[jwong]

   
S660 isn't a carbon nanotube driver! Japanese don't like Gaijins enjoying their best stuff.

 
I am aware. But just the fact that the company would sell something so crappy (not only not the "best", but far inferior to other makers' similarly-priced non-carbon driver phones) causes me to question any JVC purchases.

 

[BenF]

   
I am aware. But just the fact that the company would sell something so crappy (not only not the "best", but far inferior to other makers' similarly-priced non-carbon driver phones) causes me to question any JVC purchases.

 
I'm sure there are plenty other 50$ headphones that are even worse.

99% of headphones out there are inferior to the 1% in the same price range.
Every company has great ones and horrible ones at similar prices, it's our responsibility to sort them out.
I personally don't care who's trademark is on the headphone, as most of them are done by OEMs anyway.

 

[deserteagle]

 
Quick and easy, Brainwavz Delta.

so in which way they are better? sound or built quality?

 

[7S Cameron]

  Nah, not so sinister...I just think there is a real bias towards open headphones, they almost always get rated above closed (AT iem's are the exception, but in over the ear, even the open AT's are rated higher than closed). I think it is the "wow" factor of soundstaging...I like it too, but have other things more important to me, accuracy, tone color, "punchiness", but I'm generally a minority voice here. I have fun on this end, though...

I really have a feeling I may be in the closed headphones group with you man. I may buy these Yamahas to solidify my theory though, as I only have one open headphone at the moment.

 

[waynes world]

 
IMHO, HA-S400 and ES700 have indistinguishable mids and highs, but the bass is tighter on HA-S400.
So SQ-only, the difference isn't big

 
No offence, but I'd still like to see even one other person who agrees with you on this. And if the difference isn't that big in your opinion, how can you also say that "S400 ended up beating ES700's headband into the ground"?

 

[BenF]

   
No offence, but I'd still like to see even one other person who agrees with you on this. And if the difference isn't that big in your opinion, how can you also say that "S400 ended up beating ES700's headband into the ground"?

I guess a poor 25$ HA-S400 was angry at the rich ATH-ES700, which cost me about 300$ with all the original pads I bought for it.
He was yelling something about a revolution coming, but the cops came instead...

 

[waynes world]

 
I guess a poor 25$ HA-S400 was angry at the rich ATH-ES700, which cost me about 300$ with all the original pads I bought for it.
He was yelling something about a revolution coming, but the cops came instead...

 
So really what you meant was "Imo they sound about the same but I'm really annoyed that the ES700's cost so much more". Gotcha.
 
Btw, how did you end up spending $300 on the ES700's? I suppose though that it's easy to do considering I probably spent well over $100 on the S500, different pads, and most importantly these... lol
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

[jant71]

 
so in which way they are better? sound or built quality?

Both. They are right there with the VSD1(though a different, more fun sound) which is unanimously favored over the GR99. I never had the 99 but had the VSD1 and enjoy the Delta more. 

 

[waynes world]

  99% of headphones out there are inferior to the 1% in the same price range.

 
Btw, you're got that backwards. It should be:
 
1% of headphones out there are inferior to the 99% in the same price range.
 
 

 

 

[BenF]

   
So really what you meant was "Imo they sound about the same but I'm really annoyed that the ES700's cost so much more". Gotcha.
 
Btw, how did you end up spending $300 on the ES700's? I suppose though that it's easy to do considering I probably spent well over $100 on the S500, different pads, and most importantly these... lol
 

They sound about the same, with slight advantage to S400. If they would cost the same, I would still choose S400.
 
I paid about 230$ for ES700 shipped, then 35$ for WS55 pads and 52$ for ESW9 pads.

 

[doctorjazz]

 

 

I can't tell how many times I've listened to a headphone or earphone one day, and the next it sounds a little different. It does not mean the headphone magically changed the next day, it just means our ears are tricky, fickle things, and not everyone experiences them same things.
 
I'm all for finding new discoveries, but hype gets out of hand a lot of times. If I didn't seek that FR graph, I would have been very disappointed, as would many other people, and this thread would be taken much less seriously over time. For every Amazon review that said these were neutral, I look at the measured response and think "seriously?".
 
 

I'm no expert on the measurements, Tyll does take them very seriously in his InnerFidelity reviews, so I certainly wouldn't dismiss them. I just wanted to comment on the first line though, lines up with something I posted earlier. I have also listened to headphones when I first got them (or first burned them in), developed a first impression, only to find later, with more listening, that my impressions of them change. Ears are tricky, fickle things, people do hear differently...I also think there is something going on above the ears, the grey matter. I, and many others, get caught up in the "new toy" excitement-like a new girlfriend who can do no wrong, only later you find many things she does wrong. Since this is Discovery, can't listen for a year then post, not even bad to post immediately, but readers should take fast, "new love" with a grain of salt...doesn't always last in the long term.

 

[waynes world]

  I, and many others, get caught up in the "new toy" excitement

 
Never happened to me!
 

 -like a new girlfriend who can do no wrong, only later you find many things she does wrong.

 
Nope, that's never happened to me either!
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

 

 

[doctorjazz]

 

  I, and many others, get caught up in the "new toy" excitement

 
Never happened to me!
 

 -like a new girlfriend who can do no wrong, only later you find many things she does wrong.

 
Nope, that's never happened to me either!
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

 

 

[Dsnuts]

I just got back from Jury Duty. It is like a party on a cruise boat with playboy playmates. Not!.
 
Actually I was intrigued by the whole process..Highly recommended at least once in your lifetime.
 
 
 
 

  I'm curious about the Yamahas, especially since I no longer have any open phones other than Portapros, which seldom see use.
 
But right now I'm so happy with the AKG K545 I'm not sure I should bother ordering anything else. I think I'm going to send back the UE6000's I just received. They were a steal at $80 from TigerDirect, and they're really quite nice, but they don't make me happy like the AKGs.

How them AKGs treating you.? Gotta give us an impression.  Those go for $200 no?
 
 

Yamaha is a company with experience in making highly respected musical equipment. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss their headphones because of an FR graph. And without the S680's FR, I'm not sure how exactly the HPH-200 is meant to be comparatively inferior.

I'm not sure why anyone would get worked up about another pair of headphones getting more attention unless they're insecure about their own purchase. If you're so distressed, maybe you should loan your S680s to DS and he might land up hyping them, too. This is his discovery thread, after all. It's only natural that people mainly go for what he recommends.

 
I was very aware of the FR on the Yamahas. I bought them anyway I am completely glad I did..I am really looking forward to hear what you guys that bought them have to say.. And do give them a good burn in..
 
As for this thread. This thread is comprised of what you guys have to say.. More for what your discoveries are, more so than anything else. That is what it was intended for. I just post my own discoveries and they seem to be agreeable to some but not all. It never is. I do expect some to not enjoy the Yamahas. That is expected as everyone has their likes and dislikes about a sound. I encourage guys to post how they hear a phone and truly that is what this thread is about. We may not all agree but that is ok that is just the subjective nature of how we all hear differently.  It can be something as simple as how our ears are shaped when your mama made you, and then add to that our own preference in sound..It is impossible for everyone to like a certain sound or a phone and that is true with every single phone at headfi..
 
Now saying one can is better than another is all subjective as well..I think all cans have a certain degree of proficiency and the fact that the particular can or phone makes it to the discovery thread means they were favored by one or many of you guys and that is all that really matters..This ain't a thread for my can can kick your can upside in the bass or whatever that was mentioned.. Ben seems to really like them new HA-S680s and I don't doubt those are a solid step up from the HA-S500..
 
But it is bad form to say something about a can one has not heard..

 

[doctorjazz]

Ok, since ai just wrote about 1st impressions, I'm gonna post some...it still relates to this open/closed stuff. Recently got Sennheiser Amperiors, on ear portables. Wow, these kick butt!!! Listening to Best Ciast (sound like New Pornographers, no), and one of my reference artists (know every note, good for headphone comparisons), Aimee Mann. These things are crazy good. Decided to pull my Sennheiser 650's and do a quick comparison...know what? Like the Amperiors better in this quickie comparison.real immediate, great highs, vocal clear and warm as can be, solid bass, even wide stage (650's is better).
Just sayin'.....