Best Ever Albums

Re: The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

Hayden — Sat, 3 Oct 2015 20:05:07 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 10/04/2015 00:05

Coincidentally, my Shure headphones died today 🙁 They lasted 4 years, and played thousands of albums. Ah well.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/pol...eed8fden02

I'm thinking of buying these. They're on clearance for a short time only. Anyone here have them? Or have an opinion on them. Figured I'd ask.

Re: The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 13:38:37 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/24/2015 17:38

for anyone following my headphone debacle of the past month or so that only recently got articulated here, i decided to settle with my earbuds for a bit longer for bike use since i like the sound signature a lot and the components aren't quite on their way out too much. that left me open to any closed-back portable headphone for home use so that i could have something nice for plane or public transportation rides. after weighing cost vs. quality and trying to avoid stuff that needed an amp while still getting something that could benefit from an amp if i were to decide to invest in one in the future as a cheaper upgrading model than buying a whole new pair of headphones, i went with the Audio Technica ATH-MSR7s. i'll give impressions when i get them in the mail tomorrow, but i'm really looking forward to the brightness and hoping the soundstage is open enough that i don't feel like my music is being restricted as much by the closed-back design. we shall see! an added bonus is that they're fucking lookers, and they're slowly tempting me to drop more money than i should on a nice aluminum headphone stand to show them off (as well as a quality amp and big CD changer and CD copies of things i like and and)

also, it warms my heart to see an old rec I sent your way up on your wall now, Jim :3

Re: The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

Jimmy Dread — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 09:01:33 GMT

Author: Jimmy Dread

Posted: 09/24/2015 13:01

LittleM1971 wrote:

My next purchase has to be a decent pair of headphones though to replace an old pair of sony's my Brother gave me years ago. I'll give the Grados you have a good look I think...cheers for the tip.

How do you find that streaming thingy you have? How does it work...Bluetooth? i guess it really improves the quality of Spotify etc as it's going through your amp I presume? Are they expensive?

The Grados are certainly something else. It's the first pair of open-back cans I've ever owned (been through a fair few closed-back in the past, mainly Sennheisers and I still use the HD25-1 ii's connected up to an Audioquest Dragonfly for listening on the laptop) but the clarity and detail are unlike anything I've ever heard in a headphone. Crap for mp3s (even at a higher bit-rate, although good with FLAC or Lossless files), but great for CDs and vinyl. I tested them out twice - once in Richer Sounds and then again in a hi-fi specialist in Welwyn Garden City and both times compared them to other Grados (they had the 225is on offer which I was originally going to go for), the Philips Fidelios and the AKG 701s and they beat the lot hands down. Granted some people aren't for what I've heard called the 'Grado sound' (trebles are supposedly a bit harsher, I didn't think so), but they were bulky, well-built and had exactly the spec I was after for home listening.

The Denon streamer is a good bit of kit, but not amazing. Radio streams are quite grainy (as you'd expect with 128kbps streams), but streaming via AirPlay is good, especially from Spotify. There's no Bluetooth functionality with it though, and everything non-Apple would have to be streamed via a local network or plugging it in to the USB port. If you've got all your digital audio as FLAC you can connect it up to a NAD and stream from that too - haven't tried this yet though (although have tried a few through the USB port on the front and it works a treat). Got mine for under £100 in a Richer Sounds clearance sale - well worth picking up if you can get it for that price, but later models by the likes of Pioneer (which replace the inbuilt Napster and last.FM functionality with Spotify) have made it obsolete. A bargain if you can find one.

Re: The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

LittleM1971 — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 04:49:23 GMT

Author: LittleM1971

Posted: 09/24/2015 08:49

noWaxJim wrote:

LittleM1971 wrote:

Nice set up noWaxJim which isn't a million miles from mine which I'll post over the weekend.

I did note that you didn't mention a phono stage preamp so presume you're going directly through the phono stage on your Marantz amplifier? I also have a Marantz amplifier but use a Cambridge audio phono stage (£80 I think) which sounds so much better than the designated phono port on my Marantz PM-68 so would definitely recommend doing this.

Also well worth getting a headphone stage (I went cheap at £30 for a basic b-tec) but it sounds so much better than plugging in my headphones to either my amp of CD player port. Obviously you can go really pricey in hi-fi improvements with very little gain but these 2 additions made a noticeable difference to my setup so definitely worth looking into.

Cheers mate. I think when it comes to upgrading the TT that's definitely somewhere I'll go - got a Rega RP3 in my sights but they ain't cheap. The AT has a(n admittedly pretty naff) pre-amp built in anyway and as it was purely a stepping stone onto the Rega I wanted to spend money getting the basics in place (and the Grados!) before shelling out any more.

As for the headphone stage, oddly enough I've got a Fiio headphone amp which I never use. Can't remember the model and it's sitting in a drawer somewhere. I used to use it to drive an old pair of Sennheisers which never really had any punch, but the Grados are gorgeous, and probably (apart from possibly the amp) the one part of my set-up I'm not in a rush to change any time soon.

The rega RP3...very nice but as you say it's going into that price range that makes you wince a bit. I'd like to find an old vintage turntable next I think perhaps an old Thorens or something. My next purchase has to be a decent pair of headphones though to replace an old pair of sony's my Brother gave me years ago. I'll give the Grados you have a good look I think...cheers for the tip.

How do you find that streaming thingy you have? How does it work...Bluetooth? i guess it really improves the quality of Spotify etc as it's going through your amp I presume? Are they expensive?

Re: The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

meccalecca — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 13:23:18 GMT

Author: meccalecca

Posted: 09/23/2015 17:23

noWaxJim wrote:

rediscovered my zest for crate digging and visiting second hand record shops.

This has been one of my favorite hobbies for quite a while. Dangerous though, as it can be expensive.

Re: The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

Jimmy Dread — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 13:14:24 GMT

Author: Jimmy Dread

Posted: 09/23/2015 17:14

meccalecca wrote:

noWaxJim wrote:

I've got the same one. Nothing special for sure, but really not bad at all. I've also never ripped to MP3. Pretty sure I have all the stuff I own on mp3 anyway aside form maybe one of my Monk albums.

It does look good though - lights up like a Christmas tree and is built like a tank, which bearing in mind it was my first turntable for over 10 years and with a mini-pogo machine now in the household had to be factored in. I'm sitting on the fence about ripping the pre-amp out (the general consensus is that there's a 'night and day' distinction without it in, but my aptitude for electronics is dire and it would remove the USB capability), and I truly think what amp you use with this deck makes a heck of a difference too. Either way since I got it I've got back into vinyl in a massive way, and have rediscovered my zest for crate digging and visiting second hand record shops. After a break of over a decade, that can't be bad (it also means no eternity wife for Mrs. noWax for the time being)...

Re: The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

meccalecca — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 12:59:24 GMT

Author: meccalecca

Posted: 09/23/2015 16:59

noWaxJim wrote:

I've got the same one. Nothing special for sure, but really not bad at all. I've also never ripped to MP3. Pretty sure I have all the stuff I own on mp3 anyway aside form maybe one of my Monk albums.

I've got a pair of old speakers I acquired in the 90s that still sound pretty good, but could use an upgrade.

Most of the day (while working) I listen through a pair of Sennheiser 280s. Not the highest level sennheisers, but they sound fantastic.

Re: The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

Jimmy Dread — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 12:32:35 GMT

Author: Jimmy Dread

Posted: 09/23/2015 16:32

LittleM1971 wrote:

Re: The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

samistake2ice — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:36:58 GMT

Author: samistake2ice

Posted: 09/23/2015 14:36

I started to write a plea for help on this topic because it fit, but i didn't want to just run over the thread so i started a new one.

Will you please go comment on "help me build my system" and give me some ideas on how to expand.

Re: The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

Applerill — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:13:29 GMT

Author: Applerill

Posted: 09/23/2015 14:13

Lawl, I remember being really into that Steve Hoffman thing back in middle school, mostly because my brother wanted the optimal way to play his Symphony X and Rush albums. It definitely was fun at the time, but even with 30% of my listening being in the ultra-dynamic world of modern classical, I really can't give a rat's butt about hi-fi culture today. I feel no different listening to Brian Ferneyhough or Max Richter on my iPad speakers than I do listening to them on my $350 Sennheieser noise-cancelors on the bus. I also have a $400 pair of Klipsch headphones that I listen to (SA)CDs, vinyl and cassettes on, but it's mostly used by my brother playing power metal during the times I'm at home.

In any case, I'll post the exact models and specifications later.

Re: The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

LittleM1971 — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:04:38 GMT

Author: LittleM1971

Posted: 09/23/2015 14:04

Nice set up noWaxJim which isn't a million miles from mine which I'll post over the weekend.

I did note that you didn't mention a phono stage preamp so presume you're going directly through the phono stage on your Marantz amplifier? I also have a Marantz amplifier but use a Cambridge audio phono stage (£80 I think) which sounds so much better than the designated phono port on my Marantz PM-68 so would definitely recommend doing this.

Also well worth getting a headphone stage (I went cheap at £30 for a basic b-tec) but it sounds so much better than plugging in my headphones to either my amp of CD player port. Obviously you can go really pricey in hi-fi improvements with very little gain but these 2 additions made a noticeable difference to my setup so definitely worth looking into.

Re: The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

SuedeSwede — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 07:43:34 GMT

Author: SuedeSwede

Posted: 09/23/2015 11:43

My headphones came with a handheld radio that my dad bought and they're great

The Hi-Fi and Headphone Thread

Jimmy Dread — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 07:34:00 GMT

Author: Jimmy Dread

Posted: 09/23/2015 11:34

Hello.

Inspired by a recent vinyl-buying streak and with others falling for the (more often than not) black plastic stuff, I thought it might be a good idea for us stereo geeks/wannabe audiophiles/sound supremacists to share our set-ups and have a forum to offer advice for anyone looking to make their next equipment or headphone purchase, especially with the latter as it's a total minefield out there for those looking to upgrade from a pair of Apple earbuds.

A bit of background - I've only got back into 'hi-fi' listening over the last 12 months, mainly due to finally having the space to store it all and the wife getting me a new turntable for my birthday (if only she knew what monster she's unleashed as a result). My set-up's pretty basic but does the job well enough, although I fear that going forward the need to tweak/replace certain elements of what I've got is only going to eat a further hole in my wallet.

Anyway, let's get this show on the road:

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

DECK - Audio Technica LP120-USB. Essentially a blatant rip-off of the much-loved Technics 1210, which was part of the appeal when I asked the wife to get it for me. Has USB port to allow you to rip vinyl to MP3 (which I've never used). Sounds OK but there's word going around that if you rip out the pre-amp the quality is much better. Yet to do this though...
AMP - Marantz PM6005. Bloody great, packs a punch, lots of ports and knobs and blue lights. Daren't turn the volume up over 1/2 way.
CD PLAYER - Marantz CD6005. Bought in a clearance sale (ex-demo). Don't use it a great deal but bearing in mind I had one of those Sony 3CD multi-changer things for years it's a class above.
STREAMER - Denon DNP-720AE. Great bit of kit, again bought on the cheap (think it's been discontinued). Allows you to stream Internet Radio streams and play stuff from your network drive or stream via Airplay, which is handy for Spotify et al.
SPEAKERS (not in picture) - Wharfedale Diamond 121s. Pretty basic but sound the nuts. Bi-amped.
HEADPHONES - Grado SR325e. I'm a recent convert to open-back headphones (have had closed back ones for years), but after road-testing the Grados I was blown away. Can't recommend them highly enough, although wouldn't suggest them for travelling as they leak sound so half the bloody train can hear what you're listening to (although some of you may think that's a good thing).

This thread is for anyone interested to share your set-up, let us know about/quiz others for their opinion on your next purchase, see if others can guide you with some sage-like advice (!!) if you're new to it all and want to upgrade your Fisher Price record deck, or for us old gits to recall the days when all you had was one of these and a pair of headphones with orange fuzzy pads on:

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.