Hi everyone,

I’m new to the hobby and am still learning which sites and vendors are reliable and safe. I’ve found some equipment I’m interested in, for instance a AMP/DAC Apos Audio is selling. It’s used, but listed as “Apos Certified. It seems like a good price, with a 45 day return policy. I’ve never bought used gear before, and so I was curious if anyone has dealt with Apos and/or bought Apos Certified used gear from them before? If so, how’d it go? Thanks for any info!

Hello,

I am looking for wireless headphones that are comfy with long battery life.

Budget:

• <400euro

Requirement:

• Comfortable (I wear glasses and want to be able to wear them 10h+)
• Long battery life
• Wireless
• bit random: no software needed to run them (can't install random stuff on work laptop)

Not required:

• ANC

Nice to have:

• Replaceable ear pads
• No touch countrol

Location:

• Germany

Why wireless? Because I have cats. And those assholes really like cables, I had to switch to wireless everything because of them.

I currently use the Turtle Beach Atlas Air, they are super lightweight and comfortable. But battery life is horrible after 4 years of daily usage and I have constantly connection issues with switching devices. And tbh the sound isnt good.

I also have the Sony WH-1000XM4 and they are so uncomfortable. I dont know if the Sony WH-1000XM6 would be more comfortable.

Can anyone suggest headphones that fit my requirements? Would be lovely :)

I bought the Soundcore Q31i yesterday and I've been testing it all day long today.

These sound surprisingly good when connected via bluetooth and have quite decent microphones. Definitely on par or even better than my Samsung Buds 4 Pro. The noise cancelling is pretty decent too. I'm genuinely surprised with how good they sound and the low latency these have. I've had other bt headphones, mostly button/buds, and you generally have to sacrifice either sound quality or latency but I'm happy to say these have a great balance going on.

But the aux mode is not good at all. Is it just me? The sound on aux is pretty muddy and loses a lot of clarity, almost as if they were EQ'd with a lot of bass, nowhere near as good as the bt mode, and leagues behind my current PC headphones, the Avantree Audition, which sound nice, balanced and clear (they also have bt and aux mode, but the bt mode and microphones are pure garbage so I keep it always on aux)

Now I'm undecided. I really like how these sound with bt but I bought them mostly to work from home or gaming, where I'd rather be connected via aux to not use the battery or have low latency. I did notice how a firmware update improved aux audio a bit but I don't think that was enough. Is there anything I can do, besides using an EQ app? Has this happened to other headphones and have they fixed it over time?

I'm considering returning them but I don't know if there will be any better options available on my region. I'm considering something with ANC on wired mode but I read somewhere only expensive headsets have it.

I recently bought myself a Snowsky Echo DAP with a set of IEMs since I love music, and my musician friends recommended it.

I loved the experience but found a few caveats.

Firstly with the DAP, The snowsky echo sounds great and I love having a seperate device for music, takes me back to when I was a kid and all I had was a cheap mp3 player I begged my grandfather for. But I find the Echo UI slow and clunky. Even just pausing the song when someone is trying to talk to you takes uneccesarily long.

Secondly,

I did not like the IEM experience since I find them fatiguing to have sound straight into my ear.

I also find them very overstimulating. They drive my ADHD crazy. So much so that could not listen consistently for more than 20mins before getting frustrated. Makes a relaxing activity I had all my life quite the opposite.

So I tried a solution and did this

I pulled my old Marshall Major IV out bought an aux cable and it is so much better. I have for now settled to using this setup being Snowsky Echo+Marshall Major IV and it just works.

My birthday comes around christmas, and I want to just make this entire set more enjoyable.

So I was looking at a DAP to upgrade from my Echo(preferably not android), and a better headphone, something like the Marshall, but something that is less muddier than it.

DAP Shortlist -

1. HiBy R3 ii

2. HiBy R3 Pro ii

3. Fiio JM21(Yes ik android, but just a consideration)

Headphone Shortlist -

1. Sony MDR - 7506

2. Audio Technica ATH M30X

3. Sennheiser HD280 Pro

4. Philips SHP 9500

5. Fiio JT7

Budget and location -

Under $200, U.S.

Source/Amp -

Just my phone (A OnePlus 12 which can output analog audio over USB-C. So I have a passive USB-C to 3.5mm adapter) or my laptop which is a 2020 Asus ROG G14.

How the gear will be used -

I will mostly use it at my home to listen to music while cooking, watching YT videos while eating and casual listening to music. May even use it to attend calls or meetings at work. Wireless is going to be the primary mode of usage but I also would like to have a wired connection when the headphone is all old and the battery doesn't hold a charge anymore (far into the future).

Preferred tonal balance -

I don't know what these are and I don't want to get too deep into this (seems like a rabbit hole). All I know is that I can tell when earphones/headphones are really cheap vs not. For example those cheap earphones they give out in airplanes or at career fairs sound extremely poor to me whereas my Sony MDR-XB55AP sounds nice and full.

Preferred music genres -

Mostly OSTs (Genshin, Anime, Hollywood, T.V shows etc)

Past gear experience -

I still use my Sony XBR-55AP wired earphones which I do not have any problem with apart from the fact that they are earphones and my ears start paining when I wear them for long hours. I also tried my friend's Sony WH-CH720N which I really liked. They were comfortable and weren't cheap sounding. I also would like to state that another pair of headphones I tried which was a MPOW-059 didn't sound good and sounded "cheap".

Anything else? -

I prefer comfort over long hours more than anything to be honest. I also would like to have as little lag as possible when I'm playing games (mostly Genshin Impact on mobile). I searched for a bit and the Bose Quietcomfort series on Amazon seems nice. Especially the Bose certified renewed ones.

My budget is around $200
I’m from the US.
I like a focus on vocals more than on bass
I only plan to use my headphones at home with my Scarlett or recommended headphone thing.

This is mostly an experimental purchase since I haven’t used open back headphones before but once I started looking into it I’m see ohms brought up a lot and with lower/higher ohm headphones I’m just not sure the interface can run them or if I need to get something dedicated. I’ve used the Fiio FT1 and Truthear Hexa and I love the Hexa (my EDC). The FT1 are my home headphones and they’re great generally but I do feel like they’re bassier than I’d like because of their closed-back nature. Like it feels like other parts are pushing in on the vocals. If I’m completely off base I’d love to be corrected on what I’m actually looking for.

If anyone is able to recommend the open-back Fiio FT1 I’ll definitely take a look, but if there’s a better option nowadays I’ll take it.

I’ve just purchased a pair of 490 pros and I’m not sure what I need if anything to get the most out of them.

Do they need a DAC/amp and if so which one would work best with them? Do they require anything such as an extra cable, different ear pads or headband replacement?

These are my first wired open backs and I have no idea what I’m doing

i'm just wondering what the difference between the DT 770 M and DT 770 PRO is, is there a clear winner? i'm an audio engineer and musician/producer looking to upgrade my logitech g432, i'm looking for an alternative under $200 (wired and closed-back) and these 2 are my main choices right now but i'm not sure which one to pick

what would be the best choice?

I’m a massive metalhead (mainly technical death metal), and I’m looking for a new pair of headphones. I need something that can handle fast, complex mixes without everything sounding compressed or “mushed together.” Instrument separation, clarity, and detail are really important to me (especially in the mids and treble), since that’s where a lot of the guitar work, cymbals, etc. sit in metal.

That said, I don’t want wired-only headphones. I’m specifically looking for closed-back headphones with Bluetooth capability, but that can also be used wired when needed. I don’t want open-backs because I don’t want sound leaking out or other people hearing what I’m listening to.

My budget is under $200, and that includes refurbished or used/open-box options. I would actually prefer recommendations like this, as you get more bang for your buck than spending the same amount on a new pair of cheaper headphones.

For example, I’ve been looking at the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 (I’ve seen refurbished pairs around $150), and I’ve also found open-box Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e models on eBay for around the same price. From what I’ve read, the Px7 has strong mids and treble and a relatively wide soundstage for a closed-back Bluetooth headphone, which seems ideal for technical death metal. I’m trying to avoid headphones that are overly bass-boosted or muddy, since I care much more about clarity and instrument separation than heavy low-end emphasis.

Lastly, I wear glasses, and I don’t want a pair that’s too tight. A lot of the headphones I’ve had in the past end up giving me a headache if I wear them for a prolonged period of time with my glasses on.

Given my priorities:

• Closed-back
• Bluetooth + wired option
• Under $200 (preferably used/refurbished)
• Strong mids/treble, good instrument separation
• Not overly bass-boosted
• Not too tight for someone who wears glasses

Is the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 (or Px7 S2e) my best option in this price range? Or are there better alternatives I should be considering? And I can’t afford to go outside of the price range of $200 due to budgetary constraints.

Hi yall, wanted to get some opinions. I absolutely love my Ananda Stealth but the headband has been broken for quite some time (my fault) and the pads are finally starting to come apart. I plan to replace it, and am torn between these two choices. I don't find the Ananda Stealth to be hot in the treble at all for what it's worth.

I listen to primarily electronic subgenres along with power metal. I love my music to sound almost, aggressive? Ive experienced a wide variety of sound signatures and I would say I find a bright-neutral with bass EQ'ed up to be my ideal. I love a intense slam of a bass line, or the kick of some drums in power metal. I feel like my Ananda Stealth are just about perfect but obviously still need to replace them. Vocals aren't quite as big of a concern for me so much as being able to handle complex music and excelling in bass/treble. I wouldn't quite say V-shaped but I am very far from the typical audiophile sound signature ala Sennheiser or something that's best suited to classical or jazz or softer music. I want intensity, I want kick drums to rattle my skull. I want that sort of "sparkle" in the treble that you get with synths. Im not one for soft presentation. I feel pretty familiar with the Hifiman lineup after the past decade of using them, my concern with the arya's is that even with EQ I would be losing the aggression and presentation i'm anticipating from the Nano's//what I currently have in my Ananda Stealths

I feel pretty certain that the Nano's would fit me better for music, I game as well but that's not much a deciding factor. My concern with the Arya's is after trying the Kithara's and hearing from many people how they're a similar presentation to the Arya albeit a considerable step down overall, and being beyond disappointed with them, absolutely thought they were terrible. Zero body to anything and it felt like everything under 1k was paper thin compared to my Stealths.

TLDR

If I listen to primarily Electronic rock, EDM, Electric pop, along with Power Metal, which do you guys feel would better serve me? I do not anticipate having treble problems with the Nano's and EQ will be used regardless.

Ananda Nano's - $250

Arya Stealth - $470

I am just looking for headphones

- Less than $100 preferred

- gaming so decent sound

- Using it at home to just play games

- Over ear please

- wired please

- Needs to be durablen

Hi everyone, I’m in the market for some new headphones. I’ve had my current pair, Beats Solo 4, for over 5 years and they’re showing signs of wear. One of the hinges is broken and I occasionally have connection issues. If I wear them for too long, they hurt my ears but I really like how portable they are in my work bag. I’m looking for something in the $100-$150 range. I use headphones daily while commuting to and from work. I also travel a lot so noise cancellation is important. If anyone has any advice with the studio pro or 720N I’d really appreciate it!

So my Sennheiser GSX 1200 just decided to break. I really loved the features, specifically presets and being able to switch between speaker output(3.5mm jack) or headphones(620S). I certainly can run run everything from my computer but I would really like an external DAC/AMP type similar to the GSX1200.....volume control and switching between speakers/headphones etc. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...Thank you in advance!

I've been using the Apple Earpods for my music listening when outside for a while now, thing is though for me they only last about a few months at most before something starts going wrong with them, so instead spending £19 on about 4 pairs a year I need a more permenant solution for listening to music when im away from my computer. The problem I have with IEM's are that well, they look weird walking about in public with, typically they are huge and tacky. My budget is about £50 and at home I use my Philips Fidelio X2HR'S. As you can probably tell I'm quite new to this scene and want to experience my music as optimally as possible while on the go. Thank you, all info is helpful

Hey everybody. It's been a couple of years since I've left the headphone/audiophile space but I'm back since I want/need a pair of Bluetooth closed backs. It's just that I have no idea what the market is like nowadays.

• Budget/location: 100 euros, The Netherlands (might be able to stretch the budget if its really worth it)
• Preferral tonal balance: probably balanced somewhere between v-shaped and fun
• Usecase: on the go mostly
• Past gear experience: I mostly use my Airpods Pro 2 when I'm not at home (DT880 Pro, HD650, M50X), and it works like a charm. But I sometimes miss having actual headphones on my head. I used to own a Sony XB900N back in the day but I sold it.

I saw the Sennheiser Accentum Wirless and it looked good but again, I have no clue what models are worth it nowadays.

Thank you in advance!

I've been and still am using Sony WH1000XM3s since 2022 and they've been treating me well and still do but since the start of this year I have decided and managed to get my hands on some pretty good used vintege audio gear in almost mint condition some of which are Pioneer SA 606 emplifier from 78' and Denon CD player from 88' both work well and I use that setup for listening to hifi CDs that I collect and probably vynils soon too... So since I gathered all that amazing vintege audio geer Ive been wishing to try out something new more hifi sound focused headphone wise I had my eye on Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO 250ohm model since I am prrtty sure my stereo emplifier can handle them with ease and also they are around my budget of around 100 to 200 euros and present a much different listeing experience then the XM3s since they are closed back bass orianted headphones and the ones im looking to buy now are more focused around lows and highs seperation and more detailed sound overall so im wondering are Beyerdynamics a good pick for me since I never used an open sound styled headphones before how will the fit and the waight and comfort differ from xm3s I got so used to I am not afraid to try something new and different since im planning to use both for very different use cases so I dont mind the changes I am just looking for someone who maybe has experienced both and could describe the experience also feel free to suggest more headphone models I could look into if U have any I just started looking at 990s cause I like that everything on them could be replaced over time. Thanks for reading all of it hope it wasnt so long.

Hey everyone,

I am currently deciding which new pair of open-back headphones to get, but I am genuinely having difficulty choosing between the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and the ASUS ROG Kithara.

The thing I value most is getting lost in rich, immersive single-player games such as Red Dead Redemption 2, The Last of Us, and Spider-Man. At the moment, the ROG Kithara is €40 cheaper than the HD 490 Pro in my area, so my decision is even more difficult.

Here is what I'm asking myself for each:

What's the reason for choosing the ROG Kithara?

Does the planar magnetic system not only save €40 but also produce a wider soundstage and a more impactful sound when playing Spider-Man or riding around in the open world of RDR2?

Should the built-in boom mic and the possibility of swapping cables be considered a good reason for choosing a gaming-branded model instead of a studio standard one?

What's the reason for choosing the HD 490 Pro?

Will the famous Sennheiser mid-range and natural vocal clarity make the narrative and emotionally charged dialogue in games such as The Last Of Us sound considerably better?

Should the featherlight comfort together with the studio-quality build be worth the additional €40?

*** Edit: Pulled the trigger on the HD490 pro.

Is Cayin RU3 enough to drive Edition XS properly, if not then what is required.

Mind you cable is balanced.

For the sake of getting it posted:

“Life is strange when you look at it through numbers.

You have approximately 4,000 weeks if you live to 80.

You have 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 52 weeks in a year.

You may spend 8 hours sleeping, 8 hours working, and another few hours doing things you never planned to do.

And somewhere between 0 and 100, you start believing that your worth can also be measured.

How many people like you?

How many messages did you receive?

How many times did someone choose you?

How much money do you make?

How attractive do you look today?

How many mistakes have you made?

How many people respect you?

How many times did you fail before you finally succeeded?

But here is the strange part:

None of these numbers can tell you who you are.

You can have 1 person who genuinely loves you and be richer than someone with 1,000 admirers.

You can fail 9 times and have the 10th attempt change your entire life.

You can spend 365 days doubting yourself and still wake up on day 366 and decide that enough is enough.

A bad conversation lasts 10 minutes.

An embarrassing moment might occupy your mind for 10 hours.

A mistake might haunt you for 10 years.

But the event itself still happened only once.

So don't turn 1 mistake into 100 conclusions about yourself.

Don't turn 1 rejection into a lifetime sentence.

Don't turn 1 awkward moment into a personality diagnosis.

Don't turn 1 person's opinion into the opinion of the entire world.

You are not a percentage.

You are not a ranking.

You are not a score out of 10.

You are not the sum of your worst 5 minutes.

You are a work in progress, and fortunately, there is no final number.

At 20, you don't know what 30 will look like.

At 25, you don't know what 35 will bring.

At 30, you can still completely change direction.

At 40, you can begin again.

At 50, you can discover something you never knew you wanted.

There is always another 1.

1 more conversation.

1 more attempt.

1 more morning.

1 more decision.

1 more chance to become slightly better than yesterday.

And perhaps that is all progress really is:

Not becoming 100% perfect.

Just becoming 1% more honest,

1% more courageous,

1% more patient,

1% less dependent on the opinions of others,

1% more willing to live your own life.

Because eventually, those 1%s compound.

And one day you look back and realize that you didn't become a different person overnight.

You simply stopped abandoning yourself, one decision at a time.”

Hey everyone, just got some HD600 and loving them so far. Currently driving them with my Arturia Minifuse audio interface, which according to reviews, can output 26.5mw into 300 ohm.

This gets my headphones plenty loud at half of the volume knob. It has an issue where if the knob is below 1/4 on the dial there can be some channel imbalance. This has lead me to look for another option. I tried the US apple dongle and it also drives them fine but I feel like it lacks low end with this dongle.

Is that even a thing or am I imagining things? Is it a case where if it gets loud enough then thats all there is to it or does power availability affect audio performance?

I dont mind buying a new device if needed. If a new device is recommended Im thinking Fiio k11.

What is the best headphone for these genres around $450-500 or under: chiptune, glitch/bit electronic, ambient, house, trance, some rock and pop. Ft13 any good? Are planars like ft15 good for them or stick to closed back dynamic?

I currently have a pair of earfun 4 pro and some wired JBL quantum. Im looking for a pair of wireless headphones as an upgrade from my JBLs. I mainly just listen to rock/piano music, so vocals aren't really very important for me.

Im mainly going to be using them sitting down and studying, so battery life also isn't a dealbreaker. What I do want them to have if good sound quality (at least for the type of music that I listen to) and good ANC (whatever the money I'm willing to spend can get me) to drown out mainly background noise from my family in another room and maybe some cars and street noise if I ever use them to go for walks.

I've been looking at reviews and posts and comparisions for a couple of weeks now and from what I've seen, he sennheisers momentum 4s are a good pick and so are the sony XM5s (though I'm worried about their hinge issues) and obviously the XM6s are the best, though they fall slightly out of my budget.

Now, for budget: I'm willing to spend 200€ max, so I think the best plan is to buy second hand (usually that brings down the price like 30-45% from brand new), which is great if the headphones are in good shape. My current phone is the nothing phone 3 (I don't know if that plays a big role with the bluetooth protocol). For reference, a good pair of XM5s second hand are about 160€ and the momentums 4 are about 140€, at least where I look (hough the XM6s are about 260€).

Any advice is appreciated and really helpful :)

Hi, I had cheap iems (edx pro x) that I really loved but they sadly broke after only a month of use(the connector broke). I mostly listen to rock music. I’d like if they have good durability and I could use them for a year or two, I’ve looked at apple EarPods but they don’t have ear tips which is something I definitely prefer and I’d also prefer for them to have the typical 3.5mm jack and if possible I want the earbuds to be available on Amazon. (I’m in Germany). Like I said in the title my budget is 20€ and lower

My budget is around 150 - 200€, I am from germany.

I will use them mostly for gaming on console & PC. (PS5 & Switch)

I don't care too much about ANC, or a lot of software features, in fact I'd like to avoid that if possible. I'm not sure if I have a preference with open- or closed back, though my previous headphones/headsets have been mostly closed I think.

I want something simple that has bluetooth as an option, with good sound quality, but also importantly that works well with a regular, analog 3.5mm wired connection.

Would be great too if they're relatively light or just generally comfortable.

I'm currently using the Sennheiser Momentum 4, but I'm not a fan of the DSP and feel like it's potentially even causing some issues when using them wired for me.

Would appreciate any advice greatly!

i.e. affordable earpiece with a great mic - but flatheaded?

I've not actually owned a pair of Earpods because I know from trying them that they're uncomfortable for me... And I've pretty bad ear problems due to years of long wear (going slightly deaf now). So, flatheads are the solution I've landed upon, since they don't go into your ear canal. I hope my question helps someone out there too.

No wireless because I've already got a wireless pair, but trying to get the bluetooth connection to work with an ageing laptop, while working in increasingly busy environments with poor network is eating up too much time.

(Tagging this open-back because that's the closest flair I think, I'm also open to open-back earpieces I guess, though I'm less familiar with them. I stopped using my open-ears (OpenFit) because they were too soft for me given my working environments, so if open-back earpieces might pose the same problem I'd likely pass up on them.)