# Audiophiles



## Dangy (Jul 13, 2010)

Any here? Once I truly heard some hi-fidelity headphones, I was obsessed with getting the best quality music I could.


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## referencer (Jul 13, 2010)

Once I truly heard some high-fidelity headphones, I was convinced that audiophiles were full of shit.


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## Blaze163 (Jul 13, 2010)

Dunno what audiophile means but my headphones are cheap ones I picked up from a 99p store. They work fine so I see no real reason to pay anything extra. They sometimes seem to emphasize odd parts of songs so some of my MP3's have a different feel when I listen via headphones, but that's actually kinda cool.


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## Matt140 (Jul 13, 2010)

Blaze163 said:
			
		

> Dunno what audiophile means but my headphones are cheap ones I picked up from a 99p store. They work fine so I see no real reason to pay anything extra. They sometimes seem to emphasize odd parts of songs so some of my MP3's have a different feel when I listen via headphones, but that's actually kinda cool.



Basically, a person who is obsessed with getting the highest quality sound.


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## juggernaut911 (Jul 13, 2010)

I use FLAC. I'm not an audiophile though.


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## The Pi (Jul 13, 2010)

I'm no Audiophile but I refuse to use anything other than apple earphones.


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## Blaze163 (Jul 13, 2010)

Matt140 said:
			
		

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Meh. Maybe one day when I hit the jackpot I'll worry about sound quality. Right now I'm worried more about the state of my wallet (containing mostly air) and being able to drown out my old man's snoring. Seriously, it's like a fucking buzzsaw up a warthog's arse. Without my headphones and the myriad of MP3's on my Cyclo, I'd be up a certain creek without a certain implement.

Wouldn't mind getting a better set of headphones though. These ones hurt my head after a while.


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## Wabsta (Jul 13, 2010)

The Pi said:
			
		

> I'm no Audiophile but I refuse to use anything other than apple earphones.


You serious? You should try the brand Sennheiser.
It's soooooo much better then gaypple earphones.


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## Dangy (Jul 13, 2010)

juggernaut911 said:
			
		

> I use FLAC. I'm not an audiophile though.



I'm perfectly happy with 320kbps MP3's. But I do prefer FLAC.


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## Twiffles (Jul 13, 2010)

Being a audiophile kinda sucks. It's gotten to the point that even FLAC straight of a CD sounds flat to me. In the end I just wish everything was on vinyl. I miss being oblivious/ignorant to sound quality like a lot of my friends.


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## Diablo1123 (Jul 13, 2010)

Not an audiophile, do prefer FLAC though
But I've gotten to the point that my MP3 player is too full to put anymore flac on, I think I converted them to AAC at like 500 kbps?


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## BionicC (Jul 13, 2010)

Blaze163 said:
			
		

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Get some Sennheiser CX300 or Creative EP630s -- they're basically the same earphones, but the CX300 has an L-shaped plug and a J-shaped cord (the kind where one earphone has a longer cord than the other and you're supposed to drape it round the back of your neck) and the EP630 has a straight plug and a Y-shaped cord. They're good because they kind of wedge into your ears a bit more than regular earphones, which blocks out more outside sound and -- crucially -- means you don't have to have your music turned up as much, which should help with the head-hurting.

They're cheap, too; you can pick up EP630s from Amazon for under nine quid (although make sure you're buying them from Amazon rather than a marketplace seller as there are a lot of fakes knocking about) and CX300s for about sixteen or so.

As for audiophilia, a lot of it is just the good ol' placebo effect; tell someone that a £100 power cable (no, really) will give improved sound quality over a cheapo £2 one and once they've forked out the cash, they'll swear blind that their music sounds better than it used to.

Personally, I'm more than happy with MP3s encoded with LAME VBR -V2; they sound fine to me through my computer speakers and my earphones. The only exception I make is burning certain styles of music to CD for the car; my setup ain't the best so I like to give it the best-quality input I can get to avoid the sound going completely to crap. So, when it comes to metal (or anything else with lots of crashy cymbals -- my ears can pick out swooshy compression artifacts a mile off) I try to get 320kbps rips or FLACs (although I do of course buy the CDs that I end up listening to a lot).


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## CrimzonEyed (Jul 13, 2010)

FLAC with http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/p?ope...;pc^pt^PORTAPRO
and you have really high quality sound 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




you can probably get them cheaper than on that site.


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## Rfire (Jul 13, 2010)

I listen to only lossless audio, and prefer 24bit 96kHz vinyl rips when available. I stopped listening to lossy files years ago when I realized I could hear the difference with double blind testing.


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## Deleted User (Jul 13, 2010)

Rfire said:
			
		

> I listen to only lossless audio, and *prefer 24bit 96kHz vinyl rips when available*. I stopped listening to lossy files years ago when I realized I could hear the difference with double blind testing.


Those files are huge 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	





I am fine with MP3's of a decent bitrate from a proper rip and some decent headphones. I cannot tell the difference between FLAC and V0 or anything above 192kbps but that's only because I don't have some costly audio setup (I think). I do plan on stepping up to these though.


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## Wabsta (Jul 13, 2010)

flameiguana said:
			
		

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This.
I do prefer 392kbs mp3 to 128kbs.
But I dont hear the difference between flac and 392kbps mp3 on normal headphones.


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## Dermy (Jul 13, 2010)

Nvm. I'll just look it up like usual.


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## imshortandrad (Jul 14, 2010)

The Pi said:
			
		

> I'm no Audiophile but I refuse to use anything other than apple earphones.



apple earphones?! BAHAHA.  xD those are awful.


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## BoxShot (Jul 14, 2010)

I'm not an audiophile and it definitely saves the wallet from death. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



I don't use stock earphones if you ask though.


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## MFDC12 (Jul 14, 2010)

wabsta said:
			
		

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do you mean 320? thats the highest it can go up to

i prefer flac but i will settle for v0.


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## The Pi (Jul 14, 2010)

imshortandrad said:
			
		

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I don't care what anyone says. I love them


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## vergilite (Jul 14, 2010)

well i use AAC and my astros have pretty good highs and some clear and deep bass but i guess because their gaming headphones you could find better music orientated headphones for the same price


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## ProtoKun7 (Jul 14, 2010)

Matt140 said:
			
		

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Audio = sound
phile = attraction/affinity


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## remixer (Jul 15, 2010)

i've never been what you'd call an audiophile. but i like high quality music ..i can't stand kids who think the only range in music runs less than 1000hz (bassy for the uninformed) 
i cant see the point in people paying the earth for headphones with a range only whales and dogs can hear ..

Simple test.. get some GOOD high quality headphones with a WIDE frequency response.. get a signal generator and test yourself and the headphones

Usually headphones run from 20hz to 20000hz  they say the average human can hear up to 18000hz (note i said average)

i was tested about 20 years ago (when i was 16) they cranked they signal generator up in a BLIND test turning it of and on and me telling them when i could hear the noise.. i got to 21275hz before i couldn't hear anything higher ..  therefore a good set of headphones is good for me as i need that dynamic range
however some people we tested couldn't get beyond 16000hz .. so any shitty headphones would work for them 

i guess my point being is .. get tested for YOUR frequency response .. then purchase headphones and audio equipment accordingly.. 
i've seen people who could'nt hear a jet engine go off next door, purchase some real nice audio equipment .. and i know they aren't hearing half of what the system is capable of .. i know i enjoy it much more than they do .. PITY ..


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## imshortandrad (Jul 15, 2010)

The Pi said:
			
		

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That's the attitude to have. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I'm happy for you.


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## iffy525 (Jul 16, 2010)

Diablo1123 said:
			
		

> Not an audiophile, do prefer FLAC though
> But I've gotten to the point that my MP3 player is too full to put anymore flac on, I think I converted them to AAC at like 500 kbps?


500kbps is not very reasonable (is it even possible? idk).  I would suggest using ~170kbps for an mp3 player.


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## gameboy13 (Jul 16, 2010)

I LOVE high-quality sound, but I'm not an audiophile.


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## The Pi (Jul 16, 2010)

imshortandrad said:
			
		

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Thanks


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## Rydian (Jul 16, 2010)

BionicC said:
			
		

> J-shaped cord (the kind where one earphone has a longer cord than the other and you're supposed to drape it round the back of your neck)


OH.  *That's* how you do it.  ^^;

Anyways for me I don't care as long as the artifacts aren't normally noticeable.  If you have to turn it up and look for them, then you're trying too hard and I'd be happy with the current quality.

Circum- or supra-aural headphones are my preference (supra and behind the neck =


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## ProtoKun7 (Jul 16, 2010)

I hate J-cords.

They disagree with me and the left side phone always seems to fall out of my ear.


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## The Pi (Jul 16, 2010)

ProtoKun7 said:
			
		

> I hate J-cords.
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> They disagree with me and the left side phone always seems to fall out of my ear.


Same


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## Deleted User (Jul 16, 2010)

Nmm?


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## Diablo1123 (Jul 29, 2010)

iffy525 said:
			
		

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Its not possible with MP3, but I lied, it's Ogg Vorbis I used not AAC
Amazingly I've got a MP3 player that supports 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Not as good as FLAC, but better than 320kbps MP3


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## Mantis41 (Jul 29, 2010)

The Pi said:
			
		

> I'm no Audiophile but I refuse to use anything other than apple earphones.


Apple earphones!  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  My god! I think we will call you an anti-phile. I've had £7 phones sound better then those things.


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## ProtoKun7 (Jul 29, 2010)

Mantis41 said:
			
		

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Audiophobe, perhaps. Not anti-phile.
Haven't used Apple headphones, and I'm not in any hurry either.


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## Aucix (Jul 29, 2010)

Dangy said:
			
		

> I was obsessed with getting the* best quality *music I could.
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