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*TPU's Gaming Headphone/Headset Thread*

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Well I'm getting the process of purchasing...I should have just enough left on my credit card to cover it. $319 shipped. Might overdraft by a few bucks but...I'll get paid in a few days and it's a credit card thru my bank so they've been very good at working with me every holiday season I do this to my CC!

I'm excited to try an open-backed phone (first I've had since my Turtle Beach HPA2 gaming headset...), my first ortho, and it's a model that is highly regarded. I'm nervous about the sound leakage issues...but ya know what maybe it won't be so bad. And my listening levels may not leak as far either...I don't always listen loud. This pair comes with pleather and velour pads too.

FrederikS, you mentioned trying different pads... would it be worth saving up another $60 for Alpha Pads from mad dog for the HE 400's? What do you recommend?

Edit: Order placed! :toast:
I have no tried any of the premodded pads, but have tried the two options from hifiman and beyerdynamic velours and the pleathers are best for bass and the velours give a moure bright sound. The beyers give a little more bass than the hifiman velours and are a little softer which alters the sound somewhat. Currently on the beyers but will go back to normal hifiman velours soon.

I have not tried the jergpads or the alpha pads.
 

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Mine show up tomorrow...I'm looking forward to it! Really hoping I can make the open back work out...we shall see. The more I read about them the more I look forward to hearing them.

:toast:
 

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What is a good budget, or used headphone amp that would be good to go with my 701s? I just love these things, I like flat response, now I understand it. I just can't afford a lot, so what should I aim for?
 

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Look at the Schitt HP amps for $99. Very powerful for the price. FiiO E10 and E17 get talked up a bit too... my E9 is pretty powerful...not compared to my Denon receiver I got for $200.

But looking for what works well with the 701's I'd do some research and set a budget. :toast:
 

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Well they arrived and first thing I did was use them in a game of Sup Com 2 vs my 11-year-old. Man the details that are fleshed out from just that experience was amazing! They aren't as big or heavy as I had read... they're smaller than my JVC HARX700's maybe a touch heavier. My JVC HADX3's have better smooth and deep bass, and competitive in the rest but not in the same league regardless. My Denon AVR-1613's HP output powers them quite well so far! I'll have to try the FiiO E9 and see how it pairs up eventually...for now I'm pretty happy. Scratch that...I'm fucking impressed!

When I listen to music, even songs I know...these give me that excited feeling in my gut...which I can't explain why aside from I am enjoying the sound so much! Even at lower volumes, especially at lower volumes where I'd always need a bit more before to enjoy my other headphones. The hip-hop and deep bass stuff...mostly tunes I listen to just to enjoy bass in all honesty don't sound all that great..they're okay...and maybe with time these headphones will open up. I have 30-days. The velours will show up next week (they shipped seperate but were free! $319 shipped for it all makes me feel like this is a good value!). But my old Metallica, my new Metallica, Pantera, Slipknot, Anthrax, Bobaflex, Soil, etc are all solid! These headphones don't miss anything...they recover right now and are ready before the next instrument starts.

These are easy headphones to drive...I do wonder if a Schitt Magni would compete with my AVR-1613...well I wanted an AIO that would run my 2.1 speakers and my headphones...so it's gonna have to do.

I will admit..the bass isn't what I was hoping. It's good...it's detailed, and you can have a decent amount but not as much as I like...and then I find myself realizing in many situations it's enough because I'm so enthralled by the detail, separation and amazingness of the rest of the range...it's so much more entertaining and enjoyable to listen to. While I say I am somewhat dissapointed in the bass it's mostly the quantity of the lowest ranges that the HADX3's and D2000's had spoiled me. I don't need it...but it sure does add something. That and the hits just aren't there...not the same. Like I said between these and my DX3's I should be good. If I need impact..the HARX700's and XB500's (kids and her use this one) will take care of it.

Comfort-wise, they aren't bad..considering how stiff the pleather pads really are even without the foam ring...which for my big ears is a must so they're not pressed against the grill.

She can hear what I listen to but it's also nice because I can just turn down my tunes and hear her clearly ..fair trade.

So far...a few hours into night one...impressed. Gaming in SupCom2 with the kid was amazing...the sounds great! Music is pretty damn amazing overall too! Bass is good but not great..hoping it'll open up over time.

I do wish that I could use my digital output and Creative EQ at the same time on my Auzen Forte...I thought it was supposed to work that way..it does let you enable it, and adjust but it made no change in sound last I tried....not that I'm missing out..but it'd be nice to try out. But most of my music is 320k mp3's...I love Amazon MP3! And RIP winamp...I am still using you!

Comfort-wise...they are on-par with my HARX700's...maybe a little less comfy. There is mild pain after a few hours...very mild tho...the clamping pressure is spot on. The adjustments are great and very solid. I wish it had thicker pads though. I wonder if I can fit my D2000 pads... Though those are kinda shallow too. I will say my DX3's with the velour take the cake out of all my headphones...though tie with my D2000 but the DX3's actually have clamping pressure and stay on. The squeaking of the cup joints won't be missed. Hello HE-400...great first impression!

:toast:
 
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ordered a MHDT Steeplechase. I got a chance to listen to the Havana a while back and really liked it. I can't wait to modify the Steeplechase. this guy inspired me

 

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Well spending a little more time with my headphones, I got the D2000's back out, temporarily rigged the cup joint and put them back together...the buzz isn't present yet...though I haven't played the bass nor vo

The HADX3's seem to have a more present mid-range and sharper hi's without being painful vs the D2000. But of course while bass goes low...the D2000 has the presence. I will give the HADX3's some credit though, they sound really very good when amplified and EQ'd to my likings. They can handle about 2/3-3/4 D2000 bass but with better control, at least to my ears. The D2000 are fun, and with my tuning have decent mids and their good hi's...but the HADX3 is just sharper, a little faster, cleaner while still being entertaining to listen to. Both are very, very comfortable and have at least some isolation. The HADX3's being the only true closed headphone in my lineup. The HARX700's, D2000's, XB500's are all vented even though they're claimed as closed, and the HE-400 is wide-open...hold up to a light and see through like my 19 y/o leopard gecko's ears. lol.

The sound isn't that way with either..at least after tuning. I know some people like a flat EQ and a pure source, but I'm too used to preferring coloring my sound to be exciting to my ears. When tuned both headphones perform admirably well. This includes gaming, which was sorta what I started this thread for years ago lol. We may need a title change!

The HE-400 is going back on my head...immediately how stiff the pleather pads are. I tried the D2000 pads on one cup, much more comfy...bass seemed a little more present, but they were overall shallower and softer leading to more contact with the planar driver grill. So I didn't do a long-term test...but makes me want to consider some Alpha pads...though that's gonna have to wait until I have money again. lol. I may get a wild hair and try the D2000 pads again at some point for a longer than five-minute demo so I can see if they really change anything or not.

I also have been A/B-ing my Denon AVR and FiiO E9. I will say it appears that the FiiO and HE-400 play together better than the rest of my colleciton. I originally purchased it because I was told the D2000 and FiiO E9 were a sweet match...they were okay, but it did not seem like much of an upgrade vs my Auzen Forte's HP output(s). The FiiO E9 though seems to bring the bass, I can feel the reverberations shaking through the cups more...though this could be to do with the E9 being capable of driving a little higher volume than the Denon AVR. But then the sub-bass range on the AVR seems better sorted out and present, and it seems like I lose some of the crisp but pleasant hi's and seperation with the E9 vs the Denon AVR, almost muddied up a bit from the E9...maybe I need a different EQ profile. I'm divided which route is better honestly...so the E9 is staying on the desk for further review. Man it puts out some massive power and volume to the HE-400's...so does the Denon AVR, but the E9 just seems to push a little harder w/o distortion where the AVR runs out of steam.

I am constantly amazed at my music though. These phones are playing quite well with everything I toss at them. The bass seems more present than at first, and can actually have a very nice amount and presence that I was initially not hearing. The lowest lows are still not quite there vs the DX3's or D2000's but that was somewhat expected and either it's me or these HP's are constantly improving bass-wise. Everything overall sounds great to my ears, including bass. It all sounds good, has it's spot, doesn't walk all over anything else, it's all there, it's all clear, it's all defined, it's all textured and sounds great!

The biggest downfall is that they sound like small computer speakers when played loud lol...I can hear them throughout my whole house at this point (not a big house but still!). But I have some of this weekend alone to myself, so gonna take the time to enjoy! When I need isolation I'll get the DX3's back out. I don't think these HE-400's are going back. I am very happy with them thus far! I just wish they were more comfortable...they aren't bad until a couple hours in then the headband and earpads can cause some pains...though by then it's generally time for a break.

Hoping to get some BF4, Evochron Mercenary and other games in this weekend yet too. See how they do beyond SupCom2 (which was an amazing experience!).

:toast:
 
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The MHDT Havana is a really cool D/A converter because it's Non-Oversampling (it doesn't "upscale") and uses a Burr-Brown PCM56 chip that isn't even in production anymore and a Tube to buffer.

somewhere in Taiwan there is an engineer sitting in a basement with a stack of chassis and stack of half populated boards ready to be assembled and shipped. I like one of a kind products like this, it's not mass produced in a factory like Fiio or Asus products.
 
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Looks like a nice unit if ya got the dough for it!

I decided to try my HE-400's using the amplified FP output on my case from my Auzen Forte...and I gotta say...WOW. Not quite the volume level of the other amps but still very loud and almost seems like there's even more bass. I would assume the OpAmp for the HP amp circuit is effecting that.

I'm debating trying the digital output again to my AVR...I read of I tick the "Play Stereo Mix using Digital Output" setting I'll have EQ via SPDIF. I don't know if the DAC in my Denon AVR would be better or worse than my Auzen Forte...

I will say HOLY COW on the FP amplified circuit though...clean and strong and bassier than expected. Rear panel up next. Well has the same bassy presence but seems like it can't quite put the same volume level out as the FP connection. Damn though...when a song calls for bass these headphones are sure delivering from the Auzen Forte amp circuit. Much more than I expected.

Was hoping to get into some BF4 but I had some massive updates to download and was averaging 200Kbps out of my 15 meg conneciton...I'm sure EA's bogged down atm...I should've timed this better lol! Well off to find my digital cable and see what happens.
 
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I have been looking for a decent pair of cans for quite a while. There ARE many expensive ones out there, but I am looking for something more affordable. My choice is down to the Senheiser HD 280 Pro and the Audio Technica M 50. There are a quite a few popular "Gaming Headsets" out there which are much cheaper too, but I am not quite sure how their "built-in" sound card (most are usb interface) would be like compared to a dedicated sound card (or my current on-board audio on the Maximus 6 Hero). The amplifier on my very old (but excellent sounding) Hi Fi (Sony MHC G20) yielded some smoke and stopped working a few months ago. I've been using my even older National Stereo cassette deck since then, but that too had been repaired a number of times and is really a noise-box now. So I've been thinking about getting a headphone for music movies and some games, and may be a cheapo speaker system to hear pc notifications etc. I have been reading a lot of praise about this M50, and about how the 280 pro lacks punchy bass and requires a very long burning period etc. So what would you guys recommend? Should I go for something cheaper like the Senheiser HD 439 or some "Gaming Headset" or what? The only thing that bothers me about the AT M50 is that the cable isn't detachable. I have a lot of cats, and they relish chewing through my cables. There's an offer here which I don't wanna miss, but please let me know if there are better alternatives for the price.
 

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I've read A LOT of praise about the M50's as well, though I've never tried them. I've heard both the 280 and M50 can sacrifice some comfort, but more the 280.

There's some other good cheap options out there like the JVC HARX700 which I love (check the original post I made years back in this thread, I still listen to that pair), spend a little more and you can get into some HARX900's or Koss PRODJ100's both of which sound pretty darn good. Another classic but good sounding pair of headphones are the Koss PortaPro...been a long time since I've heard them though, but I still see them all over the place!

I don't know too much about these newer gaming headsets with the USB sound cards, I do know that a lot of people tend to like them. I have had pretty decent overall luck with the Turtle Beach brand when I used to buy gaming headsets...which was years ago. I went headphones, got more sound for my dollar, kept the mic off of my Turtle Beach HPA2, and zip tied it to my headphones. Voila, gaming headset with better sound! I have read a lot of good reviews on the Skullcandy SLYR and

Going from your onboard sound I don't know...I went from onboard to a cheap second-hand X-Fi and the difference was jaw dropping both to my speakers and my headphones. With so many sound cards coming with headphone amplifiers built-in, for these cheaper headphones, it might be worth a look. The Asus Xonar DG I bought for my G/F really livened up the sound of the HARX700 and Sony XB500's vs her onboard (she has a P67 Asus board...supposed to have decent onboard audio...still pales to a sound card though).


Also on the cheap PC speaker route...the only set I can truly recommend are the old and (I bought my refurb'd back in 2006 and they're still going strong) awesome Logitech X-230 2.1. Some don't like them, but if you want a powered PC speaker set, I haven't seen anything that can beat them at their price-point. I bought mine refurbished for around $30 back then...I've seen them as hi as $100 on ebay, and I have seen a couple sets in the local Craigslist for around $50. Well worth it at that price.

I don't know about your National Stereo cassette deck, and bummer on your Sony going out on you. There's a lot of different directions you can go. I'd say set a budget, decide what you want, and take the suggestions offered here and from researching. If you have cats that chew cables, then a detachable cable may be a really good idea and more headphones are featuring this...and if you are handy you could take many headphones and modify them to have detachable cables as well. The M50 is a popular choice and will treat you well no doubt.
 
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Couldn't wait for your response ;) I got jumpy and took the leap. The offer was irresistible, and am I glad I took it. There was this combo deal on the M50 with a Creative SBS A335 2.1 Channel Multimedia Speakers all for about US $143 (including import duty, taxes and delivery costs) from Flipkart's own seller. The speakers are basically free, and are good-enough for my intended use. Right after I ordered, they went out of stock. Now it is available from another seller for $170 without the speakers. So, yeah, I'm quite happy about the bargain, but I do have to stay extra careful about the cats, particularly the youngsters :)

I've had a Creative 24 bit 7.1 channel sound card for many years, and they're still working fine, but they are legacy pci, so can't use them on my new board. The "Supremefx" audio on the Maximus VI Hero is supposed to be better than most of these "dedicated" sound cards, and for the most part it does sound more punchy and clearer, but I have been noticing stuff I really don't like. There's this very subtle reverb and a noise gate which is really bothersome. I guess their intended audience won't be bothered by these much. But I'm sure I'm gonna have to get a damn good dedicated card down the road. With these gimmicks I noticed with Asus' on-board implementation, I'm no longer sure about their STX or any other "high end" offering. The audio on their Maximus VI Formula is at par with the Xonar DX card (JJ told me). JJ also told me that the best quality audio on the "Hero" will come from the Headphone Amp and not the Line Outs. So, let's see how that fares.

Thanks for the tips, much appreciated.
 

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Well keep us posted on your new purchase! Give us a review of the M50's when ya get a chance! It's always nice to keep this thread going with new material and new members posting their feedback about different headphones!

Cool on the Max VI Formula audio...I'm sure it's pretty good! It better be! I'm bummed I didn't snag a Creative SB-Z OEM for $54 a few weeks ago... I love my Auzen Forte but that Z card is supposed to be pretty amazing...Can't say I've found any real reason to replace the Forte tho...hence why I didn't buy it at that time (aside from being broke!).

I don't know much about those speakers, but if they suck, sell them and find a set of X-230's! I still swear by them, we use them quite often when we don't need the power or presence of my custom 2.1 system but still want damn good sound that can still be heard throughout the house with volume to spare. Mine you can hear outside rattling the neighbors windows...so it stays turned down or off and the X-230's are getting used a lot. I've had them since 2006 and they're going strong and sound as-good-as the day I bought them (well better than when I was using onboard audio back then on my Abit AS8-v, P4630, DDR1-400 setup!).

I'm sure you'll be quite happy with your purchases and at a nice price as well! Nice work! :toast:
 
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Well keep us posted on your new purchase! Give us a review of the M50's when ya get a chance! It's always nice to keep this thread going with new material and new members posting their feedback about different headphones!

Cool on the Max VI Formula audio...I'm sure it's pretty good! It better be! I'm bummed I didn't snag a Creative SB-Z OEM for $54 a few weeks ago... I love my Auzen Forte but that Z card is supposed to be pretty amazing...Can't say I've found any real reason to replace the Forte tho...hence why I didn't buy it at that time (aside from being broke!).

I don't know much about those speakers, but if they suck, sell them and find a set of X-230's! I still swear by them, we use them quite often when we don't need the power or presence of my custom 2.1 system but still want damn good sound that can still be heard throughout the house with volume to spare. Mine you can hear outside rattling the neighbors windows...so it stays turned down or off and the X-230's are getting used a lot. I've had them since 2006 and they're going strong and sound as-good-as the day I bought them (well better than when I was using onboard audio back then on my Abit AS8-v, P4630, DDR1-400 setup!).

I'm sure you'll be quite happy with your purchases and at a nice price as well! Nice work! :toast:
My Sony HiFi was more than enough to rattle my room and a few adjacent ones - at mere 400W PMPO. The wooden speakers are damn good. It's a pity I can't find the damn amp anywhere. Sony service guys would charge a LOT just to come and tell me that no replacements are available. Anyway, I don't think any cheapo 2.1 system will come close to delivering anything that good. But I abused that thing for nearly 2 decades - using them as desktop speakers 24/7. I got what I deserved :( The new 2.1 speakers will be used just for hearing "normal" PC stuff - notifications, YouTube videos etc. For music and movies I"ll use the cans. For gaming I"ll use both - depending on what I'm playing. I'm mostly into FPS, but games are getting increasingly less interesting :D For disturbing the neighbors I think I"ll have to spend considerably more - which I do plan to do someday, on some biga$$ 5.1 Pioneer stuff - just don't have the money right now ;)
 
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the MHDT Steeplechase is only $399.

soundprofessionals.com sells Audio Technica ATH-M50 with a detachable cable.

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/ATH-M50

it is doubtful Razer, Logitech and Corsair have acoustic engineers on the payroll. Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser and Audio Technica gaming headsets always get good reviews because the drivers are used in other headphones and they put R&D into the driver.

size doesn't really matter. the Audioquest Dragonfly is a really small USB thumb stick that uses a XMOS USB digital receiver and ESS Sabre32 DAC chip but these USB inline controllers on gaming headsets don't so a sound card is probably going to sound better.

 
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I don't know if anybody does that kind of mod here in India - with that kind of "quality" parts. I hope I won't have to go through that hunt.

Yeah, I was quite doubtful myself about the quality of sound in those "gaming" headsets as well, and besides, I wanted it to be portable too. Meaning I wanted them to have stereo jacks instead of usb connector for use (rarely though) with mobiles.

Yeah, I agree about the size, but for analog output the size does matter, you know, with all those "special" audio circuitry including "audio" caps, replaceable opamps, emi isolation and all kinds of stuff. I am so far not very happy with the on-board "SupremeFX" implementation in the Max VI Hero - particularly because of this weird noise gate they implemented which basically kills the dynamic range, and also this subtle reverb. There is a separate "headphone amp" (supporting even the 600ohm cans) built into the contraption, and is supposed to sound better. I'm keeping an open mind :p
 

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I read some good reviews on that DragonFly. $400's a better price on that MHDT!

Well, while I HAD to put on the DX3's for a bit, I just put the HE-400's back on... they just seem to get better and better. The sound is wide, clear, the bass is very present and even has a little impact, I took the foam rings out of behind the pleather drivers...MUCH more comfy. I may do the Beyer headband pad addition since it's pretty cheap, I just need a way to attach my HPA2 boom mic to it and I'll be set! I ran around in Evochron Mercenary and it was AMAZING! I can't wait to try BF4!

:toast:
 
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I don't know if anybody does that kind of mod here in India - with that kind of "quality" parts. I hope I won't have to go through that hunt.

Yeah, I was quite doubtful myself about the quality of sound in those "gaming" headsets as well, and besides, I wanted it to be portable too. Meaning I wanted them to have stereo jacks instead of usb connector for use (rarely though) with mobiles.

Yeah, I agree about the size, but for analog output the size does matter, you know, with all those "special" audio circuitry including "audio" caps, replaceable opamps, emi isolation and all kinds of stuff. I am so far not very happy with the on-board "SupremeFX" implementation in the Max VI Hero - particularly because of this weird noise gate they implemented which basically kills the dynamic range, and also this subtle reverb. There is a separate "headphone amp" (supporting even the 600ohm cans) built into the contraption, and is supposed to sound better. I'm keeping an open mind :p

in my opinion the Dragonfly sounds better than any sound card.
 
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in my opinion the Dragonfly sounds better than any sound card.
I haven't had the privilege to use that one mate :)

My cans are still "in transit" from Bangalore to Kolkata. It's the one bad thing about these holidays :( Usually it takes a day or two at most to get delivered.
 
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Very interesting. BTW, haven't heard about 99% of those companies.. :D
 

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Well figured out the distortion issue with my E9. Some sort of effect from the splitter when having my AVR plugged in at the same time...must be a drop in voltage that is more effected than when using my Dayton amp prior. Now to figure out how I want to make this work...I have a couple output options from the back of the E9...and I'm sure the Denon has some options too.

I will say with the E9 playing loud and clear to my HE-400's it may just take the win on overall grunt and power to them. I don't recall the E9 making anything sound this good or powerful...I know many said it was a perfect match for the D2000 but while it was good it wasn't great...I am hugely surprised atm! Gonna have to do more A|B-ing now. And I do have the digital running to the Denon AVR with Stereo Mix enabled so I can use my software EQ...seems to work very well!

These damn HE-400's are AWESOME! Denon what? JVC what? Well not quite but...moving that way fast! I may have to trim the herd down a bit...we shall see.

Removing the foam rings made the pleathers uber comfy...almost D2000 pleather comfy...I still would like a little more cushion and distance but at the same time I'm so happy with the sound I don't want to change it atm. I have read about folks using various earpads...but at the same time not enough out there imho...unless it's between the stock pleather, velours or jerg pads.

This basshead is overall 9/10 satisified with the bass from these from the Denon AVR and E9. Think I'll be keeping the E9 at this point until I get more time to A|B with the Denon. I love the planar magnetic sound! Well I should say the bassier side of affordable planars! :toast:


EDIT: Well I just decided to swap in my D2000 pads for now. Place on Ebay sells replacements for around $40 shipped. Their comfort is beyond even the already comfy stock pleathers (minus foam spacer rings). The bass is great! Everything so far sounds amazing still! I've only had them on about 20 minutes...more to come!
 
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Well update...after a couple solid hours of gaming (Planetary Annihilation) and various music from the in-game classical score to various metal and southern rock and hard rock songs, I feel I can say the stock D2000 pads are a go. The clamp is good, the angle is great, it's also the most comfortable option yet.

I will say the stock pleathers w/o the foam ring inserts makes a HUGE difference in comfort and a slight increase in bass impact. The D2000 pads increase comfort a good bit past that, though are warmer...so sweatier. But they also seem to bring out more sub bass and impact.

The more I read about the alpha and J$ pads, it seems that the separation between the driver is great, so yes comfort and coolness (temp) are more prominent, but bass presence and impact are reduced. The D2000 pads are angled, but the comfort is great. So I may have to save up and order an extra pair or two of D2000 pads. I don't know if D5000 pads are deeper, but just a hair more depth would be nice and maybe allow the HP's to run a touch cooler. But if you want the HE-400's to show their bassy side off a touch more without killing the rest of the spectrum (to my untrained ears) then I'd say try these out! Music and gaming are both amazing so far! My FiiO E9 is giving these plenty of power for my needs....for now!

:toast:
 
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