It's not that I don't like his review of the K812, it's that I find it intellectually dishonest, almost as if he were shilling for another company or something.
We all know he likes Sennheiser. He likes Fang Bian. So he never shies away from hyperbole. How many times has he called the HD800/800s "brilliant" and the "world's best hp in the world", all the while admitting that he modded them (Anaxilous Mod, anyone?) and EQs them to death to make them sound "right" and, in the case of the HD800, tame the unwieldly treble.
Okay, so if you have to mod and EQ them to make it sound right, how in hell is it the best HP in the world? And more importantly, why don't you mod and EQ ALL cans you review to make them sound their best?
This, is what he had to say about the HD800 mod:
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Submitted by Tyll Hertsens on February 23, 2012 - 8:38am
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It's important to understand that it's not the driver putting out the excess between 6-8kHz, but rather that there is an acoustic "ringing" in the space within the earcup. Sort of like when you blow across the top of a bottle and it toots. Of course it's much less dramatic than that.
So, you can reduce the signal between 6-8kHz with an EQ filter so that the ring doesn't get excited, but of course then you're throwing away some portion of the music. Much better to damp the chamber with the mod, and keep the music properly balanced.
That said, for general use I don't see anything wrong with using EQ to to get the sound balance more to your liking, as long as the EQ filter (analog or digital) is of good quality. For audiophile and pro use, I find the phase shifts associated with EQing does damage coherence and imaging.
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Read more at
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/diy-modification-sennheiser-hd-800-anaxilus-mod#GioBd6WsxVEsf4E7.97 www.innerfidelity.com/content/diy-modification-sennheiser-hd-800-anaxilus-mod#IhLtSxLKhpkrWmwF.99
Yeah, well. He doesn't put much effort in EQing and modding other cans the way he does with Sennheisers and Hifiman cans.
He flat out dismisses the K812 twice in his video revew, as reference HP, and as audiophile HP because of measurements and treble issues. Okay. Don't see him once trying to EQ or mod them to make them sound better.
He claims they're "ragged, brutally harsh," and worse in the review and finishes with "I find them artificially bright compared to the true high-frequency resolution of the Sennheiser HD 800, which I warm up with careful component matching and EQ if I feel the need." Admitting in the K812 review itself that he EQs the HD800. No such words on K812.
Read more at
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/akg-k812-professional-reference-headphone-page-2#019P5hl0mJP2kJwO.97 www.innerfidelity.com/content/akg-k812-professional-reference-headphone-page-2#5jBAu7I4vFzSUd5P.99
This is his review of the new HD800s in which he once again proclaims that they're the "Best in the world" and admits to tweaking/modding/EQing the heck out of them to make them sound to his tastes, initial objective measurements be damned.
When asked by commenter Nick Burklow the following:
"+InnerFidelity - Tyll, how do you justify starting out this video stating that the HD800/S is the worlds best headphone, then spend the rest of the video talking about how it falls short, needs modifications, and is really preferred when used with EQ because it just doesn't have enough bass. (note - honest question, not trying to be "that guy")"
... the only thing he can muster is:
InnerFidelity
1 month ago
+Nick Burklow Good ******* question...I might have to write a whole article about just that. Or not...but it's still a damned good question.
He got nothing.
... Or, it might just be a matter of taste, informed by some biased, nonstandard testing procedures.
He knows damn well the sheep mentality that many in this community have, so his review of the K812 is not only intellectually dishonest, it's irresponsible and has commercial ramifications.
So, in short, I feel these pics are quite appropriate. When I think of Tyll, those are the only images that come to mind. Very clownesque.
