[Mini Shootout] Vsonic GR07 MKII vs Final Audio Design FI-BA-SS - Page 3

 

That's scary loud. Although I agree that the GR07 gets better at volume, I'd be very concerned that you're damaging your hearing at those levels. Even with 50 ohms of impedance, the GR07 will surely be outputting well over 100 dB of sound at those volume levels out of an iPhone 4. Be careful.

interesting comparison between 1000 dollars earphones and $150 ones.

nice job

On the GR07, I'd recommend being at 40%... at 50% it's already too loud. 40% is pushing it. These days, I don't go to 50% for more than 2-3 minutes at a time. On custom IEMs, I listen at 12-36%...

 

I read through the actual paper referred to in the article. While it's interesting, the study wasn't designed to address hair cell death, which is permanent and irreversible. Besides, you don't want to risk it, anyways.

Edited by tomscy2000 - 9/2/12 at 6:26am

 

Everyone likes a little more volume; I do too. Just be careful.

What was nightcrawler's source? I think that could make a very big difference.

Hmm, I can't help but think the shortcomings of the SS are nothing to do with the phone but with what they are being fed! A headphone that does not let in all that is there is going to sound better with the source and compression used as it simpy hides the inadequacies of the source and compression. I just do not find this comparison valid for that reason!

To give an example. You can see the set up I use in my sig. I have been using ALAC ripped from CD but recently have been re ripping to AIFF as there is a small difference with revealing or good quality equipment, right out of a Mac or iPhone I would not bother as it simply is of not good enough quality. Yesterday I was in my local HiFi store listening to a Naim/ Spendor set up using Wav files, so impressed with the sund was I that I went home and ripped a couple of CD's that I am very familiar with and that I know are of the highest quality production and engineering values to Wav and loaded them on to my set up. I listened back to back for most of the evening alternating between my LCD's running balanced and my ER4 and Heaven S running single ended. The differences were not subtle and in favor of Wav so much so that I have now started the laborious task of re ripping my CD collection to Wav (802 CD's gulp!)


I guess what I am saying is that it would be interesting to hear the comparison between the phones when compared with a really good set up as out of an iPhone or a Mac a truly great headphone is going to sound less than wonderful as it will reveal the source quality or lack of. I feel most of what is being heard and commented on is that and not the phones, who knows the cheaper ones may still shine but I doubt it.

For instance, when I listened though lesser quality I used to love my old triple.fi10's but when I got the set up I have now they became all but unlistenable as the very things that made them good with a poor source made then terrible with a good source! Just some thoughts. And I know there is a very large school of thought here that poo poo's bit rate differences but honestly, if all your doing is listenin directly our of your computers or iPhones I can understand that you would not hear the difference!
Edited by ianmedium - 9/2/12 at 10:26am

Excellent, thanks for clarifying that eke, it really helps in understanding the review more. If you have the time I would love for you to try the experiment I have just done and see if it makes a difference for you as that would than either validate or contradict my thoughts that way folks could get a more balanced view.

Just to let you know two of the CD's I did this with are the Ry Cooder, VM Bhatt meetting by the river CD which is simply and beautifully recorded and Janos Starkers Bruch, Kol Nidrei from the perspectives album.

 

I find the SQ of the GR07 to take a solid step up using my MBA -> DragonFly vs. MBA headphone out, just fwiw.