"georgechristensen" (georgechristensen)
08/02/2015 at 12:29 • Filed to: None
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"georgechristensen" (georgechristensen)
08/02/2015 at 12:29 • Filed to: None | 3
| 9 |
They’re fucking awful.
I bought these headphones to replace my pair of Sennheiser HD-201’s which had a tendency for the left speaker to break. I could not be more disappointed.
These are an on-ear design compared to the over ear design of the Sennheiser’s and it hurts badly to use them for more than 10 minutes, it’s an odd sensation where they feel loose and incredibly tight at the same time, it doesn’t help that the pleather pads are abrasive and almost nonexistent. However I could be willing to let this if the sound quality was at least decent. Unfortunately...
...The sound quality is god awful as well. I initially listened to some albums to get a feel for what new audio equipment sounds like, for these MDR-ZX310AP’s I listened to:
Screaming for Vengeance by Judas Priest
Selling England by the Pound by Genesis
Exmilitary by Death Grips
Alive 2007 by Daft Punk
Various eurobeat songs
From what I gathered by listening to these albums, the bass is either too heavy or nonexistent (especially bad in the eurobeat), the mids and highs were very muffled and sounded like I was listening to them underwater. This was especially present in Screaming for Vengeance which was almost unlistenable, it sounded like Rob Halford was screaming about electric eyes from the other side of a very long hall. The only album that actually sounded decent was Selling England by the Pound so if you get off to ear pain and like listening to Gabriel-era Genesis than these are the headphones for you.
In conclusion, these headphones fail in everything I want from them. Don’t buy them, don’t even look their way. I’m definitely returning these tomorrow.
I’d also like to point out that these cost $14 more than those Sennheiser’s, a whole $58AUD. When you’re as poor as me that makes a big difference.
Here’s an M8 prototype for your time
Steve in Manhattan
> georgechristensen
08/02/2015 at 12:43 |
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At this point I just use the earbuds that come with the iPhone. Earlier, I had Bose earbuds. The connection failed at the minipin 11 months in, and they replaced them no questions asked. The same thing happened maybe 14 months later, and they send me a new pair for half price. All I can say is that the Bose customer support experience was one of the best I’ve had.
That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
> georgechristensen
08/02/2015 at 12:46 |
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If you don’t mind an open back style, Grado SR60e is a great headphone for not too much more than your price point.
jkm7680
> georgechristensen
08/02/2015 at 12:55 |
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Go back to Sennheister, haha.
Anima
> georgechristensen
08/02/2015 at 13:21 |
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I recently bough the Philips shl3300 for about 35 euros.
While relatively unknown, they get praise from a lot of audiophiles on the net for sounding like a headphone 4 times the price.
They sound amazing and still sometimes surprise me with the audio quality.
Audistein
> georgechristensen
08/02/2015 at 13:38 |
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I’ve owned 4 pairs of Sennheisers and all of them, until my current pair that is, have had the sound if the left ear stop working at some point and needed replacement. I just keep finding myself going back because they sound so good.
TrickJos
> georgechristensen
08/02/2015 at 15:39 |
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A rule of thumb that I try to stick to, don’t buy audio equipment from brands that also make televisions. Sure, there will be exceptions, but it’s generally good advice.
Axial
> georgechristensen
08/02/2015 at 17:08 |
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Be still, my beating heart...
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Axial
> georgechristensen
08/02/2015 at 17:13 |
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I have a pair of Superlux HD681 Evo that I picked up for $40 USD. They use the same drivers that are found in the AKG 240. They sound pretty awesome. Tight bass, but not too powerful. A little mid-range bias and a smidge over-bright on the treble, but for $40, new? I challenge anybody to do better.
You might be able to find them or related models (Superlux HD681 or HD668b, Samson SR850, and a host of others). Ever since AKG switched to Chinese manufacturers, their drivers have been finding their way into less posh Chinese knock-offs, and those knock-offs have become competent in their own right.
Nauraushaun
> georgechristensen
08/02/2015 at 23:16 |
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My headphone strategy involves buying Sennheisers, waiting until they break, claiming warranty, getting a new pair for free. I’m on my 3rd or 4th pair of Sennheisers, none have lasted more than 2 years, all come with a mandatory 2 year warranty. I’ve effectively had a free supply of quality headphones for years.
In my experience, ALL headphones break sooner than they should. But not all come with a 2 year warranty: always buy Sennheiser.
Once they lasted 23 months before the left ear bud stopped working. Dug up my faded receipt, supreme victory.