[sionghchan]

Hi all,

Well, since I joined Head-fi (just a few weeks ago), I have now in my home a MS1, SR60 and just today (thanks to Violante) another pair of HD280Pro which I'm going to present to my younger brother for his birthday (hopefully help him along to be an audiophile).

Well, in testing the HD280Pro today, I am shocked to find that HD280Pro seems to be resolving more details as compared to MS1s. Tell me it ISN'T so...because otherwise, I'll just have to keep those cans and buy my younger brother another pair! I love details in cans...

Seriously though, an example is the following recording:
il Giordino Armonico: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons,
Track 6 (Final Movement of the Summer Concerto)

With the HD280Pro, I could hear the ruffling of clothes, the players taking a breath, brining up their violins and then music...

With the MS1, I just could not hear anything until the music kicks in!

I'm not sure if this is because HD280Pro is a sealed can, thus, I can hear more details as there are less disturbances from outside noises while my MS1s are open and outside sounds covers any soft details..

Anyone else found this? Or maybe your experience was the opposite..

I would REALLY like to hear from you guys..

Cheers!
Head-fi Newbie....and my wallet has already gone on strike and my wife is just about to leave me because I'm paying more attention to my cans instead of her!...

 

[apnk]

I have the sr60's and the hd280's and i find the sr60 to have more detail, but i could be wrong because i listen to the 60's more than 280's due to the hot weather.

 

[skyskraper]

your ears are not lieing to you. and you shouldnt listen to what people say in this forum in regards to what they think you should hear. you are hearing more detail, the answer is obvious.

 

[The Monkey]

What's your source? Are you amping them?

 

[12thgear]

It wouldn't surprise me if part of the difference was due to the HD 280 being closed. It does a decent job of isolating.

With the albums my friend and I listened to comparing the HD 280 to the MS-1, they seemed to have similar detail. Some of the albums were ones my friend had personally tracked and mixed, so he certainly knew what to listen for. He liked the MS-1 more, but he would never use them in the studio unless he was doing some mixing or mastering alone. He requires isolation on all his studio cans. Also, while he found the MS-1 to be nicely balanced, he likes what he calls overly analytical headphones in the studio as it accentuates edit points so he can clean things up better.

We didn't listen to any classical, so I can't comment on that.

 

[sionghchan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey What's your source? Are you amping them?

Hey "The Monkey",

Good question. Unfortunately, they were not 100% the same. Both the sources were out of cheap Panasonic players though..

HD280Pro: A cheap Panasonic Boom Box's Headphone Jack straight.

MS1: A Panasonic Discman and amped through the Pocket Amp V2 (I got the Pocket Amp V2 based on your recommendation and I'm still trying to train my ears to listen critically to see what the amp does for the MS1s.)

On a side note, what I'm finding with the PA2V2, is a VERY subtle difference...but overall, it does seem to mellow out the music a little and made the sound a little smoother and increased the soundstage a little.

In anycase, my journey into the Head-fi world as begun!!!

 

[sionghchan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by apnk I have the sr60's and the hd280's and i find the sr60 to have more detail, but i could be wrong because i listen to the 60's more than 280's due to the hot weather.

Hmmm...would you care to do some quick A/B'ing of those two cans? It would be REALLY interesting to find out which actually resolves more details..

 

[sionghchan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12thgear It wouldn't surprise me if part of the difference was due to the HD 280 being closed. It does a decent job of isolating. With the albums my friend and I listened to comparing the HD 280 to the MS-1, they seemed to have similar detail. Some of the albums were ones my friend had personally tracked and mixed, so he certainly knew what to listen for. He liked the MS-1 more, but he would never use them in the studio unless he was doing some mixing or mastering alone. He requires isolation on all his studio cans. Also, while he found the MS-1 to be nicely balanced, he likes what he calls overly analytical headphones in the studio as it accentuates edit points so he can clean things up better. We didn't listen to any classical, so I can't comment on that.

Hmmm...I suspect you are right...Both, myself and my brother thought the same thing as well. I should do some A/B'ing of those two cans in the middle of the night where it is absolute silence..

 

[sionghchan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyskraper your ears are not lieing to you. and you shouldnt listen to what people say in this forum in regards to what they think you should hear. you are hearing more detail, the answer is obvious.

Hi..

Do you have both cans and you have tried A/B'ing them?

SH

 

[skyskraper]

nope, and i don't need to. your ears are telling you one something, why ignore them?

 

[la_marquise]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sionghchan Hi all, Well, since I joined Head-fi (just a few weeks ago), I have now in my home a MS1, SR60 and just today (thanks to Violante) another pair of HD280Pro which I'm going to present to my younger brother for his birthday (hopefully help him along to be an audiophile). Well, in testing the HD280Pro today, I am shocked to find that HD280Pro seems to be resolving more details as compared to MS1s. Tell me it ISN'T so...because otherwise, I'll just have to keep those cans and buy my younger brother another pair! I love details in cans... Seriously though, an example is the following recording: il Giordino Armonico: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons, Track 6 (Final Movement of the Summer Concerto) With the HD280Pro, I could hear the ruffling of clothes, the players taking a breath, brining up their violins and then music... With the MS1, I just could not hear anything until the music kicks in! I'm not sure if this is because HD280Pro is a sealed can, thus, I can hear more details as there are less disturbances from outside noises while my MS1s are open and outside sounds covers any soft details.. Anyone else found this? Or maybe your experience was the opposite.. I would REALLY like to hear from you guys.. Cheers! Head-fi Newbie....and my wallet has already gone on strike and my wife is just about to leave me because I'm paying more attention to my cans instead of her!...

Yes! A fellow newbie with similar acquisitions and problems!

I have both the MS1 and HD280Pro, and I have to agree on the detail argument you've got here, at least for chamber and small ensemble classical. But what I found lacking in both was the soundstage required for full orchestral, opera and choral works. It was rather difficult as a result for me to enjoy listening to classical on the HD280Pro because I found the experience oppressive, and on the MS1 they were a bit too bright.

Now, I've just managed to justify why I am adding the AKG K501 and the HD580/HD600 to my collection as it is supposed to resolve the detail and soundstage problem. I think there's at least 3 threads on headphones for classical music being discussed....

Maybe you can get the wife into gaming or something. My husband doesn't complain that I pay more attention to my headphones and screaming wallet than him ever since I joined Head-fi....

 

[Kirosia]

simple Q: Did you mod the stock pads, or use HD414s (modded)? Cuase I found the stock comfy to be the worse pad, and muffled without a hole in the middle.

 

[Nak Man]

I'm with 12thgear here that the isolation made it possible to hear more details, nuances etc (considering both have roughly similar resolving ability).

With those phones in hand - if I were you I'd give SR60 to the brother.

 

[12thgear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by la_marquise I have both the MS1 and HD280Pro, and I have to agree on the detail argument you've got here, at least for chamber and small ensemble classical. But what I found lacking in both was the soundstage required for full orchestral, opera and choral works. It was rather difficult as a result for me to enjoy listening to classical on the HD280Pro because I found the experience oppressive, and on the MS1 they were a bit too bright.

The MS-1 certainly doesn't have an expansive soundstage. The few tracks I have that benefit from a bigger soundstage sound remarkably small on the MS-1. For those tracks I just break out the speakers.

 

[la_marquise]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12thgear The MS-1 certainly doesn't have an expansive soundstage. The few tracks I have that benefit from a bigger soundstage sound remarkably small on the MS-1. For those tracks I just break out the speakers.

Can't really break out the speakers as no one likes opera except me. The MS1 and the HD280 aren't soundstage cans unfortunately, as much as I love them. Amping doesn't help, or perhaps my PIMETA isn't capable?
However, I do enjoy the MS1 particularly for rock, jazz and chamber/solo pieces as the brightness and details work quite well in "lightening" up those pieces. I like my HD280s for electronica, ambient, r'n'b and hip-hop.

So I am using this to justify buying new cans. I swear, this place will be the end of me....