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Slowest headphones you've ever heard?

post #1 of 88
2/9/10 at 2:55am
Thread Starter 
I didnt quite get what people meant by "slow" or "fast" headphones until I've recently heard the sennheiser PXC 350. These headphones were extremely slow!! Anyways, what is the slowest headphones you've ever own/heard.
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post #2 of 88
2/9/10 at 3:57am
I dont get what slow or fast means on headphones

can someone enlighten me
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post #3 of 88
2/9/10 at 3:58am
Neither do I :/
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post #4 of 88
2/9/10 at 4:02am
Maybe he's referring to the bass response?
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post #5 of 88
2/9/10 at 4:04am
Compare a pair of re0's to a pair of hd600's or 650's and you'll understand. I'm pretty sure he's talking about the "attack" of the instruments if that makes any sense.
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post #6 of 88
2/9/10 at 4:06am
Assuming you weren't being sarcastic, it's the transient response of headphones which enables them to reproduce details and distinguish rather than blur together notes. There's a sticky of the audio dictionary somewhere if you want a more thorough definition.
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post #7 of 88
2/9/10 at 4:07am
Some just have a faster transient response which gives very clear and cleanly defined leading edges, also called 'attack'. Much of what's talked about here seems to get confused with brightness and stridency (Grado). Slower phones would be those with less attack speed, commonly confused with warm sounding phones having a laid back treble (Senn HD 6xx). A lot has to do with how well an amp can control the phones as well as good driver design and lightweight materials.

In reality, they're all pretty fast these days and it's largely a perceptual thing.
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post #8 of 88
2/9/10 at 4:25am
There's obviously slow and fast music - or more specifically, slow vs fast instruments or sections in music. The "fast" headphone will properly render the speed of an instrument or section while the "slow" headphone will neuter it. Simple as that.

There are lots of instruments that generate very fast vibrations - and there are a surprising number of headphones I've heard that are absolutely incapable of delivering the speed of these vibrations. Percussion instruments (drum kit, cymbals, xylophone, blocks, triangle, etc) and string instruments (violin, harp, dobro, guitar, etc), among others. Digitally synthesized instruments count too - and these have the theoretical advantage of being faster than any acoustic instrument.

I would go so far as to say that most of the headphones that I've heard to date are either slow or moderately fast at most. The fastest headphones I own always remind me just how amazing a fast instrument can really be. I realize every person has his or her own sonic and headphone preferences but at the same time, I get the perception that a lot of people here on Head-Fi miss out on the speed aspect of music with their headphone selections and that's really too bad.
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post #9 of 88
2/9/10 at 5:36am
^^ Can you give examples of headphones in each speed category :

Fastest
Fast
Average
Slow
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post #10 of 88
2/9/10 at 5:41am
fastest= crazy fun, rhythmically fast paced, feet tapping, etc.. (cans like DenonD2000/DT990's for example)

fast= same as above, but with some balance

average= immaculate detail/imaging/clarity/straight forward(cans like DT880/AKG 701 for example)

slow= boring crap like $4 Panasonic ear buds
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post #11 of 88
2/9/10 at 6:03am
tt
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post #12 of 88
2/9/10 at 6:08am
where do the senns fit in?
And are the DT880 significantly slower than the DT990 version?
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post #13 of 88
2/9/10 at 6:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gurubhai View Post
where do the senns fit in?
And are the DT880 significantly slower than the DT990 version?
senn hd 650 will prob fit in the fast/fastest category. I have never heard them, but from research this should be a no brainer.

dt880's aren't that significantly slower to the 990's. they have relaxing, tight and adequate bass, it just wasn't emphasized as much in the music that i listened to + they seemed too analytical for me .

DT990's are just incredible. every song i play, 90% of the time, i'm always tapping my feet. bass response system is just wow. and they aren't even fully burned in(20 hours only).

I am willing to loose pin point accuracy/detail for the satisfying features that the 990's possess. god i love these cans so much
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post #14 of 88
2/9/10 at 6:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by David.M View Post
senn hd 650 will prob fit in the fast/fastest category. I have never heard them, but from research this should be a no brainer.
Are you Kidding? You pick THE darkest, Longest decaying headphone around as one of the fastest? And you admit you never heared them.... LOL that's as plain misinformation as you can find.

Asr, How fast would you rate the AD2000 compared to W5000/SA5000 which you own/ed? Thanks.

The Pro900 is the fastest cans that i heard, the accuracy and attack which it delievers are top notch.
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post #15 of 88
2/9/10 at 6:27am
tt
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