dalethorn
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Posts posted by dalethorn
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Here's my review of the Phiaton MS-300. Out-of-the-box-sound is not good - I shored it up with Audioforge which makes it really excellent, although I'd guess that very few users will do likewise. The MS-400 does sound slightly better, especially in the deeper bass, but it has a thin double-entry non-detachable cable, so I prefer to use the MS-300.
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Here is one of my all-time favorite headphones, back for another round - this time using the Audioforge player/equalizer with my favorite portable DACs and amps. The MS-400 got a rave review in Stereophile circa 2009, and may still be on their recommended components list. The sound is meh out of the box, but fabulous with Audioforge, and I think the style is one of the best in the business. Comfort is superb - very similar to the Sennheiser Momentum around-ear.
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The T1 is the best headphone listening experience I've had. I had the Sennheiser HD800 for 3 years, but rarely used it except as a reference. The T1 impresses me as sounding more like real music than the breathtaking but sonically-enhanced HD800.
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Here's the ATH WS55 - a new one for me, otherwise has been available for some time. While I can't exactly recommend this sound, I tweaked it to make it fairly good, although your mileage may vary.
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I got this earphone from an entity in Singapore, and not expecting much for $25 USD, I proceeded to have a go with it. Having had IEM's priced from $100 to $1500 USD (nearly the same in Sterling due to VAT), I imagined the physical quality and sound would reflect the price, but instead this earphone matches up well to the B&O H3 I purchased last year for $250 USD.
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The VIP Faders are such a great idea I wonder why someone didn't develop them a long time ago. Wait - I just remembered - it's because these aren't just ordinary ear protectors, they're acoustically tuned to reduce the sound level you hear in the high fidelity sense, preserving the natural balance of tones you hear at full volume with no ear protectors.
To me, the VIP Faders look like IEM's, i.e. the "In-Ear Monitor" stereo earphones that some people use in place of regular headphones for listening to music. But the Faders are ear protectors not earphones (albeit high-tech ear protectors), and given what they do plus the build quality and fashionable look, they're very affordable.
The VIP Faders are encased in a small but strong metal body, and come with four sets of eartips of different sizes since one size doesn't fit everyone's ear canals. I see that there are several ways to carry the Faders - one way is to just hang them around your neck with the included cord (they're very small and don't get in the way). A second way is to put them inside the little "locket" box and using that same cord, hang the locket around your neck. A third way is to just put the locket into a pocket or bag, but you'd want to be careful with that one since the locket is very small and could hide easily in a large bag.
My first try-out with the Faders was a bit strange, since I'm used to hearing sound get very dull with headphones that seal off most outside noise, or even when using earplugs on the occasions I've needed those. The Faders reduce the sound evenly at all tone pitches (frequencies), so it was like "What just happened?" - the sound got quieter but the old dulling effect was missing. Once you try this a few times you start asking yourself how could it be these didn't exist all along.
I got used to the Faders pretty quick, but my first set was the chrome/silver (gunmetal/black) finish, so I ordered a set in "Electro Pink" which looked more like purple or violet on the screen. I'll have to see what they look like in person when they arrive - a little less purple and a little more pink and someone else will be getting those. There's also a red color available so that's my fallback.
Bottom line: I can't imagine anyone not loving these VIP Faders if they get the chance to see them up close. It's a beautiful little high-precision item with a serious purpose.
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Here at long last is my take on the Beyerdynamic T90 Jubilee edition - presumably the same as the standard edition, but I don't know exactly what the differences are. I do know that this headphone sounds about like what I've seen in the frequency response graphs at the various testing sites.
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This is the third edition of Bose's low-end on-ear portable headphone - the OE, OE2, and now the SoundTrue On-Ear. The sound has not gotten better, but the new colors are charming and the zippered carrycase has a new touch of color.
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Here is my second review of the Sennheiser Momentum On-Ear (MOE) headphone. My previous MOE was given away, in spite of how much I loved the looks, the build, the comfort, and even liked the sound with a slight bass or treble adjustment. This time I had the Audioforge parametric equalizer, which has fixed all of the colorations and soundstage problems with this headphone:
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I reviewed the first edition of this amazing headphone last December, and now here's the updated edition review:
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Youtube review: http://youtu.be/XB8hl1SqVUA
Sources: iPhone5 with Portaphile Micro/PA2V2/Decware Zen Head amps using the LOD, various computers using Microstreamer/Beyer A200p/v-moda Verza DAC/amps.
Review note: My first impressions of the sound of the Dita Answer/Truth edition IEM are based on direct comparisons to other IEMs and headphones - the Sennheiser IE800, B&O H3, RHA-MA series, FAD FI-BA-SS etc., and notes I've accumulated from many prior reviews. I describe how I relate to the Dita (i.e. my personal tastes and how I use the earphone) only after covering all of the objective issues. This is going to be a very brief review since this earphone is on loan and I have to return it shortly.
Out of the box the Dita has a highly detailed sound that may impress some users as bright. The majority of IEMs that I've had sound quite elevated from approximately 3 to 6 khz, but since I doubt that that sound is by design in all of those cases, it may be that my ear canals are creating a bias in that range. I don't know how many readers here would be familiar with the sound of a Sennheiser IE800, but take that sound and increase the level of detail and you'll have the Dita sound. Through the midrange and down to the deepest bass, the Dita is like no other - you've probably never heard anything this good. I know when I'm hearing the optimum sound from an IEM, by pressing the earpieces into my ear canals until maximum bass is achieved, and just before the treble falls off.
I wouldn't describe the Dita bass as strong in the sense of an elevated bass (i.e. v-moda M100), nor would I characterize it as neutral (i.e. Sennheiser HD800) - it's much better than those examples, having great warmth, detail, impact, smoothness, etc. I'd describe it as near-perfect, and I'm just hedging when I say 'near'. Going back up through the treble it gets more interesting - I'd guess if you have 1000 music tracks on whatever device you listen with, you'll hear details you haven't noticed before on half of those tracks. And I don't mean to suggest that it's an 'analytical' (i.e. detailed but dry) sound - it's a very lively sound that I find most engaging.
A not insignificant factor in the amazing sound quality is undoubtedly the single-driver design. When crossovers are designed into an earphone or headphone (or speakers for that matter), much additional processing has to take place to correct the phase shifts and other anomalies caused by the crossover devices. The simplest design is usually the best, all other things being equal. But all other things are rarely equal, so what Dita did with the Answer/Truth edition is that much more remarkable.
I normally don't go into micro-details about the sound of earphones and headphones I review, since those small details are highly variable depending on the user's source media and player, and whether and what type of amps are used externally to the player. But I can be confident that the sound I described will hold up under any conditions I can imagine, meaning that the better the music source and/or amplification the better the experience.
Physically the Dita is luxuriously made, with a very nice assortment of cases and eartips. I chose the double-flange eartips since the others didn't work for me. The cable is an ultra-high quality weave with a rubberized coating, looking extremely durable. What I really like is the non-sticky aspect of the cable, which reduces any clinging to my clothing.
This partly hand-crafted earphone is beautiful to see and hold in hand, it has the right accessories for go-anywhere in style use, and sound that's as good as anything I've ever heard in an IEM. Highly recommended!
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This review is the result of a project I've wanted to do for a long time - to EQ an audiometric headphone to determine whether it can compete with similarly-priced headphones that are played without EQ. I don't know that there's going to be any correlation to other audiometric headphones (perhaps not), but in the case of the HDA-280 it not only competes as stated, but sounds better than most of those $300 headphones I've had (i.e., Momentum, Amperior, HD26, B&O H6, B&W P7, Beyer DT1350/T51p, Focal Spirit Pro etc.).
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Youtube review: http://youtu.be/IIjQS0IDiKI
Sources: iPhone5 with Portaphile Micro/PA2V2/Decware Zen Head amps using the LOD, various computers using Microstreamer/Beyer A200p/v-moda Verza DAC/amps.
Review note: My first impressions of the sound of the VK-1 are based on direct comparisons to other headphones - the v-moda M80 and M100, the Beyerdynamic DT1350 and T51p, the FAD Pandora IV and VI, and notes I've accumulated from many prior reviews. I describe how I relate to the VK-1 (i.e. my personal tastes and how I use the headphone) only after covering all of the objective issues.
Out of the box the VK-1 has an ultra-smooth sound with a classic modern audiophile signature. I don't know how many readers here would be familiar with the sound of a Sennheiser HD800, but take that sound and tilt the spectrum slightly to the right (~3 db up on the low end and the same amount less on the high end) and you'll have the VK-1 sound. Since this is an on-ear and small-earcup design, potential customers will know in advance not to expect a large, open and lush soundstage. What they might not expect is a perfect (or nearly so) warmth and coloration-free sound that they'll be able to enjoy for hours on end without fatigue.
I normally don't go into micro-details about the sound of headphones I review, since those small details are highly variable depending on the user's source media and player, and whether and what type of amps are used externally to the player. But I can be confident that the sound I described will hold up under any conditions I can imagine, meaning that the better the music source and/or amplification the better the experience. Note that this is not one of those headphones whose treble is so "revealing" (i.e. enhanced or boosted) that the lesser-quality music tracks will be grating and irritating. The VK-1 from my listening, and based on other reviews I've read, simply lacks the peaks and edginess in its upper range that can make sibilants and various minor distortions hard to live with.
Physically the VK-1 is a bit on the luxurious side, with leather earpads and headband cover, machined aluminum earcups and headband parts, and a rather slim profile for ideal wear outdoors or on public transport. Two cables are supplied, 4.5 and 9 feet respectively, with standard 3.5 mm miniplugs on either end. The cables are an ultra-high quality weave with a rubberized coating, looking extremely durable. I suppose any generic cable with 3.5 mm plugs could be substituted for these as long as the sleeve ahead of the earcup plug is narrow enough to fit into the opening.
Interestingly, although the earcups are mounted on gimbals that rotate slightly and look like they should rotate enough to fold flat, they don't. The VK-1 does come with a nice heavy-quilted bag with a magnetic fastener, which given the build quality of the headphone should be perfect for storage in personal luggage while traveling. Lastly, while the initial feel might seem a bit stiff for a few users, it will loosen some after use, and the genuine leather earpads will break in as all high-quality leather items do. Instructions for loosening the headband are also included for persons who require a larger fit.
This hand-crafted headphone is beautiful to see (especially in natural brown) and hold in hand, has an ideal slim profile for portable use, and sound that competes with the best of its class. Highly recommended!
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Video, text and photos of a very small, very light headphone that has no reason to sound good but does. Oddly though, while it seems to be designed as an ideal portable, it has zero isolation and 100 percent leakage. The bass especially is surprising for this 2-oz (including cable) headphone.
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Here's another of the ATH 'Earsuit' headphones, and given that it's the same basic sound as the others, that the others also have significant colorations, and that this one is only $120-$135 USD, this one seems like a bargain.
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This tiny headphone amp might raise a few eyebrows for how much it costs, but the sound quality is in line with the $500 USD price.
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Like the SRH-440, the SRH-840 is a nearly ideal sound signature. Unlike the SRH-440, the SRH-840 is smoother, has better build quality, and greater comfort. This is a headphone I highly recommend. But may not fit large heads.
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I've had the Alpha Dog for awhile now, and while I don't think its voicing (signature) is as ideal as the Mad Dog, the superior design gives it greater potential for further tweaking.
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I got a tip to order this years-old model of Shure SRH440, and for $99 USD via Amazon, I was not expecting more than an OK sound at best. Imagine my surprise at getting the best out-of-box sound signature that I've gotten in a year or more.
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Here's an odd item - I bought a couple of radios from C Crane, and also my first ever LED flashlights circa 1999. I was curious about this headphone, partly because I think it's from the same OEM maker of many different wood-earcup headphones, and partly because some customers rate the sound of C Crane's radios' stereo FM quality according to how they sound with this headphone.
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Here's the new edition of the tiny but hi-fi quality B&O Form2i, available in several colors, and replacing the original version which was introduced 25 years ago. My impression is that they improved the bass, although it's not a powerful bass by any means.
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Here it is, with video, photos and graphs. My replacement of the Beyerdynamic DT1350's stock earpads with the T51p earpads, which makes a big difference to the sound - a very useful difference for me, especially in increasing the bass and smoothing the midrange.
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Someone recommended this HD-26 Pro to me, so I purchased it and have to say - I like it a lot. But to be fair, the review lists a few caveats just in case... (Video, photos and text)
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This is a lower-cost version of the Pandora VI(6) headphone, but not without some serious issues. I can't recommend the out-of-the-box sound, but since it's now my favorite at-home headphone, I've not only found a way to deal with it, I've found a way to love it.
Sennheiser HD8-DJ Stereo Headphone for DJ's review
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Here's a new Sennheiser headphone I can recommend for audiophile music listening, given a couple of caveats for sound and comfort noted in the review.
http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4132