CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS

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Author Topic: Changstar & The Subjective Objectivist Movement & New-comers  (Read 1264 times)

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Valentin Hogea

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Re: Changstar & The Subjective Objectivist Movement & New-comers
« Reply #20 on: December 26, 2012, 10:49:43 AM »

You can read my other two reviews and get a picture of how I write and what I dear say and not.

Yeah of course. There will be discussion regarding the stock T50RP, Mad Dogs etc. etc.

But I want to open up discussion of where this headphone hobby is heading too. I mean like... The TH900 a hotted up D7000 selling at double the MRSP. Yeah it's better. But come on? The LCD-2 vs LCD-3. Times are changing, whether we like it or not.

And regarding sponsors and such. I think you will find that not all reviews are praises. Just look at the http://www.headfonia.com/the-player-astell-kern-ak100/ . Mike's going to sell that at the Analog Head-store even though he doesn't like it. At the end of the day. People make choices based on (1) marketing, (2) reviews and their own (3) subjective opinion. How well they are at minimizing marketing-bias, finding reviewers that have credibility (in their eyes) and making the subjective opinion as objective as possible is individual.

As a note. I'm about to buy a EC Super 7. Not because I've heard it. Not because it's getting serious hype via any "regular" channels. But because of the threads here. I value the opinion of the posters here, because my own knowledge is not strong enough to compare and choose in the price bracket. Mostly because, especially here in Sweden, there's no possibility to listen to the "giants" in that domain. Woo Audio, Headamp, Eddie Current, TTVJ/Millet, Manley etc. etc. etc.

Will i review it for headfonia? Most likely not. If so it'll be an explanation of what it does/listening impressions, but I don't feel cunning enough to review an 1500-3000 USD amp, and therefore avoid it.

----

The most difficult thing about science (since i do quite a lot of research) is learning causality and avoiding transposing facts to new fields, thinking "it's almost the same thing". There's a reason why expert opinions have the lowest degree of power in evidence-based medicine. Meta-analyses, especially of double-blind randomized controlled studies with fixed study protocols before data collection is something that will be very hard to adapt to the headphone audiophile hobby (Read: impossible). But that's where qualitative methodology comes in to science. Quantitative methodology is what most consider to be "real science". Yes and no. Quantitative methodology creates data for t-testing and other statistical methods. However qualitative methodology asks the question "What should we be measuring". In science both are equally valuable.

In the headphone hobby via Changstar and Tyll we can add some quantitative data to all qualitative notions. But still. How do we measure listening pleasure? It's hard to measure "beauty". And follow-up question. What about the euphony and linearity-thing? If linearity is everything we might as well just buy Behringer's pro-audio racks and settle at that. Or shoot everything in Neutral on our dSLR's and never post-process.

---- End of rant
« Last Edit: December 26, 2012, 11:09:10 AM by Valentin Hogea »
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Deep Funk

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Re: Changstar & The Subjective Objectivist Movement & New-comers
« Reply #21 on: December 26, 2012, 02:33:25 PM »

"But still. How do we measure listening pleasure? It's hard to measure "beauty". And follow-up question."

Val, it's very easy in this context.

Question 1: do I like this headphone?
Answer: Yes.

Question 2: is worth the price I have to pay for it? (Also in regards to changing your audio system.)
Answer: Yes.

Question 3: do I want to keep it?
Answer: Yes, I'm keeping/purchasing it.

You would only have to explain the first questions regarding the headphone's qualities and you've got your answers. Just don't try to confuse me like SixMoons and HeadFonia. I won't even bother with 'TLDR'. When hollow language confuses me I call it ingnore-worthy. As we often say of worthless books: "you can still burn it..."

Looking forward to your impressions...
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shipsupt

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Re: Changstar & The Subjective Objectivist Movement & New-comers
« Reply #22 on: December 26, 2012, 02:50:16 PM »


However I feel they've strayed far too 'commercially' as of late. Which is very disappointing. And now that he's become a retailer, even more so.


So go to another site, but who are you to say what is too commercial or not?  Can you blame Mike for trying to make a living form something he's obviously passionate about?  Accept it for what it is and move on.

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Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

Valentin Hogea

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Re: Changstar & The Subjective Objectivist Movement & New-comers
« Reply #23 on: December 26, 2012, 03:30:42 PM »

"But still. How do we measure listening pleasure? It's hard to measure "beauty". And follow-up question."

Val, it's very easy in this context.

Question 1: do I like this headphone?
Answer: Yes.

Question 2: is worth the price I have to pay for it? (Also in regards to changing your audio system.)
Answer: Yes.

Question 3: do I want to keep it?
Answer: Yes, I'm keeping/purchasing it.

You would only have to explain the first questions regarding the headphone's qualities and you've got your answers. Just don't try to confuse me like SixMoons and HeadFonia. I won't even bother with 'TLDR'. When hollow language confuses me I call it ingnore-worthy. As we often say of worthless books: "you can still burn it..."

Looking forward to your impressions...

That was a new abbreviation for me. "Too long don't read". :)

1) I like this headphone because to my ears it let's me listen to my source/headphone amp and not headphone-related-artifacts.

2) Is it worth 600-800 USD? Well yes and no. It's custom-made and I have a feeling that LFF is pretty picky when it comes to tuning these. Therefore he has a skill that I do not. So I pay for his "expertise".

3) I'll keep it due to - portability/comfort - a realistic soundstage and good imaging - and a very speaker-like frequency response.  It feels like it listening to my speakers.

But that wouldn't be a too informative  review.

---

What I was getting at earlier was (1) will people like a flat response (2) will people pay aprox 450 USD for custom work on a 200 USD-headphone.

In order to discuss the "real" issue at hand, which I consider to be... what does a medium soundstage and a flat frequency response and non-existant ringing and quick decay mean in terms of listening pleasure?

Because let's face it. Put a HD800 on your head and the sound stage will blow your socks off. Put a LCD-3 on your head and the bass/warmth/silky sound will make music sound more realistic than most people have heard previous to that.

What I will answer is: "Why would I "bother" with putting this headphone on my head even though these well-renown flagships are in my viscinity?"

And I don't know exactly how to explain what I feel when I listen to the Paradox other than "I want more". Why? Don't know yet.  Need more time...  :)p13
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ihasmario

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Re: Changstar & The Subjective Objectivist Movement & New-comers
« Reply #24 on: December 26, 2012, 04:08:13 PM »

Tyll already opened the floodgates

At this risk of quoting you out of context, what do you mean by this? Links?
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Deep Funk

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Re: Changstar & The Subjective Objectivist Movement & New-comers
« Reply #25 on: December 26, 2012, 04:20:43 PM »

"TLDR" or "tl;dr" as it's sometimes formulated means 'too long; didn't read'. Enough derailing by me, sorry...
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Tari

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Re: Changstar & The Subjective Objectivist Movement & New-comers
« Reply #26 on: December 26, 2012, 04:40:12 PM »

Tyll already opened the floodgates

At this risk of quoting you out of context, what do you mean by this? Links?


http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/now-pirates-headphonedom-argh


Don't read the comments or you will get a headache.
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Tyll Hertsens

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Re: Changstar & The Subjective Objectivist Movement & New-comers
« Reply #27 on: December 26, 2012, 04:43:15 PM »

Tyll already opened the floodgates

At this risk of quoting you out of context, what do you mean by this? Links?

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/now-pirates-headphonedom-argh

Edit: Ooops! Tari beat me to it. It now has 14k reads.
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Valentin Hogea

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Re: Changstar & The Subjective Objectivist Movement & New-comers
« Reply #28 on: December 26, 2012, 07:28:23 PM »


http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/now-pirates-headphonedom-argh

Edit: Ooops! Tari beat me to it. It now has 14k reads.

Oh my god...

That/those dude(s) (Dale Thorn etc...) in the comments section need meds. A whole Skittles-bag.

I've seen lighter cases of mania/paranoid schizofrenia institutionalised.
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Re: Changstar & The Subjective Objectivist Movement & New-comers
« Reply #29 on: January 02, 2013, 08:55:31 AM »

Ahhh Dale Thorn ...  ::)
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