goodvibes
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2009
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Right now you have a lot of choices depending on how much you want to spend. I am excited to see if the new Calyx M or AK100 II sound significantly better than my DX90 or X5 although it is currently not sounding promising. I personally am not willing to go over $1K as I think that the headphones make a bigger sound quality difference than the DAP and don't want to worry about carrying around and losing or damaging a very expensive DAP. That being said, I believe that the headphones are therefore the biggest limiting factor when listening to a high quality DAP. You just cannot expect to get the full quality of the DAP displayed when listening to a lower-tier or even a mid-tier headphone. My TF10s, Monster Coppers, and even my HD595 hold back the full capabilities of both my DX90 and X5. On the other hand, my CIEMs and my LCD2s really sing with both taking them to their full potential. While these DAPs cannot drive my CIEM or LCD2 to their full potential, these headphones can drive both DAPs to their full potential showing off their capabilities.
Okay if you wanna praise how good the nt6pro is, you can go to that particular appreciation thread. Almost all word you said hete are revealing that you got the greatest and the most resolving ciem which is the nt6pro.This. I can easily decern quality of DAPs with my NT6. With my V3 differences are subtle. I really don't see that point of going with TOTL DAPs if not using revealing headphones with it.
This. I can easily decern quality of DAPs with my NT6. With my V3 differences are subtle. I really don't see that point of going with TOTL DAPs if not using revealing headphones with it.
Does it really matter that much if one headphone/earphone is more "revealing" than another.? Just because one pair might be more revealing does not necessarily mean it is more enjoyable to listen to. I don't find my FAD Heaven VI to be an "accurate/revealing" earphone, but I sure do find enjoyment when listening to it. To me it sounds heavenly
Many people have different preferences in what they find enjoyable as well. What sounds good to you might not sound good to someone else.
Agree!
The problem is: what else?
Well, I enjoy revealing headphones. I like having transparent phones, and let the source and the recordings dictate how the phones outputs the sound. Saying that one headphone is the most revealing is quite subjective, but some are obviously more revealing that others. We are all in the this hobby to find the setup that sounds the best to our ears, value accuracy, details, clarity, and now dynamics as my NT6 clearly demonstrates that with the right source, it would do dynamic imaging. So, in the case of my NT6, it's accurate, and very fun headphones as the dynamics really immerse you into the music, I never heard anything quite like it.
I do value having a reference pair as I like to compare gear. I value a headphone more if it helps me decern the differences between different gear as I look for the most accurate and realistic sounding gear. To me it's very exciting that I have a headphone that is so revealing I can hear obvious differences between gear. My NT6, lets the difference sources and recordings push out the different sounds. DX100 sounds wider, vocals sounding eurphoric, and detailed and accurate. X5 sounds different from DX100, but it's still very detailed and clear. I like fun sound like the TG334. If TG334 wasn't still detailed sound, I wouldn't enjoy it as I value detailed sound the most. I like clarity, but what I dislike is clarity without details, or smoothed sound, and many others that I've mentioned about the DX90 already. With the right monitors, it's pretty obvious. I'm not into just accurate either, as I've owned the HE-6(I drove it pretty well) and it shows the sound can be accurate and sound very realistic, not analytically accurate.
Everybody has a different goal in mind in what they look for in their gear.
I am officially off the Sony Walkman bandwagon after something like 7 years straight (having sold the ZX1), and am now a DX90 owner. Trying to get used to this little beastie... right out of the box it sounds pretty damn fantastic, wish I could have afforded to keep the ZX1 for a bit to directly compare but that was not feasible for me right now. I do think I hear a bigger difference over my iPhone 5 than I did with the Sony though. Of course the UI is very rough coming from the slick and responsive Android Walkman, but oh well. I'm in it for the best possible sound.
One weird thing so far... I turned it on and it wouldn't read the micro SD card, this after a whole afternoon of perfectly fine listening. So I had to do a factory reset, and then it was able to again. I'm going to have to get used to something with a bit more bugs than the ZX1 I suppose.
So far I've only used the Dita Answer with it, but in a little bit tonight will get out the Pandora Hope VI. It'll be hyserical driving a full sized can on the low gain setting!
I'll suggest perhaps an AK100? I have one and it is avery clean, well-designd unit. I'm hesitant to recommend the UI Disaster that is the X5, but that could also be something to consider.
I personally don't like the wheel of the X5, it doesn't seem as easy to navigate as the DX90 touch interface, which I know isn't like my smartphone, but for simple navigation, it does it's job. I like the size, the feel, back cover, the touch and buttons, and the responsiveness(compared to DX100), but not the sound. X5 feels solid with it's heavy metal frame like the AK240, but Dat wheel....
X5's ui looks cleaner, and has faster input response. Just the input choice was poor.
What don't you like about the UI of the X5? I rarely use the wheel and I only listen to music from artists folders and select songs from there. I actually prefer it to the DX90 as a lot of the time the touch screen on the DX90 doesn't function the way it should... Sometimes when I try to select a song or artist I have to push it 2-3 times... Sometime when I am scrolling it will select a song or artist when I don't want it to, it is more frustrating when it selects a different song when one is already playing. Other than that I love the SQ of the DX90