[Drawnbychrist]

tried to delete this post...would only let me edit

 

[Drawnbychrist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bojamijams /img/forum/go_quote.gif the A2's are good little things.. upgrade your dac first (assuming your library is good).. a <$500 dac unit will go a great way towards headphones or speakers.. so its a great place to start.. then later decide if you're a speaker or headphone guy and get a good pair

Thanks for the suggestion on the DAC. I do love my A2's! The reason why I am thinking about so good cans is b/c I live with 4 other guys in a house, so it's hard to crank up the music whenever I want. Speaking of DAC's, any specific one you would recommend? An amp/dac combo or a dedicated dac? thanks again for the help!

 

[Chris19]

I second the recommendation for a DAC to get you started, Drawnbychrist. Getting the Valab was a big step up from low-level cd players/receiver decoders, and much better than computer sound cards as well. Perhaps poke around the forums and check out the Audio-gd Compass and the Cambridge DACmagic also. Don't bother with the Creative 0202; I had that, and it's not worth the price. Dunno about the 0404.

Even my lower-end headphones sound a heck of a lot better when feeding them from a standalone DAC. The Valab brought out a lot of detail in the recordings, for me anyways. Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

 

[Chris19]

Are there any thrash songs that anybody would like me to use for upcoming reviews, or maybe to add-in to older reviews?

I know that Megadeth isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'd like to stick with stuff that's fairly well known, so that when describing the nuances of a song, we can mostly be on the same page. And, of course, FAST. I'm stress testing the drivers, after all.

Any suggestions?

Edit: I've finally shaken off the "Junior" tag!

 

[scytheavatar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris19 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are there any thrash songs that anybody would like me to use for upcoming reviews, or maybe to add-in to older reviews? I know that Megadeth isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'd like to stick with stuff that's fairly well known, so that when describing the nuances of a song, we can mostly be on the same page. And, of course, FAST. I'm stress testing the drivers, after all. Any suggestions? Edit: I've finally shaken off the "Junior" tag!

Megadeth is pretty much as good as thrash can get, sound quality wise. The other classic thrash albums pale in comparison to the sound quality of the remastered Megadeth albums. I would recommend some Nevermore, especially the Dark Heart in a Dead World stuff. But then the closed minded thrash fans are going to go BUT THEY ARE NOT THRASH METAL!!!!

 

[Chris19]

Hey everyone,

If you were expecting my review of the Headphile Terminator V4's and Deep Cups today, I apologize. I've got finals tomorrow, and work combined with studying has taken its toll on critical listening time.

I'll definitely try to post my review on Tuesday though.

And scytheavatar, I did check out some Nevermore. Interesting stuff. I'll look to get the CD you mentioned, but it'll have to be an online order, because even the music specialty stores around here don't have it.

 

[rancid]

You could use some classics like Slayer or Testament in your reviews. Albums such as Reign in blood or The legacy are good.

 

[nullstring]

Thanks for the informative reviews
It's always nice to have reviews like this. =)

 

[Bojamijams]

I'm pretty sure most people are familiar with the golden 4 from Metallica too so anyone of the songs from there would work.

 

[darkresiak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris19 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Amon Amarth is kind of interesting. I usually don't like the growly or screamy-vocals bands, but Amon Amarth is acceptable. Slayer, though... I apologize to the Slayer fans, but I can't deal with the vocals! Awesome riffs though.

They are absolutely fantastic live too! I saw them on April 28th in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was intense!

However, on topic of the forum, I'm looking for some cans around 150 (preferably a bit les) I'm getting my mom to purchase me a good pair of headphones for college, I move in in august, and I would like the least bit of sound leakage without much sacrifice in sound quality, so I'm looking for some closed over-ear cans. I've seen some AKG K271 MKII's around on ebay for 145, and some sennheiser 555's on tiger direct for 110, but I'm not sure which is optimal for my musical habits, which include mostly melodic death metal, trance techno, and other various metal/electronic genres. I'm not much of an audiophile yet in terms of equipment, but I just want something that provides good bass, mids, highs, without a blow to cost. I've been using some bose in-ear headphones for the past year and a half, and have been pretty content given the the fact that they are in-ear, but I'm ready to step-up to some serious headphones

 

[kool bubba ice]

I prefer my DT48 and SA5000. They actually sound alike in some ways.. Differences. The DT48 is faster, more resolving, with better clarity. The SA5000 has more bass impact and extension. Sound stage has more depth vertically, more engaging musically.

 

[Chris19]

Today I'll give you my impressions on the Headphile creations known as Terminator V4's. Originally they were Beyerdynamic DT770's with 80 ohm impedance. The previous generation of these headphones were known as the Darth Beyers, for the uninitiated.

Terminator V4's: These were one of the Dealpage items that came up over time, so they have Larry's BlackMax cable, and are terminated with a regular 1/4" plug. They also have the regular velour pads. The V4's actually feel a little bit lighter than the regular, unmodded Beyerdynamics DT770s as well. Price? If you order a custom pair off the Headphile site, it's anywhere from $600 on up, typically.

Bass: These have a TON of bass. For the record, I listen to them with the top two holes covered with electrical tape. Larry (the Headphile creator) says that he doesn't think this sounds good for the type of music he listens to. He must listen to rap and/or R&B, because fully unleashed, the bass is monsterous and great for that kind of music. But for metal? It encroaches on the guitars way too much. The bass guitar and kick drum can totally take over a song.

EDIT: That's not to say that the bass notes actually intrude on the mids. No, they stay well separated from the rest of the notes. My opinion is that the bass is in such great quantity, depending on the song, we might hear much more of it than guitar riffing or singing. But what's great about the V4 is that it's so easy to experiment! Little pieces of electrical tape cover the holes well, and if you get decent quality tape, it won't leave any adhesive on the plastic cups. So if you don't like what you've done, just peel that sucker off and let the V4's do their thing.

That said, properly tamed (EDIT: in my opinion), the bass pumps a lot of life into our beloved metal. Let me try a new track here: Metallica's "The Thing That Should Not Be" becomes very dark and evil sounding on these headphones. Bass guitar on down, I now realize just how "one-note" the regular DT770 bass sounds in comparison. Bass is much more musical on the Terminator V4's.

How 'bout the familiar "Dawn Patrol?" Again, the bass guitar is much more present and forceful than I've heard in other headphones. But I'm more impressed with how the bass sounds played along with the guitars, because right after this short track, we get "Rust In Peace...Polaris." The drums start off fast and deep, and the V4's just keep right on pounding when the guitars start up. It makes everything feel energetic and visceral. I wouldn't call the bass fast or tight, because there is some detectable decay. But I wouldn't say that this slows the headphones down any, because...

Speed: ...these things are definitely faster than the stock DT770s. No, the V4's don't resolve the rhythm guitar during the solo of "Mechanix" any better than the regular DT770s, or the Sennheiser HD600s, but Mustaine's shredding is revealed almost as well as with the Sony SA5000's.

So if the rhythm guitar is basically a blur, how can these feel fast, while the HD600's are slow? I believe it has to do with the lack of bass on the HD600's part. With the V4's, I can hear/feel a little bit of the lower register chugging of the rhythm guitar, not to mention the drums. It provides a nice rhythm for Mustaine's solo to ride on. The HD600's are devoid of any chugging or drum pounding on this solo, so all we get is a nicely portrayed solo on some sludge--very flat. With the V4, I'll say we get a nicely portrayed solo on top of sludge, resting on a rocky layer of bass.

Everything Else: At low volumes, the bass will overpower the guitars. No doubt there. But, crank it up a little, and the mids fill out nicely. I find that I have to listen at a slightly higher volume than normal to really balance out the lead and rhythm guitars with the bass. This can be dangerous...

It's well documented that the V4's and Darth Beyers are warm/dark sounding with rolled off treble, especially compared to the stock DT770's. Yes, this is true. You won't hear cymbal crashes as crisply, but I didn't find it to be an issue.

Last point: These V4's are well broken in. Say, over 500 hours. They sound quite a bit more balanced now than when they were brand new. Even so, I give these a nod of approval. I could definitely listen to metal on the Headphile V4's. Despite the crappy recording or production or whatever, I've never heard Metallica's "Ride the Lightning" CD sound so good.

 

[silverrain]

I enjoy Nightwish and Epica (to name just two groups I like) on my V4 -- I hear NO intrusion of bass into the mids at all. Excellent instrument separation, up and down the sound spectrum. The kick-drums are heavenly!
These do NOT sound as bassy as the older Darth Beyers, and have better mids and highs, too -- they are well-balanced cans, that sound similar to the the famous VXD3 deep-cup Darths that I have owned. NO "overwhelming" bass at all. Just deep and beautiful, providing a realistic foundation to the music. Just like real-life live bass does.
Well worth the price for a real, functional piece of artwork.
Mine have the leather earpads, and Flaming Purple Heart wood cups, so maybe that makes them slightly different-sounding from what you describe, too?
Larry (Mr. Headphile!) says the various wood and cable combos possible DO have subtle differences in their SQ. But, he and I agree on the basic SQ of the V4 -- he tests EVERY one before he will offer it for sale on his deals page, or ship one to a custom-made buyer. He knows his reputation rides on every can he sells.
Just figured to write this, because some peeps may get the impression that all these V4's have overwhelming bass that intrudes into the mids, like the older V3 Darths DID do. But, these do not -- at not MY pair. And others, too have said this.
These puppies are KEEPERS for *me*.
Maybe your source or amp has some bearing on your impressions, too?
We know that stuff happens, of course.

 

[XXII]

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverrain /img/forum/go_quote.gif Larry (Mr. Headphile!) says the various wood and cable combos possible DO have subtle differences in their SQ.

I don't think this is true for the V4 since each v4 has an internal chamber made of korina .

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris19 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Everything Else: At low volumes, the bass will overpower the guitars. No doubt there. But, crank it up a little, and the mids fill out nicely. I find that I have to listen at a slightly higher volume than normal to really balance out the lead and rhythm guitars with the bass. This can be dangerous...

Great review Chris. Do you have a SPL meter? How loud is "slightly higher volume"?

 

[Chris19]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XXII /img/forum/go_quote.gif Great review Chris. Do you have a SPL meter? How loud is "slightly higher volume"?

No, I don't have a SPL meter unfortunately. I guess I'm going by intuition here, but I don't think I'm fooling myself. I can leave the Sony SA5000's on for hours without getting any discomfort or ear-ringing, but at sound levels where I feel the V4's are balanced for me, I can go for about an hour before I need to take a break. Maybe it's the bass putting extra pressure on my eardrums, but my ears usually ring for a moment when I take the V4's off. If I can find a SPL meter on the cheap, I'll grab one, but for now I hope you'll take my word for it.

As far as slightly louder, well, it's a usually 2 clicks higher on my Chinese DACT-knockoff attenuator, at about the halfway point. That should be 4 dB louder.