ATH-W2002: Another Owner, Another View

[Spad]

Quote:

Originally posted by Vertigo-1 The funny thing is, for this purpose, I'll bet you could use the headphones that came with your walkman, and be 100% happy with the music, just as long as the headphones are comfy. I get into these situations myself where I'll be using my headphones while doing homework, and at that point, I could care less if I were using a $10 earbud or the Orpheus, simply because something else is mattering more than the music. Mind over matter.

I'm no Golden Ear--several rounds of 90mm tank fire took care of that in the late 60s--but I'm sure I'd know the difference. I've also done this with my speaker based system for years and it takes pretty fair stuff to sound good at low volume. Every heard Bose played softly? Sorta like Dvorak's Ninth played on a flute.

 

[Spad]

Quote:

Originally posted by M Rael I cant play air guitar but I can play air tuba. Especially after beans. I close my nose, and drift away... p.s. Seriously though, last night I realized I absolutely HAD to block off all the lights that were coming from my system so I could listen in the dark. The dang HeadRoom Static puts out light like a Mack Truck coming at you! Tonight I'll see what good the electrical tape has done. If you never lowered the lights and blocked off ALL your system lights, you should try it. Its creates a very hardware-less feeling. Izt cool.

That's my pal, M "Fart Blossom" Rael, Folks!

Next you're gonna break out one of those circa '70s light organs, Mark. Personally, I like lava lamps and them "ocean in a box" things.

P.S. I can't find my veil. Has anyone seen my 600s?

 

[M Rael]

Quote:

Originally posted by Spad That's my pal, M "Fart Blossom" Rael, Folks

I'm flattered and flatulated to be considered your pal.

 

[JML]

All gas aside, guys, there are two things happening when you're listening in the dark.

First, if it's late at night, the AC power is probably much cleaner than it is during the day, in part from fewer devices being used in your home and in part from fewer things being used in the local power grid. That can affect your system's clarity and level of noise to a truly significant degree.

Second, one of the classic suggestions for auditioning equipment is to turn off the lights. You reduce the ambient sensory input, much as you try to do almost automatically when you close your eyes to listen more carefully. But if it's dark, you don't have to try so hard, and you'll find your eyes moving to where you hear things coming from. This is really noticeable with loudspeakers, where the visual cues in a lighted room can interact in strange ways with auditory cues. This is why audiophile salons usually have dim lights, or why some double-blind auditions are literally that -- they put a screen between speakers and listeners. I remember the first time I realized that Rogers LS3/5A minimonitors were putting out an incredible presentation I thought was coming from these huge Snell Model A loudspeakers in the room.

And Spad, I agree about Mozart quartets or concertos; they're my standard music for critiquing student papers or writing my own articles.

 

[PianoBlack]

Quote:

Originally posted by Spad One further aside: I love to listen to music while I read and I love reading as much as music. Naturally, I require music to be at a fairly low level in order to avoid distraction. A major attribute that no one has mentioned so far is the W2002's excellent performance at unusually low levels. (I assume we're all familiar with the Munson Curve.)

Okay, that's it! Forget waiting for my paycheck at the end of the month. I'm going to hold my musclehead brother at gunpoint to drive me three hours* to the other end of the country to get this now.

Precisely put, Spad. Exactly what I need. Listening to bad music quality (both content and reproduction) while I'm reading tends to color everything so that before I realize it, I'm irritated and just plain pissy.

*I know

. I'm a big baby.

Quote:

I'm listening to Schubert's "Trout" quintet at a "reading" level as I write and the double-bass is actually tickling my ear. Totally incredible!

uh-huh! Using the EX-70s at work (Etys too isolating) at low levels means I'm always jumping up and down when all bass notes are still visceral. But instead of loose *glumps*, they're now screechy pinpricks in my ears.

blech.

 

[Spad]

Quote:

Originally posted by PianoBlack uh-huh! Using the EX-70s at work (Etys too isolating) at low levels means I'm always jumping up and down when all bass notes are still visceral. But instead of loose *glumps*, they're now screechy pinpricks in my ears. blech.

I'm with you on the EX-70s. I bought a pair and absolutely couldn't bear them. I've used them a total of about 20 minutes and will probably include them as a deal sweetner with something else I sell.

What surprises me is that some like them so much. And I wonder if they would feel the same about my choices. I think at some level we all tend to make unfounded extrapolations such as "I love my V6s so I'm bound to love V900s." Bigger or more expensive ain't necessarily better on an individual basis.