Yet another headphone thread

Mr Crinkle wrote:
Thin_J wrote:

Supposedly the XM4's are much improved for calls, but I have no reason to upgrade to them so I can't speak to that.

I have the XM4's. They are trash for calls.

Hah, good to know.

Well then I'd lean toward the Jabra personally, but the Bose options are there.

Also the MS Surface Headphones have their fans, but I've neither tried them not know anyone who has them. If you try them go for the second version, not the original.

Doing a bit more research I think I might Bose QC for the multi-point connection and decent mics. Don't hate me Thin_J, music is a second priority. Also they are $200 now and I'm sure they will be again on black Friday.

However Anker just released the life q30's @$80 and I'm interested how those review buy non youtubers.

The mics on the QC35s are just ok. It's one of the things they focused on improving with the NC700s, but I find the QC35 far, far more comfortable.

It's crazy that they can't design any of these headsets to be comfortable, have good mics, and support all the latest features.

My in ear Jabra Elite Active 65Ts have pretty good mics with minimal space to deal with. They also support multi-point connections but In ears just aren't comfortable to wear for more than a couple hours. I did a test last night with my air purifier on full blast and they faired pretty well against the Samson Meteor Mic. My voice wasn't as natural as the Meteor but it still came through clear over the background noise.

Foam ear tips are better in almost every way compared to silicon. The only thing silicon has over foam is cleanliness. Otherwise, swap those tips for foam!

EverythingsTentative wrote:

Foam ear tips are better in almost every way compared to silicon. The only thing silicon has over foam is cleanliness. Otherwise, swap those tips for foam!

I run in them and when I run I sweat.. a lot. I'm guessing those foam tips would get gross pretty fast. My girlfriend uses and likes them though.

Ordered these Klipsch Bluetooth earbuds since they are 50% off and because my old Sony ones have terrible battery life. They and the charging case will be dead within a week if I don't have them plugged in. My partner has the newer Sony version which doesn't have this problem, but I decided to go this route since they look neat and are half price. I am excited!

IMAGE(https://f072605def1c9a5ef179-a0bc3fbf1884fc0965506ae2b946e1cd.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/product-images/T5-II-True-Wireless-Silver.png)

Has anyone come across a pair of headphones that can compress dynamic range? Or a box that could attach to the headphone jack that does this? My wife needs to use headphones for her work listening to audio recordings but occasionally gets samples that contain volume spikes that can reach hearing damaging levels.

Volume limiting headphones won't work since they just lower volume universally, and her work computer is a chrome os pos that is locked down so she can't install software that might have such a feature.

If the audio recordings come in as WAVs, you could use Foobar2000 and add a postprocessor to the sound. (ie, massage it after decoding but before final output.) There are two built in that look promising, "Advanced Limiter" and "Hard -6db Limiter", and then there are plugins on the site. One that looks like it might work is "EBU R128 Normalizer". One that looks very promising is "SqrSoft Compressor/Limiter".

If they don't come in as WAVs (or something similar; it can decode many formats), it would be harder to loop Foobar into the mix, but it can probably be done somehow, perhaps with Virtual Audio Cables.

Oh, I just saw "chrome POS" at the end. You could probably chain a computer in there... connect the headphone output to the mike input, process the sound there, and then output via a computer port. But I'm not sure if Foobar can listen to input devices instead of files. Hmm.

Thanks, Malor. I was also looking at something like a mini mixer like this.

It seems to have a compression feature that is used to prevent clipping during recording, I think? If so I could see running her computer's headphone jack to the rca inputs and then rca outputs to her headphones via the necessary adapter cables. But I don't really know much about audio mixing tools and what compression means in that context.

That might work. You'd probably want an opinion from someone with actual sound expertise. Podunk, for instance, might know. I don't think he hangs out in Tech and Help, though, you'd probably have to PM him.

Does Dolby Atmos for Headphones on Xbox One/Series also process things like Dolby Digital and DTS into virtual surround from all sources (games, Blu-ray’s, streaming apps) or does it only work if the original source is Dolby Atmos?

Edit: I’m currently using an older (2012) Dolby Headphone device to turn 7.1 Dolby Digital over optical to virtual surround stereo over analog for my headphones. It’s not bad but doesn’t support any new surround formats and obviously only supports surround in the horizontal plane.

Edit edit: Yeah my question is not explicitly about headphones but is related and I saw people discuss Atmos for Headphones earlier in this thread. If there is a better place to ask ill ask there instead. I didn't feel it made sense in the home theatre thread.

Anybody got a recommendation for a reasonably priced Bluetooth dongle for PC that has decent audio capability (mic and sound). Tons on Amazon, but reviews are all over the place. Audio quality/codecs vary much?

EDIT: Reason this is here is the audio component.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Ordered these Klipsch Bluetooth earbuds since they are 50% off and because my old Sony ones have terrible battery life. They and the charging case will be dead within a week if I don't have them plugged in. My partner has the newer Sony version which doesn't have this problem, but I decided to go this route since they look neat and are half price. I am excited!

IMAGE(https://f072605def1c9a5ef179-a0bc3fbf1884fc0965506ae2b946e1cd.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/product-images/T5-II-True-Wireless-Silver.png)

Update! They are awesome. The packaging on the whole thing was nice and premium. The case is heavy and not only looks like a zippo, it feels like a zippo. The earbuds are so light which helps with the fit. The medium+ silicone tips are perfect for my ears and the passive noise cancelling makes it so I have to take them out to hear someone talking. I didn't have great luck with the passthrough. Will have to experiment more. My favorite thing is that they are so small that they sit nearly flush with my outer ear. They look really futuristic like the earbuds in HER. I really don't like the Apple airpods look. The best looking ones other than these are the current gen Sony's. Battery life is incredible compared to the previous gen Sony's I had. Basically don't have to think about it.

Sound is fine. Not as good as some wired earbuds I have but it's decent. They are pretty loud. I have to put them at less than half volume to feel safe on my ears. Bluetooth never cut out unless I went about 25 feet from my phone. Call quality is just fine too. I listened to the new Fleet Foxes and a podcast today and made a few calls.

At $100 they are a steal, but I would pay the full $200 now liking them as much as I do. It's amazing how fast this tech has progressed the last few years.

I've found there are a lot of quality true wireless earbuds as far down as the $30-$40 range if you look. I bought a pair of MPOWS M30+ a few months ago for $24 that surprised me. Also just got a set of 1More Pistonbuds for $30 on Black Friday due to their reported mic quality (plan to use them for work calls on the laptop).

My problem is that I have weird shaped ear holes that seem to point up more than most peoples, so to get them to fit, I have to twist a lot of IEM's to pointing a bit up. That makes the body of the earbuds often put pressure on parts of my ear that are uncomfortable. Sometimes I can just put on a really large and soft ear tip that allows for a seal a bit farther out in the ear, but not always.

MannishBoy wrote:

Anybody got a recommendation for a reasonably priced Bluetooth dongle for PC that has decent audio capability (mic and sound). Tons on Amazon, but reviews are all over the place. Audio quality/codecs vary much?

Reason this is here is the audio component.

The only ones I have any experience with are the Creative BT-W2, which does all of the Bluetooth pairing itself making it opaque to the host device and look like a USB headset. Most other dongles rely on the host device's O.S., but they should all support basic Bluetooth headsets properly.

MannishBoy wrote:

My problem is that I have weird shaped ear holes that seem to point up more than most peoples, so to get them to fit, I have to twist a lot of IEM's to pointing a bit up. That makes the body of the earbuds often put pressure on parts of my ear that are uncomfortable. Sometimes I can just put on a really large and soft ear tip that allows for a seal a bit farther out in the ear, but not always.

Are you dead set on earbuds? I've never had anything that goes into or near my ear canal feel comfortable, so I stick to EarPods, AirPods, and QC35s most of the time. The outlier would be the Plantronics Backbeat Fit 3100, which I use when running. The 3200s add noise isolation, but I can't fathom why.

Kurrelgyre wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:

Anybody got a recommendation for a reasonably priced Bluetooth dongle for PC that has decent audio capability (mic and sound). Tons on Amazon, but reviews are all over the place. Audio quality/codecs vary much?

Reason this is here is the audio component.

The only ones I have any experience with are the Creative BT-W2, which does all of the Bluetooth pairing itself making it opaque to the host device and look like a USB headset. Most other dongles rely on the host device's O.S., but they should all support basic Bluetooth headsets properly.

MannishBoy wrote:

My problem is that I have weird shaped ear holes that seem to point up more than most peoples, so to get them to fit, I have to twist a lot of IEM's to pointing a bit up. That makes the body of the earbuds often put pressure on parts of my ear that are uncomfortable. Sometimes I can just put on a really large and soft ear tip that allows for a seal a bit farther out in the ear, but not always.

Are you dead set on earbuds? I've never had anything that goes into or near my ear canal feel comfortable, so I stick to EarPods, AirPods, and QC35s most of the time. The outlier would be the Plantronics Backbeat Fit 3100, which I use when running. The 3200s add noise isolation, but I can't fathom why.

I have an Aftershokz bone conducting set that I use for dog walks and other places I need to be able to hear. But I do have a need for something that completely isolates sound yet will stay in my ear when doing stuff like working around the house, on cars, working out, etc.

The Galaxy Buds/Beans things do look interesting, though.

Not saying I can't wear IEM's, I've got thousands of hours doing so. I just am not an easy fit. But to continue the Klipsch love, my wired Klipsch always fit better than any other IEMs because they generally have smaller barrels and less bulk in the ear. That allowed me to literally wear them upside down in my ears and wrap the cords behind my ear.

My best fitting earbuds are the Galaxy Buds+ by far. They are just so light, small, and more comfortable than others after hours of wearing. I know every ear will be different but I find earbud weight will cause pressure points.

My main issues with them are:

Only IPX2 water resistance.
Touch Controls (this sucks in the NE winter or when running).
No multipoint connection (although very few wireless earbuds do at this point)

EvilDead wrote:

My best fitting earbuds are the Galaxy Buds+ by far. They are just so light, small, and more comfortable than others after hours of wearing. I know every ear will be different but I find earbud weight will cause pressure points.

My main issues with them are:

Only IPX2 water resistance.
Touch Controls (this sucks in the NE winter or when running).
No multipoint connection (although very few wireless earbuds do at this point)

Mine isn't necessarily a weight problem, they often push on my tragus area when rotated to actually seal in the ear canal.

IMAGE(https://img.medscapestatic.com/pi/meds/ckb/62/24162tn.jpg)

(I just had to look up what that was called.)

OK these might actually be good for you then. They bulk rotates away from the targus with the fin on the top sliding into the concha area.. (That diagram is useful).

Edit: You never realize how different ears are until you start looking at earbud pics. But this pic shows how it locks in.

IMAGE(https://i.insider.com/5e7263b4c4854030aa040984?width=1136&format=jpeg)

I just ordered a set of Galaxy Buds Live (beans) off Amazon Warehouse for $66 after 20% discount. Damaged packaging. I'll try to remember to report back on quality. Still looking for good voice quality mic that works with my laptop. The 1More Piston Buds were OK and better than average, but still had some digital shift effect going on for some reason (doesn't happen on my phone).

I think I'll eventually end up with Aftershokz OpenComms. Just need to see a decent sale. Really impressed with every test I've found on YouTube on the mic quality, and I love my current AfterShokz for spoken word listening.

(Mic quality at 6 minutes or so):

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ mic sounds great in the office environment. I have compared recordings to my Samson meteor mic and they hold up as good as buds can to a dedicated mic. I'm sure the Beans sound just as good if not better. Just make sure to upgrade the firmware first.

I haven't tested outside or with a ton of background noise so I can't comment on that. Also, what do you mean by digital shift effect?

EvilDead wrote:

Samsung Galaxy Buds+ mic sounds great in the office environment. I have compared recordings to my Samson meteor mic and they hold up as good as buds can to a dedicated mic. I'm sure the Beans sound just as good if not better. Just make sure to upgrade the firmware first.

I haven't tested outside or with a ton of background noise so I can't comment on that. Also, what do you mean by digital shift effect?

It's just like digital tone shifting is going on garbling the sound. It's not like static, it's like robotic sounding.

That was my term. Could just say digital distortion?

My concern with the Buds Live is fit, as I've previously discussed my weird ear canals. But since these don't actually go into the canal, maybe they'll work?

Worth a try. Can always send them back.

OK gotcha, nope none of that. That can happen if the signal is weak or interference. Strangely enough one of my e-bike chargers use to do that on my Jabras when they got within 20ft. Took me forever to figure out what was going on.

If you have an older Bluetooth chipset in your laptop you might want to get a Bluetooth 5.0 dongle. I was just checking them for the increased distance yesterday. It's still pretty slim pickins. Asus has the name brand one for $20 or you could take your chances with the Mpow one for $13. I was trying to see if they use the same chipset but it will require more research.

EvilDead wrote:

OK gotcha, nope none of that. That can happen if the signal is weak or interference. Strangely enough one of my e-bike chargers use to do that on my Jabras when they got within 20ft. Took me forever to figure out what was going on.

If you have an older Bluetooth chipset in your laptop you might want to get a Bluetooth 5.0 dongle. I was just checking them for the increased distance yesterday. It's still pretty slim pickins. Asus has the name brand one for $20 or you could take your chances with the Mpow one for $13. I was trying to see if they use the same chipset but it will require more research.

I've looked into bluetooth dongles for my PC and never found anything that looked like the obvious choice. If you find a good one, definitely give an update.

I think my laptop just got an Intel bluetooth driver update a couple of days ago. Haven't tried them for a meeting since, but may soon.

OK, I'm going to give the ASUS USB-BT500 a try. I did a little google searching and am getting the feeling that MPOW is using a lesser chipset. My PC has the BT400 which only supports BT 4.0 with a 33m max range.

I will let you know how it goes.

This is what I use on my PC with my Galaxy Buds+
here

I had to do a driver update from the vendor site though before the buds would connect even though Windows found a driver automatically.

After 7 months my right bud went out and I sent it in for warranty replacement. In the meantime I used my wife's Airpods which showed me how much better the Galaxy Buds+. The audio and mic quality and comfort of the Galaxy were clearly superior and I'm not going to mention all the issues I experienced using Airpods with android since I know they are "optimized" for IOS.

In regards to the Techkey USB dongle. I ruled it out after many of the reviews said it's a bluetooth 4 chipset Realtek rtl8761 renamed to a 5.0 in it's driver files.

I was going to say when I bought that dongle I thought it said Bluetooth 4. Either way it works fine with the Buds+ but haven't really tested the distance.

After almost a decade of faithful service, my Steelseries Siberia V2 headset finally wore out. With a budget of $100, what should I look at to replace it with?

It’ll be used with a PC only. Wireless would be a big plus but is not absolutely necessary. Removable or retractable microphone is a plus — I want to have a mike but don’t use it all the time.