I am thinking of selling my K702 with gaming cable. Make a offer if interested.

Issues with the cable?

Oh yea, KBI... just so you know, I didn't just try to slide an AKG adapter in there... I've been grinding away material to make sure it sits flush, before I epoxy it up and make sure it's in there SOLID!
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/C360_2010-10-3109-06-57.jpg

I like the cable (nice job by the way) and the can, but I prefer the ad700 when gaming. I eq both of them and found I had the best results with the ad700 with what I am trying to accomplish with them.

Ah okay, just like 'nerd. The K701/2 isn't a real upgrade over the AD700 if you're strictly gaming competitively. I can agree with this. Like I always said, if the AD700s had a real headband, I wouldn't have bought the K701 and used that money on something else, like a killer set of single player cans with some bass.

Ah okay, just like 'nerd. The K701/2 isn't a real upgrade over the AD700 if you're strictly gaming competitively. I can agree with this. Like I always said, if the AD700s had a real headband, I wouldn't have bought the K701 and used that money on something else, like a killer set of single player cans with some bass.

Heh...didn't you already did that when you bought the DT990/600 for single?

Yeah, but I meant back then. Ideally, it would have been an AD700 for competitive, DT990 for single, and DT770/600 or K271 MKII (dunno if they do good for gaming) for closed.

Just how much did you get your Califone mic for?

I think it was around $25 2 years ago. I wasnt exactly looking for the best bargain on it.

from all the models,what califone headphone are you going to buy?

I didn't know there were many models. I just want one that works well with my headphones on the 360, that don't need to be attached. As long as it fits my neck and picks up my voice well, that's all I care about. I just didn't expect it to be like 30 dollars. @_@

I like the cable (nice job by the way) and the can, but I prefer the ad700 when gaming. I eq both of them and found I had the best results with the ad700 with what I am trying to accomplish with them.

Too bad you weren't around last year.... you coulda picked these up...
AD700 (http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/484176/dark-knight-ad700-gaming-mod-lots-of-pics).

Ah, the babies... <3

Those are nice but I already have my mic modded ad700 and my astro a40. I also can buy back my mmx-300 for $125. Plenty of options. I also have my L7000 for single player.

King, how do you feel about the A40 vs AD700?

Personally, I thought they were pretty close. The AD700 offers better positioning, but it's close. And the A40 offers more (IMO needed) bass. Though I don't EQ either one, so you may have different findings I guess.

Issues with the cable?

Oh yea, KBI... just so you know, I didn't just try to slide an AKG adapter in there... I've been grinding away material to make sure it sits flush, before I epoxy it up and make sure it's in there SOLID!
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/C360_2010-10-3109-06-57.jpg
They look phenomenal Hector. You exceeded my expections.. If you need a bit of extra Christmas snow (money) let me know.. You really went beyond what most cablers would have done.. Thank you so much.. I will give you more work when you start again. I know a MOTT who MAKES a living re cabling headphones.. You have that talent. All the best. & thanks for treating my headphones like they were your own. I will name them after you. The SWZ Special. You truly made them into your own. I will never sell this pair.. I urge all here to have SWZ do all your cable needs. He had mine for over a month, but no fault of his own.. That's why I haven't been pming him every other day. I trust him... I will post a blog about them with pictures.. Hope fuly SWZ can work on one of my DT48 next yr.. Just some advice. You should gather testimonals to your work & practice to use as reference.

King, how do you feel about the A40 vs AD700?
I think the positioning of the a40 is good. i never had a problem with differentiating where sounds were coming from. However, the larger soundstage of the ad700 helps spread out the sounds so that the positioning is more precise. Putting the ad700 on after the a40 really allows some space between the sounds which does help the positioning to seem better than the a40.

Also I been messing around with eq the cans. This is still in the works and will have to be readjusted for black ops when it comes out. I took the output of the mixamp and ran it into my computer and recorded the output so I could look at the best way to eq. I have come to the conclusion that the best sound signature I found so far to be the best for competitive play is a J shaped sound signature. Meaning, the bass is at a average level, the mids being recessed, and the high end cranked. I first started with private matches to adjust the sound and found that cranking the highs above 2.5k helps bring out footsteps and other audio cues. Then I look at there frequency graph and found an area in the bass to bring up in order to bring out the footsteps more. I then recessed the mids. The mids have all the non essential sound for being competitive. They are important though for immersion or fun factor. The mids have a lot of sound that can cover up important stuff since everything seems to be in the 600 - 2k range. The next couple of shots are for fun to show a few of the things I am talking about.

This is the break down of sound of just me running on the sub base. The red boxes show my footsteps. They extend the whole freq. range but tend to get covered up by the average noise in the mids (yellow box). There is a extra hard hit on the footsteps between 200 - 400hz (green boxes). By eq that range up, I get the impact of the footsteps brought out more. Also since not a lot of noises in the game tend to be in the 2.5hz on up (blue box), I eq that section up really high to get all the info like footsteps, reloads, and silent weapons, without getting it covered up by the rest of the sounds in the game.

http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/KingStyles1/ad700/subfoot1.jpg

The next screen shows me firing a silenced tar. You can even see all 30 bullets (blue box). I was burst firing it. Once again the sound of it extends the whole frequency so by eq the highs up, I have effectively brought out the silent sound without muddling it up with all the other game noise. A couple of other noises in it that are also brought out by eq the highs up are the bullet casings hitting the ground (green box) and the reload sound the last 2 sec (red box).

http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/KingStyles1/ad700/silenttar1.jpg

I will leave you with a picture of how my eq is adjusted at the moment. Constantly tweaking it of course...

http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/KingStyles1/ad700/IMG_0032.jpg

king is doin it up seriously.


and to think that some people still play on TV speakers, or think that the astro setup is a gimmick as far as increasing your gaming performance.

woah...

AMAZING!

Seems that with that analysis, you can tweak any cans to be superb for competive :P

So,the amazing AD700 are being much much better with this crazy tweaking... is almost cheating :P

So, you can hear everything that matters now only, it seems.

Holy cow, I thought I was obsessive over my sounds in CoD.

King, you are a TRUE gamer. :)

I'm borderline impatient and want my stuff to sound right without much work on my part, but I can see that massive EQ-ing being very beneficial. Kudos.

Thanks for the analysis, King. I'm not surprised to hear that you can pull out some extra details with the EQ. Do you still find that the AD700 EQs better than the 702s (or did you not have the 702s)? I just hate the AD700s after using the 702s. The clarity comparison is no comparison, it sounds like the AD700s are under water or stuffed with tissues. I do think the AD700s have ever so slightly better positioning than the 702s, but the clarity and over all sound is worth it to me. I'm curious how the 702s react to tuning?

Also, how much did the EQ run you, if you don't mind my asking?

You guys seem to be really up to date with these gaming headphones so I was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on the Astro wireless Mixamp (5.8)? I have in the past wanted to pick up the A40 Mixamp package but the wires stringing across the room where always a no go for me. This new mixamp seems like the perfect solution so I was just hoping to get some thoughts from this crowd.

Thanks in advance.

it's not out until the 22nd, I think - so no one here has tried it yet.

Thanks for the analysis, King. I'm not surprised to hear that you can pull out some extra details with the EQ. Do you still find that the AD700 EQs better than the 702s (or did you not have the 702s)? I just hate the AD700s after using the 702s. The clarity comparison is no comparison, it sounds like the AD700s are under water or stuffed with tissues. I do think the AD700s have ever so slightly better positioning than the 702s, but the clarity and over all sound is worth it to me. I'm curious how the 702s react to tuning?

Also, how much did the EQ run you, if you don't mind my asking?
I did have the K702 at the same time as the ad700. I could never get the sound the way I wanted compared to what I was able to pull out of the ad700. Putting the ad700 on after using and eq the k702 for a week, the ad700 had an immediate jump in bringing out audio cues that I wasnt able to eq and get out of the k702. Well... I could get it out of the k702 but it wasnt to the level of the ad700. For single player the k702 is superior, but for competitive play the ad700 bring more to the table. Of course, if you are doing single player there are better options than the k702.

I am curious if you tried the ad700 out of anything besides your mixamp. After using my eq and then going back to just the mixamp with the ad700, it was dark and murky compared to my eq. My setting on my eq will make it bright, but I was shocked on how thick the sound was out of the straight mixamp in comparison.

The eq is on sale for $169 at guitar center and I think I have seen them used for around $100 on ebay.

Holy cow, I like a bright sig, but I definitely wouldn't want it brighter than they already are. O_O

Though I haven't exactly compared them side by side... more like one house to the next.

I find the AD700 pretty bright without EQ, but I have tried mine on my two hybrid tube amps, my pure tube amp, and my pure solid state amp. I actually really don't like the AD700 much at all. It's among my least favorite, but alas, I cannot deny its soundstage and good multiplayer positioning. If I was after ONLY positioning, in order to play a game like COD as best as I possibly could, the AD700 would be it, but if I also want to enjoy the game with great sound, the AD700 is not it, for me. I do think with some EQ I could be more pleased, but EQ won't bring the clarity I've been spoiled with from the K702 and my other cans.

Stage 1 of the molding process.... a little Epoxy here, a little there...
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/C360_2010-11-0221-19-08.jpg

i dont know if he'd want to keep the old textured look, but i think those would be sexy if you smoothed out the texture (maybe some bondo) and had them shot with some automotive grade paint :D

Sideways is the man!

i dont know if he'd want to keep the old textured look, but i think those would be sexy if you smoothed out the texture (maybe some bondo) and had them shot with some automotive grade paint :D

He didn't say... but my intention was to smooth them out.... shoot them in black... and then buff them to a nice shine. These should put my re-work of my Grados to shame.

He didn't say... but my intention was to smooth them out.... shoot them in black... and then buff them to a nice shine. These should put my re-work of my Grados to shame.
Just work your magic man..

SWZ, are you wiring them with silver internally?

Should wire them with UPOCC, if you're going to go with something other than the standard OFHC. Silver can be too bright. But I don't know what the sound signature of the DT48s is to begin with, maybe a little brightness would be great.

Should wire them with UPOCC, if you're going to go with something other than the standard OFHC. Silver can be too bright. But I don't know what the sound signature of the DT48s is to begin with, maybe a little brightness would be great.

the stock wiring worked well, and I'm not sure what that was. It wasn't as bright as the K702, but was well presented. It was also less fatiguing as well. The Mids had a ton of clarity and presence. I think UPOCC will be nice, Silver might make them too bright so they don't sound like a DT480). The only thing that I didn't find completely fantastic was the Bass. Now, with a re-wire, I think most of that would be cleaned up... and would put these ahead of the K702.... and I'd have to buy them off of KBI.:D In the end, is to basically clean them up and make them sound a little better, without making them sound like a different headphone.

the stock wiring worked well, and I'm not sure what that was. It wasn't as bright as the K702, but was well presented. It was also less fatiguing as well. The Mids had a ton of clarity and presence. I think UPOCC will be nice, Silver might make them too bright so they don't sound like a DT480). The only thing that I didn't find completely fantastic was the Bass. Now, with a re-wire, I think most of that would be cleaned up... and would put these ahead of the K702.... and I'd have to buy them off of KBI.:D In the end, is to basically clean them up and make them sound a little better, without making them sound like a different headphone.That's what UPOCC is all about.

Should wire them with UPOCC, if you're going to go with something other than the standard OFHC. Silver can be too bright. But I don't know what the sound signature of the DT48s is to begin with, maybe a little brightness would be great.


well in theory, with an interchangable cable, you can wire them internally with silver so they're as transparent as possible, that way whatever external cable you use will sound true to it's composition.

maybe i'm wrong :)

I dunno, there is a lot of debate on it, UPOCC vs silver. I guess I'm just a UPOCC guy.

Some people say silver makes headphones bright, some say it's so neutral/transparent that it reveals that the headphone really just is very bright. This may be true, but most headphones are designed and tuned to copper, so it makes sense that silver would make them brighter.

I dunno, it's just a personal preference thing. If you're only talking about the inch or two of wire inside the headphone, it won't make much difference either way.

Try Sony MDR V-6. The infrasonics are sick!!! They will put you "in" the environment. Played Blair Witched Project back in the day and the imaging was outstanding.

I would tend to agree with those statements... but if the driver is wound and built using copper.... would using silver to connect to source make much difference?

Should wire them with UPOCC, if you're going to go with something other than the standard OFHC. Silver can be too bright. But I don't know what the sound signature of the DT48s is to begin with, maybe a little brightness would be great.
These are the DT480 not DT48.. I like bright..Ala, The SA5000 is one of my favorite headphones.. To me the DT480, while being pretty aggressive were a bit dark..But, again.. I haven't heard them for 3-6 months.. But for 1972, closed headphones.. They fair very well with upper mid fi to maybe 'high end' headphones like the DT880/701..

I would tend to agree with those statements... but if the driver is wound and built using copper.... would using silver to connect to source make much difference?Yes, of course. Any cable between source and your ears will make a difference. The longer it is, the more the difference. That's why you can hear a difference between OFHC, UPOCC, silver, etc cables when you recable a headphone, even if they are copper wound drivers. But for an inch or two run inside the headphone, from the driver to the connector jack, I doubt you'd notice anything. Compared to the 6'+ long headphone cable's effect on the sound, it would be hard/impossible to notice.

These are the DT480 not DT48.. I like bright..Ala, The SA5000 is one of my favorite headphones.. To me the DT480, while being pretty aggressive were a bit dark..But, again.. I haven't heard them for 3-6 months.. But for 1972, closed headphones.. They fair very well with upper mid fi to maybe 'high end' headphones like the DT880/701..Ah ok, I thought these were some of your DT48s. If they were dark for you to begin wtih, maybe a silver recable would work well for you? A lot more expensive than a standard OFHC recable, but basically in line with UPOCC if you were going that route anyway. This is talking about the actual headphone cable though, because again, I don't think the inch or two of cable from driver to connector will make much difference in price or in sound.

Yes, of course. Any cable between source and your ears will make a difference. The longer it is, the more the difference. That's why you can hear a difference between OFHC, UPOCC, silver, etc cables when you recable a headphone, even if they are copper wound drivers. But for an inch or two run inside the headphone, from the driver to the connector jack, I doubt you'd notice anything. Compared to the 6'+ long headphone cable's effect on the sound, it would be hard/impossible to notice.

Ah ok, I thought these were some of your DT48s. If they were dark for you to begin wtih, maybe a silver recable would work well for you? A lot more expensive than a standard OFHC recable, but basically in line with UPOCC if you were going that route anyway. This is talking about the actual headphone cable though, because again, I don't think the inch or two of cable from driver to connector will make much difference in price or in sound.

Would 7-8 FT make a difference? I know the stock cable is 38 yrs old.

In my experience, I can definitely tell the difference between my 6 foot cables, a couple different UPOCC ones, an OFHC one from sideways, and the stockers. Big enough difference between them to easily tell (ie not a placebo). Sideways also listened to them, and was able to tell as well. 7-8 feet of a better cable would definitely make a difference.

Whether you want UPOCC or silver, or OFHC, I dunno though. Personally, I haven't tried silver for headphone cabling, as I'm a bit tentative about what I read about it being very bright. To me, that's too much extra coloartion from the cable, I'd rather just keep the sound signature the same (maybe I'm a purist). I do like a bright headphone, but I don't want to go over the top on already bright headphones (liket he 701 for example). I prefer to just clean and tighten everything up with UPOCC.

IIRC, I think sideways actually preferred his OFHC cable to the UPOCC cable, though. The UPOCC cable really tightened the bass dramatically IMO as well as improving clarity a lot overall. The OFHC improved clarity too, but not as much IMO, and seemed to have more bass than the UPOCC because (IMO) it wasn't as tight.. was a little looser so seemed to have more quantity. The UPOCC also smooths/cleans out the top end enough that they seem a little brighter, which makes the bass seem less. Basically between tighter bass reducing the quantity, and smoother/clearer/cleaner highs taking away from the bass a little, the bass on the UPOCC, compared to the OFHC, seemed to have less quantity, although it wasn't less than the stocker. I think in the end, sideways preferred the OFHC because of the bigger bass presence, but both the OFHC and UPOCC cables were a dramatic improvement over the stock cables on both the HD600 and K702 (only heard the DT880/600 with UPOCC, not OFHC).

I don't know if 38 years ago stock cables were better or worse than today, but either way, I can about guarantee you that a new (better) cable will sound much better. If I were you, I'd start with the OFHC because it's a great improvement and is cheap enough, and with the design sidways is doing for you, it will be trivial to try a different cable(s) in the future.

In my experience, I can definitely tell the difference between my 6 foot cables, a couple different UPOCC ones, an OFHC one from sideways, and the stockers. Big enough difference between them to easily tell (ie not a placebo). Sideways also listened to them, and was able to tell as well. 7-8 feet of a better cable would definitely make a difference.

Whether you want UPOCC or silver, or OFHC, I dunno though. Personally, I haven't tried silver for headphone cabling, as I'm a bit tentative about what I read about it being very bright. To me, that's too much extra coloartion from the cable, I'd rather just keep the sound signature the same (maybe I'm a purist). I do like a bright headphone, but I don't want to go over the top on already bright headphones (liket he 701 for example). I prefer to just clean and tighten everything up with UPOCC.

IIRC, I think sideways actually preferred his OFHC cable to the UPOCC cable, though. The UPOCC cable really tightened the bass dramatically IMO as well as improving clarity a lot overall. The OFHC improved clarity too, but not as much IMO, and seemed to have more bass than the UPOCC because (IMO) it wasn't as tight.. was a little looser so seemed to have more quantity. The UPOCC also smooths/cleans out the top end enough that they seem a little brighter, which makes the bass seem less. Basically between tighter bass reducing the quantity, and smoother/clearer/cleaner highs taking away from the bass a little, the bass on the UPOCC, compared to the OFHC, seemed to have less quantity, although it wasn't less than the stocker. I think in the end, sideways preferred the OFHC because of the bigger bass presence, but both the OFHC and UPOCC cables were a dramatic improvement over the stock cables on both the HD600 and K702 (only heard the DT880/600 with UPOCC, not OFHC).

I don't know if 38 years ago stock cables were better or worse than today, but either way, I can about guarantee you that a new (better) cable will sound much better. If I were you, I'd start with the OFHC because it's a great improvement and is cheap enough, and with the design sidways is doing for you, it will be trivial to try a different cable(s) in the future.

Sorry man, Have tried blind A/B testing with different cable types many times. Could never tell without just luck from guessing which is which on a 3 cable 10 times test. So I do not buy in to cabling makes a difference unless the run (length) causes so much resistance that the signal is some how affected in the audible range. To much voodoo, magic smoke and psycho-acoustics to justify spending money on something that in my opinion does not matter. The only thing I could see making a difference if the cabling was faulty or the assembly of the headphones was faulty as well and redoing it "fixed" the issue.
'

What cables did you try, on what headphones?

I'm not talking about power cables or interconnects or anything like that, this is strictly headphone cables, from the cans to the amp.

Unless you are partially deaf, I would bet you a sizeable amount you could tell the difference between the different cables I have. They are like literally almost like different headphones. It's that night and day. Like the difference between a good amp and a crappy amp, or a good dac and a crappy one. Like the difference between coke and pepsi, for your ears.

What cables did you try, on what headphones?

I'm not talking about power cables or interconnects or anything like that, this is strictly headphone cables, from the cans to the amp.

Unless you are partially deaf, I would bet you a sizeable amount you could tell the difference between the different cables I have. They are like literally almost like different headphones. It's that night and day. Like the difference between a good amp and a crappy amp, or a good dac and a crappy one. Like the difference between coke and pepsi, for your ears.


this is exactly right, but to some people, cola is cola.

this is exactly right, but to some people, cola is cola.I feel really bad for them :o:p Or should they feel really bad for me :confused:

Sorry man, Have tried blind A/B testing with different cable types many times. Could never tell without just luck from guessing which is which on a 3 cable 10 times test. So I do not buy in to cabling makes a difference unless the run (length) causes so much resistance that the signal is some how affected in the audible range. To much voodoo, magic smoke and psycho-acoustics to justify spending money on something that in my opinion does not matter. The only thing I could see making a difference if the cabling was faulty or the assembly of the headphones was faulty as well and redoing it "fixed" the issue.
'

Disagree... I've not tried Silver... but tried the same cables from PJ and my cables... I KNOW I can hear a difference. I 've listened to the much more expensive cable and didn't really like the improvement it made (but that was before I really liked the K702). I don't think any cable is worth more than $100 or more, but... I haven't heard the more expensive ones to really say that. Placebo, maybe... for me... I disagree.

I feel really bad for them :o:p Or should they feel really bad for me :confused:

I hate getting into these discussions, and had worked up a post a few hours ago full of math for why there is no difference, then scrapped it. I may redo it later. The problem with the statement is that on a spectrum analyzer there is no measurable difference between different types of conductors, and that's a device that's several orders of magnitude more sensitive than our ears. Combined with the fact that the resistivity, wire losses, and skin depth are nearly identical between all of the common conductors, about all one could do is purposely color the signal with additional components. If the cable is just wire, it will have very little effect on acoustics signals, even if you buy into our ability to perceive ultrasonic signals in the 100kHz range.

The only real way to settle it for yourself is good double-blind testing. I understand why most people don't want to go to those lengths because of what a pain it is, but other testing is too susceptible to contamination. I can say that I have very good hearing (based on standard hearing tests I've taken throughout my life) and I can't hear a difference between various interconnects, power cables, or wiring changes for speakers or headphones, but that doesn't mean anything. If somebody wants to spend money on any of that stuff, that's their business. It doesn't change the fact that even sensitive test equipment can't tell copper from silver by looking at the transmitted signal, but it's pointless to try to change minds in such arguments anyway.

I hate getting into these discussions, and had worked up a post a few hours ago full of math for why there is no difference, then scrapped it. I may redo it later. The problem with the statement is that on a spectrum analyzer there is no measurable difference between different types of conductors, and that's a device that's several orders of magnitude more sensitive than our ears. Combined with the fact that the resistivity, wire losses, and skin depth are nearly identical between all of the common conductors, about all one could do is purposely color the signal with additional components. If the cable is just wire, it will have very little effect on acoustics signals, even if you buy into our ability to perceive ultrasonic signals in the 100kHz range.

The only real way to settle it for yourself is good double-blind testing. I understand why most people don't want to go to those lengths because of what a pain it is, but other testing is too susceptible to contamination. I can say that I have very good hearing (based on standard hearing tests I've taken throughout my life) and I can't hear a difference between various interconnects, power cables, or wiring changes for speakers or headphones, but that doesn't mean anything. If somebody wants to spend money on any of that stuff, that's their business. It doesn't change the fact that even sensitive test equipment can't tell copper from silver by looking at the transmitted signal, but it's pointless to try to change minds in such arguments anyway.

Agreed.... I've built multiple interconnects and what not... I can't hear much of a difference... but on my headphone cable.... I could. You can through as much math at it as you want, but when I listened to 4 different cables, they each sound a little different... and I didn't pick the most expensive cable... that's good enough for me. Damn the math! It's my ears, I heard it... I believe it...

Agreed.... I've built multiple interconnects and what not... I can't hear much of a difference... but on my headphone cable.... I could. You can through as much math at it as you want, but when I listened to 4 different cables, they each sound a little different... and I didn't pick the most expensive cable... that's good enough for me. Damn the math! It's my ears, I heard it... I believe it...

I get that, which is why the arguments are pointless. About the only way to get somebody to change their mind on this topic is to have a properly controlled double-blind test with them. If someone can hear a difference more than chance, it's good enough for me to question what's going on, and if someone can't they often start to re-think their position.

I get that, which is why the arguments are pointless. About the only way to get somebody to change their mind on this topic is to have a properly controlled double-blind test with them. If someone can hear a difference more than chance, it's good enough for me to question what's going on, and if someone can't they often start to re-think their position.

I take this is based on your double blind tests and not articles or other sources, but from your own experience? I think math would be based on a perfect example with reproduceable results... real world, things chance and everything can affect and alter the results. So I'd like to participate in such a test... though, I've used the K702 with 3 different cables and have used my wife to test (she thought she heard a difference as well).... and she thinks the speakers in her m11x are just peachy. I've also had my uncle listen, and he chose my latest cable too... and he listens to all his music on 20yr old Magnapans (not that, that makes much difference). Just saying...

I take this is based on your double blind tests and not articles or other sources, but from your own experience? I think math would be based on a perfect example with reproduceable results... real world, things chance and everything can affect and alter the results. So I'd like to participate in such a test... though, I've used the K702 with 3 different cables and have used my wife to test (she thought she heard a difference as well).... and she thinks the speakers in her m11x are just peachy. I've also had my uncle listen, and he chose my latest cable too... and he listens to all his music on 20yr old Magnapans (not that, that makes much difference). Just saying...

Yes, I've done my own double-blind listening tests. Never with headphone wire, but with speaker wire (where every effect is magnified because of the higher power), compression algorithms, interconnects, and power cables.

The math of resistance of the cable, skin depth, wire losses, and any other effect is not some ideal condition. The numbers are so small that tolerances in the wire production are negligible. And measuring a signal on an oscilloscope or spectrum analyzer takes into account the actual DUT anyway. I've never measured headphone cables, but I have measured speaker wire on an oscilloscope before. I also measure much lower-level signals that are much more sensitive to noise everyday as part of my job. I work as a electrical design engineer and have a fair amount of experience with test & measurement of electrical signals and electronics.

Anyway, I'm going to bow out of this discussion at this point, because, as I've already pointed out a couple of times, internet arguments over this are always unfruitful.

Yes, I've done my own double-blind listening tests. Never with headphone wire, but with speaker wire (where every effect is magnified because of the higher power), compression algorithms, interconnects, and power cables.

The math of resistance of the cable, skin depth, wire losses, and any other effect is not some ideal condition. The numbers are so small that tolerances in the wire production are negligible. And measuring a signal on an oscilloscope or spectrum analyzer takes into account the actual DUT anyway. I've never measured headphone cables, but I have measured speaker wire on an oscilloscope before. I also measure much lower-level signals that are much more sensitive to noise everyday as part of my job. I work as a electrical design engineer and have a fair amount of experience with test & measurement of electrical signals and electronics.

Anyway, I'm going to bow out of this discussion at this point, because, as I've already pointed out a couple of times, internet arguments over this are always unfruitful.

Obviously I can't, nor should I even try to discredit you. You obviously know what your talking about. I've very limited experience in what I've sampled. In the end, everyone will hear differently no matter what. My ears aren't instruments or an oscilloscope... just my ears...

I prefer my 16.00 interconnects over my 80.00 Cardas Silver.. More dynamic & aggressive sounding.. Forgot the brand... But they also make a lot of cables & gear for computers.. Belkin I think..

I spent 150.00 on the Cardas cable people swear by when paired with the 650.. To be frank, I didn't hear a difference.. But I do know cables can influence the sound.. I had my SA5000 recabled with a stock 650 cable & nuetered the SA5000 strengths.. So cables do matter.. Another owner who also had his SA5000 recabled with the stock 650 cable had the same complaints. He PMed me. So I'm wasn't imagining things.

So please don't tell me It's placebo, when I already stated I heard no difference between the 150.00 Cardas & stock 650 cable.. But I have heard differences between other cables.. I had 3 of my DT48 recabled with APS V3 cable. There is a difference. I won't kid myself or others into thinking you will get your moneys worth spending between 200-300 for a 3rd party cable.. I do know Alex from APS spent many yrs & money coming up with his own cable design.. Not all cables are created equal.. & the quality & sturdiness is tops, plus his life time warranty...

& Alex recabled my SA5000 for FREE with the 650 stock cable. He also came to me via IM after I posted the left channel went dead on my SA5000 in a head fi thread.. In no way did he push his cables on me, or told me I should buy his cause his are better.. He is a straight shooter, which is why I go to him..

In my experience, I can definitely tell the difference between my 6 foot cables, a couple different UPOCC ones, an OFHC one from sideways, and the stockers. Big enough difference between them to easily tell (ie not a placebo). Sideways also listened to them, and was able to tell as well. 7-8 feet of a better cable would definitely make a difference.

Whether you want UPOCC or silver, or OFHC, I dunno though. Personally, I haven't tried silver for headphone cabling, as I'm a bit tentative about what I read about it being very bright. To me, that's too much extra coloartion from the cable, I'd rather just keep the sound signature the same (maybe I'm a purist). I do like a bright headphone, but I don't want to go over the top on already bright headphones (liket he 701 for example). I prefer to just clean and tighten everything up with UPOCC.

IIRC, I think sideways actually preferred his OFHC cable to the UPOCC cable, though. The UPOCC cable really tightened the bass dramatically IMO as well as improving clarity a lot overall. The OFHC improved clarity too, but not as much IMO, and seemed to have more bass than the UPOCC because (IMO) it wasn't as tight.. was a little looser so seemed to have more quantity. The UPOCC also smooths/cleans out the top end enough that they seem a little brighter, which makes the bass seem less. Basically between tighter bass reducing the quantity, and smoother/clearer/cleaner highs taking away from the bass a little, the bass on the UPOCC, compared to the OFHC, seemed to have less quantity, although it wasn't less than the stocker. I think in the end, sideways preferred the OFHC because of the bigger bass presence, but both the OFHC and UPOCC cables were a dramatic improvement over the stock cables on both the HD600 and K702 (only heard the DT880/600 with UPOCC, not OFHC).

I don't know if 38 years ago stock cables were better or worse than today, but either way, I can about guarantee you that a new (better) cable will sound much better. If I were you, I'd start with the OFHC because it's a great improvement and is cheap enough, and with the design sidways is doing for you, it will be trivial to try a different cable(s) in the future.

I don't care if the cable adds color to the DT480.. I already have the DT48 for my 'boring' neutral fix.. I just want the cable that will make the biggest improvement.. Bigger bass presence would be great. I do like silver. I had silver innterconnects from moon audio.. They seem more 'serious' & 'sterile' though.. But again.. I like bright & vivid sound.. I need something different from my totally bland DT48.. To sum it.. Is like listening to music with the EQ turned off.. But in the long run I find this a virtue..

I didn't mean to start up a huge debate on cables.

I will say that I have a hard time telling the difference between interconnects and I've never done any blind testing with them, or power cables, speaker cables, etc. I don't fully agree that there is NO difference, but I concede that the differences are small, if any at all. Definitely not night and day, in my experience so far with the cables I've tried.

I don't want to get into the whole science of it, because frankly, I don't care what the instruments say. If I hear a difference, there is one. Period. All that means to me is that the proper equipment is not being used, or not used in the proper way to show the difference.

I fully admit that I generally do not buy into cables doing all that much. There is so much BS surrounding audio and video cables that it's outrageous. I understand why you're skeptical.

The difference in headphones cables is so much more than any other cables I've changed. I haven't tried to measure it with a spec a or any other equipment, but it's not a placebo effect. Ferris, if you tried swapping headphone cables in my setup, I guarantee you 100% you could tell the difference. It's not subtle or mistakable, at all. It's literally as if changing to a completely different amp/dac or even headphone. The easiest way to a/b them is to have a modular set up like the K702, HD600, or something else, then you can change cables within seconds and hear the differences. I can assure you the cables I mentioned are all different, no two ways about it. I would place a bet with you that even you could hear the difference. Now, if you want to argue that it's not the cables, but instead it's better soldering, better shielding, better connectors on the end of it, or the stars and moon and align every time the cables are changed, fine, but whatever it is, there is 110% a difference that anyone could plainly hear.

Also, I honestly don't know how, as an EE, you can argue that two completely different materials conduct electricity exactly the same.

Personally, I like my defense on the differences of headphone cables the best... :D:D:D:D

Personally, I like my defense on the differences of headphone cables the best... :D:D:D:D
Let people believe what they want. I bought 6.00 component cables.. You know.. A cable is just a cable right:rolleyes: My TV screen was like looking at a rainbow..It would turn from red to blue to yellow, to green.. Then I buy 24.00 component cables.. What do you know.. & beautiful & crisp picture.. According to EE this shouldn't happen since a cable is just a cable right:rolleyes:

I feel that analog cables do make a difference, though digital cables (like HDMi) are pretty much always exactly the same, unless the cable is just utter crap.

I have used a few different extension cables for my headphones, and each one has a difference. Very subtle, but the difference is there. I'd say that there is a less than 5% difference in sound between each cable. Not noticeable by most, but if you give them time, you will notice.

I personally don't care for that negligible <5%, but for those trying to squeeze out every little bit of SQ out of their stuff, recabling has merit. I personally wouldn't spend as much on cables as some people, but that's the price you pay to go that extra mile.

Recabling for me is mostly something I'd wanna do to get a stronger more durable cable than the ones I'd wanna replace. For example, the Creative Aurvana Live has a terribly weak looking cable that I'd wanna change ASAP for a thicker one. Not because I care about the slight SQ difference, but for durability.

As for component cables, like KBI said, it makes one helluva difference between a good one and a bad one. Adding picture to the equation will show how much cables do make a difference in that aspect, at least until you go digital.

Headfi members now of the infamous 'thunder pants.' The heavily modded T50..

Well, I'm calling this headphone The SWZ DT480 TX1000 special edition I'm so pyched to see & hear this thing..

Headfi members now of the infamous 'thunder pants.' The heavily modded T50..

Well, I'm calling this headphone The SWZ DT480 TX1000 special edition I'm so pyched to see & hear this thing..

I'm gonna get some letters so I can imprint SWZ in the Epoxy before painting.

I'm gonna get some letters so I can imprint SWZ in the Epoxy before painting.
Nice.

As of Tuesday morning around 9am eastern time, amazon has the Sennheiser HD555 on sale for $87.34 with free shipping. This price is reduced from amazon's normal $169.95 price.

I have been using Senn HD555 as my second choice in gaming headphones, behind the a40, and think that this is a good price for the Senns.

Anyone who's been buying the 555 for the normal price is a moron. I haven't seen the 555s being worth more than $100 like...ever. Not even on Amazon.

Anyone who's been buying the 555 for the normal price is a moron. I haven't seen the 555s being worth more than $100 like...ever. Not even on Amazon.

I think I understand how you feel about paying more than $100 for brand new Senn HD555. How do you feel about paying less than $88 for a brand new pair?

I think I've seen Senn 555s floating around $90 for the longest time. :(

Deleted.

I know this isn't necessarily a deal forum, but can someone PM me or post in this thread if they happen to find any good deals on the Astro A40 system? Currently looking to buy new, but may be interested in used if the price and condition are good enough.

I'm still kicking myself for not taking the Dell deal with Bing Cash Back a while back.

You've got mail...

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/CAP201011122240.jpg

For Kabob... best Android Audio Player eVah! ..DaeKwan... u KNOW u got this CD too!

That's a sexy ma--I mean app...

PowerAMP?

PowerAMP?

Yup.... almost wish it had visualizations... but then that wouldn't be kind to batteries.

I just picked up the DPX21 bundle.

Altogether they aren't bad. BUT they do fit all the needs I have. The only negative is the earcups start to hurt a tad at the top of my ear. I wish I could change the padding on the earcup.

Could I?

Btw, whats the Labtech microphone people are using on their headsets?

I love the fact the PX21 mixes in some of your voice into the headset. It really shows you how loud your talking. It really makes me lean towards this set.

Are open sets like this?

Also, has anyone tried out the PC 360 from Sennheiser? I saw someone asked about them and no one has said anything. Didn't know if the post was just forgotten or not.

Check the other headset topic. It's the most current one. A couple of the guys have the PC360 and swear by it as the best headset, to those that want an all in one solution.

As for the PX21, I too had the issue with the padding. I'm sure something could slip over it but alter the sound.

I personally didn't like the PX21 because of that constant hiss. Otherwise, it's a good headset. Much better than the Z2.

Wow! huge post... so much information makes it hard to find what you need. I used to be heavy into the headphone game a few years ago, but you know how addictive it can become. Recently I bought a set of TB Px21's and fell back in love with headphones. With my knowledge of the can game, I figured why not get a good set once again for gaming, music, movie's etc and kill a few birds with 1 brick.

So, of course just revisiting things I'm trying to cram the research. At the moment, I'm thinking of going with the DT880's 600ohm (yes I know, hard to power) and the mixamp. I'm pretty sure I will eventually add another amp, but I want surround sound capabilities as well. As long as you guys think it'd be a decent setup starting back off I think I'll go with it. I was also considering a pair of Ultrasone hfi780's, but I remember wanting the Beyer's awhile back so those are the favorites. I used to own a pair of HD650's with Zu cables and a PPA amp, but I don't think those would be as good for gaming as great as they were for music. Sony CD3k's were amazing headphones and I think they would be great for gaming, but I believe they are even more rare these days and beyond the budget.
What do you guys think... 880 and mixamp a decent combination that will have me smiling again?

I've been toying with the idea of getting the TB DP21X, but I know hesitate based off the hissing and comfort issues. I am looking at the trittons as a option.. To many choices

Wow! huge post... so much information makes it hard to find what you need. I used to be heavy into the headphone game a few years ago, but you know how addictive it can become. Recently I bought a set of TB Px21's and fell back in love with headphones. With my knowledge of the can game, I figured why not get a good set once again for gaming, music, movie's etc and kill a few birds with 1 brick.

So, of course just revisiting things I'm trying to cram the research. At the moment, I'm thinking of going with the DT880's 600ohm (yes I know, hard to power) and the mixamp. I'm pretty sure I will eventually add another amp, but I want surround sound capabilities as well. As long as you guys think it'd be a decent setup starting back off I think I'll go with it. I was also considering a pair of Ultrasone hfi780's, but I remember wanting the Beyer's awhile back so those are the favorites. I used to own a pair of HD650's with Zu cables and a PPA amp, but I don't think those would be as good for gaming as great as they were for music. Sony CD3k's were amazing headphones and I think they would be great for gaming, but I believe they are even more rare these days and beyond the budget.
What do you guys think... 880 and mixamp a decent combination that will have me smiling again?

I've been toying with the idea of getting the TB DP21X, but I know hesitate based off the hissing and comfort issues. I am looking at the trittons as a option.. To many choices

Ok, today I just purchased the ASTRO A40 WIRELESS. And man were they expensive. It was all the review I've been reading and hearing that made me get them. These are going to be my first pair. Not sure though if they are any other headsets that are better then the Astro a40 wireless. Can anyone give me suggestions on which brand and model that are better. I've tried x31 & x41 turtle beaches and they just don't cut it for me. I'm hoping these are the headsets I've been searching for all my life (well, 7 years to be exact). Help me out guys.

So I just ordered the Astro Mixamp, to use with my Denon 2000s and new Audio Technica AD700s (haven't arrived yet). I plan on using the Mixamp with my 360, PS3, and Macbook Pro.

My main question is, what uses will I have for it with my Macbook? Will it deliver any sort of positional audio in Starcraft 2, for example? What about in Amnesia (an awesome horror, adventure game)? I will be using the optical out on the MBP, btw.

@RBF & Baybid:

Try posting in the new forum. Most people have migrated over there:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1285726&page=22

@CDEjesus

Alrite thanx. Will do.

2 pretty interesting reads about the hfi 780, one of which says the hfi 780 are apparently the best competitive gaming phone because of its soundstage detail and accuracy and one that rates it quite low.

http:// forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=305089
http:// base.teamxbox.com/43202/p2/



I would definitely go for this if I was for sure that they were that good and still be good for my music. If anyone has these headphones and could test it out in some cod blackops or something that requires all the key aspects, that would be much appreciated.

2 pretty interesting reads about the hfi 780, one of which says the hfi 780 are apparently the best competitive gaming phone because of its soundstage detail and accuracy and one that rates it quite low.

http:// forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=305089
http:// base.teamxbox.com/43202/p2/



I would definitely go for this if I was for sure that they were that good and still be good for my music. If anyone has these headphones and could test it out in some cod blackops or something that requires all the key aspects, that would be much appreciated.
They are the worst headphones that i've owned for gaming. Great detail but horrible soundstage. When used with Dolby Headphone, i could not judge the sound distance at all.

They are the worst headphones that i've owned for gaming. Great detail but horrible soundstage. When used with Dolby Headphone, i could not judge the sound distance at all.

Just wondering, do have TB Hpx's? I have them currently and they don't leak to much sound out and I'm trying to find out if they are a open headphone or closed, I would get the dt880 if I was sure that the dt880 only leaked that much sound.

http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/CAP201011122240.jpg

For Kabob... best Android Audio Player eVah! ..DaeKwan... u KNOW u got this CD too!

Sorry bro.. I was with you on the David Guetta stuff. But Glen Jones??? lol

Just wondering, do have TB Hpx's? I have them currently and they don't leak to much sound out and I'm trying to find out if they are a open headphone or closed, I would get the dt880 if I was sure that the dt880 only leaked that much sound.
HPX is open with low leakage.... DT800 is also open and in my opinion does not leak very much sound.

So in comparison, if you do have those headphones, what would you rate the isolation between the 2 from 0-10? I know the HPX don't leak much but I would like to know in comparison before I buy them. Also how are the dt880's for rap/hiphop?

i dont have the HPX, but i do have the DT880, they do not leak much... i'd say 3-4 out of 10, with 10 being completely open and as loud on the outside as on the inside.

DT880 is a good performer all around... nice clear highs, good mids, ample detailed but not overpowered or overemphasized bass.

5.8 is here. Picked it up from the rental office about an hour ago (lazy delivery drivers refuse to walk up 3 steps). Quick thoughts:

Pros: Awesome Technology. Pretty cool playing COD from my couch, and not having to wheel my gaming chair within 6 feet of the TV. Also makes me want to upgrade my 50" Plasma to a 65" so I can always play from the couch.

Works exactly as advertised. If you've used a Mixamp before, then you have used this. Imagine if you cut the wires.



Cons: Hissing/Dropout. Not sure whats causing this as I have about a million electronic items in my living room. But I moved some things around and it got much better. Moved my wifi router all the way to the other side of the entertainment cabinet. Moved the TX base to the other side. Moved the RX away from my cellphone & laptop. Played a few games of BlackOps and did pretty well, didnt notice the hissing anymore.

Lower Sound. Not low sound, but definitely doesnt seem to have the same amplification my regular Mixamp does. I've turned the sound knob all the way up and also tried the bass boost. With my regular Mixamp I play with the volume on 8. With the 5.8 I play with the volume on 10 and it still sounds a little lower. I'll fiddle around with some settings and see if I can perfect it.

For $99 though, its a no-brainer for those that DONT have a Mixamp or need to go wireless. For those that DO have a mixamp and arent necessarily bothered by the wires.. I'd say keep what you got right now. I'll update this post later as I get to play with it more.

i dont have the HPX, but i do have the DT880, they do not leak much... i'd say 3-4 out of 10, with 10 being completely open and as loud on the outside as on the inside.

DT880 is a good performer all around... nice clear highs, good mids, ample detailed but not overpowered or overemphasized bass.

I might go for them then. I need to find that labtec mic somewhere, I saw one on ebay thats up for bids but it will be around a week before i can get it. Any suggestions?

I would also recommend trying orthodynamic headphones.. They have certain traits dynamic cans, even the best, can't contend with.. The Fostex T50 for IE, & many used ones are on the market.. I got a 1992 Ukraine NOS ortho headphone today.. & will try it out.. In theory Ortho's are faster then dynamic headphones do to being planar & less mass to be moved.. Much lighter.. I'm not a Ortho kool aid drinker, but they should also be recommended. Their strength, which are more on base with electroststs then dynamics are detail, speed, transparency & mid range..

I'm getting the Sony XBR960 34inch CRT.. For those that know.. They are arguably the best in tube technology, along with the RCA 38inch behemoth CRT in 01, which betters other TV technologies in many areas..80.00..:cool: I favor tube technology anyways.. More film like.. Less digitized like LCD.

i always keep my eye out on craigslist for those 34" hd tubes...

You guys are real nerds. Unless a tube based TV will get up in the morning, cook breakfast and then go to work for me.. I simply cant see myself ever buying another one. Way too bulky and heavy for the benefits. Hell I'm even sour that my 5 year old, 50" Plasma is 3inches thick and weighs 75lbs. I helped a friend get a new 50" Panny from Costco in Sept and it was only 2inches thick and weighed 40lbs.

Mixamp 5.8 update -

My internet connection dropped atleast 4x last night. Something that has NEVER happened. At first I thought it was directly related to the wireless (and it still very well could be). But upon further investigation last this morning I found something interesting. I basically ran out of powerplug ports on my surge protector and had to the use the AC power outlet provided on my Cable box. In my anxiety rush to get the 5.8 up and running I unplugged my cable modem from the surge protector and plugged it into the Cable box. I then plugged the 5.8 into the surge protector (only option because the powerplug housing is HUGE).

I'll do some more fiddling today including putting more space in between the wifi router & 5.8. I'll also seperate my components better. I think Im going to put the PS3 & 360 & Cable box on the bottom shelf. And have my cable modem, wifi router and 5.8 on the top shelf of my 2-shelf entertainment center.

Will keep posted!

i always keep my eye out on craigslist for those 34" hd tubes...

You know the deal...

You guys are real nerds. Unless a tube based TV will get up in the morning, cook breakfast and then go to work for me.. I simply cant see myself ever buying another one. Way too bulky and heavy for the benefits. Hell I'm even sour that my 5 year old, 50" Plasma is 3inches thick and weighs 75lbs. I helped a friend get a new 50" Panny from Costco in Sept and it was only 2inches thick and weighed 40lbs.

Tube technology has been perfected.. Others haven't.. Ignore the 'full HD crap.' pure marketing.. 1080i/p is the same resolution such as 480i/p is the same resolution.. Just one is progressive & the other is interlaced.. If there's a better 34inch TV out there then the 960 I'd like to see it.. 200lbs of mass & muscle:D

You know the deal...



Tube technology has been perfected.. Others haven't.. Ignore the 'full HD crap.' pure marketing.. 1080i/p is the same resolution such as 480i/p is the same resolution.. Just one is progressive & the other is interlaced.. If there's a better 34inch TV out there then the 960 I'd like to see it.. 200lbs of mass & muscle:D

Oh trust me I agree the full HD shyt is mostly marketing. I have a discussion almost weekly on how the only real 1080P source is Bluray discs, of which I dont own a single one. And that 720P is good enough for me. In addition to being weak & lazy.. Im in a small azz 590sq/ft apt.. so flatscreens give me as much usuable interior space as possible.

I can totally understand (and respect) why you & Nerd would want the best possible display units.. if you have the room & muscle for them.

I would also recommend trying orthodynamic headphones.. They have certain traits dynamic cans, even the best, can't contend with.. The Fostex T50 for IE, & many used ones are on the market.. I got a 1992 Ukraine NOS ortho headphone today.. & will try it out.. In theory Ortho's are faster then dynamic headphones do to being planar & less mass to be moved.. Much lighter.. I'm not a Ortho kool aid drinker, but they should also be recommended. Their strength, which are more on base with electroststs then dynamics are detail, speed, transparency & mid range..

I'm getting the Sony XBR960 34inch CRT.. For those that know.. They are arguably the best in tube technology, along with the RCA 38inch behemoth CRT in 01, which betters other TV technologies in many areas..80.00..:cool: I favor tube technology anyways.. More film like.. Less digitized like LCD.

During my 1-2 weeks with the Audeze LCD-2's I was a bit underwhelmed... even comparing them to my D5000 there were things the D5000 did better at a fraction of the cost. I felt the HD800 was significantly better but I seem to be in the minority of headfiers on that.

Bluray discs, of which I dont own a single one.

:eek::confused:
Man, that's my bread and butter! I have about 150 titles and watch/re-watch them weekly. Gaming is fun but movies is where my heart is for home entertainment. The PQ and sound on good bd's just puts me in awe. Being a full blown music junkie when you factor in the sound upgrade for movies like Grease, Sweeney Todd, Sound of Music, Moulin Rouge, etc. its heaven.

Im going to tell the entire world that you drive a bad azz F350 but secretly go home to watch the Sound of Music. Thats like bench pressing 500lbs with some Hello Kitty gloves on!

Im going to tell the entire world that you drive a bad azz F350 but secretly go home to watch the Sound of Music. Thats like bench pressing 500lbs with some Hello Kitty gloves on!

lol! My wife already called me gay for watching it but she says the same thing when I'm talking to xbox friends "I'm on your six, they're taking C!"
A couple months ago I finished applying blood spatter to a torso and bagging a blindfolded head for my Halloween decor and the proceeded to repair Tinkerbell wings for my daughters costume... diversity my friend;)

I have around 110 BR.. Most of them disappoint me pq wise.. But when filmed with Imax 1080p equipment, the pq is truly amazing & jaw dropping. I think BR isn't living up it it's full potentional.. A lot of my films don't look truly HD IMO.. But still beats DVD's..

found this on cnet..

Sony's 34-inch wide-screen tube-based direct-view HDTV, the KD-34XBR960, is simply the best-performing television of its kind on the market. Its screen boasts an incredible 1,400 lines of horizontal resolution, which allows it to resolve more detail with high-def sources than any other direct-view tube. It can deliver deeper blacks than any non-tube TV, and it offers two key improvements over last year's excellent KV-34XBR910: accurate color decoding and independent picture memory per input. In the smaller-than-40-inch category, the KD-34XBR960 earns its place as CNET's reference HDTV

Got my TV.. Man, it's a Behemoth. But I never seen such whites so white before.. & I have a 42inch LCD, 26inch Samsung HD CRT.. & My father has a 61 inch DLP..80.00 is the deal of the century..Form keep looking & holding out.. The Contrast, blackness, colors are simply stunning.. The 910/955/960 are the only CRTs that comes close to displaying full 1080i resolution.. Most other CRT HDTV's are only 800 lines of resolution.. The TV's I mentioned 1,401 horizontal lines..65% more resolution..

Well, still working on KBI's headphones... but here's a quick peek at their current status. I've put alot of work into them. Even removed all the work I did to do it all over again. I hope when he gets them... he'll like it.
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/2010-12-12190242.jpghttp://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/2010-12-12190300.jpg

Still more work to be done before laying the paint down... but I have some novel ideas on what I'm going to do there too. The cables are ready... just waiting for the final sanding, and for Beyer to get off their duff.

Here's what they looked like before I got started.
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/C360_2010-10-3109-05-56.jpg
..and they feel baby skin smooth.... I'm starting to get excited and anxious to get to the painting.

Well, still working on KBI's headphones... but here's a quick peek at their current status. I've put alot of work into them. Even removed all the work I did to do it all over again. I hope when he gets them... he'll like it.
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/2010-12-12190242.jpghttp://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/2010-12-12190300.jpg

Still more work to be done before laying the paint down... but I have some novel ideas on what I'm going to do there too. The cables are ready... just waiting for the final sanding, and for Beyer to get off their duff.

Here's what they looked like before I got started.
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/C360_2010-10-3109-05-56.jpg
..and they feel baby skin smooth.... I'm starting to get excited and anxious to get to the painting.

You are more then awesome. My offer still stands. If you want another game for Christmas let me know.. You have went WAY beyond call of duty.. No pun.. Can't wait for the pads to come in.. I will NEVER forget the hard work & effort you are putting into headphones for a man you don't even know. Words can't express my thanks. I will be pleased with whatever you do. I love your work. Let your creativity run wild my man..:)

I have to say that does look pretty damn awesome!

Hey guys, been a while since I've been on here, but you helped me get into a MDR-F1 and a Pioneer DIR 800C a couple of years ago. I'm using the MDR-F1's all the time plugged into the base and still love them, but I was wondering if there is a better replacement for the wireless headphones? Not ever digging the comfort of the ones that came with it, and they are getting a bit worn. Anything new out there that will work? Thanks!

Hey guys, been a while since I've been on here, but you helped me get into a MDR-F1 and a Pioneer DIR 800C a couple of years ago. I'm using the MDR-F1's all the time plugged into the base and still love them, but I was wondering if there is a better replacement for the wireless headphones? Not ever digging the comfort of the ones that came with it, and they are getting a bit worn. Anything new out there that will work? Thanks!
Check out the new astro wireless mixamp 5.8. Allows you to use your wired F1's wireless...so to speak. Other then that, there really is not anything better then the Pioneer 800c or 1000c for wireless dolby headphone headphones.

http://www.astrogaming.com/products/detail/111/MixAmp-58/

yea... the wireless mixamp would move the "base" (so to speak) to your seating area... and you'd be able to sell your entire pioneer setup.

For me, at least in my personal and humble opinion, you cannot go wrong with a modded pair** of Sennheisser HD555's along with the Califone NM319 as your microphone.

The Califone NM319 (http://www.califone.com/products/nm319.php) is a PA throat mic that fits both me and my 3.5yrld son very well and is far enough away from the headphones to not pick up any of their sound.

*** - The Sennheiser HD555 are a steal-deal because they contain the same driver as the much more expensive HD595's (almost $100 USD more) but are simply nerfed with the addition of a 2" x 4" piece of acoustic dampening foam in the enclosure. Simply open them up as if you were replacing the cable, carefully remove the driver and peal out the foam. Takes about ten minutes total and goes a long+++ way towards increasing the low-end frequency response.

----------------
As always, YMMV...

You mean this one?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/681573-REG/Califone_CM319_CM319_Flexible_Collar_Microphone.html

You mean this one?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/681573-REG/Califone_CM319_CM319_Flexible_Collar_Microphone.html


No, sorry, that's my fault, the model number is actually NM-319 and is this one...

http://www.califone.com/products/nm319.php

Ok, well... got 3 base coats of paint on them... looking spiffy, needs touch-up... but almost there.
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/2011-01-06000043.jpg
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/2011-01-06000102.jpg
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/2011-01-06000115.jpg
I know it's been awhile... but, they'll be done very soon.

looks great

Turtle Beach X-41's

http://www.turtlebeach.com/products/xbox-gaming-headsets/ear-force-x41.aspx

are the end all for gaming headset. Wireless, 7.1 dolby digital, bass boost, pretty good noise cancelling too!
I fall asleep with them on al the time- very comfortable

Hmm.... no?

Fall asleep hoping for the lack of quality to end?

Hmm.... no?

I sense jealousy and/or envy :)

Fall asleep hoping for the lack of quality to end?

As I mentioned in the post- although I have nothing else to compaire it to (other than my home theatre) the quality of the sound is unbelieveable!

Sorry but the X41's are amazing! Why? what do you have?

As I mentioned in the post- although I have nothing else to compaire it to (other than my home theatre) the quality of the sound is unbelieveable!

Sorry but the X41's are amazing! Why? what do you have?

I realize that this thread is crazy long. ...but bringing up a statement like that, your bound to be flamed. I was just kidding. If you like them, then by all means... don't look any further. Your bound to find something here you may want to try... and fall down that slippery slope of paying crazy amounts of cash for the next minute upgrade. I personally was happy with my Turtle Beach X1 when I first started, then wanted more.

Then I went to Astro for the MixAmp and have purchased a ton of other headphones, and have modified and sold them to help pay for "headphone sickness". I finally decided to stop and use my AKG K702 with modified cabling for Audio only purposes (was used for gaming) with my tube amp fed by my old DVD player (24bit/96Khz). Though, for Xmas... parents gave me a 3D Blu-Ray player that is also a SACD player too! So, I will be switching those soon.

So, current gaming rig... is my Astro MixAmp and Astro A30 headphones. It gets the job done. Is it the best for the money? Probably not... but I'm content for now.

I realize that this thread is crazy long. ...but bringing up a statement like that, your bound to be flamed. I was just kidding. If you like them, then by all means... don't look any further. Your bound to find something here you may want to try... and fall down that slippery slope of paying crazy amounts of cash for the next minute upgrade. I personally was happy with my Turtle Beach X1 when I first started, then wanted more.

Then I went to Astro for the MixAmp and have purchased a ton of other headphones, and have modified and sold them to help pay for "headphone sickness". I finally decided to stop and use my AKG K702 with modified cabling for Audio only purposes (was used for gaming) with my tube amp fed by my old DVD player (24bit/96Khz). Though, for Xmas... parents gave me a 3D Blu-Ray player that is also a SACD player too! So, I will be switching those soon.

So, current gaming rig... is my Astro MixAmp and Astro A30 headphones. It gets the job done. Is it the best for the money? Probably not... but I'm content for now.

Dude, I dont care about any "flaming" its all good. That aside, I just researched your "set up" and it looks like when you combine the mixamp with the headphones you get 5.1 chan dolby- awesome!
You know the x41's do 7.1

The Amp and phones you have add up to about $280usd
My x41's were $100 less a year ago.

But I do like the idea that with your set up you are able to switch to your pc.
I do not pc game (just console) so I would think thats why you went with that option.
the x41's are xbox only(and receiver/cablebox)

As you mentioned, as long as your happy- thats great!
Honestly, I think that the x41's = best! :)

Dude, I dont care about any "flaming" its all good. That aside, I just researched your "set up" and it looks like when you combine the mixamp with the headphones you get 5.1 chan dolby- awesome!
You know the x41's do 7.1

The Amp and phones you have add up to about $280usd
My x41's were $100 less a year ago.

But I do like the idea that with your set up you are able to switch to your pc.
I do not pc game (just console) so I would think thats why you went with that option.
the x41's are xbox only(and receiver/cablebox)

As you mentioned, as long as your happy- thats great!
Honestly, I think that the x41's = best! :)

I'm happy you do! As for the 7.1 vs 5.1, doubt you'll EVER be able to tell such a difference when they're both simulated. ...but to each their own. I would still never limit myself to those. I USED to be a big Turtle Beach fan... till I found out there is MUCH better out there (mind you, for a higher price...).

BTW: I betcha SkullCandy can come out with a 3000.50 version of simulated surround headphones... all in the advertising.

...your also right too, I don't do much console gaming anymore (sold the Xbox). I pretty much use them only on the PC at the moment. Though, I will be moving them to the PS3 sometime.

As for the 7.1 vs 5.1, doubt you'll EVER be able to tell such a difference when they're both simulated.

And the 360 can't output more than 5.1, so anything more than that is being created by the processor - in this case the Turtle Beach amp - so I fail to see the point of having a 7.1 processor for the 360.

And the 360 can't output more than 5.1, so anything more than that is being created by the processor - in this case the Turtle Beach amp - so I fail to see the point of having a 7.1 processor for the 360.

I didn't know that....

Here's a clip from Playstation's website...

"There’s no point in playing music unless it sounds good, so experience it all in full 7.1 surround sound."

http://us.playstation.com/ps3/features/ps_multimedia.html
Listed under Music....

I purchased the turtle beach x31 and love them. I play alot of GPS and in multiplayer having them on is cheating. You can hear the foot steps of people and the direction they are coming in.

anyone have the new Astro Mixamp 5.8 (wireless)?

I swore it was $99 at launch. Now it's $139. Anyone compare the sound to other systems?

oh, and does it still click when looking for a battery and plugged into USB?

So... I needed to sand a bit more and add a bit more compound to smooth it out further still..
http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/2011-01-24195229.jpghttp://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/2011-01-24195238.jpghttp://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv356/sid3w8z/2011-01-24195251.jpg

Now I need to hit it with 2 more coats of Primer... then on to the full paint job. Need to get these out the door ASAP!

anyone have the new Astro Mixamp 5.8 (wireless)?

I swore it was $99 at launch. Now it's $139. Anyone compare the sound to other systems?

oh, and does it still click when looking for a battery and plugged into USB?

most of the discussion has moved here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1285726

I found this great place online that has some great reviews on. Let me know what you think.

I found this great place online that has some great reviews on. Let me know what you think.

I have two thoughts.

1. You bumped a 10 month old thread when there is quite clearly a more relevant thread on the middle of page 1. (which was linked to in the last post before yours here)

2. I have no idea what you are talking about since you provided no link that I can see.

Care to go for strike 3?

I'm looking to buy either AD900s or 598s to replace my AD700s, which my fiancee has appropriated. I find the AD700s very comfortable. I have a big head, and like the wing design taking weight off the middle of the top of my head.

It would be a no-brainer to upgrade to the AD-900s sonically, as I like the 700s for the most part, and understand that the 900s mostly fix the shortcomings of those cans. However, I have read that the AD900s have smaller earcups, shallower pads, and non-angled drivers which together can result in the driver cover cloth touching the ear, which I have found to be uncomfortable on other headphones. I have also read that the cloth touching the ear is from people "wearing them wrong." Could any owners, particularly big-headed ones who've owned 700s, shed light on this?

Anybody own both 900s and 598s (ideally with a big head) who can comment on the relative comfort of them?