Is it true that modded T50RP's (specifically LFF's Paradox mod) is comparable to high end... - Page 5

Oh my, did I say the LCD2 was mid-fi? I guess I did. Only because the LCD3 must be hi-fi. I prefer the current production r2s to the LCD3 anyways. A better term for many headphones should be peak-fi, which has nothing to do with cost. I've heard $90k speakers which were middling, $25k speakers which made me run away, $1000 headphones which made my ears bleed, and a modified $16 headphone that sounded good. We can all see where the hobby is going. Don't forget Beyer either, they probably make much more money per Tesla than Sennheiser makes on each HD800.

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Originally Posted by purrin 

Oh my, did I say the LCD2 was mid-fi? I guess I did. Only because the LCD3 must be hi-fi. I prefer the current production r2s to the LCD3 anyways. A better term for many headphones should be peak-fi, which has nothing to do with cost. I've heard $90k speakers which were middling, $25k speakers which made me run away, $1000 headphones which made my ears bleed, and a modified $16 headphone that sounded good. We can all see where the hobby is going. Don't forget Beyer either, they probably make much more money per Tesla than Sennheiser makes on each HD800.

You must really have an issue with Grado's PS1000 based on that logic. 

I rather liked the PS1000 with TP mods. (TP over the drivers to reduce treble).

TP ? I have performed Bilavideo's 'Stage 1' mod on my SR60i - basically just opening up the cans and punching a few holes to allow the driver to work its magic - but I'm not familiar with the TP mod and Google didn't help. Please elaborate. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter 

TP ? I have performed Bilavideo's 'Stage 1' mod on my SR60i - basically just opening up the cans and punching a few holes to allow the driver to work its magic - but I'm not familiar with the TP mod and Google didn't help. Please elaborate. 

The opposite of what he did with the veiled LCD-3. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter 

I have to shut down my laptop now - reading that comment re the LCD2 being 'mid-fi' has got me to the point where steam is coming out of my ears. Seriously, where the hell is this hobby going ? Do we want to end up like the speaker guys, agonising over whether we really should be spending 10-20K on our next purchase ? I'm sure Sennheiser and AKG would welcome that kind of quantum shift in our expectations. 

As has already been said, $10-20K on speakers isn't a guarantor of anything, and there are several companies making $2K speakers that are phenomenal. High priced headphones are not new (see ED7, R10, etc etc). The outrage shouldn't be on the labeling of a $1K headphone as mid-fi or high-fi. The outrage should be on cynical crap like the ED10, or having to play the "good/veiled" lottery, or two drivers in a headphone that don't come within a mile of each other.

Thanks Dave - as always, insightful and appreciated feedback. 

I can ignore the ED10/PS1K etc, but I cant ignore a headphone with as much hype as the LCD-2/3. I'm sorry, but its not about labels - its about aspiration, pure and simple, I can ignore every earphone ever made by FAD - I can even ignore custom IEMs - and I can definitely ignore dynamic flagships from AKG/Beyer/Sennheiser etc, but the 'second coming' of the orthos shook the headphone world to its core. Jude knows that, and he knew the impact that his initial comments on the LCD-3 would have - a frenzy of orders followed and the rest is history. Are they worth the AUD asking price ? I could fly to Perth - 4,000 km away from my home - and find out or I can keep reading impressions here. Option B is cheaper, and I have time on my side - if history is any indication, the LCD-4 is probably only months away. 

Anyone who doesnt get the aspirational nature of something like the Audez'e cans probably belongs at Audiogon, not Head-Fi.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwilson 

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter 

I have to shut down my laptop now - reading that comment re the LCD2 being 'mid-fi' has got me to the point where steam is coming out of my ears. Seriously, where the hell is this hobby going ? Do we want to end up like the speaker guys, agonising over whether we really should be spending 10-20K on our next purchase ? I'm sure Sennheiser and AKG would welcome that kind of quantum shift in our expectations. 

Why does it matter what others think anyway? If you're happy with the sound coming from LCD-2, what difference does it make whether it's called mid-fi, hi-fi or even no-fi?

Love the new avatar.... great stuff!

I'm not sure why purrin's getting criticism for calling the LCD2 mid-fi.  That's exactly where I'd put it, too.  I think most of us break categories up into 3s (low/mid/high) and 5s (low/lower-mid/mid/upper-mid/high) to file our experiences and perceptions.  Most of us probably have different weightings on what constitutes each of those categories.  I place detail and resolution near the top of my list, so the only headphones I've heard that I'd call high-end are the SR007, SR009, and HE90.  From my experience, going from each of those headphones is a sidegrade, where you end up getting some things and losing others, but they all net fairly even to me.  A lot of people factor price into their categorizations.

In the mid-fi category are the LCD2, RS1i, HE500, etc., with the HE-6 and LCD3 (maybe) in upper-mid-fi.  Low-fi compromises the majority of headphones on the market.

Just categorize things however makes you happy and fits your world view.  This hobby isn't exactly objective.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elysian 

 the only headphones I've heard that I'd call high-end are the SR007, SR009, and HE90. 

Hey, you win. Even Purrin's view wasnt THAT elitist. 

Well, I haven't heard that many headphones yet, so there are a few dynamics I suspect might end up there :)  If a headphone doesn't scratch the upgraditis itch for me, it's probably not high-end, as the aggregate qualities aren't enough.  Price is irrelevant.  I'd love for Edifier-Stax to get the price down of the SR011, or for the LCD4 to knock my socks off.

I'm actually very curious about what makes the T50RP's drivers so special. Why not mod other drivers?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrkong 

I'm actually very curious about what makes the T50RP's drivers so special. Why not mod other drivers?

ikr

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrkong 

I'm actually very curious about what makes the T50RP's drivers so special. Why not mod other drivers?

The T50 is an orthodynamic (magnetic planar) driver.  For a lot of reasons, orthos can produce really great sound and they are super reliable and can handle huge power.

The Fostex is the only low cost one on the market and it is also available and easy to modify.  Other ortho offerings come from Audeze and HiFiMan, but they may be pricy enough and/or so satisfactory that there isn't the same level of mod-energy around them.  Ripping up a pricey phone is not something too many people will do.  

There are tons of mods for dynamic drivers, all the Grado mods, etc.  Some seem to generate results that people like...  

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrspeakers 

 

The T50 is an orthodynamic (magnetic planar) driver.  For a lot of reasons, orthos can produce really great sound and they are super reliable and can handle huge power.

 

The Fostex is the only low cost one on the market and it is also available and easy to modify.  Other ortho offerings come from Audeze and HiFiMan, but they may be pricy enough and/or so satisfactory that there isn't the same level of mod-energy around them.  Ripping up a pricey phone is not something too many people will do.  

 

There are tons of mods for dynamic drivers, all the Grado mods, etc.  Some seem to generate results that people like...  

Great answer MrSpeakers, still need to hear your modded T50 haha.