Headphones have spoiled me!
I bought a pair of Headphones some time ago because they where cheap and had the noise canceling feature that every headphone manufacturer seemed to have at least one set of. I thought I would give noise canceling a shot (I realize that cheap headphones with noise canceling are not likely to compete with higher cost noise canceling headphones). I put two AAA batteries in the in line plastic noise canceling electronic's box and turned them on with a portable CD player. At this time I was only critiquing the set for noise canceling ability, and they didn't do much aside from +6dB and alter the natural sound of the headphones in a fashion I found to be quite unfavorable, so I put them away and forgot about them.
Well about a week ago I was rummaging through things, probably looking for some other thing that I had purchased and decided it wasn't worth using and "forgot" about it, and I found these, the
Maxell HP.NC.III headphones. I thought, "You know Seth, you never gave these a critical listen." So I decided to give them one more shot and I was immediately dumbfounded as to how these Maxell headphones sounded better (with the NC feature off) than my Sony's or Koss headphones, and not just a little better, worlds better.
I was listening to Cranberries "Faithfully Departed" CD, the last track "Bosnia" on the Maxells in the bedroom and decided to listen to them on my main system in the living room because I hadn't listened to that CD for some time, or at all with my present setup.
It was a major let down, let me tell you. The highs where harsh and the detail I was getting on the headphones was completely lost. This is largely due to the poor acoustics of the room, or rather horrible acoustics. Since I have not gotten around to researching acoustics or setting a budget to treat the room it makes perfect sense why it would sound so wrong. Certain parts of the bass where boomy or lacking, the only advantages to that system is it can go louder and I don't have anything on my head hindering my movement (not that the Maxells are unconfortable, they are actually quite well designed and constructed).
I think it is pretty sad when a pair of $20 cans sound so much better than my much more expensive full scale sound system. So now that I am spoiled on the headphones I want better speakers and acoustical treatments, and virtually no money. After a few months I could do acoustic treatments, but speakers are far into the future for me.
I feel happy that I am getting better sound, but also feel a little ashamed of my expensive rig, well expensive to me, that sounds pale in comparison.
