It's an interesting read but things like poor quality recordings are exactly what i mean, alongside warm mids etc... for example would make me want to listen to more vocal/acoustic and classical it's not restricting from listening to anything else simply making you enjoy that type of music more and making you veer off from other interests...
I used to listen to a bit of everything, now i listen to about 3/4 genres every few months... I'm not disputing the all round can, but highend headphones by nature are coloured and effect how much you enjoy music... In my opinion that is anyway.
I don't think I have that problem. My TF10's have a V shaped sound signature, and my AD900's have a definite lack in bass and significantly clearer + sparkly treble and detail. I still listen to the same music on both headphones. To me, different headphones with vastly different sound signatures make the same music more interesting.
For example, rap and hip hop on my TF10's sound amazingly fun with strong, punchy beats. The smaller sound stage makes everything more in-your-face and more intimate. The same rap and hip hop on my AD900's sound completely different. It transforms the song from something fun to something layered and complex because the lack of emphasis on the lower frequencies and the higher amounts of detail and soundstage really make the song sound different. The headphone doesn't dictate the music I listen to, it just changes my viewpoint and reactions to the same songs.
That's why I'm trying to collect more headphones with different sound signatures. Since I already have the V-shaped sound sig and a sound sig that emphasizes the upper range more, I'm looking to buy a headphone that goes in the opposite direction and is darker and more laid back. That's also why I don't EQ, so I can let the headphones work their magic instead of trying to alter them to what I like.
This thread sort of has the same idea but instead of colouring it is simply the detail vs quality problem, which is another huge one... But then again a lot of 'old pop' really isn't too shabby... but i digress.
@Raguvain i do understand what your saying and while the music still sounds 'interesting' i can't help think that the original portrayal is somewhat lost and as you go up the chain of listening you tend to get 2 things happen... 1. The recording is not good enough so you want your laid back headphones... 2. those laid back headphones don't have the attack or impact of the others so you are lead down the jazz, classical, lounge ally.
I do love laid back music but sometimes i want that excitement of hearing something ridiculous on a new system and acting like a child again vs just sitting back and having 'downtime'.
Either way i realise that the post was sort of all over the place, so i can't imagine the answers to be any more direct than my vague ramblings.
I've had this happen to me too. I pretty much stopped listenig to Tool, one of my favorite bands in the world, because they just don't feel energetic with the Denon AH-D1100. Same thing with the early Soundgarden albums. They just sound tiny.
However, I can't say that these headphones are bad for rock music, because many other albums sound amazing on these. Listening to Audioslave through these is an experience. I think it has more to do with the actual mixdown of the recording rather than the headphone, or maybe a little bit of both. Tool sounds great in my car, for example. It's not really a bad recording. They just don't play well on these headphones for me.
Other than those disappointments, I'm pretty happy with these and intend to keep them as portable after I upgrade to the D2000.
In conclusion, I do believe that your headphones influence your musical preferences. Congratulations to those who have a good do-it-all headphone. I'm afraid that some of us may never find it.
Personally I found it in the LCD-2. It just do nothing wrong with any genre. Prior to getting it I had lost hope there could ever be a "one and only headphone" for me. It´s easy to find cheap speakers that pretty much do it all but it does appear like you have to pay for that with headphones.
HD 800/T1 come pretty close but both have issues that nag on me from time to time.
I haven't actually tried the LCD-2, i just assumed it was another passing craze... might be worth it... Top tier though=detail detail means i can only enjoy listening to audiophile recordings... Maybe not though, fingers crossed. I'll have to audition the the LCDs after the he-500.
I understand what your saying. It is almost like an art choosing your music once you have found a headphone sound sig that your excited about. Your always trying to regain that magic moment when you realize that it all came together. There are recordings out there that share the same sound and it makes you wonder how many mores sparkelers there are in your collection.
I see this also like musical phases. Everyone goes through those. If I understand the OPs first post. He also feels like he has slowly adapted to a set of headphones and does not want to make a change to a style of music which will not sound correct with his headphones of the month so to speak.
Then we have folks here who are stating that they mainly play one set of headphones for everything. Others in the past had a collection which almost EQed the music playback to the tone they felt was dialed in.
As my system started to evolve I did not know how to change things and I had two sets of headphones and a great amp. The combo still was not a great all allarounder and some music did not sound correct. I knew that I needed to make some fine tune changes but still didn't know what direction to take. For many new people it's finding the sound that is truly theirs. Not knowing your sound can be difficult as what you think is your sound may not stay as what you really want in the end.
Like others have stated it comes from trying as many rigs as you can get your ears on. The thrill at times is sound which comes at 360 degrees from the prior mode. There are times when just this change can be stimulating but living with it for years could get old.
The other areas that are not being addressed here are the role of amps, sources and cables affecting the sound signature. This can be an area of different opinions here at Head-Fi but I feel the other equipment around before the sound reaches the headphones can make the headphones become more of an even allarounder. When you have people who are happy with one set of headphones it has much to do with both their personal sound preference as well as all the equipment up stream.
What I'm saying here is there could be amps which are less forgiving to the music and need 5 sets of headphones to get enjoyment out of the playback. The best way to combat this is to narrow your field of musical interest so you don't have to get used to new headphones.
Some of this also comes from being a perfectionist and a little OCD! If you have the headphones you may just use them instead of being OK with second best.
I almost always listen to classic rock or metal and use AH-D7000s all the time. Placing a set of k701s on is fun just for the change but I really don't use em that much. The question is if I would be into more styles of music if I sold my AH-D7000s? This question the OP has stated could run deeper than any of us realize.
I used to listen to metal a lot, but ever since I got my W5000s, I started to listen to A LOT of Jpop now
I found that with any headphone, I'll get used to their sound signature and listen to what they're best at.
Artifacts themselves in track never cause me concern really... but harsh or painful sibilance does...
Redcarmoose is the closest to the idea i'm trying to put out there, "The question is if I would be into more styles of music if I sold my AH-D7000s?"
How the headphone dictates your listening is down to what sounds best... Even if there's truly an 'allround' headphone without it being completely flat you can never really trust that that is what you truly love... I'm not saying people haven't found their personal nirvana (no pun intended) i'm simply saying that the headphones you used to find it will effect the journey it takes you on and no doubt the end result. You only like what your sound source is offering.
Sorry its been so poorly worded, what should be different threads running through my head have sort of bled into one
I think you need to find a headphone that can handle basically everything. The challenge is finding a headphone that has excellent mids while still having a good powerful bass that isn't just a punch. Then you'll basically get whatever you need for most genres. Then simply get one that has the treble you want, rolled off smooth if you like that, or not, if you want hyper detail sounding stuff. Basically get a good neutral headphone with extension and good sound stage. That's an expensive order and hard to find. For me for example, I loved the SRH940 for it's detail and mids (more so than the K701's), and loved the PRO900's for their visceral bass (over the D2000's). But I wouldn't listen to EDM on my SRH940's and I wouldn't want acoustic on my SRH940's. So I needed a headphone that did both of those things in one headphone. For me, after many headphones, has been the HifiMAN HE-500. All my bass. All my mids. Great detailed non-sibilant treble. I love it because when I change tracks, no matter the music time, it's able to do it. I don't feel like reaching for another headphone. I don't worry about it. And this is from someone who literally had a headphone per artist. I had a headphone just for listening to Ani Difranco. Think about that. Now, I don't even change headphones (unless I'm going out, portable). So just look for the headphone that delivers at both ends. Everyone likes their intimate detail monster and everyone likes their bassy fun headphone. You need to find one that does both of those things for you.
Out of the mid-tiers, I couldn't find anything that did the bass and detailed highs and forward mids that I wanted. The DT880, SRH940, K701, etc, just didn't give me what I wanted in a single headphone, so I always ended up having at least two headphones during the day to cover my choices of music per mood. The only headphone that ever came close was the HD580 for me. But it was too laid back for me, I needed less rolled off highs for detail perception and energy. I suppose I should have tried the HE-300's, and I still might, but as for now, I found what I needed in the HE-500. Now I just play around with lower end headphones just to review as it's a hobby of mine.
I was exactly like Mal and kept different headphones for different purposes (Pro 900s for hip-hop and electronic, K701 for classical and acoustic guitar, Grados for rock and jazz), and didn't mind switching between cans. But as good as they were for some things, there were always flaws that I couldn't overlook. Then I got the LCD-2 and that headphone never leaves my head now. It does everything well and I never feel like I'm missing out on anything.
I was exactly like Mal and kept different headphones for different purposes (Pro 900s for hip-hop and electronic, K701 for classical and acoustic guitar, Grados for rock and jazz), and didn't mind switching between cans. But as good as they were for some things, there were always flaws that I couldn't overlook. Then I got the LCD-2 and that headphone never leaves my head now. It does everything well and I never feel like I'm missing out on anything.
Same here, only it was high end combos for me, like LCD2 rev1/T1/ED8, D7000/T1, HD800/LA7000, etc...and then I found the LCD-2 rev2 and that just destroyed everything else. For the first time, I hear nothing but perfection no matter the music, without a single complaint (though more comfort is always nice). Previously, I always wanted something more from any other can, and that's what led to whole complement stables... it feels fantastic to finally sit down and immerse in beautiful musical perfection. Only thing left to do for me now is grab customs for portability.
And by the way, from my very first headphone up to the end of my journey, I have NEVER changed my music just because of a headphone, and I never will. I sit right now with my ultimate headphone enjoying the same music I did with my first foray into this (D2000 ~10 months ago), along with anything new I've picked up on the way.
Seems people are getting a bit hot under the collar about headphones changing your tastes... Tastes change and however amazing one set of headphones are unless they're completely flat (along with your equipment being perfect) it's always going to be coloured more towards certain songs.
I don't want people getting up tight about trusting their money but we all know however much you spend, however much you modify, in the headphone world you're never going to get a flat exciting experience that you can listen to all music on... Being 'audiophiles' I struggle to except that you've found something 'perfect' and while i haven't heard the LCD-2s yet with all the variances in equipment people are using with them and different tastes i can't believe they're truly an absolute... If they are on the other hand, then a lot of us are still wasting money but they're almost impossible to bloody audition in the UK!
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