[lejaz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deep Funk /img/forum/go_quote.gif True, I prefer to hear every bit of detail in the music in (possibly) good balance with the music as one piece of work. If that means some aspects like vocals tend to sound less 'leading' I don't mind. You can tweak the V6-es and your equalizer, still I like my V6-es the way they are. I sometimes switch with my Pioneer Monitor 10s from 1978.

If you ever get a chance to try the k240DF with a decent amp, I think you would like it. It's incredibly balanced and detailed, but without any harshness. It has less bass than the v6 though. How does the Monitor 10 compare to the V6? I was interested in trying that hp after reading one of the threads about it. Since getting a better amp, the DF is pretty close to perfection to my ears.

 

[Bob007]

With the V6, you don't hear every bit of detail, you just hear more bass and more highs (the harsh ones) than on the record. But less of the rest.
Fot me, that's not detail, that's focusing your attention on some specific frequency, and changing the balance, which could result in a perception of something new (but nothing that couldn't be heard anywhere else, if you pay attention to it).

 

[Bob007]

So not more details about the recording session and not more details about the audio source.

 

[Bob007]

The ATH-M50 does eveything that the MRD-V6 can do, but with more balance and less harshness.

 

[lejaz]

If I had only $100 or less to spend on a headphone, I'd look for an old k240 Monitor on ebay. They spring up on there almost every day...usually can get them for way under $100. But you need a decent amp or sound card for them, since they're 600 ohms.

 

[jynweythek]

Yeah, there were some things I could hear on the V6 that I could not hear on my cheap headphones, but much less than I was lead to expect from reviews. Not much, really. There's often actually more that I can't hear on the V6 but can on the cheap headphones - even the fairly pathetic $5 Koss Featherweight/UR5.

Though the bass (except for higher bass) on the V6 is the one thing that remains pretty impressive. The sub-bass in particular. The bass manages to have a lot of thump to it without being loud. The higher bass is kind of bad, though, so music that features that sort of bass (e.g. Thievery Corporation) doesn't sound right.

 

[Deep Funk]

Maybe I should consider the JVC RX700. I have only three headphones right now and maybe I'm too optimistic about the V6-es. That's something I can only understand through experiencing more headphones though. The Aurvana Lives are lacking good bass and aren't able to handle my favourite Kyuss tracks so I'll need a replacement.

I saw the AKG 240 on the Dutch Ebay called Marktplaats, very tempting. I could also opt for a Sennheiser HD201 which is seductively cheap. Now, what makes the JVC RX700 such a marvellous headphones?

P.S. The MDR V6-es are my standard listening headphones and still satisfy my ears for their ability to reveal the music as it enters my head.

 

[jynweythek]

One thing that's nice about the RX700 is that it's only $34, so it's not much of an investment. Seems like a good idea to try out some different sound signatures with cheaper headphones if possible. Definitely seems advisable before investing in something costly.

HD201 is supposed to have weak bass, btw. I don't know that they'd have anything over your Aurvana Lives from what I've heard about them (don't take my word though, I have no idea).

I can't speak for the RX700 myself yet, but if you look at the reviews on here it's highly praised (very highly for the money). I'm probably going to order one this weekend even though no one who's tried it has commented about it here yet.

I was actually quite impressed with the V6 for a while, though puzzled about why some music didn't sound that great. So I always noticed the SQ was inconsistent (right from the start, really). But what turned me against them was when my ears started to hurt. I couldn't enjoy music anymore with discomfort or pain like that. This probably made me more critical of them overall. I'd be much more positive about them if they were non-fatiguing.

 

[jynweythek]

Just listened to the V6 on my brother's computer, to Amon Tobin's Foley Room album. This album is made up of lots of (mostly non-music) sound samples put together into music. So naturally it's perfect for detail. It sounds really impressive on the V6. I think that the V6 excels at music that is very well-produced (since it is a studio monitoring phone), has lots of detail in it (especially in the right frequencies), and is kind of 'cold' in the first place (so that the lack of warmth doesn't affect it much). This is true of quite a bit (though definitely not all) of electronic music, so it tends to do best there, IMO. There are also some recordings where the warmth is more in the bass, where the V6 is strong, and these tend to sound good as well.

I noted also that the detail comes through noticeably better on my brother's computer, which has a better soundcard. I also notice my brother's Sansa Fuze is more detailed than my Sansa C250, which is my other main source.

Unfortunately, I could only stand listening to this for about 20-30 minutes before I got some major ear pain and had to quit. I kind of regretted trying the V6 again because of the pain, but I think it was a good idea to remind myself of its strengths. I actually think I'd definitely keep it if it weren't fatiguing.

So forget what I said about only the bass being impressive. Their higher-frequency detail is also really impressive. Though honestly it's not natural at all (I don't know how anyone could claim the V6 sounds natural - though your ears do adjust some to what they are hearing over time). The higher frequencies sound several times louder than the lower frequencies. I checked using SineGen (freeware). This also pretty well confirmed the accuracy of the frequency graph on the Japanese site.

I'd really like to have a headphone around that was really detailed like this (a studio monitor, perhaps), even if it was a bit fatiguing, just to use sometimes, with the kind of music that works well with it. The DBI Pro 700 sounds like a potential possibility for this. I like that it is cheaper, and it sounds like it is similar to the V6 but without the weaknesses (I suppose it probably has some its own, though). I'll have to find out how fatiguing it is first, though. The Pro 700 might be more easily tameable though anyway. I'm thinking an RX700 and a Pro700 might be nicely complementary, and the idea is fairly tempting (would only cost $74 total, though the Pro700 may need an amp).

I'm surprised no RX700 owners have commented at all in this thread. It's ended up becoming a thread about the V6 (heh). I think maybe no one wants to even touch my question because the RX700 and the V6 are too wildly different. There may not be many people who own both, or even who've tried both, either. The closest to a comparison that I found was a few people who liked the RX700 much better than the HD280 Pro (which is a bit like the V6, but actually fairly different), but that's not necessarily relevant. (Probably subjective, too).

 

[TimPrice]

The sony's must do better instrument separation, resolution, soundstage, more open.

on the other side, rx700 are more musical-fun cans, no sibilant!, warmer (lots) BUT still harsh sometimes

 

[Deep Funk]

I have a hard time finding RX700s in the Netherlands, when were they introduced?

Something else, headphones in the E.U. are more expensive than in the U.S. partly because of the euro. Are the RX-series already fully introduced in the U.K.?

 

[jynweythek]

TimPrice, thank you for commenting. So the V6 is more analytical/detailed, while the RX700 is more fun? You say the RX700 is harsh sometimes? With what kinds of music? I listen to a lot of pretty harsh/aggressive electronic music (e.g. Aphex Twin, Venetian Snares). It doesn't have to be non-fatiguing with this sort of music, but it would be nice.

Is the RX700 pretty non-fatiguing, even if it is harsh sometimes? (For reference, please let me know how sensitive you are to fatigue of the V6 sort in general).

I'm thinking for closed headphones, fun might be the right way to go anyway, since I still have to have things pretty quiet with the V6 to hear and appreciate its impressive detail and analytical nature (despite it's pretty decent isolation). Seems like either IEMs (block noise more thoroughly) or open headphones (use when it's quiet anyway) would be better for analytical/detailed-type listening. I believe I would prefer closed headphones for most casual use, since they'd be more comfortable than IEMs but more isolating than open headphones. "Fun" seems a lot more suited to this use as well. I think they're definitely worth a shot. At this stage I've decided that I should mostly be exploring different kinds of headphones and different sound signatures and such to see what I prefer. Better to do this cheaply is my current philosophy.

Deep Funk, from what I've gathered the RX700 appeared in 2008, at least in the U.S. (not sure about that though). Relatively recent in any case.

 

[frijones]

The RX700s are so comfortable that I can wear them all day at work with no problem, though they are a little warm (like ear muffs). They isolate some. Not as much as IEMs but enough to cut a good amount of background noise.

As for sound... they are good. Warm, a little bass heavy but with good mids and highs (with a little "felt mod"). Non-fatiguing, fun headphones that are good for movies and rock.

-Aaron

 

[Napilopez]

I haven't listened to many uber-high end high end cans, just the HD600s in a store, Koss Titaniums and some others, but I love the RX700s.

They are very comfortable. Not quite the "Pillow on your ears" feeling you might get with other phones, but by no means uncomfortable. Somewhat shallow pads, once in a while my ears will hurt a tiny bit from laying on my side or something, but I where them for 4+ hours almost everyday, and often sleep with them on(though I can't move my neck, XD they're HUGE!)

In person, I actually found them to be more attractive then the picture suggested; for their price the build quality seems to be pretty good for a plastic can, and the material hasn't scratched at all.

I actually use mine as earmuffs! XD. I look kinda ridiculous wearing them I suppose, but I always dress nicely, and try to look fresh, so that balances things out =P At first I thought the cold damages them, but it seems they've gone close to how they were before.

These absolutely positively need burn in time. I listened through the burn in time, my sister didn't and we both agreed they sounded way better after 16 hours of burn in.

They are somewhat warm, but still quite detailed. I don't consider them bass-heavy at all, personally. The bass is simply present, not really boomy, quite fast. My sister's FC700s have stronger bass but not nearly as accurate or fast. Keep in mind I listen through my laptop and celphone, so no amping.

You absolutely have to do the felt removal mod on these. Truly opens up the mids and highs without adding harshness. Some felt remains after you do it, though some choose to remove that thin remaining layer.

My biggest complaint is lack of soundstage. Positioning isn't too bad, but the soundstage is small, you do feel boxed. However they benefit GREATLY from Graphicisms 5.1 virtual Surround setup. I prefer it using the Free Surround DSP than the Channel Mixer one though. It doesn't lose sound quality, just makes things sound more open and further. Some may not like that for rock, but I think it's fine. You can always tweak things to your liking.

It's a very balanced headphone I find. I listen to absolutely virtually every genre there is, and I haven't found one I don't enjoy these with. Violin solos sound amazing, it's pretty fast(noticeably so on the bass for it's price I think), Bass is very present and accurate without being overwhelming. Better than my sister's more expensive FC700s for sure in terms of musical sound, and even she agrees.

 

[jynweythek]

Thanks for the info, guys.

Sounds like they are more comfortable than the V6 is for me. (My largish ears just manage to fit within the pads, so most of the time it feels comfortable, but sometimes not, and they do get uncomfortable usually after an hour or so).

I was thinking I'd try some of the mods depending how I feel about them after they're reasonably well burned-in (though exactly how long that is seems to be somewhat debated). If I do it first, I won't get to notice the difference!

Hmm, my impression from what I read was that it had a good soundstage. But maybe I got that mixed up reading the threads discussing the RX700 and the RX900 at the same time. I'll probably try a virtual surround setup with them in any case.

If they're good at all genres, that sounds great because I also like to listen to many different genres of music (and music that combines diverse genres as well). I haven't heard anyone specifically mention electronic music (which is most of what I listen to), but I assume that they work well with that too.

I think I'll order the RX700 then.

I already filed for a return on my V6 with Amazon, but I have until the 31st to return them (holiday return period). Should I try to hang on to them as long as possible, just to compare them directly? I might do this if people are interested. Though since the RX700 is supposed to benefit greatly from lots of burn-in, it might not be very fair. BTW, does anyone know if that final date refers to when I have to ship them or when they have to arrive at Amazon? I suppose I could call Amazon and ask.