Worst "high-end" equipment you've heard - Page 26  

Quote:

Originally Posted by baka1969 

@ClarkMC2. The O2 setup I listened to belonged to a fellow Head-Fi'er. I did get to listen to several Woo amps at the Woo table. I quite liked them. Also I was really quite impressed by the Orpheus on that same Woo amp that I listened to the O2 on. I attributed it to just not liking the O2. I admit I didn't get a great deal of time with the Stax. Nor did I listen to music I was that familiar with. That said, they weren't "all that". Just MHO.

Before you dismiss the O2 as not being "all that" I would suggest listening to them on an amp that can properly drive them to their true potential, namely the KGSS or BHSE.

The Woo GES is a decent all-around stat amp but not an optimal match for the O2. It will do a better job driving the Orpheus, but not so good a job with the O2.

Also, I personally don't think the O2 is the best headphone for being wowed with under meet conditions. The Orpheus is much more likely to give you that initial wow factor. However spending more time with it, I personally found them to be a bit diffused like the Jade. The O2 on the other hand is a headphone that may not blow your mind the first time you listen, especially with it getting as hyped as it does, but as you spend time with it you start to appreciate just how right it gets everything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuppetFace 

I personally don't think the O2 is the best headphone for being wowed with under meet conditions. The Orpheus is much more likely to give you that initial wow factor. However spending more time with it, I personally found them to be a bit diffused like the Jade. The O2 on the other hand is a headphone that may not blow your mind the first time you listen, especially with it getting as hyped as it does, but as you spend time with it you start to appreciate just how right it gets everything.

I've often been fascinated by this aspect of the audio world in general. I can't count how many headphones I've been "wowed" at at meets, only to buy them and be disappointed with over time. Then there's something like the R10s that didn't "wow" me on my first listen, but as time has gone on I've developed the exact feeling you describe here of appreciating just how "right" they do everything. I guess audio is like one's relationship with anything in that we merely recognize surface aspects at first, and the more prominent those aspects are, the more likely they are to "wow" us. But as time goes on and we really get to "know" our audio gear our impressions subtly change to deeper understanding of their strengths and flaws.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGhostWhoWalks 

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuppetFace 

I personally don't think the O2 is the best headphone for being wowed with under meet conditions. The Orpheus is much more likely to give you that initial wow factor. However spending more time with it, I personally found them to be a bit diffused like the Jade. The O2 on the other hand is a headphone that may not blow your mind the first time you listen, especially with it getting as hyped as it does, but as you spend time with it you start to appreciate just how right it gets everything.

I've often been fascinated by this aspect of the audio world in general. I can't count how many headphones I've been "wowed" at at meets, only to buy them and be disappointed with over time. Then there's something like the R10s that didn't "wow" me on my first listen, but as time has gone on I've developed the exact feeling you describe here of appreciating just how "right" they do everything. I guess audio is like one's relationship with anything in that we merely recognize surface aspects at first, and the more prominent those aspects are, the more likely they are to "wow" us. But as time goes on and we really get to "know" our audio gear our impressions subtly change to deeper understanding of their strengths and flaws.
 

yep I can say the same for HD800. Not really impressed at first, I kept going back to HD600 but after a week or so listening to exclusively to HD800 I enjoy them much more than HD600. Brains adapt to sound signature 
 

I agree with Muppetface.  Upon my first listen to the O2s, I wondered what the fuss was all about.  It didn't jump out and wow'd me like I thought it would after reading everything about it over the years.  This was at the same meet as Ross and the O2 were run through a fully spec'd WES.  However, after going home and listening to my set up, I felt there was something missing that the O2's brought.  Now that I bought a pair myself, I still can't give one point that would jump out immediately that will grab your attention but it just sounds good.  

But for Ross, it could be that the O2s don't float his boat and thats cool too.  This is a subjective hobby and its great that people have different tastes otherwise we wouldn't have all these selections of great gear out there to try.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ak622 

I agree with Muppetface.  Upon my first listen to the O2s, I wondered what the fuss was all about.  It didn't jump out and wow'd me like I thought it would after reading everything about it over the years.  This was at the same meet as Ross and the O2 were run through a fully spec'd WES.  However, after going home and listening to my set up, I felt there was something missing that the O2's brought.  Now that I bought a pair myself, I still can't give one point that would jump out immediately that will grab your attention but it just sounds good.  

 

But for Ross, it could be that the O2s don't float his boat and thats cool too.  This is a subjective hobby and its great that people have different tastes otherwise we wouldn't have all these selections of great gear out there to try.

They didn't float my boat either with the KGSS when I heard them too. They were nice, but not OMG amazing. But then again, neither were the T1s at first, but I can understand how some headphones take some time to grow on you. Simply being good/great on every aspect (bass, mids, treble, sound stage, timbre, comfort, air, etc...) without a stand out quality like the HD800's AWESOME sound stage or the LCD-2s BEST ever mids/bass, it can be hard at a short listen to find out what headphones are all about.

Now I'm not talking about the O2s, but rather the T1s as I don't have extended "at home" experience with the Stax cans. But the T1s really do it all for me and after a few months I did come to appreciate their lack of any real weaknesses that my ears could detect. And that is an amazing accomplishment that can't be determined with a 30 minute sit down session. But then again, some cans are hopeless right from the start.

I hear ya MacedonianHero.  When listening to the HD800 and LCD-2, they wow'd me more than the T1s.  I haven't had extensive listening to the three at home but I do think the T1s have the qualities that make it a great set of cans but may not be appreciated on short listen.  

Haha, lets leave the hopeless cans out from the start and keep them nameless.  ;)  But I agree that if they give a negative impression from the start, I doubt they will have a better impression after extensive listening.  It could, but not from my experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by baka1969 

The kicker about a Stax rig is that it's an entire system. With dynamic or planar headphones, for the most part, you just plug them into a great headphone amp and you're all set. If a particular headphone doesn't agree with me I sell it and get another and plug it into the amp. Also, if the amp doesn't agree with me I just get any number of amps and try it. A Stax system is much less versatile. Stax is a commitment and an investment. Since this is the high-end forum I can say that trying Stax from the bottom up wouldn't be an option I'd probably want to build upon. I'm kind of used to listening to "better" quality equipment and would want to start on equal footing to be able to fairly compare the Stax of a similar level to my headphone setup. That entails literally having two rigs. Forget the money for a moment. Hell, I don't have that kind of space. LoL. Doug's Stax system was gorgeous, but it's big. I'd need a rack to house it. Where do I have the space for a rack? Lmao!


I know meet conditions aren't conducive to a proper evaluation. If getting a Stax were more versatile then maybe I'd make the commitment needed to give it it's fair due. The truth is, I wasn't impressed with them enough at the meet to make the effort. It's also an expensive experiment. It's not an indictment of Stax as it is more personal preference.


I've also had headphones that I didn't initially think were "WoW" and ended up liking. I've also had "WoW" headphones that I ended up disliking or growing out of. I will say that the HD800, to me, are a "WoW" headphone that I've only grown to appreciate more with time. I guess that's the best of both worlds?

Very good point. A major investment in a full system in order to listen to 1 pair of headphones....for something the potential buyer better be sure he/she will absolutely love.

Dynamics: source stage -> amplification stage -> dynamic transducer

Electrostats: source stage -> amplification stage -> electrostatic transducer

What's the system?  You can mix and match electrostats you know.

Musical Fidelity x-10 D line level "buffer stage"

Bloody muddy mess that did nothing but get in the way!

It's all junk.  Let me repeat that:  IT'S ALL JUNK.  If you want sonic euphoria, chuck the electronics and stick your head inside a steam calliope like I have.  Yes, I really did.

BTW, I have yet to hear any Sony headphone at any price point that failed to sound as if Beltone was the next step...

Here's an oddball piece of equipment that I had that sounded great when the planets were aligned: a Superphon Revelation, which was a budget high-end preamp from the '80s.  Designed by "genius" Stan Warren, that thing drove me crazy, since it was plagued with EMI/RFI problems, at the very least.  It was capable of presenting a rock-solid and gigantic soundstage and had oodles of detail, but then I would get weird a hum that would sometimes react to how far away my hand was from the preamp (Theremin-like response and sound).  That would have been bad enough, but it also had ground loop issues that nothing else I had was subject to.  And I would pick up A.M. stations through the phono section, again, never a problem with any other gear I had at the time.

Was your Superphon the one with the plexiglas case?