[SomeGuyDude]

SGD: Read less, listen more

Well you certainly did prove that you read less...

 

[SomeGuyDude]

My statement that "The earcup on a headphone is directly analogous to a speaker enclosure. Vibration cannot be eliminated, only controlled. Speakers and headphones are all about the resonances." is in full agreement with the ZMF quote. You don't appear to have understood either mine nor ZMF's statement. The earcup material determines how it resonates, and therefore how it sounds.

Exactly. ZMF says, quite clearly, that the wood has an effect on the audio characteristics, but that they account for this when tuning their particular headphones. To extrapolate ZMF's statement into believing that the wood makes no difference in general is absolutely absurd and is the literal opposite to what ZMF is stating.

 

[ruinedx]

This isn't even true. They said they're TUNED to the same TARGETS, but then immediately say that different woods affect the decay, resonance, speed, and impact. Like in the text you provided ZMF lists off the effects the wood has on the speakers. They do NOT say the difference between the actual wood is just aesthetics. They're saying that the way ZMF tunes the headphones is towards the same goal regardless of wood type, NOT that the wood is irrelevant to the sound. That's why they suggest buying the one you think looks nicest, because they're TUNED to be very similar.

I will never understand how people can literally post a block of text and then claim the text they're showing states something different from what everyone can read...

Isn't that exactly what you are doing here?

The bottom line is ZMF website's conclusion and ultimate recommendation is for the customer to pick a wood type - whether the most dense, or the least dense - based on aesthetics. This is not to say that the enclosure has no impact on the sound, but rather that after tuning that impact is minimal and aesthetics becomes the most important factor for the customer to consider - other things are listed, but ZMF website recommendation suggests the customer buy the one they think looks the best and not worry about some other factor as more important. That is literally what the website says and quite telling given the entire business is based around selling different types of wood headphones.

Hence, if the driver and innards can be tuned to accommodate the materials of the enclosure, for the headphone designer the enclosure choice at outset of design is primarily aesthetics. That simple.

 

[544322]

What's with these thinly veiled epeen contests on here recently?

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Isn't that exactly what you are doing here?

The bottom line is ZMF website's conclusion and ultimate recommendation is for the customer to pick a wood type - whether the most dense, or the least dense - based on aesthetics. This is not to say that the enclosure has no impact on the sound, but rather that after tuning that impact is minimal and aesthetics becomes the most important factor for the customer to consider - other things are listed, but ZMF website recommendation suggests the customer buy the one they think looks the best. That is literally what the website says and quite telling given the entire business is based around different types wood headphones.

Wow.

Okay, this is my last attempt here.

ZMF states, for their products, that the recommendation is to pick the ones you like aesthetically, because their headphones are tuned to the same targets. This is after tuning, as you stated.

This is completely irrelevant to the discussion here, because we're talking about what happens if you swap earcups and material around. If you took ZMF's headphones and swapped all their drivers from one wooden housing to another, the headphones would sound different. This is the crux of this matter.

The crap you're posting is only material insofar as it pertains to purchasing from ZMF in particular. It means nothing here.

You brought up ZMF to try and argue against the idea that the wood cups on Grado headphones affects their sound, and when ZMF's own words prove that it does, you're now just doubling down on the fact that ZMF specifically tunes to similar targets.

I can't keep this going. This is giving me a headache. I gotta get something angry going through the Hemps to blast all this out of my skull.

 

[ruinedx]

This is completely irrelevant to the discussion here, because we're talking about what happens if you swap earcups and material around. If you took ZMF's headphones and swapped all their drivers from one wooden housing to another, the headphones would sound different. This is the crux of this matter.

The crap you're posting is only material insofar as it pertains to purchasing from ZMF in particular. It means nothing here.

You brought up ZMF to try and argue against the idea that the wood cups on Grado headphones affects their sound, and when ZMF's own words prove that it does, you're now just doubling down on the fact that ZMF specifically tunes to similar targets.

It's not irrelevant at all. My initial claim was not that if you took off the plastic back of an HD800S and put on a wood back with zero other changes that it would sound identical. My claim was that the enclosure choice is primarily an aesthetic choice by the headphone designer. And, this information provided by ZMF supports this, as they state that even with their very most polar different woods after tuning they are able to make them sound about the same - meaning that once again, the choice of enclosure is an aesthetic choice and not much more than that.

 

[G0rt]

They literally sound nothing alike except "treble." That's the only similarity. The way the peaks work, the mid-scoop on the HD700, the wildly different bass characteristics, soundstage, the list goes on. I admit it's been a hot minute since I had my HD700s and longer still since I was able to audition an RS1 against them, but no. I cannot agree here. Calling the HD700 anything like a Grado because it's "quirky and peaky" is like saying a tuna casserole is like thai food because it involves noodles and sauce.


They said they're TUNED to the same TARGETS, but then immediately say that different woods affect the decay, resonance, speed, and impact. Like in the text you provided ZMF lists off the effects the wood has on the speakers. They do NOT say the difference between the actual wood is just aesthetics. They're saying that the way ZMF tunes the headphones is towards the same goal regardless of wood type, NOT that the wood is irrelevant to the sound. That's why they suggest buying the one you think looks nicest, because they're TUNED to be very similar. ZMF states, EXPLICITLY, that wood affects the sound.

I will never understand how peoplfe can literally post a block of text and then claim the text they're showing states something different from what everyone can read...

Yeah, different spices.

I just switched between my HD700 and my RS1e, Joe Satriani catalog, and I don't find them dramatically different in most respects.

With my DOG (Deaf Old Guy) ears, I do like the Grado tuning better, but the Senns also make music, which is all I really care about.

The Dekoni Hybrids do change things, pumping the bass and smoothing the highs somewhat, which closes up the headstage slightly, but the HD700 are pretty slick.

But I won't be giving up my RS1e, either.

 

[audiobomber]

It's not irrelevant at all. My initial claim was not that if you took off the plastic back of an HD800S and put on a wood back with zero other changes that it would sound identical. My claim was that the enclosure choice is primarily an aesthetic choice by the headphone designer. And, this information provided by ZMF supports this, as they state that even with their very most polar different woods after tuning they are able to make them sound about the same - meaning that once again, the choice of enclosure is an aesthetic choice and not much more than that.

So wrong! Materials affect the sound of headphone cups, loudspeaker enclosures and phono cartridge bodies. Not even worth debating with you. Carry on.

 

[Kons]

No two different headphones are ever going to sound the same. Every single thing you change on a headphone or musical instrument will inherently change the sound. The Hemp is made out of hemp and the RS2e is made out of wood, that is a HUGE difference in how the driver will resonate in its chamber. Yes, having the same pad will make them more alike, but a pad will never simply make two totally different headphones sound the same.

The hemps are made out of a composite of Hemp and maple wood, the largest part casing the drivers are also pure maple and not the composite.
You're right about there being a difference but they are in fact still wood cups.

 

[TooFrank]

C’mon guys, let’s go back to the topic. We all know that the sound is subjective and some of the “experiments” mentioned here can never be realised. So while I hear differences between oak (hf3), maple (gk2e), cocobolo (gh2), hemp and for that sake plastic (sr80i), I know of course that this is a combination of materials, pads, drivers and tuning. But which other (brand of) headphones do age so beautifully? It is not like wine, but it is nice to see how that the wood (and leather) changes over time.......I have fallen for that....
happy listening all

 

[ACOC0NUT]

The hemps are made out of a composite of Hemp and maple wood, the largest part casing the drivers are also pure maple and not the composite.
You're right about there being a difference but they are in fact still wood cups.

Actually the Hemps have a hemp outer/rear housing and a maple inner/front housing. The hemp composite is the hemp fibers (dark parts) and the hemp stems (light parts). The maple is the part under the pad.

 

[Kons]

Actually the Hemps have a hemp outer/rear housing and a maple inner/front housing. The hemp composite is the hemp fibers (dark parts) and the hemp stems (light parts). The maple is the part under the pad.

Oh, maybe i read this wrong. Was under the impression that there's maple in the composite.

 

[elvergun]

Actually the Hemps have a hemp outer/rear housing and a maple inner/front housing. The hemp composite is the hemp fibers (dark parts) and the hemp stems (light parts). The maple is the part under the pad.

Are those painted shipibo gimbals? If they are, they look awesome.

And if they are, we NEED more pictures.

 

[iFi audio]

No, I never had the iMod iPod, just a normal iPod Classic and line out doc cable into the LISA III. I still have the iPod as a holy relic from old times.

Have you ever considered iModding it? I had an iMod many years ago and I remember that it was a significant step up over a regular 5.5G Video donor. Sorry for off-top!

 

[ACOC0NUT]

Are those painted shipibo gimbals? If they are, they look awesome.

And if they are, we NEED more pictures.

Here are your pictures

My favorite part of the Shipibo parts bis that I can angle the headband forward so it sits flat on my head better.

@Kons there were quite a few confusing or misinformed articles about these. Since hempwood is so new and unfamiliar, and maple was mentioned, people just assumed the maple was part of the hempwood. I was confused as well untill I got mine and could see the difference between the maple part of the cup and the stems in the hempwood. As you can see in the third pic above, the maple (the button) is fairly darker than the hempwood in this lighting.