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Hey everyone,
Long time lurker, first time poster. I'd like to start a discussion on the various types of headphones that everyone has bought for use with their EVO (or other smartphone) and what their thoughts were - got any suggestions for EQ apps, settings for each type of headphone? Which ones work best for you? Which built-in controls are the most natural for you? etc etc etc.
So, I'll start.
The first thing I want to say is that I acknowledge there are a ton of places the audio could go sour between the original media (CD, DVD, blu-Ray, etc) to the final product coming through your headphones. The whole process will go like this for a typical user:
Buy CD
Import CD using audio program (iTunes/WMP/MediaMonkey/CDRip)
Put songs onto device
Listen to device with music app (usually stock)
Your mileage may vary (you may have your own custom extraction settings, bitrate settings, encoder settings, music apps, etc etc etc), but I want to focus on not necessarily the most accurate sound possible, but the most practical and "best-sounding-to-the-untrained-ear" sound. Personally, I have my own settings, and I have something of an affinity for music encoding and playback, but most of my friends are happy with Skullcandies (*shudder*)
So, after an extremely long ramble for the first, I'll tell you about my headphones:
1. Sennheiser HD280 Pro Over-The-Ear phones
These phones are great, and now sell for about $90 cheaper than when I bought them. They provide a nice sound, and even response using the stock app. I can adjust settings from DSPManager and they sound even better. However, as I've used them over the years, the sound has decayed slightly to become more "middy" and they don't have the original shimmer they had before. Also, they aren't very useful for travel, but they're great for listening at home with, although the big "pigtail" twisted cable looks strange hanging out of your pocket.
2. Klipsch Image S4 Enhanced Bass Earphones
A nice pair of in-ear headphones, they provide a colorful sound and nice overall response to a wide variety of music. They're a relatively cheap set of phones (probably for the holidays) and they sound great. Again, messing in DSPManager I can get an even better sound. These are very comfy headphones and look great, they feel great in the ear, provide nice isolation to keep the music in your ears and the outside out.
3. Sennheiser CX-300II-B Earphones
My favorites so far. I just got these a little bit ago at a bargain price ($30), and I haven't looked back. For being such small headphones, they provide a powerful punch and a great sound. They can take loud volumes with no distortion (until you add EQ). The fit is comfortable, they have a Y-shaped cord (so the right ear cable is longer than the left ear). They stay in place, and look great. They came with a nice magnetic case that keeps the buds safe and secure and super-portable for travel.
4. Sennheiser CX-300-B Earphones
I have these phones also, and they are almost identical to #3, just not quite as bassy.
I have some other phones, but they aren't worth mentioning (Apple headphones, skullcandies, and some other cheap ones). The sound just isn't good, even after significant modification with EQ and such.
For my music app, I use the "stock" app that comes with CM6.1 RC1, and I EQ with DSPManager. Lately, however, I've started using powerAMP (AWESOME APP - Look for it in the Market), the built-in 10-band EQ w/preamp is a must-have in music apps.
I know this is a lengthy post, just wondering if you all have any favorite headphones/music apps/eq settings for headphones?
Well my dilemma in using headphones is that I pretty much always need to be ready to take a call at any time and you can't take calls very well on stereo heaphones.
So, not being much of an audiophile I just pipe pretty lame music into my bluetooth headset using Super BT Mono software. It sucks for music but will do for talk radio.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
I have a pair of Shure SE-115's. Didn't buy them, thankfully as the retail was around $130 at the time. Got them through a points system at work.
They are by far the best headphones I have ever had. I ride a motorcycle everywhere, and these are the only headphones I've ever had that can almost completely cancel out the sound of the bike at city to highway speeds.
They sound excellent in normal conditions as well. They have awesome bass and clarity, and they fit quite comfortably.
I have a pair of Shure E5Cs (I think they are called SCL5s now), a pair of Shure SE530s, and a pair of AKG k240s.
Can anyone recommend a a good pair of over the ear (not over the head) headphones with headset controls and a mic?
I loved my Shure E3Cs, but hated the cables. I really like my MEElectronics M11p+ set, especially the cables. The Shures may have sounded a touch better, but only slightly, and you can't beat the price especially with a coupon. Actually just won a set of their M6p phones, so I will see which ones I like better and keep the others as backup.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
I use the M-Audio IE-30 and they sound fantastic on my EVO.
I use my Dr. Dre beats pro with the MIUI music app on my EVO, I have also sanded the back so it matches nicely with the evo and pros. I also have the 3500 mha battery from ebay with Calkulin's EViO 2 ROM v1.6.2 and I get over 25 hours with heavy usage and music and game playing. The Pros are about 400 dollars plus insurance and tax 500 from best buy. If you are rz member next Sunday they will be 350 during the special event sale. Hope any of this helps. Also I added my own icons and can be found here to match dr. dre take a look. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=793055
mitchellvii said:
Well my dilemma in using headphones is that I pretty much always need to be ready to take a call at any time and you can't take calls very well on stereo heaphones.
So, not being much of an audiophile I just pipe pretty lame music into my bluetooth headset using Super BT Mono software. It sucks for music but will do for talk radio.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should try the Halo headset. It's sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
Hi all,
I bought a pair of Plantronics Backbeat 903+ headphones yesterday.
Thought I'd put a quick review and warning for anyone that is thinking of using BT headphones for anything that is latency sensitive.
I will use them mainly for music. Probably rarely for phone calls unless I happen to be listening to music when I get a call.
Sound quality is quite good. They sound fuller and not as harsh as the stock headphones that came with the Note.
Better than I expected, but there is a lack of highs. It was very noticeable when compared to my cheap, corded, Philips SHL9500 foldable headphones that I usually travel with.
Had to nudge the highs up in the EQ of Power Amp to be able to hear the treble well.
Range is better than I expected too. I'm just in a small apartment, but I could walk all around the room and into the next room and around the corner (losing line of sight), with no noticeable difference in sound. This was further than the 10m range they claim.
I also put the phone in my jeans pocket and it continued to work fine. I'd read some reviews complaining that it needed line of sight or would drop out, but no such problems for me.
Battery life is awesome on these. They claim a full charge will last 7 hours. I used them for 3-4 hours last night.
When I turned them on this morning, they said they had 5 hours remaining. I probably wasn't listening constantly over the 3-4 hours last night as I was starting and stopping apps, so that is probably about right.
Also, when you turn them, a voice announces how many hours the battery has left which is handy since there is no visual indicators.
Comfort for me was very good. I had them on for almost 4 hours last night and didn't notice them most of the time. Although when I took them off, my ears were a little sore from the buds being in there, but with most in ear phones my ears get sore sooner than that and I notice it whilst they are still in there.
Note that the cord between each ear is quite short and only just reaches around my head. I can fit 2 fingers between the cord and my head, but only just, and I have a shaved head. I also tried on the Jabra Sports in the shop, but they didn't feel as comfortable to me, and also the cord was quite a bit longer and I thought it may get in the way or get caught on something when exercising. So best to try them on in a shop to check if they fit your head.
One thing I didn't realise about bluetooth headphones is that they introduce latency. It seems to be about 500ms.
You can test the latency by connecting the BT headphones and then changing your ring tone. When you audition different ring tones it will play them through both the phone speaker and the headphones, and you will hear the lag.
In addition to listening to MP3s, what I primarily wanted them for was for music apps and recording, so that I wouldn't have a cord getting in the way, or have to be restricted to the length of the cable.
It's not too big a deal with the multi track programs I use (Loopstack and Audio Evolution mainly, with FourTracksPro) as I can adjust the latency, but it means I have to change it depending on whether I'm using the BT headphones or not).
But for apps that require live input and monitoring (like drum, guitar, piano apps that you play and want to hear yourself playing live), the latency makes them not really useable.
I can still use these headphones to record guitars and vocals through the Note's microphone, but I just need to adjust the latency which is annoying.
Any music app that is program/sequence based like Caustic or Easyband, is not too much of a problem as you don't really notice the latency, apart from the fact that what you see on the screen is slightly out of sync with what you hear.
Also for games that require the audio to be in sync with the screen, the 500ms is not really useable (I have a game called Beats, which is a rhythm game and you need the screen and audio to be in sync).
For video, though using the stock video player, it is in sync, so there must be some latency compensation going on in the software which is good.
When I tried youtube, using the youtube app, it is out of sync at the start, but then it gets into sync, so there is some kind of buffering or compensation giong on there too.
So, if it's just listening to music or watching video is what you want them for, I thin they are really good.
If you want to use them for games or music apps that will be negatively impacted by the latency, then you are probably better off sticking with corded headphones.
I will probably end up carrying corded phones with me when I travel for the times when I don't want any latency.
But for walking around, exercising, just casual use, the Backbeat 903+ headphones are really good and am happy to be free from a cord for those situations.
Cheers,
Rich
good review...I was planning to pick one up.
richlum said:
Hi all,
I bought a pair of Plantronics Backbeat 903+ headphones yesterday.
Thought I'd put a quick review and warning for anyone that is thinking of using BT headphones for anything that is latency sensitive.
I will use them mainly for music. Probably rarely for phone calls unless I happen to be listening to music when I get a call.
Sound quality is quite good. They sound fuller and not as harsh as the stock headphones that came with the Note.
Better than I expected, but there is a lack of highs. It was very noticeable when compared to my cheap, corded, Philips SHL9500 foldable headphones that I usually travel with.
Had to nudge the highs up in the EQ of Power Amp to be able to hear the treble well.
Range is better than I expected too. I'm just in a small apartment, but I could walk all around the room and into the next room and around the corner (losing line of sight), with no noticeable difference in sound. This was further than the 10m range they claim.
I also put the phone in my jeans pocket and it continued to work fine. I'd read some reviews complaining that it needed line of sight or would drop out, but no such problems for me.
Battery life is awesome on these. They claim a full charge will last 7 hours. I used them for 3-4 hours last night.
When I turned them on this morning, they said they had 5 hours remaining. I probably wasn't listening constantly over the 3-4 hours last night as I was starting and stopping apps, so that is probably about right.
Also, when you turn them, a voice announces how many hours the battery has left which is handy since there is no visual indicators.
Comfort for me was very good. I had them on for almost 4 hours last night and didn't notice them most of the time. Although when I took them off, my ears were a little sore from the buds being in there, but with most in ear phones my ears get sore sooner than that and I notice it whilst they are still in there.
Note that the cord between each ear is quite short and only just reaches around my head. I can fit 2 fingers between the cord and my head, but only just, and I have a shaved head. I also tried on the Jabra Sports in the shop, but they didn't feel as comfortable to me, and also the cord was quite a bit longer and I thought it may get in the way or get caught on something when exercising. So best to try them on in a shop to check if they fit your head.
One thing I didn't realise about bluetooth headphones is that they introduce latency. It seems to be about 500ms.
You can test the latency by connecting the BT headphones and then changing your ring tone. When you audition different ring tones it will play them through both the phone speaker and the headphones, and you will hear the lag.
In addition to listening to MP3s, what I primarily wanted them for was for music apps and recording, so that I wouldn't have a cord getting in the way, or have to be restricted to the length of the cable.
It's not too big a deal with the multi track programs I use (Loopstack and Audio Evolution mainly, with FourTracksPro) as I can adjust the latency, but it means I have to change it depending on whether I'm using the BT headphones or not).
But for apps that require live input and monitoring (like drum, guitar, piano apps that you play and want to hear yourself playing live), the latency makes them not really useable.
I can still use these headphones to record guitars and vocals through the Note's microphone, but I just need to adjust the latency which is annoying.
Any music app that is program/sequence based like Caustic or Easyband, is not too much of a problem as you don't really notice the latency, apart from the fact that what you see on the screen is slightly out of sync with what you hear.
Also for games that require the audio to be in sync with the screen, the 500ms is not really useable (I have a game called Beats, which is a rhythm game and you need the screen and audio to be in sync).
For video, though using the stock video player, it is in sync, so there must be some latency compensation going on in the software which is good.
When I tried youtube, using the youtube app, it is out of sync at the start, but then it gets into sync, so there is some kind of buffering or compensation giong on there too.
So, if it's just listening to music or watching video is what you want them for, I thin they are really good.
If you want to use them for games or music apps that will be negatively impacted by the latency, then you are probably better off sticking with corded headphones.
I will probably end up carrying corded phones with me when I travel for the times when I don't want any latency.
But for walking around, exercising, just casual use, the Backbeat 903+ headphones are really good and am happy to be free from a cord for those situations.
Cheers,
Rich
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reviews. I am looking for ones to go to the gym.
I actually own the same model. Owned the previous model up until i wore it out. It's a perfect set of bt headphones to work out with and it's discreet when wearing it around. It fairs well functionality-wise; haven't had an issue with my note.
Thanks for the review.
I have just bought my Note2 and Plantronics 903+ and as i am a normal user (phone calls and music) it is really awesome.
But I have few issues with this and i need your confirmation
1) The Music forward and backward buttons doesn't change the music track? I have my corporate mail and hence have set up PIN lock in my phone. Is that dur to auto locking of phone with PIN or the Bluetooth buttons are not compatible with Samsung Note2?
2) While making calls outside, the noise cancellations is pretty good, but at times i hear some disturbing sound/noise in the call and i am pretty sure it is only through the Bluetooth i hear the noise.
The forward and back buttons work on my Note 2.
You have to hold them for a few seconds otherwise they just do volume up and down.
I'm using N7 player.
I notice that the headphones get A LOT of wind noise when outside. I notice it a lot when riding my bicycle. But, also when just walking.
I've since bought a pair of Jabra Halo 2 and use them most of the time now. They are more comfortable and sound better. Plus, I can connect them with a cord for zero latency.
I use the Plantronics if I'm going to be sweating a lot.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
Nice review and good advice for all potential buyers. However, I feel a clarification about BT latency is in place. Not all bluetooth headsets introduce so much lag. I'm an avid Motorola S10 user and altough some delay is present, it's nowhere near the 500ms OP estimated for the Plantronics set. In fact, even rhytm games like Tapsonic are still playable on the S10, which leads me to believe the delay is more around the 50ms mark. Huge, half-second lag seems to be more a sign of bad implementation by the manufacturer than limitation of the bluetooth standard. Let's not forget that Playstation 3's joypad uses BT technology, but it's implemented so well that tests found it to be practically lagless down to less then a frame ([email protected]) compared to wired connections.
Is that low latency for media playback, or phone calls?
When you connect BT headphones to your phone (or PC) they make 2 connections. 1 for phone calls and 1 for media playback.
Both of my BT headphones have low latency for phone calls because they use a lot lower quality when in phone mode.
But both have high latency for media playback mode. (ie. Anything other than phone calls)
The amount of data required for the BT controllers is a lot less than that required for stereo audio.
Hi all,
After a year of trying out different portable speakers - I tried the beats pill, Braven 625 (very good for ultimate portability....) and many others. I finally bought a Bose Soundlink Mini today. It is amazing! I cannot believe the sound from this little thing. While it does not have some of the extras others offer (Braven seems best in terms of will charge your phone, and can be used as speakerphone), it has the best sound I have heard from something so small.
This will not appeal to audiophiles or pimply teenagers who think they are audiophiles, but as a mini speaker that fills a big room with good clear sound it is great. Now my life is complete with my note 2, note 10.1 2014, anker wireless keyboard and this speaker. With this sort of technology now I can see myself going off grid with my camper van in the future, living with a solar cell and a kelly kettle for hot food
Just thought I would share this, there is not much I offer to the forum in terms of rooting or roms etc, I do intend to in the future as I am a google certified teacher and starting to use my note 10.1 as my main tool in the classroom to control my whiteboard......but at the moment if anyone else out there was like me and couldnt justify spending £150 on a tiny speaker then go for this one, its brilliant.
I have the same speakers, and they are great ...... for Bluetooth speakers. The sound is as good as I have heard from portable BT speakers. Can't beat them for the size.
I also have a Soundlink Mini.
Best bluetooth speaker in its class, hands down.
Sloty
Iv had a look at the speakers your talking about and they have an awesome sound but a price tag to match. I recently picked up a blue tooth / cord speaker from Aldi supermarket chain. It does all the things you've pointed out for $20 (sale price) and the sound is big and impressive with clear lows unlike what iv seen in other portable speakers. I snuck back and got a second.
I just picked up a JBL Flip 2 whilst in the states. Listened to the Bose and the JBL and you would be hard pushed to tell the difference. Also with the new Flip 2 they have done away with the need to have a plug in power adaptor which for me takes away the whole portable aspect of a portable speaker as you can now charge it through USB. Biggest bonus is it only cost me $95 which is half the price of the Bose.
Althought flip 2 is a good speaker, none can even dare to compare to the Bose! I wish i had it, i bought the UE Mini Boom, has the same features as the flip 2 almost the same price range, not the same sound quality, but good enough and pairs up to 8 bluetooth devices (2 simultaneous), 10 hour battery life (real), much smaller (fits on my beach toal pocket).
Well in all fairness thats opinion. I have spent many years using B + W speakers with other hi end hifi equipment so I am used to high quality audio and in my opinion the gulf is not that big. Certainly not double the price wise. What swung it for me is using them as a portable speaker. What good is a portable speaker that when it runs out you have to find a power socket to charge it. They realised this with the first JBL flip and with the Flip 2 replaced the need for a power adaptor with a simple usb charging port. So with my portable battery I can have music playing all day well away from a power source. But as I said its completely each individuals opinion which I fully respect.
Now, before anyone says that a Bluetooth speakers don't belong on this forum, I have been using mine with my One Plus using the AudioFx app, and it has been really impressive..
So, recently I purchased a little Bluetooth speaker for general portability. I purchased a Ks Bluno speaker from amazon for around £20 at Christmas, and I am still using it now. I have found the battery life to be incredible, this speaker will last for around a week of reasonably constant use, and provides excellent sound quality doubled up with the AudioFx app. The Is Bluno comes with a little energy saving LED that flashes different colors to indicate when it is paired with a device, or when the charge is low. This speaker also comes with a small charger with a 3.5mm audio jack integrated so that you can use it in close proximity when it is very low on charge. Also, the range is pretty decent, I can use it from about 20m away before it starts distorting the sound, but for how I use it, I don't really need to be any further range..
Overview:
Overall, I think that for the money, this speaker is very respectable for every day use, and for the money, is very impressive. If any of you guys currently own one, or have had one in the past, I'd be really interested to know how you found it, and how it stacks up to other devices of a similar price range.
Purchase link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/KitSound-Bluetooth-Rechargeable-Compatible-Smartphones/dp/B006QTDTU2
I also think that bluetooth speakers are good! I use a bluetooth speaker with my OnePlus One as well (just some cheap £10 thing from lidl) and it is decent. Not the best but not terrible but hey! It works! The range is decent and it is a very convenient thing for me to carry around in my bag on vacations. However as well as having a bluetooth speaker i also carry around my headphones anyway but its still nice to have this little speaker.
Hi folks!
I have never actually heard of Tribit. The company is not as well known as let's say Sony. Nevertheless, encouraged by a quality of its headset, I decided to get another device from this company.
My current experience with Bluetooth speakers was not the greatest. I had a cheap speaker that was quiet and distorted the sound significantly. My goal was buying something cheap and relatively good, so I turned my eyes into Tribit XSound Go speaker, which costs less than $40.
Regarding sound quality, Go is an excellent choice. The sound quality is crystal clear, it has nice bass and is really loud. I tried the speaker both inside and outside the house, and the result was satisfying. The Bluetooth signal was strong enough to sustain a connection in a 15 meters range outside and ~10 meters inside the house. I wasn't expecting anything more from a speaker in this price range.
According to Tribit, the XSound Go speaker can play the music constantly for up to 24 hours. I must admit that I wasn't using the speaker for such a long period. In my case, the speaker had no problems to get me through the day of usage (~8 hours). According to other reviews that I could find online, the speaker lasts for about 11 hours, which might be true. It's a decent result for a device that is so small. As a cherry on top, we can take the fact that the speaker is IPX7 rated. This means that you can listen to music underwater for half an hour
The last thing I would like to mention is a design. Unlike the other speakers I owned, the XSound Go doesn't look like a plastic toy. It has a decent design with five function buttons on top. Additionally, on the back of the device, you will find a micro USB port for charging and AUX port if you would like to connect a device via a cable. The device comes with a USB cable for charging.
I'm giving it 4.5/5, as the only downside is a long charging time. If you are looking for a cheap and quality speaker, you should consider giving it a try! More on Amazon.