[ClieOS]

Quote:

... he might be in for a shocker.

I am not shocked yet, but I did at least doubt my burn-in time on the D-zero so far.

 
Quote:

But how bright?  Lack of bass?  Treble boost/peaks?  More treble extension and clarity can also brighten your day.

It is not excessively bright, just noticeable especially when paired with bright headphone IEM. I already RMAA tested the D-zero and it has a flat FR curve, so the brightness / edginess isn't part of any peak or particular extension (as I also tested other amp / dac at the same time for reference). I have a theory on what might be causing the brightness / edginess but to test it means I have to void my warranty, which is not something I'll want to do after owning D-zero for just over a week. I'll leave the discussion to my own review.
 

 

[Mad Max]

Irreversible mod?
Just be careful when you decide to test it out.

 

[vinylrules]

Fair enough. But in their defense they can be thin and bright(er) than others only when not properly amplified. When properly amplified there's nothing bright about them in the traditional sense of the word. Not in my humble opinion at least.
 
And certainly when I bought them I didn't go into it thinking "Hmm I really like this bright headphone. I'll buy them now and then drive them with a dark/soft amp to mellow them out". Nope. They sounded mighty good to me through one of my amps. It was only after I lived with them that I came  to realize how particular they are to drive to achieve their most balanced sound.
 
Best regards...
 
Quote:

And you own a K701? 
 

 

 

[Yuceka]

That's my point. My bright may not be your bright and there are too many variables in this hobby that should make us cautious about making blank statements. After all the experiments with different phones I've come to realize that I prefer K701 over HD650 any day of the week. Now that's just a personal preference, not because I don't appreciate neutrality. Plus I've never understood why neutrality must be our aim while we use these headphones to enjoy music, and not mixing or recording purposes. If someone enjoys HD650 which I hated with a passion, who am I to say that they are wrong in liking a veiled or muffled headphone. There are different kinds of brightness too. I do not like Grados because their highs just rape my ears but my favorite headphones have been HifiMan HE-5 which is considered very bright by many here on head-fi. 
 
I agree with your assessment on K701 and I liked them very much when I had them. Brightness or neutralness mean nothing when they are taken out of the context of the person's personal preference. If it puts a smile on your face, then Grados are the best headphones for you... I don't mean to pick a fight with you, it's just that I think Clieos' review should not be criticized because he found D-Zero a bit on the bright side. That is not a bad thing for a lot of people 
 
Quote:

Fair enough. But in their defense they can be thin and bright(er) than others only when not properly amplified. When properly amplified there's nothing bright about them in the traditional sense of the word. Not in my humble opinion at least.
 
And certainly when I bought them I didn't go into it thinking "Hmm I really like this bright headphone. I'll buy them now and then drive them with a dark/soft amp to mellow them out". Nope. They sounded mighty good to me through one of my amps. It was only after I lived with them that I came  to realize how particular they are to drive to achieve their most balanced sound.
 
Best regards...
 


 

 

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

. I have a theory on what might be causing the brightness / edginess but to test it means I have to void my warranty, which is not something I'll want to do after owning D-zero for just over a week. I'll leave the discussion to my own review.=  

Could you at least tell us what your theory is?
 

 

[pinoyman]

OT: hey, im a proud member of that filipino site!
 

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Could you at least tell us what your theory is?

It is really simple - output caps.
 
 

 

[CowB]

http://fs-digital.net/thread-null-24262-1-1.html Does that fix it?

 

[vinylrules]

No offense taken.
 
And I want to make clear that while I respect everyone's opinions here, and I honestly do, I appreciate them even more when these opinions -- which then led to a final recommendation within a write up that at best should only be considered someone's first impressions -- are offered after a more exhaustive burn-in period.
 
Additionally, before any final opinions are dished out I would really prefer it if other ancillary accessories, which without question affect final outcome, are included. Is this too much to ask? Only then can a recommendation carry full weight and command my full respect.
 
Now, if after all this the reviewer's opinion still differs from mine... then I have no problem accepting it. Non whatsoever.
 
And trust me when I say that my original comments were not meant as an attack on ClieOS and it shouldn't be taken as such. It was meant as "constructive" criticism after I saw he went on to warn users of "bright" headphones to stay away only after a very short 24-hour period. So yes, constructive criticism was indeed necessary and should be appreciated, not frowned upon, because invariably (most) audio equipment's sound characteristics change over time once all internal components settle (yeh yeh even digital ones with computer chips I don't care that it shouldn't happen on paper. They do).
 
One a related note...there's one thing I have noticed quite a bit here on Head-Fi now that I've been back after a few years hiatus (and not necessarily involving people on this tread so don't even). So many here are way too "trigger happy" in offering full-scale reviews only five minutes after first cracking the box open! What 'da!!! It is hilarious but it really leaves me scratching my head. I guess everyone wants to be a professional reviewer? Let me tell you, it takes many years of experience and much discipline. But I digress.
 
As far as your "blank statement" comment I have not made any. Quite the opposite. I am trying to prevent them.
 
Best
 
Quote:

That's my point. My bright may not be your bright and there are too many variables in this hobby that should make us cautious about making blank statements. After all the experiments with different phones I've come to realize that I prefer K701 over HD650 any day of the week. Now that's just a personal preference, not because I don't appreciate neutrality. Plus I've never understood why neutrality must be our aim while we use these headphones to enjoy music, and not mixing or recording purposes. If someone enjoys HD650 which I hated with a passion, who am I to say that they are wrong in liking a veiled or muffled headphone. There are different kinds of brightness too. I do not like Grados because their highs just rape my ears but my favorite headphones have been HifiMan HE-5 which is considered very bright by many here on head-fi. 
 
I agree with your assessment on K701 and I liked them very much when I had them. Brightness or neutralness mean nothing when they are taken out of the context of the person's personal preference. If it puts a smile on your face, then Grados are the best headphones for you... I don't mean to pick a fight with you, it's just that I think Clieos' review should not be criticized because he found D-Zero a bit on the bright side. That is not a bad thing for a lot of people 
 


 

 

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

http://fs-digital.net/thread-null-24262-1-1.html Does that fix it?

That's close to what I would do. Nichicon KW really is the audio specific version of the FW. I have read comment s about FW being hash compared to KW as coupling caps, which is what I was wondering about on the D-zero. The change from 16V to 6.3V should have minimum impact since most headphone amp doesn't do anything near 3V (though this should be measured just to be sure). The increase in capacitance is also a good thing. For 16ohm IEM, D-zero corner frequency is at the bare minimal, around 20Hz. With a 1000uF cap, the corner frequency should be around 10Hz or so. However, I do think AD8397 is not really that good a choice for D-zero. First, it is not a direct replacement for the original AD8656 as AD8397 needs dual power supply. Second, AD8397 needs twice as much current, which means battery life is going to be cut by half. Third, D-zero supplies about 4V to the opamp, It is more than enough for AD8656 but it is really low for AD8397 (not to mention the lack of dual supply). While the AD8397 might still sound better than AD8656 in D-zero, I think there could be other opamp that sounds better and more suitable as a replacement.

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

It is really simple - output caps.
 
 

To add them? remove them? change existing ones? (I couldn't really figure anything out on that link posted except that the opamp was changed)
 

 

[Mad Max]

Yes, change the caps.

 

[vinylrules]

Hmmm tempting upgrade!!! 

 
But as far as asking asking whether a cap upgrade "fixes" the D-Zero's sound, I humbly submit that's going a bit too far since that statement concludes there's something "broken" in the first place! Something I completely disagree with as an owner of the unit.
 
Now, do I believe the D-Zero will likely improve all-around from this type of cap upgrade? ABSOLUTELY. But in its defense, what component wouldn't improve if offered the same treatment? See my point? That it would sound even better with higher quality caps is to be expected but this in itself is in no way admission of a flagrant weakness in its stock from... in my humble opinion, my two cents worth, your mileage will vary, etc...
 
Having said that BOY do I like what I am seeing with this cap upgrade darn it!!!! Arrrrrgh! LOL
 
Quote:

http://fs-digital.net/thread-null-24262-1-1.html Does that fix it?

 

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

To add them? remove them? change existing ones? (I couldn't really figure anything out on that link posted except that the opamp was changed)
 

Replace the stock Nichicon FW 16V 470uF with KW 6.3V 1000uF. They have the same gold color so you might not notice the change in that thread. Personally, I would also consider AVX OxiCaps + Wima film (bypass) as I have had good experience using them for coupling caps.
 
 

 

[eclipes]

hey clieOS, did you get a chance to review the Lear FSM-01 vs T3 vs. D-zero
 
Quote:

Replace the stock Nichicon FW 16V 470uF with KW 6.3V 1000uF. They have the same gold color so you might not notice the change in that thread. Personally, I would also consider AVX OxiCaps + Wima film (bypass) as I have had good experience using them for coupling caps.