[Benny-x]

This is quite funny, and thank you to Macedonianhero for entertaining the last 4 pages of onslaught in a very gentlemanly way.

I think the issue we're having is the similarity between Mac's comments and the other unfounded ones that have been in this thread before. He's heard the headphones and just happens to fall in line with feeling how he does and referencing Tyll's measurements. Good for Mac, his well trained and tuned ears can hear in line with a FR chart. I couldn't tell you if mine do. I like to pride myself on being able to hear minute details, and enjoy feeling the emotional connection to the headphones or speakers that pull out those details in a way I like. But I can't say if I'd be able to compare my feelings and say how they would present on a chart.

As for Tyll's setup, I think it's fine and probably the best we folks have to reference. And it continues to improve, as far as I understand. As for trusting it, I don't inherently question it, but it is just a single reference point and that's not a good thing. I'd love to put in the effort he has to have my own measurement test stand, the take the even more time to publish and discuss the results,, butat's never gonna happen

Hopefully before the end of the year, I'll have fully reassembled and reinstalled my full audio system, and gotten and felt out a new DAC. Hopefully by then as well, I've made the balanced cable I want for my SEM1s and the other "keepers" in my stable. Then I can really start feeling out where I think they stand. Until now they've impressed me a lot here and there, I've had my issues with their vocals, but I've yet to give them a proper test to see how they stack up against my other heavy hitters.

As another audio hope, hopefully within 2 months I'll have a pair of floorstanders in house and then I'll really be able to see how my headphones compare. Then I get to play with the room treatment problems and so on, but I yearn for that slam and palpability that you only get from speakers~

 

[up late]

^ so if we put the manner in which mh expressed his critical comments to one side (which you regard as "gentlemanly"), you're still lumping them in with the other comments that you consider "unfounded" because they are substantially similar. why do you think that they are unfounded?

 

[MacedonianHero]

^ so if we put the manner in which mh expressed his critical comments to one side (which you regard as "gentlemanly"), you're still lumping them in with the other comments that you consider "unfounded" because they are substantially similar. why do you think that they are unfounded?

I frankly don't know how to take his comments? I do agree that one has to also make an emotional connection to a pair of headphones and as I've mentioned several times already on this thread, Grado headphones don't measure very well and with several of them I can make this connection (though not all). Or was that conveniently forgotten? But I couldn't with these headphones due to the issues I've noted. Whether he thinks that's "unfounded"; well, does he think that anyone disagrees with him is also "unfounded"?...very much seems that way, no?

BTW, it wasn't just Tyll's measurements I was referring to...if you search enough, you'll see similar matching ones too.

 

[up late]

i found his "unfounded" claim curious.

i've come across another set of measurements for the se-m1 and they looked similar to tyll's.

 

[phonomat]

PLEASE give some feedback on the Monitor5
While my main Can is the Utopia I am in need of a closed back. While I had the Z1R in house for a long demo twice - in the end they went back. I really liked them however there was perhaps a bit too much energy put out by those massive drivers. It was trapped due to the tight seal and created a touch of discomfort. I still might return to them as I need a closed back pair which does not leak and does not let in sound from the wives tv watching.

I have been waiting to see how these new Pioneers do

Here's mine for a teaser, dunno if you saw. Just some very quick show impressions obviously, but in the current form, I actually liked the Z1R over them. I might try to get them for a prolonged audition out of curiosity, because Pioneer have proven they can work some MAGIC with the SEM1.

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/p...rs-high-end-closed-back.845527/#post-13503411

 

[up late]

that would be the original pioneer se-m5 thread right?

 

[Hiyono]

I got to try the monitor 5 at a show few weeks ago. I didn't like the sound. I found the highs too sharp. The mids were a bit more forward compared to my SEM1. Which I did like, I find the sem1 mids a tad recessed sometimes. Looking for a new cable for my SEM1.

Monitor5 are comfortable like the sem1 and look very nice. They had cloth pads when I tried them.

 

[up late]

^ i've added your impression to the se-m5 thread. hope you're okay with that.

 

[Benny-x]

^ so if we put the manner in which mh expressed his critical comments to one side (which you regard as "gentlemanly"), you're still lumping them in with the other comments that you consider "unfounded" because they are substantially similar. why do you think that they are unfounded?

I frankly don't know how to take his comments? I do agree that one has to also make an emotional connection to a pair of headphones and as I've mentioned several times already on this thread, Grado headphones don't measure very well and with several of them I can make this connection (though not all). Or was that conveniently forgotten? But I couldn't with these headphones due to the issues I've noted. Whether he thinks that's "unfounded"; well, does he think that anyone disagrees with him is also "unfounded"?...very much seems that way, no?

BTW, it wasn't just Tyll's measurements I was referring to...if you search enough, you'll see similar matching ones too.

Firstly, haha! I really didn't expect those replies and "thought" my post was clear, but alas, I suppose from some angle it may not have been.

No, I meant that i figured the general lack of acceptance of @MacedonianHero 's thoughts were because they sounded like the ones that have filled a lot of this thread by people saying "I saw -the measurements- and then absolutely refused to listen to these. They're terrible and totally not worth the price". Those comments i label as unfounded because the person hasn't listened to the headphones, yet they cast an opinion on them, and then share it. But MH's were totally fine because he had heard them, and thus are not in the same camp.

And unfortunately, people also phrase those doubts in such ways, sometimes, that it's not clear that the person hasn't even gotten any ear time before they recommended whichever other headphone be used insteadof this one. This was the basis of my initial feedback to MH as I wanted to clarify if he'd actually listened to the SEM1 at home or not at a show. Which he clearly answered.

No, I was not being sarcastic and was honestly saying MH dealt with the negative feedback well. And me being one of them initially, I appreciate that.

I believe that should be more clear now.

Separate.
The last comment from Hiyono about the mids being a bit recessed, that might be what I've felt with them too. I've never been sure how to describe it, but the vocals have felt "off" for me from time to time. I haven't had a good sit down to compare, like I'd mentioned, by that's a feeling that I've taken away a few times. So, maybe that's a more accurate way of describing it?

Anyone else find this?

 

[AppleheadMay]

What I find remakeable is how many Utopia's you can and how many M1s ... quite a difference ...

Yes, I heard both. I have the M1s and compared them to the Utopias for a whole weekend as I posted before.
Both were burned in, the Utopias were a demo laoner from a shop over here.

 

[buzzlulu]

AppleheadMay

Your profile shows you have both the Z1R and the new Pioneer closed back.
Any comments on a comparison?

 

[MacedonianHero]

Firstly, haha! I really didn't expect those replies and "thought" my post was clear, but alas, I suppose from some angle it may not have been.

No, I meant that i figured the general lack of acceptance of @MacedonianHero 's thoughts were because they sounded like the ones that have filled a lot of this thread by people saying "I saw -the measurements- and then absolutely refused to listen to these. They're terrible and totally not worth the price". Those comments i label as unfounded because the person hasn't listened to the headphones, yet they cast an opinion on them, and then share it. But MH's were totally fine because he had heard them, and thus are not in the same camp.

And unfortunately, people also phrase those doubts in such ways, sometimes, that it's not clear that the person hasn't even gotten any ear time before they recommended whichever other headphone be used insteadof this one. This was the basis of my initial feedback to MH as I wanted to clarify if he'd actually listened to the SEM1 at home or not at a show. Which he clearly answered.

No, I was not being sarcastic and was honestly saying MH dealt with the negative feedback well. And me being one of them initially, I appreciate that.

I believe that should be more clear now.

Separate.
The last comment from Hiyono about the mids being a bit recessed, that might be what I've felt with them too. I've never been sure how to describe it, but the vocals have felt "off" for me from time to time. I haven't had a good sit down to compare, like I'd mentioned, by that's a feeling that I've taken away a few times. So, maybe that's a more accurate way of describing it?

Anyone else find this?

Thanks for the clarification. Being a long time Grado fan (though NOT all Grado headphones), I am fully aware how badly they measure, but as I mentioned, for some reason I like some of their models (older RS1/RS1i, PS1000e and GH-1). I realize that they measure poorly, but for some reason I can really dig them with rock and jazz. Measurements should never limit anyone here from trying a pair...buying a pair is a different story. I personally prefer to listen first so as to not bias my judgement and then look up how they perform. Sometimes (like the Pioneers or the Abyss) I hit the nail on the head...other times not so much.

 

[up late]

Firstly, haha! I really didn't expect those replies and "thought" my post was clear, but alas, I suppose from some angle it may not have been.

No, I meant that i figured the general lack of acceptance of @MacedonianHero 's thoughts were because they sounded like the ones that have filled a lot of this thread by people saying "I saw -the measurements- and then absolutely refused to listen to these. They're terrible and totally not worth the price". Those comments i label as unfounded because the person hasn't listened to the headphones, yet they cast an opinion on them, and then share it. But MH's were totally fine because he had heard them, and thus are not in the same camp.

And unfortunately, people also phrase those doubts in such ways, sometimes, that it's not clear that the person hasn't even gotten any ear time before they recommended whichever other headphone be used insteadof this one. This was the basis of my initial feedback to MH as I wanted to clarify if he'd actually listened to the SEM1 at home or not at a show. Which he clearly answered.

No, I was not being sarcastic and was honestly saying MH dealt with the negative feedback well. And me being one of them initially, I appreciate that.

I believe that should be more clear now.

Separate.
The last comment from Hiyono about the mids being a bit recessed, that might be what I've felt with them too. I've never been sure how to describe it, but the vocals have felt "off" for me from time to time. I haven't had a good sit down to compare, like I'd mentioned, by that's a feeling that I've taken away a few times. So, maybe that's a more accurate way of describing it?

Anyone else find this?

Thanks for clarifying. I've been following this thread from the beginning and MH isn't the only person who has heard the SE-M1 and been critical of it. There's also nothing wrong with commenting on how it measures without having heard it, but I do agree that it would be unfair to dismiss the SE-M1 on the measurements alone. And while I do recall seeing some forthright exchanges in this thread over the measurements, I'm not sure that there were many folks who were refusing to listen to the SE-M1 because of them, if any. That said, I won't be trawling back through the thread to find out.

 

[Oregonian]

Got the 5' Q French Silk cable made up by Ted @headphone Lounge.............excellent work as expected. Don't notice any change in sound (since I know that will be asked) - this was done for the ergonomics - this cable is so soft and supple. Have it on my LA7000 as well so had a history with using it.

 

[starblue]

Hi,

Has anyone tried the M1 with balanced cable yet? If yes the one pioneer or third party and did you find appreciable uptick in sound quality?

Thx