Best gear for listening to classical music...
Jul 11, 2015 at 12:26 PM Post #31 of 319
  You actually paid $400 for that?


er... it costs like $1 per foot
 
Originally Posted by Topazus /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Sometimes I daydream about some magic eq when listening to a violin performance in a concert hall, because the upper registers are so harsh.
 

 
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dopplerlabs/here-active-listening-change-the-way-you-hear-the 
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maybe one day, brain implant version of this
 
Jul 11, 2015 at 1:08 PM Post #35 of 319
 
er... it costs like $1 per foot
 
 
 

 
Thanks for replying lol!
 
I'm quite happy with the Mogami cables - don't intend to change until I complete my Bryston stack and upgraded my power conditioner to a rack-size unit
 
Jul 11, 2015 at 1:49 PM Post #36 of 319
650 is smooth, warm, and forgiving. Not accurate.
600 is more accurate, along with LCD-2.2.

cheers


I mean accurate as in fidelity wise. Slight recesses treble. Other than that pretty accurate across the frequency spectrum. That's why companies like Benchmark systems pair them with their products.
 
Jul 11, 2015 at 3:47 PM Post #37 of 319
To my ears, 650 is more accurate in the mid-bass and soundstage, and less accurate in the upper mids / lower treble: 600 is more accurate overall.
 
Jul 11, 2015 at 3:53 PM Post #38 of 319
For me the Shure 1840 over the ear, open back headphones were my go to ear cans for listening to classical music and  jazz, but these have been replaced by the stunning semi-closed back AudioQuest Nighthawks. See my commentary in the headphone section of this forum.
These Nighthawks are very new and I bought them because I had a feeling that Skylar Gray the designer was onto some new and interesting concepts that might make these very special...I was right! Most who have bought them rave just as I do about their wonderful musical reproduction. Dale Thorn has placed them at the top of his headphone board of honor. He has a write up over on Computer Audiophile you might want to read.
Your money will not be wasted.
 
Leo
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Jul 11, 2015 at 6:48 PM Post #39 of 319
To my ears, 650 is more accurate in the mid-bass and soundstage, and less accurate in the upper mids / lower treble: 600 is more accurate overall.


600 sounds as if it is worth a try. Have you by any chance owned\tried the 600 in comparison to the Focal professional?
 
Jul 11, 2015 at 8:08 PM Post #41 of 319
600 sounds as if it is worth a try. Have you by any chance owned\tried the 600 in comparison to the Focal professional?


I used to own both, though not at the same time. I enjoyed FSP and it persuaded me there's something to the Harman curve, but it's both very uncomfortable and fragile so I can't recommend it. :xf_eek:

Like muxamed, I'm a fan K501. It was my main headphone for years, and I still use it for vocals. (It really says something that the K501 thread is called "AKG K501 love...")
 
Jul 11, 2015 at 10:59 PM Post #42 of 319
Based on my experience, the HE-560 does violin better than any other headphone I have heard and is generally one of the strongest planars for classical.

HD600 and HD800 are both amazing for classical as well; I prefer the former to the HD650 for classical.

Havent heard Stax, havent heard HE1000 or Ether.

Beyer DT880 competes with HD600 for classical, but if I had to choose one it woukd be the Sennheiser. It comes down to sonic preferences at this point.
 
Jul 12, 2015 at 1:27 AM Post #43 of 319
Based on my experience, the HE-560 does violin better than any other headphone I have heard and is generally one of the strongest planars for classical.

HD600 and HD800 are both amazing for classical as well; I prefer the former to the HD650 for classical.

Havent heard Stax, havent heard HE1000 or Ether.

Beyer DT880 competes with HD600 for classical, but if I had to choose one it woukd be the Sennheiser. It comes down to sonic preferences at this point.

Aren't they short on the sub-bass? Their FR curves looks sub-bass lacking to me. Isn't that very important for classical music?
 
Jul 12, 2015 at 2:06 AM Post #44 of 319
Aren't they short on the sub-bass? Their FR curves looks sub-bass lacking to me. Isn't that very important for classical music?


The HE-560? The HD800, Stax, HD600, and DT880 (all outstanding open-back headphones for classical) have less sub-bass than the HE-560, which hits incredibly deep but only when called for. They are also extraordinarily fast headphones, not matching the Stax but spinning circles around my HE-500 and surpassing my HD800. Whether sub-bass is important for classical is kind of subjective. For me, I consider it less important than for other genres, but I could see why it is important. I do not feel the HE-560 is lacking sub-bass I require from my listening.

The HE-560's nearest competitor is the Ether so comparisons between the two should be of high interest to anyone considering a planar at this price-point. Both of these have been compared to the HD800 as well.

Of the headphones I have heard for an extended period using my own gear and sources, the HD800, HE560, and HD600 are my top choices for classical--each appeal to a different price-point. The Beyer is very close though, a really magnificent headphone for classical. I admittedly tend to value transient speed, dynamics, imaging, soundstage, and tonal accuracy above everything for classical--all of which I feel the HE-560 delivers in spades. Like every headphone, though, it too has its flaws :)
 
Jul 12, 2015 at 2:15 AM Post #45 of 319
The HE-560? The HD800, Stax, HD600, and DT880 (all outstanding open-back headphones for classical) have less sub-bass than the HE-560, which hits incredibly deep but only when called for. They are also extraordinarily fast headphones, not matching the Stax but spinning circles around my HE-500 and surpassing my HD800. Whether sub-bass is important for classical is kind of subjective. For me, I consider it less important than for other genres, but I could see why it is important. I do not feel the HE-560 is lacking sub-bass I require from my listening.

The HE-560's nearest competitor is the Ether so comparisons between the two should be of high interest to anyone considering a planar at this price-point. Both of these have been compared to the HD800 as well.

Of the headphones I have heard for an extended period using my own gear and sources, the HD800, HE560, and HD600 are my top choices for classical--each appeal to a different price-point. The Beyer is very close though, a really magnificent headphone for classical. I admittedly tend to value transient speed, dynamics, imaging, soundstage, and tonal accuracy above everything for classical--all of which I feel the HE-560 delivers in spades. Like every headphone, though, it too has its flaws :)

Have heard the HE-560 but not owned it. I felt not buying it having the LCD-2Fazor at that time. Found the HE560 being too bright to my ears and having soft/bloomy bass even though it extends well.

Have you heard the PSB M4U 1 or 2? How does it stack up to the Senns?
 

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