To me “audiophile” is a derisive, mean-spirited title akin to name calling. Calling me an audiophile is offensive, same as harassing me for my ethnic background.
Well somebody's got some baggage.
I don't automatically see the term as derisive, much less when I used it to include you.
Audio means "sound,"
philos means "love," plain and simple. What you're doing is saying that Thales is the only example of loving knowledge, ie, as a philosopher - ie, lover of knowledge - contemplating the stars while walking and fell into a ditch when there are people like Aristotle who are looking down (or that Galileo looks at the heavens through a telescope instead of while walking).
I’m satisfied with anything that makes my toes tap or provides a direct easy connect to feeling the music even if it be a $50 boombox (had my share of those and liked some of them quite a bit).
Sooooooooo why did you buy a $200 headphone? And all the other stuff you're using with it? Stick with the boombox then.
TJust because I like and appreciate detail in music does not make me an audiophile. In fact, it makes me opposite. I am not chasing after perfection, which does not exist in audio especially, or squeezing the last 1% out of something or restricting what I listen to. So, let’s not mis-label me or anyone else. The day I become an audiophile is the day everything I have: gear, records, CDs etc. goes straight to the garbage without a second glance or thought, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
And just like with the difference between Thales and Aristotle (and Galileo), there are different audiophiles.
There are those who seek to get close to perfection, ie, objectivists who seek the flattest possible response given current tech, or whatever compromise they can live with.
What you speak of derisively are the subjectivists who think that what is pleasing is what counts for perfection, striving for purity in signal handling to eschew EQ while using amplifiers as equalizers.
I separate myself from the latter in terms of not using an amplifier as an equalizer, or how they influence some products to be made,
but I can't not be but also an audiophile considering I wouldn't just listen to default car speakers or some random kitchen boombox. Despite those concerns the same economy sustains our needs and there will always be somebody sane enough to not merely cater to their preferences.
I was into music at a very early age. I instinctively "listened" to music. I also took music appreciation later in college. I choose to listen to music with trained ears, NOT critical ears. I also tend to listen with my whole body and not just my ears even though I do not need to "Feel" the bass. There is a difference between "critcal" and "trained". For example: I appreciate Jethro Tull's Heavy Horses LP even if J Tull is not one of my favorites (I happen to like some if there stuff). There is a reason why they never reissued that LP these days...they don't have to, the original pressing is that good. The recording and mastering engineers can make or break and album or piece, etc.
My album reviews I do are a bit differently approached due to my method of listening I guess. I don't get into much of the technical details that bore people anyway. I approach from a more visceral direction save a few technical details as they relate biographically. I don't rate albums either in my reviews as I feel it adds interfering bias. I would much rather folks take a listen and decided if they like it or not and why).
Hence why the term derives from the Greek words for "sound" and "love."
For one, would you rather be blind or deaf? All my former bandmates chose to be deaf, because getting around as a blind guy seemed hard. I chose to be blind, because no matter how hard that is, being able to hear music is something worth living for even if I have to clean my rear feeling for the toilet paper, the bidet, and the soap. Sure I can't cook, but I can eat in a restaurant. Being deaf doesn't make a distinction between playing my own guitar or going to a concert.
The ear pads on all my cans are still like new, including my HD518s, which I have had for almost 9 years (which I am fixing to give up soon) believe it or not. I don’t use headphones that often, only as needed. I’m a speakers guy. Headphones to me are a necessary evil and I figure if it has to be, why not get something that sounds half way decent. Kind of like choosing between two terrible events to happen to you or voting where you close your eyes, hold your nose and push a random button or whatever they use.
Chances are you'd probably choose going blind over going deaf though if you were given that choice.
This is where it gets weird, because music isn't apolitical: classical composers needed Royal or noble patrons, Wagner was seen as a symbol of Germanic spirit, music has been used as protest long before Rage Against the Machine, Epica had "Cry for the Moon" that
never mind I can't mention it or Head-Fi will delete this post because you can't really discuss politics and "Facade of Reality" as a commentary on
can't mention it either along with an excerpt of a speech by
this level of forum censorship can get really limiting.
I’m afraid there may be some mis-understanding as to my bass preference. I do not like over-boosted bass at all, that is why I have not listened with my HD 518s that much in the last 9 years and am ready to give them up. They have way too much bass for me. Symphonic or orchestral Classical music through them sounds veiled and lifeless. Jazz sounds like it is white-washed. Prog rock is a frustrating problem through them. Solo piano or some of say Tori Amos’s sparser tracks sound ok. Overall though, I find the HD518s while my most comfy cans, to be muddy and messy with the over-boosted bass they have. I prefer to hear everything in the piece of music in balance and as much detail as possible. My AKG K7xx, Takstar Pro 80s, even my CB-1s and the new HD6xx all outperform the HD518s overall.
If I listened to rap or hip-hop I would go with the Beats (or stick with the HD518s) and be happy because they are voiced strictly for that. However, those genres are so far off my list they can’t be seen.
If you actually looked at the graphs that were linked above you'll see the HD650 actually has a lot of bass, just rolls off at 40hz; the CB-1 has even stronger bass at 40hz than at 60hz, where it's also much stronger than the HD650s, that is also boosted to begin with, hence why I said you preferred stronger bass.
Did you even try pushing the HD650 against your head while wearing it tighter to simulate worn out earpads? Because that can boost the low end on the HD6xx series. My HD600 on thinned out earpads sounds like molasses when driven by the Little Dot MkII.
I like balance. I like bass, mids and treble to be where they should be as much as possible, so I can hear details that draw me in. That doesn’t mean it can’t be a little fun, otherwise I would not like anything and would hate music. All speakers are colored in some way, it is just what flavor do you like. For instance, I can’t stand Majico, but I like certain Paradigms, others can’t stand Paradigm period. I can’t stand horned speakers, others can’t live without them. I prefer towers, others like bookshelf…etc. That said, the HD6xx has a wonder smooth midrange, the vocals are fantastic and scratch my eardrums and I love that! I bet if I put on some 5th Dimension I’d probably wet myself, it would sound so good in that regard. The issue is right now is they sound out of balance with the somewhat below minimum of bass, it makes music sound 2 dimensional.
As I experienced with the AKGK7xx, let’s see if things don’t change after a few more hours of use. (Might take me a good three weeks to get there or so, but ok).
They're not good with simulating depth unlike the K701, but that one pushes the bass drum too far to the rear and coupled with its roll off makes it sound like it has zero bass to most people.
If you want bass with more 3D imaging, while retaining the midrange, what you probably need is the LCD-2C.