My problem is that the headphones I buy keep breaking! I wanted to spend a bit more this time to make sure that I can keep them for years, has any had any that have lasted that long?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to replace my Sennheiser HD 595, which have been serving me faithfully since 2013 (still alive, only the cushions replaced).

I am based in the EU (buying via Amazon / Thomann). My ideal sweet spot is €200–€250, stretching up to €300 max if it brings a noticeable leap in quality.

Use Cases:

Music (4–6+ hours/day): Rock (mostly), pop, electronic, and occasionally everything else. I would prefer them to be wearable for long desk sessions without excessive clamp force.

Gaming: Competitive shooters (CS2), racing (mostly arcade, occasionally sims), and casual games.

Media: Occasional movies/shows on PC.

Current source: Motherboard audio Asus ROG Strix B650E-E (ALC4080 + integrated Savitech amp). My old external SteelSeries USB sound card died, so I'm on motherboard audio for now, with plans to get a dedicated USB DAC/Amp later (currently looking to buy FIIO).

Microphone: Not needed. I already use an external condenser mic on a boom arm. Strictly looking for headphones.

No gaming headsets: Absolutely no Razer, SteelSeries, HyperX, or Logitech. The HD 595 ruined "gaming gear" durability and quality for me forever.

Open-back preferred (semi-open works too).

Detachable cable preferred (I can solder if necessary, but a hot-swappable cable is a huge QoL bonus).

What I’m currently looking at:

Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO X 48Ω (~€200) (these are top 1 for me right now, not that I've researched a lot and selected them among tens or hundreds).

Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO 80Ω (~€150) (watched a couple of reviews, seems to be good, but no detachable cable).

Important note regarding Sennheiser. IMHO. I love my HD 595, and I’m open to models from Sennheiser’s Professional division, but please skip the post-Sonova consumer lineup produced by Sonova. I had a chance to use two different models of wireless headphones; the sound is great, but durability is long gone.

Looking for some headphones to gift to a friend. I've picked the Closed Back flair because I had to pick one, but honestly I'm good with either.

• Budget: 80/100 euros
• Use: Gaming, but ideally something not targeted to gamers (so like, no silly RGBs)
• Looking for the following features:
  • Must use a single 3.5mm jack (I know, but I'm told this is the only available connector on their PC)
  • Ideally with repleacable cable and pads.
  • Decent microphone that doesn't pick up the sound of the game
  • Possibly no battery
  • Plug&Play, so possibly no software needed to make them decent/usable

So far the best pick I've found is the Beyerdynamic MMX 100 Wireless. One issue, though, would be that it has to run with the battery while connected to the jack too. That, and the fact that it's pretty new scares me a bit.

I'll be buying from Italy, possibly from amazon. Any suggestions?

Hi all! I currently have AKG K712 Pro, Sennheiser HD560s and Hifiman Sundara, with F**i Audio ZH3 as dac/amp (I'm not allowed to mention the brand name because of some strange forum rule). Now I'm looking for another pair with a bit warmer sound signature.

I'm quite convinced that the Edition XV would be a kind of wise choice, as it has been described as having an HD650-type warm-neutralish sound signature, but correcting some of its shortcomings, mainly in the bass area. On the other hand I would be interested in experiencing the HD650, mainly for its praised mid-range neutrality, and getting to know why it has gained such a status as a neutral reference.

Then again, as I already have the HD560s and am using EQ, I'm a bit worried that the HD650 might be too redundant. I mean, if I EQ both close to the Harman target, I don't actually believe that they will sound similar per se, but will they be so close to each other that there's not much point in paying another 200 eur to get the HD650?

Speaking of prices, the Sennheiser EU shop has now a 20 % discount for refurbished items, so the refurbished HD650 costs 199,20 eur. And the Hifiman EU shop has a 12 % discount for open box items, so the open box Edition XV costs 289,52 eur.

Been out of the game for a couple of years and wondering what are the best bang for buck high power amps? Planning to pick up a set of he6se again and want as much power as I can get. I have a vintage kenwood speaker amp I was using back then, but don't feel like putting that on my desk again.

Hello! My name is Aly and I'm a game composer and sound designer for indie games.

I'm looking to upgrade my monitoring system to give my AKG K240 a well deserved rest, but I'm a bit indecisive about what I should buy.

My budget is around $150 to $300 USD, and my first choice right now is the Slate VSX Essential edition.

The software and the headphones themselves seem pretty fitting for my monitoring needs in music mixing and sound design, but I can only buy them through Amazon, and I don't have much experience with that. I'll admit it gives me a little bit of anxiety considering the country I'm living in right now.

I'm not very picky. I just need something that works and is a professional upgrade from what I have right now. Nothing with crazy mids, comfortable for long work hours, and built like a tank.

I would love some recommendations so I can put together a list!

Budget and location - I'm in the UK, and will most likely be buying used (from CeX, eBay or similar). My budget is £200.

Source/Amp - Bluetooth, from phone.

How the gear will be used - Daily driver use, with a lot of use in a loud office environment, so good ANC is a must. Over-ear only (I don't want to lose earbuds).

Preferred tonal balance - A lot of the music I listen to is bass-heavy, so they need to be good at reproducing bass, but not ridiculously boomy (which is usually covering up a lack of good bass).

Preferred music genres - A lot of them, but generally in the metal area. Although that doesn't say much, given the sheer number of subgenres.

Past gear experience - I used the XM5s for 7 months, but the hinges broke. They were good, and the ANC was easily good enough, but the pads deflated a little too easily. Then the hinge snapped in exactly the place it does, so now I need some new ones. And not Sony.

I am planning to buy FiiO QX11 for my FiiO JT7, but there's also Topping DX1 II in similar price range. Let's discuss which one you prefer, which will help me decide.

My main focus is good sound stage and instrument separation.

One con I know of Topping DX1 II is that it is not drivable by phone, because it takes power from it's one available USB port, is that correct, let me know if you have it.

Thanks in advance everyone.

I am looking at getting a pair of these headphones because of their style and build quality. Before I lock in the purchase, I want to make sure I am getting a good pair of headphones.

Currently, I am in highschool and I want to know if these would be able to survive that

Currently using gen4’s with the terrible old mic but the good ol reliable side tone. I’ve returned two pairs of gen 5’s due to the side tone being terribly weak.

Are there any current headsets with a decent sidetone and okay mic? Anything mic wise should be better than gen 4’s but it’s hard to find that loud sidetone im after.

Hello all! A few days ago I asked another question related to budget headphones in general, and it was suggested to me to generally stick to IEMs at around the one hundred bucks price. I did however realize that I only own a couple of closed back headphones (M40x), budget IEM buds (7Hz Crinacle Zero2) and have never really tried open back headphones.

I see various suggestions online in this price range, ranging between:

• AKG K240 mk2
• Philips SHP9500
• Behringer 599
• Behringer 560s
• Audio Technica R50x

My question is: do you think it is worth to try a pair of any of these, or do you have more suggestions? I would only use them on a desktop with an audio interface (UMC202HD) for mostly music and games.

I recently picked up the Meze 105 AER and really like the comfort, build quality, and overall tuning, but I’m not fully sold on them at $299. They sound good, but to me they’re a little too polite -- I’m missing some oomph, presence, and that sense of speed/separation I remember from planars.

For background, I’ve owned the HIFIMAN Sundara and Arya in the past, and I definitely regret selling the Arya. My closed-back is a heavily modified Fostex/Mad Dog, so I’m only looking to keep one open-back.

Use will be about 50/50 music/TV shows and gaming, including FPS and games like Darktide. I care about imaging/positioning, separation in busy mixes, soundstage, and also having enough body and impact for music. I don’t EQ my headphones.

Source chain is Schiit Modius → Magnius, usually balanced/XLR, so power isn’t an issue.

I’m looking at the HIFIMAN Edition XV around $350. For anyone who has heard both: is the XV a meaningful upgrade over the 105 AER for my use case, or would I be giving up too much in comfort/build for only a modest sonic improvement? Open to other suggestions as well since I've been out of the headphone game for a few years.

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a new gaming headset to replace my Roccat Elo 7.1 USB.

One of the things I really like about the Elo 7.1 is the mic monitoring / sidetone. I can hear my own voice clearly and naturally in the headset while speaking, and I'd really like to find a replacement with similarly good-quality mic monitoring.

An important requirement is that the mic monitoring must be handled directly by the headset/hardware itself. I don't want a solution that relies on software to provide the sidetone.

I'm also looking for very good sound quality for gaming, ideally at least as good as the Elo 7.1.

Another important point is build quality / durability. My Elo 7.1 started developing cracks after barely a year of use, so I'd like something that is reasonably sturdy and built to last.

I've already tried the SteelSeries Arctis Pro + GameDAC, but I found the mic monitoring to be really bad compared to the Roccat Elo 7.1.

My preferences:

• Wired
• USB
• Closed-back
• Integrated microphone
• Hardware-based mic monitoring / sidetone
• Very good sound quality for gaming
• Good build quality / durability

The microphone itself doesn't necessarily need to be amazing — the quality and natural sound of the mic monitoring is particularly important to me.

If you've used the Roccat Elo 7.1 and know of a headset with similar or better mic monitoring, sound quality, and build quality, I'd really appreciate your recommendations.

Thanks!

hi guys i'm wondering what would be some good recommendations for a pair of in ear headphones that have a mic for gaming. i'm gonna be plugging the headphones directly into my ps5 controller (as im playing on a ps5 lol). i have a headset but i don't like that it puts a dent in my hair and it becomes uncomfortable after a while.

- budget is around 50-100 (maybe more depending on quality and build)
- not really planning on listening to music with it
- must have a decent quality mic (i currently use a razer black shark v2, doesn't have to be AS good as that but somewhat similar)

thank you

Hey guys!

As the title says, I am on a G435 currently.
I have used the XBOX wireless headset before.

What pair of headphones should I need to look at?

Budget: in my country’s prices can be misleading, so I would say that the MAX is like a Kithara or G Pro X3 in terms if pricing.

I want the headphones for listening music and for playing games. I am not a very tryhard competitive player, but I also want something that is nice to use and a quality product overall.

I do not planning on buying DAC for the headset, but if the price to performance is reasonable, than I’ll buy it.

Feel free to share your thoughts on this topic.

Thanks for your help guys!

My dt800 are literally falling apart so I decided that it’s finally time to upgrade. Currently I‘m running them off a soundblaster ae-5 plus. I had a budget of around 400€ in mind, but I‘m torn between keeping the soundcard and getting some anandas or some other similarly priced headphone, or getting a new dac and some cheaper cans. Will getting a new dac at the 100-150€ price range give me a better experience? I do game a decent amount on my system but I also listen to a lot of musics, electronic music mostly but also some jazz occasionally. Regarding my preferences; I like bass, but in a controlled way. I want my new pair to not sound as „lifeless“ as I find the dt800s to be. As a reference of what I like I can only name the volare I/O or the Hisenior Mega5est. I have not tried any headphones I particularly enjoyed, so I can‘t name a non IEM example. Baded in EU.

Hi everyone! so I have the xm3 and im wondering if the xm4 or xm5 is worth it for gaming. Should I switch to another headphone brand? I have the Xm3 and I have to charge it to get the sound better for pc so im wondering if I should get headphones that have a more crisp and direct sound from the game.

Budget: 300 and below

I switched to android a while ago and lots a lotta feature and im thinking about switching right now, im looking at the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 because theyre 50% off rn.
Any recommendations?

200-400 Aud please

Hi 👋🏻

I want to change my current Marshall IV headphones (Bluetooth) because lately I’ve been listening a lot more music (like 3 - 4 hours daily) and this headphones are not so comfortable for long sessions.

I have AirPods 4 but I want something over the ear too, I use Apple Music and mostly listen to rock, pop and kpop music like The Warning, Dreamcatcher, Strau Kids, One Ok Rock, etc.

My budget is around 150-200 USD

I am looking for headphones similar to the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3. I have tested a few pairs, including the HyperX Cloud 2 nd with all of them, my ears would start to hurt after a few hours, except for the Arctis Nova 3, however, the Nova 3 are poorly built, and the band cracked after two years of use, so I’m looking for other headphones with a similar design.

i need an IEM for band purposes (i play guitar) and music listening. I listen to a wide variety of music from jazz to shoegaze to metal and my favorite band is radiohead. i dont know much about IEMs but i would like one with good quality but isnt too expensive (preferably under 100) available on amazon. i have a mee audio IEM that was like 20-30 dollars but i dont really like it because it made my distortion sound (on guitar) really fuzzy and did not sound accurate to what the speakers on stage were producing. they also didnt have that good sound quality. i dont like headphones that make all the instruments into one big mess of noise. im not sure how to describe this, but i like headphones/earbuds when you can feel the audio in ur ears kinda (sorry ik thats a horrible description). would i need to save up for something more expensive?? please give ur reccomendations and thanks a lot!

I've owned a Soundcore Liberty 4NC for the last year or so, and it has... Already corroded slightly bit by bit, despite me cleaning it monthly(also wiping daily after use).

Now, I'm at a dilemma. I like the comfort of earbuds because, well, I listen to ASMR and such to sleep sometimes. And I also like mono/one ear usage.

I also use them going to school, doing housework, gaming, and even some music work(mostly just funky beats and such that are only like, 1-2 maybe 3 minutes long if lucky).

But then again, they're just... Really expensive here in Turkey.

I was thinking about getting a KZ Castor Pro Bass-Enhanced, and I also have a standard 3.5mm jack entrance thingy on my phone and laptop(I'm just gonna call it the headphone entrance/jack) but I also don't really wanna considering it means I have to sacrifice NC and one-ear usage for way better sound basically.

A KZ Castor Pro Bass-Enhanced in Turkey is around 2000-3000TRY(considering I'll be getting a seperate case to store them probably IF I get a KZ.) and my budget is around the same price for pretty much everything (maybe 4000-5500TRY if I really save a lot).

What should I do? I'm not really experienced in this kind of stuff, and I don't really understand "reviews" since one guy praises the design and sound of a bud, while the other just bashes it with a metal pipe because it doesn't have a balanced graph.

I'd appreciate any kind of recommendation, such as what I should look out for, where should I look for better understanding of products and etc.

Recently I bought a Nomad Portable CD Player from the brand Klim off of Amazon. The price was $69.97 (not including taxes and fees) It came with wired headphones and options to change the type of EQ (like Rock, Pop, Classical, etc.) and let’s just say once I tried on the wired headphones the sound quality wasn’t good - EVEN with what I thought was the best sounding EQ for my ears. By good, I meant that it sounded worse than my regular Apple EarPods. What sounded worse is that the CD’s wired headphones sounded airy and bright like it lacked depth/space. And the sound quality I wanted was similar to Apple EarPods (with the EQ I use for Apple Music) but better. So I thought that I should buy actual IEMs for the sound quality to be better than both the wired headphones that came with Klim’s portable CD player AND the Apple Earpods, and so, online, I ordered the Kiwi Ears Cadenza II which is an IEM for $55.14 inc. fees. Was the problem fixed? No. The sound I’m receiving is either: the same as before, or little change.

Yes, I have checked the review for both items, and I thought they were trustworthy but apparently not for audiophiles like me. So, I’m thinking of returning the items if possible.

Where did it go wrong? What did I do wrong? Is the problem the CD player or the IEM? Should I get a higher priced portable CD player that’s not from Amazon? What IEMs should I get?

I just got some beyerdynamics dt270pro and neither the head band, nor the earpads are that comfortable. I thought I might mod it and take pieces from somewhere else because the sound is good and the other features I enjoy very much (aux cable and portability).

So I'm looking for some additional padding in the ears, and I saw that the beyerdynamics DJ 300 pro X looked similar, I don't know if the over ear pads are comfortable or could fit, but I wanted to ask people here if they have both or know where to look for the information.

Additionally if you know of a way to get more padding on the head band it would be great. Thanks to all!