(Part 2) Best products from r/CabaloftheBuildsmiths

We found 20 comments on r/CabaloftheBuildsmiths discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 252 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.

Top comments mentioning products on r/CabaloftheBuildsmiths:

u/Mad_Economist · 1 pointr/CabaloftheBuildsmiths
  1. Ha, that's what I ended up going with. And then it was one of one, an two of the other, then three and two, then...

  2. Hm. That'll be a mild challenge, but I think I can furnish some suggestions.

  3. There're a few pretty solid videos showcasing the sound quality. It's pretty alright, but it's quite clearly "through a cheap-ish mic". You don't cringe listening to it, or anything, but it's quite noticeably worse than a "real" mic. On the flip side, much more convenient, much cheaper, and more than sufficient for a potential future streaming hobby.

    I must admit, closed, neutral-with-some-extra-bass, and $250ish (accounting for Modmic) is a bit of a tall order. The first thing my mind goes to is [Focal's Spirit One] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/focal-spirit-one-page-3), which is pretty cheap at [$180] (http://www.amazon.com/Focal-529102-SPOH-Spirit-One-Headphones/dp/B007AH7YFU). [The sound is on the warmer side] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FocalSpiritOne2013B.pdf) (bass/lower mids leaning), but with a fairly accurate overall signature. Unfortunately, they're not famous for their comfort, being more of a portability-oriented headphone, and to my knowledge their soundstage isn't much to write home about, a negative trait for a gaming headphone.

    [Beyerdynamic's] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/beyerdynamic-dt-770-pro-80-closed-studio-headphones/reviews/4320) [DT770] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/beyerdynamic-dt-770-pro-80-closed-studio-headphones/reviews/3574) is another option worth considering, and the [$180] (http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-770-PRO-250-ohms/dp/B0006NL5SM) they're currently retailing for is quite a good price, but there's a bit of a wrinkle: in addition to being fairly strongly bassy (enough so to make their marketing as studio headphones rather laughable), the DT770s [have a quite significant treble boost] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/BeyerdynamicDT770.pdf). This "v-shaped" sound is quite different from a bassy or warm headphone, with much more forward electric guitars and other treble sound, but even less forward midrange. The DT770 does have the merit of being quite well regarded for comfort, however, and the version which is presently cheapest is also the easiest to drive, meaning an amp is unlikely to be an issue.

    The [NAD VISO HP50] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/i-love-these-headphonesthe-nad-viso-hp50) is another fairly compelling option, though at [$300] (http://www.amazon.com/Electronics-VISO-Noise-Isolating-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B00E1UVXHO) it's definitely on the higher end. I believe it should still fit into budget, however. The HP50's biggest selling point is a "speaker-style" sound signature, which replicates the sound of listening to music on speakers (which would reflect some attenuation of treble due to the distance between the speaker and the listener). [Measurements show it to be more neutral than most warmer headphones] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/NADVISOHP50.pdf), but most subjective review places it on the bassier side of neutrality. The comfort, however, has been criticized due to the atypical shape and fit.

    To be honest, the first headphone that comes to mind in this circumstance is [MrSpeakers'] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/693071/review-mr-speakers-mad-dogs-a-hard-to-beat-closed-option) [Mad] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/mrspeakers-mad-dog-t50rp-mod/reviews/9602) [Dog] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/mrspeakers-mad-dog-t50rp-mod/reviews/9701). The most famous of the Fostex T50RP variants, the Mad Dog's sound has been characterized as on the bassy side of neutral, [which its measurements support] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/MrSpeakersMadDog2014.pdf). Sadly, while it's very well regarded for sound quality, and one of the cheapest orthodynamics on the market, the Mad Dog is quite hard to drive, and the amp (and DAC) you'd want to support it would put you considerably over budget.

    Beyond these closed headphones, just to be complete, there are a few open headphones which you may want to consider, as your Modmic, judging by my own experience and that of many others, shouldn't have trouble with leakage at lower volume levels:

    [Hifiman's] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/hifiman-he-400/reviews/9192) [HE-] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/hifiman-he-400/reviews/8643)[400] (http://www.head-fi.org/products/hifiman-he-400/reviews/6872) is an exceedingly well-regarded headphone for EDM, and in general for that matter. While it would also want for an amp, but at [$250] (http://www.razordogaudio.com/collections/hifiman/products/hifiman-he-400-planar-driver-over-the-ear-headphone-1) for an open-box unit, you've got enough budget space to fit in something affordable. Their sound is typically characterized as bassy, with fairly strong treble, but [their measurements don't show too much variance] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/HiFiMANHE400.pdf). They're definitely not neutral, but they shouldn't be too coloured to enjoy a variety of genres. The comfort and build quality has always been a sticking point for Hifiman products, and the HE-400 has received criticism for both, but their price/performance is exceptionally well regarded, particularly at $150 less than their formal average street price.

    [Philips Fidelio X2] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/boss-philips-fidelio-x2) also definitely deserves a mention. [$300, albeit sadly out of stock for the moment] (http://www.amazon.com/Philips-X2-27-Fidelio-Headphones/dp/B00O2Y2MZG), but very easy to drive, and supposedly one of a fairly small body of open headphones which is well-regarded by bass lovers, the X2 has received some of the most universal praise I've seen for any headphone. It seems like nobody has a complaint about it, other than those who just don't like its [quite blatant bass emphasis] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/PhilipsFidelioX2.pdf).

    The last option, and one which I must confess some bias towards myself as its one of my absolute favourite headphones, is [AKG's K7XX] (http://www.head-fi.org/t/743280/the-akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-thread), currently on Massdrop for [$200] (https://www.massdrop.com/buy/akg-k7xx-massdrop-first-edition-headphones?mode=guest_open). A rebranded AKG K702 65th Anniversary Edition, the K7XX breaks away from the rather famously bass-light sound of the K701/2 with a [moderate but noticeable bass boost] (http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/AKGK712.pdf). I have a pair of these myself, and while they're no longer my single favourite headphone since I've successfully constructed a pair of ATH-AD2000s in an AD700 shell, they're still easily in my top 3, and a really fantastic value at $200. The K7XX, like the other open headphones here but to an even degree, has a truly impressive soundstage. The K700 series has long been held up as the standard for positional audio headphones, and the K7XX is definitely not an exception. There's an amazing sense of depth and breadth to the soundstage, and the positional audio is pretty darn top notch. They do require (or, at least, significantly benefit from) an amplifier, but a $75 FiiO E10k should viably drive them while leaving room for a Modmic in the budget. They're also one of only a few headphones I've heard that I didn't dislike for anything. Their presentation is accurate, but the extra bass means it's not too sterile, and the neutrality really does flattery any music that you actually do like.

    Now, this said, I'm not sure that, if I were just going to listen to metal and EDM, I would choose the K7XX as my go-to headphone. Honestly, for me, that would probably be the time to go for a Beyer, as I find that their particular sound is really excellent for both EDM and metal (particularly the latter). However, if you wanted a headphone which will give any genre a fair presentation, perform well for its cost, be just about the best option possible for gaming, the K7XX is something you should seriously consider it, and with this drop supposedly being the last, it seemed better to mention it as an option than to omit it.

    Sorry for the wall of text! I, er, really like audio...
u/ITXorBust · 1 pointr/CabaloftheBuildsmiths
Howdy. I'm not a buildsmith, so I'll defer to /u/transam617's expertise. Just some additional food for thought here: I noticed you mentioned that you'd like a quiet build. The strength of your preference, your definition of quiet, and the background noise in your environment will all play a part in how relevant the following advice is.

The fans in the case that /u/transam617 specified will run at 1200 RPM, and the ASRock motherboard may or may not have the ability to control their speed. They're three-pin voltage-only fans. Other fans have a fourth PWM pin (pulse-width modulation) that allows very fine control of fan speed, which is what almost all motherboards support on their four-pin fan headers for speed control. Some motherboard manufacturers support voltage speed control of three-pin fans, but the ASRock manual doesn't make it clear that they can do this. They say vaguely that you can set "fan speed and voltage" which hopefully is true. ASUS definitely supports voltage speed control and will even automatically calculate the voltage range by lowering voltage and measuring fan speed until it cuts out, and then setting a threshold so you don't stall the fans. Unfortunately ASUS' B350 board has some pretty gnarly reviews out there at the moment, there seem to be a lot of firmware/BIOS related issues with the board, so it's a bit hard to recommend for the moment.

So, with the ASRock board, if you find that the case fans are too loud for you consider a fan speed controller like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zalman-Fan-Speed-Controller-FANMATE-2/dp/B000292DO0/ - Just mount it with some foam tape internally and dial in the speed you want. Or, mount it through / onto the rear of the case. It's not pretty, but it's cheap!

Couple that with a fan splitter and you'll have speed control over your case fans so you can scale them back to 700-800 RPM where they will be virtually inaudible.

I also noticed that transam617 recommended a 7200 RPM HDD. That drive is a great value, but 7200 RPM drives can be a bit noisy. If you're very noise sensitive, consider a 5400RPM drive instead. You can get a WD Blue drive for an extra 4 quid. The drive will be slower, but you'll be keeping the games you play on the SSD and the speed hit isn't that noticeable for your mass storage tasks (dormant games, photos, videos, etc). The noise reduction is definitely worth it.

Last, the PSU. That model has a fan that can peak out above 2000 RPM, which would be loud. It does have fan control, and should idle at a much lower speed. The reviews I see for the unit don't discuss fan speed, so it's probably not an issue at normal loads. As a fan with a 2000 RPM peak it may not be capable of going much slower that 800-1000 RPM, which is still noticeable. TBD.

In my most recent silent build, the HDDs were the loudest item in the whole build after I got all my fans under control.

So, all this considered, if I wanted to take the other build and make it silent, I'd swap the HDD and PSU and add a CPU cooler as follows. I'd then be above your budget, but this is just for your consideration so you can see where you might be headed if you want extreme quiet. If you build Transam's build and find something is noisy, we can easily help you determine which part it is that you can hear and we can provide guidance to help you achieve the sound level you desire.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor | £190.83 @ Ebuyer
CPU Cooler | Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler | £25.66 @ Novatech
Motherboard | ASRock - AB350M-HDV Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | £64.38 @ CCL Computers
Memory | *Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | £124.58 @ Aria PC
Storage | *Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | £76.80 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Western Digital - Blue 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive | £44.55 @ Eclipse Computers
Video Card | Asus - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB Dual Video Card | £235.09 @ More Computers
Case | Fractal Design - Define C ATX Mid Tower Case | £63.39 @ CCL Computers
Power Supply | EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | £83.99 @ Ebuyer
Operating System | Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro Full - USB 32/64-bit | £39.00 @ Amazon UK
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £948.27
| *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-14 11:09 BST+0100 |

-ITX
u/transam617 · 1 pointr/CabaloftheBuildsmiths
>I know at this point I am pretty much just being nitpicky, but will the yellow color of the RAM be apparent when inside the case? It'd be better if the colors matched a bit better. Would something like the G.Skill Ripjaws V in this 2x4GB alignment perform well with this setup of speeds at either DDR4-3733, 3200, or 3000?

Spending that much extra just so you don't have to paint ram is silly IMHO. Paint wont hurt cooling much and you can make them whatever color you like.

>Any suggestions for a case around that price that is microATX with a window (and if possible a PSU shroud)? This is the list of cases under $65 and to be honest not a lot of the cases on there are great, and those that stand out are more around $60.

Understood, but if we are being efficient, a mid ATX case is going to save money, and fit the PSU (referring to your post below). Going with the carbide 88R, define c mini or masterbox 3 would just be spending more money to be smaller, compromise part fitment and likely cool worse. If it has to be smaller, the masterbox would be best - comes with two 140mm fans and is widest for CPU cooler clearance. Fractal runs second coming with two 120mm fans and being a bit narrower. Carbide only comes with one fan, I wouldn't waste time with it.

>I did some research and found that the Thermaltake H15 case that you linked earlier is not sold in NA, but is sold in Aus, UK, LatAm, and more.

Strange, amazon seems to think its available. But no matter we're on to windows anyway.

Price is creeping up with this smaller case configuration, and we've already sacrificed 8G of ram in the name of looks and size...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price
----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1400 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $145.00 @ Amazon
Motherboard | ASRock - AB350M Pro4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | $59.99 @ Newegg
Memory | ADATA - 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3000 Memory | $84.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Crucial - MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $79.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Toshiba - P300 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $42.99 @ Amazon
Video Card | Zotac - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Mini Video Card | $129.99 @ B&H
Case | Cooler Master - MasterCase Pro 3 MicroATX Mini Tower Case | $59.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | SeaSonic - 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $54.90 @ Newegg
Operating System | Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $92.99 @ Best Buy
Wireless Network Adapter | Gigabyte - GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter | $34.99 @ Amazon
Monitor | HP - ZR2440w 24.0" 1920x1200 60Hz Monitor | $0.00
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $785.82
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-26 21:04 EST-0500 |