[Fearless1]

Quote:

 
 
Speaker taps.  Seriously.  Yet, people think I'm crazy each time I mention them.  Well, yes, I'll admit I'm a bit crazy, but c'mon ... have some fun.  It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.   

I agree with the speaker taps, but this guy is plugging them in to his head phone jack and saying they are disappointing....BTW did you make your own, I want to try it.

 

[wje]

Quote:

I agree with the speaker taps, but this guy is plugging them in to his head phone jack and saying they are disappointing....BTW did you make your own, I want to try it.

 
Yes, I've done my own.  I've braided the 4 cables together and then terminated them on one end with a Neutrik 4-Pin XLR (Female) connector.  I've made two cables that I've taken out and terminated with the 4-pin XLR connectors.  One is using 4 strands of speaker cable (copper, silver coating over copper) and is a pretty meaty gauge - 14, I believe.  The 12 gauge was too hard to braid.
 
I then purchased some 16 gauge copper wire with black insulation.  Out of boredom, I braided up two cables with a small band of shrink tube  on each end to keep the braids from unraveling.  I want to take one of them and apply another 4 Pin XLR connector, then use 4 banana plugs at the other end to ease the connection process.  I need to get some pictures taken of what I have tomorrow morning in the daylight and get these posted.
 
I think the issue with *many* new receivers is that the op-amp section that they use for the headphone section is pretty crappy.  This is especially prevalent with home theater receivers.  This is why I'm a fan of Yamaha stereo receivers.  Straight analog only.  No digital video switching or processing, plus, no built in DACs of mediocre quality.  Plus, the stereo receivers - while nearly new, can be had for a song.

 

[Fearless1]

Quote:

 
Yes, I've done my own.  I've braided the 4 cables together and then terminated them on one end with a Neutrik 4-Pin XLR (Female) connector.  I've made two cables that I've taken out and terminated with the 4-pin XLR connectors.  One is using 4 strands of speaker cable (copper, silver coating over copper) and is a pretty meaty gauge - 14, I believe.  The 12 gauge was too hard to braid.
 
I then purchased some 16 gauge copper wire with black insulation.  Out of boredom, I braided up two cables with a small band of shrink tube  on each end to keep the braids from unraveling.  I want to take one of them and apply another 4 Pin XLR connector, then use 4 banana plugs at the other end to ease the connection process.  I need to get some pictures taken of what I have tomorrow morning in the daylight and get these posted.
 
I think the issue with *many* new receivers is that the op-amp section that they use for the headphone section is pretty crappy.  This is especially prevalent with home theater receivers.  This is why I'm a fan of Yamaha stereo receivers.  Straight analog only.  No digital video switching or processing, plus, no built in DACs of mediocre quality.  Plus, the stereo receivers - while nearly new, can be had for a song.

Great,  I would love to see the pics, thanks.  I just bought a soild state Onkyo A-7 amplifier at a local swap meet (Circa 1978) that sounds smooth as butter that I would love to try it with.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I dunno what it is, but I SWEAR the HE400's soundstage with the NFB 5 is pretty damn wide. Just listening to my music, lots of songs sound out of my head. I do not remember this even with the Q701. I'm not saying the soundstage is bigger. It isn't, but with music, it really does reach out. o_O

I really do believe it's the NFB5, since I definitely don't get that with the soundcard's hpo. Too bad I didn't keep my E9 long enough to test them out with it.

 

[MattTCG]

As you know, we have the same setup. Honestly, I don't think that it's the nfb5. I think that it's the hp. You may be having a love affair with the he400. 

 You know that girl that takes the wrinkles out of your Levi's. 
 
Well, sound stage is very good with the he400 but not better than the Q701 I think. Truth is, the sound stage gets even better going from the nfb to the Schitt stuff. 

 Don't throw tomatoes at me...it does. 
 
You may have just found the perfect hp that we're all after and the amp that pairs sublimely with it...bringing that "synergy" to the combo that we look for on the mystical mountain.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Well, I've never been a soundstage person for music or stereo listening. I've never noticed it, depsite whatever I plugged my headphones to.

It's definitely the NFB5, because using the HE400 out of my PC (definitely loud enough), it's 100% clear that the soundstage takes a bit hit. It's not even debatable. The soundstage goes from being near my ears, to being near my eyes (in my head). Literally night and day difference, when listening to the left/right channel test youtube vid. I have never heard such a staggering difference in soundstage before. The NFB5 completely opened the soundstage up.

 

[Hakone]

Hmm..
Audio GD - HifiMan: The Chinese Connection? 

 

[TMRaven]

I swear you're in a honeymoon period.  Maybe from all the exposure to deprived midrange. 

 

[preproman]

Hey Mad Lust Envy,
 
Tell me about the HE-4 compared to the HE-400. 

 

[wje]

Quote:

Well, sound stage is very good with the he400 but not better than the Q701 I think. Truth is, the sound stage gets even better going from the nfb to the Schitt stuff. 

 Don't throw tomatoes at me...it does. 
 

 
There you go, talking that same o' Schiit again about amps.  

  Actually, I want to hear the Q701 by AKG.  I heard the K701 yesterday at the headphone meet.  Granted, the K701 has been around a bit and many people think the model has less bass than the Q701, I still though the K701 sounded pretty good -- especially in the sound stage area as you've pointed out.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I swear you're in a honeymoon period.  Maybe from all the exposure to deprived midrange. 

I had the Q701 for a good period, and it has great mids.

But you're somewhat right, as I still am a V-shaped person overall.

As for the HE-4 vs HE400... I really need to get my hands on the HE-4 again to do a legit comparison. It's been a long while since I've owned it, and all I remember is that in comparison (from memory), the HE-4 has distant mids, and the treble is more sparkly and less refined. That is somewhat my preference for music anyways, but the HE400's treble has the perfect amount of treble (still sparkly), and the mids are something of a revelation for me. The bass is similar, but the HE-4's bass is slightly loose, which makes it more 'fun' sounding. I can't be 100% sure about actual bass quantity, but from memory, the bass wasn't lacking even for me, but still less than the DT990 (which is one of my bassy cans in terms of bass quantity and quality).

In order for the HE400 to be nearly perfect, I'd have preferred more bass presence, but that by no means it's lacking. The HE400's bass is rich, and strong when necessary. I just have a preference for more emphasis (being used to the D7000s and all). The HE-4 could use slightly less treble. Other than the slightl tonal shift from the HE-4s slightly brighter than the HE400's slightly warm tone (Rev. 2), I think they share a lot of similarities, and you quickly notice that it's the Hifiman planar sound.

Oh yes, the HE400's and HE-4s driving requirements are night and day. While the HE400 certainly scales with amping, it doesn't require much to sound great and loud. The HE-4 is very, VERY strict in terms of amping, and REALLY needs a ton of power. You can forget about portable amps. Some mention speaker taps also being great. I believe the HE-4 cable with just that, but it was DiY. I'd have wished it came with a cable with an interconnect that allowed the option for speaker taps or standard headphone jacks. XLR it's called?

Seriously, I NEED another HE-4 to do a side-by-side. If anyone is willing to send it out to me, that would be LUUUUUURVELY.

 

[musicinmymind]

listening to this song on -6 Treble setup on E17, still sparkly treble is too much for my ears....hope Velour Earpads (which is still on its way) will tame down trebles...I cannot bare it right now.....or it is still not used to planner sound
 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Sounds like the HD650 is for you. O_O

 

[olegausany]

Quote:

Sounds like the HD650 is for you. O_O

If E17 will give them same deep bass HE-400 have

 

[TMRaven]

Unless the amp is deliberately colored to give like a 10db boost at 20-30hz, I don't think HD650 will ever reach the same amount of deepness.