Tip for beginners: don't begin. 👍🏻

I've never really understood the difference between the terms dark/warm and imaging/soundstage. As someone who hasn't english as first language, this video really helped me

Nice sum up ! Maybe a following video could mention basic theory behind the hobby. Like sensitivity, impedence, volume vs power (still unsure how it compares and correlates today) and anything that can help making a buy decision. Well all those are needed once the journey has started but still people might appreciate a technical sum up video. Again, great work 👍

Frankly, the first 4 minutes of this headphone introduction video is as close to perfect that I've seen! Nothing on KZfaq comes even close to explaining the complex essentials, in simple terms, without having to resort to reading up. Amazing communication skills! Thank you!

Andrew said I'm unique. I feel special now

This video could not have possibly been more efficient at introducing me to the deeper side of audio and headphones. Incredible video, incredible presentation, thank you!

Well done! I like the suggestions throughout the entire video, just a bunch of common sense and even some advanced ways of getting into this insane hobby of ours, thanks for doing it 👍👍

wow this is so well done the explanation is so easily to picture especially for a beginner. It makes the world of headphones and audio in general a lot less daunting! Bravo! this video should be shared way more!

Always good to remind new viewers of the basics. Nice vid.

Love this video and how it makes headphones and the audiophile world more accessible. Thanks

awesome, simple to understand. I always like your style when sharing information...

Thank you for explaining the terms like bright and warm etc.

I have a pair of nice(ish) planar open backs for analytical at home time when I can't or shouldn't use my stereo - a set of bluetooth, over ear, closed backs for travelling - and a couple sets of good IEM's for a more discreet option on the go. In short: use case is a big deal, if not the biggest deal, so figure out what your most pressing needs are first to whittle down the field of options.

VERY nice rundown!

Really good vid for beginners. This will hatch at least a few budding audiophiles. Good work.

good video....suggestion: take each headphone brand, review each headphone from each brand in a series of videos, to show the differences, negatives and positives of each particular headphone....you've an excellent channel, glad I found it

Very well said, brother!

thanks for the great reviews as always please review the Neumann NDH 30 if you can .

oooooh god what have I gotten into... this is going to be an amazing adventure!! thanks for doing this

3:29 This was a really nice touch

Great vid. Thanks.

I like the tes tes sss explaining, this is how I introduced eq to my brother.

A video about how someone should start listening - meaning how to teach your ears in listening some frequencies, how to learn to differentiate the small nuances of the sound

Thank you very much !

Have a buddy who's curious about entering the hobby. This is a perfect video to refer him to.

Great video DMS.

Very well explained..love from Kerala India

I love rounded out which my old Woo 300b amps produced. My favorite amp is WA5 LE with upgraded pRts directly from Woo.

Thanks Much!

Thanks!

A video that focuses on technicalities and what "technicalities" are exactly, and whether caring about it is worth it for the general populous would be nice. There are pieces of audio gear like the Isine series which seem to excel at technicalities which being lackluster in other aspects, or amps like a thx789 which is technically excellent almost to a fault. "Detail" is heavily influenced by more than just the baseline technical ability, and sometimes is even less important than the frequency response after a certain point.

Not a beginner but loved the vid, folks! Just the video I'd want if I was beginning my audio journey

A topic could be the differences between amps and dacs. ABCD, discrete, tubes, sound signature, connections, hi-res, MQA, balanced, filters, etc...

Perfect

I'd love to see your take on the Avantone Planar. Not many reviews on that particular headphone

A better description of amplification would be helpful, especially terms like impedance and sensitivity. I am an amp skeptic, having tried the same headphones (MDR-Z1R, HE-400se, and Aeon Closed X) on different amps - I found that when I volume matched with a db meter, the perceived gains with more powerful amps disappeared. But I am open to a reasonable scientific explanation for how and why "power hungry planars" need more powerful amplifiers, despite only being run at 30-40% of the volume knob. Can you offer it? The best possible video you could do would include a double blind test of amplifiers vs phones vs DAPs vs desktops vs laptops.

I'm touched, Resolve 😊

Maybe there are even a few sentences from Norbert Lehmann (from Lehmannaudio) that could be added here: "There are even headphones for different kinds of music. Therefore it's possible to have 6 different headphones for different kinds of music (what isn't that easy with loudspeakers)!" 😍 Thanks for this video!

I'd like you to go more into detail of what those terms are with samples of real sounds if possible and what to hear in those sounds. Example, tamber, take extreme examples of good n bad tamber and play 2 audio signals to explain what is tamber in those. You can create a series out of this and each video can just talk about one term at a time with sound samples.

I've been following DMS for a while now and I've always wanted more beginner focus content. This was awesome. I think it would be good to have some videos on different rigs at different price points. Like JDS atom stack + HD 6xx for example.

I just bought the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 and I'm pretty impressed by it. But I'd like to know what are your thoughts about it.

Yes!

Awesome vid. Hi guys do you know what it is called when I hear a metallic type harmonic "layer" to your voice when I listen to it using certain headphones and earbuds? Almost like a second copy of your voice in a metallic optive?

Icon is goot touch for planar reference as well as "H"

Warm, dark, with Soundstage and resolve sounds like a headphone for me.

I use my headphones with my stereo amplifier . Maybe you could do a video on how to buy a separates system for headphones, or how to hook up some of these systems should you like to experiment in that direction vs going with a all in one like the R8 all in one .

Nice introduction. I understood everything you said, and I'm pretty slow.

Can you guys give computations with headphones specs on why amplifiers (Pout) are needed with a certain impedance and sensitivity? This will be appreciated by your target audience. It has been always been dramatic and subjective reviews of a particular headphone/iem. Time for a change.

Would love to get your feedback and opinion on using the hd600 and the fiio btr5 dac amp, using a mobile device, phone and A7 tablet, cheers David

PLEASE: Make a comparison between 6XX and Grado sr325x🙏🏻

Love that picture at 7:31 Basically says:"Hmm lets smell those amazing freshly baked headphones" (Amazing how there are like 10 grand worth of headphones on this baking sheet) I laughed really hard on this one

Yes DMS here!!!! Are you enjoying king's fall? :)

Tips such as How to choose headphones based on amp/dac and vice versa..??

I always wondered what audiophiles/reviewers that listen to a lot of headphones, listen to have a point of reference. Do you listen to a sweep or do you have a couple of songs that you know will tell you everything you need to know? Thanks!

Can we have distortion measurements as well as FR. I'm sure REW can do distortion sweeps. Distortion measurements at bass frequencies might be able to give an indication of how much you can boost sub bass without it sounding crap.

Hi! Thanks for this. I have Grado Reference series RS2e's. $500...Beautiful sounding open back but quite uncomfortable except in short uses. As you say have become used to them and watching this interested in something new same approx price def not more. The inclusion of audio details to know is great to have while researching. I mostly use mine into my yamaha digital piano while playing. Looking for something now similarly great sounding but also comfortable over time. Any opinions?

MB court tweeters in the car sounded like frying pans but then when focals came out those are like beautiful both made it titanium

If you know you're going to get the Arya stealth at some point because you think it might be your end game is there really any point in getting lesser headphones. I'm considering getting some T60 Argons but once I get the Arya maybe all the other headphones will just sit in a box somewhere losing burn-in.

Sometimes I am curious how much soundstage affect gamings. I think most people are talking about it in first person shooters. Don't people know the map well enough is the key, so the imaging is way more important than soundstage? (which means knowing sound direction instead of sound distance) I guess you can tell where the enemies are with good imaging and guns shoot straight, which means when you face to a direction, you can cover up all distance in that direction. I haven't play fps for a long period of time. Maybe soundstage is important in battle royale, it is good in terms of impersive, but kind of doubt about advantages in fps.

got a samson sr850 due to dankpods to start my journey, now i also got the dt700 pro x, and i want to go through more, where i am in africa its hard to get any good ones or for the right or retail price, everything is imported and so double the price, luckily i have relatives in other countries.

Are we getting DMS from now on?

Hello, i just like to know your Opinion on Philps SHP 9500 ?

Sundara closed back review??

what is your favorite headphone for beginners and why is it the Hifiman XS?

I"d like a headphone that sounds like the Sennheiser Orpheus Set the original one but I'd like to keep my body parts in order to pay for it lol. I was lucky enough to hear them at a hifi show many years ago and perhaps my memory of it is skewed by time. I now own focal clear mgs and arche which are fantastic but still never quite lives up to the memory of those amazing headphones.

Is it me or resolves mic is sensitive to treble that u hear a tss at the end of each word...maybe I have high treble on my iem.....but really good to have refresher and reviewers definition of terminology and perspective

Fancy new logo btw. Whats the reason for swithcing it out with the old one?

i feel like power requirements for headphones is a bit confusing, some say you need a lot while others say you don't need as much as you think...

I'm a newbie to the hobby, and still exploring my sound. Currently, i have a Bose 700NC & Sennheiser PC38X. I'm interested in acquiring an amp/planar setup for the first time to try out. My question is, is the Hifiman Sundara worth the purchase? My reprehension is due to often quoted QC issues from that brand :/

Cool

Bad stuff about headphones is that only shop with listening room basically cheased to exist and turned into yet another eshop two years ago for reason which is not hard to guess. I was there twice and always went away with something different than I wanted based on reviews. I went to buy ATH M40x, got Grado SR80e sounding so much better and clear and after replacing headband by real leather, i'm happy with them even after 7 years and I use them all the time with computer. I wanted Bose QC35 with ANC, ended buying Senn PXC550 which does not have so clear sound (they are a bit muffled actually) and now I want to replace them for that reason and because they need service anyways (all faux leather is disintegrating) and reason against Bose was that I could not stand them with sound off. It felt like I had some weird pressure in my ears or maybe being under water. Now I'm thinking about Focal Bathys, due to inflation they are not so much expensive then PXC550 were 5 years ago, but I can't decide ... too neutral sound is boring, sound of Grado is fine, but listening heavy metal or whatever with electric guitars is fatiguing after 15 minutes. Worst part of it that PXC550 sounded fine 5 years ago. Now I repeated hearing tests and realized I can barely hear 14kHz at age of 43 while I could hear 16-17kHz at 35 and I'm sure frequencies below 10kHz are affected as well 😞

My guy looks so baked on the right side of that thumbnail

@The Headphone Show So when ARE you guys going to review the following Japanese headphones: Fostex TH900 MK2 Stax SR-X9000 Denon AH-D9200 Audio Technica ATH-AWKT Sony MDR-Z1R

Is when is the hifiman Ananda stealth magnet vision Review coming

I'm looking to upgrade to something "next level" from my trusty HD518. What would you guys recommend?

I’m mostly wondering when do I actually need an amp… Any indicators I should follow or rules of thumb? My background is mostly wireless stuff…but would be cool to learn more. Hey. How about making video series or a course and calling it Audio Academy or Academy of Sound.

The IEM show. Ft. Zeos & DMS. Gueststar any tech from a great company. Example Sennheiser. Going into the reserch of the design and drivers used. Just a idea.

Don't know about others, but I simply can't afford to drop hundreds of coins buying more and more headphones/ IEMs hoping to find that golden nugget. I bought Shure 315s years ago and now these are tired, where do I go? They need to fit closely, not wiggle about on their stalks in my ears, good soundstage essential, maybe nudging a V off the flat response to reinforce bass and add detail to the treble. They'd be fed from a budget DAC/ amp (FiiO currently) with Qobuz Studio, and Pete Townshend's Rough Mix as an example "good album". Where on earth do I start at around 200 coins (USD/ GBP doesn't seem to matter much these days 🤷🏻‍♂️)?

DMS can you expand on group delay. When does it matter and why does it matter. What are some good ranges for group delay.

For me, the biggest change from going from a gaming headset to something more high end was not the sound. Sundara is the only high end headphone I have ever owned and also ever heard. I have owned a lot of gaming headsets in the past and they fall apart after a few months, if not weeks. The Sundara holds up over time, for years I have taken them off my head with one hand without worrying about too much load on the hinges. I don't handle them with much care at all and I have only needed to change the earpads a few times as they deform considerably over time, I wish these earpads was cheaper to replace though. But in the long term they make sense to me.

Just like you first buy a grinder when getting into coffee, buy an amp/dac that lets you EQ before you buy a headphone! It will teach you so much about what your preferences are, and instead of being stuck with what the design engineer decided the headphone should sound like, you can actually tweak to taste (within the limits of the hardware of course).

I want to enter the audiophile headphone community, I own couple of IEMs(moondrop & Sennheiser) but I never had to use DACs or Amps. Could you explain the differences and use cases for DACs and Amps and their actually necessity for a desktop/laptop usage.

When are we going to get another live stream. If Andrew is too busy I'm sure DMS would do a great job. Andrew doesn't like to talk about amps and DACs. I'm sure DMS would do a great job answering amp and DAC questions. DMS could explain the benefits of the A90 over other inferior amps.

As an addicted hobbiest myself, the intro sentence while sitting infront of a 3D printer made me chuckle😅

did he say Sundara? Like Hifiman Sundara? 7:00 ? I am just testing them and I am looking for a headphones to replace my old 100 bucks audiotechnica headphones. And Sundara sounds way better.

I use open back headphones when I go on walks so I can hear my surroundings not a fan of ambient sound modes

My man DMS! He will always give it to you straight with no chaser ( a little bartender humor) lol.

The Sennheiser HD-600 and the Hifiman Sundara should be a perfect combination for most headphone enthusiasts.

You're really handsome. And thank you for this video I learned a lot more about the terminologies.

Headphones idubbbz

Thanks DMS! You and Resolve should do more videos together. BTW: If you were really a psychopath you would mount the headphones on your head collection, all of which could then be mounted on your wall. So I’ve read anyways. 😇

Oh god what havee i goteen ionto!!!!!!!!!!

I do everything with good in ear monitors there never out.

Yea ikr right. Some communities rly are crazy with how deep they go into stuff I'm glad I'm part of the headphone community tho. So simple, not confusing Thanks for pointing this out 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 Such a great community! Edit: jokes aside tho (well, maybe not that last line. It can be great often) I'm glad you bring up that sometimes you just get bored There's been a movement to de-clutter and I'm glad some ppl have given away or sold for low to ppl in the community who can't afford But even better would be keep your set. And then also put into a fund to give someone random a new fresh set I mean if you de-clutter and that makes you happier that's good But let's not turn it into a "wow this is such a GREAT thing" or "this is objectively good, everyone has too many headsets, we should do this" No. The whole minimalist movement has gotten overboard imo There isn't a one size fits all NOR "I'm not saying it's the only way, but it's the best way" even in lifestyle or mental health

i still cant understand needing a more powerful amp when it gets loud enough. if it goes loud enough then how is it not "correctly powered"? like can a weak amp not provide the suitable amount of volts and amps or something else about the electrical properties of the components not suitable for some headphones? and why exactly does that happen?

"Hedonic treadmill" aka "burn in"

Buy cheap with all sound sigs and see which don't ring your endorphins if that is correct. My headphones have to have big base lucid sound very transparent not to the point where it sounds artificial but you can clearly hear everything that's on the track The timber doesn't have to be correct as I don't have an ear for instruments other than what they sound like from how I was raised. So I'm not a musician so there's many aspects that don't pertain to me I don't go to orchestra's I listen to strictly electronic music and what I found the top of the line headphones they are not all for me I get more attracted to the low to mid-fi Good example the only top of the line headphone I love actually there's two elite and 1266 TC but when it came to the Diana I found the V2 for me was better over the TC I know that sounds funny but that's just how my ears are. I spent the number I don't want to say cuz it's embarrassing chasing the eargasm and we all want that eargasm all the time listening to music but it sucks when you put something on or you put a set of speakers on and it doesn't happen It may have happened where you listen to them but not when you get home. Be good to have a set of products sold through the classifieds that basically becomes testers for each person so like this broken can amp that you got to use the the high current and XLR input only because the RCA and low current is stored on certain headphones but for $250 at least you can test the amp and then just sell to the next person to test it out that way you can be like I want to buy a new one. Sorry for the run-on sentences I am not typing this I am speaking Just didn't want you to think my grammar is s*** but it's easier to get my point of view across when I am speaking. Factor is my ears are different than zio's DMS and everyone else I do not know who has my same likes might find some people that like certain things I like. That's why DMS doesn't like the TH 909 from fostech but zio's loves the TH 909. So if you don't want to end up like me all right I spent a half a million dollars take it slow find the signatures discover what triggers the eargasm look at comparisons of other headphones within that model that you like cuz at some point you are going to have to take a chance but at least purchase the used item at a low price with the intention to sell it if it's a crappy unit in order to purchase a brand fresh new unit.

Help me. I need hi fi warm mass heavy clear nice build headphones. Simple is that. For house music.

Weird that bright is defined as "too much" while warm is just described as "more"

Buy some second-hand Sennheiser PX 100 MKII off eBay - Then compare to Sennheiser HD650 or the massdrop version - Most other headphones have a very wonky frequency response and aren't worth bothering with.