[BigD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inkmo The Sony MDR-SA1000 looks sort of goofy to me (though comfortable). I think I would always be worrying about that little cord running between the ear cup and the headband. Seems too fragile to take out of my room. The CD900ST looks as cool as hell in a retro way (alternating blue and red). I remember the display model not sounding so hot, but there is a good chance that it was damaged, or not getting an equal feed (some of the phones at the store weren't even playing).

Inkmo, why don't you wait for the full review on SA1000/3000/5000? It could be well worth the wait. Usually the newest headphones are quite easy to sell on the forum. Of course I'm assuming with a good quality to back it up. If the review comes out positive and favorable, there will be demand for SA1000.

I would audition SA1000 and some ATs to confirm my likings.

 

[Inkmo]

Heya guys! Thanks for all the info again.

I was out in Umeda yesterday, so I took the chance to compare some of your recommendations. There are a couple of things that I feel have to be taken into account: 1. I was in a crowded store. This is both a chance to get a feel for a can's ability to isolate, but it might also provide me with an unfair bias against open phones. 2. I am pretty sure they were all hooked up to the same source, so clearly I would favor headphones with lower impedences (This is probably why I am leaning towards Audio Technicas. Are they just louder? or was this an impedence issue? I'm assuming that high impedence means 'quieter without amplification') 3. All of the headphones there are damaged in one way or another. Though it makes testing them hard, it provides me (I think) with an idea on how different models might stand up to wear and tear. 4. I was with a friend, and she was NOT interested in standing around for an hour while I tried on every set of headphones in the store repeatedly.

The 'music' at the time was a couple of DJs (male and female) at a hip hop radio station talking over a bassline between songs. Not ideal, but...

Like I said, I am leaning towards Audio Technica phones. I am hoping someone can say something to dispell my bias (like confirming my suspicions about the store not accounting for their differences in impedence, etc.) At the moment, the AT Pro700 is at the top of the pack; and it is cheaper there than at some of the internet stores I've seen. Everything about this headphone was very pronounced! Nearly painful, actually. I suppose this is what people mean when they say 'bright' or 'punchy'. I definitely think it could handle rock music longer than my ears could. I have to say that I equally liked the ATH AD700. Sound was very clear - easier to swallow I think. also more expensive. ATH A-900 seemed sort of quiet in comparison. Based on the things I've heard about these, I'm almost willing to believe something was up with the specific display model. A big plus for the Pro7s is that they are a manageable size, but you guys all know this. I don't mind looking like a space cadet, but carting around those big A900s is going to get pretty impractical...

Tried some display Sennheisser 595s and I think they sounded really good, too. Better than the A900, in fact...

The Sony SA1000's sounded really underpowered, but they have been getting good reviews. It's going to be a while before I make my purchase, and I plan to look into this carefully, so I will definitely await a review if one is being posted soon. the CD900ST struck me as nice, but I didn't spend much time with it. Of the two they had out, one had a cup that wasn't firing.

Also tried out some AKGs. They were really REALLY quiet. impedence again?

made sure to pick up everyones' catalogs. I'll look into the technics and some of the other models. Do you guys think I'm starting off wrong trying to find a single all around set of cans?


Frederick Sholdt talks about Z-chan a bit in one of his books on manga. I've read a lot of his (non mainichi daily) writings, so that's how I'm familiar with it. Of course, I'm a comics guy in Japan studying Japanese, so I guess I'm supposed to know about stuff like that. You read many comics, Zchan?

 

[zChan]

Most of my long headphone listening sessions are on portable cans, so my knowledge on full size is palty.

I read in various posts in 2Ch that AD700 is very weak on bass.

Umeda Yodobashi used to have a headphone listening booths before, but was removed because it was a fire hazard. Bummer

Never buy Senns (well, mx's are an exception) from retail store in Japan.

I think all rounder is hard because the fact that most portable cans are

cans.. Can someone say otherwise other than the 271? (Acually, I would love to know

)

I only read manga at NetCafes. Best bang for the buck, I think.

You spelled Schodt's name wrong. hehe.

 

[Inkmo]

hehe. you'll have to excuse me. I've hardly seen any english books having to do with manga in six months. I don't go to net cafes to read manga personally. I read REALLY slow (gaijin-slow) and usually have to use my dictionary if I want to really know what's going on. Probably not the best idea when you're paying by the hour. God bless Book-Off, no? zChan, I forgot to ask you, are you Japanese? Or another gaijin studying Japanese? I'd like to learn how to talk music and audio stuff in Japanese if I can...



I remember the AD700 feeling a little bass-weak, but I attributed it to the fact that I was listening to an unfamiliar open back phone in a crowded electronics store. Also, the aluminum grating was showing some wear 'n tear -- don't know if that would effect the drivers at all. Sad to see, but it also helps to inform you of how your new headphones might start to fall apart in the long run...

I'm thinking I will either get the Pro700, or some other DJ/Pro closedback cans and use them for everything, Or get an equally priced pair of open back headphones (maybe the AD9?), and then drop another fifty to eighty bucks sometime on some earbuds or clip-ons. I figured that would make for better quality home listening (good for living in the States, because I spend a lot of time with my headphones on in the kitchen either drawing comics or doing homework. I spend most of my time in Japan commuting, though...), and having a decent pair of earbuds would make for more trouble-free commuting. That, and I wouldn't have to worry about dinging my ni man yen headphones on the train...

I think I might be making too big a deal out of the supposed distortion caused by closed backs.

------------------
Also, I was reading some very interesting things about portable headphone amps the otherday at Head Room, and how they make sound clearer and more accurate by taking the stress of your headphones off your portable's power source. I have no idea if this is true, but if the effects are as noticeable as they say, it looks like I'll be saving up for *another* toy this summer!

::having a lot of fun geeking out, thanks guys::

 

[Takashi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zChan I read in various posts in 2Ch that AD700 is very weak on bass.

Geez you are quoting from 2channel. (I should have know from your sig.)
Remember, "嘘を嘘と見抜けない者は、、、" orz.

AD700 is not "very" weak on bass, in fact it has tight decent bass. But it's got more highs so bass is weaker in comparison. Take a look at h-navi.net and you'll find more credible review.


Yodobashi (and other big electornics store) feeds headphones from single crappy source but it's connected to several 7 or 8-channel splitter and god of discount shop shelf only knows how the volume is set for each headphones. Also it shrinks the difference between nicer headphones and crappier ones, as nicer ones tend to reveal the nature of crappy source. You can't really compare the sound until you find better audio shop (sorry I'm not familiar with Osaka area. Probably somewhere in Nipponbashi.) to try them.

I support the idea of going for two headphones - one for home and one for commute. That's much better than looking for one to cover all.

 

[Inkmo]

Thanks, that pretty much confirms my suspicion about the headphones display at yodobashi camera. I'll have to get out to Nipponbashi sometime and take a look around. You wouldn't happen to know how I could get there from say... the Kyobashi JR or Keihan stations would you?

and I wonder what zChan meant when he recommended that I avoid buying Senns in Japan...

 

[ayt999]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inkmo and I wonder what zChan meant when he recommended that I avoid buying Senns in Japan...

they are generally much cheaper if bought in the states.... at least that's what I noticed with their high end offerings at major retail stores.

 

[jjcha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayt999 they are generally much cheaper if bought in the states.... at least that's what I noticed with their high end offerings at major retail stores.

Yah, pretty absurdly overpriced. Gotta remember, HD650 are a lot more expensive than SA5k here in Japan...

Best,

-Jason

 

[Yukster]

I know you don't like earbuds but hows about the Audio Technica CM7? The are about in your price range, and trust me, you won't be losing too much sound wise... And they are really portable.

Also, another portable phones you might want to consider is the Sony Eggo D66. With that, you have some money left over to buy some nice clipons...

Otherwise, I think all the headphones mentioned are full sized ones, with 3 meter cords...

I think the A900 is the best of the bunch, if you can swing it... it is probably one of the ones that are easier to drive ones too...

 

[jpmikey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inkmo You wouldn't happen to know how I could get there from say... the Kyobashi JR or Keihan stations would you?

As I used to live in Kyoto, I've been Nipponbashi alot. Here is the way to get to Nipponbashi (actually you have to look for Ebisu-cyo station).

From Kyobashi, Heihan line to Hitahama then Subway Sakaisuji line to Ebisu-cyo.

Or Kyobashi, Subway Nagahori-Tsurumikyokuchi line (god, its long!) to Nagahori-bashi then change to Subway Sakaisuji line to Ebisu-cyo.

Either way, you will take just a 20 min ride.

Nipponbashi area was very crowded area before internet and Yodobashi opened in Umeda. There are still some audio-focused shops, I think. In Osaka, you can bargain in person, so try it and use your "gaijin power" there as your benefit.

Any question, just ask me or other members here. This site is much calm than 2-channel in Japan. I love here (and you guys all!) and start feeling sorry for my wallet, well, too late...

jpmikey

 

[LobsterSan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inkmo Do any of you know any good FAQs simply describing headphone attributes (signal to noise, impedence, frequency range, etc in a "these numbers are good" sort of way)? Like I said earlier, I only have a rough understanding of these things.

These statistics should always be taken with a grain of salt, as companies have their own testing systems and biases. In short, they usually don't mean much of anything, since there is no real universal standard of comparison.

One possible exception to the rule is impedance, however, which can affect how well your headphones are driven. If the phones have a high impedance (like greater than 60 ohms), then they may be more optimally driven by a powerful amplifier. This in turn would make the headphones possibly benefit from the purchase of a dedicated headphone amplifier.

As for my personal opinion, I have been pretty content thus far with my Sony MDR-V6 (NOT the V600, a different and overpriced beast entirely). Also note that the V6 is also known as the MDR-7506, which is the same headphone with a different, and usually more expensive, label. Neither of the two will break the bank, and you might be able to find a cheap source here in Japan. They fold up and are semi-portable, and they give good isolation. As well, with a simple pad swap they become very comfortable. The V6 is fairly available on the US market for around $50-$80. They give plenty of good bass, and very clear highs and detail. Some people have their problems with the V6, but to me, the value is clear and the sound fits my listening tastes. Given the option of having hundreds of more dollars at my disposal, I of course would prefer something else. But to me the V6 is a great compromise of value and great sound.

As with everything, while people's opinions are an important way to get a foothold of what's out there, trust your own ears and buy what you like. As for pricing here in Japan, while some things are cheaper here, some things are much cheaper stateside as well. You would do well to double check your pricing avenues to make sure you don't regret paying too much for something.

I wish I could give you lessons on Japanese, because that would mean my Japanese were proficient enough to do so. However, I believe you and I are in the same boat in that respect. Let me know if you find any good language resources, yea?

 

[myself, aka me]

Was the MDR-F1 at Yodobashi still missing a pad? I thought it much too bassy. I thought the SA1000 much too thin. I don't anymore. Weird that, huh?

I was comparing it to the AD700 while I had some bug. My ears were no good anymore but I thought the AD700 might be a shade too warm. I almost bought it straight out in Shibuya but decided to try nipponbashi (another confusing word. 東京のはにほん橋けど大阪のはにっぽん橋。発音が違う！Ｃｏｎｆｕｓｉｎｇ－ｔｏ－ｆｏｒｅｉ ｇｎｅｒｓ です。Or maybe i'm just stupid.

I got the SA1000 for ~19000 yen from umeda. I couldn't be bothered finding my way to nipponbasi although it can't have been too far from doubutuen-mae. I think that's a midosuji line station. I think like 5 minutes walk.

 

[zChan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Takashi Geez you are quoting from 2channel. (I should have know from your sig.) Remember, "嘘を嘘と見抜けない者は、、、" orz. AD700 is not "very" weak on bass, in fact it has tight decent bass. But it's got more highs so bass is weaker in comparison. Take a look at h-navi.net and you'll find more credible review.

Ack, Sorry for the misinfomation. Thats what happens when you quote anonymous sources eh? Much thanks for the correction Takashi.

Im a Japanese who lived in NY for most of my life. My collection of Japanese music is mostly from listening to bands that attends the Japan Rock Festival.

(Isnt it great you can rent CDs!?)

 

[Inkmo]

Hey guys, sorry to go and dig up my old thread,...

I just wanted to say that I am giving new consideration to getting some canalphones. Any suggestions? The etymotic ER-6 series of headphones seem like a pretty sure thing at first glance (I've been digging around on headroom.). You guys have any recommendations on canalphones?

Thanks. If this needs to go in a new thread, then someone tell me please.

Peace

 

[Takashi]

Not so many choice, actually. Etymotic ER-6i, Shure E2 or E3 are in your price range, you'll find lots of comments if you search in the forum.
All three are a bit cheaper if you buy in U.S.