Inquisitor
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2009
- Posts
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So I just picked up a mini3 from agile_one over the weekend. I love it and I'm totally stoked. However, it seems my headphones are distorting at a volume they should be able to handle just fine (but without the amp couldn't reach). So I'm thinking my drivers may be a little more worn/abused than I previously realized. (I tested it on a seperate stereo system amp/receiver so I know it's not the Mini3). I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it though. Let me put on some music and try to describe the sound as best I can. I haven't gotten the sound description terms quite down just yet, but here it goes:
Source: CD player (or laptop with downloaded 192kbps songs, I'm swapping between them to compare)
Cable type: 3.5mm -> RCA on the cd player (or laptop) to the amp
Amp: Yamaha RX-V793 I borrowed. No effects on, bass and treble at 0 adjustment. It used to power a home theater system so I know it's got the juice.
to: 6.3mm Headphone output on the amp through my phones' stock cable
HP: DT770/80 Pro
Music: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The lost christmas eve (album)
Note: I'm just listening to this and writing as I hear things. It will be less of a list of issues and more of a step by step sonic evaluation.
I can hear a grainy hiss in the right ear, only when music is playing. More noticeable at lower volume levels. The highs sound pretty clear. The bass and lower mids seem to have a buzz to them. Its not a high pitch buzz, more of a distorted sound. Like the phones can't quite handle the bass intensity. The hiss in the right ear isn't continuous, it depends on the volume and pitch of the sound playing from the phone. Its reminds me of a hi-hat on drums, if you were to hit the hi-hat lightly with it clamped down closely, then depending on the sound playing it cuts off tight (as though you pushed down on the foot pedal to silence the hi-hat.
The bass doesn't hit smoothly, it's got more of "choppy" sound to it. This becomes far more pronounced if I increase the bass boosting that the amp offers as a knob. It seems to distort even the mids and highs when the bass hits or there is a lot of bass pushing through.
Music change: Megadeth - "Trust" because it has a lot of bassiness at the beginning.
The bass sounds like a low rumble mixed with distortion. At higher volumes (though not earshattering) everything except the highs distorts.
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I don't see why these headphones should have any problem with distortion at all. Especially since its really not trying to handle something super intense. It just seems that the drivers aren't working well with the bass. My old pair of Stanton DJ Pro 60's are handling the sound a lot better, while being a lot shallower sounding phone, even at much higher volume, the stanton's aren't distorting like my Beyers. I really hope I don't have burned out drivers or something.
Please, help me figure out what exactly is at fault here. More than likely I'll have nothing I can do to fix it, but I'd atleast like some confirmation on what the deal is. Thanks in advance.
- D
Source: CD player (or laptop with downloaded 192kbps songs, I'm swapping between them to compare)
Cable type: 3.5mm -> RCA on the cd player (or laptop) to the amp
Amp: Yamaha RX-V793 I borrowed. No effects on, bass and treble at 0 adjustment. It used to power a home theater system so I know it's got the juice.
to: 6.3mm Headphone output on the amp through my phones' stock cable
HP: DT770/80 Pro
Music: Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The lost christmas eve (album)
Note: I'm just listening to this and writing as I hear things. It will be less of a list of issues and more of a step by step sonic evaluation.
I can hear a grainy hiss in the right ear, only when music is playing. More noticeable at lower volume levels. The highs sound pretty clear. The bass and lower mids seem to have a buzz to them. Its not a high pitch buzz, more of a distorted sound. Like the phones can't quite handle the bass intensity. The hiss in the right ear isn't continuous, it depends on the volume and pitch of the sound playing from the phone. Its reminds me of a hi-hat on drums, if you were to hit the hi-hat lightly with it clamped down closely, then depending on the sound playing it cuts off tight (as though you pushed down on the foot pedal to silence the hi-hat.
The bass doesn't hit smoothly, it's got more of "choppy" sound to it. This becomes far more pronounced if I increase the bass boosting that the amp offers as a knob. It seems to distort even the mids and highs when the bass hits or there is a lot of bass pushing through.
Music change: Megadeth - "Trust" because it has a lot of bassiness at the beginning.
The bass sounds like a low rumble mixed with distortion. At higher volumes (though not earshattering) everything except the highs distorts.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________
I don't see why these headphones should have any problem with distortion at all. Especially since its really not trying to handle something super intense. It just seems that the drivers aren't working well with the bass. My old pair of Stanton DJ Pro 60's are handling the sound a lot better, while being a lot shallower sounding phone, even at much higher volume, the stanton's aren't distorting like my Beyers. I really hope I don't have burned out drivers or something.
Please, help me figure out what exactly is at fault here. More than likely I'll have nothing I can do to fix it, but I'd atleast like some confirmation on what the deal is. Thanks in advance.
- D
