Originally Posted by
Boomeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Hi, Bilavideo,
I read your review of the ps1000s, very informative - Ive also read that the ps1000s arent exactly neutral sounding, that they dont reproduce exactly what they're asked of - they add their own distintive design to the mix. Having said that though, I also play a lot of old sources (like videogames) so something that can bring out additional quality and ritchness in an old 16bit game would be lovely
Outside of these two designs, is there any other headphone I should be looking at? Granted I idealy need to listen to these things before buying, but is there anything I havent considered in this quality range?
Thanks for everyones imput
Grados get a bad rap for lacking "neutrality." Put another way, they're "colored," and in certain audio suburbs, the "colored" need not apply. Purists of a feather . . . .
In truth, the neutrality issue is so steeped in hype, I think Ponce de Leon is still down there, trying to huck his way through. On paper, neutrality is what we're all looking for. We want "fidelity" to the original sound, with systems that represent it just as it is, or was, We say we want headphones that don't put their thumb on the scale, representing one frequency more than another.
But it never works like that. Never.
I've yet to encounter a headphone with a flat response across all frequencies in the audible spectrum. Never mind the trouble this causes makers of loudspeaker systems, systems that have the advantage of room-sized soundstages, dedicated three-way systems and a variety of strategies for implementing crossover circuits (First Order, Second Order, Third Order, et cetera). Just focusing on the major players in the market, it's obvious that nobody deals in neutrality - nobody.
In this chart, there are no "neutral" headphones. All of the major players are above flat on the bass, because we all like bass. It has been argued that we prefer a little extra when we're wearing headphones - as a compensation for all the bass we're not getting through our feet, legs and chest. Grado's 32 ohm 40mm drivers don't dig as deep as the 50 and 55mm drivers from Sennheiser and beyerdynamic. On the other hand, its 100 Hz peak (great for kickdrums) backs off much quicker than the others, so from 200 Hz to 1 kHz, Grado has flatter - and much more neutral - mids. Between 1 kHz and 15 kHz, there's no neutrality, just different peaks and valleys. To be sure, the PS1000 has more present highs, which lovers of other brands find excessive for their tastes, just as Grado lovers find their 5 dB suckouts a tad anemic.
I love to read the excuses people give for why "flat" is so important except when it's not. They'll tell you what Headroom says there should be more bass and less treble. A slight emphasis in bass is to be expected, as is the roller-coaster drop-off at the high end. "Flat," they'll tell you, is not really desirable because of ear sensitivities and the ridges in the ear. It's all just nonsense.
Sound is what sells headphones. If you like the presentation in mine more than in yours, you'll be after mine in a heartbeat. Why? Because we don't come to HeadFi for diagnostic tools. We come here for pleasure. Our headphones are an aural cigarette. They're an addiction just slightly safer than sex and drugs. If you're listening to rock, there are certain tweaks you'll respond to, at 100 Hz, 200 Hz, 500 Hz, 2 kHz and 8 kHz. You'll either want a little more or a little less of something. Maybe a little more bass will feel more authoritative. Maybe a little less of the high-mids will be a little smoother. On the other hand, you want female voices and electric guitars. Often, the top end is manipulated to create an "airier" soundstage.
For all our talk of "neutrality," truth be told, we want a little spice in the chili. If all you taste is the "purity" of your ground beef and beans, you're probably not having a very good time. On the other hand, too much coloration is about as obvious as a cheap salesman, wearing cheap cologne, selling you cheap pencils when you've got better things to do. Most of us prefer Hollywood flicks to some guy with a home camera. Most of us know that models - and their photos - are airbrushed. We just don't want the eyeliner applied with a magic marker or the eye shadow applied with a cue stick. A little bit of lip gloss is a nice thing. A lot of it is positively frightening. If white legs were really that attractive, there wouldn't be tanning salons. But too much of a good thing turns hot legs into leather.
The most neutral headphone I've enjoyed - among the current consumer offerings - is the HD800. It's a surprisingly balanced headphone, very nice, one of my all-time favorites. But from about 1.5 kHz to about 5.5 kHz, the HD800 sucks out - from a few dB to 6 dB below flat. At 6 kHz, it spikes a few dB over flat, then goes into that roller-coaster ride through to 15 kHz and beyond. Does the HF sound as if it's a little repressed? Sometimes. It's certainly not as airy through this region as a Grado. On the other hand, the HD800 is an outstanding headphone - fast, open, spacious, amazing. The fact that it's not as flat as a pancake doesn't seem to take much away from its glory.
It's all about the sound.