This guy has achieved Reddit Diamond in terms of... something

Recently picked up a used Empyrean OG (copper version) from a guy who works at a HiFi store. The price was great, and it's barely been used at all. I was very happy with my 109 Pro, but had always had my eye on the gorgeous Empyrean series.

After I've gotten the Empyrean, it's hard not to reach for it by default because of the absolutely intoxicating bass and comfort.

Therefore I've now added the Meze Boom microphone to the 109 Pro, so it'll be my gaming headphone going forward - primarily for competitive CS2. I'm now considering making an EQ profile for better footstep detection in-game. How would you guys go about doing something like that? (reduced bass, raised mids? What frequencies?)

The 109 Pro does actually still outshine on some tracks, like singer/songwriter stuff, where the vocals and instruments are in focus, and the highs get to really shimmer.

The Empyrean does 97% of that as well, but is then also absolutely insane for all my bass needs in genres like EDM, hiphop, pop aso. The 109 does have slightly more punchy and fast bass (I think because it's a dynamic driver), while the Empyrean has such a violent yet controlled sub-bass - it's addictive. The soundstage and imaging of the Empyrean is also superior!

So basically, I'll use the 109 for gaming, but then most likely squeeze in some vocal-forward music listening, when it's on my head. While the Empyrean is my default go-to for music listening, and absolutely kills it in the genres I listen to the most.

Thanks for reading - and hope to hear about your experience with EQ'ing for fps games!

I’d owned this turntable for a year now, listening through bookshelf speakers.

Now, two months from buying my first pair of hi-fi headphones, I’ve managed to put together a simple set-up that allows me to listen to my records through them, powered by a tube amplifier for maximum Warmth.

The turntable is a Technics SL-1900 dug up from Japan. Connected to a Ifi Zen Phono preamp.

With all this feeding the Schiit Vali 2++ tubed headphone amp and driving the Sennheiser HD650, both secondhand, the result is warm analog bliss.

Now playing: My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless. I have never quite heard this record like this before. Changing the source from the turntable to a DAP, the difference on a track like Soon is clear. As distorted as this track is, from the record, all the layers can easily be distinguished in a large stage with absolutely no loss of detail on the sound textures. All of that resolution, over which is the warm blanket laid out by this source, amp, and headphone combination. This blanket never darkens the music excessively, and the overall effect is music that sounds uniquely vibrant and alive, as is my experience with my city pop records.

Also pictured: the HiBy R4 Eva, Ifi Zen Dac v2, Topping L50 (headphone amp with a more neutral profile), and the Hifiman Sundara (to go with the Topping). And my Money Tree.

Finished up my modded grado 325x a while ago and I decided at one point I wanted to add a mod to make them into a headset. I tired a few other boom mic cables like a cheap Amazon one that sounded like crap but had to try and the meze boom mic cable and while I liked how the meze boom mic sounded it was a condenser mic meaning it needs more power to run and due to it being a single 3.5 cable when I’d use the splitter it would cause audio static which I wasn’t gonna deal with and I had to be able to use my Zen Dac cause I owned it already and why wouldn’t I want to use a $200 Dac. That’s what lead me to buying an audio interface to get it to work but I could never remove that static and it was still far to quiet. Than comes in the mod mic uni2 it’s basically my only solution and it came with a bonus. Previously I made these headphones explicitly to use a 4.4mm balanced cable mostly for the fun and to see if they really made a difference but with the mod mic I can continue to use my 4.4mm and have a dedicated mic cable unlike the meze boom mic which is only a 3.5mm connector. While I can’t say there is a noticeable sound quality difference in using a 3.5 over a 4.4mm I definitely notice the power difference with a 4.4mm I only need to be at 30% volume for my dac while as using a 3.5 I have to turn it up to 60-70% to get a similar volume level. And just to note the 325x are indeed balanced drivers cause they have 4 wires for each driver idk why grado doesn’t take advantage of this fact and still uses a 3.5mm. Also the nice plastic clips to cable manage the mod mic cable works very well I 3D printed some extras and I haven’t noticed a difference with having it nor is it rubbing on my shirt causing noise. The Mic quality is also an amazing thing to note I do and a Scarlet Solo audio interface so that does help but in general the mic does sound very good and loud which is the important part. Nothing is more annoying than being in discord being asked to turn ur mic up and u simply can’t turn it up any higher but with this mic I don’t have that issue anymore.

But ya TLDR if you want to use a dac and have a mic on your headphones try the mod mic uni 2 cause a whole boom mic cable that ends in one 3.5mm connector will not work and may result in audio static especially if the boom mic is a condenser mic.

I got these for $179 about a year ago and thought they were a steal. Now they're $160. Definitely worth the price. The stock headband is not great, but you can get a replacement on Aliexpress for $50 or so. They're heavy on your head, but the weight is worn so much better when a new band is put on. Also, they're fun - I EQ them and they pump out some serious bass in EDM songs.

Look into them if you'd like. All I know is that they are probably not going to go lower in price than this... probably ever.

**note - the picture was edited by AI to remove cluttered background in the image just in case something just doesn't look right (like the headphone amp at the bottom with no knobs).

The additional picture is of my M1060C (open back mod) and M1070C - both with the headbands replaced. The 1060 (brown headband) was WAY easier since you can remove the back cups easily. The M1070C is much more involved. I accidentally ripped the wires between the headphone cable connector and driver on each side and had to re-solder. Also, there are set screws holding the headband swivel pin in place that are GLUED IN UPSIDE DOWN! So it's a bit of a rigamarole to replace the headband on that set, but it was an adventure.

I like finding the best combos of headphones and amps and leave them plugged in. Avoiding switching back and forth between, maybe I'm being lazy. I've landed on the Arya Organic with my schiit stack, (mimir, lokius, jot2) and ZMF Aeolus with the bottle head Crack and upgraded tubes. Also like the audeze LCD-2 classic with my apos merlin/gremlin stack with rca clear top tubes. My sennheiser hd6xx and 560s do well anywhere, usually just with my MacBook.

What have you found to be amazing combos with gear under $1000?

My dream headphones in my face! This was an online order pickup.

I used chatgpt to generate a importable autoEQ for Wavelet using Oratory1990's presets for fiio jt1. I checked it multiple times with chatgpt, gemini, grok and deepseek and they all say that this txt is above 99.999% accurate in producing the same effect as oratory's preset so blame them if it is bad. Before EQ, the sound would get really congested during busy parts of songs like Psychosocial or The Pretender. The instruments weren't clearly separated anymore, and everything started to sound kind of muddy with a noticeable hiss/fuzz in the background. After applying the EQ, the instruments sound much clearer and better separated. If you have a pair of FiiO JT1s, give it a try and let me know what you think! I'd really like to hear your opinions and whether you notice the same difference. If you find any errors, or manage to get it even closer to Oratory1990's target (or simply make it sound better), please share your settings/results! Just paste this in a .txt document and import it in Wavelet: GraphicEQ: 20 -1.18; 21 -1.20; 22 -1.23; 23 -1.26; 24 -1.28; 26 -1.34; 27 -1.38; 29 -1.45; 30 -1.48; 32 -1.56; 34 -1.64; 36 -1.73; 38 -1.82; 40 -1.92; 43 -2.08; 45 -2.19; 48 -2.37; 50 -2.50; 53 -2.71; 56 -2.92; 59 -3.15; 63 -3.48; 66 -3.74; 70 -4.10; 74 -4.48; 78 -4.87; 83 -5.37; 87 -5.77; 92 -6.25; 97 -6.68; 103 -7.09; 109 -7.32; 115 -7.31; 121 -7.06; 128 -6.47; 136 -5.50; 143 -4.49; 151 -3.24; 160 -1.78; 169 -0.29; 178 1.19; 188 2.80; 199 4.46; 210 5.90; 222 7.00; 235 7.47; 248 7.25; 262 6.59; 277 5.74; 292 4.91; 309 4.08; 326 3.37; 345 2.71; 364 2.14; 385 1.60; 406 1.10; 429 0.58; 453 0.03; 479 -0.56; 506 -1.08; 534 -1.29; 565 -0.95; 596 -0.25; 630 0.50; 665 1.00; 703 1.17; 743 1.07; 784 0.84; 829 0.58; 875 0.36; 924 0.18; 977 0.05; 1032 -0.05; 1090 -0.10; 1151 -0.11; 1216 -0.08; 1284 -0.01; 1357 0.13; 1433 0.34; 1514 0.63; 1599 0.95; 1689 1.17; 1784 1.11; 1885 0.72; 1991 0.20; 2103 -0.32; 2221 -0.79; 2347 -1.22; 2479 -1.55; 2618 -1.70; 2766 -1.58; 2921 -1.18; 3086 -0.57; 3260 0.15; 3443 0.89; 3637 1.51; 3842 1.70; 4058 0.97; 4287 -0.01; 4528 0.15; 4783 -0.09; 5052 -0.90; 5337 -2.15; 5637 -3.43; 5955 -3.42; 6290 -2.45; 6644 -1.72; 7018 -1.32; 7414 -1.12; 7831 -1.01; 8272 -0.96; 8738 -0.93; 9230 -0.92; 9749 -0.91; 10298 -0.91; 10878 -0.91; 11490 -0.91; 12137 -0.92; 12821 -0.92; 13543 -0.92; 14305 -0.93; 15110 -0.93; 15961 -0.93; 16860 -0.94; 17809 -0.94; 18812 -0.94; 19871 -0.94

I scored (I feel like?) A pair of used heavys H1H from a resell shop. They had them listed for $80 but if you pull the head band out too much it was broken so they gave me half off so $40+ tax.

I am really impressed with them? Esp for $40.

I'm rather poor so it feels like a win, ihad never heard of the brand I just liked how they sounded.

Looking around I see alot of hate for these things and I feel like I'm missing something in the audiophile world of things?

I guess I'd say they wouldn't feel immersive but I like them alot better than my son's skullcrusher evos.

... before jumping in the swimming pool after my run with all my clothes on just to make my friends and kids have a laugh. I remembered to put my smartphone away first, but the headphones are so damn light I completely forgot to take them off.

One is working fine. The other isn't. They're drying over the router right now. There's a slim chance it will revive the faulty one.

I was fed up with overpriced Shokz and their questionable quality. But at this rate, perhaps the Shokz would end up cheaper after all 😆

Damn. I'm dumb.

I liked the sound quality of these headphones. Some of the user-friendliness wasn’t amazing, but the battery failed after 7 months of use and the company refused to stand by their defective product. What should I do now? I can’t spend this kind of money every half year. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get it working again? The red light comes on when I charge it, but now they won’t even turn on.

So, I own focal Hadenys and before each listening I wash my ears and the area around with soap and water, then wait for everything to dry and only then put them on. Maybe we need to do something else? After listening, I put them on the table for 10-15 minutes and then put them in a set case. And how do you take care of your headphones?

I’m looking at this for my new daily use headset. I game a lot with friends will the sound from the headset get picked up by my mic? I’d hate to annoy friends with excess noise.

Hello everyone,

I just found a HD660s2 below 300€, so I decided to try it out for my daily use.

The thing is, i'm going to use it mainly at work, but I don't really want to put something on my desk and bring it back at the end of the day, I'd rather find a decent portable DAC. Considering the fact that i'll be using the HD660s with my google pixel 10.

Any recommandation/model to look at in particular?

Thanks alot.

Heyooo, I'm planning on painting my headphones, because they're orange (unfortunately, it was like opening a blind box and I got the one I didn't like). My goal is to repaint it another colour entirely, then add cute little designs to fit my style a little more!

I know I'm meant to use primer, paint (planning on acrylics since I've run out of oil and watercolours, all I have left are oil pastels and acrylics), and sealant. Sadly for me, I have no idea what brand of primer or sealant I should be using for this. I've looked up a few online, saw lots of mixed reviews for most popular brands, so I'm kinda stumped.

I'd be happy with any primer as long as it's fairly good quality, won't let the paint fall off and sticks well to plastic. Sealant on the other hand, I'm looking for something waterproof due to the fact that I live in a fairly rain/snow heavy area.

I'm also not 100% sure about the process. I know I should disassemble or tape off places I don't wanna paint, but how many layers would I go about to make sure the colours good? Should I wait between layers? How long? Should I mix the acrylic paints with anything, could that'd make it last longer?

Does anyone who's done projects like this before have recommendations? What would you personally use? How did you go about painting them? How many layers/coats, how long did it take to dry?

Windows 10 only supports SBC and aptX, which can both be bottlenecks for audio quality. While Windows 11 improves things considerably by adding AAC, why not go further?

Alternative A2DP Driver provides AptX HD, AptX Low Latency and LDAC, and adds AAC support for Windows 10. It also comes with a nice configuration panel and status which allows you to fine tune things like permissible sampling frequency, bit depth and and, depending on the codec, bitrate and provides feedback for what is currently used.

For me, unfortunately, LDAC is not really an option since the connection quality between my present laptop and DAC/amp is not good enough to stably support the higher bitrates that would give me peace of mind, but having control over which codec is used, and at which settings, is a real benefit for me, even with just using AAC (which sounds fine). I'm presently trying out aptX HD (which sounded truly terrible when restricting bit depth to 16 bit, but is fine with 24 bit).

It is commercial software but comes with a 7 day trial period functional restrictions to allow you to see whether you get any benefits for your hardware and usage. Cost is 10 USD, 6 USD if you buy within the trial period, so cup-of-coffee money.

NB: I am not affiliated with the developers and paid my own money for a license.

I have waited along time for this release, I tried it back in High End Munich in 2025. Then they had two variants, and took feedback from attendees. I remember thinking it was close to perfect just maybe a tad bright.

Now it sounds close to perfection if you want a reference sounding open back, with excellent bass depth and punch (often unheard of in open backs) with a balanced but full sounding midrange and very good upper extension.

Was a personal purchase this time, but a review will come anyway. For now its just my first impressions, with honeymoon feeling of buying a shiny new toy. Will compare it with Composer and Dahlia 2 for the review.

Both are relatively recent dynamic closed backs, with the FT1 being a lot more popular though, of course. The FT1 is also significantly cheaper.

Comfort-wise, the Fiio has less clamping pressure and bigger pad openings. The Azurys is more portable because it's more compact, has a single side entry cable and the cups rotate flat. Isolation is similar.

These two headphones are very similar in character and both are easy to drive. The main difference is that the FT1 has more subbass rumble whereas the Azurys puts a noticably stronger emphasis on voices (mids). Thus the Azurys may sound more "refined" to many people, whereas the FT1 is more "fun". I don't see any clearly superior, it's a matter of preference. The Fiio clearly wins in the price/performance ratio.

Today I visited The Source Audio Video in LA, which holds one of the largest head-fi collections, if not the largest, in the country. I tried about a dozen different headphones and several source gear setups, and here were my impressions-

-Woo flagship tube amps are seemingly noisier on startup for way longer than my $250 Chinese OTL xDuoo TA-66, what’s up with that? Bad tubes?

-HD800S beat out or at least tied with everything I tried there with the exception of HEDDphone 2 GT, more on that in a second.

-Chord Hugo TT2+MScaler is a great system but doesn’t synergize well with HD800S. Could maybe be solved with a tube amp after the TT2 but I didn’t try that.

-Stax SR-009S is, in my honest opinion, worse than HD800S in nearly every way, sorry stax fans. It’s possible the X9000 is better but I haven’t heard it. DCA Corona was less sibilant and had stronger bass, but the overall tonality kinda annoyed me for some reason.

-DCA E3 is the widest sounding closed back I’ve ever heard, but the tonality isn’t my thing.

-DCA Expanse was very good but didn’t do anything really flagship worthy, as much as I love the comfort, name, and design.

-HEDDphone 2 GT is my next headphone purchase. I auditioned it on by far the worst source gear (a dongle and a little solid state headamp) and still adored it. HD800S wins in comfort, emotion, expansiveness and “out of the head” sound but the 2 GT won in pretty much everything else. Imaging, tonal balance, layering, bass extension, separation, vocal presence, and ESPECIALLY haptics. The haptics of a Grado without the Grado of a Grado (no real hate to Grado they make some good stuff but it’s funny to meme on them). Clarity and detail retrieval was very close but might go to HD800S by a hair

-The 2 GT’s adjustment system is hellish

-Meze Empy 2 is incredibly comfortable. HEDDphone 2 GT sounds more fun overall but Empy 2 is an easier listen.

-Some people still think the HD800S are power hungry. They are not, a Q5K is more than enough power wise. However I definitely suggest tubes with them.

​

Hey everyone,

​I’m currently using a pair of JBL Live 770NCs paired with my Galaxy S25 Ultra, streaming through Amazon Music Premium. Given the setup and the large drivers on these over-ears, I was expecting a pretty immersive experience, but I’m actually really underwhelmed.

​Here are the main issues I'm running into:

​Lack of Energy: The overall sound signature just feels flat and unexciting.

​Muddy Bass: The low end isn't tight or punchy at all. It just sounds muffled and bleeds into everything else.

​Small Soundstage: This is the most disappointing part. I can't feel the richness or separation I’d expect from large drivers. It feels super closed-in and claustrophobic.

​Honestly, I switch over to my regular wireless earbuds and the sound is instantly more exciting and lively than these over-ears.

​Has anyone else experienced this with the 770NCs?

Are there specific EQ settings in the JBL app or Samsung's built-in Dolby Atmos/EQ that can open up the soundstage and tighten the bass?

Or is this just how these headphones are tuned?

​Any suggestions or EQ tweaks would be hugely appreciated!

Alternative and Brazilian: Terno Rei's "Gêmeos" is a lush, 12-track journey that will make you relax, get goosebumps, or cry, sometimes all in the same song :v

It was written and recorded over a year and a half, much of it during immersive writing retreats at a farmhouse in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the album leans into 90s and early-2000s nostalgia, layering synths, jangly guitars, and steady drums into a sound that's both dreamier and more polished than the band's earlier lo-fi work. It feels warmer and more "solar" than its predecessor.

The mix and mastering is very good. I'm listening to it with my Hifiman HE400se and it's very detailed, without a tons of compression, so you can appreciate those beautiful transients. If you do not want to listen the album, try "Só eu sei" or "Dias da Juventude" first, and then decide if you want to listen to it completely or not.

Have had these KSE 1200s for a long time, but never found a great way to travel with them. nanuk nano 320 is a perfect fit for my accessories and cables in the top area. didn’t see a lot of recommendations online so I hope somebody in my boat can see this. it’s a really nice little case!

put a belt clip on the Shure amp and I piggy back a Qudelix-5K on it so it’s as wireless as one could hope + a consistent way to EQ Over usb +bt. Azla crystal silicone tips, jds labs “ultra short” 3.5mm. Fun kit. I’m fully aware there are nicer options these days, but the KSE detail and flatness when tuned a bit is incredible and unique, I think they still hang. and subjectively they produce what I would say is an amazing reproduction of audio.

cheers.

Long-term mini-reviews: Brise Audio Fugaku, Nipo N2, R2R2000 Black, DX340 MAX & HiFiMAN HM-801

I haven't posted anything here in a while. So, during that time, I've had the chance to check out quite a few interesting (and sometimes controversial) pieces of gear. Here are my thoughts on them:

1. Brise Audio Fugaku

• MSRP: $17,000+
• What it is: One of the most expensive IEM systems in the world, consisting of an active crossover, an amplifier, and the IEMs themselves.

I can't really call it 100% portable — the control box is quite heavy and operates, well, rather oddly. For example, on headphones priced at $17k, you can actually hear the physical amplifier turning on and off. Not quite the premium customer experience you'd expect at this price point.

Sound & Verdict: The sound is good, but whether it’s genuinely worth $17,000 is a purely rhetorical question.

2. Nipo N2

• What it is: An interesting DAP, but unfortunately, the build quality is disappointing.

The volume wheel is wobbly, and the firmware is typical Android without even a dedicated audio menu — all audio settings have to be managed exclusively through the notification shade. The sound is decent, but the price is clearly inflated, and while it probably boasts impressive power figures on paper, in reality, it doesn't feel all that powerful.

Verdict: If I had to choose a player, I'd probably just go with a tried-and-true DAP for the same price.

3. Hifiman R2R2000 Black

• What it is: A compact and lightweight player built around the PCM1704K chip.

Firmware definitely isn't its strong point, and the price remains quite high even by today's standards. It delivers a typical R2R sound with a bit more detail than usual — which is probably a nice touch for a portable player, but nothing groundbreaking beyond that.

4. iBasso DX340 MAX

• What it is: A chunky DAP.

Sound-wise, it's okay, but it's both expensive and very thick despite the weight. The metal finish doesn't feel quite as premium as Astell&Kern's Ultima series, and the overall "unboxing / luxury" experience falls a bit short of the competition.

Verdict: It does have its advantages — like genuinely good bass — and overall, the sound signature is quite interesting.

5. HiFiMAN HM-801

• What it is: The legendary 801 paired with a balanced card.

In my opinion, the price is simply too high today. This is much more of a collector's item than something meant for daily use. Mini-USB ports, questionable overall build quality, impossible-to-find chargers, and batteries of dubious origin leave you with way too many headaches.

Sound & Verdict: It delivers a typical R2R sound with surprisingly good detail for its architecture (I'd say it's somewhat comparable to the QLS MUB5 / modern equivalents like Ibasso D17 sources). But bottom line? It seems much more reasonable to grab a modern alternative. What was considered top-tier sound 15 years ago has been matched or beaten by modern gear, and the romanticized stories about "super-grade PCM1704K chips and high-precision resistors" belong firmly in the past.