[Music Alchemist]

  There is an Iphone app called accudio. The developers used a lot of time and expensive equipment to make "as close to perfectly neutral" eqs for each headphone. They have a massive list you can pick from. The sound quality increase when these eqs are activated is astounding. Unfortunately they do not make this software for pc. If you can manage to rid your ipod to connect into your dac using this app...wow. Sadly The latest update ruined compatibility for my ipod4 meaning I'll have to upgrade if I want to use the app again.
The app can almost compensate for using expensive audio equipment. It really is that good.
You can also run eq under different sound sigs from different headphones. The TH900 under the shure 846 sig blew me away. I thought they were totally different headphones, and the actual sound quality improved, such as clarity and transparency, all on just the ipod.

 
Yeah, I've heard of that. Seems pretty cool...but I only listen to music on my desktop PC system. Don't own Apple devices anymore.

 

[coinmaster]

There actually is a way to rig your ipod into a dac. You need to get the usb adapter and then plug it into a powered usb hub, which will then go into the DAC. I think this is what I am doing to do. If there is one app that can completely change the characteristics of a headphone it's accudio. The main thing that gets me though is not that it has really good premade eqs, it's that it can actually improve the clarity and transparency and other such attributes.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  There actually is a way to rig your ipod into a dac. You need to get the usb adapter and then plug it into a powered usb hub, which will then go into the DAC. I think this is what I am doing to do. If there is one app that can completely change the characteristics of a headphone it's accudio. The main thing that gets me though is not that it has really good premade eqs, it's that it can actually improve the clarity and transparency and other such attributes.

 
Well, if it makes the headphone closer to neutral, the logical consequence is that it coincidingly increases the transparency.
 
But here's the thing: there are other factors to consider. Your own hearing, the shape of your ears, differences in the frequency response of your unit and the one that was measured by others, and so on. The hard way is the most accurate way.
 
In case you aren't aware of what I am referring to:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/413900/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial
http://www.head-fi.org/t/587703/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial-part-2
http://www.head-fi.org/t/615417/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-advanced-tutorial-in-progress

 

[coinmaster]

Yes, perhaps. Yet, for example the TH900. I found the transparency went through the roof on the shure 846 sig rather than the TH900 eq.
It's like a fun game really. Try as many headphone signatures as possible and see how they change the sound on your headphones.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Yes, perhaps. Yet, for example the TH900. I found the transparency went through the roof on the shure 846 sig rather than the TH900 eq.
It's like a fun game really. Try as many headphone signatures as possible and see how they change the sound on your headphones.

 
Oh! You meant experimenting with the EQ settings of other headphones. That sounds interesting as well.

 

[coinmaster]

Yeah they have an option where you can demo the sound signature of other headphones. It really is kinda fun.

 

[rovopio]

 
What I want first and foremost is the most accurate, realistic sound possible. Your thoughts are valuable to me. I'd rather see a critique of a headphone than praise alone. One of my best friends is an HD 800 freak and consistently recommends them to me. (He also likes the SR-009 more.) On the other hand, I know someone who likes the STAX SR-207 more than the HD 800, Abyss, SR-009, etc., and that headphone is far more affordable. If I were to go with the HD 800 instead of the much more expensive headphones, I could get both it and the entry-level STAX without too much trouble. But even then, I would still be curious about the other summit-fi models. XD

 


why not get the sr-207 first and see where to go from there? If your close friend with the hd800 lives in the same city with you, you can just hang out with them and listen to the hd800 without having to purchase them. At least you will know how the hd800 sounds to you in comparison to the sr-207 you've bought. If you decided then that you like what STAX offers, then you can just sell the sr-207 and get something more, like you mentioned the sr-009 or the sr-007. on the other hand, if you like the hd800 more then you can plan your system accordingly after selling the sr-207.

How hard is it to audition he-560 in your city? if it's hard then.. buy them used i guess...? I have limited experience with hd800 and he-560 so i can't reliably comment on anything ToTL at the moment..

 

[up late]

first cat among the pigeons? thx for posting coinmaster.

 

[Beagle]

  I've also compared the HD800 to the McIntosh MPH1000 headphones, I've never heard of them before actually, and while I was expecting to be surprised by the HE1000, I actually ended up being surprised by the MPH1000. IMO they sound to any standard, like a closed back HD800 with more of a "full" "lush" sound. Comparing side by side, the hd800s sounded comparatively shallow, maybe even a bit tinny. Yes I know what your thinking, the HD800s? tinny? I was kind of surprised too but that's what I heard when I swapped between them. Note that I only listened to 1 song on these which was "numb" from linkin park.
I only had a few minutes to listen to it but the sound stage difference did not seem not that big either. If anyone is looking for a closed back HD800, I can only recommend the MPH1000 at this point.
 

 
Thanks for posting your impressions. I have the MPH1000 and the HD800 so this comparison gives me something to work with when reading your take of the HE1000.

 

[Music Alchemist]

why not get the sr-207 first and see where to go from there? If your close friend with the hd800 lives in the same city with you, you can just hang out with them and listen to the hd800 without having to purchase them. At least you will know how the hd800 sounds to you in comparison to the sr-207 you've bought. If you decided then that you like what STAX offers, then you can just sell the sr-207 and get something more, like you mentioned the sr-009 or the sr-007. on the other hand, if you like the hd800 more then you can plan your system accordingly after selling the sr-207.

How hard is it to audition he-560 in your city? if it's hard then.. buy them used i guess...? I have limited experience with hd800 and he-560 so i can't reliably comment on anything ToTL at the moment..

 
I have actually stated in other posts that that is precisely what I have planned. I can import the STAX SRS-2170 system from Japan for under $400. That's something I could rather easily afford. My friend is in Australia, so that's a no-go. I'm the type of person who just buys what I want anyway, so it's not a big deal. If I like the HD 800 enough, I would also get an all-black ColorWare paint job!

If I like the SR-207, I wouldn't sell it until after getting the SR-009, SR-007, etc. and making sure that I like them more in every way. And even then, I could keep it around as a backup. I kind of get the feeling that after getting both the SR-207 and HD 800, I would keep both of them, since they would most likely complement each other.
 
I was never really interested in the HE-560.

 

[coinmaster]

   
Thanks for posting your impressions. I have the MPH1000 and the HD800 so this comparison gives me something to work with when reading your take of the HE1000.

Ah nice! Do you think my impression of the two is accurate? I'd really love to know, since my demo with the MPH1000 was so short. It may be my next headphone.

 

[money4me247]

  Thanks for posting your impressions. I have the MPH1000 and the HD800 so this comparison gives me something to work with when reading your take of the HE1000.

I read the MPH1000 was made by Beyerdynamic (confirmed by a MacIntosh rep) and is essentially an updated T1.
 
anyone get a chance to do any comparisons of the MPH1000 vs the T1?
 
edit: personal opinion, seems priced extremely high. MacIntosh brand name items are quite expensive.

 

[coinmaster]

I wasn't impressed with the T1 when I heard it. I sounded like a slightly less neutral and less impressive version of the HD800 with a bit of recessed mids. To me there wasn't really anything that made it stand out over the HD800s. It didn't quite have that "soullessness" to it that the HD800 has so I can see why people could be attracted to it considering they sound similar.
I did kind of get a little bit of t1 vibe from the MPH1000 though so I guess it makes sense. When compared side by side to the HD800s though it's hard to think of the MPH1000 as anything other than an HD800 "improved" in a closed back design. The question is how much of an improvement.

 

[kugino]

Jude's semi-review was with the yggy as the DAC. that has to account for a lot of the clarity/transparency, as early reviewers say it's the DAC to rule them all. so in the end, hard to tell from Jude. he obviously gives glowing reviews to most stuff anyway, but combine the yggy and the he1000 and it's hard to figure out which is the star.

 

[coinmaster]

Yes! The one thing I kept feeling was that the HM901 DAC was holding the whole thing back.
The reason that, even suspecting this, I reviewed the HE1000 as I did was because the HD800 side by side did such a good job against the HE1000, even on the dac that was being used.