[songmic]

Quote:

Are there ... typical Asian ... headphones?

 
I think the Asian headphone market is too limited to categorize Asian sound headphones. There are some Japanese headphone brands such as Stax, Fostex, and Audio-Technica, and not to mention Hifiman from China. Korea makes some decent DAC's and headphone amps but not any headphones that I know of. The brands I mentioned above are very different sounding from each other, so I can't imagine the so-called Asian sound.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

 
I think the Asian headphone market is too limited to categorize Asian sound headphones. There are some Japanese headphone brands such as Stax, Fostex, and Audio-Technica, and not to mention Hifiman from China. Korea makes some decent DAC's and headphone amps but not any headphones that I know of. The brands I mentioned above are very different sounding from each other, so I can't imagine the so-called Asian sound.

Well Japanese headphones tend to tilt more towards treble emphasis and treble spikes quite a lot of the time. So in that I can see a trend.

 

[songmic]

Quote:

Treble emphasis and treble spikes.

 
So does the Sennheiser HD800 (maybe more so than its Japanese counterparts), which considered the epitome of German high-end headphone.

 

[jgray91]

@CdC, get well soon!

 

[songmic]

Romy, which did you personally prefer over the ZDSE, TH900 vs HD800? I remember you mentioning that both are fascinating combos. I was never a fan of HD800, but a lot of people are convincing me to listen to the HD800 if I own the ZDSE. I had listened to HD800 many times on different setups and amps, but never on the ZDSE. The ZDSE is said to be one of if not the best tube headphone amp to drive the TH900, but will it also take the HD800 to another level? That I may end up preferring the HD800 over the TH900?

 

[Coq de Combat]

Quote:

 
I think the Asian headphone market is too limited to categorize Asian sound headphones. There are some Japanese headphone brands such as Stax, Fostex, and Audio-Technica, and not to mention Hifiman from China. Korea makes some decent DAC's and headphone amps but not any headphones that I know of. The brands I mentioned above are very different sounding from each other, so I can't imagine the so-called Asian sound.

That is a part of the reason I asked. I am not entirely familiar with the tree of brands of Asian headphones, even though I definitely imagine that there are quite a few headphones (IEMs included) that are quite rarely mentioned and discussed here on Head-fi. Also, aren't FitEar and other more "exotic" brands Asian as well?
 
Somehow, I still have a feeling that...
Quote:

Well Japanese headphones tend to tilt more towards treble emphasis and treble spikes quite a lot of the time. So in that I can see a trend.

...there are enough headphones to at least make it possible for a trend to exist. Don't interpret it as me saying that there is a trend, but enough different headphones and IEMs to make a trend possible. 
 
Then of course, I suppose one should define trend and what I interpret as a certain "house sound". What I personally mean by an Asian sound, is simply that if there's enough of an emphasis on a particular sound that seems to be more prevalent than other parts of the sound spectrum. As Lee mentioned, he seems to pick up a trend of treble emphasis, and although this could be applied to other brands of other parts of the world as well, it doesn't necessarily have to mean that it isn't a part of Asian sound.
 
Me, personally, I don't know as I don't have that gigantic experience with headphones as some others have in this thread - but still I am interested to know, is there a trend to speak of and what would it be? 
Quote:

@CdC, get well soon!

Thank you my friend. I'm actually feeling a bit better, but still very much under the weather, so to say.

 

[ardgedee]

For Korean headphone brands, Phaeton and Hidition immediately come to mind.

I think there are some visible characteristics that distinguish Asian from European and American headphone designs, although I'd find it hard to articulate it in a clear way. At that, I suspect it's not really a matter of manufacturers of any given nationality having design approaches in common, than of the major manufacturers each having recognizable in-house styles.

 

[DigitalFreak]

Well since we're talking about regionalized sound I think it's safe to say that the N. American market tends to gravitate more towards the bassy side of things. I also think that Denon aimed their new line of headphones at the N. American and European market more so then at the Asian markets. From my experience on here Europeans seem to be a more jumbled up sort of market. Some want bass some want linearity and clarity with crisp highs and some don't care as long as it sounds fun they're happy. Where I am I seem to be the odd man out in that I don't gravitate to overly bassy gear. I do play around with bassy gear for the fun of it but generally my more serious buys tend to have a leaner sound behind it
 
@ardegee
Thanks for the info my friend. You gave me a lot to think about.

 

[Mimouille]

There is no way the Chinese can be regrouped with the Japanese and the Korean in this "analysis".

 

[Coq de Combat]

When Fang was asked about the HE-400 before it was released, I remember him saying something along the lines of him not being overly extatic about that particular model because of it being voiced more towards a western market rather than an eastern. Don't quote me on that, but I'm fairly certain that he said "something along those lines". 

 

[Magick Man]

Got a set of these at a charity auction last night (St Jude's), much more swank than I normally ever wear. My wife stole the chrono, so I guess I'll have to wear the smaller one.

 

[jgray91]

Wrt to regionalized sound signature, from my kind of not so very extensive experience with all manner of Japanese songs, most, even the slow tempo ones, seems to be brimming with a lot of things going on at the same time. So I would assume the aim should be to enable users to listen to all that, thus, maybe most are bright.

 

[MuppetFace]

Quote:

When Fang was asked about the HE-400 before it was released, I remember him saying something along the lines of him not being overly extatic about that particular model because of it being voiced more towards a western market rather than an eastern. Don't quote me on that, but I'm fairly certain that he said "something along those lines". 

 
That was the HE-4 I believe, not the HE-400. He said it was for western tastes because it was the most U-shaped of his lineup. I guess he was thinking about Grado?
 
There are pretty extreme U-shaped headphones from Japan, but then some of that stuff---like the old and new Denons---is targeting international audiences just as much.
 
By the way, hope you feel better soon CdC.

 

[MuppetFace]

Quote:

Romy, which did you personally prefer over the ZDSE, TH900 vs HD800? I remember you mentioning that both are fascinating combos. I was never a fan of HD800, but a lot of people are convincing me to listen to the HD800 if I own the ZDSE. I had listened to HD800 many times on different setups and amps, but never on the ZDSE. The ZDSE is said to be one of if not the best tube headphone amp to drive the TH900, but will it also take the HD800 to another level? That I may end up preferring the HD800 over the TH900?

 
The HD800 pairs really well with the ZDSE. The main thing better amplification does for the HD800 is keep it from sounding flat and lifeless, giving it depth and an engaging quality. It can also exert better control over the drivers and so result in a better behaved sound, but it's not going to change the fundamental balance of the HD800 as the ZDSE is very transparent.
 
The ZDSE can bring out the best in both the TH900 and HD800, but if you just don't like the HD800 to begin with, then that probably wouldn't change.

 

[eke2k6]

I've spent the last hour listening to the Klipsch X10, and this is a seriously dark phone. It's somewhat reminiscent of my ASG-1.2, but less refined with a far smaller soundstage. I'm listening to The Lumineers with it right now, and I feel bloody claustrophobic, which is funny because the entire album was recorded/mastered to make you feel like you're in a large bar with them during the performance....but this is ridiculous. The extra bass and recessed lower mids certainly don't help either. 
 
The only redeeming qualities I can think of are that vocals that are already emphasized gain a sort of euphoric quality to them (like Adele. Then again, Adele sounds good on anything), and that the bass can be quite nice given the right track.
 
These are going right back.