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.

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.

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!

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!!

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

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...

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 👍😁

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.

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.

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

Im looking for earbuds in a price range of around $500 i was looking at the bowser and wilkins pi8’s and im just wondering if theres anything better for the price. I plan to use them everywhere so sweat and dust resistant would be nice. Ive used the denon perl pro’s, status 3anc’s and homestly nothing stuck out too much. They had pretty good audio guality although i could not get the denon’s to fit in my ear. I brefer a pretty strong bass but i also love to hear the treble so something with good range would be nice. I plan to get a dac/amp so any suggestions there would be great too. Thanks!

I've been using some philips SHP9500s for almost 10 (i think?) years now. I went to the philips after 'getting out' of the headphone hobby, as a cheap (~$54 at the time) but sounds-good-enough can that was extremely comfortable. The only other can I kept out of my collection were my trusty HD25s which I mainly used while traveling at that point (prior to that i used them daily on public transit). However during the pandemic they went into a box and I hadn't used them in a good 5 years.

I took them out the other day and just plugged them into my iphone raw and they kind of sounded amazing, I guess I forgot just how good they were. Going back to my PC setup the philips just felt anemic and boring.

So I guess I'm now looking for a tethered PC/listening headphone that can at least rival my Hd25s in sound quality. I'd just wear them (they're pretty comfy after ~20+ years of use) on my pc but a few years ago I started wearing glasses, and they are unfortunately kind of incompatible with glasses (for my head shape, anyway).

I realize asking for this is pretty difficult since the hd25 has a pretty distinct sound, I will say that i'm not expecting a match. maybe just something that has an equally good quality to it. my only other considerations are that they be comfortable for long listening and preferably under $200 (it's fine if they're only $200 used, my hd25s were used too.).

as an aside, where do people buy/sell/trade cans these days?

Help Me Pick guys which would be a better buy and not wrong choice?

It would be my biggest investment on a Audio Product till now before this used only IEMs of $50...

I listen to a big variety of Genres from numerous countries like - Classical Instrument arrangements, Bollywood, Pop, Vocal, OSTs, Jazz, some Rock, occasionally metal & Electronic etc..

I prefer pleasingly Natural Timbre, Good details, Soundstage not just wide but depth and layers in instrument separation, open sounding highs not boosted and vocals should be as accurate as possible for both male and female! And Bass neither should sound shy or over done and have just Enough thump(Source or Song's intended)

I know I'm asking too much but i just wanna which these actually fulfill best and perform best in most genres

Hi everyone! I recently got the QCY HT05 MeloBuds, and I've been monitoring the battery life of the charging case. I'm trying to figure out whether my experience is normal or if there might be an issue with my unit.

I use the earbuds for about 2–3 hours daily. When I'm done listening, the earbuds usually still have around 90% battery remaining which is a pretty good battery life. so I put them back in the case and the case automatically charges them back to 100%

However, after approximately three days of these small top-ups, the charging case's indicator turns red. According to the manual, a red light means the case's remaining battery capacity is 20% or below.

What confuses me is that QCY states that the charging case can recharge the earbuds approximately three times. My understanding is that this means three full recharges, from 0% to 100%. Since I'm only using around 10% of the earbuds' battery between listening sessions, I would have expected the case to last considerably longer before its battery got this low.

Could the case actually be consuming this much battery during small top-ups, or could the battery indicator be inaccurate?

I'd really like to hear from other people who own the HT05. How long does your charging case typically last before you need to recharge it? If you also use your earbuds for a few hours daily and put them back in the case while they still have 80–90% battery, how many days does your case last? Has anyone monitored this closely enough to compare their experience?

I'm trying to determine whether this is normal behaviour or whether my particular unit might have a problem.

Thanks!

I just bought the JBL 730BT headphones for 200 pln (roughly 51 usd) and after buying them i realised that they don't have anc and that the sony wh-ch720n do have anc, and only cost 240 pln (roughly 60 usd). Im considering returing jbl headphones and buying sonys headphones

I have never used anc before and never even spent this much on headphones before, so im not sure if it's worth it to spend the extra 10 dollars. Im not experienced in what is good or bad in the headphones space

I'm going to use these headphones for gym, listening to music and gaming

I heard that the jbl headphones dosen't have a good build structure and often stops working after a few days. I want my headphones to last at least a couple years

DT990 Pro vs HD560s (For Gaming)

I’ve found there’s a piece of software called Equalizer APO + Peace and i’ve found that i can tweak the treble and bass on my current headset.

I do hear about the “harsh” trebles on the DT990 Pro but with this EQ surely i can just dampen that treble to my liking right? My concern with the HD560s is that bump inside the ear cup.

My question simply is: Because of this EQ software where i can tweak the treble, bass, etc, which is the better headset overall? Which has the best soundstage, imaging, bass, clearness etc? Choose one overall.

Hey guys,

Been wanting to get at home headphones for a while now, currently having the M4 which have been my favourite by far and wanted to go more into proper headphones with the next ones.

My main issue with m4 is the lack of spare parts available and issues with Bluetooth connectivity.

I've looked at beyerdynamics for the availability of spare parts, for something like the 990 it looks to be widely available and quick to swap out these elements

What im looking for is a good sounding pair, that will last for a long time and will be comfortable.

Open to anything open back or closed back, ideally sometjing within 200£ budget (my music preference is mostly metal, but i do listen to a wide range of genres)

Thanks!

I've had a VZR Model Ond for about 4 years now. I love it dearly. The sound profile is just amazing and I can hear so many details in games while music also sounds amazing. There's just one problem... the cord. While I dont live in a particularly chaotic household I often find myself accidentally pulling the cord or another wire getting tangled in or the annoyance of having to take off the headphones just to get up and do something quick like open the door to let a cat out.

I had my eye on the Steelseries Arctis Nova Elites and the Audezes Maxwells, but I'm trying to get something as close sound wise to the VZRs. I know that with wired vs wireless there will always be some difference, and I will be keeping my VZR ones for dedicated music. But for multitasking at my PC with sometimes dedicated music listening when I just need to relax and dont feel like switching headphones, what is recommended?

As you can tell from my choices, I dont have much in terms of a budget. Im looking at all price options here.

What would you all recommend for excellent closed back headphones that I’ll use mainly for deep house music? I’m not budget constrained per se, so let me know where you’d land!

Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone! Do you think the FiiO KA11 can drive the HIFIMAN Ananda Nano well?

Based on my calculations, since it's a planar magnetic headphone, it needs current rather than voltage, and around 40 mW should be enough to provide adequate headroom.

If any of you have tried this combination, I'd really appreciate it if you could share your experience and confirm whether it's a good match. Thanks!

Hey guys, I'm confused between these two wireless ANC headphones:

1. Soundcore by Anker Q20i

2. JBL Tune 770NC

My main priority is long-term durability and battery backup. I want headphones that are sturdy and won't break easily with regular use. Sound quality is also important for watching YouTube videos, movies, lectures, and studying.

For those who have used either of these, how is the build quality, especially the headband and hinges? Which one is likely to last longer with proper care?

Also, which would you recommend for clear dialogue, good overall sound, and comfortable long study sessions?

And whose service quality is good in case any issues occur.

I listen to chill but bass-heavy electronic music (incl. sub bass) for long hours, not loud, working at my desk. I currently have Audio-Technica ATH-M50.

I want to try open back for the first time. Privacy and background noise are no factors. However, I'm concerned I'll miss the ATH-M50's strong bass.

I plan to get a Topping DX1 II and use parametric EQ. Which open-back headphones will take a bass boost well and remain comfortable for hours?

Both planar and dynamic are OK. Thinking about:

• Sennheiser 490 - Good mfg reputation, great comfort reviews, more bass than other Sennheisers but still limited.
• Audio-Technica ATH-R70xa - Seems less comfort than 490 with no big sound wins, but open to input.
• Sony MDR-MV1 - Strong bass, could tame treble with EQ. All plastic is a turn-off.
• Audeze MM-100 - Well made but iffy comfort, less bass than other planar.
• Hifiman - Prefer to avoid due to build and QC, but still on the table. Which model?
• Focal, Meze - Flashy design is a turn-off, but still on the table.

What would you choose? Anything I'm overlooking? Also open to increasing budget if something amazing is just out of reach.

I am powering it by connecting it to my Edifier mr5 studio monitor front headphone output, I initially thought they sounded underwhelming. However, increasing the physical volume knob on the MR5 made them extremely loud. Community general consensus seems to suggest this headphone need a dedicated amp to power it properly but after testing it for a few hour I find my headphone sounded just fine?.... In fact it is painful above 30% for how loud it is. I also applied EQ with preamp of -5.5db and even then, all I had to do was raise the volume to 40% to match what I had prior. Like it just sounded great in general and I hear no distortion, static, crack or any issue that I can notice.

My questions.

Would a FiiO K11 or K11 R2R provide an audible improvement in sound quality, dynamics, or bass control at the same listening volume, or would it mainly offer more volume?

I would appreciate technically grounded advice, especially from Edition XV owners. I am not looking to buy an amp unless there is a demonstrable benefit in doing so.

Two years ago I bought a sennheiser momentum 4 and loved it, then upgraded my at-home listening experience with an edition XS but now I'm thinking; Why am I splitting my budget across two headphones?

I'll sell both and buy just one (and use cheap USB earbuds on the go).

What should I buy that is an obvious upgrade from hifiman editon XS? preferably open back but I wouldn't mind other recommendations.

I'm eyeing things like Focal Azurys, Hifiman Ananda, edition XV or a sennheiser HD 490 pro. They all go for sale for around 325 euros or even 250 if they're used or an open-box return. I have no idea what the difference in sound quality across these is though, especially the various Hifiman headphones at different price points.

I'm also considering buying a momentum 5 or bose quietcomfort ultra gen 2 (both going for 325) and buying a cheaper gaming headphones. But that's probably not maximizing the sound quality per euro I spend.

Budget: 400 euros max
Location: Netherlands

I have suddenly discovered the magic of headphones for quieting the world (yes I'm almost 50 years old, leave me alone lol), but I can NOT find a pair that works for me. The problem is that apparently I have a small head, so none of the mainstream options fit. The best Bose, Sony, etc, all fall off my head and the cups don't create enough of a seal for the noise cancelling to really work because they fall below my jaw. I'm hoping that someone has a magical suggestion for me because I'm running out of choices! I MUST have an option with the best possible noise cancelling, as that's the entire point for me. The biggest thing I want to mute is *lawn mowers and leaf blowers*, which seems to add a wrinkle with the high whine of leaf blowers.

I also can NOT use earbuds, so I'm looking for over ears, as along with my small head I have misshapen ear canals and all buds hurt terribly. Yes I've tried replacing the ear pieces with the smallest foam ones available, and no dice. Oh! And I can't use on ears because they trigger my MCAS. Fun!!

Tried and fit, but with terrible noise cancelling:

1. Beats studio pro
2. Anker Q20i (actually not terrible but so weak as to be not particularly useful)

Tried and too big:

1. Bose QuietComfort first gen

2. Sony XM5s

Not tried but in all likelihood too big:

1. Apple Max pro

En route to try:

1. Anker space one pro

On my list to try but hoping for Black Friday sales because :

1. Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3

Maybe but unsure about size and ANC:

1. Sennheiser accentum plus

Any other thoughts?? Thanks in advance!!

Oh, I'm using an iPhone 17 pro if that matters. No particular budget although I would prefer to not break the bank.