A bizarre criterion for choice of headphone
…
But I think we are or in this case were a little.
Wow, I think i'll try another brand as it seems as if Grado's make people overly pedantic and obnoxious, the Grado fan club, the only place on headfi where they don't understand what mid forward means
To set the record straight, let’s use Head-Fis definition:
Forward(ness) - Similar to an aggressive sound, a sense of image being projected in front of the speakers and of music being forced upon the listener. Compare "Laid-back".
I need to admit, that I had a different understanding/wording before joining Head-Fi years ago.
Used to call this In-The-Face, but this might be resulted from different native languages.
The problem is, that on Head-Fi and maybe especially here in the GFC! we are aware that even if definitions are set and exchanged, everyone has a different hearing, ear and brain.
None is better, none of minor value.
Two things we are aware.
- There is no way to transfer your, let’s say ones, hearing experience using language. Will never be.
So we constantly need to discuss, exchange. (One of the reasons the guys won’t get rid of me.)
- There is no way to describe a components (headphone, speaker, amp, DAP, …) sound completely in measurement(s). Will never be. As an EE by trade I have to say measurement is important. Especially for Quality Management (which starts in development, not at the end of production process). But it can only give you ideas, impressions and not to often, but sometimes these are completely wrong.
If you search mid-forwardness, you‘re in the right place.
Grado headphones are the most forward headphones of all.
If you are searching for audiophile phones.
Curiosity might kill me some day, but I had several cheap pairs on my head that were slightly more…
forget about this. In every other way those make you throw them at the next wall.
The most forward Audeze I heard is the LCD-3, with HiFiMAN it’s the Arya. Both compared it‘s the Arya. None of them, no Sennheiser, Dan Clark, Focal, Stax, Fostex, …definitely no AKG, not even a Beyerdynamic can match an SR80e in terms of mid-forwardness. (The SR80x is great, but the e wins this special category in the upper mids)
Period.
Which one bests the others? Hard to say.
Some define the mid dynamics as forwardness criteria.
Half of them the speed of reaching the absolute volume of the single note.
Regarding the other half, half of them the speed a transient is build up.
Regarding the other half, half of them…
And there are those saying this or that is rubbish.
I even met a guy who loved the short and hard roll off of the single note in his combination.
I think it‘s not necessary to find the minimicro slightly more forward Grado. If, try the RS1i.
(Only my impression, ymmv.)
To really carve it out you need an amp with the fitting talents, for example a Lake People/Violectric or Chord. For digital content the fitting dac. I wouldn’t try a Burr Brown if you‘re into forwardness, better ESS or maybe best Wolfson, but it depends on the make, not only the chip.
If you want to find out if you really like forwardness grab any Grado and you get an impression.
If you want to find out where you can go try these:
RS1e
Hemp
GS3000e (Can’t have any impression about the GS3000x yet. I’m shure it will be very different.)
I got the idea (might be wrong) that you won’t find the PS series as forward as the others.
they definitely are, but they have different characteristics.
The PS substracted these 3 are endpoints in a triangle of … soundings. Don’t have a better word yet. You will instantly hear that they are all Grados. But these are the most different. If you tell us what you think/like about these maybe we can help To find the specialist old or new in the Grado workd which might be your headphone.
illustrates the point of post #55,891…
