[customcoco]

hi
post your impressions here.
by "involving" I mean a piece of gear, (everything from headphones to amps, dacs, cd player, speakers, everything...) or a complete system, that just makes you forget about the sound, focus on the music.
it can be (objectively or technically) the best you've heard, or the worst, and can be at any price.
let's talk

 

[EYEdROP]

Many people think im crazy, but my Bose headphones are very musical and easy to listen to with any recording. They sound pretty mediocre in hifi terms but are great if you like a processed sound that psychoacoustically exites you. Makes me forget about analyzing the sound when I hear Bose. 

 

[earerror]

My current setup is awesome...music sounds like real life.  Specially on Jazz, soft rock, orchestra. 

 

[tdockweiler]

The Koss Pro DJ 100 with any kind of J-Pop or female vocal oriented music and the Total airhead. It makes me wonder why I buy any other closed headphones. Too bad the clarity isn't as good as a $200+ headphone, but that's expecting too much! It almost makes me even like Cantopop!
 
I've tried dozens of headphones and this is the ONE that seems to fit my sound signature perfectly. Because of that I can just listen to the music and stop over-analyzing everything.
 
 

 

[wind016]

Stax Omega 2 and Audio Technica W11R
 
Who wouldn't like their own headphones?

 

[customcoco]

Quote:

Many people think im crazy, but my Bose headphones are very musical and easy to listen to with any recording. They sound pretty mediocre in hifi terms but are great if you like a processed sound that psychoacoustically exites you. Makes me forget about analyzing the sound when I hear Bose. 

 
maybe is it because of the noise cancelation?
 
Quote:

Stax Omega 2 and Audio Technica W11R
 
Who wouldn't like their own headphones?

what amp do you use with your omega2?
 

 

[EYEdROP]

Quote:

 
maybe is it because of the noise cancelation?
 

 
 

 
I use the Bose IE, which has no isolation.
    
Its just the sound signature that makes them involving, or should I say persuasive. Their sound presents the music in a way that is never offensive and always sounds the same. Even when the recording truly sounds like crap, they still have the same ol Bose sound. Its easy to forget about their faults because they fix recordings so sound good in that sense. Yet they are highly innacurate and truly the epitome of colored sound. They would make the worst studio monitor. But they are the best headphones for your little brother listening to 128 mp3 pop music off his cellphone in one ear. It takes no effort to enjoy the music and critical listening skills are not needed. 
 
Its like those "HD" vision sunglasses as seen on TV. The video sounds like a Bose ad:  
 
https://www.buyhdvisionultra.com/flare/next?tag=im|sm|go|gn&a_aid=011&a_bid=bc305226&gclid=CJ7ck-Hd56cCFQkCbAod2CKVcQ

 

[Uncle Erik]

For headphones, I like to run the AKG K-1000 off the speaker taps on the Moth Si2A3. DHTs really bring out the best in the K-1000.

For speakers, I like to run the Quad ESL-63s off a Conrad-Johnson MV52. Great synergy in that setup.

For either setup, my sources are a Scott 350B (FM tuner), Marantz SA8001 and a J.A. Michell Orbe with a SME IV arm run through a Fi Yph.

 

[Adda]

My current and recently upgraded system, is by leaps and bounds the best sound I have ever heard!
My speakers and power amp needs work, and only compares with my DF's in the upper mids and treble (VLD-12 tweeters are awesome).

 

[melomaniac]

heard: many better set-ups than I ever owned, sigh... (e.g. Wilson Watt/Puppy and Conrad Johnson make nice music together), but really listened to: my Magnepan true-ribbon planar-magnetic speakers powered by a kilowatt amp from W4S and fed from a fully balanced DAC is pretty nice to have! - and in terms of headphones, same story, although I think the distance between my set-ups and the best I've ever heard elsewhere (e.g. the HD800 on some major-league headphone amps at various meets) is perhaps less than it is with speakers.

 

[customcoco]

anybody on r10 and the other kings?

 

[nigeljames]

Listened to my Woo6se and T1's last night. Extremely involving and enjoyable. 

 

[hawk]

The most involving headphones i've heard are my Sennheiser HD 485'S and as far as set up it's my Advent Baby II speakers hooked up to my Denon AVR 391 receiver.

 

[Blasto_Brandino]

My stereo Talon Khorus speakers, Audio Research 300.2 amp, SP16 tube preamp, and my sound blaster audigy 2zs platinum pro. The speakers go down to 17hz lower than quite a few subs. You can feel the bass in your diaphragm and it stays sooooo smooth. I have heard other setups, (including Wilson Alexandria's) they sounded nearly dead on to a live classical performance, but the talons are FAR more fun. They have excellent bass, better than anything I've heard before (I don't know what the Wilson Alex's could have done, they wouldn't let me play ), they are also crystal clear and INCREDIBLY dynamic they'll take your breath away. My next speakers will be the Wilson Audio Duette's they are 9k used currently so I'll be waiting for a few years until they're in my range...  I only use headphones after 12 or on the go, I was a bit hesitant to go for a stationary amp, but I am going for the Triad Audio Valve Code when released.

 

[customcoco]

^