Arjan
Disciple
Please be a little specific here...
You could start by telling us your budget and preference for portability or desktop.
Audio Random IEM / Headphone Rants
- Thread starter esanthosh
- Start date
Please be a little specific here...
You could start by telling us your budget and preference for portability or desktop.
indialogue
Disciple
Are we sure the new Custom Art Harmony is not an April Fools joke???
rdst_1
Skilled
I am a complete noob but have ample time to read and come to a conclusion. You saw how I am when it comes to buying something, so you shouldn't be surprised to know that the 650s are my first pair of headphones. Earlier I had owned Soundmagic PL50 and then a pair of Head Direct RE-1. Although RE-1 were supposedly difficult to drive and needed an amp to shine, I never bought one and still loved them a lot. Since then I have been looking for a something which could provide me with a similar fatigue free listening experience.
I think I won't be carrying the 650 with me a lot as the RE-400 I bought last week will be preferable for out of house use. So I am open to both desktop and portable solutions and leaning slightly towards a portable solution. Again if there is a desktop amp which is better suited for driving the HD 650 and at the same time cheaper than a portable amp with same power/characteristics, then I would grab that in a jiffy.
Budget is not huge but I also don't want to buy one just for the sake of buying an amp. Actually I can never come up with a budget for anything I wanna buy so if you can be kind enough to suggest a few options in varying budgets it would really make it easier to do the research. Also I don't want an amp that will balance out the sound of the 650s. I bought them because of how everyone has described their sound signature and I don't want an amp which will change that. So something that enhances the already sublime sound signature of the 650s is what I am looking for.
toxicdrift
Adept
@rdst_1
congrats on the purchase bro, i suggest u go through the headfi hd650 thread and ull find many suggestions there, i only know of brendon who has these, maybe u can msg him and find out, i know he runs a DIY amp with it though ... but since hes tried them with many others, im sure he will be able to guide u in the right direction, they r a great pair btw. very very smooth sounding.
Arjan
Disciple
@rdst_1
As I mentioned in the other thread, after trying several portable and desktop dacs/amps, I have finally settled for the Beresford Bushmaster MkII (TC-7533) Dac/Amp for the HD650.
It sounds ridiculously good and makes the HD650 sound their very best. According to some Head-fi members, it sounds almost like a Bottlehead Crack + speedball, even though it's solid state!
Please note, that the "magic" is in the Dac section of the MKII. However, its amp section is pretty adept at driving the HD650.
IMHO, you won't feel the need to try an external amp with the MKII, anytime soon...
If you opt for portable, the RSA SR-71A is the best match I've found with the HD650 in single-ended mode. My brother owns it and I too have had the chance to listen to it for extensive periods, and can safely say that they both have Crazy Synergy! Though you'll be needing another dac or a dap to pair with the SR-71a...
As I mentioned in the other thread, after trying several portable and desktop dacs/amps, I have finally settled for the Beresford Bushmaster MkII (TC-7533) Dac/Amp for the HD650.
It sounds ridiculously good and makes the HD650 sound their very best. According to some Head-fi members, it sounds almost like a Bottlehead Crack + speedball, even though it's solid state!
Please note, that the "magic" is in the Dac section of the MKII. However, its amp section is pretty adept at driving the HD650.
IMHO, you won't feel the need to try an external amp with the MKII, anytime soon...
If you opt for portable, the RSA SR-71A is the best match I've found with the HD650 in single-ended mode. My brother owns it and I too have had the chance to listen to it for extensive periods, and can safely say that they both have Crazy Synergy! Though you'll be needing another dac or a dap to pair with the SR-71a...
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kenpachiroks
Disciple
I've been on tenterhooks waiting for the rectified and improved H200 hybrid , the "T-peos H300".
Impressions began pouring in
Bass only second to the 1plus2
ultra clear mids
But alas, a nasty spike in the treble and it all came crashing down for my spiky treble intolerant ears.
A few people have put a request to T-peos to consider fixing the spike because it takes away from a potentially legendary IEM. Fingers crossed.
Impressions began pouring in
Bass only second to the 1plus2
ultra clear mids
But alas
, a nasty spike in the treble and it all came crashing down for my spiky treble intolerant ears.A few people have put a request to T-peos to consider fixing the spike because it takes away from a potentially legendary IEM. Fingers crossed.
toxicdrift
Adept
kenpachiroks - did u try any different tips with this? the h200 used to change abit with diff tips, the complys might tame the treble, also a copper cable upgrade
kenpachiroks
Disciple
Oh no...no..no...no..no...no..
no..
noooo
no...no.....
I haven't purchased them. I really really wanted to
. But all the reviews pointed a wry finger at the treble spike which I am sure I cannot tolerate.Oh well... perhaps the H400
Ritvik
Adept
I picked up a pair of the Martin Logan Mikros 90s about a week ago. The primary reason behind this purchase was to limit the use of universal IEMs when I'm working or watching stuff on my laptop.
I rather like these for everyday use. The build quality is good, the leather lined cups and headband together with the use of aluminum give it a bit of a premium feel. Aesthetics and materials used are not something you'd expect to see on a sub 100USD pair of headphones. The pads are comfortable and allow your ears to breathe quite nicely despite the pretty strong clamping force. I hope with time they loosen up a bit, they tend to hurt the ears a bit after a couple of hours of straight usage. The cable is removable and iDevice compatible. Personally I would have have liked it to be about 6 inches or so longer.
Not much by way of accessories. A nice carry case and a 6.3mm adapter is all you get. Would have liked to see a pair of extra pads and a spare cable, once again. for the price I might be expecting a bit too much. Also, I'm not sure if the pads are user replaceable, I haven't really taken a good look at them.
Positioning these headphones on your head and getting them to fit right is important. There is a very evident drop in sound quality if the alignment isn't done right.
Moving on to the sound, the mid range is nice and clear no real complaints here although to most people it will sound quite sterile and can seem to be a bit "emotionally distant".
These are not for bass heads. They are probably the most bass shy headphones I've heard. Tried them with the ALO International and it didn't seem to make much of a difference. I've heard things improve with burn-in, but I'm not the biggest believer in burn-in. Just in case anyone is curious they've had about 6/7 hours of usage thus far.
The highs are quite lovely on these things. They sound airy, especially for a pair of closed on ears. Instrument separation is great and they never sound harsh.
I bought these for about 145 SGD, they're available for 96 USD on Amazon (don't think they ship out of the US though). Overall I'd say they're good value for money. A good option for everyday use if you can live with the clamping force. They punch above their weight category but not to the extent that some posts on headfi would have you believe
I rather like these for everyday use. The build quality is good, the leather lined cups and headband together with the use of aluminum give it a bit of a premium feel. Aesthetics and materials used are not something you'd expect to see on a sub 100USD pair of headphones. The pads are comfortable and allow your ears to breathe quite nicely despite the pretty strong clamping force. I hope with time they loosen up a bit, they tend to hurt the ears a bit after a couple of hours of straight usage. The cable is removable and iDevice compatible. Personally I would have have liked it to be about 6 inches or so longer.
Not much by way of accessories. A nice carry case and a 6.3mm adapter is all you get. Would have liked to see a pair of extra pads and a spare cable, once again. for the price I might be expecting a bit too much. Also, I'm not sure if the pads are user replaceable, I haven't really taken a good look at them.
Positioning these headphones on your head and getting them to fit right is important. There is a very evident drop in sound quality if the alignment isn't done right.
Moving on to the sound, the mid range is nice and clear no real complaints here although to most people it will sound quite sterile and can seem to be a bit "emotionally distant".
These are not for bass heads. They are probably the most bass shy headphones I've heard. Tried them with the ALO International and it didn't seem to make much of a difference. I've heard things improve with burn-in, but I'm not the biggest believer in burn-in. Just in case anyone is curious they've had about 6/7 hours of usage thus far.
The highs are quite lovely on these things. They sound airy, especially for a pair of closed on ears. Instrument separation is great and they never sound harsh.
I bought these for about 145 SGD, they're available for 96 USD on Amazon (don't think they ship out of the US though). Overall I'd say they're good value for money. A good option for everyday use if you can live with the clamping force. They punch above their weight category but not to the extent that some posts on headfi would have you believe
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hzant6681
Disciple
My RE-400 right ear piece has gone silent. The Re-400 has been one of those problem some IEMs to me from the beginning . First the strain relief near the left ear broke! Yeah Broke
. It was still in warranty but didn't want to go through the process of shipping and claiming as I was the second owner. So a little quick fix adhesive solved the problem. From then, had almost stopped listening to them, utmost care was taken whenever rarely I did. Today the left earpiece just wont sing. @Ritvik has the warranty on them expired? Even if they are under warranty, will I be able to claim under such circumstances?
. The Re-400 has been one of those problem some IEMs to me from the beginning . First the strain relief near the left ear broke! Yeah Broke. It was still in warranty but didn't want to go through the process of shipping and claiming as I was the second owner. So a little quick fix adhesive solved the problem. From then, had almost stopped listening to them, utmost care was taken whenever rarely I did. Today the left earpiece just wont sing. @Ritvik has the warranty on them expired? Even if they are under warranty, will I be able to claim under such circumstances?
hzant6681
Disciple
Traces of adhesive can be found on the left ear housing . Don't know if this self attempt to fix the broken strain relief would void the warranty
These aren't built for such activity. In fact none of the Hifiman IEMs have that sturdy build quality, but they sound good
Ritvik
Adept
My RE-400 right ear piece has gone silent
It should still be under warranty. I just checked my mail and the paypal payment was made on 6/6/2013. Mail them, mention the fact that the strain relief broke and you fixed it before you send it in. They have a pretty decent customer service setup and I don't think you'll have a problem.
Ritvik
Adept
Harmony pre-order will start on April 23rd - this is when we are going to start taking payments. If you wish to send your impressions earlier - feel free to do so.
Pre-order pricing:
-Detachable version - 3200PLN/€800
-Non-detachable version - 3000PLN/€750
Official pricing:
-Detachable version - 4000PLN/€1000
-Non-detachable version - 3700PLN/€925
Turnaround will be typical for normal orders at given moment.
Pre-order will end on 1st June.
indialogue
Disciple
@Ritvik , does Custom Art have instructions for getting impressions done as per their requirements? Did not see anything on their website. This is really good pricing for the Harmony's so planning to make this my first CIEM (if my ears are big enough that is). If not, will downgrade to the Music 2s
toxicdrift
Adept
good pricing, lol i know my ears fit 8ba hahaha so no tension there now if only i manage to save up the cash before june!!!! 
now if only i manage to save up the cash before june!!!!
toxicdrift
Adept
did u hear it bro? review?