[seamon]

Well feeling wanting to jump into this discussion of sibilance. I received my Wm1z and have been listening to it with the Vega till 4 am this morning. I also have the LPG Diana edition. Both the LPG and the 1Z have a spectrogram view while the music is playing so one can see the peak frequency at each moments I have been watching for sibilance ever since this discussion is going on. Frankly if sibilance rest at around 7 kHz not that many singers can reach that high. May be with instrument like cymbal but when I particularly choose some soprano pieces for instance Handel Messiah by Dunedin Consort 88.2/24 bit, there are some extremely high female vocal running in a scale and they top out around 3-4 kHz. I have owned the Vega for couple of months now and really have not heard any sibilance once, not on the 380Cu, LPG, or the Wm1Z. I'll be very interested if a reference to the music can be shared so I can listen for myself the incident of sibilance.

 
At 0:36-0:38
 
The word 'eyes" was sibilant for me with the Vega and not with U12.
 
Also at 0:40-0:42
 
The word "turn" was sibilant for me with the Vega too.
 
This has pretty much become my preliminary sibilance test.

 

[warrior1975]

Turn? How is that sibilant?

 

[Starcruncher]

Well feeling wanting to jump into this discussion of sibilance. I received my Wm1z and have been listening to it with the Vega till 4 am this morning. I also have the LPG Diana edition. Both the LPG and the 1Z have a spectrogram view while the music is playing so one can see the peak frequency at each moments I have been watching for sibilance ever since this discussion is going on. Frankly if sibilance rest at around 7 kHz not that many singers can reach that high. May be with instrument like cymbal but when I particularly choose some soprano pieces for instance Handel Messiah by Dunedin Consort 88.2/24 bit, there are some extremely high female vocal running in a scale and they top out around 3-4 kHz. I have owned the Vega for couple of months now and really have not heard any sibilance once, not on the 380Cu, LPG, or the Wm1Z. I'll be very interested if a reference to the music can be shared so I can listen for myself the incident of sibilance.

 
It is important to note that the fundamental frequency of a note is not the only frequency we hear. Musical tones, basically any pitch from any instrument including voice, is made up of many frequencies above the fundamental. This is the overtone series and every instrument has their own unique representation of the overtone series. I learned this to be called the harmonic envelope, but it likely has different names. So if someone sings or plays a middle C, we are actually hearing many other notes above it. An instruments sound quality or timbre is, in part, determined by the relationship between the fundamental note (usually the loudest/highest amplitude) and the rest of the overtones - sometimes it is a gradual decay as you go up the overtone series, but sometimes not.
 
So if a singer can "only" reach 3 kHz, they are putting out some very high frequencies on top of that note.
 
Physics is fun.

 

[james444]

Well feeling wanting to jump into this discussion of sibilance. I received my Wm1z and have been listening to it with the Vega till 4 am this morning. I also have the LPG Diana edition. Both the LPG and the 1Z have a spectrogram view while the music is playing so one can see the peak frequency at each moments I have been watching for sibilance ever since this discussion is going on. Frankly if sibilance rest at around 7 kHz not that many singers can reach that high. May be with instrument like cymbal but when I particularly choose some soprano pieces for instance Handel Messiah by Dunedin Consort 88.2/24 bit, there are some extremely high female vocal running in a scale and they top out around 3-4 kHz. I have owned the Vega for couple of months now and really have not heard any sibilance once, not on the 380Cu, LPG, or the Wm1Z.

 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibilant
 

Acoustics

Sibilants are louder than their non-sibilant counterparts, and most of their acoustic energy occurs at higher frequencies than non-sibilant fricatives. has the most acoustic strength at around 8,000 Hz, but can reach as high as 10,000 Hz. [ʃ] has the bulk of its acoustic energy at around 4,000 Hz, but can extend up to around 8,000 Hz.

 
 

I'll be very interested if a reference to the music can be shared so I can listen for myself the incident of sibilance.

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/823337/campfire-audio-vega-and-dorado-and-lyra-ii-head-fi-tv/2175#post_13111059

 

[seamon]

Turn? How is that sibilant?

Because of the way it's pronounced 

 

[warrior1975]

I'll have to check that out as I don't understand how turn could sound sibilant.

 

[seamon]

I'll have to check that out as I don't understand how turn could sound sibilant.

It's somewhat like s-turn. Difficult to explain until you listen

 

[Jalo]

It is important to note that the fundamental frequency of a note is not the only frequency we hear. Musical tones, basically any pitch from any instrument including voice, is made up of many frequencies above the fundamental. This is the overtone series and every instrument has their own unique representation of the overtone series. I learned this to be called the harmonic envelope, but it likely has different names. So if someone sings or plays a middle C, we are actually hearing many other notes above it. An instruments sound quality or timbre is, in part, determined by the relationship between the fundamental note (usually the loudest/highest amplitude) and the rest of the overtones - sometimes it is a gradual decay as you go up the overtone series, but sometimes not.

So if a singer can "only" reach 3 kHz, they are putting out some very high frequencies on top of that note.

Physics is fun.

Thanks for pointing out a good point. I just wrote a very similar post in the DX200 thread.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/791531/dx200-details-of-design-features-and-specifications-on-1st-page-updated-12-17-2016/1725#post_13112346, post 1737 about timbre and harmonics. You are right about the foundation notes, overtones and its harmonics, but going back to my listening while watching the spectrogram, you can actually catch that much easier as you are looking at the spectrogram.

May be one reason why the Vega come across that way is because of its high resolution and its capabilities in separating and/or reproducing the harmonics or overtones and does those overtones become accentuated. If it is true, it just shows the extremely high resolution and capability of the Vega.

 

[DWbirdseye]

Reading this Ken must feel like ssssssssssssssssssssssheet. 

 

[seamon]

  Reading this Ken must feel like ssssssssssssssssssssssheet. 

Don't get me wrong, Vega is by far one of the best sounding IEMs I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. The bass is unlike I have ever heard before. It has this physical presence like it's alive. If I wasn't looking for one for all IEM, Vega would definitely be among my top 3 picks. Vega is best for active songs. By now, I am pretty accustomed to sibilance with a history of sibilant gear - DT 770 -> TH-X00. Vega is nowhere near that sibilant. I hear some sibilance, I ignore it and I can still enjoy the music. My greatest dealbreaker was the fact that I can't relax while using the Vega. I have said it before, listening to relaxing music with the Vega makes me feel like being roasted alive. However, the times I am actively listening to music, no other headphone/IEM has given me the same experience as the Vega.
 
Edit:But now I feel the U12+Vega would complement each other perfectly for a borderline basshead like me. Urge to return rising.

 

[DWbirdseye]

[quote name="seamon" url="/t/823337/campfire-audio-vega-and-dorado-and-lyra-ii-head-fi-tv/2190#post_13112450"
I have said it before, listening to relaxing music with the Vega makes me feel like being roasted alive.
[/quote]

Lol!!! Does getting roasted alive feel good? Are you saying the experience is so emersive that you have to be totally commited?

 

[seamon]

[quote name="seamon" url="/t/823337/campfire-audio-vega-and-dorado-and-lyra-ii-head-fi-tv/2190#post_13112450"
I have said it before, listening to relaxing music with the Vega makes me feel like being roasted alive.

Lol!!! Does getting roasted alive feel good? Are you saying the experience is so emersive that you have to be totally commited?[/quote]

Only happens when you listen to relaxing music to try to relax

 

[DWbirdseye]

Only happens when you listen to relaxing music to try to relax

Got it.

 

[andrewphillipf]

I would hate for someone who's considering the Vega to read the last couple pages and get cold feet.
 
I personally hear no sibilance (I only use foam) and they are well worth the money; relatively speaking.

 

[seamon]

  I would hate for someone who's considering the Vega to read the last couple pages and get cold feet.
 
I personally hear no sibilance (I only use foam) and they are well worth the money; relatively speaking.

This. Last couple pages was extreme nit-picking of an almost perfect product for its price.