[ThanatosVI]

Do you find yourself using the Loki on the upper tier planars you cited, or just the lower tier stuff like the 4XX?

Can the Loki reduce as well as boost?

I use the Loki on all my headphones.
It can also reduce.

 

[Dawnrazor]

I have been a dedicated dynamic driver guy since I started this hobby nearly 8 years ago, and never considered planars. I listened to an expensive set one time a few years back (Mr. Speakers I think?) but wasn't really impressed -- too smooth, too big, too heavy. I was on a quest for as much detail and realism as possible. But once I achieved the near pinnacle of detail & tonal balance last year (in the form of the Focal Clear), something in me changed and I started to wonder whether I might be ready to give the cozy clarity of planars another try -- a real try this time -- just for a change of scenery. So I took a (small) gamble and got a set of Monoprice M1060C a few weeks ago and to put it simply: my whole headphone perspective has been turned on end. I just love this sound and can't stop listening to these things! I don't know whether it's the planar sound in general that I'm digging so much, or the M1060C in particular. But knowing these are far from high end, I can't help but wonder about what delights await a tier or two up. (The reviews of the Audeze LCD-2C (Classic) really got my attention, for example.)

Anyway, I highly recommend anyone who's been curious about planars to consider giving the M1060C a try. (I mean they're just $250 for Tyll's sake!)

wait till you mod them. I have some listed in the sig that will transform the m1060c and M1060.

 

[Bassic Needs]

When I look at the measurements of many planars on RTINGS.COM they seem to measure low i.e. -4 db to -8 db from 80 hz to 20 hz. How does that reconcile with the "planar bass" that many say are a strength of planars? Or is there an issue with the way RTINGS does the bass measurement?

Here is the Audeze LCD-2C: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/1-4/graph#691/4039

 

[CorboNoctis]

I cant speak for the M1060s, but the bass on the LCD-2C is the most linear and high resolution I've heard on any headphone. Admittedly I haven't heard stuff like the HEK or Susvara yet, but so far its taken the cake.

 

[ADUHF]

wait till you mod them. I have some listed in the sig that will transform the m1060c and M1060.

Some plots of the C version would be nice.

 

[ThanatosVI]

When I look at the measurements of many planars on RTINGS.COM they seem to measure low i.e. -4 db to -8 db from 80 hz to 20 hz. How does that reconcile with the "planar bass" that many say are a strength of planars? Or is there an issue with the way RTINGS does the bass measurement?

Here is the Audeze LCD-2C: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/1-4/graph#691/4039

I don't know about rtings but here is a Post showing the frequency response of the LCD 2

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/audeze-lcd-2-impressions-thread.509710/post-15635745

There you can see that it goes nearly flat down to 20 Hz.

I guess it has something to do with measured vs perceived frequency response, maybe one is raw and one is normalized.

The LCD- 2C basically measures identical in the Bass frequencyies

 

[mvule]

Best bass I ever heard was on the Oppo PM-3.
Listen to Their Law by The Prodigy, 2:15 when the bass drops...oh my!

 

[Miiksu]

When I look at the measurements of many planars on RTINGS.COM they seem to measure low i.e. -4 db to -8 db from 80 hz to 20 hz. How does that reconcile with the "planar bass" that many say are a strength of planars? Or is there an issue with the way RTINGS does the bass measurement?

Here is the Audeze LCD-2C: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/1-4/graph#691/4039

It's compensated. Look at the raw measurements. You basicly want a bit boosted bass to sound good and not sound lowered.

 

[Bassic Needs]

It's compensated. Look at the raw measurements. You basicly want a bit boosted bass to sound good and not sound lowered.

Thanks for pointing that out - I didn't realize the graphs were compensated. I just re-read their testing methodology and now I understand how the compensation / target curve is applied. Makes sense now.

 

[Miiksu]

Thanks for pointing that out - I didn't realize the graphs were compensated. I just re-read their testing methodology and now I understand how the compensation / target curve is applied. Makes sense now.

Yup You still want a good bass. Solid, fast and not disorted. See some of the high end closed back planar headphone measurements. Someone may disagree but I like to hear frequency response flat. But sometimes it may confuse because the energy on the bass and it can make u feel that the bass is lifted.

 

[Dawnrazor]

Some plots of the C version would be nice.

Send me a rig and instructions.

Also i made the 1060c openback btw. Sounds much better.

I think all the experts just heard the originals and made their conclusions and now think the new versions sound the same or something. I wish they could hear my system.

 

[droido256]

Is there actually a general 'planar' or 'dynamic' sound signature?

I personally find that there is much more variation within different planars and dynamics than across planars vs dynamics. For example a bright Hifiman sounds nothing like a warm Audeze, whereas a warm Sennheiser dynamic sounds somewhat like a warm Audeze planar...?

Planars, in my experience can vary in “signature” to a degree, but not as much as dynamic. However one thing I find, is they are all clear, very little grain, with a good holographic image. As for a general signature.... no not really, greatly depends on who makes them.

It looks like you are converted faster than me

i was slow too, took a t50rp, a he-400, and a EL-8 to be sold. Those plus the isine 10 and the LCD-2F all whip every dynamic I have overall.

 

[Capo Dei Capi]

Planars, in my experience can vary in “signature” to a degree, but not as much as dynamic. However one thing I find, is they are all clear, very little grain, with a good holographic image. As for a general signature.... no not really, greatly depends on who makes them.

i was slow too, took a t50rp, a he-400, and a EL-8 to be sold. Those plus the isine 10 and the LCD-2F all whip every dynamic I have overall.

What did you think of the T50RP. I'm thinking of getting the T20.

 

[bagwell359]

Setting aside Rtings for the moment - Oratory 1990 has this theory that headphones should match speakers in rooms re: bass. Now they just pack it on. Some rooms and dynamic box speakers have a very tight relationship - sometimes up +6 db at 70 Hz, down -4 at 105 Hz (with various nulls, standing waves, etc. occuring), and if you take 20 random rooms and 20 dynamic bass box speakers, you are going to get 20 different curves. So the notion of adding a one size fits all bass boost might be great for bass heads, but on every can I have tried with my parametric their settings are 5-7db too much.

Now I tend to like their settings over 150 Hz, they are usually within +/- 2db to what I hear.

Bass is like putting salt on your food, its good to a point, but too much is simply too much. I spent 40 years trying to smooth out bass acoustics in rooms, and 20 within that actually getting paid to do it for others. If you could capture your system in your room and you want to replicate it - go for it. But a one size fits all not just suggested BUT implemented generic bass boost is very wrong headed from where I sit.

HFM HE-6, HE-6se, HE-500, Arya, HEX v2, Ananda; LCD-2/3/4, MrSpeakers E1/E2 to name a few planars all have great bass. Real bass. The ones I've modified (screens off) I turn the bass up between 1.8 db and 2.8 db - far from the 6-7-8 Oratory wants.

The MD-HE4XX, HFM-400i, 400s and some of the cheaper Planars roll off around 60 and make up with a chubby mid/upper bass - they do need some sub 60 Hz bass augmentation, and pushing down the fatter parts above.

 

[bagwell359]

Planars, in my experience can vary in “signature” to a degree, but not as much as dynamic. However one thing I find, is they are all clear, very little grain, with a good holographic image. As for a general signature.... no not really, greatly depends on who makes them.

He HE-6se is the best can I have for detail and impact, but the HE-500 (modded), HEX v2, and Ananda all have a better headstage. But yes generally while no planar can image as well as a HD-800S driven properly they do tend to image well (the cheaper ones usually a bit less).