Musicalhead
New Head-Fier
Hello,
T+A has been kind enough to provide me a first sample of their new Ultra Wide pads - and here are my first impressions of the new pads:
The new Ultra Wide pads are also made of Alcantara/Protein leather, and unlike their original sound-absorbing and completely rough counterparts, the alternate pads now have smooth perforated surfaces on the inside, which are intended to influence the acoustic radiation characteristics of the SOLITAIRE P headphones.
The differences in the frequency response affect the midrange almost in whole, which is of particular relevance to the sound. Between 450 Hz and 2500 Hz the SOLITAIRE P with its new pads produces a 2 dB less sound pressure - and even below 50 Hz the headphones, according to the manufacturer, radiates a 1 dB reduction in low frequencies.
And while the two pairs of pads play at the same level in the fundamental, the high frequency range from 8,000 Hz is boosted by up to 1 dB. Therefore the new tuning by the Ultra Wide pads results in a slightly different listening impression in sound.
By lowering the mid-range completely over more than two octaves, the volume on the HA200 is unconsciously turned up a little higher, resulting in a stronger emphasis and equally slightly brighter voices and instruments in the brilliance range, possibly also due to slight reflections on the hard inner surfaces of the pads.
The SOLITAIRE P thus plays slightly more present at high frequencies with the alternative pads, which also results in a slightly more generous stage image with more pronounced reverberation flags. However, in my opinion very small level differences at high frequencies are celebrated less sensitively compared to the original pads.
Regarding the spatial extension into the depths I can't detect any significant differences. And also with regard to staggering, the new ear pads do not show any advantages in my opinion - on the contrary. Separation and focusing of the musical events in the spatial context the "closed" pads succeed in my opinion even a bit more precise.
In the bass range the deviations are just as marginal, but the perforated pads appear in the mid- and upper bass a little more concise and powerful, due to the new slight U-tuning. As a result, I only use the 8 Ohm impedance setting of the T+A HA200 headphone amplifier with the highest possible damping factor for the new pads.
Personally, I tend to use the original and, in my opinion, somewhat more neutrally tuned ear pad replacement. This is because the alternative version often encourages me to make ambitious changes to the volume control in order to increase the audibility of details in the mid-range, which naturally fade into the background at lower listening levels. And usually I enjoy my music rather at moderate listening volumes.
Nevertheless, the tuning of the new Ultra Wide pads could meet the taste of users with specific demands for a somewhat "more open" high frequency reproduction, who also prefer a brighter tonality. It is not for nothing that many manufacturers tune their ear loudspeakers in a very similar way.
However, I recommend to listen to a sample of the new pads in advance. Because the differences between the two pads described above are on the one hand extremely subtle in nature and on the other hand still a matter of taste, of course.
Fidelio
T+A has been kind enough to provide me a first sample of their new Ultra Wide pads - and here are my first impressions of the new pads:
The new Ultra Wide pads are also made of Alcantara/Protein leather, and unlike their original sound-absorbing and completely rough counterparts, the alternate pads now have smooth perforated surfaces on the inside, which are intended to influence the acoustic radiation characteristics of the SOLITAIRE P headphones.
The differences in the frequency response affect the midrange almost in whole, which is of particular relevance to the sound. Between 450 Hz and 2500 Hz the SOLITAIRE P with its new pads produces a 2 dB less sound pressure - and even below 50 Hz the headphones, according to the manufacturer, radiates a 1 dB reduction in low frequencies.
And while the two pairs of pads play at the same level in the fundamental, the high frequency range from 8,000 Hz is boosted by up to 1 dB. Therefore the new tuning by the Ultra Wide pads results in a slightly different listening impression in sound.
By lowering the mid-range completely over more than two octaves, the volume on the HA200 is unconsciously turned up a little higher, resulting in a stronger emphasis and equally slightly brighter voices and instruments in the brilliance range, possibly also due to slight reflections on the hard inner surfaces of the pads.
The SOLITAIRE P thus plays slightly more present at high frequencies with the alternative pads, which also results in a slightly more generous stage image with more pronounced reverberation flags. However, in my opinion very small level differences at high frequencies are celebrated less sensitively compared to the original pads.
Regarding the spatial extension into the depths I can't detect any significant differences. And also with regard to staggering, the new ear pads do not show any advantages in my opinion - on the contrary. Separation and focusing of the musical events in the spatial context the "closed" pads succeed in my opinion even a bit more precise.
In the bass range the deviations are just as marginal, but the perforated pads appear in the mid- and upper bass a little more concise and powerful, due to the new slight U-tuning. As a result, I only use the 8 Ohm impedance setting of the T+A HA200 headphone amplifier with the highest possible damping factor for the new pads.
Personally, I tend to use the original and, in my opinion, somewhat more neutrally tuned ear pad replacement. This is because the alternative version often encourages me to make ambitious changes to the volume control in order to increase the audibility of details in the mid-range, which naturally fade into the background at lower listening levels. And usually I enjoy my music rather at moderate listening volumes.
Nevertheless, the tuning of the new Ultra Wide pads could meet the taste of users with specific demands for a somewhat "more open" high frequency reproduction, who also prefer a brighter tonality. It is not for nothing that many manufacturers tune their ear loudspeakers in a very similar way.
However, I recommend to listen to a sample of the new pads in advance. Because the differences between the two pads described above are on the one hand extremely subtle in nature and on the other hand still a matter of taste, of course.
Fidelio
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