Originally Posted by drarthurwells: Actually the spike at 10 K is more consistent with the rest of the SA5000 curve than the suck-out at 10 K in the HD650.
Much rather thave a spike at 10 K, like the SA5000, than a huge dip at 10 K like the HD650.
Think that is why the SA5000 sounds so much better with good equipment?
Now if you have a harsh CD player or harsh amp you would want a dip at 10 K like the HD650 shows. That would mask your problem components. Think that is why people with problem components like the HD650?
Quote:
Originally Posted by akwok
Wow, you really are a dumbass. What you just said regarding the HD650s can be inverted to insult the SA5000s, do you not see that? There's an equal spike in the SA5000 to the dip in the HD650. They are both COLORED cans. So you think your system is neutral? Then your Bada is equalizing the SA5000s for you (meaning the Bada is BAD, only good for SPIKED headphones). No, you think the Bada is neutral? Then the SA5000s are colored, or your ears are at fault (which wouldn't surprise me). Take your pick.
You trounce in here saying the SA5000s are the best and most neutral headphones under $2000; I guess you're taking that all back now? Fact of the matter is, the SA5000 is not neutral, and it is a SH!TTY headphone in comparision to other offerings under $2000. I guess you must be the 'chosen one' on Head-Fi, because if you ask anyone else if they would trade in their SA5000 for any headphone under $2000, they would do it in a flash. The SA5000 is a good headphone in the $375 range, but you must be senile to think it's the best under $2000.
Don't cry over spilt milk, old man.
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Art: The HD650 probably has the smoothest frequency response of any dynamic headphone. As your graphs show, the Sony SA5000 compares favorably to the HD650 - the HD650 is smoother in general but has a dip at 10 K compared to the peak at 10 K of the SA5000. I would rather have the peak (SA5000) than the dip (HD650). Those who are sensitive to treble, or who have treble-harsh sources or amps, would prefer the dip (HD650) to the peak (SA5000). Those with the best of associated components would likely prefer the peak (SA5000) instead of the dip (HD650). This is based on my extensive experience with both.
The HD650 lacks the clarity and natural timbre of the SA5000, in my experience. The HD650 muddles instruments and vocals in complex passages, rendering them as a undifferentiated mass of sound, more than the SA5000. This has nothing at all to do with frequency response,
Yes, all headphones are colored. The question is how and how much. The SA5000 (in my headphone system) lacks coloration and provides me the most neutral and realistic sound I have ever heard from any system, speaker or headphone, taking into account the soundstage limitations of a headphone relative to a speaker system.
The original starter of this thread expressed concern that the Sony SA5000 would aggravate his treble problem. With the components he is using, this is a real possibility. I suggested to him that he might want to keep his SA5000 and slowly upgrade everything else because of the superiority of the SA5000 over many othe dynamic headphones, including the HD650 (in my experience as described above). If this is not a viable option, he may well have made a mistake in buying the SA5000.
I also pointed out to him the unreliability of human perception in evaluating new components or changes in one's system. As his own reported experience demonstrates, what sounds great one day may sound terrible another. A proper evaluation of sound quality is best done over time (weeks ideally) in one's home. AB testing is reliable if both the A and the B phase last at least one week.
Now there are two ways to build a great system.
The Holy Grail approach is to keep changing different components based on reviews in magazines, etc., which are always commericially slanted and thus are not totally unbiased.
My approach followed the Holy Grail for many years, until I started hitting on solutions that were not based on commericially sponsored reviews. The E5 CD player became the anchor of my system. The Sony SA5000 became the second anchor. The Bada PH12, after tube experimentation to get the right match, became the third anchor. At this point, I think that replacing any of these to get something slightly better would cost me thousands of dollars.
Meanwhile, I much enjoy reading the posts of others that are HG searching. It takes time and money - be careful - always seek that level where spending much more may only get you different and not better - the best bang for your buck.
