I begin this post with your last comment ("I guess it's all very subjective") -- Yes, this is true undoubtedly. But, equally, what is "often useless details" for you, is something (very) more significant for others people. This "useless details" possibly going more far than just your comment of "breathing, shifting of feet etc" and going in more (maybe not so) subtle areas like reproduction of different instruments or the complete sonic reproduction.
Some people like you, or me, using EQ for obtaining their preference in sound with the px8 -- other people, like
@Jazzophile, are completely against EQ'ing their headphones. Actually I'm always like Jzzophile in the past but, when I owning the px8 for short time, I deciding the compromise of EQ'ing is ok but only because others aspects of the px8 are very good (comfort, volume steps, design, portability), but EQ, for me, isn't solving completely the incorrect, for me, tonal balance -- EQ is only making this less wrong/more acceptable, but not really right (even when the px8 is responding very well to EQ, like I saying a long time ago).
I never hearing the HE 1000 Stealth, so I can't commenting about how good or not good this headphone is, but is true too that some people don't having a (big) problem going from one very different sound signature to other. BUT, some people will not accepting this so easily or at all.
Is true too that, apparently, many people liking the px8 a lot and this is great for them. BUT, many people too don't accepting the sound of this headphone, and one piece of evidence is how many people that trying both, Bathys and px8, are choosing the Bathys instantly....even some (early) ardent px8 fans that posting here.
The issues of the past couple of posts are what makes this a fascinating hobby. I generally agree with Angelom on his points above. To EQ something out of the box to this long term audiophile means there are problems with tonality, timbre and frequency response. Why would we want to listen to something "faulty" right out of the gate, and then have to EQ it? That said, I fully realize that we have thousands of headphones and pieces of audio gear, speakers, etc. that all do in fact sound differently and reflect engineering choices, philosophies and compromises made by the designers and manufacturers. Thus the creation of the Harman Curve, something to "aspire to" if you are a headphone designer.
Although I do not EQ, I will say that simply offering bass and treble adjustments as the B&W version of EQ is not enough to correct the deficiencies I hear in these headphones. That would require at least a 5 band eq, or probably more like a 7 band eq. Some other companies offer that in their software apps....
I respect SussyTofu420's opinion and his ears and perceptions. I can't argue with what someone else hears or perceives. I can only trust my own judgment and perceptions and hearing. I have at my desk, amongst MANY other headphones in the house, Audeze EL8 Closed Back headphones, Montblanc MB01, Audeze LCD2-Fazer, HiFiMan HE500. All of those except for the Montblanc's are planar magnetic. I also have Stax Lambda Pro headphones with a Stax tube amp nearby, as well as a Schitt Lyr tube headphone amp to drive full sized cans. To my rear are Shure Aonic 50 Gen 1, Philips Fidelio L3 and Master and Dynamic MW65 and MW50. Oh, I forgot OPPO PM3....also planar dynamic. I have a display case full of dynamic, orthodynamic (Yamahas from the 70s and 80s), and electrostatic cans of all ages and vintages. I also have Shure SE846, Shure SE535, Westone W80, Westone W60, Westone 3, some other in ears, and several high quality pairs of TWS in ears inclduding Sennheiser Momentum 3, B&O EQ, Google Pixel Buds Pro, Philips Fidelio T1, Samsung Buds Pro 2, and a few others.
It might sound as if I'm boasting, but I'm not unique in these forums as a collector, obsessive about sound and equipment, etc. It's the joy and pleasure of this hobby and I cite these pieces of equipment as examples of great sound, experience in this hobby, and the love of fine music, sound equipment, equipment design, enjoyment and pleasure.
I don't feel a need to EQ any of these pieces I've cited. Do they all sound the same? No. Do they each present their own version of music, tonality, timbre, sound character, etc? Definitely. Do some sound very similar? Yes. Do some sound quite different? Yes. And yet, none of them diverge enough from basic frequency response where I feel there are faults with the designs or a need to EQ. This is where I struggled so much with the PX8. From the moment I put them on, I heard that midbass hump, generally elevated bass, dip in upper mids and low highs that some on here have talked about. Call it consumer tuning, call it warm, call it syrupy, or whatever adjective you wish. To me, on much of the music I enjoy, it sounded wrong. I listen primarily to acoustic jazz, and the B&W PX8 has problems dealing with an acoustic bass being plucked by a jazz bass player. The bloat gets in the way of the rest of the music. Rhythmically there are problems when you have that kind of mid bass bloat across the upper mids and frequency spectrum, particularly when you have dips in upper mids and low highs. There were some recordings where it actually worked, but those recordings had problems that the PX8 kind of "fixed". I gave them 2 months of time to see if they broke in or if my brain adjusted....and one day about a month ago I put them on and just said, no.....these are just not good. I almost sent them back on the first night I listened to them, but had a defective pair (ANC issue) and thought I'd give them a long term listen. That was how sure I was of the problems I heard in their sound....lesson learned, trust your gut (and ears).
I probably sound like an a-hole who thinks he knows everything. But if so, I'm sorry....and I don't know everything about sound. If these sound good to many others and many here, more power to you. This is all about enjoying music, equipment and this hobby and I fully respect that. I love that you've found sound quality you love and enjoy.
At the moment I'm listening to Sennheiser Momentum 3 in ears, using AptX Adaptive, 24/96 off of Amazon Music. They sound wonderful. The B&Ws just couldn't give me what something like these, far far less expensive, can. But that's just me.
Thank you for letting me rant on. I appreciate this forum and all of the people on here and have read each and every page from day 1.
