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Familiarity bias... confirmed?

post #1 of 34
11/30/11 at 5:54pm
Thread Starter 

So I have a pair of DT 770 Pro 80's which have been my only headphones for 4+ months. Today I went and auditioned some Grado 325i's and Sennheiser HD650's at my local stereo shop, and I preferred my Beyers by a hands-down margin. My impression of the Grado's was that they were oversized Apple earbuds, devoid of bass and complete with tinny shrill and total lack of comfort. I thought the Sennheisers sounded muddy, and I was actually shocked at how disappointed I was by them after all the reviews I've read. How do I know if I actually prefer my Beyers or if I just have a bad case of familiarity bias? confused_face.gif

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post #2 of 34
11/30/11 at 6:03pm

If you're not wooed right off the bat just count your blessings and stick with what you've got.  wink.gif

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post #3 of 34
11/30/11 at 6:10pm

The Grado sound definitely isn't for everyone, me included. Though consider the following: I thought the 325i's sounded infinitely more pleasant than the lower-end models.

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post #4 of 34
11/30/11 at 6:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LostArk View Post

So I have a pair of DT 770 Pro 80's which have been my only headphones for 4+ months. Today I went and auditioned some Grado 325i's and Sennheiser HD650's at my local stereo shop, and I preferred my Beyers by a hands-down margin. My impression of the Grado's was that they were oversized Apple earbuds, devoid of bass and complete with tinny shrill and total lack of comfort. I thought the Sennheisers sounded muddy, and I was actually shocked at how disappointed I was by them after all the reviews I've read. How do I know if I actually prefer my Beyers or if I just have a bad case of familiarity bias? confused_face.gif


 

325i's sound like Apple earbuds ~ that's a little harsh smile.gif

 

My guess is that you ran them out of your iPhone or portable player, your source material is extraordinarily poor

and they were a new pair.

 

 

Am I right?

 

The HD650 and 325i have a different of reacting poor amplification and sourcing ~ the HD650 goes to sleep

and the 325i rips your ear drums out.

 

 

 


Edited by Gwarmi - 11/30/11 at 6:22pm
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post #5 of 34
11/30/11 at 6:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gwarmi View Post


 

325i's sound like Apple earbuds ~ that's a little harsh smile.gif

 

My guess is that you ran them out of your iPhone or portable player, your source material is extraordinarily poor

and they were a new pair.

 

 

Am I right?

 

The HD650 and 325i have a different of reacting poor amplification and sourcing ~ the HD650 goes to sleep

and the 325i rips your ear drums out.

 

 

 



Wrong on all counts, but I knew someone would post something like this.

 

Apple lossless files via iPod line out into some insane $10,000 McIntosh amp. Both headphones were well broken in display models I've seen lying in their display case for years. 

 

wink_face.gif

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post #6 of 34
11/30/11 at 6:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LostArk View Post



Wrong on all counts, but I knew someone would post something like this.

 

Apple lossless files via iPod line out into some insane $10,000 McIntosh amp. Both headphones were well broken in display models I've seen lying in their display case for years. 

 

wink_face.gif



 Fair enough then!

 

 All three are good headphones though for different reasons ~ have to disagree with your apple earbud references, you

 should pull out those little white things again for a refresher of how much they stunk in the first place!

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post #7 of 34
12/1/11 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LostArk View Post



Wrong on all counts, but I knew someone would post something like this.

 

Apple lossless files via iPod line out into some insane $10,000 McIntosh amp. Both headphones were well broken in display models I've seen lying in their display case for years. 

 

wink_face.gif

 

 

But one question - were the headphones you auditioned plugged into the headphone output of the McIntosh?

I ask because the headphone output stages of even some really superb audio gear do not compare favorably with

some inexpensive high quality dedicated headphone amplifiers in terms of sound quality.

 


Still, though, the Beyer DT770 definitely has a very different sound signature than the Grado 325i.

 

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post #8 of 34
12/1/11 at 12:25pm

.......


Edited by thelostMIDrange - 12/27/11 at 12:19pm
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post #9 of 34
12/1/11 at 12:41pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by zazex View Post

 

 

But one question - were the headphones you auditioned plugged into the headphone output of the McIntosh?

I ask because the headphone output stages of even some really superb audio gear do not compare favorably with

some inexpensive high quality dedicated headphone amplifiers in terms of sound quality.

 


Still, though, the Beyer DT770 definitely has a very different sound signature than the Grado 325i.

 


I knew someone would say this, too. Come on, are you really gonna accuse the McIntosh MCD500 of being the reason I thought these headphones sounded horrible? I think the whole 'headphone amps sound better than integrated amp headphone outputs' is grossly overstated at best, and a complete urban legend at worst. 

 

I'm a stereo guy, not a headphone guy, but I'm guessing the same principles hold true as in the stereo world: speakers (headphones) sound different, not amps. I'm also guessing there's a magical thinking fringe who insist amps make more than a negligible difference. 

 

Note that I'm not confusing whether or not an amp is sufficiently powering a headphone with whether or not it changes sound quality. That being said, I'm sure a McIntosh MCD500 can sufficiently power the headphones I auditioned. 

 

PS - Think I'm gonna order a pair of Shure SRH940's just for the hell of it!

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post #10 of 34
12/1/11 at 12:57pm

.......


Edited by thelostMIDrange - 12/27/11 at 12:16pm
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post #11 of 34
12/1/11 at 1:00pm

 ......


Edited by thelostMIDrange - 12/27/11 at 12:41pm
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post #12 of 34
12/1/11 at 1:46pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by thelostMIDrange View Post

to be truly scientific about it, he should have brought his beyers with him and ran them through the mac, just to rule out the amp as being 'the problem'. But hindsight is 20/20 ......

 

I did bring them with me smily_headphones1.gif

 

The Mac didn't sound different than my FiiO E10 or my Harman 3490 /shrug

 

Edit: I also brought my PA2V2, which was indistinguishable from the Mac on my Beyers and the Grado's, but it was terribly inadequate for the HD650's compared to the Mac...


Edited by LostArk - 12/1/11 at 1:53pm
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post #13 of 34
12/1/11 at 1:57pm


 

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by LostArk View Post


I knew someone would say this, too.

 

 

 

Well, that's very impressive. 

Thanks for letting me know how much you know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come on, are you really gonna accuse the McIntosh MCD500 of being the reason I thought these headphones sounded horrible?

 

 

 

No, I'm not gonna do that.  Nor did I. 

 

(BTW, you first said "some insane $10,000 McIntosh amp".

Now in this post you decide to tell us which one it is.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think the whole 'headphone amps sound better than integrated amp headphone outputs' is grossly overstated at best, and a complete urban legend at worst. 

 

 

On what do you base that?

 

It's an entirely ludicrous assertion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm a stereo guy,

 

Me too

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

not a headphone guy,

 

I'm also a headphone guy

- and a headphone amp guy

 

 

 

 

 

 

but I'm guessing

 

Why are you "guessing" when there are plenty of facts available?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the same principles hold true as in the stereo world: speakers (headphones) sound different, not amps.

 

 

Another absurd statement with no basis in reality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm also guessing there's a magical thinking fringe who insist amps make more than a negligible difference. 

 

 

You're "guessing" again...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note that I'm not confusing whether or not an amp is sufficiently powering a headphone with whether or not it changes sound quality.

 

 

OK, I'll note that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS - Think I'm gonna order a pair of Shure SRH940's just for the hell of it!

 

 

Go for it!

 

I did, and returned them a week later. 

Didn't like the way they sounded, especially for 3 bills.



 

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post #14 of 34
12/1/11 at 1:59pm

that happened to me when I was comparing my SRH840s to the Beyer T5p, I thought my Shure was better, but once I listened to the T1, it was so much better. It was actually kind of weird.

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post #15 of 34
12/1/11 at 2:10pm
Thread Starter 

@zazex: Was there a point in there? If you want to riff about philosophy of language, hit me up in a PM. 


Edited by LostArk - 12/1/11 at 2:14pm
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