[Joe Bloggs]

Quote:

I do believe that it is possible to characterize the sound of the can However, IMO it should be done on the basis of the best sound possible out of the can (be it the best amp for its use, the best interconnect, or the best position on the head).

See my woes with open-air Senn HD580s, noisy house and picky brother for the 'best sound possible' out of the Sony EX70...

If you say the 'best case' I think it makes comparisons almost moot--you take the AKG K501 and amp it with the most bass-heavy amp out there and call it perfect and everything else bloated, and you try to find just the right amp to amp *really* bloated cans like the EX70 (or do what I do

) and call everything else 'thin'...

Seems to me using a neutral source / amp combination instead should be the answer.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Quote:

Originally posted by Hirsch Disclaimer: ...I'm strictly posting in the spirit of friendly debate...

Exactly. Quote:

However, if that were so, then an amp that got the bass right on the Senn would overpower the low end of a Beyer or Sony, yes? In which case we wouldn't call the Senn "light", we would call the others "bloated".

Yes, and don't think that I haven't noticed that most people find the Beyer "boomy", whereas I find it just right... Quote:

Nor is it clear that keeping the amp constant takes it out of the picture. Tube amps in particular are very sensitive to the impedence of the load.

Good point, but the Creek and the RKV in particular are pretty impervious to load. Not so sure about the X-CAN. Quote:

I do believe that it is possible to characterize the sound of the can However, IMO it should be done on the basis of the best sound possible out of the can...

Agree 100%. Which is why, when I do my comparisons, I will be using multiple amps -- to try to find the best one(s). Quote:

... (be it the best amp for its use, the best interconnect, or the best position on the head).

The "best position on head" comment was meant as an analogy. I realize there actually is a best position on head, but what I meant by that was, to some of us, headphones are going to come across differently, due to physiological differences. Like best position on head. And I don't think measuring the frequency response necessarily gives us that. Quote:

However, if it is possible to get strong tight bass out of a can, what do we say when the majority of available systems can't do it...?

I say, we do as we do here -- we qualify it. The Beyers are often described as "needing an amp". The Senns are described as "shines with an amp". The Sony's are heroes because they don't need amp. The ... what is it, the K501? ... "desperately needs a really good amp...to the point of codependence".

Your points are good ones. My point is -- and I'm not saying them to undermine yours -- that it's still ultimately subjective. Senns can have linear, flat, extended bass to a lot of people, and still seem "lite" to me -- and the intent of posting this is that I may not be alone, although it sure feels like it right now -- the Beyer can seem boomy to a lot of people and still seem just right to me, and the Sony can seem tight and extended to a lot of people, and sound elevated to me. I think I just got a fat head and maybe there are some cavity resonances that other people don't have to deal with, I don't know...