MrSpeakers Alpha Dog Review (and comparison with HD600 and K701)
Oct 19, 2013 at 4:28 AM Post #31 of 124
  Secondly, I know Head-Fiers use this a lot, so it's not just you, but how exactly do you know how much bass a recording should or should not have? I mean it's not like you were one of the original sound engineers with their respective equipment or anything to actually say the bass is spot-on.

I use sine wave sweeps to check if the frequencies sound balanced.
 
Edit: I stand corrected. I did sine wave sweeps again and confirmed that the bass on the Alpha Dogs is elevated by 5dB. I am revising my review.
 
Edit: Review revised. I also added my EQ settings screenshot which makes the Alpha Dogs sound most neutral to my ears.
 
Oct 19, 2013 at 10:12 AM Post #33 of 124
Very nice review!! I'd like to give a special mention to MattTCG for supplying the OP with the AD. 
tongue.gif

 
Oct 19, 2013 at 10:19 AM Post #34 of 124
  I'm glad that Zowki decided to chose the ODAC and the O2

While it's good to use the same amp / DAC for each headphone being compared.  All three headphones can scale much higher and is capable of sounding much better, some better than others.  I've noticed the ADs will sound better in each area as the amps quality and power is improved.
 
 
   I just meant that soundstage is very important for the majority. Well yes, I wish headphone reviews were more objective than subjective, but nothing about sound quality reviews of anything are objective unfortunately. Probably the reason why there are so many love-hate relationships on certain cans. 

 
Where did you get this information.  It's not important at all for me.  Maybe I'm in the minority but how do you know?  All reviews are subjective unless they insert measurements of some kind.  Otherwise it's just one persons subjective opinion. 
 
Quote:
  I never really consider soundstage as a major factor in my listening enjoyment with headphones, though, this word is used in every single final thought in each of the reviews.  It is almost as if you began with a premise of your interpretation of soundstage and how important this was to you, and then proceeded to write your review based on this one, single theme.  Because of the lack of importance to me, it is like reading a car comparison review where the author hates red cars and one of the cars that runs circles around the others just happens to be red, and this is brought up over and over again.  The 0-60 time was the quickest of the bunch, which is not bad for a red car.  In the slalom, it was well balanced and despite being red, proved to have the best results on either a dry or wet track.  While the red color was annoying, it did get the best fuel economy in our cross-country trip.
 

 
I agree with this.  It's like the most important area of the review and of previous posts is "soundstage" 
 
Oct 19, 2013 at 10:53 AM Post #35 of 124
Nice review! 
 
But there will always be one or two who will find gripes :D 
 
My gripe is; The amp that you are using... The 02 is great, but it is a high current ss. This will not bring out the best of either the HD600 or the K701. The AKG's will sound overly bright and thin, and the Senn's will sound loose and uncontrolled. Both those hp's like lots of voltage swing. 
 
Just saying... But great review! 
 
Oct 19, 2013 at 12:54 PM Post #36 of 124
Man, if only the ADs had slightly larger soundstage/airiness it would be the perfect headphone....

Try a tube/ss hybrid amp!


I'm glad that Zowki decided to chose the ODAC and the O2 setup as this combination doesn't seem to color the music....

I'm also hoping to get the AD setup for a balanced try out as soon as I pick the Amp for this... could be very nice :o2smile:


I used to think my O2 was perfect and didn't believe the comments of it being cold or strident, etc. Because I found it large, extremely clear, and neutral...

That was untill I tried tube amps and have since abandoned the neutral philosophy.

I realised no matter how good or expensive or not, an amp can and will change the sound to either help or hamper the headphones.

As an example, my current amp, the Continental V2, can run circles around my O2 with richer, sweeter, and larger more refined sound.
That is how my ears interpret it, and your experience may vary.
 
Oct 19, 2013 at 9:04 PM Post #39 of 124
  I outlined the reasoning for my emphasis on soundstage in the introduction of the review. It is an aspect of the headphone that was begging to be compared.

 
Probably because you seem to be concentrating so much on soundstage during your review / listening.... I expect the differences are exaggerated a bit... Not saying you are wrong or that the AD is as good as the other two for soundstage.... But quite a big part of soundstage is your perception of it.
 
Oct 20, 2013 at 4:45 AM Post #40 of 124
I am particularly concerned about the comfort as it is really important for me.  Is there a specific reason that the Alpha Dogs ranked so low on comfort?
 
I per-ordered the Alpha Dogs eight weeks ago and they still haven't shipped (their website says it should take 6 weeks).  Their customer support seems really bad too; it took them over a week to get back to me the first time I emailed them.
 
Oct 20, 2013 at 5:30 AM Post #41 of 124
I find the AD to be extremely comfortable.
I am particularly concerned about the comfort as it is really important for me.  Is there a specific reason that the Alpha Dogs ranked so low on comfort?

I per-ordered the Alpha Dogs eight weeks ago and they still haven't shipped (their website says it should take 6 weeks).  Their customer support seems really bad too; it took them over a week to get back to me the first time I emailed them.
 
Oct 20, 2013 at 5:35 AM Post #42 of 124
  I am particularly concerned about the comfort as it is really important for me.  Is there a specific reason that the Alpha Dogs ranked so low on comfort?
 
I per-ordered the Alpha Dogs eight weeks ago and they still haven't shipped (their website says it should take 6 weeks).  Their customer support seems really bad too; it took them over a week to get back to me the first time I emailed them.


The Alpha Dogs are not as comfortable as the HD600 and K701. They are significantly heavier and have stronger gripping force. However, I can still wear them all day without too much discomfort.
 
I attached this headband cushion to the leather straps which increased the comfort for me.
http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Leatherette-Universal-Sennheiser-Beyerdynamic/dp/B00862522A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382261687&sr=8-1&keywords=headband+cushion
 
Oct 20, 2013 at 5:59 AM Post #43 of 124
   
I attached this headband cushion to the leather straps which increased the comfort for me.
http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Leatherette-Universal-Sennheiser-Beyerdynamic/dp/B00862522A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382261687&sr=8-1&keywords=headband+cushion

 
I did the same.  It replaced the comfy strap.
 

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