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AKG new N90Q
Mar 28, 2017 at 2:47 AM Post #241 of 380
Very nice, this N90Q.
Pairing with the Sony WM1Z at the moment.
The 3 spatial modes are not really that different.  Very subtle even going from standard to surround.  Although there were moments when I heard sounds from farther parts of my room.  Uncanny.
I did wish AKG made the spatial selection button indicate which of the 3 settings we're in.
 
The fit is comfy.  The case, the leather bag and the leather pouch for the battery were all top notch.  Quite superior compared with other cans in the $1000 to $4000 range.  The cables seemed out of place for the system.
 
I like the lowest tone setting with the surround (i think it's surround...)  This combo is rather soothing with jazz.
 
Any burn in needed for this baby?
 

 
Mar 28, 2017 at 2:53 PM Post #242 of 380
Agreed on all points. I think Tyll was a little harsh in his review although it was an outstanding review. His ears and discernment must be Way Beyond My Own.

You're referring to the stage control. It took me 5 full days to figure this thing out, even after having read Tyll's review. As you push it to switch between it's 3 settings, you can indeed hear the spacial differences in the tsk-tsk-tsk sounds. The 5.1 surround setting clearly has the widest sound. I'm always using the one after that, which is the standard no processing setting. I listen exclusively to percussion music, and it's the best setting for that.

For five days, I was getting tripped up by the calibration. You must hold the stage control button down until you hear the pure tone, which takes at least five seconds. If you release the button before you hear this pure tone, then you are accidentally changing the spatial setting. The pure tone is quite different from the tisk tisk tisk sound.
 
Mar 28, 2017 at 4:52 PM Post #244 of 380
The first time I tried this my MacBook Pro was not plugged into power and had turned itself off. Oops.

Now, with a MacBook Pro on, the n90q does power itself when it is plugged in to the MacBook Pro and turned on.

Hence you don't have to worry about power when you're listening through your PC.
 
Apr 2, 2017 at 7:23 PM Post #245 of 380
I really like the way a akg has abandoned the Y cable and instead used a cable that just goes to one ear cup. This way it's much easier not to get caught up in the cabling.

Is it possible to build a balanced cable for this headphone?
 
Apr 17, 2017 at 2:27 AM Post #246 of 380
I think it would just short out the analog to digital converter. The USB cable provides the best fidelity given the built in dsp. You can't get around it. All analog in is converted and processed before being spat out.

Heard them in New York a few weeks ago and honestly I was unimpressed. For 1.5k they're nice but not enough to make me reach for my wallet. I paid 800 for my hd800 and they do not come close.
 
May 2, 2017 at 2:11 PM Post #247 of 380
Just picked up a pair from Razordogaudio.com.

OOTB sibilance and distorted bass... uh oh!

Following my normal break-in procedure, I hammered them with EDM for 24 hours, and, wow, no more sibilance or wonky bass! In fact, after calibrating them to my ears, I would have to say bass, mids and treble are all beautiful.

I love the noise cancelling because it dramatically improves the signal to noise ratio at the ear. Music seems to float on top of a dead black background -- audiophile nirvana!

Everything I threw at the N90Qs sounded great, including "poorly recorded" 60s and 70s rock. You could definitely hear the improvement of 96/24 over 44.1/16 versions of the same recording.

These are perhaps the most musical headphones I have ever heard. Great detail and voice/instrument separation with the Studio 2.1 setting. Not as detailed as my PMx2s or as accurate timbre wise as my Slants (I am splitting hairs here), but definitely more musical than either of them. The perfect balance of detail and musicality.

The internal DAC is the way to go for best SQ -- worked first time with my iMac.
 
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May 5, 2017 at 3:50 PM Post #248 of 380
Curious to see if anyone has compared the N90Q's with the Sony MDR Z1R. To me both are TOTL closed back headphones although the AKG is loaded with tech.
 
May 7, 2017 at 11:11 AM Post #249 of 380
Acemcl said:
Curious to see if anyone has compared the N90Q's with the Sony MDR Z1R. To me both are TOTL closed back headphones although the AKG is loaded with tech.
Click to expand...

I have. IMHO it is not even close. The N90Q has the tightest bass I have heard in any headphone short of a fancy Stax setup. The Z1R has real problems with ringing in the bass and the treble, which manifests as sloppy/fuzzy SQ in those regions. I was really unimpressed, even though it was before I got the N90Qs. I thought the NightOwls sounded better overall for one third the price.
 
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Jul 7, 2017 at 10:33 PM Post #254 of 380
I took some measurements of the AKG N90Q today to use in the CanJam London 2017 Preview Video. The AKG N90Q is AKG's flagship consumer headphone and employs a frequency response calibration technology that measures and optimizes frequency response for the person wearing them.

Here are before-and-after AKG N90Q frequency response measurements (showing right channel only, to make it easier to see the effect):

(Click on the images below to see larger versions.)

AKG N90Q Frequency Response with TruNote - DF.jpg


AKG N90Q Frequency Response with TruNote - RAW.jpg
​
What we did for these measurements is put the AKG N90Q on someone's head and then used TruNote calibration to tune/correct the headphone's frequency response for that listener (a human). With that calibration in place, we put the AKG N90Q on the G.R.A.S. 45BB-12 KEMAR (a manikin with anthropometric pinnae) and measured it (dotted lines). Taking care not to move the headphones while still on the G.R.A.S. 45BB-12, I gently pressed the TruNote calibration button to then tune/correct the AKG N90Q for the 45BB-12's ears/head and then re-measured it (solid lines).

I know those interested in this headphone (and in TruNote) have wanted to see measurements of the AKG N90Q after being calibrated--to see the before-and-after measurements--so I hope you find this interesting.

For more information on the AKG N90Q, check out Harman's page about it here: http://us.akg.com/n90q.html

UPDATE: Here is the video segment from the 2017 CanJam London Preview Video that discusses Harman's two TruNote-enabled headphones, the AKG N90Q and the JBL Everest Elite 700.

​



Our audio measurements in this post were made using:
 
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Jul 8, 2017 at 2:00 AM Post #255 of 380
pCollins said:
Very nice, this N90Q.
Pairing with the Sony WM1Z at the moment.
The 3 spatial modes are not really that different. Very subtle even going from standard to surround. Although there were moments when I heard sounds from farther parts of my room. Uncanny.
I did wish AKG made the spatial selection button indicate which of the 3 settings we're in.

The fit is comfy. The case, the leather bag and the leather pouch for the battery were all top notch. Quite superior compared with other cans in the $1000 to $4000 range. The cables seemed out of place for the system.

I like the lowest tone setting with the surround (i think it's surround...) This combo is rather soothing with jazz.

Any burn in needed for this baby?

Click to expand...
Now those two golden babies looks like a match made in heaven.... for wanting to totally stand out that is!!! be careful when using ti outside... someone without knowledge of headphone would still try to steal it thinking it's at least worth few hundred bucks.... without knowing its actually a jackpot of $4400 total :beyersmile:
 
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