[pataburd]

Compared with the Elear, and to my ears, the MG's vocals, though more tonally replete and finely detailed, sound just a touch shallow.
There seems to be, across-the-board, more reach, more carry, more depth, with the Elear.
[TRACK: Andy Gibb "(Our Love) Don't Throw it All Away", Tidal 16bit/44.1kHz]

Customary HiFiMan Interjection:
The Ananda (sounding almost ethereal) convey that added vocal depth by comparison, too.
Vocals over the HE-6se v.2 sound a bit surfacene, but I think the perceived thinness may be due to insufficient power. The little SP200 is doing a respectable job with the HE-6se--and with volume knob at nearly full twist.
[TRACK: America "Children", Tidal 24bit/96kHz]

Again, the MG have a more forward and thinner/compressed sound: vocals seem primarily projected facially/nasally, rather than from the back of throat. The Elear have a fuller, deeper vocal projection, more naturally apportioned between chest, throat and facial components.
[TRACK: Lee Ritenour (guitar)/Caetano Veloso (vocal) "Voce E Linda", YouTube 32bit/384Hz]

GREAT Vocal TRACK:


. . . rounded out the night's listening with the Ananda . . .

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Not sure why but this reminds me of this episode from Steinfield
https://www.facebook.com/seinboyofficial/videos/this-pen-smells-really-bad-/599213800485586/

 

[pataburd]

Not sure why but this reminds me of this episode from Steinfield
https://www.facebook.com/seinboyofficial/videos/this-pen-smells-really-bad-/599213800485586/

Andrew_WOT,
Do you wanna talk about this?
I mean, we're all friends here, right?
(Didn't we tell you to lay off the bourbon?)

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Andrew_WOT,
Do you wanna talk about this?
I mean, we're all friends here, right?
(Didn't we tell you to lay off the bourbon?)

No man, I am sober. But this was a perfect analogy to this back and forth "I don't like them but keep coming back". Sorry if it offended anyone.
Healthy dose of self-irony usually goes a long way.
Cheers.

 

[pataburd]

No man, I am sober. But this was a perfect analogy to this back and forth "I don't like them but keep coming back". Sorry if it offended anyone.
Healthy dose of self-irony usually goes a long way.
Cheers.

Was teasing you.
NO offense taken.
Now I get it.
: )

 

[DivineCurrent]

For the Clear MG (Pro), I’ve found using EQ to reduce 1.2kHz -2dB, and raising up 4-5 kHz by 3 dB really brings out more vocal presence and clarity. This is comparing to the Sennheiser HD58X and 650 type of sound. But I’m just amazed how well these take to EQ, only headphone I have that comes close is the HE-500. Not saying they don’t sound great without EQ, but I highly recommend it if you like a more neutral Sennheiser-ish sound in the upper mids. Considering there is a dip in the 4-5kHz region on most Harman target graphs.

 

[pataburd]

Thank you. Will give it a try.

Have the Crinacle PEQ settings stored for the MG (-2.8dB@1232hz and +6.81@4385). Hadn't used them in a while and eventually began to prefer the MG unEQed.

For me, the MG simply lack that last decisive dash of (top-end) air and evidence a corresponding volumetric decrease--lack of elemental "largesse"--overall. This is subtle, but (to my ears) perceptible. Not a deal-breaker for me, but right at the cusp of "go/no-go" on my QA gauge.

 

[Saturday]

Ok, so this is weird - I'd been listening to the Utopia's all night and for giggles said "let me throw on the MG's just to see how shrill they sound in comparison...well, not only have they mellowed out, they've become a bit, um, thick. They've lost their shrieky tendencies. Now they sound congested like everything has a head cold. Almost like listening with my ears stuffed with cotton. Must be burn-in loosening them up. I'll give them a more critical listen tomorrow before ambien-time.

MGs are absolutely thick. They're the least shrill HiFi headphone I've heard. This is how they actually sound to me and I doubt more burn in will change their sound signature. The explanation for the perceived change could be from the fact you listened to a contrasting sound signature just before that.

Compared with the Elear, and to my ears, the MG's vocals, though more tonally replete and finely detailed, sound just a touch shallow.
There seems to be, across-the-board, more reach, more carry, more depth, with the Elear.

Again, the MG have a more forward and thinner/compressed sound: vocals seem primarily projected facially/nasally, rather than from the back of throat. The Elear have a fuller, deeper vocal projection, more naturally apportioned between chest, throat and facial components.

This is exactly how I perceive the Clear MG and is ultimately what pushed me towards the Utopia. The vocal tonality is thick while the actual execution is hollow. It's hard to describe but I think you did it well. It is almost like the harder edge of the sound coming from the vocal cords is removed and you're left with an airier vocal despite the fact the whole tonality of it is warmer. I guess you could simulate it yourself by talking/singing with fully engaged vocal cords and then trying the same thing but pushing more air through than your cords can engage while you're doing it.

In my experience, this happened more with male vocals than female vocals.

 

[pataburd]

Agreed. Male vocals seem to accentuate the problem outlined above more so than do female vocals.

I may one day return to the Utopia, but find myself leaning more toward planars and eStats lately, especially as my listening sessions include more and more Early/Period, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, etc., selections.

Am currently enjoying Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" (orchestrated by Ravel) with the Ananda (brass measures sound exceptional). The Stax do it just as well, or even better.

 

[ColSaulTigh]

Give a listen to Dolly Parton's cover of "Stairway to Heaven", which exactly illustrates my issue with these - her voice on this track with the MG's sounds like she's singing inside a Campbell's Soup can.

I'm going to try some other cables - I have a sneaking suspection that the cable might be the root cause of the issue...

 

[Andrew_WOT]

There could be only one "Stairway to Heaven"

 

[shafat777]

Winter MG

 

[ColSaulTigh]

There could be only one "Stairway to Heaven"

Oddly, considering how much I love Classic Rock, I never liked Led Zeppelin. One of the few bands from that era I just could never get into. The Rolling Stones is another. Can't explain it other than "eh, it's not for me".

 

[Saturday]

Give a listen to Dolly Parton's cover of "Stairway to Heaven", which exactly illustrates my issue with these - her voice on this track with the MG's sounds like she's singing inside a Campbell's Soup can.

I'm going to try some other cables - I have a sneaking suspection that the cable might be the root cause of the issue...

I dunno man, when a few different people all running different equipment come to the exact same conclusion, that makes me want to think that's how the headphones actually sound.

It's also not necessarily a bad effect. Maybe it does something like decrease the shoutiness of the vocals so that everything else can be heard better. Maybe that's what gives it this crazy sense of detail and resolution. Who knows?

I just found it distracting after I realized that's what it was doing. Others who are sensitive to shoutiness or otherwise are fine with this effect would probably have the time of their life with these cans.

 

[ColSaulTigh]

So I threw the OEM 6.5mm(1/4") cable on (3', I mean, c'mon). Changes the sound dramatically. Back to China with the cheap braided cable. Now to go buy a Norne or something....