dalethorn

I had this AIAIAI Tracks on my radar for a long time, so in this lull after the holidays, I decided to get it and shake it down. It's very bright, or more specifically, has a very large peak around 3 khz, which is the opposite of most small on-ear headphones these days. Still, the magic of Audioforge EQ turns the frog into a prince…. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4200

This is a long-existing headphone with a well-deserved reputation for sound quality -vs- size and cost, yet being open-back it is severely restricted in where it can be used. I had this in the closet for years due to the earpads being worn out, and taking it out a few days ago the earpads had actually turned to dust. So I ordered some new earpads and re-acquainted myself with the sound, which really surprised me. A big part of the surprise I figure is probably that the open-back design doesn't create resonance-based colorations the way most small closed portables do. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4199

I didn't buy the LP2 the first time around, but since the discounts are really good now I did snag one, in matte black. I was expecting a different sound from the 'LP' (now discontinued), but apparently the latest of the LP's was updated to the newer signature at some point, so I have both headphones in very different colors. I added text to my 'LP' template here, partly to differentiate the 2 headphones, and partly to comment on reviews I've read that got the bass response wrong (in my opinion). Video, photos, and text here: http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4196

Here's a really nice earphone - for once, a well-balanced sound from top to bottom. This is not a generic 'woodie', a few of which I've purchased myself that have a very choppy or uneven response. This is probably the best IEM I've heard below the Sennheiser IE800's price level. The link includes the video, text, and my own hi-res photo of the Rain2. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4192

Budget headphone time! I found this in a grocery store, and a very nice surprise it was. The review has the details, but in advance I'm thoroughly enjoying a sparkly sound with solid bass and a great soundstage. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4191

Here is a headphone that I missed on the original release, but are now being closed out at amazing prices, in the U.S. at least. It's dark, it's bassy, and the details are in the review. I love how comfortable this is, in spite of using the standard earpads. From all I can see, the physical quality is the same as the pricy M100, although the tuning is decidedly different. I ordered from v-moda direct (although it was cheaper on Amazon), so I was able to customize the side earplates. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4190

Updating items and prices for headphones and amps.

Here's a headphone I bypassed some time ago, not realizing how good is its physical quality, and potential sonic quality. While I wouldn't recommend the Major for hi-fi listening as-is, the EQ'd sound is hi-fi (not mid-fi), and I do recommend it EQ'd. And it's an excellent portable. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4188

This was unexpected - a loaner from a stranger who wanted a third opinion on the LCD-2. It's a lovely bit of kit and it sounds as good as the price indicates. http://rockgrotto.proboards.com/thread/10285/audeze-planar-stereo-headphone-review

Updating my for sale items as of 17 Feb 2015 - Paypal only, ship to continental U.S. only: Beyer T90 Jubilee like new, all packaging, $399 including shipping. Final Audio Pandora IV(4), like new, all packaging, $199 including shipping. Sennheiser HD8-DJ, like new, all packaging, $199 including shipping. Sennheiser HD-A280 Audiometric, like new, two cables terminated 3.5 and 6.5 mm, $199 including shipping. Beyer DT1350 w/T51p earpads, like new, all packaging, $169 including shipping. Beyer T51p, like new, all packaging, $169 including shipping. V-Moda M100 Pearl White, like new, all packaging, $169 including shipping. Beyer A200p iPhone DAC/amp, like new, all packaging, $169 including shipping. Decware Zen Head amp, like new, all packaging, $169 including shipping. Portaphile Micro amp, like new, all packaging, $199 including shipping.

I sure don't know how they came up with the name for this headphone. This does look more-or-less identical to the LSTN Troubador of a couple years ago, and while I don't think the Troubador price has been reduced substantially, this headphone is selling now for $60 USD, as compared to the Troubador's price of $150. What concerns me about reviews of low-cost headphones is the QC to ensure consistent sound from sample to sample. In this case, the build and finish quality, and of course the sound, are what I'd expect well above $100, so I feel pretty confident about this headphone. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4165

(Updated 3rd Oct 2014) For sale, Paypal only, ship to continental U.S. only: Beyer T90 Jubilee, like new, all packaging, $395 including shipping. AKG K812, like new, all packaging, $895 including shipping. AKG K712, like new, all packaging, $255 including shipping. Sennheiser HD-A280 Audiometric, like new, two cables terminated 3.5 and 6.5 mm, $225 including shipping. Sennheiser HD26 Pro, like new, all packaging, $220 including shipping. Sennheiser HD8-DJ, like new, all packaging, $275 including shipping. Final Audio Pandora IV(4), like new, all packaging, $275 including shipping. Shure SRH840, like new, all packaging, $135 including shipping. Soundmagic HP150, like new, all packaging, $145 including shipping. Beats Solo2, like new, all packaging, $140 including shipping. Beyer DT1350 w/T51p earpads, like new, all packaging, $225 including shipping.

For sale, Paypal only, ship to continental U.S. only: AKG K712, like new, all packaging, $255 including shipping. Beyer T1, like new, all packaging, $595 including shipping. Sennheiser HD-A280 Audiometric, like new, two cables terminated 3.5 and 6.5 mm, $225 including shipping. Sennheiser HD26 Pro, like new, all packaging, $220 including shipping. Sennheiser HD8-DJ, like new, all packaging, $275 including shipping. Final Audio Pandora IV(4), like new, all packaging, $275 including shipping. Shure SRH840, like new, all packaging, $135 including shipping. Soundmagic HP150, like new, all packaging, $145 including shipping. Beats Solo2, like new, all packaging, $140 including shipping. Beyer DT1350 w/T51p earpads, like new, all packaging, $225 including shipping. Beyer T51p, like new, all packaging, $210 including shipping.

Here's something really different. I avoided the first editions of "women's headphones", from Molami and Frends among others, because the aesthetics said no to me, but this one looked interesting for testing purposes at least, because of the more subtle design and the low price. The sound is rather treble-shy, but no more so than a lot of headphones in the $150 USD price range. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4160

Here's the "new" Beats with near-hi-fi sound, as covered previously by Innerfidelity. While I find this particular headphone to sound good as-is, or extremely good with my special tune-up, the questions that are probably on everyone's mind are whether Beats is really going to compete for hi-fi customers in new models of their other headphones, or whether this is just coincidental. I don't know, but part of me anticipates better sound from Beats if they can get there consistently (something Bose never did), and part of me dreads an even bigger takeover of the market now that Apple owns Beats. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4156

I got this House of Marley Liberate XL headphone from Amazon U.S. for less than $150, and while I wasn't expecting a lot for that price, I fell in love with this headphone. The build quality is exceptional, the comfort is great for average or near-average size heads, and the only ding is that the treble is about 12-14 db below my listening standard, or about 20 db below the Beyerdynamic T1's average treble level. Once compensated though, I thought the overall balance and transitions were very smooth and musical - an excellent deal given that, the price, and the amazing build. I looked on Amazon U.K. also, but they only list the Bluetooth version, or the on-ear version, and this is neither. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4151

Youtube review: http://youtu.be/-wVxk5U3ZY8 Photos: http://dalethorn.com/Photos/Leica_Dlux6/Headphone_Audioengine_B1_Receiver_01.jpg http://dalethorn.com/Photos/Leica_Dlux6/Headphone_Audioengine_B1_Receiver_02.jpg Sources: MacbookPro Retina with Portaphile Micro/PA2V2/Decware Zen Head external amps (I did not use the Audioengine B1 digital/optical out to an external DAC). Summary of process: I unpacked the B1, glanced over the booklets, set the MacBook's System Preferences/Bluetooth to 'On' and 'Discoverable', set the computer System Volume to 50 percent, set the iTunes player volume to 100 percent, connected the B1 to power** and to my favorite headphone amp with a dual-RCA to miniplug cable, and connected my favorite premium headphone. I've had a long-term concern about whether I could use Bluetooth for hi-fi listening without suffering sonic 'glitches' or interruptions. I'm not concerned any more. I carried my Mophie** pack, B1, and headphone amp into every corner of my flat, about 35 feet from the computer each direction with multiple walls between the computer and the B1, and didn't experience a single glitch. I need to mention that while the B1 worked flawlessly then, I've gotten 2 or 3 one-second glitches per 4-hour average listening session, which is typical for computer listening anyway due to the computer's constant polling for activity. **Instead of plugging the provided power cable into an AC-to-USB adapter, I plugged it into my heavy-duty Mophie battery pack, which works perfectly, and which draws very little power from the Mophie. Audiophiles who may be interested in the B1 Bluetooth Receiver, normally to drive speakers (or possibly a headphone if not convenient to run a headphone cable directly from the computer), would want to know how much quality is lost in the Bluetooth connection. As I write this I'm listening to a bit-perfect rip of Dave Brubeck's Take Five from a K2HD Sony Japanese release, using the Decware Zen Head amp and AKG K812 headphone. The K812 has some bright areas which I smooth out somewhat using the iTunes equalizer. I mention this only because I have the K812 tuned for best neutral response on my system, and I wanted to compare my "best case" sound when listening with the Macbook using an external DAC/amp, to using the B1 with the Zen Head amp. There's a noticeable difference, but I would judge it to be minor in most respects except for the upper harmonic tones, where the quality tapers off. I expected a distinct loss of fidelity over Bluetooth as compared to wired, but my experience has been very good so far. Additional audiophile note: Since experienced and expert audiophiles can often hear differences between the best DACs and amps costing thousands of dollars (and I hear many of those differences as well), someone who reads this might be aghast at the notion that the B1 can produce near-audiophile-quality sound from its DAC, let alone over the Bluetooth connection. It's better than I expected. Here's a suggestion: Listen to it with an amp and headphone (or speakers) that you're intimately familiar with, which have excellent reproduction quality, and try to pick out any particular distortions or changes in tonality. Then list those music tracks and the particulars, and I'll have a go at them myself. Whatever the final judgement, I'm satisfied that a high-quality sound is possible with the B1, especially for its intended use. The B1 Bluetooth Receiver is a very well-made aluminum box about the size of an average portable headphone amp, which makes it especially attractive to me in being able to instantly move it across a room, using the Mophie power pack, for ultimate convenience. I haven't used the digital/optical out to connect it to an external DAC, but given that it's Bluetooth, I doubt that I would need higher quality amplification than I'm already using. But the feature is there for maximum system compatibility. The Bluetooth antenna is short, but works well as described above. The RCA analog output jacks are top-quality and gold-plated, so using an interconnect cable with gold-plated RCA plugs will assure a perfect connection. I've seen, handled, and even owned a lot of gear that wasn't well made, that didn't inspire confidence even if it never failed when I had it, so it's gratifying to have a little box like the B1 that looks and feels like premium audio gear, but doesn't cost a small fortune. Pairing the B1, i.e. getting the Bluetooth connnection from the computer, was easy enough once I learned to ignore the blinking light on the front panel (which usually indicates that it's searching for a connection) and just started the music playing. As long as the computer is working properly and sending out a Bluetooth signal, the B1 should start working pretty quickly once you provide some data by playing a music track etc. I don't know why the light blinks longer than would seem necessary, but maybe it's just asking me to "get started". The accessories supplied include an AC-USB adapter, power cord, RCA interconnect cable, and a microfiber travel bag. The comments in the music tracks listed below can be compared to other users' experiences with the B1, to get an idea of how good the sound quality is with these sample music tracks. I also invite other users to list any music tracks that they've played, along with any particulars, to highlight the positive or other experiences that they've had with the B1's Bluetooth sound. Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead (~1980): Strong midrange sound effects - this is a good worst-case test for resonant-type sounds in the most sensitive midrange area. Handled very well by the B1. Beethoven Symphony 9, Solti/CSO (1972): Excellent overall sound. Of special note here are the bass impacts beginning around 10:30 of the fourth movement. Those impacts are soft and well in the background, but you can feel the weight they carry with the B1. Boz Scaggs - Lowdown (1976): Very good sound quality - this is a great test for any nasality in the midrange. Handled extremely well by the B1. Cantus - Danny Boy (Traditional/Male Choral/Acapella): The B1 plays the voices with enough low end warmth and weight to sound very natural, yet there is no added emphasis of the lower register of the male voices on this track. Chromatics - I'm On Fire (Synth-Pop, female lead): This track has a good amount of space around the voice and instruments, making for a very pleasant stereo image. The voice is very good, and the tambourine sound is excellent. David Hazeltine - Fur Elise (Jazz): A very high-quality recording from HDTracks. The B1 reproduces the instruments smoothly with a spacious ambiance, but where the better amps I have reproduce the wire-brush-on-cymbal harmonics as very extended and detailed, the uppermost harmonics aren't quite as cleanly detailed with the B1. Hans Zimmer - Dark Knight-Aggressive Expansion (Soundtrack): The percussion in this track hits really hard, and the bass tones beginning around 0:45 have the ultra-deep "shuddery" kind of sound and feel that indicates a good deep-bass response. The B1 plays this music very well. Hugo Audiophile - 15-16 (Electronic): I'm not sure what the 15-16 stands for - perhaps track numbers from a CD album. The deep-bass tones that start around 33-34 seconds into the track reproduce very well with the B1. This is a great recording for evaluating whether a device's bass reproduction is accurate. Jimmy Smith - Basin Street Blues (early 60's): This track has several loud crescendos of brass and other instruments that don't sound clean and musical with some headphones. The B1 provides excellent detail. Listen particularly to the second crescendo at 15 seconds in for maximum detail effect. I'd like to emphasize that these crescendos are probably the worst-case test I have for instrument separation and detail, and the B1 plays those extremely well. Kellogg Auditorium, Battle Creek Michigan, Aeolian-Skinner Organ (1933) - Pedal, 32', Resultant, Arpeggio: This 16 hz organ pedal tone differs from other music tones in that you won't "hear" the tone - you'll only feel it. Although most music tones have harmonics (including this one), the harmonics from this tone will be too weak to provide any "feel", so whatever you actually hear would not be part of the fundamental 16 hz tone. There are ~30 hz sounds in the outdoor environment in big cities, generated by large trucks, buses, and subway trains, and they have a quality of "rumble" that's similar to some deep-bass tones found in music. This 16 hz organ tone is easily distinguished from those sounds when compared on a headphone that has good undistorted response at 16 hz. The B1 reproduces the fundamental tone clearly enough, yet most audiophile headphones struggle with very strong ultra-low frequencies in this range. Michael Tilson Thomas - Rhapsody In Blue (20th Century Classic): Great sound and soundstage, and terrific piano playing and tone. There are some very deep bass impacts starting around 38 seconds into the 17:24 length track, and the weight of those impacts is impressive with the B1. Richard Strauss (Mester-Pasadena) - Also Sprach Zarathustra (opening) (Classical): The granddaddy of bass is in the opening 1:50 of this recording, and I've heard it only once on a large and expensive loudspeaker system in Cleveland. For most people, that experience would be indistinguishable from being in a fairly strong earthquake. The B1 provides that experience to the degree that I expect when listening with my best headphones. Scarlatti-Kipnis - Sonata in E Major K381 (Classical, Harpsichord): The harpsichord here is fairly bright and highly detailed, and the B1 renders the tones and transients extremely well. Tiger Okoshi - Bootsman's Little House (Jazz): The trumpet here is recorded fairly close up and is somewhat bright with a significant "bite". The B1's reproduction is excellent, and the close-miked piano is also a treat. For comparison, I have several Maynard Ferguson tracks that feature a similarly strong trumpet with lots of brassy bite. Trombone Shorty - Backatown (Jazz-Funk): The deep bass impacts here are strong and work very well with the horns and other instruments. The B1 delivers the impacts with decent weight and great detail, and the horns have the kind of bite that gives them a wonderfully realistic sound.

Here's a surprise item. The HP-800 has been selling on Massdrop in the U.S. for $49 for awhile, while the Amazon U.S. price is currently $79. The MSRP is $150. The HP-800 is all or mostly aluminum, very well made, and has good mids and excellent treble, with a strong woofy upper bass emphasis that some users may like. An amazing deal I think. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4149

Here's the latest from Soundmagic - the HP150 - and here I think Soundmagic has combined the best qualities of the open-back HP200 with the best of the closed-back HP100 into the closed-back (but spacious) HP150. I can summarize my recommendation this way: If I were stuck somewhere with my music and player and just the HP150 for the rest of my life (a few years at least), I'd be very happy - it's a great musical sound. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4145

The site is back up now.

Looks like their website is down again. They've suffered a lot of heavy attacks. Edit: Review is also at Rock Grotto site and Headfonics site.

I got this when I got the K812, but it's been set aside for awhile while I enjoyed the heck out of that K812. Still, if the K712 were the only headphone I had for the rest of my life, I'd be delighted - it's a great sound. The lower bass is light I think, but the overall bass and tone is so good that I could enjoy it on most music without a bass boost. It also looks good, which doesn't hurt... http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4142

Thanks - I am very much enjoying the K812. It might be my favorite ever - just my perfect style.

Here is my review of the Audiophile 'Flagship' AKG K-812, which has become my no. 1 headphone - not because it's the most accurate or warm etc., but because I've learned to accomodate its unique sound and experience a new level of music enjoyment. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4137

I bought this little headphone from my usual dealer in the U.K. It's small and plastic and you wouldn't expect a lot for the price, but it sounds very good, is very well made, looks good, is very comfortable -- a perfect choice for portable use, which I assume is non-critical use. http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4135