Headphones. How Many Here Mainly Use Headphones?

[Osiris]

@Innocent_Bystander

Chord Poly+Mojo is attractive

A plus one vote for the Mojo2/Poly combo, definitely needs a decent pair of wired earbuds though.

Although to be fair, I’m listening to;

On my entry level Sennheiser IE100’s and it sounds really, really good .
ATB, J

[Richard]

@julesqwe

Yes, other people can hear my music. That’s no problem.

How do you know?

[GIAN62XX]

Present!

Sennheiser HD800 for many years, driven by the Naim Headphone amp.

But since one year I use with great pleasure a Stax 009S with its dedicated amplifier.

Both connected to the spare connectors of hicap, in this way i can use the remote controlled volume of 282.

[Nigel1957]

@Richard

@julesqwe

Yes, other people can hear my music. That’s no problem.

How do you know?

The tinny scratchy sound that comes out of my wife’s iPhone, when she plays something without headphones is super annoying.

[Innocent_Bystander]

I’ve never found earbuds pleasant to wear for any length of time - maybe I need specially loaded ends? And are there earbuds that are on a par with good headphones such as perhaps Sennheiser HD820 or Focal Bathy which is where I would probably start auditioning l.

[Nigel1957]

@ditton66

A familiar problem…
My management draws a red line when I start listening to prog and classic rock.
The solution - GRADO GS 1000+H.L/H.C…

Yes, my wife and I had similar tastes when we met, but my tastes have shifted drastically over the years, and I understand that she finds my Jazz annoying.

[Innocent_Bystander]

Unsurprising!

[kend]

I have an Atom HE with Sennheiser HD800S

I live in an apartment with neighbours close by, the apartment is also open plan with 50m2 floor area, 4m ceilings and a wall of glass. It is a difficult room for speakers, at low volume, sound is lost and at higher volumes boominess and echos abound.

Headphones fix all of these problems.

[Thegreatroberto]

The px100s were a great can. I have a pair in black and white. Although the white was more orange. I bought a “ refurb” kit for both, new foams and new “ supports” where they touch your head. Ready for another 20 years service.

£ for £ I’d say they are way better than the HD600s Much more musical and great when on the move.

[Richard.Dane]

Yes, the first pair I got (a present from Jason - thanks Jas!) around 20 years ago are now looking a bit the worse for wear with yellowed foam, and could do with a refresh.

[Nigel1957]

@Innocent_Bystander

Headphones are inherently limiting sound-wise in that you cannot feel the bass, and I don’t think that I would use normally at home even if I had a pair with sound quality on a par with my soeakers. Against that I know that for the same sound quality headphones can be a lot less expensive than speakers and so a good option budget wise of only listening alone, and no need at all for any consideration of the room.

The problem for many of us is that it is impossible to play our music load enough to “feel the bass” at home. I am sure my speakers are capable of this, but I like most others have neighbours to contend with. But I am not sure I want to experience that disturbing bass sound pressure on my body, that I have experienced at some Rock concerts. I found it fastidious, on the occasions I have experienced it. Few of us can do all the room conditioning that is needed to bring out the best in speakers.

I listen mostly to Jazz, and my headphones give a pretty realistic impression of what I hear live. I have learnt to live with the downsides of cans, and I have bought good headphones to take advantage of the things like small detail that cans reveal.

Grell (Axel Grell designed the Sennheiser HD800) a German start up, are starting to experiment with cans that simulate listening to speakers by using angled drivers, to give the illusion that you are listening to speakers. Cross feed in my Phonitor HP amp ( born in the recording studio to replace monitors) simulates listening to speakers, but does not shift the image forward. My HD800S cans have angled drivers that do shift the image forward a little.

Whilst traditional HiFi seems to be in the doldrums, personal listening is an expanding sector. I think we can expect some interesting developments to close the gap between speakers and headphones.

[geoff_2043]

I use headphones when others are around, or something I don’t want to watch/hear on telly. I’m listening more to my SCM11s which replaced my Doublets, but not as much as I might like.

I started years ago with Koss Pro 4 AAs, sent them back for servicing but they’ve not worked properly since, so up in the loft.

I have some Alessandro MS1s, B&O H6s, but most listening is on my Grado SR325Xs, from my Uniti Star. The Grados do leak sound but my wife is happy to tolerate it.

I like the details, instrument textures, accuracy and sound stage which my current speakers and phones give me, particularly with jazz, brass, percussion, and instrumental harmonies, which can be quite emotional. And placement is much less of an issue.

If only I had my current budget with my hearing of 50 years ago…..

[Innocent_Bystander]

@Nigel1957

sure I want to experience that disturbing bass sound pressure on my body, that I have experienced at some Rock concerts. I found it fastidious,

Funny how we’re all different isn’t it! I love the feel of bass, whether long deep pedal notes that I feel through the air, my clothing and my seat - with some music that underpinning what else is going on really adds to the emotion - or pulses from a bass drum making my clothing quiver. And I simply can’t stand jazz!

As for headphones, it seems that a number of people have a variety of cans that they use for different types of music. That’s to me seems rather odd, as with speakers the best will reproduce any music, and I certainly would shy away from any speakers that are claimed to be good for one thing and not another. The same if I do follow through and get some headphones sometime, I would want one pair of cans that would cover all music that I might want to listen to from classical to opera to heavy rock to rock to folk to solo piano etc.

[Farthings-cat]

@Innocent_Bystander

I’ve never found earbuds pleasant to wear for any length of time - maybe I need specially loaded ends? And are there earbuds that are on a par with good headphones such as perhaps Sennheiser HD820 or Focal Bathy which is where I would probably start auditioning l.

Same here re comfort of buds. I found through experimenting that the comply tips work for me.

[Nigel1957]

@Innocent_Bystander

Funny how we’re all different isn’t it! I love the feel of bass, whether long deep pedal notes that I feel through the air, my clothing and my seat - with some music that underpinning what else is going on really adds to the emotion - or pulses from a bass drum making my clothing quiver. And I simply can’t stand jazz!

As for headphones, it seems that a number of people have is that they use for different types of music. That’s to me seems rather odd, as with speakers the best will reproduce any music, and iIcertainly would shy away from any speakers that are claimed to be good for one thing and not another. The same if I do follow through and get some headphones sometime, I would want one pair of cans that would cover all music that I might want to listen to from classical to opera to heavy rock to rock to folk to solo piano et

I could probably live with the Heddphone 2GT for everything as it has no major emphasis along the Harman curve. But it is part of the fun to have headphones with different sound signatures.

Change the cans plugged into the HP amp and you can upgrade, sidegrade and downgrade. I sometimes just change the headphones I am using to find new things in albums.

Jazz BTW, covers a huge ever expanding spectrum of music that has nothing to do with Miles or the other Sixties greats. I think it is the record shop bin where all the experimental stuff ends up.

[Osiris]

I see the Chord Mojo2’s specs have just been updated to include……. Chord Mojo 2 gets 4.4mm output and USB-C.

Note, however, you won’t be able to use the USB-C charging capability if using the Poly as it’ll obstruct the USB-C port, but the 4.4mm headphone socket is a nice addition.

On a positive note there appear to be some really good deals on current spec stock in the UK.

ATB, J

[steviebee]

@julesqwe

. Even outdoors I turn up the volume of my iPhone a bit. Yes, other people can hear my music. That’s no problem.

For you, or for other people? You’ve asked them?

[jegreenwood]

Like a number of other posters, I live in an apartment and need to respect my neighbors. (They were kind to me for about a decade while I struggled with my clarinet.)

I’ve been using Focal Elears, although I recently pulled out a pair of Oppo PM-2s and replaced the pads, and they sounded better than I remembered. For closed back, I recently bought a pair of Dan Clark Aeon Noire Xs. Although the first two can sound adequate through an iPhone/Dragonfly Sapphire combination, they improve with - and the Dan Clarks need - my fully decked out Headroom amp.

I also have Focal Bathys for travel. I just wish their noise cancelation was better.

[Osiris]

I have never used the supplied earbuds with any of my Sennheiser IE’s, but rather fit SednaEarfit Max from the get go.

ATB, J

[Nigel1957]

@jegreenwood

I’ve been using Focal Elears, although I recently pulled out a pair of Oppo PM-2s and replaced the pads, and they sounded better than I remembered.

Pads need replacing every so often, as they lose form and degrade in other ways. New pads are quite inexpensive. It is important to use the makers own pads.