[wilzc]

Maybe Zelkova Serrata has become endangered and thus not allowed to be cut down to make no more high end wood headphones

 

[kiteki]

"spirit concepts"? Link please.
 

 

[kiteki]

 
Quote:

Maybe Zelkova Serrata has become endangered and thus not allowed to be cut down to make no more high end wood headphones

No then they can just cut down "The finest cherry blossom tree's in Hokkaido" like Audio Technica do.
 

 
 

 

[wilzc]

Radioactive trees are no good.

 

[kiteki]

 
Neither is intense maganetism next to the temporal lobe, perhaps, but hey... it will make you see nice colours!!
 

 

[wind016]

 
Quote:

 
There's a new Sony MDR-R10 now, it's called the Fostex TH900, they've spent years developing it and the drivers are made in the same technique as the R10 (bacteria cultures in a lab).
 
The housing of the TH900 is wood (zelkova serrata I think) and the magnetic flux density is the highest of any headphone, surpassing Tesla T1/T5p.
 
On top of that, it's finished with a Japanese lacquer made from poison ivy, called Urushi, found on quality products.
 
It really is the new R10, all I can imagine is missing is possibly angled drivers and aerodynamically shaped wood, and of course a Sony rep delivering it to you in a limosuine.
 
 
Sony pioneered the bio-cellulose technology and followed up on it in the cheap E888 earphone amongst others (which sounds very good and natural).
 
Now they have moved on to LCP (Liquid crystal polymer) drivers, which are used on the Z1000, MDR-7520 and EX1000.
 
More recently, Sony's entire development team for portable audio have been focusing on creating balanced armature drivers, which are due for release in Japan in two days (November 10th, 2011).
 
 

 From impressions the new Fostex seems to have a Denon signature. R10 is basically a bright sounding open headphone. Either way, I'd take a gamble with the W3000Anv  

 

[kiteki]

R10 isn't open-air?
 
I guess the new Final Audio headphone is a contender for the title as well.
 
 

 

[Jtom94]

Sony should come out with a "heritage" or "classic" series of headphones of all their best and most historic headphones. Headphones like the MDR-R10, MDR-CD3000, MDR-V7 and probably a few others. It would be like..."see if you can beat these headphones that were produced and designed 20 years ago." You would think a company like Sony with their high-end headphone products would parallel in step with the advancements in technology. It seems after a certain period of time Sony just said to themselves..."we're the best, we set the standard, we feel nobody comes close to us and we have nothing else to prove" and stopped pushing the envelope towards perfection. I'm not a Sony super fan but I've always admired Sony products and especially Sony headphones and never understood how they could lose such a big lead in this area.

 

[Gwarmi]

Pride is dead, Profit is everything.

 

[wilzc]

Maybe the bio-cellulose made bugs that bore holes through the Zelkova, making the 'burn in' process having much greater effect with slowly improving soundstage!! due to it suddenly becoming open headphones

 

[kiteki]

 
Quote:

Pride is dead, Profit is everything.
 

That's not true at all, they're clearly at a negative loss (currently) with the XBA series, and instead of using Knowles drivers like everyone else, they stood on their pride and developed their own.
 
Sony has made a clear statement that other IEM's, including customs, originated from balanced armatures designed for hearing aid devices, and even the $1000 customs don't make their own drivers.
 
With the PS3, Sony was at a negative loss for years, and it was even seen as a failure at the start, remember? It was only after the slim version started selling a lot, and Sony made back their loss on the sales of games.
 
 
 
 

 

[Gwarmi]

PS3 is not a very good example.
 
The initial production run featured SACD playback capability and full PS2 backward compatibility, 4 x USB
 
Here is the source
 
Super Audio CD^[33] (compatibility removed in 40 GB, the second 80 GB model (CECHF), and the 160 GB model)
 
The new version requires a small power supply (250w) is quieter and weighs less ~ but where are the goodies
from the original concept?
 
Ahh yes, cost cutting.
 
<quote>
 
"To date, the PS3 has had several component revisions which serve to reduce power consumption. This in turn results in production savings,
lower heat production, lower cooling requirements and quieter running. <unquote>

 

[kiteki]

 
Yeah I know, and the audiophile DAC in the PS1.
 
 
Cost cutting, so what? It became cheaper for the consumers as well, the first PS3's cost over $1000, and still sell for more than the slim verisons second hand.
 

 

[Gwarmi]

Quote:

 
Yeah I know, and the audiophile DAC in the PS1.
 
 
Cost cutting, so what? It became cheaper for the consumers as well, the first PS3's cost over $1000, and still sell for more than the slim verisons second hand.
 

Just like the MDR-R10 ~ so we're in agreement, the first PS3 was the death of that corporate philosophy of old.
 
The new philosophy is smaller, quieter, cheaper ~ but high end? Nope.
 
That's what this whole thread is about, the R10 was never meant to be cheap or mass produced hence it joins
the dodo and the dinosaurs 

 

[kiteki]

 
I wish Sony could just mass produce their best portable CD player, or within modern technology (battery life etc.) make the best portable CD player ever...