AudioQuest DragonFly Red vs Audio Technica ATH-M40x

What happens when you use a good set of cans? I tried the Dragonfly with my new Beyerdynamic T1 2nd gen headphones. The first thing you will notice is that the Dragonfly cannot adequately power 600 ohm cans. Nope. Not at all

They were better than any of the Bose ones that I tried that costed way more than this. Honestly, you know, I like these more than the SHP 9500s, thin...

I recently replaced the aforementioned $2000 rig with a $200 one and you know what? I'm much happier with it. I'm listening to music again rather than scrutinizing sound. Moral of the story? The best audio gear is whatever gets out of the way and lets you enjoy the music. The worst audio gear is the stuff that becomes an obsession in its own right and leaves you listening for flaws in your gear and missing the music entirely

For more information, click the link in the description. So today I'm reviewing these guys, the Audio Technica ATH-M40Xs. If you are interested in thi...

I'm dinging it one star simply because it seems a bit expensive, and the sound - while definitely improved over the internal PC DAC, didn't quite take things to the degree I thought might be possible in a $200 DAC. Possibly though that's because of the limitations of the audio files I'm listening to, or the competence of my computer speakers (good quality Altec Lansing 2.1 system).

Maybe the best value in this price bracket. The sound is great and very neutral. The fit is pretty good, and they fold for carrying, plus they have a removable (although proprietary) cable. This is a solid package

They power everything to a comfortable level, except for the HD800 which they still power to an acceptable level. Don't expect to hear "completely new music" with these. Unless your onboard dac is completely terrible, you may not even hear a difference in certain songs. Still have some testing to do so will update review in the future

Stock Earpads: These are the best isolating by far, but are the worst when it comes to comfort around the ears. They also have a warmer sound signature with a spike in the highs at the 10k frequency. This peak makes them sound "artificial" and "metallic" in some ways. Guides that I've found online outline ways to correct this peak, but it always results in the overall sound character being changed as well

And I think I want something silent or at least less noise. But I don't want to keep buying keyboards. Honestly out of all 3 I think I like the used membrane from goodwill the most but I need a backlight on the keys so it's doesn't work for me. I guess I just need another membrane with a back light but a different one

If you do want to spend a little more go for the ones above these (forgot the name). They cancel noise pretty well.

Subtle, but real. You have to be in genuine listening mode. Like, I mean listening, not thinking about the world or running to catch your plane. Such palpable, audible beauty requires YOU! If you can sustain that mind, even for a while, it will make you smile

This all makes the headphones quite iconic and instantly recognizable. I quite like the design. To me they feel less like an elegant pair of headphone...