[jthomp72]

Exactly. The simple fact is that on iPhone it (Tidal) isn’t any better. Especially now that a large percentage of Apple Music is now served lossless anyway.
For Bluetooth it all gets transcoded by iOS into AAC (which despite what many believe is actually a very good codec and audibly transparent at relatively low bitrates, but it’s also computationally expensive to do well).
Over USB-C again there should be no technical difference between output source from Tidal or Apple Music lossless.

The only real difference between Tidal and Apple Music will be the source mastering itself.

This is only an opinion so take it how you will, but If you’re listening to anything originally mastered in like…pre god? 1985? 1980? Even true lossless isn’t gonna save the original godawfully mastered music. Once you get back to the 60’s and 50’s you’re just pissing in the wind between 24 bit/144 and the shittiest 320kbps lol

 

[garethr]

This is only an opinion so take it how you will, but If you’re listening to anything originally mastered in like…pre god? 1985? 1980? Even true lossless isn’t gonna save the original godawfully mastered music. Once you get back to the 60’s and 50’s you’re just pissing in the wind between 24 bit/144 and the shittiest 320kbps lol

Quite. Anything pre-DAT is likely to be a gamble on the technical quality of the master

 

[jthomp72]

Quite. Anything pre-DAT is likely to be a gamble on the technical quality of the master

I myself am a huge fan of Sam Cooke… some of his albums are masterfully done, and some of his best work is absolute god awful mastering

 

[cresny]

Slightly concerned I’m listening to these cans specifically at too high a volume. According to my iPhone Health app I’m usually at about 80-82db with the APM and Airpod Pro 2s. When I’m listening to these at a volume that feels to me to be an equivalent/satisfactory level, my iPhone is telling me it’s around 86/7 db which isn’t the safest listening level. Anyone have much experience with this iPhone health app? Either it doesn’t measure non-Apple products as accurately as the Apple ones, or something about the sound sig of the PX8 makes me crank the volume higher without noticing…

I had the same concern at first, but no longer after several weeks of comfortable, higher-than-normal volume listening. I have mild tinnitus in ear, so I'm somewhat sensitive to volume effects. I would say these are "less efficient" than others, but that really doesn't make sense to me when the amp is in the headphone itself. Ultimately I think it's just B&W tuning somehow tuning these so that you crank the volume and get the details but it still remains somehow comfortable.

 

[Laps]

I had the same concern at first, but no longer after several weeks of comfortable, higher-than-normal volume listening. I have mild tinnitus in ear, so I'm somewhat sensitive to volume effects. I would say these are "less efficient" than others, but that really doesn't make sense to me when the amp is in the headphone itself. Ultimately I think it's just B&W tuning somehow tuning these so that you crank the volume and get the details but it still remains somehow comfortable.

I have been listening using a Shanling M6U via bluetooth, and I have actually had to turn down the volume on the Shanling in comparison to when I listen via 4.4 mm balanced mode using a set of Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk IEMs. And that is using 'low gain' for both the IEMs and the PX8s.

 

[Benesyed]

Wow that McLaren edition is

 

[CBT177]

Slightly concerned I’m listening to these cans specifically at too high a volume. According to my iPhone Health app I’m usually at about 80-82db with the APM and Airpod Pro 2s. When I’m listening to these at a volume that feels to me to be an equivalent/satisfactory level, my iPhone is telling me it’s around 86/7 db which isn’t the safest listening level. Anyone have much experience with this iPhone health app? Either it doesn’t measure non-Apple products as accurately as the Apple ones, or something about the sound sig of the PX8 makes me crank the volume higher without noticing…

I know the AirPods Pro line have microphones that face in towards your ear so this is how they are able to measure DB levels when listening to music along with helping ANC and Apples Active EQ. The AirPods Max probably have microphones in the ear cup as well. The PX8 don't have this feature so the iPhone is just guessing the sound levels off of a generic scale related to the volume set on the phone. I have AirPods Pro and I have set them to a comparable volume for when I have the PX8's on and I am in the "safe" below 80 DB range however, putting the PX8's at a similar volume gives off completely different readings. I would ignore that meter when using not using AirPods.

 

[yrstruly]

I know the AirPods Pro line have microphones that face in towards your ear so this is how they are able to measure DB levels when listening to music along with helping ANC and Apples Active EQ. The AirPods Max probably have microphones in the ear cup as well. The PX8 don't have this feature so the iPhone is just guessing the sound levels off of a generic scale related to the volume set on the phone. I have AirPods Pro and I have set them to a comparable volume for when I have the PX8's on and I am in the "safe" below 80 DB range however, putting the PX8's at a similar volume gives off completely different readings. I would ignore that meter when using not using AirPods.

Makes sense! Cheers

 

[johnston21]

My version of the McLaren PI7.

 

[Jazz1]

All, most of the reviews seem relatively positive about the PX8 headphones. I’m still in my return period on mine. But finding this review with testing graphs make me wonder if I should keep them.

​

Yes, I know trust my own ears, but these graphs in the YouTube video review really don’t look good. This YouTuber does graph out some highly competitive brands, and the PX8 graphs do look worrisome. Any ideas, or opinions please let me know. I know my P9 wired headphones have gotten some criticism in the past, but zi do like them as they do sound a bit overemphasized at some frequencies. Aubrey this is the same for the PX8?

 

[jthomp72]

All, most of the reviews seem relatively positive about the PX8 headphones. I’m still in my return period on mine. But finding this review with testing graphs make me wonder if I should keep them.

​

Yes, I know trust my own ears, but these graphs in the YouTube video review really don’t look good. This YouTuber does graph out some highly competitive brands, and the PX8 graphs do look worrisome. Any ideas, or opinions please let me know. I know my P9 wired headphones have gotten some criticism in the past, but zi do like them as they do sound a bit overemphasized at some frequencies. Aubrey this is the same for the PX8?

Do you like the way they sound? Are they pleasing to your ears? If yes, then keep them in the graphs matter zero. If you are trying to find reasons to return them, then you really don’t like them as much as you think you do.

 

[Jazz1]

Do you like the way they sound? Are they pleasing to your ears? If yes, then keep them in the graphs matter zero. If you are trying to find reasons to return them, then you really don’t like them as much as you think you do.

It does make me wonder how my other headphones would turn out in the same graph testing. Meaning personal tastes should probably outweigh graph testing as suggested by jthomp72. Any other thoughts and opinions are welcome discussion. I learn so much via these threads!

 

[jthomp72]

It does make me wonder how my other headphones would turn out in the same graph testing. Meaning personal tastes should probably outweigh graph testing as suggested by jthomp72. Any other thoughts and opinions are welcome discussion. I learn so much via these threads!

This is the conundrum I get into with graphs… They tell me objectively what I should be hearing, but if my particular set of ears just makes me hear a different thing out of the headphone then no matter what I do I’m not going to hear them any differently. It is what it is for me.

 

[Denkmal]

It does make me wonder how my other headphones would turn out in the same graph testing. Meaning personal tastes should probably outweigh graph testing as suggested by jthomp72. Any other thoughts and opinions are welcome discussion. I learn so much via these threads!

Listen to the Px8. Then listen to Resolves statement that they are ”unlistenable”. Then decide if your ears have more credibility than his graph.

 

[arpasquill]

Graphs are pointless.