[monkeymadness]

I want to learn more about the music I listen to and the equipment I use.

For starters I have a pair of ER-6i's. IF I compare them to some other earbuds or headphones I have, how do I know what to listen for in order to understand which is better? I mean, how do you know so distinctly in all these threads which has better highs, lows and mids? If the bass is "punchy" or "flat" etc...sounds like a very very subjective rating system. Like wine tasting.

Please tell me what to look for when listening to a pair of IEM's and how to evaluate if they are good objectively (for anyone) and subjectively (for my personal tastes).

Thanks

 

[Jahn]

Have fun spending many many hours sweating through all the terms in this glossary.
Then trust your ears and post "it sounds good" here, and nod your head because you know you just typed the truth.

 

[Meyvn]

True objectivity is impossible, because you can never say that clarity, soundstage, better FR, et cetera, are objectively better than a muddy, condensed sound. It's all subjective to a degree. You can, however, objectively say that something has more bass, more soundstage, more detail, et cetera, than another. I'd recommend listening to your favorite recordings that you know very well in the highest quality format possible (CD, wave, vinyl, et cetera), and just listen to see if anything different jumps out at you between one headphone and another. It doesn't take an expert to notice the important things.

 

[Asr]

You're already half-way there since you're on Head-Fi.

You already know what bass is, all you really need to do is listen to more headphones.

Most instruments in music are part of the mid-range. Obvious exceptions are the violins, harp, some percussion...you get the idea.

Highs are the instruments I just mentioned and then some. Also harmonics.

As long as the music sounds great to your ears that's all that matters for the subjective test. For the objective test, well that's where experience comes in - you just have to try as many headphones as possible and get familiar with how one sounds, then move on to another.

 

[milkpowder]

Listen to a lot of music using a lot of different gear. Start by just listening very carefully to all the nuances and details in the music. Then try different gear and try to compare the sound from one set-up to another. Eventually, you'll have trained your ears to become "audiophile-worthy".

Whatever you do, enjoy your music.

 

[gdeth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder Listen to a lot of music using a lot of different gear. Start by just listening very carefully to all the nuances and details in the music. Then try different gear and try to compare the sound from one set-up to another. Eventually, you'll have trained your ears to become "audiophile-worthy". Whatever you do, enjoy your music.

listen to a lot of REAL music... go to concerts, go see shows, go play an instrument, etc... enjoy your music.

to the OP, there's another kind of audiophile; the ones that lose the music by all the gear they get. you mean one of those?

 

[Jamey Warren]

Listening to live, acoustic or un-amped music is an excellent way to train your ear. The more you can do that, the better your 'reference' will be. Then, comparing your recorded music and headphones to your experience with live music should allow you to hear when something sounds closer to the real thing.

 

[mypasswordis]

Read my sig.

Just kidding

Indeed, just listen to as many headphones as you can, compare what you find with what other people find, of course listen to real live music to see what the headphones sound like in comparison to said live music, and you'll get a pretty good idea of what you're looking for.

 

[mateo05]

It's a lot easier once you actually have different headphones to compare. Also, try to pick out test music that emphasizes something you're looking for. It may still be difficult and take some time, I know I personally can't say much about midrange unless it slaps me in the face like on the R10.

 

[1967cutlass]

To become an audiophile the first thing you need to do is STOP listening to music. Only listen to the equipment. And when around other people or places, do not, under any circumstances, enjoy music that isn't reproduced perfectly. Spend most of your income buying equipment to listen to, and don't bother buying very many CD's. Just get a couple of "reference" ones because that's all you'll need to tune your equipment.

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1967cutlass To become an audiophile the first thing you need to do is STOP listening to music. Only listen to the equipment. And when around other people or places, do not, under any circumstances, enjoy music that isn't reproduced perfectly. Spend most of your income buying equipment to listen to, and don't bother buying very many CD's. Just get a couple of "reference" ones because that's all you'll need to tune your equipment.

For that very reason I refuse to ever buy "Jazz at the Pawnshop."

 

[warubozu]

You will notice the differences between cans and related gear in time when your ears begin to get accustomed to certain sonic signatures. The more time you spend listening to various cans and gear with your reference music you will begin to get a taste of what appeals to your listening needs and what you don't like. Don't expect your ears to notice the differences overnight, even with ears that are well trained you can always expect to hear certain things out of certain cans and gear that you've never noticed hearing before.

 

[mateo05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1967cutlass To become an audiophile the first thing you need to do is STOP listening to music. Only listen to the equipment. And when around other people or places, do not, under any circumstances, enjoy music that isn't reproduced perfectly. Spend most of your income buying equipment to listen to, and don't bother buying very many CD's. Just get a couple of "reference" ones because that's all you'll need to tune your equipment.

Just FYI, it is very very possible for one to have a relatively small CD collection, and/or spend a lot more on gear, and still strongly enjoy and listen to the music itself. Not all listening habits are the same.

 

[RollsDownWindowsManually]

Search for audiophile in wikipedia and that will pretty much explain it.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Turn and run while you still can!