[Lisa]

I was just listening to my HF-1 with bowls and I tried to position the bowls in different ways on my ears. If you put them a bit more to the back so part of the bowls are sitting (kind of) behind your ears they get incredibly bright!

If you rest the top of the bowls on the top and the back of your ears, so they're more to the front (i.e. closer to you nose

) then they sound a lot less bright. The soundstage is much more to the front too.

This is with bright, not too well recorded music though. I rather use the reversed senns for this music to tone it down a bit.

Come to think of it, I'm probably not the first person with these findings but still can't hurt to post it anyway.

 

[fatko]

i wanna ask Mr John Grado to show us how to wear a Grado

to produce Warm and harmonic sound as it proclaims

 

[Jahn]

you notice this the most with supraaural headphones like grados because you have the freedom to move them around your ear, unlike circumaural cans, but for the most part all headphones will do this. if you position the drivers to center down and forward on your ears, you will have more bass, less treble. if you prop them up and back on your ears, you will get more treble, less bass.

From the Meier website-

"headphone position


It's so easy, but did you ever test for the optimal position of your headphone? With many headphones the soundstage and the balance of sound are strongly dependent on the position of the driver to our ears.

Scientific research has shown that our perception of depth is increased when the driver is placed more forward and lower with respect to the entrance of the ear channel.

Experimenting doesn't cost you anything and may improve sound considerably."

 

[fatko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn you notice this the most with supraaural headphones like grados because you have the freedom to move them around your ear, unlike circumaural cans, but for the most part all headphones will do this. if you position the drivers to center down and forward on your ears, you will have more bass, less treble. if you prop them up and back on your ears, you will get more treble, less bass. From the Meier website- "headphone position It's so easy, but did you ever test for the optimal position of your headphone? With many headphones the soundstage and the balance of sound are strongly dependent on the position of the driver to our ears. Scientific research has shown that our perception of depth is increased when the driver is placed more forward and lower with respect to the entrance of the ear channel. Experimenting doesn't cost you anything and may improve sound considerably."

it really helps ! thanks Jahn !

 

[Lisa]

You're thanking the wrong Ja(h)n.

Anyway I knew about this from the Meier site and tried it with my HD25s before but never did I know that Grados could get sooo bright with bowls in the "wrong" position.

So when it comes the Grados with bowls, especially the HF-1, the 3 rules are:

1. positioning
2. positioning
3. positioning

 

[Wmcmanus]

Nice HF-1 thread, Lisa. I think I've pretty much given up on keeping the HF-1 Index Thread fresh. After 100+ threads, I guess most everyone has read what they are going to read about these things and either knows that they want a pair or knows that they don't.

 

[fatko]

damn it .... i am trying my 325i with the right position
and it is not bright anymore !

why didny i read this post earlier

 

[NotoriousBIG_PJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatko i wanna ask Mr John Grado to show us how to wear a Grado to produce Warm and harmonic sound as it proclaims

Step 1: buy a ra-1

Step 2: buy a record player

Step 3: play vinyl

Biggie.

 

[Lisa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus Nice HF-1 thread, Lisa.

Thank you Wayne.

Quote:

I think I've pretty much given up on keeping the HF-1 Index Thread fresh. After 100+ threads, I guess most everyone has read what they are going to read about these things and either knows that they want a pair or knows that they don't.

So I won't be on the list? I'm hurt.

I was the one who liked your list, remember?!?!?!

I warmed your heart, remember! Or were you just saying that?

Didn't you mean that?

I feel sad, dissapointed and whole of other words I can't even translate. And the worst part is that Santa made me feel this way!

 

[Jahn]

Every time Santa makes Lisa sad, one of Lisa's avatar kitties gets chased by a Domo!

 

[HiWire]

Thank you for justifying my initial 5-minute-fussing with positioning my cans. I was mostly doing it to match stereo imaging, but suppose it might have other benefits

More so with bowl pads than comfies, I imagine.

 

[Lisa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiWire Thank you for justifying my initial 5-minute-fussing with positioning my cans. I was mostly doing it to match stereo imaging, but suppose it might have other benefits More so with bowl pads than comfies, I imagine.

I don't know. I use senns on my MS-1s and yes more so with bowls than with senns.

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NotoriousBIG_PJ Step 1: buy a ra-1 Step 2: buy a record player Step 3: play vinyl Biggie.

Heh, yeah no joke!

Though we could expand a bit:

Step 1: buy a ra-1

Step 2: buy a record player

Step 3: buy a ph-1

Step 4: buy a grado cartridge

Step 5: play vinyl

Doing the above will produce absolutely incredible sound. It doesn't matter what the Grado cart or what the table is (okay maybe the table). I used a Grado Prestige Silver on a Thoren TD166 MK II and the sound was incredibly inviting, intimate, expansive, fine, fun etc etc etc. All the goodies that come with vinyl..and best of all, I was using this with a mere Radioshack Little Rat! Imagine if I had heard this with the PH-1!!

I then moved on to my present rig but borrowed a PH-1 and a Reference Platinum, courtesy of Beagle - WOW heaven!

Okay, enough vinyl + grado hyping. But well, I'm sold and you could be too

 

[Citizen Smith]

Lisa, funny you should start this thread cos I've been farting around with positioning of my HF-1's for the 3 days I've had them. The problem with my pair is that the headband feels loose - if I was being cynical I'd say they've been out, stretched by some big head and returned (by some HF-1 non believer, no doubt

) - and as a result when I'm laying down they gently slide down over the back of my lugholes, almost as if there's a layer of ice around the bowls.

Tried bending them back in, but it's not as easy as bending em out despite plenty of cautious effort. Hell, even a loose headband ain't gonna spoil these cans

 

[HiWire]

Don't lie down.

But seriously, my Alessandros are pretty tight on my head, and I can wear a Child size helmet. Unless you have a truly tiny head, the grip should tend towards vise-like.

Keep trying to bend that sucker in.