project86
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2007
- Posts
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Thanks for the impressions Joker. I've been trying to get used to the sound for the last few days (coming from triple driver or more customs), and I agree with your comments for the most part. I like very many things about what I'm hearing, but there is something I don't like which I can't fully articulate yet. Maybe a harshness at certain high frequencies? It's very elusive, only showing up on some music but not limiting itself to any one genre.
For example, I was listening to the song "To Sand We Return" by Project 86 (the band), from their album Picket Fence Cartel. It sounded pretty smooth until the climax of the song, where singer Andrew Schwab yells "Who do I belong to?" At that point there are layers of extremely loud guitar with plenty of distortion (intended). But the X1 seems to be adding a certain hard edge to the guitar, almost as if it is breaking up or clipping. I can't blame the recording because it doesn't happen with other headphones. Lowering the volume makes it more tolerable but does not completely remedy it. The next few songs in my playlist happened to have heavy guitar as well - Man Alive (punk band from Israel) and then Meshuggah (Metal band from Sweden), and neither of those tracks exhibited the same problem. I'm going to have to break out some test tones and see if I can isolate it, because I've noticed it a few other times as well.
Aside from that, I'm really pleased with the performance with most music. Listening to some ska and classical earlier today, I enjoyed the bite of brass instruments and the clarity of vocals. It's an interesting presentation and I need more time to get acquainted with it, but I'm certainly enjoying it.
For example, I was listening to the song "To Sand We Return" by Project 86 (the band), from their album Picket Fence Cartel. It sounded pretty smooth until the climax of the song, where singer Andrew Schwab yells "Who do I belong to?" At that point there are layers of extremely loud guitar with plenty of distortion (intended). But the X1 seems to be adding a certain hard edge to the guitar, almost as if it is breaking up or clipping. I can't blame the recording because it doesn't happen with other headphones. Lowering the volume makes it more tolerable but does not completely remedy it. The next few songs in my playlist happened to have heavy guitar as well - Man Alive (punk band from Israel) and then Meshuggah (Metal band from Sweden), and neither of those tracks exhibited the same problem. I'm going to have to break out some test tones and see if I can isolate it, because I've noticed it a few other times as well.
Aside from that, I'm really pleased with the performance with most music. Listening to some ska and classical earlier today, I enjoyed the bite of brass instruments and the clarity of vocals. It's an interesting presentation and I need more time to get acquainted with it, but I'm certainly enjoying it.