I just returned home to my audio equipment from the three day Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago. I have by no means what most of you would consider a hi-fi system. My college-fi setup is simply my Grado RS-1 through a Little Dot I+ with a source of my Macbook/uDac or Turntable.
Live music for three days made me question what I am aiming for in my audio equipment... what do I want? Fidelity? Fidelity to what? Do I want a sound that makes me feel as if i am 'right there' in some type of live setting?
These are thoughts I had supposing I wanted to aim for headphone equipment that did its best to 'emulate' actually 'being at a live rock show.'
This stuff obviously isn't true all the time. I'm basing this off the live shows I saw this weekend: Arcade Fire, The Strokes, The Black Keys, Dirty Projectors, Cut Copy, Phoenix, Spoon, Grizzly Bear, The xx, MGMT, Yeasayer, Blitzen Trapper, The Antlers, Wavves, & Metric
- Audiophiles assume its best to listen to music at low volumes / with good equipment you dont need to listen to music at low volumes. But if I want the 'fidelity' of 'being right there' then I think better crank that volume up. Music is loud live.
- I felt dissatisfied in my RS-1 'bass quantity.' I felt that 'bass quality' could possibly be overrated if I wanted a 'right there' type rock show sound. Bass for live music i've been at was not that detailed/controlled/tight like my RS-1s make it.
- I felt especially appreciative of the mids/highs of my RS-1's sound. It isn't the 'prominence' - it is the texture. Instruments sound 'real.' There is a sense of reality in the music that no other headphone as been able to do for me. It is what separates the RS1 from the Sr-125/225/325 for me.
- I feel like if I want a live experience that makes me feel like i am 'right there', the bass/drumming should be really powerful even if it somewhat 'dominates.' My problem with 'bassy headphones' isnt that the mids/highs are drowned out. Its that if you sucked out the bass, the mids/highs sound real synthetic/fake/digital sounding. (this is probably because most bassy headphones are closed...)
- Soundstage is mad over exaggerated on most headphones. Not as much on my RS-1s. Again, that is if you want a 'right there' type of experience.
- Senns don't have the energy to emulate a live show of a 'rock concert.'
- Bassheads seem to have a setup that would have more 'fidelity to a live rock show' type of sound then most typical audiophiles do.
- I wonder what the PS-1 / PS1000 / GS1000 soundlike.
- I wonder if I am just describing really expensive headphones that I haven't heard yet.
What do you aim for with your audio setup? Fidelity? Fidelity to what? Fidelity to the 'original studio recording'? Or fidelity to what the 'live experience' would be like / feeling like the music is live 'right there.'? What do you like?
