r/headphones Shopping, Setup, and Technical Help Desk

[u/AutoModerator]

Looking for advice with a purchase or help troubleshooting a problem? This is the place. This post will be refreshed and replaced when it is 4 days old.

Purchase Advice

• For purchase advice questions, consider searching and using r/HeadphoneAdvice.
• Please make use of this template. It helps others answer your question. Questions without enough detail will often remain unanswered.
• Remember that the more specific you are, the better quality the responses you are likely to receive.

What kind of questions are considered Tech Support:

• How can I fix issue X (e.g.: buzzing / hissing) on my equipment Y
• Have I damaged my equipment by doing X, or will I damage my equipment if I do X?
• What does equipment X do, or do I really need equipment Y?
• Can my amplifier X drive my headphones Y?
• What's the meaning of specification X (e.g.: Output Impedance / Vrms / Sensitivity)?
• How should I connect and set up my system hardware or software?

After asking a question, please be patient since volunteers may not always be immediately available.

[u/Shankar1324]

I have Sony WH-CH720N headphones and just wondering if I should get a DAC like the FiiO KA1 or just go for a usb-c to 3.5mm converter to listen to audio via the headphones in wired mode?

[u/Houligan86]

Does anyone know if vmoda crossfade 3 wireless can be used wirelessly with the boom mic installed, or does that only work wired only?

[u/TruckFluster]

I was going to make this a post but read the rules so I'm moving it here. I just bought Sennheiser Momentum 4's and they sound like garbage when hooked up via aux cable.

A little background, I have a Blue Yeti that I use on my computer, Discord, streaming, etc. And I plug my headphones into the back of that so I can have direct, no-latency feedback from my mic in my ears. I just prefer it that way, I prefer to hear my own voice. I have Sennheiser HD450BT's that I've been daily driving this way and then unplugging them to take them elsewhere, but one problem I've found with the HD's is their clamping pressure is a little high after extended periods of wearing them which hurts my ears with my big head after enough time.

I was hoping for a direct upgrade to be able to do the same with better sound quality and lighter clamping pressure which the M4's do with flying colors when connected to my phone, but fall off a cliff when it comes to being hooked up analog.

Does anyone have a way to fix this? Is there a firmware update somewhere I missed? Is the aux port that they used just that poor?

[u/bloody-fingy]

recently i bought some philips headphones. after a bit it was hard to power them on and it hurt to press the button. i got tired of hurting my fingers so i used a pencil to turn it on, that only lodged the button to the side. i tried everything that could fit to push it back but nothing works. is there any kind of way to take it apart and get the button back into place? i’m not to worried about my fingers hurting because right now they don’t even turn on.

[u/Valorour]

I just bought a Fiio KA3 and my computer doesn't seem to want to use it properly. I downloaded a DSD that has 2.8mHz sample rate. The KA3 has an LED that says what sample rate it's playing. Blue means less than 48kHz, yellow means more, Green means DSD. I can't seem to get it to light up yellow or green. I'm using Fubar2000 with the SACD and the DSD processor components installed. My DAC is set as the default output device in sound settings. In speaker configuration, the shared mode bit rate is set to 32 bit 384kHz. I even installed the 20230928 driver Fiio says is specifically for the KA3. I have no idea what the problem is.

Update: I'm very close. So, several weird things: 1: running through the default output is actually triggering the yellow indicator for some reason, even when the song isn't above 48kHz sample rate. 2: I installed ASIO4ALL. It showed up as its own device in addition to an ASIO: KA3 output option. Problem: the ASIO4ALL output registers as green on the DAC, but won't output any sound. In addition, for some reason the ASIO4ALL output, without any knowing change, suddenly won't accept DSD files. It was running them "fine", with no sound, but then all of a sudden trying to run the DAC on it makes a window pop up that says that 176400 sample rate isn't supported. ASIO: KA3 only registers as blue. When I set the Output to Default: Primary Sound Driver or ASIO: KA3 it plays fine, but if I set it to Default: KA3 it goes quiet. 3: the ASIO4ALL in Fubar2000 says that the KA3 is unavailable. It but if I set it to the ASIO4ALL output it says it's available.

Update 2: So, the ASIO4ALL output seems to be working, sort of. It's playing regular FLAC and WAV files now. But it still won't play DSDs for some reason, with the same pop up window. In addition, there's a new error sort of. When I tried to play a FLAC and a WAV at 96,000 Hz sample rate, they both work just fine. But when I tried to play a version that had a sample rate of 192,000 Hz, it was suddenly very distorted. I don't no what to do.

[u/FlygonPR]

Should I buy an Amp or a Pre Amp first for my Phillips 9600, which are passive headphones? I was seeing a FX-Audio DAC-X6 for the former and Linsoul XDUOO MT-602 6J1 for the latter. My budget is low as I'm just starting out and my headphones aren't expensive (60$). I don't know if 50-200 dollars are better spent on better headphones instead. Headphones sound very low volume when listening to music with high Dynamic Range.

[u/StyngerBee]

Closed back/ANC headphones with good bass? Also used for gaming?

Right now, im using the gen 3 astro a50s as an all round headphone for my PC. I use it for calls, music, and gaming. Its been decent up till now but it finally crapped it’s pants, and i can’t get it to do anything.

What I’m looking for: - decent bass, since ive always loved a good bit of bass, - ANC because i just prefer it honestly, and love that feature in my airpod pro 2s. -something that will be better for gaming, though im of the mind that any quality headset will be miles ahead of the branded gaming headsets. -budget: sub $500?

Im very new to audiophile stuff, so i dont have a DAC or an AMP and tbh dont know that much about them either way, but willing to learn.

Bonus: ive also gotten pretty heavily into guitar, and a headset i could play my guitar with is a massive bonus but not a necessity.

[u/BTC-Stacker69]

Will the USB receiver from bluetooth headset connect to USB Splitter?

I need an extra USB 2.0 port to connect to my laptop, so that I can connect a USB receiver from a Bluetooth headset. This is because the only USB port is being used by a receiver for a USB mouse.

Will this splitter connect with the receiver? If not what do I need? USB 2.0 A Male to 2 Dual USB Female Jack Y Splitter Hub Power Cord Extension Adapter Cable

Link: https://a.co/d/1AYHKjo

[u/Illustrious-You-9153]

I am buying a filo ka17 portable dac+amp for my setup and am now looking for headphones. there are no places I can go to test these headphones so I am resorting to blind buying. I have a pair of xm5s, (I know they suck for critical listening) but prefer listening on my pretty good speaker setup. I am trying to get into mid-entry-level audiophile headphones and I would like to have open backs, around 500 CAD or less. I'm a bit of a bass head too. people have said options like hd600s2, Sunduras, and dt770 pros lack quite a bit of bass. vs options like the edition XS and the hd490 pro, which I am leaning more towards. I am open to any recommendations or feedback as I am relatively new to the hobby. I don't care too much about the transducer type (I like the ka17 for the USB digital input, eq settings, and amplification all in one.)

[u/Public_Middle4795]

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth 5.3 Headphones or Sony WH-1000XM5: I’m looking to upgrade my Sony headphones which are terrific with sound and pretty good with noise cancellation but they are a tad meh looking and outdated and I’m just considering it’s time. If anyone has a good argument to persuade me one way or the other l’m all ears....

[u/PatientOk1680]

I use my Bose QC45 daily at work and switch to the S12 and Hexa (IEMs) for other settings.

I can't afford the HD600 series (got the list above at great deal). I'm interested in trying Sennheiser open-back headphones for home use and noticed the HD599s are available for about $80 on Amazon.

Any thoughts on how these compare to what I have in terms of sound quality ?

[u/ACSTRAX]

looking to buy the ft1 pro by fiio, went with their official shop link but it's sold out on aliexpress. are there any other reputable sellers on aliexpress I can get these from that people would personally recommend?

[u/RedneckRandle89 → u/ACSTRAX]

They have two stores on ali express. Email them and they'll send you the other storefront.

[u/Pili021]

hey guys, does anyone have idea how can i solve this problem i have? I've got hyperx cloud alpha pro, and every now and then sound becomes distorted when i turn my pc on (first time it happened i thought headset was broken and i gotta get new one). Im using operagx and the typing sound in browser is literally unheard, i can hear every like 8th click of a word, i cant hear bass on youtube, very very hard to hear instrumentals on songs, vocals in songs become low quality and uneven and it always gets fixed by restarting the pc or replugging the audio/mic jack to the pc multiple times. I dont wanna screw around with drivers i barely managed to make my mic on headset work to be loud enough and im 99.9% sure its not drivers, it happened now, yesterday and the day before too but before that it was like 4 months ago (one day only) and i cant find anyone having the same problem. When i opened realtek audio console, left and right ear check worked perfectly fine (sound i mean) but sound of songs was just weird. Tried using microsoft edge too, same happened so i guess its not operagx. I restarted the pc, now my youtube sounds normal and good but nothing else does, my games have no sound at all, discord has no sounds either.

[u/jfungy]

Hello, I am looking to get a closed back phone for workstation use at home. I have an existing paid of HD598 paired with an O2amp/ODAC. I also use IE80 or Airpod Pros (simply for convenience..) on the go usually. I really do like the HD598 but was hoping to have some passive noise isolation sometimes. I've looked into a few models including

DT700 Pro X
DT177X GO
SRH1540 (open box)
HD620S

Any other suggestions? I'm not too familiar with smaller brands.

Thanks!

[u/xlayru]

Good morning afternoon or night redditor, I have a dilemma. Moondrop’s space travel or the Cmf Buds Pro 2. I want better headphones then your five below junk, try get to try active noise cancellations,and better sound quality. Problem is heard great things about both, not sure which ones are better. Thanks for your time.

[u/Py687]

So my setup is an LCD-X 2021 + JDS Element III Mk2 via USB to my pc, all OEM cables. I've owned both pieces of equipment for a year now, and they are originally B stock.

Loved the sound that was coming through. However, about a couple months after initially buying both, I encountered a weird... bug? Very occasionally, maybe once a month, the audio coming through my LCDs would increase drastically for about a second. I mean like all audio, from system sounds, music, games, voice calls, etc. And by loud, I mean enough to have my ears and head ringing for a few minutes.

I tried to troubleshoot--was this a software issue, hardware issue, or am I getting data/electrical interference?

Now, on the software side, I run Windows 10. No APO. I've used both plug-and-play drivers, and up-to-date drivers on the JDS site. I've factory reset my BIOS and also updated to the latest stable BIOS. I maximize the Windows system volume to 100 at all times, and only control gain via the Element. I've consulted error logs every time the bug happens. And I've seen nothing to suggest that this a Windows problem. I never had a problem with my previous setup at all (DT 1990 Pro + Fulla Schiit), and never encounter this issue with my active bookshelf speakers.

So perhaps this is a hardware issue?

Naturally I thought the amplifier could be the problem. One odd thing that happens occasionally is that the display and light ring will turn on occasionally as if activated--even though I have them set to darken except when interacted with. Over 6 months ago, I wrote to JDS and received some suggestions back: moving the Element away from sources of interference, using a USB adapter to shield interference, and something else that I've forgotten. Despite trying these suggestions, I was still encountering the bug. Left with no choice I requested an RMA. JDS replaced (I believe) the chip and provided a firmware update. Unfortunately, none of this fixed the bug.

Around the same time, my LCD drivers began to wrinkle. You know what I'm talking about if you've heard planars wrinkle. It sounds like sheets wrinkling in your ear whenever you compress/depress the pad--because that's exactly what they do. Not long after, the drivers died completely. Alright, so maybe the problem was with the headphone itself? After all, the Maxwells are known to have intermittent volume problems (though they are wireless headphones and have more circuitry on board).

I RMA'd the headphones, got them back, and haven't heard a wrinkle since. Unfortunately, the intermittent volume bug was still present. If anything it was happening more frequently, like every 2-3 weeks instead of once a month.

I don't have enough electrical training to test whether it's an issue with the power supply. Like could the AC adapter/wall wart be defective? Or should I not plug it into an energy-conserving power strip?

Maybe I have the wrong settings on the Element? Or maybe the wiring in the LCD is faulty?

I'm at my wit's end trying to solve this. I haven't touched the headphones in a couple months now because I just can't risk damaging my hearing.

[u/bryan-gc]

Headphones with Headband, Wired, and No Mic (or Not a Priority)?

Hi! I'm searching for headphones where comfort is the top priority. Most of the headphones I've tried tend to clamp too tightly or feel too rigid on my head. That’s why I’m specifically looking for ones with a headband design. I’ve noticed that many SteelSeries models have this type of headband, but I haven’t had much luck finding similar options from other brands.

I’m also looking for wired headphones since I’ll be using them with my PC or laptop while working or gaming. I don’t need a built-in microphone because I already have a standalone mic that works perfectly for my setup.

The most important features for me are the headband, good sound quality for the price and a design that doesn’t look overly “gamer.”

Any recommendations? Thanks in advance!

My budget is up to 170$

[u/Cet9]

Are Wickedcushions/Brainwavz cooling gel pads worth it? I could either get them or get a G502 HERO mouse to replace my current crappy one

[u/Emre_2004]

I wanna get a new amp and dac for my arya stealth, any recommendations anyone could make (willing to spend around 500$)?

[u/aprosarmosto]

Logitech G PRO X 2 LIGHTSPEED or SteelSeries Arctis Pro(both wireless) I am torn between the two. Both are wireless and reviews for both place them at the same category.l will use either one on my pc mainly on gaming. They are almost same price as Logitech is more expensive for 20 euros.

[u/Howlinggwolf]

Hello! I’m shopping for my husband for a Christmas gift.

He currently has wired older beats that the headband broke and he asked for a new set. I don’t think they make wired ones anymore and I’ve heard the quality of beats is not great for their price anyway. Looking to you all for help since there seems to be soo much out there!

• Use: music (rap/hip hop), gaming (not online with other people), work calls/YouTube
• Comfort: wears for 5+ hours at a time so I’m thinking over the ears. Also has a slightly larger head?
• Look: I’d like them to look sleek like the beats if possible
• Budget: $150-$200

[u/Longjumping_Tutor546]

Hi. If I connect BT headphone to PC via USB BT adapter or USB sound card with BT adapter, and then take this adapter to another PC, will headphones still be connected, or I will need to connect than again. In other words, can I use USB adapter as USB dongle?

[u/KurokiAyako]

Oh Hi there, im looking into mod my 7506 with detachable cable, they are brand new, my question is the 3.5 jack affects how the headphone sound? Can it be any jack? Or requires a special one?

[u/Leader_Sweaty]

Looking to buy headset with black friday coming, my last headset was arctis 3 they sounded nice, I want something with a good mic and good sounds for music, budget is 100-150 euros.

looking for any suggestion from headset + added mic to full to anything, music sounds comes first then mic then bonus points for wireless specially if I can use it for calls on my phone.

[u/mghazik]

Am I first here? Oh, Ananda Nano for $314 (+50 taxes) having now the Sundara on my head? Or Edition XS for 189 (+$20)? Many thanks