[bigshot]

The best headphone reviews include measurements so you can see if the response curve matches your own preferences.

If your amp is sufficient there is no scientific reason why balanced makes any difference.

Trusting your ears is great, but understanding how things work will help you solve problems better. You won't try to improve sound by adjusting the wrong thing.

 

[protoss]

I have the Hifiman HE-R10P and I consider it the best closed back planar in the market at the moment. And no they do not sound like the original Sony's. More of a modern balance signature of a Susvara in a closed back. Only problem is the $5500 price tag.

 

[RockStar2005]

The best headphone reviews include measurements so you can see if the response curve matches your own preferences.

If your amp is sufficient there is no scientific reason why balanced makes any difference.

I don't think I'll ever be THAT detailed with any of my reviews though. lol But I won't argue against that logic. Makes sense, esp if you really understand all that and know your own preference in terms of response curve measurements.

Ok cool. I've never tried out a balanced connection, only a couple upgraded unbalanced cables. I couldn't hear a difference with those either, so can't say I'm shocked to hear you say that. Thanks.

 

[RockStar2005]

I have the Hifiman HE-R10P and I consider it the best closed back planar in the market at the moment. And no they do not sound like the original Sony's. More of a modern balance signature of a Susvara in a closed back. Only problem is the $5500 price tag.

$5500?!! YIKES!!

Those cone-shaped earcups are wild though, in a good way I mean! I'm sure you get a pretty wicked soundstage with cups like those.

 

[RockStar2005]

**CANCELLED MESSAGE**

 

[bigshot]

I don't think I'll ever be THAT detailed with any of my reviews

You shouldn't be reviewing about stuff that is purely subjective. That should be what you judge by for yourself. When you're shopping, you should be looking at response curves and figuring out which curves you like and which you don't. Then you don't have to depend on vague words that don't really apply to your particular ears. You have a baseline for what you're looking for. I am giving you advice you won't get in the rest of Head-Fi. We do things different in Sound Science. To be honest, this conversation is the antithesis of what we do here.

 

[protoss]

@RockStar2005

The soundstage is small. The imaging is perfect. The headphone is neutral, with the best resolution a headphone can produce today. Everything is balance and accurate. I must of got a golden pair. No problems in treble or anything. Just smooth like butter.

 

[bigshot]

Closed back is what people refer to as small soundstage, open is wider soundstage. Neither is really soundstage because that can only exist with speakers.

 

[RockStar2005]

You shouldn't be reviewing about stuff that is purely subjective. That should be what you judge by for yourself. When you're shopping, you should be looking at response curves and figuring out which curves you like and which you don't. Then you don't have to depend on vague words that don't really apply to your particular ears. You have a baseline for what you're looking for. I am giving you advice you won't get in the rest of Head-Fi. We do things different in Sound Science. To be honest, this conversation is the antithesis of what we do here.

Yeah but just b/c something is subjective doesn't mean it won't be useful. Like every review I've read or watched on the LCD-1 vs. the Sundara has said the soundstage on the Sundara is clearly larger. Though subjective, that info is still gonna be useful to people looking to buy w/o having to do their own comparisons. Though I guess you'll really never know anything for sure w/o doing just that. lol

I SHOULD be doing that, but I'm not. Cuz apparently I'm still learning what I like, despite having listened to a TON of headphones over the last 7 years. So I don't really know what my preferred response curve would like, though I have a strong feeling it's gonna be very similar to the K702's.

I do appreciate the advice. In the future, I'll strongly consider comparing response curves. Hopefully it will help, though again, I'm no audiophile. More like audiophile LITE! lol

 

[RockStar2005]

Closed back is what people refer to as small soundstage, open is wider soundstage. Neither is really soundstage because that can only exist with speakers.

Yeah, exactly. I'm just using the term soundstage with respect to headphones. I guess I was surprised to find the LCD-1 had a smaller soundstage than I'd thought, though perhaps if I did a side-to-side vs. a closed-back, it prob wouldn't seem AS small.

 

[RockStar2005]

@RockStar2005

The soundstage is small. The imaging is perfect. The headphone is neutral, with the best resolution a headphone can produce today. Everything is balance and accurate. I must of got a golden pair. No problems in treble or anything. Just smooth like butter.

Hmm, really? Ok. Certainly not what I expected given the size of those cups! lol

Man, for that price, you BETTER have gotten ALL that!!! But that's awesome though................

Only time I ever listened to anything like that was the Sennheiser Orpheus HE-1. It was at AXPONA (headphone convention), which luckily came right near me in the Chicago suburbs a few years ago. $59,000 open-back headphones and system (current price). The Sennheiser guy had Hotel California available to listen to, and listen I did. lol It was pretty spectacular, to say the least.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Something to understand befor you heading further.

"Headstage", i call it that way ^^, in headphones is mostly due to the distance of driver <-> eardrum and the cup size between or/and opening of the pads.
This creates the reverb of the "sound waves bouncing off the walls".

So one could assume that the bigger the cups = the bigger is the "headstage".
But it ain't that easy, as usual. ^^

That's the reason why it's gonna be a tough race trying to find a headphone with similar "headstage" of the K702.

Don't hang on it and be open minded.

All the best on your journey.
May great sound be with you.

 

[bigshot]

It can also depend with how well the drivers align with your particular ear canals.

 

[RockStar2005]

Something to understand befor you heading further.

"Headstage", i call it that way ^^, in headphones is mostly due to the distance of driver <-> eardrum and the cup size between or/and opening of the pads.
This creates the reverb of the "sound waves bouncing off the walls".

So one could assume that the bigger the cups = the bigger is the "headstage".
But it ain't that easy, as usual. ^^

That's the reason why it's gonna be a tough race trying to find a headphone with similar "headstage" of the K702.

Don't hang on it and be open minded.

All the best on your journey.
May great sound be with you.

Yeah. "Headstage" sounds good too, though I wonder if that will ever catch on the way soundstage has?!

Yeah I think I've always been pretty open-minded. The fact that I'd tried the LCD-1 even though I knew its "headstage" was not wide at all I think says that. lol

Thanks Chris!

 

[bigshot]

Terms are misused all the time on internet forums. The trick to the internet is to realize that not everyone who is speaking knows what they are talking about. A lot of people are speaking entirely for their own benefit and it doesn't matter to them if they are being helpful to others or not. The Dunning-Kruger Theory applies as well.