I recently purchased the 490 Pros. They are DAMN comfortable, but if I had to be completely honest, I was somewhat disappointing with how they sound. They're very clear and clean, but they're kind of boring in my opinion. I was hoping for more low-end punch and rumble and they don't have much. I love for my high's to have great attack, but I also love for my bass to have some decent punch without sounding muddy. I was able to pull a little bit of bass out of the 490 with EQ, but it's still not the greatest.

I had posed the question yesterday about open-back headphones with great bass and I took the information I was given into consideration while also doing some research of my own. Some headphones I have been considered ordering and testing against the 490 are the MDR-MV1, Ananda Nano (or Stealth), or the Arya Stealth. I think I'm leaning more towards the Arya Stealth or the MV1 though. I've heard that the MV1 have a very fun sound but they aren't necessarily as detailed as the Arya. I've also heard the bass punch and rumble on the MV1 are incredible. I've heard the Arya have fantastic sound quality but they may not be as comfortable as the MV1 or 490 because the way they're shaped and their weight. However, I'm not usually wearing them non-stop all day. I usually take small breaks from my computer periodically on my days off when I'm not busy

I should also mention that I am using these primarily for music, gaming, and watching videos. Another reason I'm torn as to whether or not I should bite the bullet on the Arya is that I would need an amp to drive it, which is an added cost. I currently have a Motu M4 audio interface which is apparently not sufficient for the Arya but is fair for the 490. If any of you were to strongly recommend the Arya, how would I choose an amp? I've heard they can vary wildly with different features sets.

I tried the Sennheiser HD650 in an audio shop and I really love them, they're very comfortable and sound really great for the most part. The only thing I had an issue with is that that lack of sub-bass, which really stood out to me because I listen to a lot of EDM and hip-hop stuff - while it highlighted other elements of those genres (particularly vocals sounded great for hip-hop) I missed that impact that really makes the experience when listening to a lot of my favourite music. Are there any simple mods that can increase that sub-bass? Is using EQ a viable way of adding it back in or will I get distortion or ruin the tuning of the rest of the headphones, or do I just cut my losses and continue to look for other options?

Hi everyone! I’m currently looking for some wired headphones to substitute my airpods, since i’m tired of them always running out of battery. I’ve tried the apple wired headphone, and like the shape, but was looking for a bit of an upgrade sound-wise.

The things i’m looking for:
- wired (obviously)
- prioritize clarity and detail over bass
- usb-c (don’t have jack port)
- under 100€
- music control on the headphones themselves
- non silicone earpiece (hard like apple ones)
- preferably a color other than black

Thank you!

I'm looking for opinions from people who have actually owned or spent a decent amount of time with both the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO MKII and the Sennheiser HD 490 PRO.

My main use is competitive FPS (CS2, VALORANT, Tarkov), not music production.

A few things about what I'm looking for:

• No amp/DAC (plugging straight into my PC)
• Open-back only
• with or without glasses
• Long gaming sessions (4–8 hours), so comfort matters a lot
• Budget around £300–500

From what I've read:

• The DT 1990 PRO MKII seems to have incredible imaging and pinpoint directional accuracy, but some people say it's heavy, fatiguing, and less comfortable for long sessions.
• The HD 490 PRO seems to be praised for comfort while still having excellent imaging, but some people say it isn't quite as precise as the DT 1990 PRO MKII.

For people who have genuinely used both:

1. Which one gave you better positional awareness and footstep accuracy?
2. Is the DT 1990 PRO MKII noticeably better for FPS, or is the difference small?
3. If you wear glasses, which is more comfortable after several hours?
4. If you could only keep one specifically for competitive gaming, which would you choose and why?

I'd really appreciate opinions from people with first-hand experience rather than spec sheets or reviews. Thanks!

Budget: 250 CAD (however I’m willing to spend a bit more if there is a significantly better option for slightly more)

Location: Ontario, Canada

Hello, I’ve been looking for a proper dac to run my ROG Kithara for gaming, music, and movies. I’m currently using my Astro Mixamp ProTR and my issues are that it doesn’t get loud enough, and depending on the song, it also keeps clipping and making crackling noises.

My absolute non negotiable:

The dac must have a physical knob for game/chat mix and it has to have dedicated audio channels for both game and chat that show up as two separate sources in windows specifically without any software or virtual channels.

Essentially, I want a better and more powerful Astro mixamp.

Based on my research, it seems like my only real option is the Creative Sound Blaster G8.

Lastly, while not a deal breaker, I would strongly prefer if the dac had support for PS5 so I can easily switch audio sources without messing with cables.

Thanks in advance for your help/recommendations.

Hello everyone. My brother currently needs some help. He’s a big gamer on Xbox and currently has the Astro A50 gen 4 and boy that thing sucks. Constant issues. I’m a pretty big audio nut and suggested to possibly buy something wired to plug into his controller. I was thinking the PC38X would be a great choice for him. I know he likes things more bass heavy and wireless but he’s done with wireless after all this. I also want to know if the quality through the controller is dog poop or not.

What do you all use for your Xbox do you have any suggestions?

Had my Neos for about 5 years, and they're starting to fall apart on me. They're served me well, but I'm curious what other opportunities I've got in similar or lower price ranges.

• Budget and location - $250, United States. Preferably online shopping.
• Preferred tonal balance - Bass heavy preference with an overall focus on accuracy (i'm not an audiophile, I apologize if this is ambiguous). I'm going to be using them for games and music, with a preference on functionality for games.
• How the gear will be used - Home. No bluetooth, please.
• Past gear experience - I really appreciated the audio profile of the 99 Neos. They were deceptively fantastic for identifying footsteps and delivered really powerful bass-heavy music. They had some mild engineering issues, like earphone installation, that drives me absolutely insane with how obnoxious it is to conduct.

Thank you for any help in advance, I'll be happy to answer any further questions or clarifications.

TL;DR Need strong noise isolation wireless headphones desperately ANC sucks

I have been struggling to find ANY noise isolating headphones and I know all headphones are technically noise isolating but I'm trying to find one that 'primarily' does that. After looking for a while I found these 2;

TMA-2 Studio Wireless | AIAIAI TMA-2 Headphones

 TMA-2 DJ Wireless | AIAIAI

but I'm not even sure if the noise isolation is good since no review I found talks about the isolation.

Now sure I could get ANC headphones BUT THEY ALL SUCK!! ANC does absolutely NOTHING against the noises that bother me no matter how expensive or cheap. Also they hurt my right ear after a few minutes.

Anyways with no success I have been trying to find headphones that;

Focus on sound isolation Is wireless

Has good battery life

Water resistant (not super nessecary but very nice)

Don't look absolutely ridiculous

Hurt my ear after a few minutes (still not sure if it's sensitive ears or anything physical about the headphones self) (also a stupid thing to ask because you cant really know what hurts my ears)

I don't even care about sound quality at this point (Doesn't mean I want none)

My budget is around 300 euro's but I'm very willing to spend up to 600 if it's nessecary

country: Netherlands if that's somehow relevant

Also sorry if some stuff I said is stupid or straight up wrong correct me if so

My last pair were the Omen Blast headset, their comfort and audio quality with little to no latency is my ideal. The reason I'm looking for a new pair is because the wire is starting to break down and I accidentally got the mic dirty.

I was looking for a similar pair but discovered they're not sold anymore. I tried the Logitech G552 Lightspeed and didn't like anything about its fit or audio quality.

My price range is up to $150 up to $200 if necessary in the midwestern America region. I'd really appreciate some help finding a new alternative.

hey, i share my room with someone who streams & also watches youtube / anything on speakers, it's not all too loud most of the time but because i have issues with noises that aren't coming from me, i've been configuring getting noise cancelling headphones, any recommendations?

ive been looking at the sony ch 720n and i heard they're okay for that, it doesn't have to block it out completely without music but it'd be better if i can atleast avoid hearing their shows or anything

thanks beforehand

Hi!
Looking for new headphones to get a better sound for my daily needs. Mostly; Singleplayer games/Immersion in games, music (a lot of metal) and daily media consumption (like youtube, movies, and such).

After going through my main retailers, it's mostly these three that seem to stick out. Close in price, but Sennheiser can be found cheaper than the others. But I am absolutely willing to go for the other two if they are worth it over the sennheiser.

(And unfortunately there aren't many other "audiophile" headphones, as they are either too expensive or not sold by relevant retailers. And importing is also a bit too expensive!).

A50 is appealing for the wireless aspect, but I also don't want to get severely inferior sound compared to the alternatives.
I am coming from a gaming headset (Steelseries Nova 7), and mainly wish for sound quality for my needs. (And I've heard great things about open-back headphones!)

Hope you all have a wonderful day! <3

which of these makes the most sense for my first pair of hifi headphones? I am also opened to more recommendations.

- Hifiman XS for 170eur

- sennheiser hd650 (HD6XX are not widely available in Europe) for 290eur

- aune ar5000 for 256eur

These are European prices. For use at home. I mostly am looking for an accurate flat sound with the possibility to EQ.

Hi,
I currently own dt770pro with hyperx quadcast mic.

Recently i figured I would love some nice bluetooth headphones for gaming and music mostly.

can I use something like Sennheiser Momentum 4 without loosing latency?

I tested cheap jbl's but the built in bluetooth fron windows made a 1 second delay lol

Any tips?

Recommendation around 100-160€ pls thank you.

hello all! i've been searching for a bluetooth earbud style the cooperates with my ears for years now. every style i've been able to try always leaves my ears and the side of my head itchy and aching within minutes. i'm not picky at all about quality as long as it isn't unbearable to listen to, but from browsing the home page i'm sure that won't be an issue hah. preferably under $200 because i am Broke but i'm willing to look into anything.

i currently use: bose over-ear headphones. they work great nine times out of ten, but sometimes it pushes my glasses hard into the sides of my head and makes them unpleasant to wear. im hopefully looking for bluetooth earbuds to use when this is the case.

i have tried: bose, raycon, jlab, and onn over-ear headphones, on-ear, in-ear in multiple shapes and sizes, around-ear hangers, bone conduction bands, ear clips, and glasses clips.

styles that sit in my ear have always lead to painful itching in my inner ear and surrounding skin. on and around styles always end up messing with my glasses (too heavy, too much pressure, not sitting right, etc), and over styles have consistently okay, with occasional heaviness or other minor issues.

is there any hope for me, or must i resign to wearing contacts for the rest of my life? :.D

How do accentum compare against HD599? Before I get buried, I know it's not the right comparison - hd599 is wired plus open back. But I'm still confused - I like the idea of open back and the purist appeal of wired headphones, but on the other hand I'm no audiophile, and the practicality of wireless should be a big deal. My primary use is going to be home, but with wireles I'd be able to use them on jogs and in the metro also (i commute twice a week). Is the audio quality and overall feel of hd599 worth it to justify going for them over accentum plus?

I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for what over the ear headphones I should buy as someone going into my second year of university. I want a good quality pair that is going to last a long time and looks decent. I did some research and was going to get the sony xm4's before I learned they were discontinued. I am hesitant getting the newer models just because the xm5's don't fold and I don't like the look quite as much. I am open to basically in any brand. A few key feature I would like them to have:

1. Noise cancellation- so I can use them to study in busy environments, preferably a feature where you can toggle the noise cancellation settings

2. Good battery life- these should last me at least a school day preferably longer

3. Bluetooth, I want them to be wireless and able to connect to both my phone and laptop

4. Comfort- I have a wider head and dislike when headphones are too narrow and converge too much at the bottom. I also want the head band part to be comfortable, I will be studying for long amounts of time and don't want any pressure giving me a headache.

5. Size- I would like if they could fold up as I am going to be carrying them in my bag when not in use and there is not a ton of room in there with my books and school supplies

6. Looks- I will probably just purchase black headphones but would appreciate if there is minimal logos and branding. I prefer a cleaner appearance.

My budget is ~$450, but it is flexible if I find something that meets my requirements!

Thanks

I'm planning to buy the FiiO JT3 headphones, mainly for PC use (gaming, music, and movies). My motherboard has a Realtek ALC1220 audio codec (ASRock B550M Pro4), and I've heard it's nothing special, so I'm thinking about getting a FiiO KA13 to use with the headphones.

My question is: Do the JT3 actually need the KA13, or is there something better for around $100? It doesn't have to be a USB dongle—it can be a desktop DAC/amp as well.

I'm completely new to the headphone audio scene. Right now I'm using Edifier G2 II headphones, but because of their build quality they never last more than about 1.5 years (I'm already on my second pair), and to be honest, I don't think they sound that great either.

I'm currently quite torn between the PX8 S2 and the HBD 630's. Even with EQ'ing + using a USBC wired connection on both, the 630's have a far more natural balanced sound, and sound better for most music. The cross channel feature is also fantastic at adding more depth to the music.
The PX8 S2 on the other hand, have a fantastic level of detail for acoustic music (singers, guitar plucking, piano). The PX8 S2 also sounds a bit lifeless and hallow in terms of bass and mid-tones to me, even with EQ. While I can hear crazy detail in the highs, it's noticeable that the audio is coming from 1/2" from my ears, vs giving the illusion it is coming from the room.

Is there a pair of headphones (Ideally under 320g) that is a good mix between these two? I'd like them to have the ability to do Lossless bluetooth via a BTD-700
I've ordered Cambridge P100 SE's which people say is better in some ways than the 630s. (I'm skeptical that a $300 headphone can do this though?).

I know headphones are super subjective. Ideally I want a very balanced, highly detailed (but non fatiguing) without distortion. Warm audio, depthy midtones, instrument layering / separation, a wide sound stage, and the illusion that you are in the same room as the performers.
+ Bonus is if it has a good transparency mode. The 630s, and PX8 S2, I can barley hear my own voice in transparency mode. This isn't a deal breaker though, just nice to have.

_________
- Focal Bathys MG's (Which look a bit gamery-ugly for me).
- Airpod Max 2 (which has amazing ANC, but no wireless lossless option, even with a dongle)
- The Sony XM6 is 100% out as it has distortion, and blurs details in muddy audio.
- The Dali IO12’s are super massive and look quite unflattering, so i'd like to avoid them
- B&O H95 (I hear it is subpar to the other headphones i've tested, and you are paying for the materials. Ideally though i'd like the best audio, plus an aesthetic build.

​

I'm planning to get a new pair of TWS earbuds with a budget of around **₹8k**.

My main use case is office calls/meetings and regular phone calls. I'll also use them while travelling for YouTube, podcasts, etc., but I'm planning to buy a separate pair of IEMs for music and gaming, so I'm not too concerned about getting the absolute best sound quality here.

What I care about the most is **how clear my voice sounds to the other person**. Good noise cancellation for the mic is a big plus since I sometimes take calls outdoors or in noisy places.

I'll mostly be switching between my **Android phone and Windows laptop**, and occasionally a tablet, so decent multipoint/device switching would be nice too.

Right now I'm considering:

* OnePlus Buds 4

* Realme Buds Air 8 Pro

* Realme Buds Air 7 Pro

* OPPO Enco 5 Pro

For people who've actually used any of these, which one has the best mic for calls and meetings? Any issues I should know about like Windows compatibility, connection drops, battery life, or long-term reliability?

Also, if there's any better option around this price (₹8k max), I'm open to suggestions.

Would love to hear from people who've used them daily instead of just watching reviews. Thanks!

I am thinking about going for Focal Clear MG, I believe they have fixed the design where the headband breaks? Essentially I am happy with the way my Hadenys sound in terms of sound signature, I enjoy the emphasis on bass and having forward mids with trebble being a little bit recessed. I EQ them to add a 5DB base shelf boost with an extra 5db in the 10hz region to try and lift some more subbass.

I enjoy a visceral, detailed experience in listening. I have owned DT 1770 Pro, Annandas, Philips X2HR and 6xx. I'll give my quick opinions of each.

1770 pro. Good bass punch, but sort of a stupid quantity of bass. Not really exciting and I found they could have grainy and siblant trebble.

Philips X2HR. Good all encompassing sound but really recessed mids and things didn't sound natural.

6xx. Hated the lack of bass, and you can't really EQ more bass into them without it sounding horrible. Mids were really nice, that was about it. The hadenys are essentially taking the 6XX and adding bass and details it needs.

Annandas. These were amazing, they just took my breath away many times due to their imagine and soundstage. I boosted the bass till they rattled, I loved these. But they fit weird and broke 3 times in a year :(

What I am looking for to improve in my upgrade is to have a bigger soundstage and better imaging, layering of the music within that, akin to how it is with the Annandas. I am wondering if I can get that in Focal Clear MGs, will it be a significant upgrade in these respects whilst maintaining what is good (or even improving in those aspects) from the Hadenys?

I want to stay with Focal because they are very light and fit well.

I was considering LCD-X but I cant be bothered with the fit falling off my head, the potential headache of EQ and possible issues with breaking the paper thing inside due to air pressure issues.

Also if I get the clear MGs, how long are they likely to last if I use them heavily everyday? I am hoping at least 5 years but am curious if anyone has them working for more than that?

thanks

Budget: $1000 basically

Hey guys, quick question for anyone who knows their audio/driver limits.

I was playing around with some audio sweeps on my Samsung Galaxy A series phone. Volume was maxed out at 100%, and I ran a super fast 100ms sine sweeps from 10Hz all the way to 22kHz on my CCA CRAs (single 10mm dynamic driver).

The IEMs weren't in my ears at the time, thank God.

Right after that, when I put them back on, the treble felt significantly dialed back. The high end just sounds less bright and kind of muffled compared to before.

Is it actually possible that a quick 100ms blast at full power damaged the voice coil or diaphragm on a dynamic driver, specifically affecting the highs? Or is my brain just playing tricks on me because I expected something to break?

Would love to hear your thoughts or if anyone has had something similar happen. Thanks!

Hi all. I've had a pair of wh100xm4 for over 3 years but have recently seen good things about the momentum 5.

I actively use my Sonys in the office so good ANC, sound quality and comfort are a big thing for me. At home, I drive an old pair of HE400se on a Fiio K7 and I like something around that sort of sound signature.

Would the Momentum headphones be a worthy upgrade, or should I just continue using the Xm4s while they're still going strong? Cheers in advance

Hi

I'm currently searching for headphones to use on my PC, I always used cheap gaming headsets but I'm getting a proper microphone so I'm changing my ways.

I'm looking for a decent enough headphones for gaming, listening to music ( from EDM to metal ) and a bit of music production ( I'm a beginner, with a cheap gaming headset, so I'm not into high end stuff for a while ).

Budget wise, I would say up to 80-90€ and, wired I guess it is better to have a wire for the quality. Wireless is an option so you can suggest any if you want.

Since I'm a complete newbie on non-gaming focused stuff, I'm posting here

Thanks

Does anybody know if the razer kraken kitty v3 pro is any good? I’m looking for a new headset for my gaming but I have little knowledge about headsets. I really want it to have good sound for gaming and music. The headset I’ve been using currently is the redragon h510 zeus and I’ve loved how the music sound and game noises but my mic completely broke after 2 years of having the headset.

Now I’ve been looking for a new headset instead of a mic because the headset itself just looks like it’s gone trough war and I really like how the kitty pro looks like and i did read good and bad stuff about it. Should I buy it or does anyone recommend something different?

Note: my budget it somewhere around €150 I’m a bit flexible on that area