[thebratts]

If I were to venture a somewhat educated guess, I’d say that it’s around 7-8kHz. It aids vocal articulation more than anything, and it can introduce sibilance if properly aggravaged or ill-paired.

I can confirm from my testning that lowering the 8khz on my wm1z help with sibilance that can be annoying on some records... I also notice that I experience sibilance more or less depending if I'm having a cold or not. E.g. more when not 100% ear/nose/headwize.. I think I can actually hear a cold coming this way
.

 

[olddude]

With my Astell SP100SS I get no sibilance using the Zeus, but I can get a bit of splash way up there if the track is poorly mastered. Fortunately I don't listen to new music so no issues there. My test tracks (The Beatles Taxman and Todd Rundgren's Something, Anything) for problems in that area never go to sibilance, but they let me know I've got a bright source and an IEM that has far-reaching treble.

 

[thebratts]

Btw that sibilance that I can hear sometimes are no where to be found on the ve8. And it's also more related to the recordings than zeus itself i would say.. The ve8 is more forgiving, which is why it basically works with any genre or recording (that I've found).
For the zeus I think a bit more about what I choose to listen to, or I bring it for the days where I'm into "singer/songwriter" mode. Not a negative per se since the zeus bring something extra in the genres they seem designed for...

 

[Deezel177]

Btw that sibilance that I can hear sometimes are no where to be found on the ve8. And it's also more related to the recordings than zeus itself i would say.. The ve8 is more forgiving, which is why it basically works with any genre or recording (that I've found).
For the zeus I think a bit more about what I choose to listen to, or I bring it for the days where I'm into "singer/songwriter" mode. Not a negative per se since the zeus bring something extra in the genres they seem designed for...

I definitely agree with your sentiments. The VE8 has the smoother top-end, but how similarly they extend is responsible for how well the VE8 performs in terms of resolution and transparency. The Zeus wins out on articulation and clarity, but as you said, it is less forgiving as a result.

 

[olddude]

I just listened to a bunch of Donald Fagan (Steely Dan) solo work. He makes exceptionally clean recordings with a wide (wiiiiide) tonal range. Deep bass and very high trebles with everything in-between. Sort of jazz/rock with impeccable playing/mixing/mastering. And it can be complex (not orchestral complex, but lots going on). The Zeus handled it flawlessly, not a bit of anything other than clean and precise reproduction. Especially the upper end, of which there is so much going on, and yet never even a hint of splash or sibilance.

Not that the Zeus can't struggle with a recording. Marshall Crenshaw's self-titled album can really push the Zeus' upper end right up to the edge of ouch, its treble is so hot. But I'd rather have an IEM (and source DAP) that could get to the edge, rather than a set that smoothed out everything no matter how poorly it was mixed/mastered. I like a bit of wild in my music. That's one reason I moved away from DSD, it all just seemed so genteel and controlled.

 

[NaiveSound]

Btw that sibilance that I can hear sometimes are no where to be found on the ve8. And it's also more related to the recordings than zeus itself i would say.. The ve8 is more forgiving, which is why it basically works with any genre or recording (that I've found).
For the zeus I think a bit more about what I choose to listen to, or I bring it for the days where I'm into "singer/songwriter" mode. Not a negative per se since the zeus bring something extra in the genres they seem designed for...

What Genres do you believe Zeus was designed for?

 

[subguy812]

I just listened to a bunch of Donald Fagan (Steely Dan) solo work. He makes exceptionally clean recordings with a wide (wiiiiide) tonal range. Deep bass and very high trebles with everything in-between. Sort of jazz/rock with impeccable playing/mixing/mastering. And it can be complex (not orchestral complex, but lots going on). The Zeus handled it flawlessly, not a bit of anything other than clean and precise reproduction. Especially the upper end, of which there is so much going on, and yet never even a hint of splash or sibilance.

Not that the Zeus can't struggle with a recording. Marshall Crenshaw's self-titled album can really push the Zeus' upper end right up to the edge of ouch, its treble is so hot. But I'd rather have an IEM (and source DAP) that could get to the edge, rather than a set that smoothed out everything no matter how poorly it was mixed/mastered. I like a bit of wild in my music. That's one reason I moved away from DSD, it all just seemed so genteel and controlled.

I also use Donald Fagan and the last two studio CD's from Steely Dan for the reasons you mentioned. The Last Mall and Gaslighting Abby are both great songs to use.

 

[proedros]

The Nightfly - Donald Fagen is a great record - amazing sonic quality btw - and makes great company to those masterful Steely Dan albums in the late 70s (aja/royal scam/gaucho) which are true masterpieces

btw ,seeing we live in an era where music puppets like Bruno Mars win Grammy of The Year and ''plastic turned feminism icons'' like Beyonce are considered groundbreaking artists - makes me really sad about how shi.tty music has turned (mostly) those last 15-20 years.

then again , Internet is just one click away , so i guess if the majority wants to listen to Mcdonalds music , well so be it.

 

[subguy812]

The Nightfly - Donald Fagen is a great record - amazing sonic quality btw - and makes great company to those masterful Steely Dan albums in the late 70s (aja/royal scam/gaucho) which are true masterpieces

btw ,seeing we live in an era where music puppets like Bruno Mars win Grammy of The Year and ''plastic turned feminism icons'' like Beyonce are considered groundbreaking artists - makes me really sad about how shi.tty music has turned (mostly) those last 15-20 years.

then again , Internet is just one click away , so i guess if the majority wants to listen to Mcdonalds music , well so be it.

The Nightfly was a great CD. Morph the Cat was also good.

 

[olddude]

so i guess if the majority wants to listen to Mcdonalds music , well so be it.

I like Michael McDonald. I thought you liked Soul music.

Today it was Snowbound, On The Dunes, Century's End, and some others from the Cheap Xmas set. I have a Fagan playlist with all of Nightfly + selected others from his solo oeuvre. All in glorious hi-def. I find that Gaucho, in hi-def, and Aja are great ways to listen critically to equipment. If I can hear the very top end AND the bottom end in the start of Aja, I know that my IEMs/source are delivering what I want/need. The cymbal transition on Jackson Browne's For Everyman's Take It Easy to Our Lady Of the Well for the same reason (with the Shure 846 it was totally absent). I have songs for lower end (George Michael's Outside has a great bassline that punches in twice at the end of the song, for example), and even others for the mids (Patti Austin singing The Look Of Love and For Once In My Life, Thomas Dolby's I Love You Goodbye, Timbuk 3's Easy, Billy Idol's Eyes Without A Face, anything by the Beatles).

Today just happened to be the part of the playlist after the end of Nightfly, so I got to enjoy the Zeus doing its thing (along with the Astell) and making me smile while it was doing so. Something about walking down the street listening to $6K of sound equipment with excellent sound files just puts a smile on my face.

 

[proedros]

mcdonalds as in ''plastic burger'' music

i know you are joking but still it was a nice one , i like your posts man you may be an old dude but you are wise and keeping a young at heart mentality

 

[subguy812]

a Beyonce burger?

 

[thebratts]

What Genres do you believe Zeus was designed for?

Well, perhaps that's simplifying it a bit in retrospect..
For me it's more what the Zeus is more suited for compared to my other options.
Almost anything Vocal really brings the best out in the Zeus, sure it can be used for rock/pop but it's where the VE8 is better hence to me the zeus was made for other genres.

I can also go for the "best" recording with the best sound.. But sometime i just want to listen to good songs and stamp my feet no matter how it was recorded and what year, and that is where i feel that to mee the VE8 has the upper hand.
However when i really want to enjoy listening i usually so far use my Zeus and put on some Zelmani, Torrini, Obel, band of horses, and those kind of artists which i enjoy both musically and also how they sound with the Zeus.
Actually also my all time favorites Depeche Mode also sounds quite good with the Zeus. Or why not Alphavilles: forever young record(can't believe it's 35 years old, still going strong and in some strange way sounding fresh..). (Also good with the VE8 )
But, a bit of increase in bass and a slight drop at 8khz makes the ZEUS more versatile to me, e..g can almost touch the VE8 when rocking it. or similar well, Muse, Live, Bush, Oasis, Kent, White lies and the likes..

You can see that i'm probably way more "mainstream" then some others here, but i still want it to sound great.

EDIT:
My top 20 all time played artists according ot last.fm are: (just so you get to know me, and what i'm looking for to sound great out of my CIEMS)..
Sophie Zelmani, Muse, Kent, Depeche Mode, Coldplay, White Lies, Keane ,Goldfrapp, Robyn, Emiliana Torrini, Snow Patrol, Biffy Clyro, The Music, Jack Johnson, Adele, Madonna, Pendulum, Steel Train, Band of Horses

Well some artists not there that has been getting airtime lately are, Agnes Obel, Daft Punk and Soley. Two of them discovered watching the excellent "DARK" series on Netflix.

 

[NaiveSound]

Well, perhaps that's simplifying it a bit in retrospect..
For me it's more what the Zeus is more suited for compared to my other options.
Almost anything Vocal really brings the best out in the Zeus, sure it can be used for rock/pop but it's where the VE8 is better hence to me the zeus was made for other genres.

I can also go for the "best" recording with the best sound.. But sometime i just want to listen to good songs and stamp my feet no matter how it was recorded and what year, and that is where i feel that to mee the VE8 has the upper hand.
However when i really want to enjoy listening i usually so far use my Zeus and put on some Zelmani, Torrini, Obel, band of horses, and those kind of artists which i enjoy both musically and also how they sound with the Zeus.
Actually also my all time favorites Depeche Mode also sounds quite good with the Zeus. Or why not Alphavilles: forever young record(can't believe it's 35 years old, still going strong and in some strange way sounding fresh..). (Also good with the VE8 )
But, a bit of increase in bass and a slight drop at 8khz makes the ZEUS more versatile to me, e..g can almost touch the VE8 when rocking it. or similar well, Muse, Live, Bush, Oasis, White lies and the likes..
You can see that i'm probably way more "mainstream" then some others here, but i still want it to sound great.

Does anyone use Zeus for electronic music minimal, techno, ect...

 

[subguy812]

Does anyone use Zeus for electronic music minimal, techno, ect...

EDM... The Zeus does fine for EDM but I prefer other IEMs more for that genre.