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SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
Whoa.

I've never felt or heard the B&W P9 headphones before, but I hear some people say how much they like them. But Zeos seems to hate them really bad. Second worst headphones he's ever reviewed. Yikes.

 
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AVBeatMan

macrumors 603
Nov 10, 2010
5,705
3,591
Whoa.

I've never felt or heard the B&W P9 headphones before, but I hear some people say how much they like them. But Zeos seems to hate them really bad. Second worst headphones he's ever reviewed. Yikes.


Well I love mine. They’re the best headphones I’ve ever owned. My others are the Sennhieser HD600’s and the Sony WH 1000 XM3’s.
 
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Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,834
46,282
In a coffee shop.
Whoa.

I've never felt or heard the B&W P9 headphones before, but I hear some people say how much they like them. But Zeos seems to hate them really bad. Second worst headphones he's ever reviewed. Yikes.


I don't have the P9s, but I do have the P7s, and P5s - and started with the P3s - which I love.

For travelling, I would regard the P5s as the best, most comfortable, well made, headphones I have ever had.

When funds permit, I will certainly be contemplating a P9.
 

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
So quick question for anyone on today. I'm not a big audiophile, but I did get the cheapest Grado to try open back, and love them. Today only they are having a set of headphones on sale, and wondering what the verdict is on them from you guys.

Massdrop X HIFIMAN HE4XX Planar Magnetic Over-Ear

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-hifiman-he4xx-planar-magnetic-headphones/talk#discussions
I've never used any of their headphones before, but I know the company is well respected for quality products.

Here is a Z review of them. I haven't watched it yet but will check it out later today.

 
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JayMysterio

macrumors 65816
Apr 24, 2010
1,494
32,929
Rock Ridge, California
I've never used any of their headphones before, but I know the company is well respected for quality products.

Here is a Z review of them. I haven't watched it yet but will check it out later today.

No longer matters. Amazon went back on their price before I could finish reading reviews. Now it's more than what Massdrop sells their own headphones for. ?
 

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
Still awaiting the arrival of the BLON's, but I think they're getting close now. They departed Kentucky the other day, hopefully en route to Detroit now.

In the meantime, I'm really enjoying the Sennheiser HD650's with the replacement XLR balanced cable on the Jotunheim. I'm getting .9 watts per channel with it and enjoying a lot of headroom on the dial compared to using the SE cable with the Magni.
 
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SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
I was able to re-purpose the Magni and the Modi today in the back room. I set up a headless Raspberry Pi 3 and copied all of my music from my main PC to a large USB flash drive. Then I use VLC on the Raspberry Pi in conjunction with a VLC Remote app on the Google Play Store for my Android phone to control the music.

The app seems a bit flakey at times though and if I can't iron out the drops I'll look for a different way to do it. But for now, I have it working well enough given my goal of having a headless digital source for the Schiit stack in this room and to control it from my phone.

I do have a case for the Raspberry Pi but I don't like the poor fit it has on it. I did order a new one earlier today.

IMG_20191117_172111.jpg
 
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revmacian

macrumors 68000
Oct 20, 2018
1,745
1,468
USA
My headphones. Yes, they qualify as headphones.

IMG_0052.jpeg

Pros:
* built-in streaming from iOS devices
* automatic switching between environment and streaming
* can be simultaneously paired to 10 devices
* custom hearing settings
* dual microphones
* Find My Processor locator
* data logging
* choice of colors

Cons:
* requires surgery
 
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Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,834
46,282
In a coffee shop.
I was able to re-purpose the Magni and the Modi today in the back room. I set up a headless Raspberry Pi 3 and copied all of my music from my main PC to a large USB flash drive. Then I use VLC on the Raspberry Pi in conjunction with a VLC Remote app on the Google Play Store for my Android phone to control the music.

The app seems a bit flakey at times though and if I can't iron out the drops I'll look for a different way to do it. But for now, I have it working well enough given my goal of having a headless digital source for the Schiit stack in this room and to control it from my phone.

I do have a case for the Raspberry Pi but I don't like the poor fit it has on it. I did order a new one earlier today.

While the headphones are rather fetching looking on their stand, I must say that I am very taken with the elegant box which plays host to your fountain pens.
 

daimos

macrumors regular
Feb 23, 2009
212
179
719KckojkfL._SY450_.jpg


Mpow H17

Having a B&W P5 for about 5 years, I was interested in getting a noise cancelling one since I commute. It's been more than 2 years since I was looking. I can't justify the price of the popular brands since the P5 was already very good and having 2 pricey headphones seems overkill. So I went one with lesser popularity. It's $58 (canadian) and with the features, how can it go wrong.
Nowadays, thanks to powerful chips flooding the market whether it be on your smartphone, GPS, watch or TV, you can get a good product for a small price.
So it has all the ingredients
40 mm driver
noise cancelling software
wireless
over-ear comfy design

My friend has a Bose and it has 2 settings of noise cancelling. Mine has the same as the low setting of the Bose. Putting the Bose to high really makes my ears fatigued after a while.

I did an A to B comparison with my P5 in a quiet room.
I listened to Enya's "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". It has lots of percussions and bells and I can tell them apart. Enya's voice and the background singers are also distinct.
I also listened to Leonard Cohen songs and Bill Wither's Lean on Me. I can hear the raspiness in their voices. The bass is also plenty. These songs were from iTunes.
I also listen to audiobooks with the Libby App.

This is a very good buy if you're looking for an affordable noise cancelling headphone. I had a hard time looking for what's different when I was comparing.
 
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Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,834
46,282
In a coffee shop.
View attachment 878147

Mpow H17

Having a B&W P5 for about 5 years, I was interested in getting a noise cancelling one since I commute. It's been more than 2 years since I was looking. I can't justify the price of the popular brands since the P5 was already very good and having 2 pricey headphones seems overkill. So I went one with lesser popularity. It's $58 (canadian) and with the features, how can it go wrong.
Nowadays, thanks to powerful chips flooding the market whether it be on your smartphone, GPS, watch or TV, you can get a good product for a small price.
So it has all the ingredients
40 mm driver
noise cancelling software
wireless
over-ear comfy design

My friend has a Bose and it has 2 settings of noise cancelling. Mine has the same as the low setting of the Bose. Putting the Bose to high really makes my ears fatigued after a while.

I did an A to B comparison with my P5 in a quiet room.
I listened to Enya's "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". It has lots of percussions and bells and I can tell them apart. Enya's voice and the background singers are also distinct.
I also listened to Leonard Cohen songs and Bill Wither's Lean on Me. I can hear the raspiness in their voices. The bass is also plenty. These songs were from iTunes.
I also listen to audiobooks with the Libby App.

This is a very good buy if you're looking for an affordable noise cancelling headphone. I had a hard time looking for what's different when I was comparing.

Enjoy your Mpow H17.

Do you still use the P5s (which are the very best headphone I have ever had)?
 

D.T.

macrumors G4
Sep 15, 2011
11,050
12,460
Vilano Beach, FL
P5s are nicely designed, very portable, they have a specific sort of use case paired with decent SQ, but compared to HD6xx/650, HE4/6, Beyer 7xx/8xx or 1770, anything entry level from Fostex, Focal, there's an incredible difference, of course many of the latter are open, large/"non-portable", really need an amp to shine, and even entry level products from some are in the $500-ish range - so really just talking pure sound quality.
[automerge]1574278345[/automerge]
So quick question for anyone on today. I'm not a big audiophile, but I did get the cheapest Grado to try open back, and love them. Today only they are having a set of headphones on sale, and wondering what the verdict is on them from you guys.

Massdrop X HIFIMAN HE4XX Planar Magnetic Over-Ear

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-hifiman-he4xx-planar-magnetic-headphones/talk#discussions


They're pretty fantastic, and unlike some audio-phile-ish headphones, they can be powered from devices without an amp, due to the lower impedance (35ohms), but improve with a small headphone amp. $130 is sort of a steal for these in terms of SQ in the sub $250 headphone market. They're an open back design, so that means sound leakage both ways, but a glorious open soundstage (and I find a little easier to wear, they sort of "breath"). I will say some planars can be a little bright, meaning the high frequency can be kind of piercing, and if you're not into that, it can be fatiguing unless you EQ it a touch.
 
Last edited:

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,834
46,282
In a coffee shop.
P5s are nicely designed, very portable, they have a specific sort of use case paired with decent SQ, but compared to HD6xx/650, HE4/6, Beyer 7xx/8xx or 1770, anything entry level from Fostex, Focal, there's an incredible difference, of course many of the latter are open, large/"non-portable", really need an amp to shine, and even entry level products from some are in the $500-ish range - so really just talking pure sound quality.
[automerge]1574278345[/automerge]



They're pretty fantastic, and unlike some audio-phile-ish headphones, they can be powered from devices without an amp, due to the lower impedance (35ohms), but improve with a small headphone amp. $130 is sort of a steal for these in terms of SQ in the sub $250 headphone market. They're an open back design, so that means sound leakage both ways, but a glorious open soundstage (and I find a little easier to wear, they sort of "breath"). I will say some planars can be a little bright, meaning the high frequency can be kind of piercing, and if you're not into that, it can be fatiguing unless you EQ it a touch.

I travel an awful lot, - both internationally, and even within the country to attend meetings - and for that intersection of comfort, quality of the actual product, size and portability - I find the P5s superb.

I don't doubt that other headphones offer excellent audio quality, but - for now, at least - my specific needs are met superbly by the P5s.
 

D.T.

macrumors G4
Sep 15, 2011
11,050
12,460
Vilano Beach, FL
I travel an awful lot, - both internationally, and even within the country to attend meetings - and for that intersection of comfort, quality of the actual product, size and portability - I find the P5s superb.

I don't doubt that other headphones offer excellent audio quality, but - for now, at least - my specific needs are met superbly by the P5s.

Which is exactly why I wrote what I wrote :)
 

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
The BLON B20's arrived a few minutes ago. They came precisely on the day Drop said they'd be delivered. I thought a week or so ago when they landed in Kentucky that I'd get them sooner, but nope.

Anyway, I connected the balanced cable to them foregoing the single-ended one it comes with. I switched the Jotunheim from high gain to low gain and turned the knob down before starting the music. These are easy to drive 32-ohm headphones and previously I was using the harder to drive Sennheiser's and Beyerdynamics which benefited from high gain. If I wanted to, I can push the Jotunheim to ram a full 5 watts per channel into my ears and make them bleed, but I don't want to go that far!

I'm going to being listening to them for several days before I post my review and thoughts about them.

Anyone care to hazard a guess as to what I chose to play on these first?

Screenshot_2019-11-20 Post Your Last Purchase XXVIII.png
Screenshot_2019-11-03 Amazon com NewFantasia HiFi Cable 4-pin XLR Balanced Male Compatible wit...png
 
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Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,834
46,282
In a coffee shop.
The BLON B20's arrived a few minutes ago. They came precisely on the day Drop said they'd be delivered. I thought a week or so ago when they landed in Kentucky that I'd get them sooner, but nope.

Anyway, I connected the balanced cable to them foregoing the single-ended one it comes with. I switched the Jotunheim from high gain to low gain and turned the knob down before starting the music. These are easy to drive 32-ohm headphones and previously I was using the harder to drive Sennheiser's and Beyerdynamics which benefited from high gain. If I wanted to, I can push the Jotunheim to ram a full 5 watts per channel into my ears and make them bleed, but I don't want to go that far!

I'm going to being listening to them for several days before I post my review and thoughts about them.

Anyone care to hazard a guess as to what I chose to play on these first?

View attachment 878264 View attachment 878265

Perhaps something by Mozart?

Beautiful looking headphones.

Well wear, and I hope you really enjoy listening to music with them; moreover, I am looking forward to reading your review when you have broken them in, have gathered your thoughts, and are ready to share your impressions.
 
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D.T.

macrumors G4
Sep 15, 2011
11,050
12,460
Vilano Beach, FL
I imagine your first choice, was the right ... tool, for the job :cool:

When I get new cans, I'll do a quick do-these-work check, but before I do any super critical listening, I run them, full tilt, just sitting, for a few hours - usually at least overnight, decent volume level.
 
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SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
And what was it, may one ask?

(Not sure I understand your post; in fact, I am absolutely certain that I don't).
Tool. That is the name of my number 1 most favorite band. They're the ones I listen to frequently and post a lot about across the forums, ad nauseam no doubt to some folks. :p Tool is what is in my forum signature below.

Tool is depending on how one wants to classify them, either a progressive rock or progressive metal band. They are quite often compared to Pink Floyd in style, sound, and composition. They have also been labeled by an industry magazine once as "the thinking man's band" due in large part to their deep meaning and enlightening lyrics.
 
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Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,834
46,282
In a coffee shop.
Tool. That is the name of my number 1 most favorite band. They're the ones I listen to frequently and post a lot about across the forums, ad nauseam no doubt to some folks. :p Tool is what is in my forum signature below.

Tool is depending on how one wants to classify them, either a progressive rock or progressive metal band. They are quite often compared to Pink Floyd in style, sound, and composition. They have also been labeled by an industry magazine once as "the thinking man's band" due in large part to their deep meaning and enlightening lyrics.

Thank you for your detailed explanation. Much appreciated.

Actually, I have never heard of Tool, nor have I heard their music, - and wasn't at all able to make out what that series of symbols meant - but I do like Pink Floyd.
 
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