[RockStar2005]

So I became part of the small Blue Ella club this past week. I've had them for less than five days so please take all this with a big grain of salt

. This is only my very subjective opinion and could very well change when I spend more time with them.

The Blue Ella has a warm smooth natural and musical signature. People looking for a an overall bright signature with a sparkle treble should look elsewhere. They are non fatigue and I can listen for hours without any problem. Which leads me to comfort. I had trouble the first few days, they are a bit heavy with a relative strong clamp force. But I have slowly gotten used to them and now they are actually very comfortable.

For these impressions I have used my Ibasso DX200 and the HTC10. H10 can easily drive them but are also on the warm side, the DX200 are more neutral and for my ears have better synergy with the Ella. Of course this is not a night and day difference and the they do pair very well with the HTC 10. I don't think Ella's benefit with more power.

The bass is very well controlled and have enough quantity, maybe I would prefer slightly more subbass. Putting the amp on "on+" increases the bass. It's a nice setting to play with, but for bass heavy tracks the bass can get boomy and out of control and bleed into the other frequencys.

I couldn't really pinpoint the mids and highs the first few days. To begin with i thought the mids were recessed but I am not sure this is the case. Then it dawn on me

. I have heard this signature before, theye are very similar to my 64 Audio U12 Adel! Yes I know apple vs oranges...all differences a side, for my ears they have a very similar signature.

Member "subguy812" have written a very good review of the U12. I will quote his description of mids and treble here. This is exactly how I feel about the Blue Ella and I can't write it any better

. Link: http://www.head-fi.org/products/64-audio-u12-universal-in-ear-monitor

"Midrange:

The mids are clear and incredibly detailed but you will not realize this when you first listen to the U12, they appear to have a bit of a veil. With brain burn-in you realize there is not a veil at all it is how the frequencies are served up. The tone of all vocals shine and with male vocal sounding strong and females sounding sexy. The soundstage is good and the imaging was providing me with some occasional nice effect. The U12, have a warm, smooth, sound while creating space with the B1 module. In comparison the Solar are a bit cleaner and a bit more detailed sound out of the box. The U12 requires some getting used to in order to appreciate just what all is going on. If you dedicate the time you WILL be rewarded handsomely!

Treble:

Treble is delivered differently than any other IEM I have heard. It is certainly not the focus. It is restrained and included as part of the rest of the mix. It extends and is not lacking and not rolled off. It is just blended into the mix which creates an illusion that the treble is neutered. This one aspect has taken me the longest to grow accustomed to. It is a bit of a strange sound signature that had to grow on me longer than any IEM I have heard. They are so smooth, warm and never fatiguing. Never any sibilance or harshness. I can listen not fatigued for hours. In comparison I feel the Solar offers a more balanced sound and is clearly more sparkly than the U12. If you need a more sparkly treble I would say the Solar would be more to your liking."


Of course they are not 100 % identical, the U12 has more subbass and maybe because of that the Ella has slightly more clarity in the mids and highs.

Listening to Meridian - Breaking the Surface - The Bravest Face, this become very apperant. The recording is relatively dark with emphasis on drums and guitars. I think most people would prefer a bright headphone with this. My DT1990 is brighter and pair very well with this album. But I have to say I love it with both the U12 and Ella.

Queensryche - Promised Land - One More Time. Bright recording with emphasis on vocals (Geoff Tate). This doesn't pair well with the DT1990 but excellent with the Ella. Vocals in the center, guitars, drums, bass, upper right/left corner. Huge soundstage.

Again please note, this is very early impressions, but I have to say the more I listen to Ella, the i more i like them!

 
Hey stenog, 
 
Thanks for posting this! Interesting impressions here.................
 
So with regards to the treble, you're not hearing as much as detail in the treble as you are from other headphones? To me, "sparkle" is a good thing b/c it means when I'm listening to anything with like acoustic guitar in it that I'm hearing ALL the sounds that are coming out of those strings, including the "chimeyness" that you get from picking steel-string acoustic guitars. Please elaborate and focus more on this if you can in the near future b/c THIS was the main issue I had with the Blue Lola when I tried it out about a year ago. 
 
The midrange and bass.........awesome! Yes like the Ella the Lola too had INSANE control over the bass (SUPER tight!) like I've never encountered before, and a HUGE soundstage that only AKG (or Mr. Speakers?!) could rival. 
 
Yeah ON+ I think would only be useful now and then, but I seriously doubt I'd leave it on all the time. 
 
I kinda figured they would become more comfortable for you after a few days or week, so I'm glad to hear it went that way for you too. Just gotta stretch 'em out now and then, though that doesn't work on ALL headphones, but I think it did on the Lola for the short time I had it. And I love that you used the HTC 10 to test it out as that is my current phone and only music source as well. 

 lol

 

[inertianinja]

dudes.
 
I reviewed the Blue Ella and Sadie over the past few weeks. My reviews are hosted on iLounge, see below.
 
I'm very open about the fact that I struggle with the headband mechanism, but I didn't take off any points for it - I know some really like it.
 
 
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/blue-ella-headphones
 
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/blue-sadie-headphones

 

[RockStar2005]

  dudes.
 
I reviewed the Blue Ella and Sadie over the past few weeks. My reviews are hosted on iLounge, see below.
 
I'm very open about the fact that I struggle with the headband mechanism, but I didn't take off any points for it - I know some really like it.
 
 
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/blue-ella-headphones
 
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/blue-sadie-headphones

 
Nice reviews! But the Ella only got a "B" eh? lol 
 
I don't know if I agree that comparing them to open-back headphones is really fair though. How would you describe the treble end? Was it detailed? When I tried out the Lola I felt the high end was a bit too constrained, and so not all the details from like an acoustic guitar (i.e. that "chimey" sound you hear from steel strings) could be heard. Just curious. 
 
Thanks for sharing!

 

[inertianinja]

   
Nice reviews! But the Ella only got a "B" eh? lol 
 
I don't know if I agree that comparing them to open-back headphones is really fair though. How would you describe the treble end? Was it detailed? When I tried out the Lola I felt the high end was a bit too constrained, and so not all the details from like an acoustic guitar (i.e. that "chimey" sound you hear from steel strings) could be heard. Just curious. 
 
Thanks for sharing!

 
I wouldn't pay much attention to the letter grade. The site doesn't do good/better/best....."B" just means "Recommended" They are very reluctant to give anything "A" ratings. Honestly I wish I didn't have to give a "grade" at all....I'd rather just type my impressions. Did I compare them to open back? Where?.

 

[RockStar2005]

   
I wouldn't pay much attention to the letter grade. The site doesn't do good/better/best....."B" just means "Recommended" They are very reluctant to give anything "A" ratings. Honestly I wish I didn't have to give a "grade" at all....I'd rather just type my impressions. Did I compare them to open back? Where?.

 
You said "they are reluctant", but I thought you wrote the review? lol 
 
Well it wasn't very clear, but in your review you said "Compared to our reference headphones, the Ella can sound just a tad congested and lacking in “air”, but it’s probably not something you’ll notice unless actively switching back and forth to high-end open-back cans." I'm not sure if you actually compared the Ella to open-back headphones, but that line sounds like you're saying your reference headphones are in fact open-back. Or did I just misunderstand? 
 
Again, how would you describe the treble end? Was it detailed? Did you test it out on any acoustic guitar music? 

 

[inertianinja]

   
You said "they are reluctant", but I thought you wrote the review? lol 
 
Well it wasn't very clear, but in your review you said "Compared to our reference headphones, the Ella can sound just a tad congested and lacking in “air”, but it’s probably not something you’ll notice unless actively switching back and forth to high-end open-back cans." I'm not sure if you actually compared the Ella to open-back headphones, but that line sounds like you're saying your reference headphones are in fact open-back. Or did I just misunderstand? 
 
Again, how would you describe the treble end? Was it detailed? Did you test it out on any acoustic guitar music? 

 
When I say reluctant, I mean that when I started the guys who run the site explained how they approach grading, and they say that they reserve "A" for only very special products. This is not to say that the Ella wasn't very good, though. Side note, they also write all reviews in the "royal we", which took some getting used to.
 
So, with regard to the rest - I compare to lots of different headphones, with lots of different genres. Some open, some closed, some semi-open. But it's not an issue of fairness; please don't read too much into it. 
The treble was a little soft to my ears, but it would be a shame to focus on just that one tiny part of the review. But that was just my impression - if you have the Ella and you like the treble, I am certainly not trying to invalidate your experience.

 

[RockStar2005]

   
When I say reluctant, I mean that when I started the guys who run the site explained how they approach grading, and they say that they reserve "A" for only very special products. This is not to say that the Ella wasn't very good, though. Side note, they also write all reviews in the "royal we", which took some getting used to.
 
So, with regard to the rest - I compare to lots of different headphones, with lots of different genres. Some open, some closed, some semi-open. But it's not an issue of fairness; please don't read too much into it. 
The treble was a little soft to my ears, but it would be a shame to focus on just that one tiny part of the review. But that was just my impression - if you have the Ella and you like the treble, I am certainly not trying to invalidate your experience.

 
Weird, and slightly confusing, but ok! lol 
 
So which headphones have they given an "A" to then? lol
 
Oh ok. 
 
I don't have it, but to me, the MAIN reason why I chose the AKG K553 headphone over the Lola in my review I linked earlier was b/c the K553 had slightly more detail in that treble region than the Lola did. Now, perhaps if did some tweaking to the EQ, that would make it match up with the AKG, but I don't know for sure if that would be the result. So by "soft" you mean not extremely detailed then?
 
Thanks!

 

[stenog]

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/blue-ella-headphones

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/blue-sadie-headphones
[/quote]

I agree with most of this review. Maybe not 100 % spot on but we all hear things different.

Elle is a warm headphone with slightly recessed mids(or maybe just thick mids) a very controlled bass with the right amount of punch and quantity. The treble is not sparkly but doesn't lack air in my opinion and certainly doesn't lack details. But sometimes these details are not obvious, you have to listen to them, if that makes any sense! Soundstage is big a very natural for a closed can. Personally i like this signature, but it's also close to a few iems/cans i already have.

I also have a few "problems" with the design and comfort. Of course the more I have used them the more I have gotten used to them. But to be honest i prefer and old fashion headband . They are not portable, i would say for home use or a walk with the dog...i don't have a dog.

I have used them with my HTC10 and Ibasso DX200. Both can drive Ella with the amp off, actually the last few days i have not used the amp inside the headphones at all. I can't hear any difference except higher volume of course. But I agree they do require some power. I am not sure even with the amp on, that my old Sony Xperia could drive them. But ok Sony smartphones don't have much power.

I have tried to make a few comparisons to Ultrasone Signature Pro. A several years old headphone but still ok and about same price. They have a different signature. The Sig Pro is overall brighter with thinner mids and a more sparkly treble. Depending on the music i like both the Ella and Sig Pro.

Johnny Cash, "Solitary Man" and "One" from the album American iii. Vocals and acoustic guitars.

Ella: Very natural presentation. I have used the word natural a few times, but this is what I hear and love from Ella. I can literally feel Cash's vocals. They are lifelike. The guitars are very clear and doesn't lack details. One word would be musical.

Sig Pro: A thinner and more sterile presentation, vocals more in the background. Details more or less the same but i feel more air around the instrument with Ella. But this could be placebo because my preference is for Ella. I didn't expect this but Ella is the clear winner here.

That said i have decided to return them. Not because i don't like them, i do but because i already have this signature. They remind me too much of my Z1R and the U12. And they are not portable, i can only use them at home.

 

[inertianinja]

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/blue-ella-headphones

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/blue-sadie-headphones

I agree with most of this review. Maybe not 100 % spot on but we all hear things different.

Elle is a warm headphone with slightly recessed mids(or maybe just thick mids) a very controlled bass with the right amount of punch and quantity. The treble is not sparkly but doesn't lack air in my opinion and certainly doesn't lack details. But sometimes these details are not obvious, you have to listen to them, if that makes any sense! Soundstage is big a very natural for a closed can. Personally i like this signature, but it's also close to a few iems/cans i already have.

I also have a few "problems" with the design and comfort. Of course the more I have used them the more I have gotten used to them. But to be honest i prefer and old fashion headband . They are not portable, i would say for home use or a walk with the dog...i don't have a dog.

I have used them with my HTC10 and Ibasso DX200. Both can drive Ella with the amp off, actually the last few days i have not used the amp inside the headphones at all. I can't hear any difference except higher volume of course. But I agree they do require some power. I am not sure even with the amp on, that my old Sony Xperia could drive them. But ok Sony smartphones don't have much power.

I have tried to make a few comparisons to Ultrasone Signature Pro. A several years old headphone but still ok and about same price. They have a different signature. The Sig Pro is overall brighter with thinner mids and a more sparkly treble. Depending on the music i like both the Ella and Sig Pro.

Johnny Cash, "Solitary Man" and "One" from the album American iii. Vocals and acoustic guitars.

Ella: Very natural presentation. I have used the word natural a few times, but this is what I hear and love from Ella. I can literally feel Cash's vocals. They are lifelike. The guitars are very clear and doesn't lack details. One word would be musical.

Sig Pro: A thinner and more sterile presentation, vocals more in the background. Details more or less the same but i feel more air around the instrument with Ella. But this could be placebo because my preference is for Ella. I didn't expect this but Ella is the clear winner here.

That said i have decided to return them. Not because i don't like them, i do but because i already have this signature. They remind me too much of my Z1R and the U12. And they are not portable, i can only use them at home.[/quote]

 
So, about the headband: 
 
It was probably clear in the review that this type of headband isn't exactly my cup of tea. But I don't exactly consider it a "negative" for purposes of the review; I think everyone would agree that it's polarizing...but I wrote the review from a neutral perspective on that point.
One caveat, though - I think the headband mechanism adds weight and bulk unnecessarily, making them less portable than they could be.
This wasn't part of the review, but check out Blue's video - they show two guys wearing them as portables, and it just doesn't come across as natural: https://youtu.be/riSxnzuaclU
They could have done something similar to the Satellite's headband and probably saved weight. 
But regardless, I recommended them because I think people should hear them, then decide whether the headband works for them.

 

[RockStar2005]

New review by Digital Trends. 
 
As far as I'm concerned, they gave it a "10" minus the comfort factor, which many have said gets a lot better over time anyway. 
 
Thoughts? 

 

[RockStar2005]

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/blue-ella-headphones

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/blue-sadie-headphones

I agree with most of this review. Maybe not 100 % spot on but we all hear things different.

Elle is a warm headphone with slightly recessed mids(or maybe just thick mids) a very controlled bass with the right amount of punch and quantity. The treble is not sparkly but doesn't lack air in my opinion and certainly doesn't lack details. But sometimes these details are not obvious, you have to listen to them, if that makes any sense! Soundstage is big a very natural for a closed can. Personally i like this signature, but it's also close to a few iems/cans i already have.

I also have a few "problems" with the design and comfort. Of course the more I have used them the more I have gotten used to them. But to be honest i prefer and old fashion headband . They are not portable, i would say for home use or a walk with the dog...i don't have a dog.

I have used them with my HTC10 and Ibasso DX200. Both can drive Ella with the amp off, actually the last few days i have not used the amp inside the headphones at all. I can't hear any difference except higher volume of course. But I agree they do require some power. I am not sure even with the amp on, that my old Sony Xperia could drive them. But ok Sony smartphones don't have much power.

I have tried to make a few comparisons to Ultrasone Signature Pro. A several years old headphone but still ok and about same price. They have a different signature. The Sig Pro is overall brighter with thinner mids and a more sparkly treble. Depending on the music i like both the Ella and Sig Pro.

Johnny Cash, "Solitary Man" and "One" from the album American iii. Vocals and acoustic guitars.

Ella: Very natural presentation. I have used the word natural a few times, but this is what I hear and love from Ella. I can literally feel Cash's vocals. They are lifelike. The guitars are very clear and doesn't lack details. One word would be musical.

Sig Pro: A thinner and more sterile presentation, vocals more in the background. Details more or less the same but i feel more air around the instrument with Ella. But this could be placebo because my preference is for Ella. I didn't expect this but Ella is the clear winner here.

That said i have decided to return them. Not because i don't like them, i do but because i already have this signature. They remind me too much of my Z1R and the U12. And they are not portable, i can only use them at home.[/quote]

 
Wow! The Sig Pro is like $1000, so that's a pretty remarkable rating you gave the Ella then!
 
Thank you for taking the time to review these headphones, and for including acoustic guitar tracks as per my request. 
 
The one thing I have trouble agreeing with is where you say the acoustic guitar on the Cash songs is "very clear and doesn't lack details", yet you say the Ella's treble is not bright nor does it have "sparkle". To me, I see "sparkle" in the treble as being synonymous with great detail. So could you hear the ringey/chimey sounds of the acoustic guitar being played? I think you did, but I'd just like to reconfirm that. 
 
That sux that you didn't keep them, but I understand. You could just sell the Z1R and U12 you have and make a nice little profit, but if you don't feel the Ella is portable enough for you, then I guess it's not meeting your needs. For me, it'd be fine b/c when I'd take them out it would be like for listening on a train or plane, which is basically no different than sitting in my living room. lol My one main thing I love about the Ella is the built-in amp, which allows you to save battery life on your smartphone b/c you'd be using LESS power to drive them if you switch on the amp, which I would sure do every time I used them. 
 
Again, much appreciated brotha! I enjoyed reading your review. 

 

[RockStar2005]

   
So, about the headband: 
 
It was probably clear in the review that this type of headband isn't exactly my cup of tea. But I don't exactly consider it a "negative" for purposes of the review; I think everyone would agree that it's polarizing...but I wrote the review from a neutral perspective on that point.
One caveat, though - I think the headband mechanism adds weight and bulk unnecessarily, making them less portable than they could be.
This wasn't part of the review, but check out Blue's video - they show two guys wearing them as portables, and it just doesn't come across as natural: https://youtu.be/riSxnzuaclU
They could have done something similar to the Satellite's headband and probably saved weight. 
But regardless, I recommended them because I think people should hear them, then decide whether the headband works for them.

 
I mean, when I tried out the Lola (which IS the headphone featured in that hilarious ad lol), I felt it was both pretty comfortable and portable. I've read reviews where people say the comfort and weight etc are just fine. Blue even made it a point to mention that they had made improvements since the 1st gen headphones (Lola and Mo-Fi) with regards to the weight and comfort. So if I felt the Lola was fine, I'm guessing I'd be even more fine with the Ella. Though then again, the Lola DIDN'T have an on-board amp built into it. lol Still, I find it interesting. 

 

[stenog]

Wow! The Sig Pro is like $1000, so that's a pretty remarkable rating you gave the Ella then!

Thank you for taking the time to review these headphones, and for including acoustic guitar tracks as per my request. 

The one thing I have trouble agreeing with is where you say the acoustic guitar on the Cash songs is "very clear and doesn't lack details", yet you say the Ella's treble is not bright nor does it have "sparkle". To me, I see "sparkle" in the treble as being synonymous with great detail. So could you hear the ringey/chimey sounds of the acoustic guitar being played? I think you did, but I'd just like to reconfirm that. 

That sux that you didn't keep them, but I understand. You could just sell the Z1R and U12 you have and make a nice little profit, but if you don't feel the Ella is portable enough for you, then I guess it's not meeting your needs. For me, it'd be fine b/c when I'd take them out it would be like for listening on a train or plane, which is basically no different than sitting in my living room. lol My one main thing I love about the Ella is the built-in amp, which allows you to save battery life on your smartphone b/c you'd be using LESS power to drive them if you switch on the amp, which I would sure do every time I used them. 

Again, much appreciated brotha! I enjoyed reading your review. 

In Europe the Sig Pro and the Ella are about the same price. All imported stuff from the US are taxed and the Sig Pro is several years old.

For signature and SQ i prefer Ella, for comfort i prefer the Sig Pro. And it's also portable which is a plus for me. I need some headphones for travel and on the go. I have the U12 but one is not enough .

Regarding the treble. This is very subjective and I am not saying that I am right!!
For me Ella doesn't have a sparkly or bright treble but it's still very detailed. And yes i believe i could hear the "ringey" sounds of the acoustic guitars. It reminds me of the Z1R but probably slightly brighter. The Z1R is overall a dark headphone but still very very detailed. And for me thats the problem. I can't sell the Z1R...i can't sell something i love
Note also i am not a treble guy, i am probably more easy to satisfy.

Ellas design is a bit...different. It took me some time to get used to and maybe i never got 100 % used to it. But at the end of the day it has to compete with the Z1R and this is simply a better headphone and a lot more expensive. But I have no doubt i will regret sending it back and probably buy it again in the future. This is head fi, we are stupid and spend way too much money..lol

I tried with some of the music you suggested but the quality was not that good. And for Fleetwood Mac i had to put the volume up to almost max. I understand now what you meant about needed more volume. The Johnny cash masters are very good quality and especially "one" is very good with Ella. Dare I say, it's superb with the Z1R....

 

[Kukua]

In Europe the Sig Pro and the Ella are about the same price. All imported stuff from the US are taxed and the Sig Pro is several years old.

For signature and SQ i prefer Ella, for comfort i prefer the Sig Pro. And it's also portable which is a plus for me. I need some headphones for travel and on the go. I have the U12 but one is not enough .

Regarding the treble. This is very subjective and I am not saying that I am right!!
For me Ella doesn't have a sparkly or bright treble but it's still very detailed. And yes i believe i could hear the "ringey" sounds of the acoustic guitars. It reminds me of the Z1R but probably slightly brighter. The Z1R is overall a dark headphone but still very very detailed. And for me thats the problem. I can't sell the Z1R...i can't sell something i love
Note also i am not a treble guy, i am probably more easy to satisfy.

Ellas design is a bit...different. It took me some time to get used to and maybe i never got 100 % used to it. But at the end of the day it has to compete with the Z1R and this is simply a better headphone and a lot more expensive. But I have no doubt i will regret sending it back and probably buy it again in the future. This is head fi, we are stupid and spend way too much money..lol

I tried with some of the music you suggested but the quality was not that good. And for Fleetwood Mac i had to put the volume up to almost max. I understand now what you meant about needed more volume. The Johnny cash masters are very good quality and especially "one" is very good with Ella. Dare I say, it's superb with the Z1R....

i own the blue ella, Ultrasone signature pro and the sony z1r...all wonderful headphones at what they do...however, from my personal 50plus audiophile experience, the signature pro combines the best of ELLA (Sublime upper frequency interpretation as expected because of its planar characteristics and the Sony z1r(breathtaking openness and space).
I hasten to add"everything is subjective and subject to personal taste"
I love the ultrasone signature pro i own 2 copies and the only headphone I'll grab if i really i have to choose a headphone. THEY ARE MARVELOUS.

 

[RockStar2005]

In Europe the Sig Pro and the Ella are about the same price. All imported stuff from the US are taxed and the Sig Pro is several years old.

For signature and SQ i prefer Ella, for comfort i prefer the Sig Pro. And it's also portable which is a plus for me. I need some headphones for travel and on the go. I have the U12 but one is not enough .

Regarding the treble. This is very subjective and I am not saying that I am right!!
For me Ella doesn't have a sparkly or bright treble but it's still very detailed. And yes i believe i could hear the "ringey" sounds of the acoustic guitars. It reminds me of the Z1R but probably slightly brighter. The Z1R is overall a dark headphone but still very very detailed. And for me thats the problem. I can't sell the Z1R...i can't sell something i love
Note also i am not a treble guy, i am probably more easy to satisfy.

Ellas design is a bit...different. It took me some time to get used to and maybe i never got 100 % used to it. But at the end of the day it has to compete with the Z1R and this is simply a better headphone and a lot more expensive. But I have no doubt i will regret sending it back and probably buy it again in the future. This is head fi, we are stupid and spend way too much money..lol

I tried with some of the music you suggested but the quality was not that good. And for Fleetwood Mac i had to put the volume up to almost max. I understand now what you meant about needed more volume. The Johnny cash masters are very good quality and especially "one" is very good with Ella. Dare I say, it's superb with the Z1R...

.

 
Oh I C. Ok. 
Hmm ok. If you COULD hear the "ringey" acoustic guitar sounds then that to me means they ARE sparkly then. Tom-AY-to, tom-AH-to. lol So ok, awesome! 

 
It just amazes me to hear that the Ella sounds better than the pricier Sig Pro. lol 
 
Yes the Ella's design IS different, but to me that's what makes it so cool and a standout. 
 
Hahahaha yes, "stupid" definitely is one of many descriptions I'd use for us all on this site. lol That's why I love AKG so much because their headphones are much cheaper than a lot of their competitors, yet pretty much always sound BETTER IMO. 
 
I see. Yeah that's why I recommend Hi-Res to everyone b/c those always sound the best (b/c of the better masters, not the higher resolution of course lol). Yeah that Fleetwood Mac album I suggested, in Hi-Res anyway, was mastered at a lower volume. This is somewhat common when mastering Hi-Res albums I guess, but sometimes the opposite is true (it's louder than the CD or mp3). Louder isn't always better though. But when you crank the volume up, it's so smooth and you hear EVERYTHING, and even when it's turned way up, it still never gets "overbearing" unless you get super loud, which is just a bad idea to begin with cuz that would be louder than anyone would need. lol