HeadRoom anno 1997
- Thread starter limpidglitch
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Braver
Will upgrade headphoneswhen there's a MX600.
man, the web was terrible back then...headroom even more so
krmathis
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The website and its content certainly have improved...
Quaddy
Headphoneus Supremus
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woh! - good find
limpidglitch
Headphoneus Supremus
Thanks, and if you snoop around a little you will find some real gems, like this one about GRADO RS1 and GRADO in general:
Next, let’s talk about Grados. Usually, products get better as you go up the line. Grado sound quality seems to peak at the SR225 and then starts to go to pieces. This effect is visible in their phase response graphs. Notice how the phase problem in the higher frequencies worsens as the price of the headphones increases. (More about this in the individual headphone commentaries.) Before we proceed, there’s another point that needs to be made. Grados are often thought to have fantastic bass extension. In examining the graphs, it can be seen that their frequency response drops off quite a bit (as compared with the Sennheiser HD580 and HD600 and the Etymotic ER-4S), and that the perception of strong bass performance is more likely derived from an overall bass warmth.
The $700 RS1 is a pleasant headphone because of it’s liquid, airy sound. If the adjectives liquid and airy sufficiently describe your listening tastes, you’ll probably love the RS1. But there are some weaknesses (possibly related to the aforementioned phase quirk) of which you should be notified.
One problem is that the RS1 portrays a bizarre, "everywhere" image (like Bose speakers). Your mind ends up working overtime trying to position sounds in space. Another problem is that it suffers from an incoherence of individual sounds and tends to tie the individual threads of instruments into a single silky rope. Further, it unforgivably futzes with timbres, thinning healthy, strong tones into emaciates miniatures of the originals. The resulting sound isn’t harsh, just spacially unnatural. Finally, we all agree that the bass is rather fat and unnatural.
Our final statement is that the RS1 is probably the world’s best headphone directly out of a portable CD player. (Second best is the SR60.) That configuration would also qualify as one of the world’s greatest audio mismatches. If you want ‘em, we’ll sell ‘em to ya, but we can’t sincerely recommend them as audiophile headphones.
from here
I know it's a bit uncool to laugh about statements like this, after all, when you check out their current site you notice a massive improvement.
Kudos for daring to speak your opinions loud and clear, Tyll and co.
Ooh, and about that Bose reference.
Next, let’s talk about Grados. Usually, products get better as you go up the line. Grado sound quality seems to peak at the SR225 and then starts to go to pieces. This effect is visible in their phase response graphs. Notice how the phase problem in the higher frequencies worsens as the price of the headphones increases. (More about this in the individual headphone commentaries.) Before we proceed, there’s another point that needs to be made. Grados are often thought to have fantastic bass extension. In examining the graphs, it can be seen that their frequency response drops off quite a bit (as compared with the Sennheiser HD580 and HD600 and the Etymotic ER-4S), and that the perception of strong bass performance is more likely derived from an overall bass warmth.
The $700 RS1 is a pleasant headphone because of it’s liquid, airy sound. If the adjectives liquid and airy sufficiently describe your listening tastes, you’ll probably love the RS1. But there are some weaknesses (possibly related to the aforementioned phase quirk) of which you should be notified.
One problem is that the RS1 portrays a bizarre, "everywhere" image (like Bose speakers). Your mind ends up working overtime trying to position sounds in space. Another problem is that it suffers from an incoherence of individual sounds and tends to tie the individual threads of instruments into a single silky rope. Further, it unforgivably futzes with timbres, thinning healthy, strong tones into emaciates miniatures of the originals. The resulting sound isn’t harsh, just spacially unnatural. Finally, we all agree that the bass is rather fat and unnatural.
Our final statement is that the RS1 is probably the world’s best headphone directly out of a portable CD player. (Second best is the SR60.) That configuration would also qualify as one of the world’s greatest audio mismatches. If you want ‘em, we’ll sell ‘em to ya, but we can’t sincerely recommend them as audiophile headphones.
from here
I know it's a bit uncool to laugh about statements like this, after all, when you check out their current site you notice a massive improvement.
Kudos for daring to speak your opinions loud and clear, Tyll and co.
Ooh, and about that Bose reference.
krmathis
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limpidglitch
Headphoneus Supremus
yea, I checked it out, but you've got access to pretty much everything from here anyways.
Neat. My first portable hp amp was a Cosmic Headroom, which I still have.
tintin47
Headphoneus Supremus
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That is awesome. The grado discussion was great, and they certainly have changed their tune a bit. Also, RS-1s=airy? I have no idea where they got that from. This also reminds me of the stereophile rs-1 review in 97 or thereabouts where the reviewer was in love with the rs-1s for portable listening on his commute out of a PCDP.
apatN
Headphoneus Supremus
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Haha. Say hello to 'Todd':
Great, great, great find!
Great, great, great find!
progo
Headphoneus Supremus
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Well how about THIS?!
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TheMarchingMule
Headphoneus Supremus
^ krmathis beat you to it by a long shot!
progo
Headphoneus Supremus
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Quote:
rofler. So he did. Came to check posts and naturally I missed his post earlier
| Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^ krmathis beat you to it by a long shot!
|
rofler. So he did. Came to check posts and naturally I missed his post earlier
3DCadman
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Where's Tyll to comment?
obobskivich
Headphoneus Supremus
MOT might not allow him too? or he simply might not have seen the thread
very interesting find indeed
from the days when the internet was more "honest" and "homely", instead of CA$$$$H$$$$C@@@M
very interesting find indeed
from the days when the internet was more "honest" and "homely", instead of CA$$$$H$$$$C@@@M
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