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Author Topic: Pioneer SE Master 1 and Dharma Acoustics Enigma  (Read 1471 times)

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Bill-p

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Re: Pioneer SE Master 1 and Dharma Acoustics Enigma
« Reply #10 on: September 15, 2015, 06:50:54 PM »
This is supposedly the frequency graph for the SE Master 1:



As supplied by Pioneer.

Bill is not impressed at all.

As for the Dharma, I'd say... it's probably the most coherent hybrid headphone I have heard. The FR is very even and balanced, or so I think. Some weirdness in the treble, but I think the electrostatic driver is working well, so even though it's weird, it's fairly good in terms of fatigue. The main problem comes from when a song that requires fast bass is played. Try Daft Punk's Get Lucky on the Dharma and it starts to fall apart. The bass driver sounds obviously slower than the electrostatic one.

But all that aside, I think the Dharma can be enjoyable with the right music. I think slow acoustic songs are good on it.
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Koloth

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Re: Pioneer SE Master 1 and Dharma Acoustics Enigma
« Reply #11 on: September 15, 2015, 07:03:16 PM »
I've seen that graph on HF and I have trouble believing its true. That looks ridiculously unpleasant. Do we know if that graph has been compensated? If so, using what reference curve? And is that really official Pioneer promo material?
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Bill-p

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Re: Pioneer SE Master 1 and Dharma Acoustics Enigma
« Reply #12 on: September 15, 2015, 07:16:12 PM »
We don't know if that graph has been compensated. I'd guess it's raw measurement of the driver. I've measured Beyerdynamic's older DT770/880/990 line's drivers and they kinda look like that.

Also note the scale. The highest peak is only 5dB above the rest, which is actually LESS than the same peak on some other headphones (HE-560?).

It actually looks like it'll just have less sub bass than other flagships (including the HD800), and slightly more treble than usual.

The reason why I'm saying it's not impressive is because... you can get about the same, and even more pleasant, frequency response and tonal balance with the Sennheiser HD600 in stock form. At $2500, I'd have expected it to be... more than that. Again, that's really about 10 times more than the HD600 when it's on sale, or on the used market. Some early impressions on HF also state that it sounds kinda slow and boomy in the bass, and that it doesn't seem to be transparent, which is troubling for something that's priced about the same as a new SR-007.

Edit: oh, and it is official Pioneer promo material. Here's the source:
http://pioneer-headphones.com/japanese/se-master1/technology/
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Deep Funk

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Re: Pioneer SE Master 1 and Dharma Acoustics Enigma
« Reply #13 on: September 15, 2015, 08:40:02 PM »
Quote from: Bill-p on September 15, 2015, 07:16:12 PM
We don't know if that graph has been compensated. I'd guess it's raw measurement of the driver. I've measured Beyerdynamic's older DT770/880/990 line's drivers and they kinda look like that.

Also note the scale. The highest peak is only 5dB above the rest, which is actually LESS than the same peak on some other headphones (HE-560?).

It actually looks like it'll just have less sub bass than other flagships (including the HD800), and slightly more treble than usual.

The reason why I'm saying it's not impressive is because... you can get about the same, and even more pleasant, frequency response and tonal balance with the Sennheiser HD600 in stock form. At $2500, I'd have expected it to be... more than that. Again, that's really about 10 times more than the HD600 when it's on sale, or on the used market. Some early impressions on HF also state that it sounds kinda slow and boomy in the bass, and that it doesn't seem to be transparent, which is troubling for something that's priced about the same as a new SR-007.

Edit: oh, and it is official Pioneer promo material. Here's the source:
http://pioneer-headphones.com/japanese/se-master1/technology/

An old versus new review is needed with proper audio set-up, measurements and impressions. Fuck the marketing team.

Pioneer can make the next HD800 killer because they were ahead of their time decades ago. Takato knows this too. Thing is that when the team behind this headphone underestimates the people who know their audio gear all the marketing B.S. is not going to help. Pioneer has this DJ-image, not the high-end audio image.

The graph means nothing. The driver, dampening and construction as a whole with the measurements make the difference. Pick apart an old SE-series or Monitor 10 and you know they knew what they were doing sometimes.

This can be a giant cluster-fuck...
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