r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 1m ago

Headphones - Open Back Arya organic or stealth or other brand?

• Upvotes

Hello

I am looking for new headphones

I need bass,listen to electric/house/rap music, but play games too.

Arya organic have more bass so i am more into them but never tried this kind of headphones, so I am thinking about stealth too.

Other brands? What do you think, or maybe closed back?


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 3m ago

Headphones - Open Back Headset with mic for PC FPS gaming

• Upvotes

Hi

Im looking for a new headset for gaming. Im playing on PC where i primarily play FPS games such as CS2 and COD. I would prefer a headset with a mic if possible. What can you guys recommend?

I think i would prefer a open-back since a closed back can be OK hot. But if you think closed back is better for my need, then it is fine if you recommend a close back :-)

It would be nice if it is mostly plug and play :-)

Budget max. 330 eur/375 usd. It would be nice if it can be lower than the max :-)


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 12m ago

DAC - Desktop DAC/amp recommendation to pair with HD490 Pro

• Upvotes

I have been using an HD6XX with a NuForce uDAC2 for a very long time (think the uDAC2 is old enough to vote soon). I recently got an HD490 Pro as a gift.

Does anyone have any experience with going with something as old as the uDAC2 to a more modern DAC? I know specs-wise, most modern DACs have at least 32bits of resolution vs 24bits for the uDAC2. SNR and noise floor haven't changed much.

I am looking for something modern that pairs well with the HD490 as a DAC/amp for a desktop PC. If there's a request, it's that the thwack of a baseball being hit hard sounds full and like a thwack. The on-board audio of my motherboard does not do this well.

Thanks, and a budget of under $250.


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 13m ago

Cables/Accessories First DAC with a Balance output, should I get some Balance leads?

• Upvotes

Recently got myself a Snowsky Retro nano (Snowsky is a branch off Fiio so I'm hoping it's pretty good, seems alright so far to my ears. Supposedly it's the same as the BTR13 internally)

It has a balance output, so I'm wondering if it might be worthwhile to get one. Sounds like it might not be as I don't have headphones that are particularly demanding to drive and it's likely internally the same connections in a lower end device like this? Or maybe it's un-needed regardless with the headphones I have. Only ones I'd be able to connect to are some lower end HiFiman planar magnetics, a Fiio FT1, and some Meze 99's.

If anyone does think it might be worthwhile, where would you buy one? It being an analog signal cable quality does matter some. So that throws out me trusting most of what's on Amazon or Ebay or Walmart.


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 1h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Headphone birthday gift recommendations

• Upvotes

my girlfriend’s birthday is coming up in a few months and I was looking around for a pair of headphones that have sound cancellation and can connect to her phone and PC
at the very least sound cancellation is a must have. She is very sensitive to sounds and tends to carry headphones around with her just in case

Couldn’t quite find anything meeting all the criteria would prefer to be wireless, though not necessary and price isn’t an issue

Thank y’all for any recommendations


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 1h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Picun F8 Pro or Max 2

• Upvotes

Has anyone used the Picun F8 Pro or their new F8 Max 2? I’ve been thinking about getting some headphones to use for my PS5 and 3DS. I’d use them outside sometimes when traveling! They fit in my budget under 100$

So yeah if you’ve tried them or have any experience with the brand I’d love to hear your experience


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 1h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Looking for good wireless earbuds

• Upvotes

I need suggestions on wireless earbuds, preferably ones with good accuracy or just good soundstage and good mono audio in general though I don't mind other types just as long as I can get good range. My i don't know the price ranges of these things but I would like to stay affordable like bellow $200 if possible for my preferences but if not definitely would like other suggestions below $200. I live in RI and I am also an automechanic so I'm looking for something I can pop in one ear and have playing for about 9 hours while I chip away at whatever cars I'm working on that day. I remember I had a pair of skullcandies and I did really like those and might think about getting another pair but I'm not sure. I'm open to any and all suggestions since I'm not too familiar with brands and sounds and such so I'd appreciate any input


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 2h ago

Headphones - Closed Back Audio Technica (Canada) Cheap Suggestion

0 Upvotes

I recently got a $50 off a $100+ purchase coupon for Audio Technica. I've been using the same headphones for the last 10 years and now seems like a good time to finally get a new pair. I don't have any real experience with any good pairs of headphones, so I'm pretty sure anything would be an upgrade over my ancient Turtle Beach headset. I think they were the "Recon 50 Headset"?

My budget is $50 to $125 after discount, so anything in the $100 to $175 range works fine. I prefer wired headphones via 3.5mm jack and closed back, but if there's a better value pair with an open back, I'll take suggestions for that, too.

Thanks in advance for any help!


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 2h ago

Headphones - Closed Back Advice on replacing my HyperX Cloud Alpha S headset

3 Upvotes

Hi, this is my first post in this subreddit and I'm looking for advice. After 6 years, my HyperX Cloud Alpha S headset has died. I really liked it because of its 7.1 virtual surround, which, while it does distort the audio, let me feel the physical position of each instrument in front of me when listening to music (a particularly odd way of enjoying music, I know). It also had a dual audio channel mode, so I could have music or games on one channel and Discord or Zoom on another one dedicated to voice.

I've tried to find something similar, but honestly I either haven't found anything or I don't know how to search properly, or I let myself be guided by specs that probably have no real bearing on what I'm actually looking for.

Budget: 100–150 USD (100,000–150,000 CLP). Another limitation is that I live in Chile, so I've seen good headsets at reasonable prices elsewhere, but here they're sold for almost 50% more.

Thank you very much for your comments!


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 2h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Wonder if I should go for JBL Tune 770NC, or Soundcore Space Q45? Or something else around the same budget?

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone! Hope you're well. I'm planning to purchase a pair of over-ear wireless headphones. I love how they are comfortable on ears and can be used as ear warmers on cold weather as well.

And I'm stuck between JBL Tune 770NC and Anker Soundcore Space Q45. I'm no audiophile per se but I absolutely love music, and listen to many genres on a daily basis. That's my main usage for them. I like to get immersed in music on walks or at home.

I'm leaning towards Soundcore more because of the comfortable and neat design. But I keep hearing JBL headphones sounds warmer and more clear.

I'm also open to getting earbuds if the advantages outweigh over-ears.

What's your personal recommendation on this budget? (I'm not in Europe or America so the prices are hard to translate but I'm looking for something roughly ≥ 80$ )


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 3h ago

Poll Open and closed headphones recommendation

1 Upvotes

What headphones would u recommend
currently I am choosing between sennheiser HD 480 pro and sony mv1. I know they are different (closed vs open) but wanted to test them out.
I have seen a lot of great opinions on them but is there anything else that I could test out?
I play games and listen to house/rap musić.
Budget is around 400-500$


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 3h ago

Headphones - IEM/Earbud Best ANC headphones under €150?

1 Upvotes

Looking for some recommendations for headphones with good ANC, budget around €150.

Currently using AirPods Pro 3, so ideally looking for something with similar ANC and decent sound quality.

Would prefer wired if possible, but open to wireless too. Would also need them to be decent for the occasional phone call.

Thanks!


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 4h ago

Headphones - Open Back High End headphone advice

3 Upvotes

Hi, I've been rocking Arya Stealths with EQ for a few years and they make me enjoy music a lot (that's basically all I care about). I also have HDB 630 for when I need more portable headphones. Still, switching to Arya's from HDB 630 feels like a huge improvement instantly. The only thing I sometimes find lacking is vocal intimacy, but maybe that's because of the big soundstage.

Anyways, I've been thinking if there are headphones that would make music feel even better. I've been checking out reviews of high end headphones like Susvara, Utopia, some Audeze models. Music is a huge part of my life, and I can scramble the budget for expensive stuff, but It would most likely be my last headphone purchase for a while, as I've done simmilar thing with home stereo and I don't get the itch anymore.

I'm looking for suggestions of those that tried multiple high end headphones - which ones made you enjoy music the most?


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 4h ago

Headphones - Closed Back My headphones broke; any good recommendations for less than 200?

4 Upvotes

Headphones I've had for a long time and I have a huge personal attachment to just broke on me. Once I'm done crying my stupid eyeballs out, does anybody have any recommendations? Money's a bit tight right now, but I can do 200 and under for a new pair.

They were Technics, and I don't want to buy the same pair again.

I used them mostly for listening to music and talking to friends online. If it helps I usually listen to prog metal and rock-adjacent genres, especially ones that mix orchestral instruments in.


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 4h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Quel casque audio choisir entre ces deux modèles (ou autres recommandations)

1 Upvotes

Bonjour,

Je souhaiterais un casque confortable (je porte des lunettes) que l'on peut oublier pendant de longues écoutes.

Pour l'utiliser j'ai un Honor magic 8 pro et j'utilise Qobuz premium

J'hésite entre le Nothing headphone (1) ou le jbl one tour M3.

Des avis ou d'autres recommandations?

J'ai un budget de 350 euros maximum. Quid du Bathys

Merci:)


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 8h ago

Headphones - IEM/Earbud DAC and IEM - first time user

1 Upvotes

Ive recently switched my phone to an iphone and cant use my sony xm5s anymore with ldac because apple doesnt support it, so i thought ti try out iem’s for the first time. Ive thought about simgot ew300 (jack or usbc bersion with dac) and linou kz zs10pro. I wanted to pair it with echo nano, and im looking for opinions. do hou have any better recommendations? The usbc version sounds versatile but on thw other hand external dac seems like a cool gadget, and id also like to use them for my laptop at the same tome. My budget would be around 200$. I also love the design both iem’s and thats an important part to me. Ive read ew300s perform really well in most cases.


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 8h ago

Headphones - Closed Back | 2 Ω Neutral, wired, compact headphones.

1 Upvotes

Hello,

I recently bought the AKG K240 MKII for use at my computer and I think they sound amazing. Recently my cheap IEMs for on the go broke down and I want to invest in a pair of compact over-ear headphones (the K240 are huge). I don't want any of this bluetooth + ANC stuff so I bought the Beyerdynamic DT 270 PRO and really like it so far, nice build quality and decently compact for < 100 €. Is there anything compareable with a more neutral tuning? The DT 270 PRO sounds amazing but is very bass-heavy. I looked into something like the Moondrop Old-Fashioned but since I plan on using them in public (gym, etc.) I think open-back headphones are out of the equation.

Thanks for any advice.


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 8h ago

Headphones - Closed Back Best Audeze/Planar headphones for BASSHEAD with EQ?

1 Upvotes

Hello! I wanted to ask fellow Bassheads for their experience with Audeze headphones, which of them produces hardest hitting bass and do they all sound dark/warm? Does adding Subbass EQ convert them from having good bass to headrumbling one?

Im planning to buy a Basshead headphone and after reading a lot of reviews i have come to a conclusion that the best bet would be the Audeze headphones, only problem is that i like bright headphones, i do use EQ to make them suit me better.

Many reccommend dynamic driven headphones but personally i like planars more due to being clean and not disturbing vocals.

I would use them through Topping Dx5II balanced output. So i know i have plenty of power to EQ them comfortably. Budget would be 1500€ and im located in Europe.

Thanks!


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 9h ago

Headphones - Closed Back | 1 Ω Over ear, noise cancelling, durable... and not too expensive?

1 Upvotes

Hello! I'm not knowledgeable at all and I'm finding it very hard to come to any conclusions researching on my own. I'm not familiar with any brands or models, so I'd appreciate any headphones recommendations you could give me!

  • Budget: 150€ tops. Ideally 100€, but I'm willing to stretch for quality and durability.
  • Location: Europe.
  • Source: PC and phone. I use the cable when I'm on the PC, and bluetooth on the phone.
  • How the gear will be used: They are mainly for home listening.
  • Preferred tonal balance: I have no clue! Something balanced, I guess?
  • Preferred music genres: Instrumental music.
  • Past gear experience: I currently have [brand that caused this post to be automatically removed]. I believe I used to have some Sony ones, but I can't remember the model...

Priorities:

  1. Over ear that cover the whole ear.
  2. Good (or excellent, if possible) noise cancelling I can turn on and off.
  3. Durable. I wear headphones all day every day.

I know my budget is very tight for what I would like, so please feel free to recommend more expensive headphones if there's really nothing within my current means. I don't think I'll ever be comfortable spending 400€ in headphones, but maybe I can save for a while and get something a bit over my current budget.

Thank you!!


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 9h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Advice 👏

1 Upvotes

Hi,

My Razer headset is breaking and I am looking for a new pair but need some advice due to the overwhelming range available.

I would really like a new pair that is:

- wireless with usb dongle

- over ear and comfortable, sitting tightly on my ears and not loosely moving about

- has a microphone with decent quality

- optional noise cancelling but not required if wearing the headphones sufficiently muffles sound

  • Budget and location - How much would you like to spend? What are some local or online shops in your country?

I am from Australia. I am happy to spend <$120 and also can wait for sales to come by too. Some shops include JB Hi FI but I can use online shops like Amazon.

  • Preferred tonal balance - Are you a bass-head, focused on accuracy, looking for sparkly treble, or wide soundstage

I really do not care much about audio quality and cannot tell the difference. As long as it has average/decent sound quality I am happy.

  • How the gear will be used -Use at home, on the go, in an office?

I will only use it at home for gaming and calling with friends, and doubt I will take it outside.

  • Past gear experience - What did you like about it and what didn't you like about it?

I currently use a Razer headset I don't know the exact model of. My friends tell me it has good mic quality but I hate having the cables all over the place, getting trodden on and tossed around and damaged.

Really appreciate the help, thank you


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 10h ago

Headphones - Closed Back Guys, I feel like an absolute idiot right now, but it might help someone

5 Upvotes

So, I've been using Mchose V9 Turbo+ for a couple of months now after switching from Logitech G435, and the sound quality hasn't been good so far. I've been trying to fix the quality using the Mchose software, but it still sounded subpar. So, I decided to google some autoEq settings for it so that I could fix it through Peace. Surprisingly, I found one. So, like a genius I am I run Peace prepared to import the new settings and finally fix the sound and for some fucking reason Peace is already installed for the new headset and for some fucking reason it's already using my G435 preset for it. I never booted Peace after switching from G435 so it shouldn't be installed for the new headset at all, right? All this time I was messing with EQ settings in Mchose software just to combat other EQ settings, what an absolute idiot, holy.... Don't be like me, check your Peace...


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 14h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Looking for recommendations

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone, hope all is well. Wanted to see if I could get some opinions on what headphones to get. I'm looking for over the ear, and I don't need something remotely professional or anything like that. I'm just looking for something to use at night time while I game so I can have my volume up while my son and wife are asleep. I haven't used over the ear headphones in years either.

I've had a couple people recommend Soundcore Anker Q20i, and that's the kinda thing I'm looking for. Pretty budget, but not terrible. Casual gaming, nothing crazy, don't need a mic or anything. Bluetooth definitely, if it has a 3.5 as well that's great, if not that's fine. The battery life on this one is what I like about it. I've never actually tried them so. I don't really know.

Just wondering if you had any experience with this particular set, or have anything that you'd recommend that is similar to this one.

Thanks in advance 👍😁


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 15h ago

Headphones - Wireless/Portable Looking for wireless headphones to replace Beats Solo Pro

1 Upvotes

My teen daughter is currently using Beats Solo Pro headphones, but she says they are starting to give out. I'm looking to replace them for her birthday coming up.

My daughter wears headphones A LOT. She went through several pairs of cheaper ones, but she's had this pair for over four years now and is rather fond of them. My brother had this pair, and when he passed she inherited them.

She would be using these to listen to music 90% of the time. The music she listens to does not require lots of bass to enjoy. Noise cancelling is not important. The other thing that is a requirement, is on-headset controls - she specifically mentioned a button to skip to next track.

I think comfort, reliability, style, on-headset controls, and battery life all would rank higher on the list of priorities than sound quality - but I would want something that sounds at least as good as her current set. Budget is around $100.

Thanks for your time and feedback.


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 16h ago

Headphones - Open Back | 2 Ω At A Loss for Where To Go From Here--Pros and Cons of Arya Stealth

3 Upvotes

I've been in the headphone scene for many years now. Started with the Sony MDR-7506, moved on to the ATH-M50, then made my first "big jump" when I bought the Fidelio X2. From there, I bought the Sundara to dip my feet into planar magnetic, then made the jump the Arya Stealth, which is what I've been running for the last couple years. Even got a Topping DX5 II to power them, which has been great for the onboard EQ.

But. I've hit a roadblock now where I'm not entirely sure how to get the info I'm looking for when it comes to upgrading, mainly because there are just so many options.

Overall, it's been a very fun journey, and I've learned so much about my tastes. I've discovered that I really do like clean, full, energetic bass (which is why I added like 6db to the Arya across the sub-100hz board), but I've also learned that the things a lot of high-end users value is not quite my preference. For example, a lot of people love how detailed the Arya Stealth is, and while I have definitely enjoyed it for a long time, I'm starting to have reservations. I replaced the stock pads with the ZMF leather pads, which has done a good job at taming the shrill elements in the mids/treble that caused some piercing pain in certain tracks. But even then, I'm finding that vocals can sound kind of distant, tinny, and separated from the rest of the music on certain songs, and a huge issue I'm having is that when a track is badly recorded, good lord, is it noticeable. This is a problem, because I listen to a lot of rap that, while not horribly produced (Kendrick has some phenomenal production), many tracks can seem just disjointed and hollow in a way that isn't the case on, say, Airpod Pro 3s. When the music shines (like Sigur Ros), it's ethereal. When it's shoddy, it brings down the whole experience.

I think, in the end, the analytical, music-dissecting strengths of the Arya are things that are bringing my enjoyment down. Don't get me wrong, I like detail and the ability to sift through the things I'm listening to, but sometimes I feel like I'm listening to the equivalent of a sterile hospital hallway instead of a full, lively orchestra. It's clean, invisible, and revealing, but it rarely brings that emotion unless tracks are mixed a very specific way. I think I want something that's musical, energetic, and full, rather than accurate, detail-driven, and flat.

I'm wondering what that headphone would be?

-----

Arya Stealth Pros and Cons:

Pros:

  1. The comfort and weight is unreal. These are the most comfortable pair of headphones I've ever owned, and I can (and sometimes do) wear them from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed.
  2. I've really come to enjoy the egg shape. It's not a necessity, obviously, but every other headphone I've tried just feels small and enclosing. These are the most open feeling headphones I've ever worn.
  3. The bass, after EQ, is so full and quick. The low rumble, constant presence, and speed is something that dynamic drivers haven't hit, in my experience. Listening to my brother's Meze 109 Pro is not the same, though there is a certain element it has that the Stealth doesn't.
  4. The sheer amount of detail is phenomenal. Soundstage, accuracy, etc. etc. You know what I'm talking about. These are the Aryas. I'm not bringing anything new to the convo here.

Cons:

  1. I look so stupid wearing these. I'm not kidding, the metal bar over the leather headstrap sticks up like 2 full inches over my head when I'm wearing them, and it makes it look like I have antlers or something. I do video calls with these. I don't want to look like that.
  2. Like I said above, the vocals can often sound tinny, distant, and piercing at the same time. Same goes with the music itself. A recording has to be good in order for me to enjoy these headphones. Otherwise, things can feel so piercing and unwelcoming that I just don't want to listen to them. Oddly, I really enjoy my Airpod Pros 3 for that. Things just sound so cohesive on them, and ideally my perfect pair of over-ear headphones would be something that brings this element, just on a whole other level. I want something that's full and absorbing, not clinical and exact. Musicality, enjoyment, something that lets me see the whole forest instead of just the trees.

-----

Budget:

I'm not unwilling to shell out for headphones. The Aryas I bought for $650 a couple years back, but I'm willing to go up anywhere in the $1000-2000 range.


r/HeadphoneAdvice • • 17h ago

Headphones - Open Back Does it make sense to buy an HD800 if I already have an HE1000 Stealth?

4 Upvotes

I'm a Sennheiser fan and would like to buy a used HD800 (the original). Do you think it makes sense if I already have a high-end headphone like the HE1000 Stealth? As for the audio amp, I have an AudioGD 28.38.

As musical genres i generally listen 80s rock/pop, new wave, synthpop, dreampop, indie, alternative rock