[CashNotCredit]

Quote:

You mean when those particular cans aren't clear? Like someone describing Beats as clear? Or do you just not like the term?

Not a huge fan of the term.

"THIS SOUNDS CLEAR"...that means nothing.

"They have great instrument separation, a wide soundstage, but have a bit of a bright treble. The bass is tight and punchy and the mids are a bit recessed. All in all, this is a slightly V-shaped headphone."...OK, now we're talking.

 

[Kagaku]

When $25 seems too much for dinner and $200 seems too little for headphones.

 

[potatoos]

Quote:

Not a huge fan of the term.

"THIS SOUNDS CLEAR"...that means nothing.

"They have great instrument separation, a wide soundstage, but have a bit of a bright treble. The bass is tight and punchy and the mids are a bit recessed. All in all, this is a slightly V-shaped headphone."...OK, now we're talking.

Well, not everyone will know the terminology. Did you know how to say that properly before spending much time on audiophile forums? The basic idea of large soundstage, instrument separation, detail, and a lack of a vail, or muddy/intrusive bass is what the lamen mean by clear, and at least they are trying.

Which brings me to a new point.

You know you're an audiophile when people need a dictionary to talk to you about headphones (or a term glossary).

 

[CashNotCredit]

Quote:

Well, not everyone will know the terminology. Did you know how to say that properly before spending much time on audiophile forums? The basic idea of large soundstage, instrument separation, detail, and a lack of a vail, or muddy/intrusive bass is what the lamen mean by clear, and at least they are trying.

Right, and I'm not expecting people to know the terminology, but "clear" is such a vague word. I even see it a lot in product reviews from experienced head-fiers.

Does it mean detailed? That typically means a harsh treble.

Does it mean neutral? That means a relatively balanced frequency response.

Does it mean good instrument separation? Well, that's an entirely different beast.

I know that not everyone is an audiophile, and a lot of the reviews are still helpful, but when I'm doing research on a $200+ purchase and I'm searching for reviews from knowledgeable people, "clear" is something that doesn't help me, as an audiophile, very much.

 

[Doc-holliday]

You know you're an audiophile when you die a little bit inside every time someone describes a headphone's sound as "clear".

Id have to say i am with them on this one bro. That kinda thing is snob-iophile. To me the greatest thing about this site is educating the noob and i know very few who learned "soundstage" in the public education system.

So sorry that word bothers you but it dosent make someone an audiophile to dislike such a term.

Not trying to flame u but just saying....

 

[potatoos]

With everything there is a balance........aside from the amount that you spend on audio equipment. There is no limit on that.

 

[machoboy]

Clear to me means high-resolution and good separation. Any frequency response can be clear if executed right (and on truly clear headphones, they will remain clear even after drastic EQ adjustments).

 

[CashNotCredit]

I think I probably misrepresented what I was getting at by putting things so bluntly. Reading reviews on headphones, especially ones I intend to purchase, and seeing 5 paragraphs about how they look and feel and "they sound clear" about the sound...kinda makes me want to choke kittens. I understand that not everyone knows about the terminology...and Doc-holiday is right, none of us were born knowing how to read an FR chart. Still, reading nondescript articles/reviews about the sound quality headphones (things like, "THEY SOUND CLEAR!") leaves me wishing for more information. And if "They sound clear." doesn't paint an adequate description about how a set of headphones sound to you...you're probably an audiophile.

 
Anyway, you know you're an audiophile when you see a major label band recording with a set of semi-open headphones (AKG K240s) and facepalm periodically over it for the rest of the day.

 

[ovid87]

you know you're an audiophile when you'll sit through terrible pop music just to appreciate the high production quality.
 

 

[potatoos]

Why would you not want to use semi-open cans in a studio?

 

[CashNotCredit]

Quote:

Why would you not want to use semi-open cans in a studio?

The leakage would get back into the mic when you record. The K240s are awesome for mixing and mastering, but for tracking/recording...yeah...not so much.

 

[wolfetan44]

You know your an audiophile when your doing homework and your mom says, " Look that person has your headphones." I instantly reply, " Mom those are much nicer than mine. They are the RS-2's and they have wood cups on them."

 

[kenman345]

Sounds like you're hoping for an upgrade soon
Quote:

You know your an audiophile when your doing homework and your mom says, " Look that person has your headphones." I instantly reply, " Mom those are much nicer than mine. They are the RS-2's and they have wood cups on them."

 

[wolfetan44]

Sounds like you're hoping for an upgrade soon

Oh boy am I. Looking for a Hifiman HE500 or Sennheiser HD600 if I can't get a used HE500.

 

[GloryUprising]

Quote:

Not a huge fan of the term.

"THIS SOUNDS CLEAR"...that means nothing.

"They have great instrument separation, a wide soundstage, but have a bit of a bright treble. The bass is tight and punchy and the mids are a bit recessed. All in all, this is a slightly V-shaped headphone."...OK, now we're talking.

 
 
Quote:

Id have to say i am with them on this one bro. That kinda thing is snob-iophile. To me the greatest thing about this site is educating the noob and i know very few who learned "soundstage" in the public education system.
So sorry that word bothers you but it dosent make someone an audiophile to dislike such a term.
Not trying to flame u but just saying....

 
I don't think that CashNotCredit is saying the term 'clear' is non-audiophile.  More that most audiophiles recognize the term 'clear' as being vague and when speaking to another audiophile, more description is needed.
 
Back on topic, You know you are an audiophile when your computer is the most cost effective component in your audio chain.