[elnero]

nierika,

I have to agree with you. I've always had a real sensitivity to high's and sibilance and I can't say that I think the 280's spike in the treble. Terribly revealing, but I don't think they spike. At first I described the highs as a bit cold and hard. I still believe this to be true, they definately don't roll off or sweeten the highs which leaves them sounding a tad bit sterile. What they do do is reveal problems with recordings or the source.

Since I got the 280's I've realized that my Soundblaster card at work is absolutely horrid. It can be tamed a bit by choosing the right media player. (I never thought I'd say it but Winamp 3 has actually been winning me over the last couple of days.) I'm also finding alot of mp3's i thought were ripped ok just plain sound bad. I had downloaded Pink Floyd's The Wall as two mp3 (yes I own the CD I just got a hackerin' to listen to it at work one day). I had thought that these were matching mp3's, same 320khz bitrate, basically the same name. On my old headphones I didn't notice any difference, with the 280's the first disc sounded wonderful the second had a real accentuation of the highs and a lot of sibilance showed through. That was when I realized the two files were from different sources. So it was not only the soundblaster but the media I was putting into it as well. The combination of the two can be almost unbearable with some mp3's.

At home I really don't have much of a problem, the only time I've really noticed any "problem" is on recordings I already knew were bad. Even then it's quite livable, nothing like the sounblaster/bad mp3 sound.

Phil

 

[Magicthyse]

Quote:

Originally posted by nierika Magicthyse, I disagree with your assertion that the HD280s spike badly in the treble. I think you are the only one on this board who has described them as such. The bass is certainly weak if you're using them on a weak output. However, if you provide them with a good amount of power and boost the bass, they're simply slammin'. And I mean sitting in the back seat of a car with an overpowered 15" Treo in the trunk slammin'. If I plug them into a Sony portable CD player or my Sound Blaster Audigy, they don't sound nearly that good. I think the "64 ohm version for use with portables" is a bit misleading. nate

I've had them on the SL-PG420A (not a portable, unless you have a generator and manservant handy...)a bit. Not very impressive, and this CD has a fairy hefty headphone amp built in. Spikey - doesn't happen with an other phone I have.

I've also had them off the TAF-E570 amp from a CDP-XE570, and they start distorting at the point where the real meat is kicking in, as it were (I ought to mention - this is on 'flat'. I had no bass problems with even the SR60 on this setting on the tracks I listened to). I've also used them from my other CDP-XE570 unamped directly off the headphone socket, and ah jeesus...

I haven't tried them on the Headline as the headphone socket is in a rather inaccessible place (thank you, idiot installers) and I just tend to leave the SR225's in there.

I don't bother using the 280 with non-fixed sources as they're too disappointing.

I don't know which version of the Audigy you have - I use a variety of soundcards - Audigy Platinum, Platinum EX, Live! Platinum, Guillemot ISIS. I actually find the 280's sound pretty good with the SB cards, as there's not quite enough power to make them distort easily, and you can do silly things on the Bass/Treble adjustment (I use typically 100% Bass/35-40% Treble setting).

You see, it's not the sound - it's the whole package. They don't have the comfort (and even after my mods they're still easily my most uncomfortable headphones), they make you look like a complete dork, the attention to design detail is missing in many ways, and as for the sound, yes it does have a great response - you can actually pick apart bass bits, then just mentally shift your attention to anything else in the rest of the frequencies, which I think is pretty amazing, but it is BORING.

And they do spike - listen to some classical recordings, and get ready to wince. The slap on the Grado SR60's and say "Fsck precision, lemme just listen to the *******ed music!"

 

[Magicthyse]

Quote:

Originally posted by nierika Magicthyse, I disagree with your assertion that the HD280s spike badly in the treble. I think you are the only one on this board who has described them as such. The bass is certainly weak if you're using them on a weak output. However, if you provide them with a good amount of power and boost the bass, they're simply slammin'. And I mean sitting in the back seat of a car with an overpowered 15" Treo in the trunk slammin'. If I plug them into a Sony portable CD player or my Sound Blaster Audigy, they don't sound nearly that good. I think the "64 ohm version for use with portables" is a bit misleading. nate

I've had them on the SL-PG420A (not a portable, unless you have a generator and manservant handy...)a bit. Not very impressive, and this CD has a fairy hefty headphone amp built in. Spikey - doesn't happen with an other phone I have.

I've also had them off the TAF-E570 amp from a CDP-XE570, and they start distorting at the point where the real meat is kicking in, as it were. I've also used them from my other CDP-XE570 unamped directly off the headphone socket, and ah jeesus - the volume is there but it's spiky city.

I haven't tried them on the Headline as the headphone socket is in a rather inaccessible place (thank you, idiot installers) and I just tend to leave the SR225's in there.

I don't bother using them with non-fixed sources as they're too disappointing.

I don't know which version of the Audigy you have - I use a variety of soundcards - Audigy Platinum, Platinum EX, Live! Platinum, Guillemot ISIS. I actually find the 280's sound pretty good with the SB cards, as there's not quite enough power to make them distort easily, and you can do silly things on the Bass/Treble adjustment (I use typically 100% Bass/35-40% Treble setting for games).

You see, it's not the sound - it's the whole package. They don't have the comfort (and even after my mods they're still easily my most uncomfortable headphones), they make you look like a complete dork, and as for the sound, yes it does have a great response - you can actually pick apart bass bits which I think is pretty amazing, but it is BORING.

People are so taken by the response of the 280's that they forget the character.

Ultimately I think I'm right in saying that most of us don't master music - we listen to it. The 280's are coming in very handy for me to disect sounds, analyse my MD recordings, etc - and also are a half-decent gaming phone - and they have a lot of other uses. But I'm not gonna sit down in my comfy chair, at my computer table, on a train, etc, and listen to music with them - that's a job for the Grado, the A-T's, the V700, and when I have a chance to listen to them possibly the Beyers.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by Magicthyse Fsck precision

fsck -y /precision


(Sorry, bad UNIX joke)

 

[BenG]

On an up side, since I wrote out my mini review, I've found another strength of the 280s - they have an excellent 'anti blobs in your head' sound. You are less aware of the ear cups with extreme left or right sounds & no crossfeed then the V6. Could the drivers be angled?

 

[averydonovan]

Well, I ordered a set of V6's from millionbuy.com. This place does seem to really have them in stock and I should have them in about a week. I did end up returning the HD 497's. They were pretty darn good headphones, but the bass was just a little underpowered, even after nearly 50 hours of use. I do remember the V6's having a more powerful bass region, and the fact that they are closed phones should help. And I've wanted those things for at least 3 years now anyways. So now its back to my 'ol Pro-35's for the week, which isn't neccessarily a bad thing since that is what I have lived with for the past 8 months anyway because they sounded pretty good for the $15 I paid for them.