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Worst "high-end" equipment you've heard - Page 20  

post #286 of 435
8/25/10 at 8:23pm

Macedonianhero posted:-

 

 

Quote:
 Always the optimist!

 Extreme optimism more like.........

But then some say the same about Grado's - and there are those who love them.

post #287 of 435
8/25/10 at 8:23pm

I too checked B&W headphone at Apple store, just to make sure I don't miss anything.


Edited by Seamaster - 8/25/10 at 8:25pm
post #288 of 435
8/25/10 at 8:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HiFlight View Post



Although I missed the post regarding the amplifier with "built-in binaural processiong", I question what that means, as true binaural recordings need no processing.  It is all in the recording, not in the playback.  That is with the assumption that headphones are used for listening.  Binaural recordings are not at their best when heard from speakers.   I have made many binaural

recordings using binaural in-ear microphones, and the results sound amazingly lifelike even when replayed through very modestly-priced equipment.
 


Like those you tune hair cut binaural recordings - OK, that had me spooked, a problem in frontal imaging, but rear imaging is amazing, up, down, left, right, forwards then backwards.  WTF, why do we persist with speaker based Surround, what put speakers on the roof, floors, in the cupboards, under tables.... They can make us wear glasses for unconvincing 3D, I am more than happy to wear headphones for a spooky 3d sound that is sooooo real.

post #289 of 435
8/26/10 at 5:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wink View Post

Macedonianhero posted:-

 

 

 Extreme optimism more like.........

But then some say the same about Grado's - and there are those who love them.


I'm one who loves them. I can see if rock/metal aren't on one's regular rotation that they wouldn't be ideal....but really they sound incredible with those genres of music.


Edited by MacedonianHero - 8/26/10 at 7:23pm
post #290 of 435
8/27/10 at 5:22am

I have the PS1000, GS1000 and MSPro.

No Bose.

 

Love the PS1000's

GS1000 are a  little too coloured, but OK

MSPro - Haven't made my mind up yet......   Have to give them more usage.

 

Really hated the ATH AD2000, not because they sounded bad - great for female vocals, but no highs. Cymbals disappeared completely from the music.

post #291 of 435
8/27/10 at 10:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tkam View Post

This could be a long list

Meridian G08 - slow, boring, lacking in dynamics, everything played through it has the same glossed over signature
AKG K701 - sterile and lifeless, they are also way off the mark tonally
Audio Technica W5000 - hollow sounding and a nearly non-existant midrange
Sony R10 - artificial soundstage, lacking bass and an at times overly aggressive treble
Sony SA5000 - these are so uninvolving and bright it's almost impressive
Sony Qualia - these do have some strengths, sound staging and detail being the main ones but don't sound natural at all. instrument attack and decay is way too fast and tonality is almost completely wrong
Ray Samuels Raptor - can't drive low impedance phones at all, every time i've heard a grado or low imp AT out of the raptor they always have a muddy sounding midbass/bass and totally lack extension
Ray Samuels HR2 - highly colored, gives everything an overly rich tonality
Ray Samuels Tomahawk - phones sound better straight out of an ipod compared to this thing
Ray Samuels Predator - pretty awful as a dac, veiled, and no extension at all
Grado GS1000 - these are possibly the brightest headphones ever made and have about as much midrange as the dt770s do

Do we want to include speakers in this thread as well? My list gets even longer then .
 
Yes please you will save me much time, money and anguish.
post #292 of 435
8/27/10 at 11:07pm

Wink – Grado headphones have highs? I listen GS 1000 or PS 1000. The highs are there miserable, false. Listen T1 or HD 800 and you will see how highs sound. As many people said, GS 1000 are extremely coloured. From the headphones which costs 1000 dollars I do NOT expect that highs are so colored.

post #293 of 435
8/28/10 at 2:20am

Ray Samuels Tomahawk - phones sound better straight out of an ipod compared to this thing

 

 

 

best post ever :p

post #294 of 435
8/28/10 at 2:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sxr71 View Post

Sony R10 - artificial soundstage, lacking bass and an at times overly aggressive treble


 


I would predict you have only heard the bass-light edition of these headphones.  The bass heavy are amongst the warmest headphones in my collection and the bass can be intense.  The bass-light is considerably different but it has a very special midrange.

 

I've been talking headphones with you for years. Now I can help you with your purchase:) Sales Specialist & Headphone Guru @ Headphones.com
post #295 of 435
8/28/10 at 3:12am

I had a pair of GS1000's and sold 'em. I  did NOT like the way they sounded.  "Shrill"  is how I would describe them, with bloated bass. I think if your ears have been destroyed by too many over-loud live concerts, or from playing onstage in a metal band or other way loud band, then maybe you could listen to them- the over-boosted highs might stimulate the last remaining hair cells in your cochlea that respond to frequencies above 2 kHz..... I really can't see why anybody would like these unless their hearing has been damaged - and it is easier to damage your hearing than you think.  Also, build quality was ABYSMAL. For a thousand bucks you get something that looks like it cost about $45 to make.

post #296 of 435
8/28/10 at 6:00am

I don't understand recommending headphones with recessed midrange to people with hearing damage. They suffer mostly of 2-5kHz range attenuation while the GS1000 bump higher frequencies, let's call it low treble.

post #297 of 435
8/28/10 at 7:03am

Neptius posted:-

 

 

Quote:
Wink – Grado headphones have highs? I listen GS 1000 or PS 1000. The highs are there miserable, false. Listen T1 or HD 800 and you will see how highs sound. As many people said, GS 1000 are extremely coloured. From the headphones which costs 1000 dollars I do NOT expect that highs are so colored.

Grado's have more highs than Audio Technics ATH AD2000 which have none. I did not comment on the quality of Grado highs.

 

I also have HD800 & T1.

 

There is something about the PS1000 that grabs me - not as much as the HD800 or some others, but I like them.

 

The HE60's through a SRD7SBMk2 are a little on the bright side but are becoming more addictive.

 

Have not heard a Grado RS1, but loved the HF-2.

 

 

 

post #298 of 435
8/28/10 at 5:28pm

Wink– Audio Technica ATH AD-1000 or AD-2000 are not headphones for my ears. One or two models there are acceptable for me, but the highest models like W-1000 or W-5000 are not about sound quality but about luxury. They are overcosted.

 

I listen several times Grado headphones and they are same story many times repeated. They are about tuning. Technologically in principals they are same. I think thousand dollars or euro headphones with significant colouring are not acceptable for me. There is difference if we speak about “little” brightness or so, Grado headphones are coloured or so bright because they are made by tuning of very limited concept which is not able extend more. Why Grado not develop something like tesla technology, torroid diaphragm ... ? These discoveries give the possibilities to push sound presentation to one level higher.

post #299 of 435
8/28/10 at 5:36pm

I'm very curious to hear the PS1000..... I can't justify buying a headphone at that price which looks marginally more expensive than the SR60 and possibly by very similar driver materials.

 

But if the price were ever to drop around 1k or below I'd consider it.

 

My biggest beef with Grados is that their product line doesn't seem to change in ergonomic design from their least expensive to most expensive.  If you're going to charge 1600 dollars more between two models it better be more comfortable / substantially fancier looking than your base model....and while some would say the nice metal plates are enough of a luxury look, the pads just seem to scream "overpriced" to me.  It's really ashame, because I love supporting American companies, but I just can't look at the PS1000 and think of it seriously when it literally mimics the same design as their base model.  Even if it was the best sounding headphone ever made, I'd still feel it was poorly designed and therefore an incomplete headphone experience for me.

I've been talking headphones with you for years. Now I can help you with your purchase:) Sales Specialist & Headphone Guru @ Headphones.com
post #300 of 435
8/28/10 at 9:39pm

PS1000 sound good with proper amp, and very colored,unbalanced, but SQ no where near asking price, half price maybe...

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