[betula]

I didn't express myself clearly (Not that I ever do.), but what I mean to say is. If you find differently priced headphones to be comparable, like I did with 2C and 400i, maybe it is time to stop spending money on headphones, but instead spend the money on bringing your gear together? Like I did with the RME ADI 2 DAC, now the 2C easily beat 400i. It's subjective regardless. It's just that a lot of people on headfi, seem to spend obscene amounts of money on side grading. I did as well, because I could not find my sound signature. But 2C is as close as I will be. Which is why I was confused when I pulled my 400i out and it didn't seem that far off, which questioned why I bothered to upgrade to begin with. In any case I had some time to think about it and now that I am done side grading I'm looking at the higher end, but just having a look. First I will sort my cable situation, get decent cables in, for headphones and whatever else I need. ADI 2 DAC + HA-1 as a headphone amp isn't a bad combination, but I would like to get Phonitor XE to step in for that, maybe not this year, but eventually... Then I can look at the high end of headphones with my priories straight.

A lot of people get their priorities wrong on head-fi due to lack of experience.

Your priorities must be (1) headphones, (2) amp, (3) DAC, (4) source files, (5) cables.

1, Headphones make the biggest difference. Find your preferred sound presentation and spend the most you can afford in that category. (Dark/bright, musical/analytical etc.)
2, Amps can bring out the best of your headphones but pairing matters a lot. Do your research. And spend the most you can after you have found your perfect headphones.
3, The importance of DACs is underestimated in this hobby. DACs can improve technicalities way beyond your imagination. Get the best DAC you can.
4, Poor mp3 will sound poor, regardless your fancy gear. FLAC is the minimum and must have quality.
5, Cables bring the subtlest difference. If you have got your chain sorted, play with it. However keep in mind, cables are only the cherry on the cake.

 

[WildStyle-R11]

A lot of people get their priorities wrong on head-fi due to lack of experience.

Your priorities must be (1) headphones, (2) amp, (3) DAC, (4) source files, (5) cables.

1, Headphones make the biggest difference. Find your preferred sound presentation and spend the most you can afford in that category. (Dark/bright, musical/analytical etc.)
2, Amps can bring out the best of your headphones but pairing matters a lot. Do your research. And spend the most you can after you have found your perfect headphones.
3, The importance of DACs is underestimated in this hobby. DACs can improve technicalities way beyond your imagination. Get the best DAC you can.
4, Poor mp3 will sound poor, regardless your fancy gear. FLAC is the minimum and must have quality.
5, Cables bring the subtlest difference. If you have got your chain sorted, play with it. However keep in mind, cables are only the cherry on the cake.

Well, I don't think you can apply it that easily. But generally people do underestimate the power of a DAC, albeit I withheld from them because I just couldn't find one that I liked. Mid-fi is easy, trade headphones till you find sound you like a simple Portable solution is fine... But I see a lot of people with 1k + headphones with a 300-ish portable DAC/AMP. What are you doing + pure silver cable... WHY?!

 

[betula]

Well, I don't think you can apply it that easily. But generally people do underestimate the power of a DAC, albeit I withheld from them because I just couldn't find one that I liked. Mid-fi is easy, trade headphones till you find sound you like a simple Portable solution is fine... But I see a lot of people with 1k + headphones with a 300-ish portable DAC/AMP. What are you doing + pure silver cable... WHY?!

Of course, this five points is simplification, but you get what I mean in general.

For me also the most incomprehensible thing is when people own a collection of near TOTL headphones and use them with sub $500 gear. Also the importance of quality cables is way too overrated.

 

[Slaphead]

A lot of people get their priorities wrong on head-fi due to lack of experience.

Your priorities must be (1) headphones, (2) amp, (3) DAC, (4) source files, (5) cables.

1, Headphones make the biggest difference. Find your preferred sound presentation and spend the most you can afford in that category. (Dark/bright, musical/analytical etc.)
2, Amps can bring out the best of your headphones but pairing matters a lot. Do your research. And spend the most you can after you have found your perfect headphones.
3, The importance of DACs is underestimated in this hobby. DACs can improve technicalities way beyond your imagination. Get the best DAC you can.
4, Poor mp3 will sound poor, regardless your fancy gear. FLAC is the minimum and must have quality.
5, Cables bring the subtlest difference. If you have got your chain sorted, play with it. However keep in mind, cables are only the cherry on the cake.

Points 1, 2, & 3 I'll agree with

Point 4, yeah, kind of, a poor FLAC will always sound worse than a good 320 MP3, or even better, a good 256 VBR AAC.

Point 5, I'm a cable denier, so for me that shouldn't even be in the list. The only cable that I heard that made a difference was faulty.

 

[betula]

Points 1, 2, & 3 I'll agree with

Point 4, yeah, kind of, a poor FLAC will always sound worse than a good 320 MP3, or even better, a good 256 VBR AAC.

Point 5, I'm a cable denier, so for me that shouldn't even be in the list. The only cable that I heard that made a difference was faulty.

FLAC/320mp3 very much depends on recording quality. A well recorded 320 kbps mp3 will sound better than poorly recorded FLAC. That's true for 256 VBR too. But in general, 80% of FLAC files will sound better than 320 kbps mp3.

I agree, cables are way too overrated. In fact they hardly make a sonic difference. (They do make a subtle sonic difference though.) What I find more important with a cable upgrade is aesthetics and comfort. These two qualities can improve user experience even more than just a subtle sonic change. Anyway, cables are at the end of my list on purpose.

 

[marcan]

Point 4, yeah, kind of, a poor FLAC will always sound worse than a good 320 MP3, or even better, a good 256 VBR AAC..

Cough. There is no poor flac unless it's broken and you shouldn't hear the music (noise maybe). Flac is a lossless compression, it's like a wav but smaller in size.
In the other hand mp3 or acc are lossy compression, so it means your are losing something. The quality and the parameters of the encoder will have an impact on the perceived result. So unless you like the sound of the encoder which add quantisation noise and pre-echo, an mp3 or an aac can't be better than a flac if encoded from the same source.

 

[WildStyle-R11]

As far as cables are concerned, There is probably a point where you can consider this, you know when you have spare 20k in your pocket. For me, I'm just getting quality cables, been using pretty much random interconnects, that I do not trust, replacing them with quality star quad and they will serve me years. Getting a new cable for my headphones for exactly as you say comfort and look. Silver plated litz if I am not mistaken, Well silver plated probably wasn't needed really, but it had more strands than the regular litz. So I just wanted to make sure my cans get enough juice. Which some of the stock cables on headphones do not *Cough* He 400i *Cough*. The only time I noticed a difference in cable. I could be wrong, will see when I get my cable.

Also anyone noticed that a lot of people mistake overly brightness for more detail? No, It's not more, it's just in your face.

I myself am setting up for Smooth and unaltering setup, which will lead to my headphones being the only thing affecting the sound. For my own sanity and EQ if needed, but so far seems like I don't even feel the need for more bass as with this setup it is more present, then it was before I got my DAC.

 

[betula]

Also anyone noticed that a lot of people mistake overly brightness for more detail? No, It's not more, it's just in your face.

Perhaps the most misleading and biggest dead-end street of this hobby nowadays.

 

[marcan]

Yep or bright = neutral is a common mistake as well.

 

[WildStyle-R11]

The thing is, speakers are easy. Flat line. Headphones, not so much due to how close the drivers are to your ears and such, you can actually read about it on audeze site.

Could be peoples hearing as well, same as no one ever mentions that they use 24 band EQ, people might just not mention that they don't hear that well either.

 

[Jabba]

Analytical sound gives a quick wow factor.
But in the long run, I love my vintage Sansui amp for speakers and headphones.
Sound so alive compared to a analytical amp with a illusional higher detail.

 

[WildStyle-R11]

On a different note, do you guys think that the Carbon headband is worth it? This leather strap is getting kinda annoying lately.

 

[Slim1970]

On a different note, do you guys think that the Carbon headband is worth it? This leather strap is getting kinda annoying lately.

It’s pretty much the same design made out of carbon fiber. So it may be a little lighter but the leather portion of the headband will sit in the same spot

 

[WildStyle-R11]

It’s pretty much the same design made out of carbon fiber. So it may be a little lighter but the leather portion of the headband will sit in the same spot

Thanks for the input. I'm surprised that there really aren't any after market upgrades available, even more when the LCD series is quite easy to take apart. It's really the lack of padding that is getting to me.

 

[Slim1970]

Thanks for the input. I'm surprised that there really aren't any after market upgrades available, even more when the LCD series is quite easy to take apart. It's really the lack of padding that is getting to me.

As cheap looking as Hifiman headphones look the are practically weightless on your head. This new Audeze headband is leap and bounds better than their old style headband comfort wise to me. I’m glad they incorporated it on all of their headphones. My first Audeze headphone was the LCD-3F with older style headband. When I upgraded to the LCD-4’s the comfort level of the new style headband alone was worth the upgrade.

I think if the pad wasn’t so close to the headband, like Hifiman and ZMF headphones, the comfort level of the Audeze headband would improve. Just my thoughts.