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Comment by 4ggr0 | Hacker News Reader

I personally like Beyerdynamic.

MX 150/100 if you want to have a mic, DT990 Pro if you want open-back and DT770 Pro for closed-back.

Worth mentioning that they're studio headphones, so if you like headphones with a lot of bass you might have to consider other models.

At home I use Sennheiser Game One, before they were rebranded to EPOS. I really, really love them so if you can find them second-hand, go for them. They're hooked up to a Sennheiser GSX 1000. I use this setup for almost three years now and I'm really happy.

For in-ears I use Marshall Mode EQs, I'm on the third pair now and am also really happy. They've got a lot of bass but when I'm commuting I actually prefer it over "true" sound :)

As always with headphones, YMMV. I care about good sound but I'm not that much of an audiophile to care about exact frequency curves etc.

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I wonder why you're on your third pair of Marshall Mode EQs :)

I'm partly having a go at them because I have a pair lying around that broke in less than a year. I usually go through a pair in a year (a year and a half) as I'm not very careful with the way I take care of my heaphones/in-ears. However, having said that, I think the EQs have a pretty mediocre build quality. For example, with the way I handled them, the cover of one in ear piece, fell of after a couple of months, and 6-8 months in the jack connector wires got a bit too much wear and tear and no longer connect properly. Also their EQ toggle made the treble (for the Electronic/DnB/Metal music I listen to) a bit too harsh.

Personally for earbuds/earphones I'd recommend anything which is as flat as possible and then you can boost up your preferred range. Alternatively you can go with a pair that has a measured profile (https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq), which you can use to normalizes the frequency response and tweak it after.

For example I went with the cheap AKG Type-C earbuds, which have very harsh mids towards treble (https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/samsung/akg-type-c), but because their sound profile is within the database linked above, I could use Wavelet on Android to compensate for it (and EasyEffects on the desktop) to have them be as neutral as possible, and then boost on top of that. For a ~$10'ish pair of earbuds I am quite impressed. I also had to chose them because I have a "modern" phone that decided that a Jack is so 20th century.

> I wonder why you're on your third pair of Marshall Mode EQs :)

I guess it's a mix between nostalgia and me just liking how the songs I like sound on them. They're the first pair of in-ears I bought myself.

> I think the EQs have a pretty mediocre build quality

I'll agree with you on that. The first pair lasted a year and the second not much longer. Then I just went with whatever. Two years ago I wanted to try out "good" in-ears and bought a pair of Moondrop Starfields. They were okay, but a bit flat, the cable broke, bought a different cable, which I've stepped on. Then I remembered that I was a fan of the Mode EQs like 6 years ago and bought a pair out of curiosity, which was end of 2022. And I just really like how they sound, and that they're light, and that they fit well, and that they look good. I don't know...I just like them :D

Your explanation about measured profiles and Wavelet/EasyEffects sounds intriguing. I think I will try this approach with a different pair of headphones, I really wonder what you can get out of cheap in-ears. I tried to use EQs from time to time but I always end up tuning things for 30m without especially satisfying results. AutoEQ would help because it's automated :D Thanks!

Beyer also recently release the DT 700/900 Pro X are someone of a spiritual successor to the classics. Importantly they now feature a detachable cables, includes a USB-C one with internal DAC and mic.

You're right! I didn't want to recommend the X versions because I never tried them myself, but I think judging by the feedback they get online they would be a good choice as well.

The only downside is the cost. The non-X versions cost $140, the X-versions $220. Not sure if the $80 are worth it for me.

I picked up a pair of the 700 X's a couple of weeks ago - no complaints so far. The replaceable cable removes the only weak point in an otherwise completely repairable product. That lets me amortise any difference across a decade or so.

> That lets me amortise any difference across a decade or so

Good point, hadn't considered this! Well, I bought the DT 990Pro in the beginning of 2023 and the MMX150s like three weeks ago, so I'll see for how long I'll use them :D

MMX150 are for the office because they're closed-back and the microphone is actually astonishingly good. At least people noticed in MS Teams calls.

Beyerdynamics are wonderful. I'd add SIVGA, far better than the Sennheiser I had!

I'd suggest the SV021 if you want bass, or the SV003 if you prefer the flatness of studio headphones like the Beyers.

I use them with a Sony Walkman DAP: best money I've ever spent!

Good bass matters for some styles: the SV021 is better when I listen to say Моргенштерн

> I'd suggest the SV021 if you want bass

Hmm, I actually am considering buying bassy over-ears, because all the over-ears I have are pretty neutral/studio sounding. I game a lot of singleplayer story-games and sometimes I feel that a bit more bass would be enjoyable for explosions, gunshots etc.

Thanks for the recommendation, never heard of SIVGA :)

It's the most comfortable over-the-ears I've ever had - far better than anything several times the price!

If you only have USB-C, pair them with a Moondrop DAC

Luckily all my devices have a 3.5mm :)

Didn't know that Moondrop made DACs, I know them because I had a pair of Starfields.

> Didn't know that Moondrop made DACs, I know them because I had a pair of Starfields.

Moondrop Dawn, quite good

>the SV021 is better when I listen to say Моргенштерн

when you listen to what now?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgenshtern

It's Russian rap - though for the last few years he's been moving more into RnB, which I don't like as much

Beyerdynamic makes great headphones. Personally though I love my Audio Technica cans. I find I want different ones for different reasons - a flat frequency response isn't always the most pleasant

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