Deals and Steals 2

aleshemsky83

Registered User
Apr 8, 2008
17,797
424
I bought the Sennheisers. Hope they sound good, never owned a pair of high end (are they high end?) headphones.
 

Lonewolfe2015

Rom Com Male Lead
Sponsor
Dec 2, 2007
17,238
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I bought the Sennheisers. Hope they sound good, never owned a pair of high end (are they high end?) headphones.

High low end cans, if that makes sense. Maybe mid level, but I'd argue the 600 series starts the mid level ones.

Massdrop sells some mid levels cans around $200 every so often, that's the cheapeast entry point into mid level headphones. Some manufacturers are artificially high despite quality (Bose, Beats, etc).

You will like them if they're your first in that area. If you go higher you'll be getting into DAC/Amo territory to drive better headphones.
 

Lonewolfe2015

Rom Com Male Lead
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Dec 2, 2007
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Hey guys,
just wondering what would be the best set of noise cancelling headphones for around 250?

Bose, don't buy anything else. Pick wired, wireless or in ear, they're all similar in quality though the in ear are better at noise isolation.

Only reason to skip Bose for noise cancelling is budget.
 

guinness

Not Ingrid for now
Mar 11, 2002
14,521
301
Missoula, Montana
www.missoulian.com
Bose, don't buy anything else. Pick wired, wireless or in ear, they're all similar in quality though the in ear are better at noise isolation.

Only reason to skip Bose for noise cancelling is budget.

Problem is finding Bose around $250, short of their buds.

I really would like some QC35's, but when it comes down to it, I have enough headphones already, and they never go on sale, and $350 is a lot of money to spend on cans, to me at least.

But their ANC is amazing.
 

Lonewolfe2015

Rom Com Male Lead
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Dec 2, 2007
17,238
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Problem is finding Bose around $250, short of their buds.

I really would like some QC35's, but when it comes down to it, I have enough headphones already, and they never go on sale, and $350 is a lot of money to spend on cans, to me at least.

But their ANC is amazing.

Grab the 25's or 30's then, nothing wrong with wired. 35's are on sale at marriott rewards Tuesday, going to try and grab a pair. Your best bet is to use credit card deals, like the $25 off $100 for visa checkout or amex doing a $100 off $300.

5% back through Discover and Amazon, etc.

I've tried the alternatives, they're not worth it when you're $50 away from your budget price. I don't even like Bose, just the QC series.
 

Jack Bourdain

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Mar 25, 2008
13,156
0
Bose, don't buy anything else. Pick wired, wireless or in ear, they're all similar in quality though the in ear are better at noise isolation.

Only reason to skip Bose for noise cancelling is budget.

False.

Sony MDR1000X are better than the Bose by all measures. It's just that it'll cost you a cool $ 500 CAD.
 

LickTheEnvelope

Time to Retool... again...
Dec 16, 2008
37,985
5,349
Vancouver
On the headphone note I only ever use earbuds for when I'm jogging or hiking and a few months back I finally got sick of having earbuds die on me all the time. In the past i'd tested a few expensive models too and had the same issues... but decided I'd try one last time on the "more than $50" front and picked up these Brainwavz guys:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004I5FL1G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So far they've been really solid, very strong cords.

Not what was being talked about exactly but for earbuds i've been happy they haven't broken down yet like most I buy do.
 

aleshemsky83

Registered User
Apr 8, 2008
17,797
424
If you want longer battery life there are neckband style Bluetooth ear buds that last up to 12 hours
 

Nuckles

_________
Apr 27, 2010
28,310
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heck
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Lonewolfe2015

Rom Com Male Lead
Sponsor
Dec 2, 2007
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False.

Sony MDR1000X are better than the Bose by all measures. It's just that it'll cost you a cool $ 500 CAD.

They just came out so I haven't tried them (and probably won't), but by all accounts online it's the same story. Competitors make better sounding headphones but Bose continues to best in noise cancelling technology. So again, if noise cancelling is your primary purchasing feature, I'd go with Bose.

I have dozens of headphones between open/closed, over/in ear and various brands. Sony, Senn, Beyer, AKG, Hifi-Man and more. Bose doesn't win me over in sound, just in noise cancellation when I'm doing something like working out at the gym or on a plane. The QC30's get more mileage for me, smaller to carry and better at noise isolation.

Don't forget that the 1000X's ideally should be paired with a device supporting Sony's "standard" LDAC, not sure the list of supported devices but I imagine they're mostly made by Sony.
 

sa cyred

Running Data Models
Sep 11, 2007
20,843
3,111
SJ
I'm looking to get a solid state drive for my computer, not sure if anyone has a recommendation or saw any good deals?

Posted in the Computer building thread but there is a Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB for $115 right now. "Usual" price is closer to $195 (but can find it on sale closer to $150).
 

aleshemsky83

Registered User
Apr 8, 2008
17,797
424
I bought the Sennheisers. Hope they sound good, never owned a pair of high end (are they high end?) headphones.
Wow, these headphones are seriously nothing special. I literally have a pair of 15 dollar headphones I got at a liquidation store that are just as good. I've got a pair of Chinese knockoff bluetooth earbuds that I got for nothing (they were trying to pass them off as real, the vendor told me not to bother sending them back) that sound about the same

Maybe my ear is unrefined or something but I seriously can not hear the difference. I'm listening to these on flac files and it almost sounds worse. Bon Jovi and David bowie for the record.

Would not recommend. I can't believe the reviews are this glowing. Maybe it's people that want to convince themselves of their purchase?

I don't think they're knockoffs because the build quality is nice and supposedly if you buy them off amazon they're real (according to sennheiser). Besides knockoffs are pretty rare on amazon.
 
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kurt

the last emperor
Sep 11, 2004
8,709
52
Victoria
Wow, these headphones are seriously nothing special. I literally have a pair of 15 dollar headphones I got at a liquidation store that are just as good. I've got a pair of Chinese knockoff bluetooth earbuds that I got for nothing (they were trying to pass them off as real, the vendor told me not to bother sending them back) that sound about the same

Maybe my ear is unrefined or something but I seriously can not hear the difference. I'm listening to these on flac files and it almost sounds worse. Bon Jovi and David bowie for the record.

Would not recommend. I can't believe the reviews are this glowing. Maybe it's people that want to convince themselves of their purchase?

I don't think they're knockoffs because the build quality is nice and supposedly if you buy them off amazon they're real (according to sennheiser). Besides knockoffs are pretty rare on amazon.

I think this is your problem
 

aleshemsky83

Registered User
Apr 8, 2008
17,797
424
Bon jovis fine, it feels like there's a handful of bands that it's socially acceptable to like. Ive been done caring about that garbage for a while. That's not even the point. I'm just saying these headphones are nothing special. I would have been seriously disappointed if I payed close to full price for it and I still kind of an paying 200 less.
 

Jacques The Mayor

Registered User
Aug 29, 2011
1,708
7
wastings mn
Bon jovis fine, it feels like there's a handful of bands that it's socially acceptable to like. Ive been done caring about that garbage for a while. That's not even the point. I'm just saying these headphones are nothing special. I would have been seriously disappointed if I payed close to full price for it and I still kind of an paying 200 less.

While I do agree that Bon jovi sucks that's still disappointing to have supposed high end headphones be so lackluster. I've owned a pair of Bose in ear headphones for 3 years and have been happy but I almost bought the same sennheisers because I've seen it on sale on Black Friday the last few years. Like you I don't have a self prescribed audiophile ear.
 

guinness

Not Ingrid for now
Mar 11, 2002
14,521
301
Missoula, Montana
www.missoulian.com
Bon jovis fine, it feels like there's a handful of bands that it's socially acceptable to like. Ive been done caring about that garbage for a while. That's not even the point. I'm just saying these headphones are nothing special. I would have been seriously disappointed if I payed close to full price for it and I still kind of an paying 200 less.

They're closed back headphones, they aren't going have a wider soundstage like open backed cans if that's what you were expecting.

They're most likely similar to my set of ATH-M50x. I like those just fine, but they're by nature bassier, whereas as my open back Beyer 990s tend to have more treble. Setting up an EQ can tweak some of the different frequency bands, but the nature of the beast is that closed and open are just different.

The best addition I added to my (modest) setup, was an external soundcard (Soundblaster X G5). It helped clean up line noise I had my desktop, and it has decent EQ settings. Beyond that, everything is so subjective, a good example, are headphone amps. I have 3 now, 2 portable one, and a desktop tube amp, and I think it's largely snake oil (IMO). My tube amp looks cool, the valves light up, but primarily I'm using it because I already paid for it, and it makes it easier to swap between headphones at my desk.

But yet if I go on head-fi or /r/headphones, I think people mindlessly recommend them, even though I think a good EQ is much more important, then simply making things louder. But them I remember hobbies generally don't make sense to outsiders.
 

aleshemsky83

Registered User
Apr 8, 2008
17,797
424
They're closed back headphones, they aren't going have a wider soundstage like open backed cans if that's what you were expecting.

They're most likely similar to my set of ATH-M50x. I like those just fine, but they're by nature bassier, whereas as my open back Beyer 990s tend to have more treble. Setting up an EQ can tweak some of the different frequency bands, but the nature of the beast is that closed and open are just different.

The best addition I added to my (modest) setup, was an external soundcard (Soundblaster X G5). It helped clean up line noise I had my desktop, and it has decent EQ settings. Beyond that, everything is so subjective, a good example, are headphone amps. I have 3 now, 2 portable one, and a desktop tube amp, and I think it's largely snake oil (IMO). My tube amp looks cool, the valves light up, but primarily I'm using it because I already paid for it, and it makes it easier to swap between headphones at my desk.

But yet if I go on head-fi or /r/headphones, I think people mindlessly recommend them, even though I think a good EQ is much more important, then simply making things louder. But them I remember hobbies generally don't make sense to outsiders.
Well these are low impedance headphones apparently and to my knowledge you aren't even supposed to use an amp because it can cause damage

Wasn't expecting an open sounds tag, I don't even know what that is. Just expecting better sound than I got.
 

Lonewolfe2015

Rom Com Male Lead
Sponsor
Dec 2, 2007
17,238
2,189
Wow, these headphones are seriously nothing special. I literally have a pair of 15 dollar headphones I got at a liquidation store that are just as good. I've got a pair of Chinese knockoff bluetooth earbuds that I got for nothing (they were trying to pass them off as real, the vendor told me not to bother sending them back) that sound about the same

Maybe my ear is unrefined or something but I seriously can not hear the difference. I'm listening to these on flac files and it almost sounds worse. Bon Jovi and David bowie for the record.

Would not recommend. I can't believe the reviews are this glowing. Maybe it's people that want to convince themselves of their purchase?

I don't think they're knockoffs because the build quality is nice and supposedly if you buy them off amazon they're real (according to sennheiser). Besides knockoffs are pretty rare on amazon.

It's most likely a source issue. Those headphones will sound better standard $15 headphones. But it doesn't matter how expensive the headphones are if you're trying to play poor quality files (not all FLAC are made equal, the bit rate matters) or playing from a poor source. Cell phones tend to level the playing field for most headphones because of cheaper audio components, specifically the DAC used. Some laptops/PCs skimp here too.

You'll probably notice a difference with even the cheapest $40 all in one DAC/Amp adapter. An external Creative Sound Blaster (E5 for instance) can really help, I'm using mine on my flight right now. Even a Schitt Fulla would help you. Amps by themselves do not break headphones, users improperly controlling the Amp's gain settings break headphones. And even then, most devices today can handle standard high and low gain whether they're 32 or 250 ohm.

Anyways, I've never been a huge fan of the 598's, they're still a touch on the low end for my taste. The AKG 550/553 series is solid, the AKG 700 series is great and if you can find the 650 series for Sennheiser then you're really talking beautiful mid-range headphones. But 2 of those 3 are open and not good for travel.
 

Oscar Acosta

Registered User
Mar 19, 2011
7,695
369
Well these are low impedance headphones apparently and to my knowledge you aren't even supposed to use an amp because it can cause damage

Wasn't expecting an open sounds tag, I don't even know what that is. Just expecting better sound than I got.

Last year I almost did the same thing, everyone (including here) was selling me hard on the Sennheisers. I almost went for it, then randomly was at a friends house and he had a set - they were just like "whatever" I was expecting some kind of greatness.

Went ahead and against all advice got Beats 2 instead. Couldn't be happier with them. I seriously chalk it up to people wanting to hate on something popular and buck the trend, or I'm an average every day idiot in the eyes of an audiophile. Either way, they work for me.
 

Lonewolfe2015

Rom Com Male Lead
Sponsor
Dec 2, 2007
17,238
2,189
I seriously chalk it up to people wanting to hate on something popular and buck the trend, or I'm an average every day idiot in the eyes of an audiophile. Either way, they work for me.

People hate on them for selling $30 headphones for $200. They address an audience, buy they falsely advertise their worth.
 

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