[Scubadevils]

I recommended it to you months ago, but I guess you are slow in following directions ... Now chop chop..

Yes indeed you did - I’ve been comparatively slow and considered on this headphone journey vs IEMs

Current dilemma is 109 Pro or adding an R2R DAC to my desktop… eyeing up the Musician Audio Pegasus which @armstrj2 brought to my attention yesterday.

https://headfonics.com/musician-audio-pegasus-r2r-dac-review/

 

[MatW]

I'd mention that, when I demoed it in Singapore, the 109 Pro had a fairly crisp 5kHz peak. It added this slight tizz to the tracks I listened to. While it wasn't sibilant per se, I think it's worth thinking about if you're particularly sensitive to that area, or if the music in your library happens to have peaks in a similar region. Otherwise, it's a gorgeous, tremendously-built and comfortable headphone for sure. I went into the store wishing to buy it, and I only didn't because of that slight peak.

Agreed, it is fairly crisp in that area, so I fully second your caveat. But if one can tolerate a bit of treble, it is probably the best headphone one can buy under 1k, and for the used price it is an absolute steal IMHO.

 

[Deezel177]

Yes indeed you did - I’ve been comparatively slow and considered on this headphone journey vs IEMs

Current dilemma is 109 Pro or adding an R2R DAC to my desktop… eyeing up the Musician Audio Pegasus which @armstrj2 brought to my attention yesterday.

https://headfonics.com/musician-audio-pegasus-r2r-dac-review/

If you like a warmer, thicker, more romantic sound, an R2R DAC/amp I really enjoy is the HIFIMAN EF600:

I think it looks and feels absolutely top-notch; leagues above its MSRP. I love that it doubles as a headphone stand, and that it has BT connectivity. Its amp is quite powerful as well. The only caveat is that lush, warm sound. I only haven’t bought it because I’m looking for a more neutral/reference amp at the moment.

 

[nikbr]

When the music is playing through your IEMs, just close your eyes for a while, visualize the vocals and instruments as they will be activating different parts of your brain. Music stimulates the entire brain as compared to any other form of art.

This internal visualization will tell you about holographic, width, depth and height. The three dimensional spectrum as bass will be emphasized in a certain part, the vocal on another and treble and so on an and so forth.

You should explore this on your own as telling you which part of the brain responds to lows, mids and highs for me might not always be the same for you. Once you have figured it out, the soundstage and instrument separation should become very easy to gauge.

Thanks. I understand width and depth since those are immediately apparent and discernably varied among IEMs.

But this height thing eludes me. Do recordings (that aren't Dolby Atmos and alike) actually incorporate different height of different parts in production?

How can tiny IEMs produce this phenomenon, especially in single driver forms?

Height dimension is also by far the most difficult for our ears/brain to unfold, isn't it? That's why (most of us) don't have a third ear somewhere on top of our foreheads, there was no need for it to develop through evolution. This hobby might make it worthwhile to grow that third ear

 

[Scubadevils]

If you like a warmer, thicker, more romantic sound, an R2R DAC/amp I really enjoy is the HIFIMAN EF600:



I think it looks and feels absolutely top-notch; leagues above its MSRP. I love that it doubles as a headphone stand, and that it has BT connectivity. Its amp is quite powerful as well. The only caveat is that lush, warm sound. I only haven’t bought it because I’m looking for a more neutral/reference amp at the moment.

Oh thanks I’ll read up on that too. I’m definitely looking for something smoother and indeed romantic as you describe to complement the more neutral / precise profile of my DMP-A6 and A70Pro… fantastic with the Denon D9200 and HD660S2, but I’d like some more warmth with Camelot or MEST MKIII.

 

[gLer]

I think we should be a little tolerant towards fanboys. If if bothers you, just think 'o it's him again', and carry on, or put the person on ignore. It is not the worst crime to be a fanboy. Just my opinion.

As a self-confessed fanboy I wholeheartedly agree What I don't enjoy is snickering remarks and arrogant insinuations because [insert fanboy product here] doesn't get showered with praise, or misses out in a poll. To be clear, I took offense not to the fanboyism, but rather to the disparaging remarks against fellow Coolers poorly disguised as 'opinion'. That should never be allowed to fly around here without at least some pushback, no? How else do we moderate our own community?

 

[Deezel177]

Thanks. I understand width and depth since those are immediately apparent and discernably varied among IEMs.

But this height thing eludes me. Do recordings (that aren't Dolby Atmos and alike) actually incorporate different height of different parts in production?

How can tiny IEMs produce this phenomenon, especially in single driver forms?

Height dimension is also by far the most difficult for our ears to unfold, isn't it? That's why (most of us) don't have a third ear somewhere on top of our foreheads, there was no need for it to develop through evolution. This hobby might make it worthwhile to grow that third ear

Height is definitely the most elusive axis of the stage to evaluate. I find that differences there aren’t as granular as width or depth. I think our brains have been trained to hear differences in those axes at smaller increments. But, I do feel there are IEMs that sound grand, open and tall vs. those that come off flat. I think some of it has to do with dynamic range. When an IEM is compressed or playing a compressed track, there’s always a closed or compacted quality to its imaging. Whereas IEMs and tracks that have good DR will open up as the tracks reach their respective climaxes, which is reflected in both power and scale. So, it’s not as much a matter of how big the diaphragm is, but a matter of the IEM’s headroom and the song’s potential scale; not as notable as width or depth, but it can definitely make a difference if the track calls for it.

 

[Neweymatt]

I never really understood what you guys meant with 'soundstage height'. Would you mind explaining briefly to a newbie, maybe with a song that possesses that quality, how that's supposed to be heard? Thanks!

If you can imagine hearing music in a large hall or cathedral, that might give you an idea of what good soundstage height is. It’s almost a sense of the reverb and decay of sound you hear in such a large space.

IEMs or headphones that do this really well are pretty rare, but the Sony IER-Z1R is one of them, and in the time I owned it this was one of its qualities that always impressed.

 

[nephilim32]

Just noticed I have received the ‘Headphoneus Supremus’ profile title. Happy to be part of the club

I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.

 

[mRaaghava]

Would you say it’s due to the power difference? I still have H7, definitely a keeper. I think LPGT Ti even out of 3.5mm might be a good source, especially with the fact it’s actually more powerful single-ended than balanced.

Anyway, very tempted!

I found it too mid forward for my liking with N7.

 

[nikbr]

Height is definitely the most elusive axis of the stage to evaluate. I find that differences there aren’t as granular as width or depth. I think our brains have been trained to hear differences in those axes at smaller increments. But, I do feel there are IEMs that sound grand, open and tall vs. those that come off flat. I think some of it has to do with dynamic range. When an IEM is compressed or playing a compressed track, there’s always a closed or compacted quality to its imaging. Whereas IEMs and tracks that have good DR will open up as the tracks reach their respective climaxes, which is reflected in both power and scale. So, it’s not as much a matter of how big the diaphragm is, but a matter of the IEM’s headroom and the song’s potential scale; not as notable as width or depth, but it can definitely make a difference if the track calls for it.

If you can imagine hearing music in a large hall or cathedral, that might give you an idea of what good soundstage height is. It’s almost a sense of the reverb and decay of sound you hear in such a large space.

IEMs or headphones that do this really well are pretty rare, but the Sony IER-Z1R is one of them, and in the time I owned it this was one of its qualities that always impressed.

Thanks both, now you got me intrigued and I need to hear the Z1R or others that, by popular opinion, get positive remarks on this particular quality.

 

[deep2285]

Thanks. I understand width and depth since those are immediately apparent and discernably varied among IEMs.

But this height thing eludes me. Do recordings (that aren't Dolby Atmos and alike) actually incorporate different height of different parts in production?

How can tiny IEMs produce this phenomenon, especially in single driver forms?

Height dimension is also by far the most difficult for our ears/brain to unfold, isn't it? That's why (most of us) don't have a third ear somewhere on top of our foreheads, there was no need for it to develop through evolution. This hobby might make it worthwhile to grow that third ear

I feel that low frequency usually plays around the back of the head, mids are usually in the middle and upper frequency are on a mid - frontal region. If you have had a bit of practice with cartain mediations which ask you to visualize your breath through the third eye region, then it bit become a bit easier to get that p reception of height.

For me personally, it is the width and separation that matters the most and I try not to focus on anything. As soon as the right width is there, I just chill and enjoy the music.

I mean, who cares, right?

 

[YCHANGE]

I never really understood what you guys meant with 'soundstage height'. Would you mind explaining briefly to a newbie, maybe with a song that possesses that quality, how that's supposed to be heard? Thanks!

An iem that sounds small is more "inside my hide" which doesn't reach far beyond my face. Specifically, not above eyebrow level or past ears. When I first listened to the Campfire Vega, I was surprised by how full it sounded and could easly produce sounds/bass above my head. That's what I consider height or an iem with a tall stage. Custom Art Fibae Black did that well for me also despite only being single ba driver.

 

[WilliamLiu]

Does any one have any impression on the ve10? How does it compares to the phonix?

 

[Alpexis]

Hey Ya’ll

I’m thinking of dipping my toes in the open back headphone world and thinking I should start with the Senn HD600….

What do you think? Any opinions are welcome!

Assuming you'll be driving it with your DAP, check out:
*Sub 1k: meze 109 pro, dcs aeon 2 noire.
*1-4k: meze elite, meze liric, hifiman he1000se, focal stellia, abyss diana mr.
*High-end: yamaha yh-5000se, spirit torino valkyria.