Crinacle's ULTIMATE Guide to Headphones

[@rekire___]

Perhaps the best headphones is the one we made along the way

[@hartyewh1]

- DMS, 2024

[@dakata2416]

DIY electrostatic headphones ftw

[@andrewc31394]

I understood that reference

[@sovery_halalmode]

​@@andrewc31394 we all do bud, we all do

[@CFChristian]

Definitely a comment.

[@ZadiusTech]

I also thought the Sennheiser HE-1 were still ~$60,000, but someone corrected me and informed me that they are now $70,000...damn inflation!

[@robbay8610]

So buy quickly before they're 100k. Got it.

[@anonymoususer.999]

70,000$ for a headphone worth only 1,000$ at most is absurd lol

[@izumi2165]

​@@anonymoususer.9991k? do you really think they cost so little to make? I'd say you're right for stuff that is produced in higher quantities and is less complex but not he he1

[@huawu3123]

@@anonymoususer.999i agreed it overpiced but dude the cost of he-1 production already exceed 1k. He-1 is not a headphone, it a system with headphone, tube amp and dac. Asking 1k for that whole system is literal insanity.

[@Mastermnd1]

Too late, it's discontinued it seems.

[@xbenci]

ok so what headphone do I buy

[@sioh3]

good ones

[@Wulf0w0]

Sennheiser, duh. Clearly didn't watch the guide...

[@AliArghavan]

Sennheiser HE-1

[@gintoki8086]

DUSK

[@robertfergerson8418]

Susvara

[@AIC_onyt]

>inject metal particles in ear drum >place magnet coil next to head Audio endgame

[@hankenstein12]

I didn’t buy an HE-1 to listen to music, I bought it to listen to your sweet sweet voice

[@30.swagatamdebnath66]

Bro thinks he is Crinacle

[@jihamiya5755]

Yeah, freaking wannabe

[@melandro2327]

My guy will never be him 😂😂😂

[@coslawstudio3001]

He don't even try to act😂

[@chienbotrung7093]

fr

[@kamo7293]

he looks like crinacle. let him cook...

[@ResolveReviews]

A helpful guide for new folks! Solid vid.

[@NguoiTuyet1]

The no-going-back warning is very serious. If you're enjoying what you're using, keep going, good for you. once you try a better headphone and go back to your old pair, you will discover that it's not the same anymore. and that can really trigger a "OMG, what's next?", and before you know it, you have 1 pair of ears, and 10 pair of headphones ....

[@Hijynx87]

IEMS ruined me lol, 1 pair of ears and like 30 pairs of iems.....a handful of headphones and a few tws as well.

[@Hawkeye242]

This just happened to me tonight. Loved my PC38x, but my Hifiman Arya Stealth showed up, and I can’t unhear the difference. I went back to my old PC38x to A/B them, and it was just so much more dull and closed off, I can’t go back.

[@deen.iskandar]

Yup, it all started with just ONE xD

[@lyh01]

Yup, I'm relieved that it only took me 4 iems to find the one that really fits my preferences. Also there's no iem store near me so I can't try out any new pair that might ruin my current fave for me...

[@Hijynx87]

@@lyh01 what did you land on?

[@bakaoug4g491]

I think i deserve a certificate for watching this video. I feel so knowledgeable now.

[@AetherSystems]

Tl;dr: good sound = I can't distinguish it from hearing the sounds in real life. Why does this not happen? because we apply a blanket FR adjustment to all sounds, aka the headphone tuning. Which is because we're too lazy to just use HATS sims to record sounds properly. Pinna gain and diffuse field are NOT accurate at all, which is pretty obvious in how they sound completely unrealistic. All audiophilia in 2024 is unscientific garbage. The end of this video is brutal. "KnOw ThE SoNg So YoU CaN NoTicE DeTaiLS" -- true salesmanship. Auditory masking is a real thing that really exists in the real world. And what that means is what you're often finding is not "more detail" it's unnatural levels of details caused by less bass and more upper mids/treble. You're never getting "more detail" from a headphone that, as he explains, is already no distortion. What you're getting is a treble shimmering over everything else so you hear a cymbal 5 miles away, that if you were in the recording for real would never hear because other lower sounds would mask over it.

[@ericsternwood9812]

I miss your f***k off in the outro. I find it very endearing and heartwarming.

[@taidee]

And also "...don't die." 🤣🤣

[@jjjj-ms1ln]

what is bro into💀💀

[@Sherolox]

Another main channel video? BEFORE 2025?!

[@Zer0_Decepti0n]

Its a Christmas miracle

[@muchvibrant]

@@Zer0_Decepti0n crinacle miracle

[@ed_lifts]

@@muchvibrant A christmas crinacle

[@slanto]

"I can't say that on this video." I just isn't the same. It's like your friend offering you candy, but he only gives you the wrapper.

[@HeadphoneHangover]

Right? I had to open another video and forward to the end so he tells me to fuck off 🤣🤣🤣

[@SmileyD1125]

Damn, a sponsorship from Sennheiser? You really made it!

[@raawesome3851]

He got sponsored by Sennheiser a while ago

[@SmileyD1125]

@raawesome3851 Dang, Crin made it a long time ago and I didn't even know lol

[@stephenpawking]

He owns a whole ass store. He's big online in his space just not that big on KZbin.

[@SmileyD1125]

@@stephenpawking I guess you can't get yourself a HE-1 without being huge

[@stephenpawking]

@SmileyD1125 I think he own like a $10k amplifier just to listen to some $4k headphones or something. He did a video on it on his old channel. I think it might still be up?

[@lightjoybliss]

"Sennheiser, can you send an HE-1 to the store?" "Sure, Crin. Btw, can you make a video sponsored by us?" 😅

[@jameshernandez3902]

The way Crin's eyes light up when explaining draws me in so much because it resembles someone who enjoys what he is doing.

[@LegsOmega]

This comment was brought to you by the EVIL Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro gang.

[@theh0r5e90]

YES

[@smolbo1]

TREBLE I NEED TREBLE I LOVE TREBLE GIVE ME ALL THE TREBLE

[@ArtyomPlatonev]

They sound so good though

[@SwainixFPV]

DT990 Pro gang

[@Ardeact]

Aren't the dt990 the treble gang??

[@reifortes_86]

This has got to be one of the most thorough breakdown and introduction to headphones. Fantastic video Crin!!

[@Mana_Mania_Rider]

This is very useful as someone who still feels very new to the game. One thing that I would like to see is a video on the different sound types, what they mean and they should sound, what to avoid, etc

[@Entyipo]

Warm = Lower frequencies are emphasised Bright = Higher Frequencies are emphasised Neutral = None are V Shape = Lows and Highs both, Mids are less emphasised What they should and shouldn't sound like is entirely subjective

[@Mana_Mania_Rider]

@Entyipo so, what would be the difference between a U and V shaped sound signature?

[@Entyipo]

@Mana_Mania_Rider U is a milder V Shape

[@Mana_Mania_Rider]

@@Entyipo gotcha, thank you. One last thing, what does it mean when something has good technical performance / the technicality is done well?

[@Entyipo]

@Mana_Mania_Rider Stuff like soundstage and imaging. How many details it reveals in the songs.

[@formerviking]

Appreciate the in depth explanations. I will share this with friends so hopefully they can understand things better for themselves.

[@mahanthp4648]

This has to be the only ultimate guide out there that is actually ultimate. Thank you for the detailed video.

[@OllieBecker]

Small correction: the effect of rapidly changing the volume back and forth is called tremolo, not vibrato. Vibrato is a rapid change in pitch, which is what the vocalist is doing.

[@mgrmln]

As a long time audiophile, this is such a wonderful introduction into the hobby! Thank you Crin!

[@munkifrog328]

i'm not an audiophile, but i found this video most informative and interesting, i have had sennheiser headphones for many years, hd 201's, but like you say, it's not about measuring :) i like them, i find them comfortable to wear for hours at a time and i like how they sound. thank you so much for the information and reasoned delivery, whilst not being too verbose. keep up the great work!! ❤❤👍👍

[@Rustydude2030]

love that crin is back dropping knowledge,

[@aaronpena8493]

really solid TRUE mini list gift guide that doesn’t totally break the bank, has a bit for everybody, and are truly practical and useful items, thank you!

[@christopherviers8302]

Great episode/information/presentation...!!! Appreciation for all your effort & focus...!!! Kudos...!!! Happy New Year and Great Prosperity to you and your workers/company...!!!

[@Ober1kenobi]

1:26 crin missed the oppurtunity to double down and say "not that kind of Stimulate"

[@Ardeact]

Wow this video answers a ton of questions that are usually answered in gray, very nice Crin!

[@shiorinyan]

Amazing videos. And the one about not needing amplifier, best. Since, I ordered K702s friday, and over the weekend.. I was over-worrying whether I need an amplifier.. anyhow, can't wait for K702s to come aaaa

[@BruceCross]

Less the ultimate guide to headphones, more headphone basics. Still, one of the best basics videos I've seen.

[@nou-jn6uz]

thank you so much for helping me comprehend the difference between planar and electrostatic drivers

[@lstrk4390]

Awesome guide. I LOVE seing videos like this in KZbin, there should be a way to better award this content in the platform

[@unol]

Wish this video had existed 6 years ago. If a friend ever asks me for help in understanding headphones; I'll point them in towards this.

[@djvidual8288]

Thank you for the very insightful explanations.

[@leeelder7463]

This is excellent info… Thanks

[@shreddherring]

A very well done and informative video, thankyou. I will, however, greatly disagree with the assertion that better amplification only increases the volume. I had been running a pair of HD600 out of a pc soundcard for years, which had always had completely soft and kind of annoying bass, but I didnt know why it annoyed me. One day I got to try using a relatives 1980's sansui integrated amplifier, which I connected the soundcard and HD600 to, just to see if anything would happen. Imagine my shock when the bass was punching me and I was actually feeling a visceral impact for the first time out of a pair of headphones... I had no idea headphones could do that. Bot only did it feel like someone had sneaked into the room and held up a pair of speakers to either side of my head, that bass was also a lot better controlled, allowing me to follow the notes better. Lets be clear, I could actually deafen myself if I cranked the volume to max on that soundcard, but even at that level I'd never feel a physical kick out of them, and crucially, I have a comfortable listening volume that I cant go over because my ears are sensitive, it would hurt to go louder, so I had that integrated amp as close as I could get it to the same volume as the soundcard. I wonder if, perhaps, this comes down to individual hearing differences. If for you, a powerful amplifier only changes the volume and it doesn't change how the headphones behave, then I believe you are having that experience. But it may useful for others to be aware that, for some listeners, upgrading amplification is not about volume whatsoever

[@Lightstream2]

35:52 FEELSBADMAN

[@wingedtoast7495]

worth mentioning that wireless closed back on ear is a market dominated by budget/noname brands in fashion stores

[@tranthien3932]

19:50 This is where anyone watching this channel starts to lock in.

[@mikafoxx2717]

I realize this is sponsored, but no joke the HD600 is one of the best headphones to have ever been made. And not just because of sound, which is also still one of the most neutral and cohesive out there, but because of the replaceable pads and top padding, and cable, whereas most brands might not even sell you original pads nevermind the top foam or suspension strap. Also extremely comfortable and the only complaint is too much clamp, but i have a small head so I need it just to stay on my head, big heads can stretch it out a bit. The 600 also doesn't wear out the adjustment mechanism like some others might. I use other headphones as well, but you can't go wrong with a 600. I also have a sundara which is more technical in loud busy passages and has better subbass, but the mids aren't as good and it sounds more artificial. The aune ar5000 is probably the closest I have, but with more bass but also more low mids which makes it a but blunted, but overall pretty okay. Of all of these the sennheiser will almost certainly live the longest and theyre already the oldest of the bunch.

[@geniussnake497]

Yeah, I would probably agree, and add Beyerdynamic to that list, most replacement parts (drivers, cables, pads, head band etc.) can be bought online, decades after the headphones were released.

[@Haddedam]

If i hand't been using he400i, fidelio x2s and other mid fi phones that are cheaper for years, hd600 wouldn't have been a very expensive nothingburger.

[@darylabrinica7270]

So Crin will be giving head...phone recommendations

[@topchris17]

Very helpful. Great video. Thank you.

[@thejman3489]

That as close to zero thing is for sure true. I used the DeWalt radio that had Bluetooth connection. The interesting thing about that is that it does not care what volume your phone is at, all the way up or down, the speaker will output the same volume level. Of course the speaker itself has its own volume knob that actually affects the output volume. The louder I turn my phone volume up, the more distortion I can hear. It also affects the balance. Treble by itself goes very loud and then drops off significantly when any sort of bass comes in. Towards the lower end, the balance comes back with bass having little to no effect on the treble, and the distortion is far less. It sounds the best when I have my phone at the lowest possible volume without turning it off.

[@hydroponicgard]

My brain hurts from all this information. Can we have this again..? Like, no joke, I love listening to you nerd out.

[@Yo-vv7iy]

Finally a reference guide that I can share iwth my friends ! Thanks Crinacle !

[@classdatsite17]

Sennheiser did make wired open-back on-ear headphones. There were the PX100 series with multiple variation twenty years ago, I personally had the PMX100 back then. In terms of sound, it was slightly better than the Koss PP.

[@rollingthunder9769]

8:28 calling Singapore's climate "warm" is an understatement😂😂. Cheers from Batam!

[@mikafoxx2717]

Interesting thoughts on the CSD and such graphs. One thing I note moreso from them is damping over actual frequency ringing, because usually those also align with peaks themselves. But an ES driver wpuld certainly stop dead very quickly whereas a dynamic would sustain longer everywhere moreso. Minimum phase is awesome though, free EQ without having to dive into linear phase or delay and such. More importantly though, I think harmonic and even moreso intermodulation distortion is overlooked. The harmonics are what gives a lot of that punch to dynamic driver bass, because they often have high distortion there which makes it almost into an instrument of its own. intermodulation as well as harmonic is what makes music get more fuzzy and less detailed during complicated louder parts, and you can differentiate it pretty easily even with similar tuning. When people say detail and reference a bright tuning, I pretty much facepalm. You can have dark and detailed, too, with articulate bass, or like the HE-1 be extremely articulate but no frequency range overhyped.

[@rabb1tjones921]

Great job!

[@noelrobles6334]

Small correction at 10:48. Those are not in fact wired over-ear closed back headphones. Those are what is called “doggy doo”.

[@Matt-vengefulowl]

Just bought my first nice pair of headphones, the HD 600. Really been enjoying them!! I'm new to this but I'm thinking my next pair I'd want something slightly warmer.

[@JTB--]

Don't disparage me because I like the $35 Target Exclusive Dora the Explorer Headphone!!

[@3rationalfans]

This is such a helpful primer

[@lachlanalsop3294]

small, really knitpicky note vibrato is the variation of frequency tremolo is the variation of amplitude en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrato The image in the wikipedia page demonstrates the difference well

[@jihamiya5755]

True. These two terms get jumbled all the time even in the guitar space.

[@wakizashi1098]

wireless closed back on ear are in some parts of europe in trend espacially the marshall major series. a good video btw and love your content

[@valmirseog276]

Great video, thanks! Though, it's pretty funny that Hifiman is so good they have to be "left out" of a Sennheiser-sponsored video."

[@ndgr8claymore]

This is one of the best beginner explainer videos for aspiring audiophiles on the net. I even forwarded it to some friends who were eager to get into the hobby. Sorry for their wallets😅.

[@jacobbarfield7828]

12:22 There’s also the HiFiman Deva-Pro as an open-back wireless headphone option and the Turtle Beach Atlas Air as an open-back wireless gaming headset option

[@hartyewh1]

The Hifimans work with a wireless adapter so a bit different still.

[@baammm3871]

Dont't forget the Grado GW100x

[@VicharB]

Nice episode, Professor Headpones, thanks!

Another producer of AMT headphones: Precide from Switzerland with the Ergo AMT. And while most viewers will never be able to afford an HE-1 or HE-90 (Orpheus), the HE-60 is occasionally available used, for cheaper than the current TOTL headphones.

[@rhalfik]

Excellent general advice. As always with broad genralisations, it's worth to add some nuance. Nectar Hivex costs only $500 and so does Drop ESP/95X. Both are electrostatic headphones.

[@AetherSystems]

Tl;dr: good sound = I can't distinguish it from hearing the sounds in real life. Why does this not happen? because we apply a blanket FR adjustment to all sounds, aka the headphone tuning. Which is because we're too lazy to just use HATS sims to record sounds properly All audiophilia in 2024 is unscientific garbage. The end of this video is brutal. "KnOw ThE SoNg So YoU CaN NoTicE DeTaiLS" -- true salesmanship. Auditory masking is a real thing that really exists in the real world. And what that means is what you're often finding is not "more detail" it's unnatural levels of details caused by less bass and more upper mids/treble. You're never getting "more detail" from a headphone that, as he explains, is already no distortion. What you're getting is a treble shimmering over everything else so you hear a cymbal 5 miles away, that if you were in the recording for real would never hear because other lower sounds would mask over it.

[@ВалентинЧерноус]

I've bought my iems already, thanks for the "just in time" upload!

[@1Reaper1]

My friend, you are the man.

[@alessandromerlettidepalo]

Videophiles would ask to put the lights higher so that your glasses don't mirror them in our eyes (and your forehead won't be too bright) but thanks, very useful info

[@slovetro]

On ear can have superior isolation compared to over ear. This is certainly the case with dj headphones. A tight fit with on ear style is more preferable in a loud club, they isolate better than over ear in my experience.

[@s3m4jno5w4d]

Great video man

[@7vreja7]

i wasn't expecting this video

[@matthewdavies2057]

When you hear about the next great sounding IEM's for around $30 I sure hope you drop a fast vid telling us about them. We need you.

[@alifahran8033]

Got Arya Stealth for 490 bucks, I won't be needing this video anytime soon.

[@ze_or]

Audiotechnica hl7bt is a very underrated open back wireless in my opinion. Doesn't help that it's not currently sold outside of Japan. I bought it for 12900jpy which is like 80 bucks. It weighs basically the same as the r70x which is insane considering it has a battery inside. And I believe it sounds great for the price and feature set it provides. It has an onboard 5 band PEQ which is uncommon in wireless headphones afaik too.

[@LTZxGOD]

Instructions unclear, I played c4 on my chessboard and lost.

[@AllelineNguyen]

God damn useful content. Thank you.

[@giannisapostolopoulos9217]

Now I need to go somewhere to demo the HD600, even though I think that the 660S2 would be more to my liking based on FR graphs.

[@The_Hipster_Cow]

Didn't the Stax SR-1 predate the Sennheiser HD414? Yes they are not fully open back by todays standards but neither are the HD414s

[@wagando-u6f]

what the best for asmr , thx

[@user-br2gi8kh5s]

What's your price range?

[@wagando-u6f]

@user-br2gi8kh5s 200 - 800

[@your_average_cultured_dude]

a real woman who whispers in your ears IRL.

[@sula2315]

Excuse me while i come here with a wireless headset i bought recently. Steelseries Arctis 7x. It is pretty much open back i think, you can easily hear your environment or speak to people with them on. As long as your music aint blasting very loud. They also bleed quite a lot of noise outside if anyone is sitting near you. In general very comfortable and i think they sound decent for what they are. Very comfortable to use and battery lasts quite long in my experience. Also good for travelling since you can wear them like a necklace and they dont look very gamery, just slick headphones.

[@TitusRex]

Sennheiser is do lucky to be sponsored by Crinacle.

[@soundchecked123]

wait balance armature on headphones?

[@kvbk]

Yeah, firest time hearing this. How the hell the volume?

[@TheHulksMistress]

I only ever listen to music whilst balanced on an armchair

[@littletweeter1327]

thanks for giving me something to send my friends and family when they ask me about headphones

[@LemmonTea]

I need some help, I got a headset a few years back from Walmart, it was great for my Xbox, but in those years I’ve started producing music… so recently I’ve decided to upgrade my headphones, I got the Sennheiser hd 650 I did some extreme testing with them, I listen to songs I’ve made and songs that I know pretty well… There was some good differences, it played the highs a lot better and it had a lot of clarity… but it was kinda lacking in the bass and it felt like it wasn’t a crazy upgrade… While I don’t want bass headphones, I do want to be able to hear the bass in a song I’m producing… Any recommendations for a headset? I have around a 500$ budget

[@harvardfootball]

I thought you were going to play Get to Work based on the thumbnail at first

[@エスオーエス]

I want to add one thing to this gsmarena provides dac specifications for phones, and for my device, it was a 24 bit 192 khz dac, and mine is a budget phone, so what i want to say is that please check your device's built-in dac specifications before you consider buying one You'd also need to consider how you'd procure 32 bit flac files if you're going for a 32 bit dac

[@terratenientesalgo2511]

as someone with a decent amount of equipment and devices, i am caught wanting to hear music outside and on the go 97% of the time, i am walking down a sketchy street, no time to take out headphones or untangle my IEM and turn on my portable DAC, just my trusty pair of moondrop space travel to listen to some phonk so i can flash out of there if i need to run.

[@mongarcia01]

pleez to be debunky pretty colorful waves, Uncle Crin

[@StormbreakerYT]

btw the piano note that was played is C5 (523hz) and not C4 :)

[@dylan10182000]

12:11 For wireless, closed-back, on-ear headphones Koss released the Porta Pros with Bluetooth and from what I've seen the sound is unchanged.

[@shanePip]

why do I feel like there is an exam after the video

[@p_serdiuk]

I want to see Crin's googlybunkers arc

[@pakaponphinyowattanachip1192]

Wow, Sponsored by Sennheiser.... Moving up in the world, Crin! Congrats!

[@HeroOfAnnihilated]

14:14 yamaha HP-1 from 1976 probaly was considered esoteric too, but there were soviet copies: Электроника ТДС-5, Эхо ТДС-16, which is ones of the best soviet headphones (compared to other soviet headphones, obviously)

[@spitfirex2599]

Merry Christmas Crin

[@cipherhunt3063]

I didn't even have to look at the description to see that seinheiser sponsored this video XD

[@KER0S3NE_MUSIC]

thank you for this vid.

[@izumi2165]

for me the goal of headphones isn't to sound like speakers but to sound better. you get way more detail with them, you don't need more than a desk and most of it will have space for a computer too, and getting a new set is considerably cheaper when jumping price brackets.

[@AetherSystems]

Tl;dr: good sound = I can't distinguish it from hearing the sounds in real life. Why does this not happen? because we apply a blanket FR adjustment to all sounds, aka the headphone tuning. Which is because we're too lazy to just use HATS sims to record sounds properly All audiophilia in 2024 is unscientific garbage. The end of this video is brutal. "KnOw ThE SoNg So YoU CaN NoTicE DeTaiLS" -- true salesmanship. Auditory masking is a real thing that really exists in the real world. And what that means is what you're often finding is not "more detail" it's unnatural levels of details caused by less bass and more upper mids/treble. You're never getting "more detail" from a headphone that, as he explains, is already no distortion. What you're getting is a treble shimmering over everything else so you hear a cymbal 5 miles away, that if you were in the recording for real would never hear because other lower sounds would mask over it.

[@izumi2165]

@AetherSystems you just called "familiarity over technically" unscientific when it's an experiment of repetition with known samples, which is scientific that leaves out unexpected variables that could alter your conclusion. it's a test with controlled settings, which, again, is scientific methodology without any clear weak points that aren't the tester with their knowledge and song selections that could leave factors untested. but that's not as weak of a point since that sample would be a representation of the genres the tester likes, so it makes sense even if the test isn't completely thorough (which isn't necessary either because it's for domestic, personal use, not for research papers)

[@angelite143]

Thanks to this video, I bought the Philips SHP9500.

[@VitiateTheImmortal]

My personal favorite is the hd800s driven with an OTL atm xD next on my list is the focal utopia. I also own hifiman He1000 stealth that sound great

[@rene837]

Hey Crin, any news on the Project Reference and Meta yet?

[@nointernetdinosoursgame2351]

Vibrato is change in pitch, not volume. Love your stuff tho ;)

[@henriquefantato9804]

Awesome video! About the hd600, do you recommend any headphone as a successor of it? I have hd600 and i would like a better one with the same tonality!