Isone Pro - the best thing you could ever get for your headphones on your computer - Page 32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wingstrike 

I just figured it out for me. Instead of downloading for 64 bit system, get the x86. That solved it for me.

Thanks, it works!

I downloaded the 30 day trial of JRiver Media Center and am loving the user interface and features. It allows the user solid control of playback options and also seamlessly integrates the Isone. Try it, I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

One thing I've noticed about Isone is it seems to almost completely eliminate annoying ringing/peakiness on certain not-well-recorded tracks.  Anyone else notice the same?  Songs being less harsh?  

*I do use a flat FR & the room designer (anechoic).

Quote:

Originally Posted by sphinxvc 

One thing I've noticed about Isone is it seems to almost completely eliminate annoying ringing/peakiness on certain not-well-recorded tracks.  Anyone else notice the same?  Songs being less harsh?  

 

*I do use a flat FR & the room designer (anechoic).

Yeah, I found that it kind of smoothes things over.  It takes away some of the immediacy and maybe a tiny bit of microdetail but the effects are pretty nifty.

Can Isone Pro be used with Amarra (Full)? I think I may have seen someone using plug-ins with Audacity, may try that tonight; tomorrow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saintly 

Yeah, I found that it kind of smoothes things over.  It takes away some of the immediacy and maybe a tiny bit of microdetail but the effects are pretty nifty.

That was my initial impression as well.  But that's what it's supposed to be doing in a sense, it coincides with speaker-in-a-room acoustics.  I'm really liking it with my current rig.  The smoothing overcomes some of the slight peaks in the LCD-2s upper registers.  It makes me want to try a pair of T1s, since I really like those, maybe even more than the LCD-2s, except for their bite in the treble.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silent One 

Can Isone Pro be used with Amarra (Full)? I think I may have seen someone using plug-ins with Audacity, may try that tonight; tomorrow.

Hey!  Hmm, I don't think Amarra supports VST plug-ins, I know iTunes doesn't, and since Amarra piggybacks on iTunes...

If it doesn't, try Fidelia, it's a better way to demo Isone than Audacity (where you have to process each track using the plug-in before playback...a pain)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saintly 

Yeah, I found that it kind of smoothes things over.  It takes away some of the immediacy and maybe a tiny bit of microdetail but the effects are pretty nifty.

 

Indeed. Much of my initial listening was done with my travel rig of my mdr-7506's. On that setup, it seemed to work wonders on most tracks. Now having spent more time with it on my better systems, there are still some tracks and albums that it is really great on, but on many others, the loss of detail, change in timbre, and sense of space that is present in really good cans is lost. I understand that this is all part of the speaker/room reproduction, but I suspect that many of us here like headphones in part because of the closeness to the recording that they provide. 

Good post, you're right.  

I also do wonder if my LCD-2s are partially to blame.  The "loss" in detail is probably only lost or dissipated in the simulated space between me and the "speakers", so I wonder if a pair of more resolving cans like Stax, might be better suited to this application?  

While I agree on the losses you speak of above, there are some gains too, like extra dimension revealed by the cross-feed, or the treble dissipation that makes even bad recordings bearable, that smooth FR.  

Edit: One other thing, using Isone (depending on your settings) can reduce your overall volume.  I have to crank my volume more to get to the same decibel level, I'll try listening this way to see if those subtle microdetails come back to some extent.  That might have had something to do with it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sphinxvc 

Good post, you're right.  

 

I also do wonder if my LCD-2s are partially to blame.  The "loss" in detail is probably only lost or dissipated in the simulated space between me and the "speakers", so I wonder if a pair of more resolving cans like Stax, might be better suited to this application?  

 

While I agree on the losses you speak of above, there are some gains too, like extra dimension revealed by the cross-feed, or the treble dissipation that makes even bad recordings bearable, that smooth FR.  

 

Edit: One other thing, using Isone (depending on your settings) can reduce your overall volume.  I have to crank my volume more to get to the same decibel level, I'll try listening this way to see if those subtle microdetails come back to some extent.  That might have had something to do with it.

The volume can have an effect for sure - and that was one of the things I noticed immediately.  I use the Speaker Level to adjust that as high as I can without clipping.

But yes, what you say is pretty much exactly what I mean when I say it works really well for some recordings and less so for others.  The ability to place individual instruments in space is truly remarkable, and like you say, it can really improve some bad recordings.  Where I find I don't care for it is on recordings where there is a real sense of ambiance in the recording itself, but at low level relative to the music.  This is largely lost when using Isone, as it is while listening to those recordings with speakers.  Hearing that is one of my favorite things about headphones though.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by sphinxvc 

Good post, you're right.  

 

I also do wonder if my LCD-2s are partially to blame.  The "loss" in detail is probably only lost or dissipated in the simulated space between me and the "speakers", so I wonder if a pair of more resolving cans like Stax, might be better suited to this application?  

 

While I agree on the losses you speak of above, there are some gains too, like extra dimension revealed by the cross-feed, or the treble dissipation that makes even bad recordings bearable, that smooth FR.  

 

Edit: One other thing, using Isone (depending on your settings) can reduce your overall volume.  I have to crank my volume more to get to the same decibel level, I'll try listening this way to see if those subtle microdetails come back to some extent.  That might have had something to do with it.

The loss in detail isn't big with the HD 800.  That probably has something to do with its innate treble quantity which stays at a reasonable level even with the signal processing of the Isone.  On a lot of recordings, there really is a sense of 3D to the imaging, even more so than what the HD 800 is already capable of.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zhenya 

 

The volume can have an effect for sure - and that was one of the things I noticed immediately.  I use the Speaker Level to adjust that as high as I can without clipping.

 

But yes, what you say is pretty much exactly what I mean when I say it works really well for some recordings and less so for others.  The ability to place individual instruments in space is truly remarkable, and like you say, it can really improve some bad recordings.  Where I find I don't care for it is on recordings where there is a real sense of ambiance in the recording itself, but at low level relative to the music.  This is largely lost when using Isone, as it is while listening to those recordings with speakers.  Hearing that is one of my favorite things about headphones though.
 

 

This mirrors my experience exactly.  I find the Isone to be most beneficial to solo vocals and not so much with large-scale classical music where there is already a good amount of air and ambience.

What settings have you been using?
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saintly 

The loss in detail isn't big with the HD 800.  That probably has something to do with its innate treble quantity which stays at a reasonable level even with the signal processing of the Isone.  On a lot of recordings, there really is a sense of 3D to the imaging, even more so than what the HD 800 is already capable of.

Good to know.  I might end up borrowing a friend's HD800 to test that once I get my amp in April.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saintly 

This mirrors my experience exactly.  I find the Isone to be most beneficial to solo vocals and not so much with large-scale classical music where there is already a good amount of air and ambience.

 

What settings have you been using?
 

 

Pretty much just the 'average joe' settings with slight adjustments made to Ear and Head size.  Generally flat or near flat frequency response.

This VST is great. Thanks for the recommendation. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saintly 

The loss in detail isn't big with the HD 800.  That probably has something to do with its innate treble quantity which stays at a reasonable level even with the signal processing of the Isone.  On a lot of recordings, there really is a sense of 3D to the imaging, even more so than what the HD 800 is already capable of.

 

 

This mirrors my experience exactly.  I find the Isone to be most beneficial to solo vocals and not so much with large-scale classical music where there is already a good amount of air and ambience.

 

What settings have you been using?
 

 

I find that the transient smear trade off is not worth it for some tracks that are obviously mastered, while not binaurally, definitely with headphone users considered. 

For me the HD800 treble transient seemed a little smeared already compared to the LCD2, this explains how the LCD2 can spotlight any transient smearing.  Kinda like how with my K701 and HD650, the smearing of this DSP is not even picked up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SP Wild 

I find that the transient smear trade off is not worth it for some tracks that are obviously mastered, while not binaurally, definitely with headphone users considered. 

 

For me the HD800 treble transient seemed a little smeared already compared to the LCD2, this explains how the LCD2 can spotlight any transient smearing.  Kinda like how with my K701 and HD650, the smearing of this DSP is not even picked up.

 

I agree with the first part that the Isone's downside outweighs the speaker-like experience.  As for the HD 800's transients being smeared compared to the LCD-2?  ROFL

For me, it's still very hard to get a speaker-like image, and all im left with is lower fidelity and some weird sounding cross-feed. Maybe dsp and crossfeed isn't my thing. =(