General Headphone Audio

mrk · Thursday at 10:34

I am in a bit of a pinch now hah, the X8 has been very impressive and like with the X9, will no doubt have a long life ahead of it with new features being added via updates, I suspect more people will get it too given it's quite a bit cheaper than the X9, smaller, in black and has an interesting component configuration that is unique to it alone.

The pinch is that I've put the WARMER back on the shelf lol, and after spending £240 odd on tube upgrades! The X8 sounds good enough that I can't be faffed with connecting up the WARMER even once a week to get those harmonics back on given the additional bells and whistles on the X8 to play with or the graphic display to look at. And the 12v triggering across all 3 devices on my desk now means one remote powers them all from the A90D making things seamless.

Raymond Lin · Thursday at 10:44

mrk said:
I am in a bit of a pinch now hah, the X8 has been very impressive and like with the X9, will no doubt have a long life ahead of it with new features being added via updates, I suspect more people will get it too given it's quite a bit cheaper than the X9, smaller, in black and has an interesting component configuration that is unique to it alone.

The pinch is that I've put the WARMER back on the shelf lol, and after spending £240 odd on tube upgrades! The X8 sounds good enough that I can't be faffed with connecting up the WARMER even once a week to get those harmonics back on given the additional bells and whistles on the X8 to play with or the graphic display to look at. And the 12v triggering across all 3 devices on my desk now means one remote powers them all from the A90D making things seamless.

Oh dear... lol

mrk · Thursday at 11:56

FWP for sure

Raymond Lin · Thursday at 12:00

Speaking of which, XA-02 + Sennheiser HD580 at work. Chef's kiss. It's great!

I can't turn it up anyway due to open back and I need to hear it if people call my name. When most people have gone home I am going to plug in my IEMs.

Plus it is snug in that space!

mrk · Thursday at 12:38

Have to admit I'm bored of the HD600 and realise now why I shifted on the HD650 since getting into planars years ago. It has that great mid range for vocals of course but.... That's about it

The Arya Stealth showed me what's what with highly detailed planars and the HEKse was the next step. Putting on the HD600 after the HE just feels like putting on cassette walkman after playing modern streaming of the same music if that makes sense.

HD??? leaks far less sound though, the hifimans are like speakers with how much sound is leaked out the back.

Raymond Lin · Thursday at 12:44

But you bought it as a benchmarks, a reference point, for “work”.

mrk · Thursday at 12:52

Still can be bored with it though

Raymond Lin · Thursday at 13:01

mrk said:
Still can be bored with it though

On paper the Bokeh Closed is like that, but it’s also so good!

And also…that’s the same argument R2R vs Sigma Delta? Just different flavour.

Sc00p007 · Thursday at 13:02

I find headphones like my cereal. Bored of rice krispies, change to corn flakes, wow so nice, then start to get used to it, change back to Krispies and now these are wow so nice

Just a change in signature can be refreshing. I'll swap between he1000, hd800S, hd600, ie800, ie80 and others. Yes some are technically better, but at the end of the day i still like the sound and they all sound different enough that when it's time for rotation i still enjoy them.

Raymond Lin · Thursday at 13:06

Sc00p007 said:
I find headphones like my cereal. Bored of rice krispies, change to corn flakes, wow so nice, then start to get used to it, change back to Krispies and now these are wow so nice Just a change in signature can be refreshing. I'll swap between he1000, hd800S, hd600, ie800, ie80 and others. Yes some are technically better, but at the end of the day i still like the sound and they all sound different enough that when it's time for rotation i still enjoy them.

Yes !!!

Although some I just don't like the flavour of, like the Sony MDR-7506, in that regard I understand why mrk find te HD600 boring, but it's not bad though.

Rroff · Thursday at 13:09

Can't say I ever get bored of the HD600s but they fill a role in my setup - definitely not end game. But they always bring a smile to my face when I put them on with the right music (and the right amp).

Have to say though they have plenty of volume and detail, even with a balanced cable, I do find them bland and uninteresting with the QX13 - they definitely need that amp synergy.

Sc00p007 · Thursday at 13:17

I find HD600 to be nice with my Tube amp, but tbh it might just be a fluke as i've only ever tried them with 2 types of tube so i don't have much experience in that respect.

mrk · Thursday at 13:28

Raymond Lin said:
On paper the Bokeh Closed is like that, but it’s also so good!

And also…that’s the same argument R2R vs Sigma Delta? Just different flavour.

Not the same I'd say! Both DS and R2R are excellent tbh, have 2 of each around my desk currently for example and for the most part I prefer well implemented DS from AKM and now Cirrus Logic for all the reasons mentioned already from a features standpoint. R2R has its plusses as well, at least with the WARMER, wider soundstage and the natural lean on being more natural sounding like old school analogue amps which is expected given its hardware doing the conversion rather than mathematics inside an IC.

Different flavour though I agree, but both are equally as enjoyable as the other, although I did not like ESS's latest implementation in models like the DX5 II, too sterile for my liking and was not able to enjoy music whereas I can for hours on end with AKM and CS and R2R DACs.

Raymond Lin · Thursday at 13:39

I honestly can't tell the difference between the DACs, at least not with 100% confidence...and I just realised the DAC in the Xduoo is the same one in the DX5II anyway.

mrk · Thursday at 13:46

Bear in mind it may well be to do with the implementation, since the FiiO K7 has an AKM DAC with THX amplification, yet I found that to sound too harsh in the upper frequencies. The DX5 II's ESS implementation was similar in harshness up top, and the soundstage was too narrow for what my headphones were capable of at the time having heard them on wide staging amps/DACs - So yeah whilst the DAC on its own may be identical in audio transport conversion, the rest of the implementation could be changing how it ultimately sounds with common traits between manufacturers playing a role.

All I can say is that AKM Velvet DACs and now CS for Delta Sigma, and any R2R have been the only DAC implementations that have not given me fatigue after an hour+ of listening whether through speakers or headphones.

Timber · Thursday at 13:50

mrk said:
The pinch is that I've put the WARMER back on the shelf lol, and after spending £240 odd on tube upgrades! The X8 sounds good enough that I can't be faffed with connecting up the WARMER even once a week to get those harmonics back on given the additional bells and whistles on the X8 to play with or the graphic display to look at. And the 12v triggering across all 3 devices on my desk now means one remote powers them all from the A90D making things seamless.

Oh noes. The 12V feature does sound like a nice QoL touch. The only thing I would say is that given the Warmer is not available from a lot of places, it'll probably be easy to shift.

mrk said:
Have to admit I'm bored of the HD600 and realise now why I shifted on the HD650 since getting into planars years ago. It has that great mid range for vocals of course but.... That's about it

Bit rude...

Sc00p007 said:
I find headphones like my cereal. Bored of rice krispies, change to corn flakes, wow so nice, then start to get used to it, change back to Krispies and now these are wow so nice Just a change in signature can be refreshing. I'll swap between he1000, hd800S, hd600, ie800, ie80 and others. Yes some are technically better, but at the end of the day i still like the sound and they all sound different enough that when it's time for rotation i still enjoy them.

Agreed. Although there is this little voice in my head that always goes 'you can only wear one pair'. Doesn't stop me wanting loads of them!

Rroff said:
Can't say I ever get bored of the HD600s but they fill a role in my setup - definitely not end game. But they always bring a smile to my face when I put them on with the right music (and the right amp).

I love the series having been through that adventure on buying the 650 - 58X - 6XX - 660S2 - 600. At some point I might upgrade to technically more proficient headphones, but I don't think I'll get over that mid-range and how natural they sound. For me it kind of is endgame and part of the experience since has been finding amps for them. Having bought loads of headphones in the last decade (in this entry to mid-price range), I don't think I can remember a headphone where I so instantly wanted to listen to all my music again. It was a fairly seismic moment. Also from a comfort POV these are up near the top. Maybe only the Beyers and those Takstar Pro 82/CM MH751 top them.

Raymond Lin said:
I honestly can't tell the difference between the DACs, at least not with 100% confidence...and I just realised the DAC in the Xduoo is the same one in the DX5II anyway.

After my blind test adventures last week - I concur! Or to put it another way I'd have to spend so much more on headphones so as to hear the difference.

mrk · Thursday at 13:55

There is an element of maintenance with the HD6 series too, the pads and the foam discs needing replacing annually if used somewhat frequently, or sooner if used daily seems to be commonly accepted. I don't use them enough for this to be an issue, but I did with the HD650s and Thomann.com got a lot of business from me on official pad orders for years lol. I also tried two different types of Dekoni pads for the 650s and was not that impressed given the cost of them hence going back to OG pads in later years.

I'm so glad the Voarmaks memory foam velour pads exist and only cost £18 or so for the Hifimans, there is no way I could live with the lack of long session comfort of the stock pads and the stiff foam.It still amazes me Hifiman use the same pads across the board from Sundara all the way to Susvara (just different shape).

Raymond Lin · Thursday at 14:03

Which is why from this year I am trying to get more interesting stuff, rather than merely good. There are a lot of good gear on the market, espeically now with Chi-Fi. Interesting is harder to quantify but in a way it leans towards the heart even more so that can be easier to justify. It's like nobody buy a Jag E-type for it's performance these days. A Golf GTI is faster in every measurable way, you buy it for that unmeasurable feeling, yet keep the GTI as the daily.

So basically, how I end up with the Bokeh Closed, rather than Fiio FT1 or Aune SR7000 or a pair of Sony Z1R.

p.s. someone at work saw my Sennheiser HD580 and went "I bet those are expensive". I didn't mention the rest i got at home lol

Rroff · Thursday at 14:05

Not had that problem with my 600s - the headband memory foam went all limp after ~10 years on my 2015 pair (which get the most use), the foam disc inserts disintegrate around every 10 years with or without use on both sets, the pads are actually OK though I changed them anyway on my 2015 pair though tempted to change them back as the sound is a little better on the originals.

Timber · Thursday at 14:17

I haven't had the pad issues either with the 6x0. I've still got a brand new set of official pads and 4 inner foams on standby. I use the 58x a lot as a daily driver and those pads are still nearly new looking. And unlike Beyer 990 pads on the TYGR they don't shift shape as much. Also got those Soulwit cooking gel pads which are a bargain for how good they are.

Raymond Lin said:
p.s. someone at work say my Sennheiser HD580 and went "I bet those are expensive". I didn't mention the rest i got at home lol

Don't tell 'em, they'll have you down as a massive geek before you know it.