, or files, or wax cylinders) through headphones? If so, what do you guys have? What do you like or dislike?

I have a few that I rotate through when I'm out and about or doing chores in and around the house. My best are a pair of Sony MDR V500 that I've had since the late 90s. They've held up great and are still thought of favorably as "entry level" phones as far as I can tell. I use them for critical listening or when it's late at night. I'm fixing to upgrade, though, to the open-backed Shure SRH1840. They get great reviews, particularly for their soundstage and are universally lauded by fans of jazz and classical music.

Anyway, I'd love to hear from STBC so please chime on in.
By thewaystation
#98319
I'm listening with a BeyerDynamic DT880, semi-open. Bought ca. 2012 and very happy with it.
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By deafmetal
#98320
@thewaystation - Those BeyerDynamic 880's look great. I would like to try out a pair some day.

@Mateo - My Sony MDR V900's are my most treasured cans, and I have also owned them since the late 90's without any issues. They still sound incredible to me. I have replaced the foam pads a couple times now due to heavy use. The only problem I have is that the closed over-ear design does not work with the hearing aid I now wear, so I need to remove it if I want to use them. Those Shure's look outstanding, and I'm interested to hear more recommendations.... there are some eye-poppers on this page:

https://www.headphone.com/collections/audiophile
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By Mateo Sanboval
#98321
@thewaystation - Those Beyer Dynamic's look cush. How do you like the semi-open? In truth, I've never understood that distinction.

@Deaf - The Sony's are pretty bulletproof, eh? That line and era was just a real value sweet spot for cans. While I don't have the barrier of a hearing aid to contend with, I do wear spectacles and I am pretty sensitive to comfort with over ear phones. The Sony's are great, but after a couple of hours, they start to pinch like the dickens. My understanding is that the Shures are a bit easier on the ol' dome.
By thewaystation
#98322
@Mateo I'm glad I went for the semi-open. At the time I visited the BeyerDynamic hq/showroom and checked out open and closed alternatives. The reasons for my choice were, if memory serves:

- the closed headphones felt a bit claustrophobic. Additionally after a while it was becoming quite warm to wear them (which is not the case with the one I own, even where the headphones are sitting on the skin)
- the open cans sounded best, very airy and realistic, rather three-dimensional, but I wasn't keen on all the noise coming in, esp as I didn't know at the time if I would wear them on the go as well
- the open ones also emit a lot of sound, which in my extremely sensitive environment was an issue

I have also come to appreciate that the semi-open headphones do let some sound in, which means I do hear the phone, door and other sounds I wouldn't want to miss.

Glasses are indeed an issue with over-ears. Probably best to buy from a place where you can return the items for a while with no questions asked.
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By Mateo Sanboval
#98328
Props, Tex. You know how to keep me in the manner to which I am accustomed.

@thewaystation - Thanks for your detailed impressions. So the smi-open are exactly as they sound; sort of the all-weather tire of headphones. Makes good sense.
By Steve Powder
#98329
I use my new old Sennheiser HD 650. Just changed the pads, very comfortable around the head. I like them a lot, they have that relaxed sennheiser sound, a bit dark. I usually use them with the stereo system, I have an aux cable to my amplifier and use them plugged into it and get good sound.

Now playing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EGiMLnJdnA and drinking red ale
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By Mateo Sanboval
#98331
Great cut, Steve. Those Senns are well reviewed. I have a lesser pair that I use for watching TV and movies when the other half of my house is asleep.
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By DigitalHiss
#98376
I bought a pair of Sony MDR-V150's in the late 90's/early '00 for $20 at a Strawberries. They sound great to me and they still work fine but the vinyl on the earpieces started to crack a few years ago.

I tried to replace them with another pair of Sony's (no name/number on them...) from amazon (for about $20) and they suck. Cord is too short, and they crackle.

I just use my deteriorating old Sony's and clean my ears afterwards.
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By static14
#98377
I still use my old Sony MDR-V6's. They were my broadcast cans for many years and have a very nice flat frequency response.
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By maxlevel
#120800
Old thread bump!

I just replaced the cable on my much loved HD25-ii which I used for ten years before upgrading to HD26pro. Suddenly remembered why I loved Johann Johansson’s Orphee! Which is nice.

Also have some audio technica M20s which have a ludicrous long cable. Nice sounding, basic.

Also love the V6 @static. Don’t see them so much these days. I actually saw a pair of Beyer DT100 yesterday (hence the post), with the original strange connector plugs. They used to supply as consumables a little Beyer comfort pack so that presenters didn’t have someone else’s dirty ear foams.
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By ScoJo
#120803
I have some Beyer DT 770 Pros (80 ohms) which I use for mixing, they're fairly colourless, but also use for headphone listening and they're plenty good enough for my shonky old turntable setup.
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By maxlevel
#120806
@scojo often a little headphone amp can help with soundstage on those higher end cans. Especially if using a portable like an iPhone although the newest models have really improved the drivers loads
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By ScoJo
#120807
maxlevel wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2019 10:53 am @scojo often a little headphone amp can help with soundstage on those higher end cans. Especially if using a portable like an iPhone although the newest models have really improved the drivers loads
Can you rec'd a decent-but-reasonable HP amp? Ps I never listen to music thru my fone ;)
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By inksb
#120811
ScoJo wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2019 10:57 am
maxlevel wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2019 10:53 am @scojo often a little headphone amp can help with soundstage on those higher end cans. Especially if using a portable like an iPhone although the newest models have really improved the drivers loads
Can you rec'd a decent-but-reasonable HP amp? Ps I never listen to music thru my fone ;)
I don't have a headphone amp, although I really should since I have a pair of AKG K240 Monitors (600Ω). I love those things but I know a lot of people find them kind of flat.

I've heard great things about Schiit Audio Magni 3. I've been eyeing their headphone amp and phono pre-amp for a while. But my knowledge on that stuff is pretty minimal. @Max will probably have a much better suggestion
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By Dollarhyde
#120812
You can also find some integrated amps that have pretty sweet dedicated headphone stages.

To concur with @inksb have also heard good things about schitt, not actually tried them.

I have real ambition to be a fully fledged, geared out, audiophile but I keep on spending all my money on records :D
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By inksb
#120813
Dollarhyde wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2019 12:37 pm I have real ambition to be a fully fledged, geared out, audiophile but I keep on spending all my money on records :D
This might be the truest statement I've seen :)
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By maxlevel
#120814
@scojo I use ray samuels ‘tomahawk’ with my headphones, but I always wanted/ can’t afford the Mustang. Very simple, subtle detail enhancement and small enough for a back pocket.

Unfortunately in my experience the audio review community is a hive of fraud. The honest method I follow is listen yourself after speaking with a designer or vendor on the basis so you can return for something different if you don’t get along with it. If you love it, that’s the one. It sounds a bit lame
By skeletonbutt
#120815
how easy is it to rewire headphones? my grados have plastic coated wires and they're about 15 years old now and it's starting to break/crack from twisting and it's driving me nuts!
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By inksb
#120817
skeletonbutt wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2019 1:51 pm how easy is it to rewire headphones? my grados have plastic coated wires and they're about 15 years old now and it's starting to break/crack from twisting and it's driving me nuts!
Where is the issue? If it's the headphone jack it's pretty easy, if it's the point going into the headphones then that can be more of a challenge depending on the set of headphones. My wife accidentally busted my headphone jack on my headphones, so I just cut the wire and bought a $8 replacement from Amazon and with a little bit of patience and solder I fixed it. The wires in my headphones are insanely tiny so you it took a little longer to fix than I expected but I'm also terrible at soldering.

Jimmy_Mike wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2019 1:53 pm Buy some sugru. I use it on my cables and it works well.
I have never heard of this stuff but that looks like exactly what I need for my laptop charge cable that's beginning to fall apart.
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By Mateo Sanboval
#120818
For a desktop headphone amp, Schitt is likely the best bang for your buck option. For truly portability, I can't recommend the Dragonfly Cobalt enough.
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By inksb
#120819
I can confirm that the Dragonfly is quite good for what it is. I used one for about a month when it first came out (I used to sell Audioquest equipment at a previous job) and was very happy with it but ultimately it wasn't something I used often at the time so I gave it to a co-worker.
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By ScoJo
#120820
Cheers for all the tuppence-worth guys. Being a total kit-noob I'm not even sure I understand why I really need a HA if I'm honest- as I say only use them at home for mixing/vinyl listening, and they go into my Technics amp. (which has more output than I'd ever need/the cans could cope with ;)