 
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
|
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
188.183.58.134
In Reply to: RE: Has anyone here been disappointed by "flagship" headphones? posted by Thorsten on February 28, 2014 at 08:56:32
Actually, I think it has more to do with my ears and my brain: how I hear, and what I like in, sound. I have a 2A3 Stratus amp (with AVVT tubes) made by Donald North. It's quite neutral, fast and has pretty good bass and a great treble, all working together, and it sounds blissful to me on the 701s, as does almost every other tube and SS headphone amp i have owned. The 701s sound more like a loudspeaker than the others, where the bass, mids and treble don't seem like they fit together. Bass doesn't really hold my interest. Also, the HD800s are fatiguing and the LCD-2s are just too dark for my tastes with this amp. The HD800s sound somewhat more engaging and less fatiguing and the LCD-2s a little less dark (more romance in the color) on my SS amp.
You can't please everyone.
Observe, before you think. Think before you open your yap. Act on the basis of experience.
Follow Ups:
Hi,
> The 701s sound more like a loudspeaker than the others,
I do rather like the 701's myself.
> Also, the HD800s are fatiguing
Yes, they do have a slight slant towards being bright. You need an amplifier with a very smooth sound if this is not to become a problem.
> and the LCD-2s are just too dark for my tastes with this amp.
Hmmm, could be taste or could be unwanted interactions. The DNA website says output Impedance is 8 Ohm. This is a bit on the high side for most modern headphones, it will suit older designsbetter.
> The HD800s sound somewhat more engaging and less fatiguing and
> the LCD-2s a little less dark (more romance in the color) on my
> SS amp.
This tome points more on incompatibility with the Amplifier, rather than the headphones themselves.
> You can't please everyone.
This is true. And with the right Amp the AKG K701 is a cracking headphone. With your tastes you should try an ESL Headphone. They do tend to have a clear loudness ceiling and bass impact is not really their strength.
But when I don't want to "rock out" on headphones I use an ESL System myself at home, for "really loud" I use modified Fostex Planars. Out of choice. I could have almost any Headphone under the sun, just need to take home from the Office... :P
Ciao T
Sometimes I'd like to be the water
sometimes shallow, sometimes wild.
Born high in the mountains,
even the seas would be mine.
(Translated from the song "Aus der ferne" by City)
8 ohms output impedance is now considered high? What is the new "modern" standard?
How times have changed! My DNA Sonett is not very old but it features 28/120 Ohm switchable output impedance.
Thorsten,
What amp did you find to work well with 701's?
TonyB
The LCD-2 has a near flat impedance curve, so amplifier output impedance has little influence on frequency response into the headphone.As for the HD800, Sennheiser's own HDVA800 amplifier has a 43 ohm output impedance to attain what they feel is the optimal sound from the headphones.
Edits: 03/03/14
I have a speaker amp to headphone adapter coming which has variable impedance settings and i am interested in trying both my SET and PP speaker amps with my collection of headphones using it. If it suggests an improvement to my ears, I may go up to a transformer based adapter.
Observe, before you think. Think before you open your yap. Act on the basis of experience.
When they first came out, I bought a pair of Sennheiser HD 650 thinking they would be great... wrong! Lifeless, sterile, not much bass... I guess they're good if you're looking for flat response, but IMHO not a good choice if you're a rocker.
Replaced them with a pair of Denon 5000 and it's been happily ever after. But I gotta admit, I would love to hear a pair of Audeze. :-)
Jim
I had an OTL amp and they sounded good from top to bottom, except they were a bit on the colored side. I wanted something a little more honest, which is why I bought the K701s.
There is a lot of disagreement about headphones, if you dig deep enough on head-fi and i think a lot of it has to do with a user's preference. Also, the source is very important, esp. if it's digital.
The fact that I find the HD800s more tolerable on my SS amp may have more to do with the source i use (Audio Note 4.1x vs. Wavelength Proton) than the amp.
Observe, before you think. Think before you open your yap. Act on the basis of experience.
But not Stax.
Observe, before you think. Think before you open your yap. Act on the basis of experience.
Post a Followup:
| FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]