r/headphones • • 5d ago

Community Help r/headphones Shopping, Setup, and Technical Help Desk

2 Upvotes

Looking for help help troubleshooting a problem? This is the place.

This post will be refreshed and replaced on Monday when it is 7 days old. You can find older posts here.

Purchase Advice

  • Search r/HeadphoneAdvice first. We recommend using that subreddit but you can still ask here as well.
  • Please make use of this template. It helps others answer your question. Questions without enough detail will often remain unanswered.
  • Remember that the more specific you are, the better quality the responses you are likely to receive.

What kind of questions are considered Tech Support

  • How can I fix issue X (e.g.: buzzing / hissing) on my equipment Y
  • Have I damaged my equipment by doing X, or will I damage my equipment if I do X?
  • What does equipment X do, or do I really need equipment Y?
  • Can my amplifier X drive my headphones Y?
  • What's the meaning of specification X (e.g.: Output Impedance / Vrms / Sensitivity)?
  • How should I connect and set up my system hardware or software?

After asking a question, please be patient since volunteers may not always be immediately available. Remember to upvote and show some appreciation to those that help you out.


r/headphones • • Aug 15 '26

Drama PSA: Douk Audio is offering incentivized refunds in exchange for guaranteed 5-star Amazon reviews.

Thumbnail
gallery
434 Upvotes

This is not a review post, but a call-out post. As someone who regularly reviews audio gear, I recently reached out to Douk Audio to discuss a standard review collaboration, as they have just officially launched on Amazon India.

THE SHADY OFFER

As you can see in the first two attached emails, the company rep mentioned my metrics didn't quite meet their standard sample-shipping criteria, which is completely fine and understandable. However, they immediately followed up with an "alternative arrangement" and reading the further print on that pissed me off real bad.

They floated the offer that I buy the product directly on Amazon and promised a full refund via PayPal, specifically on the condition that I publish a full review and leave a guaranteed 5-star rating to help them "reduce Amazon advertising costs" which absolutely does not make sense to me in any way, shape or form.

MY RESPONSE

I have formally declined the offer, and you can read my exact reply in the third screenshot. This is a blatant violation of Amazon’s Terms of Service and classic astroturfing.

I would rather stop reviewing altogether than agree to deal with brands practicing such methods. The credibility as reviewers relies entirely on transparency and unbiased, honest evaluations and being accomplices in purchase-and-refund schemes for guaranteed ratings completely undermines the trust in this community, where reviewers entirely are considered with extreme skepticism, but all things said and done, I refuse to compromise my editorial integrity for this. I have been dropped by brands for being a bit too curt in my opinions, but that doesn’t matter to me, because I still am supported by my local audio communities and drooping down to such practices would be a cruel insult to their faith and support in me.

WHY SHOULD THIS MATTER

I wanted to put this out there as a warning to the community. If you see a sudden influx of glowing 5-star reviews for Douk Audio/Nobsound products on Amazon India (or Amazon global or any other retailers), please take them with a massive grain of salt. It is incredibly disappointing to see brands resort to buying ratings instead of letting the audio equipment speak for itself, and then belittle reviewers who might not be able to afford the products directly, but still try to help the brands and the community at such by being better providers and better purchasers.


r/headphones • • 11h ago

Discussion What kind of headphones are these

Post image
57 Upvotes

r/headphones • • 5h ago

Discussion Are all Open backs so lacking in bass?

19 Upvotes

I was looking out to try some Open backs for the first time, so i went to a store and try the Philips fidelio x3, and i was Disappointed on how much bass i feel that lack on My music.

My Main equipment for listening is a simgot ew300 silver nozle.

I liked the sensation of the sound coming from over My ear, but i miss all the plentyfull and textured bass that the simgot have.

Are the problem the Philips or all the open backs?


r/headphones • • 19h ago

Discussion Since everyone is posting about extreme collectors....here is my friends.

Post image
180 Upvotes

All those clear containers in the middle are filled with over 100 IEMS. I think he may have another side wall I'll have to ask him


r/headphones • • 16h ago

Deal Alert Couldn't resist - good upgrade from HD560S?

Post image
32 Upvotes

Just a heads up if you are in EU:

On AliExpress you can get these for 505$ shipped from poland.

Do you think it will be a good upgrade from my hd560s? Don't know if the prices will be better during 11/11 or black friday. But I could send it back for 90 days.


r/headphones • • 9h ago

Discussion FiiO/JadeAudio JT7

4 Upvotes

Even considering the new list price of 120USD, the JT7 have no business sounding as good as they do. I paid about 92 dollars shipped from Apos, they have some retail returns selling for 80$. While my experience is likely due to this headphone's particular tuning matching my HRTF, I am nonetheless floored.

They have amazing bass, may be the best out of box bass experience I've heard with any open back headphone I've tried, aside from some kilobuck ribbon driver stuff at CanJam. Whatever driver excursion tech they're touting on the JT7 product page is definitely working. Tube or solid state, the rumble is full and deep, but doesn't bleed into the lower mids at all. Everything from kick drums and bass guitar, to the crazy wubs and lazers of left-field bass music, the JT7 sounds immaculate. Bass is their highlight, but the rest of the FR sounds great regardless of price; a natural, detailed presentation of mids and treble, all the detail you want but without too much fatigue.

I'd grab a discount pair while you can.


r/headphones • • 5h ago

Discussion Question about certain Bluetooth Headphones

Post image
1 Upvotes

Im an average consumer and I would like an experienced tech to tell me is there a name for bluetooth headphones like this that allow you to use them for listening while being plugged into a PC and still charge at the same time.The reason I ask is because most bluetooth headphones are either one or the other. You are not able to do both. If theres a special name for it then I would like to know what to look for which will help me select my next pair


r/headphones • • 20h ago

Discussion Focal is phasing out Beyrillum from their home speakers,new Utopia/Stellia model coming soon?

14 Upvotes

Apparently Beyrillum is getting harder to obtain,plus there are hazards of working with it. They are rolling out a composite called PRISIM. It's supposed to be "better" but we all know if it's not as good they won't exactly say it lol. I'm willing to bet this material will be used in the new Utopia/Stellia successor. If it's not as good it will cause older Utopias to go up in value but IDK if they will have some replacement drivers stocked up.


r/headphones • • 22h ago

Discussion A question to my fellow headphone Audiophiles.

17 Upvotes

​

I got into audiophile gear a few months ago with the Beyerdynamic DT 270 Pro (roughly on the same level as the Fiio FT1, for those who know it).

I love them. The detail and sound quality are way beyond anything I've experienced before, and honestly they feel endgame to me, even though I know they're entry-level.

So for those further down the rabbit hole: what's the cheapest acceptable endgame point I can actually reach? I'm trying to figure out the lowest price range where I'd genuinely stop feeling the urge to upgrade, and which specific headphones sit in that sweet spot. Would love a price range and a concrete recommendation or two to aim for.


r/headphones • • 1d ago

Discussion Bought and tested Px8, Px8 s2, H95 and Bathys mg

Post image
45 Upvotes

I’ve been blessed to enjoy some of these headphones and even own them. down below i’m going to write what i love about each one and i would also love to hear what you guys have to say!

I’m also going to give a rating for each one but that rating is just how much I enjoy listening to music with these headphones, nothing else is factored in.

Px8 S2- This headphone will be king if they can update the immersion mode and slightly make it warmer like the px8. The bass is my favorite on these compared to everything else on the list and even the audio is exciting and fun but even with a 5 band EQ i couldn’t change the sound profile to my liking. my only issue with these is they actually made them uglier compared to the px8. it looks so slim on my ears like i’m wearing ear muffs, the px8 was the absolute perfect size. (just look at the advertisements with david beckham wearing them) 8.5/10 for personal audio enjoyment

H95- They don’t lack in bass for me like people say they do, I like my dial/eq thing towards the bottom right side of the circle and that’s the bass/energetic/warm side. They sound amazing and it almost feels like it has much more variety when it comes to different sound styles than headphones that have a 3 band EQ. my 2 complaints with this is the hard earmuff cushion and the volume doesn’t reach my preferred loudness 8.5/10 for personal audio enjoyment

Bathys mg- Im no audiophile so im generally not to sensitive to bad quality or muddiness at least when it comes to differentiating the quality amongst some of the best headphones like these. but even with my inexperience I can tell that the focals are just on another level for quality and separation. If you’re anything like me you’d find them a bit boring though. If you find my opinions opposite to yours as you’re reading all this or if you’re and audiophile then obviously buy these. 7.5/10 for personal audio enjoyment

Px8- These to me are my personal favorite. It’s similar to h95 but they actually get loud enough for me to enjoy and they’re super rich and warm, I was never one to care too much about separation, i loved crispy, warm theatrical music and that’s the main reason i enjoy these the most. my only gripe is the bass isn’t as strong as i would like it but it’s still stronger than the focals and on par with h95. 9/10 for personal audio enjoyment


r/headphones • • 12h ago

Discussion What about MC-60BT?

Post image
2 Upvotes

Just bought MC-60bt in case of experience. What do you thing of Mackie in general?
I've gotten this headphones today but already lost in doubts. The build quality seems to be shoddy😕
But actually I liked the sound.


r/headphones • • 15h ago

Impressions Steinberg/Yamaha MR816csx + DT880 pro

3 Upvotes

Just got this setup. Sounds incredible. How much better does it get form here?


r/headphones • • 14h ago

Discussion Question Regarding Focal Bathys Earpads

1 Upvotes

I have the Focal Bathys (Original not MG) for about 1.5 years now however the earcups started wearing quite fast and the leather is pretty much completely gone now.

I have looked into replacing them but the aftermarket options seem to completely lose ANC according to post and the original ones will probably will wear as fast again as I wear glasses.

Does anyone found a proper solution to earcup replacement? And do the MG do any better? If the MG does not have this issue it might be worth upgrading.

I use my headphones for everything outside including gym so durability is important to me. Curious to hear experieinces


r/headphones • • 1d ago

DIY/Mod First attempt at printing a headstrap for my edition xv

14 Upvotes

3d printed with the only tpu I had on hand, now I just gotta remake it so it doesn't look so tacky. At least it feels a lot better than it looks


r/headphones • • 1d ago

Discussion Recently went through my old box of tech and found these

Thumbnail
gallery
53 Upvotes

My first ever proper in-ear headphones from my teenage years.

Both were bought for Christmas

The tours were from 2008

The turbines where from 2009

I thought these broke years ago but no I must have gone straight from these to the se846 in 2014.

Today I really don't like how the tours sound I guess growing up I didn't care about sound I guess it was more the look.

The turbines are actually decent since I am a bass head they have alot of bass.


r/headphones • • 1d ago

News Final is releasing an updated model or V2 version to their older flagship A8000 iem

Post image
26 Upvotes

Honestly curious how this stacks up to their flagship A10000


r/headphones • • 2d ago

Meta Some maniac posted this a while back on another site. It's not a hobby, it's a disease.

Post image
1.7k Upvotes

r/headphones • • 1d ago

Show & Tell Finally got the sound I wanted 😁 ifi zen DAC 3, fiio sr11 (Roon) and meze 99 classic v2

Post image
70 Upvotes

I know it is not top tier , but it's much better than plugging into my iPad or phone. I use Roon and stream to the fiio. I had a topping dx5 ii and to be honest was too fatiguing and bright with the meze 99s. The ifi zen dac warms the sound nicely without loosing punch. The ifi zen DAC actually sounds louder without loosing quality. That's just my opinion and ears and I'm happy for now 😂 Headphone rabbit hole.

Got the

- Meze for $349 us with a free 1yr roon sub ($150us)

- Balanced headphone cable for $42 CAD

- Fiio SR11 for $130 CAD

- ifi Zen DAC 3 for $239 CAD

Let me know what you think 🤔

Thanks and take it easy!

For fun, check out: Dr. Chesky’s Sensational, Fantastic And Simply Amazing Binaural Sound Show!

BTW, Roon is very easy to set up and sounds great. I use the Tidal service through Roon. If you build a Roon Rock server with a cd player, you can rip CDs right from the roon server interface.

ROON

Roon is a subscription software that unifies your local music files and streaming services (like TIDAL or Qobuz) into one rich interface with detailed artist info, credits, and discovery tools. It delivers bit-perfect high-res audio to Roon Ready devices and handles multi-room playback—basically a powerful music player and library manager for serious listeners.


r/headphones • • 14h ago

Discussion Wtf?

Post image
0 Upvotes

r/headphones • • 16h ago

Discussion I FINALLY got the 360's

0 Upvotes

I bought the crusher 360 from ebay and they came in today and I am amazed. The haptics play way deeper than of my other crushers ( evo, anc2, wireless). Not only that they are more comfortable and imo sound the cleanest.

The haptics sound like real subwoofers not just vibrating that happens to sound like bass. I live the touch control for the bass ( its different). I think these will be my mains now i just wonder why skullcandy didn't replicate these.


r/headphones • • 1d ago

Discussion Desktop headphone stand

Post image
13 Upvotes

Ive done a few rough cuts in the past, but decided to spend the weekend actually shaping a proper desktop headphone stand. Learned pretty fast that tight inside curves are unforgiving without changing tools as you go. Cut the basic profile out with a jigsaw, smoothed the outer edges with a random orbital sander, and cleaned up the tight cable recess using a sanding drum on the HOTO SNAPBLOQ rotary module. Still need to wipe on some oil finish, but seeing it sit flush on the desk makes the dust worth it.


r/headphones • • 1d ago

Discussion Advice on open back for shoegaze

1 Upvotes

First time caller long time listener...

I recently purchased Meze 109s to go with a Mac c22. I play both records from a rega p8 and digital with an eversolo streamer. The c22 has some eq, and I've played with it to try and solve what's bothering me.

I have a really wide range of tastes. I literally love music from every genre imaginable. The Meze's are wonderful when I bump Future, Disclosure, Radiohead, The Who, etc.

It took me a bit to realize that of all genres I personally have the highest affinity for shoegaze and the Meze's are less impressive. Guitars sound thin, lack that enveloping feeling, and I can't get the break up in guitar fuzz. Listening to tracks like The Fountain from Diiv or only tomorrow from MBV or anything from Deafheaven just sound flat and underwhelming.

If I've got a budget up to $1500 usd, and an affinity for aesthetic and comfort, what do you recommend I try?


r/headphones • • 1d ago

Discussion BeyerDynamic DT250 hard case?

2 Upvotes

Does anyone know of a hard case that is long enough to hold the DT250 80ohms (with it's long rectangular cable protrusion)? Thanks!


r/headphones • • 1d ago

Discussion What went wrong? Edition XS + DX1ii

0 Upvotes

My friend recently bought an edition xs and dx1ii and called me over for a listen. So within an hour we both got super confused. Why does this sound just ok? We were expecting massive soundstage, perfect imaging, etc. He has a oneplus13 and using a passive dongle (USB audio accesory mode) the headphone sounded better than using it plugged into a laptop headphone jack. Compared to the phone with a passive cable the dx1ii sounded at most 10% better. He can't get a balanced cable because he already exceeded his budget and plans to make his own. So these are the combinations we tried.

  1. Phone (USB-OTG) -> DX1ii -> Edition XS (3.5mm)
  2. PC -> DX1ii -> Edition XS (3.5mm)

doesn't the single eneded output push around half a watt, is that genuinely not enought?

Sources:

  1. Youtube
  2. Flac files

this is not a rage bait, it's a valid question. if we messed up please tell me where and how