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Author Topic: The All Purpose Advice Thread  (Read 139980 times)

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Thad E Ginathom

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #710 on: October 31, 2014, 02:08:03 PM »
Quote from: cizx on October 30, 2014, 10:50:30 PM
Thad, what are you using to drive the HD 600s?  I think they need more juice than the AD900s, but I'm not sure.  Amping them more might restore the bite you're missing.  Assuming you want to get bitten.

Yes, they do need more juice. Quite a lot more, by the volume knob position. Ten times more imprudence? Impudence... or maybe it's impedance! Resistance may be futile.

I'm using an ifi iCAN, but it is not that simple...

Source is PC to an ODAC. When I have taken the ODAC walkies around other people's systems for comparisons, it has compared well for sound quality, but its output power is usually noticeably lower than the other DACs. I am using a pre-amp as source/volume control, and it is a passive, which means that it slightly lowers the signal level. I think the iCAN is on highest gain already* (and with its volume level at near max) but I got confused about the switch settings.

*Whoops... it was on the lowest  :o  :-[  :-[  :-[

Comfort notes:

I doubt that anything could compare to the comfort of the the AT AD phones. The wings are so good that I have found myself an inch above the chair. The grip is so right that I had to get used to the fact that no, there were not going to fall off.

I have a thin face: the HD600s do not press to hard. They press in slightly different places. That I will get used to. I have no need at all to try stretching anything.

As I write...

This is a whole new world now I have upped the gain, and the horrible doubts are falling away  :)p2

Actually... I'm confused. There's a volume knob and a three-level gain control....

The volume knob actually reduces (unless on full) the input signal, right? Is what we consumers call "volume," equivalent to "input sensitivity?" My understanding: the amount of amplification is constant, but the input signal is controlled. Is that right?

Then gain: is that that just another part of the same thing, acting on the input signal, or does it, as the name gain implies, actually control the amount of amplification?

« Last Edit: October 31, 2014, 02:36:55 PM by Thad E Ginathom »
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Darsus

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #711 on: October 31, 2014, 03:44:44 PM »
Quote from: Solderdude on October 31, 2014, 06:05:28 AM
Quote from: Darsus on October 29, 2014, 03:49:45 AM
(Possible) problem again.

My Sennheiser HD 215 sounds a little bit shallow on one side (or the other one is boosted), it's not really noticable, but when you put left cup on right ear and opposite, you can clearly notice the difference in sound. They behave same when I use them on my phone, but difference is slightly smaller. This smaller difference made me test my cell phone Samsung bugs on my laptop, and I think i noticed sliiiiightly difference between L and R on them too, but might be tripping. So. I'm wondering, could it be that my headphones jack is broken and that that damaged one driver on HD 215, and can I test/measure my laptop soundcard output levels, to see if it's the same for left and right?

Also, since I'm getting an amp, I quit buying soundcard, so will this cheap external USB soundcards do the same job as integrated? This one sounds quite nice, and I already asked about it, but never got an answer about cheap USB vs integrated soundcard quality difference. Will it be worse?

Had the same thing on the one I measured for a co-worker:



The HD215 isn't really a hifi phone but is intended for monitoring.






Ha! Even the range is same. I was 100% sure that I screwed one driver by forcing them, or that my bad soundcard wore it out. I know that they aren't Hi Fi phones, I use them for monitoring. Couldn't find any frequency response chart for them, thank you for the info!

P.S. I ordered a pair of Superlux HD668B and I'm open to mod them. Been told by many that you have ton of mod instructionals for Superlux, but couldn't find any particularly for that model. Did you wrote it anywhere?
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Solderdude

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #712 on: October 31, 2014, 03:57:42 PM »
Quote from: Darsus on October 31, 2014, 03:44:44 PM

Ha! Even the range is same. I was 100% sure that I screwed one driver by forcing them, or that my bad soundcard wore it out. I know that they aren't Hi Fi phones, I use them for monitoring. Couldn't find any frequency response chart for them, thank you for the info!

P.S. I ordered a pair of Superlux HD668B and I'm open to mod them. Been told by many that you have ton of mod instructionals for Superlux, but couldn't find any particularly for that model. Did you wrote it anywhere?

http://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/schematics/headphone/ 
(near the bottom of the page in the 'Superlux section')
It is only a schematic for the filter which can me made external.
No mechanical mods.
perhaps with felt in front of the driver somewhat similar results can be had.
The electronic filter, however, only adresses the 'hurting' part of the FR where felt also influences parts of the FR you would not want.

I calculated it and drew it based on findings of a guy in the Ukraine (well before they started shooting our countrymen out of the sky).
I think he used his ears and an equalizer.
Turns out he did a decent job judging from measurements I saw later.
The plots from Superlux themselves are ... urmmm... somewhat besides the truth.

I owned it for a few months (nearly all of the interesting Superluxes) but did not like the wing thing and found it a little to 'bland' and 'lifeless'.
Good for monitoring though.
The (modified) HD681 and modified HD681 EVO are more fun and more hifi.
I did not feel the need to remove the peak it has, it added a little 'sparkle'.
Filtered it was more 'boring' but think for monitoring that may actually work well.

I thought the HD668B sounded a lot like the Samson SR850 (an OEM from Superlux) which I gave to a friend later on.
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altrunox

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #713 on: October 31, 2014, 04:11:22 PM »
Quote from: Solderdude on October 31, 2014, 03:57:42 PM
I thought the HD668B sounded a lot like the Samson SR850 (an OEM from Superlux) which I gave to a friend later on.

Are you going to get the new HD562?
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Solderdude

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #714 on: October 31, 2014, 04:32:31 PM »
The HD25 appearance knock-off....

Not going to buy it.
Personally I don't like on-ears because they start to hurt my ears after an hour or so.
Sometimes Superlux sends me a unit for evaluation, but not this one.
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Darsus

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #715 on: October 31, 2014, 04:38:48 PM »
@solderdude

Thank you! I think I have a guy that could do this for me. Also, do you think lowering highs with EQ would diminish the details and quality of sound?
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Solderdude

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #716 on: October 31, 2014, 07:35:53 PM »
It will reduce the slightly fatiguing treble.
It isn't as bad as the HD681 which can be shrill at times when left stock.
I felt the 668B was more balanced, the HD681 is more V shaped.
The HD668B is more midrange focussed (better for more accurate monitoring).
Because the treble is slightly reduced it will become slightly warmer sounding.
Detail will still be there, fake detail will be reduced.
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Darsus

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #717 on: November 01, 2014, 03:21:26 AM »
Yes, I know, but lowering with digital EQ, software, will it affect the sound negatively?
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Marvey

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #718 on: November 01, 2014, 04:53:01 AM »
If you use good software, it will not lower sound quality.


I run my speakers EQ'd to reached a target FR at listening position. The stereo sounds MUCH BETTER with EQ than without.
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Darsus

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #719 on: November 01, 2014, 05:53:01 AM »
Can you recommend some? Have in mind that it has to be ASIO compatibile since I plan to use it in DAW too, and not very much demanding, CPU/memory hungry. It's probably tough to find something that fits, but...

(I know google is my friend for most of the questions I asked, but I really wanna hear opinion/suggestion from people that know their stuff)
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