[PaganDL]

Alright, I got the SRH1540 pads in last week and all I can say is wow. I was expecting a big bump in comfort, what I wasn't expecting was the amazing transformation in the sound!

After doing a bunch of A/B between my sets with the OG pads and the 1540 pads, I'll try to describe the sonic experience of both to better show what I mean.

Original:

Soundstage: quite narrow, feels like it extends just to the cups. However, feels like it extends upwards to the headband. Imagine a semi-circle with the cups and headband.

Imaging: quite precise within the soundstage, particularly for higher frequencies. Slight quirk I've noticed is that certain things dominant in one channel will sound like they're right at the top of my ear on that side. I hypothesize this is a consequence of the AMT being mounted on top for the newer revisions. The lows and mids tend to feel slightly muddled along a line directly between the ears.

Treble: there's definitely a peak somewhere in the 4-8khz range that's a little piecing to me sometimes. That upper edge tends to be a little sharp, but the rest is very rich and detailed. I suppose that's where the AMT is working its magic.

Mids: mids to upper mids are just silky and delightful. There's a bit of a drop around the lower mids that can be noticeable on certain tracks. As an example, a couple hip hop tracks I noticed the vocal track sounded recessed, like it was being drowned out by the backing track.

Bass: big and boisterous. Can get a little boomy and muddy for certain tracks. Great for movies though!

With Shure SCH1540 pads:

Soundstage: weird semi-circle effect is gone. Now imagine your head got stuck in the middle of a mini concert hall. It's great. The sound now has a 'bigness' to it. They're still closed back, but I now get a much better sense of distance.

Imaging: still great, but in particular the lows and mids are much more defined and separated.

Treble: some of that peak has definitely been smoothed out. All that's left is that silky smooth and rich tone. I'm getting a chills listening to tracks I've heard a hundred times before.

Mids: as above, the definition has increased considerably especially on the lower end. Still a bit of a dip, but it seems like it's not being as blown out by the lows and highs as before.

Lows: less boomy and muddled, still plenty of kick but much more controlled sounding.

Hi @audio_dude,

Obviously, you listen to Zeos which is not a bad thing

I look forward to trying this solution when I get the 422 h in hand to see if this does a whole lot.
One thing to credit Zeos for is his sound demos help a lot though it doesn't always give the whole picture but that's another story.

Hope you have a great day !

 

[PaganDL]

Thank you very much for your kind words!

I really hope you will manage to get what you want at a fair price!

Romania also gets the short end of the stick when it comes to certain products, so I'm also used to this...

Hi @Dobrescu George,

I agree wholeheartedly, aside from more often than not terrible exchange rate, a lot of US & Euro (not necessarily EU) products don't always ship my way either which aside from short end of stick, it makes it certainly more than a little challenging on top when just looking for potentially useful gear, let alone recommending anything.
At least, demos for some things is also better than none but still sad...

As said, one day, hopefully things will be better but for now, get what I can get, hopefully for a reasonable price vs value.

Hope you have a great day !

 

[Mojo Warrior]

Updated review of the 422H on Positive Feedback

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/ess-422h-headphones/

 

[Dobrescu George]

[No affiliate links]

ESS 422H is on sale on Massdrop! I think this is a great deal!

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/ess-422h

 

[PaganDL]

[No affiliate links]

ESS 422H is on sale on Massdrop! I think this is a great deal!

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/ess-422h

Soon, @Dobrescu George, soon...

Next round or few more rounds I think, at least Massdrop cycles reasonably well...

Not to derail but AR 1 first...

Hope you have a great day !

 

[AudioManNewb]

I was thinking of purchasing the JDS Labs The Atom would this amp be ok to use with the ESS 422h?

 

[Dobrescu George]

I was thinking of purchasing the JDS Labs The Atom would this amp be ok to use with the ESS 422h?

Looking at its tech specs, It would be more than enough,

ESS 422H doesn't require a lot of power, so even most smartphones should do just fine. I haven't tested that one, so I've no idea how it actually sounds like, but it looks alright from the spec page.

There's also FiiO K3 which should do just fine

 

[AudioManNewb]

As long as it does not hurt my headphones I already have there OL DAC.

 

[Dobrescu George]

As long as it does not hurt my headphones I already have there OL DAC.

I'm not sure, but as long as you start it at very low volumes (it seems to have a very high power rating), you should be fine

 

[AudioManNewb]

Only another thing I was looking at was the Schiit Vali 2 amp. I had a Littledot MkII but sent it back there was a humming that would not go away and got louder till you cranked it full on then it disappeared magically. Also, I had to use a cheater plug otherwise it picked up my computer mouse and other interference.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Only another thing I was looking at was the Schiit Vali 2 amp. I had a Littledot MkII but sent it back there was a humming that would not go away and got louder till you cranked it full on then it disappeared magically. Also, I had to use a cheater plug otherwise it picked up my computer mouse and other interference.

What is your price range?

I heard some of my friend's Schiit stacks and products, and none of them sounded really good, most of them sold those after our meeting, in favor of picking up iFi products or FiiO products, like xDSD, or FiiO Q5.

 

[AudioManNewb]

$150 max

 

[Dobrescu George]

$150 max

FiiO K3 is your best bet, I think, if you want to lay low with the price. It is simply outstanding at 100 USD.

Or NextDrive SpectraX, which sounds the best at that price range, if you want to add 30 USD to that 150 USD.

https://www.amazon.com/NextDrive-Spectra-Portable-USB-DAC/dp/B07HRNQ9VP

 

[PaganDL]

@Dobrescu George,

Just a random update for you, I got the 422 H & I find it enjoyable, especially once I changed stock pads which for me, more comfort issue than any real alteration to sound.

Good synergy with all my gear & reasonable value for me from last drop on MD, even with exchange rate so reasonably satisfied.

By the way, not to derail the thread or your suggestions but I would suggest to you & @AudioManNewb (it fits in his budget) to try the Loxjie P20 tube amp.
It is very good for the $ 99 USD amp category & performs quite high above its pricepoint.

I be curious to know what you think @Dobrescu George.

Keep up the good work !

Hope you have a great day !

 

[Dobrescu George]

@Dobrescu George,

Just a random update for you, I got the 422 H & I find it enjoyable, especially once I changed stock pads which for me, more comfort issue than any real alteration to sound.

Good synergy with all my gear & reasonable value for me from last drop on MD, even with exchange rate so reasonably satisfied.

By the way, not to derail the thread or your suggestions but I would suggest to you & @AudioManNewb (it fits in his budget) to try the Loxjie P20 tube amp.
It is very good for the $ 99 USD amp category & performs quite high above its pricepoint.

I be curious to know what you think @Dobrescu George.

Keep up the good work !

Hope you have a great day !

I'm really happy to hear you found comfort with them once you changed the ear pads!

I will try taking a look at that amp, seems really cool from the photos, also really affordable!