red_ryder

Forgive me if this is a silly question...

Last night I tried something, I connected a spare set of Monster Component Video cables to Audio Outs of my DVD player and my amp. Very surprised to find that it works, always thought that video cables are only for video and audio cables for audio. It sounds smoother and better than my optical connection and better than stock RCA cables, but I was wondering if I will spoil anything by doing this.

Also compared to Klotz GY107 + Neutrik Profi RCA, will there be a significant difference if I continue using the Monster cable?

Before purchasing a new pair of cans, I suggest U get hold of a pair of Klotz GY107 interconnects and listen to your music via dvdp+AV amp setup via the analogue route ie. bypass the optical connection. I believe whatever harshness and brightness will be significantly reduced. Sonic signatures of the Klotz should suit your taste as I see it. Even a new 1m pair costs <$46 and if it doesn't help rectify your problem, U can easily dispose of it for it's so well demanded. I reckon this is a cheaper solution than buying new cans.

Didn't realise that there was demand for such things as interconnects??

I was hesitant to buy the interconnects because afraid that there wouldn't be any improvement and end up wasting money. Was actually considering selling off the DT931s and buying a more forgiving headphone instead.

thanks for the advice guys, I'll think about it.

Heard that Grados are meant for Rock Music? My musical tastes lean more towards Jazz, Classical and pop ballads.

Hope this post don't offend any audiophiles, but I really don't have the budget to upgrade my player or buy a headamp. Currently using a DVD player as source, connected to a Yamaha AV receiver. Bought a Beyer DT931 from Mackie, but it sounds quite harsh and bright to my ears.

On the advice of SGH members, I subjected it to 4 weeks of burn-in. I have also received suggestions along the lines of using better interconnects (currently using optical out), getting a proper CD player, and getting a headamp to smooth out the sound and make it warmer. As mentioned earlier, all these are out of my consideration.

So are there headphones out there (<$250) that sound good even with my kind of equipment? By good I mean a warm and rich sounding quality. I like the amount of detail that the DT931 gives, but it still sounds very bright.

no worries... life is too short to be upset over such things.

Thanks for all your recommendations! I finally bought an EX71 from Hung Bros today at $79. My first impressions:

Isolation is fantastic. I used to listen at full volume on my mp3 player whenever I'm in crowded places, bus, train. Now with this earphone I can turn down to half volume! And walking around SLS with their loud music blaring I can still clearly hear my music. Very impressed with it.

Comfort wise it feels a bit like the SAF ear plugs, but softer and more comfortable. Definitely more comfortable than my old regular Sony earplugs which never fit my ears well and were painful to wear after 10 mins. (Too big for my ears)

Unfortunately the sound quality isn't much to crow about. Mid-ranges sound a bit soft compared to the highs, and bass was also weak. Surprised about the bass, since I read in headfi forums that the bass was over-strong. For example, I listened to Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton and the guitars sounded very clear and bright, but the vocals in comparison were soft and slightly muddled.

Overall I'm happy with my purchase since my primary concern was with isolation and saving my hearing! However if you just want good sound quality, then look elsewhere.

For the best isolation vs cost and very forgiving on sound quality, U might wanna try Sony EX51/71.

I just went to my neighbourhood shop and saw the Sony Ex 51. Unfortunately, the cord is too short! only 0.5m. Is there a long cord version?

av98m, can you elaborate on why you didn't like the Px200?

I also know that pushing the volume up is bad, that's why I decided to buy an isolated headphone.

How much does the Sony EX cost? Looking at the design, it appears to be more isolated than the Senn. Is that right?

Isolation is really quite important for me, you can't imagine how noisy and loud travelling on a bus along the AYE is.

Any portable cheap closed headphones to recommend? My priority is isolation and price, not so much on quality of sound. I mostly listen to spoken audiobooks anyway and not music on my mp3 player, but travelling on the bus along the AYE forces me to listen at full volume with my current earbuds.

Does the player have a headphone out?

Hmm...that is certainly is food for thought.

Ok, I'll try the analogue connection with cheap RCA cables first tonight, see how it sounds. Thanks Mackie.

Thanks for the quick reply Rameish. Got somemore questions if you don't mind.

1) Ok, will try the 300hr burn-in. That should be the cheapest option.

2) Any recommendations on which amp have "synergy" with the 931s? Any comments Mackie? What's the ballpark price for a headphone amp anyway?

Ok, I've used the headphones for about 2 weeks now, 72hrs of burn-in. On watching movies the sound is ok, bass is good. But listening to music it still sounds quite harsh. Especially the highs. The worst parts are when singers say the "sw" sounds like "swish", "swatch". Almost painful to the ears. I'm not listening at high volume either.

I know my rig is not optimized for music, so probably the fault lies with my equipment. I'm using a Philips Q50 DVD player as a CD player, connected via optical cable to a Yamaha 995AV receiver. Would getting a headphone amp reduce the harshness of the sound?

Weird thing is though, I hear a slight background "hisssing" sound on my so-called audiophile CD. It's called Snow Rose, you guys familiar with it? On some other normal consumer CDs I don't get the sound.

I'm not really complaining, just disappointed in the Snow Rose CD. Nothing wrong with the headphones though, these are great cans. So much better than listening on my speakers.

My new DT931 cable is not long enough for me to relax on the sofa.

Any recommendations on good extension cables for cans? Approx price, location?

Also, what is the best way to clean CDs which got fungus? Last time I tried using a lint free cloth (3M product) but still will scratch the cd leh. Should I use any liquids?

Thanks mackie!

They sound great already (on my laptop), can't imagine what burning-in will achieve. But then again, I'm a newbie and my ears arent that well trained. I can finally hear the difference between mp3s encoded at 128 and at 192.

Got a question about burning in - does it need to be continuous 48 or 72 hrs? Can I just burn in for say 8 hours every night, while I'm sleeping?

Mod edit: The model is DT-931 and not 981. Title was amended accordingly.

For a 192 and higher encoded mp3, and I convert it to audio CD, do I lose any quality?

For mp3s encoded at bitrates higher than 128, e.g. 192 or 320, would it sound better if I listen to the mp3s directly via my soundcard and cans or if I burned it as an audio CD and listen via my cd player/amp?

The reason I ask is because my soundcard is pretty crappy for listening to music (SBlive value), and I'm trying to decide if I should buy a new soundcard or just continue to burn the mp3s as audio cds.

Are there any soundcards that can power a 250ohm headphone without the need for an amp?

Finally solved my problem, I think. There was a "Tone Bypass" button, after I depressed it, the distortion on the cans went away. I haven't tried my speakers yet, will keep you posted after I get home tonight.

Thanks for all your help. This is a great forum, you guys have been very patient and made a newbie feel welcome.

hmm...I think the problem lies not with the soundcard but with the AV receiver! I just played a CD on my dvd player (which is connected via digital cable) to the AV receiver, and plugged in the Senn HD25s to the receiver as well. Still got distortion. So apparently it has nothing to do with the soundcard.

But why should the receiver have difficulty in driving the headphones? Even my puny iriver mp3 player can drive these cans without distortion. On checking the manual for the receiver, it says that the headphone output impedance is 440ohms.

Or is it that my receiver headphone jack is spoilt becos seldom used? I only started getting interested in headphones when my baby girl was born.

So I should buy a new soundcard then, with a functional line out. Anyways this SBlive has been with me for about 4 yrs.

Lekguan, if you don't mind can you explain some of the terms you used in your post. Sorry la, me newbie. What do you mean by "plug an amplified source into a mixer"? Is the SBLIve output an amplified source? Is my amp a mixer? What do you mean by "pad it?"

I dunno what the cable is called, but one end is the Red/White RCA plug which I connect to the amp and the other end looks like your typical headphone plug.

When I plug into the Line Out jack of the soundcard, my amp has no sound. I only get sound if I plug into the headphone jack. Does it make any difference?

Headphones: Senn HD25 SP

Amp: actually AV receiver Yamaha RX-V995

Soundcard: SBlive

This is the situation:

When I plug the headphones directly into the SBlive headphone jack, music and sound plays perfectly. BUT if I connect the soundcard to my amp, and then the headphones to the amp, it sounds horrible. I get pops, hisses and crackling sounds during playback. Actually it's nothing to do with the headphones, since the sound coming out from speakers also equally bad.

Can the experts help?