I'm unaware of any humans who can reliably tell the difference between 320kbps MP3 and uncompressed/lossless. So don't expect that some magic headphones will give you that capability.
You may want to at least try some higher end IEMs, as they provide a slightly closer soundstage where the music is 1/2 way inside your head, and 1/2 way outside your head.
It’s a different detail placement different than what headphones can get to.
I'm unaware of any humans who can reliably tell the difference between 320kbps MP3 and uncompressed/lossless. So don't expect that some magic headphones will give you that capability.
From my experience compression affects recordings differently, even low compression (ie 320kbps). Some recordings don't seem to change much with compression, others more so. With my setup I can sometimes hear compression artifacts on some tracks whereas others are less or completely unnoticeable. It's just how good the approximation of the track is. Compression artifacts sound like a sort of crackle, distortion or a metallic sharpness which some people actually prefer to uncompressed files. But to reliably tell the difference between compressed/uncompressed is very difficult (with headphones) because of the above. Of course if you have a system that colourises and alters the sound alot, then the artifact distortion just gets lost and there will be no benefit at all in listening to uncompressed music.
If someone wants to hear every single detail in the music they are listening to, imo it is most important that the source device they are using has a really good DAC; at least 24 bit/192 Khz.
In my experience, I find that CD players are better at retrieving detail in recordings than DAP's, PC's, Tablets etc etc...it is also much easier to tell the difference between lossy and lossless music with a high-end CD player as the source, connected to a separate amp of course.
You do not even need the most detailed headphone to hear the difference between 320 kbps mp3 and flac. What amp are you using with those 650s?
Two major things to keep in mind:
-People who listen to mp3s all the time reprogram their brains to find mp3s normal, and have a tougher time spotting the difference in blind tests. Listen to an all-flac library for a while and come back with new ears in a few months. The brain tries to create a mask over the sound it receives. It does this with compressed files the same way it can do this with lower quality headphones.
-A lot of modern pop is overly bright and already dynamically compressed, and can benefit from the removal of treble information during mp3 compression. "The less of a bad song you have to hear the better it sounds".
The most obvious path to being able to hear the difference between 320 kbps mp3 and Flac is to invest in a high end cd player and amp combination.
This will maximize the performance of the HD650, although perhaps also invest in a headphone that is a little brighter sounding as this will also help you to hear more details in recordings.
I actually think warmer headphones can be better at spotting the difference. Songs become markedly warmer, and more congested, from all the treble detail being taken out.
I'm unaware of any humans who can reliably tell the difference between 320kbps MP3 and uncompressed/lossless. So don't expect that some magic headphones will give you that capability.
Even if I could tell the difference, I don’t know if I would care. I love highly detailed headphones, but it’s really the music I enjoy and some tiny difference I may or may not be able to hear without an a-b switch isn’t going to matter. That said, I can certainly understand a preference for top quality equipment, which in my experience does add to the enjoyment.
Even if I could tell the difference, I don’t know if I would care. I love highly detailed headphones, but it’s really the music I enjoy and some tiny difference I may or may not be able to hear without an a-b switch isn’t going to matter. That said, I can certainly understand a preference for top quality equipment, which in my experience does add to the enjoyment.
You'd be surprised how little difference there actually is between various equipment once they're properly volume-matched and hooked up to an A/B switch.
But yeah, we're all at the mercy of the chemical and electrical reactions going on in our noggins. We can't control how or why we enjoy certain things, and so each person enjoys the experience in perhaps a slightly different manner.
You'd be surprised how little difference there actually is between various equipment once they're properly volume-matched and hooked up to an A/B switch.
But yeah, we're all at the mercy of the chemical and electrical reactions going on in our noggins. We can't control how or why we enjoy certain things, and so each person enjoys the experience in perhaps a slightly different manner.
Oh I’m totally aware the experience is about more than just sound. Being a coneseur of anything is to recognize that it’s more than the the aroma of the cigar, the bouquet of the wine or the quality of finishing on a fine watch. This is why a fine meal is enhanced when decorously displayed on fine china Elegantly arranged on a beautifuly set table with artistic lighting and pleasant aural landscape suited to the well matched visual suroundings. The more “perfect” it’s made, the greater the artistry. It’s why we celebrate great designs, great companies and other artists and artisans. Practicality is irrelevant except as a measure of art in its own right.
I should meantion that I figured this out after a lifetime of engineering. Funny some of the things life teaches you.
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