deskthority

I think I've developed a headphone, erm, problem? I've had the same pair of Sony MDR-V6's for ~15 years and over the last little bit I've been adding to the stash. Tried some relatively OK Cowin E7 Pro BTs I bought on sale online late last year. Still not sold on BT audio, plus having to charge the darn things is annoying. Since I've been WFH for a while now I've been trying more open and semi-open models and finding I really enjoy the sound stage. Here's a quick photo of most of the stash:

I picked up the Samson SR280s and the Philips X2HRs this year. Those Samson's came at a few folk's recommendation and I've to say for ~$45 USD they ain't bad. Also, those X2HRs are so detailed if you can find a pair for a decent price. The Sony's are currently out of commission due to a frayed wire in the headband. I've got a replacement band with the wires from Sony I have to install.

Also, Koss PortaPros are as good as they say. If we ever go back to an office (I hope not, WFH is awesome) I'm ditching earbuds and IEMs for these things full time. My ears have never been happy about the in ear solutions, especially the hard plastic variety Apple tends to ship. I can't wear them for long and they just get gross after a while.

Next will probably be down the Grado rabbit hole and eventually a pair of HD600s

I figure this sort of stuff probably goes hand in hand with the keyboard repair/collecting thing we do here. Anyone else?

haha!

i share a couple of my babies. HD800 (superdupont modded) and JH audio custom iems.

lhutton wrote: ↑

24 Nov 2020, 05:42

I've had the same pair of Sony MDR-V6's for ~15 years [...]
The Sony's are currently out of commission due to a frayed wire in the headband. I've got a replacement band with the wires from Sony I have to install.

They lasted for 15 years, and the only problem is a frayed wire?
I've known that they have classic audio quality and comfort, but not that they would be that durable. I've got to get myself a pair.

My headphones tend to break at the hinge. My Audio Technica M40x lasted two years of heavy use before a hinge broke.
My next Shure SRH840 lasted two years before they broke at a hinge - but this could be glued together and I then reinforced both hinges with fibreglass to make them last longer.

Findecanor wrote: ↑

24 Nov 2020, 13:14

lhutton wrote: ↑

24 Nov 2020, 05:42

I've had the same pair of Sony MDR-V6's for ~15 years [...]
The Sony's are currently out of commission due to a frayed wire in the headband. I've got a replacement band with the wires from Sony I have to install.

They lasted for 15 years, and the only problem is a frayed wire?
I've known that they have classic audio quality and comfort, but not that they would be that durable. I've got to get myself a pair.

My headphones tend to break at the hinge. My Audio Technica M40x lasted two years of heavy use before a hinge broke.
My next Shure SRH840 lasted two years before they broke at a hinge - but this could be glued together and I then reinforced both hinges with fibreglass to make them last longer.

Haha yeah, they last a long time. A good chunk of that 15 years they were my field use headphones and lived in my bag with the rest of my gear too. The stock ear pads tend to fall apart after ~18 months of near daily use but the MDR V6/7506 are so ubiquitous that you've got many options for replacements. The Brainwavz pads (the teal ones on it in the photo) seem to last longer and are far more comfortable than the stock. But any ear pad on an over the ear headphone is going to be a consumable part as it's in direct contact with your skin, hair and the grime/dirt associated with that.

But they are great, I don't think you can go wrong with a pair. Their durability and reapirability is a big selling point for me. Closed backs aren't great for a wide sound and they can get hot if you wear them a while but that's been about the extent of my complaints.

shine wrote: ↑

24 Nov 2020, 13:06

haha!

i share a couple of my babies. HD800 (superdupont modded) and JH audio custom iems.

I keep trying IEMs but my ears just don't do well with in ear stuff. Sound is good just the comfort and gunk build up factor that's the problem.

Made a video on repairing my Sony MDR-V6 headphones. If I get another 10-15 out of this headband I'll be happy:

I use a pair of AKG K240 600 ohm headphones. They have better mids than my Sennheiser hd600.

already bought a present for my wife for christmas
sony wh-1000xm4
chose between them and the Bose Noise Canceling 700
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Grado SR80's are neat for what they are, and nowadays I use my Meze 99 Neos when I'm not working (Have some AudioTechnica MH50x for that). Very comfortable cans, those. I was originally gonna get the classic but the Neos were much cheaper and I do like it a little punchy.

Thank you very much for your thoughts, I'm just looking for good headphones to buy myself for work at home. A lot of cool thoughts, you helped me

I use a pair of tan Sennheiser HD 598 headphones for all my WFH video calls; they have great natural sound quality (to my untrained ear) and despite being over-ear cans they don’t block out my surroundings— which is helpful because I don’t have to take them off to talk to my fiancée. They’re probably not ideal for rocking out to loud music, but that’s not how I use them.

I also have a pair of PortaPros that I used to wear for commuting (none of that since the pandy hit), and a set of Bose QuietComfort 35 noise canceling headphones which I love wearing to the shop or for housework for the feeling of being in a little bubble with a playlist or a podcast.

Between those three, I really have everything covered. One day I’d like to try a pair of big chunky planars just to see what the fuss is about, but I don’t know if I’d spend the money on a pair.

I had my Porta Pros for almost 5 years now and can also recommend them without hesitation! Had to exchange the cable about 3 months ago, but they're still running without any problems. For a while I used a different kind of ear cushions (those with a donut shaped rim) but they hurt too much after a while. Went back to the normal foam pads, no regrets.

Only thing is, they can be quite bleedy, depending on the kind of music (my colleagues would ask me to turn down the volume when I was listening to Jazz with high brass).

Other than that I own a pair of AKG K240s and a pair of vintage headphones branded "Alpha electronics" (SDH 250s). Latter one could use new foam, but I can't sow for shit and don't want to damage the leather of those pads. Soundwise, they're not the greatest, but still very good for their age.

As my daily driver headset I use a modified vintage model designed for amateur radio usage. I switched the old mic to a condensor microphone, added a headstrap, new earpads from a Razer Tiamat and rewired everything to a 4-pin headphone jack socket. Sounds crazy, but this is my favourite pair of headphones I've ever owned

Sound quality is great (for gaming, movies and such) and I can wear them for hours. Maintenance is easy and if I ever feel like it, I can upgrade the drivers and mic at any time. And it's got the looks, of course...

TNT wrote: ↑

29 Jan 2021, 00:50

I had my Porta Pros for almost 5 years now and can also recommend them without hesitation! Had to exchange the cable about 3 months ago, but they're still running without any problems. For a while I used a different kind of ear cushions (those with a donut shaped rim) but they hurt too much after a while. Went back to the normal foam pads, no regrets.

Only thing is, they can be quite bleedy, depending on the kind of music (my colleagues would ask me to turn down the volume when I was listening to Jazz with high brass).

Other than that I own a pair of AKG K240s and a pair of vintage headphones branded "Alpha electronics" (SDH 250s). Latter one could use new foam, but I can't sow for shit and don't want to damage the leather of those pads. Soundwise, they're not the greatest, but still very good for their age.

As my daily driver headset I use a modified vintage model designed for amateur radio usage. I switched the old mic to a condensor microphone, added a headstrap, new earpads from a Razer Tiamat and rewired everything to a 4-pin headphone jack socket. Sounds crazy, but this is my favourite pair of headphones I've ever owned

Sound quality is great (for gaming, movies and such) and I can wear them for hours. Maintenance is easy and if I ever feel like it, I can upgrade the drivers and mic at any time. And it's got the looks, of course...

Those are pretty cute.

I picked up a pair of HD800 earcups + drivers a while ago (someone took their set apart to paint them and lost the screws, so I bought the drivers + earcup assemblies for ~$200). I picked up a couple pairs of old Radio Shack/Realistic headphones with hopes of using one of the shells, but the HD800 drivers are a bit too large.

I probably should have purchased an older headset, but I found a Focusrite 18i20 audio interface and part of a mic stand by a nearby dumpster, so I bought an RE20 microphone and refoamed it. What kind of mic module did you install in the headset?

Just a generic condensor mic, if I remember correctly. Something along the line of this: https://www.reichelt.de/de/de/elektret- ... D_BwE&&r=1

It was only planned as a temporary solution back then but it worked out pretty well and so I stuck with it. Was hoping to find a decent (defective) headset as a donor and didn't have the time to wait for something to show up on ebay. Don't know if it's worth it though, considering the price my mic quality is pretty good.

Those old RS headsets look awesome. I love the look of headphones from this era. Very very bulky and weird compared to now. For a long time I was considering to buy me a pair of Koss PRO4AA, before I discovered the Alpha Electronic ones.

Almost forgot, I got a pair of vintage "Pioneer Monitor 10" coming in soon.

TNT wrote: ↑

29 Jan 2021, 00:50

As my daily driver headset I use a modified vintage model designed for amateur radio usage.

Other than that I own a pair of AKG K240s and a pair of vintage headphones branded "Alpha electronics" (SDH 250s). Latter one could use new foam, but I can't sow for shit and don't want to damage the leather of those pads. Soundwise, they're not the greatest, but still very good for their age.

I love the look and color of those radio heaphones! They look like a pilot headset.

Yeah I retracted my recommendation for the k240 sextett because of the amount of variance due their age. Even though they go for about $70 on ebay, and they are a great value for what you get, you have to do a fair share of research to find a good pair since they were made for like 25 years with wildly varying quality control. My K240 sextetts are great, they have extrememly detailed mids and clear highs, but I bought them from a headphone enthusiast in Germany and they are basically new in box. I tried to buy another pair for my friend who said he enjoyed them and I could not find one that sounded as good. The foam ring inside each driver cup will deteriorate and clog the passive drivers.

I almost forgot, I have a pair of vintage Koss K/125 cans as well, they’re decidedly uncomfortable but I needed something period accurate for my vintage Zenith luggable restomod:

Scarpia wrote: ↑

29 Jan 2021, 11:23

I almost forgot, I have a pair of vintage Koss K/125 cans as well, they’re decidedly uncomfortable but I needed something period accurate

Hahaha, that is absolutely nuts! I love it! What keyboard switches do those things have? Kinda makes you wish there'd be an easy way to upgrade old laptops in general.

The Koss headphones also look nice. I know what you mean, I hate those plastic pads. Mine originally came with some of those and they hurt so much after a while. They also looked nasty and deformed after just a little use.

Weezer wrote: ↑

29 Jan 2021, 03:13

I love the look and color of those radio heaphones! They look like a pilot headset.

I originally wanted to get an old aviation headset, but that was the next best affordable thing I could find

And I would have certainly needed new drivers for a real pilot headset. Those were primarily designed with communication in mind, so sound quality and balance is not that great afaik.

TNT wrote: ↑

29 Jan 2021, 11:45

Scarpia wrote: ↑

29 Jan 2021, 11:23

I almost forgot, I have a pair of vintage Koss K/125 cans as well, they’re decidedly uncomfortable but I needed something period accurate

Hahaha, that is absolutely nuts! I love it! What keyboard switches do those things have?

Alps integrated dome. The dream would have been if it had SKCMs but the integrated dome switches surprisingly aren’t bad.

wiki/Zenith_Supersport_SX

TNT wrote: ↑

29 Jan 2021, 11:45

And I would have certainly needed new drivers for a real pilot headset. Those were primarily designed with communication in mind, so sound quality and balance is not that great afaik.

You know what year the radio headset is from? Surprised those didn't also need new drivers with the age they look.

Weezer wrote: ↑

30 Jan 2021, 06:53

TNT wrote: ↑

29 Jan 2021, 11:45

And I would have certainly needed new drivers for a real pilot headset. Those were primarily designed with communication in mind, so sound quality and balance is not that great afaik.

You know what year the radio headset is from? Surprised those didn't also need new drivers with the age they look.

yeah, was quite surprised too. Afaik "Universum" is only a brand name the Quelle GmbH slapped onto their imported, third party produced consumer electronic devices. Badge engineering at its finest. I researched a bit when I got them but can't remember the name of the company that originally made them. They exist with different branding. I will try to look it up.

I think I got lucky when I looked it up back then. Can't find anything specific now. This has the same cups with a different (weird) branding. Might be KITS (for reference). A bunch of other made in Japan headphones from that era use some of the same parts (same headband, same connection piece in a different color). Production date should be 70s/80s, at least that is what everyone says. Maybe late 70s?

Interesting. Looks like it's a bit if a one off variation of some of some other stuff that was going on at the time then.

I'm sure I found out more back then. Maybe via an ebay listing of some sort. Shame I didn't save the page.

For 4 years now I have been using A4 tech headphones flawlessly. I don't even plan to buy others yet. Unless these suddenly break.

I was pretty addicted to headphones and pens before I got into keebs. Now I almost use sony mdr-f1 exclusively at home since it is probably the most comfortable thing ever designed and has 'enough' sound quality.

I've been through a few setups in the last six months.
Pioneer XDP-100R + Phonak Audeo PFE012


Cowon Plenue D + Campfire Audio IO


Lotoo Paw Gold + Campfire Audio Dorado


QLS QA361 + Campfire Audio Jupiter


And my final setup is Astell n Kern SE200 + Campfire Audio Solaris SE

Keep adding to the collection, recently picked up some new X series Grados to try. Probably the least Grado sounding Grado I've ever heard.

Scarpia wrote: ↑

29 Jan 2021, 11:23

I almost forgot, I have a pair of vintage Koss K/125 cans as well, they’re decidedly uncomfortable but I needed something period accurate for my vintage Zenith luggable restomod:

Man, I love the way that looks! Great shot!

zyxxke wrote: ↑

06 Jun 2021, 17:18

I've been through a few setups in the last six months.
Pioneer XDP-100R + Phonak Audeo PFE012


Cowon Plenue D + Campfire Audio IO


Lotoo Paw Gold + Campfire Audio Dorado


QLS QA361 + Campfire Audio Jupiter


And my final setup is Astell n Kern SE200 + Campfire Audio Solaris SE

I'm using a Sony Walkman NW-45A for a PMP these days. That and some old iPods just because that classic interface is nice. Not terribly excited about the Sony's DAC but it's not that expensive either.