sugarkang
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2004
- Posts
- 544
- Likes
- 35
Wow, so I've been ordering headphones left and right off of Amazon trying to A/B and return whatever doesn't make the cut.
Now I know that I've been doing this all wrong. Let me explain.
So far, like many of you, I've been trying to find the headphone with the right balance of highs, mids and lows. I had come to the conclusion that any one single headphone wasn't going to do it. But IF any one, single headphone was going to get close, it would be the Beyer (and for many others of you it would be a Senn).
I've been obsessing over the details between 770 vs. 880 vs. 990 vs. ohm vs. pro, trying to find the right bass. I've been worrying about having too much treble.
No more.
The solution was DSP.
Background context: I got my DT-770 last week and have been almost happy with them, but felt something was missing. Today, I got my Asus Xonar U1 in the mail.
THIS IS WHAT I WAS MISSING.
1. I have the 32 ohm cans. You CANNOT drive these through regular hardware. YOU MUST HAVE AN AMP. To be more specific, you will not get the aural pleasure that a basshead truly needs by going from player to headphone directly. You will get sound of course, and you could even get it at a competent volume. You will not get loud, club thumping bass in your face. You need an amp (or in my case a soundcard with headphone amp built in).
2. All this obsessing over getting the right bass, mid, treble levels in addition to asking the headphone to provide an awesome soundstage is asking too much. I just turned on the virtual 7.1 dolby DSP on my soundcard and this is what I believe I've been looking for, but never knew about.
For the past hour, I've been listening to LTJ Bukem's Logical Progression (drum and bass) and holy Jesus H. Christ. You are IN the club at full volume. We frequently complain that EQing one frequency will "drown out" another frequency. That is why one headphone cannot make two people happy, let alone one person. But we've been messing with the wrong settings and looking in the wrong place.
The DSP lets your have that bass in your face experience without drowning out any other frequencies. Why? Because it's not really an increase in BASS that you need, it's the soundstage presentation that you need changed.
I'm sure you've all been to a concert where the bass rattles your bones, but the vocals and treble can pierce you as well. You get full representation of all things. Well, you cannot EQ your way to this sound. It must be done through DSP.
Now, I understand some of you purists hate DSP. This thread is not for you. But for those of you looking for what I've been looking for, give it a shot.
(OMG, this setup sounds so good)
Now I know that I've been doing this all wrong. Let me explain.
So far, like many of you, I've been trying to find the headphone with the right balance of highs, mids and lows. I had come to the conclusion that any one single headphone wasn't going to do it. But IF any one, single headphone was going to get close, it would be the Beyer (and for many others of you it would be a Senn).
I've been obsessing over the details between 770 vs. 880 vs. 990 vs. ohm vs. pro, trying to find the right bass. I've been worrying about having too much treble.
No more.
The solution was DSP.
Background context: I got my DT-770 last week and have been almost happy with them, but felt something was missing. Today, I got my Asus Xonar U1 in the mail.
THIS IS WHAT I WAS MISSING.
1. I have the 32 ohm cans. You CANNOT drive these through regular hardware. YOU MUST HAVE AN AMP. To be more specific, you will not get the aural pleasure that a basshead truly needs by going from player to headphone directly. You will get sound of course, and you could even get it at a competent volume. You will not get loud, club thumping bass in your face. You need an amp (or in my case a soundcard with headphone amp built in).
2. All this obsessing over getting the right bass, mid, treble levels in addition to asking the headphone to provide an awesome soundstage is asking too much. I just turned on the virtual 7.1 dolby DSP on my soundcard and this is what I believe I've been looking for, but never knew about.
For the past hour, I've been listening to LTJ Bukem's Logical Progression (drum and bass) and holy Jesus H. Christ. You are IN the club at full volume. We frequently complain that EQing one frequency will "drown out" another frequency. That is why one headphone cannot make two people happy, let alone one person. But we've been messing with the wrong settings and looking in the wrong place.
The DSP lets your have that bass in your face experience without drowning out any other frequencies. Why? Because it's not really an increase in BASS that you need, it's the soundstage presentation that you need changed.
I'm sure you've all been to a concert where the bass rattles your bones, but the vocals and treble can pierce you as well. You get full representation of all things. Well, you cannot EQ your way to this sound. It must be done through DSP.
Now, I understand some of you purists hate DSP. This thread is not for you. But for those of you looking for what I've been looking for, give it a shot.
(OMG, this setup sounds so good)
