r/HeadphoneAdvice

Can a 3.5 windows driver be better than a 4.4 dongle on mobile for easy to drive headphones?

Or is it impossible? I gave my friend to test my Aune SR7000 and he is saying that it's bassy and has lower resolution than his IEM which upset me, but we are trying to figure out if it's because of the dongle or not.

On my PC it runs good with 3.5 and Fiio K11 R2R with balanced cable too. But it's my first HIFI system so i can't understand how good it is.

When i meet him I'm also gonna test it with a mobile dongle. But, is it possible that Windows 10 drives better than a mobile dongle?

Thank you for your thoughts.

I just want headphones that:

• Have ANC at least as good as the Sony WH-1000XM4
• Don't pressure me to use a phone app to access features (not even once)
• Are durable / long lasting
• Wireless/bluetooth connection

Price range: $0 to $250

I want the best one to watch lectures and will also listen to music

Tell me out if 3 which should I choose and give recommendations of which one are the best

I was going to get myself a hifiman edition XS , but I realized I had overlooked the Headphone as a whole.

I think I might as well just get the hd560s.

Hi,

as mentioned above Im looking for new headphones with good soundquality.

I need them mostly for Shooter like Valorant and CS2 to track steps or some story games and listening to music.

I don't know much about audiophile headphones.. coming from Kefine Klean IEMs...

They are good but sometimes feel they lack the fun energy or the emotional engagement... To Listen more while staying close to natural or neutral.. i like bass physicality but not a bass head... Like details clean precise but not too bright...and real vocals...nor thick nor thin ...cause i listen to a huge variety of song genres...

I will use them 70% at home

30% at outside..also open for suggestions

There are other options too like Ananda Nano i Saw, then Hd490 pro

Need them resolving Enough in bass vocal treble Soundstage wise and last endgame for me

Hey, I’m looking for the best wireless headphones and I think I am down to either Sony 1000X or Apple Airpods Max but also open suggestions.

I have a number of headphones that I use including B&O, Marshall and Orange.

I am most concerned about sound quality and not the ANC. And listen to mostly rock and metal but at times Motown and soul, hip-hop, reggae but rarely dance music.

Any advice greatly received and if you have selected between Apple and Sony before, are you happy with your choice.

I'm getting the "new" bose qc for around 50 to 60 bucks more than the sennies. I listen to mostly 80s and 90s soft rock/rock or otherwise stuff like Floyd.

I was thinking about the momentum 4s as well but they are 100 bucks more than the accentum plus where I'm from.

Next 3 weeks I'll be travelling a ton internationally and then I'll be starting my college, so mostly will be listening in the dorm or libraries. I rn use a pair of 50 dollar jbl's which arent bad but are falling apart.

Just got the FiiO JT7 planars! Need help choosing between Moondrop Dawn Pro vs FiiO KA11

So I just picked up the FiiO JT7 planar headphones. Right now, I'm just running them off a cheap USB-C dongle. It gets the job done for now, but the volume is pretty low, the bass feels a bit thin, and it definitely starts distorting/sounding grainy if I try to push it. I'm looking to upgrade to a proper portable DAC/amp to finally give these planars the juice they actually need.

I’m currently torn between the Moondrop Dawn Pro and the FiiO KA11.

I’ve had some insanely long, detailed chats with both ChatGPT and Gemini trying to weigh the options. Both AIs assured me that either device has more than enough power to drive the JT7 way better than my current setup, but both of them ultimately leaned toward recommending the Dawn Pro.

The main reasoning was that the JT7 generously includes a 4.4mm balanced cable right in the box. Going with the Dawn Pro means I can actually use that 4.4mm balanced connection out of the box to take advantage of the dual-DAC setup, get better channel separation, and hopefully open up a wider, cleaner 3D soundstage (which would be awesome since I plan to use these for a lot of gaming too).

Plus, the Dawn Pro has physical volume buttons and a detachable USB cable, which seems great for durability if I'm moving around.

On the flip side, the KA11 is a massive raw power house on paper for a single 3.5mm jack (200\\text{mW} vs the Dawn Pro's 120\\text{mW} @ 32\\Omega).

For anyone who has actually paired either of these with the JT7 (or similar budget planars):

Is the 4.4mm balanced route on the Dawn Pro worth it for that wider, 3D imaging over the raw single-ended power of the KA11?

Would love to hear any real-world experiences or other recommendations! Thanks!

I've been a music junkie for decades, but life has been so busy for a number of years that I mainly put tunes on in the background while doing whatever else. I now find myself with some extra free time and plan to start listening more actively...putting something on disappearing into it, taking in all the depth and detail without distraction.

To that end, I am trying to figure out a good set of headphones in the $300ish range (planning to also pickup a dedicated headphone amp). I will be in a quiet environment, so I am thinking open-back is the way to go. My musical taste runs a pretty wide gamut, but some of the bands that will be in heavy rotation include The Cure, Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, Prince, Tool, Rush...

I tend to be sensitive to the higher ranges, so I would want something that is clear but not too punchy in that range.

With that as context, I would be very appreciative of any suggestions anyone has to offer.

Hey everyone!

I'm looking for a new headset to replace my Sennheiser HD4.40 BT. They still work relatively fine, but the headband is finally starting to give out and I'm planning on just having them around for extras just in case! Plus I needed an excuse to upgrade since I've had these for about 8 years or so.

For budget, I'm not particularly picky, I'd say just for a start somewhere between $200CAD and $300CAD. I'm able to go up to $500CAD, but they would have to be especially remarkable for me to justify that high of a price (good company rep, repairability, replacement availability, etc.). I'm also in Canada if that wasn't obvious already, so keep that in mind if there's anything exclusive to another country.

I'm not entirely sure what my tonal balance is? It's not something I'm knowledgeable in whatsoever. That being said I've been happy with the quality of the 4.40BT and I have some Samsung Galaxy earbuds 2 (didn't buy them, it was a gift). They're alright, not my favourites, and I plan on replacing them later with an IEM (they're not bad quality, just not a fan of how they fit in my ears).

They'll pretty much exclusively be used at home for things like music, videos, video games, and audio editing for animations.

The only real requirement for me is that they have to be wired (or if they are wireless/Bluetooth, there needs to be an option to have them wired). Despite the flair, I have no preference on closed or open back. That being said, I've only had experience with closed back headphones (not intentionally), I have not had a chance to try open back. So I'm open to recommendations for closed back OR open back.

If there are any questions or clarifications, please don't hesitate to ask!

hey, my hyperx cloud 2's recently broke, so im looking for a new pair of headphones. Pretty much only play competitive shooters, so the only things i care about are sound quality not being bad and proper directional audio so I can hear footsteps and other important sound cues in game.

Budget - ~150 USD (200 AUD). willing to pay more for something good

location - Australia

- plugging into my motherboard (PC), preferably a wired headset but i dont mind wireless.

- would like for it to have a headset mic

- comfort is important for long sessions

I recently tried the hyperx cloud 3's (wired), however the sound quality was terrible and echoey (even after messing with the sound settings a bunch). i couldnt discern where people were coming from in game and the audio was quiet. could possibly be due to the fact that i got used to the replacement fabric earpads vs leather earpads on the cloud 2?

Any recommendations for a durable comfortable headset and affordable

My budget is 30 to 40 dollars. I am living in a country with a shortage in this kind of staff, so please be considerate

The most important feature for me is durability and endure long work gaming sessionsit must at least last 2 years before it breaks and mic is not important

My wife and I recently started working from home. Our desks are in the same room, about 2–3 feet apart. We both spend a large portion of the day on video calls and meetings, which often overlap. We are also using company laptops

We’re looking for headphones or earphones for each of us that can effectively reduce the distraction from each other’s calls. Ideally, they would:

• Block out the other person’s voice when in meetings
• Prevent our microphones from picking up the other person speaking nearby

Thank you all in advance!

Budget: Less than $300

- Looking for a durable headset that will last me a good while (at least 5 years).

- Every headset I've owned has broken in a similar fashion (plastic piece cracked and broke right above the over-ear cup).

- Wired headsets preferred (since cheaper), but I might consider wireless if it seems good.

- I use them mostly for gaming and listening to music, often for long sessions at a time, so comfort is a plus, as well as good mic quality.

- Budget: around $100-150 CAD ($200 at the very most)

- Listening on PC.

Hello!

I have been the proud owner of my Arya Stealth headphones for about a year and a half now and I love these headphones! However, I never used the stock cable that it came with because it was super short and from the internet I gathered that they are generally a mismatch in quality compared to the actual headphones. So when I first got them, I went ahead and bought the Amazon listing titled "6N OCC Copper Silver Plated Upgrade Audio Cable 3.5mm Male and 6.35mm Adapter Compatible with Hifiman Sundara, Ananda, Arya, HE400SE, HE4XX, HE-400i Headphone (2 x 3.5mm Version)" from the brand "NEW NEOMUSICIA" (I don't know if I am allowed to post the Amazon link).

I thought they looked pretty good and I saw mixed feedback on how much you actually need to spend on cables, and 30 bucks seemed like a good spot to land. From owning them, I thought the headphones sounded great, but I am not a pro, so I just have been assuming there hasn't been an issue with the sound. However, the lifespan on these have not been great, as I have now gone through 2 of these, and both times, the right wire to the right headphone channel has become finicky / stopped working. I initially thought it was my cat occasionally jumping on me and pawing the cord, which is still possible, but it has now happened twice. I can tape it upwards against the outside of the headphone cup but its only a temporary fix. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a quality cable that I can get and won't have to worry about replacing that also isn't egregiously expensive?

My Setup:

Arya Stealth

Topping DX3 Pro+

Thank you!

Looking for some advice here.

These are strictly for gaming. Mostly CS2.

I had SHP9500s for quite some time. They lived their life so I tossed them and upgraded to IEMs.

Absolutely love iems, 10/10 recommend. Unfortunately, I need to be able to hear my surroundings now, so I need to go back to open back headphones.

I’m in Canada and would prefer to be at the $100 ish mark.

Options that I’ve seen:

SHP9500 - $115 - had these, not opposed to them again.

SHP9600 - $120 - sounds like better base and stronger clamp?

560s - $150 refurb - I see these recommended countless amount of times.

These will be run through my GoXLR if that makes any difference.

Opinions or other suggestions would be appreciated!
I am leaning towards the 560s

Right now they’re on sale for around $279 + tax, while the usual price is about $320 before taxes where I live.

I do need them before August because I’ve got some travel plans coming up, so I’m wondering if it makes sense to grab them now or wait a little longer for a potentially better deal.

For people who usually track Apple pricing — do AirPods normally get cheaper closer to summer/back-to-school sales, or is this already considered a pretty solid deal

Hey all

Apologies if this is in the wrong place. If so, please let me know where to post it.

I just bought a secondhand pair of these headphones but the ear pads are splitting so I want to replace them. Anyone know where I can get replacement pads? I dont care if they're aftermarket non-original, as long as they're good quality and fit correctly. I know i could Google this shit but im after real world examples tried n tested by the good folk on reddit

Cheers

Budget: $50 (ik its bad, but im willing to sacrifice audio quality for confort)

Need wired and closed back. The Mackie MC 100 and Sony ZX 110 seemed like nice contenders but idk what the comfort level is like. I hear good things about the zx110 comfort though.

Will be using in college dorms and public spaces for everything basically, music games watching stuff and learning how to dj. This will be my only pair of headphones. I want something super comfortable for long periods of listening as this is also my first ever pair of on or over ears, so idk if I would be sensitive to the clamp or not. I was drooling over koss until I realized it's open back so it won't work for college dorms, college library, etc. Willing to buy pads for like $10-20.