Explain Quality?

[King-Reyes]

I am having a lot of doubts about getting me a new headphones. I don't know quality as much as you guys but what is quality in terms of a newbie? Explain boomy, muddy, screechy, and all that terms to me. I really need help to kick start me on this forums before I buy anything.

 

[Gautama]

As you wish,

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=223116

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by King-Reyes /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am having a lot of doubts about getting me a new headphones. I don't know quality as much as you guys but what is quality in terms of a newbie? Explain boomy, muddy, screechy, and all that terms to me. I really need help to kick start me on this forums before I buy anything.

boomy is bloated bass.. muddied bass is messy, not well defined bass. IMO.. More like a blob that lacks any sense of texture or clarity..

 

[King-Reyes]

Now does MDR-V6 fall into the "quality" category? How does it compare to (puts on flame suit) MDR-V700DJ

 

[Gautama]

V6 is the best of the MDR line.

 

[King-Reyes]

I know, but explain why it's the best.

 

[Gautama]

Never heard any of the Sony line, but thats the general consensus here so I can't help you.

 

[oxymoron]

Excellent glossary! Thanks for the link.

IMO, writing about sound is like writing about food (a clever chap said writing about music is like dancing about architecture...). A food critic can talk about the various flavours of a dish in a way that can leave you salivating (or disgusted); but until you taste it for yourself you will never know whether the dish is for you. Tart, sour, sweet, smooth, crunchy, creamy, pungent, light, gamey, fluffy, brittle, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth: all of these words evoke reactions based as much on chemical and emotional memory as any objective description they aim to build. But they say as much about the reviewer as about the dish itself.

Similarly, we can agree to use the terms in the glossary, but there's no way to tell whether the headphone is something that you as the individual listener will actually like. Warm, lean, bassy, harsh, neutral ... see what I mean? Maybe you'll agree with the reviewer -- but maybe not!

Anyway, another clever chap said I don't know art, but I know what I like. Listen to the V6 (or 7506) in a test with other Sony MDR's and you'll know whether Gautama's statement is true (for you). BTW, it was for me, for what that's worth.

Man, this post doesn't help, eh?!?

 

[ericlikeseatin]

you know what, ive given this some thought and here is what i think.

those terms have their meanings and their importance, but what is most important is enjoying your music. i work in the pharmaceutical industry, and for my company, quality is defined as conformance to specifications. as music lovers, a quality set of headphones will make music sound like the way we want it to. dont believe anything anyone says, only what your ears hear.

 

[werdwerdus]

Another important thing to do is to read the reviews, then listen to the headphone, and see if you can put the sounds that your are hearing to the words they used to describe sounds. Then you can start to recognize what "Warm, lean, bassy, harsh, neutral, boomy, muddy, screechy" actually sound like to YOU. Once you get comfortable with that you can read a description and be able to better visualize the sound without actually hearing the headphone. At least that's what I think, IMO, IME, etc.

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gautama /img/forum/go_quote.gif V6 is the best of the MDR line.

mdr-sa5000 is the full name of the sa5k.

 

[qazwsx]

In my opinion, the whole goal for me is to try to find a set-up that makes the music sound actually "natural" and "real". I want the vocalists to sound like they are singing right next to me, the instruments to sound like they ARE instruments. It has to actually sound like MUSIC, not just a bunch of blurb.

 

[King-Reyes]

So Head-Fiers, what songs do you listen to to demo headphones highs, mids, bass, etc. Any specific ones in mind?

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gautama /img/forum/go_quote.gif V6 is the best of the MDR line.

No its not. MDR10. MDR SA5000.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by King-Reyes /img/forum/go_quote.gif So Head-Fiers, what songs do you listen to to demo headphones highs, mids, bass, etc. Any specific ones in mind?

Listen to music you are intimately familiar with. It is even better if this is music that you've played, if you're a musician.

A bit off topic, but the title of this thread reminded of a book that dwells on quality. If you haven't already, pick up a copy of Robert Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." It's a great read.