jmai86
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2013
- Posts
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Thought I'd sign up here after lurking for a long time to rant about some things.
I should say I'm not an audiophile, but I do appreciate good sound and I like to think I can tell the obviously good from the obviously bad. I typically go for a slightly V-shaped sound when I listen to music, which I do alot of and in many genres (but I favor electronic).
IEMs are my favored method of listening; I had used a pair of Yamaha EPH-50 for a few years and was happy with the sound, but the screen mesh had deteriorated and so the sound quality became quite muffled beyond repair. I picked up a pair of NOCS NS400 titanium buds and was blown away at the vast improvement in sound stage, detail, and bass response. I've been using it for almost a year now and have racked up at least a thousand hours on it. To my ears, it's fantastic, with balanced sound and a slight V shaped signature.
But I had a thought one day that maybe there is better to be had, seeing as I had spent years with the EPH 50s thinking that was "good", not knowing that there were better things available.
So I did a lot of research and went with the new ATH-CSK1000s. I paid $180 for them, twice as much as I paid for my NOCS and Yamahas (back when the Yamahas were new).
I hated it. The bass was muddled, and highs were exaggerated to my ears and my lord, the SIBILANCE was ridiculous.
I should say that my source is an HTC One with beats disabled, and mp3's of no less than 320kbps.
So I tried the GR07's since it seemed EVERYONE likes these. I didn't think I could go wrong. I paid about as much for the CSK1000 for them, and at first listen, I was impressed. The soundstage was a noticeable broader than the NOCS, and I was picking up on a few more details in the music.
However, the sibilance. Man, the sibilance was harsh. I tried to get used to it. I tried burning it in for a few dozen hours. It never receded. It was terrible, and often painful to listen to. It was not forgiving at all to any defect in the recordings.
So, I went back to the comforting arms of my trusty NOCS, and have decided to stay with them.
My question for you guys is however: What's the deal? Is it a known fact that anything higher end than $100 buds will result in a more "honest", albeit harsher, more unforgiving sound? Is my idea of "balanced" sound just plain wrong? Am I a total noob to this thing? LOL.
(PS, as a side note, I run AudioEngine A2 paired with an AudioEngine D1 DAC *edit plus a Sony 10" subwoofer* for my computer sound, and Sony MDR-MA9000 for over-ears, and have used Logitech UE6000 before. All of these I really love).
I should say I'm not an audiophile, but I do appreciate good sound and I like to think I can tell the obviously good from the obviously bad. I typically go for a slightly V-shaped sound when I listen to music, which I do alot of and in many genres (but I favor electronic).
IEMs are my favored method of listening; I had used a pair of Yamaha EPH-50 for a few years and was happy with the sound, but the screen mesh had deteriorated and so the sound quality became quite muffled beyond repair. I picked up a pair of NOCS NS400 titanium buds and was blown away at the vast improvement in sound stage, detail, and bass response. I've been using it for almost a year now and have racked up at least a thousand hours on it. To my ears, it's fantastic, with balanced sound and a slight V shaped signature.
But I had a thought one day that maybe there is better to be had, seeing as I had spent years with the EPH 50s thinking that was "good", not knowing that there were better things available.
So I did a lot of research and went with the new ATH-CSK1000s. I paid $180 for them, twice as much as I paid for my NOCS and Yamahas (back when the Yamahas were new).
I hated it. The bass was muddled, and highs were exaggerated to my ears and my lord, the SIBILANCE was ridiculous.
I should say that my source is an HTC One with beats disabled, and mp3's of no less than 320kbps.
So I tried the GR07's since it seemed EVERYONE likes these. I didn't think I could go wrong. I paid about as much for the CSK1000 for them, and at first listen, I was impressed. The soundstage was a noticeable broader than the NOCS, and I was picking up on a few more details in the music.
However, the sibilance. Man, the sibilance was harsh. I tried to get used to it. I tried burning it in for a few dozen hours. It never receded. It was terrible, and often painful to listen to. It was not forgiving at all to any defect in the recordings.
So, I went back to the comforting arms of my trusty NOCS, and have decided to stay with them.
My question for you guys is however: What's the deal? Is it a known fact that anything higher end than $100 buds will result in a more "honest", albeit harsher, more unforgiving sound? Is my idea of "balanced" sound just plain wrong? Am I a total noob to this thing? LOL.
(PS, as a side note, I run AudioEngine A2 paired with an AudioEngine D1 DAC *edit plus a Sony 10" subwoofer* for my computer sound, and Sony MDR-MA9000 for over-ears, and have used Logitech UE6000 before. All of these I really love).
