This is exactly how I feel when I first listened to the NDH 30. Nothing in the frequency spectrum wanted to be the focal point or wanting to grab your attention. It was love at first listen.
Yep. But I can see why an audio connoisseur may not like it for the exact reasons you mentioned.
For me, I'm looking for neutral sound. On a music production forum, a well-known neo-classical composer said these headphones were surprisingly close to his ATC SCM50 setup in a professional mix environment (I think he prefers Focal headphones though).
But again, the needs of a mixing engineer can be different from an audiophile. If I listened for pure excitement, I'll reach for my Audeze or HD800. But I'm coming to the realization that I don't need to hear all the "nuance" of 8k slammed in my face when I'm mixing The NDH-30s simplify what I'm hearing.
Not hearing trumpets sounding like that
More upfront. Vocals sound recessed at beginning as if singing from back of orchestra.
The real highlights for me come at 4 minute mark when those chimes and all else breaks loose.
Fantastic seperation very 3D sounding.
Not hearing trumpets sounding like that
More upfront. Vocals sound recessed at beginning as if singing from back of orchestra.
The real highlights for me come at 4 minute mark when those chimes and all else breaks loose.
Fantastic seperation very 3D sounding.
The air and space around and in front of trumpet is less clear on 800S. The trumpet on 800S is still very much a good ft away but I am not getting sound projecting from the room. The female vocal is absolutely in the back - you can hear the space from where she is to where the microphone is. Both 800S and Utopia got that one fairly easily. The entire track is one big 3D audio feast that you can go wooing and ahhing. I need to throw this one on speakers sometime this weekend.
Edit: Listened again on Utopia..it was pretty clear not only the trumpets but also the trombones all sounded like they are from projecting in from inside the room. Trombones sounded like they were further away from the microhpone (getting more space. French horns were not quite projecting from the room - they sounded like they are about a ft or so from the head.
The air and space around and in front of trumpet is less clear on 800S. The trumpet on 800S is still very much a good ft away but I am not getting sound projecting from the room. The female vocal is absolutely in the back - you can hear the space from where she is to where the microphone is. Both 800S and Utopia got that one fairly easily. The entire track is one big 3D audio feast that you can go wooing and ahhing. I need to throw this one on speakers sometime this weekend.
Edit: Listened again on Utopia..it was pretty clear not only the trumpets but also the trombones all sounded like they are from projecting in from inside the room. Trombones sounded like they were further away from the microhpone (getting more space. French horns were not quite projecting from the room - they sounded like they are about a ft or so from the head.
No experience with Elex or Rebel. Don't waste your money on HE-1, unless you have specific needs and absolutely do not have the space for a speaker rig. For a $60k system (I was quoted $50k by the dealer close to 7 years ago), you don't really want to use the internal mid-fi dac; you will want a good one to max out HE-1 so that's another $20-30k. Now you are at $80-90k for the total system cost - I am 200% certain I can put together a killer speaker rig for $80k that will blow HE-1 away (probalby only need $40-50k if buying used). For clarification purposes, without considering the price, HE-1 is very good, among the best I have heard.
No experience with Elex or Rebel. Don't waste your money on HE-1, unless you have specific needs and absolutely do not have the space for a speaker rig. For a $60k system (I was quoted $50k by the dealer close to 7 years ago), you don't really want to use the internal mid-fi dac; you will want a good one to max out HE-1 so that's another $20-30k. Now you are at $80-90k for the total system cost - I am 200% certain I can put together a killer speaker rig for $80k that will blow HE-1 away (probalby only need $40-50k if buying used). For clarification purposes, without considering the price, HE-1 is very good, among the best I have heard.
I was just kidding. If i had that kind of money i would probably buy some good separates like the utopia and a top notch tube amp. Maybe some DCS stuff although that's crazy expensive
Love to hear Warwick Aperio system. At 36 thousand it's a steal. Lol
And yes funny HE-1 still uses multiple ess9018's
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The NDH-30s simplify what I'm hearing.
