Jekyll2022-02-20T00:06:09+00:00https://tiffanywhite.blog/feed/headphones.xml…tiffany is typing | Headphonesyour friend tiffany's little corner of the internetTiffany WhiteHiFiMan 4xxx with Drop Review2020-10-12T00:00:00+00:002020-10-12T00:00:00+00:00https://tiffanywhite.blog/headphones/hifiman-4xxx-with-drop-reviewYou may need a DAC…
Ratings
Completely subjective but fun to write. If you enjoy these reviews, why not share them on Twitter?
These things are big, metal, and heavy. There is no way to wear these anywhere but at your desk2 but that’s okay with me. The ‘Rona means I don’t commute anywhere and I am a desk hermit and hardly leave my office so it’s not a big deal for me. I have AirPods Pro to wear when I am out and about3.
As you can see below, most if not all of my headphones are not portable. I don’t go anywhere or commute anymore, even pre-Rona.
At first I thought you would need a DAC and you still might. But over the past couple days of using these, they seem to sound better. I honestly don’t want to buy a DAC so the more I break these in the better I’ll feel.
Oh. My. God. These are built solid and heavy, even heavier than the beyerdynamics I have. Both are metal but these are…just…monsters. I’m pretty sure if I swung at someone with these in my hands they’d get a bump whereever I hit them, they’re tanks.
I paid very little for these. These were a collab between Drop, formerly Massdrop, and HiFiman. I’ve been wanting a pair of HiFiman headphones since watching Marco on Computerphile wearing HiFiman headphones, I’ve wanted a pair. Not at $350 however. These collabs from Drop were less than $170, which is the right price. The quality for that price is significant. You won’t find better made, better quality headphones than these for such a low price.
I have too many headphones now. I switch them up every so often but I think there is only one more pair to get as I don’t really like the Bose’s bluetooth, and that is the Sony Bluetooth headphones, for $349, what I didn’t want to spend on the HiFimans, ironically.
It is what it is, it be what it be, and it do what it do.
]]>Tiffany WhiteBose QC 35 II, Best in Class Noise Cancellation2020-08-04T00:00:00+00:002020-08-04T00:00:00+00:00https://tiffanywhite.blog/headphones/bose-qc-35-ii-best-in-class-noise-cancellationThis is my first real pair of noise cancelling headphones.
I’ve been using them for a week or so now. Here is my review.
They fit nicely on my head, and the cups are soft and pliable, good enough to wear overnight1! They are fantastically constructed, with quality materials.
Gotta say, these things are pretty. I went with silver as I have plenty of black headphones and wanted to switch things up. They are sleek and just… chef’s kiss.
These sound decent enough. They aren’t my Audio Technicas or my beyerdynamics, but they sound okay. The sound isn’t the selling point of these cans anyhow, but they are the most expensive headphones I own at $249. Could they sound better? Yep, especially for the price.
I have AirPods Pro. These things smoke those with the ANC, as they should. You’re never going to match the noise-cancellation on a pair of over-ear headphones with earbuds. I keep these on at night and hear very little.
I don’t know if it is just the amount of devices I have in my apartment, but most times I can’t walk to my bedroom to my office without severe bluetooth interference. Even if I am at my desk using them with my Mac, they break up so much that I rip them off my head and wear wired ones. My Airpods Pro have no issue with this, and maybe the W1 chip helps with that. But this is a terrible implemenation by Bose and one I hope a software update can fix.
I am really disappointed with the bad bluetooth connectivity otherwise these are good, maybe even great headphones. Once that is figured out, I will update this review.
My neighbors sound like elephants and one day, when her grandson was over, literally shook my ceiling for 8 whole hours. I’ve never experienced that kind of disrespect. ↩
]]>Tiffany WhiteBeyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, 250 ohm Model, a Review2019-12-03T00:00:00+00:002019-12-03T00:00:00+00:00https://tiffanywhite.blog/headphones/beyerdynamic-dt-990-pro-250-ohm-model-a-reviewI was in the market for new cans after not buying any for…lemme see…6…months1.
I put the beyerdynamics DT 990 Pro headphones in my Amazon Cans Idea List some time ago, when they were about $200.
When I bought them this past Tuesday, they were $131. Say what? A steal, I thought. But was I right?
These headphones are over-ear headphones, unlike my Audio-Technica MSR7s, which are on-ear cans.
Over-ear headphones feel much better. These are also metal and are extremely flexible. The fabric on the cups is soft and wearing them for hours doesn’t fatigue my ears. Absolute blast to wear.
You’re not taking these anywhere. Of course, they are 250 Ohms which means they absolutely can be driven by your iPhone or mobile, but they are too big to really carry around.
I listened to my Audio Testing playlist using the flat setting on my equalizer so that the sound wouldn’t be effected by different settings and presets I use with other headphones.
Apple Music, Audio Testing
Spotify, Audio Testing
These are the best sounding headphones I have, right out of the box. Everything, for the most part, was clear and crisp. However, I did have some issue listening to songs with loud cymbals; the crashing of the cymbals were harsh and made it hard to listen. I had to turn them down to get it to be comfortable enough to listen. With some songs, the bass was a bit muddy, but not with all. I suppose it is the way in which these songs were recorded that makes the difference.
They are German engineered and just great looking headphones; sturdy, metal, and constructed with quality materials. We will see how long the cups and headband last, as those are the first to go with any headphones you buy in this price range.
]]>Tiffany WhiteAKG k240 and Knox DAC, A Review2019-06-29T00:00:00+00:002019-06-29T00:00:00+00:00https://tiffanywhite.blog/headphones/akg-k240-and-knox-dac-a-reviewThese headphones sound okay so far. Here’s my review.
I haven’t received the Toslink cable to connect the DAC to my iMac. My iMac is a late 2015 which is the last model to offer a Toslink connection to connect different audio output devices to your headphone jack.
These things are incredibly light. I wore them for at least 4 hours while at my desk without my ears hurting. Contrast this with my Audio-Technica MSR7s which I can only wear for a couple hours before they become heavy and cumbersome. This is a welcome change.
They aren’t sexy in that Audio-Technica or Grado way but they look interesting enough for office use. I don’t think I’d wear these outside per se but I could see wearing them in an office setting or around the house.
Not bad but some of the accents are a little much, even for me.
These were $70 with the DAC. The reason is because these are the older version of these cans the newer being the AKG k240 MarkII. I went with these because of the DAC. How could you pass on this? Incredible value1.
I was going to give this a bad simply because of the amount of distortion when using an equalizer. The bass is overly jarring, the loudness becomes too much and it isn’t any enjoyable experience as I am constantly switching the equalizer for different genres of songs.
I am giving this an okay for now because I want to see if there are any improvements with the DAC. I will update this grade when I test it with the DAC.
These are really flimsy for being from a company like AKG; plastic that seems it would be easy to break, especially on the cups. I twisted them a bit because I was shocked to see how absolutely flimsy they were to see if they had any give at all. They do but I can see in a couple years breaking these with normal wear and tear. No bueno. 👎🏾
They are fine looking but flimsy and sound can at times be bad. Definitely worth the $70 you’re spending at least.
Waiting for the DAC as UPS delayed the package with the Toslink cable. It was supposed to arrive today. I will update this review when I get it. ↩
]]>Tiffany WhiteAudio Technica MSR7 Headphones Review2018-01-01T00:00:00+00:002018-01-01T00:00:00+00:00https://tiffanywhite.blog/headphones/audio-technica-msr7-headphones-reviewThis is going to be a new feature on this site going forward.
First true review of semi-audiophile headphones on this site.
I am writing this article as the year comes to a close. While it has been a trying year for the world and US in particular, it has been a great year professionally for me as I got an internship in the hopes of landing a junior developer job with the company or some other company.
It is a paid internship and as such, it allows me to be able to buy and test things I wouldn’t have been able to a few months ago.
Reading Marco Arment’s headphone reviews, and me being the music fiend I am, I decided to dedicate some time to reviewing mid to high-end headphones that I purchase throughout the next couple years. This article, one of four for the next couple months, chronicles my time with the Audio Technica MSR7 entry-level audiophile headphones.
I am going to give a rating to the following properties:
Comfort: How long can I wear them before they start to hurt?
Style/Attractiveness: How good looking are they? This is purely subjective.
Portability: Can or should you use these during your commute?
Value for Price: Is this a good buy for the money?
Sound: How do they sound? Do they sound okay with a sound enhancement system or DAC? Do they sound good without one?
Build: Are they made of quality materials? Do they break easily?
I will give each criterion a rating of GreatGoodOkayBad .Great is obviously the best you can get, Good is just slightly above average, Okay is average, and Bad is just the worst.
Depending on the way you place them on your ears, the MSR7s have comfortable ear cups that don’t hurt after a few hours of use. However, this depends on the size of your ears. In my testing, the bottom of the cups press against my ear lobes after long usage and start to hurt. I have been wearing them for the past 7 hours and they are beginning to become uncomfortable.
The cups are made of faux leather and are pretty soft. I have had the headphones for a little over a week now. Will report back in a few months time as to how they have held up.
They are light on your head and fit tightly, which is something I need as headphones tend to slip around on my head. If you don’t like tight-fitting headphones, I would give these a hard pass.
These are gorgeous headphones. They aren’t overly bulky like the M50s, also by Audio Technica.
Audio Technica M50s
They also have a removable cord that hooks into the left ear cup, which makes the life of the cord longer as if you pull on it or get it caught on something by accident, it will disconnect.
The cups have a blue accent on them that give them personality.
I really wanted the Gun Metal Grey version of these as they look so much better; the brown color and red cup accent are quite beautiful.
Okay
You can certainly wear these out on your commute; they are light enough and small enough to do so. But for long commutes, it could be a struggle as the longer you wear them, the more they begin to fatigue your ears and hurt.
Also, the cord is quite long. It comes with three cords, most of which I haven’t looked at. But they all seem relatively long and because of that, can get caught on bus/train seats or stepped on by other passengers. This is why I only gave these an Okay.
Great
Out of the box, these things sound great. They are neutral on first pass, depending on the music and what you expect when listening.
Once I listened to some System of a Down, as I am wont to do every so often, you could hear a lot of the riffs more clearly. On softer songs, the strings were crisp, the cymbals crashing without sounding like fuzzy noise.
This was all well and good. But I wanted to enhance the sound for other types of music, like hip hop and EDM, as the sound profile of these headphones is neutral without overpowering bass.
I bought Boom 3D a while ago and it made my cheap desktop speakers sound louder and better. The speakers cost less than $30 so I was pretty certain these mid-range headphones would sound even better, be enhanced further by Boom.
I was not wrong.
I listened to the Set It Off Soundtrack, a bad chick chick flick from when I was young. There is a mixture of hip hop, R&B, and some rock infused hip hop with Blindside, a song at the end of the record.
It sounded…amazing. The bass was enhanced but not muddy, what instruments were used were clear, highs crisp; I could easily discern the mid-tones. There wasn’t a lot of treble in a lot of these songs but what there was, it was slightly drowned out by the bass. Not a problem for me.
Out of the box they are great headphones. With Boom 3D, they are phenomenal.
These headphones are much clearer and have better detail than their predecessors, the M50s and while I love the M50s, I prefer these a lot more.
Great
So far, these are one of the best headphones I’ve tested in this price range, if not the best. I have a pair of Plantronics BeatBack PRO wireless headphones in this price range and they don’t sound nearly as good, even though they have relatively decent sound.
These are better, fuller sounding cans than the M50s which is why I prefer these over the M50s. For $150, you can’t get much better.
]]>Tiffany WhitePick of the Month: Dylan Wireless Headphones2017-07-15T00:00:00+00:002017-07-15T00:00:00+00:00https://tiffanywhite.blog/headphones/dylan-headphonesI am finally back to writing the Pick of the month.
My daily driver for the past year was the Plantronics BeatBack PRO. They are really, really great headphones. They’re heavy and don’t fit my head right 1 but the controls are on the cups and are easy to use. Twist one way or the other to adjust volume or go to next/previous track. You can also take calls by pressing the left cup’s button. You can easily feel for the buttons which is definitely an improvement over most Bluetooth over-the-head headphones.
That said, I find myself using the Dylan set more.
Comparison
From left to right: Plantronics BeatBack Pro, Dylan Quiet Space
As you can see, the Dylan’s have a metal band with a fantastic cushion. It fits my head better than any other headphones, wireless or wired 2.
The Plantronics BeatBack PRO is $155 while the Dylan Quiet Space is $70. The difference in price and quality is most felt in the controls and the sound, though not in the way you’d think.
Controls Comparison
Plantronics BeatBack PRO: Excellent controls. This is probably why the headphones are so bulky and heavy. Easy to navigate without seeing them.
Dylan Quiet Space S1: Controls are inset into the outside of the cups where there are notches for cosmetic purposes. It is hard to feel your way around to the controls without looking initially 3.
Winner: Plantronics BeatBack PRO
Sound
Plantronics BeatBack PRO: Heavy bass. Distortion when using an equalizer on your Mac like Boom 2 or Boom 3D. Sync issues with video are pretty bad.
Dylan Quiet Space S1: Flat sound which works well with equalizers. You can hear mids and highs quite well though not very loud. No noticeable sync issues with video.
Winner: Dylan Quiet Space S1
Fit
Plantronics: Heavy and tend to fall of my head. Plastic inner headband not good for fros on big heads.
Dylan Quiet Space: They have a metal band and fit my head so well I am surprised that they only cost $70. The cushion on the cups are amazing.
Winner: Dylan Quiet Space
Aesthetics
Plantronics: Good looking cans just very bulky.
Dylan Quiet Space: Very good looking cans though the cups are small. The metal makes them look premium when they really are cheap.
WInner: Dylan Quiet Space
Noise Cancellation
Plantronics: Great noise cancellation but they are open back headphones which means the sound leaks from the headphones. Not ideal if you are on a bus or train; you are liable to annoy your fellow commuters with your black metal.
Dylan Quiet Space: Also great at noise cancellation. Maybe a bit better than the Plantronics. I am not sure if they are closed back headphones but it is hard to hear the music even when I have my headphones off and sound playing.
Winner: Slight edge to Dylan Quiet Space
Dylan Quiet Space S1 is My Daily Driver
The Dylan’s win out for now as far as what I’m wearing on a regular basis. As soon as I start a dev job I’ll probably buy a pair of AirPods, just to see what everyone is talking about.
I have a lot of hair and a big head and the plastic band inside has cracked. They’re not cheap so I don’t expect this behavior. ↩
This is probably not the fault of manufacturers. But still. ↩
I had to take my headphones off a couple times when I first got them to see where the controls were. Unacceptable. ↩
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