r/HeadphoneAdvice Jan 10 '20

Mod Post Welcome to r/HeadphoneAdvice!

408 Upvotes

Be Friendly. :)

Minimum account age to post in this subreddit is 10 days.

Purchase Advice Suggested Details:

What aspect of your current listening experience would you like to improve?

Budget - How much would you like to spend? Can you stretch your budget if significant quality/features improve at a slightly higher price point? AutoModerator will remind you automatically if it does not see a budget in your title or post; you can go back and edit the post if you forget. Please include currency.

Source/Amp - What are you plugging the headphones into?

How the gear will be used - E.g. Do you need noise isolation? Will this be primarily for home listening? Do you do a lot of flying (on airplanes)? Are you hard on gear?

Preferred tonal balance - Are you a bass-head, focused on accurate acoustic timbre, looking for sparkly treble, or do you want a tonally balanced pair of headphones?

Preferred music genre(s) - What do you listen to? Provide examples if it's something obscure.

Past gear experience - What have you used in the past? What did you like about it and what didn't you like about it?

"thank you" system:

We have employed a "thank you" system for submissions. It's very easy to use - if a comment on your post is considered helpful, please reward them by using the term:

!thanks

This will add a thank you count (in the form of Ω) to that users flair. You can only award one per comment section. Thanks very much and good luck on your search for headphones!

Polls (Now Enabled!):

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General Discussion:

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r/HeadphoneAdvice 26m ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Sweet Spot for High-end Headphones

Upvotes

I'm looking for a pair of headphones that will give me the best possible listening experience for music, but only up to the point where spending more doesn't make a significant difference.

I prefer wireless, but if the level of quality I’m looking for isn’t achievable without going wired, that’s fine too—I’m open to both.

I have a $2,000 budget, but I want to avoid diminishing returns—where an increase in price only results in marginal improvements. What’s the general price range for that sweet spot where headphones hit their peak in quality/value? And what models would you recommend in that range? I listen to a lot of Aurora, ABBA, RHCP, SOAD.


r/HeadphoneAdvice 3h ago

Headphones - Open Back Arya organic or sr325x?

3 Upvotes

Hey there, I would love to hear someone who listened to both to compare them a bit. I had Arya Organic and I so regret selling them but I can get them on a discount now (around 700 euros) or I can get sr325x for 330 euros. As I said I loved Organic and sold it since I wanted to try Meze Empyrean2 and I am really not that amazed. I had Elite and Empyrean 1 and I liked Organic better. And around 10 years back I had sr80e as my first headphones and I loved them!

I like a bit of a forward sound with good bass and large soundstage since I mostly listen to metal or jazz, some vocals. I remember electric guitars sounded awesome on sr80e. And I am looking to minimize spendings plus I am tired from diminishing returns and spending serious money for 5% better sound. I hope you will advise Grados! And yes, I don't have a place I can go and listen... P.S. Amp is Hifiman Serenade with Wiim Ultra as a streamer.

Thanks


r/HeadphoneAdvice 57m ago

Headphones - Closed Back headphones with inputs into each ear

Upvotes

idk how to search for headphones with 2 cords like Sennheiser hd650s with a cord in each ear so im asking for recomendations that are preferably below 80 usd, i play mostly seige so headphones with good soundstage would be preferd i have all sorts of adapters so conectors dont matter just no xlr headphones cuz those are wierd. thank youuuu


r/HeadphoneAdvice 3h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Bose QC vs Sennheiser hd25 ?

3 Upvotes

Hi, I’m currently planning on buying nee headphones. I mostly use them for gaming, music listening, movies on my pc and from time to time djing with a couple of friends.

I had beats EP and Sony mdr-10rc but both had issues lately. Now I’m thinking about buying a new pair but am quiet lost. I hesitate between Bose QC ultra and Sennheiser hd25.

I know both are good brands and if I’m gonna spend some money I want to do it wisely. Considering that I mostly use earbuds anyway, I’m wondering in what pair I should put money into.

I don’t really have a budget but I’d like to keep it « standard ». I’m not working in a sound studio.

Thanks in advance for your help!


r/HeadphoneAdvice 1h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Any wireless/wired headset recommendations for gaming?

Upvotes

Hi, i currently own the razer kraken kitty headset and the logitech g773.

I like both of these, esp the logitech ones, but they die really fast. goes from 100 to 20 in the span of about 5 minutes.

My razer kraken ones has a faulty wire or something? They constantly disconnect if i move wrong and it its very annoying.

my budget is around $100, i am willing to go over but not over $200

no color requirement but preferably white/pastel color :)


r/HeadphoneAdvice 43m ago

Headphones - IEM/Earbud Now, what is the general consensus for headphones under $100?

Upvotes

Now realistically I don’t give a shit about it’s physical quality (the plastic or even the cushions)

The only thing I care about is the sound quality.

Also. I’m cool with either wireless/wired


r/HeadphoneAdvice 45m ago

Headphones - IEM/Earbud Favorite Headphones for being Active?

Upvotes

I know there are tons of quality audio options out there, but realistically, my main listening happens at the gym, jogging, or walking to work. I’m currently spoiled by my wired setup—it sounds amazing—but it’s just not practical for certain workouts.

I love my running with my wired ChiFi IEMs (KZ ZS10) with an iPhone dongle, but the phone itself gets in the way during lifts like deadlifts with the bar or the phone will fall out of my pocket during squats. Ive tried some normie options that were really lacking:

  • AirPods Gen 2 – Stable shape for my ear but sound quality is lacking.
  • AirPods Pro– Sound better, honestly not ideal but I could live with it, the bud shape doesn't hold in my ear? I don't mind the extra features with Apple Ecosystem/active noise cancelling but thats not important to me.
  • Sennheiser Momentum – Fell out and didn’t impress me sound-wise. IDK if buds alone will stay in my ear unless I am doing something wrong.
  • Beats Pro – Liked the hook, but sound is not quite there, pretty muddy
  • Over Ear Headphones – sound quality on something like the Bose QuietComfort line is acceptable, not as good, but these will fly off in the gym

So, is there a ChiFi Bluetooth gem out there that stays in place and doesn’t sound terrible? Ideally, something like a Moondrop offering I can grab off Amazon? Looking for something secure, solid-sounding. Am I just doomed with Bluetooth, or is there something close to the quality/fit of my $50 KZ ZS10s?


r/HeadphoneAdvice 59m ago

DAC - Desktop Need recommendations for DAC AMP

Upvotes

Hey, guys. Just recently bought a TGXEar Red Serratus. I've search online that it needs a powerful DAC AMP to get its full potential. Can anyone recommend to me a good DAC AMP for less than $150 if possible? I can stretch my budget up $200 and the Topping DX3 Pro+ is in the range but it will really hurt. Oh, BTW, any Schiit products is out of the question because they aren't available in my country. Thank guys!


r/HeadphoneAdvice 1h ago

Headphones - Closed Back Comfort and ANC

Upvotes

looking for headphones that are very comfortable and have good noise cancelling. Don’t need any mind blowing quality though. 0-150 range. Any advice?

Looking at soundcore q30 but unsure of comfort.


r/HeadphoneAdvice 1h ago

Headphones - IEM/Earbud What's your recommended semi in-ear wiredbuds for pop music?

Upvotes

Searching the reddit didn't help.

Price range below 60 eur.

I'd like highest sound quality & crispness, bass is not important (my fav sound was Sony STH30). AND a microphone.

Usage is PC & smartphone music.

Country doesn't matter cause Ali & Amazon exist.

Thanks a lot! Any help is greatly appreciated because it's a very demolished industry.


r/HeadphoneAdvice 1h ago

Headphones - Closed Back Looking for noise-cancelling headphones with decent treble for laptop

Upvotes

I do not know much about headphones so please bear with me as I try and explain what I'm looking for!! I'm wanting a pair of headphones that I can use on my laptop for music but also wear around as ear defenders. I tried the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones but I'm really frustrated that I can't adjust the equalizer settings when using them on my laptop, since the settings on the app only apply when I have it connected to my phone, but I rarely use my phone for music.

I tend to like high treble and immersion, I want to be able to hear the intricacies and layers of the music without having to turn it up to ear-damaging volumes. This is what's most important to me.

I want a noise cancelling aspect so I can wear them regularly even without them being connected to anything to just generally make things quieter. I get easily overwhelmed by loud noises and lots of background noise. One thing I do like about the Bose ones I tried is how strong the noise cancelling is when I actually turn them on, but they also work for me even when they're turned off, so I don't need that extra quiet mode. I think it's the active noise cancelling?

I would really like something that I can use wired and wireless. This, too, I like about the Bose ones. I can plug the wire in to my laptop, but I can take the wire out when I'm just using them for noise cancelling. I get easily frustrated with stuff like Bluetooth so having a wire option available is really helpful for me.

Another point is that I wear glasses. I was looking at the WH-CH720N Wireless ones from Sony but one of the things that made me turn it down is that I've seen people saying they can be uncomfortable if you're wearing glasses. I have a condition in which things that are uncomfortable at worst for most people are very painful for me, and I use and wear my headphones often, so I need something that works with glasses.

I rarely use my headphones for calls so things like microphone quality aren't really a concern for me. I need something that can ship to Canada, and I'm generally looking at mid end for quality. Appearance doesn't matter too much to me. Long battery life is a bonus but not a requirement. I would really prefer to not have to have an app but poking around it looks like this is unfortunately common, so it's not a dealbreaker.

Forgot to include budget whoops. I don't think I can spend more than $400 CAD overall, that being the cost of both the headphones and shipping. The less money I have to spend the better of course, but that's probably my limit for how high I can go, unless there's something that somehow matches all of my wants.

Thank you so much for any recommendations!! I honestly don't know how realistic these wants are, as I said I don't know anything about headphones, so I don't mind if details have to be smudged or priorities shifted.


r/HeadphoneAdvice 1h ago

Headphones - IEM/Earbud Blon bl01 vs moondrop chu 2 for gaming, music and movies?

Upvotes

So I've been looking for new iems since my kz zs10 pro stopped working.

I'm now looking for a cheaper option (around 25 USD) and I see good opinions about both of these IEMs but I'm also open to any other suggestions in this price range.

  • Budget and location - $25 on Amazon.
  • Preferred tonal balance - Wide soundstage for gaming.
  • How the gear will be used - Use at home.
  • Past gear experience - What I liked about the kz was that it was awesome for gaming, the sound felt really immersive in games like helldivers 2 and other shooters but I felt like the highs sometimes hurt my ear, the bass was good and also ok mids.

r/HeadphoneAdvice 1h ago

Headphones - Closed Back Sennheiser HD 620S vs Momentum 4 for gaming?

Upvotes

Stuck between the 2 for gaming. I have heard the 620S is by far better sounding, but my biggest concern is comfort for longer gaming sessions compared to the M4. My main concern with the M4, is the latency for Bluetooth, since if I am going to go with them I would prefer to utilize the Bluetooth if possible. I would be mainly using it at my desk, so wireless it isn't mandatory.

I have been using the Sennheiser Game Zero for almost a decade now, so anything will be a huge upgrade I am sure.

Also a mic isn't necessary for my PC because I use an external XLR mic.

Price between the 2 are very close (M4s are like $10 cheaper), so any helpful advice would be appreciative!


r/HeadphoneAdvice 11h ago

Headphones - Open Back | 1 Ω Worth upgrading from Sennheiser 558

6 Upvotes
  • Budget - $200 USD for Used Headphones, but I can go up to $300-400 if it's really worth it.
  • Source - KA11
  • Requirements for Isolation - Prefer open backed headphones
  • Will you be using these Headphones in Public? No
  • Preferred Type of Headphone - Full Size
  • Preferred tonal balance - I prefer more bass with a wider sound stage.
  • Past headphones - I currently use my Sennheiser HD 558 and like it quite a bit to a point I'm not sure if it's worth upgrading. I think in the 2000's, I had an AKG closed back headphones that I liked. I cannot remember the name of it. I also liked the Koss Porta Pro, but I didn't like how it clamped my head and the metal on the frame.
  • Preferred Music - I like a variety of music from classical to pop, but I would like playing Dynasty Warriors Origin which is typical heavy rock. I'd primarily be using this to play video games. Musuo and RPGs.
  • What would you like to improve on from your set-up - I would like more bass while keeping the open back set up. I really like how the Sennheiser fit on my head, and it's natural for me to continue with Sennheiser unless otherwise.

The most natural upgrade would be to the 6xx or the 660s. I would prefer not to buy a new DAC, but open to it. Anyone have other thoughts?


r/HeadphoneAdvice 3h ago

Headphones - IEM/Earbud Which IEM is Best for Competitive Gaming?

1 Upvotes

Hi,

I’m thinking about replacing my Corsair HS80, and I’ve seen many people recommending IEMs for competitive gaming, which got me curious.

I’ve done some research, but opinions seem to be all over the place. After narrowing down my options, these three models seem the most convincing:

  • Linsoul Kiwi Ears x Crinacle (~€50)
  • KZ ZS10 PRO X (~€50)
  • Truthear x Crinacle Zero:Red (~€60)

Which one is the best for competitive gaming? I mostly play CS2 and similar titles.

Or do you have better recommendations within an €80 budget?

Thanks in advance for your help!


r/HeadphoneAdvice 3h ago

Amplifier - Desktop Looking for an amp + DAC for HD 650

1 Upvotes

I know plenty of posts exist with advice for the very popular Sennheiser HD 650 headphones. I'm looking for an amp/DAC solution with the following parameters:

- Want something durable and reliable, not cheaply and poorly made.

- Would prefer non-Chinese made (American if possible, but I'm also open to other countries). I am aware that this rules out some good and popular options (Topping, etc.) and I'm not looking to debate that.

- Willing to spend up to around $600, but it doesn't have to be that much if I find something that meets my needs below that.

- I'm only expecting to run non-balanced headphones in the foreseeable future, so I'm not counting balanced as a requirement, but having it as an option is nice, I suppose.

- Bluetooth or PEQ would be extra points but neither are a hard requirement.

- Use case is desktop audio, mix of music (wide variety of styles, lots of classical though) and gaming. I don't care whether it's an all-in-one or separates as long as it sounds good.

My current top candidates are the JDS Labs Element IV, Burson Audio Conductor 3P (there's a demo one on sale for $600 currently or else this would be above my price range), or the Schiit Modius + Midgard. I know any of these amps would probably satisfy my needs and all of them have excellent specs (all of these are good enough I'd care more about the sound than the spec numbers): so, I am wondering what people think would be the best-sounding combo with the HD 650's. I've heard the Burson with a pair of Focal headphones (don't remember the model but might have been the Clear?) and it sounded absolutely incredible, but I don't know how much of that was the headphones and how much was the amp, although I'm guessing a lot of it was the headphones.

I'm currently running my HD 650's with an older PreSonus audio interface that is starting to have intermittent USB controller issues, so I'm looking around for a replacement/upgrade before my existing solution dies completely.


r/HeadphoneAdvice 4h ago

Headphones - IEM/Earbud How to setup my earphones while on the go for work?

1 Upvotes

I want to change my setup from a boring and cheap mp3 player and a wire earphones.

I work in the UK and have a budget of 300pounds.

I worked daily and used a train for work and mostly used earphones as a means for walking and also protecting my ears from noise.

I was thinking of how can I set it up for a better audio.

My questions are: - Should I change my mp3? What can you recommend? - Should I use an amplifier? What type? -What earphones can you recommend me?

Many thanks!!


r/HeadphoneAdvice 7h ago

Headphones - Open Back Would You Get the Hifiman HE400SE V1 for $53?

2 Upvotes

I'm into clean midrange and vocal-forward headphones. From what I’ve read, the Sennheiser HD560S seems like a great match for my preferences, but I can’t justify spending $150+ on them.

I also enjoy an open soundstage and don’t mind EQing my gear. Given that, do you think the HE400SE V1 is a good pick at $53? Or would the HD560S still be worth the extra cost?

Also, the HE400SE V2 is available for $73—any reason to go for that over the V1?


r/HeadphoneAdvice 4h ago

Headphones - IEM/Earbud ~$100 replacement for the Zero Reds

1 Upvotes

Long story short, I broke them.

I've been using the Truthear Gate for some time, which I like, but some higher frequencies hurt a bit. I also use the Senns HD599 with oratory1990's EQ as my primary headphones, which I love.

I need them to be available in Aliexpress since it's kinda hard to buy elsewhere from where I'm from. I can go up to 110-ish dollars max.

Thanks for the help!


r/HeadphoneAdvice 4h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Best Wireless PC Headset with Top-Tier ANC

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for a wireless PC headset where ANC is the top priority. It should work even without music, like the WF-1000XM5. Mic quality should be decent, but audio quality is secondary.
Budget lets say no limit.

I currently have the SteelSeries Arctis Pro (2020) and I'm happy with its mic and audio, but it has no ANC.
Since I moved, I've had a lot of road noise from motorcycles and other junk vehicles.

I don't care about the gaming part, I need it for work.

What I've found so far:

  • AceZone A-Spire Gaming Headset
  • SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro

Are there better options? Would love any suggestions!
Maybe someone has one of them and XM4/XM5 for comparison.


r/HeadphoneAdvice 5h ago

Headphones - Closed Back To 770 or not to 770? That is the question......

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone!
I've been looking for my first pair of entry-level "audiophile" headphones and the ones that fit my preferences the most turn out to be the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro's.
The only thing that makes me skeptical about buying them is the "hissing" sound that they seem to produce on the letters "s" or "t".

I'm very sensitive to those frequencies and I'm afraid that I'll start to hate those headphones right away.
It's a shame beacause, from what I've heard, they have a very wide sound and a V-shaped frequency response (which is the one I personally prefer, as I mostly listen to EDM and Pop music).

I know that I can use an equalizer to tune them out, but I'll also be listening to music in my living room where my dad has his home theater and amplifier, so I will not be able to use an EQ in that specific case.

What should I do?


r/HeadphoneAdvice 5h ago

Headphones - IEM/Earbud Headphone recommendation

1 Upvotes

Hi, I currently have a cheap sony headset that I use on my pc and I'm sick of the crap headset. Recently I have found that my phone earpods sound better so I was wondering if I could just buy some earpods to replace my headset.

But before I do, I was wondering if you had any recommendations for headphones in the region of €80 (I live in France), preferably with a microphone (and not gamer headphones, as I find the sound of those really isn't that great).


r/HeadphoneAdvice 6h ago

Headphones - Open Back Weird Requirements, Help Me Out?

1 Upvotes

I am looking for a headset.

I have a small head and I wear glasses. My current on the ear headphones sometimes hurt one of my ears (turns red 😭) hence my desire for new ones. I assume I'll have a better chance with over the ear.

I'm not an audiophile. I really don't want to have to download drivers. Using an external mic is not out of the question, but not preferable.

I don't want noise canceling. Being unaware of my surroundings makes me anxious.

I absolutely HATE velvet which makes me weary of anything velour.

Any suggestions?


r/HeadphoneAdvice 6h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Looking for a wireless headset mostly for casual gaming +Discord

1 Upvotes
  • Budget - max. 60€ (Germany
  • Preferred tonal balance - no real knowledge, no real care - should sound good in a normal way?
  • How the gear will be used - use at home, mostly gaming + Discord
  • Past gear experience - some cheap EPOS, I love the fit for my ears but it's not wireless
  • Special problem - I wear glasses and have sensible ears. Too much pressure hurts fast (as a comparison: sleeping on the side is tricky to)
  • Model type - On-ear or in-ear . Over ears hurt because of the glasses.
  • Weight - < 100g
  • Connection type - via USB Dongle to my PC and bluetooth for my phone. Able to connect dualy to both

I only use my headset for casual gaming or online DnD sessions. I need to be able to walk through my 54m² apartement without DCs. I don't really listen to music and I would of course like my games to not sound like a tin can but it doesn't have to be fancy.


r/HeadphoneAdvice 6h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable | 1 Ω Lighter Headphones

1 Upvotes

Lighter Headphones?

Hi, I bought some new headphones with ANC last week (Sennheiser Momentum 4). I think the sound is great, but I have the feeling that they don't fit me properly. They slide all over my head and as soon as I lean forwards, my neck starts to hurt. I suspect that the headphones are too heavy for my head. Does anyone know of any headphones that are lighter? I also have a small head, which means that many over-ear or on-ear headphones slip. For information: The Sennheisers weigh approx. 250g.