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Post by ForRealTho on Mar 16, 2020 9:03:22 GMT -5
As the hobby is exploding all kinds of shady people looking to make a buck. Buyer beware:
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Post by ForRealTho on Mar 17, 2020 7:41:19 GMT -5
Since the world is ending and all maybe I should finally get some crazy tier expensive headphones, $1,600 Aryas:
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Post by ForRealTho on Apr 6, 2020 9:40:24 GMT -5
Ooo shiny
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2020 11:46:50 GMT -5
As the hobby is exploding all kinds of shady people looking to make a buck. Buyer beware: Con artists do this crowd funding scam with all sorts of products. The Atari VCS console and Commodore 64 replacement key caps (replica key caps, not even a full keyboard) are recent examples I've come across. The "Atari" IP has been bought and sold many times over the years, so these aren't the same people who originally founded Atari. On top of screwing backers (with a 2+ year delay and high probability that the thing never gets released), they screwed over the company that they sourced the engineering to. There's a lawsuit in progress. arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/04/xbox-architect-sues-atari-over-unpaid-work-on-crowdfunded-console/With the Indiegogo Commodore 64 key caps crowd funding scam, backers never got the product they were promised, despite that the project was fully funded. Word is that the scammer fled to another country with the money. Not to be confused with the C64 mini and C64 full size & fully functioning replicas, which are legit products. uk.ign.com/articles/the-c64-review
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2020 13:49:32 GMT -5
I've been looking at wireless headphones & earbuds again. There aren't any great wireless headphones or earbuds, unless you spend a small fortune on something like those Shure's. Those Sony wireless headphones you posted earlier are very good in many regards. But they have poor latency (like the competing "Bose QuietComfort 35") and, therefore, aren't ideal for gaming or watching movies. The "Sennheiser Momentum 3" wireless headphones support "aptX low latency" and, when paired with a corresponding Bluetooth adapter for your tv, could be a great pair of headphones for watching movies & gaming. Their weakness is poor performing ANC and lack of support for "aptX HD" (which is a feature that your Sony wireless headphones have, enabling better wireless quality for music). www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Momentum-Cancelling-Headphones-Functionality/dp/B07VW98ZKG
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2020 14:08:34 GMT -5
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Post by ForRealTho on Apr 9, 2020 15:15:46 GMT -5
Personally I am not a fan of "gamer" headphones. I would rather buy $100 AKG/Sennheiser/Beterdynamic/etc then any gamer crap.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2020 16:04:35 GMT -5
Personally I am not a fan of "gamer" headphones. I would rather buy $100 AKG/Sennheiser/Beterdynamic/etc then any gamer crap. Yeah, those are better for music I suppose. However, not sure what Sennheiser's designed for gaming you can get for $100. I already own the HD6XX's. I think I paid $250 for those. Honestly, they're uncomfortable to wear for more than an hour or two, the bass can be excessive, mid-range not the best. My Bose in-ear headphones have better mids and voices in YT vids don't sound like the person is in a huge auditorium speaking through a mic and amplified through giant speakers, even when they're not... Well, I guess that's the impressive "sound stage" and it's good for some types of listening - music and some gaming. Also, the HD6XX's lack features of gamer headphones (in-line volume control, microphone, USB). The USB option also makes these gamer crap headphones compatible with "filthy casual" systems PS4 and Xbox. I understand that Sennheiser's are too good to waste on filthy consoles, but sometimes i prefer sitting at a distance from the screen or playing a console exclusive.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2020 16:36:41 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2020 11:51:53 GMT -5
The Sennheiser HD6XX's are good headphones, just not the best for some types of listening. They're designed for a specific purpose, imo... namely, to give you the sensation that you're in a concert hall while listening to music and they succeed at that. The frame is metal and, while it's quality & built to last, they clasp more tightly than cheap plastic headphones (less comfort when worn for more than a couple of hours). For neutral sound, imo, these aren't the best headphones. I believe the "studio" rated headphones are built for that purpose. I still like the HD6XX's and use them a few time per week. Just giving my honest opinion about their use and limitations. I understand that the interference hum and scratchiness isn't the fault of the headphones. Likely, it's either the Dell XPS15 laptop with shitty/lacking EM shielding for the 3.5mm port and/or the cheap standard headphone cables (also lacking EM shielding layer built into the cables and non-OFC copper wire). I don't care for the nickel & dime marketing strategy (used on consumers) to get us to part ways with our money... having to buy add-ons to attain the best quality (and we're prone to do it with the sunk costs of having already purchased mid-range to high-end headphones), but that's the choice we're given. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H7RXV6C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Dragonfly-V1-5-DragonTail-Extender/dp/B00OLYQPAK/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=AudioQuest+DragonFly+Black&qid=1586708722&s=industrial&sr=1-6
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2020 18:28:34 GMT -5
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Post by ForRealTho on Apr 12, 2020 20:30:13 GMT -5
The Sennheiser HD6XX's are good headphones, just not the best for some types of listening. They're designed for a specific purpose, imo... namely, to give you the sensation that you're in a concert hall while listening to music and they succeed at that. The frame is metal and, while it's quality & built to last, they clasp more tightly than cheap plastic headphones (less comfort when worn for more than a couple of hours). For neutral sound, imo, these aren't the best headphones. I believe the "studio" rated headphones are built for that purpose. I still like the HD6XX's and use them a few time per week. Just giving my honest opinion about their use and limitations. I understand that the interference hum and scratchiness isn't the fault of the headphones. Likely, it's either the Dell XPS15 laptop with shitty/lacking EM shielding for the 3.5mm port and/or the cheap standard headphone cables (also lacking EM shielding layer built into the cables and non-OFC copper wire). I don't care for the nickel & dime marketing strategy (used on consumers) to get us to part ways with our money... having to buy add-ons to attain the best quality (and we're prone to do it with the sunk costs of having already purchased mid-range to high-end headphones), but that's the choice we're given. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H7RXV6C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Dragonfly-V1-5-DragonTail-Extender/dp/B00OLYQPAK/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=AudioQuest+DragonFly+Black&qid=1586708722&s=industrial&sr=1-6After all the years being into this hobby the headphones I listen too the most are the discontinued Senn HD580 Precision. Can get them used on ebay fairly regularly. Same exact shape and all as the HD6XX but a more neutral tuning. Also the annoying clicks and pops with laptop audio are probably never going to go away. Luckily its never been cheaper to fix the problem and every year more and more stuff comes out cheaper and cheaper.
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Post by ForRealTho on Apr 13, 2020 10:21:15 GMT -5
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Post by ForRealTho on Apr 14, 2020 10:40:31 GMT -5
If I was looking for a gaming headset I would prolly get something like this: drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-sennheiser-pc37x-gaming-headsetThat said I would never get a gaming headset. I use the built in mic in my laptop and it works great. If I needed an attached Mic I would do what linus from linus tech tips does and get an attachable mic and stick it on audiophile headphones.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 11:28:33 GMT -5
If I was looking for a gaming headset I would prolly get something like this: drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-sennheiser-pc37x-gaming-headsetThat said I would never get a gaming headset. I use the built in mic in my laptop and it works great. If I needed an attached Mic I would do what linus from linus tech tips does and get an attachable mic and stick it on audiophile headphones. Those are wired though. It's an apples & oranges comparison. The A50's are wireless and I haven't seen any competing wireless gaming headphones from the high-end brands (with low latency and sound quality). rtings.com actually rates the A50's pretty good in terms of audio quality, surprisingly higher than the HD650's in some categories. I've thought about just using a mic with wired headphones (and a long cord) for console gaming.. That's good if you don't mind the hassle and clutter of dealing with cords, raveling and unraveling the cord between uses. Regardless, it's the best solution as far as cost, sound quality, and minimizing latency. The controllers have 3.5mm ports, but then the audio is transmitting through bluetooth with unknown latency and quality. I'm not sure if there any reviews analyzing the quality of headsets being used with console controller's bluetooth.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 11:53:24 GMT -5
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Post by ForRealTho on Apr 14, 2020 19:03:12 GMT -5
The A50's are $300 headsets though and some customer reviews have complained about the cheap plastic headband, so I don't plan on getting them. I just find it interesting that high-end brands don't offer quality wireless gaming headsets. When it comes to bluetooth is looks like the Massdrop Panda is the best sounding pair tho you would need an attachable mic. drop.com/buy/drop-wireless-headphones/storyThey took the discontinued Oppo PM3 which had an amazing reputation and attached a built in THX amp. Its doubtful any company will make a pair of bluetooth headphones that work better then that.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2020 13:52:02 GMT -5
The A50's are $300 headsets though and some customer reviews have complained about the cheap plastic headband, so I don't plan on getting them. I just find it interesting that high-end brands don't offer quality wireless gaming headsets. When it comes to bluetooth is looks like the Massdrop Panda is the best sounding pair tho you would need an attachable mic.drop.com/buy/drop-wireless-headphones/storyThey took the discontinued Oppo PM3 which had an amazing reputation and attached a built in THX amp. Its doubtful any company will make a pair of bluetooth headphones that work better then that. The attachable mic for +$49 is optional. I suppose that's for people who want better recording or streaming quality compared to the built-in mics.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2020 17:05:57 GMT -5
I was looking at binoculars as a gift for my mother (and reading forums & reviews online), since she's a birdwatcher. Seems the binoculars/optics can be the same sort of rabbit hole as audio, with the wide range of quality and prices, and countless people having their own opinions & preferences (except with its own verbiage/terminology for rating various aspects of the optical quality).
Generally, it follows a similar pattern with engineering & manufacture origin though... most people think the high priced Euro optics are the best, then it's Japan optical components (sometimes assembled in Japan or USA), then the low $ stuff made in China ranking closer to the bottom.
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Post by ForRealTho on May 1, 2020 8:24:53 GMT -5
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Post by ForRealTho on Jun 5, 2020 9:51:05 GMT -5
This looks great for a portable phone amp: drop.com/buy/helm-audio-db12-aaamp-thx-amp#overviewThe THX amps started coming out 2 years ago and have a really good reputation. A lot of power and measure really well. If it was only bluetooth then it would be perfect for pretty much any phone.
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Post by Coolverine on Jun 10, 2020 7:19:23 GMT -5
Mountain biking is also an expensive hobby.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2020 10:54:55 GMT -5
Mountain biking is also an expensive hobby. Probably most hobbies guys do are expensive (if they do it "right", according to whatever community dominates the hobby). Photography, telescopes/astronomy, or the "Make" community (who build variety of things - DIY robots, electronic gizmos, wood working projects, etc), fishing (high $ boats & equipment, and travel to the best locations), or actively participating in just about any sport (unless you're in the top 0.0001% and getting paid professionally, of course). Etc, etc. Guys typically aren't in to things like calligraphy or knitting. If you did do those sort of hobbies, society/people in general would deem you a pu$$y or gay. Case in point.. the guys who are into art & anime, including the ones who are creators. You see them getting poked fun of all over the interwebs. I can think of one activity/hobby that has switched accepted gender roles though. Cooking. Now it's something that women generally consider demeaning (when women do it) and men are highly praised (by the women and society in general) for being good at it. Of course, anybody who does it for money and, if they're good, they're praised for it (but in that case, it's primarily a business rather than a hobby).
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Post by ForRealTho on Jun 16, 2020 10:36:47 GMT -5
All kinds of little gadgets out there that supposedly make your audio sound better. Even from companies with great reputations.
If you can't hear a difference they just say you are using it wrong or you have bad ears. If you can't measure a difference they just say you are measuring the wrong thing or "measurements don't tell the full story"
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Post by ForRealTho on Jul 23, 2020 12:05:06 GMT -5
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Post by ForRealTho on Jul 25, 2020 22:02:15 GMT -5
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Post by Coolverine on Jul 25, 2020 23:44:13 GMT -5
I think I made more money this year than I ever have, first the stimulus check and then I got unemployed and got paid a lot from that since my job loss was due to COVID-19. I ended up getting my job back at the same company, it pays decently well. I'll take another stimulus check though, I want an RTX 3080 Ti whenever they launch.
Also not going out and driving places so much anymore is saving a lot of money, I think 1 full tank of gas lasted for at least a month. My vehicle's kind of a gas guzzler too.
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Post by ForRealTho on Jul 26, 2020 9:33:53 GMT -5
I think I made more money this year than I ever have, first the stimulus check and then I got unemployed and got paid a lot from that since my job loss was due to COVID-19. I ended up getting my job back at the same company, it pays decently well. I'll take another stimulus check though, I want an RTX 3080 Ti whenever they launch. Also not going out and driving places so much anymore is saving a lot of money, I think 1 full tank of gas lasted for at least a month. My vehicle's kind of a gas guzzler too.
As my 20s turned into my 30s I realized I was pretty broke most of the time so I made an effort to save money. Doing that let me pay a years rent up front and so I got a 1 month discount.
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Post by ForRealTho on Jul 26, 2020 15:48:44 GMT -5
Also not going out and driving places so much anymore is saving a lot of money, I think 1 full tank of gas lasted for at least a month. My vehicle's kind of a gas guzzler too. I drive a big heavy extended cab 4x4 SUV. Great Alaska car. My old IT job in AK I was mobile so I really liked it. Down here in the lower 48 its not as necessary. I paid cash upfront for it so I'm finding it hard to justify getting a new car when its mine in full.
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Post by ForRealTho on Aug 4, 2020 8:53:33 GMT -5
So the "crazy high end" of headphones goes up to $3,000 plus. The Hifiman Arya takes the same driver from their flagship, puts it in a cheaper housing and sells it for a lot less. I've been curious how they sound for a year now so decided to take the plunge: Amazon has free returns so if I am not blown away I am sending them back.
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