Wew...almost 4 days and 350 pages later, I've made my way through the thread.
Checking in as another proud owner of the 99C. Was looking for a pair of over-ears I could take out of the house for commutes when my inner ears needed a break from IEMs and I've been very impressed. What probably surprises me most about these is how forgiving they can be on stuff that's not well-mixed/mastered (which I attribute to the way they represent mids and treble). It's not often you find a pair that you don't even own for a week and know they'll become mainstays in your collection, but these definitely fit the bill.
Now I've gone through all the discussion of pads and cables and DACs and amps and it kinda just makes me smile (in a good way). Sometimes, I think we lose sight of the reality that everybody's ears are different and what works for one person may be a complete departure from "good" for another. That being said, I find the 99C absolutely irresistible. They're certainly not the clearest, most neutral, most versatile pair of cans I've ever tried, but they just ooze with character and I really do believe that it's the perfect pair for those who like to tinker with hardware and EQ mods to dial in closer to their preferences. I also really admire that it doesn't seem to matter whether I plug these into my Opus#1 or straight into the headphone jack of my OnePlus6 (which, sadly, could benefit from a much better amp stage on a lot of pairs), it still manages to erk out a smile on my face. I also find that they isolate well enough for me to handle commutes into work, so long as the bus I'm on isn't eliciting death-groans (the brakes on yesterday's commute home sounded like a pair of whales crying for mercy).
During my testing on different sources, I figured for S&Gs to run through the Neutralizer app that I use for EQing all my other products (Android only, don't think there's an iOS version). Ended up with the following curve:
It's a little different than the one that's been recommended, but I've noticed everything just seems to balance out. Some of the boominess has disappeared, but it's not entirely gone. I suggest, if you feel so bold, that you grab the app and give it a shot yourself since it'll be an EQ based more around your own ears. Just find it interesting that the final curve looks the way it does as it seems to be a mirror image of the one that was already in here. Obviously YMMV.
Anyway, glad to be a part of the club. SPC Balanced cable, once it's back in stock on the site, will get ordered. I'm a fan of the 99C, despite its shortcomings and even with the stock pads (I have Gen 3).
Checking in as another proud owner of the 99C. Was looking for a pair of over-ears I could take out of the house for commutes when my inner ears needed a break from IEMs and I've been very impressed. What probably surprises me most about these is how forgiving they can be on stuff that's not well-mixed/mastered (which I attribute to the way they represent mids and treble). It's not often you find a pair that you don't even own for a week and know they'll become mainstays in your collection, but these definitely fit the bill.
Now I've gone through all the discussion of pads and cables and DACs and amps and it kinda just makes me smile (in a good way). Sometimes, I think we lose sight of the reality that everybody's ears are different and what works for one person may be a complete departure from "good" for another. That being said, I find the 99C absolutely irresistible. They're certainly not the clearest, most neutral, most versatile pair of cans I've ever tried, but they just ooze with character and I really do believe that it's the perfect pair for those who like to tinker with hardware and EQ mods to dial in closer to their preferences. I also really admire that it doesn't seem to matter whether I plug these into my Opus#1 or straight into the headphone jack of my OnePlus6 (which, sadly, could benefit from a much better amp stage on a lot of pairs), it still manages to erk out a smile on my face. I also find that they isolate well enough for me to handle commutes into work, so long as the bus I'm on isn't eliciting death-groans (the brakes on yesterday's commute home sounded like a pair of whales crying for mercy).
During my testing on different sources, I figured for S&Gs to run through the Neutralizer app that I use for EQing all my other products (Android only, don't think there's an iOS version). Ended up with the following curve:
It's a little different than the one that's been recommended, but I've noticed everything just seems to balance out. Some of the boominess has disappeared, but it's not entirely gone. I suggest, if you feel so bold, that you grab the app and give it a shot yourself since it'll be an EQ based more around your own ears. Just find it interesting that the final curve looks the way it does as it seems to be a mirror image of the one that was already in here. Obviously YMMV.
Anyway, glad to be a part of the club. SPC Balanced cable, once it's back in stock on the site, will get ordered. I'm a fan of the 99C, despite its shortcomings and even with the stock pads (I have Gen 3).
Please share with us once it's online!
