[Jap]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drarthurwells I owned the HP2 for years. Nice sound if you like coloration. I prefer natural and neutral. SA5000 is the King here.

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Considering that I have heard the HP2 compared to a number of other top phones before, the SA5000 would have to be really something to have less coloration than the HP2.

It may also interest you to know that your opinion is not shared with that of members here whose opnions I respect. It has been reported that the SA5000 has more detail than the HP2 or most other dynamic phones---no problem there. However, the HP2 still seems to be regarded tops by many for sheer transparency.

I would personally love! to have an ultra modern phone where the manufacturer truly set out to optimize transparency and detail. I'll just have to find a meet which doesn't conflict with my hectic schedule to audition the SA5000 and settle many questions with my own ears.
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[GoRedwings19]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jap [size=small] This is really not a problem---it is a blessing!, especially if you are overhauling your rig. A high resolution phone can make it easy to establish minimum quality standards for your gear. I haven't heard the SA5000 yet, but it seems to be way up there and perhaps beyond the quality levels of the other phones on my hit list---AKG K501 and Joe Grado HP1|2. I know what I'm in for with the K501 qnd the HP2; I can only imagine the hyper detail of the SA5000 [/size]

The SA5k is a very good headphone for the price no doubt about it. But I found the sound is alway an artificial manufactured sound. The elevated timbe of notes is my biggest problem and the bass while tight and fast I found to be fatiguing.

Yes I found the SA5k to be faster, have more detail. But the Hp-series are still my defacto standard to guage all other headphone by. Nothing can change that now....it's too late for me, my son....you don't know the power of the non fuzzy fuzz....

I found the Qualia+black Dragon cable more to my liking then the SA5k and there are a lot more sa5k lovers than Qualia lovers!

 

[DevilDog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok This is the only thread that's gotten me extremely aggrovated on Head-Fi, ... Fanboyism is fine, but do NOT do this just to piss people (like me) off.. if you don't have anything good to say, DON'T SAY IT.

Thank you, thank you for saying this.

 

[virometal]

Quote:

Time for a source upgrade GoRedwings.

Time for a source upgrade GoRedwings. This is actually my opinion as well. That is why I love this can for electronica. But for say acoustical sets, my Grado is preferred.

 

[GoRedwings19]

Quote:

Originally Posted by virometal Time for a source upgrade GoRedwings. This is actually my opinion as well. That is why I love this can for electronica. But for say acoustical sets, my Grado is preferred.

Do you mean my ipod?

 

[DrOctagon]

Amen, Duncan and akwok. I'm getting kind of tired seeing some posters (usually the 'lesser experienced' ones) get shot down by elitist know-it-alls who think their equipment is the end all be all of high end headphone listening. Different people enjoy different sound signatures...so LET THEM. I'd expect differing opinions, but just because to YOUR ears rig A sounds better than rig B doesn't neccessarily make it better. I thought this was a hobby, one where the participant tried out a range of equipment that was WITHIN HIS OR HER MEANS (not everyone has a bottomless wallet, some people here seem to forget that or just be ignorant to the fact), until he or she found just what they were looking for in terms of sound. That's how I approach it anyway. I have a main rig, I'll be interchanging components as my budget allows, until I find that audio bliss I'm seeking, to make the kind of music I listen to (yes, some people do enjoy different kinds of music, and some strive to voice their rigs to that music they enjoy...imagine that...) sound as good as I can make it sound. I'm pretty sure that's what most other Head-Fi members are here for as well. And if that's the case, it's really misleading to have not only these silly little flame wars ("your source sucks!" "my rig sounds best!"), but to have guys with as limited experience as myself running around touting a piece of equipment they haven't had a chance to compare to much else out there as being tops! It would be like me going posting in every thread where someone is looking for a source to look into MINE because well shoot, it sounds amazing! Have I compared it to more than five other high end sources? Well no I haven't, but hey, it's amazing! Buy it! I would LOVE to cite a few posters who irk the heck out of me with their relentless promoting of select gear, but I'm not going to, because that just isn't cool. I don't pay much attention to those guys myself...thank goodness for meet impression threads, and for the wealth of information that can be found in the archives. I just feel for the new members who will end up being misled and can't see through the fanboyish 'viewpoints'. Fanboys and jerks suck, and take the fun away from this great hobby and great forum we share. Sorry for the rant (and long winded paragraph)...had to get it off my chest.

 

[Veniogenesis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by virometal Time for a source upgrade GoRedwings. This is actually my opinion as well. That is why I love this can for electronica. But for say acoustical sets, my Grado is preferred.

Ah ha. Thanks for reminding me just *why* I decided to buy these headphones...

Electronica!

And the source problem is somewhat toned down because, well, electronica is already a "noizy" type of music.

 

[Jahn]

Yes Red, you need a source upgrade. I will kindly swap my modded 0404 with you for your crappy old Mark Levinson rig.

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok Exactly. And what the HELL is with this ?! : "The DAC-1 is neutral. Other people's ears have been Sennheiser-fied, that's all. Don't worry about it. It's a great source. -Matt" Fanboyism is fine, but do NOT do this just to piss people (like me) off.. if you don't have anything good to say, DON'T SAY IT.

Don't take Matt's post too personally. If Head-Fiers didn't have opinions, some of us VERY strong opinions, we wouldn't even be hanging out here.

My opinion is that matt's MS2's are a bit bright and that SA5K is too bright, but that's my opinion only, and if Matt enjoys them very much, that's that.

One piece of bad news I have for you, Akwok, is that compared to Senn HD650/Zu, K3000 sounded about 3 times slower and muddier. I do NOT know what happened, but hopefully your Dynahi will cure this. K3000 sounded NOTHING at all like my K1000, even out of the same amps, which was quite surprising to me given the same driver used..

 

[GoRedwings19]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn Yes Red, you need a source upgrade. I will kindly swap my modded 0404 with you for your crappy old Mark Levinson rig.

funnily jahnmeister my soundcard thingy died on me. So given this sceanario and you totally down with the fuzzies sure why not.

 

[virometal]

"Time for a source upgrade GoRedwings"

That was sarcasm btw. I am well aware of watishisface's system. In fact, I am just waiting for him to send me something like he does the rest of head-fi.

j/k

 

[crazyfrenchman27]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok Exactly. So do NOT say to me: "Your source is at fault. With the setup I use, and highly recommend, a CD will come to life. It will be like you never really heard it before, or anything like it. You will hear bass that you never thought was recorded on a CD." or "For those of you that are not married to your present setup then save your bucks and duplicate my setup. Those that do will thank me later. The rest of you simply don't know what you are missing." ,because that REALLY ticks me off. You should know DAMN well that there are many people who prefer coloration over neutrality. This is the only thread that's gotten me extremely aggrovated on Head-Fi, and now I know who to add to my sh'*tlist. And what the HELL is with this ?! : "The DAC-1 is neutral. Other people's ears have been Sennheiser-fied, that's all. Don't worry about it. It's a great source. -Matt" Fanboyism is fine, but do NOT do this just to piss people (like me) off.. if you don't have anything good to say, DON'T SAY IT.

Anyone who thinks that the SA5000 sounds like a $200 headphone (tops!) isn't listening to the headphone; they're reading the manufacturer label and falling back on some preconceived notions. You might not like the headphone, but to say that the headphone lacks technical merit for its price is just spreading falsehoods. I think you can objectively say that this headphone can do a lot of things that most $200 headphones (at least, the ones I've heard) can't do.

Similarly, I question anyone who thinks the Benchmark DAC-1 is a "bad" source or "unbalanced." You have to think some pretty dark sources/headphones are "normal" in order to think that the Benchmark is "overly bright."

Of course, lots of people on these forums do have pretty dark systems....they're just unwilling to admit that what they listen to is not "neutral." It might be neutral to them, but it's not neutral in the grand scheme of things.

-Matt

 

[akwok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyfrenchman27 Anyone who thinks that the SA5000 sounds like a $200 headphone (tops!) isn't listening to the headphone; they're reading the manufacturer label and falling back on some preconceived notions. You might not like the headphone, but to say that the headphone lacks technical merit for its price is just spreading falsehoods. I think you can objectively say that this headphone can do a lot of things that most $200 headphones (at least, the ones I've heard) can't do. Similarly, I question anyone who thinks the Benchmark DAC-1 is a "bad" source or "unbalanced." You have to think some pretty dark sources/headphones are "normal" in order to think that the Benchmark is "overly bright." Of course, lots of people on these forums do have pretty dark systems....they're just unwilling to admit that what they listen to is not "neutral." It might be neutral to them, but it's not neutral in the grand scheme of things. -Matt

I never said anything about them sounding like $200 headphones.. at all.

 

[Veniogenesis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok I never said anything about them sounding like $200 headphones.. at all.

GerG did.

 

[gerG]

Actually I said (or intended to say) that their relative value was around $200. That is what they would have had to cost for me to keep them and not feel cheated every time I listened to them. I have several headphones that cost less and sound better (to me). I still think that the HP910 vs SA5000 would be a worthy comparison, since they are really a similar design (refering to driver mount, placement, and cavity treatment).

I was pretty enthusiastic when I got the SA5000, and my only preconceived notion was that they would be great. They were a significant disappointment for me, to the point that I am now reluctant to try another headphone. Of course, my wife thinks that is a good thing

gerG