Sony MDR-7506

They've been a standard for professional audio engineers for decades for good reason - and they only cost $79.99 on Amazon.

I've had mine since the mid-90s and have traveled around the country with them crammed in a backpack and they have held up like a champion. I keep saying I'll replace them with the same model if they ever die, but they just keep working.... The only issue is that the ear pad covering wears away over time, but this is easily fixed by purchasing BeyerDynamic velour pads. These pads are super comfy, and well worth the $23. They're not just a replacement for the original, they are an upgrade.

https://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087

Best cookbook you can get with everything youre looking for. The guy was a chemist I believe and decided to combine it with his love of cooking. It tells you why cooking an egg a certain way will give a certain result. What happens the the proteins inside the egg, what cookware to use, how to improve already popular dishes. Great shit in store for you my friend.

Also, The Food Lab is a good book to read as well, has similar information on cooking I assume as the book you've suggested. I actually have it next to my bed right now and it's a pretty good cookbook / reference.

For learning methods and the science behind cooking I would say The Food Lab by J Kenji Lopez-Alt. It is a textbook of cooking methods, analysis, and expliantion of the science of how cooking works and how to get the best (or just different) results from recipes. It also contains a ton of excellent recipes.

For just recipes, I would say The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne. It has hundreds of incredible recipes from a variety of cultures. Some of them are quite complex, but most are very approachable for cooks of all levels. It is not an advanced cookbook for the most part, but has a lot of solid classic recipes. One does need a basic grasp of cooking terms and techniques to get the best out of it.

ATH-M50S with velour DT250/280 pads

This pic shows the difference for anyone looking to do the "mod"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B0016MF7W2/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_3?ie=UTF8&index=3&isremote=0

I would recommend this: DAC/AMP in one unit for under $100.

Flio E10K

I also own a pair of these and if you want them to be comfortable you may have to grab some $20 velour pads. I have these as well and they make it far more comfortable to wear. I literally have these on for 8 hours after playing Civ and besides them being a little warm (Florida) they're super comfy.

I don't have a picture, but I use my Superlux HD668B, a Blue Snowball, Corsair K65 RGB LUX [MX Red], Logitech G Pro, and a Pecham Extended mousepad to cover up my swiss cheese desk.

I definitely suggest the HD668B if you want a new pair of headphones for cheap, best pair of headphones I've ever had. Removable cable, top tier sound, and you can change the earpads if you want to.

Links:

• Corsair K65 LUX RGB
  
• Superlux HD668B
  
• Cosmos Velvet Replacement Earpads
  
• Sleeved 3.5mm Cable - I think this is the one I have. Not sure.
  
• Logitech G Pro
  
• Pecham Extended Mousepad
  
• Blue Snowball
  
• Blue Snowball iCE
  
  Edit: I can provide low quality pictures of my messy ass desk if you want. Here's an album, and yes, those are my three coolers + a box.

I'm not Mr. AB, but my go-to cookbook is The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt. It's my favorite for a couple of reasons:

1. It's freaking huge. Seriously, it will take up a lot of room on your self.
   
2. It covers a huge array of topics. Whole chapters devoted to breakfast, roasts, salads, veggies, etc.
   
3. It tackles the science behind the recipe. Why does it taste so good? Why do you need so much salt? It turns out that for thousands of years humans just did trial and error and found that x amount of y made it tasty. Kenji figures out what happens on a molecular level and perfects the recipes based on that. He also tells you how YOU can recombine these base on what you have lying around.
   
4. There's a lot of relatively quick and easy meals, as well as a few big meals like Thankgivings as well.
   
   On top of that, the author is now experimenting with a Youtube channel!
   
   Hopefully this will make dinner a bit easier for you.

I would recommend The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. It covers a lot of techniques and dishes-out the science behind them.

If you’re willing to spend a little money, buy The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez Alt. It is amazing. It’s a beautiful book with detailed documentation of experimentation with various methods / times / ingredients.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393081087/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.GhIAb1F6S6CG

Edit: misspelled dude’s name

This one.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elevation-Lab-Anchor-Under-Desk-Headphone/dp/B00P31BMHG/

I love it, keeps my headset within reach but out of the way.

Here is a nice backgrounder on the sciency side of the chemical effects - and it should be a basic part of your understanding of salt effects. The Food Lab's chapter on the science of ground meat opened a whole new avenue of cooking fun for me, just by understanding why when you add how much salt to ground meat yields totally different products. You can generally access the basic ideas by googling "food lab", including the ground meat product you want to make as a google term, if you do not have access to the book. I commend buying it, because it is the kind of reference work that cries out for annotating and browsing.

...and now for a much less technical reasons: (1) salt lightly early on, because you may want to concentrate stuff down and (2) if there is some salt there, you can easily say, "that is under salted but what else does it need?" - with no salt on board the lack of salt is all you will notice.

Balance out final heat, acid, umami, finishing herb stuff, all of which can affect final salt preference, then correct the salt if needed.

Oh!!! I just read about this in The Food Lab!

Directly from the book: “Eggshells are porous: they lose about 4 microliters of water a day to evaporation while simultaneously taking air into the space between the sheep and the inner membrane near the fat end. In very fresh eggs, the air space is tiny and the egg will sink to the bottom of the bowl and lie on its side. As eggs get older, the air space will grow, so old eggs will sink and then stand on their points as the air in the larger end tries to rise. If you’ve got an egg that floats, it’s probably past it’s prime and should be discarded.”

The book really is an incredible read, whether you cook a lot or not. I would absolutely recommend it.

Edit: between the SHELL not sheep

The food lab. You can also buy Modenist Cuisine at Home.

DO NOT USE THESE, they make it VERY easy to break your 3.5mm jack.

Instead, use something like this that separates the 1/4" section from the smaller jack:

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-MHE-100-5-Right-Angle-Headphone-Adaptor/dp/B000068O6B/

Alternatively, you can get this aftermarket cable:

https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM

These get much more comfortable when you throw a pair of new pads on them. I went with these.

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

Surprised no one has mentioned The Food Lab given how popular it is on Reddit. Not only is every recipe in it a certified banger, it also does a great job walking you through the scientific reasons behind each recipe, so in addition to the recipes in the book you gain a ton of skills and techniques applicable when coming up with your own recipes.

What book?

edit: The Food Lab. Thanks u/Imnotveryfunatpartys

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MFDT894/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These things are a godsend, not quite sure about the headband though

For anyone shopping for a good home chef, I would recommend The Food Lab. It's got a cult-like following for a reason; there's even a subreddit—r/seriouseats

The Food Lab!!!

Techniques are explained really well. It doesn't just tell you what to do, it tells you why to do it. There are good recipes, but the best part is that you learn the howsand whys, which make the skills transferable and it will bring your cooking to a new level. It is designed for home cooks, and Kenji is the best, you can't go wrong.

Thanks for all the great comments and compliments! Woke up to a full inbox. To answer a few of the questions:

1. Here is the link for the containers on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N2BPQC3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
2. Recipes:
   
   1. Pasta Salad with dijon vinagrette, olives, capers, shredded mozzerella and sundried tomatoes
      
   2. Black eyed pea salad with red onion, celery and ceasar dressing.
      
   3. The egg salad, roasted broccoli with bread crumbs, and marinated kale salad are all from The Food Lab book.
      
3. I'm doing this mostly for health reasons. Not to lose weight, but just to eat better. I work in a hospital and the cafeteria food is pretty unhealthy (oh the irony). I have very little self control when I go there, and I wind up getting a slice of pizza or chicken tenders or something equally unhealthy.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-211566803-Replacement-Single-Headphones/dp/B001DFX2OC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1422645236&sr=8-3&keywords=mdr-v6+replacement+pads&pebp=1422645255579&peasin=B001DFX2OC

or if you want to get fancy, these are pretty comfy too:

http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-EDT250V-Headphone-Pads-Black/dp/B0016MF7W2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1422645248&sr=8-2&keywords=mdr-v6+replacement+pads&pebp=1422645316011&peasin=B0016MF7W2

I got part one (part one!) of my gift this week! Not near my phone to take a picture, but it's this bad boy! I'm fucking stoked, I love Serious Eats and it's gonna be fucking awesome to have an actual physical cookbook I can leaf through instead of bullshit allrecipes and stupid mommy blogs where you have to read through twenty pages of stupid sanctimommy bullshit before you even get to the recipe!

And holy shit, it's HUGE! It talks about everything! There's chapters on pasta, steak, chicken, all the fun stuff! And there's conversion charts right inside the cover so I don't need to ask google how much a cup of flour weighs (for the thirtieth fucking time!)

I love it! <3

Kenji's book.

https://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087

Buy this :
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00S7CH6FK/

You save so much money on the long run. And you can clean your computer more often because it'll cost you less

I started with just a few things and then listed everything I see... sorry for the spam
(these are all things I have, feel free to ask any Q's)


- Mini Fridge - https://www.amazon.com/Danby-DAR026A1BDD-3-Designer-Refrigerator-2-6-Cubic/dp/B00MO6V96W/ref=sr_1_8?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1519347546&sr=1-8&keywords=mini+fridge


- Cup - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MUBR8UH/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Air Cleaner - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BI4UQK0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Good Chair Mat - https://www.amazon.com/Black-Chair-Mat-Rectanglular-ABS-RC-4655/dp/B00D83MURM/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_229_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CMJS2EM6STF7XCCJZGWZ&dpID=51%252BWDnIRG0L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail


- Big Boy Ergo Chair - https://www.ergoexperts.com/collections/ergonomic-chairs/products/office-master-iu79hd-24-7-intensive-use-heavy-duty-high-back-ergonomic-task-chair


- Camera Mount - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CMLX1O2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Space Heater - https://www.amazon.com/Lasko-Ceramic-Heater-Remote-Control/dp/B00PYDGN18/ref=sr_1_17?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1519348189&sr=1-17&keywords=lasko+space+heater


- LED Lights - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LX9Z3LH/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Foot Rest - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EN9W3UY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Wrist Rest - https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D510182&field-keywords=lasko+space+heater&rh=n%3A1055398%2Cn%3A3206324011%2Cn%3A9425950011%2Cn%3A510182%2Ck%3Alasko+space+heater


- Underdesk Headphone hanger - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P31BMHG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Trash Can - https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Commercial-295700GY-Wastebasket-Rectangular/dp/B079WPRXXS/ref=sr_1_26?ie=UTF8&qid=1519348333&sr=8-26&keywords=trash+can


- Cat Bed - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DJRCQBW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Keyboard - https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=2164


- Keycaps - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/PBT-Backlit-Keycaps-109-Keyset-Top-Printed-Cherry-MX-Key-Caps-For-Tenkeyless-87-104-108/32842167507.html?src=google&albslr=220105582&isdl=y&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&source=%7Bifdyn:dyn%7D%7Bifpla:pla%7D%7Bifdbm:DBM&albch=DID%7D&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=708-803-3821&isdl=y&albcp=653478879&albag=34653160498&slnk=&trgt=75384829977&plac=&crea=en32842167507&netw=g&device=c&mtctp=&gclid=CjwKCAiA8bnUBRA-EiwAc0hZk62T3uqIKPVAUNx-ATVUQIzI8kscvB4UdNBR5dMpZ46l1gp9aoD38BoCNXQQAvD_BwE


- Mouse - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JPOLLTK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Mouse Mat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0745N6CMD/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Headphones - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R99S14/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
& https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008POFOHM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Dac/Amp - https://www.jdslabs.com/products/48/objective2-odac-combo-revb/


- Speakers - https://emotiva.com/products/airmotiv-6s


- Subwoofer - http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/m8.html


- Mic - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KCN83VI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Mic Interface - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012MIVUQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Boom Arm - https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1194415-REG/o_c_white_ulp_mb_proboom_ultima_lp_adjustable.html?sts=pi


- Web Cam Alternative - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G9EYN26/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Lens - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JDGB94S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- PC Cam Interface - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4SM7H6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Lights Boxes - https://www.amazon.com/LimoStudio-Digital-Photography-Fluorescent-AGG883/dp/B0091HO1FS/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1519348726&sr=1-10&keywords=16%22+x+24%22++soft+box


- Light Box Stands & Clamp - https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1327281-REG/ultimate_support_17637_jamstands_fixed_length_boom.html
& https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010CYHW4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


- Light Bulbs - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IB8O2VU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

• The Food Lab: Cooking Through Science by Kenji Lopez-Alt
  
• On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee
  
• The Flavor Bible
  

Yes, the cord that comes with it is crap imo. I got this cord recently for mine and it's fantastic.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KAKBHKM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cheapest I could find

With some accessories

$30 DAC - Link - Please know these aren't game changers, it's only offering better quality sound than your motherboard. If your headphones or speakers aren't that great, it's not doing to do much. Weakest link type of thing. If your headphones suck, these wont help. But if you have a decent set of phones, many people have sworn by these.

$75 DAC - Link - More expensive, better sound output. Again, should be paired with even higher quality sound gear. $100+ speakers/headphones.

$115 DAC - My Dac - Link - I needed a dac with a little power. I use speakers with my setup instead of headphones. This one is 2x25. It's honestly the most anyone should need for a 2.0 system.

$80 Speakers - Link - These are mine. I love them. Best combined $200 I've spent. Instead of a CPU that will need to be replaced in two years, these will out last many builds if I take care of them. The reviews are through the roof compared to the price. And I'd have to agree.

There are a million reviews about the topping DAC + Micca speakers. Things feel more immersive. I think that's the simplest way to put it.

NO COMPROMISES

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
Headphones | Superlux - HD668B Headphones | $39.95 @ Amazon
Other | Zalman Zm-Mic1 High Sensitivity Headphone Microphone | $5.99 @ Amazon
Other| [OPTIONAL] Replacement ear cushions for better comfort| $7.88
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $53.82
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-07-06 22:42 EDT-0400 |
GOOD:

• best budget headphones /r/headphones approved
  
  
• great budget mic
  
  
• not a headset
  
  BAD:
  
  
• 2 cables. deal with it
  
  
• not XxX mlg gam3r XxX 0/10
  
  ----
  EDIT: added link to optional replacement ear pads/cushions that'll improve the comfort.

I don't know a lot about baking, but one of my friends does and she recommended the below book.

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393081087/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_CkmZxb6RN2F39

Also, there is a great show called Good Eats I recommend for this. :)

Nothing particularly good in this bundle.

If you want take up cooking and treat yourself, I would give my highest personal recommendation to The Food Lab and Bravetart. They are great because they go over technique and fundamentals and provide a good base that you can build from once you get more comfortable in the kitchen. Once you hit that point The Flavor Bible is also a great resource for experimentation.

No, bluetooth is not a proper replacement for the analog jack. AptX-HD and LDAC are nice, and would suffice (at least for on the go listening) IF they could handle a stable connection. But they can't. Especially when you're outside.

I looked into it. If I wanted to go bluetooth with AptX-HD/LDAC I'd need a setup thats FAR more inconvenient than a simple 3.5 jack cable - A small portable bluetooth DAC/Amp that supports the codecs (Example), still a 3.5 jack cable and my IEMs, connected via bluetooth to my phone. Wow, where do I put the additional device now? Fucking clip it on my damn jacket?

All convenient "audiophile" solutions cost 150 bucks or much more, AND ONLY support normal AptX. For example the Plussound cables. Normal AptX is pretty damn horrible if you have good earphones, y'know. And no it's definitely not proper 16bit lossless.

So then there is the obvious solution. Do what many others do and buy some bluetooth headphones. But there is NO DAMN CHOICE of good headphones. All bluetooth headphones are midrange AT MAX, but already cost a shitload for the cheap quality.

Bluetooth is not, and will never be a proper replacement. There must be a new and proper music streaming standard before we can ditch the headphone jack for real.

ES100


EarStudio ES100-24bit Portable High-Resolution Bluetooth Receiver/USB DAC/Headphone Amp with LDAC, aptX HD, aptX, AAC (3.5mm Unbalanced & 2.5mm Balanced Output) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078H4YD2L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ReGPDbH9K2TWK

this baby: https://smile.amazon.com/Anchor-ORIGINAL-Under-Desk-Headphone-Stand/dp/B00P31BMHG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523683154&sr=8-1&keywords=the+anchor

What do you guys think of electric blowers like this one? Assuming it's not a piece of crap, it could pay for itself.

edit: Definitely getting myself one, just not necessarily the one I linked to. Thanks for the answers!

I also really like these, great headphones at a great price. However the stock cords suck pretty hard unless you like grippy rubber cables. I picked up these as a replacement, and fully recommend them for anyone else who doesn't like the stock cable:

http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02

It's a cable I got from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM

He's the culinary director of the blog Serious Eats. Used to work in the Cooks Illustrated test kitchen before starting out on his own. He's very beloved on Reddit, partly because he's often participating in community threads, partly because he's a fantastically detailed & process-oriented chef who helps you understand why it's important to do X step or use X ingredient.

Link to his book which is also awesome.

I think you are starting from the wrong place if you think it will be like Texan chili [con carne]. Mole negro and soft cheeses are the main culinary exports of Oaxaca and they are fantastic. This is one of my two favorite culinary regions in Mexico!

Mole negro
First off, the famous mole negro using the regional pasilla de Oaxaca pepper (aka "chile negro" when dried). There are many recipes for that; find one that has ingredients you can pick up at your local Mexican supermarket or order online. You can cook meat (often chicken) in it or use it to make enchiladas enmoladas. They're soft, cheesy, and the rich, black sauce has a great pepper flavor but also a complex mixture of spices that lend subtle notes to the flavor like a fine wine. Every abuelita in Oaxaca has her own special variation on the recipe.

Traditional meal: nopales + meat + oaxaqueño cheese + guajillo sauce
Another personal favorite coming straight out of restaurants in Oaxaca is often called the Conquista Plate. As you can see, a thin steak over grilled cactus, Oaxaca cheese and chile guajillo sauce. The cactus is nopales; learn to love it's mild flavor, as it's in tons of authentic Mexican dishes. Guajillos are a fairly mild chili with a distinct, tart taste. They're also used all over Mexico so you should be able to find them pretty easily. Oaxaca is famous for cheese, so you can also easily find that in most Mexican markets.

Recipe for the sauce (use only guajillos and ancho). You can find your own instructions on grilling nopales and the steak or whatever meat you want to go with it. That red sauce can basically go on anything.

Chile verde: more like a SW "chili"
Although it's not from further south than Chihuahua and Sonora and has become a staple in New Mexican cuisine, chile verde is probably going to be the best marriage of rich Mexican sauces and a more traditional southwestern US "chili" where chunks of tough meat are stewed or braised in the sauce until tender. I've tested and approve of this recipe as a basic starting point. However, in The Food Lab, Kenji goes into detail about why it's better to let this dish braise in the oven. Here is his final recipe, which is amazing and pretty simple once you get through it a couple times (and usually provides leftovers for days). I do believe he is a bit misinformed (in the book, in particular) about how unique Hatch chilies are; the exact same chilies are widely available as "Anaheim peppers" in addition to other sub-cultivars of the classic "No.9 chile". But I digress.

More about chile verde and SW food
I collected about a dozen cookbooks when living in NM trying to find more chile verde recipes to try. Two more recent ones I highly recommend are New Mexico Cuisine: Recipes from the Land of Enchantment and Red or Green: New Mexico Cuisine. For authentic Oaxaqueño recipes, I have only read Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy but it's very good and sub-divides the region to give you a sampling of coastal seafood, cheese from the mountains, and about a thousand mole recipes!

Finally, I want to say I agree with your friend: Tex-Mex is a mistake and traditional Mexican food is where the good eats are at!

My Santa was /u/havingaraveup and he absolutely knocked it out of the park.

I received The Food Lab cookbook that I've been wanting for some time (how did he know?!?!). It's already on display in my home and I used it for dinner last night (slow cooker bbq steak tips)!

He also included some shoe care products and this homemade Aaron Rodgers candle that I shall sacrificially burn next year when the Lions defeat the Packers on their way to the Super Bowl.

Thank you so much for your generosity!

Also, shoutout to /u/aype for putting this on.

Man, you asked a question that will only get you "Senheissers only" style answers. So, I'm gonna try to hit all of your concerns with 1 (well 2) products.

Superlux 681 or 668b

I have a pair of Superlux 681.

1. They are tight but comfortable. They will have a slight amount of jiggle with really fast head movements, but these things will be hard to fling off of your noggin. The ear pads are pretty terrible, but they are interchangeable with the AKG 240 headphone pads. I would highly recommend swapping those out. Here are the ones I bought.
   
   
2. They sound amazing for the price. Seriously, the audio will take a shit on 95% of those "gaming" headphones that tout "True 360 degree surround sound" bollocks. The 681 are a tad bit tinny, but you will hardly notice unless you're an audiophile. The 668bs are much less tinny if you find the 681 having too much treble.
   
   
3. Easy to take off and easy to handle. They weigh about 250g so they are pretty light. Easy to handle.
   
   
4. Here's the kicker, they cost me $30 on amazon.
   
   "Mate" you must be thinking, "You're pullin my fuckin' chain, these must be shit". I'm not, your chain is not being pulled. These aren't the "Best headphones for under $30", these might just be the best headphones for under $150. The sound you get out of them is comparable to some seriously high end shit. Ignore the SteelSeries, Razer, and Sennheiser status quo. This is the first place you should look.

I'm sporting the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x and a FiiO E10K. I also use the Fidelia music player on a mac. It's definitely an upgrade from standard audio equipment but still under $250. You can easily go nuts and drop $1,000+.

FLACCs are still difficult to find from digital sources for lesser known bands. Not everyone's on bandcamp. I buy the physical CD then rip it to FLACC. 320kb/s MP3s are ok but if you opt for a higher fidelity setup I'd stick to FLACC, ALAC, WAV, or AIFF.

I'm in Canada, btw.

I have a basic SMSL dac/amp to use with my PS4 through optical and have enjoyed my 598s + Modmic 5 for gaming for some time now (almost 2 years). Very light and comfortable. However I can't always use open back because the house can get noisy with a baby niece and nephew. I've used a few Hyper X headsets before (still own the original Clouds, sold my Alphas) but was getting bored.

I enjoy the Sennheiser sound so I was looking for something similar to the 598s, but closed . Along came the Cs. They're a tad expensive up here - $180 CAD + 13% tax on Amazon... But I found someone on Kijiji selling theirs for 90 bucks! They were in good condition too. Box was a little beat up, but both cords were intact (1/4 was still wrapped). Here's a comparison from a gaming perspective in CoD WW II:

598s have this smooth sound that's easy to like. Imaging is excellent and soundstage is wide enough to make your head turn around to see where stuff is coming from sometimes.

Gunshots pierce the environment to immerse you without sounding shrill or harsh and the tail end of explosion sound effects with the shrapnel and dirt flying around is very satisfying.

The mids of course are forward, people usually call this "warm", don't they? Sorry I'm not an expert audiophile. Vocal callouts are lively, the rumble of tanks is clear, reload sounds are detailed and very "metallic", the way they should be.

The bass is a bit light. It's there, but I know Sennheiser cans don't emphasize it. Explosions and ordnance are present, but a little more low end wouldn't hurt. I wanna feel like I'm there, not far away from the action.

The Cs are essentially exactly what they sound like... Closed 598s.

• Treble sounds similar and has enough detail, just not quite as perfected as the originals.
  
  
• Mids sound a little more hollow, but just barely. It's not terrible but I expected this.
  
  
• Bass is improved. Punchier and tighter. This I enjoy. :)
  
  
• just the right clamping pressure, soft headband, and the unique rubbery cloth earcup material = the most comfortable, best sound isolation closed headphone I've ever tried. Seriously. Beats both the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pros and the Hyper X Alphas WITH HM5 pads on them. They are wonderful.
  
  Here is something to note: the standard 4 foot 3.5mm cable is TRRS and includes a cheap crappy mic on it. Amps usually don't read TRRS plugs very well. When I first tried that cord with 1/4 inch adapter, it sounded like absolute trash! Dollarama earbuds would give it competition.
  
  I plugged in the 10 ft straight 1/4 inch cord from my SEs into the Cs and it fixed the issue. Sounds great now! So, if you plan on using these, don't use the TRRS cable in your amp or PC motherboard. You'll have to get a y splitter like this.
  
  https://www.amazon.ca/UGREEN-Headphone-Splitter-Smartphone-Computer/dp/B00Y4663GG
  
  I highly recommend these on sale or used. Not $180 CAD.
  
  TLDR: Cs are basically exactly what you expect, a closed off 598. Different headband and earcups make for a comfortable fit and clamp. Be wary of the TRRS cord in your amps. Worth it on sale or used.
  
  

how much are you looking to pay? If you're on a budget for a squat rack you can do this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2PCS-Duty-Commercial-Olympic-Weights-Barbell-Squat-Stand-Power-Rack-Gym-Fitness-/261596613193?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ce85f8a49

for 80 bucks shipped.


Preferably this :
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UMM4QC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687462&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000VLRVSC&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ZDRYNSBR0NRRFMC8VY2

for 350 shipped.

You are a newbie. Get a cage so you can have adjustable safeties.

This is the rack that I own. http://amzn.com/B004UMM4QC

I have done 400+lb rack pulls on it for reps. I have done 185lb overhead press on it. I have squatted and failed 395lbs on it. It is a good rack and it is cheap.

So I recently got a Philips Fidelio X2, Syba Sonic DAC/Amp, and a V-moda Boompro mic, and I wanted to share some thoughts.

My goal was to get something easy, convenient, and quality for gaming but still good for music and movies (aka, a fun v-shape sound signature), while still being open back. Like others, I've gone back and forth on a million different combinations of headphones, mics, dacs, amps, etc. I felt like I was going crazy...

"Well, I could get a Beyerdynamic... but most of their affordable stuff have fixed cables... I could get the SHP9500... but I hear bass is lacking... I could get a Sennheiser HD58X... but then I can't use the V-moda... I could just do a table mic... but then it starts getting too cluttered... etc., etc., etc."

Finding the right combination of my nitpicky requirements is a goddamned nightmare.

I finally settled on a used pair of X2s, thanks to Reddit, actually. Figured they would have the fun sound signature I was looking for, plus the open-back design I'd like for gaming (and just in general), plus the compatibility of the V-moda Boompro and the Syba Sonic DAC/Amp that works so well with the Boompro all at an affordable pricepoint.

And if you're wondering, yeah, I was influenced by ZReviews. I realize now that he jumps on some things and hypes them up probably too quickly, but if anyone has seen his reviews on the SHP9500, Fidelio X2, or the Syba Sonic, it really does seem like a dream come true for someone like me who is looking for a really good all-arounder for gaming, music and movies.

Before I get specifically into the X2, just so you know where I'm coming from, my long-time daily drivers have been the very affordable Superlux HD681. They're very cheaply built, the stock earpads are utter garbage, they're bright, they have a pretty damn wide soundstage, they're incredibly good for gaming for the price, and they're still no slouch on bass and bass extension (although they certainly lean toward high trebles.

I picked up some Sennheiser HD 4.40BT recently because I wanted something portable and wireless. They're decent, but they're uncomfortable and they sound so muddied compared to my much cheaper Superlux.

Anyway, onto the X2...

Build Quality

Initial impressions are that these are well built. Feel very sturdy and rugged yet still sleek, if not a tad too heavy.

The headband is incredibly comfortable. In fact, so far in my time with headphones, these are by far the most comfortable pair of headphones I've ever worn.

That being said, while the clamping force is nice and light and doesn't put much pressure on my ears or jaw, the clamping force is almost too light. It causes them to sag on my head and it means the tops of my ears are what's ultimately doing most of the work keeping the headphones on my head. This also means that if I simply look around too quickly (like, not vigorously shake my head but literally just look in one direction or the other too fast) they literally fall out of place. Very annoying. I like how comfortable they are, but they need more clamping force.

Also, I feel like they creak. I can literally hear them creaking when they're on my head and I move around a bit. It's not the end of the world, but I feel like that shouldn't be happening with headphones that are in the "mid-fi" price range.

I have no idea what the stock pads are like, because I bought them used and the guy had these on them. I will say that those Hifiman velour pads are hella comfy, but they messed with the sound signature in a way I didn't like (more on that in a sec).

So, yeah...comfy, built well, detachable cable is a HUGE fuckin plus, but they need more clamping force and they have a tendency to creak.

Sound and Stuff

I'm no audiophile, so I'll try not to pretend like I am.

When I first got these, my initial impression was "FUCK these are way too dark and muddy." Just like when I first tried the Sennheiser HD 4.40BT (in comparison to my Superlux HD681), I felt like there was practicaly 0 treble. Like, not v-shaped sound signature but a fucking high, inauthentic bump in the bass and then a sharp fucking drop off the side of a cliff.

"Where are the vocals?? Where are the guitars?? Where is the clarity??" is what I kept asking myself.

Unlike the HD 4.40BT, though, I tried not jumping to conclusions and I gave them some time to fester.

Here's one easy change that made a big difference: I had these cheap Cosmos earpads lying around from my Superlux HD681 and I swapped them onto the X2s. They're not as comfortable (although still comfy in general) and they're not nearly as thick, so therefore they brought my ears closer to the drivers, and BOOM...suddenly I had treble again!

I've heard some people say they think X2s are too sibilant, which is crazy to me. While I did get my treble back, they're far from being overly high. They're kind of just right now. Honestly, a simple earpad swap was almost all these needed (for me at least).

Sound clarity was still a bit muddy to me. And that's been the most disappointing thing for me.

Bass is there, treble is (now) there, mids are recessed like a lot of reviews claim, which is all perfectly fine with me, but it still feels muddy compared to my Superlux HD681. The Superlux HD681 feels more tinny to me now that I've tried the X2s for a little bit, so I'll happily take the X2s over the Superlux now, but I still feel like I can separate instruments, vocals, etc. I guess that would be called imaging?

A couple other changes helped that, though...

EQs and DAC/Amps

Like I said, I got the Syba Sonic DAC/Amp almost entirely for its usability with gaming. It gives me a mic input and a headphone output which is perfect for the V-moda boompro mic, plus a treble and bass boost, plus a volume knob.

For under $40 this was really all I needed. I have to say, it's been fun playing around with the treble and bass boost. It doesn't work in all instances, but there have been some songs where I reeeally want that bass, and the bass boost gives it to me. Other times when it just feels too muddy or grainy, the treble boost at least helps with clarity and I feel like I can pick songs apart a little better.

Also, I finally delved into the world of equalizing with Equalizer APO and these particular measurements for the X2. For the uninitiated, I guess these are a bunch of equalizer settings for tons of headphones that are designed to make the headphones as neutral as possible. After reading a quick tutorial on how to work Equalizer APO I got it working, and I have to say it has made a real difference.

The X2s went from muddy, grainy, and lacking clarity to being (at least for me) decently more neutral and much cleaner and clearer. That being said the suggested -6.1dB gain seemed to make it so that my DAC/Amp just doesn't quite get loud enough. I changed that to closer to -4.0dB and now I seem to get a decent range of volume like before (although still not as much).

It did lighten the bass on the X2s, which is a bit of a downer. There are certain songs that really need the punch, but I'm still new to equalizers and too afraid to mess around with it too much.

All in all, the Cosmos earpads, Syba Sonic and EqualizerAPO changed these X2s waaaaay more than I honestly assumed they would. Honestly, kind of transformed them.

Quick Note About Soundstage

Since I also wanted these for gaming, I feel like I should mention soundstage.

I've heard some people say the X2s have amaaazingly wide soundstage and I've heard others say it almost has no soundstage whatsoever.

All I can say is that after going back and forth betwen the X2s and the Superlux HD681 in Overwatch, PUBG, and Fortnite, I feel like they are at least just as good as the Superlux if not better, which is plenty good enough for me since the Superlux have been my gold standard of gaming soundstage for qutie a while now.

Last Thoughts

So, did I get what I wanted? Ummm...mostly? I totally get now why people start "chasing the dragon" when they start getting deep into a hobby. There are so many specific things you want, and you begin to feel as though literally no company has actually even produced the thing you're looking for. It's almost like it doesn't exist.

Although, more than likely, you just haven't found it yet.

It took some messing around with earpads, a DAC/Amp, and an equalizer to truly get what I wanted out of these X2s, but I'm glad I didn't write them off immediately.

That being said, while the Fidelio X2s aren't giving me the clarity and imaging that I desire, they do have a found sound signature and they are a good choice for an all-arounder (gaming, music, movies, etc.).

You can get the bass that is surprisingly punchy for open-back headphones, you can get a soundstage that's decent enough for casual gaming with friends, they have that ever-elusive detachable cable, and some tweaks here and there can get you some cleaner treble.

I'm happy, but then I'm disappointed. I'm happy again, and then I'm disappointed again...such is the case of having too many criteria.

Incredibly low prices on HM5 pads (all of them- pleather, velour, angled, hybrid, etc.) as well as some IEMs.



HM5 pleather - $16.50 (usually $22.50)


HM5 Velour - $16.50 (usually $22.50)

HM5 Angled Pleather - $22.50 (usually $27.50 or $29.50)

Brainwavz S0 IEMs - $19.99 (usually $45.00)

Angled Hybrid pads - $25.00 (usually $29.50 or $37.50)

I think Serious Eats would be a great starting point for you. It's got the recipes, but it's also got the why. Learning why the food does what it does, and learning why recipes work or don't, is very important.

As an avid cook and collector of cookbooks, I have three recommendations -

1. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
   
2. The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez Alt
   
3. The Flavor Bible
   
   The first two will teach you the essentials of cooking. How salt, fat, acid, and heat work together to make delicious food. J Kenji Lopez Alt has a popular serious eats blog and his book will teach you everything you need to know about cooking perfect meat, eggs, burgers, etc.
   
   Once you learn all of the basics from those books, use the Flavor Bible to be creative.

Visitor from /r/headphones here.

You better believe I still use mine. Even if Dongles and external solutions are better than most integrated solutions, LG's Quad DAC designs are still decent, and some of the best integrated solutions available.

That being said, when I bring out more demanding headphones, or more sensitive in ears, I'll generally hook them to a portable dac/amp or a very low output impedance Dongle (for the IEMs).

That being said, I still use my headphone jack when I get into most cars, as there's the simplicity of one wire and you're good to go. Sure, it's not wireless, but there's never any drop outs, or weird latency, and/or compatibility issues. Arguably those issues depend on implementation, but still. Less moving parts so to speak.

Also, it's good to have for times when you want to plug into a friend's speaker or system and not blow out their BT settings.

Edit: added links.

I've had my Sony MDR7506s for over 12 years and they are still going strong. You can replace the pads with higher quality ones

http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-Velour-Earcushions-MDR7506-Headphones/dp/B0016MF7W2

You can thank me in advance

If you don't mind spending more money on different parts for these headphones, these earpad and headband replacements are fantastic.

While people are recommending headsets that come with the mic. I'm going to recommend something else. Get a high quality set of over the ear headphones. I'm talking something like the Audio Technica ATH-M50S, Audio Technica ATH-AD700, Sennheiser HD555/595 (The 595's are very similar to the 555's but sound better, there are links around that you can mod your 555's to become 595's), or Sennheiser HD380 Pro. And then attach a Zalman Mic to it.

I have a pair of HD595's and absolutely love them, I can wear them all day and not feel it. They are built like tanks and have amazing sound quality. With my Zalman mic, I not only have a headset that has much higher sound quality than any gaming headset, but I can also use it for VOIP.

I used to have a pair of Creative Fatal1ty MKii, but after picking up my Sennheiser's I can't go back to them. The comfort and sound quality is literally night and day.

Although slightly out of your price range, the two companies make extremely high quality audio equipment. If you look through their offerings you'll definitely find a pair of headphones that will fit your budget. If you watch Amazon you can find that they cut prices dramatically from time to time, I picked up my 595's for around $150, and now they're almost $250.

If you get the superluxes consider these ear pads as well. Mmm... Velour.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KLPRQMO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

FiiO E10K Olympus DAC / Amp on Amazon

I am using it to drive a pair of Sennheiser HD 598 SE headphones at work.

Before you chastise me for open back in an office space, I listen at a relatively low volume, the ambient noise here is pretty loud, and I've okayed it with my cube neighbor who is rarely even at his desk.

Some initial thoughts:

• The Bass switch is subtle enough (depending on the music) that I actually find it pleasant. Edit: Probably won't use it much long term, but it's nice for some kinds of music.
  
• Size is smaller than I expected. Pencil for scale. (Sorry, no banana available)
  
• Sound quality is quite nice for this purpose. You'll hear from others that this is basically an entry level DAC and they're not wrong. It works for me because I'm just using it to listen to lossy music (320mp3) at work and wanted something a little nicer than this old laptop's onboard DAC.
  
• I have Gain on Low and wouldn't dream of raising it. OS volume sits around 70-80% and the physical knob on the amp doesn't rise above 3 most of the time.
  
• Installation was dead simple, but I'm running Arch Linux (ALSA + Pulseaudio) so there is no driver installation. I just plug it in and tell the media player which device to use.
  
  The biggest issue I've been having so far is not the DAC's fault, but the fact that my laptop is quite old and has a weak CPU. This led to some crackling when the CPU was under heavy load, so I've had to tweak a number of things (process priorities, disable "smooth scrolling" in my browser, etc) to eliminate it.
  
  Otherwise it seems like a solid purchase.

Mine turns on and connects to my phone automatically every time I turn on the car. I have this one.

Thanks. It's a headphone anchor.
http://www.amazon.com/Anchor-Under-Desk-Headphone-Stand-Mount/dp/B00P31BMHG

Not sure if troll...but he linked to Amazon UK. You can buy it here if you live in the U.S.

Based on all the research you put in, i don't think that you really need our help :p

But just in case you just need some re-assurance, the R7 series is definitely going to get you the best bang / buck, although it'll be interesting to see how Intel prices SkyLake X / KabyLake X.

You'll also have to look into if their block supports AM4 since they only say that they support AMD.

Why even bother with your SoundBlaster if it's going to complicate the build. I'd just sell it an get an external solution like a FiiO E10K or a Scarlet Solo (Although i guess that depends on what headphone you have).


Even with something like this, you still have quiet a bit leftover for some sleeved cables and a keyboard / headphone upgrade.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD RYZEN 7 1700 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor | $319.75 @ OutletPC
Motherboard | MSI X370 GAMING PRO CARBON ATX AM4 Motherboard | $178.98 @ SuperBiiz
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $119.88 @ OutletPC
Storage | Samsung 960 Evo 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $129.99 @ B&H
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | Purchased For $0.00
Storage | Crucial MX300 750GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | Purchased For $0.00
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card | Purchased For $0.00
Power Supply | SeaSonic 520W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular Fanless ATX Power Supply | $126.50 @ Jet
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $875.10
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-10 14:41 EDT-0400 |

You seriously cannot go past Kenji Lopez-Alt’s book: The Food Lab. It’s several hundred pages of how to cook basic things properly, then apply those techniques to more complex dishes. It even covers things like equipment, knife skills, etc. I understand that he’s launching a second copy soon, too.

https://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087

Some ideas that have worked well for me/others:

Aging Parents - Kind of expensive (fluctuates a ton) but if you have a parent with a ton of photos who talks about scanning them all in someday, this scanner is fantastic. I have the older version and it's literally so easy to use that even my mom and dad could figure it out when I let them borrow it. Not a great bulk doc scanner but exactly what you need for photos. Pair with a case like this to store the originals in and you've done a great deed.

Newlyweds- If they don't have specific interests, a picnic blanket goes over well. I have the one linked and it's nice for the cheap price. Pair with some wine, maybe some other picnic accessories. I'm also giving a minted gift for a custom designed print for wedding photos to my brother/new sister-in-law.

Teens- Move beyond the selfie stick - some phone lenses go a long way, get a self timer for the phone, or a PowerCore. The powercore isn't sexy but super loved by all. I usually hit up BaubleBar or Sephora for deals too.

Handyman- I shoved this cheap light in my husband's stocking last year and he loves it. It's super handy.

Homebody- This is out of stock in the best size right now but it always comes back in. It is the softest blanket ever, doesn't shed, and we bought them for every room of the house.

Dog- What dog doesn't love bully sticks? A good deal, really good quality and my dogs have loved them.

On my wishlist- A milk frother, The Food Lab cookbook, a magnetic pincushion, maybe some Ugg slippers, a bunch of Etsy art and Essie gel couture nail polish. Debating a special purchase for myself with a bonus I received, I'm thinking a camera for a big trip coming up if I can find the right holiday deal.

I worked briefly as a butcher and, as a rule, I thought all minced beef was the same, aside from the fat content (I didn't say I was a good butcher). Eye of Round vs. Brisket? They're both extra lean, right?

Nope. After reading an article Kenji had wrote about the different kinds of beef cuts, I learned that I could make my burgers exponentially more flavourful by mixing and matching cuts.

Kenji knows what's up, and I'm heavily considering buying his book on Amazon.

No, this isn't a paid/undisclosed promotion... but if Kenji wants to throw a couple bucks my way, I won't say no.

Ganz klar: The Food Lab!
https://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087
Ist zwar Englisch aber trotzdem ganz klare Empfehlung! Einerseits sind die Rezepte gut, wenn auch klar amerikanisch andererseits habe ich noch aus keinem Kochbuch so viel mitgenommen und gelernt!

Incoming list of surprisingly easy recipes.

Cornish hens though can easily be used for any whole poultry

Chic-fil-a style sandwiches but easier than the site's actual replica

no bake cheesecake

similar to the first cornish hen but with chicken

super easy carne asada (need decent blender though)

my go to asian chicken recipe because it's easy

if you don't love chicken satay we can't be friends

fusilli a la vodka easy and delicious

easiest mac and cheese recipe other than the box

if you're feeling real fancy this short rib recipe will be expensive but my god is it amazing (spend $50 just on the meat when I made it last week) and you get to look like you're a master french chef with minimal effort

I also suggest checking out The cookbook the Food Lab by J kenji lopez-alt

Oops I did it again. Posted a recipe from The Food Lab that I can't find published online. So i guess instead of a recipe I'll implore you to buy the book because it's awesome https://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087

Kenji did not pay or bribe me for this plug btw..

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393081087/

Switch out the earpads. This is a common complaint with basic pleather earpads. They may be comfy and form-fitting but they don't breathe enough for some people (myself included).

An amazon customer image shows those Panasonic pads swapped out with Beyerdynamic 250 Velour replacement pads.

I just did the same "mod" with my Monoprice 8323s because the only thing $30 about those cans is the earpad material. Much nicer now with the velour. The $25 is a bit much for earpads as they're not as nice material as say the Beyerdynamic DT880's velour earpads but they definitely do the trick for me.

Bought this one on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Power-Squat-Deadlift-Bench/dp/B004UMM4QC

Works for me.

• Cage -- $360 shipped
  
  
• 2 horse stall mats -- $80 in total
  
  
• Bench -- $10 from Craigslist
  
  
• Weights -- about $.60 per lb from Craigslist
  
  
• Texas Power Bar -- almost $300 shipped (I splurged on this but it's awesome)
  
  Big initial investment but totally worth it. Working out at home is amazing.

It'll definitely need an amp so look into this that's also on sale

There's some info you should know before deciding on headphones and headsets, so strap in.

Open-back headphones:

• AKG K702, K701, K612 Pro, Q701
  
• Audio-Technica ATH-AD900x, ATH-AD700x
  
• Beyerdynamic DT990, DT880
  
• Philips SHP9500 (on sale for $50 on Newegg)
  
• Samson SR850
  
• Sennheiser HD598 (SE, SR), HD558
  
• Status Audio OB-1
  
• Superlux HD681 (B, F), HD681 EVO, HD668B, HD330
  
  Closed-back headphones:
  
  
• AKG K550
  
• Audio Technica ATH-MSR7
  
• Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus, DT770
  
• Status Audio CB-1
  
• Superlux HD669, HD662 (B, F), HD662 EVO, HD660
  
• V-MODA Crossfade M-100
  
  Attachable mics:
  
  
• Antlion ModMic 5.0, 4.0
  
• Massdrop Minimic
  
• Neewer Clip on Mini Lapel Microphone
  
• Sony ECMCS3
  
• V-MODA BoomPro
  
• Zalman ZM-Mic1
  
  Open-back headset:
  
  
• Sennheiser G4ME ONE
  
  Closed-back headset:
  
  
• Sennheiser G4ME ZERO
  
   
  
  I have AKG Q701, Audio-Technica ATH-AD700x, Beyerdynamic DT990 (600 ohms), Philips SHP9500, Superlux HD668B and Superlux HD681 EVO of these. I also compare to AKG K52, HyperX Cloud, Philips Fidelio X2 and Sennheiser HD700. I got all of these for gaming (and because I love collecting headphones). All of them have been burned in for at least 20 hours, some several hundred. I use Schiit Magni 2 Uber and Modi 2 Uber as my headphone amplifier and DAC.
  
  Q701 has a huge soundstage and excellent imaging, separation, clarity, detail retrieval and tonality. It has a mid-forward sound signature with clean, recessed bass. It's over-ear, very lightweight and has a durable build and a detachable cable.
  
  AD700x has a very big soundstage, great imaging, separation, clarity and detail retrieval, and good tonality. It has a bright sound signature with clean, recessed bass. It's over-ear, very lightweight and has a durable build.
  
  DT990 has a very big soundstage, great imaging, excellent separation, clarity, detail retrieval and tonality. It has a bassy and very bright sound signature. Despite the boosted bass, sound cues are still highly defined in the middle of explosions and gunfights. It's over-ear, lightweight and has a very sturdy build.
  
  SHP9500 has a big soundstage, good imaging, separation and detail retrieval, and very good clarity and tonality. It has a flat/balanced sound signature with clean bass. It's over-ear, lightweight and has a durable build and a detachable cable.
  
  HD668B has a very big soundstage, very good imaging, separation and detail retrieval, good clarity and decent tonality. It has a bright sound signature and clean bass. It's over-ear, very lightweight and has a sturdy build and a detachable cable. I recommend replacing the earpads with velour earpads from HiFiMAN or Cosmos.
  
  HD681 EVO has a very big soundstage, good detail retrieval, very good clarity and tonality, but has poor imaging and separation. It has a warm sound signature with a deep, clean bass. It's over-ear, lightweight and has a durable build and a detachable cable. I recommend taking out the loose felt inside the cups and replacing the earpads because they are very shallow and the driver sticks out quite a bit. Some good compatible earpads are the ones from HiFiMAN and Cosmos, but if you have big ears, then I recommend AKG K240/K270/K271 earpads and the round velour earpads from Brainwavz. The earpads can cost up to $25, but the sound quality is worth at least $100. Thomann.de sells the Superlux headphones cheaper than Amazon.
  
   
  
  Closed-back headphones have cups with solid shells that largely isolate sound from passing in and out.
  
  Open-back / semi-open-back headphones have cups with perforations/grills that allow outside sound to freely pass in and sound from the drivers to freely pass out. How loud you hear outside sound and how loud people around you hear the sound emanating from the headphones depend on your volume, of course. The sonic benefit to open-back is generally a big soundstage and, hence, better imaging.
  
  Soundstage is perceived space and environment of sound. It can be compared to virtual surround sound; both attempt to produce the same spacious, three-dimensional effect. VSS can sound more ambient and immersive, which will depend on the processor (CMSS-3D, Dolby, SBX, etc.), but it degrades the sound quality and diminishes detailing due to compression from digital processing. You might also experience less accurate imaging and separation if the headphone already has good imaging and separation. Note that a deep soundstage is equally important as a wide soundstage.
  
  Imaging determines how accurately sounds/objects are positioned across the soundstage. Imaging is inherent to the audio content, so if the game is recorded or mixed poorly, a headphone with good imaging won’t improve the positional audio.
  
  Separation is separating individual sounds from a range of sounds. Good separation properties make it easier to filter out or discern overlapping sounds from other sounds and track them.
  
  Sound signature is a frequency response / sound profile. For example, a V-shaped sound signature emphasizes the bass and treble while recessing the mid-range. A flat/balanced sound signature doesn't over- or under-emphasize these frequencies and attempts to reproduce the original recording accurately as possible. A bright headphone emphasizes the treble and can subdue the bass. A warm sound signature emphasizes the bass or subdues the treble.
  
   
  
  The Antlion ModMics and Massdrop Minimic use a clasp system to attach to headphones and they are easy to attach and remove. They are compatible with all headphones. The ModMic 4.0 has two different pickup patterns to choose from and an option for a mute button. The ModMic 5.0 has all of these features and is modular. The Minimic has a mute button and is modular. The V-MODA BoomPro mic is compatible with headphones that have a female 3.5mm jack without any proprietary nonsense, like Fidelio X2 and SHP9500. Status Audio CB-1 is compatible, though. It has a mute button and a volume control. The other mics clip onto your shirt and don't have any in-line controls. You should listen to recordings on YouTube to judge for yourself if they are good. I think they are for voice chat.
  
  To connect the headphone and ModMic/Minimic to the DS4 or any other source that doesn't have a mic jack, you need a 4-pole Y-splitter. The BoomPro doesn't require a Y-splitter.
  
  For connecting to the PS4, you can use an audio USB adapter. Since the dongle is too thick, so you'll need a USB extension cable.
  
  I recommend getting a dedicated DAC and a headphone amplifier or a sound card because the onboard audio on PS4/DS4 has bad audio quality. Check out Astro MixAmp Pro TR; you can balance the game audio and chat audio and adjust the overall audio.
  
   

Obligatory have these headphones, AMA.

I replaced the ear pads with hm5 velour pads, (got them when they were like half off) no modifications required (once the stock earpads are removed, they can’t be reused, just a warning)

I have the m50, so no detachable cord, and they are still treating me well to this day. I eventually upgraded and my new set has velour ear pads, which are awesome. Even though my m50s don't get as much use anymore, I got some replacement pads for them and it was like getting a whole new set of headphones. So much comfier, no more getting sweaty by wearing them too long, and they have a slightly improved soundstage imo by adding these new pads. Might be worth checking out, they're only $20 right now.

velour ear pads for ATH-M50X

Electric air duster ;)

This is a good alternative for people in the UK.

I believe that he was talking about these: http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Velor-Memory-Replacements-Earpads/dp/B00MFDX4YO

"The Anchor" headphone hook. I own this. It's 2 years and running strong, I love it.

You need an adapter for those sort of headsets. https://www.amazon.ca/Splitter-Separate-Headphone-Microphone-Headphones/dp/B00Y4663GG/ref=pd_cp_23_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=X5ET8C2468T1BWQMSGMS

Take a look at The Food Lab by /u/J_Kenji_Lopez-Alt . He covers a lot of the science without relying on so much of the BS conventional wisdom.

I didn't know she had a cookbook. When I look for recipes, /u/j_kenji_lopez-alt is my first choice (and his book, his serious eats) but he doesn't really do desserts. Bravetart is professionally a pastry nerd and I've been using her primarily for desserts recently. When I found out she had a cookbook I ordered it immediately!

Just upgraded from my ATH-M50s. Well not price wise, but imo, soundwise.

I bought them for $50 off Newegg on Sale. Incase you haven't figured it out yet, they are the Phillips SHP-9500s.
__

First impressions:



Comfort:

• These things are super light and comfortable. Compared to my M50s, the clamp force is much lighter, and I don't get fatigued as quick from the clamp. Note that I replaced the earcups on my M50s with new earcups which definitely helped! But for $20 more, you could get the Phillips. After a bit you forget they're on your head.
  
  
• I find the earcups to be very comfortable, but the shape (Seal) maybe wraps a bit to wide for my tastes. I don't really mind it though and something I've gotten used to really quick, and maybe am starting to enjoy.
  
  
• They are a sweat magnet though, I will say that.
  
  ____
  
  Sound:
  
  
• Not going to go in depth with this, because many people have already said what needed to be said. But I will throw you some super quick impressions..
  
  Bass
  
  
• Bass is definitely not extreme or anything, but that's to be expected with opens. Honestly though, I really like the bass. I am not a bass head, and I think the bass on these are just right, it's clean, tight and sounds good.
  
  Midrange
  
  
• Mids sound great! Very smooth and detailed! Great for vocals in both female and male. Instruments sound great as well of course! Overall I really enjoy the mids on this. It's clean, detailed, relaxed.
  
  Trebel
  
  
• Trebel is very detailed, smooth, and crisp. Sometimes at higher volumes you can get a bit of sibilance, but not bad.
  
  Soundstage:
  
  
• I find the soundstage to be pretty good, not AMAZING, but compared to the m50s.. I find a definite improvement. Things sound more airy and open, and I find myself able to pinpoint instruments more clearly. As well as shots, footsteps, etc in games.
  
  _____
  
  Overall the sound is very good in my opinion.. especially considering the $50. It's an absolute steal if you ask me!
  
  __
  
  Notes: Remember these are openbacked headphones, so not really made for public use as everybody will be able to hear what you're listening to, as well as you be able to hear all the noise around you.
  
  This isn't really a con, because it's how they're made, and it's to be expected. So if you're looking for public use, you should not be looking for a pair of open backed headphones.
  
  ____
  
  Extra Information: The intergrated amp you are seeing is a Cambridge Audio Azur 640a v2. I use for my Vienna Acoustic Mozart Grand speakers. I use the headphone port for my headphones. The dac that it's being run through is a Fiio D3 (D03K).
  
  

I am not a professional, but I can say this much... I have a pair of Audio Technica Pro 700 MK2's and listening to them plugged into my Pixel 2 vs listening to them plugged into my Onkyo receiver fed audio from my PC via optical cable is an ENTIRELY different experience.

​

I've been considering picking up an es100 to be able to use my 700MK2's wireless with my phone and I'm hoping that it offers a similar experience as I get with my Onkyo.

I have 598s and use this. I've never used the Schiit stack but used my FiiO E10k every day for two years and love it.

I can't recommend these pads enough for the 668's!
I went from the headphones being slightly uncomfortable to wearing them to bed on some nights.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KLPRQMO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've been using Beyerdynamics DT 770 Pro 80 ohm paired with a Fiio E10k DAC and the sound quality is incredible. You'd be under budget with this setup too and the E10k also has a bass boost switch if that's your thing ;)

That's more of a desktop setup, though my phone does drive the 770s pretty well. If you're looking for headphones for on the go listening, I'd recommend Sony's WH1000XM3, they're the best noise cancelling headphones I've ever owned.

This is the type of adapter you need. You can get them for less than $10 in the states.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00IM36VU0/ref=s9_simh_gw_p107_d2_i10?pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=J5Y3VHWE73B953DQVC8W&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=b06971ce-9992-44c1-9ee0-eb9792e71b5e&pf_rd_i=desktop

Congrats! I love my 598Cs. They're going to be my go to headphones until Massdrop ships my K7XX :)

Now every I see the 598Cs I recommend getting this replacement cable.

It's worth every penny. Enormous upgrade over the stock cable.

That's really not a good way to do it. Line level audio is intended to transfer an audio signal between devices, not to drive headphones. You would be overloading the PS3's audio output, which is designed for loads of around 10k ohm, if you connected some headphones which might have an impedance 100 times lower. It would be quiet, you'd have no volume control and you'd likely get some distortion.

The right way to do it - the way which wouldn't overload the PS3's audio output and would give you adequate volume which you could control - is to use an amplifier. Practically any stereo will have the required line-in and headphone out, or you can buy a dedicated headphone amp. You'd need, say, an amp like this and a cable like this(if you wanted to connect it directly to the PS3).

I use this headphone amp to split my signal to RS, an amp, and a third line for recording raw guitar output.

With individual amps I can set levels for each output.

Setup Specs:

• Asus VN247H - Monitors x3
  
• Corsair Vengeance K70 - Keyboard
  
• Razer Mamba 2016 - Mouse
  
• ATH M40X - Headphones
  
• Antilon Modmic 5.0 - Microphone
  
• Steelseries Qck+ - Mousepad
  
• Xbox One Wireless Controller (With PC dongle)
  
• RGB-W LED Strip
  
• Vonhaus Monitor Arm
  
• Desk Chair
  
• Dell XPS 15 Laptop (Old model, not available on www.dell.com anymore
  
• Logitech MX Anywhere 2 - Laptop Mouse
  
• PC Build
  
   
  
  Posters:
  
  
• Witcher 3 Poster
  
• Overwatch Poster
  
• The Division Poster
  
   
  
  Wallpapers can be found here
  
   
  
  The desk is a long story:
  
  I purchased this desk, but I turned out to dislike the white color and decided to paint it black, the paint job completely failed and ruined the table top(s). I decided to purchase 2 Ikea tabletops and attached them to the legs with kit making the desk bigger then the original with a smoother finish!
  
   
  
  Things I want to change/add:
  
  
• Purchase some kind of AMP/DAC because my motherboards soundcard is really bad. Ordered this amp/dac.
  
• Purchase headphone stand/hook. Ordered this headphone hook.
  
• Patch up holes in the wall under the middle and right monitor.
  
• Do something with the right side of the desk because it's ugly af.
  
   
  
  EDIT: I apologize for the poor quality pictures, I don't have anything better then my cellphone (Nexus 5X) to take pictures with.

It has an optical out so if you want a cheap dac/amp combo you could use the SMSL SD 793II and if your PC has an optical out you can use it with that too.

http://www.amazon.com/SMSL-SD793-II-PCM1793-DIR9001-Amplifier/dp/B00A2QLPJM

Also according to this thread on gamefaqs

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/691087-playstation-4/69310423

It does support USB dacs but I have no experience with this so you should do more research.

As for the 'flat' sounding of headphones I'm fairly certain the 598's are fairly efficient though I think an amp could possibly help tighten the bass region due to the 300ohm peak at 100hz IIRC.

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD598.pdf

Something like E10k also has a bass boost which may be helpful if you find them too bass light. But that's usb so you should do research on that.

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

In my opinion, you should only do that if you already have a good set of headphones/speakers that can actually take advantage of the increased sound quality from a card. If you're running WoT with a $20 set of stereo speakers, you'd get more "sound-quality-per-dollar" by getting a better set of headphones than you would with a sound card.

The other reason I came here is to recommend that you get a DAC that's external to the computer. They're undoubtedly more convenient for headphones (who's going to run their headphone cable to the back of the PC?), and arguably you reduce the amount of EM noise by taking the DAC outside of your computer rather than have it sit next to all of the computer's electronics on the PCI-E slot.

The last time I looked, the FiiO E10K was highly recommended for entry level price-to-performance.

Gaming headsets suck, period.

https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-770-PRO-Studio-Headphone/dp/B0016MNAAI

Get yourself a nice pair of well reviewed closed back headphones. Open back leaks more noise and tends to have a little less bass.

Then you need a mic you can attach to the side like a regular 'gaming' headset, only except now your audio is high quality.

https://www.amazon.com/d/Computer-Microphones/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone/B00R98JVVU

Then if you want to improve the experience a little more, grab an external DAC and headphone amp.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2

Best answer is probably/maybe. Here are some options at different price points:

$30 UCA202

$76 FiiO E10K

$100 Modi 2

$150 ODAC

You might want to consider changing those pads on the m40x. Went from stock to Brainwavz on my m30x (same pads) and the difference in comfort and sound is substantial.

am i allowed to recommend Food Lab? I know there was some controversy with Reddit and Kenji on his participation (and whether it constituted free advertising or not).

Oh well if you have a cooktop, I use a great recipe I found. I just use a regular stainless steel pan.

1. Salt generously, then let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes
   
2. Heat to med-high heat with 1 tbsp ghee, let it start to smoke just a little bit then throw on the steak.
   
3. Cook, flipping every once in awhile, generally about 6 minutes.
   
4. Add 1 TBSP of butter and cook for another few minutes. Turn down temperature if it starts smoking too much.
   
   I do this almost every day and LOVE the ribeyes I get out of it.
   
   If you want the official recipe buy this book, it's changed my cooking life.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087/

Aight girl-

Foreign Cuisine-
How to Eataly - Oscar Farinetti - We made the most AMAZING brisket meatballs and a super simple yet completely delicious red sauce out of this book
Around My French Table - Dorie Greenspan - Where the Cornish hens and gougeres came from.
Real Korean Cooking - Maangchi - Korean Fried Chicken. We've made them twice now because they're so good and can't wait to do more.
Mexican Everyday - Rick Bayless - Learned how to make perfect guac from this book and so far we've made these v tasty chorizo/mushroom/potato tacos. The recipe is SO cheap and SO voluminous that we had it as a taco filling, a quesadilla filling, and we're making a hash with it for brunch this morning.
Every Grain of Rice - Fuchsia Dunlop - We haven't tried anything out of here yet but there are sooooo many good-looking recipes in here.
Entice with Spice - Shubhra Ramineni - Likewise, haven't made anything out of here yet but looking forward to trying it all out soon.
Jack's Wife Freda - Dean & Maya Jankelowitz - This is actually a book from a restaurant that my fiance and I LOVED when we last visited NYC. It's got a lot of fusion recipes. Mediterranean/Israeli/South African/etc. Really unique flavors and also v comfort-food based. We're making rosewater waffles out of this book tomorrow!


Baking-
Rose's Baking Basics - Rose Levy Barenbaum - This book is incredible. She has tons and tons of step-by-step photos which is SUPER helpful. We made the dark chocolate caramel tart out of this book, but pretty much everything in here looks amazing.
Modern Baking - Donna Hay - I mean... There is some INSANELY decadent looking stuff in here. We haven't tried any of these recipes yet but I can't wait to!


Misc-
Cook Like a Pro - Ina Garten - It was really hard to pick just one Ina book but I liked most of the recipes in this one. She has this ridic recipe for a dijon mustard chicken that is INCREDIBLE. Also, this bitch knows how to cook some veggies. Big fan of this one.
The Food Lab - /u/j_kenji_lopez-alt - I just love this guy, tbh. We've made a really fantastic beef tenderloin out of this book and an incredible red wine sauce to go with it and of course, his famous roasted potatoes which are now my holy grail recipe for roasted potatoes. This book is like a science textbook only instead of boring stuff it's FOOD science, which is my favorite kind.


Those were all the ones we purchased ourselves (though technically Eataly was a gift BUT we love it and plan to use it often.) We have other cookbooks in our stable that we've received as gifts, which is what resulted in my fiance and I deciding we wanted to embark on this journey. We kept being given cookbooks and never doing anything with them. But man, do people love it when you send them pics of stuff you cooked out of a book they gave you. If people give you cookbooks, use them!! It will make their day to see it's being used. Here's what else is on our cookbook shelf-


The Forest Feast Gatherings - Erin Gleeson - This is a vegetarian book my fiance's mom gave us a few years ago for Christmas. We have a bunch of veggie friends (and friends with a lot of different allergies) so we turn to this book to have a few things that are edible by all of them when we have them over, as we often do. This book has a really delicious salad that has pomegranate seeds, pear, and hazelnut that is out of this world good. I also got my HG salad dressing from this book.
The Salad Bowl - Nicola Graimes - Another gift from my fiance's mom. Is she trying to tell us something?? Honestly haven't looked much into this book yet but it sure is pretty.
The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook - Dinah Bucholz - This was a gift from the assistant in my office. Everyone in my office knows me as the Harry Potter girl because I have a lightning bolt tattoo, haha. We haven't made anything out of this yet, but we probably will have some sort of epic feast with recipes from this book when GoT starts back up later this year.
Talk About Good - Louisiana Lafayette Junior League - My boss gave this to my fiance and I as part of an engagement gift. My fiance went to school in New Orleans. It's primarily New Orleansian/Cajun food. Haven't made anything out of it yet, but we are looking forward to it.

And that's what's on our cookbook shelf for now.

edit also omg thanks for the gold!! <3

I love cookbooks, and have probably fifty in my collection.

The ones I keep going back to are:

• Anything by Yotam Ottolenghi - He's an Israeli-born chef in London, and his recipes are a great combination of creative, relatively easy, and unique. He has a knack for combining unusual flavors, and I've never disliked anything I've cooked from him. If you're relatively green, don't get Nopi (too advanced). His other three or four books are all great.
  
  
• Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless. Bayless has a PBS show and owns several restaurants in Chicago. He's a great chef and his recipes are accessible and fun.
  
  
• The Food Lab by u/J_Kenji_Lopez-Alt. I was skeptical at first, since Lopez-Alt's website is so comprehensive, but the book is absolutely beautiful and contains both recipes and explanations of technique and science.
  
  
• Modernist Cooking at Home - It's expensive and many of the recipes are challenging and/or require special equipment, but the book is truly groundbreaking and never fails to stoke my creativity. It's the home version of his 6-volume tome which many think is one of the most innovative cookbooks in the last 20 years.

Well you can't go wrong with The Food Lab cookbook. It doesn't get too complicated and explains things very well.

A Victorinox Chef's Knife is about 40 dollars and will last him a long time and it can be cool to have one for him.

Jacques Pépin New Complete Techniques

The America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Great Cook

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

From here you can move on to:

Institut Paul Bocuse Gastronomique: The definitive step-by-step guide to culinary excellence

&

Larousse Gastronomique: The World's Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia, Completely Revised and Updated

These are all great resources. Also look for culinary school text books and always youtube.

The resources are out there and with everyone having a different way to learn and adopt information the variety in options is tremendous. Good luck and keep cooking. If you have any questions please reach out and if I can help I will.

Food Lab.

Dude, don't be rude to people in your own thread.

Something like this

You can spend more and get one with balanced inputs, but even these cheap little ones work well.

You could always just get a headphone amp and separate powered speakers. In order to not break the bank but still have quality products, I recommend:

Headphone Amp


Powered speakers

Have owned both and can say you’ll be happy, especially for the price point.

I used these [hybrid pads]
(https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Hybrid-Memory-Foam-Earpad/dp/B00ZGGG3KY)

They opened the sound stage a bit and retained the sound quality, while becoming much more comfortable. I think the mid bass may have diminished just a little, but after breaking them in, the mid-bass returned to normal. I imagine the pads flattened out, bringing the drivers closer to their original position.
These are the only closed pair of cans I own, now. I sold my M50x's, Shure SRH840's, and gave my brother my old Sony MDR's because I love the M40x's. I use these with a Fiio E07K, and Spotify 320kbps, when on-the-go. I mainly use the Fidelio X2's at my desktop and put the HD598's upstairs for the "family" computer.

Bottom line, the M40X and aftermarket pads (if you don't like the stock pads) should be the only closed back headphones you need unless you want to spend over $300.

Keep in mind, this is just my experience/opinion. As is everything when it comes to audio equipment.

Alright, by hybrid I assume you mean these: (amazon uk link). How do they change the sound signature of the M40xs compared to the original ones because I've really gotten used to it and don't want to make them sound like $20 headphones.

> are there bluetooth headphones that actually sound good?

I've been on a quest for actually good sounding bluetooth headphones myself recently, and the conclusion I came to was - no...not without some help.

Get this: ES100. Clip it to something (it's incredibly tiny and lightweight) + whatever headphones you want (if the cables are swappable, then look for some short ones... Fiio makes some short MMCX cables for instance). Bam, any headphone you want is now bluetooth at basically its full potential. It drives everything I've tested it with amazingly well (quite a bit better than my Schiit Fulla, at any rate) and sounds amazing.

If you will also be using the headphones for gaming or movies/TV, then instead get the BTR3 ... the ES100 is slightly better (more gain, more firmware updates, more configurable options, etc) overall for AptX-HD music playback (or LDAC, or AAC), but it doesn't support AptX-LL (low latency) mode, which is important for anything interactive. BTR3 supports all of those including AptX-LL. In low latency mode, I can just barely perceive a slight delay in terms of lip synchronization, but only just barely if I'm doing my best to look for it, and I might just be imagining it. For any casual media consumption or gaming bluetooth via AptX-LL, at least with the transmitter I'm using and this receiver, is good enough.

I've tested both of these with my Fiio FH5 and Etymotic ER4XR IEMs (both of which are quite resolving IEMs), and in both cases it sounds 100.00% indistinguishable to my ears compared to just plugging them into my smartphone. On the other hand, when I connected them via SBC codec using a USB bluetooth dongle, I could easily tell. Though, actually, even via SBC things still sounded better than I figured they would....goes to show that the default SBC codec isn't the only problem with most bluetooth headphones. Decent headphones via SBC still sound fairly decent, if not at their absolute best.

Oh, and the ES100 has an optional "high gain" mode, but even with that disabled, it gets me significantly higher volume if I pump it up to painful max levels (as a test) compared to the BTR3. The BTR3 was never too quiet at max volume for me, but if I had headphones that were hard to drive then that might sometimes be an issue.

ATH-M50x's with brainwavz pads since the stock ones are thin and will fall apart after a year of heavy use. And a ModMic.

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M50x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR86/ - $150~

https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Hybrid-Memory-Foam-Earpad/dp/B00ZGGG3KY - $30~

https://www.amazon.com/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-Attachable-Microphone/dp/B00R98O6R4 - $50~

Of course if you already have a mid the ModMic isn't needed. OR for just twice the price cut the second cord attached to your skull and get an AT2020 and even a Scarlett Solo for the best sound possible.

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0006H92QK - $100~

https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B01E6T56CM - $100~

All you need is one of these combiners and a mic, such as a mini condenser mic, that plugs in with 3.5mm jack. Then you can plug the adapter into the controller or you can even go a step further and use a USB adapter to a port on the PS4 like I do.

You need a splitter if your pc has separate connectors for audio and mic.

https://www.amazon.com/MillSO-3-5mm-Jack-Adapter-CTIA/dp/B071NDLCGC?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1

Bose isn't bad, but it's very overpriced for the quality you get.

I swear by the Sennheiser HD 380s that I keep at work. The ear cups go around your ear rather than on top of it, which means they do a better job of blocking out sound and are much more comfortable for long periods of time. Even though it's pricey ($150), it's still half the price of Bose.

The Beyerdynamic DT770 is also a good option. I have DT990s at home but you wouldn't want open headphones in an office environment - it'd let too much office noise in, and your coworkers will hate you because your music will leak out. You want the 32 ohm version of these unless you also want to buy a headphone amp like this one.

I have one of these. It cost about 1k.

Squat/power rack: very versatile. you can tie up a sub in a number of different ways. mine has a pull up bar built in. it holds up very well to both lifting and kink use. you do NOT need a 1000 dollar power rack. this is the one i have: https://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Power-Squat-Deadlift-Bench/dp/B004UMM4QC/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1465612231&sr=1-3&keywords=power+rack

Bench: doubles as a bondage bench just fine

barbell/weights etc.: this is the bulk of the expense. I use these for powerlifting, not necessarily for kink.

deadlift platform: this is good for both deadlifts AND if you build your own its pretty cheap. with high quality wood it is fine for bare feet.

boxing bag: I have a heavy bag (100lbs) bolted into the ceiling. i reinforced the attic with 2x4 and some 4x4s. it will easily work for suspension or swing with the extra support.

Home gym guy here!

I went to a regular gym for years and after awhile I realized I can buy a gym for what I pay to go there.

I picked this up from Amazon: cage At the time it was $199.

I totally agree with anyone who can get a cage of craigslist, but I live in bum fuck nowhere and I may be the only person up here with a cage.

From Craigslist, I managed to buy a bunch of Olympic weights, by buying bench presses from people. Olympic weights sell for $120-$200 for a 300lb set. But from some reason I can get a bench with the same set for $75, and it has the Olympic bar.

So I pick-up up 3 of those, I had to drive about an hour each way to get them, but I figured it was worth it. This left me with 3 benches 1 for regular one of incline and one for bells. 3 bars one for the cage and 2 for the benches. Along with 900 lbs in weight.

I have 2 Olympic dumbbell handles that I use, but they kinda suck so I'm keeping my eyes peeled for some regular ones, but I need 70-90 lbs and they are rare.

All in all I spent about $400 including gas.

I have a bunch of boxing gear in my basement as well but that from my younger days, I have noticed you can get a full gym worth good boxing gear for under $200 as well. I still keep my roadwork up for cardio, that's free.

I've had my home gym for 3 months now, my biggest concern was if I would slack, but I have managed to add 20lbs to my bench 30 to my dead and 40 to my squat, which to me, just an average dude, was very impressive.

This is a squat rack. This is a power rack

This "only" supports 800 lbs.

This will good enough until you decide on Texas vs Ohio power bar I don't think it has center knurling, but I'm sure you could find a similar one with it for the same money.

This only supports 300 lbs, but you can always rebuild the framing out of 4x4 wooden posts. I can tell you it doesn't collapse even when you have around 500 lbs on it.

Then you just need weights, Craigslist, or if you want new, walmart has them for a little less than 1$ a lb. Make sure your 45's are the right size, or you'll end up doing deficit deadlifts.

Something like this might be a better option. You want something sturdy, adjustable, and that has safeties if you're working without a spotter. It's a bit more expensive, but you could use a rack like this for other SS lifts like BP and OHP, not just squats.

For the one that you linked to, u/kalisaurus mentioned that hers is "a bit wobbly", which would make me nervous to use when lifting heavy.

I use something like this.

Yes

This is the one I use and have had no issues

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IM36VU0/ref=cm_sw_r_oth_api_1aHWBbNN35MJA

Just a heads up, you'll want to purchase one of [these] (https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM) to go along with it. The wire that comes with it is 10 feet long and the 3.5mm adapter is huge and clunky.

At 32 ohms it shouldn’t be too tough to have your PS4 push out the power for the headphones.

You probably don’t need to use an external sound card and could just use the controller. I’ve done that with my sennheiser HD598 (50 ohms). If you need a microphone and headphone splitter cable this is the one that I use with a zalman in-line microphone. Of course, with the SHP 9500 you have the benefit of a 3.5mm connection so you could just get a V-Moda BoomPro and plug that directly into the controller.

Sorry this may not be the solution you’re looking for but it is cheaper than buying a new soundcard🙈

https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM/ref=pd_bxgy_23_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=EHKPX2AWKNBQKM46QMSZ

IIRC the HD598 uses a non-standard connector for the plug that goes into the headphones. It's actually not 3.5mm that plugs into the headphone but rather 2.5mm.

The HD 598SE (black version on Amazon) comes with a shorter cable that is 3.5mm without adapter if that interests you.

Otherwise, I believe there are unofficial "replacement cables" for the HD 598 that you can buy (I believe there are some official ones too but you have to scour the Sennheiser parts site) that are 2.5mm/3.5mm

http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM

2.5mm is simply a size for the plug. You can do TRS (or TRRS) on a 2.5mm jack for balanced stereo audio.

As an example Sennheiser uses a 2.5mm end on their headphone cables to plug into the headphones themselves. Here's a replacement cable for Sennheiser headphones that is a 3.5mm male to 2.5mm male.

Or just a new cable like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM

This cable is a great replacement for the stock, preference for shorter high quality cable for your desk to amp/dac.

https://www.amazon.com/NewFantasia-LYSB00KAKBHKM-ELECTRNCS-Replacement-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

I have the Superlux HD668B they have a really great sound for the price. The ear pads need to be exchanged to be comfortable, luckily these fit.
Edit: forgot to mention: They have a male 3,5 audiojack on the left cup. and a 1m cable is included, which makes it really convenient to use the the vive.

Superlux HD668B + Velvet ear cushions + ModMic 4.0

The food lab is the book. The blog is serious eats.

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087

I don't really have advice on your original post, but I used to be just like you when it came to cooking. Cooking for me consisted of throwing a piece of chicken on my George Foreman grill until it was burnt (no salmonella for me!) and eating raw vegetables because they required no cooking.

There is so, so SO much info out there on how to cook. If you love watching videos, look up videos on YouTube. If you love reading, invest in some cookbooks. If you have a friend who loves to cook and does it well, ask him/her for some basic lessons.

Aside from my boyfriend who loves to cook (thankfully), I've learned the majority of my cooking skills through some great cookbooks. The Whole30 book has so many great beginner tips and delicious, obviously healthy recipes; even when I'm not doing Whole30, I constantly refer to this book for recipes! If you're a science/chemistry person, The Food Lab is pretty amazing.

I think a lot of people get scared of cooking because YES it can totally be daunting and time-consuming and hard! But it doesn't have to be. You don't need to make gourmet meals for yourself every night; just figure out some flavor profiles you love and recipes that are easy.

Kenji Lopez-Alt has perfected the perfect scambled eggs in the book The Food Lab

it is basically salting the eggs, waiting 5 minutes, then stirring as little as possible for a couple minutes and it makes the perfect fluffy scrambled eggs

https://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1491628494&sr=1-1&keywords=the+food+lab

He's not being pretentious, he actually knows his shit. This is the guy who wrote a #1 bestseller cooking book (New York Times & Amazon)

http://www.amazon.com/The-Food-Lab-Cooking-Through/dp/0393081087

And was called a "cooking savant" by NPR

/r/seriouseats has a lot of his recipes.

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393081087/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_0ZLZBbEQMDFEA

If you love to read, then I completely back up those who recommended J Kenji Lopez-Alt's "The Food Lab". He also spends some time on /r/seriouseats, which I think is really great. Food Lab is great because it explains not only HOW to make a recipe, but the WHY a recipe works the way that it does, and allows you to expand your cooking skills. His is not the only book that does this, but I've read Salt Fat Acid Heat and The Science of Cooking and a good portion of the tome that is Modernist Cuisine, but Kenji's style of writing is exceptionally approachable.

But my actual suggestion to someone who wants to go from never cooking to cooking healthy meals at home is to watch the recipes on Food Wishes, because he shows you what each step of the recipe is supposed to look like, and his food blog is not filled with flowery stories, but helpful tips.

Another great online resource that I used when I started cooking about 5 years ago was The Kitchn. They offer up basic technique videos on how to cook proteins and vegetables that are really simple to follow for beginners.

My advice to you is this: don't feel like you need to dive immediately into recipes. First learn how to season and cook a chicken breast or steak consistently, and roast the different kinds of vegetables. Then just start jumping into recipes that you want to try. And don't be afraid to ask questions here :)

It's the recipe book written by Kenji Lopez

Das dazugehörige Buch ist aber wirklich das Geld wert. Da gehts nicht so sehr um Rezepte, als um Techniken die man ohne Probleme übernehmen kann um Sachen die man eventuell seit Jahren auf ne bestimmte Weise macht, noch ein wenig zu verbessern.

I had Kenji's cookbook in my hands last week and reluctantly put it back down. It's not running related...it's just geeky food science related. I'm a fan of Kenji and the whole group at Serious Eats

Lately, I've very much been enjoying Kenji's The Food Lab. I think it's worth the (ebook) price just for the chapter on fried foods.

I also keep coming back to The Flavor Bible, which has lists of how to combine ingredients for different cuisines.

If you want a valuable collection of recipes and have $50 to spend, get Cook's Illustrated's The New Best Recipe. It's supplanted The Joy of Cooking on my shelf.

A full setup that will record four local mics, max, or two local mics and a Skype caller. A choice of mics.

Behringer UMC404HD interface for $100 (needs a USB cable I think)

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UMC404HD-BEHRINGER-U-PHORIA/dp/B00QHURLHM/

Behringer HA400 headphone amp for $25

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-HA400-BEHRINGER-MICROAMP/dp/B000KIPT30/

Needs two TRS 1/4" stereo cables, one for the headphone amp and one for Skype. $10

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CSS-105-Balanced-Interconnect-Cable/dp/B000068NYF/

Behringer XM1800S three pack of good enough mics for $40

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-XM1800S-BEHRINGER-ULTRAVOICE/dp/B000NJ2TIE/

or a slightly better Behringer XM8500 at $20 each

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Ultravoice-Dynamic-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B0002KZAKS/

or a very nice Blue enCORE 100 at $60

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-enCORE-100-Studio-Grade/dp/B002SQJL9U/

A couple 9-foot XLR cables for $12 or vary as you see fit

https://www.amazon.com/2-Pack-Cable-Male-Female-Microphone/dp/B074KYQ66J/

On-Stage, desk stand for $13 (lots of options)

https://www.amazon.com/Stage-DS7200-Adjustable-Microphone-Stand/dp/B0002M3OVI/

You need some RCA to 1/4" TS cables. Technically two though there are reasons up to four and this six pack is cheap at $8. Wish they were shorter.

https://www.amazon.com/GLS-Audio-Patch-Cable-Cords/dp/B0010XVYGA/

or you can get by with one of these.

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CPR-201-Stereo-Interconnect-Cable/dp/B000068O16/

and my personal favorite, the UCA202 for $30

https://www.amazon.com/BEHRINGER-U-Control-Low-Latency-Interface-Digital/dp/B000KW2YEI/

This gives you full Skype access to the other rig for Two local mics.

!

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-HA400-Ultra-Compact-4-Channel-Headphone/dp/B000KIPT30/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=monitor+mixer

If you're talking about something like the Behringer HA400, then there should be minimal (if any) effect on the sound when it comes to your monitors.

That said, your headphones might be another story. A lot of cheap headphone amplifiers have a resistor in between the amplifier chip and the headphone jack. Because headphones are low impedance (16Ω-60Ω) and this impedance changes with frequency, this can cause the frequency response to be different from what it should be. Your monitors have high-impedance inputs that won't be affected by this resistor.

Really, the only thing you can do (aside from opening up the headphone amp, if you're familiar with electrical engineering) is to do a listening test.

https://blog.jdslabs.com/2018/11/jds-labs-atom-amp-official-release-benchmarks/#comment-23006

they say "this year". If you can wait, you could wait for sure yeah :) you could just get the affordable Fiio E10k for now. It has line out which you can connect to Atom https://www.amazon.de/FiiO-E10K-Olympus-Digital-Kopfhörerverstärker-schwarz/dp/B00LP3AMC2

A good enough temporary solution for sure, there's plenty of people on /r/headphones still using one!

The HD598 were my first 'real' headphones. I did like them. But I felt they needed more. These have been my favorite auxiliary equipment. Before you completely give up on the HD598s give a DAC/AMP or even just an AMP at try. (unless you are using one already)

I had the same problem. Best way to get ride of this static would be to remove your analog audio from the inside of your computer.

I would get an external DAC/AMP or DAC/AMP combo. I use the FiiO e10k. $75 on Amazon It's a pretty good little DAC/Amp.

Game engines use their own 3d stereo sound processing so virtual 7.1 isn't really worth much. I would recommend getting an external sound card (DAC/AMP). I would recommend this http://www.amazon.com/AUDIOQUEST-DRAGONFLY-V1-2-USB-DAC/dp/B00H00VLZQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426275640&sr=1-1&keywords=audioquest+dragonfly or this http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426275640&sr=1-6&keywords=audioquest+dragonfly

You could also peak around /r/headphones. There's a ton of discussion there about these things. There's no upper limit to quality or what you can spend on Digital to Analog Converters and Amplifiers.

You could also just search amazon for sound cards, but if you're only using it for headphones make sure you're not wasting money on cards that have speaker outputs. The one's I recommended aren't cheap, but you will appreciate the quality.

Black and Brown

Yep, just got myself some Brainwavz memory foam pads:
Brainwavz Replacement Memory Foam Earpads

Much nicer for my big head.

With the stock ATH-m50 pads, do they rest on your ears? The stock pads are rather small and round, not well designed for people with larger or sensitive ears. I replaced them with Brainwavz HM5 http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894

The pad is much more comfortable than the stock pad as it is more oval than round and my ears actually fit inside of the pad instead of touching it. The pleather is more supple and the memory foam more conforming to the side of my head. It makes a better seal and is more isolating.

I had a pair and they look very nice! The earcups are very striking in appearance. Kinda regret selling them.

The drivers are dynamic and are 20mm in diameter. According to a source, they were released in 1976 and ended production around 1982-83. They originally retailed for 6,000 yen or about 55 USD. I measured the impedance and they were around 50-60 ohms - I forgot the exact number.

Believe it or not, these are semi-open - there are some vents along the circumference of the brown backplate. Here's a picture of the location of the vents. If you open them up and tilt them at the right angle, you can see there are openings/vents.

Here's how the drivers look like. Surprisingly heavy drivers - weighs a bit like a D battery. The weight is possibly due to the thick magnets.

In one of the pictures I linked, I used Brainwavz earpads on mine when I had them. With the Brainwavz pads, not too amazing but warm and pleasant. With the original pads, I found them to be very honky and bass light. Might be worth a shot if you may be interested. Oh, and the original earpads are just adhered on - if you wanted to open them up or try the pads I linked, you can peel them right off though do it slowly so that the fabric underneath don't rip. The original earpads can be re-adhered with some glue-stick.

Awesome find btw! You don't see those around very often!

Nice. Something I did with my Pok3r was buy a set of the white keycaps.

Also, something you might want to look at for the Clouds is a pair of Brainwavz Pads.

I bought these and put them on my m50s and now I can wear them forever. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFDX4YO/ They do leak a tad more sound now, but nothing crazy.

They are solid, but just be aware, that Z only recommends those with different ear pads. https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Velor-Memory-Replacements-Earpads/dp/B00MFDX4YO. It's an extra expense (only $20) but it might put you out of budget.

​

Also, you will want to eventually save up for an amp/dac combo unless you have a great motherboard. Most motherboards will be able to power the m40x, but you won't get the most out of them. A solid entry-level amp/dac is here: https://www.amazon.com/FX-Audio-Optical-Coaxial-Amplifier/dp/B072JJT7SF/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1549221478&sr=1-3&keywords=fx+audio+dac-x6

​

Also, the Cloud Hyperx 2 are actually some decent headphones. I'm not sure you will be getting that much of an upgrade going to m40x. If it's an option, wait, save up $50 and buy the Sennheiser hd58x Jubilees on Massdrop. You seriously won't regret it and your mind will be blown.

Disclaimer: I hate desktop stands. They take up too much space and rarely look good.

My favorite. The only thing preventing it from being perfect is screw holes on the top for clean mounting under a desk.. I can easily add those though.

Second favorite. Works great, has screw holes for under desk mounting.

Nice wall mount hangers. I like these a lot for wall mounting.

The old standby. Cheap and effective. I use a few of these throughout the house for hanging headphones. No, they do not cause damage or indentations on headphone bands.

Absolutely no prob :)


My mom reviews electronics for a living so we end up getting tons of new devices really often and generally need to find cables to match so things are being switched out and added in all the time. To make it more convenient instead of having to go sort through a box or into a drawer and untangle cables I wanted something super easy access to so that if i needed an hdmi , bam, I had one. Same with the others.

For the controllers I used Stick-On Game Controller Hooks 2 Pack. The snes and nes usb controllers are simply hung via a tack.


I got a simple ~$10 corkboard from walmart, used a label maker for the labels and then used CraZy TACKz 36tacks to hang the cables. I wouldn't recommend them though, a standard tack works better honestly ( In theory a hook is great but they loosen and then swing around making it a pain to re-orient them when you're taking things on and off frequently.)

The headphones under the desk is The Anchor Great adhesive, super cheap and can orient it vertically or horizontally which lets you fit two pair ( in my case one for skype/discord+gaming and the other for general use since it has better quality but no mic)

---
For anyone else curious about the other pieces of the set up:

the desk is Series A:72inch Desk by Bush Business Furinture.

The lights are EconoLed RGB 5M 3528 LED Strip Light 300leds

Mousepad is Reflex Lab Huge Gaming Mouse Pad

The headphones are :
SteelSeries Arctis 5 and Audio-Technica ATH-A900X

Monitors are : ASUS VN279QL and Dell U3417W FR3PK

Keyboard is : Razer BlackWidow X Tournament Edition Chroma

Mouse is : Razer Naga Hex v2

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/IT-Dusters-EGP-COM-011-CompuCleaner-Electric/dp/B00S7CH6FK&ved=2ahUKEwicxZSJg_PjAhVPasAKHeNpD2gQFjAEegQIBBAC&usg=AOvVaw1pgiOPZyqbfClBZb2r0HVu&cshid=1565258738888 sorry for the big link but I've been using one of these for years and it's great, good pressure good attachments.. works a treat.

Here, I hate reddit format. Seriously never remember the () [] order.

EasyGo EGP-COM-011 Electric Compu Cleaner for Electronic Devices https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S7CH6FK/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_65ntxbC8Q038E

So far the Bose Sound True II for apple seems pretty good. Too bad the deal wasn't for the android variant of it :( https://www.amazon.com/Bose-SoundTrue-around-ear-headphones-II/dp/B0117RFX38/

Don't think Im taking a chance on those bose earbuds. All the reviews rip it's Build Quality apart. I mean IEM's are mostly plastic but how do you make it that bad lol.


Sennheiser 598's SE are back on sale for 110$ 10$more than the lowest. Pretty good if you want open back. https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0126HISOO/

Pink Cloud II's for 75$ is pretty good. One of the best gaming headsets for your money. https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-PS4/dp/B00Y09G6H8/

Beyer Custom Street?!?! what are these? Bassier versions of the custom ones? Now even sure if it's a deal at 99$ https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-Custom-Street-Headphones-Black/dp/B00UK7ZQXO/

Other than the usual cheap ass wood earbuds and shitty gamer headphones this sale seems kinda sad :(

So far pretty good for entry level stuff but that's the "amazon" usual so it seems with every big sale.


edit: So in 2 hours this is supposed to drop in price, anyone hear anything good about these? I might bite to try them out as I'm currently using shit for iems. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OQG7IC2/
--

8AM PST these are going to drop in price, I know they are very popular :P https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001B1QENY/ DT880 250 Ohm O.o
--

832AM Brainwavs hybrid pads are lined up for sale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGGG3KY/

Anyone wondering about the headphones:

1. Very bright headphones with pretty neutral mids and bass. Treble can be harsh and sibilant.
   
   
2. Semi-Open with a large soundstage.
   
   
3. Very analytic
   
   
4. Moddable
   
   Stock earpads suck, replace them with these [affordable velvet pads from amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Cosmos-Velvet-Replacement-Cushion-Headphones/dp/B00KLPRQMO) and you increase the comfort and sound ten fold!
   
   

If you want a recommendation, I have the FiiO E10K DAC, and it's great. The bass boost switch on the front is a nice touch.

Then just get a good set of regular headphones + a DAC. Head to r/headphones and get a good recommendation at your price point + Buy this DAC. Sennheiser HD 598's are a very popular "budget" option.

audio technica m40x/m50x's are also very good.

Are they 32/80/250 ohms? I'm guessing they're not 32 considering the amp in the back. What amp is that, also? Looks like this guy https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ but it's hard to tell for sure.

If you're willing to spend a decent chunk of money on a sound card, don't. Get an external DAC- it does the same as a sound card but is further isolated from interference in your computer. Some also have built in volume controls and mute buttons.

I use a Scarlett Solo with audiotechnica M50X headphones.

This is a good small DAC.
FiiO E10K Headphone Amplifier and DAC https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_Sh8FxbGKRG5TQ

And this is one which I use.
Focusrite Scarlett Solo 2nd Gen 2 in 2 Out USB Audio Interface https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E6T56CM/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_Xi8Fxb55YAY5D


Edit: It's not worth it unless you have a good quality headphone set. I would recommend the audiotechnica M40 or M50 headphones for very good quality at low prices compared to other brands.

Why not get an external DAC/AC like this?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZGGG3KY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They look exactly like the Brainwavz pads, judging from the pics in the link above. Really helps put into perspective just how much profit they are making now, selling them for $21 on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Angled-Memory-Foam-Earpad/dp/B00ZY8PGJI

Open-backed:

• SHP-9500s + VModa BoomPro
  
  
• Fidelio L2 + VModa BoomPro
  
  
• Sennheiser 598 + Microphone
  
  Closed-back:
  
  
• ATH-M40x + Comfy Pads + Microphone
  
  
• Brainwavz HM9 + VModa BoomPro
  
  
• VModa Crossfade + VModa BoomPro

I'm going to assume you're talking about the HE400S. I'm currently running a pair with the Schiit stack and I think it's a good improvement over just running it straight. By far the biggest improvements came from replacing the stock pads and the grill mod. Pop the plastic rings off of the outside of the cups, and take off the thin sheet of cloth. Then pick up these. Those pads are really a game changer, and I think you'll get a bigger improvement from those two things for 30 bucks.

Alright so I looked into it a bit and from what I can tell the Cochlear Mini Microphone 2+ has an input that you could use for this or any other devices with a 3.5 mm headphone jack. That's probably the best way to go about it if you have one.

If not, you could probably use a lightning-to-3.5mm adapter, then split the 3.5mm into input and output with a cable like this. Then you could connect an aux cable from the Switch to the microphone side of the splitter. Garageband has a voice recorder (comes preinstalled) and you can set it to "monitor" to output it to headphones or, hopefully, your cochlear inplant.

Roundabout way of doing things, but that should work.

First, I agree: don't go wireless. Just get a recent controller with the 3.5mm jack built in.

Second, "console" headsets are almost always 50% more expensive than PC equivalents, and the sound quality is almost always 50% worse. Not saying that gaming headsets need to be "audiophile" grade (they don't), but if you're going to charge $100+ for a gaming headset, it had better sound like a $100 pair of headphones, not a $20 pair with lots of cool gaming logos.

Personally, I just bought this adapter off Amazon and it lets you use any PC gaming headset with the Xbox. Hooked it up to my Logitech $40 headset and couldn't be happier.

Sennheiser HD 558

"Open" headphones, which means the outside parts of these headphones aren't solid. And because it's open...

• Sound leaks out, which means other people can easily hear whatever you're listening to even at normal volume
  
• Wider soundstage, which means you can better pinpoint where and how far the sounds feel like they're coming from (imagine you were in a decently sized concert hall with the sounds coming from all around you)
  
• Less bass, which means you won't get those headrattling wubwubs and explosive bass hits
  
• More treble, which means you can hear the higher sounding stuff like pianos and snare drums
  
• Do-it-yourself moddable, which can help adjust the HD 558 headphones to sound closer to it's big brother, the HD 598, and may help add a teaspoon of bass
  
  -------------------------
  
  Audio-Technica ATH-M50
  
  "Closed" headphones, which means the outside parts of these headphones are solid. And because it's closed...
  
  
• Sound stays in, which means other people won't be able to easily hear whatever you're listening to even at normal volume
  
• Smaller soundstage, which means it's more difficult to pinpoint where and how far the sounds are coming from (imagine you were stuck in a small closet with the sounds coming from the walls)
  
• More bass, which means the wubwubs and bass hits have some more "punch" in them
  
• Less treble, which means instruments like pianos and snare drums are less "crispy" and sound duller
  
• Default earpads are commonly swapped out since the M50 earpads can wear out, may be uncomfortable, or the ears can get warm over time.
  
  -----------------------------------------
  
  Both are pretty good headphones, and there are pros and cons to each. Just remember to consider what kind of music you listen to, what kind of games you play, and whether or not people will be around you when you're listening to stuff! If portability is a concern, the ATH-M50x can fold up into a more compact shape if needed whereas the HD 558 can't.
  
  And welcome to the audiophile world! Your wallet will cry!
  
  Come stop by /r/headphones whenever you want!

They are super durable- Once you get the ear pads replaced, they can last for years. I've had mine for a few years; used them at home and on the job (live sound) daily. They still work good as new. Great cans. I'm glad you like them!

I haven't tried socks, but I have used some of these with good results.

I didn't realize I was obliged to provide a suggestion. Here you go:

Sennheiser HD 380 PRO

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B

Here's everything you need for $830 plus tax with shipping from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Squat-Deadlift-Chrome-Safety/dp/B004UMM4QC/ref=sr_1_2?s=exercise-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1415637608&sr=1-2&keywords=power+rack

http://www.amazon.com/adidas-ADI-416-Flat-Bench/dp/B006JJM38S/ref=sr_1_2?s=exercise-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1415637750&sr=1-2&keywords=bench

http://www.amazon.com/USA-Sports-Barbell-Olympic-Weight/dp/B000LJL3SI/ref=sr_1_12?s=exercise-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1415637666&sr=1-12&keywords=barbell+weight+set

Hmm... Headphone amplifier maybe?

http://amzn.com/B000KIPT30 (or something like this)?

Here are some Beyerdynamic Pads that fit. The Amazon customer review pictures have some instructions on how to fit them, and this Head-Fi forum post has some step-by-step instruction pictures as well. I put the pads on my M50's, and I have really liked how they feel. I still think they sound good, but as with most things YMMV.

The Beyerdynamic DT250 pads are also a solution, which for many are the go to pads for the M50.

I got the velour pads like other people suggested a year or so ago and love them.

Here's a link for purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-EDT250V-Headphone-Pads-Black/dp/B0016MF7W2

The replacement pads for the Sony MDR-V6. They're great headphones, but the pads are just god awful. Pick up those nice beyerdynamic ones, it lasts longer and feels more comfortable.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-380-Pro-Collapsible-Professional/dp/B001UE6I0G/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1393680688&sr=8-10&keywords=sennheiser+HD

See how these suite your taste they're decent saving and would give you a lot of financial leeway.

Hi Zeos,

Which combination would you recommend?

Headphones:

• Beyerdynamic DT770 PRO 80 ohm (discount, compared to the 250ohm version. Also highly comfortable, according to the reviews)
  
  
• Sennheiser HD280 pro (your older recommendation)
  
  
• Sennheiser HD380 pro (a straight upgrade to HD280s?)
  
  DAC/AMP:
  
  
• Behringer UCA202
  
  
• FiiO E10
  
  I will use the setup at work, hence isolation and comfort are important. Nevertheless I'm not competent enough to decide myself if there's enough power for 80ohm headphones from each DAC/AMP
  
  Thanks!

how much do you pay per month? Make it about ROI for the gym owner. Tell him you will leave if he doesn't get a squat rack and he will be out the 200 dollars per year that he earns from your membership. A power rack on amazon.com costs only 250 dollars. Tell him you will sign a contract for 1 year if he puts in a power rack

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Squat-Deadlift-Chrome-Safety/dp/B004UMM4QC/ref=sr_1_2?s=exercise-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1412361691&sr=1-2&keywords=power+rack

I got one of these about a year ago. $30 bucks.

I wouldn't go back for the world. Being instantly connected as soon as you turn your car on and just throwing the phone up there or grabbing it when you egress is the most convenient thing in the world.

Particularly if you are in and out of the car quite a bit during the day as I am.

Basically a USB sound card (DAC/AMP)

That is static noise from your PC. It happens because you propably have an onboard sound card. Your other PC parts interfere with it and disrupt your sound. The only way to fix this is to get an external sound card. Something like this. I had the same Problem after i got New speakers.

http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=pd_bxgy_23_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FCF8R3ZN881WM3K6J4T

They look kind of brown in the picture but they're really black

These are earpads i use for my m50x's they are really comfortable.
Brainwavz Replacement Memory Foam Earpads - Suitable For Many Other Large Over The Ear Headphones - AKG, HifiMan, ATH, Philips, Fostex (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9vnCCbC56HZ82

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MFDT894/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520265449&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hm5+pads&dpPl=1&dpID=41vuwIZESZL&ref=plSrch

If you are a new cook, I really recommend The Food Lab. Sure, it has recipes, but it also tells you how things work and why instead of just “cook at 350 for 1 hour.”

The intro section has a great starter guide for tools and equipment as well. Basically, here’s a tool that you absolutely need. Cheap version, pros and cons, then high end version. Or here’s a tool that’s really handy if you like to whatever a lot, but if you aren’t cooking that much, you can get by without it.

Highly recommended. I bought most of my tools from these recommendations, and they’ve been great!

I put down 1491, not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because my BFF gave me The Food Lab as an early birthday present. I didn't think you could write a food book that reads like a novel, but I've been swept up in it since last Saturday. Anybody else read this?

The Food Lab by Kenji Alt-Lopez is a must own cookbook in general

Nå folkens, der er snart gået et år siden Skodbil sidst mæskede sig i fødselsdagskage, og det betyder at successen skal gentages. Fødselsdagsgaver er for lang tid siden gået fra at være Lego og våben, til at være sokker og bøger.

Derfor skal der nu nogle gode kogebøger på listen. Jeg er ikke så meget på udkig efter opskriftsbøger, men mere ude i at ville have kogebøger som jeg rent faktisk kan lære noget af. Jeg har allerede følgende på listen, men hvis DU kender en helt vildt god bog jeg bør læse, så sig til.

Sølvskeen

The Food Lab, Kenji Lopez

Chocolate at Home

Paul Bocuse Institut Gastronomique

The Professional Chef

The Flavour Bible

Mastering Cheese

Der er med vilje ingen vinbøger på listen, for det gør jeg mig ikke specielt meget i - endnu.

You should probably be fine with your motherboard's built in audio, but if you're looking to get a little clearer low ends, this is a pretty good one for the price. Alternatively, you could purchase a DAC, which would function as an external sound card, and many have built in amplification as well.

A distribution amp is definitely the way to go - if you want to stay economical, you probably need something like this.

What you need is a good Bluetooth receiver, that will turn any pair of wired headphones or IEM’s into Bluetooth headphones/IEM’s. Since you’re using a decent pair of IEM’s you want something that can drive them, so your best option would be one of these Bluetooth receivers specifically made for audiophile equipment.

FiiO BTR3 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FVN14FH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_piKSCbYM45MSS

EarStudio ES100 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078H4YD2L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_imKSCbYR6VXN2

I have both and they are amazing the quality difference between wired and Bluetooth is almost indiscernible. I also use them both to drive my
IE80S IEM’s and believe me you will be surprised by the quality of these devices. They both are small and can easily be carried in a pocket.

An audiophile buddy recently ditched the 3.5mm with his current phone. Here's what he recommended to me (he's tried 4 of various price levels, etc.): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078H4YD2L

Just as a heads up, you can plug and use any headset into the ps4 controller as long as you get a 4 pole jack plug like this http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PCV-05-Combo-Adapter/dp/B00IM36VU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457793178&sr=8-1&keywords=sennheiser+audio+adapter


No need to spend 100 bucks on the sony exclusive one, unless you REALLY want it.

I also don't think it's really necessary when you don't play much multiplayer with friends but good headphones really enhance the exprience when playing horror games or generally games with thick atmosphere. A good sound system would probably still be better but I don't know your setup.

I bought these a few years back. Turned me into a huge Sennheiser fan boy. The comfort and durability alone are notable. Add-in that the sound quality brings you into the realm of audiophile-grade and you have a huge reason to buy whenever they go on sale.

I have the 558 in my laptop bag for gaming on the go, a pair of HD518 for use with the Vive, and the Massdrop HD6xx on my main PC setup.

I've been wanting to grab another set for work, was hoping to grab the 598 and "complete the set." But this is tempting.

-----

I use the following replacement cables with mine:

• https://www.amazon.com/gp/B01IRCXC9S/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KAKBHKM/
  
  Along with this compact budget DAC/Amp for the 558 (Schiit Stack for the HD6xx):
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009WN7QT4/
  
  

https://www.amazon.com/NewFantasia-Replacement-Upgrade-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1542952049&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=Newfantasia+hd+598+cable

I have that one. Doesnt get tangled, sounds fine.

Get this:
http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419909124&sr=8-1&keywords=hd+598+cable

If you have a phone case or something that restricts the 3.5mm jack, get this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Replacement-cable-with-Remote-Mic-connect-iphone-to-Sennheiser-HD598-HD558-HD518-/261280639444?pt=US_MP3_Player_Cables_Adapters&var=&hash=item3cd58a29d4

Give this cable a try.

I'm really enjoying the new Metallica album. The mastering/production is quite good. Death Magnetic borders on unlistenable with my 598's so I appreciate that they didn't make that atrocious mistake again.

Happy to be able to enjoy another Metallica album. Now if I can just stop wanting another pair of headphones...


Edit to include a link to the replacement senn cable for those curious.


1.2m Replacement Audio upgrade Cable For Sennheiser HD598 HD558 HD518 Headphones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KAKBHKM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dYfmybV2RS73V

I got these a few weeks ago and the cable it comes with is pretty long...

Got these to replace the original cable, they work great.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KAKBHKM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use this. It works for both my Sennheisers and M50x. Although, you'll probably have the same issue as it's only very slightly smaller.

I would recommend an adapter like this. Just leave it on the end of your cable all the time and you won't notice it.

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

I have a modest mid/hi fi collection going with my Shiit stack, THX-00, HD6xx, and HD598 (used with a mod mic as a headset for gaming). I told myself I was at my end game for a few years as I had a nice variation, but couldn't pass on a planar headphone for 300. The M1060 should be a nice addition to my collection.

The M1060 has a 50ohm impedance, so it isn't entirely possible that these don't need a robust DAC/AMP to drive them, but I'm sure a modest DAC/AMP would improve the sound quality of the headphones over your Macbook. I sometimes use my Macbook to drive my 6XX's (300ohm impedance) at work and it does alright, but the 6XX's do sound a bit better on my home setup.

I think a $100-200 investment in a DAC/AMP is worth while for a $300 headphone. Fiio E10k or the Shiit Fulla 2 would be good entry level options in the 100 or less catagory with numerous options in the 100-200 catagory. I'm sure you can get another 100 recommendations on other DAC/AMP combos, but I do feel you will notice an improvement over any phone or laptop.

Anyone know if $85 is a good deal for a [FiiO - E10K] (https://www.amazon.ca/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=gbps_img_m-5_ecbb_a1e6c9ea?smid=A2M1T9YSBKVQUY&pf_rd_p=84340fbd-d685-467b-9af3-676095dfecbb&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=14403644011&pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_r=N39KSQYZ8EYDJJR6N53C) dac? EXPIRED!

I want to point out that you don't necessarily need a RCA out. A standard 1/8" is fine as you can use a 1/8" to rca cable. My previous setup was Fiio e10k as a DAC into Topping TP22 into those micca speakers.

Properly powered, the 770-80 can deliver very deep, textured, powerful bass when the music calls for it. So, something is very wrong here :), but, it's an easy fix.

Low volume and poor bass response are the first indicators that headphones are being underpowered. You need an amp. Might I suggest a FiiO E10K? It has excellent quality and is cheap.

I just dropped $30 on the [Brainwavz Hybrid Pads] (http://www.amazon.ca/Brainwavz-Replacement-Hybrid-Memory-Earpad/dp/B00ZGGG3KY/ref=pd_cp_23_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=06BKT2GEM26M0CDDR1WR). The price for the Shures in Canada were $20, I love the velour on my HD598s so I just pulled the trigger on the Hybrids instead, thanks for your help though :)

Other specs:
-PC itself is a pre-built(Don't kill me. I got a great deal) MSI Aegis 3
-2x Asus monitors Asus MG248Q and Asus VX238H
-240GB SSD
-Headset is a Logitech G430 that I've swapped the earpads with these
-Razer Deathadder Elite
-Keyboard is MSI Interceptor 4200 (came with the PC, planning on upgrading)

I just got from amazon. Fit the m40x perfectly and make them so much more comfortable. But not everyone agrees with the sound. Some people think changing pads ruin the m40x. IMO there's a slight decrease in bass. But I think the comfort and increase of soundstage is worth it.

Hey man I was in your shoes not too long ago. I use this adapter for my DS4 along with Sony studio headphones and a ModMic. The ModMic is your secret ingredient. It's a separate, high-quality audio device that allows you to use whatever headphones you like, eliminating the need to balance quality with usability.

A laptop with one jack almost invariably has a headset jack just like a phone's.

You should be able to use a standard headset splitter:

https://smile.amazon.com/Kingtop-Adapter-Tablet-Headsets-Version/dp/B01I3A47I4/

Hey there! A few bits of advice from someone who's had M50x's for a while now.

• The ear pads that they come with are uncomfortable after extended use. I suggest purchasing these.
  
  
• If you haven't got one already, I highly recommend picking yourself up a DAC. Maybe this one.
  
  
• They should have come with three cables. One straight short, one straight long and one coiled cable. Use the coiled cable, because it's extremely durable. You can't accidentally tug it at an awkward angle and potentially damage something because it's like a damn spring.
  
  
• You can also purchase additional cables, even braided ones if that's your preference.
  
  
• Don't be a scrub and carry it around in the leather bag it comes with. Buy a hard case.

The Anchor - THE ORIGINAL Under-Desk Headphone Stand Mount https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P31BMHG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yXUMzbN8F3BPW

I personally use this and really love it. Saves some desk space, too!

https://www.amazon.com/Anchor-ORIGINAL-Under-Desk-Headphone-Stand/dp/B00P31BMHG/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1525891693&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=anchor+headphone&psc=1

Here's what I've been using. So far so good.

> Unfortunately, the main issue (unless there's a fix I don't know about) is that I can't use the microphone due to the way the connectors on the jack are set up or something like that.

Try this!

This should work according to the information: "The 3.5 mm Female Connector of our product is with CTIA standard. If your device is OMTP standard, the Mic function would not work. it suports android earphone with ctia standard"

You can buy an adapter that will let you do that with any wired headset that's compatible with the Xbox One. For example: -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Splitter-Separate-Headphone-Microphone-Headphones/dp/B00Y4663GG/

That might be a bit short, but that's the sort of thing you need.

The "dongle" is a USB sound card that seems to accept a 3.5mm 4-pole style cable.

If you have a headset with two separate input (mic) and output (speaker) cables, then you need a Y-Splitter.

However, if the dongle accepts two separate cables, then just plug them in directly, or use this Y-Splitter to separate one cable into two.

That board has ALC1150 (which is also properly implemented) so you should be fine without a soundcard as long as you stick to not too hard to drive headphones. If I was in your shoes and looking for affordable headphones mainly for gaming but that also work well for music or any other use case along with a good sounding microphone this is the combo I'd personally get:

https://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8

https://www.amazon.com/Cosmos-Velvet-Replacement-Cushion-Headphones/dp/B00KLPRQMO (because the stock earpads are fairly crappy despite the headphones otherwise being extremely good for the price)

https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-Fifine-Condenser-Recordings-YouTube/dp/B01D4HTIOY/

All this would cost 66.97$ and beat any "gaming headset" under 150$. The ONLY gaming headset I'd personally trust/get is the GAME ONE by Sennheiser and even that is slightly overpriced for what you're actually getting in terms of headphone and mic sound quality. Pretty much everything else is either massively overpriced and/or sounds worse than a Koss Porta Pro.

here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KLPRQMO/

Ok, this looks like a job for /r/CabaloftheBuildsmiths if I've ever seen one.

Let's start with your sound. While this guy is not accurate with his take on sound cards, he's spot on about everything else when it comes to gamer audio. As for the headphones he recommends, you can find an even better deal here, and a great set of replacement earpads here.

Do you live near a MicroCenter or a Fry's Electronics? I promise you you'll save money on that i7 if you do.

I have the same liquid cooler as you and it works awesome. However, get the H110i if you can. Why? Because firmware. My build is similar to yours, and I have a review of the h115i there.

Your Windows can be a retail copy if you buy a (much cheaper) Win10 Pro license off eBay. Just make sure your seller has ironclad legit reviews. Avoid OEM if you can afford it. Buy a 16GB flash drive, use Windows media creation tool, load it on the flash drive from the computer you have now. Then install Win10 on your new computer.

When it comes to a Z170 board, nearly all your options are perfectly fine. Don't buy mobo manufacturer marketing garbage. It's sooo much hype to rip a lot of people off.

I own the Dell S2716DG and I highly recommend buying the Viewsonic XG2703-GS, because it is the #1 rated 1440p 144hz monitor out there. /u/NCX is your no-bull source for everything monitors, and I would highly recommend reading any monitor review he puts up.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $329.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler | Corsair H110i 113.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $109.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard | MSI Z170A KRAIT GAMING 3X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $122.88 @ OutletPC
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $88.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial MX300 525GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $122.00 @ SuperBiiz
Video Card | Asus GeForce GTX 1080 8GB STRIX Video Card | $678.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case | Corsair Carbide Clear 600C ATX Full Tower Case | $114.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $89.99 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit | $119.99 @ Amazon
Sound Card | Creative Labs Sound Blaster Zx 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card | $89.99 @ Newegg
Keyboard | Cooler Master CM Storm QuickFire TK Wired Gaming Keyboard | $80.00 @ Amazon
Mouse | Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse | $51.99 @ Amazon
Headphones | Superlux HD668B Headphones | $37.95 @ Amazon
Other | Antlion Audio ModMic Attachable Boom Microphone - Noise Cancelling with Mute Switch | $49.95 @ NCIX US
Other | ViewSonic XG2703-GS 27" 165Hz IPS 1440p G-Sync Gaming Monitor HDMI, DisplayPort | $699.99 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $2807.68
| Mail-in rebates | -$20.00
| Total | $2787.68
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-14 11:17 EST-0500 |

> 50 ohm impedance would be hard for my motherboard to push

50 Ohm is not a high impedance, your motherboard should be able to drive the HD598 with ease.

A problem that does occur with motherboards is inadequate damping. If your mobo's output impedance is higher than ~5 Ohm you will decrease the sound quality and fidelity of the HD598. Unfortunately soundcard and mobo manufacturers know their products are mostly shit and therefore they do not even provide these specs at all.

If you want to make sure to get the most out of the HD598 invest in an entry level desktop DAC/AMP like the FiiO E10K or Micca Origen+

Do you have problems with any other headphones?

I haven't used the M40X's myself, but "headphones not getting loud enough" is generally one of the few, reliable, markers that you would benefit from upgrading to an amp.

The JDS Labs Atom is pretty much the gold standard for cost/performance at $100. You would probably want a dac too, or at least someway of switching from speakers to the amp without having to reach around your computer to the back to swap.

The FiiO E10K works pretty well, and is a dac/amp combo at $75 if you want an affordable all-in-one.

I have these and I think they are really comfy if you change the earpads to something softer, the stock leather ones are kinda painfull to wear for a long time.

These earpads are frequently bought together with the headphones on amazon so I guess they should be good? I haven't tried them myself but I think I have seen them reccomended. http://www.amazon.com/Cosmos-Velvet-Replacement-Cushion-Headphones/dp/B00KLPRQMO/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=14B3X29NFSNXM84WGPFQ

The cable is fine as it is in my opinion no need to change it unless you want something more durable (I don't think durabillity is a problem with it) or better looking.

Well I have a pair of these and they sound very good. Open back so good for gaming. But they also sound very good for movies/shows. I also have a pair of their cheaper pair. I would suggest the hd668bs if your budget is including the mic. (watch MD for them though as I got my 668b's for the same price as the 681's). Also if you decide to go with either of those. Get the AKG 240 comfort pads trust me. Enough of my biased suggestions. These are also decent, I have used a pair of these for gaming and they sound pretty good IMO. They would also be good for media.

There is other good headphones out there within your budget, but i won't recommend anything I haven't personally used. Read through what others suggest as well.

I highly recommend against "gaming" headsets. They are usually overpriced for the components they use. I went with the route of using a set of semi-open back headphones and clip on mic for a bit. I've since upgraded to a NEWER condenser microphone. Either way:

Cheap but very good quality heaphones

super cheap but decent mic

Also I recommend these earpads. They lessen the low end a bit and make the headphones x100 more comfortable.


edit: just realized that's the "recommended combo" on amazon lmao. Either way its ~52 USD and a great deal. Compare the quality of this setup and its right up there with 100 dollar "gaming" headphones. Also semi-open and open headphones are great for FPS games because of the open soundscape.

Did you happen to get these velour pads? I bought those for my K240 as well and didn't like them. Affordable? Yes, but the material is somewhat coarse, foam stiff, and the ears holes noticably smaller than on originals. They appear pretty well made, but are just not that comfy.

If you don't mind the required pre-stretching and care needed in putting them on, HM5 pads are a good option, IMO. Comfy and they pass the "3 knucle test" with flying colors. Here's mine with the non-angled thick pleather variants. (they come in velour as well)

> FiiO E10K

Not saying it's not, but why would you say it's worth 15 bucks more than this one?

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

I don't know much about DACs but I have seen this one and this one recommended multiple times.

They are a bit pricey compared the one you sent though. And the second one can't work on your motherboard since the mobo doesn't have an s/pdif output.

>I never spring for fancy headsets, let alone custom sound cards.

you don't even need that. A decent USB amp/dac like the fiio E10K and some panasonic rp-ht21 will go a long way.

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004T8R2/

You'll notice a huge difference with those two alone.

edit: extra info: If you got a little bit more money, go for Grado sr80e or Sennheiser HD 598's. Again, with that amp/dac, killer sound.

Headphones make a difference, but what they're plugged into make an even bigger difference.

Note: this setup is for PC. The amp/dac will work on the PS4, but will switch left and right for some reason, unless Sony fixed that.

If your current audio DAC is fine, there may not be a reason to buy a seperate DAC, but that purchase will completely depend on your current setup.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Amazon says the impedance of your headphones is 50 Ohms. This is an impedance spec that definitely will work fine without an AMP. However, should you decide to purchase an AMP (like the budget-oriented ones I'll post here), such as the 02 from Mayflower, the FiiO E10k or one of the Schiit AMPs like the Magni, you would find that the audio quality of your headphones would increase, since their full potential will be unlocked.

The Schiit combo is very high quality for the money, and I believe you'd be pretty happy with it.

What's your budget? Where do you live? What type of music do you listen to? Are you looking for headphones that can be used for gaming? Do you need a mic with the headphones? What is the music coming from? For example, if you're listening to music through your computer and your headphones are connected to the computer, you would be better off getting a DAC and amp combo (something like the Schiit Fulla/Schiit Fulla on Amazon or FiiO E10K or Audioengine D1 or AudioQuest DragonFly) and then getting better headphones. I personally have tried several different brands and Sennheiser are my favorites. I currently have Sennheiser PC 363D (on Amazon) for gaming, movies, and TV and have the Sennheiser HD 598 SE (on Amazon) for music.

https://www.amazon.de/FiiO-E10K-Olympus-Digital-Kopfh%C3%B6rerverst%C3%A4rker-schwarz/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

sowas

So from my limited understanding of audio equipment I know that a DAC simply converts the digital signal from the computer to an analog signal for the headphones (a separate DAC helps the most with isolating the signal from interference from the computer). If you think the sound coming from your headphones is too quiet or lackluster what you really need is an amplifier to make the signal stronger, or a DAC/amp combo.

Two DAC/amp combos I see recommended often are the


Fiio E10K
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_8bEeAb0CH5BW4


SMSL SD793-II
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A2QLPJM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_ldEeAbHJ9PS48

Both have a DAC to isolate the signal and an amplifier to power higher end headphones.

you can also consider investing in a usb dac & an amp or a dac/amp like a fiio e10 and forgo the onboard audio completely. a bonus is that you can reuse this for future systems without worrying about onboard audio chipsets.

Likely picking up interference from your graphics card. If you can, route the audio cable over the top of the motherboard and then down to the HD audio pins.

Though it might not be avoidable with how compact the case is and how close the ports are to the graphics card.

I think this gets worse with more power hungry cards. I've had the cable sitting right on the back of a 960 and never heard any interference but when I upgraded to a 970 I had to reroute the cable as I was hearing the same thing.

Only other option is buying a USB DAC and Amp like this.

>It achieves making the phone water resistant, allowing for a digital audio connection, giving built in stereo speakers, not having to deal with a wire that gets snagged on things and leaving room in the phone for better laid out internals.

Links added. The last point is completely conjecture and they managed almost a decade without it. Also the lack of option. Every single smartphone can use bluetooth headset. Only iphone 7 cannot use wire headset.

X2HR



E10K

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=fiio&qid=1563565779&s=gateway&sprefix=fiio&sr=8-3

Its 70, but worth every penny. I used it with my AKG k712 pros for about a year before upgrading to a soundblaster g6.

I went through three variations on this device before finding one that works well. It's this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GJFGE0K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

5 months in and it's still batting 1000 by every metric I can think of.

If you want cheaper, get an FM Modulator and this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GJFGE0K

I use this one in my Subaru and plug it into an aux jack and its great!

And if you're electronically proficient, here's a way to add an aux hard wired to the radio: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=luqvjfCjYbA

Another option- I'm linking the one I got below. It is like $14, but the cheap ones seemed to have really mixed reviews, to say the least, so I went with the Sennheiser one with muchhh better reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PCV-05-Combo-Adapter/dp/B00IM36VU0

A little bit before handing the mixamp off to my roommate to use. You need an adapter to plug into a mixamp. This guy worked for me. In the end, I found myself abandoning the mixamp altogether though. It's a cool idea, but I just found the quality level of the execution lacking.

I use a ModMic 5 with my Sennheiser HD 650.

This adapter to split.

This cable to make it less annoying

The cable doesn't seem to be in stock anymore, but you get the idea.

Plug the cable into your controller, the splitter into the cable, the mic into the mic input of the splitter, and your headphones into the headphone input of the splitter.

Make sure any cables you get are 4-pole so it supports stereo audio plus the microphone.

The mic is detachable (magnetic) and looks like this attached.

Sennheiser 598's with Antlion modmic. Amazing pair of headphones with a detachable mic to avoid strange looks in public. You will need this splitter as well!

Headphones http://www.amazon.com/AKG-Signature-Reference-Class-Premium-Headphones/dp/B004444OFK

Mixamphttp://www.amazon.com/ASTRO-Gaming-MixAmp-Pro-playstation-2/dp/B00NY5ZNZA/ref=dp_ob_title_vg

Modmic you can go mute or muteless. I wont make a difference because the stereo adapter has a nice mute button that I prefer to use http://www.modmic.com/collections/frontpage

Splitter http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PCV-05-Combo-Adapter/dp/B00IM36VU0/ref=pd_sim_pc_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0P7SSBZ9NW8RXTMV64YC

Chat Adapter http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-One-Stereo-Headset-Adapter/dp/B00OIPOTYG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1419560523&sr=1-1&keywords=xbox+stereo+headset+adapter

Amp if absolutely needed. I would wait to be sure http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E6-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005HJWWW8/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1419560465&sr=1-2&keywords=fiio

Grab a mod mic and one of theesse and you should be good to go https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PCV-05-Combo-Adapter/dp/B00IM36VU0

Link 1. Link 2. Don't go to this link.

edit: I don't know what either of you are talking about, but I am going to make a guess. https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PCV-05-Combo-Adapter/dp/B00IM36VU0/

There's a specific splitter you can get, lemme try and find it, that separates the mic inline and headphone. Allowing you to use a modmic.

Edit: it's a Sennheiser PCV 05 Combo Audio Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IM36VU0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_2UFQzbBZE7E05

You could use a y cable and plug in whatever you want - https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PCV-05-Combo-Adapter/dp/B00IM36VU0

If you want to hear footsteps get the Game One*, they're open backed so you get a better soundstage which is exactly what you need for positioning footsteps.

From what I read make sure you get the 50 Ohm version as the 150 Ohm version you wouldn't be able to drive very well via the controller, but all new versions are the 50 Ohm so you should be fine. I'm not sure how the cable is but if it's a split microphone and headphone jack (which I assume it is seeing as this is in the frequently bought together thing) you'll need to get this: http://amzn.com/B00IM36VU0

* thanks for the correction /u/jtredd

A couple things:

I highly recommend the HD 598s. I've used them for over a year now and I still love them like the day I got them. Everything sounds good on them and they are super comfy - you could wear them for 24 straight hours. I got this replacement cable for them and It's very high-quality and well worth the $16

All that being said, I would not really recommend using them in public. Firstly, while I love the the tan and brown look, they will look kind of goofy in public since they aren't really your "normal" headphone colors (unless, or course, you get the ones in black). Aside from aesthetics, there is not really a good storage solution (I think there's a case you can get for them, but it's really bulky), so they might get broken if you put them in your backpack and aren't careful with it. Finally, they are open-back. You will be able to hear everything around you, and everything around you will be able to hear you. If I'm without speakers and don't want to wear headphones, I'll actually just set them on the desk and turn them up a bit and they double pretty well as makeshift speakers.

Anyway, they're really best for home use (I use them for gaming, music, and everything in between).

Your welcome, unfortunately the only affordable replacement cables come from China, so the shipping time is long.

The only US replacement cables I've seen are overpriced and hyped up for audiophiles.

The seller is on Amazon as well and has some variants with phone mics built in.

Edit: Fixed Link.

You want this.

I got this one for use with my HD558s. I'm then running a 30 ft long headphone extension (15ft from computer to link box, 15 ft for Vive cable) back to a Behringer headphone amp and then a DAC. I also have other 15 ft extensions (DisplayPort, USB, power) from the link box back to my PC.

The end result? 30 ft of Vive leash, headphone cable is cable-wrapped back to a proper headphone amp and DAC. No plugging/unplugging, and good sound quality to boot.

Granted, take everything I just said above with the understanding that I don't have a Vive yet, and it might work great...or not!

Most of the comments here are correct in regards to silver/copper with all else being equal. But these cables increased the max volume I was able to reach with my phone because of the lack of an inline mic, which adds enough resistance where I was able to notice a VOLUME difference(NOT SOUND QUALITY, that stayed the same once volume matched). The HD598cs cable comes with an inline mic that adds resistance and confirmed that the hd598cs cable added the most resistance out of the other 2.5mm - 3.5mm cable options I had at my disposal(hd598 cable, hd598cs cable, akg k545, 3 audio technica cables from m50x). The regular 598 cable, all 3 m50x cables, and the aftermarket cable akg k545 cable(all of which didn't have inline mics) all reached significantly louder volumes that the cables that had inline mics.

Keep in mind that this experiment was performed with a phone, which has a combined mic/headphone jack. When a TRRS jack with inline mic is inserted into the phone's headphone/mic combined port, this was the only time I noticed the differential in volume. When I tried performing the same experiment on my desktop's headphone jack, which has a separate mic jack, there was no noticable volume difference between the cables with inline mics and without them. Performing the same experiment with all my laptops(combined single mic/headphone port) produced the same results with my phone.

edit: I also remember reading a couple of posts here about the button being all fucked up, where some redditors were experiencing left/right issues after unknowingly damaging the multifunction button on the wire. If you feel like you're not getting the proper volume, get these cables if you didn't use the inline mic much.

I have no idea how you did not find this, but here goes:

1. google: sennheiser 558 cable
   
2. first hit 'accessories' > http://en-us.sennheiser.com/audio-headphones-high-end-hd-558
   
   you can directly order from sennheiser us or look for part:
   542192 or the shorter cable without part-id on the website.
   
   second hit is amazon, with a 3rd party cable:
   http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Audio-upgrade-Sennheiser-Headphones/dp/B00KAKBHKM
   
   .. and the list goes on
   
   edit: the smaler cable has article number: 505638

I got these a few weeks ago and it's been fantastic so far, really nice build quality and shipping was quite a bit faster than expected which was another plus.

> My assumption is that closed headphones adds more presence since it isolates you more from the real world.

This is true. But with closed headphones you get less sound stage and it feels more like you're wearing headphones than it feels like sounds are happening around you. Open headphones allow sounds to feel like there is some space between your ear and where the sounds is coming from. It's kind of a balancing act.

I'm going to be using my Sennheiser HD 558 for personal use. They're the most comfortable thing I put on everyday. I could probably wear them 24/7 and not notice them. They just kind of melt into your head and onto your ears... and they sounds great for the price.

I did buy a shorter cable and plan on ziptieing the Vive cables so I get a snugger fit without more cable flopping around. The cable that comes with Senn HD5XX headsets is at least 8 feet long. Great for at your desk, not great to be dragging around behind you in VR.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KAKBHKM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Relatively inexpensive, good cable. Not silver or anything super fancy, but it's built well and is braided

EDIT AT BOTTOM

No problem, if for some reason you want to go with the senns considering I can give you a first hand review that they sound great, are pretty durable (I only say pretty because I take good care of stuff and am not hard on them, but I've had no problems) and are comfy, this is the cord I bought https://amzn.com/B00KAKBHKM

The long one has it's uses, it's nice for plugging into a pedal and playing guitar at night or plugging into a pc, but it's impractical for most day to day and portable use.

EDIT: http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/psvr-4-980x654.jpg Apparently that's where headphones plug in half way down the cable (buds are above the move remotes), so it won't be as big of a problem as I thought, and a short one might actually be a problem. Ugh, so many things to consider.

These make a great improvement, the pads that come with the headphones suck. I have this same set-up.
https://www.amazon.com/Cosmos-Velvet-Replacement-Cushion-Headphones/dp/B00KLPRQMO/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_2/140-1138462-4546025?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00KLPRQMO&pd_rd_r=67533807-6a49-4c94-a62b-12c5bded31f5&pd_rd_w=teAq4&pd_rd_wg=s6tJ0&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=7G5M7YFZ9RETKNQRWMCZ&psc=1&refRID=7G5M7YFZ9RETKNQRWMCZ

Hi! I'm by no means an expert on the subject but I did learn a few things while pursuing a quality audio experience and its kind of turned into a new hobby.

Simulating surround sound was something I wanted to achieve as well when shopping for headphones a while back. Something I learned is that the headphones themselves can't really do this. The right kind of headphones (and sometimes software) can help this effect but you can't magically turn 2 channels (I.E. right and left) into 4 or more to get multi-directional sound. In gamery types of headphones, the marketing makes all kinds of claims that its the total fault of the headphones but it's simply not true.

The only real way to get a simulated surround effect in your headphones is if the source had this in mind from the get go. And after that good quality headphones can help a bit further. This can be easily demonstrated with this video. Plug in ANY pair of headphones in your house and for added effect? Close your eyes. Seriously even 3 dollar earbuds from the dollar store will work. And what you'll notice is a full high-quality multi-directional, surround sound experience from just youtube and whatever headphones you happened to try. Neat! But how?

Games and movies ect need to have an audio engineer design the sound with this concept in mind known as binaural. In games, this is usually the "headphone" mode in options settings. Or it'll just be on by default. There are times where a game simply won't have it and no amount of software can change that going into your headphones. Software can't magically know that the bullet was supposed to be behind you instead of in front of you.

What does this mean? That you can get virtual/simulated surround sound from pretty much any pair of headphones? Yes! Learning this concept to me was the beginning of something new. I started looking at simple high-quality headphones that could help make the effect even more dramatic.

I learned about open vs closed back headphones. Closed back headphones make you feel like the sound is sort of coming from inside your own head. This is fine especially if you want to block out other sounds from your room or house ect. Open back headphones let sound in your headphones from the outside, allowing for a more natural 3D effect in most cases. I did a lot of research on open back headphones. I ended up getting the AD900x's. I know this might be expensive-ish but there's a good option for optimal sound on a budget.

I got this combo deal for my fiance. You'll get an open back experience to help further the 3d effect you're after and ontop of that these headphones sound fucking GREAT for the money. Seriously makes me mad that I was buying gaming headphones for all these years leading up to what I learned. Check it out.

• Headphones
  
• Replacement earpads. (optional) The stock ones made me and my fiance's ear sweat like crazy. Not comfortable.
  
• Microphone.
  
  Now, this is just a suggestion. Just use whatever you thought sounded better when it came to your logitech's or Beats after making sure headphone mode was on in the game you're playing. Hopefully, I've given you enough to do your own research on the subject. But. For the money? I found this combo to be amazing for gaming and surround sound. Just make sure you always turn on "headphone mode" in games and you'll get the 3D experience you're after. Learn more at https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/
  
  ----------------------
  
  TLDR; Some audio nerd info. I'd personally just use whatever you thought sounded better when it came to your logitech's or Beats after making sure headphone mode was on in the game you're playing. Seeing as the surround sound effect is mostly due to the source. If you ever want to try and make the 3D effect more dramatic I linked a suggestion on a budget.
  
  

I have [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087) and I love it. It uses science to explain why to do things and I need that kind of thing otherwise I'll doubt it.

My recommendations:

Videos:

1. Tasty videos! They’re short, so you can binge a bunch, but they’re also straightforward and usually on the simpler side. https://youtu.be/zcOsz-dHFe0
   
   
2. “Food Wishes” on YouTube. I’ve been watching them for over a decade - lighthearted, fun learning that takes you step by step through TONS of dishes. I cook almost daily, and I can credit this guy for most of my inspiration. https://www.youtube.com/user/foodwishes
   
   
3. Binging with Babish & Basics with Babish. Similar to good wishes, but a little more laid back (which is an accomplishment) and a bit higher production quality IMO. https://www.youtube.com/user/bgfilms
   
   
4. Bon Apetit! Also YouTube. So many fun personalities, everyone has different specialties, it’s like learning from experts that feel like your friends. Carla & Molly have the best recipes and explanations IMO, but they’re all wonderful. https://www.youtube.com/user/BonAppetitDotCom
   
   Websites/Books:
   
   These are more advanced, but Serious Eats (google it) never lets you down when it comes to recipes, but they’re definitely more involved (hours to days).
   
   One of the serious eats writers, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is a PhD Biologist (I think biology...) who wrote The Food Lab. This man is the god of cooking. 100% scientifically and experimentally tested, this book will teach you everything you ever need to know about cooking and then some. HIGHLY recommend getting a copy. The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393081087/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DgUuDb85KVPJ8
   
   Finally, if you don’t want to drop $20 (it’s dropped by ~60% since I bought it! Definitely get a copy!!!) on that, but want to be healthy and learn easy, flavor packed recipes, pick up a copy of The Thug Kitchen. It’s vegan, but the skills are useful anywhere and I’ve yet to find anyone - carnivores included - that’s disliked a single recipe. I got a copy for myself, my girlfriend, a good friend of mine, and my brother.
   
   Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook: Eat Like You Give a F*ck (Thug Kitchen Cookbooks) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1623363586/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_miUuDb8363PR2

Well, on the extreme side, "The Professional Chef" textbook I believe is the one used by the culinary institute of America. I picked one up off Amazon for $36 just for the hell of it. It's really interesting and reads more like an academic text than a cook book. It can be quite intense though.

A much more popular choice and a much easier read would be "The Food Lab" by Kenji Lopez-Alt who is a writer for serious eats. The book has plenty of recipes but does an unbelievably amazing job explaining the science and reasoning behind the choices that are made as well as various "experiments" that kenji does to answer cooking questions. It definitely teaches technique and really helps put you in the right "mindset" for cooking without a recipe.

Here are links to both.

https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Chef-Culinary-Institute-America/dp/0470421355

https://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087

I suggest The Food Lab and Serious Eats, by J. Kenji López-Alt

Why not?

The recipe I'm referring to is nothing but salt & pepper, a roasting pan with a rack, and all day, really low and slow. Amazing how well that came out.

I could and it's a pipe dream of mine. However, the author of the original recipe has quite a collection already, and has already published such a cook book.

I dig you're enthusiasm but you're asking a broad question!

I'd recommend the following books to help answer your questions:

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of The Kitchen

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0684800012

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking through Science

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393081087

part 2/2

Second, there are ways to take a more cost-effective approach. I always bring up the physics example of the apple falling on Newton's head, which made him realize gravity existed, and then he dedicated his whole life to figuring out the formula for gravity; then you saunter up to science class one day, learn F=ma, and that's that! Likewise, a lot of smart & persistent people have worked hard to create formulas for food, called recipes, which you can try & learn & get good results at simply by following their step-by-step checklist.

Part of getting good at cooking is learning the underlying tools, technique, and knowledge required for flavor combinations, food pairings, spice mixes, cooking methods, etc., but part of it is also just burning through a bunch of recipes & getting exposure to good results & to various processes, without having to master every single one right off the bat & then think up new ways to use them. So in addition to learning how to cook in general, I'd also recommend simply following a bunch of recipes initially, rather than trying to re-invent the wheel, which can help you get better results initially, simply because you have proven instructions to follow! There are a million great resources for doing this; I'll share just a few here:

• Website: Serious Eats: Most recipes are split into a detailed explanation & then a separate page for the recipe itself. Excellent learning resource!
  
• Book: The Food Lab: By Kenji of the Serious Eats website. This is a really excellent book to learn cooking step-by-step, complete with full-color pictures & detailed explanations.
  
• Website: ChefSteps: An excellent resource for detailed recipes from the company that makes the Joule sous-vide machine (note that not all recipes are sous-vide!)
  
• Show: Good Eats with Alton Brown (on TV or available to purchase online); lots of detailed walkthroughs & tribal knowledge shared in each episode.
  
• Book: Modern Sauces: 150 sauces, plus great explanations to build up your knowledge about sauces. One thing I've realized over time is that most restaurants create amazing flavor through their sauces, whether it's something as basic as Big Mac sauce at McDonald's or a super fancy steak sauce at an elegant, high-end restaurant.
  
• Show: "Wok Star" by Eleanor Ho: She teaches a fantastic, recipe-free workflow for creating stir-fry dishes using a wok & a hi-heat portable burner. Note that you can buy the discs (which are just simple recordings of her classes) & printed materials separately from the wok & burner if you already have the tools. She's put together a really great system for teaching wok cooking, so if you're interested in learning the "flowchart" for quick & healthy meals using the stir-fry method, this is the best resource I've ever come across!
  
  Third, it helps to have some good introductions to the different aspects of food. Here's a few links to read to help kick-start your education process:
  
  
• Basic cooking advice & approach
  
• How to cook a chicken breast so it's good every time
  
• A quick discussion about "master" recipes
  
• Introduction to spices
  
• How our bodies works in relation to food & a bit more on food & exercise
  
• A quick introduction to complete foods
  
• My approach to meal prep & a bit more information on the Look Book
  
• Some tips for getting organized in your kitchen (kitchen part specifically is a few posts down)
  
  Anyway, learning how to cook can definitely be discouraging & can absolutely be a money-drain, because you're going to have to make a lot of mistakes, due to the learning process, and make also a lot of just plain mediocre food before you start hitting some home-runs. I'd recommend making sure that you have a recipe storage system for capturing the recipes & workflows you really like.
  
  I'd also recommend adopting the "growth" mindset when it comes to cooking, because it's easy to quit in the face of setbacks & label yourself as a terrible cook or view cooking at home as hard or dumb or whatever. If you look at cooking from a big-picture perspective, you're going to be alive until you die, and you've gotta eat every day, so imo at least, it's totally worth learning how to cook so that you can save money & enhance the enjoyability of each meal that you cook while you can!
  
  I think part of that is just accepting that it's going to take some time & practice (and money) as you grow & develop your skills, your personal recipe database, and the various workflows available for things like making breads or grilling or stir-frying or whatever you want to dive into. Probably the best way to save money, at this point in your cooking education, is to find & follow top-rated recipes. Pinterest has a pretty good algorithm for bubbling up really good recipes, so if you type in "chocolate-chip cookie" into the Pinterest search & try a recipe (exactly as printed, step-by-step) on the first page of results, then you're likely to get much better results than just winging it...while also building up your cooking skills in the process & getting that background knowledge & hands-on time required to get better at cooking!

I picked up most of my (mediocre but useful) cooking skills primarily from Serious Eats, ChefSteps, and more recently Chef John on YouTube.

The recently published Food Lab book is a great reference as well.

Also, don't be afraid to practice. Most of the time with food, even if you don't get it perfect, you'll have something edible, and you can use the experience of making something less than perfect as a step towards making it better.

Food Lab is LEGIT! been following Kenji on SeriousEats.com for a long time. Saw his book for the first time last weekend at B&N. $50 in the store!?! I just ordered it this morning on Amazon Prime for $30

https://www.amazon.com/Food-Lab-Cooking-Through-Science/dp/0393081087/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

If you are trying to cook more at home, nigh I suggest this book. The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393081087/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_iDF2DbDDN8EAF

There is a cookbook called the food lab which is really great. It explains the science behind making things extra delicious and the recipes in that book are really good "every day" ones not necessarily project meals. Highly recommended.

The Food Lab

It is a very thick book with lots of full color photos, and tons of good info. The only problem that I've had with it so far is that, for as much as he talks about precision in the variables, he doesn't seem to give enough info in the recipes, which is always the problem I have with written recipes. For example, I tried his technique for soft boiled eggs, and it doesn't specify the starting temp of the eggs. He says the best method is to put cold eggs into the boiled water. But when I did this, using the cooking times provided, my egg was still almost completely raw. I think the problem is that my eggs came right out of the fridge. Had they been room temp to start, 40 degrees warmer, it probably would have worked. But honestly, most people keep eggs in the fridge, so I think the onus should have been on him to make that clear. I have yet to try with room temp eggs to see if his numbers are close to accurate. But when I read "put cold eggs in hot water" I took that to mean cold, not room temp.

The second thing I tried out of the book was the Prime Rib technique. He says to cook it at your oven's lowest setting (in my case, 200F), until the internal temp is 120, then rest for 30 minutes, then sear at 500-550 at the end. He says it takes 4-5 hours at 200. But again, I was making this for lunch, so I was starting at 7am. But of course, my roast came right out of the fridge. So long story short, I had to crank the temp up to 350 to get it to finish roasting by lunchtime, so the slow cook method was not accomplished. Again, had my roast started at room temp, it would have probably worked better, but that wasn't explicitly stated.

I wonder if I need to assume that everything is at room temp to start. If that is just considered dogmatic in cooking or something I was not aware. I read the whole intro, and while he does say that nothing in the book is gospel due to the many variables, I would think that the emphasis on the exactness of temperature, the home cook target audience, and the use of thermometers should at least give some attention to the subject of starting temperature. I might find the answer as I read more of the book. But anyway, I still think it is a great book, and I'm sure the techniques are valid, I just can't hope to get everything right the first try.

To save any other British people the sudden disappointment I just felt - it's only 20% off on amazon.co.uk.

Still not that bad of a price though, I guess...

I'd definitely recommend Samin's book Salt Fat Acid Heat! Rather than just recipes, it teaches you the fundamentals of recipe creation and cooking. Kenji's The Food Lab is also an awesome contribution.

Yes - likely ANYTHING with Kenji López-Alt.
0
I just bought his book, The Food Lab, and it's six pounds of 'just as fantastic as his work at seriouseats.com'.

/r/seriouseats has a ton of good info on cooking. I also recommend The Food Lab book. I have bought a few now as gifts. /u/J_Kenji_Lopez-Alt is also seen around Reddit and has been super helpful a few times in answering tweets about certain recipes within a few hours. (Not sure if I am supposed to publicize that last part.)

you'll need an additional headphone amp/splitter to get more than two hp-out on any affordable interface.

Pretty much the easiest way is a single Bluetooth receiver, connected to the input of an audio splitter (preferably a powered one, such as a multi-headphone amp like this) sending copies of the received audio to the separate devices. There are currently no completely wireless solutions to having truly synchronized audio sent to multiple outputs - at least not available for the common man. It's a topic of much research.

Here is my build list formated for reddit

Group | Name | Price | Quantity | Total | Link
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Pc | (Everything Inside the case) | | | |
$1,601.62 | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $347.00 | 1 | $347.00 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012M8LXQW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Cooler Master Hyper D92 54.8 CFM Rifle Bearing CPU Cooler | $44.80 | 1 | $44.80 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NXLYE4G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Gigabyte GA-Z170X-UD5 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $171.49 | 1 | $171.49 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012N6EW6G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory | $129.99 | 1 | $129.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OTJZTZE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $97.99 | 1 | $97.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OAJ412U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Hitachi HD​S723020BLA​642 | $58.00 | 3 | $174.00 | EBay
| EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card | $459.99 | 1 | $459.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I60OGUK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| EVGA 850W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $90.39 | 1 | $90.39 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KYK1CC6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| XFX AMD Radeon HD 5450 1GB | $29.99 | 2 | $59.98 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IUW7YE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| PWM Female to 4 x PWM Male Computer Case Fan Splitter | $6.50 | 2 | $13.00 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DYQRFY6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Sabrent 2.5" SSD & SATA Hard Drive to Desktop 3.5" | $12.99 | 1 | $12.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UN550AC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| 80MM 5000RPM Fan | $0.00 | 2 | $0.00 |
| 92MM 5000RPM Fan | $0.00 | 4 | $0.00 |
Monitors | | | | |
$744.66 | Seiki Pro SM28UTR 28-Inch 4K UHD 3840x2160 | $195.69 | 1 | $195.69 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013XWQF28/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| AOC e2460Sd 24-Inch Widescreen LED Monitor | $142.99 | 3 | $428.97 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C99MUHQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Dell 17" 5:4 | $30.00 | 4 | $120.00 | EBay
Cables | | | | |
$137.77 | Cable Matters Gold Plated DisplayPort to DisplayPort Cable 10 Feet | $11.99 | 1 | $11.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005H3Q5E0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Cable Matters Active DisplayPort to DVI Male to Female Adapter | $19.99 | 2 | $39.98 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EDT01TO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| DVI Male to Female 90 Degree Adapter Connector | $4.43 | 3 | $13.29 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008X0ZJZ0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| 15ft 28AWG CL2 Dual Link DVI-D Cable - Black | $10.47 | 3 | $31.41 | https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10209&cs_id=1020902&p_id=2760&seq=1&format=2
| 15ft Super VGA M/M | $5.69 | 4 | $22.76 | https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10201&cs_id=1020101&p_id=3622&seq=1&format=2
| 15ft USB 2.0 A Male to A Female Extension | $1.87 | 5 | $9.35 | https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030304&p_id=5435&seq=1&format=2
| 25ft hdmi cable | $8.99 | 1 | $8.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SKVMHI4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Desk Accesseries | | | | |
$263.49 | Perixx PX-5200 Cherry MX Blue | $72.91 | 1 | $72.91 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NY45NCY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Logitech C310 Webcam | $31.93 | 1 | $31.93 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LVZO8S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Lapel Mics | $6.50 | 1 | $6.50 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DJOIHE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| FingerPrint Reader | $12.58 | 1 | $12.58 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHHP7C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Mouse Pad | $8.99 | 1 | $8.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GB0IF50/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Headset Func HS260 | $79.99 | 1 | $79.99 | https://www.amazon.com/FUnc-FUNC-HS-260-1ST-fUnc-HS-260/dp/B00HH3H83U
| Altec ACS 54 - Speaker | $0.00 | 1 | $0.00 |
| Logitech G700S | $50.59 | 1 | $50.59 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BFOEY3Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Audio Accesseries | | | | |
$58.33 | BEHRINGER MICROAMP HA400 | $24.99 | 1 | $24.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KIPT30/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| 5-Pack 6.35mm Male to 3.5mm Female Adapter | $7.99 | 1 | $7.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XAQD4YA/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| 3.5mm Male to 2 x 3.5mm Female Splitter Cable | $3.99 | 1 | $3.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0081ZBNI4/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Coupler 3.5 mm Female - 3.5 mm Female Stereo or Mono | $3.93 | 1 | $3.93 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000068O4N/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| 3 feet Slim 3.5mm Stereo Audio Cable - M/M | $2.71 | 2 | $5.42 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004G3UK5C/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| 3-Feet 3.5mm Stereo Male to Female Extension Cable, 5-Pack | $12.01 | 1 | $12.01 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SWOJLSS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Lighting | | | | |
$86.88 | Studio Designs Swing Arm Lamp Black | $24.75 | 2 | $49.50 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I2S7MHQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Lutron TT-300NLH-BL Credenza Lamp Dimmer Black | $14.83 | 1 | $14.83 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00024BJZE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Triple Outlet Swivel Adapter, White | $3.27 | 1 | $3.27 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HJBENG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Daylight LED Light Bulb 15W | $9.64 | 2 | $19.28 | https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-GVRLA1850ND-Great-Value-LED-15W-A19-Light-Bulb/38596922
Cable Managment | | | | |
$18.81 | 100 Velcro Ties | $5.00 | 2 | $10.00 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E1Y5O6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| 100 Releasable cable ties | $2.47 | 3 | $7.41 | https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=105&cp_id=10520&cs_id=1052012&p_id=5795&seq=1&format=2
| Cable Clip nais | $0.70 | 2 | $1.40 | https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=105&cp_id=10520&cs_id=1052006&p_id=5834&seq=1&format=2
Power | | | | |
$53.13 | Monster MP AV 750 Audio Video PowerCenter | $18.99 | 1 | $18.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ETIKH8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| AmazonBasics 6-Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip 2-Pack | $12.99 | 1 | $12.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TP1BWMK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| 3 Outlet Single-Tap Wall Tap | $4.00 | 2 | $8.00 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007XQORTO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| 15ft 16AWG Power Cord Cable | $5.20 | 1 | $5.20 | https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10228&cs_id=1022801&p_id=5287&seq=1&format=2
| 10ft 18AWG Right Angle Power Cord Cabl | $2.65 | 3 | $7.95 | https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10228&cs_id=1022809&p_id=7677&seq=1&format=2
Network | | | | |
$33.98 | TP-LINK 8-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch | $22.99 | 1 | $22.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EVGIYG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| 5-Pack, Cat6 Ethernet Patch Cable in Blue 3 Feet | $10.99 | 1 | $10.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C2B81K6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Monitor Mount | | | | |
$215.27 | Arm wall mount | $17.54 | 3 | $52.62 | https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=109&cp_id=10828&cs_id=1082821&p_id=12232&seq=1&format=2
| Top wall mount bracket | $4.80 | 4 | $19.20 | https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=109&cp_id=10828&cs_id=1082821&p_id=3005&seq=1&format=2
| Center Monitor Mount | $7.99 | 1 | $7.99 | https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=109&cp_id=10828&cs_id=1082821&p_id=4564&seq=1&format=2
| 2x8 | $7.47 | 3 | $22.41 | https://www.lowes.com/pd/Top-Choice-Common-2-in-x-8-in-x-10-ft-Actual-1-5-in-x-7-25-in-x-10-ft-Lumber/4082916
| 2x4 | 2.55 | 1 | $2.55 | https://www.lowes.com/pd/Common-2-in-x-4-in-x-8-ft-Actual-1-5-in-x-3-5-in-x-8-ft-Stud/1000074211
| 3" clamp | $5.98 | 6 | $35.88 | https://www.lowes.com/pd/IRWIN-QUICK-GRIP-3-in-Clamp/50214643
| 4" Hinge | $2.81 | 2 | $5.62 | https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gatehouse-4-in-H-Oil-Rubbed-Bronze-Interior-Exterior-Mortise-Door-Hinge/4772785
| Wood Screws | $9.00 | 1 | $9.00 | Lowes
| Assorted brackets/hardware | $25.00 | 1 | $25.00 | Lowes
| Case Rack Mount | $35.00 | 1 | $35.00 | EBay
Misc | | | | |
$35.97 | Steam Link | $19.99 | 1 | $19.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016XBGWAQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| Bluetooth Adapter | $7.99 | 1 | $7.99 | GRANDCOW Bluetooth 4.0 USB Adapter Dongle for Windows 10/ 8.1 / 8/ 7 / Vista / XP
| 19 Key Numeric Keypad | $7.99 | 1 | $7.99 | https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DJSAAU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If on a budget:

I like the Behringer q802usb for a mixer $65

2 ATR 2100 Mics $80 a piece

If you want to spend more on a mic that won't pick up as much noise:

Sennheiser E835 Dynamic Cardioid Vocal Microphone $100 a piece - but doesn't come with stand or pop filter...

Audio-Technica ATH-M30x Headphones to monitor sound or edit. $70

If you want your partner to have headphones, you will need a headphone amp $25 and chord $7

If you have any questions I have a Facebook Group for beginners: Podcasting Made Simple

You'll plug one of these (or something similar) into your mixer's headphone jack:

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Ultra-Compact-4-Channel-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B000KIPT30/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487820405&sr=8-1&keywords=headphone+mixer

I've experienced this issue as well - my workaround is using this headphone amp that I have ($24 on amazon, link below) in between my interface and the headphones, and it provides an extra level of gain, which gets me right in the sweet zone

Behringer Microamp HA400 Ultra-Compact 4-Channel Stereo Headphone Amplifier
by Amazon.com
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KIPT30/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_qJR5CbD2RMWYB

Truthfully the in game sound is perfectly fine IMO and up to par with any DAW I've used, the difference is likely in what you're using to output the sound (the two 12" are going to sound a ton better than shitty macbook speakers or not amazing quality headphones).

That being said I'm splitting to the same exact amp for my setup with a behringer headphone amplifier and dehummer.

I've heard other people use tuning pedals or AB/Y pedals which may (probably) are a cheaper and better solution, but I can't personally speak to that.

The downside of this setup is that you're going to still need to keep your volume at 10 and your tone at 10 on your guitar for the best RS note detection.

Funnily enough I have myself just bought one of these for like £20. Well worth it!!

Thank you for the reply.

Do you think these cheap Behringer MX400 and Behringer HA400 will do the job for band practice?

The only problem is that I have a very convenient record function on my drum module that records the mix in and the drums to a wav file on a SD card, by plugging everything to the mixer I lose this function so maybe I should wire like that:
Bass + Guitar -> MX400 -> Drum module -> HA400 -> headphones.
That way I can record easily while jamming, what do you think?

1. As mentioned elsewhere, the BD pads are great. http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-EDT250V-Headphone-Pads-Black/dp/B0016MF7W2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410187952&sr=8-1&keywords=edt250
   
   
2. Never tried and never looked.
   
   
3. If you bought them used, so used that the pads are worn, wouldn't the burn-in opportunity be long gone?

Absolutely, and I don't think it would look bad with black pads on white headphones personally.

Here are the ones I bought. They took a little effort to put on there, but are very snug and don't move around. (The amazon picture isn't correct, as it looks like they are the plastic/leather pads, but what you get is the velour) http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016MF7W2/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These Shure pads apparently work as well, although I don't have any experience with them. Looking at the reviews they seem like they fit a little bit looser and can freely spin a little bit. http://smile.amazon.com/Shure-HPAEC940-Replacement-Velour-Headphones/dp/B005OM06RG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395931310&sr=8-1&keywords=srh+840+velour

When I get home tonight, I can take some pictures of them on my M50's if you'd like. I love them and well worth the $20 I say.

A few years ago a rebrand of these came out called NX-HTDJ with velour pads + headband. I picked up a pair for $12 and they're amazing. Unfortunately it looks like they aren't being manufactured anymore.

DT 250 pads will fix the 8323's but they cost about $25.

A nice alternative is the Beyerdynamic DT250 Velour Pads. They fit both the M50 and pro700mk2 (though it takes a bit of wiggling).

These are either MDR-7506 or the MDR-V6 and either way, you have a stellar pair of headphones right there. I roll the MDR-7506 myself and for the money, you won't find a better technical listening experience. If you replace your pads with the Beyerdynamic Velour Earcups you will find slightly better isolation, increased comfort, and even clearer bass. Here's a link to them on Amazon, but shop around: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016MF7W2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_LNbZub1T1DBBB

You'll need to pry off the old ones along the edges. Once you get a bit off, the rest should slide off with it. Just be gentle with the edges so you don't bend anything out of shape and harm the isolation quality.

Just thought this would be fun to do.

(from left to right, top to bottom)

2009 13" Macbook Pro w/ 256 GB SSD

Pentel GraphGear 1000

Moleskine Notebook

Nebo Redline

Bolle Anaconda

Time Easy Reader

Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10

Boy Scouts Swiss Army Knife (not sure which model)

Audio-Technica M50 with EDT250 pads

Nintendo Wallet from NYC Nintendo World

Insulated 20oz Klean Kanteen

Kenneth Cole Reaction Bag

Arbor Bandana (as a face mask for cold days)

iPhone 4S

S-Biner

Keys (glowing tritium, apt, mail, bike, lockbox, utili-key, LED, room, car keys)

You can roll the Beyerdynamic DT250 Pads.

http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-Velour-Earcushions-MDR7506-Headphones/dp/B0016MF7W2

They fit surprisingly well and they're velour to boot.

EDIT: Maybe it goes without saying, but I have these on mine. Look here for pics.

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/ele/3220450140.html

I have had mine since 2007.

When your ear pads die- they will die either by disintegrating or splitting at the seams, you can buy these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016MF7W2/

They will fit your headphones, and are velour. A bit more comfortable I think too.

These things are tanks, and while they may get uncomfortable if you wear glasses, they will last a long, long time through much abuse.

I have flown countless times with them, and they still work flawlessly.

Put the velour pads on mine about a month after I got them, can't recommend this enough. The headphones are super comfy now and don't wear on my ears during long use.

For reference: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016MF7W2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yes actually I got the flaking right around the 4 year mark as well. Following instructions I found on a forum, I replaced the original pads with some Beyerdynamic pads , and it was just as good as new!

[Edit] here's a video showing you the process of replacing the pads.

I'm really enjoying the Sennheiser Game Zero, it's the same headset as the Sennheiser HD 380 Pro that I was using before, but with a built in boom microphone. Excellent noise deadening, I can barely hear the "real world" with the headset on, it's great.

I'm not Canadian but since I'm bored I found these

Sennheiser HD 380

Sennheiser HD 280

Shure SE215 (Just bough a pair of the clear ones not 2 hours ago :D)

Those are all the ones I could find without posting ones that have already been posted in their own thread by other users. Hope it was helpful anyways

I know you said under $100, but I've never known anyone to regret spending that little bit extra on a set of cans (except people who bought Beats™). Assuming you're going to be using them for mixing work as well as leisurely listening, I can highly recommend [Sennheiser's HD 380s] (http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-380-Pro-Collapsible-Professional/dp/B001UE6I0G). There are very few other products in your price range that compare.

When you have a little extra scrilla on hand, I also recommend picking up one of these so you can boost the output level to the 380s. The power, clarity, and control offered by this combination is an amazing value.

I use http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Collapsible-Headphones-380-Pro/dp/B001UE6I0G

Great noise canceling/balance between hearing your drums and music

They're solid for general usage too

Not OP but, the Titan T-2 design is a prevalent design from a number of manufacturers. ex. Atlas Power Rack and RepFitness Power Rack

From the Repfitness website they list the specs of the 2x2 uprights as 14 gauge. That translates to a 5/64" or ~2mm thick steel. Compared to the R-3 (T-3) 11 gauge steel which is 1/8" or ~3.175mm

The 2x2 14 gauge racks are advertised as capable of holding 700lbs on the j-cups. Comparatively the 11 gauge 2x3 racks can hold 1000lbs

For the average home gym user that weight differential is negligible. Realistically the only time someone would approach the maximum weight capacity would be on one exercise, the squat. And for either rack I'd suggest not ever dumping that kind of weight from max height onto the safeties.

So both racks perform their primary function comparably. Why would someone go for the T-3 over the T-2? That's just personal preference on a number of things. But here are the main differences. The T-2 doesn't need to be bolted to the floor or platform. The T-3 (R-3) has the westside hole spacing throughout the benching area. T-3 has both a 1.25" and 2" pull up bar. There are more compatible accessories (thanks to Rogue) for the T-3. Like OP you can buy spotter arms and bench outside the rack on the T-3.

Of course the ability to modify and expand upon the T-3(R-3) comes with the caveat of cost. The rack is more expensive and the accessories will be too.

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Squat-Deadlift-Bench-Racks/dp/B004UMM4QC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452126982&sr=8-1&keywords=atlas+power+rack

Seems a bit expensive with shipping, I am in the market for one right now

All this advice applies if you live in the US (don't wanna waste your time).

For a full power rack, I would recommend just waiting for a good deal on craigslist. Even this rack on amazon is pretty good deal

I'm sure if you look long enough you can find a better deal on craigslist. I bought that weight bench a few years ago, but if I had known better I would have just gotten a power rack. As a beginner (less than 300lbs on squat), this solution works for me. Also, try to find one with a pulley system if possible, cause I love some of the exercises that are only possible with a pulley system, especially if you are beginner. Also, remember if you decide to upgrade you can always sell something professionally made and get most of your money back and even make money if bought from a really good deal. Of course, void all this if you love building stuff and have the time.

As long as you have an auxiliary port then something like this - iClever Himbox HB01 Bluetooth 4.0 Hands-Free Car Kit with 3.5mm Aux Jack, Multi-Point Access, Siri / Voice Activation, Dual USB Charger & Magnetic Base, Updated Aluminum Ring - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GJFGE0K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_XA.Byb7K33VRW

I have this one in my car and let me just say it is amazing. Auto connects up from last time and has an extra USB port to plug my phone in. This is the one you want. iClever Himbox HB01 Bluetooth 4.0 Hands-Free Car Kit with 3.5mm Aux Jack, Multi-Point Access, Siri / Voice Activation, Dual USB Charger & Magnetic Base, Updated Aluminum Ring - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GJFGE0K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_evZQybP1GK9SS

I believe this satisfies your criteria.

This was my first dac/amp.
https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

I still keep it for travel.
Will drive up to 250Ω.
Sounds fantastic too. Would recommend.

I can't wear earbuds for more than a few hours at a time, so I have Koss Porta Pros. Unbelievable sound in a very portable package, and I have them paired with a Fiio E10K that filters out any line weirdness. I used to have a shitty work laptop that had awful grounding, so the amp was super useful. Now I just use it because it sounds good :)

Welcome the the Grado club - three actual Grados have passed through my collection, and three hybrids as well.
For tinkering and modding, there's nothing better, IMO.

I found several reasonable DAC/amp units that improved the ride, as it were.
My early favorite being the Fiio E10K - compact, USB-powered, not hard on the budget.
If you can leave it on the desk, the Massdrop O2 + SDAC DAC/Amp is a winner,
but beware of Massdrop - their temptation fu is strong. :-)

To do both DAC and DAP, lurk eBay for an iBasso DX90 - I never go anywhere without mine.


Agreed that they really shine with 'classic' production - late 60s to mid 80s analog path,
but also considerate modern artists like Spoon and Andrew Duhon,
maybe Isis and Animals as Leaders on the heavier side.

The folks at Head-fi.org have a couple opinions about the Brooklyn Sound, too.

I would recommend a pair of HD 598's and a headphone amp. Or the AKG k701/q701.

I own the HD558, and Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro, and I use them in conjuction with a Schiit Magni. My favourite for comfort and overall audio quality is the HD558. If I want some more bass in my music I switch to the DT770 Pro.

Take a look at this

Edit: I'm assuming you're using onboard audio. If so, take a look at a amp/dac combo like this

Edit2: You guys in the UK get some great prices. Here's the DT990 Pro. Definitely want to get a headphone amp with this guy.

Depends on your price range. Check out fiio dacs for entry level. Schiit modi and magni for mid/higher level. There are many options for dacs and amp/dac combos. I use the e10k which is an entry level amp/dac.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2?pc_redir=1413260811&robot_redir=1

Pads are easy to replace. These should fit and not alter the sound too much.

Also is this the ones you bought? There are many that show up on Amazon but I can't find one with the exact model "HM5" (I think that's just a headset they make) https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2Q827FRQS425L&keywords=brainwavz+hm5+pleather&qid=1563778855&s=gateway&sprefix=brainwavz+hm5+pleathe%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

Don't forget if you want these to FEEL good you have to spend twice as much.. As you need the $19.50 Brainwavz pads to throw on them.

I have these and I love them. The sound quality is pretty decent. No issues hearing anything or with my friends hearing me. In audio lag either. The one thing I will recommend is changing the ear pad. The new pads help change the sound and provide a ton more comfort.

https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=brainwavz&qid=1557054224&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&th=1

I've owned several over this generation. Turtle Beach XO Seven, Microsoft Stereo Headset, Astro A40, Sennheiser Game One, HyperX Cloud II, Plantronics RIG 800LX SE, HyperX Cloud Alpha, and beyerdynamic MMX 300. I keep coming back to the Cloud Alpha. $100, and it's the perfect blend of sound quality, comfort, and simple controls. I went a little further and added $30 Brainwavz HM5 earpads. Can't recommend it enough.

An audiophile's review of the Cloud Alpha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDeI4t7sR4g

Here are the main parts:

Bluetooth receiver - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008AGQMQC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

3.5 jack - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C3RFHDC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

side button - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LYZSEVB/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You could probably find cheaper options. I just bought a lot because there wasn't really any tutorials out there on doing this. Other stuff you would need are a soldering iron, a dremel, and some wires, Also, please get better earcups if you haven't already - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MFDT894/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here are the internals: https://imgur.com/gallery/N91espA

I have the m50x with the Brainwavz HM5 pads. The difference in comfort is night and day. The default pads on the m50x hurt like hell after about an hour of wear for me. The HM5 pads are little heavenly pillows. Sadly, the bass really suffers.. and I had to ramp it up a bit in software to compensate. Using mine with a Fiio E10k, even with bass boost enabled, it isn't enough to balance things out back to stock.

For those that have big ear and head. Here are the the [Brainwavz Earpads] (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MFDT894/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) that should work well with these.

From personal experience, the padding's are a must for any pair of headphones. They're just so comfy.

Edit: Check the additional promotion underneath the price. There should be an additional 15% when you purchase one or more of the padding.

No red tint display. The white balance on my phone is even better than the Huawei P30 I switched from.

Camera is very competent indoors too compared to the P30. P30 only excels in darker environment while being able to take quick pictures.

My Bluetooth is working fine, but I don't connect directly to my car but to an EarStudio Es100 via the aux input. No problems there connects as soon as the car is on.

Yes, it's the Radsone ES100. You can find it on amazon here.

The only real answer:http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Velor-Memory-Replacements-Earpads/dp/B00MFDX4YO

its a bit of a pain to put them on properly.
But I did it to my older set of HD598s and it brought them back to life.

Definitely recommend these ear pads for the 598.

Have tried both - the fuzzy versions of these are so much more comfortable IMO - subjective of course, but with the fuzz you don't get ever sweaty, they breathe.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFDX4YO

They are actually amazing if you replace the pads with these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFDX4YO

https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Velor-Memory-Replacements-Earpads/dp/B00MFDX4YO

The cable is a mile long, you could walk across the room before it yanked. If you're playing at your desk (PC?) then you'll be fine, the cable won't wear or fray. These headphones are amazing, I love them. In about 8 months your ear pads will start to feel like they suck, that's because the foam has broken down. I just got these and my 700Xs are brand new again.

I have the M40x which I think is pretty similar. How do these go on? Do you take off the old pads first or do these go on top of the ones already on there?

Was thinking about buying these velour pads, been on my wishlist for 24 dollars forever.

http://amzn.com/B00MFDX4YO

On amazon it's from mp4nation.net's amazon store front.

OP can correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like this headphone hanger on amazon

An under the desk headphone hanger. I see that potted plant, definitely a must have. I notice no mousepad? That looks like a wood table and you would get better response on a mousepad than just the table. I cannot fathom why people like the keyboards without the numbpad but to each there own.

The Anchor

Previous link was to Amazon.co.uk which is probably why he linked you to the US site.

Edit. Have a link

https://www.amazon.com/Anchor-ORIGINAL-Under-Desk-Headphone-Stand/dp/B00P31BMHG

sir. please

Nice, a sleek black and white aesthetic. Nothing is out of place here. Glad you went with a mouse mat with a small logo.

I don't have any suggestions really since it's all but perfect. I can offer a potential upgrade or two if you have money that needs spending!

A headphone stand has already been mentioned but the style of headphone stand that you decide to go with is also a consideration. You can get ones that stand on your desk. These are good if you want the headphones to be a point of attention on the desk. They are nice-looking Grados so might be a good idea.

If you want headphones on your desk but not to take up any space then you can get ones that attach to the edge like this or to the underside of the desk like this.

If you don't want them to be anywhere near the desk then you can find wall mounted ones or something you can stick to the side of a desk leg if it's wide enough à la this.

If you want a better quality LED bulb for your lamp (because it is a nice lamp!) then it might be worth investing into some high CRI (90+, ideally ~95-97) LED bulbs. They can be expensive but they are very nice. Make sure that you double-check the base type of the bulb already in the lamp before you buy. Yuji LED sell what are probably the best LED bulbs you can buy right now. You can also choose between colour temperature. If you only use the lamp during the evening then go for the 3000K option for a warmer colour.

For a future and more expensive investment (that could also become a hobby), you should look into buying or building a custom mechanical keyboard. Your setup would love it! Check out /r/MechanicalKeyboards if you're interested.

Hope this helps!

Miles.

Super cheap and works like a charm.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P31BMHG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The product link is here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P31BMHG/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title

This is really a great "stand". Super affordable, great quality, and saves space. It doesn't look "cool" as some of the other table-top stands, but personally I find it working really well as I am sure I'd grow tired of seeing a headphone on my table.

Nope, it's this guy: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P31BMHG

Looking good, but I have two inexpensive suggestions: get this for a PC stand and get this for your headphones

I just received the glass stand and I like it a lot, used it to raise up my monitor and free up space for my keyboard and my backup HDD. It'd fit/look a whole lot better than that silly AC retail box ;)

this is what I use - very effective:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00S7CH6FK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This.

Just so you know, > traditionally means "greater than" so i believe your Thread should read "Best PC upgrades < $50?"

But to answer your question, yes fans are a great option but you might also consider something like a reusable duster. Instead of using the canned air that we typically use it is a rechargeable duster than you can manually or electrically recharge. This one's right at your price point too!

Your question is a little bit hard to understand without Information that you did not provide. But my mind reading skills have improved over the last few months, so here is your solution:

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00Y4663GG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8L5QAbHMQ3MAW

;)

Do your headphones have a separate cord for the mic or are they both in the same one? If there's only one then you're probably going to have to get a splitter:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y4663GG

Yes. I use this one

im rocking this one https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2 and it is very nice.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

These are highly regarded by /r/headphones as a industry standard in budget headphone amping for any listening types (home, studio, etc)

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1416507419&sr=1-3&keywords=fiio

like justanotherdickweed mentioned, just get yourself a little USB/DAC and that should help.

the one i linked is a bit more than his link, but is more powerful/better in my opinion.

ive had a similar Fiio dac/amp for about 3 years, use it almost 7 hours a day 5 days a week at work and it has been worth every penny. they also have more portable versions like the e07 if you care to take it with you at any point.

If you want to do WiFi streaming, install $3.50 BubbleUPnP on the phone and use the Windows 10 built-in DLNA streaming. If you're on Ubuntu you can install pulseaudio-dlna and use it as output from sound settings. I'm sure there's something for Mac as well.

For USB, what you're looking for is called a USB DAC. If you're really strapped for cash and don't have fancy tastes in sound quality, or quality headphones, then one of these $5-7 puppies will take care of it. Quality is touch and go, some may be DOA and need replacing, but they'll get the job done. You can also go for a $20 Signstek (PCM2704), but I wouldn't recommend more expensive ones without knowing what headphones you're using and what you want from them.

If you do, I can recommend the $40 FiiO K1, $65 SMSL SD793-II or $75 FiiO E10K, but if you do that you should also look into putting $50-200 into decent headphones and you're probably not looking for that.

Whatever you do DO NOT get USB headphones. Decent ones are expensive, cheap ones are absolute crap. A $5 DAC like above and a $25 pair of Sennheiser HD202 will be better and can be replaced separately or even taken apart and repaired if they break.

These are powered speakers with USB inputs - $350/Pr Retail -

https://www.klipsch.com/products/r-15pm-powered-monitors

How important is USB to you? That's a nice feature, but only if you need it.

I think these might be the latest version (R-51PM - $500/pr) -

https://www.klipsch.com/products/r-51pm-powered-speakers

If there is a replacement model that means there are probably very good deals on the Older Version.

These are 5" speaker, and to make a determination, you have to consider what else you can get for a similar price.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR305MK2--jbl-305p-mkii-5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MR524--mackie-mr524-5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

Edifier S2000-Pro, DAC, Remote Control, Bluetooth 4.0, etc... - £399/pr -

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-S2000pro-Bluetooth-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B0725GZQFZ/

https://www.edifier.com/us/en/speakers/s2000pro-bookshelf-speakers-studio-monitors

There is nothing wrong with the Edifier, assuming they do what you need done.

The one advantage the Klipsch do have is that they have a USB input for direct connect to a computer. That is probably the feature that is the deciding factor. However, if you computer has an Optical or Coaxial Output, then something like the Edifiers 2000 might be a good choice.

Or, if you are not connecting to a computer, then USB becomes less valuable. In the case, the Edifier with Optical/Coaxial/AUX and Bluetooth is a better choice, simply because it has a Remote Control.

The various Mackie and JBL in 5", 6.5", and 8" could be a good choice as they are highly rated and are less money, but they would require you to buy a USB DAC. Though these can be had in the range of $100.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_703DGNFLYB/AudioQuest-DragonFly-Black-v1-5.html

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_772D3DAC/Audioengine-D3.html?tp=59309

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

https://www.amazon.com/Q1-Mark-II-Native-Amplifier/dp/B0757MH46M/

https://www.amazon.com/CREATIVE-LABS-70SB173000000-Sound-Blaster/dp/B06XBZ38ZJ/

https://www.amazon.com/FX-Audio-Optical-Coaxial-Amplifier/dp/B01HERNVQQ/

Some of these are USB DACs and Headphone Amps.

The JBL 306 and the Mackie MR624 are both 6.5" speakers, which are TWICE as big as a 5" bass driver. They are about $200 each, which with a DAC would run in the neighborhood of $500/set.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSR306MK2--jbl-306p-mkii-6.5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MR624--mackie-mr624-6.5-inch-powered-studio-monitor

You can check reviews on line and you will find nothing but positive for both the JBL and the Mackie MR Series.

All that said, nothing wrong with the Klipsch, just make sure they do what you want, suit your application, and fit your budget.

Just a range of possibilities

Am a good friend, helped him pick out about 90% of this stuff.

Headphones are Sennheiser HD 598 special edition (the amazon exclusove ones), but those are discontinued, newest version are the HD 599

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-599-Open-Headphone/dp/B01L1IICR2

Mic is Blue Snowball USB
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Snowball-Microphone-Gloss-Black/dp/B002OO18NS

He also uses a FiiO e10k DAC for headphones also
https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

> is a sound card worth it in today's age?

NO.

Most games don't support Creative's proprietary sound like they used to in the old days.

Most modern mobo's have the basics to get you buy.

If you absolutely think you would benefit from external sound then at least get a portable DAC that you can use for other things/take with you.

My goto suggestion is usually Fiio E17K ALPEN 2 USB DAC Headphone Amplifier which when plugged in via USB will be recognized as a windows sound card, provides excellent sound for the price, has an electronic 3 band EQ and you have the benefit of unplugging it and taking it with you to power your cans on the go.

If you're stuck at 75 bucks then FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

Also, Creative software to this very day SUCKS. It is very rarely updated and sometimes does not play nice with when you try to use proprietary creative sound profiles within specific games.

I forgot what the specific profile was for "enhanced enemy footstep" detection but it muffled other game sounds that were really needed in Overwatch and in TF2.

Bottom line. Pass on this shit. There are better alternatives in the same price range.

Hey mate, i hope this isn´t too late for some advice.

​

So first and foremost, congrats on a nice pair of cans. your motherboard has a dedicated audio solution, which shouldn´t be to bad in the first place, but to improve upon that i would recommend the fiio 10k

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543003652&sr=8-1&keywords=fiio+10k

it´s a pretty nice headphone amp/dac combo, which competes with a lot of pricier solutions, and for listening to music and gaming, you won´t find anything better under 200 bucks.

​

while the guy at the music store is technically correct, the sterling is of course a headphone amp as well, but as soon as he heard the words gaming and pc, he should have known this ain´t what you´re looking for...so return it, thats the wrong kind of device...you need a digital analogue converter, that has an amp integrated.

Get these, now.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=26-138-190

The SHP9500 are open, neutral, sharp and precise.

They are very, very comfortable and if need be, you can replace the pads.

Just search the subreddit and you will see people drooling about these cans.

They do not NEED amplification but greatly benefit from it. I recommend the FiiO E10k: http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

P.S. They also have a removable cable, which is always nice to see.

Edit: While they are not wireless, they are the best bang-for-the-buck cans, at this very time in the 0 - 100 range. And for the time being, wireless is just a gimmick.

http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417173201&sr=8-2&keywords=fiio

Or if you're more on a budget, this will do but the quality will reflect the price. I'd go with he first one if at all possible.

I bought the Fiio E10k a little while back. I love it, definite upgrade from the onboard audio. It's not too expensive and it suits it's purpose.

I don't have any experience with them, but I've seen a lot of Schiit set ups. There's a Schiit DAC on Amazon US right now for about $85. Definitely check out /r/audiophile and /r/headphones as well, utilise the resources they provide and you'll more than likely find what you're looking for.

I feel like you could just run it from your motherboard but I'm not 100%. I bought one of these because I read the sound quality would be better and I didn't want to waste the headphones.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2

Yeah, I have a fancy motherboard too (MSI Z170 Gaming M7) and it doesn't do it justice, but you're right. The DAC is usually the last thing you get to finish your setup and untrained ears might not notice anything. Headphone > Amp > DAC. If you get any hissing or electronic interference, then you especially might want to invest. Entry level DACs and Amps go for a minimum of $50 each and I would at minimum recommend this DAC/Amp combo.
I should also mention that headphones can have high impedance and you would need an amp to provide the gain necessary to reach your desired volumes. However, all of the headphones I've listed (and the 700X) have a low impedance and do not need the amp for volume. I regard anything lower than 40 ohms as low impedance.


Regarding virtualization, I typically avoid sound enhancements and spatial sound on Windows and let the applications speak for themselves. You're correct that the quality will depend on the game, but overall you don't have to worry with modern titles. The only game that I actually enjoy virtualization with is in Overwatch where Blizzard integrated Dolby Atmos. It lowers the quality of the sound, but does make spatial cues more discernible.

This may be due to your on-board sound. Before spending, I would test out the headphones on a different PC/source. Make sure it isn't just the headphones themselves.

Then, when you are ready to buy, get an external dac/amp, basically an external sound card. Check out the Micca Origen($100), Fiio E10k($76), Monoprice Dac/Amp($80), and SMSL SD793-II($63).

you could get a fiio e10k.

If you want something inexpensive but powerful, look no further than the FiiO E10K. Especially since you have the 250 ohm edition, a decent amp is pretty much necessary.

As an aside, the DT990 are the complete opposite of flat. They are very v-shaped, with boosted bass and treble. Especially treble.

I'm guessing the output from this (16-bit, 44.1k) isn't as good as your on-board sound. If you're serious about getting a nice pair of headphones, I would at least look into something like this or this. There's no point in spending cash on a good pair of cans when you're going to be putting a less than optimal signal through them.

>Edit: Updated SMSL link.

>Edit 2: Third option.

I finally got my X2's and wowow for gaming these are a must. Thank you for the recommend and videos. Wanted to follow up woth a questing regarding an AMP for my PC. The PC can drive the headphones with my onboard but for music via itunes or movies I can't get the level in volume i like which is generally loud. I know you mad an AMP video, but I was wondering if i get a USB amp like a AMP
There wouldn't be a problem using an AMP with a headset that also is using a mic? Would the microphone function still work if I have the headset plugged into an AMP?

These are the ones I have.

I really recommend them, they make the headphones feel completely different. I have larger ears and they actually fit inside of the pads now.


Here is another picture, the stock ones are on the inside

You can try replacing the ear cup pads with something like this

Brainwavz Hybrid Memory Foam Earpad - Black PU/Velour - Suitable for Large Over The Ear Headphones - AKG, HifiMan, ATH, Philips, Fostex https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGGG3KY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ezopDbSJMT9MR

These are the pads I purchased.

> doesn't cover the ears that well at all

You could always get better pads. It should decrease the shallowness as well. Youd be surprised at the quality increase from new pads. Try the brainwavz hybrid pads they will fit right on the m50x.

Hey, I have a similar ear shape, maybe a bit less prominent, but I have had similar problems with headphones. If you don't want to get a new pair of headphones right away, you could put some new pads on those Cloud IIs. I have HM5 memory foam pads on mine which are much thicker than the stock pads.

They look like this:

Picture 1

Picture 2

Sorry about the poor lighting, but I hope it gives you a sense of the added depth.

These are the ones I use, but there are other variants; angled, flat, velour, hybrid(velour and pleather), etc.

Be cautious about pad change recommendations also. Being a newb, I watched a couple "gotta change the pads" video and not only did I change them, but threw out the stock pads (I didn't know lol ). I haven't liked the sound since the pad change and I've since ordered stock pads to get the original sound back. Enjoy and have a great day!

Edit: A nice individual DM'd me to ask me if I had removed the foam insert when I changed the pads. I did not. He suggested that I try the replacement Brainwavz pads without the foam insert. BIG difference. I'll still keep the stock pads because I never should have tossed them, but finally I'm enjoying the sound and comfort of the pad replacement w/the m40x's I'd hoped for. Here are the pads in care you're interested:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZY8PGJI/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_YlpjDb2A086C5

To my ear the M40X is the superior set as well. Might I also recommend these supremely comfortable earpads.

The stock pads aren't terrible for about an hour. After that you will start to feel the pressure of them. I switched them out and it really helped comfort. I got the Brainwavz angled memory foam pads for $30 on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Angled-Memory-Foam-Earpad/dp/B00ZY8PGJI/ref=pd_sbs_23_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00ZY8PGJI&pd_rd_r=CNCEMG9B2AX2274ZD69K&pd_rd_w=CDvb0&pd_rd_wg=CT1II&psc=1&refRID=CNCEMG9B2AX2274ZD69K


I wear my m40x for gaming, music, etc. I love em.

Yeah, 7XX is not for smaller heads. It's only slightly loose in my head though.

I think you can use fatter pads like Angled HM5 or leather pads (to help grip) like Dekoni. The sounds probably will change though.

Same setup here. Just replaced my pads with the brainwavz angled HM5 pads after some head-fi research and the bass is so much better now. Would highly recommend the pad upgrade for any other HE-400i owners.

Although I haven't used a mic for recording voice, I use a measurement mic and an RTA app on my phone for work.

I use to be able to use a mic/headphone splitter, something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Kingtop-Adapter-Tablet-Headsets-Version/dp/B01I3A47I4/ref=sr_1_3?crid=7GITDJG042NF&keywords=mic+headphone+splitter&qid=1567198293&s=gateway&sprefix=mic+headpho%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-3

But after the Oreo update, the splitter stopped working.

Luckily, I was able to use this USB-C audio adapter:

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSC/dp/B071HJ98Q6/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=usb+c+audio+adapter+sabrent&qid=1567198535&s=gateway&sr=8-3

And the mic jack works for my purposes although I notice a some noise at around 15khz that wasn't there when I was able to use the mic/headphone splitter so I don't know if it would get picked up by a recorder.

Btw, if you want to get a USB-C adapter, get the one I linked to. I bought a similar one from Cable Matters as a backup but it wouldn't work on my phone.

https://www.amazon.in/KingTop-3-5mm-Combo-Audio-Adapter/dp/B01I3A47I4 something like this

I actually do this myself. All you need to do is buy a 3.5mm splitter that has 3 stripes on the male side to make sure it works with microphones.
The one in the link it's the same model I use.
https://www.amazon.com/Kingtop-Adapter-Tablet-Headsets-Version/dp/B01I3A47I4/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1538919538&sr=8-13&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=3.5mm+splitter

So what you're really asking for is a headset with a TRRS cable. Otherwise you can just use a TRRS adapter. Boom. Plug the 3.5mm mic into the mic slot, headphones into the other, and then that device into the PS4 controller.

Seperate mic and headphone ports. You need a splitter

Edit: heres the one I use, MillSO 3.5mm Jack Adapter CTIA -... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071NDLCGC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

So your headphones only have one male connector and you need it split into two for your computer? You would need something like below.


Headset Adapter, MillSO 3.5mm Jack Headphone Splitter CTIA Headphone Adapter Mic and Audio Cable with Separate Microphone and Headphone Connector for Gaming Headset to PC - 8inch/20CM Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071NDLCGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_GJKIDbPNDPKG3

if its aux cable you probably need a splitter to make it headset and mic plugs instead of 3 in 1. check here

also you probably know but if the mic is in the up position its automatically muted. but its probably the splitter that will fix this

The port you're plugging into is an output port only, so it doesn't even recognize your earbud's mic. What you need to do is get a headphone mic splitter like this one, and plug the separate ports into your computers audio output, and audio input jacks.

Man...

I feel you buddy. I have Astro's Mix Amp Pro (which doesnt work in boot camp) and the headphone jack on the side really gets wonky and auto changes the levels (never for the better). Mic will go to zero or will max out so it's clipping and nobody can understand.

Right now I am using the cheapest USB desktop mic I could buy. I probably need the USB device you mention.

You need this: https://www.amazon.com/MillSO-3-5mm-Jack-Adapter-CTIA/dp/B071NDLCGC/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=headphone+splitter&qid=1558723770&s=gateway&sr=8-8

Then you can use it with those cheap USB audio cards.

You need a splitter

Headset Adapter, MillSO 3.5mm Jack Headphone Splitter CTIA Headphone Adapter Mic and Audio Cable with Separate Microphone and Headphone Connector for Gaming Headset to PC - 8inch/20CM Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071NDLCGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_a1WRDbY51HFXY

Most if not all of the high end smartphones have very respectable DACs. Seeing as you're more into IEMs at the moment, a dac/amp combo is not gonna have much of an impact. Mostly due to extra bulk being super annoying.

If/when Samsung removes the headphone jack, a dongle would probably be more than enough for your use case. If not, you should take a look at the Earstudio ES100. It's a $100 Bluetooth dac/amp that many people are recommending. Being Bluetooth (i.e wireless) and the fact that it's really small makes it super convenient to carry around.

In addition, it has a really good app that has a equaliser built in for you to create your preferred sound profile.

This is what I use to bridge that gap. https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L

Edit: I care about the headphone jack too Jesus, but the ES100 is awesome to have in addition to a headphone jack

Depends what where you want the audio out.

For the speakers?
not much i can help you there, as i disable the speakers in the bios

For headphones?
The noise floor on the 3.5mm port on the laptop is the worst, if you have sensitive iems you will always hear it.
instead you need to grab a usb dac like

dragonfly

• 24bit/96hz
  
• usb only
  
• $124.88
  
  earstudio
  
  
• 16bit/48hz (on usb) up to 24bit/96hz(BT ldac)
  
• BT/USB
  
• has both balanced and unbalanced outputs
  
• $99
  
  btr3
  
  
• 16bit/48hz (on usb) up to 24bit/96hz(BT ldac)
  
• USB/BT
  
• $69
  
  m6
  
  
• 384kHz/32bit(usb)
  
• BT/USB/Onboard (its it own music player)
  
• $99.99
  
  any of these will give you great sound from whatever headphones you have

I'm using it with the es100, which is $99. Huge improvement over the dongle (if you have a iPhone 7 or newer), extremely convenient because it's bluetooth, and one of the few dac/amps that don't produce ANY hiss (and the andromeda is EXTREMELY sensitive to hiss). It's also competitive in quality to my ha2se. Highly recommend it - you can buy it on amazon.

The pads I purchased weren't exactly the standard issue HM5 pads. I own a pair of HE-400 with focus pads and I thought it really helped with the comfort there, so I opted for the focus pad knockoff style.

Supposedly the combination of faux leather, suede and perforated leather on the inside of the pads helps it acoustically somehow. Seeing as how I've never owned a pair of standard issue HM5 pads, I can't really compare the two for any acoustic differences that may or may not exist.

I'm also reminded of how it's been shown many times over that people to tend to mistake a louder headphone for a better headphone. Seeing that the HM5 pads are bigger, they cause the ear to be further away from the drivers, resulting in a lower overall volume, although easily corrected by turning the volume up. I readily admit that I have no idea how much this phenomenon affects my overall impressions of the headphones w/HM5 vs w/stock pads.

Amazon

Brainwavz

MP4Nation

Take your pick.

You might try the Brainwavz HM-5 hybrid pads. They will fit, but I have no idea how they'll affect sound. The hybrid pads have pleathor on the outside, but velour where they contact your skin.

I don't know if you've solved this yet, but I purchased the following:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGGG3KY/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0

And they worked wonderfully, improving comfort and spacing. Only thing to note is that they have a bit of a tight fit at first, but they do go on.

When I used the HM5 pads that everyone here raved about, I found that it cooled off my ears considerably. The MDR-7506 keeps a very close contact with your ears, whereas these are so big that there's room to breath. These would seem ideal but they're out of stock on Amazon so you might have to look elsewhere.

Pure velour always seems to exacerbate the problem for me. I don't have issues with the HD598 or HD600, but they also have way more roominess than MDR-7506s have. As a direct comparison, I tried some Massdrop velour pads on my M50x in a desperate attempt to make them comfortable, and I found them to be pretty muggy and hot. When I switched to the pleather HM5 pads, they became cooler, more comfortable, and sounded better. The velour on my DT770s actually makes my head hot despite the roominess because there's tons of velour surface area touching your head, so I think the velour HM5 pads might have the same issue but I'd enjoy hearing what someone else says.

For $20 shipped, the pleather HM5 pads are incredible IMO.

Since the headphones are uncomfy, you should get some earpads from Brainwavz. They make a night and day difference.

These are some good ones http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Velor-Memory-Replacements-Earpads/dp/B00MFDX4YO/ref=pd_sim_267_67?ie=UTF8&dpID=41RSWch-OBL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=05W96ZBWQMFJX3RFTNBX these http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Hybrid-Memory-Foam-Earpad/dp/B00ZGGG3KY/ref=pd_sim_267_69?ie=UTF8&dpID=41haME4X2jL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=05W96ZBWQMFJX3RFTNBX or these http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=pd_sim_267_45?ie=UTF8&dpID=41vuwIZESZL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=05W96ZBWQMFJX3RFTNBX I tried the M50x, same pads, very uncomfy but these are VERY high quality.

I am replaced mine about 3 months ago with these after using the stock pads for about a year and I can say I am very happy with them. They have minimal sound difference. For me it made it so the sound was just a bit muted and I had to turn the volume up a couple of notches to get the same sound as the stock pads. I believe this is due to the much thicker foam and having the drivers not being so close to my ear. There is some space now where as before my ear would touch the driver slightly and be a bit cramped. These have much more space inside and breathe so I can wear them comfortably for much longer. I wear them for up to 10+hrs at a time with no issues. With the stock pads I would experience discomfort after only a couple of hours. Hope this helps.

Brainwavz Hybrid Memory Foam Earpad - Black PU/Velour - Suitable for Large Over The Ear Headphones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGGG3KY/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_cp\_apa\_Pt8QBbGE6SSAA

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016YJDV74?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share FiiO E10K USB DAC Headphone Amplifier Plus Antlion Audio ModMic 4 Noise-Cancelling Attachable Boom Microphone Mute Switch USB Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CF4BGBG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zBv0DbWHP4NFB Brainwavz Hybrid Memory Foam... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGGG3KY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Is there a difference between your link and this one?

https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Velor-Memory-Replacements-Earpads/dp/B00ZGGG3KY?th=1 (Hybrid Oval version)

It's $5 cheaper and I think the only difference may be that yours is angled?

That's what my buddy said. He suggested these.

I'll have to try different things out.

I digress, but I'm running into other little nuances too, such as me taking a lot of work phone calls and realizing that the seamless transition between music and call on my IconX is super convenient. I just take one bud out and take the call. Now, I find myself switching between the M50 and the IconX to take calls (M50 microphone quality is worse according to my girlfriend and I also hate both ears being covered when talking on the phone; can't hear myself talk).

Regardless, I'm in an exploratory phase and I'm glad this sub is here. Thanks!

For pads I recommend these : some struggling to put them on but they fit just fine.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00ZGGG3KY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But I can see where your mindset is coming from and I understand why it irks you. Personally im a tinkerer and a modder so tweaking things / modding things / spending more money to make things fit just right for me is kind of on part for the course and... almost fun, as silly as it sounds.

I was able to tweak the EQ settings more through fully with Equalizer APO but that might also not be something you'd be willing to do. Im currently using the first profile from this thread : https://www.reddit.com/r/steelseries/comments/65ogu1/best_arctis_7_equalizer_settings/

Get ATH-WS99BT for same price on amazon and add these [earpads] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZGGG3KY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1), then be content you have one of the best sounding headphones, dont even need a amp.

I got them off Amazon. Search "HM5 Pads" there are a million colors and angle or non angle.

Here is the link to mine.

Brainwavz Angled Memory Foam Earpad - Suitable For Large Over The Ear Headphones - AKG, HifiMan, ATH, Philips, Fostex https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZY8PGJI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KylJybJ69YK5Z

I would suggest getting some bigger pads for the m40's such as something like this (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZY8PGJI?th=1) or another pad.

Could buy HM5 Leathers: https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Angled-Memory-Foam-Earpad/dp/B00ZY8PGJI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1467078108&sr=8-3&keywords=HM5+pads

https://www.amazon.ca/Brainwavz-Angled-Memory-Foam-Earpad/dp/B00ZY8PGJI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542986438&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Brainwavz%2Bangled%2Bpleather%2Bpads.&dpPl=1&dpID=41klVR47vlL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

So those? That's pretty dope, didn't know I could replace them. Thanks mate

No, they don't leak. Change the stock pads now if you don't, the benefits are 100% worth for the price.

Look at these now. It's a very good deal.

m40x with the HM5 angled pads is quite decent.

Modmic 4.0 is not as good as the boompro mic, and is still pricey at ~$50.
If you are using the modmic 5.0, it'll work pretty well, but it's pricey at $70.

Instead, look into this mic that plugs directly into the m40x, without any mods, for $20. This mic's quality is slightly worse than boompros, but fits directly.

To use the boompro mic with the m40x, you can remove the locking mechanism and then buy a 2.5mm male to 3.5mm female adapter and voila, you can plug the boompro into them.

Zeos over at /r/zeos highly recommends the m40x, so take that for what it's worth

You're welcome

like this?

or would u recommend something else?

i would go for the RHA MA750i or ATH M40x ( you can get them refuribished ) and buy some pads like these

I would second this. You can get the Audio Technica m40 off /r/AVexchange/ for around $50 - 55 shipped and then get a pair of Brainwavz Angled Earpads $27 from amazon that's ~$77

These earpads really complete these headphones!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ZY8PGJI/ref=sxts1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480451483&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65

They also make non-angled ones if you don't want the increased thickness in the back.

ATH M40X are worth every penny, i've used mine for a 9 months now, the only issue is the comfort , Brainwaves Angled Ear pads, get this for added comfort and soundstage, that's the only flaw i've found with M40X.

I think the problem might be because you are using a stereo (3 position) 3.5mm plug and the controller is designed for a stereo+mic (4 position) 3.5mm plug. Buying a splitter might solve your problem : https://www.amazon.com/Kingtop-Adapter-Tablet-Headsets-Version/dp/B01I3A47I4

If the cable does have an inline mic, and I'm assuming you're using that cable as the HD 569 does usually come with such a cable, you'll need one of these to split the single 3.5mm jack into two separate 2.5mm jacks; one will plug into the headphone port on your case or motherboard, and the other will plug into the mic port. On your laptop, the two ports are combined, but on desktops, they usually are separate.

Sure thing.

Game sound through headphones

1. The Dualshock 4 controller has a 3.5mm jack built in, so all you really need to do is plug your headphones into the controller, hold down the "PS" button, go to audio, then select the option to output all audio to headphones. You can also adjust the volume within this menu. That's all you need to hear the game volume through your headphones. This is the simplest way to do it imo.
   
   
2. Plug your headphones directly into your TV's headphone jack/aux out/audio out and adjust volume on tv. You will probably need something like this if your headphone's cable isn't long enough.
   
   If you want to use your headphones to hear the game noise and talk to friends with a mic then you have two options.
   
   
3. Get a splitter like this, and a mic like this. Plug splitter directly into controller. Plug headphones into aux side of splitter, and plug mic into the mic side. Output all audio to headphones through the PS menu. That should be it.
   
   
4. Plug your headphones into your Tv's audio out and your mic directly into the controller. Go to settings>devices>audio devices and output all audio to tv. If you unplug your mic, this setting will reset, and you'll have to go back and do it again.
   
   Hope this helped.
   
   

$10 Microphone

$6 adaptor

Plus your preferred pair of headphones.

Edit: a word

Do you have a tip ring ring sleeve cable right now?

As others have said. The best way for this is to use an interface like a scarlet 2i2 or something similar.

Otherwise you need to figure out how your computer is sending audio out of the Jack and how it's wanting the audio back in the Jack.

You'll most likely need to get an adapter like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I3A47I4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jjFnDbZMF975V and then run the cables to the appropriate spot.

Don't be surprised if you get some wonderful buzzing in the audio. To avoid that, you guessed it. Get a better audio interface.

Arrrgh! I didn't look carefully at the picture you sent as I was on a phone! STOP! That won't work. That product takes 2x 3 pole sockets into 1x 3 pole plug. You need a 4 pole plug. this is a suitable adapter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I3A47I4/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvpv2_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3534659722&pd_rd_wg=wSZNy&pf_rd_r=8ATBBW5AH0R9NFCD7AKD&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B01I3A47I4&pd_rd_w=pRrRs&pf_rd_i=4+pole+PC+3.5&pd_rd_r=d561f56b-b564-4432-9027-c26963b28029&ie=UTF8&qid=1523922934&sr=1

With regards to what I mentioned in an edit above, it's up to you how far you want the spending to go.

Like I said, I think the adapter sounds pretty good with my HD 6XX. Your headset will have a lower impedance than mine and should work even better. I just wanted to point out that it is debatable whether or not this accomplishes audiophile-grade sound.

If you're happy with this middle-of-the-road solution then that is fine. Maybe you'd also be just as happy using a cable like this plugged into your Dualshock 4. It would be both simpler and cheaper. Personally when it comes to videogames I don't worry as much about the quality. I reserve my full-on pickiness for movies and music. :D

The input function is still there on the headphone jack of my MBP, the 2016 model. They removed the optical audio, which I am still a little sore about, but audio in is still there. Have they removed it more recently? That sounds unlikely.

If it is still there, it should work with one like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Kingtop-Adapter-Tablet-Headsets-Version/dp/B01I3A47I4/ref=pd_cp_23_4?pd_rd_w=QF6M4&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&pf_rd_r=CG7QP1SVPWKGCMEP7EBP&pd_rd_r=6b309705-a0c5-495b-a183-63b83ab312e0&pd_rd_wg=EBCfg&pd_rd_i=B01I3A47I4&psc=1&refRID=CG7QP1SVPWKGCMEP7EBP

I forgot I did something a while a back, and I actually had a splitter in my Amazon history.

Kingtop 3.5mm Combo Audio Adapter Cable PS4,Xbox One S,Tablet,Mobile Phone,PC Gaming Headsets New Version Laptop https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I3A47I4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_xn21BbX29Y1NK

If that doesn't work for you, then you might just have to get another pair of headphones

Another way is to simply bypass your interface. I have the xenyx 1202 (not fx ) and this is the method I use. You can split the single jack on your computer using this cable ( https://www.amazon.com/Kingtop-Adapter-Tablet-Headsets-Version/dp/B01I3A47I4/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=y+splitter+head+mic&qid=1559124001&s=gateway&sr=8-6 )


And then use a RCA cable ( https://www.amazon.com/Cable-iXCC-Shielded-Gold-Plated-Stereo/dp/B019D048XC/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=rca+cable&qid=1559123966&s=gateway&sr=8-8 ) to connect the RCA out from your mixer to mic in port of the splitter cable into your mac.

Have you tried normal iPhone/Mobile earphones? The ones with 4 pins? iPads accept either 3 pin (headphone only) or 4 pin (headphones+mic) . You can't just plug in a dedicated mic into the iPad. You need to use a converter.
https://www.amazon.com/Kingtop-Adapter-Tablet-Headsets-Version/dp/B01I3A47I4?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_2

Logitech G430

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-G430-Headphone-Cable-Sports-Performance/dp/B00CQ35C1Q

KingTop 3.5mm Adapter

https://www.amazon.com/Kingtop-Adapter-Tablet-Headsets-Version/dp/B01I3A47I4?crid=3UIY57A36L30U&keywords=kingtop+3.5mm+combo+audio+adapter+cable+for+ps4%2Cxbox+one%2Ctablet&qid=1537115328&sprefix=kingtop&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1


Better headset than any Astro blah blah blah. These were designed for the PC Master race and transition well on Xbox. Thank me later 🤙🏼

Dont let the price fool you. These are a couple years old, but were a very expensive set of headphones when they were first released

My bad. I replied with the link once but I guess it didn’t post.


https://www.amazon.com/Kingtop-Adapter-Tablet-Headsets-Version/dp/B01I3A47I4/ref=asc_df_B01I3A47I4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=216534554317&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12656359429140880038&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-350870516793&psc=1

technically two of these and a pair of aux cables would do the trick, but the levels will be funky and the mic in is mono.

you could get a cheap usb soundcard with line-in to record the audio from another device though, if you don't have a device with line-in already.

Something like this

https://www.amazon.com/Kingtop-Adapter-Tablet-Headsets-version/dp/B01I3A47I4/

This could work: https://www.amazon.com/Kingtop-Adapter-Tablet-Headsets-version/dp/B01I3A47I4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519963880&sr=8-3&keywords=mic+and+headphone+adapter

This is what you'll need to use for that. I've been using it with a logitech G430 PC headset for a few months now without any problems. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I3A47I4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It has separate mic and headphone input, it also works on the newer 3.5mm jack controller.

there are two types of single 3.5mm theres OMTP (which is for older phones) and then theres CTIA (which is apples standard)

You need CTIA, I know on that page it says its ctia, but I'm pretty sure its actually OMTP because I ordered that same splitter but from the us amazon and it states that it doesnt work with apple/iphone devices

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I3A47I4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can just get a cheap headset splitter

yes the mic still works exactly the same. it still have the same quality and isolation. I have looked at the manual for all three headsets. The Arctis Pro, Arctis Pro + GameDAC, Arctis Pro Wireless. They Arctis Pro + GameDAC and Wireless come with the same 3.5mm TRRS cable. The Arctis Pro comes with a "break-out" cable so it can either go with the TRRS or the Chatmix adapter. With that assumption they all should work EXACTLY the same

Yes you gonna need a TRRS CTIA splitter (Tip = Left, Ring 1 = Right, Ring 2 = Ground, Sleeve = Mic)

This is what I used, https://www.amazon.com/MillSO-3-5mm-Jack-Adapter-CTIA/dp/B071NDLCGC?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1

Or if you want to stick with SteelSeries products
https://steelseries.com/gaming-accessories/arctis-cable-dual-35mm-extension

The headphone jack on your PC is probably just a headphone jack, not a headphone/mic jack. Try using a splitter.

The box is literally just wire, no components. The 7300 already has a DC bias on the mic audio pin, it just needs to be connected to the headset mic pin. I will see if I can find the diagram, my 11 year old actually did it so you are at the mercy of his “filing system”.

I will say it works great with every headset I have tried so far. The audio connector does not “mute” the radio speaker so you have to use the headphone jack on the rig (or put a dummy plug in) if you want that.

EDIT: here is the traditional PC headset to modern TRRS (“iPhone”) adapter. Worth $5, costs about the same as buying the connector by itself and much less hassle:

MillSO 3.5mm Jack Adapter CTIA -... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071NDLCGC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

He’ll actually need something like this if his headset has one cable and needs to be split into two for his desktop. Headset Adapter, MillSO 3.5mm Jack Adapter CTIA Headphone Splitter Mic and Audio Cable with Separate Microphone and Headphone Connector Compatible for Gaming Headset to PC - 8inch/20CM Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071NDLCGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IWihDbX2NZWA5

The jacks probably don't support using both. It has to be designed a certain way to support line in and line out through the same port. I believe many motherboards don't support that, so you could get a cheap splitter like this.

Yes. There are ports on all motherboards (USB, Audio, Ethernet, etc) and there is a hole in the back of all cases. When you install the motherboard, you can access these ports from the backside of the case (P.S. Make sure to put in the Port Shield before you put in the motherboard).

Also, all cases have some ports near the front (Usually two USB and two audio ports, one for headphones and one for microphones. For this case, it's just one audio-port that is both input and output. This good for headsets with a built-in mic, as you usually need a splitter like this) For this case, they are on the top of the case near the front. There are a few cables inside the case that connect to the motherboard, this is how these ports that are on the case connect to the motherboard, and by extension your PC.

You probably need a splitter, example splitter on amazon

Microphones that work with smartphones have four connections on the plug. The microphone signal is on the extra ring.

Microphones that work with most PC's have three connections on the plug with the microphone signal on the tip. (Headsets that are combined headphones and microphones need to have separate headphone and microphone plugs to work with most PC's.)

Some PC's made in the last few years support microphones and headsets with plugs with four connections, most PC's don't.

This gets asked so often that perhaps it is time for someone to write an article for the knowledgebase, ideally with pictures.

You need something like this

https://www.amazon.com/MillSO-3-5mm-Jack-Adapter-CTIA/dp/B071NDLCGC

https://www.amazon.com/MillSO-3-5mm-Jack-Adapter-CTIA/dp/B071NDLCGC/

The problem is likely that your desktop doesen't have a connection to allow both audio out and audio in on one 3.5 port. You can work around this by joining the connection with one of these cables.

Based on the AOC G2590Px Manual on AOC Gaming's website it looks like the "Earphone" (Audio) jack on the monitor is only for audio output and NOT for a microphone also.

Does your headset have one or two audio plugs on the end of it?

If it only has one, then you will need to buy a headset adapter and then plug the green plug into your motherboard's audio out (headphones)(usually green) jack and the pink plug into your motherboard's microphone jack (usually pink) to get audio out and your microphone to work on your headset.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071NDLCGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Yyd8CbQYHG958

Something like this should work perfectly. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071NDLCGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_wiy2Bb711P9AV

The only way to get both mic and sound at the same time would be to have an audio splitter. It's pretty dumb but that's the only way you can get something like earbuds to work.

As you are likely aware, there are separate audio channel settings for game sound and chat sound. When this happens, if you go into the audio menu, can you just change the game audio back to the PS4 controller, or is that option gone?

On the hardware side, you could get an adapter for your headset that breaks out the mic and speaker lines and plug them straight into the PC to bypass any USB driver flakiness that might be causing this:
Example adapter on Amazon

This is going to be a tough find if it even exists because the DAC would also have to have an ADC inside as well to get the mic signal to the laptop. It is hard enough to engineer a decent DAC that small, let alone adding in an amp AND an ADC converter. You are most likely going to find it easier to get a mic/headphone splitter like this one and use two ports instead.

yes this is what you want

earstudio es100 with their companion app has it.

​

https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L

Found this post :https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/beg98w/2pin_short_length_iem_cable_for_es100/


EarStudio ES100
https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-Unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L

FiiO Short Replacement Cable LC-3.5AS (40CM/16inch) (3.5mm to MMXC)
https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-LC-3-5AS-Headphone-Cable-Connector/dp/B07HN1474D

LINSOUL TIN T2
https://www.amazon.com/TIN-T2-Dynamic-Earphone-Headphones/dp/B07DL2FPBL

Case Closed?

I’ve been surprised at how much I like the Earstudio ES100 It gives basically headphone, stereo system or powered speaker Bluetooth connectivity! The app is nice too.

I got one of these. I love it to death.

​

https://www.amazon.com/EarStudio-ES100-24bit-High-Resolution-Bluetooth-unbalanced/dp/B078H4YD2L?keywords=es100&qid=1540761087&sr=8-1&ref=sr_1_1

these and these dacs and what's your budget?

>what's out there these days as far as high quality Bluetooth audio for around $100

earstudio ES100.

​

here is a link its a great and pretty tiny receiver that can do aptx, aptx HD and lower (aac,sbc) . its small enough to clip on a shirt collar and has a standard and balanced audio jack and works great as a portable receiver/headphone amplifier so you can use your favorite headphones with it.

I wouldn't recommend 600 ohm headphones if you don't want to invest at least around €200 in a proper DAC/Amp. You'll have a better listening experience going for lower impedance headphones in that case.

You could for example get a Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee for €190, and add a FiiO E10K for €68 if you need a dedicated DAC/Amp as well. The 58X is easy enough to drive that a dedicated DAC/Amp isn't even a necessity though, so you might want to get the headphones first and decide later if you want to add a DAC/Amp to it as well.

I understood that the DT 990 Pro's lower impedance models are noticably inferior to the 600 ohm version, which is why I'd suggest the 58X instead.

Should you really want the 600 ohm DT 990 Pro's though, I'd suggest at least something like a Topping DX3 Pro.

I'd forgo an amp and spend your money on studio monitors + DAC.

Something like this plugs into your computer and outputs an analogue signal for either headphones or speakers.

Then, powered speakers like these. It will be a big upgrade from your logitech system, and fit your needs/budget. If you can find a used pair of M-audio AV-40's or bx5's, that would be ideal - this newer line seems to have poorer reviews.

Surround sound headsets are a joke, so don't worry about not using one. Doubtful you'll even notice a difference at all and any difference you perceive right now is likely placebo.

The AKG K7XX headphones are very good, but expensive. You'll need an amp to take advantage of their quality, and to that end you'll likely need a decent DAC as well. You could start out with somethin like the Fiio E10K
which is highly regarded for its price. It's very good for a device that costs less than $100.

On the flip side, there are the Sennheiser HD 598 headphones which aren't nearly as good, but also cost much less and don't require an amp to sound good. They don't benefit all that much from an amp anyway (although any headphones might benefit from a decent DAC.) They're pretty good for gaming, and very comfortable.

I'm the thrifty kinda guy.

Refurbished Denon receiver, 2 Micca bookshelves, a Micca center channel, and a Bic America subwoofer. About 700 bucks total. Sounds good enough for me. I know much better is out there but it's hard to justify the costs.

My Sennheiser HD598SE's are great ($150), and I have a FiiO E10K ($75) that they plug into at work, and at home I just plug them in directly since the onboard soundcard isn't too bad surprisingly on my motherboard. I have a Sony SRS-X5 bluetooth speaker plugged into the back of it as well. I have those cheap-ass sony ANC headphones (20 bucks at the time I bought them) and they get the job done at a cheap price for planes and for the AC unit blasting in my office (I know... killing me, 80db of white noise all day long).

I have a friend from work that spent 50,000 bucks on his setup. It sounds great, and it's worth it, but I couldn't spend that much on it.

I'm more of a headphone kinda guy. My next upgrade would probably be going all out on headphones. A pair of Sennheiser HD800's probably. That's in the far future, I got stuff I want to do around the house first.

These are my workout earbuds

They are a great value.

FiiO E10K USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

That DAC has a dual purpose out, you can either connect an analog 3,5mm jack to it, or a mini toslink (which has identical physical dimensions but an optical end).

I had never heard of that DAC but it should be ok as it does have an headphone amp.

Some alternatives could be the evergreen Behringer:

http://www.amazon.de/Behringer-U-Control-UCA202-Interface-Soundkarte/dp/B000KW2YEI/

or this:

http://www.amazon.de/HifiMAN-tragbarer-Kopfh%C3%B6rerverst%C3%A4rker-Soundkarte-premium/dp/B0066AHES4/

or this if you prefer a volume pot:

http://www.amazon.de/FiiO-E10K-OLYMPUS-WANDLER-schwarz/dp/B00LP3AMC2/

(all should ship to the NL)

I think there would be minimal benefits using an enthusiast grade DAC and amplifier on your model of headphones. You might like something like this though

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-Olympus-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B00LP3AMC2/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1526665107&sr=1-3&keywords=fiio

It's the FIIO E10K which is a decent DAC+AMP combo, but it only has USB in so make sure your sound card supports that. It may be worthwhile googling around for reviews of the Sennheiser 598SR + FIIO E10K pair to get some other opinions as well.

If you want to completely fix your issue at any volume get yourself a USB DAC like the FiiO e10k. Use the plug and play Windows drivers.

How much are you willing to spend? The FiiO DAC Amps are very well built and work great. The E10K is 5k, and is great for medium to high quality headphones and is USB powered.

https://www.amazon.in/FiiO-E10K-Headphone-Amplifier-USB/dp/B00LP3AMC2

The better solution would have been a USB powered DAC/AMP combo. Basically usb-->3.5mm but with some nice tech behind it. Something like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474598942&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=fiio+e10k&dpPl=1&dpID=41Taa5DTsKL&ref=plSrch

Just plugs into your USB port, plug and play and you are good to go

So something like the FiiO E10k would work?

So this does both?

Not 200$ it's an old model so it's been discontinued it was only about 70$ when it was out. Here is the new version of it, it's pretty cheap. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2?pc_redir=1409578225&robot_redir=1

Complete noob here looking to move away from the typical "gaming" headsets. I play games and listen to a lot of music. I've done a bit of research and was thinking about the following items:

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x

FiiO E10K

I haven't yet decided on a mic. Just looking for some tips.

Well. That's a good question. If you are in a budget then pretty much 60-70% who read this will agree. The Fiio E10K. It will set you back less than $100. It is brushed aluminium. Includes a bass gain switch, if you need some additional drive or jaw shocking bass. It's nice and small. And a good DAC/amp.

Mayflower objective 2. This DAC/amp is for more audiophiles with a higher budget. It can drive high impedance headphones and people's listening experience on the Objective 2 was superb on multiple headphone types, that were geared towards different ways of listening. It has superb clean sound.

Sound blaster E5 by creative. It is capable to drive up to 24 bit/192 khz audio files. It is capable to drive headphones up to 600 ohms or 2 300 ohm impedance sets of headphones. It has very good quality sound for what it is.

That'll be that.

Links:

Fiio E10K: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1523895090&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=fiio+e10k

Mayflower objective 2:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00TQ2JDAG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523895186&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=mayflower+objective+2&dpPl=1&dpID=31qJvgmNIwL&ref=plSrch

Sound blaster E5:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MXJYDUO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523895254&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=sound%2Bblaster%2Be5&th=1&psc=1

I bought this one. I tried a few times switching between the FiiO and just the normal headphone jack on my pc and couldn't tell to much of a difference. But this is the first decent pair of headphones that I've had. Also I'm not that much of an audiophile yet so I'm not 100% sure what to be listening to in order to tell what good quality is.

Yep, you can get a small sound card just for a better sound through headphones. Check out this one:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2?pf_rd_p=d1f45e03-8b73-4c9a-9beb-4819111bef9a&pf_rd_r=BCTQ6D7TP8C4V7D3YD8J

Quality won't drop, should be fine. "Gaming" headsets aren't generally quality sounding headsets. The 598 is a good headphone, what matters more is if it's getting good power, most recent motherboards of quality have ok soundcards. If you want the best quality then hook up the headphones to a DAC AMP combo (Digital Analog Converter aka sound card) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2/

If you want to learn about getting the most out of your headphones go to /r/headphones and /r/audiophile

I bought a DAC, I had some case noise before and wanted something to get rid of that and something I could use with my laptop when needed. So I ended up getting this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LP3AMC2/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1421341470&sr=8-2&dpPl=1&dpID=41HlW-hm0WL&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SY200_QL40. I really like it, and sorry for any formatting problems I'm on my phone.

A similar thread showed up around summer this year that prompted me to up my audio game. At the time I had a Logitech G630 headset and the mic boom stopped staying up so I needed a replacement. It was good luck that I saw that thread! I bought Tascam TH02-B with these replacement pads. Also got Blue Snowball and FiiO E10K DAC. I love my audio setup now!

[Ive been looking at the FiiO E10K but was also looking at open back headphones of the same OEM unit under a different brand. Perhaps consider a pair of Panasonic IEM's right now that they're dropping due to discontinuation. I mean I'd be able to hear a difference because the output impedance was that high it would be best to pair with a budget of around $100.

I personally use this. It sounds great:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3AMC2?keywords=e10k&qid=1452138892&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Plus it's an external DAC/Amp, so no risk of electrical interference from an internal soundcard. (not that interference is even that common, but still...)

Hey /r/headphones,

I've been looking for a nice pair of headphones to dive into recently for my first REAL pair of headphones and I've been eyeballing one in particular.

The HE400i. I've read up on reviews on how it has fantastic sound quality and is well worth it but I just wanted a second opinion from users on here. I found them new for $210 on ritzcamera and it looks like a steal. I was also planning on pairing them with the FiiO E10K to power these bad boys.

So should I pull the trigger and buy these?

I'm using the same headphones as the other 2 guys (HD 650's) and a DAC made a huge difference. I've got a little FiiO and it really added clarity, and punchier bass. Also prevents motherboard noise which I heard occasionally.

this will almost certainly be fixed by getting an external USB DAC. the audio cable in your case is acting like an antenna and picking up electrical noise from the PC's components.
edit: here's a good one: https://amzn.com/B00LP3AMC2

A (sort of) comprehensive guide on the most popular hyper x headsets

ALPHA
I have alpha and it is good but I had to buy brainwavz hm5 pleather pads because my ears touched the drivers. This is relatively expensive (22.5 us). I also wanted surround, so I got the dongle for the revolver s but it was very staticky so I returned it. Other than that, now the stereo is good, with good clarity because of the dual chamber driver, although you might hear static unless you put it to studio quality in Windows.
They also only come in black and red, and the cable twists up a lot, so I twist tied down the part of it I don't use.

REVOLVER (S)
From what I heard, there is more bass on the revolver and revolver s but the headband causes ambient sound absorbtion issues, and the s has surround but again, for me the dongle didn't work, so I'm not sure for you.

(2)
My friend has the cloud 2 and he said he gets static with the dongle too, but aside from that, they are basically the alpha but more comfortable without replacement pads, surround sound, extra velour pads in the box, a carrying case and worse sound quality and mic quality then the alpha. These come in black and red, and gunmetal.

(ORIGINAL)
The original clouds I don't know much about, but I'm pretty sure they are the same as the cloud 2 without the replacement pads and worse mic and sound quality. Black and red and black and white colors as well

(FLIGHTS)
The flights from what I've heard are similar to the alpha, with the same comfort issue (still compatible with brainwavz hm5 pads), wireless, but with some permanent static, because they are wireless a mute on the side of the headphones and good battery life.

(STINGERS)
The stingers are the best headset for a budget and are basically cloud 1s but with worse everything (build quality, sound and mic) and cost 50 usd.

(OTHER MODELS)
Other than that, I don't know anything about the cloud core or the cloud x (specifically for Xbox).

(MY RECOMMENDATION)
If you have the money to spend, (122.5 usd plus tax) I recommend the cloud alpha, the brainwavz hm5 pleather/memory foam pads, and in windows, changing the advanced audio settings to 48 khz studio mode, but take this with a grain of salt.

(REPLACEMENT BRAINWAVZ HM5 PADS)
For reference, the replacement pads all take a few minutes to stretch on to the alphas and flights

PLEATHER
Brainwavz hm5 pleather/memory foam link (more comfortable, smaller soundstage then velour, same sound quality as vanilla pads)

https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Memory-Replacements-Earpads-Headphones/dp/B00MFDT894?th=1

VELOUR
Brainwavz hm5 velour pads (better soundstage, less comfortable then pleather/memory foam pads), also a dust magnet

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFDX4YO/ref=sspa_mw_detail_1?psc=1

HYBRID
Brainwavz hm5 hybrid pads (not recommended, but in between velour and pleather. It is better to stick with one or the other, this one isn't very good

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J53KM32/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?psc=1

OTHER
there is also a sheepskin model, but I don't know if it will stretch well to fit or have sound differences.
Also the angled and circular hm5 pads will not fit, so don't get those.
Sheepskin link

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J53KM32/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?psc=1




Good luck with the purchase.
Sorry my formatting sucks I'm on mobile.

EDIT: While I was typing this, the other guy described the sound of the alphas, 1s and 2s good, so read that post as well.

I use these with mine. I'd say I have a pretty big head to go along with some thick glasses and it only starts to hurt after 4 hours of use. Even then I just take them off for a few seconds and I'm ready to go.

regular hm5 memory foam pads are also on lightning deal sale for $13 right now

Slightly yes. I had the Cloud 2's before my Alpha. You can get deeper from HypeeX if you request them, or you can get even deeper through Ebay for like £20 - these

Glad to hear it mate. I love mine!

If you want to improve the isolation and comfort I highly recommend these ear pads.

https://smile.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Philips-Replacement-Earpads-Headphones/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=5BVCICONXMG6&keywords=brainwavz+earpads&qid=1565714154&s=gateway&sprefix=brainwavz%2Caps%2C200&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyNjVYQkxDNlE2RTYmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAzMDQ2ODM0MU9IUTY3REcyTTkmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDMzODI0MzJCRkYwMERDWjdWUkwmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

If you game I would highly recommend these two things to add to the MSR7s.

https://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-BoomPro-Gaming-Headset-Headphone/dp/B00BJ17WKK/

https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894

Original, all pleather. - https://smile.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894

Hybrid - https://smile.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Hybrid-Memory-Foam-Earpad/dp/B00ZGGG3KY

Pretty sure you can buy aftermarket ear pads like these and try them, they might give more padding, more space. Brainwavz replacement ear pads .. I use Brainwavz on my DT990s and they are lots better than the stock ones.

Here

I️ believe he’s referring to these. I️ upgraded the pads on my M50s as well and these are great.

Brainwavz Replacement Memory Foam Earpads - Suitable For Many Other Large Over The Ear Headphones - AKG, HifiMan, ATH, Philips, Fostex https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_sAXbAb0YM7190

Earpads like these?

https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894

I have the Hyperx Cloud 2 and they would hurt my ears after about 30 mins I guess my ears stick out more than most and they were sitting against the hard part in the headset so I ordered some new ear pads that were a lot thicker and that solved the problem.

These are the replacements. http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1463169375&sr=8-4&keywords=brainwavz

I use these: https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894. They're a bit annoying to initially put on the headphones, but I assure you they do fit, and are waaaay more comfortable.

If you end up using these, I can also give you some EQ settings that make them sound significantly better (in my opinion).

just buy bigger ear pads https://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Replacement-Memory-Foam-Earpads/dp/B00MFDT894/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=hm5+pads&qid=1563674667&s=gateway&sprefix=hm5&sr=8-3

And if you want to upgrade https://www.amazon.com/LyxPro-HAS-30-Professional-Headphones-Entertainment/dp/B018Y5CVO0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=lyxpro+has30&qid=1563674857&s=gateway&sprefix=lxypro+has+&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1