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The Headphones Thread - Page 26

post #501 of 674
12/2/05 at 11:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackartemis
However I am looking for a pair of earbuds/inner ear or clips or behind the head style headphones for a creative Zen touch mp3 player.
Look at the offerings from Shure and Etymotics. There are a few more players like Westone, Ultimate Ears and sensaphonics.

Quote:
I love bass, I listen to ALOT of techno and alot of metal, so while I am not looking for breath taking quality, we all know stock headphones tend to be meh...
Thanks alot for your input in advance
Bassy IEMs...hmmm...only one comes to mind - Shure E2C. This is because I like to go economical with these devices and spend my money on the full-size headphones.

If your budget will allow - go for the top of the line Sensa or the Shure E5. The sensaphonics 2xs (correct me if the model name is wrong) is an excellent option from what I hear.
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post #502 of 674
12/3/05 at 1:37pm
Hey GS, how ya been/
whats your take on these babies...

NBF Link: Alienware Headphones

Alienware Info Link: Alienware Ozma 7

considering the price range.
(for under 200 bucks)


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post #503 of 674
12/3/05 at 1:50pm
I went w/ gsf's advice and picked up some grado sr-60s. I love them! They sound amazing! People also don't realize how good they are when they see them. They often figure they are some retro hand me down. But everyone ive let use them has been impressed w/ their quality. The only downside is my annoying roommate often asks me to turn them down since they are open air headphones. Now im looking for some good ear buds or something for when my roommate bitches. A
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post #504 of 674
12/3/05 at 6:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by J W
I was thinking about giving my Sennheiser 497s to a friend (kinda small and uncomfortable for my head). Could you guys suggest a pair that sounds about the same, but are more comfortable for us big headed people?

Thanks
yeah ive noticd a lot of the headphones now are made smaller. Like there is an extreme gaming headsett from logitech and it is really small. i prefer the wraparound headphones from logitech for casual gaming, but i like those plantronics gaming headsets. they are very clear and high quality at a fairly reasonable price. these are based off of their top of the line DSP series.
http://www.plantronics.com/gaming/en...questid=227700
good stuff
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post #505 of 674
12/3/05 at 10:30pm
Just thought I'd post my $0.02. Picked up a Logitech 350 USB gaming headset. Sound is great and the mic is clear, can't ask for much more for $50 retail.
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post #506 of 674
12/6/05 at 9:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aurora
Hey GS, how ya been/
whats your take on these babies...
OEM is Ultrasone and I think I did a review here a while back...

Good Bass and comfy fit. Headband is the weak point as they break easily.

I think you can do better for the money as far as "sound" is concerned - but if it is the same platform as the HFI-650 AND if it has custom AW graphics...why not?
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post #507 of 674
12/7/05 at 4:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari
If you are looking to upgrade then take a look at the Sennheiser HD-555 or 595.
What about the HD-590 or 580 headphones. They are comprable to the HD-595 as far as specs, just a little older design and about $80 cheaper these days.
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post #508 of 674
12/7/05 at 10:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckaplan
What about the HD-590 or 580 headphones. They are comprable to the HD-595 as far as specs, just a little older design and about $80 cheaper these days.

Skip the HD-590 and go with the HD-580. They are significantly better and were my preferred pair for over a year. Excellent value for the money.

Yes they are a bit cosmetically challenged and they can get a bit cozy in summer...but small nitpickings here...its not like any other headphone is free from these issues

Get the HD-580 but please get a decent sound-card if you are not getting an amp. If you have the moolah for an amp - get a MINT from www.jmtaudio.com or ask on HeadFi. If you have the ability to DIY simple electronic circuits then you can build your own quality amp for $40.00 - $70.00 depending on how far you go with the design and component selection.

If you need directions about amp building - ask and you shall receive...
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post #509 of 674
12/8/05 at 7:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari
Skip the HD-590 and go with the HD-580. They are significantly better and were my preferred pair for over a year. Excellent value for the money.

Yes they are a bit cosmetically challenged and they can get a bit cozy in summer...but small nitpickings here...its not like any other headphone is free from these issues

Get the HD-580 but please get a decent sound-card if you are not getting an amp. If you have the moolah for an amp - get a MINT from www.jmtaudio.com or ask on HeadFi. If you have the ability to DIY simple electronic circuits then you can build your own quality amp for $40.00 - $70.00 depending on how far you go with the design and component selection.

If you need directions about amp building - ask and you shall receive...
Thanks for the info. I have a creative X-Fi in my desktop and I could get an amp for it if necessary, but I will give them a whirl without and see what they sould like. I am mostly giong to use them for listening ot classical music and playing games like BF2, but the sound in a game is of little importance to me. I am getting tired of my crappy headphones and want a quality set of cans that will last me a while.
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post #510 of 674
12/8/05 at 12:47pm
Quote:
If you need directions about amp building - ask and you shall receive...
I'm asking, that sounds like a cool little project. I'm getting some Sennheisers for xmas, so I've been thinking about an amp - I didn't know you could DIY them.
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post #511 of 674
12/8/05 at 7:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari
Get the HD-580 but please get a decent sound-card if you are not getting an amp. If you have the moolah for an amp - get a MINT from www.jmtaudio.com or ask on HeadFi. If you have the ability to DIY simple electronic circuits then you can build your own quality amp for $40.00 - $70.00 depending on how far you go with the design and component selection.

If you need directions about amp building - ask and you shall receive...
That would be a cool project. Don't know how circuits work, but I am sure I could put one together no problem with a good design and parts list. I had a semesters worth of experience with making my own circut boards a simple electronic devices in high school (over 10 years ago), and it would be fun to play with it again. So, I may take you up on this offer when I get some free time to mess with this project. If you have any suggestions of designs or schematics I would appreciate the references.

Looks like the jmtaudio site is down right now , but the MINT would be a good deal for an inexpensive amp solution without having to build it myself.
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post #512 of 674
12/9/05 at 2:49pm
Disclaimer:

Building amplifiers is addictive...I even got into making them for money. If you end up spending money and wind up with a dozen different amplifiers by the end of winter - dont blame me

Linkies:

This is the best resource for beginners: http://tangentsoft.net/audio/

You can buy the amplifier boards and use the parts lists to order parts from Digikey, Mouser etc.

I recommend the MINT.

The CMOY is still a good amp and can be built on a "perf-board" or even a "bread-board" if you have no interest in making it permanent Easier to add different parts and see how they affect the sound.

More linkies coming up.
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post #513 of 674
12/9/05 at 10:59pm
How do you make a circuit board without an etcher? I am sure there is an easy waythat I am not aware of, but when I was in my electronics class we had an etching machine that we put our circuit boards into and it sprayed acid over them to remove the unprotected copper.

edit: I guess this would work.
http://www.bcae1.com/circuitboardetch.htm

I have also used a large tip sharpie to protect the copper too, but the above seems like fun to try.
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post #514 of 674
12/10/05 at 11:51am
dont make pcbs for this amp. Just wire point to point.

i'll try to dig up a few pics...
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post #515 of 674
12/12/05 at 6:26pm
All the pieces and parts are ordered for the MINT. Unfortunately the buffer chips are not in stock anywhere until January. Oh well, backordered bliss for me.

I have an old Netgear WGR614 router case that I was thinking about using for this amp if it has enough headroom and wanted to power it using a wall outlet. Do you have any suggestions on wall power supplies, voltage, amps, etc. for the MINT? If it is possible I have a few random power supplies hanging around that I could use and modify as necessary including the 12V (I measured it at 15.8 V with a MM), 800 mA Netgear one which would be fun to use with the routher case making the whole amp incognito. It seems like it should work fine since the capicitors are rated to 25 V and the ~16 V output is clpose to the dual 9 V in series. I don't know if the Netgear PS is regulated though which seems to be important for application in an audio device. Any thoughts you have on using this PS would be appreciated.
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post #516 of 674
12/12/05 at 10:20pm
I'm looking for a closed headphone, max price $100
importances (0-5, 5 being highest) (I like your format gsferrari!)
Comfort - 5 (I wear glasses)
Bass - 3
Price - 4
Physical Dimensions - 2
Sensitivity - 4

I've looked around the internet and seen lots of good things said about the Sennheiser HD 280 pro. Is there anyone here who has had personal experience with them and can give an opinion?
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post #517 of 674
12/13/05 at 4:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckaplan
Unfortunately the buffer chips are not in stock anywhere until January. Oh well, backordered bliss for me.
What is the buffer you are planning to use? Let me see if I have any leftover in my stash.

Quote:
Do you have any suggestions on wall power supplies, voltage, amps, etc. for the MINT? If it is possible I have a few random power supplies hanging around that I could use and modify as necessary including the 12V (I measured it at 15.8 V with a MM), 800 mA Netgear one which would be fun to use with the routher case making the whole amp incognito. It seems like it should work fine since the capicitors are rated to 25 V and the ~16 V output is clpose to the dual 9 V in series. I don't know if the Netgear PS is regulated though which seems to be important for application in an audio device. Any thoughts you have on using this PS would be appreciated.

Remember that you are talking about rail to rail voltages here. +/-12V is +12 : 0 : -12 since you need full swing for the buffers. I recommend using batteries for another reason - PSU noise...HUGE problem with these tiny amps. Either you get a regulated PSU or just stick with rechargeable batteries.
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post #518 of 674
12/13/05 at 4:25am
SONY MDR-SA1000 can be had for $100.00 if you shop around. I recommend this above anything else in that price range. It is currently leading my stash of headphones as far as "head-time" is concerned simply because of comfort and superb sound for the money.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Djembe
I'm looking for a closed headphone, max price $100
importances (0-5, 5 being highest) (I like your format gsferrari!)
Comfort - 5 (I wear glasses)
Bass - 3
Price - 4
Physical Dimensions - 2
Sensitivity - 4

I've looked around the internet and seen lots of good things said about the Sennheiser HD 280 pro. Is there anyone here who has had personal experience with them and can give an opinion?
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post #519 of 674
12/13/05 at 5:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gsferrari
What is the buffer you are planning to use? Let me see if I have any leftover in my stash.




Remember that you are talking about rail to rail voltages here. +/-12V is +12 : 0 : -12 since you need full swing for the buffers. I recommend using batteries for another reason - PSU noise...HUGE problem with these tiny amps. Either you get a regulated PSU or just stick with rechargeable batteries.
This is the part on Mouser.

http://www.mouser.com/index.cfm?&han...d&N=0&crc=true
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post #520 of 674
12/16/05 at 4:58pm
Hey GS, soldered the op-amp onto the MINT board. Just wanted to make sure it was on the right way since it has been a while since I have played with chips like this. It looks right based on the schematic as long as the dimpled mark on the chip indicates pin 1 and the "o" (red arrow) markings on the board indicate orientation of pin 1 on the chip.

Edit: took a real close look at the fuzzy photos on the site and it looks right.



MINT layout
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