I want to get some non-single use ear protectors for concerts. I have only used bad foam single use ones before and I'm not sure how to approach this. Should I buy cheap ones like alpine to see if I even like it or does it make sense to directly go for customised ones? Idk how much customised ones would even cost.

Does anyone here have experience with ear protectors?

Hello! I was looking through the sidebar's list of recommended earphones, and after clicking through some of them, I've realized that I actually don't know if that's a list for me, a consumer looking for something to jack into my phone.

I've tried quickly looking for differences between IEMs and headphones, but didn't managed to reach a conclusion. I've vaguely familiar with the term "monitors", since I do help out from time with band shows, but I never actually dealt with audio equipment or audio setup (aside from carrying it to the stage). From what I assume based on what I've seen, monitors are the the speakers that play on stage, so the band can hear what they play. And IEMs are earbud versions of monitors that the band uses instead.

I've always assumed that they are basically headphones/earphones, just connected to some kind of transmitter, and calling them IEMs just makes it easier to find earbuds focused on audio quality, because the term is not as mass-marketed as earbuds are. But judging by the cable connector I've seen on some of the IEMs I've looked at, it's probably not a jack.

So, what are the differences? Is it a different tech all-together, or are they really just a higher quality earphones with better connector? Would looking for IEMs instead of earbuds make it easier to find better earbuds for regular use, or are they meant only for studios and I'll have a hard time even connecting them without aditionall equipment?

Thank you for any reply or explanation. I realize this question may seem pretty basic, and I hope it's not too out of place - I have almost zero experience with audio, but I did start recently DJing (where all I needed so far was to be able to connect RCA into a mixer) and helping out with setting up band shows, so I'm asking this question not because I'm shopping for earbuds, but because I'm honestly interested in learning something new about how different tech around music work and what's the common language around it.

Hey,

My 7hz timeless came with a 4.4mm balance cable and my upcoming Qudelix has a2.5 mm balanced input.

Will an adapter be ok? Can it damage something, if they’re both balanced?

Thanks for any input

I'm on firmware 2.13.18, using a Pixel 6a.

After updating to the latest firmware a few weeks ago, I've been experiencing audio glitches quite often compared to when I got them new, which had no glitches whatsoever. One of the update was adding support for 24bit/96kHz aptX Adaptive, which in hindsight is probably the most obvious thing I should've tried investigating.

There is a toggle in the Sennheiser app that toggles High resolution audio mode. Turning that off does not fix the problem! Looking in the developer options, it's still using 24bit/48kHz aptxHD, and the glitches still happen. Turning off aptxHD in the Bluetooth options fixes the problem, but it will revert back to SBC and not stay at aptX, so it won't do either.

What you should do is go to Developer options in Settings, scroll down to Bluetooth Audio Codec and switch to aptX. It will now switch to 16bit/48kHz and the audio glitch should be resolved. Downside is that it seems you would have to go there and switch to aptX everytime you reconnect to your headphones.

My phone has no problem playing 24bit aptXHD audio using the BTR5, so the issue is most likely with the headphones itself.

TL;DR: I suspect the Momentum 4 couldn't handle 24bit audio, so switch to 16bit to avoid audio glitching.

I was shopping for an ANC pair the other day because I will be going on a long flight soon and so to make a semi-informed decision, I tried a family member of mine's XM4s, and boy am I disappointed. I was not expecting this from 400CAD headphones.

The sound is just so muddy and bassy, the mids are basically just drowned down. It feels like listening to what people say early beats were; just a bunch of muddy bass.

Maybe I just don't like bass heavy headphones though. I like my ER2SE's even though I think they are a bit lacking in the bass department, but not by much. I also quite like my HyperX Cloud II's, but only with the velour ear pads, the leatherette earpads sound too boomy for me, and I like that they are more open that way. (I would love if someone with the equipment could compare the frequency response with both earpads!)

So yeah, is it only me? I ended up getting QC45's because they were A) very cheap and B) are suppposed to have a more "neutral" curve. I don't have many headphones to compare to, so I don't know if the XM4's are just shitty or if I am just not used to bass heavy headphones.

My son (20 years old now) comes downstairs after cleaning his room and dumps a pair of Sennheiser HD6xx, Philips SHP9500, and Tin Audion T4s on my desk and says "Thanks for letting me use these."

I don't remember ever lending those to him. But at least I got them back.

Lately, I have been using AirPods Pro 2, and have been pretty happy with them. But the Tin T4 impressed me, now that I tried them out again. They're REALLY comfortable and offer good sound isolation. I had them in for 2 hours and they didn't bother me.

Hi, i have a pair of s12 and dunu titan S that if i use on my desktop pc connecting them to the audio jack or to a wired dac, they start buzzing like a mosquito, but if i use a dac with a battery like the btr5 (not connected via USB but bt) and my phone, i do not have this issue. Any idea?

"One should not evaluate a headphone solely based on plots alone as plots can only say so much and are taken with a perfect seal. Try to audition a headphone even when plots suggest it may not be a headphone that might be suited to your circumstances/taste. Interpreting graphs is another aspect that requires some insight."

Hi,

I'm looking for a pair or reasonable sounding budget over ears for out and about and that won't be loved as much as my others. Ideally with a removable mic or very easily modded.

I've had a look at...

Mackie MC-100 - Anyone heard these, I'd need to mod them too. ATH-M20x JLabs Studio Pro - Not quite sure on how good these would sound. Rane RH-1 -(possible Mackie Clones)

I like balanced/mid forward bright headphones like the AKG K702, AKG K257, Grado SR80x (I know the ones above won't get close but more of an idea of what I'm chasing for cheap "beaters".

Cheers

Update - I ended up getting a good price on the Mackie MC-100. Got them and successfully modded them to take a 3.5mm removable cable. For the price I think theyr're pretty good. Light but seem solid enough, time will tell. Earpads are a bit shallow though. Not much after market options for square 100m x 80mm pads though.

Soundwise I really like them. Not too much bass but definitely there. Soundstage is narrow but the imaging/instrument separation is great.

Just recently got this Hifi Walker H2 and so far I like it. Stock UI was trash but Rockbox solved that issue. At first I was skeptical of needing a dap with how good phones are these days but I'm satisfied. This thing sounds so good and is powerful enough to make my 6XX sing. Plus the customization of rockbox really appeals to my tinkering side.

So what do you guys think about DAPs? Do you prefer one to other music solutions or do you not see the appeal?

I made a DIY cable for my Sundaras and they turned out fine, but next time I want to try for thinner cables, with four braided cores instead of two thick dual-core wires. On top of this, I plan to apply that knowledge towards IEM cables too.

Any tips, advice, and/or resources for learning? I understand the general premise, but could use input on things like where to source y-splitters, what kind of cables aren't snake oil, how to pull off an 8-strand braid as easily as they do in the youtube tutorials... etc.

EDIT: Also! I was looking at 2.5mm balanced cable schematics, and essentially each side of the cable should have independent ground, populating each TRRS contacts correspondingly? Hopefully I'm not far off

Got these headphones recently. I had to bend the top band down to reduce the clamping force (I play games for long sessions, and also watch movies ).

But they've been great. I do like they include an 1/4 inch adapter in there, and it seems to be a pretty good one too.

(I've had problems with previous headphones with the 3.5mm failing).

These have been really nice so far after some adjustment's to the clamping force

See here for that: https://vid.puffyan.us/watch?v=PpffkWPY6Dk

Bye, all

I love seeing these. Honest reactions of normal people with untrained ears.

Hd800s was priceless.

Does anyone know if the Kz T10 has any replaceable earpads? They seem glued in but I don't want to try to remove them. Maybe there are equivalent earpads from another model or brand?

BTW, don't buy these. They are made of aluminum I think but sound awful. Fortunately my partner who got it as a gift from me likes them

Just so anyone knows, if you have a sennheiser HD 350bt and you don't like the latency, make sure you update to the latest firmware with the Android or iOS app. I thought I would need to replace these but after the latest update I think they even sound better

Hi all,

I am looking for a pair of closed back over-ear headphones for under 300€/$. I've had the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro for years and I'm actually quite happy with them, but now that I'm no longer sitting alone in my home office, I'd like something that shields better. I was thinking about the DT 770 Pro or the DT 700 Pro X, but have read very mixed opinions about them. It would be nice if the cables were interchangeable. Do you have any recommendations?