What headphones are you using?
My old one just has broken apart and I got a new one AKG k550 mkii today for 4k TWD.
The sound (and the price) of AKG k550 mkii is quite different from the old one, and I am slightly disappointed.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91fLQrHXiGL.SL1500.jpg
I have a very old set of Audio Technica M35 that are basically my spares. Until last week I was using Denon Ah-d1000 but broke them when I stepped on the cable. Feelsbadman.
I got a pair of Superlux 669, for under 2000nt I find it hard to get much better sound quality. They’re a bit hard to drive, or at least harder than my previous Denon. I have to push my Sansa player a bit harder, but it’s well worth it.
No really portable, but for desktop/amp use I reccommend to give them a try. There’s a Superlux dealer in Taipei and they let customer try the whole range of headphones. I found most of them to be just “ok” for the price, while the 669 feel and sound much better.
I haven’t tried their open cans because I prefer closed back.
That was a bad luck of you breaking the Denon Ah-d1000. I have never heard of SUPERLUX. In Taiwan, I think it is difficult to buy or try various headphones. It looks there are not much ppl who are interested in hifi audio here including speaker units.
I really like headphones with open enclosure.
I was using several pairs of Koss Porta Pro for a long time, which are really excellent headphones in terms of sound and price, but very fragile.
I was also using MDR-CD900ST but this one was not good for listening and relaxing and uncomfortable.
The last one I was using was ‎ATH-AD2000. This one was fragile and uncomfortable, so I ended up hating a bit of AT, but it had the best sound I ever owned, just incomparable to AKG k550 mkii in every aspect. But the head bands broken away and they asked me 5k TWD to fix the bands, so I bought AKG k550 mkii instead.
I am still using my beloved AKG 141 monitor. Still serving me very well after 25+ years of usage.
I dont know anything about the new stuff, but I just cant imagine anything better than the original proffessional studio headphones …
I’m an open headphone junkie too. Had a pair of Sennheisers that I used going on 20 years. Finally died and after some research recently I plunked down for a pair of Philips x2’s. Excellent value at the price I feel, they look built to last. Sound is really a lot like my old Sennheisers which works for me. Comfy as hell though the velour ear pads were a bit scratchy in the sweaty weather.
Beats by Dre!
haha, not.
Hi, bbmt, AKG 141 monitor must be good headphones, 25+ years of usage is sth extraordinary, It alone worth your bucks.
Actually AKG k550 mkii has been reviewed vastly quite positively. Probably AKG k550 mkii is not bad at that price range. ATH-AD2000 has triple the price so my comparison was not fair, yet I was expecting more for the price.
Hi, tempogain, I was actually considering Philips Fidelio X2. But I have my ear shape extruding outwards so I avoided it. Fidelio must sound great!
Hi Taipei, Dre are … well, look cool, that’s it. haha
Bang and Olufsen H8 on ear, wireless.
Great headphones but tired of charging them all the time so. Now use them with a wire.
Buy the over ear H6 instead
Better sound and no bothering with charging because it’s wired
And save a hundred bucks too
Wow Those are a fancy pair of headphones! They look comfy too.
Thank you for sharing.
They are comfortable and when charged up work really well especially intended for use with iPhone
Easy to take calls , adjust volume, skip to next track ,etc
Sound isolation is good too especially for on ear.
These headphones are noise cancelling
But overall the H6 is better
Fit is better as it is over ear
Sound is better too
Noise canceling not needed with over ear
And it’s not that much bigger then H8
399 instead of 499 makes it better too
edit: H6 now 299 instead of 399 makes it even more the choice to make. I have a big head so the H8 hugs my head a bit too tightly and after awhile my ears start to feel the pressure from the cups. Get the over ear ones.
I’ve had my Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 (over ear, bluetooth) for a while now, having had a Momentum 1.0 (over ear) previously as well. Been giving the noise cancelling a decent go over the last 6 months (flying a bit for my standard) and they’re pretty awesome. Retained the sound signature of the 1.0 over ear but with better rounded bass. Noise cancelling is not as good as the Bose QC headphones as reported but for me, the sound is much much better.
You have awesome headphones. I know those are a highly acclaimed one. I am really curious about the sound and fit of them. The design also looks robust against damages.
The wireless and noise cancellation are getting much popularity these days. Having one must be quite handy for many situations.
Superlux is an interesting company. They’re from Taiwan, though most (if not all) of their stuff is made in China. Some of their headphones are home-made designs while others are very clearly inspired from others. The 669 look exactly like some Sennheisers and even the sound is not too far off, though the price is close to half or 1/3rd of a comparable model.
Takstar is kinda similar, their Pro-80s are basically a Beyerdynamic clone for 1/3rd of the price.
On head-fi there are plenty of review about their headphones, in recent years Superlux has become a favorite for value-oriented gearheads. Even on Youtube or Reddit it’s possible to find plenty of positive reviews of their products. A cool thing about their headphones is also the cable:
Look at it. LOOK AT IT. Absolute perfection. If my Denon’s had that kind of detachable cable they would still be alive. Feelsbadman.
I cannot say much about their open cans because when I wear headphones is usually for sound isolation (both for me and people around me), and when I’m by myself or watching a movie with dem wifez I have my 5.1 at home so open headphones would be a bit reduntant.
Build quality of Superlux’s gear is…well, ok for the price. They probably spend most of their design budget on the drivers and the rest is mainly cheap plastic and cheap pads. When the pads of the 669 will start to peel off in summer (because I’m 100% sure they will) I’ll probably replace them with some velour pads for better comfort.
The 669 were the biggest headphones I tried from Superlux, some of the smaller models (especially the portable ones) felt terrible on my ears but that varies from person to person.
For anyone interested in trying them on: http://www.taiwanaccess.com.tw/
This is the official retailer in Taipei. Their prices are a bit higher than what’s available on Ruten, but I was glad to pay the extra bit in order to try the whole range of products.
I’m really happy with them. They do a good job on bass which is a big consideration for me, and no other complaints. Very listenable. They surpass my old H590’s on the bass which I got for the same reason.
Superlux
Thank you for the explanation. In Taiwan, there are many manufactures of component parts, like TB speakers who are supplier of many famous international manufactures. I have no doubt toward quality of products itself. If I have opportunities I will try them. There can be good headphones on the middle end.
I think for headphones it matters more the sound design such as tuning than the product quality such as sound characteristics. Most of music I listen is from the Americas and EU so inherently those regions will be the best source of quality product (just my thought).
That is amazing, You got your gear. I need to find mine!
Mind if I ask you which headphones did you consider when buying X2?
I looked mostly at Sennheisers in that price range like the 650 and 700. I like open and I never had much cause for complaint with my old pair. I did some listening at hifi on Chongqing S. Road http://www.hifi.com.tw/ and I wanted them, but I was a bit concerned if my Topping VX1 t-amp with its minimal headphone amp would push them adequately. The specs on the X2 were much more amenable there. I might get a better headphone amp in the future but I didn’t want to change my setup now. I wasn’t able to listen to them, apparently there’s no distributor for them now. But the reviews were uniformly positive including gearhead youtube guys, and I got a good price on momoshop so i went for it.
I bought a pair of Shure in-ear earphones back in the day (before the time of iphone), to go with my Cowon iAudio mp3 player. It was nice while it was new, but after a couple of years, all the plasticky parts of the earphone became very sticky, including the casing and the wires. I tried cleaning it using baking soda as some online source suggested. It would work for a while, but didn’t stop the plastic from yellowing and becoming brittle.
I enjoyed the sounds of a more expensive pair of earphones, but considering the cost, and how often I actually use headphones now, I probably won’t buy another pair of expensive headphones anytime soon.
Honestly, the cost of headphones in Taiwan is outrageous. Got me some cool SONY for my commute -duno about the model- and they were 2500 ntd. Love em. So when I went to Japan last time, and since the fluffy parts are no longer fluffy, I took them with me to buy a new pair as spare. Show them to the guy at the store. Takes me to them. Same model. Guess what? They were the equivalent of 500 ntd or less. 
