Best big cans and a hard tight tendon

[ParadigmDawg]

I tried searching this on Google but it turned out kind of ugly plus consumed a lot of my time with distractions. I never did even see a set ofHeadphones...


On November 16th, 2015 I tore my Achilles tendon while doing a jump on my Mountain Bike. This has been a really slow recovery and just this week I have been allowed to slowly ride on my bike trainer but I can’t ride outside at all. I am going to PT 4 days a week and they are doing all kinds of weird stuff to me. I always like to wear headphones and crank up music while on the trainer and I just use either my tablet or my phone and listen to Pandora or iHeart with the $3 earbuds that came with my phone.


Yesterday I ordered the RBH HP-1B headphones. I know when I get these all this music will sound really bad so I am trying to figure out the best way to listen to my real music.


All my real music is WAV files, on my CPU and is hard wired to my AVR. Now without using the wire on the Headphones, is there a solution to getting my real music to them via BT?


Would it be best to just load my music on my tablet and get a DragonFly or similar DAC?


Should I back out of the BT headphones and get the wired pair with a better driver if there isn’t a solution to use these wirelessly the way I am wanting to?


For some reason, I can’t wrap my head around the best solution.

 

[Chu Gai]

 

[shadyJ]

Chu that picture fits the post title perfectly. Transcendence achieved.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I can wrap my head around that....

Since no one has offered solutions...I am thinking of just going Spotify from Tablet to BT cans and maybe throwing in a DAC.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Yep Spotify at it's highest resolution is exactly what I was looking for and I like how I have integrated it into my real system too.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

BT got better in last few years, but still it's a far off from being good choice for dedicated listening.
I recently did lots of research into wireless BIG cans and I figured that Sen's RS series are among better options. Only issue is they seem to be occasional conflicts with 2.4ghz wifi wireless networking.
You also need to figure out: open or closed design

 

[ParadigmDawg]

BT got better in last few years, but still it's a far off from being good choice for dedicated listening.
I recently did lots of research into wireless BIG cans and I figured that Sen's RS series are among better options. Only issue is they seem to be occasional conflicts with 2.4ghz wifi wireless networking.
You also need to figure out: open or closed design

I am going to keep the RBH HP-1B for now as I can also use them in the gym.

If I decide I like using headphones, I would be willing to spring up to $600 or so on a nice pair.

Heck, this last pair of big cans I paid for were $6,500 and I lost them in a divorce....

 

[Chu Gai]

Ouch.

 

[fuzz092888]

Thanks Fuzz.

I think I am having the most difficulty trying to figure out the best source. So far I kind of like Spotify but I would think that there has to be a better way to get the music to my ears than using my Tablet or phone.

I've tried several of the most popular streaming services, including Tidal and Spotify. Personally I like spotify premium. I make playlists, and use premium to download my favorite playlists to my phone for offline listening as well. I also like the pre-made playlists Spotify has.

My computer is in a separate room and my AVR is 22+ feet from my bike trainer so I am not certain of my best options. It seems like there should be a way to BT from my AVR.

...or...would an external DAC/headphone amp connected to my phone or table work? I am not sure what connections I would use with this since phones are hit/miss using peripherals via the USB charging port.( Phone is Galaxy S6 and tablet is Galaxy Note 4)

What about something like these a pair of these http://en-us.sennheiser.com/rs-series

They're not BT, they have a separate broadcasting station and are RF I think. They claim up to 100m (328ft) line of sight, so they should be good 22ft away in another room.

Based on some scattered reviews, I'd probably steer you towards the 185's if you don't mind open back, or either the 175's or 195's if you don't mind replacing the leatherette ear pads with the plush ear pads. IMO, the leatherette aren't all that great, especially for extended wear. It's my only complaint about the 380PRO's I have.

 

[herbu]

You also need to figure out: open or closed design

If you're going to be moving around much, (like PT), be careful selecting On Ear phones. Hard to keep them in position if you're moving your head around much.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I've tried several of the most popular streaming services, including Tidal and Spotify. Personally I like spotify premium. I make playlists, and use premium to download my favorite playlists to my phone for offline listening as well. I also like the pre-made playlists Spotify has.



What about something like these a pair of these http://en-us.sennheiser.com/rs-series

They're not BT, they have a separate broadcasting station and are RF I think. They claim up to 100m (328ft) line of sight, so they should be good 22ft away in another room.

Based on some scattered reviews, I'd probably steer you towards the 185's if you don't mind open back, or either the 175's or 195's if you don't mind replacing the leatherette ear pads with the plush ear pads. IMO, the leatherette aren't all that great, especially for extended wear. It's my only complaint about the 380PRO's I have.

The RBH HP-1B should come in mid-week so I think I am going to just try them for a while first and see what I think. If I decide that I just need/want them for listening to non-critical music on my trainer and in the gym then I will just use them with my phone/tablet.

If I decide I really like headphones, I will then build out a little system around them with a dedicated DAC/Amp and then try some various wired styles. I have a feeling I would like the expansiveness of open backs but that remains to be seen.

I do wish I could figure out how to use a dedicated DAC connected to my phone in the meantime(Galaxy S6).

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Oh wait. It looks like the Oppo would work, doesn't it?

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=OPHA2&variation=BLK&gclid=CjwKEAiAiZK1BRD509nPsYiUk2YSJAAMoAwCzSJEONYrWlZWpXrJ6Iy8iQDOf5fEaZUwwj5Rwc2nMxoCcqfw_wcB

 

[slipperybidness]

The RBH HP-1B should come in mid-week so I think I am going to just try them for a while first and see what I think. If I decide that I just need/want them for listening to non-critical music on my trainer and in the gym then I will just use them with my phone/tablet.

If I decide I really like headphones, I will then build out a little system around them with a dedicated DAC/Amp and then try some various wired styles. I have a feeling I would like the expansiveness of open backs but that remains to be seen.

I do wish I could figure out how to use a dedicated DAC connected to my phone in the meantime(Galaxy S6).

Try the S6 alone before going to dedicated DAC. It can natively decode FLAC. A quick search at Headfi, seems that it is likely a Wolfson DAC in the S6.

I have the S6 Active, and I don't use a dedicated DAC, but granted I don't use that setup for critical listening.

I also have a small battery powered headphone amp, it's a single op amp, the CMOY design. If I use wired cans on my phone, I usually use that amp, though I don't think it's really needed for the headphones that I have.

I can't remember if it's Mac or some other AH memeber, but I'm pretty sure one of the AH regulars praise the S5 or S6 as a mobile audio source as is.

 

[slipperybidness]

Oh wait. It looks like the Oppo would work, doesn't it?

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=OPHA2&variation=BLK&gclid=CjwKEAiAiZK1BRD509nPsYiUk2YSJAAMoAwCzSJEONYrWlZWpXrJ6Iy8iQDOf5fEaZUwwj5Rwc2nMxoCcqfw_wcB

Yeah, I've been considering selling my Emo XDA1 and buying that Oppo. It looks really nice, and would make a nice companion DAC for a laptop.

My S6 active took its first nasty drop, no case, right on the driveway! It got a few dings, but that's it, working fine and no broken screen! That's why I went with the Active!

On a side note, if u need more storage space on your S6, I highly recommend this little device! It plugs into the micro USB port and allows u to use a micro SD card! I bought a 64Gb card for like $22! It worked natively for me. If not native, then the MX Player app will work on it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00R0ZAMTM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1453650083&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=dash+micro+for+android&dpPl=1&dpID=41dF3fqC1OL&ref=plSrch

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Yeah, I've been considering selling my Emo XDA1 and buying that Oppo. It looks really nice, and would make a nice companion DAC for a laptop.

My S6 active took its first nasty drop, no case, right on the driveway! It got a few dings, but that's it, working fine and no broken screen! That's why I went with the Active!

On a side note, if u need more storage space on your S6, I highly recommend this little device! It plugs into the micro USB port and allows u to use a micro SD card! I bought a 64Gb card for like $22! It worked natively for me. If not native, then the MX Player app will work on it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00R0ZAMTM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1453650083&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=dash+micro+for+android&dpPl=1&dpID=41dF3fqC1OL&ref=plSrch

Thanks. I have the 64 gb S6 so it is good for now.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Try the S6 alone before going to dedicated DAC. It can natively decode FLAC. A quick search at Headfi, seems that it is likely a Wolfson DAC in the S6.

I have the S6 Active, and I don't use a dedicated DAC, but granted I don't use that setup for critical listening.

I also have a small battery powered headphone amp, it's a single op amp, the CMOY design. If I use wired cans on my phone, I usually use that amp, though I don't think it's really needed for the headphones that I have.

I can't remember if it's Mac or some other AH memeber, but I'm pretty sure one of the AH regulars praise the S5 or S6 as a mobile audio source as is.

They came in and sound pretty darn good. They actually seem to sound better with the S6 as the source vs going through my actual AVR. They sound really good wirelessly too but then again, I am no headphones expert. I would say they have a decent soundfiled and are pretty neutral. The bass is nice without being bloated but no visceral impact like my SVS, the mids seem warm and the highs about perfect.