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bob23

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Why do you think the entry-level E 17 is better than the legendary high-end standard Audioquest Dragonfly (not Firefly!), a DAC that garnered nothing but rave reviews and changed the audio world as we know it? Today, if you want better than the Dragonfly, you need to get the Meridian Explorer, but it's even more expensive than the world famous and life-changing Dragonfly.

in-out-700px.jpg

Give your headphones the DAC they deserve, KM. ;)

Alex

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Why do you think the entry-level E 17 is better than the legendary high-end standard Audioquest Dragonfly (not Firefly!), a DAC that garnered nothing but rave reviews and changed the audio world as we know it? Today, if you want better than the Dragonfly, you need to get the Meridian Explorer, but it's even more expensive than the world famous and life-changing Dragonfly.

in-out-700px.jpg

Give your headphones the DAC they deserve, KM. ;)

Alex

Legendary? I'll read more on it then. Seemed a bit tiny compared to the Fiio

Doesn't seem so clear cut to me:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/624394/audio-quality-which-one-would-be-a-better-choice-dragonfly-dac-or-fiio-e17

Also the Dragonfly has no Amp, it's just a DAC. I need an amp/DAC combo

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Furthermore,I've become pretty good over the years to detect if something sounds off or colored at the amp level.

The Fiio E17 does the 4 things I want:

1)Amplifies the sound to drive full size headphones

2)Does not color or alter the way recordings (especially those I know well) should sound like

3)Output is clean and free of background noise or distortion

4)All the detail I am aware exists in the music is present and clear

I am weary of DACs that claim to have 'better instrument separation' and 'more spacious sound'. A lot of them add somekind of "3D sound processor' and that gets annoying really fast when music you are used to doesn't sound the way it should

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  • 4 weeks later...

Those DACS (indeed, no amps) are for audiophiles, KM. They don't do cheap fraudulent trickery. Read the reviews or the battles (DAC 1 vs DAC 2) and learn the truth.

People probably don't know this but the Sennheiser Momentum (300 Euro) is turning the world upside down with its spectacular sound:

http://en-de.sennheiser.com/over-ear-headphone-momentum-stereo

square_stage_Momentum_02_sq_sennheiser_z

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I don't hear cheap fraudulent trickery with the FiioE17. I heard that with Creative Labs soundcards...

I also heard the Momentums and they sounded ok like some others in that price range but not close to Grado GS1000i .There's a reason why it's a 1000$ and it's pretty obvious once you listen to them . The only ones that compare are the Senn HD800's ,in which case it becomes a matter of personal preference. The Grados sound warmer and lusher while the HD800's are more "clinical".

Alex, you should go to stores that let you try them and not just read reviews. We have a bunch of stores that have "headphone walls" to try with your own ipod

Also, I think it's less a waste of money to fork out the 1000$ than buying a 500$ model that's not as good and not be totally happy with them .

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I merely mention the Momentum for those who want high quality headphones but who aren't willing to spend 1500 dollars. Even 300 dollars is quite steep for most of us, KM. I'm sure the Grados GS1000i are one of the best headphones in the world.

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yeah, your right.

But if music is important to you, spend it on that instead of the latest ipad, laptop or iphone . A lot of people will also easily drop 1000$ for a new camera that will l be obsolete in 5 years.

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I've been wanting a good pair of headphones for awhile now, but never bit the bullet. I'll probably end up getting the Bose QuietComfort 15's at some point. At the moment I'd rather get a new set of speakers for my computer, where I do most of my listening.

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I'm happy with my Bose headphones. Somehow they sound much better than when I first tried them. Strange, because I don't believe in "burn in" periods. Above all, they are extremely comfortable.

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Any one ever put that to the test?

It's a simple case of buying two identical headphones, breaking one in for a while, leaving the other untouched and then do a comparison.

I always figured it was an excuse made by people in shops. "they don't sound great now, but i they will improve"

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I'm happy with my Bose headphones. Somehow they sound much better than when I first tried them. Strange, because I don't believe in "burn in" periods. Above all, they are extremely comfortable.

That's my main selling point. I know they're overpriced and not the best headphones you can buy, but they are the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn.

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I always figured it was an excuse made by people in shops. "they don't sound great now, but i they will improve"

That would be a poor selling point if we're talking test models at a store. After all, they've probably been in constant use for weeks at the time you get to try them.

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Yeah I think burn in is a myth

I think you just get "used" to the way the headphone sounds and they seem to sound better after a while

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I need new clip on headphones. The clips on the Koss got loose pretty quickly, and now I finally lost one of them, so I can't wear them anymore. Wondering if I should try different ones now, but Amazon's selection is pretty meagre.

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Do you want new clip ones?

For small non in-ear headphones, the best ones I heard is Bowen and Wilkins P5. They're way better than Bose Quiet Comfort lets say

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yeh, I go for in-ear for ipod listening. I think you can get much better sound quality with good in-ear phones than small over the head headphones. Clip ons have an extremely limited selections and are usually the cheaper made models. I know the Koss aren't bad, the ones that have the Portapros drivers

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My new cell phone (HTC One) came with a pair of BEATS Earbuds. I haven't taken them out of the plastic bag yet.

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They aren't beats. Beats arent right for non-techno/hip hop/dub step music.

My point is that they're Monster. They also make Beats. If you've tried them out and they sound different that's fine, but to me it's a clear buyer beware signal. They're also worse than Bose when it comes to pricing. They made these Miles Davis inspired earbuds that cost like $400. Those things only sounded a little better than my free Apple earbuds.

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Good enough for now:

BSvhFlkIYAAlXgR.jpg

In the US Koss has a no-questions-asked lifetime warranty. You mail the old headphones back with $9, and they replace them for you. I've done this several times with my KSC75.

I once rolled over one of the drivers with my office chair and broke the thing. Sent them an e-mail, they said sure, mailed it in and got a replacement a week later.

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Interesting. No idea if they offer anything like that in Europe. But with $9 being roughly half the price of new headphones, I doubt I'll bother finding out. And besides, the duct tape fix works fine so far.

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I use a set of AKG K121 Studio headphones. Think they were in the region of about €100. Sound quality is very good if a bit bass heavy (or maybe I'm just used to tinny earbuds). Only problem is they leak sound like crazy. Fine if I'm on my own but no good for the bus or train.

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