levap
100+ Head-Fier
Recently I tried to google keywords "best headphones for jazz" and results were depressing... (No less depressing than results on the best headphones for metal were, try to google it now and top result will be much more rewarding http://www.head-fi.org/t/715478/headphones-for-metal-music-ultimate-solution). As I listen jazz rather much, for some periods of my life, actually more than any other genre, there is a desire to understand what headphones "play jazz" and why they are more capable than others. Well, and just to talk about different cans + jazz matters.
So, what we can call "must have" for outstanding performance on jazz material? Definitely, absolutely mandatory are excellent mids. If headphones possess ability for extraordinary middle frequencies reproduction - on the jazz we can forgive them some imperfections. Powerful bass (fashionable recently among TOTL cans) is not a necessity, actually the excessive emphasis on low frequencies can be rather inappropriate. Highs could positively be and "bright", and "comfortable" if they fit into the overall conception of cans. If soundstage have moderate, or even "chamber" size - it doesn't matter, or even could be a feature, not a flaw.
For myself, I identify the following concepts that let me get maximum emotion response from jazz
- Honey and warmth. Champions of this enveloping, endorphine-generating approach today are Audeze LCD-4, they are able to issue a record number of enveloping sweetness without falling into syrup. Honorable mentions - non-fazor Audeze LCD-3 (LCD-4 budget alternative for this niche), Audio-technica W5000 (lots of classic AT sweetness), Grado GS2000e (large-scale Grado strain with AT-sweetness injection).
- Purity and air. The electrostatic transparent mids, purity of the outer space and absolute ease, the trembling shivering nerve. Not-dull neutrality and naturalness. From what I thoroughly listened (but alas I don't own yet) champions definitely are Abyss, Focal Utopia and Stax 009. While it was not possible for me to reach uncompromising solution yet, I am humbly content in this category with Stax 409 and if not to start to be capricious, I am quite satisfied with them.
- Intimacy. And nevertheless most of I dive into this concept. Proximity to the music, to the singer, feeling of participation, transfer of emotions without intermediary. These fantastic effects on jazz most surprisingly realize Grado RS1i – their mids submerged into the listener, a modest soundstage, juicy highs and a delicate bass, having passed a lot of incarnations in younger models, reach balance ideal for a genre in Grado RS1i.
Following - a summary table with my personal impressions about how different cans (that I had opportunity to listen at least for two weeks in my system) perform on jazz. If the topic will be of interest, I will gradually decipher notes on separate models.
Notes on some cans on jazz.
Mr.speakers ETHER
Stunning. Honestly. The combination of an intimate chamber signature of Grado. And purest, neutral electrostatic quiet air. Alloy of two of the three most delicious for me approaches to transfer endorphins of jazz to listener. Stunning. Goosebumps on my back, a silly smile on my face while listening 100 times already heard tracks. New tracks go under the skin like old friends. Electrostatic Grados )
Hifiman HE-1000
Definitely among the best, but among the very best. Mids are so good, that they can not play "not great" or "not outstandingly", compared to most of the competitors on jazz. But if we compare to some of the very best TOTL cans... And because I listened to HE-1000 in parallel with the ETHER, I'm forced to recognize the superiority of the ETHERs. Mostly because of the Cyclopean wide soundstage of 1000's, it gets somewhat strained, unnatural on mostly chamber jazz, the material moves away from the listener. And ETHERs transfer material more directly, reducing distance to the listener.
Pioneer SE-MASTER1
Good, but not great. "Good" - technical level is extremely high, nothing special to complain about. Well, may be except that "the materiality of sound" feature and powerful bass add corporality to a piano and that's impressive. But same factors unnecessary add weigth to female vocals and a more ephemeral instruments. And final "not great" - they're too cool and detached, cans don't give feeling of participation to the heard, death sentence for jazz reproducing device.
Rosson Audio Design RAD-0
Initially, there are good prerequisites for resonance with the genre - quite natural timbres of musical instruments and voices, light sadness. But the impression that musicians and instruments play in fur coats does not allow us to treat them with due respect and dive deep in music. Jokes aside - if you switch your mind to the image of a club filled with thick tobacco smoke, impression gets much, much better. Overall, it's great at jazz (if you don't think about fur coats).
So, what we can call "must have" for outstanding performance on jazz material? Definitely, absolutely mandatory are excellent mids. If headphones possess ability for extraordinary middle frequencies reproduction - on the jazz we can forgive them some imperfections. Powerful bass (fashionable recently among TOTL cans) is not a necessity, actually the excessive emphasis on low frequencies can be rather inappropriate. Highs could positively be and "bright", and "comfortable" if they fit into the overall conception of cans. If soundstage have moderate, or even "chamber" size - it doesn't matter, or even could be a feature, not a flaw.
For myself, I identify the following concepts that let me get maximum emotion response from jazz
- Honey and warmth. Champions of this enveloping, endorphine-generating approach today are Audeze LCD-4, they are able to issue a record number of enveloping sweetness without falling into syrup. Honorable mentions - non-fazor Audeze LCD-3 (LCD-4 budget alternative for this niche), Audio-technica W5000 (lots of classic AT sweetness), Grado GS2000e (large-scale Grado strain with AT-sweetness injection).
- Purity and air. The electrostatic transparent mids, purity of the outer space and absolute ease, the trembling shivering nerve. Not-dull neutrality and naturalness. From what I thoroughly listened (but alas I don't own yet) champions definitely are Abyss, Focal Utopia and Stax 009. While it was not possible for me to reach uncompromising solution yet, I am humbly content in this category with Stax 409 and if not to start to be capricious, I am quite satisfied with them.
- Intimacy. And nevertheless most of I dive into this concept. Proximity to the music, to the singer, feeling of participation, transfer of emotions without intermediary. These fantastic effects on jazz most surprisingly realize Grado RS1i – their mids submerged into the listener, a modest soundstage, juicy highs and a delicate bass, having passed a lot of incarnations in younger models, reach balance ideal for a genre in Grado RS1i.
Following - a summary table with my personal impressions about how different cans (that I had opportunity to listen at least for two weeks in my system) perform on jazz. If the topic will be of interest, I will gradually decipher notes on separate models.
Notes on some cans on jazz.
Mr.speakers ETHER
Stunning. Honestly. The combination of an intimate chamber signature of Grado. And purest, neutral electrostatic quiet air. Alloy of two of the three most delicious for me approaches to transfer endorphins of jazz to listener. Stunning. Goosebumps on my back, a silly smile on my face while listening 100 times already heard tracks. New tracks go under the skin like old friends. Electrostatic Grados )
Hifiman HE-1000
Definitely among the best, but among the very best. Mids are so good, that they can not play "not great" or "not outstandingly", compared to most of the competitors on jazz. But if we compare to some of the very best TOTL cans... And because I listened to HE-1000 in parallel with the ETHER, I'm forced to recognize the superiority of the ETHERs. Mostly because of the Cyclopean wide soundstage of 1000's, it gets somewhat strained, unnatural on mostly chamber jazz, the material moves away from the listener. And ETHERs transfer material more directly, reducing distance to the listener.
Pioneer SE-MASTER1
Good, but not great. "Good" - technical level is extremely high, nothing special to complain about. Well, may be except that "the materiality of sound" feature and powerful bass add corporality to a piano and that's impressive. But same factors unnecessary add weigth to female vocals and a more ephemeral instruments. And final "not great" - they're too cool and detached, cans don't give feeling of participation to the heard, death sentence for jazz reproducing device.
Rosson Audio Design RAD-0
Initially, there are good prerequisites for resonance with the genre - quite natural timbres of musical instruments and voices, light sadness. But the impression that musicians and instruments play in fur coats does not allow us to treat them with due respect and dive deep in music. Jokes aside - if you switch your mind to the image of a club filled with thick tobacco smoke, impression gets much, much better. Overall, it's great at jazz (if you don't think about fur coats).
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