[WernerW]

You know I don't get what all the animosity is around @Nomax and this headphone.

What I see is that you have two experienced members of the community, Resolve and Nomax, who hear things differently. The entire site is made up of people like this. People keep trying to impugn Nomax's integrity. That is super strange. Yes he has an unusual communication style, in part because he seems to be using a translator at times. But so what!

Nomax owns the best headphone system for sale in the world. He listens to it as often as he pleases, that could mean his ears are finely tuned. He has a number of times said that certain headphones that were either just released or about to be released were special, and most people after getting past his funny way of putting it, seem to agree. He owns all the headphones he is comparing composer to, so that sort of rules out he is biased by what he paid money for (it's also not clear if Resolve is comparing headphones from memeory or just trying them out side by side). He owns the Nutopia (and was pushing that one just before it came out) and either owns or owned the OG utopia. The guy has proven good ears. Of course that doesn't mean that he is always right or always right for you. But the guy deserves respect.

Resolve also deserves our respect. In my case I agree with him about the SR007 and the Sus, and suspect I would agree with him about the warwick. But I have never agreed with his take on the HD800S. If you watch his year end video he did with GoldenEar and the other guy, he winces when goldenear says the 6k peak doesn't bother him that much (I hear it, but it also doesn't bother me either). The other two guys rated the Senn higher than resolve. So that how it works. It's what resolve called the headphone transfer function. It also is confusing to me that he says that the 6k peak doesn't bother him on the composer but he like the treble better on the Senn. Humans are weird.

Right now, I am listening to the new Kali Uchis on the composer. It's modern loudness wars dance pop. Kind of ear candy. I tried a few minutes ago to listen to it on the Senn. I really don't understand how anyone can say the Composer isn't much better. It's not as peaky, the bass full and deep. The over all tonality just seems spot on. The Senn, yeah there is something beguiling about the part of the music it does well, the mid, and upper treble, but it doesn't sound overall as convincing as the composer on the Kali Uchis. I just asked my wife what she thought. Composer. She asked me if I was really having trouble figuring that out!

Now if I put my Stax SR007 on. That's a much more interesting debate...

Hello everyone,

I can't understand all the hostility towards NOMAX either.

OK, this is a typical and well known phenomenon of internet forums, where people are often not as polite to other people as they should be. These people would never dare to address others if they were face to face with them. There should be much more respect for others here, and one should be very careful with suspicions when there is no evidence.

If you read NOMAX's replies to emails against his personal integrity or his activity or his taste here in his own thread (remember that NOMAX initiated this highly interesting thread, so it is quite natural that he posts here quite frequently), you will see that he always remains cool and relaxed and takes all attacks with a lot of humor and a grain of salt. The attacks from others, however, are often meant very seriously, sometimes "below the belt" and without any humor. NOMAX always stays cool and doesn't return the sometimes aggressive attacks (he doesn't hit back "below the belt").

Having known NOMAX for two years now, I have to say the following:
In the beginning, when I joined a German forum, I was very much against his views and judgments. But then I met him and got to know him better and better.
Now I know that NOMAX is a very sincere person who doesn't play tricks and is very honest for his headphones.

When you read reviews from YouTube influencers or other reviewers, I often get the impression that their reviews are biased and often overly positive.
NOMAX never does that, he always speaks openly, he always tells you what he personally thinks. That's very valuable for the community, by the way, because we don't need embellished judgments. OK, his (subjective) judgments only follow his personal taste, but everyone here should know that anyway, so no need to get upset.

NOMAX is not tied to one brand. For example, he admires the DCA Stealth. But he didn't like the DCA Expanse and he made that known to the forum community. By the way, I had exactly the same impressions about the Expanse before NOMAX published this.
He owned and still owns headphones from many different brands and has repeatedly praised various brands, but has also given negative verdicts when he wasn't convinced.

There was no bias towards a particular brand due to commercial interests. He really buys things himself, he does not act as brand ambassador and is completely independent. Yes, it may be that a bit of local patriotism plays a certain role for the AA Composer, as he is an Austrian citizen. But what the heck, that's human. But take a look at Focal, DCA, Abyss, Sennheiser (HE-1) etc., he also praised these non-Austrian headphones highly.

By the way: NOMAX is in contact behind the scenes with engineers, product managers and managing directors of various headphone manufacturers. He tries to pass on suggestions for improvement, complaints about existing products, etc. to these representatives and incorporate them into the development process. I believe that he has a certain share in the fact that the Composer can be operated via DAPs without any problems (low impedance and high efficiency) and that a 4.4 mm balanced Pentacon cable is supplied.


Now to the ‘AA Composer’ headphones:

I have certain reservations about the 'AA Full Score One' amplifier intended for the Composer HP. Looking at Cameron's distortion measurements (Cameron/GoldenSound) without TTT activation, I wonder what kind of negative gimmick it is to make a good (with standard distortion values) amplifier artificially much worse than standard solid-state amplifiers at the touch of a button. I see it as a kind of marketing idea. But in my opinion, it's a rather strange marketing idea.

But when it comes to the ‘Austrian Audio Composer’ headphones, I have to admit that these are the best dynamic+planar headphones I have ever heard.
And I have been able to listen to and compare many dynamic, planar and electrostatic headphones.

By the way, I am a big fan of electrostatic headphones and especially of Stax. This may explain why I like the razor-sharp resolution and stable dynamics of the AA Composer from the bass to the treble.
This razor-sharp presentation is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, I can well understand that. But that's a question of personal taste, not any technical incompetence of the Composer headphones. I, for example, don't like the softer signatures of the Meze headphones, I need maximum precision and sharp transients.

And my favorite headphone remains the Stax SR-X9000, as its spectral, temporal (i.e. transient) and spatial resolution is imho unmatched (I haven't heard the Aperio, Shangri-La Senior and HE-1 yet, so they might surpass the X9000 on a sonic level, but I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. The X9000 is absolutely stunning imho. I also admire the Warwick Bravura, which is very different from the X9000 but has a brilliant tonality and is still very resolving and tactile/dynamic.
And the Austrian Audio Composer now joins the group of the best tier-one headphones. For me, it is better than TOTL by Meze, T+A, DCA, Focal et al when it comes to technical characteristics. And imho, the price-performance ratio is unsurpassed.

As mentioned before, in terms of timbre, I can understand that not all people like the Composer's sound style (it's a question of personal taste and preferences).
But the good thing about the AA Composer is that it delivers a very stable and high technical quality in terms of different parameters.
And based on such a brilliant technical foundation, it is possible to make various tonal adjustments to soften, color and warm up the sound by using a linear EQ or even non-linear software plugins (recording studio software) such as saturators, harmonic exciters, tube emulators, transient shapers and spectral reverbs.

It is not possible to turn a muddy headphone into a tactile and high-resolution headphone with such software tools, but the other way around is possible.
I therefore think that the Composer is a perfect option as a technically adept basis for any adjustments to personal sound tastes.

By the way, an example of this was presented by NOMAX himself in a German forum.
He has not yet used a non-linear software algorithm (no overtone generation software), but the linear parametric equalizer of the RME ADI-2/4 Pro (built-in RME EQ).
There he found a setting with a single high-shelf filter at 3.5 kHz and -2dB and Q=0.9 (i.e. attenuation of the high spectrum), which improved the tonal balance and thus opened up the psychoacoustic perception for further positive sonic attributes.

I tried this EQ setting with my own RME ADI-2 Pro FS and must confess I had the same feeling. Although as a Stax lover I also love the non-equalized tonality of the Composer (it's my "Stax-like" cup of tea ), the overall sonic presentation has improved even more. Impressive tonality!
So I can highly recommend this EQ suggestion with the -2dB High Shelf from NOMAX.

Cheers,
Werner

 

[fidgeraldo]

I can't understand all the hostility towards NOMAX either.

If you read enough threads (as I did), you would know that the simple answer would be...KARMA caught him

But don't worry, he can handle it

 

[chesebert]

Here is an AI summary of that wall of text

Here is a summary of the key points from the message:

- There is unnecessary hostility towards NOMAX in online forums. People should be more respectful.

- NOMAX is a sincere person who gives honest opinions on headphones. His reviews are not biased by commercial interests.

- The Austrian Audio Composer headphones are among the best the poster has heard. They have razor-sharp resolution across the frequency range.

- The Composer's technical capabilities allow tonal adjustments through EQ if desired. NOMAX shared an EQ setting that improves the tonal balance.

- Overall, the Composer combines excellent technical performance with the ability to tweak the sound signature. The poster sees it as one of the top headphones available.

 

[fidgeraldo]

chesebert​

18 Years An Extra-Hardcore Head-Fi'er​

Hmm...it's 20 years by now

Cheers!

 

[WernerW]

chesebert​

18 Years An Extra-Hardcore Head-Fi'er​

Hmm...it's 20 years by now

Cheers!

 

[jamesjames]

@Rob80b

Many years ago it was still fashionable to exaggerate in a certain area to impress......K812,HD800,etc etc
People/and manufacturer have slowly moved away from that, at the moment they are trying to create an impression with an exaggeration in a different area
Wow it has so much bass...thats great...I love it (Especially at the Can Jams and trade fairs, this has an immediate effect to create an impression and to impress someone)
However, if you listen more closely, you quickly notice that this new fashion doesn't really have anything to do with the recording
Low end/bass yes...but I prefer quality over quantity in this area
How much bass quantity is legitimate?
Everyone has to find out for themselves and for the tracks/genres he is listens to
And I can assure you of one thing...the bass of the Composer has the best quality next to my HE1
In the mids and highs, however, someone else from the USA is probably ahead of me personally
️So there are reasons why we, as enthusiasts, don't just listen to one model ️
️However, two for at home and one for on the go should be enough to cover your genres️

NOMAX

PS.Only a very honest opinion and view from a crazy guy from Austria

An honest opinion may also be unpersuasive. The suggestion that the HD800S, K812, etc involve fashionable exaggeration strikes me as well wide of the mark. Honestly.

 

[jamesjames]

Hello everyone,

I can't understand all the hostility towards NOMAX either.

OK, this is a typical and well known phenomenon of internet forums, where people are often not as polite to other people as they should be. These people would never dare to address others if they were face to face with them. There should be much more respect for others here, and one should be very careful with suspicions when there is no evidence.

If you read NOMAX's replies to emails against his personal integrity or his activity or his taste here in his own thread (remember that NOMAX initiated this highly interesting thread, so it is quite natural that he posts here quite frequently), you will see that he always remains cool and relaxed and takes all attacks with a lot of humor and a grain of salt. The attacks from others, however, are often meant very seriously, sometimes "below the belt" and without any humor. NOMAX always stays cool and doesn't return the sometimes aggressive attacks (he doesn't hit back "below the belt").

Having known NOMAX for two years now, I have to say the following:
In the beginning, when I joined a German forum, I was very much against his views and judgments. But then I met him and got to know him better and better.
Now I know that NOMAX is a very sincere person who doesn't play tricks and is very honest for his headphones.

When you read reviews from YouTube influencers or other reviewers, I often get the impression that their reviews are biased and often overly positive.
NOMAX never does that, he always speaks openly, he always tells you what he personally thinks. That's very valuable for the community, by the way, because we don't need embellished judgments. OK, his (subjective) judgments only follow his personal taste, but everyone here should know that anyway, so no need to get upset.

NOMAX is not tied to one brand. For example, he admires the DCA Stealth. But he didn't like the DCA Expanse and he made that known to the forum community. By the way, I had exactly the same impressions about the Expanse before NOMAX published this.
He owned and still owns headphones from many different brands and has repeatedly praised various brands, but has also given negative verdicts when he wasn't convinced.

There was no bias towards a particular brand due to commercial interests. He really buys things himself, he does not act as brand ambassador and is completely independent. Yes, it may be that a bit of local patriotism plays a certain role for the AA Composer, as he is an Austrian citizen. But what the heck, that's human. But take a look at Focal, DCA, Abyss, Sennheiser (HE-1) etc., he also praised these non-Austrian headphones highly.

By the way: NOMAX is in contact behind the scenes with engineers, product managers and managing directors of various headphone manufacturers. He tries to pass on suggestions for improvement, complaints about existing products, etc. to these representatives and incorporate them into the development process. I believe that he has a certain share in the fact that the Composer can be operated via DAPs without any problems (low impedance and high efficiency) and that a 4.4 mm balanced Pentacon cable is supplied.


Now to the ‘AA Composer’ headphones:

I have certain reservations about the 'AA Full Score One' amplifier intended for the Composer HP. Looking at Cameron's distortion measurements (Cameron/GoldenSound) without TTT activation, I wonder what kind of negative gimmick it is to make a good (with standard distortion values) amplifier artificially much worse than standard solid-state amplifiers at the touch of a button. I see it as a kind of marketing idea. But in my opinion, it's a rather strange marketing idea.

But when it comes to the ‘Austrian Audio Composer’ headphones, I have to admit that these are the best dynamic+planar headphones I have ever heard.
And I have been able to listen to and compare many dynamic, planar and electrostatic headphones.

By the way, I am a big fan of electrostatic headphones and especially of Stax. This may explain why I like the razor-sharp resolution and stable dynamics of the AA Composer from the bass to the treble.
This razor-sharp presentation is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, I can well understand that. But that's a question of personal taste, not any technical incompetence of the Composer headphones. I, for example, don't like the softer signatures of the Meze headphones, I need maximum precision and sharp transients.

And my favorite headphone remains the Stax SR-X9000, as its spectral, temporal (i.e. transient) and spatial resolution is imho unmatched (I haven't heard the Aperio, Shangri-La Senior and HE-1 yet, so they might surpass the X9000 on a sonic level, but I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. The X9000 is absolutely stunning imho. I also admire the Warwick Bravura, which is very different from the X9000 but has a brilliant tonality and is still very resolving and tactile/dynamic.
And the Austrian Audio Composer now joins the group of the best tier-one headphones. For me, it is better than TOTL by Meze, T+A, DCA, Focal et al when it comes to technical characteristics. And imho, the price-performance ratio is unsurpassed.

As mentioned before, in terms of timbre, I can understand that not all people like the Composer's sound style (it's a question of personal taste and preferences).
But the good thing about the AA Composer is that it delivers a very stable and high technical quality in terms of different parameters.
And based on such a brilliant technical foundation, it is possible to make various tonal adjustments to soften, color and warm up the sound by using a linear EQ or even non-linear software plugins (recording studio software) such as saturators, harmonic exciters, tube emulators, transient shapers and spectral reverbs.

It is not possible to turn a muddy headphone into a tactile and high-resolution headphone with such software tools, but the other way around is possible.
I therefore think that the Composer is a perfect option as a technically adept basis for any adjustments to personal sound tastes.

By the way, an example of this was presented by NOMAX himself in a German forum.
He has not yet used a non-linear software algorithm (no overtone generation software), but the linear parametric equalizer of the RME ADI-2/4 Pro (built-in RME EQ).
There he found a setting with a single high-shelf filter at 3.5 kHz and -2dB and Q=0.9 (i.e. attenuation of the high spectrum), which improved the tonal balance and thus opened up the psychoacoustic perception for further positive sonic attributes.

I tried this EQ setting with my own RME ADI-2 Pro FS and must confess I had the same feeling. Although as a Stax lover I also love the non-equalized tonality of the Composer (it's my "Stax-like" cup of tea ), the overall sonic presentation has improved even more. Impressive tonality!
So I can highly recommend this EQ suggestion with the -2dB High Shelf from NOMAX.

Cheers,
Werner

I'm not sure what to make of this.

 

[WernerW]

I'm not sure what to make of this.

Yeah, maybe you're right . I should not have got too much into details. Too much explanations . I just read into the thread today and was really confused on what was going on here. I am sure that Nomax is really an honest guy(!), this I wanted to express as some people do not know him personally. And moreover I think the Composer is a brilliant piece of technology!

 

[John Buchanan]

Hello everyone,

I can't understand all the hostility towards NOMAX either.

OK, this is a typical and well known phenomenon of internet forums, where people are often not as polite to other people as they should be. These people would never dare to address others if they were face to face with them. There should be much more respect for others here, and one should be very careful with suspicions when there is no evidence.

If you read NOMAX's replies to emails against his personal integrity or his activity or his taste here in his own thread (remember that NOMAX initiated this highly interesting thread, so it is quite natural that he posts here quite frequently), you will see that he always remains cool and relaxed and takes all attacks with a lot of humor and a grain of salt. The attacks from others, however, are often meant very seriously, sometimes "below the belt" and without any humor. NOMAX always stays cool and doesn't return the sometimes aggressive attacks (he doesn't hit back "below the belt").

Having known NOMAX for two years now, I have to say the following:
In the beginning, when I joined a German forum, I was very much against his views and judgments. But then I met him and got to know him better and better.
Now I know that NOMAX is a very sincere person who doesn't play tricks and is very honest for his headphones.

When you read reviews from YouTube influencers or other reviewers, I often get the impression that their reviews are biased and often overly positive.
NOMAX never does that, he always speaks openly, he always tells you what he personally thinks. That's very valuable for the community, by the way, because we don't need embellished judgments. OK, his (subjective) judgments only follow his personal taste, but everyone here should know that anyway, so no need to get upset.

NOMAX is not tied to one brand. For example, he admires the DCA Stealth. But he didn't like the DCA Expanse and he made that known to the forum community. By the way, I had exactly the same impressions about the Expanse before NOMAX published this.
He owned and still owns headphones from many different brands and has repeatedly praised various brands, but has also given negative verdicts when he wasn't convinced.

There was no bias towards a particular brand due to commercial interests. He really buys things himself, he does not act as brand ambassador and is completely independent. Yes, it may be that a bit of local patriotism plays a certain role for the AA Composer, as he is an Austrian citizen. But what the heck, that's human. But take a look at Focal, DCA, Abyss, Sennheiser (HE-1) etc., he also praised these non-Austrian headphones highly.

By the way: NOMAX is in contact behind the scenes with engineers, product managers and managing directors of various headphone manufacturers. He tries to pass on suggestions for improvement, complaints about existing products, etc. to these representatives and incorporate them into the development process. I believe that he has a certain share in the fact that the Composer can be operated via DAPs without any problems (low impedance and high efficiency) and that a 4.4 mm balanced Pentacon cable is supplied.


Now to the ‘AA Composer’ headphones:

I have certain reservations about the 'AA Full Score One' amplifier intended for the Composer HP. Looking at Cameron's distortion measurements (Cameron/GoldenSound) without TTT activation, I wonder what kind of negative gimmick it is to make a good (with standard distortion values) amplifier artificially much worse than standard solid-state amplifiers at the touch of a button. I see it as a kind of marketing idea. But in my opinion, it's a rather strange marketing idea.

But when it comes to the ‘Austrian Audio Composer’ headphones, I have to admit that these are the best dynamic+planar headphones I have ever heard.
And I have been able to listen to and compare many dynamic, planar and electrostatic headphones.

By the way, I am a big fan of electrostatic headphones and especially of Stax. This may explain why I like the razor-sharp resolution and stable dynamics of the AA Composer from the bass to the treble.
This razor-sharp presentation is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, I can well understand that. But that's a question of personal taste, not any technical incompetence of the Composer headphones. I, for example, don't like the softer signatures of the Meze headphones, I need maximum precision and sharp transients.

And my favorite headphone remains the Stax SR-X9000, as its spectral, temporal (i.e. transient) and spatial resolution is imho unmatched (I haven't heard the Aperio, Shangri-La Senior and HE-1 yet, so they might surpass the X9000 on a sonic level, but I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. The X9000 is absolutely stunning imho. I also admire the Warwick Bravura, which is very different from the X9000 but has a brilliant tonality and is still very resolving and tactile/dynamic.
And the Austrian Audio Composer now joins the group of the best tier-one headphones. For me, it is better than TOTL by Meze, T+A, DCA, Focal et al when it comes to technical characteristics. And imho, the price-performance ratio is unsurpassed.

As mentioned before, in terms of timbre, I can understand that not all people like the Composer's sound style (it's a question of personal taste and preferences).
But the good thing about the AA Composer is that it delivers a very stable and high technical quality in terms of different parameters.
And based on such a brilliant technical foundation, it is possible to make various tonal adjustments to soften, color and warm up the sound by using a linear EQ or even non-linear software plugins (recording studio software) such as saturators, harmonic exciters, tube emulators, transient shapers and spectral reverbs.

It is not possible to turn a muddy headphone into a tactile and high-resolution headphone with such software tools, but the other way around is possible.
I therefore think that the Composer is a perfect option as a technically adept basis for any adjustments to personal sound tastes.

By the way, an example of this was presented by NOMAX himself in a German forum.
He has not yet used a non-linear software algorithm (no overtone generation software), but the linear parametric equalizer of the RME ADI-2/4 Pro (built-in RME EQ).
There he found a setting with a single high-shelf filter at 3.5 kHz and -2dB and Q=0.9 (i.e. attenuation of the high spectrum), which improved the tonal balance and thus opened up the psychoacoustic perception for further positive sonic attributes.

I tried this EQ setting with my own RME ADI-2 Pro FS and must confess I had the same feeling. Although as a Stax lover I also love the non-equalized tonality of the Composer (it's my "Stax-like" cup of tea ), the overall sonic presentation has improved even more. Impressive tonality!
So I can highly recommend this EQ suggestion with the -2dB High Shelf from NOMAX.

Cheers,
Werner

Nicely done. There's nothing wrong with writing what you think, however long the piece may be. Some people have very short attention spans.
This Nomax bashing (by others) should stop. They should just put up their own opinions about it - he's been very polite about dissension from his views and stated many times that he receives no financial kickbacks from headphone manufacturers. I, for one, like hearing his opinions.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

I personally don't like acoustic guitars at all when it plays alone

That’s certainly an eye opening revelation and information moving forward.

 

[geoffalter11]

Queued up to listen to next. I lived on the Island for a couple years and I can tell you Bob Marley's music is everywhere, all the time. He's a national treasure over there.

Leo

He certainly is. I tried to visit his grave when I was there last and couldn't get anywhere close to it. This was 25 yrs ago. It was guarded by Rastas with guns... haha

 

[jamesjames]

Yeah, maybe you're right . I should not have got too much into details. Too much explanations . I just read into the thread today and was really confused on what was going on here. I am sure that Nomax is really an honest guy(!), this I wanted to express as some people do not know him personally. And moreover I think the Composer is a brilliant piece of technology!

Fair enough.

 

[Nomax]

An honest opinion may also be unpersuasive. The suggestion that the HD800S, K812, etc involve fashionable exaggeration strikes me as well wide of the mark. Honestly.

There was not only this edition of the Composer in the tests, but an even brighter one
Too much brightness has nothing to do with a realistic performance; yes, it can be impressive, but it can also be stressful and have a negative effect on the listener
In any case, I'm glad that the version we have now is this one that is not so bright and doesn't remind me of that time
And for those if the composer still seems too bright as it is now... who knows what else AA will surprise us with
You can not only intervene with the DSP but also technically..... with a different ear pad

NOMAX

 

[jamesjames]

How much is too much? I'm simply pointing out that preferences differ - notoriously so in relation to 'brightness'. As I wrote, I think it's a bit much to suggest that the HD800S, K812, etc are simply products of an outdated fashion.

 

[Nomax]

How much is too much? I'm simply pointing out that preferences differ - notoriously so in relation to 'brightness'. As I wrote, I think it's a bit much to suggest that the HD800S, K812, etc are simply products of an out-dated fashion.

Everyone has to decide for themselves, every ear reacts and feels differently......When I listen to a K812 or HD800 these days
Then to the Utopia OG and the Composer in comparison.....my ears then tell me,they had their time
I'm happy for everyone who is still happy with the K812 or HD800
(personally I'm not anymore)

NOMAX

Ps.lol