[Ithilstone]

I wouldn't choose one that is really far away from the other.

thats interesting - never had that problem or know any one who would complain

I just split HPs for the one i like and dislike
no matter how different to others if i like them i will use them and it never sound weird

but we are all different and there are as many opinions as there are people

 

[franz12]

thats interesting - never had that problem or know any one who would complain

I just split HPs for the one i like and dislike
no matter how different to others if i like them i will use them and it never sound weird

but we are all different and there are as many opinions as there are people

Yes, that would heavily depend on one's preferences.
I am kind of a purist in the sense that I don't want to color music in a way not intended by a musician.
I know that is quite difficult.
But jumping between two completely different headphones makes me think I am coloring music, feeling guilty because I know that neutralish headphones do not sound that different each other.

 

[phthora]

I am kind of a purist in the sense that I don't want to color music in a way not intended by a musician.
I know that is quite difficult.

Impossible even. How could you possibly know what the artist intended when making music? Not to mention, whether or not they were successful in implementing their vision in the recording.

Even assuming what is in the recording is exactly as the artist intended, wouldn't you then be forced to listen to the recording on the exact equipment used to master it in order not to stray from the artist's intention? What if the artist has the wild idea that everyone should be able to listen to the music regardless of what gear they have? What then?

If you want to listen to colored or neutral gear, it doesn't matter to me. I like both. But trying to use some notion of artist's intent as a justification for that subjective preference doesn't work.

 

[franz12]

Impossible even. How could you possibly know what the artist intended when making music? Not to mention, whether or not they were successful in implementing their vision in the recording.

Even assuming what is in the recording is exactly as the artist intended, wouldn't you then be forced to listen to the recording on the exact equipment used to master it in order not to stray from the artist's intention? What if the artist has the wild idea that everyone should be able to listen to the music regardless of what gear they have? What then?

If you want to listen to colored or neutral gear, it doesn't matter to me. I like both. But trying to use some notion of artist's intent as a justification for that subjective preference doesn't work.

It worked for me very well for the last several years.
Also, exact matches are always impossible. But approximations do work well.

I don't want to deviate far from good approximations. That's it.

 

[Relaxasaurus]

What part of the frequency range do you feel is lacking with the Aryas, is it some other problem?

I don't have an issue with music reproduction or a gaping hole in the freq range when it comes to the Arya's. The reason for getting another phone is because variety is the spice of life, and after 45min or so of listening they can get fatiguing for me. Looking for something that will give a more full-bodied sound and envelope my ears in warmth, which is admittedly harder for something as open as the Arya to reproduce. My Z7's do that to some extent but doesn't have nearly the clarity of something TOTL like the Arya. It sounds like the Z1R's do (as polarizing as they are) and are the very opposite of fatiguing at the expensive of detail retrieval in the higher frequencies.

After a long day of work using something less fatiguing may fit the bill. The cool/fun part is when you switch from something like the Z7 back to the Arya's you appreciate the latter that much more.

 

[phthora]

It works for me very well for the last several years.
Also, exact matches are always impossible. But approximations do work well.

I don't want to deviate far from good approximations. That's it.

You cannot determine what is a good approximation of the artist's intent unless you know the artist's intent. And, you cannot know the artist's intent. If you want to pursue neutrality relative to the recording, that's a different matter since that doesn't require epistemic access to another person's thinking during a lengthy creative process, only minimizing objective measurable differences between source and output. It seems like the latter is what you actually mean.

 

[franz12]

You cannot determine what is a good approximation of the artist's intent unless you know the artist's intent. And, you cannot know the artist's intent. If you want to pursue neutrality relative to the recording, that's a different matter since that doesn't require epistemic access to another person's thinking during a lengthy creative process, only minimizing objective measurable differences between source and output. It seems like the latter is what you actually mean.

I am assuming that artist's intent is embedded in recording. Well, that might not be the case with some bad recording. However, that assumption is again a good approximation.

Again, there is no perfect match in the world. Even twin brothers are different. However, you can get closer by doing good approximations.

 

[Ithilstone]

I am assuming that artist's intent is embedded in recording.

that is a very good assumption but...
You would have to have same gear that was used to master and then approved by artist ( and that can be 2 compositely different setups!)
Sooo I dont even try to understand how would you like to achieve your goal not to colour the music in a way not intended by a musician.

Just enjoy the music itself and thats what every musician in the world want you to do. They do not care if you listen on best or crappiest gear or if it sound identical of quit far from what they recorded as long as you enjoy it.

 

[franz12]

that is a very good assumption but...
You would have to have same gear that was used to master and then approved by artist ( and that can be 2 compositely different setups!)
.

Not necessarily. Reasonably good gears do sound similar each other. You already know that how DACs from different companies do sound very similar.

 

[Ithilstone]

The reason for getting another phone is because variety is the spice of life, and after 45min or so of listening they can get fatiguing for me

After a long day of work using something less fatiguing may fit the bill. The cool/fun part is when you switch from something like the Z7 back to the Arya's you appreciate the latter that much more.

fatiguing or are you getting board and want a change to spice it up a bit - as if 45 min is fatiguing then it would be pretty bad in my book. ( normally i would say on a bad gear planars can get fatiguing but your gear looks on par with what planars need so thats should not be the case)

 

[Ithilstone]

Not necessarily. Reasonably good gears do sound similar each other. You already know that how DACs from different companies do sound very similar.

DACs - yes
studio monitors - yes ( but as far as i know studio engineering EQ the gear to their reference sound - thats one of the main jobs of monitors to take EQ well )
studio headphones yes ( but same as above)

Now - home audio gear like speakers, amps or most TOTL headphone unfortunately NO

 

[franz12]

DACs - yes
studio monitors - yes ( but as far as i know studio engineering EQ the gear to their reference sound - thats one of the main jobs of monitors to take EQ well )
studio headphones yes ( but same as above)

Now - home audio gear like speakers, amps or most TOTL headphone unfortunately NO

No. People can use EQ to get neutral responses. Also, there is a professional calibrator, and that is exactly what the Sonarworks does for their business. They also provide calibration services for speakers to compensate room acoustics.

Due to some technological advances, there are various ways to get closer these days.

 

[Ithilstone]

No. People can use EQ to get neutral responses. Also, there is a professional calibrator, and that is exactly what the Sonarworks does for their business. They also provide calibration services for speakers to compensate room acoustics.

Due to some technological advances, there are various ways to get closer these days.

What is neutral response?

Calibration is done before EQ
Flat response is where everything starts then there is the mastering (also EQ) to get the sound to ones taste and then you want to flatten it again?

 

[dan3952]

I don't have an issue with music reproduction or a gaping hole in the freq range when it comes to the Arya's. The reason for getting another phone is because variety is the spice of life, and after 45min or so of listening they can get fatiguing for me. Looking for something that will give a more full-bodied sound and envelope my ears in warmth, which is admittedly harder for something as open as the Arya to reproduce. My Z7's do that to some extent but doesn't have nearly the clarity of something TOTL like the Arya. It sounds like the Z1R's do (as polarizing as they are) and are the very opposite of fatiguing at the expensive of detail retrieval in the higher frequencies.

After a long day of work using something less fatiguing may fit the bill. The cool/fun part is when you switch from something like the Z7 back to the Arya's you appreciate the latter that much more.

I found Focal Clears to be fatiguing too, and I had sold them. They have a lively upper midrange that had made me turn them down a lot with certain music (the singers were shouting at me). Cymbal hits could be a bit much with rock music, though I had admired how they shimmered (with no cheaper headphone I had tried, did they sound like that). They also have a cold, metallic signature. I hadn't tried the Utopias due to my inability to afford them.

My Shure SRH1540's (which nobody talks about anymore because they've been out for so long), cost about the same as the Z7's, and are "dark" in comparison to the Clears, and "warm" (more pleasing with some music). They don't have the detail of even the cheaper Elears, but being closed back, I like how the bass slams with rock music. Listening to "Whole Lotta Love" (having one of the most bombastic bass guitar tracks ever made), I definitely prefer listening with the cheaper closed backs. Then, once I got to "Going to California", I would reach for the Clears again. "The Immigrant Song" is lively, and I would prefer a dark headphone to listen to that one. It just goes to show, there's no "one size fits all" headphone. Lively: Coldplay's "Politik". Dark: most of U2's The Joshua Tree album. Sony headphones don't seem to get much attention either, and after all, the market isn't all about planars. To replace the Shures once I can afford it, I would probably go for... the Audeze LCD-2 closed back. Audeze bass is really good, I expect their large size and heavy weight means that they have bigger magnets, able to reproduce bass well.

I found the LCD-X sounded "dark", but warmer (the upper midrange and treble can sound recessed), and could be a good rock headphone: I had it down to that one, and the Clears. I felt that the former had lots of detail as well, but didn't have the "in your face" presentation of the Focals. 4z hadn't been released yet when I was in the listening room.

 

[Jodet]

Question about materials... are the 'yokes' that attach to the cups plastic or metal?

Also - did yours have a 'new paint smell' to them when you took them out of the box? If so how long did that take to go away? I have something similar to asthma and tend to be very careful around strange smells.