Which headphones do you have and ACTUALLY use?

Sony MDR-V6 & Shure SE215’s with Sensaphonics custom sleeves.

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That was actually the alternative to my Focal Bathys. I wanted the best bluetooth headphones available at the time - and those were the two options.

The only thing missing - compared to the 5909 - is LDAC. I remember that Focal announced it, but it never happened…

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$50 from Amazon…Silensys

They work great with my Boss Katana Go.

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Those look pretty great! Unfortunately none of the places I listen to music are quiet so I don’t use open backs very often. I just ordered a pair of Beyerdynamic dt270 pro, they come to tomorrow :slightly_smiling_face:

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I’ve gotta 2 mountain bikes, a fat bike, a hybrid and an road bike. :slightly_smiling_face:

The road bike is like my guitars, I don’t use it very often :sweat_smile:

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We have to define what counts as a bike to count mine.

If I don’t trust the fork to ride on the road, but it’s a trainer bike is that one?

How about if I stole the saddle for another bike?

The one that’s stripped down to just a frame surely doesn’t count, right?

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Since you mentioned this, I can’t get it out of my head.
Did you purchase it?

It’s not in stock in Germany, but somehow I want it…

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Hey @antonio !

Have you tried getting memory foam tips for the KZ’s? That made a big difference for me, in both fit and sound.

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Most expensive collection ever!! Also a sure fire way of losing your other collections when the lawyers find out

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I discussed this topic today with some 20-something friends over some terrible french fries … not the “putting them in the shed”-part, but the multiple partners part.

Apparently, this generation is quite relaxed about it, having multiple partners at once. But then they don’t have the money for multiple basses, so that might explain it. It’s a substitute :slight_smile:

I’m still in the process of deciding if I envy them (for having multiple partners at once, no problem, NOT having no momey for basses)…

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Just for clarification, putting people in sheds is wrong regardless of gender

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Yes I ordered both from Amazon a few weeks ago it’s due for a delivery after thanksgiving.

JT7 and JT3. Dollar for Dollar these 2 will out perform just about any headphones 4Xs it’s respective price range.

If you like the tight bass presentation their closed back FT1 is still my go to. It’s more musical and less Audiophile :joy:

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For general listening (and mixing), I had been using a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro for a long time, but they againg out and now I only use them when I need a closed back listening experience (i.e. rarely).

Because I had been using Flare’s ear plugs (bought from their Kickstarter effort) when travelling for work, I was willing to try out some of the headphones from a crowdsourcing campaign. I bought two different ones from their “Flare Ears: Mirror Image Sound” effort. The first to arrive was their Flare’s E-Prototype, and these became my default travel headphones, which helped my DT 770’s to last a bit longer. Eventually the wear and tear of travel weakened the cable by the plug, eventually breaking the wires inside the plug…

…quite a while later the other paid arrived, the S Model Pro. These have same great sound I liked with the E-Prototype (i.e. amazing clarity even coming from the DT 770’s), but they are a little heavier and have an interchangeable cord… I was grateful for the changeable cord, which I also broke the same way as I had the E-Prototype cord. I used the spare (technically it was a different size plug, but I added an adapter to get it back to 3.5mm so for me it was a spare). I continue to use this one as my primary for wired listening, and I have switched more active activities to wireless headphones… Since I was already using an adapter, I also added an extension to this headphone cable, which lets me get around my workspace without hitting the limits of the cord, and if I choose to plug/unplug I am doing so at the extension’s plug - hopefully preserving the life of the headphone’s cable. It does mean I have a bit of cable coiled in my pocket when I connect to my amPlug for some walkaround bass practice, but that is definitely better than moving the bass and pulling out my earplug (or more likely disconnecting the ear pieces from the headphone cable).

…Before I get to wireless, I wanted to say that I bought another pair of the E-Prototype (now being sold on the company’s website), because I liked them better, specifically for being lighter and not having a cable the sometimes falls off the ear pieces. The S Model Pro was redesigned, probably to address the issues I had with it, but my plan is to switch back to the E-Prototype when the cable for the S Model Pro dies (in a few years or so).

For working out, yard work, and other instances where I don’t want a wired connection, here are the ones I’ve tried in the past decade or so

Damson Headbones - bought from a Kickstarter, they used bone conduction, so they didn’t sound great, but they were useful when wearing earplugs. I used to use these when travelling; they worked fine while sitting in the plane, train, etc., but they were not useful for working out or moving about due to their weight - hence, why my wired headphones took so much abuse in my travels.

Eventually, I got some headphones that were better suited to working out, etc. from yet another Kickstarter. Mark Clayton’s Livv headphones may not have been as waterproof as they had hoped, but they were comfortable and stayed on during a workout. I used these for almost a full decade, but I have started to phase out their use for all but the most vigorous of workouts. Since they can also store enough songs for a workout without connecting to bluetooth, they let me leave my phone in the locker at the gym. Honestly, I use them less often than I should, because I work out less frequently than I used to.

Earlier this year, based on the recommendation of another parent at my kids school, I got a pair of Shokz OpenRun SE from Costco. They take the best of what I liked about the Damson Headbones and put it in a lighter, better fitting, and more water resistant form factor. They also fit comfortably under a hoodie, which helps for the activity I use the with most - yard work. As you might imagine, I wear earplugs when I use the lawnmower, leaf blower, snow blower, etc., so having my headphones actually fit underneath the hoodie helps with comfort and sound quality when I’m bundled up due to the cold. However, let me be clear, these (and the other bone conduction headphones I have tried) are definitely about convenience and not sound quality.

Well, that was more than I was thinking I’d write… now, I gotta get back to work.

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Ok I just got the FiiO JT7 last night. It’s official, it’s the best headphone you can buy under $500. Well made and comes with everything you need to get going. Great tight and fast bass, excellent details, wide sound stage, smooth treble.

It’s the best $500 headphone you can get for $120 with the current Tariffs price. Their target price was $99.

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I want to see the frequency response graph and I am a little suspect of 18Ω impedance but it’s also planar drivers so that might just be different. Other than that it’s got some features I really like (detachable cables are so nice).

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18? No I think not. I believe it’s 86 ohm. It’s not a super easy to drive Can. That’s why it’s so clean.

This is compared against a $500 and $700 siblings and they both punches way above their weight. Remarkable!

Yeah I was surprised too but Fiio states it here:

in the “Recommended connecting devices” section. Also in the specs:

Response curve looks good. These look really interesting for the price.

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D@mn youuuuuuuuuuuuuu :slight_smile:

Now I want it too!
I have one last hope: it’s great as HIFI headphones, NOT monitoring head phones, right?
I need new monitoring head phones, for HIFI I’m set…

Also: my Bose Ultra Earbuds just gave up, so I need new TWS ANC earbuds for on the road (just for listening to music). Usually I just buy bose earbuds for that.

Now I saw the JBL Tour Pro 3.
You can connect the case via 3.5mm to line/head phones out, and the case will transmit to the headphones. Appearantly they have very very low latency that way (proprietary protocol, like the WAZA’s?).
So they might be a IEM-like solution for playing in the park too … no cables, good quality and ANC…

Review JT7:

https://www.headfonia.com/fiio-jt7-review/

EDIT

The JBL seems to use LC3plus for transmission from case to earbuds:

AI Overview

LC3plus latency can be as low as

1.25ms with support for various frame durations like 10ms, 7.5ms, 5ms, 2.5ms, and 1.25ms. This ultra-low latency makes it ideal for applications like gaming, where audio synchronization is critical. Compared to its predecessor, the LC3plus codec offers significantly lower latency for wireless applications.

LC3plus latency details

  • Ultra-low latency: LC3plus can achieve end-to-end delays as low as 7ms in certain applications and supports frame durations down to 1.25ms. This is a key advantage for gaming and professional audio applications where real-time performance is crucial.

  • Configurable frame durations: The codec can be configured with different frame durations, including 10ms, 7.5ms, 5ms, 2.5ms, and 1.25ms.

  • Benefits for specific applications:

    • Gaming: Low latency ensures that in-game audio cues are perfectly synchronized with on-screen action, enhancing both performance and immersion.

    • Professional audio: It delivers pristine sound that is synchronized with video, making it suitable for wireless microphones, cameras, and other recording devices.

    • VoIP and DECT: LC3plus is also used in VoIP and DECT standards to provide high-quality, low-latency voice transmission with robustness against packet loss and bit errors.

How LC3plus reduces latency

  • Optimized for low latency: The LC3plus codec is designed with low latency as a core feature, making it a perfect fit for applications where total system delay is a critical factor.

  • Improved performance over LC3: LC3plus was developed to have notably shorter latency times compared to the standard LC3 codec.

  • Wireless link optimization: It is optimized for proprietary wireless links and offers better performance than standard Bluetooth profiles.

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I use sennheiser HD560S for silent practice, they are open back. I drive them from a mixing console.

I prefer open backs, sound stage feels more natural. I don’t like the enclosed feeling of closed back. Plus hearing what’s around is okay for practice. Anyway the house is usually quiet when I need to use them..

You may need to spend $60 more on JT7’s little sister JT3. I also heard this at the SoCal CanJam and without a doubt it’s the second set of Can I heard at CanJam. At this price, there’s no companies can approach this.

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