[tutetibiimperes]

I’ve been listening to theee all evening and I’m getting a better feel for them.

I do think the HD650/6XX comparison is apt. Everyone always talks about wanting a “super HD650” and this is that in some ways.

It’s a fatigue-free listen just like the HD650, and it improves on it with much better bass and with a proper soundstage and imaging instead of the infamous HD650 three blobs.

It doesn’t quite have the magic midrange of the HD650, but it’s close. Resolution-wise I’d say they’re similar.

 

[buidoimiennui]

Sorry Mr. Grell, my package will take one month to receive ))))

 

[kehadnb94]

Do someone wants to sell his unit to someone who’s located in Germany. If your maybe based in Europe there could be immense amount of shipping costs back to drop when returning,… so I’m here to help you out ^^

 

[kehadnb94]

Do someone wants to sell his unit to someone who’s located in Germany. If your maybe based in Europe there could be immense amount of shipping costs back to drop when returning,… so I’m here to help you out ^^

Requirement would be that you not opened the headphones. I would take them for the amount of price you paid on drop + shipping without a discount because of a somewhat second hand pair. I don’t care basically

 

[krenzler]

I think Mr. Grell needs to consider putting a slip in the box (as the first thing you see) with some text explaining the importance of pushing the cables until the click. To avoid potential silly returns. Seems like a thing.

 

[TalkOcen]

Based on all the pre-release discourse, I was expecting this headphone to be at the very least interesting. I figured it would be a crazy specialist, or so bad it’s good, or just weird in an exciting way. Alas it is none of these things.

I don’t have any fit issues myself. While my head is stupidly big, I guess my ears are up high enough that I’ve never really had fit issues with any headphone, and this is no exception. The drivers get nice and close to my ear, and the overall result is that it sounds pretty normal. None of this “Taylor Swift is in a whole other room” business. However, Taylor does sound a bit shouty at times.

This to me sounds like a pretty bog-standard consumer tuning. Lots of unrefined bass, weirdly sucked out mids while still being shouty, decently extended but kinda dry treble. Most disappointingly, there is no soundstage magic. I’m a huge soundstage-head, and the way Grell talked up this design made it sound like, even if the FR is kinda uneven, the soundstage at least should be uniquely good. Not so.

The Grellphone is not a complete mess like some of the early impressions seemed to indicate, but listening to it just feels like a giant waste of time.

Have you tried changing the driver positioning? I find the headband sits fairly far back on my head to get proper positioning for me. The sound and imaging is best when the driver is positioned directly in front of your ear, otherwise it can sound somewhat muted and the imaging off. Try some experimentation and let us know if your impression changes.

 

[Evshrug]

"blade runner main titles music" another good showcase of OAE1

Vangelis or 2049?

I think it’s pretty exciting that we’re talking about the $350-$400 headphone from a small, new company in the same breath as headphones many times it’s price.

 

[FiGuY1017]

I think expectations for something new can be let down by reality. But reality sometimes isn't as bad as it seems. For instance I had a vision in my mind what the MySphere would sound like and I had so inflated it's reproduction anything less would be a let down. What my extended listening has suggested though for me is that my expectations were unrealistic, and in reality they are actually special and do things normal headphones can't not even Susvara and now they will remain with me for as long as they aren't replaced with a MySphere 4 lol.

I'm finding the same to be true with oae1 they don't exaggerate the stage like a he1000v2 or Hd800 but will ebb and flow with the recording and are very capable of showing great insights into recordings that aren't reflective of its price.


Others see it differently and that's ok I'm not going to call you deaf of suspect for seeing it the way you do, but don't come at me sideways either trying to "prove me wrong lol (not that anyone has done so) no one can make definite statements when all impressions are that, individual responses and sound preferences

 

[JM Popaleetus]

So I think I'm fortunate enough that my head and ears fit the ‘average’ of whatever model they used in design. Because centered around my ears in a comfortable manner like I would any other pair, they sound great.

Am I brought to tears? No. Do I feel like there is too much bass, and that it's overpowering or muddy? No. Do they sound great, and better than my beige HD598s, second-gen AirPod Pros, or Nothing Ear2s? Yes. They sound on par with my first-gen Eris E5s, and better than my parent’s Vizio M512a-H6 Atmos soundbar (except for the bass).

Which is my segue, compared to a proper subwoofer, or closed-back headphones, these don't have much of what I know as bass (might be my amp?). At least none that I feel in my core:

But, if the headphones produce enough bass, people with some listening experience with natural music will perceive the vibrations of the floor or the chair without it actually vibrating. This is a psychoacoustic effect. With its tuning, the OAE1 supports this experience.

https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/1dutt9g/comment/lblgd6m/

Yeah, no, I haven't experienced that yet (again, maybe my amp?). But they definitely have more depth than any headphones I’ve owned thus far. Which, if these are truly somewhere between HD600/650s with more bass and a more approachable HD800, then for $350 I met my objective with this purchase: an upgrade from my HD598s to the ‘$500-tier’.

At this point I haven't played any games on them yet, that's next, but some listening notes:



Just wow. This track has been my favorite to listen to thus far due to the aforementioned depth, and the clarity of everything going on. Also, highly recommend playing the game if you haven't.



This is a throwback to middle school for me, but still one of my favorite songs. Steve Vai's improvised guitar throughout the track just sounds incredible, whereas it can come across as shrill at higher volumes on other headphones.



The OAE-1's faithfully recreate the shivers I felt hearing this song for the first time in 2007. It played as you were walking up one of the final staircases in Shadowfang Keep as a lead-in to the boss fight.



This is another song I like to play when listening to new speakers or headphones, and it sounds great on the OAE-1s. Normally, especially in cars, I have to EQ the treble down some as Lewis' chorus will otherwise come across very shrill.



Great song with Springsteen jam-band vibes. There is also a lot going on which can be difficult for some headphones to reproduce, or otherwise come across mumbled. For example, on the lyric "Body cam, only flams; Bleachers band only flams" many people swore Jack was saying "only fans" -- including me when I had only listened to it on laptop speakers. The OAE-1 are able to nail this song.




Bleachers is also a band who sounds so incredibly better live. Take this song, the studio mix sounds veiled to me. Still a great song, but once you hear the live recording, it opens up into an incredibly more fun song. And again, the OAE-1s just nail it. I've love for y'all to share any other examples of covers and live-recordings that sound better!

My thoughts so far.

 

[FiGuY1017]

Love Bleachers, glad you are enjoying these they are proving to be pretty special imo.

 

[alxw0w]

Do someone wants to sell his unit to someone who’s located in Germany. If your maybe based in Europe there could be immense amount of shipping costs back to drop when returning,… so I’m here to help you out ^^

Wait for me

 

[kehadnb94]

Wait for me

Thank you

 

[FiGuY1017]

Something I didn't expect was just how huge these things are . Atleast on me. But sq makes it worth it for sure

 

[kehadnb94]

Something I didn't expect was just how huge these things are . Atleast on me. But sq makes it worth it for sure

Do u consider them midfi or more like compared to a higher end model in terms of sound quantity. Like a 100 dollar Sony, or like a 200-300 Beyer or like a 500 dollar hifiman or like a 1000-2000 audeze… say something about that, please

 

[StivVid]

Many others have been opposite to this opinion, but I believe I understand what you mean.

This headphone is a conservative tuning for sure. It's not a super specialized headphone, I'd say more ever slightly different HD650 than HD800. I also agree with the consumer tuning statement.

I will say this, I don't think it's a bad headphone. However, I did expect more soundstage. I expected crazy stage almost like HE1000 levels due to how it was marketed and designed. The tuning is on the warm side. I even said it out loud when first listening. "I didn't expect it to sound this warm." If I had to guess, I expected it to be a mix between HD650 and HD700. The issue with the 700 was the shrill highs. The issue with the 650 is that it lacks upper clarity. A mix between the two would be pretty decent.

Can't fault it for the price. I'd say it's worth what it costs, and is a good comparison headphone for others in the $300-700 range.

Because I have heard so many good and excellent headphones, I have to remind myself that you don't race a Hyundai vs a Porsche. It's just not a fair comparison.

Overall I completely agree with your analogy and opinion, with the exceptions listed above. For the price I think it's a pretty solid choice, especially if you enjoy a warm sound signature. The biggest surprise for me was how warm it is.

Well worth the money, (sounds really good!) but not a standout in any one area.

Edit: One standout is the way the sound is directed at your ears vs to the side of them is kinda neat. It does give a slightly different presentation. In a consumer focused way.

To the member that said they would be at home in a best buy, I agree, but not 100%. But I completely agree with what I think you meant by that comment. Consumer tuning. They are a bit better than what you would hear at the headphone rack, but they do have a fairly common tuning signature. It's like they did a "safe tuning" so it wouldn't offend either way.

I agree with everything you've said here. I think these are good headphones, they're just not great headphones--at least not for me. Some of you seem to really be enjoying these on a level that I don't think I'm going to reach using descriptions like, "crazy good soundstage" and "holographic." If I heard those things I'd be excited too, but I don't. These sound pretty ordinary to me. Good, but nothing special. I'm bummed about that but really happy that others are having much better and different experiences than I have.