[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not having tried Aristaeus, I had been assuming Aristaeus must not be a good match for HE90 from your comments, but since you are not greatly impressed by HE90/ES-1, which I think "should" be good enough for mere mortals, I think most of us are simply not seeing what you are desperately trying to achieve specifically with the music YOU love.

LOL, the Aristaeus is a lovely match with the HE-90...

 

[Dimitris]

If it doesn't sound right to your ears then thats what is important. I am sure you wont have a problem getting rid of your pair.

At the NYC meet last fall I kept coming back to the Omega II no matter how many different setups I have tried with the Orpheus. I guess my old ears like a more laid back sound.

 

[webbie64]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dimitris /img/forum/go_quote.gif If it doesn't sound right to your ears then thats what is important.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjcha /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...the right balance of superlative resolution, accurate, but not oversharpened, transient detail, 3D imaging and proper separation that you get the sense of a concrete, tangible voice, presence in your head. I think I've described it as artificially realistic - One that's startling in its tangibility, one that gives the illusion of a physical form that obviously cannot exist. This is my sound. Just give me something that has a texture and image width and depth that touches on the illusion of the real.

Thoroughly agree. The enjoyment of the music is what it's all about, regardless of the equipment. If it gets close to that sense of 'reality' then it's doing the job IMHO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilvg /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have three HE90's and they all sound different. I did this little experiment where I bow out the bottom of the cups a little to create a little more space between my ears and the diaphragm... however I have to keep my fingers in place to get the effect. It thins out the midrange just a bit, but it adds a lot of bass... and its not particularly bloated, just more impactful and fuller... it seems to have more time to develop with the added distance. Also the soundstage is wider and the presentation feels less closed in the bubble of the enclosed headphones.

Good idea, Neil. Have you tried any similar (or different) experiments with the HE60s? I'd appreciate your thoughts/impressions/ideas.

 

[neilvg]

Yeah my last post wasn't that clear. The different wear was just an incidental aside. I think that the HE90's themselves change overtime with use. Also, I think that they are likely just different from a production standpoint. From what I am hearing from my HE90's, none of which are from the new batch, I would say that they all probably sounded a bit differen from the get go, and prolonged use has had the effect to loosen them up a bit. I feel as though the high's are a bit smoother, maybe not quite as extended or sharp, and the bass is a bit greater. But I've only had my longest pair for around a year and a half so that's not really long enough to say for sure how they will continue to change. But I listen to them a lot - at least 3-4 hours a day sometimes.

Neil

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjcha /img/forum/go_quote.gif ..One that's startling in its tangibility, one that gives the illusion of a physical form that obviously cannot exist. This isn't having say Diana Krall whispering in your ear, it's about having a real tangible voice, as opposed to a reproduction of one, that exists in your head. This is my sound. I don't particularly care about bass or seductive mids or even sibilance or a hard sound.. If you're not getting this from your K 1000 (and having listened to the K 1000 out of a Dynamight, it was okay, but not that great in this area), you really ought to seek out amps that can create it. I remember using a Musical Fidelity X-10 tube output with my el-cheapie upgraded T-Amp, and it began to hint at it with the K 1000. -Jason

Now I see where you are coming from. That's a tough road to travel with headphones, which is why I also spend $$$ for my speaker rig. Electrostat speakers, as good as they are, also have difficulty creating what you seek, that diamond-dense, corporeal body that you can almost "see" the depth, height, and 3-D occupation in space if you just turn your eyes a little this way...

Yet there has to be no veil or thickness or over-bloom...AT ALL. Tough, and yes, I think you should sell your HE90.

BTW, I completely agree k1000 sounds sub-optimal with Dynahi or Dynamight. I've got K1000 on my head right now powered from VAC Renaissance 300B push-pull, and I am hearing exactly what you describe. But so does Almarro A205a II, a single-ended pentode EL84 amp. Perhaps a super-resolved, clear tube amp is what you need for your Qualias?