Headphones

[Mookalafalas]

I have the previous version and love them.  Very neutral tonality. Deep bass is particularly good and downright sensual with the right recordings. 

  Is the bass in yours native, or using the accompanying attachment? I used the attachment and first listened to Rachmaninov's 1st symphony. There was some cosmic bass going on there--but with no distortion. It was amazing. Perhaps it's the all around clarity that is so surprising about these--and their relative tininess.

[Holden]

I'd probably enjoy them as I've always preferred the sound of dynamic drivers as opposed to balanced armature. The three pairs of Flare that I own are all good examples of this sound signature yet when I listened to a comparable pair from Campfire audio (Andromeda) I felt that there was something not quite right with the sound. They have corrected this with hybrid models.

Another review: https://headphones.com/blogs/reviews/truthear-x-crinacle-zero-red-dissecting-the-hype

[Daverz]

Is the bass in yours native, or using the accompanying attachment? I used the attachment and first listened to Rachmaninov's 1st symphony. There was some cosmic bass going on there--but with no distortion. It was amazing. Perhaps it's the all around clarity that is so surprising about these--and their relative tininess.

Native, there aren't any attachments.  Here's the ASR review:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/truthear-x-crinacle-zero-iem-review.37380/

[Mookalafalas]

Native, there aren't any attachments.  Here's the ASR review:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/truthear-x-crinacle-zero-iem-review.37380/

  Yeah, basically the same as the "Reds" that I got. Just a slight tweak in design. It's nice that there are still excellent things out there that are available for a reasonable price. I was looking at Crinacle's website of reviewed IEM devices, and the top ones are well over 1K USD. Interestingly, he doesn't put the ones that he's involved with on his ratings charts, to avoid appearance of bias.

[Holden]

My work headphones broke the other day. The headband snapped where it meets the left ear cup. I'd had these since 2009, really liked the sound even though they were for using at work. They were Shure SRH840s and what I loved about them is their ability to faithfully reproduce the tonalities of a piano without any little strange auditory artefacts. Not surprising as they were designed for studio monitoring.

So I had to replace them and looked around online for a couple of days. I could still buy the same cans as remainder stock but they weren't really offering a discount. I looked at more expensive models but eventually settled on these, the upgrade of the originals.



I've given them a brief listen tonight before taking them to work tomorrow and am happy that I made a good decision.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

My work headphones broke the other day. The headband snapped where it meets the left ear cup. I'd had these since 2009, really liked the sound even though they were for using at work. They were Shure SRH840s and what I loved about them is their ability to faithfully reproduce the tonalities of a piano without any little strange auditory artefacts. Not surprising as they were designed for studio monitoring.

So I had to replace them and looked around online for a couple of days. I could still buy the same cans as remainder stock but they weren't really offering a discount. I looked at more expensive models but eventually settled on these, the upgrade of the originals.



I've given them a brief listen tonight before taking them to work tomorrow and am happy that I made a good decision.

Sorry, but I can't see your image.  What model did you end up getting?

By the way, you might still try super-glueing your old set.  I had an inexpensive pair that I used for listening to my laptop.  I stupidly set them on the ground and you can guess what happened.    I don't use them often which sounds like it's different from what you do, but so far, they've held up.

PD

[DavidW]

Sorry, but I can't see your image.  What model did you end up getting?

By the way, you might still try super-glueing your old set.  I had an inexpensive pair that I used for listening to my laptop.  I stupidly set them on the ground and you can guess what happened.    I don't use them often which sounds like it's different from what you do, but so far, they've held up.

PD

The picture is of the Shure 840.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The picture is of the Shure 840.

Thanks, I looked into it a bit more.  Apparently, he had the first generation of that model.  I did see some gripes (not a ton), but of people complaining that the second generation of the Shures were smaller and not as well made (this was on Amazon).

PD

[Holden]

The picture is of the Shure 840.

It's the 840A. Where the band has broken might make it very difficult to superglue (with my poor technical skills anyway).

[Pohjolas Daughter]

It's the 840A. Where the band has broken might make it very difficult to superglue (with my poor technical skills anyway).

The trick is to keep your hands really steady and apply a mild amount of pressure for a bit (I forget how long it takes for the glue to set) and then let it cure for how ever long they suggest.

For me, the part that broke was the *plastic piece that holds--not certain what you call it--the cup/can(?).  It's shaped like a half moon and is attached to the earpiece with a swivel joint.  The half moon part broke in two, but I (actually a friend) applied a bit of superglue to one piece and then held them together for a bit.

*It wasn't the actual headband itself.

In any event, I hope that you enjoy your new pair as much as your old ones. 

PD

[DavidW]

I still remember in high school how upset I was when my beloved Sony headphones broke.  And then my Father hot glued the band back together and I was back in business!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I still remember in high school how upset I was when my beloved Sony headphones broke.  And then my Father hot glued the band back together and I was back in business!

Cool!   

PD

[Spotted Horses]

Anyone here have any experience with the Denon AH-GC25NC or AH-GC30 headphones (basically the same headphones with or without bluetooth connectivity)?

I have interest in noise cancelling headphones to defeat HVAC noise which is just loud enough to disturb listening, and which would be more "audiophile" than Bose QuietComfort headphones. Denon seem to be below the radar on headphones, and I haven't found any reviews of these headphones which have any meaningful comments on what they sound like.

[Spotted Horses]

Ok, no one has heard (of) those Denon headphones.

What about Shure AONIC 50 or Shure AONIC 40 headphones?

[DavidW]

Ok, no one has heard (of) those Denon headphones.

What about Shure AONIC 50 or Shure AONIC 40 headphones?

I actually considered them (the 50s) at one point but at that price point I felt that they needed to deliver great ANC, and it does not.  They are competing with Bose and Sony at that point.  And keep in mind that the EQ through the app of most brands can compensate for bad tuning as long as it is not egregiously bad.

[Holden]

A really good fitting set of closed back headphones might defeat the aircon noise (depending on how loud it is of course. Maybe get your aircon looked at instead???)

However, if you want the best ANC at your price range then there is really only one choice IMO and that is the Sony WH1000XM4. Why not the XM5 you ask? Simple, the sound improvement between the two is minimal (and I got to compare both side by side recently) but the 5 has a few more features. This means that the XM4 is now at a cheaper price. That said the XM5 on Amazon is only $50 more. However, if you shop around I'm sure you'll find the XM4s much cheaper. Also, they fold up which the XM5s don't.

Sony's main competitor is the Sennheiser Momentum 4 (much cheaper on Amazon at the moment) but while it's of similar sound quality (I auditioned these along with the two Sonys) its ANC is not as good as Sony's.

[drogulus]

     I'd love to find Bluetooth cans comparable to my DT770 Pro ones. I have the Sony MX3s, which are quite good but not in the same class.

[Spotted Horses]

A really good fitting set of closed back headphones might defeat the aircon noise (depending on how loud it is of course. Maybe get your aircon looked at instead???)

However, if you want the best ANC at your price range then there is really only one choice IMO and that is the Sony WH1000XM4. Why not the XM5 you ask? Simple, the sound improvement between the two is minimal (and I got to compare both side by side recently) but the 5 has a few more features. This means that the XM4 is now at a cheaper price. That said the XM5 on Amazon is only $50 more. However, if you shop around I'm sure you'll find the XM4s much cheaper. Also, they fold up which the XM5s don't.

Sony's main competitor is the Sennheiser Momentum 4 (much cheaper on Amazon at the moment) but while it's of similar sound quality (I auditioned these along with the two Sonys) its ANC is not as good as Sony's.

Turns out I have the Sony WH1000XM4. I have no gripe with the noise cancelation, which is excellent. I was thinking Shure has more of a reputation for producing neutral, uncolored sound reproduction, and would be more "audiophile." Maybe not, and they wouldn't be an improvement on the Sony headphones. I also have older wired Bose Quietcomfort headphones, which likewise have great noise cancelation but are not quite neutral or transparent to my ear.

I also have (recently acquired) Shure SRH840A headphones, which sound great and probably have "almost" the required isolation. Another issue is closed back headphones create an acoustic chamber around your ear, and jiggling the cord excites noise, which means I must be careful not to jiggle the cord. They are the motivation for considering Shure wireless, noise canceling headphones. The hope is the excellent sonics would carry over.

Getting the HVAC quieter is not practical. We have an older house where the unit on the ground floor. The way to make it quiet would be to move the thing to the attic, and the cost is prohibitive. It's strictly a winter problem (AC rarely needed in summer, and never at night when I listen) so I have some time to decide.

I actually considered them (the 50s) at one point but at that price point I felt that they needed to deliver great ANC, and it does not.  They are competing with Bose and Sony at that point.  And keep in mind that the EQ through the app of most brands can compensate for bad tuning as long as it is not egregiously bad.

As mentioned above, absolute best noise cancelation is not the main priority. The 50s also have an ambience mode, which is said to mimic the experience of listening to speakers (probably a sophisticated version of cross-feed). That might be nice.

[Holden]

We are starting to talk the same language. I recently acquired the Shure 840As after the headband on the original 840s broke. I bought them because the 840s came very close to a neutral SQ and the 'A's are very similar but with a bit more bass.

One of my work colleagues, Sona, has a very abrasive laugh and also enjoys a good laugh, bless her. In the office when I'm not trying to do admin it's very refreshing to hear her enjoyment of what's going on. However, when I am trying to work the 840As do a good job of blocking that laugh out but it's not total. I think that you have a great set of cans in the Shures and with the invariable noise of your aircon they should do the job.

Reading your last post I have a possibly interesting suggestion. The best set of almost total noise isolating cans I ever used were the Sennheiser HD280s. On a plane, with them on, I could barely hear the engine noise, the cabin crew member had to tap me on the shoulder to get my attention and they drowned out the crying baby three rows back.

On the positive side these are headphones that professionals use for monitoring because they are so neutral. The negative is that they require some amplification to make them sound at their best. When I played them through a humble Fiio Q1 DAC/Amp it just brought them to life but hey - that's the old Sennheiser before Axel left. I have HD580s and HD650s and my Schiit Asgard also sent them to another level. The 280s only cost $130.

[DavidW]

I'd love to find Bluetooth cans comparable to my DT770 Pro ones. I have the Sony MX3s, which are quite good but not in the same class.

If they still make them try the Beyerdynamics Lagoon.  They are really short of features like codec support and good ANC (it frankly sucks) but the SQ is out of this world!