[ironmine]

Quote:

  Hi,   I am mainly concerned with crossfeed.  In that case is downloading Isone jus overkill for my newbie talents?

 
Don't spend any money for Isone. Just use Meier crossfeed, it's free and its crossfeed effect is of highest quality.

 

[AtrafCreez]

Thank You for your input, time and information.

 

[Lunatique]

allQuote:

  Quote:
 
Don't spend any money for Isone. Just use Meier crossfeed, it's free and its crossfeed effect is of highest quality.

Isone is much more than just a crossfeed--it also includes HRTF (Head Related Transfer Function), which is required for the most realistic simulation of listening to speakers in a room, as well as room and speaker modeling, which allows you to create the most ideal virtual listening environment. Also, the creator of Isone is a highly respected audio engineer that worked on some really important audio standards: http://www.jeroenbreebaart.com/

 

[ironmine]

  Isone is much more than just a crossfeed--it also includes HRTF (Head Related Transfer Function), which is required for the most realistic simulation of listening to speakers in a room, as well as room and speaker modeling, which allows you to create the most ideal virtual listening environment. Also, the creator of Isone is a highly respected audio engineer that worked on some really important audio standards: http://www.jeroenbreebaart.com/

 
This "realistic simulation of listening to speakers in a room" does not sound good. Not everybody needs it. Maybe some audio engineers require it, but I doubt that audiophiles, looking for the pure enjoyment of music, need it.
 
We use headphones to get rid of the effects of a room and to get rid of the imperfections of a speaker. To connect to music directly. It would be unwise to try to add these damaging effects again. For most listeners, the pure effect of a crossfeed is enough and is preferable.

 

[Lunatique]

   
This "realistic simulation of listening to speakers in a room" does not sound good. Not everybody needs it. Maybe some audio engineers require it, but I doubt that audiophiles, looking for the pure enjoyment of music, need it.
 
We use headphones to get rid of the effects of a room and to get rid of the imperfections of a speaker. To connect to music directly. It would be unwise to try to add these damaging effects again. For most listeners, the pure effect of a crossfeed is enough and is preferable.

You can choose from any type of room and speaker setup, INCLUDING high-end mastering quality professional studio environments that have the best room response and the most accurate mastering speakers, which means no undesirable room modes with annoying nulls and peaks in the room response, or stereo imaging anomalies, or smearing of details from reflections, or deficient/inaccurate frequency response.
 
All of the best recorded and engineered music on the planet were created in such facilities, and the mastering engineers aim to have their work sound the best on speakers first and foremost. Recent changes in listening habits of the public has made them pay more attention to how their work would sound on headphones, including cheap earbuds, but the golden standard has been and still is, an ideal listening room with high-end full-range speakers. 
 
With that said, the headphones you are using with Isone will impart its own coloring, so it's not as if whatever headphones you are using is some kind of infallible golden audiophile standard. So unless you own a pair of stunning accurate headphones--something that ranks high on InnerFidelity's Wall of Fame, what you're hearing  straight from the headphone will contain coloration. 
 
Also, look at how long this thread is. A huge number of people here at head-fi love Isone, and many of them are indeed audiophiles, including those who own high-end gear and are quite knowledgeable about audio. 

 

[ironmine]

  You can choose from any type of room and speaker setup, INCLUDING high-end mastering quality professional studio environments that have the best room response and the most accurate mastering speakers, which means no undesirable room modes with annoying nulls and peaks in the room response, or stereo imaging anomalies, or smearing of details from reflections, or deficient/inaccurate frequency response.
 
All of the best recorded and engineered music on the planet were created in such facilities, and the mastering engineers aim to have their work sound the best on speakers first and foremost. Recent changes in listening habits of the public has made them pay more attention to how their work would sound on headphones, including cheap earbuds, but the golden standard has been and still is, an ideal listening room with high-end full-range speakers. 
 
With that said, the headphones you are using with Isone will impart its own coloring, so it's not as if whatever headphones you are using is some kind of infallible golden audiophile standard. So unless you own a pair of stunning accurate headphones--something that ranks high on InnerFidelity's Wall of Fame, what you're hearing  straight from the headphone will contain coloration. 
 
Also, look at how long this thread is. A huge number of people here at head-fi love Isone, and many of them are indeed audiophiles, including those who own high-end gear and are quite knowledgeable about audio. 

 
The best speakers are no speakers at all. The non-existence of speakers, not matter how perfect they might be, is my goal when I listen to music. This is my golden standard

Headphones do add their coloring and this is bad enough. Why aggravate the matter with distorting the sound even further by adding the effects of speakers and room? If there is a technology letting us to get rid of the coloring of headphones (without significant side effects), I will welcome it.

Yeah, this thread is long but it consists mainly of your messages where you relentlessly advertise the Isone Pro. I guess you are affiliated to this company? On the other hand, for most people, being "an useful (unpaid) fool" is already enough motivation to push some ideas or products.
 
Also, I remember when I offered my own settings (they go at this forum under the name "ironmine settings") for Isone, where I suggested to switch off ALL effects in Isone and use ONLY the crossfeed (with minimum settings too), the people enthusiastically embraced this approach and were shocked at the clarity of the resultant sound.

 

[Lunatique]

   
The best speakers are no speakers at all. The non-existence of speakers, not matter how perfect they might be, is my goal when I listen to music. This is my golden standard

Headphones do add their coloring and this is bad enough. Why aggravate the matter with distorting the sound even further by adding the effects of speakers and room? If there is a technology letting us to get rid of the coloring of headphones (without significant side effects), I will welcome it.

Yeah, this thread is long but it consists mainly of your messages where you relentlessly advertise the Isone Pro. I guess you are affiliated to this company? On the other hand, for most people, being "an useful (unpaid) fool" is already enough motivation to push some ideas or products.
 
Also, I remember when I offered my own settings (they go at this forum under the name "ironmine settings") for Isone, where I suggested to switch off ALL effects in Isone and use ONLY the crossfeed (with minimum settings too), the people enthusiastically embraced this approach and were shocked at the clarity of the resultant sound.

You can set the speaker to totally flat, and also take out the room entirely--that's the beauty of Isone--you can create any kind of listening environment you want, AND still get HRTF. No simple crossfeed will give you that. But ultimately, people will use whatever they prefer, and even the people who use stuff that's obviously very colored and grossly inaccurate--those people's joy aren't any less legitimate, so live and let live. I prefer Isone to simple crossfeeds, and I don't really care if others feel the same. I started this thread to share something I thought fellow headphone enthusiasts would really enjoy, that's all.
 
No, I'm no affiliated with Isone in any way. I was a fan of it from way back during the original version of Isone Pro, and raved about it with fellow musicians on KVR Audio forums, and when I joined head-fi, I thought this would be perfect for fellow headphone enthusiasts, so I shared it here. And since I'm the OP, I kind of have a responsibility to answer people's questions about it whenever I see new post notification emails from head-fi. I rarely even visit head-fi anymore, except for the occasional PM from people asking for my opinion on something, or maybe post some recent photography, or participating in the music recommendation threads. I also rarely ever use headphones, since I much prefer my Klein+Hummel O 300Ds with the Neumann KH805 sub. 

 

[DivineCurrent]

   
The best speakers are no speakers at all. The non-existence of speakers, not matter how perfect they might be, is my goal when I listen to music. This is my golden standard

Headphones do add their coloring and this is bad enough. Why aggravate the matter with distorting the sound even further by adding the effects of speakers and room? If there is a technology letting us to get rid of the coloring of headphones (without significant side effects), I will welcome it.

Yeah, this thread is long but it consists mainly of your messages where you relentlessly advertise the Isone Pro. I guess you are affiliated to this company? On the other hand, for most people, being "an useful (unpaid) fool" is already enough motivation to push some ideas or products.
 
Also, I remember when I offered my own settings (they go at this forum under the name "ironmine settings") for Isone, where I suggested to switch off ALL effects in Isone and use ONLY the crossfeed (with minimum settings too), the people enthusiastically embraced this approach and were shocked at the clarity of the resultant sound.

There is a technology that does get rid of most of the coloration of headphones, it's called Sonarworks. I use it with my HD 650s, best upgrade to my system ever. It is essentially EQ, but it basically makes the sound perfectly balanced and with a frequency curve of your choice, completely flat if you wish. I actually use Sonarworks together with TB Isone, and I couldn't be happier with anything else, even sounds better than a standalone HD 800 to me. Give it a try definitely, they have a free 30 day trial, and you most likely have at least one headphone that is on their list. 

 

[Lunatique]

  There is a technology that does get rid of most of the coloration of headphones, it's called Sonarworks. I use it with my HD 650s, best upgrade to my system ever. It is essentially EQ, but it basically makes the sound perfectly balanced and with a frequency curve of your choice, completely flat if you wish. I actually use Sonarworks together with TB Isone, and I couldn't be happier with anything else, even sounds better than a standalone HD 800 to me. Give it a try definitely, they have a free 30 day trial, and you most likely have at least one headphone that is on their list. 

I've tested Sonarworks before and it's pretty good, but since I already EQ my headphones to the Harman Target Response Curve and get very similar results (instructions here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/796791/the-most-reliable-easiest-way-to-eq-headphones-properly-to-achieve-the-most-ideal-sound-for-non-professionals), I don't need to spend the money on Sonarworks. I do recommend it for people who don't want to take the time to learn how to do it themselves.

 

[stuck limo]

Can someone please explain to me how to set this up in MusicBee 3.0.6067? I am unsure if I'm doing something right or wrong. So far I have done:
 
- Downloaded the ZIP file for TB Isone
-Copied and pasted the .dll files to a VST folder inside of the MusicBee Plugins folder (not sure if they should be in the Plugins root folder or a separate VST folder inside the Plugins?)
-Set the path for VST Host in MusicBee to "C:\Program Files (x86)\MusicBee\Plugins\VST in Preferences\Plugins" (not sure if that's correct either?)
 
Any help would be appreciated so I can mess around with this program and experiment.

 

[Lunatique]

FYI, Tonebooster's released another very useful headphone plugin called Morphit. It corrects your headphone's frequency response, simulate other famous headphones, and more.
 
Check out the thread I just created for it here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/832543/tonebooster-morphit-correct-your-headphones-frequency-response-simulate-other-famous-headphones-and-more

 

[stuck limo]

Bump for Musicbee help.

 

[Lunatique]

  Bump for Musicbee help.

Have you tried contacting the developer of Musicbee or its user-base forum (if they have one)?

 

[stuck limo]

  Have you tried contacting the developer of Musicbee or its user-base forum (if they have one)?

 
Yes, and they had no clue.

 

[Lunatique]

   
Yes, and they had no clue.

That is usually a sign that you might be better off choosing a different app. Currently, the golden standard for many audiophiles is JRiver's Media Center (which is what I use).