[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally posted by blipblop I think I'm pretty much the biggest novice here, so I thought I'd throw a few things out. Why is it that I always equated good sound with heavy bass? Is that the hardest range of sound to properly emulate? I mean, whenever someone says they have good speakers, they show them off by blasting it and pointing to the thumping bass. Also, why does increasing the treble seem to make music better sounding? Is this because of some psychological connection with trebles and clarity, or is it because speakers are usually so bass heavy that the trebles are blurred and drowned out at normal levels?

Quote:

Originally posted by lindrone I think it has a lot to do with less refined taste of music. Generally speaking, people use "bass" to equate good sound, because it's easy to distinguish. It's very easy to tell how big the bass is, as opposed to say, a high-bass resolution or bass "texture". Same with trebles, it's easy to tell something's piercing your ear, not so easy to tell how accurate it is. Most people who hasn't experienced really good equipments, has no idea what "midrange resolution" is. I remember the first time I had a good pair of headphone, I was amazed at how much clarity there is with midrange instruments and vocals. It's not that either huge bass or high trebles sound nice, in fact, too much of either is very fatiguing and irritating. It's just that for most people, it's the only frame of reference they have. Not to mention we have a culture that sort of breeds that type of view. Little sport cars with thumping bass, movie theaters with huge explosions... so on and so forth.

Hehe, I used to be precisely that type of listener! You know, the type of listener who listened to all music with the bass and treble turned WAY up, drowning out the mids!

But that was 15 years ago. Gradually, over the years, I have learned not to boost both the bass and the treble so much, if at all.

 

[soundboy]

Loudness control can still be found on current Onkyo and Yamaha stereo receivers. The Loudness control on the Yamaha are variable as well.

 

[Geek]

If you want to hear what good sounds like, get into acoustic live music, the stuff performed without the help of mics, speakers, monitors, and all of that other crap that ruins the sound most of the time.

May I suggest attending a local symphony concert, or something involving wind or string instruments.

Pay close attention to the delicate liquid nature of the sound, of how the musicians phrase the piece, their dynamics, how they attack the notes. Follow it emotionally but at the same time keep a keen ear open to absorb all of the details.

You will immediately be surprised by two things:

1. Primarily, how unbelievably detailed and ultimately interesting the performance is in spite of the fact you're hearing very little of that characteristic "treble."

2. Secondarily, in spite of the fact that the bass is reserved compared to "boom boom" speaker setups, how unbelievably deep, rich, and musical it sounds.

If you are able to realise truthfully these two things, you are on your way to becoming an audiophile, at least the way I did. I became sick of the unnatural, hashy, almost pathetic way that low-end components rendered good music, and converted to better components.

This process of discovery also occurs with rock music, but depending on the individual lots of in-ear distortion may occur due to extremely loud sounds. This is what happens with me at live events: without significant hearing protection and at least a medium distance from front stage, I hear nothing but distorted harshness in my right ear and chaotic confusion in my left, to put it mildly.

Welcome to head-fi. Sorry about your wallet (in advance).

 

[wallijonn]

i try to stay as far away from the BestBuy car stereo section as much as possible.

when it goes "boom," "boom," "boom" .. I start to walk away.

strange how no one ever seems to hear the rattle and buzzing in their car stereos... hmmm.

me, make mine labrynth speakers.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally posted by Eagle_Driver Hehe, I used to be precisely that type of listener! You know, the type of listener who listened to all music with the bass and treble turned WAY up, drowning out the mids! But that was 15 years ago. Gradually, over the years, I have learned not to boost both the bass and the treble so much, if at all.

Yeah, me too... in fact, I would go out of my way to purposely boost bass + treble, and decrease the midrange!

The Sennheiser HD580 was a revelation for me... I mean literally, a revelation -- it utterly changed my view of the way music should sound. I realized that when the equipment gets good enough you want to hear the music as a coherent whole, rather than earthshattering bass and energizing (but ear-screeching) treble.

Suddenly the music became musical, and I realized what I had been missing. This wasn't 15 years ago for me, this was about 4 months ago. If I hadn't run into Head-Fi, I'd probably still be listening to the boom & screech.

 

[Jodiuh]

Quote:

Originally posted by fewtch Yeah, me too... in fact, I would go out of my way to purposely boost bass + treble, and decrease the midrange! The Sennheiser HD580 was a revelation for me... I mean literally, a revelation -- it utterly changed my view of the way music should sound. I realized that when the equipment gets good enough you want to hear the music as a coherent whole, rather than earthshattering bass and energizing (but ear-screeching) treble. Suddenly the music became musical, and I realized what I had been missing. This wasn't 15 years ago for me, this was about 4 months ago. If I hadn't run into Head-Fi, I'd probably still be listening to the boom & screech.

Lmao!! That's exactly what happened to me. My eq went from...

[size=medium]V[/size] to [size=medium]---[/size] when I got my 580's last year. I find myself flipping the knob a bit in the car when "Everlasting Love" remix starts playing tho.

Jod!!

 

[Jam_Master_J]

lol, I'm a recovering bass head. I used to think that listening to mp3s through my KTX Pros (with a Koss EQ with the bass and treble maxed and player bass boost on) was hi-fi. I first actually liked flat music when I auditioned some Paradigm speakers. Now with my SR-80s I listen flat.

I'm mostly recovered but every now and again that loudness switch looks very seducing.

I can hear it now...."c'mon push me, just for a minute, you'll like it I promise".

 

[blipblop]

I hear you. Having had my sr60 for only a few days, I already realize what I was missing - the tightness of the bass is really nice, and the burn-in is starting to reveal more bass without distortion) on my SR60s.
BUT I am waiting till I have some more money to grab some headphones that have the bass of my Koss PortaPros, with the tight, crisp and real feel of the bass on my SR60s. Oh, boy will that kick ass.

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally posted by Geek 1. Primarily, how unbelievably detailed and ultimately interesting the performance is in spite of the fact you're hearing very little of that characteristic "treble." 2. Secondarily, in spite of the fact that the bass is reserved compared to "boom boom" speaker setups, how unbelievably deep, rich, and musical it sounds.

The 'hearing despite lack of treble' effect is largely mental in my opinion. I think the trebles are there... but you notice them more when on phones. The perception is different when your brain knows that you're in a large hall. What you're hearing in a headphone system is an 'un-mentally-conditioned', essentially non spacious sound coming from the transducers with very little of the surrounding air to go some way towards fooling your brain that you are within a space. Does that make sense?


And the only system I've come across capable of doing something along the lines (in a reasonably sized room) of what I'm used to with listening to an orchestral performance in a proper hall has a sub the size of a fridge.

 

[Sync]

Let the bassheads be happy. If they want 4 12" subs in the back of their car let em. The fact of the matter is that most of us are not happy with where our sound is but they are. I know its not "right" or audiophile of me but I have a 12" in my car and I love it. Its not that I love the sound but I love the physical feeling you get, I find it so much more engaging that a flat response. There is something to be said about all different kind of sound, the most important thing however, is that its all subjective. To each there own. Besides a killer sub setup will get you far more ladies than Hd-600's with a cable upgrade anyday.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jam_Master_J lol, I'm a recovering bass head. I used to think that listening to mp3s through my KTX Pros (with a Koss EQ with the bass and treble maxed and player bass boost on) was hi-fi.

That's bass!!! (I've got a pair of KTX-Pro, they're very bassy even with a flat EQ!).

 

[skoiboy]

I would love to think I'm a recovering bass head...but I don't think I am...I love it....but I love it just as much as I love the other ranges...that's why I love the DT770's...because I feel that I get all the bass I ever want and (with the proper power) they are a damn good can all around.

 

[Daffy_Duck]

Quote:

Besides a killer sub setup will get you far more ladies than Hd-600's with a cable upgrade anyday.

Some of us prefer quality over quantity. That goes for the sound AS WELL AS the ladies!

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally posted by Daffy_Duck Some of us prefer quality over quantity. That goes for the sound AS WELL AS the ladies!

LOL!

Edit -- Sony V600 listed in your profile... hope you merely forgot to take it out...

 

[Daffy_Duck]

Quote:

Edit -- Sony V600 listed in your profile... hope you merely forgot to take it out...

Hey, I knew they were not great cans...I just didn't have the money or interest until recently to do something about it. I'm keeping them as a reference of what bad 'phones sound like! Actually, I had been drooling over the Ety's for 3 or so years but got the E888's (cost about $90 at the time) since I didn't want to spend the money on the Ety's.