Headphones have spoiled me!

[WmAx]

What I am saying is with the same pair of headphones, using this headphone amp

Headamp GS-1 Headphone


Will sound different then using this amp

Emmeline HR-2 Headphone Amp

I have no doubt they can sound different. The Emmeline has a crossfeed filter, if I remember correctly.

Now, if you turn off the crossfeed and compare them level matched and blinded, I'll just ask you: which one is the piece of junk with audible noise and/or a non linear transfer function?

-Chris

 

[mazersteven]

You are totally right.

Th 701's are more expensive, therefore they HAVE to be better

First of all

Sound quality is purely subjective to the listener.

But you can't tell me that the 701's aren't more detailed then the 501's. You also can't tell me that the bass extension isn't better with the 701's. The 701's produce a larger soundstage then the 501's also.

 

[Wafflesomd]

First of all

Sound quality is purely subjective to the listener.

But you can't tell me that the 701's aren't more detailed then the 501's. You also can't tell me that the bass extension isn't better with the 701's. The 701's produce a larger soundstage then the 501's also.

The 501's are very good, but without a doubt not better.

Contradicting, but ok.

 

[Adam]

Contradicting, but ok.

Hee, hee. Good point.

And to think this all started because Seth=L liked his $20 headphones. Heck, I say let him enjoy. Why spend a few hundred on headphones if you like the $20 ones?

 

[mazersteven]

Contradicting, but ok.

I don't see how, but ok.

 

[dennisharmon]

I own Grado SR225s,AKG501s,SennHD600s.BeyerdynamicDT770s.Two headphone amps(Gilmore Lite and a Antique Sound Lab tub e amp.All of the above phones sound great but the SennHD600s are my personal favorites.To my ears they sound more like a good set of speakers than my other phones.

 

[Seth=L]

Contradicting, but ok.

That was not contradicting.

Now I am not sure why everyone felt the need to start on eachother on this thread. I would love to discuss headphones on this thread. When and how headphone amplifiers entered is beyond me, but that is for another thread at another time.

WmAx,

what headphones have you listened to in the $100-$200 range? What where some of your personal favorites? I would be interested in moving up in the headphone world instead of spending much more on large expensive gear when it is just for music.

I am going to start another thread on headphone amplifiers, so that discussion can continue there if it is deemed necessary.

 

[Wafflesomd]

These are expensive, buy these ok?

 

[Seth=L]

These are expensive, buy these ok?

I implore you to stop flaming.

If you would like to debate headphones and their sound quality/price I would appreciate it if you do it in the steam vent or via PM.

 

[WmAx]

WmAx,

what headphones have you listened to in the $100-$200 range? What where some of your personal favorites? I would be interested in moving up in the headphone world instead of spending much more on large expensive gear when it is just for music.

From the best of my recollection, in that specified approximate price range, I have evaluated the Sony MDR-7506, Sennheiser HD-280, Sennheiser HD-580, Sennheiser HD-25, Grado SR125, Grado HF-1, Sony MDR-F1, Sony MDR-CD900ST, AKG K271S, Audio Technica ATH-900, Sony MDR-V700DJ, Sony MDR-V600, AKG K501, Beyer DT880(2005 version) and the Beyer DT880(2006 version).

As for favorites in that group, the Sennheiser HD-580 is good for very general use across genres; a sort of jack of all trades. For classical/acoustic music, the most realistic, tonally, was the Sony MDR-CD900ST. In fact, I would rate the MDR-CD900ST as one of the most realistic, tonally, for any price range of headphone. But it has a shelved down treble that may sound perhaps 'boring' to many people, especially with pop/rock. The Grado HF-1 was probably the best I have heard for 'exciting' rock/pop music sound in that price range. But that headphone is not available, except by way of the used market, and for much more than the original selling price. The Sony MDR-7506 is the best closed studio tracking headphone I have tried. The 2005 Beyer DT880 with anti-resonance modification is like a refined MDR-7506, with an even more linear response, but it is open, hence, no sound isolation. The AKG K501, with flattened pad modification, has very high quality midrange/treble for acoustic/jazz and other more acoustically based music genres. But it's bass response was too shelved down for my taste. Also, I can not stand a stock AKG K501 without pad modification, FYI.

I'm just shooting in the dark here. Please try to as specific questions about a specific headphone.

-Chris

 

[Seth=L]

Thank you WmAx, remember, I am just getting into this so I am not sure what questions to ask.

I was looking at the specs for the Sony MDR-CD900ST and I saw this...

Frequency response: 5-30,000 Hz

Is this a realistic spec?

If it is possible I would like a set of cans that can reproduce the entire spectrum as evenly and completely as possible. If you say the Sonys are tonally the most accurate for the price it sounds like they may be my bag, unfortunetely I can't do much in the way of trying any headphones out as the only dealer in town that sells cans like this is clear on the other side of town and their newest store is awful, so I may have no luck at all.

I would hope that they would sound better for near $200 than my $20 cans, and pretty sure they would. Would those Sonys require different amplification, would would the JVC or Teac be enough?

 

[agarwalro]

Comparing headphones,

I have the Sony MDR-V600 and the Etymotic ER-6i. I pared both with an iRiver MP-550 CD Player. No headphone amp since they are both very easy to drive.

The ER-6i are far better when it comes to detail, clarity, low end, etc. With them it is easy to differentiate a good recording from a bad recording or a MP3 ripped at 128kbps from one ripped at 320kbps. They play painfully loud and I cannot detect any distortion in the sound. The Noise isolation is phenomenal and since it is passive, it has no impact on the sound. On the down side, it takes some getting used to having something shoved in you ear, indeed the first few days were painful even. But now (about 2 years down the line) I can wear them indefinitely. They are also prone to cable scraping being very loud and disruptive. In general though, they are well worth the suffering and minor hindrances.

The Sony V-600 win out in tactile feel. Pretty much that’s all they have going on for them compared to the ER-6i. The V-600 were soon relegated to the office for non-critical listening use.

The other day I bought my wife the Sony MDR-EX71SL hoping to give her the gift of better quality than the iPod earphones. I have to say, I was thoroughly under impressed. Very crappy sound in all aspects, but She was happy, so I let it go.

Sound quality is a follows, ER-6i at $130 is best, followed by V-600 at $100 (when I bought it, now available for $70) and the EX71 were the worst. No surprise there, except how bad the EX71 were for $30. I am tempted to say the iPod headphones are better.

Comparing headphones to loudspeakers,

The speakers win out in soundstage, naturally. The drums, guitar, piano, etc. sound like they are in the same room. The ER-6i phones "feel" more accurate, and the bass is way more tight, but they will never equal the effect of the system in terms of putting you in the "middle" of the music.

I use the ER-6i as my reference for critical listening. My room does not have near the flatness in response when compared to the phones and CD player. I use the system for critical listening also, but playing the same track on the phones and the system, back to back, reveals imperfections due to my room's acoustics.

Maybe some day, with room treatments, better equalization, etc. I can get the best of both worlds, the accuracy of the phones in the soundstage of the system.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I only listen to headphones when I cannot listen to my speakers (too late at night, on the road, etc.) I hate the pressure of headphones against my ears, the lack of tangible (as opposed to merely audible) bass, the way that the imaging moves with my head instead of remaining fixed when my head moves, and above all the sense of the music originating inside my head rather than out in the room.

 

[mazersteven]

but they will never equal the effect of the system in terms of putting you in the "middle" of the music.

.

Some headphone guys will not agree with this statement.

The only disadvantage to headphones for me is when listening to live music, songs like "Hotel California" from "Hell Freezes Over". The drums in the beginning just don't have the same impact with headphones as my system.

 

[agarwalro]

Some headphone guys will not agree with this statement.

To each their own, I guess...

when listening to live music, songs like "Hotel California" from "Hell Freezes Over". The drums in the beginning just don't have the same impact with headphones as my system.

Somewhat similar to my thoughts and I have to agree with you on this one, only I feel its true for all recordings, not just live.

 

[Tod]

Dammit.

I'm sitting here listening to my Sennheiser HD600s without my new Channel Islands amp that's sitting in the post office. The fools tried to deliver it Saturday, missed me, and then rather than redelivering it today at the regular time, came about 4 hours early, didn't even knock, and just snuck up on the porch and left another note. So I don't get it until tomorrow.

Damn. Late night. Roommates asleep. Guns n Roses. No amp. And you had to bring it up.





Sounds OK actually on the DAC/amp I'm using, I just want my amp!

 

[zhimbo]

Frequency response: 5-30,000 Hz

Is this a realistic spec?

If it doesn't have tolerance levels (e.g., +/- 3dB), it means absolutely nothing. Published headphone specs are notoriously irrelevant.

 

[WmAx]

Some headphone guys will not agree with this statement.

This depends on what was meant when that statement was made. Certainly, I can not imagine anything putting you 'in the middle' as well as a headphone. It's like a direct signal feed to your auditory system.

But if one means the most realistic envelopment, this is not possible with headphones under normal circumstances. However, it is possible with special DSP or very good binaural recordings played over the right headphone. But then headphones will always lack the midbass and bass tactile energy that your body is used to experiencing. The headphones can only excite your auditory canal.

-Chris

 

[mazersteven]

This depends on what was meant when that statement was made. Certainly, I can not imagine anything putting you 'in the middle' as well as a headphone. It's like a direct signal feed to your auditory system.

But if one means the most realistic envelopment, this is not possible with headphones under normal circumstances. However, it is possible with special DSP or very good binaural recordings played over the right headphone. But then headphones will always lack the midbass and bass tactile energy that your body is used to experiencing. The headphones can only excite your auditory canal.

-Chris

I think you said it best when you said "right headphone". I think to many make an assumption about headphones without really experiencing a quality headphone rig.

 

[WmAx]

Thank you WmAx, remember, I am just getting into this so I am not sure what questions to ask.

I was looking at the specs for the Sony MDR-CD900ST and I saw this...

Frequency response: 5-30,000 Hz

Is this a realistic spec?

If it is possible I would like a set of cans that can reproduce the entire spectrum as evenly and completely as possible. If you say the Sonys are tonally the most accurate for the price it sounds like they may be my bag, unfortunetely I can't do much in the way of trying any headphones out as the only dealer in town that sells cans like this is clear on the other side of town and their newest store is awful, so I may have no luck at all.

I would hope that they would sound better for near $200 than my $20 cans, and pretty sure they would. Would those Sonys require different amplification, would would the JVC or Teac be enough?

If you have experience with live unamplified music, and you listen to recordings of this type of music often, then the MDR-CD900ST would likely be an excellent choice for you. But, things come into play when using this headphone for other music, because of the reduced treble balance. Personally, I prefer the CD900ST for most music. However, I am willing to sacrifice some treble for a more realistic midrange. You may not feel the same trade is appropriate for you. Unfortunately, the MDR-CD900ST is not available from any vendors that will let you return it for a full refund, at least not that I know about. In fact, only two vendors carry the headphone. One is Audiocubes. Audicubes would charge you a 15% restock fee, plus you would eat the shipping both ways.

Unfortunately, buying quality headphones is generally a risk, since it is very difficult to find physical stores locally that carry a substantial selection.

-Chris