Comments on Profile Post by Stuff Jones

  1. Stuff Jones
    Stuff Jones
    2/3. It seems like as you go higher up with headphones, you get better technicalities but there are still tradeoffs. Hence the HD6xx are still so popular. It's not the best on technicalities, but very balanced.
    Jan 13, 2020
  2. Stuff Jones
    Stuff Jones
    3/3. If this is true, isn't it advisable to - contrary to popular wisdom - build a system around top notch even or balanced electronics and then slowly flavor it with necessarily compromised or "tilted" headphones?
    Jan 13, 2020
  3. Bill-P
    Bill-P
    I wouldn't say transducers are inherently more compromised, but... from what I have gathered, talking with manufacturers recently, they are more concerned with "what sells" and "how to set an identity" rather than "making a benchmark" if that makes sense.
    Jan 13, 2020
    Thad E Ginathom and Stuff Jones like this.
  4. Bill-P
    Bill-P
    Also, from my own personal experience, a headphone that is not tilted, or not significantly tilted in any direction is really... just very boring sounding. The original Orpheus (HE90) measures pretty flat-ish, but it's not the kind of sound that will make everyone go "wow".
    Jan 13, 2020
    sheldaze and Stuff Jones like this.
  5. Griffon
    Griffon
    False. The reason to settle with transducers first is that, in a system, usually a change in transducer makes the most difference.
    Jan 13, 2020
    Case, Biodegraded, famish99 and 2 others like this.
  6. Stuff Jones
    Stuff Jones
    @Griffon. Yes, transducers make the most difference, both technically and signature wise. However the variance in signatures as price goes up does not really decrease. On the other other hand, with electronics, I speculate that the variance in sound signatures between different models does decrease as price goes up.
    Jan 14, 2020
  7. Stuff Jones
    Stuff Jones
    Therefore as you're learning what kind of sound you like, you're better off allocating more of your budget to balanced sounding electronics and slowly adding HPs to suit your evolving SQ preferences. Ultimately you'll end up like many/most, with multiple headphones to suit their different musical/sound tastes.
    Jan 14, 2020
  8. Stuff Jones
    Stuff Jones
    However if you've invested in good electronics at the beginning, you're controlling for that variable and cost and can just discover and indulge your SQ tastes via headphone upgrading.
    Jan 14, 2020
  9. Stuff Jones
    Stuff Jones
    A practical example. If you're starting off in HPs with a ~3k budget, which option would you go for:

    a) DNA Starlett + Schiit BF2 + HD6XX
    b) Schiit Modi MB + Asgard + ZMF Verite

    For me, option a) is much more appealing. You've got an amp and DAC that will do any headphone justice as your taste evolves and budget grows.
    Jan 14, 2020
  10. Griffon
    Griffon
    @Stuff Jones your option a is built upon the premise that HD6XX (or the HD6xx family) is a competent transducer. With a 3K USD budget I'd rather have a used pair of HD800SDR, get a competent sub-1200, SBAF-approved amp, and a used Gungnir MB. You have a combination electronics that is a.) not far away from Starlett+BF2, and b). maybe even more versatile.
    Jan 15, 2020