THE WATERCOOLER HEADPHONE EDITION – Headphones, Amps, DACs, and desktop/home audio related – a freewheeling discussion of gear, impressions, music, and musings.

[Hiker816]

The opposite of forward would be laid-back or relaxed, describing something that is more recessed (i.e., less forward).

This in particular has caused a ton of confusion and is why I stopped using the term "forward" and just use "intimate" instead. Because while I otherwise would have used "forward" in the context of placement on the soundstage, I would use "laid-back" or "relaxed" to refer to something else entirely, having nothing to do with a "recessed" placement in the soundstage. Rather, I would have used "laid-back" or "relaxed" to mean mellow. E.g., slower tempo, easier listening music, as opposed to something like metal. Or the gear making a recording sound more mellow than it does on other gear. Having caused a lot of confusion, and gotten very confused myself, I am now scared of these terms.

 

[nfandi]

I don't know if this is more a 2ch thing, but regardless it feels like an older and outdated term (which to me simply means well resolving/detailed)
simiar to PRaT not being much used as it once was (which to me simply means dynamic/energetic)

PRat means Pace, Rhythm and Timing whilst Plankton refers to the micro details. If you guys choose to use it in different ways for which it was originally intended then you are the ones who are creating the confusion.

 

[goldwerger]

This in particular has caused a ton of confusion and is why I stopped using the term "forward" and just use "intimate" instead. Because while I otherwise would have used "forward" in the context of placement on the soundstage, I would use "laid-back" or "relaxed" to refer to something else entirely, having nothing to do with a "recessed" placement in the soundstage. Rather, I would have used "laid-back" or "relaxed" to mean mellow. E.g., slower tempo, easier listening music, as opposed to something like metal. Or the gear making a recording sound more mellow than it does on other gear. Having caused a lot of confusion, and gotten very confused myself, I am now scared of these terms.

Yea that would definitely be a confusing way to use these terms..

PRat means Pace, Rhythm and Timing whilst Plankton refers to the micro details. If you guys choose to use it in different ways for which it was originally intended then you are the ones who are creating the confusion.

That’s in fact what I said if you read it closely. Unless “micro detail” means to use something different than “detailed” and “pace and rhythm” means something different than “dynamic”?

I’m trying to demystify unknown terms with plain English for the sake of clarity (the purpose of my original question to all)

 

[theveterans]

PRat means Pace, Rhythm and Timing whilst Plankton refers to the micro details. If you guys choose to use it in different ways for which it was originally intended then you are the ones who are creating the confusion.

Plankton to me is not just micro details but to be more specific the ability to resolve instruments properly. Paraphrasing, it's effortlessness presentation at the microlevel. It works in tandem with PRaT

 

[Sonic Sleuth]

Anyone else here addicted to that sweet, syrupy second-order harmonic distortion? Sivga SV023s are loving it on the BHC.

Honestly, any headphone that makes my Crack happy is instantly promoted to Best Friend status.

Thanks to @nihalsharma for forgetting that he lent his SV023 to me.

 

[Frankie D]

Ah, that one is a pet peeve of mine..

For me, the opposite of Birght is Dark. Brigther means more treble (elevated treble freqeencies) whild Darker means less treble (rolled off / attenuated).

Warm, for me, is not the opposite of bright, and is not relates to have relatively more bass than treble (which would be dark). Warm, for me, means having richer, smoother, and fuller bodied presentation (all hard to define, but I hope I'm conveying the spirit of succesfully). It is what many times would be descirbed as musical, pleasant, organic, and sometimes euphonic and even forgiving. There is a frequency correlation in that, at least in my experience, warmer presentation relates strongly to elevated lower mids and upper bass. However, while warm may often mean more relaxed/recessed (see above) treble, it may have great treble detail, whereas darker will have treble rolled off.

I would agree.

Doing a quick search and what I am used to, Darker means impactful bass coupled with a rolled off treble.

Warm means an impactful bass with a more neutral treble.

warm sound emphasizes the lower frequencies and midrange of the audio spectrum, creating a fuller, richer, and more mellow tone.

 

[bigbeans]

Howdy folks! As the weekend is around the corner, I reflect on my musings for the week. I recently watched a tour of Abbey Road Studios.



This video got me in the mood to smoke a lovely cigar (Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne Churchill) and listen to The Beatles and whatever else Apple Music could recommend to me. This included Elton John, The Kinks, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and others. As I listened to such heavenly melodies, I noticed appreciable changes in production quality. Songs from the late 60's early 70s, didn't have the same visceral impact for me as those from the 80's or later. Granted, it only took 15 seconds or so for my brain to adjust, but the difference was noticeable. It seems this issue doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would and I will continue to explore music recorded pre-80s.
When I first got into this hobby, my music tastes stayed firmly within well recorded OST's, electronic, jazz and classical (FLACs only, thank you very much!). I'm not as picky on the quality of the recording now, and am more interested in trying more genres. Perhaps my recent endeavor of collecting and building a physical music library (mostly CDs) has contributed to this change in behavior.

This got me thinking, how has your approach to music listening evolved since you became an audiophile, and has this changed your appreciation for different genres?

Let us know your experiences!

 

[Spawn300Z]

Howdy folks! As the weekend is around the corner, I reflect on my musings for the week. I recently watched a tour of Abbey Road Studios.



This video got me in the mood to smoke a lovely cigar (Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne Churchill) and listen to The Beatles and whatever else Apple Music could recommend to me. This included Elton John, The Kinks, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and others. As I listened to such heavenly melodies, I noticed appreciable changes in production quality. Songs from the late 60's early 70s, didn't have the same visceral impact for me as those from the 80's or later. Granted, it only took 15 seconds or so for my brain to adjust, but the difference was noticeable. It seems this issue doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would and I will continue to explore music recorded pre-80s.
When I first got into this hobby, my music tastes stayed firmly within well recorded OST's, electronic, jazz and classical (FLACs only, thank you very much!). I'm not as picky on the quality of the recording now, and am more interested in trying more genres. Perhaps my recent endeavor of collecting and building a physical music library (mostly CDs) has contributed to this change in behavior.

This got me thinking, how has your approach to music listening evolved since you became an audiophile, and has this changed your appreciation for different genres?

Let us know your experiences!

I might have to join you with a Davidoff Nicaragua.

 

[RTodd]

This got me thinking, how has your approach to music listening evolved since you became an audiophile, and has this changed your appreciation for different genres?

Let us know your experiences!

Totally changed the way I listen, years ago my first IEM the U12T and a year with it is all it took for me to get the bug. Now when I listen I engage more with the music, even before the U12T music was always playing and sounded good I just did not pay as much attention to getting inside the recording as I do now. As far as genres absolutely not in any way. The same types of music I loved before I still do maybe even more, if anything the way I listen now has moved me further away from electronic and more towards acoustic, otherwise the same.

 

[Monsterzero]

"Plankton", which I've seen used elsewhere, tells me next to nothing. It is a microscopic organism...

Mmmmmm, dinner.

 

[goldwerger]

This got me thinking, how has your approach to music listening evolved since you became an audiophile, and has this changed your appreciation for different genres?

The biggest change for me has come through streaming and then Roon, helping me discover so much music and so many great artists I would never have otherwise been exposed to.

When I listen to music I love, I do it today exactly as I’ve listened to music since I was a kid: with total joy and abandonment. I don’t listen differently, I just sink into the music and let it take me wherever it may… the only difference today is that the music sounds so much better

 

[jsabini1]

Howdy folks! As the weekend is around the corner, I reflect on my musings for the week. I recently watched a tour of Abbey Road Studios.



This video got me in the mood to smoke a lovely cigar (Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne Churchill) and listen to The Beatles and whatever else Apple Music could recommend to me. This included Elton John, The Kinks, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and others. As I listened to such heavenly melodies, I noticed appreciable changes in production quality. Songs from the late 60's early 70s, didn't have the same visceral impact for me as those from the 80's or later. Granted, it only took 15 seconds or so for my brain to adjust, but the difference was noticeable. It seems this issue doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would and I will continue to explore music recorded pre-80s.
When I first got into this hobby, my music tastes stayed firmly within well recorded OST's, electronic, jazz and classical (FLACs only, thank you very much!). I'm not as picky on the quality of the recording now, and am more interested in trying more genres. Perhaps my recent endeavor of collecting and building a physical music library (mostly CDs) has contributed to this change in behavior.

This got me thinking, how has your approach to music listening evolved since you became an audiophile, and has this changed your appreciation for different genres?

Let us know your experiences!

I thought you would be referencing something else when you said "mood to smoke"

 

[theveterans]

This got me thinking, how has your approach to music listening evolved since you became an audiophile, and has this changed your appreciation for different genres?

In my case, my core music selection and preferred genres didn't really change at all that much. I just appreciated listening to music far more than before getting into the hobby

 

[buke9]

The biggest change for me has come through streaming and then Roon, helping me discover so much music and so many great artists I would never have otherwise been exposed to.

When I listen to music I love, I do it today exactly as I’ve listened to music since I was a kid: with total joy and abandonment. I don’t listen differently, I just sink into the music and let me take me wherever it may… the only different today is that the music sounds so much better

Totally agree with my friend Eyal. Streaming has opened up a new avenue of music for me . Some I really enjoy and some not so much but still good to have the opportunity to try .

 

[salwani8888]

This got me thinking, how has your approach to music listening evolved since you became an audiophile, and has this changed your appreciation for different genres?

Back in the day, unless it was pop or rock, new discovery had always been through friends. We didn't have access to a lot of genres on the radio or friendly stores. And often if you heard an album it would only be at that friends house. Always albums, never just a track.

And when I got my first streaming dap, battery life and SQ was worse with wifi on, so I would download what I already knew and listened offline. But recently, and I do admit I am slow to catch on, I installed an eversolo into my headphone rig, and now I totally enjoy online discovery and letting the platform decide what's next. I still stick to my favourite genres though. For new genres, it's still usually from social interactions and participating in other people's journeys. These days it is usually my kids