side by side testing is only so useful. Far more effective is to spend a few weeks with each player.
I think overall its flawed to just switch between audio devices, I say this having recently done so with two pairs of headphones, one four times the price of the other. Side by side the differences were subtle.
Yet spending hours or days with one the differences became apparent. Our brain really does need time imo to settle into a piece of gear, otherwise all kinds of illusions crop up. I spoke to an audio engineer recently who has worked in the field for 30 years, especially on headphones (he's also tried every high end headphone on the planet). He owns a headphone bar and really knows his stuff.
He really reiterated the point about side by side testing being super limited, and I have to agree. Often in side by side tests high end gear feels marginally better - yet when given serious time with a headphone users suddenly notice aspects of the music which was previously veiled.
I'm just saying this as head fi has a real obsession with side by side testing, but imo it has limited use.
Yes. That has been my experience comparing daps/amps as well. Its not like comparing iems where the differences are night and day relatively speaking. Even more so when the two things you are comparing sound very close tuning wise.
When comparing stuff with very small diferences like changing between two filters on a dap, I find it helpful to get used to the sound of one setting on a select few test tracks and then when you get used to the sound of one. You'll more readily notice the differences after switching. But even then, it doesn't last long, only 15 or so minutes in my experience before you get used to the sound of the new setting.
Granted this is just a simplified recap of my experiences comparing and demoing gear. Theres a lot more to take into account such as the test tracks you use and if you have properly volume matched the two sources which can also greatly affect how you percieve how good an item is.
Any recommendations to try for maximum bass, female vocal quality and soundstage/imaging on my WM1A with IER-M9s? I am currently running Walkman One Warm on MX3. I am thinking of trying WM1Z next but a short list of combinations to try would be greatly appreciated.
Any recommendations to try for maximum bass, female vocal quality and soundstage/imaging on my WM1A with IER-M9s? I am currently running Walkman One Warm on MX3. I am thinking of trying WM1Z next but a short list of combinations to try would be greatly appreciated.
I have a 1A and a ZX300 that are set up identically. Both now run Walkman One, E region, WMIZ external tuning, normal DAC initialization, no boost and direct source. With each new CFW generation, the ZX300 gets closer to the enjoyment level of the 1A. The most noticeable difference is having a little more weight to the sound with the 1A, likely due to a slightly more powerful output. Reverting to the stock Sony FW reveals a much larger disparity between the two players.
When I tap it, i get the message 'overwrite the saved settings with current settings?' as if its saving a new EQ instead of loading one, but you're right it actually loads the eq! Thanks!
One other question, does the balanced output have more power? Im finding the 3.5mm on high gain cant power my sundaras, but was wondering if I get a 4.4mm cable if it would.
When I tap it, i get the message 'overwrite the saved settings with current settings?' as if its saving a new EQ instead of loading one, but you're right it actually loads the eq! Thanks!
One other question, does the balanced output have more power? Im finding the 3.5mm on high gain cant power my sundaras, but was wondering if I get a 4.4mm cable if it would.
A single ended headphone can never be made balanced via an adaptor (even though some are for sale) and doing so might damage the source. A balanced headphone can be made single ended via an adaptor. So you need a propper balanced cable. Whether that is possible depends on the headphone
A single ended headphone can never be made balanced via an adaptor (even though some are for sale) and doing so might damage the source. A balanced headphone can be made single ended via an adaptor. So you need a propper balanced cable. Whether that is possible depends on the headphone
Yes, you can go single-ended to balanced from player to headphones, but not balanced to single-ended, even if some adapters exist and may apparently work, as you can indeed damage the source (player, in this case) - if not instantly, maybe over time.
I have a 3.5 to 4.4 adapter (player to headphones) which I use sometimes, as I don't want to switch the headphones' cable all the time.
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