# Need headphones recommendations...



## jmiliad (Dec 26, 2014)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!!

So I'm in the search of buying headphones... I need them for my mixes (I work with both vst's and audio recordings)

So, I've done a lot of research ask a lot of people but I don't often get a objective answer, I find that most people happen to be fans of a company and their answer is something like "Buy AKG/Sony/Sennheiser etc." but they don't actually give me a reason why...
Here you people are mostly in the field that I'm interested in so I really want to have your opinion too 

I think that the best choice is to buy headphones that are completely "flat". I don't want them to have "good bass" I want them to have as much bass as they must have, so my mixes will sound good on other systems, right?
I'm also confused on the matter between open and closed headphones. I actually prefer closed cause of the isolation and the minimum leakage, but I've read that open are better.

Last and most important: my budget is around 100 euros (~120$). Do you think that's enough or should I spent a lot more?

Some headphones I found really interesting are: Sony MDR-7506, AKG K-271 MK II

P.S. I don't actually have lot of options to try them out in my area, I'm gonna go a little on the blind here, that's why I ask for advices in the first place

Thanks in advance,
John

:D


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## muk (Dec 26, 2014)

Personally I think you would be better off spending more (250$ roughly) and then have some good headphones that will last. Have a look at this thread for suggestions:

http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=35400


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## gaz (Dec 26, 2014)

I have the AKG K-271 MK II, which have served me well but caused me to have ear fatigue quickly, and made my mixes too bass heavy due to the lack of bass end of the headphones. I purchase a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro cans a year ago and would never go back. As they are open backed, I find I can wear them with little ear fatigue and they seem airier and have a very flat frequency response.

Check out this site, which can graph out the FR from a wide variety of headphones.

http://www.headphone.com/pages/build-a-graph


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## Marius Masalar (Dec 26, 2014)

In that budget range, I don't think you can do better than Audio Technica's M50x.

They're significantly more comfortable than AKG's skull clamps, and the sound is less coloured than you might expect given the model's popularity with EDM producers/DJs. 

I use the previous model myself and haven't really been able to justify leaping up to a better pair. There are lots of much better cans out there...the Beyerdynamic lot, some of Sennheiser's top end line, Grado, etc. but honestly I don't feel like they're orders of magnitude better in a way that justifies the price discrepancy for my usage.

For what it's worth, I also had a pair of Sony MDRs (not that exact model) and found them really comfy, but not particularly good sounding. Harsh high end got tiring pretty quick.


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## Blackster (Dec 26, 2014)

I use the Sennheiser HD 650. The are nice and around 310 Euros over here in Austria.


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## Dryden.Chambers (Dec 26, 2014)

Best bang for the buck in that price range. 



Marius Masalar @ Fri Dec 26 said:


> In that budget range, I don't think you can do better than Audio Technica's M50x.
> 
> They're significantly more comfortable than AKG's skull clamps, and the sound is less coloured than you might expect given the model's popularity with EDM producers/DJs.


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## EastWest Lurker (Dec 26, 2014)

Marius Masalar @ Fri Dec 26 said:


> In that budget range, I don't think you can do better than Audio Technica's M50x.
> 
> They're significantly more comfortable than AKG's skull clamps, and the sound is less coloured than you might expect given the model's popularity with EDM producers/DJs.



+1.


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## jmiliad (Dec 26, 2014)

Hello everyone!

Thanks a lot for your suggestions!

I'm still studying all those new information. I'm now looking at the graphs of each headphones and what I observe is that the flattest frequency response is the Sony's MDR-7506.

Audio Technica seems nice but it seems to have boosted the lower frequency, that might be a problem, right?


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## Vin (Dec 26, 2014)

jmiliad @ 26/12/2014 said:


> I'm still studying all those new information. I'm now looking at the graphs of each headphones and what I observe is that the flattest frequency response is the Sony's MDR-7506.
> 
> Audio Technica seems nice but it seems to have boosted the lower frequency, that might be a problem, right?



On contrary, I have 7506s and they are very bass heavy. Good for listening and tracking, not mixing. Also, they are pretty uncomfortable. If you can't afford DT 880 Pros or HD 600/650, I'd go with M50s without a doubt.


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## mscottweber (Dec 26, 2014)

I used a pair of 7506's for years, and I found it hard to get the midrange right on my mixes with them. They seemed to (and this is based off of personal use, not a frequency chart) have a pretty exaggerated "smiley face" curve built in, where the high and low ends were more pronounced than I thought they should be.

In your price range, maybe look into the Shure SRH440 as well. I ended replacing my 7506's with their older brother, the SRH840, but I remember liking how the 440's sounded and they were more comfortable than the Sonys.

It also needs to be mentioned that headphones are a *SUPER* personal preference, and any decent set of cans will serve you well as long as you take the time to learn what they sound like.


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## shapeshifter00 (Dec 26, 2014)

I have the Focal Spirit Professional and it is a major upgrade on my AKG KH-240, they are closed and I don't enjoy wearing closed headphones for a long period of time, but great to have both options.


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## Blackster (Dec 26, 2014)

mscottweber @ Fri Dec 26 said:


> It also needs to be mentioned that headphones are a *SUPER* personal preference, and any decent set of cans will serve you well as long as you take the time to learn what they sound like.



I totally agree with that! There have been some engineers on "Pensado's Place" who also said that the most important thing is to know your playback system, may it be speakers or headphones. If you know what they do (and also maybe how they fool you) you can do the right steps to achieve a great mix/sound. Totally true !!


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## wesbender (Dec 26, 2014)

mscottweber @ Fri Dec 26 said:


> ...any decent set of cans will serve you well as long as you take the time to learn what they sound like.



Absolutely this. I'm not really a fan of the AT M50's (too much low-end), nor the Sony 7506's (too smiley-face), but I've no doubt that one can get great mixes on them if you take the time to learn their shortcomings and how to properly listen with them (with plenty of cross-referencing).

I've been using the AKG 271's for many years (an older model, though I think the MKII's have only cosmetic differences), and while I'm probably due for an 'upgrade' at this point, I have no real interest in doing so as I've learned how to make these work, something that can be done with just about any pair of decent headphones (well, you'll have a hard time finding 'decent' under $100, but you certainly don't have to spend $400 to get a great-sounding pair, provided you have the time and the ears to make them work for you).


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## jmiliad (Dec 27, 2014)

Thanks again for your feedback.

I managed to try out Sennheiser HD 280 PRO in a store where the seller kept telling me that they're top of the line and the best in the market. Didn't seemed to me like that at all  I also didn't find the 64 Ohm impedance (that they had) enough, but I just tried them with ALAC tracks with my iPod, I'm sure they'll do better on my audio interface.

Anyway, I think I'm going for the M50x that you people suggested, I won't be able to try 'em out so I'll go blind here.


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## pavolbrezina (Dec 27, 2014)

AKG K240 Monitor headphones here and I am not going to change it that soon...


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## jmiliad (Dec 27, 2014)

pavolbrezina @ Sat Dec 27 said:


> AKG K240 Monitor headphones here and I am not going to change it that soon...



They seem like a standard too...

How would you compare them with the Audio Technica ATH M50x?


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## Mahlon (Dec 27, 2014)

John,

My brother gave me the ATH M50x for Christmas, but they haven't arrived yet due to shipping. I'll be flying blind, too, but looking forward to it. I've read a vast amount of internet reviews (lots of them personal) and I feel like they will do well.

Mahlon


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## jmiliad (Dec 28, 2014)

Hey Mahlon, thank you 

Placing the order tonight, still not sure, but I have some hours left for research and thought


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## AC986 (Dec 28, 2014)

I just refurbished my Sennheiser HD600s over the Christmas period. When I bought them new they were £125. I see they're up to nearly £300 now in some places. 

The only thing I would probably want now, is some sort of headphone amp to really get the most out of them.


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## jmiliad (Dec 28, 2014)

Hey Adrian, sadly these headphones are not available anywhere in my country, so I can't even consider them.


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## tokatila (Dec 28, 2014)

You might find this useful:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/in ... -wall-fame


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## pavolbrezina (Dec 28, 2014)

tokatila @ Sun Dec 28 said:


> You might find this useful:
> 
> http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/in ... -wall-fame



There is no semi-open category, I prefer those over any other models.


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## Marius Masalar (Dec 28, 2014)

I think you'll enjoy them, John.

As others have said, each pair has its own sonic character but that's something that's really quite easy to learn and work around—it becomes entirely subconscious.

What's more immediately important is whether or not you can wear them comfortably and get the kind of separation/clarity/volume/etc. you need to work with them for hours at a time.

Those are all things the graphs won't show you.


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## jmiliad (Dec 29, 2014)

Marius Masalar @ Mon Dec 29 said:


> I think you'll enjoy them, John.
> 
> As others have said, each pair has its own sonic character but that's something that's really quite easy to learn and work around—it becomes entirely subconscious.
> 
> ...



Hey Marius!

Thank you. 

I managed to borrow the AKGs K240 MKII from a friend for todays, I listened to my whole music library, I did some mixing and tests too. I REALLY liked them! At first I found them really comfortable (I almost forgot I had them in my head). They also have nice flat response but they might lack a little on volume. I might need an amp sometime, but for now they're good to go.

So like an indecisive punk I am, they got me into thinking again... should I buy these (they're a little cheaper too) that I tried them, and I liked them, or should I go blind on the ATs that I may like even more?

It's a hard life we're living...

Decisions decisions...

o-[][]-o


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## peksi (Jan 2, 2015)

Is there any good studio headphones with noise cancelling? I have long flights and silence is a blessing up there.

It seems "Beats by Dr Dre" headphones has been very highly rated but it sounds more like a high quality toy for all bassbeat lovers. Bose QuietComfort 15/25 seems to do well too.


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## peksi (Jan 3, 2015)

To follow more on the subject I found three favourites for mixing in a silent studio: Sennheiser HD650, Beyerdynamics DT880 PRO and AKG K702. 

But I am a bit lost on the impendance. My Steinberg MR816 documentation says headphone jacks have 40 ohms "input impedance" at 12mW+12mW nominal level and 75mW+75mW maximum level. Should that say "output impendance"? Just perfect way to mix a novice person's study.

Source impedance needs to be 1/8 or less compared to headphone impedance right? But what on earth Steinberg means by "headphone jack input impedance" since it is an output jack? My common sense tells it should read "output impedance", unless they are telling the earphones to be of 40 ohms impedance? 

If amplifier's impedance is 40 ohms then would you recommend 250 or 600 ohm headphones?


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## Silh (Jan 3, 2015)

peksi @ Fri Jan 02 said:


> Is there any good studio headphones with noise cancelling? I have long flights and silence is a blessing up there.
> 
> It seems "Beats by Dr Dre" headphones has been very highly rated but it sounds more like a high quality toy for all bassbeat lovers. Bose QuietComfort 15/25 seems to do well too.



I don't know anything about good headphones with noise cancelling, but perhaps a good set of closed-back headphones or in-ear monitors may do the trick.

They'll never be quite as good as the really good open-back headphones for sound quality of course, but still can be pretty decent, and if they cut out enough of the background noise to the point of 'good enough', that has worked for me... enough so that it doesn't bother me on flights, and can also double as 'earplugs' for when I need to sleep and the hotel has noisy guests next door, or whatever else happens when travelling!

Closed-back ones I've used... Senn HD280's--somewhat muddy-sounding overall, but nice isolation. Comfortable, but a bit flimsy though, handle with some care especially travelling. Beyer DT770's--isolation isn't quite as much as the HD280's, but sound is cleaner. However I've pretty much fallen back to using a set of old Shure IEM's (I don't even remember which model now) for travelling just for the sake of size/weight... I like to travel light.


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## Guy Rowland (Jan 3, 2015)

I cannot live without Senheisser HD-25s. Significantly, you're not allowed to be sound recordist unless you own a pair of these, it's the Universal Audio Law. Totally neutral, and they go down gorgeously to about 1hz or something. A bit above your budget, but not too much, and I never want any other pair of cans as long as I live. I've owned this pair for a decade or more, and replaced the lead and pads a few times - they get used for everything.


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## jmiliad (Jan 3, 2015)

Guy Rowland @ Sat Jan 03 said:


> I cannot live without Senheisser HD-25s. Significantly, you're not allowed to be sound recordist unless you own a pair of these, it's the Universal Audio Law. Totally neutral, and they go down gorgeously to about 1hz or something. A bit above your budget, but not too much, and I never want any other pair of cans as long as I live. I've owned this pair for a decade or more, and replaced the lead and pads a few times - they get used for everything.




Hey Guy thanks a lot.

I actually bought the Audio Technica M40x. I can tell you how I went on with it...

At first you guys told me about the Audio Technica M50x. I read A LOT reviews for a lifetime and they seemed glowing. So in my research I found out the Sonic Sense channel on YouTube. These guys developed a way to record headphones so you can hear how they sound. No matter where you hear them from, they give you the source track next to the headphone recording so you can hear how truth they are to the original sound. It might still not be perfect but it's a good lead.

So in these test I found the Audio Technica M50x really good, faith and heavy like you guys said! I almost bought them until I listened to the M40x. The difference was not big, almost undetectable for untrained ears but the M40x sounded more true and flat where the M50x was a little more bass heavy. Again, representative bass, nothing like those gaming cans but a little more boosted that the M40x. I read the comments in the video and Sonic Sense states that indeed, the M40x are tuned more flat than the M50x making them ideal for mixing and producing.

And of course they're 60 euros cheaper 8) :wink: 

I still have the option to replace them with the M50x from the store I think but I don't think I'll do cause so far M40x seems REALLY good, and comfortable. The 32 Ohms also got me rid of thinking about an amp.

So anyway, I'll post you the comparisons by Sonic Sense bellow so you can hear for yourself and tell me your views.

Guy, the headphones you proposed seemed REALLY good, maybe even better than the M40x but they don't seem that comfortable and I'll need them for extensive working hours. But you can tell me better about that.

M40x and M50x comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj69-mWHV3E

M40x, Sony Sony MDR7506 and Sennheiser HD280 comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udLoAV7YmjA

And here you can see how they make these comparisons: http://youtu.be/jnK1Gq7txYA

- John


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## hexatonics (Jan 5, 2015)

These will be over your price range, but I found that getting the best headphones you can afford (similar to monitors) is worth the price - Shure SRH940.


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## Mahlon (Jan 5, 2015)

I have listened to the M50x for a week now, so I'm not completely broken in, but it's pretty much everything I've read too. Just sliiiightly heavy on the bass. Otherwise absolutely true to whatever I'm throwing at it. I consider it a steal.

Would be interested to compare the 40's in a one on one.


Mahlon


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jan 5, 2015)

I use AKG K240Ms for studio applications. They're solid, unflattering workhorses. I've had the two pairs I have for almost 25 years.



> Is there any good studio headphones with noise cancelling? I have long flights and silence is a blessing up there.
> 
> It seems "Beats by Dr Dre" headphones has been very highly rated but it sounds more like a high quality toy for all bassbeat lovers. Bose QuietComfort 15/25 seems to do well too



*Beats suck whale dingus!*

My daughter was given an $80 pair of Beats earphones for Christmas, and - I'm not kidding - they are THE WORST PRODUCT IN ANY CATEGORY I've seen in I don't know how many years. That's coming from a guy who always treads carefully when saying he doesn't care for a product. They are TERRIBLE. And they have no low-end response, and they're uncomfortable...they're borderline theft.

With that out of the way, I absolutely LOVE my Bose Quiet Comfort IIIs as much as I'm appalled at the Beats. They totally change the experience of flying. A few years ago I went all the way to Australia in total bliss, just listening to music the whole way. The noise canceling also works beautifully even when you don't have music going in them.

You can use them in the studio too, but you have to be aware that the bass is forward, which you want for an airplane. But it's still tight bass, not boomy, and it doesn't sound like an EQ tilt. It sounds almost like you turned up the woofer relative to the midrange driver and tweeter. Rather than sounding wrong, it's an interesting way to listen to music. And they're comfortable.

Just a magnificent product, and I imagine the current models are even better, but I don't know.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jan 5, 2015)

Fortunately we were able to return the Beats, by the way. I'm now trying to find some noise-canceling headphones in the same price range.

Bose makes an in-ear one for $100, but she wants on- or over-the-ear.


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## Evan Gamble (Jan 5, 2015)

I just ordered me some Audio Technica M50x's last week.


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## HardyP (Jan 6, 2015)

Nick Batzdorf @ 2015-01-06 said:


> I use AKG K240Ms for studio applications. They're solid, unflattering workhorses. I've had the two pairs I have for almost 25 years.


Same for me, using my AKG 240DF since 15 years I think. Just had to replace the ear pads; I bought the velours one, which is even more convenient for long sessions. 
The only downside in my opinion is the non-exchangeable cable.


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## Marius Masalar (Jan 6, 2015)

+1 for the QuietComfort series.

They're very aptly named...extremely effective noise cancelling and among the comfiest cans I've ever worn. Mine go with me everywhere and are my default "listening" headphones. They utterly transform subway/bus/car/plane rides and I recommend them unhesitatingly.

I've tried several other noise cancelling options over the years, but I don't think anyone has managed to match Bose's tech for that aspect.


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## peksi (Jan 7, 2015)

After a ton of studying I decided ditch the noise suppression and go with headphones best for silent room mixing / composing with ear comfort för long sessions.

I decided to go with Sennheiser HD650. They are quite renowned among musicians and provide a little warmer bass with otherwise flat frequency curve which is good for me. 300 ohms should also work well with mr816csx. Also the open cup makes them comfortable and without any bass / pressure buildup.


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## tmm (Jan 7, 2015)

For me, being able to get the most out of a mix using headphones 90-95% of the time is important, so I've invested in multiple pairs of headphones to get more perspective, and I've found it helps a lot. There really isn't a single pair that does everything perfectly (at least, not in my experience, and I've owned quite a few, Senns, Beyers, AKGs, Shures).

Mid-late last year (forget the actual date) I happened upon a crazy deal for some Senn HD650s (brand new for barely above half price), so I thought, "how often will I get this opportunity?" I never would have considered spending their normal retail price (or more) on headphones. I'm so glad I took the plunge, though. They are by far the most accurate cans I've tried so far, and I really like how they're still semi-open. They also don't clamp my head as hard as my HD280s (the skull vice).

For me, the HD650s seem to be the most even and true of any headphones I've tried (and pretty much any monitors < $1k). They're very clear in the low end, without being hyped, and smooth through the mids and high-mids. The one place they fall a little short is in the ultra high frequencies, those seem to be rolled off a little.

Second in command for me are my Beyer Custom Studio phones. They're very similar to the DT-880 (not the same, but similar), but have the (IMO) useful feature of being able to customize their low end response through multiple stages of attenuation. Between that, and having clearer top end than the HD650s, I usually end up using to do a final mix tweak on anything that I want to have that blooming, rich midrange punch (heavy percussion, electric guitar / bass, big brass (in a non-classical setting)). They're better for dialing that in than the HD650s, but the HD650s seem to be more accurate for classical / orchestral arrangements.

My one surprising find was when, on a whim, I decided to listen to a couple mixes on my Shure SE215s (earbuds). They may not be the best for dialing in a perfect EQ curve, but they give an excellent sense of depth, which is great for positioning, better (to my ears) than any of my other studio phones. The real downside is that, at least in my ears, they're hellishly uncomfortable to wear for anything more than a short amount of time. The curve of the earbud body digs into my ear. I may at some point look into another nice pair of earbuds that have a straight body to see if they'll give me the same positioning accuracy.

For Audio Technica cans, I've tried the ATH M40 and M50x. I didn't find either pleasing to listen to (not what it's about, though), and found that the M40s didn't translate well to the 'real world'. The M50x was better, but I found that they didn't give me a good sense of depth.

Same for the couple of Shure headphones I've tried, the SRH440s and one other model (forget... it was a while ago), decently true sound, but not great depth.

Anyway, the point of that mountain of text was that, IMO, if you can afford it, it's good to have more than one perspective.


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## peksi (Jan 11, 2015)

Senhheiser HD650 is a stunning pair of headset. Never had anything like this. 

Sound is very well balanced, I hear all the bass down below but it is neutral. I hear all the sharpness of instruments to all the detail but again it sounds natural and neutral. 

But the resolution is awesome.. I can hear every sound situated in the soundscape so clearly I feel I could measure their placement with a millimeter scale.

I have run out of reasons but my own incompetence to make a perfect mix. See you guys after 5 years :mrgreen:


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## DannyDep (Jan 20, 2015)

I understand your situation in not having the ability to try out many headphones, but my response would have been the same even if you lived in a major city.
Headphones, like monitors, are going to sound completely different to every single person that listens to them.
It makes no sense to try to give YOU a recommendation because they will only be giving you their own (biased) opinion from what they found as a great pair of headphones.
I hope you are able to try out, or at least return if you don't like them, the headphones that work for you. Good luck.


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