the Interceptor's general AUDIO thread

[the Interceptor]

I have a B&W Zeppelin that's something like 5 years old. I'd like to upgrade to an Airplay speaker, I'm thinking of getting the Zeppelin Air, but that is now a 3 year old product. Is there a refresh of B&W line coming that's worth waiting for? If you have suggestions for other great Airplay speakers, I'm all ears . I don't need the dock functionality, but I'd love the ability of Airplay to switch to a external speaker with one click. My budget is EUR 400-600. Cheers and all the best in the New Year!

Sorry, I'm not really familiar with Airplay, so I have no experience what to recommend.

 

[pepitko]

Sorry, I'm not really familiar with Airplay, so I have no experience what to recommend.

That's too bad, but thanks for your reply . Btw, do you have experience with Sonos?

 

[the Interceptor]

That's too bad, but thanks for your reply . Btw, do you have experience with Sonos?

I have some experience with Sonos. What do you want to know?

 

[pepitko]

I want to know how convienent the controls are. Let's say, you are watching a youtube video on an iPad can you quickly switch the sound to be play via Sonos? I use spotify for 95% of my music these days, which is why I wanted Airplay for the convenience. But Sonos as a multiroom multispeaker setup, which you can gradually expand sounds nice as well.

 

[the Interceptor]

I will ask a colleague tomorrow, he knows the possibilities when operating a Sonos very well.

What I can tell you right now however is that if you are thinking about streaming the audio of a Youtube (or any) video wirelessly to a Sonos speaker, you will experience a serious delay of the audio. This is not so much a Sonos problem, it is a general issue with every wifi speaker. Sending the audio signal via wifi will always introduce a delay due to processing times, usually 1-2 seconds. For music it is not so bad, you simply have a little delay beween you starting a stream and the stream starting to play. But when you watch a video, the audio has a reference it needs to be in sync with. But because the audio will always be late when streamed wirelessly through wifi (like in a Sonos system), the only solution is to also delay the video, which, as far as I know, is not an option in Youtube.

 

[Blayde]

I missed the window for the DT770s and they're still a bit more than I'm comfortable paying, currently considering the Sennheiser Momentums (the over ear ones), anyone tried them? I have older Senns and have always found their feel quite good

 

[73GMCSprint]

God damn, my cheapo USB DAC died

Need to order another.

Fiio E10K?

Sound Blaster E1. ~$35 on Amazon (US anyway) and blows the cheaper Fiios away.

 

[the Interceptor]

I will ask a colleague tomorrow, he knows the possibilities when operating a Sonos very well.

I found out he's still on vacation, I'll ask him next week.

I missed the window for the DT770s and they're still a bit more than I'm comfortable paying, currently considering the Sennheiser Momentums (the over ear ones), anyone tried them? I have older Senns and have always found their feel quite good

The Momentum is a bit of a different beast then the old Senn's, because it is a product of the new, more fashion-orientated headphone world. The Momentum Over-Ear still is a good headphone (only the On-Ear isn't!), but if you're looking for something for home use, there might be better options for the money. So what do you intend to use the headphone for, what music do you listen to, etc.?

 

[Blayde]

I found out he's still on vacation, I'll ask him next week.

The Momentum is a bit of a different beast then the old Senn's, because it is a product of the new, more fashion-orientated headphone world. The Momentum Over-Ear still is a good headphone (only the On-Ear isn't!), but if you're looking for something for home use, there might be better options for the money. So what do you intend to use the headphone for, what music do you listen to, etc.?

I mostly listen to alt rock, electronic, occasional pop stuff, it's a varied bunch. I also game a bit on it when I don't care for bass and it's a bit late at night, sometimes it feels nicer with headphones than a full system. The partial appeal for these was also if I was travelling and they're a nice alternative to the 5$ buds I use which is mainly for work.

Ear sweat is a bit of an annoying issue I want to avoid and these looked might comfy and aerated.

Are the DT series from Beyerdynamic still a better option? I wouldnt mind a 32ohm DT770 if they were cheaper.

Also, is it worth looking into a USB DAC for this sort of thing, i've always used the input through my speakers, dont like to keep switching inputs and this lets me have an easy to reach hardware switch, plug in headphones into speaker remote and it only outputs there

 

[the Interceptor]

Well, the Senn Momentum definitely is a smaller headphone with smaller earcups. It is an over-ear, but only just, so if you have big ears, this is going to be an issue. Other than that, it sounds good and is beautifully made.

The Beyer DT770 (assuming you mean the studio-model "Pro", not the older home-model without the suffix) is a much bigger headphone. Very comfortable to wear. It sounds a bit more loudness-ish (more bass and treble), but it is very well done. The bass is tight and goes down low, the treble is open without ever being aggressive. Only the midrange is a tad recessed. So very nice to listen to, but if you like to have the singer's voices so much in your face that you'll get tears in your eyes, a less loudness-ish headphone is a better choice. The Senn tonally is more neutral in this regard.

One option I personally recommend is, in case you decide for the 770, is to swap the artificial leather earpads for the velours earpads of the 770 with 80/250 ohms. I find velours earpads much more comfortable to wear, also you sweat less with them. However, because they do not seal so good, you lose a bit of bass impact. It's a trade-off, but if the 770 with 32 ohms has more than enough bass for your liking and you like comfort, consider this option.

Both headphones are closed, so expect to get warm ears after a while. However, the 770 is much more comfortable in this regard due to its larger size (not so much heat building up) and especially when you swap the earpads for the velours versions.

If you can live with the bigger size of the 770, I would definitely recommend it over the Momentum, not only due to the lower price. If you want a Senn, I would rather get one of the old bunch like a HD600. However, they are open headphones, so you will hear more of your surroundings and also emit much more noise to the outside, which may disturb some.

Hope this helps!

 

[geeman]

Fiio E10K?

Sound Blaster E1. ~$35 on Amazon (US anyway) and blows the cheaper Fiios away.

I don't wanting anything with a volume adjustment in it. My system already has two volume knobs (headphone/preamp amp and powered speakers).

I already ordered something. I went really cheap and ordered this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131356860783

I am open to getting a better one later, but it should be a simple DAC with USB in and line out.

 

[Blayde]

Well, the Senn Momentum definitely is a smaller headphone with smaller earcups. It is an over-ear, but only just, so if you have big ears, this is going to be an issue. Other than that, it sounds good and is beautifully made.

The Beyer DT770 (assuming you mean the studio-model "Pro", not the older home-model without the suffix) is a much bigger headphone. Very comfortable to wear. It sounds a bit more loudness-ish (more bass and treble), but it is very well done. The bass is tight and goes down low, the treble is open without ever being aggressive. Only the midrange is a tad recessed. So very nice to listen to, but if you like to have the singer's voices so much in your face that you'll get tears in your eyes, a less loudness-ish headphone is a better choice. The Senn tonally is more neutral in this regard.

One option I personally recommend is, in case you decide for the 770, is to swap the artificial leather earpads for the velours earpads of the 770 with 80/250 ohms. I find velours earpads much more comfortable to wear, also you sweat less with them. However, because they do not seal so good, you lose a bit of bass impact. It's a trade-off, but if the 770 with 32 ohms has more than enough bass for your liking and you like comfort, consider this option.

Both headphones are closed, so expect to get warm ears after a while. However, the 770 is much more comfortable in this regard due to its larger size (not so much heat building up) and especially when you swap the earpads for the velours versions.

If you can live with the bigger size of the 770, I would definitely recommend it over the Momentum, not only due to the lower price. If you want a Senn, I would rather get one of the old bunch like a HD600. However, they are open headphones, so you will hear more of your surroundings and also emit much more noise to the outside, which may disturb some.

Hope this helps!

The DT770s are lower? I'm still seeing them for 250$ on amazon versus 150-200 for the Senns.

www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-DT-770-PRO-32-Headphone-Monitoring-Applications/dp/B008POFOHM/

Im not that picky for quality, a good headphone and not overly intense (read: badly done) mixing and i'm happy. I was going to go for the DT770s but the price point is still higher.

 

[the Interceptor]

The DT770s are lower? I'm still seeing them for 250$ on amazon versus 150-200 for the Senns.

www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-DT-770-PRO-32-Headphone-Monitoring-Applications/dp/B008POFOHM/

Im not that picky for quality, a good headphone and not overly intense (read: badly done) mixing and i'm happy. I was going to go for the DT770s but the price point is still higher.

That's weird. The DT770 pro is 145 Euros on German Amazon, there even is a package with the headphone + the velours earpads for 170 Euros. The Momentum is at least 212 Euros.

Either way, the 770 still is the better headphone for home use. I'd only go for the Senn if the money really makes the difference for you or if you intend to take the headphone on tour once in a while. Due to the Momentum being significantly smaller and having a very nice travelcase, it clearly is the better option for mobile use.

 

[Blayde]

I noticed that as well, the DT770s were my first choice in any case before the Senns came along.

 

[Luca]

I wouldn't recommend the Sennheiser Momentum, it is stylish and well made, but not even that great as a portable since it doesn't fold. It sits good around the neck though without bothering you. Soundwise I thought it was boring, it has no bass punch, treble has no sparkle and is too laid back. (I sold it on within a month)

You can get the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X (the new one with removable cable) for 137? currently, it folds, comes with a bag rather than a bulky hard case. Soundwise it has well extended and textured bass, lower mids are just a tiny bit recessed, then it rises again, makes female vocals stand out. Treble was reduced a bit from the original M50 they say, but as a whole this headphone has some "bite" to it. It would also have a much better fit than the momentums.

Never heard the DT770 but is often compared to the M50, making this graph the comparison makes sense:

I would be careful though, I mean depending on driver it might not sound exactly like the graph but the DT770 seems to have a lot of treble....
see: http://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/255j24/dt_770s_ear_piercing_highs/

 

[maxtortheone]

 

[maxtortheone]

Also, holy fucking hell I've been looking for earphones for the last week or so since I got the iPod. I'm torn between going for the Koss KSC75, the Audio Technica ATH-EQ300M or maybe increasing the budget and get a pair of Koss Porta Pros.

 

[MacGuffin]

Speaking of headphones, I've been completely satisfied with my Beyer DT-990 for years. It's a bit loudness-ish but still very balanced and incredibly convenient to wear. I have a custom-made model from their online "Manufaktur", so it cost almost 500 Euros back then but hey, it was a birthday present I must admit, though, that I rather prefer the "pro" model of the DT-990, since it's even better in sound and more balanced. In any case avoid the leather earpads! They not only make you sweat but they also kinda ruin the sound quality, it sounds like you're listening music from a cooking pot, to be honest.

Over the years I listened to lots of heaphones from Sennheiser, AKG, Beyer Dynamics and even a Stax but found that the DT-990 not only offers the best sound quality in a reasonably price range but also provides the best wearing comfort by a mile. The Beyer DT-990 is to headphones what the VW Golf is to hatchbacks: No weaknesses and the best overall package.

I wouldn't recommend the Sennheiser Momentum, it is stylish and well made, but not even that great as a portable since it doesn't fold. It sits good around the neck though without bothering you. Soundwise I thought it was boring, it has no bass punch, treble has no sparkle and is too laid back. (I sold it on within a month)

You can get the Audio-Technica ATH-M50X (the new one with removable cable) for 137? currently, it folds, comes with a bag rather than a bulky hard case. Soundwise it has well extended and textured bass, lower mids are just a tiny bit recessed, then it rises again, makes female vocals stand out. Treble was reduced a bit from the original M50 they say, but as a whole this headphone has some "bite" to it. It would also have a much better fit than the momentums.

Never heard the DT770 but is often compared to the M50, making this graph the comparison makes sense:

I would be careful though, I mean depending on driver it might not sound exactly like the graph but the DT770 seems to have a lot of treble....
see: http://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/255j24/dt_770s_ear_piercing_highs/

Just one thought about graphs in general (and please don't take it personally): Since you listen with your ears and not your eyes and since your ears are not measuring equipment or a microphone, I would recommend everyone making the effort of actually listen to loudspeakers or heaphones before making a judgement. I know it's easy to look at charts and find a verdict but that kind of approach is rather fruitless, if you ask me.

That is what I call overkill. I always ask myself whether the design of such turntables is so complex, because they had to find more and more tricks to counteract the basic design flaws that came with it... Keep it simple and use a decent rack to put it on. As long as you don't live in an earthquake zone or near an active volcano, you'll be fine.

 

[the Interceptor]

Also, holy fucking hell I've been looking for earphones for the last week or so since I got the iPod. I'm torn between going for the Koss KSC75, the Audio Technica ATH-EQ300M or maybe increasing the budget and get a pair of Koss Porta Pros.

Any specific reason you want to go for earclip models? They're pretty rare these days. A lot of people mention that they become uncomfortable after long wearing and may be difficult to get them to fit right in the first place.

That said, they sure offer a good sound quality. The Koss Porta Pro still is a good-sounding headphone even by today's standards, for the money at least. The other ones also are good. The KSC75 is pretty ugly, the Porta Pro in contrast has a kind of oldschool charm. The Audio Technica looks more modern and is available in several colors.

So sound-wise you can't go wrong with any of these choices, so if an earclip headphone is the one you want, choose freely!

 

[MXM]

KSC75 have the same drivers as Porta Pros. Much cheaper, though, so I got them to cannibalize the speakers for my intercom in the car

And Porta Pros are about as comfortable as they look, imo.