Page 5 of 8 FirstFirst ... 34567 ... LastLast
Results 61 to 75 of 106

Thread: Headphones anyone ?

  1. #61
    Senior Member BMWCCA's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    7,742
    $2,000 versus $104 . . . must be nice!

    Funny, the customer reviews of the Audio Technicas say, for what it's worth:
    Other Thoughts: Don't purchase unless your a serious gamer. High price headset is useless if never used properly, and these are not ment for music (little bass)
    I think I'd trust this opinion more: http://www.soundstage.com/allinyourh...head200804.htm
    And Amazon has them listed now for $81.
    ". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers

  2. #62
    Senior Member jcrobso's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Chicago
    Posts
    1,099

    I got a set of JBL410 headphones.

    First off, I don't like headphones but I use them when necessary.
    Running live sound you need headphones, that's just the way it is.
    Since getting the job at the radio station, well we use headphones. Mostly Sony and AKG.
    But since I now ride Chicago's blue line to work and listen to my MP3 player, I use headphones a lot more.
    I DON"T like ear buds, I have tried a couple of pairs of over the ear headphones. They were OK but the train is noisy and I would have to the volume up high just to hear at times.
    I kept seeing the adds on eBay for the JBL headphones so I got a pair of 410s.
    They are not great headphones, but still they do the job, so much better than the over the ear type. They provide much more outside sound isolation than other types. They do sound good, bass and mids and highs. Because of the better isolation I can keep the volume lower. They are light weight and fold up into a small bag for storage.

  3. #63
    Senior Member Ducatista47's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Peoria, Illinois
    Posts
    1,886

    A serious headphone meet

    This is just one page from a thread about a meet of headphone fanatics. I was not present but I would love to have been there.

    On display are the best headphone amps on the planet. Note that tubes dominate to the point of near exclusivity. The 'phones scattered about are also the best. Sennheiser HE-90 Orpheus and HE-60s and HD-800s; top dog Grados, AKG and Ultrasone all over the place. And Stax, Stax, Stax. This is a complete droolfest for headphone people.

    http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f45/ca...4/index18.html

    A lot of the amps reflect the quest to be the first to play the Stax Omega I/II series to their potential, which seems to be almost limitless. Reputed to be the most jaw-dropping transducers ever made, speakers included, their "faults" always end up being the upstream equipment being not up to the task.

    The amplifier challenge is particularly daunting. It must be relatively small to be as lucid as only relatively small amps can be. It must combine huge voltage swings (electrostats, after all) with enough current to drive bass signals in a headphone that draws as much current as some speakers. I think the EL34 tube can do it, time will tell.

    I will take this opportunity to announce that I will be posting an owner's impression at some point. I am putting my money where my mouth is. I have a pair on the way. Not everyone likes the sound of these, but it is probably the best transducer for the way I listen and what I listen to. It's all about the music.

    Clark
    Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
    Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears


  4. #64
    Senior Member Hoerninger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    1,892
    Quote Originally Posted by Ducatista47 View Post
    their "faults" always end up being the upstream equipment being not up to the task.

    http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/6024/img0516v.jp

    It must combine huge voltage swings (electrostats, after all) with enough current to drive bass signals in a headphone that draws as much current as some speakers.
    The demand for current is intesified by the need of big membran areas for powerful bass (just my experience).
    Not everyone likes the sound of these, but it is probably the best transducer for the way I listen and what I listen to. It's all about the music.
    But electrostatic headphones give a clearity in sound reproduction which is a challenge for speakers. So it's worth to talk about here for comparison.

    Thank you for sharing! (I still have to go through the whole thread.)
    ____________
    Peter

  5. #65
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Toronto
    Posts
    1,162
    I really enjoy an older pair of Stax SR Lambda Signature's with the matching tube energizer. Funny thing is that despite the wide difference in transducer design and type, I always think about how some aspects are so similar to the sound of my tricked out 4345's.

  6. #66
    Senior Señor boputnam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    northern california
    Posts
    6,142
    Quote Originally Posted by BMWCCA View Post
    A friend who does pro live sound swears by...
    Pretty much the standard at FOH is the Sony MDRV6. These have a pretty flat (un-colored) response and good over-ear fit. This model is a must have. Do not be unimpressed due to their affordability (Full Compass has them for around $80).

    For studio / home use, the Sony MDR-SA5000 are peerless. I have never before heard a headphone like these - incredible technology. Stereo separation and definition is startling - the best I've ever heard, as is the frequency response and overall sound quality. Priced accordingly...

    Oh, and I drive the MDR-SA5000's with the Little Dot MK V (read about Little Dot line here).
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    bo

    "Indeed, not!!"

  7. #67
    Senior Member Ducatista47's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Peoria, Illinois
    Posts
    1,886
    Sony has always supplied great value in headphones. Years ago, when I was between Stax phones - one electret set had died and the SR-5 was in my future, and I was not satisfied by my latest speaker acquisition - I plunked down $50 US for the MDR-V200. They are still doing computer sound duty.

    I will try to get a listen to other Sony phones to keep up with these bargain hi fi speaker killers.

    Bo, I never would have guessed you used headphones at home. Cool!

    Clark
    Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
    Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears


  8. #68
    Senior Señor boputnam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    northern california
    Posts
    6,142
    Quote Originally Posted by Ducatista47 View Post
    Bo, I never would have guessed you used headphones at home. Cool!
    Hi, Clark...

    Not as often as I'd like to! Too often, in my between hours, I'm re-racking stuff or making cables, and those many hours are in the shop blessed by the 4301B's. The sound there is amazing...

    I wear the cans at-home when I'm editing down some shows I've captured - not often, and not for long, but it is a help. Whenever I put those SA5000's on, I am floored by them. Truly a remarkable experience (maybe like Doug's new HT set-up!!).

    I wear cans at FOH most of the time. Reasons-a-plenty:
    - refine the EQ of each instrument / vocal. That's why the V6 are so important - they are colorless and true.
    - check for line issues and noise(s).
    - refine the mix, pan and overall balance
    - reduces the time I'm exposed to high SPL (and most of my shows are at 95 dBA, max).
    - reduces the intrusions of adoring fans and wannabe or usedtobe engineers. Running at 95 dBA, the talking noise around me is really loud and disruptive. And, without something on my ears people don't think I'm busy. I try and be cordial, but too often once I am, they want to keep sharing war stories or whatever - me, I have work to do...

  9. #69
    Senior Member grumpy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    5,742
    Last time I did this, I had someone ask me to make change (currency)

    A pair of the sony MDR's should go on my list with an x8 pre->adat-lightpipe
    expander/box so I can grab all 16 ch . Thanks Bo.

    (scratch that, just ordered a pair )

  10. #70
    Senior Member Ducatista47's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Peoria, Illinois
    Posts
    1,886

    What Is Right About Headphones

    So far, in the speaker world in general and in this forum as well, any mention of how good headphones are is quickly followed by a “yeah but” rejoinder. I would like to write a few words about what is better about headphones.

    The negative points I hear often are about how you have to stay in one place, how unsociable they are, how the bass lacks extension, authority and visceral impact, and how the best headphones cost so much. All of these points are countered by similar inconveniences in the speaker world, or are simply not true, or both.

    Like speakers, headphones have been advancing in clarity and capability over the years. Let’s take a look at the current state of headphone affairs.

    Their price/performance ratio, even in the most expensive designs, is still able to trump speakers by an order of magnitude or better. And their absolute, as opposed to relative, quality has definitely surpassed speakers, period. I know, “What about bass?” The top electrostatic models will make a believer out of you. The bass is not a smaller, lighter version of great speaker bass. It is, in the Stax Omega for instance, better than speakers. It is deeper, higher fidelity, less colored, less distorted and better balanced with the rest of the audio band. It can’t thump you in the chest but it thumps your brain to the point of utter disbelief. Demanding listeners are finally achieving unmatched experiences with all styles of music, including heavy metal, electronica, dance and trance. You are out of date if you think electrostatic phones are only good for listening to old people playing recorders. Remember, these are single driver “speakers” possessing complete coherence and the most transparent, least colored re creation of music yet achieved. And effortless, realistic, world class dynamics

    Not only is the high end of the headphone world higher than the high end of the speaker world, it is actually affordable by less than wealthy listeners.

    The price/performance ratio of headphones tempts many to compare how expensive the top models are with how little bargain headphones cost. It is actually correct, given their performance, to compare them with the best speakers. $3500 US ($4200 full retail) gets you Stax’s best headphones and amplifier. How does that compare to a pair of Everest II speakers and the best amp(s) you can think of to drive them. To a pair of Wilson Alexandria X-2s? Obviously, the price/performance ratio holds for even the most expensive headphones.

    A set of limitations that speakers have is related to the space in which they are played. We all know that those custom designed $60,000 room treatments will bring out more from a speaker than lesser endowed rooms can. This is a problem and a cost that is absent in the headphone world. The “room” is designed by the headphone engineers and they have complete control and freedom to make it as perfect as they can, and at almost no cost. That small cost is amortized over the entire production of the headphone model, not paid for in full by each owner/user. The same situation holds for the problem of speaker placement within the room. No need to mess with subwoofer placement either. The “speaker” is single driver, its coherence is perfect and its relation to your listening position never deviates from what the design engineers intended. You are always in the sweet spot, and that spot is as sweet as expert audio engineers can make it. The sweet spot matters very much with speakers because if you are making the effort to listen intently to music, it does not make any sense to sit anywhere else.

    With headphones, sit wherever you want. The sweet spot is, rather than confining, both perfect and portable. Simply place your rig, which after all is smaller than a speaker based rig, wherever you want it to be. Its placement has no acoustic considerations to attend to. Think about that for a minute, it is an alien and previously unimagined concept. A decent extension cable will allow you to sit, sprawl, do yoga, go outside, or all of the above. I can listen to my Stax sitting inside or out, contemplating the forest beyond the patio. That would be a pain it the ass or impossible with my big speakers, sweet spot or no.

    So what about the element of unsociability? I don’t know about your friends, but when I get together to listen to music with even the most dedicated serious listeners I know, a lot of talking goes on over the music. The commentary and verbal camaraderie are a social pleasure all right, but add nothing to the musical (as opposed to social) experience and detract much from it. Music is never going to be the centerpiece of a party, but rather a social lubricant like alcohol is. Since music is not the center of the experience, high fidelity is neither required or important. Nor is attention. The late Ferrari racing team driver Phil Hill was considered odd because when he had friends over to listen to music on his hifi rig, he insisted they actually listen, in silence. Most of us are not so inclined and limit our real listening to private sessions, but I do admire Hill’s recognition of what listening to music seriously is really about. My friends who are real music lovers enjoy also the times when we all fall silent and collectively listen. It happens spontaneously and it forges a bond easily as strong as conversation does amongst us. We are sharing something we all love and recognize without being reminded that anything we say about it at the time would be parenthetical.

    Ah, you say, but what about the special moments when you and your lover, or your best friend, bond over the intimacy of listening to music in verbal silence, together? The very best headphone amplifiers, Stax included, have always had two sets of jacks, and for just such times. When I was not yet married I considered double headphone jacks akin to silk sheets on the bed and a fire in the fireplace.

    Other than (literally) chest thumping bass, headphones win on all counts.


    Clark
    Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
    Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears


  11. #71
    Senior Señor boputnam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    northern california
    Posts
    6,142
    Quote Originally Posted by grumpy View Post
    (scratch that, just ordered a pair )
    Oh, yea? Full report, when you can!! I'm kinda excited for you...

  12. #72
    Senior Member grumpy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    5,742
    Phones are great. Amazon had a reasonable price (If anyone else is curious,
    there's no need to buy the 1/8"->1/4" adapter that they seem to indicate
    would be useful... one comes with the MDR-V6 package)... save's you $10.

    They'll work a lot better (for this purpose) than the semi-open Sennheisers
    I use at home and was trying to push into SR service

    MOTU 8pre (or something similar to go with my Traveler)
    will have to wait a bit (sorry if that's what was of most interest).

    I'm using the "AudioDesk" s/w that came with the Traveler in
    learn by the seat of my pants mode. Nice effects are included, but
    I'm looking to see if there's a non r/t mode to bounce tracks/mixes .

    The single recording I did from a Mackie 1604 to the Traveler (just
    used 4 ch in) came out good enough for folks to enjoy and "bad"
    enough for me to want to do a better job next time... I was really
    winging it... and having a good time

  13. #73
    Senior Member Akira's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Toronto, Canada
    Posts
    327

    Sennheiser PXC 450

    These appear to be the top of the food chain for noise cancelling headphones. While reviews are always good, the main criticism seems to center around price vs performance. List price $450. (maybe that's where the name comes from?)
    Anyone have any opinions about this product?

    My use is for recording live classical music while in the same room as the performers. While there maybe better traditional phones than these, there is no other option but noise cancelling headphones for my application.

    Any other suggestions are welcome.
    p.s. not a fan of the Bose quiet comfort series.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  14. #74
    Senior Member grumpy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    5,742
    If extreme isolation and accuracy are key, I don't think I would look at the NC products,
    but perhaps in-ear (if you can stand to wear them). UltimateEars, Etymotic, Shure,
    Sennheiser, Future Sonics, Sensaphonics, ...

    The NC headphones I've tried (which did not include the Sennheiser PXC 450), did
    not sound bad, but seemed to be more useful for noise cancellation than critical
    listening. I hope you find a workable solution.

  15. #75
    Senior Señor boputnam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    northern california
    Posts
    6,142
    Quote Originally Posted by Akira View Post
    p.s. not a fan of the Bose quiet comfort series.
    Hi, Akira...

    I respect your knowledge of studio stuff, and am curious on this opinion. I am not overwhelmed by Bose QC2, but they work pretty well for me when flying. What have you found?

    Quote Originally Posted by grumpy View Post
    The NC headphones I've tried (which did not include the Sennheiser PXC 450), did not sound bad, but seemed to be more useful for noise cancellation than critical listening.
    A truism.

    I recall a discussion over on ProSound web where a poster included a Link to a website/page with a fairly comprehensive review of the field. I regret that I cannot find it...

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Soundtrax FOH
    By boputnam in forum Miscellaneous Gear
    Replies: 62
    Last Post: 09-15-2004, 09:32 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •