[rhythmdevils]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you ever heard sibilance live? Get out to some concerts and performances and listen for sibilence. It is there and you will hear it.

when you say sibilance, are you saying just pronounced "ssss" type sounds, or are you talking about severe, so that it hurts

Saw Grizzly bear a couple nights ago at the Fillmore, and there was definitely sibilance, and it hurt not just because of the volume. One of them jumped up on a flute, and it was just horrible, just sounded screachy... But that, I would attribute to the venue and/or the sound person. But I just put in my earplugs and then let it all wash over me.

I'm going to see Mono at the Great American Music hall in a couple months, and that is going to be a killer show. It won't be too loud, so I won't have to wear earplugs, and the sound there is amazing. Wait, you're in the bay area, you ever been the the great american?

Anyways, I don't think live amplified performances are the best dudge necessarily. There was an acoustic song for the encore the other night, and it sounded tinny, and sharp, there's no way his voice actually sounds like that...

i'll admit though, I like a neutral to warm signature.

 

[oqvist]

It´s in the recording. But surely some headphones may exaggerate the issue. Really hard to know though. It´s quite obvious since with compressed tv shows the problem are generally a lot bigger then for movies with less compressed audio and probably better work in the mixer board

But being owner of several unforgiving headphones like the K701 and Pro 900 I surely understand that some people can´t have it. Complained quite a few times about it myself

Though I ended up rather having that then having headphones that cover the music up and play safe. It´s not that much music or movies I am listening to where it´s there to any large extent and where other stuff with the presentation doesn´t compensate for it or more

 

[john53]

I prefer if my audio equipment smooth out harsh treble/sibilance a bit(but at the same time be clear and transparent)but not at a high degree.

I find sibilance to be very annoying/fatiquing and i believe that it may cause hearing loss in the high frequencies easier than a headphone which has smoother treble.

So i think that headphone set ups should have a nice balanced and a bit smooth treble but not very smooth so they will cover all the bad recordings too.
Just a transparent,airy sound but not too bright/harsh.

 

[BigTony]

The sibilant spike and 'hot treble' are two different things - sibilence can be seen by looking at the frequency spectrum of the song; if you see the spike then you should hear the effect, unless your gear is at fault. I own hd650, and they reproduce the sibilence exactly the same as my floor speakers.

 

[olblueyez]

I am sure any piece of equipment or material could be the cause but the thing that always sticks in my mind is the amp. A nice smooth dynamic amp is rare these days in the US. That is usually the weak link when people complain about the 701 or 650. Seems like it anyway.

 

[Jian]

You either change the amp or the phones to solve the problem. It's usually caused by the bad synergy of the amp and the phones. Blaming the recording is like blaming the phones, how can you tell the sibilance is really in the recordings any way?

 

[shamu144]

I really would appreciate if the OP could clearly express or define what he considers a sibilance.

For me, it is no more than some ssssssss, or shhhhhhh too much pronouced. I get sibilances with my DT48 which have the opposite of a hot treble ( actually some say the treble lack sparkle).

So let's not confuse sibilance with treble emphasis, as I feel it is a nonesense.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jian /img/forum/go_quote.gif You either change the amp or the phones to solve the problem. It's usually caused by the bad synergy of the amp and the phones. Blaming the recording is like blaming the phones, how can you tell the sibilance is really in the recordings any way?

This is exactly right.

Mclean, the HD800 are not sibilant phones. You can hear sibilance if your equipment is causing it, i.e. poor synergy. Trust me on this. I can make them sibilant with certain power cords on my gear. Others, they sound perfectly gorgeous.

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif To complain about headphones that reproduce the recording accurately is nonsense. I think quite a few people are used to the rolled off highs on some equipment. When you've heard a lot of live music and favor equipment with plenty of top end competence, you know the sibilance is there and don't freak out if your equipment reproduces it. For one, I don't mind it, since I know the gear is just being accurate.

Exactly. I remember when I was in primary school (elementary for you American buffoons) and was in a city-wide children singing performance, the singing coordinator stressed for us the emphasis the 'T''s and 'S's and looking back on it, they wanted sibilance!?

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmdevils /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't buy it that recordings are sibilant, and the phones are just "revealing" what is already there.

Oh really?

This is my test track for sibilance and I use it being, well, it's sibilant, particularly at the chorus!
(Awesome 80's cheese music vid to boot btw)

+ YouTube Video​

ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

 

[johnwmclean]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is exactly right. Mclean, the HD800 are not sibilant phones. You can hear sibilance if your equipment is causing it, i.e. poor synergy. Trust me on this. I can make them sibilant with certain power cords on my gear. Others, they sound perfectly gorgeous.

IPodPJ, I too love the HD800’s, they are the best phones that I’ve heard and I am not taking that away from them.
To tell you the truth I got off to a terrible start with these phones, the first listen was a complete disaster. The system had been off for 2 weeks, it was cold and the 840c sounded like it was brand new again, it was quite edgy and brittle (and I’m not talking just treble either). The second night yielded better results, but still sounded quite tipped in the treble. I really don’t know how to explain, nothing has changed in my system - but right now they are fabulous.
I think Erik touched on part of the problem, we now have a phone that’s not rolled off, hence I’ve had to re evaluate from where I was (650’s), to where the 800’s are taking me. And believe me my 650’s have bitten the dust, not even in the same ballpark as the HD800’s.

 

[eaglejo]

Uncle Erik, Absent sound quality, how was the Grizzly Bear show? I've been listening to the latest album quite a bit.

 

[eaglejo]

I meant to direct that Grizzy Bear question to rhythmdevils.

 

[milesandcoltrane]

I for one found the DT880 to be sibilant, and that was the only reason I didn't go for them in the end. Granted their absolutely amazing cans, however the sibilance issue is a really big problem (to my ears at least). For all purposes sibilance in this reply refers to the shrill painful sssss sound and not peaky trebles though those are an annoyance too.

It dawned on me that the sibilance was an issue also because of sources. From a dedicated CDP sibilance was still there but not quite as and annoying. From my macbook though it was really a painful experience. Also from both sources were plugged to the Crossroads Edge amp, which is a decent home amp, but to squeeze perfection out of the DT880 a better amp would solve the problem. Tried the Novo as well but sibilance was still present but not as much.

I'm assuming that with a very good dedicated CDP and the right amp (one that can drive the cans properly and enjoys synergy) the DT880 might not have the sibilance problem at all. But I'm only assuming. However I am not able to accomodate such a setup due to my living arrangements so until then the lesser Sony 7506 has to satisfy me = )

And yes records are probably sometimes at fault. But it can't be happening ALL the time. If it does then a majority of the record companies should fire their sound engineers!!!! But I also feel lack of an adequate source and proper amping is to blame more often than not.

 

[pompon]

I have 125hrs on my HD800. The hot treble begin to be less a problem now. It's still a tad ssss on somes recording but it's hurt less my ears.