Hello guys, some final thoughts here
When I got the px8, I thought of one of my headphones, the clear mg. I was very busy in those few days and didn't have time to make a comparison, but after a few days, my px8 was returned to b&w for replacement, because it was determined that the battery could not be fully charged, and it was always around 47%. But b&w didn't have enough stock for me to replace so I didn't get my new px8 until yesterday
Clear mg is really expensive in China. When I bought it, it was about 10,000 (1400usd) RMB. Now it costs about 8,500. My Arya and d9200 are only 13,000rmb(1800usd) in total.
Comparison
（All comparisons are made in px8 using type-c to connect my MacBook, without eq, ANC off, and the volume of both headphones is relatively high. It should be noted that not all devices have the same effect of type-c connection to px8. My friend uses a digital player to connect to px8, and the sound is much lower than that of Bluetooth, but when connected to a PC, the volume of type-c is obviously greater than that of Bluetooth, and it is weird. Yes, after connecting to the computer and then connecting to the same digital player via type-c, the volume will return to normal (louder than Bluetooth)）
I can be sure that ANC will increase the bass of the px8, very obviously. And again I can be sure that px8 does change the sound to some extent by moving the px8 on my head. It was so much fun, it felt like I was changing the amp card.
I've always felt that the clear mg is a b&w-like focal headphone (should not say that, as many models of Denon and JVC have similar expressions), they are the kind of sound in your head, and more emphasis on the mids, smooth and thick at the same time.
The soundstage of the clear mg is relatively small in the open-back headphones I've used, it gathers the whole ability around you instead of radiating it out, which is a presentation I really like because I like pop, vocals, R&B, and even some “small concerts” (w/t/f google？) are very suitable for this expression. So from a technical point of view, I didn't notice that the soundstage boundary of the clear mg is larger than that of the px8 in terms of left-right, but it does have a little bit more depth and feeling of an open-backed headphone that radiates the sound around (relatively). At the same time, clear mg will indeed appear crisper, and the details will be expressed more. The mid and low frequencies of the px8 are a little bit thicker with a slightly more smooth feeling texture. So some reviewers, whether it is Chinese or English, say that clear mg sounds muddy, so it is not surprising that the px8 is muddier (lol). Always keep in mind that what is a thick midrange for some people may be a thin midrange for you. I really don't want to discuss too many details of the sound in English, if in Chinese I could write several articles, so forgive me. I think the high-frequency energy of the clear mg is stronger, but the px8 has no obvious regression here, just a balance of smoothness and brightness, again, any change in volume will change my evaluation of this aspect. （see volume part）
--- I was going to use the word punchy to describe mg but still the same song "无由颂" by howie lee, the bass of px8 is obviously more powerful than that of mg, Moreover, the px8 has a natural reverberation after a drum beat, and the clear mg expression is not obvious (sub-bass?)
If you don't feel it, it's time to take off your glasses or adjust your fit（fit really really really matters for all px series, In fact, my original intention of creating the headfi account was just to ask if px7 has fixed the problem that px wearing glasses seriously affects the sound.）
--- The Curse by Agnes obel, I can say that I haven't heard any headphones that can beat the px8's vocals and cello in this song.
just two brief examples
Here to express my core idea, I have a strong tolerance for "muddy", because I think a good "muddy" will set off the whole emotion and atmosphere, which is a very wonderful thing.
Highs, Volume, and Conclusion
As for the high frequency of px8, is there a problem?
I don't think so, The high frequency of the px8 is bright enough for me to appreciate all high-frequency sounds, the only thing I can explain is the problem of frequency masking. The strong presence of the mid-low frequency makes the high frequency of the px8 not prominent, and even some details are masked, and it is more obvious when listening at low volume, but I never think that the px8 lacks the exciting high frequency. What I've always expressed, it's a trade-off, not a flaw. And strangely, in some tracks, I think clear mg would be brighter, but some tracks do the opposite (maybe due to the different volume balance, I don't know).
So long story short, I don't think clear mg is a clear winner, not at all. they are expressed differently under the same philosophy. But the clear mg is indeed slightly crisp for those who like this kind of sound, but don't put too much emphasis on the low and medium frequencies, also mg is indeed a little bit more transparent & open headphone（depending on your DACs/AMPs). But in terms of atmosphere, mid-frequency texture, and timbre, I think px8 wins without a doubt for me. I don't recommend anyone impulse buy the px8 or any headset, because disappointment is always the norm for first encounters.
（Maybe this type of comparison is very meaningless to many people
Wired to Bluetooth?
Open-back vs. closed-back?
umm, it's really different for a planar like Arya, but clear mg, it really sounds like this.）
I never think that the so-called best Bluetooth headphones, the best ANC headphones, for me, what sounds good is good, if you want to get an unparalleled experience on a high-end headset, then you also have to spend unparalleled money (DAC\AMP, etc)
Very noteworthy, at least for me, I can confirm that the px series does need a slightly louder volume to fully appreciate its sound. But because the sound of b&w is smooth and dense, it will not be uncomfortable to listen to at a slightly higher volume. Low volume b&w will appear hollow in the mid-low frequency, and the high frequency will not come out. Once the volume hits the threshold, it will have a new look. I'm not saying that the px series can't be listened to at low volume, I can totally live with it, just an opinion for those who listen to the px series for the first time. In fact, such high-density earphones usually need to increase the volume a little for a more comfortable listening experience. (like my JVC IEMs)
I also felt that px8 volume adjustment is not linear if you look closely, and the volume change of some levels will be larger.
Some crap
I was going to take the d9200 out for a comparison with the px8, but given the thread's current state, I decided not to. And I have always thought that the high frequency of the d9200 has some very annoying problems（Si/Ci/sibilance?), and I have been unable to listen for a long time. There are many people on the Chinese Internet who have pointed out the high-frequency problem of the d9200, but it seems that this problem is not clearly expressed in the headfi. (maybe I don't see it much), so the comparison is actually not good in this case where I presume "don't like it". But overall the d9200 is still very good.
In my aesthetic preference, I always think that the mids and timbre of the px8 are my favorites out of my collection.
I never hide my love for px8, like "we communists never hide our political views", I'm not a communist, it's just a joke.
And the first song "无由颂", English is “praise without reason".
Many people like to say that if you like the larger soundstage, choose this one, and if you like the intimate one, choose this one. In fact, even the sound of "in your head" has a lot of variety. Clear mg and px8, for example, have very different midrange textures, differences in these textures actually really matter!
After all, headphones are not speakers. The head effect is there. To make the soundstage of the headphones sound wide, the frequency response must be adjusted, which can easily destroy the balance, such as excessive high frequency/UHF and depressed midrange/mid-high frequency, and over-tuned may create a deformed soundstage, like the old Arya, such headphones abound on the high-end market. In other words, high-density and intimate sound, although not completely incompatible with a large soundstage, is often antagonistic. Similarly, I basically do not discuss the analysis or details, because it is actually a trick of play with frequencies. Compared with the d7200, the d9200 has a very good resolution, and a clearer and brighter sound, but it is the result of seriously increasing the extremely high frequency, and its hearing resistance (w/t/f google？) is actually not as good as the d7200.
Finally, some attitude speeches. I will not participate in any discussions under diametrically opposed comments, because benign discussions have always been carried out with different ideas under roughly the same understanding, rather than life-and-death situations with great differences, just like communism and capitalism, The deadline for the debate is when one of these systems perishes.
There is a Chinese idiom "鸡同鸭讲" (a talk between chicken and duck/dialogue of the deaf/Gai tung aap gong)
There is also a saying "百花齐放，百家争鸣" (letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend)
Ok, writing reviews in English is very painful for me, and I'm leaving right away.
Maybe see you guys in the px8s2 and px9 threads
bye.
