What are expensive headphones good for? I have Sennheiser HD

>>61176973
Have you ever listened to them?

Nothing, it's idiots trying to justify their purchase and diminishing returns past 200$.

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>>61176973
a certain degree of realism in the sound product that may startle you and amuse you

>>61177295
sorry about your Coby(TM) brand cans

>>61176973
all headphones are significantly distorted. this is the obvious physical consequence of trying to produce the entire audible range with one tiny-ass diaphragm. expensive headphones are, in general, less distorted (if they're not a rip off)

distortion is not randomly distributed across the frequency range, so the difference you will hear between $200 headphone X and $300 headphone Y depends on X and Y

>>61177347
Do you need a dedicated sound card to be able to appreciate them?

>>61177292
no. is there a way I can try them out before i buy?

>>61176973
comfort and build quality

Sound quality beyond $300-$400 becomes subjective. Open headphones are great too for soundstage.

HD600 is only $285, pretty normal purchase. It gets excessive with headphones like the HD800 and beyond.

>>61177367
most people just use external amps/DACs through a USB like the Schiit Magni2 + Modi2

dunno who still uses sound cards

>>61177383
Buy them on Amazon and then return. Unless you live in a big city the odds of any retailer having them on display is zero.

>>61177513
Is that better than an integrated sound card? That is mostly the point of my question.

If the DAC makes a difference, then the soundcard will too.

HD558 is fine, it's about 95% of the HD600 in sound quality. No need to spend $300 for a marginal increase in sound quality.

What you notice? The sound is just a bit more detailed. Nothing much.

>>61177650
I see. Thank you, time to find something else to waste $300 on.

>>61177605
I'd imagine so, but a dedicated soundcard seems impractical nowadays whereas a DAC/amp is more flexible since it's just plug and whatever.

can't imagine that soundcards would be as well reviewed as DAC/amps either so it might be hard to find a good one, can't imagine there being a lot of sales for them either.

>>61177815
That is a matter of preference, the same way most people prefer laptops nowadays but for me a desktop at home is irreplaceable even if I do the exact same tasks.

On the other hand, I'm reading you don't have surround sound with an external DAC, is this true for all cases? That would be an important downside if you want to use it to watch movies with a home theater.

>>61177815
ive got a great soundcard and i love it. dont see a need for a dac/amp since my dedicated soundcard is so good.

>>61176973
//not audiofag
//inb4 gaymer shitphones
//1150 codec
I have hd 600 for a year and it's amazing
sounds good light and it's just comfy af I can listen em for 12+ hours
the only issue is stock cable start dying in first ~4 months :( w8g for 15$ chink one
but worth their 250$ for 100%

>>61177605
There was another thread talking about internal cards vs usb audio and there was a test posted that showed high-end cards performed as well as the chink $3 usb cards.

>>61178263
I very much doubt that test was legit, but go ahead and post the source if you have it.

It just doesn't make sense.

>>61178195
>the only issue is stock cable start dying in first ~4 months
I believe HD650 has the same cable and fuck, I've bought two of those fuckers and both gotten loose in one ear. The cable blows for the price you pay for it.

>>61176973
I've got a number of expensive headphones. Sennheiser HD600, HD800S, Oppo PM3 and Audeze iSine 10.

All of these have different sound signatures, offering a different listening experience for music that you like.

I buy headphones because they're something interesting to collect and enjoy. Some people want "The Best", but in truth there is no such thing.

>>61177295
This guy is somewhat correct. Indeed a law of diminishing returns comes into play with headphones especially when the prices pass 4 figures.

Improvements in sound quality after this point are often minute, but the fit and finish of the product tends to take a big jump too; many of the expensive sets look and feel premium, which can be a definite draw for some people.

Do you enjoy the sound of your 558s? Yes? then you don't need to buy HD600s.

By all means give them a listen, they're very good.

>>61178263
That test was complete garbage. People who have no fucking clue about audio whatsoever tried briefly blind testing audio setups with conclusion that "nope it's all the same lol"
Putting all audiophile meme magics aside, different audio sources will have different output power. There is no way generic realtek output would be good enough to power HD800 sufficiently, that alone will make a difference in sound, and that alone makes this "test" worthless.
Basically stop being a fucking idiot and trusting every single shit you read here. It's because of people like you that this place turned into such shithole. And fuck falcon for feeding newfags garbage like this.

DAC technology has been perfected. There's literally no difference in sound between a $4 chink DAC and a $100 one. Because a DAC just converts digital to analog, and that's it, it won't make your music better.

Any retard claiming more expensive DACs make their ears have orgasm has fallen for the placebo effect.

No need to invest in a external soundcard/dac.

With 300 ohm impedance it would be difficult to driven fine with a source like a smartphone but should be ok connected to a laptop/desktop.

If you think you need more power (volume is weak) then you could buy a amp.

>>61176973
>Sennheiser HD 558

I have those as well, I like how they sound but I use the onboard audio am I missing much by not using a soundcard or DAC or something?

>>61177668
I have both. Just stick with the HD 558.

>>61177605

headphones that have more electrical impedance produce better results with a relatively inexpensive amplifier such as a used creek obh-11 which is about $75 to $150 used

if the headphone can handle full range, the amplifier produces the full dynamic range of the recording, and also improves the transient response of the driver in making sounds that change rapidly in rate have better clarity

>>61177650

having heard both of these, there is a substantial difference between 558 and 600, so i disagree

the difference between the 600 and 800 is also substantial but the extent of fidelity produced by the 600 is usually enough to satisfy most people; this is not the case for the 558, which, to me, is muddy

>Actually buying audio devices other than Monoprice 8320 or 8323
People actually do this?

>>61180846
those are good but they have to be modified and they're a bit on the slow side

>>61180846
Some people want comfort too you know?