There are many headphones. Everyone prefers something different - not only due to the sound but also the construction matters. I fell in love with AKG K701, whose construction I hardly modified from uncomfortable to the most comfortable 
Another good headphones are Beyerdynamic DT 880 (250 ohm), or other brands like Beats, Marshall, Audio-Technica, Sennheiser, ...
Another good headphones are Beyerdynamic DT 880 (250 ohm), or other brands like Beats, Marshall, Audio-Technica, Sennheiser, ...
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Tiere is a guy writing a lot about headphones. He measures all of them, does try some more or less simple mechanical modifications and develops filters in order to overcome some shortcomings of a few headphones. Quite a read, yet it can help in searching.
Maybe it is of help: DIY-Audio-Heaven | Enjoy music through headphones on a low budget
The AKG 712 he measured, was mine
Cheers, Ernst
Maybe it is of help: DIY-Audio-Heaven | Enjoy music through headphones on a low budget
The AKG 712 he measured, was mine
Cheers, Ernst
Cool site Ernst... This guy is doing an awesome job !
The Fidelio X2 from Philips seems cool for the price... What sealed headphone do you like ? I am impressed by the quality of some internals ear plugs for smartphone as well ! Not sure it's good for the ears those little internal ear plugs !
The Fidelio X2 from Philips seems cool for the price... What sealed headphone do you like ? I am impressed by the quality of some internals ear plugs for smartphone as well ! Not sure it's good for the ears those little internal ear plugs !
Iggy, glad you like it.
I really like the K712, yet it is an open HP and not suitable for under all conditions. So I had been looking a quite a while for a closed one. There are some nice expensive ones. As I can't spend so much money on a phone, I bought AKG K371. Sure, I am biased as I am Austrian, but I somehow like the sound. Nowadays they come from China, that's how it still goes. Frans has a filter in order to tame it's highs slightly and the bass is great. For 110 Euro it is more than OK for me.
Cheer's, Ernst
I really like the K712, yet it is an open HP and not suitable for under all conditions. So I had been looking a quite a while for a closed one. There are some nice expensive ones. As I can't spend so much money on a phone, I bought AKG K371. Sure, I am biased as I am Austrian, but I somehow like the sound. Nowadays they come from China, that's how it still goes. Frans has a filter in order to tame it's highs slightly and the bass is great. For 110 Euro it is more than OK for me.
Cheer's, Ernst
I'm not a headphone guy though I should be as it's difficult in my situation to listen to as often and as loud I 'd like to ! My personal reference - but I know nothing in headphones- is a little Fostex 7P something - I don't remember the ref exactly-
It has something I like : not fatguing, bass are not abyssal but informatives for a cheap headphone. mid and highs are near perfect for me ! Of course not the dreamed soundstage, but the balnce between timbers and amount of information and liste,ing confort made me hapy with that less than 100 bucks headphones that was seen in the audiophile french milieu as a very good bang for the bucks ! Hummm I have too much unfinished project (still needs to climb the Miro main dac at the next level and it always ask me a lot of time to enhance a good born design to my taste and listening environment; a loudspeaker I have to finish which is my first "design", ANdrea Clock boards to finish with Ian FIDO Pi first reclocker to benchmark with my highly moded FIFO (the one before the MC, lol !)
An amp I found as a pair of BW DM14 filter I need to refurbish, etc !
Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn ! And the AYA 5 that is comming ! Au secours ! Tube planned on the previous one ! uH !
Ah, I like the last Black Keys Album : Delta Kream ! First it's a good album and the best reccorded they made, second Delta variant plus the word Kream is a not wanted joke that feets for us european poor victims of the panguolin plot from chineese countryside !
Damn !
Fidelio X2 ? 130 euros ?
It has something I like : not fatguing, bass are not abyssal but informatives for a cheap headphone. mid and highs are near perfect for me ! Of course not the dreamed soundstage, but the balnce between timbers and amount of information and liste,ing confort made me hapy with that less than 100 bucks headphones that was seen in the audiophile french milieu as a very good bang for the bucks ! Hummm I have too much unfinished project (still needs to climb the Miro main dac at the next level and it always ask me a lot of time to enhance a good born design to my taste and listening environment; a loudspeaker I have to finish which is my first "design", ANdrea Clock boards to finish with Ian FIDO Pi first reclocker to benchmark with my highly moded FIFO (the one before the MC, lol !)
An amp I found as a pair of BW DM14 filter I need to refurbish, etc !
Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn ! And the AYA 5 that is comming ! Au secours ! Tube planned on the previous one ! uH !
Ah, I like the last Black Keys Album : Delta Kream ! First it's a good album and the best reccorded they made, second Delta variant plus the word Kream is a not wanted joke that feets for us european poor victims of the panguolin plot from chineese countryside !
Damn !
Fidelio X2 ? 130 euros ?
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Iggy, I never was a headphone guy, yet as mentioned, in some places, listening to music is only possible with cans. My first hpa was the Whammy - I had built it before I owned headphones - and so I thought, I should try a pair K712. I was not really happy with it for a year! or so and I only used it for listening to books and spoken meditations. After this period either I was so used to its sound or the cans changed their signature, and I noticed they now shine. With a Kameleon (amp from Frans plus filter board for this HP) I was more and more into headphones. I often listen to music, my wife does not like, so this is a good way to enjoy it. Beside that with headphones it is easier for me to rate equipment.
Still I prefere more the spatious sound of my Bastanis and vintage Tannoys
Can't say anything about the Fidelio X2. Never heard them, just read some positive reviews about them. They seem to be good value, especially for 130 Eurodollars.
Open back cans seem to be better able to let you hear the room, or stage. Your Fostex is just semi open and probably the Fidelio might do better.
Yes, read about you'r going into tubes. Not so difficult with E88CC. You can start with simple unregulated B+ and simple regulated heater voltage. Refine it, if you like it. Don't get too much into the heavily overpriced NOS tubes of this type. Start cheap and wait for a bargain, which will show up somehow.
Hm, again lots of OT. Stop now.
Cheers, Ernst
Still I prefere more the spatious sound of my Bastanis and vintage Tannoys
Can't say anything about the Fidelio X2. Never heard them, just read some positive reviews about them. They seem to be good value, especially for 130 Eurodollars.
Open back cans seem to be better able to let you hear the room, or stage. Your Fostex is just semi open and probably the Fidelio might do better.
Yes, read about you'r going into tubes. Not so difficult with E88CC. You can start with simple unregulated B+ and simple regulated heater voltage. Refine it, if you like it. Don't get too much into the heavily overpriced NOS tubes of this type. Start cheap and wait for a bargain, which will show up somehow.
Hm, again lots of OT. Stop now.
Cheers, Ernst
Hi guys, just wanted to mention, that I am really happy with this little gem. I has become an everyday companion. And it is like old wine. I is getting better by time - or I am getting more and more used to it ;-)
Miro have you ever thought about giving your newer mobile design a second chance?
Miro have you ever thought about giving your newer mobile design a second chance?
Hi Ernest 🤗 I've thought about it many times and I didn't find definitive solution for:
- how to simplify PSU? ... AD1862 needs +-12V power supply, an alternative could be AD1865 (+-5V)
- which SMD opAmp to use for I/V, single or dual? LM6172 is dual, so one part could be used for headphones amplifier
- PCM2706 (USB/I2S) does not support software controlled volume (in the player only), so what should I do with the potentiometer?
- USB/I2S from STM32F401, which could be programmed to drop the glue logic and the dac would be feeded directly
- drop the relay switch and switching audio through a mechanical switch directly
- changing some critical capacitors for THT
Hello Miro,
I would like to know what if any problem can arise in connecting, on IC7, PIN 5 to PIN 1-2 of IC12; and PIN13 of IC12 to PIN12 of IC13.