Summit-Fi Random Thoughts

[Whazzzup]

Time stops for no one it seems. Sure paid a ton for equipment but at least it performs, does stuff that previous gens couldn’t do. For example the dates fuzzy but I remember the first cd player I saw at an audio show was 1500 cad $. That’s probably 5 g at least in today’s doe for basically a functionless cd player. So gear down to save doe or power up to treat yourself. I’m partial to power up for yolo

 

[bagwell359]

The 80/20 rule in Management/Life - you know 20% of the people do 80% of the work... is even more extreme in the rarefied SOTA/high end.

In 1975 everyone used zip cord to connect speakers - even Quad ESL/DQ-10 etc. - then the rules of EM changed!! I'm all for OFC cable, capable dielectric, gold plated copper spades not tin, but $5k power cords, $1k headphone cable? If one subjected themselves to blind A/B and could tell a difference - great. But relying on reviews of people with a profit motive? Price tags, nice looks - and more subjectives? Throw in the pride of ownership that proves one is one of the elect?

I'm glad of the money that poured into audio since the mid 70's - resulted in many great advances sonically, price/performance improvements - and a few tankers full of snake-oil.

 

[tabness]

So how often do those who got ridiculously priced phones change their favorites?

I ask because I notice that it happens quite a bit around here, either it follows a new purchase or sometimes even people go back to previous favorites after a while.

I've seen this happen with people who have been in the game for quite some time too, which is very strange to me as my experience was I sort of went through the phase of having a new favorite all the time while I was just getting into audio in general and learning about my sound preferences, but for the last 5 years I've had the same favorite headphone in terms of sound (not even a "flagship" or "summit fi" thing just a floppy ass CD3000), despite listening to and getting a bunch of stuff afterwards as well.

Recently, after continuing to try more stuff that at least going by price or reputation should be "better" but never is, I have been spurred to really understand in detail about why I prefer what I prefer and really get into all sorts of sound reproduction stuff. Even been thinking about making my own headphone and tuning it to my preference, but I also think that might be a fools errand. This is because the only phones that are easy to DIY are electrostatic and due to their dipole nature it is very tough to get them tuned just right when they are closed, and it's clear to me that the CD3000s (and R10s by extension) magic is mostly due to the large closed cups (I have a MDR F1 with CD1000 drivers which are the same as CD3000 drivers, it sounds very bright and absolutely nothing like the CD3000).

 

[HiFiWar]

So how often do those who got ridiculously priced phones change their favorites?

I ask because I notice that it happens quite a bit around here, either it follows a new purchase or sometimes even people go back to previous favorites after a while.

I've seen this happen with people who have been in the game for quite some time too, which is very strange to me as my experience was I sort of went through the phase of having a new favorite all the time while I was just getting into audio in general and learning about my sound preferences, but for the last 5 years I've had the same favorite headphone in terms of sound (not even a "flagship" or "summit fi" thing just a floppy ass CD3000), despite listening to and getting a bunch of stuff afterwards as well.

Recently, after continuing to try more stuff that at least going by price or reputation should be "better" but never is, I have been spurred to really understand in detail about why I prefer what I prefer and really get into all sorts of sound reproduction stuff. Even been thinking about making my own headphone and tuning it to my preference, but I also think that might be a fools errand. This is because the only phones that are easy to DIY are electrostatic and due to their dipole nature it is very tough to get them tuned just right when they are closed, and it's clear to me that the CD3000s (and R10s by extension) magic is mostly due to the large closed cups (I have a MDR F1 with CD1000 drivers which are the same as CD3000 drivers, it sounds very bright and absolutely nothing like the CD3000).

I enjoy the Diana MR right now. That will change when I find something better.

 

[Spawn300Z]

I enjoy the Diana MR right now. That will change when I find something better.

You have a nice stable. The MR is a great portable option. I’m enjoying mine also.

 

[HiFiWar]

You have a nice stable. The MR is a great portable option. I’m enjoying mine also.

I put the SR-007A close behind it, but coming from my desktop amp, the MR is probably the best full-size I've heard. Even as a non mobile option. I use my XTC 2.5 as my mobile option.

 

[Ciggavelli]

So, I make have fukced up my hearing listening to headphones so much

I can't hear above 14k. I'm 41, so I dunno if that is normal, but it probably explains why I don't mind bright headphones and actually prefer them

 

[psy472]

So, I make have fukced up my hearing listening to headphones so much

I can't hear above 14k. I'm 41, so I dunno if that is normal, but it probably explains why I don't mind bright headphones and actually prefer them

Hearing damage comes from exposure. I suspect all of those high end supper treble headphones may have done it. You can get hearing damage even if you can’t hear the frequency.

Look at the second graph of the Susvara at 14k: Susvara charts. They have dB spikes and distortions.

 

[Ciggavelli]

Hearing damage comes from exposure. I suspect all of those high end supper treble headphones may have done it. You can get hearing damage even if you can’t hear the frequency.

Look at the second graph of the Susvara at 14k: Susvara charts. They have dB spikes and distortions.

I personally blame my old Shang Sr and the TCs. I listen at like 80-85db, which I thought was safe, but maybe not. I need to be more careful. Unfortunately headphones sound better loud

 

[TheMiddleSky]

I personally blame my old Shang Sr and the TCs. I listen at like 80-85db, which I thought was safe, but maybe not. I need to be more careful. Unfortunately headphones sound better loud

In my case it is the opposite. The "intimate" character of headphone make me listen songs with lower volume. With speaker on low volume, sometimes I feel the "hollowness" (not literally hollow, but just not as intimate as headphone), thus, I tend to crank more volume.

 

[theveterans]

In my case it is the opposite. The "intimate" character of headphone make me listen songs with lower volume. With speaker on low volume, sometimes I feel the "hollowness" (not literally hollow, but just not as intimate as headphone), thus, I tend to crank more volume.

I switch to my Bonneville IEM or ETA Mini Closed for this purpose but if I want to listen to cathedral hall in row 5 seating position, I go for my Susvara instead. Regardless of presentation, I still like to crank all my headphones up moderately loud 80-95+ dB SPL during chorus as long as there’s not a sign of losing steam or getting edgy. To me if a system starts getting edgy at moderately loud volumes, there’s a component mismatch somewhere on the system that prevents the sound from having effortless presentation at those volume levels

 

[Chefguru]

So, I make have fukced up my hearing listening to headphones so much

I can't hear above 14k. I'm 41, so I dunno if that is normal, but it probably explains why I don't mind bright headphones and actually prefer them

I wonder how much this influences opinions on the site. I'm 35 and I can hear 20,000 still apparently.

 

[Ciggavelli]

I wonder how much this influences opinions on the site. I'm 35 and I can hear 20,000 still apparently.

Lucy you. I guess, for me, it means bright headphones don't bother me. I am a bass and treble head. I like bright headphones. I guess 14k is as high as I can hear. I don't know how many albums go above 14k, but maybe there's some. Anyway, I'm a bit sad I can't hear above 14k. I blame the TCs and my old Shang Sr. Or maybe I'm just getting old.

 

[Ciggavelli]

Honestly, it's probably the metal I listen to that has caused this hearing loss above 14K. I listen to those loud, because it's metal and you're supposed to. I thought 85db was safe, but apparently it's not. I'd hate to go to 80 for metal, but I will in the future. Metal is abrasive to the ears, with loud sounds everywhere. It's tied with hip-hop as my favorite genre. If I only listened to classical or jazz, this probably wouldn't have become a problem.

 

[Chefguru]

Lucy you. I guess, for me, it means bright headphones don't bother me. I am a bass and treble head. I like bright headphones. I guess 14k is as high as I can hear. I don't know how many albums go above 14k, but maybe there's some. Anyway, I'm a bit sad I can't hear above 14k. I blame the TCs and my old Shang Sr. Or maybe I'm just getting old.

Honestly, it's probably the metal I listen to that has caused this hearing loss above 14K. I listen to those loud, because it's metal and you're supposed to. I thought 85db was safe, but apparently it's not. I'd hate to go to 80 for metal, but I will in the future. Metal is abrasive to the ears, with loud sounds everywhere. It's tied with hip-hop as my favorite genre. If I only listened to classical or jazz, this probably wouldn't have become a problem.

You're making some pretty strong correlations here that probably are not related. Hearing loss in the upper frequencies is often genetic similar to eyesight. It takes a long amount of exposure over typically decades to get to a point where this is an external issue. Blockbuster films are 85db+, concerts 100db+. I clocked most of Oppenheimer at 95db when I was in Imax. Given how new to the market the TC and Shang Sr are it's hard to believe that you just did this to yourself.

A more appropriate representation of your hearing would be to see how close your baseline at each different frequency in the standard range is. Meaningful hearing loss would mean a scenario where you hear 85db the way someone with normal hearing hears 65db for example. It's possible that your ability to hear 14k is better than my ability to hear 14k. If you have even hearing loss across the spectrum, then it's as easy as just making the music louder - but most people do not have that and start to hear some parts of the spectrum stronger (which then requires hearing aids to eq it). With headphones you could use software eq.

While I can hear up to 20k, my left ear seems to be a little bit harder of hearing in lower-frequencies (it's about a 5db difference to my right ear). Both test in the normal range, but I suspect as I get into my 50s+ I will find slight issue with hearing on the left. Hopefully not.