So I did the jump and bought myself some good Sennheiser Accentum Plus headphones which are overall pretty good, the only issue I'm facing is that the headphones itself didn't come with buttons to skip/pause music and instead uses a touch panel, the problem is that when I try to skip a song or pause it with the touch panel it doesn't work at all, it works nice in my phone but on my Linux system it doesn't. I tried with different programs and it doesn't change anything.

Someone have some advice? I'm using ArcoLinux i3

I have never spent a lot of money on headphones, but for the first time I would like to try to spend a little more, and not only because of the brand, but also because of the features which are not entirely clear to me.

1. Are they (the Sennheiser Accentum Plus Wireless) compatible with PS5 consoles? As far as I understand, as a general rule the only wireless headphones (via bluetooth) that work with Sony consoles are Sony's own headphones, but I would like to know if I'm wrong.

2. How does the multipoint technology work? I would love to be able to listen to music playing from my phone and at the same time listen to the sounds of the game I'm playing on my Steam Deck, but I don't know if it works like that.

3. How good is the noise cancellation? I am interested in buying them to be able to study in a noisy environment and I don't expect it to cancel 100% of the noise but at least most of the noise.

They don't need to be brilliant, just decent enough.

Hello,

I own a Denon DCD-810 which plays mostly fine. I've cleaned the lens, changed the belt and cleaned / greased the rails and gears on this thing and it can play hours without a hitch.

Now I notice that certain CD's skip sometimes. Nothing is physically damaged with the CD's themselves (as far as I can see). The skipping is not always on the same moments but seem to concentrate more on the first few tracks. Although that might also be my perception because usually I just throw in a different CD when the skipping starts.

So having playing Purple Haze for the third time now in a row I started out with skipping and now it plays almost flawlessly. The player has already been playing for more that an hour before so no cold components as far as I know. I can find no relation between the skipping CD's in age. Old or new both can be jerky.

Does anyone know what could cause skipping on certain CD's while others play fine for hours on end? I accept my DCD-810 being a fossil as a valid answer ;)

I love Bluetooth bone conduction earphones and I'm ready to buy something pricier, sturdier, waterproof, and hopefully sound far superior to everything I've tried.

I've had a few budget sets, and I love the convenience, portability, and weight of all of them, but the audio is obviously dog s***.

Are there any bone conduction headphones that are not dog s*** audially that any of you can personally attest to?

Thanks

Hello, I'm not really too well versed in Audio, so im sorry if this question may seem a bit silly to you experts.

A few Months ago, I got my self some Vintage 4 Way Speaker Boxes from the late East germany. The person I bought it from, insisted that these need very specific Amplifiers so all 4 Speakers of the 4 Way System will be utilized.

The Amplifier he said worked best with that are Fera V150s, also Vintage east German stuff... issue here being that mine has issues working consistently, so I'll probably have to replace it at some point.

What seems odd to me is that the 4 way Speaker Boxes need specific Amplifiers to use all 4 Speakers? Is that true, or would any amplifier be able to drive all 4 Speakers just fine?

With the V3 mono coming out to the broader public soon (and not just the presale buyers), I took the time to give an “ears only” review for this community of my pair. Be warned: it is personal, subjective, and shies away from too much technical discussion. I may even use the wrong terms here and there. But for those interested in technical measurements, I recommend consulting detailed reviews that provide objective data. I go into this review with no expectations of improvements to my sound system, after all we’re just talking about power being sent to a speaker, right? I tested these amps over several days and with plenty of music and media content. Read on to learn how these amps stomped all over my expectations and may have changed my audio upgrade path for the better.

**Unboxing Experience: **

The unboxing experience was fine, I was surprised by the substantial weight of the box, it reminded me of a high-quality phono preamp. The packaging was generic, likely pre-retail, and was missing product details. Inside, the amplifiers were well-protected in foam, and the pair of 48V/10A power supplies were individually packed, ensuring no damage during transit. A tiny manual with basic information was included, but no other cables were provided.

**Build Quality and Design: **

Upon first impression, the Fosi V3 monoblocks are compact, smaller than expected, similar in size to an Art DJ III phono preamp. Note the toggles on the front.

They are dense, not heavy but heavier than you would expect for their size. The separate power supply significantly reduces the desktop/rack footprint, allowing for a cleaner display of the neat little amplifiers, just tuck those power bricks away behind something.

The color scheme fits well with other black equipment like Denon and Sony, with a touch of orange in the vents adding a unique flavor. The toggles on the front make for easy switching between inputs (RCA and XLR) and to turn the amps off quickly. On the rear, there is plenty of space for the inputs without having them bump into each other or crowd each other out, an issue I’ve run into on some smaller devices.

  **Specifications and Features: **

Channel : 1.0 Amplifier Chip : Texas Instruments TPA3255 Input : RCA, XLR, ¼" TRS Output : Speaker Output (supports banana plug or bare wire connection) SINAD : XLR: 101dB ; RCA: 93dB SNR : ≥123dB Dynamic Range : ≥123dB THD : ＜0.006% Gain : XLR/¼” TRS: 20dB ; RCA: 25dB, 31dB;
Terminal Impedance : 2-8Ω Rated Power Output : 48V/5A--240W@4Ω ; 32V/5A --100W@4Ω Frequency Response : 10Hz-30kHz（±0.06dB）
Input Voltage Range : DC 32-48V
Standard PSU : 48V/5A

Not shown in the provided specs the swappable OP-AMP (a part you can swap out to change how audio is processed) offers flexibility for future flavor changes. Also, there is a selectable gain on the back of 25 and 32db, preset to 32db, with most of my testing conducted at 25db. Optionally, there is a 48V/10A PSU available that can be split to power two amps at a time. The v3 Mono features auto-standby mode, which kicks in after 10 minutes to save you a bit of power. Source: https://fosiaudio.com/pages/monoblock-power-amplifier-v3-mono   **Setup and Installation: **

Setup was straightforward. The amps connected via RCA to my DAC, and the speakers plugged in using banana cables. The provided power supply cables are quite long which made for easy placement. I used two audio chains for my testing: The digital chain for testing: Qobuz/Plex -> Nvidia Shield TV Pro -> Topping D30 -> Fosi V3 Mono -> Mordaunt Short MS300. The analog chain for testing is the: Denon 400 turntable -> Art DJ III Phono Pre -> Fosi V3 Mono -> MS300. Comparisons are made against a Denon AVR S570BT (Retail $399 USD), which is my daily AMP.

Performance:

I ran the Bunker Analog Stereo test suite to start, as I do with all my new equipment and this evaluation was surprising as I did not expect much change. Five-point separation tests showed a wide soundstage and a dynamic range of -72 db, which was an improvement of -12db vs my AVR. Signal sweeps confirmed clear frequency separation, but especially in the low frequency range 40-80hz, making the bass more differentiated and eliminating muddiness I had come to expect from my stack, turns out the mud wasn’t my MS300 speakers, it was my amps! In the high frequency range, I confirmed that my hearing stops at around 16kHz, but my young daughter assures me that higher frequencies are being produced even if my old ears can’t hear them. At and below 16kHz, everything sounded like it should. This clear separation of frequencies and lack of audible distortion in test tones is a good omen and turns out to be a preview of good things to come.

*Can you spot the Fosi Amps? Their footprint is tiny. *

For my first tracks I listened to Babymetal, I love this band and they’re a recent obsession of mine combining Jpop and metal in a way that you didn’t know you needed in your life. I had a session with their live album, “Babymetal Returns: The Other One” as I have been listening to this album a lot lately and know it well. Expecting nothing new, I was surprised immediately at the difference revealed in the live track "Doki Doki Morning," as I could no longer hear the distortion in the higher frequencies and sustained vocals. This is an issue I was hearing across all my audio equipment, to the point I wrongly believed it was a problem with the recording. Turns out, again it was my AVR! It’s like my session went from listening to a live recording to having a live experience, the sound profile changed that much here, the presentation just felt much more ‘live’ than it had previously. This is exciting!

On the analog chain, the Lemon Twigs' newest LP "A Dream is All We Know" showcased the amps' ability to provide vocal detail and instrument separation. Tracks like "If You and I Are Not Wise" and "How Can I Love Her More?" sounded great with clear stereo separation, a wide soundstage, and differentiated low frequencies bringing the base playing to life.

I also had the chance to test some TV content on the Nvidia Shield Pro, mostly while watching shows with my kids. Sailor Moon Crystal in flac stereo sounds great, with a wide soundstage differentiating the location of voices and clear voice reproduction. I swear, this stereo setup powered by the Fosi V3 Mono might be better for TV vocals and separation than the 5.1 system I disconnected.

Disadvantages

Let’s talk about disadvantages, or annoyances I found along the way. In my analogue stack there was nothing but the PreAmp Gain and the selectable gain on the Fosi V3 Mono to control volume levels. In an integrated amp or AVR you get more volume control. For those wanting more fine-tuned volume control in your analogue stack you will need a different preamp, maybe some other kind of controller like a Schiit Sys Passive Preamp. Note for digital users: I didn’t have this issue on the digital stack as the Nvidia Shield provided all the volume control I needed, I don't know if a preamp would matter there.

Also worth mentioning, but not exactly the AMPs fault, the Auto Standby mode doesn’t kick in when connected to my analogue stack. The reason is obvious, my Art DJ III Phono Preamp has no power off switch and is always delivering at least a bit of signal as long as it is plugged in, this is all it takes for the v3 Mono to remain ‘on’ and a little bit warm. This is worth being aware of if your use case involves a component like the Art DJ III, you can either turn the v3 Mono off directly via the front toggle, or rig something up to disable your preamp to solve this problem. Another minor annoyance is that these AMPs are identical in rear configuration, good for modularity, but a little inconvenient for intuitive wiring. An optional left / right model (when purchased in a set) might make cable management for these a little more intuitive with right outputs to the right and left to left. Although I haven’t found a competing product that does this kind of thing. This is a minor concern, however, as once the amps are setup frequent rewiring is unlikely.

Lastly, the units I have do make a bit of an audible tick or pop when the unit comes on. This isn’t a big deal to me and my Denon AVR does it too, it lets me know they’re on, but it did startle me the first time it happened.   Alternate Speaker test:

I was so impressed by the life breathed into my Mordaunt Short MS300 speakers by these Fosi Audio V3 mono amplifiers that I decided to unretire my Sony SSCS3 towers to see if these amps could redeem them. Sadly, there is no saving the SSCS3 speakers and they’re just as frustrating as ever. They produced noticeably more bass than previously, but it was all mud. One thing these amps have done for me is to let me hear the difference between good speakers like the MS300 and let’s say a less good speakers like the SSCS3. These AMPs won’t save poor speakers, but they will help your good speakers perform at their best!

Comparison with my AVR setup:

Just a bit of dust on the Denon. But look at that size difference.

Like many people, my introduction to home theater and stereo is just getting an AVR based on the spec sheet, and looking for a bundle to match my TV with speakers that are well reviewed at a value. So, I come to this comparison from that background, my Denon AVR S570BT drives my home theater speakers, and I always thought it did a good job. Compared to my AVR and those like it, the Fosi V3 monoblocks excel in sound quality and detail. I don’t have the measurements to quantify this, but my ears aren’t lying and after 2 days of A/B tests, swapping speakers out, disabling EQ /using Pure Direct mode, I know I can hear a difference. From Babymetal to The Lemon Twigs, David Bowie to Neil Young, GA20 to Brittney Spencer, Sleigh Bells to Low Roar, every track and genre I threw at it sounded better on the Fosi V3 Mono amps than from my AVR. From a technology standpoint, it feels great to assemble a small footprint, quality stereo system from these Monoblock amps, an old Nvidia shield, an old DAC, and vintage speakers I got from a private sale ad for a song. When it comes to the modular design there are significant advantages versus all-in-one systems. The modular design allows for replacements, upgrades, and customization of your stack whether you are building for style, substance or both. These amps can fit into various configurations, from a simple stereo system to a high-end setup, providing versatility and quality at an excellent value. I can’t find anything comparable in value at the expected asking price.

Just consider the flexibility and upgrade paths on offer here, like a low-cost stereo system: Wiim Mini > DAC > Monoblock > Stereo Speakers

Or a value-oriented home theater chain: Denon X3800H > Monoblocks > 2/5/7/9 channels

Or even provide the power needed to your higher-end configuration like: Anthem STR Preamplifier> > Monoblocks (XLR) > Stereo Speakers

Yes, yes, I know I didn’t do measurements. I don’t have measurement equipment other than my ears! If measurements are your thing you’ll want to check out the review over at Audio Science Review that has all the measurements you could ever want.

**Final Thoughts: **

My overall experience with the Fosi V3 monoblocks was surprising, because I didn’t expect it to make any difference. Let’s sum it up though, easy setup, flexible configuration options, powerful performance, what’s not to like? After hours of listening, I can say with no doubt that these amplifiers outperformed my expectations and proved to be a significant upgrade over my home AVR. I’m convinced to pursue a separates system for future upgrades and recommend these to friends and family looking for high quality amplification at a fair price. At their expected asking price of below $260USD a pair, these monoblocks offer incredible value, with performance well above price comparable units. I highly recommend the Fosi V3 monoblocks for anyone interested in exploring separates, powering vintage speakers, adding passive speakers to your computer, or adding quality stereo amplification to any room with a minimal footprint and maximum flexibility. These amplifiers deliver exceptional performance and versatility, making them a worthwhile investment.

Earlier this year I bought a new Denon AVR-X1700H. I was happy with it, but after a month I noticed it produced a humm when I turn it on. It's only noticeable when the room is near silent, but it's really annoying when you notice it.

After investigation, it's coming from inside the device, I guess from a coil or transformer. I disconnected all sources and all speakers and it's only coming from inside the enclosure. It's silent when on standby mode (red led) and can be heard as soon as I turn it on (green led).

Spectrogram of the noise:

https://imgur.com/a/oaBrRhK first click is the first relay when the device is turned on, the 200Hz humm is here. Then comes the second relay. Then I turn the device off, both relays are clicking again and then the 200Hz humm is gone.

sound file:

http://sndup.net/ns947

I contacted my local dealer after sale service describing them in details the problem. they were not responsive. after a second email they accepted I send it back for service. (after telling me there would be fee is my claim is bogus). I quickly received the device back without any explanations about what was done. Only a List of replacement part serial numbers, they apparently replaced the main transformer.

Unfortunately, once plugged in, the problem was still the same. I contacted the service again, and I was told the noise they detected was "within the normal range" and "that this hum comes from the customer's network (ripple control pulse)."

None of my other sound devices are making this kind of noise at home. I tried to connect the AVR to another socket in another room, same result. I even tried to disconnect all the electrical devices in my flat (even the fridge, the dishwasher, the cooker and the internet box) and I still have the same result.

Could someone tell me, by the files I uploaded above, If I'm extremely sensitive or if there's indeed something wrong with my device ?

This is more of a general audio question, but still relevant I feel. I have had my HD 600 for about 5 years now and noticed channel imbalance sneaking in slowly. Now it is noticable, but not too bad just yet. I was hoping for more expensive headphones to not have these issues, but apparently I was wrong. Is this just something one has to get over, or is there some secret sauce to prevent this from happening?

I have now gone through some classic budget IEM recommendations as well and they have all had severe cases of channel imbalance in a very short timespan: Salnotes ZERO (about 3 months) Moondrop Chu (about 0.8 months) KZ ZSN Pro X (this one took 6 years to get channel imablance actually)

Will I just have to get new headphones now? I'm eyeing those Beyerdynamics everyone talks about (DT 770 pro).

EDIT: Also, I have found that it tends to be mostly the harsh frequencies which shift over to one side, so when adjusting the balance in some settings, it shifts all the other frequencies out of balance while fixing the 4000 - 8000 into the right position. Just something I observed.

Hello guys.

What do you think of Sony WH-CH720N headphones? I can get them for $82. Is there anything better for this price?

Things I want to have:

1. Good ANC
2. Bluetooth and wired connection
3. Comfort of wearing them for, let's say 2 hours

Thanks in advance.

I want to buy the Beyer Dynamic DT-880 but don't know which 1 to buy. Most of the time I will use it on my Yamaha A-S201 amplifier and occasionally on my smartphone or computer. Checked the Yamaha user manual but can't find anything about impedance of the phone connection. Any advice about impedance or better headphone for approx the same price is welcome.

I got it used. My trusty old Ear 9 is now relieved. Harmony Design is a swedish brand, their HPAs are really something else!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/10209203

i almost fell victim to this but thank god i got out

I might not be in the correct community, but maybe someone can help me anyways.

I'm planning to buy over-ears that have a nice design and the best possible transparency and ANC. Sound quality doesn't matter that much and I only wanna listen over AAC and Bluetooth. I don't want the headphones to crunch and feel cheap. My budget is 200€. Does anyone know a pair of headphones that fulfill these requirements?

I'm fed up of trying to make a echo dot permanently muted work as a Spotify streaming device for my powered speakers. The account management for a multi user household and linking specific Amazon accounts is broken. I want a device that allows basically any user on my home wifi nw to pick a device to stream to like a Chromecast.

I've been still shocked about the cost of a raspberry pi these days, but is 100 dollars for a bundle of components really the best option out there for a straight forward streaming receiver to connect to some powered book shelf speakers? Are there any other options under 100 bucks?

Since I discovered binaural audio... I dont want to listen to anything else.

I got really nice headphones, maybe the best "budget" ones for spacial hearing, and I want to record my own stuff.

Idea

• Silocone ears from Ebay (Acupuncture, Acoustics, Jewelry) left+right!
• a head that is heavy, hair simulated with carpet, hollow inside for cables and all, mount at the bottom
• lavalier mics, Røde or something good but cheap? (high dynamic range, omnidirectional, low inherent noise, neutral sound capturing)
• some recording solution

Now there are many questions:

• what lavalier mics are best but dont cost a ton?
• what material to use for the head, how to do the cast/crafting?
• what recording device?

Microphones

(Placeholder once I decided)

Material of head

Version 1

Baloon, paper mâché, smaller baloon, concrete

Somehow keep the vertical cylinder for the ears and cables

Pro

• natural head dampening
• keeps tech secure

Con

• heavy
• kinda hard to do
• needs soft outer shell

Version 2

Light, styrofoam with some harder shell

Pro

• light
• easy to do
• easy to cut holes and all

Con

• doesnt dampen sound as much
• may get damaged

Version 3

Wood, carved from 2 pieces

Pro

• looks nice
• I like woodwork
• dampens okay
• good intermediate weight

Con

• hard to do
• needs soft outer shell

Recording

I dont really want to use an expensive recording device and use it with external mics only. It should do:

• stereo mic input, best analog
• lossless codec
• high samplerate and bitrate, customizable
• maybe some light adaption like volume regulation
• no distortion
• under 50€?

Idea 1: Phone

Using this Audio recorder from F-Droid sounds good.

Problem: no stereo audio input as far as I know. Two phones are kind of annoying, even though totally possible.

I would either need some intense modding to:

• turn around the AUX port and have stereo input (likely impossible)
• hack the phone to have two seperate inputs, dongle and AUX input
• make the recording app work with that

When using a dongle, what AUX-USBC dongle supports stereo input?? And unsure if that works with my Pixel 4a.

---

To be continued...

Meanwhile, here is a nice collection of binaural / surround / hifi music.

Probably not the most secure thing in the world, I am not a knot master, but the rope is really thick and the speakers are very light. The placement they are in now really fills the room much better than before, they were lower on a short little table.

Hey fellow Lemmyranians, thought I'd share my favorite of each kinda headphone I got. Forgive me when I don't share links. I'm just telling what I paid in EUR to give you a idea whether you should wait for a sale , and leave the where to buy research to you. :)

Over Ear Monitor:

39€ - Superlux HD 660 Pro - Closed - This is a obvious Beyer clone, but it gives me all of the neutrality and comfy I seek. It only(?) sells in Germany at Thomann, which leaves a alternative I highly regard as well:

40€ - Samson SR850 - Open - The same as above, except these are open and let you hear some of the environment. I lean towards open because i prefer to hear what i say but closed is fine too because i would just flick microphone monitoring on.

Over Ear Headset:

50€ - HyperX Cloud Alpha - These are super sturdy for the price and feel premium. A bit bassy, but surprisingly neutral enough you otherwise won't experience with gaming headsets. Mic quality depends on your soundcard, which in my case is fine. 4-pin for Phone/Laptop/Controller and a 3/2-pin splitter for Tower PCs. I swapped the pleather cups for velours, keep that in mind if you hate pleather as well.

In Ear TWS:

21€ - Soundcore Life P2 mini - What I expected to be just a toy, they're damn good for the price and the mic is useable too.

In Ear ANC TWS:

66€ - Soundcore Liberty 4 NC - Incredible sound, incredible noise cancelling, just great for TWS margins. Not really surprising since it cost 3 times more than the above.

In Ear wired:

15€ - Earpods - Old but gold, this is argueable the sanest Apple product there is. Incredible mic quality compared to TWS but the sound is just fine for 15€. Sometimes I plug these into my USB mic to cosplay as Moistcritical.

And that's it. I've been window shopping for a Bluetooth Over Ear with ANC and all, like the Edifier WH950NB. But I found 150€ a little steep which I actually want to spend into Beyerdynamic first. Anyway, feel free to share your favorites and have a nice day.

Addendum 8.8.23:

IEM:

26€ - Kiwi Ears Dolce - I didn't think i would go for another in ear wired or IEM as a whole and I'm glad i did. Great, not overwhelming bass, overall dynamic mids and highs. Fun little buds for when I need compact and 0 latency. I might go for a IEM to TWS adapter such as the KZ AZ15 eventually.